Week two of the Split Rock Hunter Jumper returned to the Walnut Ring at the Kentucky Horse Park for more thrilling FEI competition at the CSI3* and 2* levels on Friday morning. Highlighting the day was the $50,000 1.50m Welcome CSI3*, where the newly-formed partnership of Alex Granato (USA) and Helios vd Nosahoeve (Numero Uno x London), owned by Kisma Equestrian, LLC, took the stand at the top of the podium after navigating Alan Wade’s (IRL) jump-off track seamlessly.
The first round of competition saw 15 jumping efforts to include this year’s debut of the Split Rock wall and three double combinations (oxer-vertical, oxer-vertical, vertical-oxer), with just four pairs finding their way fault-free. Karl Cook (USA) elected not to return for the second round with Fecybelle to make it a three-horse jump-off.
The early pathfinders of round one, Sean Jobin (CAN) and Foxridge Farms Stables’ Coquelicot Vh Heuvelland Z, were also the first pair to give a double-clear finish with a swift time of 32.51 seconds. Taylor Harris (USA) followed, but fell victim to a single rail down with Casilia, leaving Granato as the sole challenger of the clear round effort. Utilizing the 10-year-old gelding’s expansive step, Granato was able to ride one less stride than Jobin down the first line to set a quick initial pace that would deliver the winning time of 30.77 seconds. Jobin would ultimately settle for second place, while Harris completed the podium.
“He’s fairly new to me,” Granato commented of Helios vd Nosahoeve. “I just started with this horse and a few others from the same owner at the end of Wellington. He’s been super and a lot of fun to get to know. Last week was our third week showing together and our first week doing FEI. We did the CSI2* here [at Split Rock] last week with some good experience and then decided to step up and test the waters this week in the CSI3*.”
Source: Press Release
