Sixteen-year-old Zayna Rizvi (USA) kicked off her weekend in Traverse City with a bang, racing to an international win aboard Excellent in Friday’s $37,000 North Face Farm CSI2* Welcome Stake. With her partner over the past year, she bested eight pairs in the jump-off for the top prize at Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF), presented by CaptiveOne Advisors.
Over Manuel Esparza’s (MEX) first-round course, 46 entries tried their hand but only eight navigated to clear rounds within the time allowed. Among those eight were top athletes at the international level including 2019 Pan-American Games team bronze medalist Alex Granato (USA) and U.S. Olympian Margie Engle.
Age proved to just be a number for Rizvi, who shaved nearly two seconds off the leading time as she came in aboard the Peacock Ridge, LLC-owned Excellent. She and the 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Cicero Z Van Paemel x Ahorn) saved precious seconds on the clock by leaving out strides and cutting tightly between fences.
Setting the pace prior to Rizvi and ultimately taking second place was David Oberkircher (USA) and Vulkato, owned by Southfields Farm LLC, in 37.05 seconds. Just behind in third by two one-hundredths of a second in 37.07 was Granato and Helios vd Nosahoeve, owned by Kisma Equestrian, LLC
Final Results: $37,000 North Face Farm CSI2* Welcome Stake
1 EXCELLENT: 2009 KWPN gelding by Cicero Z Van Paemel x Ahorn
ZAYNA RIZVI (USA), Peacock Ridge LLC: 0/0/35.15
2 VULKATO: 2011 BRAND stallion by Vulkano x Charismo
DAVID OBERKIRCHER (USA), Southfields Farm LLC: 0/0/37.05
3 HELIOS VD NOSAHOEVE: 2012 KWPN stallion by Numero Uno x London
ALEX GRANATO (USA), Kisma Equestrian, LLC: 0/0/37.07
4 FRASIER: 2010 KWPN gelding by Carambole x Padinus
SAMANTHA SCHAEFER (USA), Bonne Vie LLC: 0/0/37.44
5 SONIC BOOM: 2012 SWB gelding by Seacoast Wonderful
HAILEY ROYCE (USA), Double Clear LLC: 0/0/37.70
6 MORRIS HORTA: 2012 BWP stallion by Eldorado VD Zeshoek x Vigo D Arsouilles STX
MARTIEN VAN DER HOEVEN (USA), Luccirelli International, LLC: 0/0/38.50
7 ASTON DES ETISSES: 2010 SF gelding by Mylord Carthago x Quidam De Revel
MARGIE ENGLE (USA): Gladewinds Partners, LLC: 0/0/38.40
8 CLIFF Z: 2008 ZANG gelding by Canturano x Quasimodo Z
MATTHEW BODDY (GBR), Gotham Enterprizes, LLC: 0/4/36.02
9 MAESTRO VAN HET BINNENVELD: 2012 BWP stallion by Hunter’s Scendix x Conan Z
WESLEY NEWLANDS (CAN), Weslands Farm: 1/76.10
10 SEMPA FIDELIS: 2009 HANN mare by Stakkato Gold x Concetto Famos
GEORGINA BLOOMBERG (USA), Gotham Enterprizes, LLC: 4/71.22
11 CHADINA: 2009 OLDBG mare by Conthargos x Narew
MCKAYLA LANGMEIER (USA), Rafferty Farm LLC: 4/72.28
12 CONTHARGOS: 2011 OS stallion by Conthargos x Quidam’s Rubin
NICK DELLO JOIO (USA), The Berry Group: 4/72.28