Although the 2018 Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF) is coming to an end, as the final week of the six-week-long circuit got underway on Wednesday, top show jumping action at the Flintfields Horse Park is only just heating up. In its second consecutive week of FEI CSI3* competition, Samuel Parot, representing Chile, raced to top honors in the $35,000 CWD Welcome Speed Stake CSI3* riding his own Atlantis on Thursday in the Grand Prix Ring.

Parot is no stranger to the winner's circle at GLEF with multiple wins to his name, including claiming the festival's top prize in 2016 in the $100,000 Grand Traverse Grand Prix CSI3* with Quick Du Pottier.

Parot acquired Atlantis in 2015 and, after only a few months of partnership, the pair won two Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping CSI3*-W qualifiers one month apart at the Sacramento International Horse Show and at the Royal West in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Since then, they have consistently achieved top results at the highest levels of the sport and are qualified to compete at the upcoming FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Tryon, North Carolina, in September.

After giving Atlantis some well-deserved time off starting in September 2017, the gelding returned to the competition ring in June and has collected four top three finishes out of seven classes at CSI2* and CSI3* events.

Thursday's class saw 37 international horses and athletes vie for first place around the Michel Vaillancourt-designed one-round speed course, which produced a total of nine clear jumping rounds.

After finishing second to Kristen Vanderveen (USA) and Bull Run's Faustino De Tili, owned by Bull Run Jumpers Five LLC, in Friday's $35,000 Grand Traverse Classic CSI3* during Week V, Parot and the 15-year-old Zangersheide took their turn in the spotlight on Thursday, crossing the finish line with the fastest clear round in 62.93 seconds.

On Atlantis, Parot said: "Atlantis is my best horse. He's 15 years old and he has a lot of experience with me. He's won at the CSI3*, CSI4* and CSI5* levels. He is a really special horse. He's a little hot but is careful as could be. He's very, very smart."

Vanderveen took home the red ribbon for second place in 65.94 seconds, while Diego Javier Vivero Viteri (ECU) and Javier Estrada Gonzalez's Bijoux secured the third place position in 67.99 seconds.

The 2018 GLEF runs through Sunday, Aug. 12, and will host more FEI CSI3* action throughout Week VI in the Grand Prix Ring with the $35,000 Great Lakes Classic CSI3* on Friday followed by the circuit's grand finale, the $100,000 Grand Prix of Traverse City CSI3*, to be held on Sunday at 2 p.m.