Lisa Goldman and Morocco

All three athletes are now focused on Sunday's main event, the $250,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Lexington, presented by CP. Earlier in the day, the open jumper athletes had the opportunity to showcase their skills in the $35,000 International Open Jumper Faults Converted class, presented by The Dobbs Family. After finishing second in Wednesday's $35,000 International Open Jumpers Welcome Speed, Lisa Goldman of Hawthorn Woods, Illinois, continued to prove herself at the top level of the sport. She and her quick mount Morocco bested Olympian McLain Ward of Brewster, New York, who was riding one of his top mounts, HH Carlos Z, owned by Double H Farm.

Ward was the first rider to beat Ireland's Conor Swail, who had gone second in the class on Susan and Ariel Grange's Martha Louise. They had a clear round in 54.92 seconds, which looked almost unbeatable throughout most of the class. Ward just narrowly edged them out of the lead when HH Carols Z cleared the course in 54.68 seconds near the end of the event, but it would not be good enough for the win. Goldman and Morocco galloped without holding back, and the careful gelding took over the top spot by 3/10ths of second when he stopped the clock at 54.37 seconds.

 

"I watched Conor go early in the class, and he was so smooth and so beautiful. I thought he had it," said Goldman. "I don't worry about the speed too much with Morocco because he is so fast. If I'm on, I generally have the time. I wasn't sure if I had it, but I knew it was going to be right there."

 

Beating world-class riders like Ward and Swail marks a major moment in Goldman's budding professional career. "It's a feeling you can't even explain," she expressed. "It's something you watch every week when you're a kid. I can't believe that I'm here with my little Morocco. My horse is fast as McLain Ward's. I can't believe it. It's such an honor to be here with the best in the world and for Morocco to be right up there with them."

Madison Goetzmann Gets $10,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Win 

The first event of the day was the $10,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers, presented by Amalaya Investments and The Nusz Family, where Madison Goetzmann was competing in the jumpers for the first time at the CP National Horse Show. The junior rider proved that experience is not everything when she laid down the winning round in the speed class with Wrigley. The pair was faultless in 53.362, toping Catherine Tyree's 53.745 second effort aboard Free Style VD Polderhof, owned by Joseph and Mary Tyree. Kelli Cruciotti scored the third and fourth place awards riding Zidante and Wallenberg, respectively, both owned by Serenity Equestrian Ventures.  

Madison Goetzmann and Wrigley

"This is my first time competing in the jumpers here," noted Goetzmann. "I'm very excited to have just won that class. It's definitely a hype. I'm very excited to have this win and look forward to the rest of the week!"

 

Goetzmann continued, "My plan was to go in and have a smooth efficient round. I really feel like I made up time in the turns. She's a super fast horse, and she's always looking through the turns. I felt we were very efficient around the whole course."

 

The second round of the USEF U25 National Championship was up next with a $20,000 jump-off event presented by The Porter Family, The Jacobs Family, The Jobs Family and The Keenan Family. Lucy Deslauriers of New York, New York, winner of the 2015 Prix des States Individual Gold medal and the 2015 Show Jumping Young Rider Individual Gold medal, once again showcased her winning partnership with Hester.

 

Hunter Holloway of Topeka, Kansas, produced the first clear jump-off effort with VDL Bravo S, owned by Hays Investments, setting the pace at 33.44 seconds. Catherine Tyree of Chicago, Illinois, was up next with Joseph and Mary Tyree's Enjoy Louis, and she took over the lead with a clear round in 31.41 seconds, but with Deslauriers up next Tyree knew her lead would not last long. Deslauriers and Hester picked up a quick gallop to the first fence and never held back, dashing across the finish line in a faultless 30.74 seconds to claim the victory.

Lucy Deslauriers and Hester

"I knew Catherine definitely was on it and didn't leave much on the table, so I knew I would really have to go for it and not be safe anywhere," explained Deslauriers. "All year Hester has been really incredible and done everything I've asked of him. Yesterday, I didn't ride my best so I was definitely looking to put in as good a round today as I could. I'm very happy."

 

Jumper action will continue on Friday with the $5,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers, presented by Amalaya Investments and The Nusz Family and the $35,000 Accumulator Costume Class, presented by Salamander Hotels and Resort. The main highlight of the week will be Sunday afternoon, when the best athletes in the world will compete in the $250,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Lexington, presented by CP.


$35,000 International Open Jumper Faults Converted  1.    286     Morocco     Goldman, Lisa     USA      54.37 seconds
2.    284     HH Carlos Z     Ward, McLain     USA      54.68 seconds
3.    474     Martha Louise     Swail, Conor     IRL      54.92 seconds
4.    481     Alsvid     Moloney, Richie     IRL      55.54 seconds
5.    291     Platinum     Timm, Kyle     CAN      55.81 seconds
6.    578     H&M Harley vd Bisschop     Philippaerts, Nicola     BEL      56.20 seconds
7.    572     Caddie R     Verlooy, Jos     BEL    57.25 seconds
8.    258     Constable II     Kraut, Laura     USA      57.55 seconds
9.    484     Hickstead's Axel     Wordley, Sharn     NZL      57.98 seconds
10.    266     Indigo     Goldstein-Engle, Margie     USA      59.34 seconds
11.    262     Easy Contact Humlan     Sweetnam, Shane     IRL     59.45 seconds (55.45)
12.    294     Quidams Good Luck     Vale, Aaron     USA      60.10 seconds (56.10)

$20,000 USEF U25 National Championship Round II 1.    550     Hester     Deslauriers, Lucy      0 penalties 30.74 sec
2.    563     Enjoy Louis     Tyree, Catherine      0 penalties 31.41 sec
3.    589     VDL Bravo S     Holloway, Hunter      0 penalties 33.44 sec
4.    583     Echo D     Gilbertson, Lacey      4 penalties 32.32 sec
5.    564     Chamonix H     Cruciotti, Kelli      4 penalties 33.42 sec
6.    556     Cadence     Gates, Jennifer      4 penalties 36.89 sec
7.    582     Beezie     Barnhill, Hayley      1 penalty 73.47 sec
8.    594     Fantasy     Tritschler, Ali      4 penalties 66.91 sec
9.    569     Orientales     Morgello, Sima      4 penalties 68.91 sec
10.    562     Goldfinger Vd Hengstenpoel     Bagworth, Sarah      4 penalties 69.02 sec
11.    565     Qurint     Waters, Hayley           4 penalties 69.80 sec 
12.    552     All In     Strauss, Katherine          4 penalties 70.10 sec

$10,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers 1.    964     Wrigley     Goetzmann, Madison      0 penalties 53.362 sec
2.    815     Free Style Vd Polderhof     Tyree, Catherine      0 penalties 53.745 sec
3.    623     Zidante     Cruciotti, Kelli      0 penalties 53.982 sec
4.    624     Wallenberg     Cruciotti, Kelli      0 penalties 54.991 sec
5.    625     Betty Boop III     Cunniffe, Ailish      0 penalties 55.666 sec
6.    626     Perfect De Coquerie     Cunniffe, Ailish      0 penalties 55.782 sec
7.    834     Sandor De La Pomme     Jobs, Eve      0 penalties 56.604 sec
8.    717     Nightfire 25     Kerkorian, Kira      0 penalties 58.033 sec
9.    724     Werner 61     Gassel, Haley     0 penalties 58.629 sec
10.    827     True Love     Demartini, Leah     0 penalties 59.220 sec
11.    794     Faemes Van T Poelzelhof     Seaman, Callie     0 penalties 59.778 sec