Saugerties, United States – July 16, 2025 – Hits Hudson Valley IV kicked off the popular Hudson Valley Jumping Tour® on July 16, 2025. Part of the Hits Hudson Valley Show Series at the world-class venue in Saugerties, New York, the three-week-long tour showcases top equestrian sport, including international CSI 3* competition, as well as a World Champion Hunter Rider (WCHR) week. With all arenas bustling on the first day of action, it was Gabriel Matos Machado (BRA) who closed out competition in the Douglas Elliman Grand Prix Stadium with the win in the $31,020 FEI Jumper Classic CSI 3* riding Livingstone van het Peggershof.
In a star-studded starting field of 42 horse-and-rider combinations, eight countries were represented, including Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Switzerland, and of course, the home nation of the United States. Mark McGowan (GBR) designed the opening power-and-speed track set at 1.45m, setting the tone for the exciting week.
Laura Chapot (USA) posted the first double-clear performance with Ginola, leaving the rest of the athletes to chase her time of 35.88 seconds.
Just before the midway drag, Alessandra Volpi (USA) managed to bring the leading time down to 34.74 seconds with Glamour, a 14-year-old KWPN mare (Numero Uno x Iroko) owned by Cedar Fox. Aboard her second mount, Jolie van Schuttershof, Chapot almost caught Volpi, but stopped the clock in 35.26 seconds to sit just behind her.
It was with her third ride, C&C Willow, a 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare by Emerald owned by Mary Chapot, that Chapot looked like she had closed the door on the competition, as she shaved two hundredths of a second off of Volpi’s time in 34.72 seconds.
That seemed unbeatable until, fortieth in the order, Matos Machado and Livingstone van het Peggershof, laid it all on the line to break the beam in 34.60 seconds and claim the win. Laura Chapot and C&C Willow settled for the runner-up spot, while Volpi and Glamour finished in third.
“For the first day, the course designer did a great job; all of the horses jumped very well, so that’s a good thing,” noted Matos Machado. “It was a very nice and pretty straight forward course, not too many options. The first turn in the speed portion was important. You really had to get a big jump at that second fence so you could land on the inside track to come to the combination that followed. My horse turned very well in that left turn, and he landed very forward because he has a huge stride. I think that’s where I got the time.”
Though Matos Machado had three horses in the class, the top result came from the newest member of his string. Livingstone van het Peggershof joined Matos Machado’s Bay Winds Equestrian in Wellington, Florida, only two months ago, but the 14-year-old Belgian Wamblood gelding (Ogano Sitte x Thunder vd Zuuthoeve) owned by Bay Winds Equestrian is already making his mark.
“We clicked right away,” shared Matos Machado. “He’s a very competitive horse, very careful. I’ve just been trying to figure out how to make him as competitive as he can be, but I think he’s ready. I mean, in just the two months I’ve had him he is already doing very well.”
It was quite the way to start the week for Matos Machado, who, in his Hits Hudson Valley debut, made the trip a victorious one right from the beginning.
“It’s a very good facility,” enthused Matos Machado. “All of the horses love it. The footing is amazing, and it’s nice to have such a big warm-up ring. The people that work here are all very nice too; it’s a very friendly horse show, which we love.”
While the Brazilian anthem played on day one, only time will tell who will ride into the winner’s circle next, as competition continues on Thursday, July 17, with the $62,480 Welcome CSI 3*. International show jumping during Hits Hudson Valley IV comes to a thrilling conclusion on Saturday, July 19, with the $116,050 Maria Mendelsohn/Douglas Elliman FEI CSI3* Grand Prix, while national competition features through Sunday, July 20.
Final Results – $31,020 Jumper Classic CSI 3*
1) Gabriel Matos Machado (BRA) & Livingstone van het Peggershof – 0 / 0 – 34.60
2) Laura Chapot (USA) & C&C Willow – 0 / 0 – 34.72
3) Alessandra Volpi (USA) & Glamour – 0 / 0 – 34.72
Source: Press Release from Hits Horse Shows
Photos: © Hits Horse Shows / ESI Photography
