Caelinn Leahy and The Gray Man Do It Again Winning $10,000 HITS 1.40m Open Jumper Prix at Lamplight Spring Classic III

Wayne, Ill. – May 25, 2023 – The Lamplight Spring Classic Series may be concluding this week, but that does not mean the action has slowed down. Speedy efforts were made in the Grand Prix Stadium for the victory in Thursday’s $10,000 HITS 1.40m Open Jumper Prix. Caelinn Leahy saved the best for last on her winning mount from the previous week, The Gray Man, shaving a full second off of the leading jump-off time on their way to victory.

Caelinn Leahy and The Gray Man

A winding path was set for the first-round course that made riders and their horses think technically in order to pull off a clear round. The first obstacle was an oxer followed by a quick turn to a vertical placed in the center of the ring, and two oxer-lead combinations throughout the remainder of the course. Five competitors were able to deliver the focus and adjustability that were needed to make it to the second round. They had to cover ground while also executing tight and accurate turns to navigate the jump-off successfully.

Caelinn Leahy and Hennessy

Leahy and one of her other mounts, Hennessy, were the first to go in the class and the first to produce two fault-free, setting an early time to beat of 39.425 seconds that ended up landing them in third place. Later in the order, Livia Martin and Coradi came in second finishing with a quick time of 39.236 in the jump-off. Leahy and The Gray Man followed Martin’s ride and were hot on their heels. With tight turns and leave-out to the final fence, they were able to take home the win with an impressive time of 38.132 seconds.

Livia Martin and Coradi

“The bending line in the jump-off gave me an option for seven or eight strides, and with the first two horses I played it safe with the eight strides, but with The Gray Man, he was able to do seven effortlessly” explained Leahy after her win.

Leahy’s mount The Gray Man is a 13-year-old KWPN gelding owned by Steve Schaefer and the pair keeps adding wins to their resume after also topping last week’s $10,000 HITS 1.40m Open Jumper Prix.

“I’ve been so with him the past two weeks, he's really kind of stepping it up and getting into the game and following the plan better and faster each week,” said Leahy, who will be returning on Saturday to compete during the $25,000 HITS Grand Prix at HITS Chicago.

Caelinn Leahy and The Gray Man

“I grew up showing at Lamplight, so it definitely feels like home whenever I'm here,” concluded Leahy. “It’s so beautiful here and I can’t wait to see this venue thrive under the new HITS ownership.”

The Lamplight Spring Classic III will continue throughout the weekend at Lamplight Equestrian Center as part of the HITS Chicago Series. On Saturday, the Grand Prix Stadium will host the week’s highlight event, the $25,000 HITS Grand Prix. Junior and amateur athletes will showcase their skills on Sunday during their respective jumper classics to close out the third week of the horse show.