Nick Dello Joio and Pistoya
Dello Joio was one of 10 entries from the starting field of 20 to reach the jump-off by riding without penalty over the 16-jump, first-round course designed by Pierre Jolicoeur. After U.S. Olympic veteran Margie Engle started the jump-off with four faults on Indigo, Jonathan McCrea set the mark to beat with a clean ride over the seven-jump tiebreaker course, finishing in 36.719 seconds on Aristoteles V.
His lead held until Mattias Tromp turned in a clean ride in 35.740 seconds on Bloom Z. Two rides later, Dello Joio, who only arrived in Lake Placid three days earlier and was riding Pistoya in competition for only the third time, took over the lead with a clean ride in 35.092 seconds. The last two entries failed to beat his time with 2011 Pan American Games double Gold Medalist Christine McCrea coming close with a clean ride in 35.446 seconds on Wannick WH to place second ahead of Tromp who finished third and her husband Jonathan who was fourth.
"Pistoya is not very fast but she has a big stride," Dello Joio said of the 12-year-old, Selle Francais mare owned by Sarah Willeman's and Philip Richter's Turnabout Farm. "It was a last-minute decision for me to come up here and ride her and I thank Sarah and Philip for the opportunity. I've always loved it here in Lake Placid and I'm really happy I made the trip."
Dello Joio's father Norman, the individual Bronze Medalist at the 1992 Olympic Games, was a Grand Prix winner at Lake Placid in 1981 on Allegro.
Christine McCrea's second-place finish was enough to make her the winner of the Richard and Diana Feldman Perpetual Challenge Trophy for Excellence that goes to the rider who wins the most overall money in Lake Placid's three Grand Prix events.
Prior to the Grand Prix, Ailish Cuniffe rode Perfect De Coquerie to victory in the $10,000 FarmVet Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic. Cuniffe was one of six entries from the starting field of 17 to reach the jump-off and she turned in the fastest fault-free ride of 39.915 seconds in the jump-off to claim the win in the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series class.
Also, Addison Gierkink rode Lady Macbeth DH to victory in the $7,500 Lake Placid Lodge Low Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic; and Amanda Gellis rode Bull Run's Charly Brown to victory in the $5,000 Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort Adult Jumper Classic.
Show jumping's three-week stay in the Adirondacks concludes Saturday. Saturday's highlights include the Kathy Scholl Equitation Classic presented by Kate Levy & Family; $7,500 Price Chopper Low Junior Jumper Classic; Children's Jumper Classic (15-17 yrs); Children's Jumper Classic (14 yrs & under); USHJA $5,000 National Hunter Derby; and various Hunter & Jumper classes.