Lexington, Ky.—May 14  

The Kentucky Spring Horse Show concluded with the day’s highlight event: the $130,000 Hollow Creek Farm Grand Prix CSI3*.

Eugenio Garza of Mexico and Bariano bested a field of 41 competitors to claim the top prize with a blazing jump-off round in 39.16 seconds.

“I’ve had [Bariano] for almost four years,” said Garza. “He’s been my horse for everything. He’s taken me from children’s jumpers to the grand prix, so I owe him pretty much everything. He feels better than ever. He really gave it his all tonight and I couldn’t be more proud of him.”

In the four years Garza has been riding Bariano, they’ve advanced from the junior jumpers to the grand prix level quickly—the 15-year-old gelding had previous 1.60-meter experience with his former rider, Sam Polleunis of Belgium. In 2013, Garza and Bariano earned the individual gold medal in the junior division at the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships (Ky.).

Nine horse and rider combinations were able to master the Bernardo Costa Cabral opening course, moving into a jump-off that six would go on to produce double-clear efforts from.

“The course was really nice, [Bernado] did an extremely good job,” said Garza. “It was definitely a challenge—something to think about while going around the course, but it was not crazy. I think it was overall a really nice track. His tracks have been amazing all week and I think it was perfect for tonight.”

Aaron Vale and Quidam’s Good Luck, owned by Troy Gaus, were hoping to claim their second consecutive Hollow Creek Farm Grand Prix after winning the event in 2015. They were the early clear pathfinders in the first round and set the pace for the jump-off as the first to take on the shortened track in a speedy 39.92 seconds.

“[Bernardo] does a great job every time,” said Vale. “He gives a tight time allowed, but gives you different ways to get it. You can leave some strides out; you can make a short turn to the left or a short turn to the right. You kind of ride your horse and figure out a way to make the time allowed. Tight times allowed with these big fields are popular these days, but he does it fairly. If your horse has a weakness or a strength you can kind of pick and choose and still make the time.

“Quidam’s Good Luck wins a lot all year long, but he especially goes well in this ring,” continued Vale. “He won both FEI grand prix last spring, and he’s won some other grand prix here as well. This horse just loves this ring. He goes super here. Kentucky is a great place; it’s one of the premier facilities in the country, if not the premier facility.”

Shane Sweetnam of Ireland and Chaqui Z, owned by Spy Coast Farm, entered the Rolex Stadium one round later and attempted to catch Vale’s time, but felt short by 1 second. The pair would go on to take third place honors.

It was looking like Vale would take the title once again until Garza, who placed second behind Vale last year, and the 15-year-old Belgium Warmblood gelding, owned by El Milagro, returned to the ring to challenge Vale’s time as seventh in the jump-off order-of-go.

The two horse and rider combinations battled it out for the second year in a row, but this year it was Garza who was able push ahead Vale’s time by 8/10th’s of a second to take the lead in the victory gallop.

“Leading off the jump-off, you never want to go first, but better to go first in the jump-off than not at all,” laughed Vale. “I was quite fast to the fourth jump. I did check up a little to the combination and again to the last, and that was the difference. If I could have found one of those strides to leave out I don’t think Eugenio would have got me.”

“I saw Aaron go first—and you know Aaron, he’s very fast—and I honestly didn’t think anyone could catch him, including me,” admitted Garza. “My trainer, Eddie Macken, just told me to feel how it goes, and just give it my all and that’s what we did. Bariano just helped me out and was amazing and everything just came up really nice in the jump-off. I think I was able to gain a little bit more time to the last one. I took one stride less than Aaron, but it was really close and I don’t think I could asked anything more from Bariano.”

Results: $130,000 Hollow Creek Farm Grand Prix CS3*

1 603 BARIANO EUGENIO GARZA 0 76.060 0 39.160

2 511 QUIDAM’S GOOD LUCK AARON VALE 0 77.950 0 39.920

3 937 CHAQUI Z SHANE SWEETNAM 0 79.820 0 40.540

4 965 BULL RUN’S FAUSTINO DE TILI KRISTEN VANDERVEEN 0 75.440 0 40.700

5 238 LADY MARIA BH AMANDA DERBYSHIRE 0 79.340 0 41.790

6 613 IMOTHEP TAIZO SUGITANI 0 77.240 0 49.250

7 967 BULL RUN’S TESTIFY KRISTEN VANDERVEEN 0 79.990 4 40.790

8 557 CALIFORNIA 62 ANDREW RAMSAY 0 77.580 4 43.890

9 567 A S D FARFALA PABLO BARRIOS 0 78.560 6 WITHDR 0.000

10 353 ARTEMIS ALI WOLFF 1 80.200

11 696 ACE ALISON ROBITAILLE 1 82.110

12 491 VASCO ADAM PRUDENT 4 74.610