By Sydney Lowe
After her win in Wednesday’s Welcome Speed, Katie Laurie (AUS) and McCaw MNVZ claimed another victory in the $25,000 Farmvet Grand Prix.
The Grand Prix welcomed thirty horse and rider combinations to challenge course designer Alan Wade’s (IRL) twelve obstacle track. Featuring three combinations and creative turns, riders were tested on their efficiency and accuracy while racing against the clock to put up the best time. Fifth in the order of go, Alexis Sokolov and her own mount Fasole Du Seigneur were first to go clear and set the Roeckl Gloves Time to Beat at 68.248 seconds.
Only two riders would best Sokolovs time, Kyle King and Coffee To Go stopped the clock at 65.475 seconds to take over the first place position. The pair held the lead until the seventeenth in the order, Laurie and McCaw MNVZ. The pair was able to leave out a stride and stop the timers at 65.391, just tenths of a second faster than King.
“It was a really nice speed course, I thought. I watched Kyle [King] go and he is always really fast. I just made sure I took one out down the first line and then I could keep going from there,” narrated Laurie. “I actually got my whip tangled going to the liverpool so I was a tiny bit slow but I tried to make it up by the end.”
Owned by Carissa McCall, Laurie’s mount McCaw MVNZ is a twelve-year-old New Zealand Warmblood gelding. The pair have been partnered for some time now and have had numerous successes. “He is just really competitive, really careful, and super brave. When you watch him go it doesn’t seem like he knows where he is going but when he gets there, he is so sharp and fast. He is a super cool horse,” said Laurie.
King and Coffee To Go were awarded second place for their efforts. Coffee to Go is a twelve-year-old Westphalian gelding owned by Spruce Meadows LTD. Finishing off the top three was Sokolov and her mount Fasole Du Seigneur, a ten-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding, for their time.
For full results of the $25,000 Farmvet Grand Prix, please visit Showgrounds Live.
