Press release from Split Rock Jumping Tour

The highly-anticipated $100,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix CSI2* took place on Saturday afternoon at the Split Rock Aiken CSI2*. Located in the world-class main arena at Bruce’s Field, competitors brought their A-game to highlight the week’s event. Taking his second win of the week, Samuel Parot (CHI) stood atop the podium after yet again dominating jump-off competition, this time with Renato Soffia’s David Guetta (Zento x Vigaro).

Olaf Petersen Jr.’s (GER) masterful 16-effort first round track produced 10 clears to advance into the second round of competition. Consistency was the name of the game throughout the week – with six athletes during Saturday’s event also producing clears and placings in FEI competition during the $10,000 1.40m Speed or $38,700 C. Jarvis Insurance 1.45m Welcome earlier in the week. Despite the jury electing to extend the time allowed from 76 seconds to 78, 25% of the class still produced time faults, ultimately keeping three combinations from the jump-off. 

With a multi-national field advancing onto round two, it was Taylor Land (USA) and the eight-year-old Escobar WW who were the pathfinders for the pace as the third to go, producing a clear round with a time of 39.24 seconds. However, her lead wouldn’t hold for long, as Parot entered the ring just two trips later with the odds in his favor, being the only competitor with two rides in the jump-off. Parot and the 15-year-old gelding David Guetta haven’t been partnered together long. Debuting earlier this year during the Split Rock Sarasota CSI2*, the pair are no strangers to the winner’s circle as they have picked up numerous wins through the summer circuit. With confidence and natural speed on their side, the pair crossed the timers in 37.29 seconds.

“This is a newer horse for me. He’s really fast and has a lot of experience though… [Fence] one to two we were very fast. We tried to go in nine to the combination, but then we changed the plan and had to do ten strides. Overall he was very fast on course today,” Parot commented of his jump-off round with David Guetta.

Second place would be captured by 20-year-old Natalie Jayne (USA) and Hardin Towell LLC’s Boheme Du Moulin (Litsam x Jivaro du Rouet) after the pair gave it their best shot with a stylish round and a time of 38.74 seconds. Land and Escobar WW (Etoulon x Böckmann’s Lord Pezi), owned by Team Land Syndicate I LLC, settled for third place on the podium.

While national competition will continue at Bruce’s Field into Sunday, the Split Rock Jumping Tour already looks ahead to the 2024 return to Aiken, where the venue will debut as the new location for the $300,000 Championship Series. The event will take place on November 10, 2024 with updated qualifying information to be released at a later date.