Always one to produce a strong showing, the world-ranked number nine, McLain Ward (USA), secured top call in the $65,000 CSI3* Welcome Stake aboard Jordan Molga M (Etoulon VDL x Dulf vd Bisschop).

FEI level 4 course designer Bernardo Cabral (POR) once again took to carefully crafting the track to test the 30 horse-and-rider combinations in the starting field. Utilizing the entirety of the expansive arena, Cabral’s questions repeatedly stumped each pairing until the duo of Alessandra Volpi (USA) and Madjick (A Golden Boy Hero Z x Gaillard de La Pomme) entered the arena six horses into the order. As the first to procure a fault-free effort, Volpi became the first to advance herself to the short course, and a jump-off was quickly secured as Jacqueline Ruyle (USA) on H Cornetta DK (Cornet Obolensky x Diamant de Semilly) followed suit with a clear round two horses later. 

At the completion of round one, an even 10 entries were set to return to race against the clock, with the nations of the USA, Venezuela, and Egypt being represented in the remaining field. Volpi immediately set the time to beat, leaving all fences standing in a time of 38.660 seconds, which held strong for the lead across multiple entries until Adrienne Sternlicht (USA) managed to find a faster route aboard Rebelline de Kwakenbeek (Aganix du Seigneur x Quidam de Revel), shaving just over a full second from Volpi’s time to clock in at 37.210 seconds. However, one can never get too comfortable with the likes of Ward still to follow. Proving his prowess once again, Ward expertly navigated around the short course, and despite a bobble at the penultimate fence in which Ward’s leg took out a directional flag, the pair punched a time of 36.130 seconds for the win. 

“We had a great end of the season in Florida and, unfortunately, he had a little bit of a health setback, so he lost a few months, and this is his third show back now,” explained Ward of Jordan Molga M, Michael Smith’s 12-year-old KWPN gelding. “We’re trying to build him up towards the American Gold Cup in a few weeks, so, this is the next step on the journey to get there."

“Adrienne [Sternlicht] had a great round, and it looked like a quick horse,” Ward continued. “I definitely thought I had a little more stride, though. My horse has a bit of a right drift, so both of those rollbacks to the right played into my hand a bit. I got a little lucky because I hit the flag coming home with my foot, but somehow we curled around it.”

For Ward, the win is a warm welcome on home turf after competing at the 2026 FEI World Championships in Aachen, Germany, just a month ago. “I get to stay at my own house, which I love,” he enthused of his time at the HITS Hudson Valley venue. “For those of us that live in the Northeast, this is a brilliant situation. They made incredible renovations here a couple of years ago with the jumps, footing, and management; we have great sport here, but it’s also a wonderful place to bring horses along and develop them.”

Once again placing themselves amongst the top three, Sternlicht and the Starlight Farms 1 LLC’s nine-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare settled for second place. Fellow Olympian Nayel Nassar (EGY) landed the third place position, just edging out Volpi for the podium placing with a time of 38.160 seconds aboard longtime partner Igor van de Wittemoere (Cooper van de Heffinck x Orlando), the 18-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding, owned by Evergate Stables LLC. 

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