Edited press release from Old Salem Farm

After his victory in Evergate Stables’ $65,000 New York Welcome Stake at the Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Shows on Saturday, May 10, five-time Olympic medalist McLain Ward (USA) returned to the winner’s circle in the CSI4* 1.50m $75,000 Welcome Stake of North Salem Presented by The Kincade Group/UBS Financial Services, Inc. on Friday, May 16. He and Snapchat van de Broekkant Z (Hunter´s Scendix x Concorde) faultlessly stopped the clock in 32.62 seconds to secure victory.

Forty-two entries representing nine countries challenged Alan Wade’s initial 16-effort, 1.50m course in Friday’s $75,000 Welcome Stake of North Salem, with 15 advancing to the jump-off and six posting double-clear scores. Ward and the 9-year-old Zangersheide gelding he co-owns with Susan Heller and Beechwood Stables LLC were the pathfinders for both rounds, setting the bar high for their fellow competitors despite Snapchat’s inexperience at this level. 

“Today just shows the level of sport we have here at Old Salem,” Ward said. “When we’re down in Florida, we always say that we have a lot of strong [events], and it’s great to see that level here in our home community. Snapchat is a young horse that we’ve been bringing along; this was actually his biggest competition to date. He jumped a brilliant clear, and I know he’s a fast horse. I just set my plan, and everything worked out because he was so game. Sometimes, in this position, it’s good to make all the rest chase you." 

“You’re always a bit nervous when you have riders like Mark [Bluman], Jordan [Coyle], and Daniel [Bluman] coming behind you,” Ward continued. “They’re very fast riders, and they’re all brave enough to try no matter what. I think Mark was a bit unlucky, actually, but they were all very close. That’s the nature of the sport. Sometimes you’re on the winning side, and sometimes you get caught.”

Colombia’s Mark Bluman had Ward’s time (31.97) with S&L Maracana’  (Lucky Du Reverdy x Pronto), but a rail dropped him and S & L Farms’ 11-year-old Italian Sport Horse gelding into seventh place with the fastest four-fault score. 

Daniel Bluman (ISR) and Jordan Coyle (IRL) rounded out the podium with double-clear scores separated by just hundredths of a second. Bluman finished in second place aboard Landon De Nyze (Comilfo Plus Z x Quadrillo), Over The Top Stables LLC’s 12-year-old Zangersheide gelding (0/0/32.71), while Coyle earned third aboard Falkirk Farm LLC’s 14-year-old Holsteiner gelding For Gold (For Fashion x Heraldik) (0/0/32.78). 

“Snapchat is done for this weekend,” Ward said. “I’m really proud that he stepped up and handled this well, and I don’t want to overtax him. We have a great mare going tomorrow, Princess Dalou H, and then my old partner, Callas, will handle the Grand Prix on Sunday. We’re looking forward to a great weekend.” 

The Spring Horse Shows also celebrated the grooms working hard behind the scenes with Friday evening’s $5,000 Old Salem Farm Groom’s Class Presented by McLain Ward, Inc., and EquiFit, Inc., with sections for both hunter and jumper grooms and the horses in their care. Olga Kruglova earned top honors in the jumper section for her top-notch care of Ward’s Louboutin Z, a 10-year-old Zangersheide gelding ridden by Baylee McKeever (Brewster, NY) in the 1.35m Junior/Amateur Jumper division. David Valdivia brought home the win in the hunter section for his first-class care of Aquitaine Equine’s Remedy, a 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding ridden by Stella Propp (New York, NY) in the Amateur-Owner Hunter 3’3” 18-35 division.