Mill Spring, NC – October 31, 2026 – Regular competition at the 143rd National Horse Show culminated on Saturday evening with two featured jumper events taking center stage: the $20,000 National Horse Show 1.35m Open Jumper Classic and the $100,000 National Horse Show National Standard 1.45m Grand Prix.
In the $20,000 National Horse Show 1.35m Open Jumper Classic, Candice van Motman and Redfield Farm’s KWPN gelding Landslide topped a field of 47 horse-and-rider combinations, delivering two clear rounds and clocking the fastest jump-off time of 35.373 seconds.
Rounding out the podium were Lizzy Traband and Talent Ring Group LLC’s Belgian Warmblood mare Rokeechobee STB in second place with a time of 35.717 seconds, followed by Cory P. Hardy and Redfield Farm’s KWPN mare O Harraya CT in third with a time of 36.366 seconds.
With the Classic decided, the spotlight shifted to the evening’s main event, the $100,000 National Horse Show National Standard 1.45m Grand Prix. Course designer Ken Krome set a 16-obstacle track for the field of 31 horse-and-rider combinations representing seven countries, with six delivering clear rounds to advance to the jump-off.
The Grand Prix came down to a nail-biting finish, with Australia’s Rowan Willis entering the ring as the final rider aboard his own Hanoverian gelding, For Dilando PS. JJ Torano had set the pace with a clear round in 34.697 seconds aboard North Run’s Hanoverian stallion Lyon 50, leaving Willis with little room for error.
Rising to the occasion, Willis guided For Dilando PS through a daring jump-off round, crossing the timers in 34.610 seconds to edge out Torano by just 0.087 seconds and claim the $100,000 Grand Prix victory.
Willis credited his horse’s natural speed and enthusiasm for the indoor setting.
“He’s a great horse. He’s naturally quick, and he was really on the ball tonight,” Willis said. “I think he enjoyed the atmosphere indoors as well.”
Reflecting on the competition and his return to Tryon International, Willis praised the event.
“This was a great show. It was well put on, lovely to jump indoors again, and a good atmosphere,” he said.
Torano, who ultimately finished in second place, recognized just how close the competition had been. Watching Willis navigate the jump-off, he knew the final result could come down to a single stride.
“Everyone did six in the jump-off. Rowan did the five, and I was thinking to myself, ‘Oh, he’s all over me now,'” Torano recalled. “Unfortunately for me, he’s .08 of a second ahead, and luckily for him, he was .08 of a second ahead.”
The runner-up finish capped a successful week for Torano, who also claimed victory in the $20,000 1.40m Open Speed Stake and earned the Leading Open Jumper Rider Award, presented by Sterling Equestrian/Forest Hill Stables.
Completing the podium was Violet Tatum aboard Tatum Equestrian LLC’s Irish Sport Horse mare BP Swifty. The pair delivered another double-clear performance, stopping the clock in 35.715 seconds to secure third place.
For Tatum, who recently celebrated her 18th birthday, the podium finish added to a successful week at the National Horse Show, where she also earned honors in the Junior Hunter divisions. In recognition of her contributions to the sport, Tatum received the Junior Sportsmanship Award and the “Iris McNeil” Perpetual Trophy, presented by Susan Schoellkopf, David Distler, and Walter J. Lee. She was also honored with the Leading Lady Open Jumper Rider Award, presented by Sterling Equestrian/Forest Hill Stables.
“Swifty is a very fast horse, so I knew she could definitely do it,” Tatum said of her confidence heading into the jump-off. “This was my first Grand Prix, and I was very happy with my rounds.”
National Horse Show Chairman William H. Weeks praised the level of competition and the excitement of the evening’s conclusion.
“It was everything I hoped for,” Weeks said. “It was a great course, and it was a fantastic jump-off.”
The evening’s Grand Prix brought a fitting conclusion to a week of show jumping at the 143rd National Horse Show, with the final rider delivering the winning performance in one of the closest finishes of the competition.
Jumper Champions
1.30/1.35M Open Jumper Champion
Samantha Schaeffer and Emely Van De Plumert Z
1.40M Open Jumper Champion
JJ Torano and Lyon 50
Leading Open Jumper Rider Award
Presented by Sterling Equestrian/Forest Hill Stables
JJ Torano
Leading Lady Open Jumper Rider Award
Presented by Sterling Equestrian/Forest Hill Stables
Violet Tatum