Lake Placid, N.Y.—July 9

Devin Ryan topped a 12-horse jump-off to win the $100,000 Great American Insurance Group Grand Prix at the Lake Placid Horse Shows.

Devin Ryan on Eddie Blue. Photo by The Book LLC

After 12 of 27 entries qualified for the jump-off by riding fault-free over the 16-effort, first-round course designed by 2016 Rio Olympic course designer Guilherme Jorge, Ryan was the first to return for the tiebreaker on Eddie Blue. Ryan rode his 8-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding to a clean trip in 35.22 seconds to set the mark to beat.

After the next 10 riders failed to catch Ryan’s time, it came down to Jimmy Torano, winner of the first week’s $75,000 Devoucoux Richard M. Feldman Grand Prix of Lake Placid. Torano succeeded in riding Daydream to a clean round, but his time of 35.60 seconds left him just shy of Ryan’s mark and prevented him from joining Leslie Burr Howard, Debbie Dolan-Sweeney, Margie Goldstein Engle, Jeffrey Welles and Darragh Kenny as the only riders to sweep both Lake Placid Grand Prix in the same year.

“He’s not the fastest horse but he has such a big stride and in a big field like this I was able to take advantage of that,” Ryan said. “There were two places on course where I was able to leave out a stride and I think I finished about as fast as I could have with him today.”

Torano’s second-place finish, combined with his win the previous week, earned him the Richard and Diana Feldman Trophy for the best combined finish in Lake Placid’s two grand prix classes.

Torano also earned a win in the $15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby held just prior to the start of the Grand Prix. Torano won over a starting field of 26 horses on Exclusive. He finished the two-round competition with 373 points to top another grand prix rider, Amber Harte. Harte, who placed fifth in the grand prix on Austria 2, finished second in the hunter derby with 357 points on Style.

Jimmy Torano on Exclusive on their way to the $15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby. Photo by The Book LLC

“I’m fortunate to have a lot of good horses to ride and I’m used to doing both the hunters and the jumpers,” Torano said. “Exclusive gave me two beautiful rounds and then I hustled over to the grand prix ring and while I wasn’t able to catch Devin at the end, it was a pretty successful day.”

Taylor St. Jacques rode to the win in the Kathy Scholl Equitation Championship presented by Kate Levy & Family. St. Jacques topped a field of 17 finalists in the championship event open to riders who finished first or second in Lake Placid in Pessoa U.S. Hunter Seat Medal, ASPCA/NHSAA Maclay Horsemanship, Platinum Performance USEF Show Jumping Talent Search, National PHA Equitation or WIHS Equitation classes.

Taylor St. Jacques on her way to the Kathy Scholl Equitation Championship. Photo by The Book LLC