Wynn Medinger
Ali Wolff and Casall Etched Their Name in History with $216,000 Upperville Jumper Classic CSI4* Victory
As America’s oldest running horse show, the Upperville Colt & Horse Show has helped launch the careers of many young athletes. This year’s competition, presented by St. Bride’s Farm, brought together some of the best athletes in the world for the $216,000 Upperville Jumper Classic CSI4*, sponsored by Lugano Diamonds and Mr. and Mrs. Michael A. Smith. On Sunday afternoon in front of a packed crowd, the United States’ own Ali Wolff scored the biggest win of her professional career when she bested an eight-horse jump-off with a double-clear effort aboard her veteran partner Casall.
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“This is my second year ever coming here,” said Wolff after her win. “Last year was phenomenal. We made it mark on our calendar to come back. There are so many horse shows we can choose from these days, and we’re so lucky to have that, but that way you can be a little picky and you can choose quality. They have quality footing, quality standings, high standards, they treat horses and athletes amazing. They really cater to them. It’s evidence as, last year they had a good turnout, but this year was almost double, and I think a lot of that is word-of-mouth from riders and everyone that was here last year.”
During the jump-off, Wolff had an opportunity to watch the other competitors and see where she could make changes. She trusted her longtime partner and it paid off. They left out a stride to the first fence and kept their fast pace going to each fence, making sharp turns and wasting no time in the air. They galloped across the finish line in 41.50 seconds, capturing the biggest win of Wolff’s career and etching her name into the history books of one of America’s most prestigious horse shows.
Wolff is no stranger to success, as the hard working athlete has won North American Young Rider gold and represented the United States during Nations Cup competitions on numerous occasions. She is consistently in the top of the grand-prix rankings, however, the $216,000 Upperville Jumper Classic CSI4* marks Wolff’s first international grand prix victory.
Receiving rave reviews from exhibitors and spectators, the 165th Upperville Colt & Horse Show came to a close in front of a packed audience and featured an exciting finale. The entire team will be working hard as they prepare to continue to host both international and local athletes at the prestigious and historic event in 2019.