Eugenio Garza, one of Mexico's up-and-coming stars, and his mount Victer Finn Dh Z (Va Vite x Stakkato), owned by Axel Verlooy Euro Horse Bvba, won the $40,000 CSI 3* Amalaya Investments 1.50m Welcome Prix at the Spilt Rock Jumping Tour's Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Columbus CSI 3*-W, the second week of the Tour's run at the Brave Horse Show Park in Johnstown, Ohio.

Alan Wade, international course designer from Ireland, who designed the tracks for the recent FEI World Equestrian Games in Tryon, NC, put together a course with 16 jumping efforts in a time allowed of 79 seconds. Only ten of the 58 horse-and-rider combinations managed to complete the course without penalty with Garza and the 10-year-old gelding among the first to do so. Garza was joined on the good list by some of the sport's greats, including Beezie Madden and Breitling LS (Quintero x Acord II), the current Longines FEI World Cup champions, who ended up placing second to Garza, and Christine McCrea, the 2011 Pan American Games double Gold Medalist, with Jacobond van den Oude Eik (Vagabond de la Pomme x Darco), finishing in third place. 

All of the jump off times were close, with barely a second separating them. Garza completed the shortened track in 40.24 seconds. Madden turned in a time of 41.28 seconds and Mc Crea crossed through the timers in 41.98 seconds.

"I knew there were fast riders coming right behind me," said Garza. "Victer is a naturally fast horse and my trainer, Eddie Macken, told me to ride a fast, efficient round. I just rode to the plan and it all worked out and my time held up till the end, so I am really happy."