Major League Show Jumping competition came to an exciting close on Sunday during Week I of Desert Holiday Series at the Desert International Horse Park. CSI5* athletes took to the grass field for the final time for the $72,900 Purina Winning Round CSI5* and the feature class of the day, the FEI $230,000 Adequan Major League Show Jumping Grand Prix CSI5*, Presented by Essence Art Gallery. Taking top honors in the feature class was Cassio Rivetti (BRA) and Alanine de Vains, besting nine jump-off contenders. As the sun set over the Grand Prix Arena, CSI2* competitors took on the FEI $72,900 FarmVet Grand Prix CSI2*, which was won by Nayel Nassar (EGY) and Oaks Redwood.
Course Designer, Michel Vaillancourt, assisted by Peter Grant, set an expansive track covering the entire grass field for the 35 competitors. His course included 14-numbered obstacles, featuring an oxer-vertical-oxer triple combination, a vertical-oxer double combination, two liverpools, and a triple bar set off a short, rollback turn, all to be completed in the time allowed of 86 seconds.
First to jump the track clear and first to take on the jump-off course was Rivetti, who rode the Lindemann Barnett Sporthorses-owned entry Alanine de Vains, an 11-year-old Selle Francais mare. Knowing the depth of the field of qualifying entries that was coming behind him in the jump-off, including Olympians McLain Ward (USA), Eugenio Garza Perez (MEX), and Katie Laurie (AUS), among others, Rivetti took the most direct routes possible and did not waste any time, setting a time to beat with a clear round in 43.87 seconds. Several athletes, including Garza, Laurie, Ward, Amy Millar, Andrew Bourns (IRL) and Bliss Heers (USA), attempted to beat Rivetti’s quick time, but fell short at the expense of rails down or additional seconds on the clock.
The first rider to put the pressure on Rivetti’s leading time was Adrienne Sternlicht, who piloted Bennys Legacy, her own 13-year-old Oldenberg gelding, to a clear round in a time of 44.86, just off the leading time, slotting her into an eventual third place. Conor Swail (IRL) stepped into the ring on a mission to take over the lead with Count Me In, a 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Sandy Lupton, but fell just short of the time to beat, clocking in at 43.92, just five thousandths of a second behind Rivetti, who led the ensuing victory gallop. The win in the $230,000 Adequan Major League Show Jumping Grand Prix CSI5*, presented by Essence Art Gallery, marks the first major CSI5* victory for Rivetti, who also calls California his home for the majority of the year.
The CSI2* riders wrapped up FEI competition at Desert Holiday I as the evening feature, the FEI $72,900 FarmVet Grand Prix CSI2*, took place in the Grand Prix Arena. Thirty-seven entries took to the course designed by Alan Wade, and ultimately it was Egypt’s Nayel Nassar and the Evergate Stables entry Oaks Redwood, a 16-year-old Warmblood gelding, who took the victory. Second place went to Kyle King (USA) and Enzo, owned by Seabright Investment Consultants, and Katie Laurie (AUS) with McCaw MVNZ, owned by Carissa McCall, rounded out the top three.
Course Designer, Michel Vaillancourt, assisted by Peter Grant, set an expansive track covering the entire grass field for the 35 competitors. His course included 14-numbered obstacles, featuring an oxer-vertical-oxer triple combination, a vertical-oxer double combination, two liverpools, and a triple bar set off a short, rollback turn, all to be completed in the time allowed of 86 seconds.
First to jump the track clear and first to take on the jump-off course was Rivetti, who rode the Lindemann Barnett Sporthorses-owned entry Alanine de Vains, an 11-year-old Selle Francais mare. Knowing the depth of the field of qualifying entries that was coming behind him in the jump-off, including Olympians McLain Ward (USA), Eugenio Garza Perez (MEX), and Katie Laurie (AUS), among others, Rivetti took the most direct routes possible and did not waste any time, setting a time to beat with a clear round in 43.87 seconds. Several athletes, including Garza, Laurie, Ward, Amy Millar, Andrew Bourns (IRL) and Bliss Heers (USA), attempted to beat Rivetti’s quick time, but fell short at the expense of rails down or additional seconds on the clock.
The first rider to put the pressure on Rivetti’s leading time was Adrienne Sternlicht, who piloted Bennys Legacy, her own 13-year-old Oldenberg gelding, to a clear round in a time of 44.86, just off the leading time, slotting her into an eventual third place. Conor Swail (IRL) stepped into the ring on a mission to take over the lead with Count Me In, a 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Sandy Lupton, but fell just short of the time to beat, clocking in at 43.92, just five thousandths of a second behind Rivetti, who led the ensuing victory gallop. The win in the $230,000 Adequan Major League Show Jumping Grand Prix CSI5*, presented by Essence Art Gallery, marks the first major CSI5* victory for Rivetti, who also calls California his home for the majority of the year.
The CSI2* riders wrapped up FEI competition at Desert Holiday I as the evening feature, the FEI $72,900 FarmVet Grand Prix CSI2*, took place in the Grand Prix Arena. Thirty-seven entries took to the course designed by Alan Wade, and ultimately it was Egypt’s Nayel Nassar and the Evergate Stables entry Oaks Redwood, a 16-year-old Warmblood gelding, who took the victory. Second place went to Kyle King (USA) and Enzo, owned by Seabright Investment Consultants, and Katie Laurie (AUS) with McCaw MVNZ, owned by Carissa McCall, rounded out the top three.