NORTH SALEM, N.Y.--Adrienne Sternlicht on Origa V/H Zuid-Pajottenland won the $200,000 Old Salem Farm FEI 4* Blue Diamond Cup Grand Prix on Saturday, Sept. 13,
Adrienne Sternlicht on Origa VH Zuid Pajottenland (Photo by SEL Photography)Five were clean over the course set by Alan Wade, and all five were clean again, but Sternlicht was the fastest, finishing in 39.11 seconds.
First in the Jump-off, Molly Ashe Cawley on Quimi Del Maset set the time to beat of 40.50 seconds, but she were quickly beaten when Marilyn Little on La Contessa, just off her victory in Thursday’s $65,000 Old Salem Farm 4* Welcome Stake, finished in 39.85 seconds.
The following two riders, Jonathan McCrea and Jessica Mendoza of Great Britain weren’t fast enough to catch either of those times.
Using the advantage of going last, Sternlicht won in 39.11 seconds.
“Going last is always a big advantage,” Sternlicht said. “Marilyn is always so fast, so I said, ‘Any day that I can beat Marilyn and La Contessa is a good day.’ I was able to really take advantage of my horse’s stride and his bravery; I knew that I could do fences 1 to 2 in seven strides on the bend where Marilyn’s horse really had to keep going, so that helped us get back to the next fence quicker. I really trusted my horse because he’s so game and has so much scope. I knew that if I did it right and gave him a good chance, he would fight for me.
“HE WAS actually out for a year, but he’s a horse that I really believed in when I first sat on him as an 8-year-old,” she said. “I’m overwhelmingly, emotionally proud of him and the way he’s come back. I’ve always said he gave me one of the best feelings I’ve ever had on a horse, and to see him really get his time in the spotlight is just amazing.”
Little was second, with Cawley third.
On Friday, Mia Bagnato on Florida N won the $37,000 FEI 4* Speed Stake, clean in 57.99 seconds.
Bagnato was nearly four seconds faster than her competitors.
“She’s very naturally quick, and she always wants to be competitive and win,” Bagnato said. “She was on her A-game today, and so was I. Sometimes if we go around and catch a rail, it’s because I mess up, but I was really proud of both of us today. Going into some of those rollbacks, I thought she was being kind to me to even leave the ground. It probably would’ve been easier for her to just keep cantering past those fences, but she was in it to win it. I couldn’t be happier.”
Chloe Reid on Chelsea 179 was second in 61.78, and Jonathan McCrea on Jannan S was third in 62.02.
Closing the first week of the Old Salem Farm September Horse Shows Elena Haas on Oque BT Special, clean in 32.74, won the $40,000 Old Salem Farm FEI 2* Grand Prix on Sunday.
From a starting field of 42 entries, 13 were clean to make the jump-off, andHaas was the fastest of six clean.
“I knew there were a lot of quick ones in the jump-off, so I really wanted to push myself and my horse a bit,” Haas said. “I took every risk that I could, and it paid off in the end. My horse is just amazing. I’ve had him for about two and a half years now, and he means absolutely everything to me. Any time I need someone to step up, he’s the one to fill that role. I always have so much fun with him, and we definitely had a lot of fun out there today.”
Hilary McNerney on Corlando was second in 33.22-seconds, and Vanessa Hood of Israel on K&T Geromino was third in 34.03 seconds.
