David Jennings of Franklin, Tennessee was the first to go in the irons of Masie Mcswain and Full Circle Farm's Blue Moon 22. Although the pair beat the time allowed of 83 seconds with their time of 80.384 seconds, a rail at the triple combination would cost them four faults and they finished in fourth place overall.
Nobody was able to turn in a clean first round effort until Jenning's student and winner of last week's $35,000 Classic Grand Prix, presented by EMO, Haley Gassel of Lenoir City, Tennessee, and her own Quite Dark 2, turned in the first clear round in a time of 80.487 seconds.
Gassel sat in the lead until her mentor, Jennings, returned to the Olympic Arena, this time in the irons of KM Farms' KM Corfina. The pair turned in the second clear round in the prix in a time of 76.548 seconds and to the delight of the crowd, ensured there would be a jump off round!
None of the riders following Jennings in the jump order turned in clear rounds and the stage was set for the teacher versus student jump off round.
"Michel set a very technical course," commented Jennings. "I have ridden many of Michel's courses and have found they are built according to who is in the class," he added. "While the course wasn't too big, it was a tough, technical ride," he said.
Vaillancourt set the jump off round with a time allowed of 48 seconds. Gassel and Quite Dark 2 were first to go, turning in a clear round and setting the time to beat at 37.094 seconds. But her mentor Jennings and KM Corfina followed and posted a fault-free round in a time of 36.912 seconds, securing the win. Leann Kelly of Valatie, New York and Honorway Farm, LLC's Leander placed sixth with eight jump faults in a time of 77.056 seconds and seventh was awarded to Amy Yoder's Stitch, ridden by Carlos Aramburo of Red Banks, Mississippi. David Geitner of Aiken, South Carolina in the irons of Lionshare Farm's Creativo, received eighth place after posting an eight fault first round in a time of 80.043 seconds. Ninth was awarded to Gassel and her own Werner 61 after turning in an eight fault first round in a time of 81.750 seconds.