With only a half a second separating the top three riders in the $36,000 CaptiveOne FEI 1.45m Welcome Stake, Mathis Schwentker of Germany piloted Nkh Caruso to victory at the Split Rock Jumping Tour's Santa Fe International CSI2* at HIPICO Santa Fe in New Mexico. The competition continues through Sunday, August 18 concluding with the $50,000 CSI2* Grand Prix.
The $36,000 CaptiveOne FEI 1.45m Welcome Stake course, designed by Anderson Lima, tested the field of 43 horse-and-rider combinations. Only eight of the original 43 combinations produced a fault-free round to advance to the jump-off. The shortened course proved to be technical, with only 47 seconds allowed; but it was no match for Schwentker and Nkh Caruso who rode with precision ending the day with no faults and a time of 35.37 seconds for first place.
Hometown hero Chenoa McElvain and Wallstreet Rc were the last combination to enter the ring for the jump-off and they just missed Schwentker's time, finishing in second with a time of 35.70 seconds. Coming home just .20 seconds behind was Olympic Gold Medalist Will Simpson who rounded out the top three with Chacco P with a time of 35.90 seconds.
Hometown hero Chenoa McElvain and Wallstreet Rc were the last combination to enter the ring for the jump-off and they just missed Schwentker's time, finishing in second with a time of 35.70 seconds. Coming home just .20 seconds behind was Olympic Gold Medalist Will Simpson who rounded out the top three with Chacco P with a time of 35.90 seconds.
Press Release