Returning in reverse order, just nine of the 10 qualified athletes elected to try their hand at the jump-off, with Marron saving her mount Sebastian for another day. The win was anyone’s for the taking as each athlete started the second round with a clean slate of zero faults. The first two competitors, Carlsen and Welles, incurred faults on course, leaving the top spot open for Asselin to slide into riding Veyryon on a clear time of 48.10 seconds. Following Asselin, Connors and Teran Tafur also knocked rails out of the cups, allowing Asselin to hold his lead. As the winning pair during Thursday’s $36,600 Limitless Performance Speed Classic CSI4*, Laurie and Carissa McCall’s Cera Caruso entered the arena with confidence, shaving over 5 seconds off of Asselin’s time to move into the first place position on a time of 43.06 seconds. Foster tried her best to take the win for herself, but she was just short of Laurie’s time, riding Artisan Farms LLC’s Vienna to a 44.05-second finish. McCrea navigated Jasmijn with ease throughout the course but had an unfortunate rail, leaving him out of contention for the blue.
As the final pair to go, Bluman and Cachemire de Braize were determined to close out the afternoon with a win. Though not as quick off the ground as Laurie’s Cera Caruso, Cachemire de Braize’s big stride gave Bluman an advantage in order to leave out strides to save time on the clock. The duo narrowly slipped into the top spot, finishing just over one-tenth of a second faster than Laurie in 42.89 seconds, ultimately lending her the second place honors with Foster rounding out the top three. Bluman spoke highly of the 9-year-old Selle Français gelding’s promising future and looks forward to aiming him for his first CSI4* grand prix Sunday with the hope of notching another win in the $213,300 Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel Grand Prix CSI4*.
Claiming valuable points toward the 2021 CaptiveOne Advisors Open Jumper Rider Bonus, Bluman’s win allowed him to move into the third position with a total of 12 points. Laurie’s impressive finishes throughout the first week of TCS gives her an advantage as she currently sits in the top position with a total of 16 points. McCrea sits close behind Laurie in the second position on a total of 14 points. Offering show jumping competitors the chance to accumulate points throughout the 12-week Traverse City Horse Shows series, the bonus is awarded to the athlete with the most points at the conclusion of the 2021 $230,000 American Gold Cup Grand Prix CSI5*, presented by CaptiveOne Advisors. The CaptiveOne Advisors Open Jumper Rider Bonus is a highly sought-after prize among the field of international competitors that attend Traverse City Horse Shows.