Kaitlin Campbell Goes One-Two in $25,000 Barnwalkers & IDA Development Grand Prix at Desert Circuit 1
With one veteran partner and one up-and-coming mount, Kaitlin Campbell claimed a one-two finish in the $25,000 Barnwalkers & IDA Development Grand Prix, held on Saturday, January 10, at Desert International Horse Park in Thermal, Calif. Campbell clinched the win aboard Palina de L’Escaut, and she finished in second place with Cosm Questa VD Heffinck.
In total, Campbell competed four horses in the Desert Circuit 1 grand prix, and she qualified all four of them for what would be an 11-horse jump-off.
“Kenny Krome was building this week, and he always does a really nice job for the classes and horses that he has,” said Campbell. “There were quite a few in the jump off. Kyle [King] had three, and I had four. Matt Williams had two. So, it was a rotating jump off there, but it was quite stacked for a $25,000 grand prix!”
Campbell was first back in the Grand Prix Stadium for the short course aboard Cosm Castlefield Cornelious, and the pair laid down a time to beat of 43.768 seconds – which would ultimately hold up for fifth place.
“I did my first horse, [Cosm Castlefield Cornelious], who is my five-star horse, because he jumped big classes at the end of last year,” explained Campbell. “I wanted to just jump a nice class before he jumps the CSI5* again during Week 3. So, he came just to jump a nice, lower-pressure class under the lights. I didn’t go fast on him. I just went nicely around to set up for the CSI5*, and then I did Palina next.”
With her longtime partner Palina de L’Escaut, Campbell took a different approach and put the pedal to the metal, stopping the clock in 37.213 seconds for the eventual win.
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