Only three of the 41 entries qualified for the tiebreaking jump-off by riding without penalty over the 13-jump, 16-effort first-round course designed by Olaf Petersen, Jr. of Germany. After the first 26 entries failed to go clean, the youngest rider in the class, 18-year-old McKayla Langmeier of East Granby, Connecticut, turned in the first clean round on Iliano Van D'Abelendreef. She was soon joined in the jump-off by Babington and 2011 Pan American Games double Gold Medalist Christine McCrea of East Windsor, Connecticut who was clean on Nektarina B.
Langmeier, who just a few hours earlier won the horse show's $10,000 Mirror Lake Inn Junior Jumper Classic, blazed over the 8-jump, jump-off course on her 10-year-old, Belgian Warmblood, finishing in 35.676 seconds, but a rail down at the final fence cost her four faults.
Babington then took the lead with a clean ride in 35.693 seconds on Mark Q, his 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse (ISH) who won Lake Placid's I Love New York Grand Prix in 2013. McCrea matched Babington's clean round on her 13-year-old, Holsteiner mare but her time of 37.019 left her in second place, giving Babington his second win in three years after having won the class in 2016 on Shorapur.
"I thought the course designer did a good job," Babington said. "The faults were spread out all over the course so there wasn't any one spot tripping people up, although the double caught a lot of horses. Anytime you have an airy vertical to an oxer, it's hard enough but then adding gray to it with a left drift, well there was a lot going on there.
"Mark Q really likes it here in Lake Placid which also holds a special place in my heart. This is the first horse show I ever came to when I first came to this country back in 1988 and my family and I love it here. We wouldn't miss it for anything."
Earlier in the day, Zayna Rizvi rode Calvaton to victory in the $5,000 The Wild Center Children's Jumper Classic. Rizvi topped a field of 32 horses by turning in two fault-free rides and the fastest jump-off time of 41.198 seconds. Rizvi also finished third on Cool Boy 22 and fifth on Up Front with second place going to Sydney Chapman on Fanta Lime and fourth to Marcus Davis on Vieke.
Debbie Dolan-Sweeney and La Petite Fleur 6 added to their commanding lead in the Amateur-Owner division of the Hollow Brook Wealth Management Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series by claiming the win in the $10,000 Mirror Lake Inn Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic. Of the seven who reached the jump-off, three managed to go clean and Dolan-Sweeney earned the win by finishing with the fastest time of 36.691 seconds, more than three seconds faster than the 40.061 turned in by Samantha Kasowitz who placed second on G Andiamo Rodeberg.
Starting her day off, Langmeier rode Bon Vivant to the win in the $10,000 Mirror Lake Inn Junior Jumper Classic, also a member event of the Hollow Brook Wealth Management Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series. She claimed the win as the only entry of the six in the jump-off to finish fault-free. Second place went to Katherine Benard and Djumpsina SFN who had the fastest four-faultride.
Prior to the Grand Prix, a special ceremony was held honoring the memory of longtime Lake Placid Horse Show chairman, Richard M. Feldman, who passed away this past winter. The horse show also paid tribute to its longtime announcer, Peter Doubleday, giving him its first Outstanding Friend or Official Award. Sunday's action also included the Juliam Farm Lead Line Class and the C.M. Hadfield's Parade of Champions.
Following an off day on Monday, the I Love New York Horse Show begins, running July 3-8. Highlights include the $100,000 Great American Insurance Group Grand Prix on Saturday, July 7 and the $15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby Presented by Eastern Hay & Purina Animal Nutrition on Sunday, July 8.
Returning on Saturday, July 7 for its 25th year is the horse show's annual Doggie Costume Contest, sponsored by the Lake Placid Lodge. Everyone with a leashed dog in costume is admitted to the horse show free of charge and invited to participate in the contest which is also free! The competition takes place at 12:00 noon near The Richard M. Feldman Grand Prix Field. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m. Prizes are awarded for the best costumes and all contest participants receive free doggie treats!
The two Lake Placid Horse Shows offer over $535,000 in prize money and feature the nation's best horses and riders competing in four show rings. The horse shows offers more than 100 classes of competition each week for all levels of competition ranging from young children on ponies to grand prix and Olympic competitors. Each show is USEF 'AA' rated for hunters and 6* rated for Jumpers.
Admission to the horse show is just $2.00 on weekdays and $5.00 on weekends. Children under the age of 12 are admitted free. Discounts are available for groups of 20 or more. For a behind the scenes look at the horse show, guided walking tours are offered on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 11:30 a.m. The tour groups meet at the horse show retail booth, and the tours, costing just $1.00, last approximately one hour.
All Lake Placid Horse Show action can be seen live on the Lake Placid Horse Show website at www.lakeplacidhorseshow.com. The webcasts, sponsored by ShowNet, include all four rings. The Grand Prix webcasts are presented by Marshall & Sterling.
