Crowds gathered Saturday at Bruce's Field to watch the venue's second-ever FEI Grand Prix as the Split Rock Jumping Tour returned to Aiken to host the $100,000 1.50m Grand Prix CSI3*. The feature event also marked the conclusion of the week's FEI competition as thirty combinations set forth to challenge Peter Holmes' (USA) technical track.
Jump-off competition saw five combinations return to contest Holmes' shortened track of 7 elements. First to go as Brooke Kemper, who was also in jump-off contention during Thursday's $50,000 Restylane Welcome CSI3*. The pair succumbed to an early rail on course, leaving the field wide open for the remaining four competitors. After a double-clear effort from Chloe Reid (USE) and Crossover 4, Thursday's winner Aaron Vale (USA) tried his hand aboard Elusive. Vale, a crowd favorite in Aiken, crossed the timers at 38.14 seconds to take over the provisional lead. However, his position wouldn't last as Santiago Lambre entered the ring next with Comtess 22, a 10-year-old Westphalian mare by Comme Il Faut 5. Utilizing not only immense speed between fences, Lambre also impressed crowds with tight turns in all areas of the course, finishing it off with a long gallop to the last fence to stop the clocks at 36,87 seconds. Jonathan McCrea (USA) was last to go with Fantasy BB, and despite a good fight through the course, fell just shy of Lambre's time to ultimately claim second place on the podium, with Vale ending in third.
Source: Press release SRJT
Photo: ©Winslow Photography
Jump-off competition saw five combinations return to contest Holmes' shortened track of 7 elements. First to go as Brooke Kemper, who was also in jump-off contention during Thursday's $50,000 Restylane Welcome CSI3*. The pair succumbed to an early rail on course, leaving the field wide open for the remaining four competitors. After a double-clear effort from Chloe Reid (USE) and Crossover 4, Thursday's winner Aaron Vale (USA) tried his hand aboard Elusive. Vale, a crowd favorite in Aiken, crossed the timers at 38.14 seconds to take over the provisional lead. However, his position wouldn't last as Santiago Lambre entered the ring next with Comtess 22, a 10-year-old Westphalian mare by Comme Il Faut 5. Utilizing not only immense speed between fences, Lambre also impressed crowds with tight turns in all areas of the course, finishing it off with a long gallop to the last fence to stop the clocks at 36,87 seconds. Jonathan McCrea (USA) was last to go with Fantasy BB, and despite a good fight through the course, fell just shy of Lambre's time to ultimately claim second place on the podium, with Vale ending in third.
Source: Press release SRJT
Photo: ©Winslow Photography