Under a clear blue sky, FEI CSI2* competition kicked off at HITS Hudson Valley VII on the morning of Thursday, August 28, 2025. Amidst the elite hunter, jumper, and equitation competition at the Saugerties, New York, venue, the seventh week of the summer series boasts a stacked list of top-tier sport, including three days of international show jumping, culminating in Saturday’s $80,000 Great American Insurance Group CSI2* Grand Prix. Headlining Thursday’s classes in the Douglas Elliman Grand Prix Stadium, a total of 40 pairings contested the opening track for the $40,000 CSI2* Welcome. At the completion of two intense rounds, Conor O’Regan’s (IRL) blazing fast time of 35.32 seconds with Manchester took the lead.
With five nations represented in the starting field, FEI Level 3 course designer Catsy Cruz (MEX) built a technical, yet inviting track to begin the week of star-studded international competition. With many pairings bringing their A-game over the first round, a total of 17 horse-and-rider combinations cleared Cruz’s course inside the time allowed to advance to the jump-off. With all three of her entries qualified, Mia Bagnato (USA) decided to save her first entry, Ballyoskill Big Bucks, for another day, leaving 16 duos to take on the short course.
Returning for the jump-off in the same order from which they qualified, the athletes did their best to lay down a quick and clear effort, but only seven managed to secure a double-clear score. Many of the remaining riders lowered the height of fence 13, a square oxer that was the final fence of round one and came as the third element of a trickier S-line in the jump-off, resulting in four faults across the course. O’Regan’s masterful navigation of the track, however, landed him clearly in front of the pack.
“Manchester is naturally quite a quick horse, so I wanted to have a really good, positive first jump,” explained O’Regan of his strategy with the Delshore Horses LLC’s 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Quidam de Revel x Codex). “He’s the type of horse that if he has a good first jump, then everything else flows really easily.
“We’re just coming off of a five-week break, so he feels great,” he continued. “I’ve had him probably about two and a half years, and he’s always been a very good horse to me. He’s won a lot of classes, and today he was just right on it with me everywhere; I’m very happy with him.”
For O’Regan, the week is his only stop at the HITS Hudson Valley venue, but the Irishman is already making the most of it as he gets his horses back in competition shape.
“I can’t be here but the one week, unfortunately, but it was the perfect choice,” he said. “We are based in Upperville, Virginia, which is only six hours away, so it was a no-brainer for us to come up here and do this week, and it sets us up nicely for the fall.”
With yet another impressive round, Mia Bagnato (USA) piloted Cordiamo, the Elan Farm’s nine-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Cornet du Lys x Conthargos), into the second-place position, just a fraction off of the winning time in 35.77 seconds. Also taking home a top result for home nation, Caitlyn Boyle rounded out the top three after stopping the clock in a time of 35.88 seconds with Beyaert Farm Inc’s 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare (Thunder vd Zuuthoeve x Lambada van Berkenbroeck), Prianti van het Mikkenhof.
International show jumping during HITS Hudson Valley VII will continue on Friday, August 29, as riders return for the $31,020 CSI2* Jumper Classic. For full results from today’s events, please visit showmanagementsystem.com.
