Emily Moffitt & Hilfiger Van De Olmenhoeve. ph: Taylor Renner/ Phelps Media Group.
Thursday evening at the CP National Horse Show in Lexington, Kentucky, featured the $130,000 CP Grand Prix International Open Jumpers CSI4*-W. Competing for the first time at the historic event, Great Britain’s Emily Moffitt claimed the biggest individual win of her career to date aboard the ten-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding Hilfiger Van De Olmenhoeve (Dulf Van Den Bishop x Querlybet Hero).
The events took place at the Kentucky Horse Park on November 2, 2017. Canada’s Michel Vaillancourt tested 43 international horses and athletes over his 13-obstacle-track in the first round. Out of the 18 combinations who jumped clear, 14 returned to battle it out in the jump-off, while the remaining four elected to save their mounts for Saturday’s highly anticipated $250,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Lexington CSI4*-W.
USA’s Beezie Madden was the first to navigate the short course with no faults, piloting the nine-year-old KWPN gelding Darry Lou (Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve x Nabab de Reve), owned by Abigail Wexner, to a time of 37.260s. The would finish in an eventual 3rd place.
USA’s Laura Kraut, victor in Wednesday’s $35,000 International Open Jumpers Welcome Speed CSI4* with Whitney, followed Madden and produced another double-clear performance with Confu in 36.990s. They finished in an eventual 2nd place.
Moffitt was the fourth out of five combinations to complete the jump-off fault-free. It was Kraut and partner Nick Skelton who originally found Hilfiger Van De Olmenhoeve for Moffitt and the pair have since established a strong, winning partnership, even contributing to Great Britain’s gold medal in the young rider team competition at the FEI European Jumping Championship in August.
The duo crossed the timers in 35.70s to secure the victory.
The full results can be viewed here.