Upperville, Virginia – June 13, 2026 – An enthusiastic crowd packed the Salem Grand Prix Ring on Saturday afternoon during the 75th Loudoun Benefit Horse Show, presented by Piedmont Equine Practice. Twenty-nine horse and rider combinations took on the $50,000 Loudoun Benefit Grand Prix, sponsored by Michael Smith, and in the end it was Isabelle Ehman (USA) who piloted the talented mare Laganixx to her first grand prix win in the speedy jump-off. She bested Ibrahim Barazi and Kyrah by just half a second, while Welcome Stake winners Hayley Barnhill and Kalief de Brinco took home the third place honors.

“Winning today was awesome,” smiled Ehman. “It’s a hometown show for us in Middleburg, so I think winning here makes it really special and it was an awesome class – super competitive. It’s such a special environment at this show – all the local people come out and it has such a family feel to it. It makes showing here feel that much more special and you feel like you get an extra bit of encouragement. When you fly around, the crowd’s really cheering for you!”

Oscar Soberon utilized the expanize arena at the Salem Showgrounds for his 12-obstacle track, which included a vertical-vertical-oxer triple combination as the fourth question on course, as well as an oxer-vertical double combination, and a triple bar bending to the final line away from the gate. Thirteen advanced to the jump-off, where eight produced a second clear round, making speed the name of the game. The short course began with a wide oxer and a quick rollback to a new vertical. Athletes then continued to the double combination and had two more rollbacks before the final new oxer toward the gate.

Barazi was fourth to return for the tiebreaker with Kyrah, and quickly went to the top of the leaderboard as the first to finish in under 48 seconds, clearing the course in a very quick 46.77 seconds.

Barnhill was next in the ring with Kalief de Brinco, and was hoping to take home her second win of the week, but with slightly wider turns they stopped the clock in a faultless 48.21 seconds, which would hold up for third.

Ehman was one of the last to return, but she came in ready to win, making a sharp turn back after the first fence and using Laganixx’ fast gallop to her advantage to leave all the rails intact and break the beam in 46.186 to claim the winning title.

“I thought the course was great,” noted Ehman. “For the jump-off, luckily I got to go late so I got to make a strategy that I wanted and I decided a plan that was right for us. I was really quick to number two in the jump off and just around to the double. Then from the long run to the middle line, I was really tidy there and was able to make up a lot of time.”

Ehman trains with Katie and Henri Prudent at Plain Bay Farm in Middleburg, VA, and began riding Laganixx in February. “We’re a new partnership and we just moved her up to the Grand Prix level. She’s quite a quirky horse in a good way – that’s what makes her competitive and special,” explained Ehman of the 10-year-old KWPN mare. “She wants to be fast and she wants to win. She’s best suited with a fast rider and someone that can really harness her skill for being able to turn fast and to leave out strides. When you make that match, she’s super competitive and I think she’s  really progressing well and showing me new scope that I haven’t seen yet.”

Final Results $50,000 Loudoun Benefit Grand Prix

1) Isabelle Ehman (USA) & Laganixx – 0 / 0 – 46.186

2) Ibrahim Barazi (JOR) & Kyrah – 0 / 0 – 46.77

3) Hayley Barnhill (USA) & Kalief de Brinco – 0 / 0 – 48.21

Source: Press Release from Cavaletti Consulting / The Plaid Horse for the Loudoun Benefit Horse Show

Photos: © Erin Gilmore Photography

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