LOS ANGELES, Calif.--Lillie Keenan on her 10-year-old stallion Kick On won the $125,000, 1.50m Welcome CSI5*-W at Santa Anita Park.
Lillie Keenan on Kick On (Photo by Winslow Photography)Keenan, last to go in the eight horse jump-off, won by almost a full second, finishing in 35.91 seconds.
"I think it was my turn to the combination that won the class," said Keenan. "My horse is incredibly brave. I knew that turn was a big gamble, but I thought he could do it."
Kick On had previously won a CSI5* Grand Prix win in Toronto, and had two runner-up finishes at the Devon Horse Show, as well as a close second at the 5* in Greenwich.
A field of 73 riders from 15 nations competed over the course set by Anderson Lima, with only eight managing to advance to the jump-off.
Six of the eight went clean in the jump-off.
Carly Anthony, a trainer from Colts Neck.N.J., on Heavenly W finished second in 36.85 seconds, and Tokyo Olympics team silver medalist Jessica Springsteen on Naomi van het Keizershof was third in 37.26 seconds.
Laura Kraut on Tres Bien Z was fourth in 37.33, Abdulrahman of Saudi Arabia on Ventago was fifth in 37.70 and Shawn Casady on Cool Quarz was sixth in 39.14, followed by Daniel Bluman on Corbie VV seventh with four faults in 37.01 and Callie Shott on Garant with eight faults in 36.59.
The competition was a qualifier for Saturday’s $400,000 FEI Jumping World Cup Los Angeles CSI5*-W, where riders will win points toward the World Cup Finals in Basel, Switzerland, in April 2025.
The World Cup qualifier is scheduled for Saturday at 11:00 PM EST or 8:00 PM PST.
