Lexington, Ky. – Oct. 31, 2019 – The 2019 National Horse Show returned to the Kentucky Horse Park on Thursday, highlighted by the evening’s $135,000 International Jumper Classic CSI4*, which featured some of the highest-ranked athletes in the world from 11 nations. The class offered the greatest prize money of the week thus far as well as a chance for horse-and-rider combinations to qualify for Saturday’s show jumping finale, the $225,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Lexington CSI4*-W. Proving to be the most efficient fault-free duo of the night ahead of a 20-horse jump-off, Alex Granato (USA) and Carlchen W emerged victorious to lead the victory lap, earning the lion’s share of the purse as well as the Walter B. Devereux Memorial Challenge Trophy.
With the class serving as a prerequisite to qualify for Saturday’s $225,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Lexington CSI4*-W, exhibitors in the $135,000 International Jumper Classic CSI4* were challenged to finish within the top 40 in order to earn a coveted slot in the show jumping grand finale of the week. Up against a sizable field of talented contenders and a technical 15-effort track constructed by Ken Krome (USA), a whopping 20 pairs mastered the first course to gain eligibility into the large jump-off following a streak of clear rides. The returning field included Devin Ryan (USA), Harrie Smolders (NED), Quentin Judge (USA), Granato, Schuyler Riley (USA), Beezie Madden (USA), Jos Verlooy (BEL), Sloane Coles (USA), Bertram Allen (IRL), Jennifer Gates (USA), Catherine Tyree (USA), Nicole Shahinian-Simpson (USA), Ben Maher (GBR), Amanda Derbyshire (GBR), Shane Sweetnam (IRL), Georgina Bloomberg (USA), Adrienne Sternlicht (USA), Lillie Keenan (USA), reigning champion Kent Farrington (USA) and Beät Mandli (SUI). 
Back for the abridged tie-breaker course featuring eight fences, Ryan and Eddie Blue served as the trailblazers with the first double-clean effort of the evening, crossing the finish line in 34.60 seconds. Three trips later, Granato and the ever-speedy Carlchen W, owned by Page Tredennick, demonstrated their incredible footspeed, turning on a dime after each fence to race to a final time of 32.76 seconds, almost two full seconds faster with the majority of the pack left to ride. Sixteen pairs attempted to surpass the early leaders, but ultimately the class winners came early in the order and only two partnerships even came within one second of Granato and Carlchen W’s brisk time. One of the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games™ team gold medalists, Sternlicht jockeyed Starlight Farms 1 LLC’s Toulago to the runner-up position with a clear jump-off time of 33.510 seconds and Allen’s short course time of 33.620 seconds earned third place overall with Ballywalter Stables’ Lafayette Van Overis.
With his win Thursday, Granato secured a spot in Saturday’s show jumping pinnacle, during which he will try to add a third Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ victory to his growing resume for the year. In February of 2019, the combination topped the $208,200 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Wellington CSI4*-W and later added to their success with the tricolor honors in the $135,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Columbus CSI3*-W in October. ​

FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
Alex Granato – $135,000 International Jumper Classic CSI4* winner
On his plan for the class and reaction to winning:
“This is my first class here for the week. I didn’t do a warm-up class, so I just wanted to do a smooth first round. I didn’t get to watch anybody go so I just tried to stick to my plan and the numbers that I walked. It was a nice course that flowed well for my horse. Coming off of Washington [International Horse Show] last week, [Carlchen W] felt great in this ring with a bit more room and I couldn’t have been more happy with him.”
On his partnership with Carlchen W:
“We have really gotten to develop to this level together. We got him as a 5-year-old and he is 11 years old this year. This is our second year competing at this level so I think that we know each other really well and it is a big benefit to each other when we go into the ring. I think it helps that we go in knowing what to expect.”
On his plan for the jump-off:
“I was a bit back and forth if I even wanted to jump off because my focus is for Saturday night, but it was a good money class and the horse felt great so I figured I would take a shot. There were fast riders before me and fast riders after me, so I just tried to stick to my plan and the numbers I walked. I am lucky that he is a naturally fast horse and that works in my favor. Everything came up smooth and in stride so I was happy with it.” 
On his fall schedule: 
“It was all based on wanting World Cup points. My whole beginning of the year was geared towards getting to the Pan American Games, and after that was done I wanted to focus towards World Cup and being as prepared as I could by doing a few indoor shows before heading south to Florida. [Carlchen W] is feeling great! He jumped Washington [International Horse Show] really well and I didn’t expect him to feel as good as he did there. He feels even better here so I am happy with how it is going so far.” 
On showing at the National Horse Show: 
“Any big win certainly has it meaning and is special, but I really love this horse show. Of all of the indoor horse shows, this is my favorite. We do live here now and our farm is just right up the road so it is nice to be at home and get to come into a show with this much history and come in and do well.”

