Natalie Dean (USA) was first to go in Friday’s $37,000 Groulx Family CSI3* Welcome Stake and held the lead from start to finish, claiming top honors aboard the Marigold Sporthorses LLC entry Cocolina during Week IV of the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, presented by CaptiveOne Advisors.
Fifteen pairs out of the starting 39 navigated Marina Azevedo’s (BRA) first-round track fault free and advanced to the jump-off. Dean was first to go on the short course and rode to a clear-round time of 39.39 seconds. Nearly half of the jump-off contenders had rails down, but the only two to come close to her time were Karl Cook (USA), who placed second, and Mavis Spencer (USA), who took third.
Spencer piloted Georgy Maskrey-Segesman’s Carissimo 25 to just shy of the leading time in 39.41 seconds, then Cook, with Signe Otsby’s Fecybelle, slid right in between in 39.40 seconds, placing the top three within two one-hundredths of a second of one another.
“Going first, I really wanted to lay down a nice clear round and be competitive,” Dean said of her ability to hold the lead through the large jump-off field. “With 15 in the jump-off you never know what's going to happen but it was exciting and we managed to sneak in there. It was close but it went our way today.”
Final Results: $37,000 Groulx Family CSI3* Welcome Stake
1. COCOLINA: 2011 OS mare by Conthargos x Papillon Rouge
NATALIE DEAN (USA), Marigold Sporthorses LLC: 0/0/39.39
2. FECYBELLE: 2010 KWPN mare by Carambole x Sjapoo
KARL COOK (USA), Signe Otsby: 0/0/39.40
3. CARISSIMO 25: 2013 HOLST gelding by Cascadello x Clinton
MAVIS SPENCER (USA), Georgy Maskrey-Segesman: 0/0/39.41
4. SEMPA FIDELIS: 2009 HANN mare by Stakkato Gold x Concetto Famos
GEORGINA BLOOMBERG (USA), Gotham Enterprizes, LLC: 0/0/40.18
5. QUILIMBO: 2009 HOLST stallion by Quidam De Revel x Limbus
SCHUYLER RILEY (USA), E2 SHOW JUMPERS: 0/0/42.28
6. ASTON DES ETISSES: 2010 SF gelding by Mylord Carthago x Quidam De Revel
MARGIE ENGLE (USA): Gladewinds Partners, LLC: 0/0/42.41
7. LANDON: 2013 ZANG gelding by Comilfo Plus Z x Quadrillo
KENT FARRINGTON (USA), Haity McNerney: 0/0/43.78
8. ANIBALE DE HUS: 2010 SF stallion by Conrad x Argentinus
SARAH SCHEIRING (USA), Bellwyn Farm LLC: 0/0/47.18
9. TACHINI Z: 2009 ZANG gelding by Toulon x Burggraaf NV
MICHAEL MORRISSEY (USA), MD Stables: 0/4/41.38
10. ZITA BLUE: 2011 ZWEIB mare by Zirocco Blue x Balou Du Rouet
HILARY MCNERNEY (USA), Hilary McNerney: 0/4/42.25
11. CHATOU 7: 2009 OS gelding by Chacco Blue x Toulon
NICOLETTE HIRT (USA), Iron Horse Equestrian: 0/4/44.58
12. FOREVER ALVE: 2010 KWPN mare by Numero Uno x Berlin
EMMA CATHERINE REICHOW, Emma Catherine Reichow: 0/4/45.32