JJ Torano Back On Top in BrainJuice Under 25 Series Final, Campbell Brown Leads Wire-to-Wire For Overall Title
The BrainJuice Under 25 Grand Prix Series came to a thrilling close Sunday of Week 10 at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). Featuring some of the top young show jumpers in the world, the qualifying pairs all gave everything they could in the grand finale—the $50,000 BrainJuice U25 Grand Prix Series Final. Ultimately, JJ Torano (USA) took the top call in the class, and Campbell Brown (USA) led the season wire-to-wire to take the overall BrainJuice U25 Grand Prix Series title.
The U25 Series creates an on-ramp to higher levels for young show jumpers, featuring various challenges like change in venue, jumping under the lights, jumping the open water, team formats and more.
After a fall that sidelined Torano earlier in the season, keeping him from several weeks of competition during his debut U25 year, Torano, 15, rallied to end on a high note by winning the BrainJuice U25. Torano trains under the direction of John Brennan and Missy Clark at North Run with support from his parents, Jimmy and Danielle.
Torano and Lyon 50, a 12-year-old Hanoverian stallion by Lord Argentinus stopped the clock in an 11-horse jump-off at 33.24 seconds, just under two clicks ahead of runner-up Ariana Marnell (USA) riding Jikke-Cara (35.17 seconds).
“I hadn’t watched Ariana jump, but I asked her in the school area what stride she had done, and kept that in the back of my mind. She has a bigger-strided horse than I do, but I tried to do the same as best as I could,” said Torano, who was mounted on a horse owned by Kadley Farms and North Run. “My horse is quick, he was amazing today, and I was happy with the way I rode.”
Of his comeback to the competition ring, Torano noted, “When I got hurt, I was lying in the hospital bed telling my dad that my WEF season was ruined. To break my collarbone, be back in three and a half weeks, and have the second half of the season I’ve been having is a great feeling. My horses and I are right where we were going before I got injured.
“This is the sport that we do—there’s obviously risk involved with every class,” continued Torano. “The best in the world makes mistakes, horses make mistakes, and what happened to me was a fluke accident. There’s a bit of fearlessness in everybody in order to do this sport. For the most part, when I walk in the ring for a class like this, I’m thinking, ‘let’s go fast and let’s win.’ I try my best not to think about anything else.”
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