Harrisburg, Pa. – October 20, 2024 – The $100,000 Grand Prix de Penn National, presented by Forrester Farm Equipment, came down to a thrilling race against the clock before Carly Anthony and Fayuri flew away with the win in an exciting conclusion to open jumper competition at the 78th annual Pennsylvania National Horse Show in Harrisburg, PA.
A starting field of 38 horses took on the featured class on Saturday, October 19, at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex. Following the first round in front of an enthusiastic crowd, the Anderson Lima-designed course narrowed the field down to 14 to come back for the jump-off. From there, riders cranked up the speed as they returned to the Harrisburg Coliseum to vie for the lion’s share of the prize money.
When Anthony entered the ring as the ninth to return, the time to beat had been set at 34.462 seconds by Peter Lutz and Katriona, but she and Fayuri made besting that time look easy, stopping the clock in 32.679 seconds to take over the top spot.
With Olympic and World Equestrian Games athletes still on the return list, however, the fight for a top finish was far from over.
Of the remaining five to return, three more managed to edge their way in between Anthony and Lutz – but none would topple Anthony’s time. Taking home second place with a time of 32.914 seconds was Olympic gold medalist Rodrigo Pessoa aboard Corrie 9, owned by Artemis Equestrian Farm LLC. Third place went to Caitlin Boyle with a time of 33.067 seconds aboard Prianti van het Mikkenhof, owned by Beyaert Farm Inc. Adrienne Sternlicht and Kumina Della Caccia finished in fourth on 34.300 seconds, and Lutz and Katriona ultimately held on to fifth place.
“The jump-off was definitely a lot of fun!” said Anthony. “With 14 in it and going near the end, I had an advantage which was really nice. There weren’t too many places you could be different [by making] an inside turn, leaving a stride out. So, your horse had to be quite quick today. Starting with a good ground speed and keeping it up through the whole jump-off was definitely to your advantage. I think my horse jumped and turned impeccably. I could not have asked for tighter turns and quicker ground speed. He executed exactly how I wanted him to, and I’m very grateful for his effort.”
Anthony also expressed gratitude for the opportunity to ride Fayuri, an 11-year-old Warmblood gelding, owned by Skyline Sporthorses LLC, that she has been partnered with just since the spring of this year.
“He’s a wonderful horse,” said Anthony. “He has a huge heart, a fighting spirit, and he loves to go fast. We’ve taken a little bit of time to get to know each other. Today, I’d say we definitely clicked. It’s been really fun to enjoy that process with him and to see our work paying off.”
For the win, Anthony was presented with the Harrisburg Kiwanis Club Challenge Trophy, donated by the Harrisburg Kiwanis Club. Her top results with Fayuri also earned her the 1.40m Jumper Championship, the 1.40m Leading Jumper Rider Award and the 1.40m Leading Lady Jumper Rider Award, for which she was presented with the Wissie Brede Memorial Challenge Trophy, donated by Debbie Stephens, Jeff Wirthman and Tom Wright.
All of those accolades made for a memorable return to the PNHS for Anthony, who last competed at the US Equestrian Heritage Competition 20 years ago.
“Fast forward 20 years, the history, the pride, the tradition is all the same. The energy that you get when you walk into that ring has not changed,” concluded Anthony. “I’m very grateful to be here. To be competing at the highest level here was a tremendous honor. [The show] is exactly the same but different. Obviously, there are new faces; there are more horses. A lot has grown, but the tradition and energy are still the same.”
To learn more about the Pennsylvania National Horse Show, visit www.panational.org, and for full results of the $100,000 Grand Prix de Penn National, click here.
