Traverse City, Mich. – Aug. 7, 2019 – The closing week of the 2019 Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF), presented by CaptiveOne Advisors, LLC, welcomes international athletes to the Flintfields Horse Park for CSI3* competition to culminate the summer series. As the final event, week six will also award the $25,000 CaptiveOne Open Jumper Rider Bonus as competitors vie for the valuable remaining points in hopes of earning the added prize. The title is up for grabs as the top three athletes on the leaderboard, Abigail McArdle (USA), Wilhelm Genn (GER) and Santiago Lambre (MEX), return to Week VI.
The comprehensive list of international contenders competing during the concluding week includes 55 horse-and-athlete pairs hailing from the seven countries of Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Germany, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the United States. Making his debut in the 2019 GLEF series, Andrew Kocher (USA) looks to repeat his prior success in Traverse City with a grand prix win under his belt in 2016. The United States’ 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games™ team gold medalist Adrienne Sternlicht will return for her second week of competition along with a strong contingent of female athletes including McArdle, Alison Robitaille, Kelli Cruciotti, Catherine Tyree, Molly Ashe Cawley, Ali Wolff and Schuyler Riley.
Nineteen horse-and-athletes will represent the United States, but international competitors offer exciting competition as 2019 GLEF grand prix winners, Genn and Lambre, return to compete for another victory. They are joined by the winning Bluman brothers from Week V, Mark and Ilan (COL), Roberto Teran Tafur (COL), Vasco Flores (PUR), Jim Ifko (CAN) and Tomas Yofre (ARG).
McArdle looks to hold her position at the top of the CaptiveOne Open Jumper Rider leaderboard for the $25,000 bonus, which will be awarded upon completion of the $133,700 CaptiveOne Advisors Great Lakes Grand Prix CSI3* on Sunday, August 11. Upon winning the $35,700 Devoucoux Welcome Stake CSI2* during Week IV and the $133,700 Staller Grand Traverse Grand Prix CSI3* during Week V, McArdle leads the way ahead of Genn, who claimed victories in both Week I’s $50,000 GGT Footing Grand Prix and Week II’s $50,000 Meijer Grand Prix of Michigan.
FEI competition begins Wednesday, August 7, with the $1,000 1.40m Jumper CSI3* and will continue Thursday, August 8, to feature the $35,700 CWD Welcome Stake CSI3* in the afternoon. The $35,700 NetJets Classic CSI3* will take place Friday afternoon, August 9, and the highlight event of the week, the $133,700 CaptiveOne Advisors Great Lakes Grand Prix CSI3* will begin Sunday, August 11, at 2 p.m.
To view the full FEI rider list, please click here. For more information, please visit greatlakesequestrianfestival.com.
