Lexington, KY – August 2, 2025 – Caitlin Boyle and Prianti Van Het Mikkenhof topped the leaderboard on Saturday night under the lights as show jumping action at the Kentucky Horse Park concluded with the $50,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix during the Kentucky Summer Classic. A 10-horse jump-off meant riders had to lay it all on the line and Boyle did exactly that with Prianti Van Het Mikkenhof. Summer Justus was hot on her heels aboard La Belle SCF, finishing just 7/10ths of a second behind Boyle for second place, while James Billington and Lemonade WB rounded out the top three.
“It feels great to win tonight,” smiled Boyle after leading the victory gallop. “I think my horse jumped amazingly. It’s been a minute since we’ve jumped under the lights and I know she always performs her best with a little bit of crowd excitement and the shine on the jumps. She really tries hard and puts in a little extra effort. I was excited for tonight and she delivered for me, so I am really happy!”
Jasen Shelley set a technical track that kept horses and riders focused from beginning to end for the final event of the week. It featured a vertical-oxer double combination and an oxer-vertical-vertical triple combination, and they finished the course with a bending line going past the gate. Ten athletes completed the course without error and advanced to the tiebreaker. The jump-off began over a new oxer rolling back to a new vertical before eventually making their way over the first part of the triple combination and galloping to the final wide oxer.
Summer Justus & La Belle SCF
With 10 returning for the speed phase, the riders knew they would need to be quick and clear to earn the win. Kady Abrahamson and Kannan CK set the original pace to beat, posting a clear round in 45.684 seconds, which would hold up for fourth place. Boyle was the first to cross the finish line in a faster time with Prianti Van Het Mikkenhof. Despite adding a stride in the first rollback, she was able to use her mare’s quick pace to make up time throughout the rest of the track. They stopped the clock in a fault-free 43.266 seconds to go straight to the top of the leaderboard and leave the remaining riders chasing them. Justus tried to challenge their lead with La Belle SCF, and came very close with a clear round in 43.966 seconds that would rank second. James Billington was one of the last to go with Lemonade WB, and while he was able to slip ahead of Abrahamson, his time of 45.123 would finish behind the leaders to place third.
James Billington & Lemonade WB
“I definitely had a plan in place and I did not stick to it,” laughed Boyle when discussing the jump-off. “I did one more than I wanted in the first rollback, and then going to the last line, I was thinking of going for nine. I didn’t quite see it on landing and I decided to stay a little patient and risk it for staying calm and doing 10. I know my mare is really fast and that I was fast across the ring in other areas.”
Prianti Van Het Mikkenhof is a 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare owned by Beyaert Farm that Boyle has been riding for two years. “She’s such a lovely mare,” said Boyle “She is so brave around the ring. She performs her best when she actually fights me a little, when she has a little bit more spirit in the ring. That seems to be when we do our best and she shines. She’s super quiet and laid back in the barn. She’s not a high-energy horse, but when I ask her to go for it in the jump-off, she loves to go fast, and she’s quite good at it.”
Caitlin Boyle & Prianti Van Het Mikkenhof
Boyle grew up showing at the Kentucky Horse Park, and was thrilled to be back competing at the Kentucky Summer Series before helping some of her students during next week’s USEF Pony Finals. “This ring is just so fun to compete in and the horses jump really well with all the different jumps that we don’t always see at home,” she concluded. “It’s been lovely here. I came to help a couple girls at Pony Finals next week, so it just so happened that I was able to bring my jumper with me to have a little bit of fun as well. We just did the two rounds on her this week, so I’m glad that it went well – it was worth a trip for her!”
This marked the last event in the Rolex Stadium this week as the Kentucky Horse Shows LLC prepares for the USEF Pony Finals. Show jumping riders will return for more exciting competition during the Bluegrass Festival and KHJA Horse Shows, which will be held in just a few short weeks. For more information on the Kentucky Summer Series please visit www.kentuckyhorseshows.com.
