Laura Chapot rode Chandon Blue to the win in the $100,000 Great American Insurance Group Grand Prix Presented by Alliant Private Client to culminate the first week of show jumping at the 2022 Lake Placid Horse Shows, Sponsored by Bainbridge Farms, LLC, and Presented by Sea Shore Stables, LLC. One of the premier stops on the nation’s hunter-jumper horse show circuit, the Lake Placid Horse Shows run June 28-July 10, offering a full schedule of world-class competition with more than $600,000 in prize money.
Chapot rode two of the four entries from the starting field of 21 that managed to go clean over the 16-effort, first-round course designed by Nick Granat. Joining her were the defending champion Alex Matz, whose father Michael was an Olympic teammate of Chapot’s father Frank, and 16-year-old Zayna Rizvi.
Matz, who won the class last year on Cashew CR, was first to return for the eight-effort tiebreaker course, and he turned in a clean ride in 36.882 seconds on Ikigai. Chapot then followed on her 17-year-old Oldenburg gelding and as is her wont, blazed over the course, finishing a clean ride in 33.903 seconds. Rizvi followed with a clean ride in 35.933 seconds on Exquise Du Pachis, putting her in second place and assuring Chapot of her sixth Grand Prix win in Lake Placid. She closed the jump-off with a clean ride on Diarado’s Flying Dutchman in 36.510 seconds which was good for third place.
“He loves it up here, and the footing was great so he jumped really, really well,” Chapot said. “He was really focused today. He felt super energetic and ready to do the job so I just tried to stick to my plan, and he really came through.”