Press release from Split Rock Jumping Tour

Ali Ramsay of Canada rode Lutz to a blazing win over a large jump-off field to take the $50,000 CSI2* Grand Prix at the Split Rock Jumping Tour's Columbus International.

Two weeks of world-class competition at Brave Horse Show Park in Johnstown, Ohio will continue through Sunday, October 6 when the Tour will culminate with the prestigious $135,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Columbus CSI3*-W Presented by CaptiveOne, a qualifier for next April's 2020 Longines FEI World Cup™ Finals in Las Vegas, Nevada!

Thirteen of the 48 starters in the Grand Prix made it to the jump-off round by riding fault free over the 16-effort, first round course designed by Anderson Lima of Brazil. 

First out was Canadian Jim Ifko aboard Celine La Silla who jumped clean but whose time of 35.470 would only hold for two rides when Ramsay and the 10-year-old Westphalian gelding bettered their time by more than a second. The flashy chestnut blazed through the timers in 34.010 to take over the lead. 

American Ali Wolff aboard Quirie 2 would come the closest to threatening Ramsay, leaving the jumps up and crossing the finish in a time of 34.260, but it wasn't enough to win. 

"I thought I could do well, though maybe not as good as winning," an ecstatic Ramsay said. "Especially after watching (Ifko) go, I thought he ripped. I said to myself it would be nice for Canada to be one-two and thought I might be two, but Lutz was real fast."

Ramsay and Lutz will be staying on to contest week 2 of competition in Columbus, the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Columbus CSI3*-W Presented by CaptiveOne. 

David Beisel finished fourth in the Grand Prix aboard For Sunday, but he also took home $500 and a HorseFlight saddle pad for the Fist Pump Award, a fun prize given to the most enthusiastic competitor, as evidenced by their fist pumps.