LAKE PLACID, N.Y.--JJ Torano on Lyon 50 won the $32,000 FEI 3* Speed Class on Saturday, June 27 during week one of the Lake Placid Horse Shows.
JJ Torano on Lyon 50 (Photo by KindMedia)Torano, amassing an amazing resume at just 16 years old, beat a field of 31, seven of which were clean in the Speed class.
Philip McGuane of Ireland on Donvier took an early lead in the class, finishing clean in 67.20 seconds over the one round course designed by Nick Granat.
The lead held for most of the class before Torano blazed over the course, finishing clean in 63.53 seconds, more than three-and-a-half seconds faster than McGuane.
None of the others could catch Torano’s time, giving the 16-year-old rider the win.
“I didn’t see Philip go, so I didn’t know what I had to do,” Torano said, “so I just went with the horse’s pace, which is very fast. He’s a real trier, he wants to win every class, so I just went with his pace. He’s very quick and competitive, and I can’t thank him enough.”
McGuane’s time held up for second place, with Jordan Coyle of Ireland third on Dexterity Z with a clean round in 69.09 seconds.
SIX TIME U.S. Olympic veteran McLain Ward on Supersox Ter Leydonck won the $25,000 1.45m Jumper Classic.
McLain Ward on Supersox Ter Leydonck (Photo by KindMedia)From a starting field of 33, seven went clean to make the jump-off.
Ward finished clean in 35.726 seconds to win over Molly Ashe Cawley on La Russo Lad, clean in 36.513 seconds, and Alex Matz on Million One was third, clean in 37.272.
While McLain was a winner, he was surpassed by his daughter Lilly, who won two championships and a reserve.
Lilly was Small Pony Champion on Celebration, and she was also Medium Pony Champion on The King of Hearts.
And now at 11 years old, Lilly has graduated to also riding in Children's Hunter, Under 14, where she won the reserve championship on Golden Ticket.
Lilly has been winning championships on Celebration for a couple of years now, but The King of Hearts and Golden Ticket are newer rides.
"We just got King of Hearts during the Winter Equestrian Festival," said Lilly's mother Lauren. "Lilly was just getting to know him towards the end of the circuit."
"Golden Ticket came home with us after Devon," said Lauren."We leased hm after Devon from Addison McQuaker. She got Golden Ticket as a 4-year-old and produced him."
"He's incredibly trustworthy," said Lauren. "Lilly's so excited to be jumping the bigger fences. Golden Ticket is 16-hands, but he's a perfect gentleman."
"Lilly will be riding all three again next week here in Lake Placid," said Lauren.
