TRAVERSE CITY, Mich.--Samantha Schaefer on James Bond HX ad Skylar Wireman on Barclino B ended in a very unusual tie to share the win in the $31,100 CSIO3* Speed on Wednesday, July 22 during week four of the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival in Traverse City.
Schaefer and Wireman both finished clean in 65.07 seconds.
Schaefer typically reserves James Bond for grand prix and jump-off action, but she thought the speed format might play in their favor Wednesday.
“This is a horse I've had since the end of its 8-year-old year and he's 12 now, so I know him very well,” she said. “He was supposed to jump last week so he was nice and fresh coming into this week. My plan was to have an efficient go, and to stick with my plan and play to our strengths.”
Wireman’s Barclino B is a horse that has taken the young rider all over the world to jump at the highest level.
“I'm really happy with ‘Barry’; he was amazing,” Wireman. “We went with our plan to go for a bit of speed and aim for a top placing today. Obviously, being tied for first was exciting. Honestly I don't think there was a faster route to take without doing the risky inside turn.”
While they took different tracks, the two still managed to cross the timers in the exact same time over the course set by Peter Grant of Canada.
“There was an opportunity to go inside from fence three to four,” Schaefer.
“THEY WERE a pair of verticals, and he's a good vertical jumper and quite alert and game, so I took a shot there. Skylar went around but still was able to catch me on footspeed.”
Wireman hadn’t considered the inside turn Schaefer took because she knew Barclino’s natural speed could carry her around just as quickly.
“We planned to go right around that vertical; I never even looked at the inside turn,” Wireman said. The only rider she had seen give it a go was Mclain Ward (USA), whose time with First Lady was four seconds faster than both winners, but with one rail down. “Mclain did it; I don't know how but he did. I'm very happy with Barry. He jumped really well and he feels great for the rest of this week.”
Schaefer was feeling some déjà vu Wednesday, as the only other time she had tied for a win previously was right here in Traverse City, and the other rider, Dominic Gibbs, was also on Wednesday’s podium, placing third on Contra.
“Years ago Dominic and I tied in a two-star Welcome,” Schaefer said. “We were joking about it at the prize giving.”
The experience was a first for Wireman.
“I have not been tied for first before,” she said. “With this horse I was at Silo Ridge last year and I beat two people who were tied for first, but this hasn't happened to me before.”
