Edited Press Release
Cathleen Driscoll (USA) has a lot to smile about after her week at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF), presented by CaptiveOne Advisors. Following her victory Friday aboard Magnolia, Driscoll scored her first FEI grand prix win with Dame De Pique in the $73,800 NetJets CSI2* Grand Prix to close GLEF II.
Twelve pairs managed to jump fault-free over Bernardo Costa Cabral’s (POR) track and advance into a highly competitive jump-off. Francisco Goyoaga Mollet (ESP) set the early pace with his first of two qualified mounts, the Spencer Smith owned Ice Zoetendaele Z, clocking in at 37.01 seconds. While many tried to catch his time, it took until Driscoll came in, tenth in the jump-off order and aboard Plain Bay Farm’s 11-year-old Holsteiner mare (Casall x Crawford 5), that the pace was increased. Coming home on a clear effort in 35.72 seconds, she captured the lead and ultimately pushed Goyoaga Mollet into second, with Alec Lawler (USA) and Condalou taking third in 37.39 seconds.
The last two to jump off, Simon McCarthy (IRL) and Tanner Korotkin (USA), brought the heat and almost caught Driscoll, both beating her time but each with a rail down, with respective sixth and fifth-place finishes.
Standing at 18.1 hands, Dame De Pique would not always be the obvious winner judging by her stature, but Driscoll knows how to use the horse’s stride to her advantage. “This mare and my other mare, Magnolia, are opposites,” she said of her two mounts in Sunday’s class. “I think I had the biggest horse in the class and the smallest horse in the class. So my strategy with each was quite different.
“I thought the course today suited my big mare a little better,” Driscoll continued. “She can do leave-outs that no other horses can do. For the jump-off I was able to do eight [strides] from [fences] one to two. A horse like this where I can continue galloping, she can be quite competitive with the best of them.”
Newer to her string, Driscoll has been bringing Dame De Pique through the levels and anticipates she will jump very big tracks in her future. “I’ve been working on the rideability and building up our confidence,” the 29-year-old rider remarked. “This was a great class for her today. I was able to test the buttons and she was right with me everywhere. It was a fantastic win.”
The class Sunday was like jumping two separate grand prixs considering the difference in her two mounts. “When I walk the course, I walk for Magnolia and I walk for Dame De Pique,” She reflected. “After my ride on Magnolia I took what I learned and tried to reset my frame of mind to ride the course in a way that would suit [Dame De Pique] and make her jump her best.”
With her two wins during GLEF II, Driscoll jumped her way onto the leaderboard for the CaptiveOne Advisors Open Jumper Rider Bonus to be awarded at the end of the 2022 season.
Final Results: $73,800 NetJets CSI2* Grand Prix
- DAME DE PIQUE: 2011 HOLST mare by Casall x Crawford 5
CATHLEEN DRISCOLL (USA), Plain Bay Farm: 0/0/35.72 - ICE ZOETENDALE Z: 2013 ZANG gelding by Iceberg ZT x Burggraaf NV
FRANCISCO GOYOAGA MOLLET (ESP), Spencer Smith: 0/0/37.01 - CONDALOU: 2011 Oldbg gelding by Contendros 2 x Balou Du Rouet
ALEC LAWLER (USA), Alec Lawler: 0/0/37.39 - CESNA M: 2012 OS gelding by Check In x Sandro Boy
MARGIE ENGLE (USA), Virginia Bartholomay: 0/0/38.68 - IDEAL: 2012 SWB gelding by Cardento x Cortez
TANNER KOROTKIN (USA), Castlewood Farm Inc. & Sandalwood Farms: 0/4/34.64 - GOTCHA: 2011 HOLST mare by Stakkato x Cassini I
SIMON MCCARTHY (IRL), Rock Ridge Farms: 0/4/35.02 - CELINA BH: 2010 HOLST mare by Canstakko x Carthago Z
MIMI GOCHMAN (USA), Gochman Sport Horse LLC: 0/4/35.33 - UPPER: 2008 SF gelding by Diamant De Semilly x Nadir Di San Patrignano
DAVID OBERKIRCHER (USA), Southfields Farm LLC: 0/4/36.77 - CONDOR DU VALDECIE
CHRIS EWANOUSKI (USA), Polo Jump LLC: 0/4/36.87 - KARLIN VAN’T VENNEHOF: 2010 BWP mare by Fantomas De Muze x Quasimodo Van De Molendreef
LACEY GILBERTSON (USA), Seabrook LLC: 0/4/37.85 - ICARUS: 2008 BWP stallion by Douglas x Sioux de Baugy
FRANCISCO GOYOAGA MOLLET (ESP), Strasburg Moring Inc.: 0/4/49.20 - LIVESTREAM 2: 2010 OLDBG gelding by Lordanos x Landadel
LISA CARLSEN (CAN), Lisa Carlsen: 0/8/45.39
