Traverse City, Mich. – July 30, 2020 – The final Equitation Tuesday of the 2020 Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, presented by CaptiveOne Advisors LLC, took place during Week Five of the summer show. It was the last week during which competitors could earn double the points towards year-end finals in their respective medal classes, and a number of competitors took advantage of the opportunity with standout results. In the THIS Children’s Medal and Hamel Foundation NHS 3”3” Medal, Taylor Cawley piloted Kimberly Griffiths’ Quax twice to the lead spot on the scorecard. Similarly, Olivia Parr navigated Gold Coin, owned by Sandalwood Farms, to two victories in the Ariat Adult Medal and THIS NHS Adult Medal.
Starting things on a high note, Cawley piloted Quax to a top-scoring round in the first class of the morning, the THIS Children’s Medal. Over the 3’ fences, Cawley displayed a proper forward style of riding and an accurate connection with her horse, which helped to put her at the top of the leaderboard and to collect points towards qualification for the year-end finals. Just behind the first-place winner’s score, Saylor Shea jumped Ashland Farms’ Carlo E to the runner-up honors. Shea later went on to win one of the day’s classes, the ASPCA/NHSAA Maclay Horsemanship.
Returning to the ring with a blue ribbon already under her belt, Cawley once again impressed the judges, this time in the Hamel Foundation NHS 3”3” Medal. Up against a field of strong performers, Cawley maintained her momentum with another seemingly effortless showing, after which she was awarded the highest score of the class to take top honors for the second time that day. Jordan Green laid down the next-best trip of the contest and was rewarded with the second-place spot aboard Laramy, owned by Eyckenhoeve Sales LLC.
A consistent competitor already in past Equitation Tuesdays during the 2020 series, Parr claimed her stake in the adult medal classes with two back-to-back victories. The first adult class of the day, the Ariat Adult Medal saw Parr off to a strong early start with an exemplary round over the 3’ obstacles aboard Gold Coin, her same mount from previous weeks, that earned her first place. Hannah Klinedinst and Caymus, owned by Brawley Farms Inc., rode to the second-place result.
Immediately next, Parr and Gold Coin stepped back into the ring for the THIS NHS Adult Medal, where they proved their prowess with another textbook 3’ round. Thanks to Parr’s correct form and cues to her horse, she garnered her second victory of the day. Just off the leader’s score, Elise Iafrate rode to second place with her own Nabisco.
Week Five marked the final Equitation Tuesday in Traverse City for the 2020 Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, presented by CaptiveOne Advisors LLC, but riders will have chances to earn equitation points during normal weekly competition during Week Six.
