Molly Talla & Hirado Fly the Highest in the $50,000 Lugano Diamonds National Grand Prix at Portland

By karoljumpernewsusa on August 14, 2023

Lexington, Kentucky, USA – August 13, 2023 – Two weeks of top-rated hunter, jumper, and equitation competition concluded on the Lugano Diamonds Split Rock Jumping Tour (SRJT) with the second week of the Split Rock Portland at Hidden Creek Horse Park as horse-and-rider combinations looked to take home the big prize in the $50,000 Lugano Diamonds National Grand Prix. It was ultimately Molly Talla (USA) and her own Hirado Blue (VDL Zirocco Blue x Labor’s VDL Indorado) who blazed to an untouchable time to take the week’s feature win by more than three and a half seconds.

Mauricio Garcia (PUR) designed a 15-effort track across the turf arena that would see just four clear combinations in round one. Bryna Closson (USA) was first to return in the jump-off round with the 18-year-old Cair Paravel (ARD VDL Douglas x Allegoric), owned by Larkspur Equestrian LLC. The longtime partners would put the pressure on with a double-clear finish in an efficient time of 39.831 seconds. However, Talla would follow just after, shaving seconds off Closson’s time as she and Hirado Blue upped the pace from the Lugano Diamonds vertical around to the double combination (oxer-vertical) with three less strides to finish in 36.271 seconds.

Danielle Vahdat would challenge their time with her own Gernice van de Postbaan (Numero Uno x Baloubet du Rouet), crossing through the timers in 37.58 seconds, but it would come at the expense of one rail down. Johanna Siefert (USA) and Baie Investments’ Scendrio (Hunters Scendro x San Brasil) were the final contenders, taking a somewhat more conservative track, clocking in a clear round of 40.797 seconds to finish in third. Closson would maintain her second place position while Vahdat would settle for fourth and Talla clinched the victory.

Spectators were able to enjoy the action with complimentary brunch cocktails thanks to Kendall Bergstrom of Sotheby’s International Reality. The 2023 tour will keep on the West Coast for its next stop in Paso Robles, California, with a CSI2* jumper rating and regional hunter classes (pending USEF approval) of all levels. Features include the $100,000 Lugano Diamonds 1.45m Grand Prix CSI2* and the $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby. With an exciting lineup of events and the recent addition of hunter competition, the entry deadline has been extended to Friday, September 1st – find all of the details for the week in the prize list.