Momentum carried into the second day of international competition during the HITS Del Mar Summer Classic II in Del Mar, California, on Friday, August 28, where another lineup of elite horse-and-rider combinations took to the HITS Del Mar Horsepark’s Grand Prix Grass Field in pursuit of victory. For the second week in a row, the West Coast’s historic turf arena at the iconic venue set the stage for a CSI2* division, with Friday’s schedule highlighted by the $31,020 FarmVet CSI2* Winning Round. After two intense rounds of competition, it was Kaitlin Campbell (ISR) who continued her hot streak, claiming yet another victory, this time aboard Cosm Questa vd Heffinck.
With a total of 17 athletes to see across the first-round track engineered by esteemed Canadian course designer Meghan Rawlins (CAN), the winning round format laid the groundwork for a decisive final round, where the leading 10 combinations, regardless of penalties, would return to the track in reverse order of merit with a clean slate for one final opportunity to claim victory.
Appearing seventh in the initial order of go, the duo of Campbell and “Questa” proved to be worthy contenders for the jump-off in the field of FEI competitors, which consisted of representatives from Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, France, Mexico, Switzerland, and the United States. They sat firmly in the driver’s seat after posting one of just three fault-free efforts in the fastest clear time of 72.540 seconds.
After ticking a rail in the opening round, Olympian Cassio Rivetti (BRA) was the first to return for the jump-off with Nachinte P, an eight-year-old KWPN gelding (Quasimodo vd Molendreef x Chin Chin) owned by HF Farms, LLC. As they raced across the arena, the pair unfortunately suffered a second four-fault score. Though they would ultimately finish in seventh place, their performance showed the remaining contenders what might be needed to win. Shortly after, Campbell rode through the in-gate aboard Cloud, the 10-year-old Dutch Sport horse (Carleyle x Quiz), Cloud, owned by SWS Training & Sales. She stepped on the gas with the speedy gelding, bringing the finishing time down to 39.840 seconds, but with victory seemingly just an arm’s reach away, a heart-breaking rail at the last fence would see them finish in sixth place.
With time to reflect and observe the course from the warm-up before her second ride, Campbell made notes on her fellow colleagues, such as Mexican rider Arturo Parada Vallejo, who ended up with three horses in the jump-off. In the advantageous position of being the last to go, Campbell knew what she had to do aboard Questa to close out the competition. With double-clear effort and a time of 41.580 seconds, it was enough to run away with the win.
“I thought today’s course focused more on turning than just straight galloping,” commented Campbell about the intricate course set by Rawlins. “I personally like this better because it makes the horses pay attention to the jumps. There was a big gallop at the end of the jump-off, which definitely worked out for me today. It’s definitely how I won it.”
Campbell has had the ride on the 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare (Cabrio Z x Cooper vd de Heffinck) owned by Mirsol Equestrian, LLC for about a year and a half, having tallied numerous top placings through the five-star level together. After a successful summer in Europe, and after a much-needed break, the $31,020 FarmVet CSI2* Winning Round marked the official return to competition for Questa.
“Questa came in really fresh today and was really excited about the grass field,” shared Campbell. “I wanted to set up a clear round in the first phase because I know she’s really competitive, and I wanted her to be able to come back and show that. Questa is an absolutely amazing horse and everything about her today really worked to my advantage.”
Parada Vallejo ended up on the podium with two of his three mounts, producing a double-clear finish in 42.120 seconds with Laretto, a 10-year-old KWPN Gelding (Adagio De Talma x Indoctro) owned by Jose Alfredo Alatorre Galvez to take the runner-up position, while he and the Carson Cunnings’s 15-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Van Helsing x Dorian), Valento, completed the top three in a nearly identical time of 42.310 seconds.
International show jumping culminates in the $90,000 CSI2* Grand Prix of Del Mar, presented by Purina Animal Nutrition, on Saturday, August 29, while national hunter, jumper, and equitation competition continues through Sunday, August 30. For complete results, please visit www.showmanagementsystem.com.
