Bright blue skies and a soft breeze on Saturday, July 25, provided the backdrop for the featured class of HITS Hudson Valley V, the $116,050 Core Specialty Insurance CSI3* Grand Prix. Culminating an action-packed schedule of hunter, jumper, and equitation competition, the marquee event included a diverse field of riders and tough competition, but it was Ireland’s Philip McGuane that ultimately bested the field aboard Crislin van den Bosrand Z (Carambole x Nabab de Reve).
An impressive roster of 34 horse-and-rider combinations representing nine different nations elected to contest FEI Level 3 course designer Ken Krome’s (USA) opening round. As riders move into the peak of the summer season, athletes of both the two- and four-legged variety were in peak condition, resulting in a jump-off field that was 16 pairings strong.
As the penultimate rider to return over the short course, McGuane sat in an ideal spot to vie for the winning title. One round prior, Mimi Gochman (USA) had piloted Inclen BH (Stakkato Gold x Raphael), DG Sport Horse LLC’s 11-year-old Austrian Warmblood gelding, into the provisional lead with a tidy and efficient round in 36.49 seconds. The lead was short lived for Gochman, however, who ultimately settled for the reserve position as McGuane upped the ante and cleared the timers in 35.75 seconds.
“There were more jump-off qualifiers than I thought there would be,” said McGuane. “I got a good draw going at the end of the jump-off, so I just tried to keep up a good rhythm, keep my turns neat, and just trust her at the jump. She has a big stride, so I can just get her to the jumps and do less strides than most people."
“We purchased Crislin from Brian Moggre as a seven-year-old and Nayel Nassar and I have both campaigned her over the last year,” he continued of Evergate Stables LLC’s nine-year-old Zangersheide mare. “She’s been a great horse for both of us. She’s very intelligent, careful, and she knows where the jumps are. She’s a great addition to our string.”
Fresh off a win in international competition in the previous day’s $31,020 Go Rentals CSI3* Jumper Classic, Megan McDermott (USA) rounded out the leading trio with Da Vinci DV Z (Dominator 2000 Z x Turbo van’t Gestelhof), Counter Balance LLC’s nine-year-old Zangersheide gelding, as the pair clocked in a jump-off time of 37.73 seconds.
While Saturday brings a close to the week’s CSI3* division, national-level jumper, hunter, and equitation competition will conclude on Sunday, July 26, with a variety of classic competition. The final week of the HITS Hudson Valley Jumping Tour™ then resumes on Wednesday, July 29.
