DAVID Blake finished on the podium in Saturday’s $30,000 Traverse City National Grand Prix, riding Conblue to a double clear in a jump-off time of 43.41 seconds to take the runner-up prize of $6,600, only being beaten by American winner Delaney Flynn on Namamia, who stopped the clock in 41.18.

Only six of the 15 starters jumped clear in round one to get into the jump-off. Ireland’s Lorcan Gallagher finished 10th in the class on board Omar van de Hunters.

In the ribbons

The Traverse City Horse Shows Spring Series began on June 4th in Williamsburg, Michigan. Gallagher rode Omar van de Hunters into sixth place in the $1,000 1.30m class when clear in 73.28, while the $1,000 1.35m class saw Mark Kinsella on Bogano taking sixth place. Thursday’s $2,000 1.40m class saw a third place for Kinsella with Gonzalo (39.02), followed by David Blake on Conblue in fifth (40.76) and Gallagher on Omar van de Hunters in eighth (4/40.62). Kinsella placed fifth in the three-star $32,000 Speed class on Bogano, when clear in 65.93 and also placed eighth on Marquis Le Beau Courally (68.32). Spain’s Francisco Goyoaga Mollet on PST De Muze won the class in a time of 61.88. Friday’s Welcome Stakes saw Simon McCarthy placing equal ninth with Gaiete D’Elle when they were among 11 out of 26 starting combinations to make it through to the jump-off, and among three who opted not to jump again.

Blake and Cornwall placed fifth in Sunday’s Grand Prix when among five double clear rounds in the class of 28. Blake’s jump-off time of 40.70 was more than three seconds slower than class winner Richard Spooner (USA) on Lyjanair, in 36.97.