Coming off a summer representing the USA—highlighted by an appearance at the FEI World Show Jumping Championship in Aachen, Germany—Lillie Keenan of New York, N.Y., is back and winning stateside. 
 
Alicia Santa Rosa, a 12-year-old Mexican-bred mare (Presley Boy x Cornet Obolensky), is owned by Patricio Pasquel and leased by Keenan’s student Isabel Coxe. After a summer campaigning with Coxe at the international level, Alicia Santa Rosa was last to return in an eight-horse jump-off over Nick Granat’s (USA) track. The winning time was a blazing 28.566 seconds. 
 
“We believe in our system, and in order for us to help it run the best, I will occasionally jump the horses to stay in touch with how they are feeling,” said Keenan about her taking over the reins on Alicia Santa Rosa this week. “If [Isabel] is working on something, I always try to think about how I can help her better, and we have been focused on being faster in the jump-off.
 
“I had two in the jump-off, which is definitely an advantage,” continued Keenan of her bookends to the jump-off which led off with longtime partner Agana van het Gerendal Z. “I got to have fun with Alicia and let her rip. I wanted to see how far I could push an envelope, and I never took my foot off the gas.”
 
A second off the pace, Taylor Landstrom of Excelsior, Minn., settled for second riding her own Balounita to a jump-off time of 29.709 seconds. Clara Propp of New York, N.Y., rounded out the podium placings in 31.803 seconds aboard Stakantura for owner Aquitaine Equine.
 
For complete results from the $24,999 INEOS 1.40m Classic, click HERE. 
 
Earlier in the picture-perfect fall afternoon, Reese Merna of Mendham, N.J., topped the $15,000 Frank & Eileen 1.30m Classic with her own Havanna C2, and 11-year-old Holsteiner mare (Carrico x Cascavelle). In a competitive 13-horse jump-off, the 20-year-old rider took the win with nearly a second to spare. 
 
Argentina’s Lautaro Pena, who is based out of North Salem, N.Y., stopped the clock at 31.510 seconds to Merna’s 30.790. He rode S&L Erving, owned by S&L Farms, while Ireland’s Michael Hutchinson of Wellington, Fla., capped the podium on Cool Lady, owned by Kathryn Eppinger, with a time of 31.591 seconds. 
 
“She's been an incredible partner for me; she took me around my first 1.30m classes, and has taken me all the way up to the 1.50m,” said Merna, who trains under the direction of John and Beezie Madden, and also jumped Havanna C2 to claim the champion title for the division. “It's been really special to have her.
 
“It's always special to win, especially when there's so many top competitors that compete at such high levels—you never really expect it, but you can also never count yourself out. It's a very special show, and I love competing here.”
 
Complete results from the $15,000 Frank & Eileen 1.30m Classic can be found HERE.