Laura Chapot rode Thornhill Kate to victory in the $100,000 Great American Insurance Group Grand Prix at the I Love New York Horse Show, the second week of the 49thannual Lake Placid Horse Shows, presented by Sea Shore Stables, LLC and sponsored by Bainbridge Farms, LLC.
Seven of 36 entries reached the jump-off by riding clean over the 13-jump, 16-effort first-round course designed by Michel Vaillancourt. Three of the seven then went clean over the eight-jump jump-off course with Amber Harte on Cafino and Chloe Field on Tess de Jalesnes opening the jump-off with clean rides.
Riding her 13-year-old, Irish Sport Horse mare, Chapot was fourth to try the jump-off and she moved into the lead with a time of 38.996 seconds. The last rider to try to beat Chapot was two-time Olympic gold medalist and 2017 FEI World Cup champion, McLain Ward. He wound up with two rails down for eight faults on his young horse, Upsilon de la Liniere, giving Chapot her fifth Grand Prix win in Lake Placid.
"Kate is a naturally fast horse," Chapot said. "She's very careful and she's a real trier. With her, I don't have to always press, press, press at every jump; I can just rely on her natural quickness and let her do the job.
"Of all the Grand Prix I compete in throughout the year, I want to win in Lake Placid the most," Chapot continued. "I have been up here every summer of my life and the people in this town are so incredibly nice that it just means so much to me to win here."
Amber Harte, first to go in the jump-off, took home second place aboard Cafino with a time of 39.725 seconds. Chloe Field and Tess De Jalesnes were third with a time of 46.978 seconds. Ilan Bluman of Colombia was fourth with four jump-off faults in 43.470 seconds on EAX Run Run LS.
Chapot's win also earned her the Richard and Diana Feldman Trophy as the rider with the most prize money in Lake Placid's two Grand Prix events. It's the third time she has won the award, having won previously in 2014 and 2016.