Week One of the 2017 Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF) concluded on Sunday with the first grand prix of the six-week circuit, the $50,000 Meijer Grand Prix, where the veteran duo of Shane Sweetnam, of Sweet Oak Farm, and Cyklon 1083 took home their second win of the week in the Grand Prix Ring at the Flintfields Horse Park. Fifteen horses and riders contended Keith Bollotte’s first round course, which saw seven jump clear to return for the jump-off. Sweetnam, Friday’s $25,000 Welcome Stake, presented by East Wind Farms, winner, once again returned as the first to jump-off in Sunday’s grand prix. He and the 16-year-old Swedish Warmblood stallion owned by Spy Coast Farm LLC performed faultlessly and set the time to beat at a blazing 35.759 seconds, after opting to take an impressive inside turn between fences one and two — a triple bar to a tall, skinny vertical. It wouldn’t be until three rounds later another pair would attempt the same inside turn to try and catch Sweetnam’s time. David Beisel and Equine Holdings LLC’s Ammeretto navigated the shortened course, imitating Sweetnam’s track almost exactly but leaving out one stride to the last fence, and crossed the finish line in 35.805 seconds — just one tenth of a second off Sweetnam’s winning time for second place honors. Beisel also nabbed the yellow ribbon for third place with his second mount of the class, Call Me Hannes, owned by Harlow Investment Enterprises LLC. The pair rounded out the three double-clear performances of the jump-off, finishing in 39.889 seconds. GLEF will return next week with the first “Equitation Tuesday” of the series on July 11. Week Two will also be the first internationally-ranked week of competition, all leading up to Sunday’s grand prix, the $50,000 Grand Prix of Michigan, on July 16 at 2 p.m. results $50,000 Meijer Grand Prix: Place / Horse / Rider / Owner / R1 Faults / R2 Faults / Time 1. Cyklon 1083 / Shane Sweetnam / Spy Coast Farm LLC / 0 / 0 / 35.759 2. Ammeretto / David Beisel / Equine Holdings LLC / 0 / 0 / 35.805 3. Call Me Hannes / David Beisel / Harlow Investment Enterprises LLC / 0 / 0 / 39.889 4. Columbcille De Reve / Lauren Crooks / Crooks Show Jumping LLC / 0 / 4 / 40.183 5. Zephire / Hayley Barnhill / Barnhill Enterprises LLC / 0 / 4 / 41.285 6. Cordaba AG Z / Kristy Herrera / Dark Harbor LLC / 0 / 8 / 46.022 7. Rolls / Jacob Pope / Doublethink LLC / 0 / 17 / 58.493 8. Imprimis / Hayley Barnhill / Hayley Barnhill / 4 / 78.903 9. Hunters Conlypso II / Lorcan Gallagher / Dacantos Group / 4 / 79.421 10. Don’t Touch Du Bois / Shane Sweetnam / Sweet Oak Farm, Spy Coast Farm, Paul Tracy / 4 / 81.229
Week One of the 2017 Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF) concluded on Sunday with the first grand prix of the six-week circuit, the $50,000 Meijer Grand Prix, where the veteran duo of Shane Sweetnam, of Sweet Oak Farm, and Cyklon 1083 took home their second win of the week in the Grand Prix Ring at the Flintfields Horse Park. Fifteen horses and riders contended Keith Bollotte’s first round course, which saw seven jump clear to return for the jump-off. Sweetnam, Friday’s $25,000 Welcome Stake, presented by East Wind Farms, winner, once again returned as the first to jump-off in Sunday’s grand prix. He and the 16-year-old Swedish Warmblood stallion owned by Spy Coast Farm LLC performed faultlessly and set the time to beat at a blazing 35.759 seconds, after opting to take an impressive inside turn between fences one and two — a triple bar to a tall, skinny vertical. It wouldn’t be until three rounds later another pair would attempt the same inside turn to try and catch Sweetnam’s time. David Beisel and Equine Holdings LLC’s Ammeretto navigated the shortened course, imitating Sweetnam’s track almost exactly but leaving out one stride to the last fence, and crossed the finish line in 35.805 seconds — just one tenth of a second off Sweetnam’s winning time for second place honors. Beisel also nabbed the yellow ribbon for third place with his second mount of the class, Call Me Hannes, owned by Harlow Investment Enterprises LLC. The pair rounded out the three double-clear performances of the jump-off, finishing in 39.889 seconds. GLEF will return next week with the first “Equitation Tuesday” of the series on July 11. Week Two will also be the first internationally-ranked week of competition, all leading up to Sunday’s grand prix, the $50,000 Grand Prix of Michigan, on July 16 at 2 p.m. results $50,000 Meijer Grand Prix: Place / Horse / Rider / Owner / R1 Faults / R2 Faults / Time 1. Cyklon 1083 / Shane Sweetnam / Spy Coast Farm LLC / 0 / 0 / 35.759 2. Ammeretto / David Beisel / Equine Holdings LLC / 0 / 0 / 35.805 3. Call Me Hannes / David Beisel / Harlow Investment Enterprises LLC / 0 / 0 / 39.889 4. Columbcille De Reve / Lauren Crooks / Crooks Show Jumping LLC / 0 / 4 / 40.183 5. Zephire / Hayley Barnhill / Barnhill Enterprises LLC / 0 / 4 / 41.285 6. Cordaba AG Z / Kristy Herrera / Dark Harbor LLC / 0 / 8 / 46.022 7. Rolls / Jacob Pope / Doublethink LLC / 0 / 17 / 58.493 8. Imprimis / Hayley Barnhill / Hayley Barnhill / 4 / 78.903 9. Hunters Conlypso II / Lorcan Gallagher / Dacantos Group / 4 / 79.421 10. Don’t Touch Du Bois / Shane Sweetnam / Sweet Oak Farm, Spy Coast Farm, Paul Tracy / 4 / 81.229