THERMAL, Calif.--Belgium’s Jos Verlooy on FTS Killossery Konfusion won their third grand prix victory of the winter in the $200,000 CSI4* Grand Prix on Saturday, March 15 at the Desert Internationsl Horse Park after a jump-off of some of Desert Circuit’s most successful combinations.
Jos Verlooy on FTS Killossery (Photo by High Desert Sport Photo)Peter Grant set the course for the field of 33 entries, with eight going clean to make it to the jump-off, which quickly turned into a lightning-fast race against the clock.
When Verlooy went, the time to beat had been set at 45.35 seconds by Keri Potter on Kalimera van de Nethe Z.
“I was so willing to win this grand prix,” said Verlooy. “From the beginning of the circuit, it was going great. This whole week, this class is already itching me. I won the grand prix last week, and it was itching me to win again this week! I didn’t want to let my horse down. I was lucky to go in the end, and I saw a few before me; they were very, very fast. So, I was just going to go all or nothing, and thank God it worked out and it was everything!”
Verlooy finished clesn in 44.03 seconds for the win.
Potter placed second place, and Ireland’s Conor Swail on My Lady Lavista was third in 45.61 seconds.
“It’s been an unbelievable season,” said Verlooy. “I won three out of five grand prix that Konfusion jumped, and I was second in one of the CSI5*. So, all the credit to my horse. He’s been in incredible form, and I think this was a cherry on the cake with this jump-off.”
VERLOOY has ridden Konfusion for about four years, and he is selective in the classes he chooses for the 15-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding,
“Just the good money classes – I really just kept him fresh for those classes, and he really knows when the day is to perform,” said Verlooy. “He knows his job. He knows that he has to be clear and fast. He just knows also tonight is special. It was full house tonight, and the horse is smart so he knows. He just knew that the today was the day to perform!”
Swail on Theo 160 won the $32,000 CSI4* 1.50m Classic on Sunday, the final big class of the Desert Circuit in Thermal.
“Theo has been incredible the whole tour,” said Swail of the 13-year-old Holsteiner.. “He’s been second, third, second, third, third, fourth. I mean, he’s been clear and clear and clear and clear. So, I’m just so happy that he won today because he really deserved it. Honestly, nearly more than any of them. He’s been probably the most consistent throughout the duration.”
Paris Sellon on The Duchess were the first to return for the jump-off, and she set the pace to beat at 42.01 seconds.
But Swail was the very next to go, and he finished in 39.20 seconds to go into the lead.
“The jump off actually, honestly, I wasn’t that happy with; I thought it was very ragged,” said Swail. “Again, Theo was being super. He was very good to me to jump the last two jumps well, and thankfully we won. It just wasn’t my favorite one. I wanted him to win today, and I didn’t feel I did a great job to help him do that, to be honest. So, listen, sometimes you win whenever it’s maybe not the best round you’ve ever had, and I think that was one of those rounds today.”
Sellon was second place as the only other clean in the jump-off, and Kaitlin Campbell on Bull Run’s Hesed was third with four faults in a time of 39.55.
Earlier in the week. on Friday, Swail on Count Me In won the $20,000, CSI4* Speed Stake, the horse's third major victory of the Desert Circuit.
“Honestly, he is one of the best horses I’ve had in my career, and I’ve had some very nice ones,” said Swail of the 18-year-old Hanoverian that he also rode to wins in the Desert Circuit 3 $45,000 CSI2* Grand Prix and the Desert Circuit 9 $40,000, 1.45m Open Classic. “A lot of places he’s taken me are all firsts for me – World Cup Finals, winning the Aga Khan at the Dublin Horse Show, Aachen for the first time. He’s a wonderful horse."
Swail was the ninth to jump the Peter Grant-designed course, and he set the uncatchable time to beat at 64.28 seconds.
Savannah Jenkins on Sanella 6 was second in 64.59 seconds. and Skylar Wireman on Barclino B was third in 64.85 seconds
Also on Friday, for an unprecedented fourth year in a row, Nick Haness on Cavaletto Loma Z won the $100,000 USHJA WCHR West Coast Hunter Spectacular.
“I'm just in complete shock and just feeling really excited right now,” said Haness. “Cavaletto Loma Z is an incredible horse. I'm so proud of him tonight.”
On Thursday, Kaitlin Campbell on Bull Run’s Hesed won the $63,000 CSI4* Welcome Stake over a field of 50, with 17 making it to a lightning-fast jump-off.
Campbell went in the middle of the jump-off, when the time to beat had been set at 40.59 seconds by Verlooy on FTS Killossery Konfusion.
“Jos is extremely fast on his horse,” said Campbell. “He’s had super results all season. The only thing I saw that he didn’t do was there was an island on the way from [fence] one to two, and he went around the island. I just slipped right inside of the island. So, I think that’s where I just shaved that tiny bit off.”
Campbell finished in 39.70 seconds to win, with Verlooy second and the Shawn Casady on Cool Quarz third in 40.92 seconds.
On Wednesday, the $10,000 Welcome Speed was held in two sections, and riding Karen and Corsini, Wireman won both sections.
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