Press release from Great Lakes Equestrian Festival

Earlier in the day, athletes showcased their speed specialists in the MLSJ $36,600 Innovo Development Group Speed Stake CSI5*, where the best was saved for last. Karl Cook set the early pace to beat in the faults-converted class, where any rails were translated to time. He was quick and clear with Signe Ostby’s Kalinka Van’t Zorgvliet, breaking the beam in 57.45 seconds.

Midway through the class, Bliss Heers and Bridgeside Farms LLC’s Goodbye took a two-second lead with a fault-free round in 55.13 seconds. Kristen Vanderveen was the last athlete to tackle the track with her known speedster Bull Run’s Faustino De Tili. They once again showcased their winning ways, using sharp turns to gallop across the finish line in 54.77 seconds with every rail intact. Vanderveen stayed in the ring to lead the lay of honor while Heers and Cook placed second and third, respectively.