The penultimate day of international show jumping during the HITS Hudson Valley Championship Week on Friday, September 4, brought the $31,020 Go Rentals CSI3* Jumper to the Douglas Elliman Grand Prix Stadium. Representing the culmination of a summer-long competition series in Saugerties, New York, the action-packed week features the highest prize money stakes of the season in the jumper, hunter, and equitation rings. Highlights not only include a full CSI3* division, but also a World Champion Hunter Rider (WCHR) designation, four $25,000 hunter derbies, the Arion Sellier Equitation Classic — which includes a $25,000 trainer bonus, and the highly anticipated $300,000 ClipMyHorse.TV Hunter Classic Final. Tallying his second win of the week, young talent JJ Torano (USA) went two for two with his speed specialist Dora du Valon.
World-renowned FEI level 4 course designer Bernardo Costa Cabral (POR) once again masterminded an intricate track to test the elite field of athletes, where six entries navigated the opening test fault-free to advance to the immediate jump-off. The first of those, Jonathan McCrea (USA), set the standard with a double-clear ride in a time of 37.87 seconds aboard Campari, the 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding (L.B. Crumble x Balou du Reventon). Though he incurred a fallen rail with his first mount Quinci Quality, Torano then returned as one of the final competitors with Dora du Valon. They stepped on the gas to claim the blue-ribbon honors once again and just pip McCrea for the win, shaving half of a second off the time to stop the clock in 37.26 seconds. David Oberkircher (USA) completed the full U.S. podium with Crystal King, an 11-year-old gelding (Cornet Obolensky x San Patrignano Cassini) owned by Southfields Farms LLC, finishing clear in a time of 39.20 seconds.
“For sure she’s mainly my speed horse, and I just try to keep her focused on when it’s really time to go fast and when it’s time to have a nice smooth round,” explained Torano, 16, of his strategy for the class. “Because she’s usually doing a speed class, we’re going fast and trying to win, so sometimes in a jump-off class like this, I feel like she anticipates the speed part of it a bit, especially with the doubles. If you can just get her to rock on her hind legs and get up in the air, she’s game for anything.
“This was a great course for her,” he continued. “We had a little bit of a long run from jump one to jump two where we could leave out a stride, and then we had two tight turns. She doesn’t have the biggest stride, but she always does the leave out strides no matter what, and then on landing, she can turn on a dime, so, really, she’s just a fast horse in general. I wouldn’t say there’s anything in particular that Dora isn’t fast at.”
Torano has had the ride on the 13-year-old Selle Français mare (Kannan x Quidam de Revel) owned by JET Show Stable since the beginning of the 2026 year. A horse originally imported from Europe by the world-ranked number nine athlete Mclain Ward (USA), Ward thought the fiery bay would suit one of Torano’s father’s clients at JET Show Stable based in Wellington, Florida, and in Pennsylvania. Even so, it was JJ Torano that sat on her for the first couple of trial rides, and ultimately, it was decided she was a better fit with him. Since the beginning of their partnership, the duo have racked up an already impressive list of accolades.
“I think her mind is really her best quality,” enthused JJ Torano. “She’s always game for anything. She tries super hard. She’s very quick across the ground and she doesn’t want to touch the poles. She really wants to help me out always. She’s a bit of a spicy horse; she’s not for everybody. For sure she is a little quirky, but I think her mind and that she is always trying is what makes her so great.”
Elite show jumping competition comes to an exciting conclusion on Saturday, September 5, with the $125,000 Core Specialty Insurance CSI3* Grand Prix. National action, including designated WCHR offerings and the $75,000 Voltaire National Grand Prix, continues through Sunday, September 6. For full results, please visit www.showmanagementsystem.com.
