Linda Radigan and Balveneur Z Lead $25,000 Elgin Academy Grand Prix at Lamplight Spring Spectacular I

Wayne, Ill. – June 9, 2023 – Show jumping returned to HITS Chicago during the $25,000 Elgin Academy Grand Prix on Friday afternoon. Riding to the top of the podium during the first week of the Lamplight Spring Spectacular was Linda Radigan with her own mount, Balveneur Z, producing the only double clear round across the field. Kyle Perkovich and Rarity sped to second as the fastest combination with 4 faults, while Natalie Jayne and Houston rounded out the top three.

Linda Radigan and Balveneur Z

“Balveneur Z is a horse with a unique personality horse,” noted Radigan after her win. “We have been together for over nine years and he will be 15 years old next week. He absolutely loves horse shows and this is his favorite place hands down in the entire country. He loves the ring, the footing, the people, the crowds, and loves lots of attention. He is all game in the ring.”

The 12-obstacle jumping course designed by Catsy Cruz proved to be a test with only three horse and rider combinations producing a clear jumping effort during the first round of competition. The course included a double and triple combination in conjunction with numerous bending lines.

Linda Radigan and Balveneur Z

“This is really his first class back from Ocala, so I really just wanted to be smooth and try to get a little confident for the rest of the summer,” said Radigan. “I actually didn’t even walk the jump-off, so I just wanted a nice smooth round to try to get our timing back at this height for the rest of the summer.”

Radigan and Balveneur Z, went second in the original order of go and rode to the first clear of the class, which made them first to return for the tiebreaker. The jump-off course began over the same track before riders turned to the double combination and ended on a long line away from home.

Kyle Perkovich and Rarity

Kyle Perkovich and his own mount Rarity, who followed shortly behind Radigan in the first round, also produced clear, but fell just short in the jump-off with 4 faults and a time of 35.766 seconds. Radigan and Balveneur Z who were two seconds slower than Perkovich finished in 37.173 seconds but were able to keep all the jumps standing. Finishing in the third place spot on the podium was local favorite, Natalie Jayne with Ashland Farm’s entry, Houston. The pair coming back last in round two, had an early rail at fence, four but finished the rest of the course clean in a time of 37.304 seconds.

Natalie Jayne and Houston

Radigan was thrilled with the competition and concluded, “There’s always a great atmosphere, especially in the [Dougals Elliman] Grand Prix ring, the derby and all of that. It’s great that people watch. There’s nice shade, so people wanna hang out at the ring and it is really nice for the horses. The footing is fantastic and everybody is super friendly, and it is just overall amazing.”

The Lamplight Spring Spectacular I will continue throughout the weekend at Lamplight Equestrian Center as part of the HITS Chicago Series. On Sunday, the Douglas Elliman Grand Prix Stadium will host the week’s highlight event, the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix. Junior and amateur athletes will showcase their skills on Sunday during their respective jumper classics to close out the first week of the horse show.