AACHEN, GERMANY--Lillie Keenan on Kick On won the 75,000 Euro, CSI5* 2nd Qualifier for the Rolex Grand Prix on Saturday, May 23 in Aachen.

Lillie Keenan on Kick On from an earlier show (Photo by Kim MacMillan)Keenan won in an 11 horse jump-off, finishing clean in 38.21 to beat Abdel Said of Belgium on Wathnan Bonne Amie, who was clean in 39.59.

Jose Maria LaRocca of Argentina on Chris was fourth, clean in 40.10, and Jerome Guery of Belgium on Quito de Mariposa was fourth in 40.63.

McLain Ward on Lestro VD Valckenborg was 10th, giving both Keenan and Ward good placings going into Sunday's Rolex Grand Prix, which has drawn one of the strongest fields ever seen in show jumping, with 28 of the top 30 in world rankings competing in the class of 40.

Four of the six Americans in Aachen qualified for Sunday's two round Grand Prix, with Kent Farrington on Greya going fourth, Laura Kraut on Bisquetta going 10th, Keenan on Fasther going 34th and Ward on High Star Hero going 35th of 40.

The top 18 from the first round go in round two, and ties are broken in a jump-off.

Aaron Vale and Karl Cook didn't qualify for the Grand Prix.

"Kick On is an incredible little horse," said Keenan. "He gave me leave outs in every line in the jump-off."

 

"I'VE HAD Kick On for two years," she said. "The beginning was a little rough. He had a problem with bolting. But I never gave up on him. He definitely knows he's a stallion. He's very playful. He knows when he wins,, and he's very proud of it."

"I'm riding Fasther tomorrow in the Grand Prix," she said. "He was double clear here last year, so hopefully we can pull that off again."

:McLain has been my mentor for seven years," said Keenan. "When I went to him I didn't think I'd ever be any good. He's changed me so much. He's changed my life. I think he's the best rider in the world. Just before I went in the class, he told me I needed to ride the best version of myself."

"I'm very proud of Lestro," said  Ward. "He's inexperienced. He'd just been jumping in the States in a 4* show when I had a problem with one of my  other horses. So we just put Lestro on the plane instead. I couldn't be happier with him."

"He's a big, powerful horse," said Ward. "He's intelligent. He has a lot of energy that he had to learn to control."

While the jump-off in Aachen wasgoingon, Ward had already gone, and as Keenan was going into the ring, Ward'sdaughteer Lilly was going into th ering at Devon in the Small Pony Stake.

So Ward was standing with his phone in one hand, watching his daughter Lilly Ward ride while simultaneously watching Lillie Keenan go in Aachen.

And they both won.