Press release from Split Rock Jumping Tour, edited by World of Showjumping

Sunday morning at the Split Rock Jumping Tour (SRJT) opened with its highlight event, the $100,000 1.45m Grand Prix CSI2*, presented by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, to conclude its second week of FEI competition for the Split Rock Hunter Jumper Classic 2. The course delivered quite the test to its contenders, but the rather new pairing of Charlie Jayne and Margaret DeRemer’s Tender Guy Z (Thunder vd Zuuthoeve x Commander) proved a promising future as they ultimately emerged with the victory.

Olympic course designer Alan Wade (IRL), set forth a fair, but challenging track of 16 jumping efforts, consisting of both a double (vertical-oxer) and triple (oxer-vertical-vertical) combination. No one area proved particularly problematic as rails fell across different areas around the course, however, the 77-second time-allowed offered one of the biggest challenges with nearly one-third of the class accruing time faults. Four combinations cleared all of the fences to only be withheld from the jump-off by their finish time, including Kady Abrahamson and Montevideo VDL (Cornet Obolensky x Indoctro); previous winners David Oberkircher with Crystal King (Cornet Obolensky x Cassini I) and Alexandra Worthington on Masai LS (Mixcoac LS La Silla x Tecolote LS); as well as Dominic Gibbs and Contra (Contendro II x Alcatraz) who crossed the timers a heartbreaking .03 seconds too late. 

In the end only two pairs navigated both the fences and the time fault-free. Meghan Kaupp and Jyrado vh Bovenhoekshof (By Ceira d'Ick x Baloubet du Rouet), owned by Newcastle Farm LLC, were the pathfinders, delivering the long-awaited effort more than halfway through the first round. A second round was not guaranteed until Jayne entered aboard Tender Guy Z as the final combination. 

First to return for the jump-off, Kaupp gave a great effort, clocking a swift finish in 39.66 seconds to put the clear-round pressure on Jayne, but a leave out in one of the lines and his horse’s naturally quick pace flew the duo to a clear lead as he stopped the timers in 36.74 seconds for the victory. Kaupp would earn a well-ridden second place, while Gibbs’ time-fault fraction would land him third place on the podium.

“My horse has been jumping amazing the last two weeks here at Split Rock,” said Jayne. “I started competing [Tender Guy Z] at Split Rock in the fall doing the schooling jumpers and getting to know him…He mostly jumped clear every week that we asked him [during the winter circuit] and he’s been one of my most consistent horses that I've ridden in the last few years. We've been in the top ten a lot and I kept telling the owner that I think we're due for a win and luckily that win was today.”

SRJT will continue competition at the Kentucky Horse Park for two weeks with the Adequan/USEF Junior Hunter National Championships - East, and the USHJA Amateur Festival - East, hosted by Split Rock before resuming FEI competition at the Woodside Charity CSI2*, July 15-19.