Wayne, Illinois, USA – August 11, 2023 – Spectators gathered at the Douglas Elliman Grand Prix Stadium as show jumping returned to Hits Chicago during the $25,000 Hits Grand Prix on Friday morning. Riding to the top of the podium during the third week of the Lamplight Equifest was Taylor Land (USA) with her mount, Get Go, being one of four producing a double clear round across the field. Holly Shepherd (USA) and H J Hercules sped to second as the fastest combination, while Natalie Jayne (USA) and Boheme du Moulin rounded out the top three.

“At home we call Get Go, “Grumbles,” and he is truly a very special horse to me,” explained Land after her win. “I got Grumbles when he was 5, he’s now 11 and has been my main ride for a while now. He has such a huge personality and never ceases to make me laugh with his goofiness.”

Natalie Jayne (USA) and her mount Boheme du Moulin were the third trip of the jump-off, passing the timers clear and in a conservative 37.154 seconds, which would hold up for third place.

Holly Shepherd (USA) and H J Hercules were next, and set a quick pace to beat with a fault-free round in 36.763 seconds.

Their spot atop the leaderboard was quickly taken over by Taylor Land (USA) and Get Go though, who dashed through the times in 34.464 seconds with all the rails intact to eventually lead the victory gallop in the Douglas Elliman Grand Prix Stadium. 

“I was able to jump three horses today and Grumbles was my last horse, so I’d already ridden the course twice. I went first on another horse and I thought that the course rode about how it walked. There were a few options and some tight turns – I made some bolder decisions and Grumbles handled it really well” explained Land. “Grumbles tends to rise to the occasion and always give me more than I ask for, he’s definitely a long-term horse for me. I love him and I’m excited to see what we can keep doing together in the future. We’re planning on jumping some more FEI classes later this fall after he takes a little rest time. I always have the best team with me – I have an amazing group of grooms here helping me and I’m so lucky to have them.”

Being back at Hits Chicago, Land was thrilled with the improvements and concluded, “This show has been so wonderful. It’s beautiful, the footing is good, the horses are really happy here and everyone’s relaxed. The horse show has a great vibe and there are plenty of good places to ride and I absolutely love the setting. This is my first time at Hits Chicago since I was a teenager and I’m really excited to come back again.”

The Lamplight Equifest III will continue throughout the weekend at Lamplight Equestrian Center as part of the HITS Chicago Series. On Sunday, the Douglas Elliman Grand Prix Stadium will host the week’s highlight event, the $50,000 SummitMax Grand Prix. Junior and amateur athletes will also showcase their skills on Sunday during their respective jumper classics to close out the final week of the horse show.

Final Results – $25,000 Hits Grand Prix

1) Taylor Land (USA) & Get Go – 0 / 0 – 34.464

2) Holly Shepherd (USA) & H J Hercules – 0 / 0 – 36.763

3) Natalie Jayne (USA) & Boheme du Moulin – 0 / 0 – 37.154

Source: Press Release from Hits Horse Shows

Photos: © Hits Horse Shows / Alison Hartwell Photography

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Link