Press release from Old Salem Farm
AAfter representing Brazil at his eighth Olympic Games in Paris this summer, Rodrigo Pessoa claimed multiple podium finishes at the 2024 Old Salem Farm Summer Jumper Classic, including Saturday’s main event, the $65,000 Old Salem Farm CSI2* Grand Prix. He and Corrie 9 (Comme Il Faut x Arpeggio) rode to victory with a double-clear time of 35.88 seconds.
Old Salem Farm, one of the mainstays of the American Hunter-Jumper horse show scene, introduced its new Summer Jumper Classic CSI2* at its beautiful North Salem facility from August 21-24. Old Salem will also add a new CSI4*/2* and CSI3* to its world-class program during its horse shows in September.
Forty-six competitors from 13 countries competed for first place on Oscar Soberon’s 16-meter 1.45m course on Saturday in the $65,000 Old Salem Farm CSI2* Grand Prix, with 17 going into the jump-off. The 9-year-old Westphalian mare owned by Pessoa and Artemis Equestrian Farm LLC set a fast, efficient course in both rounds, ultimately securing victory with her jump-off time of 35.88 seconds.
“It was wonderful to compete today,” said Pessoa. “This mare is very talented. Last week she was third in a Grand Prix in Canada and just recently she was third here. She deserved a good win and it was the right moment for her. She is an incredible jumper. I took some risks in the jump-off and it paid off.”
“I think it’s great to have an FEI 2* here,” Pessoa said. “I’m really thankful to Old Salem Farm for putting on shows like this because we need smaller FEI shows to develop our younger horses. This show is very valuable and we were all happy to compete in these conditions. The weather and ground were great and Old Salem is really good at putting on shows like this. We have a week off now before we go to Calgary for the (Spruce Meadows) Masters and then we’ll be back here for the Old Salem Farm 4* and 3*. We hope to see everyone here for the fall tour.”
Two Americans rounded out the podium: Alexandra Worthington and Adrienne Sternlicht took second and third place, respectively. Worthington piloted De L’oiseliere (Kapitol d’Argonne x Oberon du Moulin), an 11-year-old Selle Français gelding owned by Turn A Blind Eye LLC, through the timekeeping in 36.23 seconds. The 9-year-old Oldenburg mare Cayetana (Casallco x Cornet Obolensky) owned by Sternlicht and Starlight Farms 1 LLC stopped the clock in 36.63 seconds.
