For the past seven years, the New Albany Classic has become a featured event for fall in Central Ohio, and is welcomed with an abundance of community spirit. This year, United States Olympic Team Silver Medallist McLain Ward mastered the Grand Prix course to claim his 85th career win on Sunday, September 26, 2004.

For the sixth year, renowned course designer Richard Jeffery designed a unique and challenging course. There were 14 numbered elements requiring 17 jumping efforts on the large grass ring, and the gorgeous landscaping on each of the jumps created an inviting and scenic course. The time limit of 98 seconds to complete the first round of the course was tight, forcing each horse and rider combination to gallop from fence to fence in a very forward and flowing ride. Jumping faults from falling poles were spread throughout the course with two fences posing particular challenges. A tight turn to fence three (a skinny vertical ) caught some horses off guard.

After the triple combination, the riders had a long run to fence 11, another vertical fence that was set on an angle. With the vertical being near the end of the course, those who were not able to collect the gallop and balance their horses had trouble keeping the jump standing.

With a field of 24 riders, seven finished the first round of the course with no faults to qualify for the jump-off. The jump-off had six elements and the tight turns required horse and rider to exhibit balance, speed, scope and conviction. Ward went first in the jump-off and blazed around the course on Goldika in 40.64 seconds, leaving the audience cheering for more clean rounds.

Next to go clean in the jump-off was Laura Chapot, who left a stride out in a line but was slow on a turn and finished in a time of 44.51 seconds, which was good for fourth place. Kent Farrington also went clean and opted to take the stride out between fences two and three, but added a stride in the last line coming home for a time of 42.07 seconds, finishing in third place. Lauren Hough, who won the Classic in 2001, was the last to jump off with no faults, but could not catch Ward’s speed and finished in second place with a time of 41.52 seconds.

When asked about his strategy for the afternoon, Ward commented that since he went fairly early in the draw, he wanted to ride a smooth course that would force his mare to jump in good form. In the jump-off, he focused on tight turns to finish fast and force the other competitors to chase his time. In addition to a share of the $75,000 purse, Ward received a two-year lease on an Audi Allroad Quattro.

Second place finisher Lauren Hough lamented that she hates to lose, but she was thrilled with the efforts of her young mare, Cassadora, who is not as experienced as other horses in the Classic field.

The New Albany Classic, held on the grounds of the estate of Abigail and Les Wexner in New Albany, Ohio, was produced by Caren Hunter of Stadium Jumping, Inc., and coverage will air on Tuesday, October 12, on Fox Sports Network at 3 p.m. (EDT).