The USA’s Molly Ashe Cawley earned her second grand prix win in as many weeks in Sunday’s $120,000 CSI3* Grand Prix. The win closed out the third week of the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF), presented by B&D Builders, at Flintfields Horse Park, marking the halfway point of the six-week series. Cawley and Berdien went two-for-two after winning the B&D Builders Grand Prix during GLEF II.
With less than a second separating the top-three finishers, Cawley laid down an uncatchable time over Andy Christiansen’s (ECU) jump-off course in 36.01 seconds.
“I know she’s going to give it her whole heart every time,” gushed Cawley about Berdien, a 13-year-old Zangersheide mare (Bustique x Querlybet Hero) owned by Louisburg Farm. “You walk in the ring on her and feel like you have a chance to win and that’s a nice feeling. We know each other so well; she knows when it’s the jump-off and I know I can trust her to turn back sideways, backwards, parallel and all of the above—she’ll give it a go.
“She was super [in the jump-off],” continued Cawley. “She’s an amazing turner. I knew they could beat me but I was hoping they wouldn’t.
Spain’s Francisco Goyoaga Mollet was two tenths of a second off the win as the last to return in the tie-breaking jump-off. His time of 36.24 seconds riding PST de Muze secured him and the nine-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare (Vigo d’Arsouilles STX x Clinton) the runner-up ribbon for owner Sigma Stables.
Cathleen Driscoll (USA) rounded out the podium riding Idalgo, an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Catoki x Quidam de Revel) owned by Don Stewart. Another top finish kept Driscoll at the top of the Traverse City Horse Shows Jumper Rider Bonus standings, with Cawley hot on her heels in seconds. The $30,000 bonus will be presented during the final week of the Tournament of Champions in the fall.
Along with the win, Cawley accepted the Turnham Green Leading Lady Rider Award. The honor will be awarded each week throughout GLEF to the female rider who posts the best cumulative results in international classes throughout the week.
“It’s so nice to have [Traverse City Horse Shows] because we used to not have hardly any FEI shows,” concluded Cawley about the now 12-week international circuit. “This show in particular is really good for the horses, and right now I have a lot of young ones coming up. We are here for these two weeks and then we’ll come back in the fall. It’s the best option available by far and we love being here.“
Highlighting the prize giving ceremony, the GLEF III charity ticket partner, Peace Ranch, was presented with $3,166 from general admission ticket-sale proceeds as part of Traverse City Horse Shows Charity Ticket Program.
International show jumping competition returns to the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring during the fourth week of GLEF on Wednesday with another week of three-star action.
For complete results, click here.
Chappy Has The Chops in USHJA National Hunter Derby
Hunters took to their usual Sunday highlight in the $25,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby, presented by Pinecone Shavings, during the third week of the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival. After a clean sweep of two rounds with the high score in both, Greg Crolick brought home the win on Chappy for owner Carole Chase.
It was a good day for the home team with Crolick of Clarkston, MI, pocketing a 93 and 94 over classic and handy courses designed by Jasen Shelley, who also originally hails from Michigan.
“I thought the course was lovely; it gave you options for what you could do instead of being generic,” said Crolick. “For us riders to have options, it allows us to do what is best for our horses. Chappy is such a big, long horse, he’s a good handy horse but he’s not always good about turning super sharp because of his size and length. After jump two you could do the inside turn and then after jump four there was another extra inside turn, but I opted not to do that.”
After clinching a derby win during GLEF II, Jacob Pope of Columbia, MD, settled for second and third on this Sunday. He piloted Story Hour, an eight-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Casalico owned by Don Stewart, to scores of 92 and 93 for second, and last week’s winner, Your Welcome BC, Don Stewart’s seven-year-old Belgian Warmblood stallion by Toulon, to third with an 87 and 92.
For Crolick, riding a horse like Chappy is a confidence boost every time he sets foot in the ring. “You are relaxed going in on a horse that has such great experience, and you know he’s not going to spook or peek,” said Crolick of the 13-year-old Mecklenburg gelding by Chacco Blue. “I know he comes to the venue to try and win and that’s a good feeling.”
Chappy will compete during GLEF IV before turning focus to the Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship in Kentucky this August. Crolick has also set a goal to be back at Flintfields Horse Park in September for the hunter offerings during the Tournament of Champions.
“I’ve been coming here every year since the place started years and years ago, and it’s lovely to see how much money has been put into the hunters and into the special classes,” concluded Crolick. “It really is a draw and makes a lot of us from around the country want to come here and compete. From WCHR weeks to the derbies, you want to bring your A-game and compete against the best. [Traverse City Horse Shows] has become a destination spot for really high-class horses to come and compete.”
Two other derby offerings highlighted the final day of GLEF III with Sydney Raidy winning the $5,000 Junior/Amateur National Hunter Derby, presented by Makoto Farm & Walkenbach Equestrian, aboard Bigtalu G Z, and Emma Hall riding Secret Service HRH took top call in the $2,500 Non-Pro Derby, presented by Hillside Farm.
A new addition for junior and amateur riders this year, junior Charlotte Harris currently sits atop the $5,000 Leading Junior Hunter Rider Bonus standings, while Libbie Gordon leads the $5,000 Leading Amateur Hunter Rider Bonus race. These new bonuses are presented by Makoto Farms and Walkenbach Equestrian and will be awarded to the overall leading riders at the conclusion of GLEF IV.
For complete results, click here.
Jole Kosloske Takes Tri-Color in Albion College 15-17 Equitation
After a clean sweep of the division, Jole Kosloske of Tampa, FL, was named champion in the Albion College 15-17 3’3” Equitation riding Giovanni S on Sunday of week three during the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, presented by B&D Builders. The 16-year-old won both over-fences offerings and finished first in the flat test.
With a goal in place to move up to 3’6” with Giovanni S, Kosloske is building confidence at the 3’3” height after adding the 13-year-old gelding to her string. “We found him in Germany as a jumper and he was my first equitation horse,” said Kosloske, who trains with Jimmy Torano at the Florida-based JET Show Stables. “I know that he needs to have a bigger pace because he’s not great from a deep distance, so I knew I had to be a little up.
“My goal for him is to compete at indoor finals next year,” continued Kosloske, a student at Berkeley Preparatory School with aspirations to ride competitively in college.
During GLEF IV, Kosloske will realize her goal and move Giovanni up to the 3’6” equitation, as well as share her focus with the jumper ring where she will compete in the 1.20m ranks.
Reserve champion honors in the Albion College 15-17 Equitation were presented to Alexa Anastasio riding Dante’s Inferno. She was third under saddle and second and third over fences.
The Leading Equitation Rider Award, presented by Rider’s Boutique and Butet, currently has Evan Werner at the top of the leaderboard. Presented at the conclusion of the Traverse Horse Shows season in September, the award honors the overall points leader in the 15-17, 12-14, and 11 & Under equation divisions.
For complete results, click here.
