Lake Placid, NY — July 2, 2019 — A thrilling win by Catherine Tyree in the $100,000 Prevost Richard M. Feldman Grand Prix highlighted the first week of competition at the 2019 Lake Placid Horse Shows, Sponsored by Bainbridge Farms, LLC and Presented by Sea Shore Stables, LLC.
Tyree won on BEC Lorenzo in a class that saw just four of 27 entries reached the jump-off by riding without penalty over the first-round course designed by Eric Hasbrouck. Laura Chapot, who had won at least one class in the Grand Prix ring each day, was first to try the tiebreaker course on Thornhill Kate, the horse on which she won last year’s $100,000 Great American Insurance Group Grand Prix during Lake Placid’s second week. She finished with two knockdowns for eight faults.
Irish Olympic veteran Kevin Babington, the event’s defending champion with Mark Q, was next to go on Shorapur, the 14-year-old, Hanoverian mare on which he won the class in 2016. He blazed over the course and finished clean in 42.771 seconds to take the lead.
Tyree followed next on her 9-year-old, Irish Sport Horse gelding and she moved into the lead with a clean ride in 41.514 seconds. The final entry was Brianne Goutal-Marteau, who won the class in 2008 with Ralvesther. She rode Viva Colombia to a clean ride and a time of 43.150 to finish third.
“I rode in my first Grand Prix here in 2013 and I think I’ve won every ribbon except the blue so I’m really happy to win,” said an elated Tyree, a 25-year-old Northwestern University graduate. “I didn’t get to see Kevin go, but I knew he had a fast time. I went in and took advantage of my horse’s big stride and let him do his thing. He’s so smart and he was great at all the turns. The wet conditions didn’t seem to bother him at all. He felt very comfortable all the way around. I really couldn’t be any happier.”
Earlier in the day, Stella Propp rode Corono Z to victory over a 33-horse field in the $5,000 The Wild Center Children’s Jumper Classic. Propp was one of only five who reached the jump-off with a clean first round and she won the class with the fastest clean ride in the jump-off, finishing in 35.879 seconds. Second place went to Moanie Moreira LaLiberte who finished clean in 36.341 seconds on Dalton.
Ned Cunniffe rode Buckle Up to the only clean round to claim the win in the $10,000 Mirror Lake Inn Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, a member event of the Hollow Brook Wealth Management Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series. Cunniffe was the last of the 23 entries in the class and his clean round on wet grounds gave him the win over McKayla Langmeier and Durosa W who had finished with just one time fault. Third went to Jazz Johnson-Merton and Corona SB who had no jumping and two time faults.
Chapot’s week-long winning streak included victory in the $20,000 CMJ Sporthorse 1.40m Open Stake on Saturday with Out of Ireland. Chapot also placed second on Calafornia and fourth on Shooting Star. Two-time Olympic Silver medalist and Show Jumping Hall of Famer Anne Kursinski was the only rider to join Chapot in the top four. She finished third with a clean jump-off ride aboard UK.
Babington rode to victory in Friday’s $30,000 Voltaire Design Jumper Classic. Babington advanced three horses to the jump-off, ultimately clinching the class with Shorapur. Devin Ryan, 2018 World Equestrian Games team Gold Medalist, took second place on Cooper, while Chapot and Chandon Blue finished third. Babington also took fourth place with Mark Q and fifth on Super Chilled.
Sunday’s activities in the Richard M. Feldman Grand Prix Field also included the Juliam Farm Lead Line Class featuring children under the age of 7 dressed up like Grand Prix riders; and the Saratoga Horseworks Parade of Champions which recognized champions of the horse show’s various divisions throughout the week.
Set against the backdrop of the stunning Adirondack Mountains, the Lake Placid Horse Shows are held at the North Elba Showgrounds and are considered, “The Best Two Weeks of a Horseman’s Summer” by competitors and visitors alike. The US Equestrian Federation (USEF) has designated the Lake Placid Horse Shows as a “USEF Heritage Competition,” an honor reserved for an elite group of exceptional shows.
Offering $560,000 prize money, the Lake Placid Horse Shows feature four show rings with more than 100 classes of competition each week. Action begins at 8:00 AM daily and runs until approximately 5:00 PM. Each show is USEF Premier rated for hunters and 6* rated for Jumpers.
The first week’s featured class winners included:
Wednesday, June 26 – Kevin Babington and Dundee in the $1,500 Lake Placid Lodge 1.30m Jumper Class; Laura Chapot and Calafornia in the $2,000 Adirondack Life 1.35m Jumper Class; Laura Chapot and Out of Ireland in the $5,000 NBC 5 1.40m Jumper Class; Tomas Yofre and Chatman in the $3,000 Sidelines 1.30m Jumper Class;
Thursday, June 27 – Laura Chapot and Gideon in the $2,000 Hampton Inn 1.35m Jumper Class;
Friday, June 28 – Kevin Babington and Shorapur in the $30,000 Voltaire Design Jumper Classic; Kevin Babington and Dundee in the $2,000 Pepsi Beverages Co. 1.35m Jumper Class; Laura Chapot and Zealous in the $5,000 Dartbrook Rustic Goods 1.40m Jumper Class;
Saturday, June 29 – Laura Chapot and Out of Ireland in the $20,000 CMJ Sporthorse 1.40m Open Stake; Sam Walker and Cohbanta in the $7,500 High Peaks Resort Low Junior Jumper Classic; Summer Paulos and Balans RV in the $7,500 Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort Low Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic; Dylann Ephraimson on Kellswater Emisson in the $5,000 J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines Adult Amateur Jumper Classic; Heather Caristo-Williams on Quickborn 7 in the $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby presented by Lukens Horse Transportation;
Sunday, June 30 – Stella Propp on Corono Z in the $5,000 The Wild Center Children’s Jumper Classic; Ned Cunniffe on Buckle Up in the $10,000 Mirror Lake Inn Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic; Catherine Tyree on BEC Lorenzo in the $100,000 Prevost Richard M. Feldman Grand Prix.
Additional information on the Lake Placid Horse Shows, Sponsored by Bainbridge Farms, LLC, and Presented by Sea Shore Stables, LLC, is available by calling the Lake Placid Horse Show Association at 518-523-9625 or by visiting www.lakeplacidhorseshows.com.