With a field of Olympians, young rider champions, and a former World No. 1 rider assembled for the $135,000 CSI3*-W Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Columbus (USA), a close finish seemed inevitable. Then Alex Granato (USA) entered the ring with Carlchen W.
Granato, 36, and his longtime mount set themselves apart to record a dominant victory over a competitive jump-off field of 12. The duo crossed the timers of Olaf Petersen, Jr.’s (GER) shortened course nearly two seconds fastest, with a final time 44.26 seconds. Margie Goldstein-Engle (USA) and Dicas finished second with a jump-off time of 46.20 seconds, while Nicole Simpson (USA) and Akuna Mattata completed an all-American podium; that duo’s time was 46.91 seconds.
"I know I have a quick horse. I wanted to get a good pace started early, so I tried to get a big open canter [and] from there to stay on the pace," Granato said. "I tried to stay focused and keep [my horse] focused on me and the plan, rather than getting too anxious and getting ahead of ourselves."
The win marked the duo’s second Longines victory after racing to the top of Wellington’s (USA) leg at the end of last season. In the time since, the duo contested their first major championship when representing Team USA at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima (PER). There, they earned a team bronze medal.

“We shifted gears from Wellington,” Granato said. “We spent the winter focused on just myself and the horse, on our [Longines World Jumping Ranking] and our consistency, and we had a super winter. From there, we focused more toward team events. We did the [Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Mexico], and from there we geared toward the Pan Ams. Now, I’m trying to refocus back again on us, just the partnership between me and him, so we can focus toward [the 2020 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final].”

“I want to put my focus toward World Cup Finals,” Granato said. “[Carlchen W] will jump at two more events this year, both World Cup qualifiers. Hopefully we can continue off this [result] and get some good points to be in the game early, so we can coast through the winter circuit to focus on the Final.”

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian has announced the nomination of the following athlete-and-horse combinations to the U.S. Pan American Jumping Team and the Traveling Reserve for the Lima 2019 Pan American Games.
The following athlete-and-horse combinations will compose the U.S. Team (in alphabetical order):
Alex Granato (Wellington, Fla.) with Carlchen W, Page Tredennick’s 11-year-old Warmblood gelding
Eve Jobs (Los Altos Hills, Calif.) with Venue d’Fees des Hazalles, her 14-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare
Beezie Madden (Cazenovia, N.Y.) with Breitling LS, Abigail Wexner’s 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion; Coach, Wexner’s 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding; or Darry Lou, Wexner’s 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion
McLain Ward (Brewster, N.Y.) with Contagious, Beechwood Stables LLC’s 10-year-old Deutches Sportpferd gelding
The following athlete-and-horse combination has been named as the Traveling Reserve to the U.S. Team:
Lucy Deslauriers (New York, N.Y.) with Hester, Lisa Deslauriers’s 14-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding
Watch the team announcment video.
The 2019 U.S. Pan American Jumping Team is subject to approval by the United States Olympic Committee.
The jumping competition will take place August 6-9 at the Equestrian Club Militar La Molina. The 18th edition of the Pan American Games will gather around 6,700 athletes, who will participate in 39 sports and 61 disciplines, of which 22 disciplines are qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The U.S. Jumping Team secured qualification for Tokyo as a result of winning team gold at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018.
View more information about the Lima 2019 Pan American Games.
Follow USA Jumping on Facebook and US Equestrian on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates. Use #USAJumping and #Lima2019.
The USEF International High Performance Programs are generously supported by the USET Foundation, USOC, and USEF sponsors and members.

Upperville, Va. – June 7, 2019 – With nine athletes vying for the victory during the main event at the Upperville Colt & Horse Show (UCHS), presented by St. Bride’s Farm, on Friday, speed was key, and it was the fifth combination who proved to be the very best. The United States’ Alex Granato and Carlchen W, owned by Page Tredennick, were one of the first pairs to return for the tiebreaker and set an unmatchable pace to capture the top prize in the $71,200 Upperville Welcome Stakes CSI4*, presented by the World Equestrian Center.

This marks Granato’s first trip to the Upperville Colt & Horse Show, and with one win already under his belt, it is proving to be a great venue for him and the 11-year-old Mecklenburg gelding. Granato has taken his time with Carlchen W, and his patience has paid off with a breakout year thus far in 2019, including a victory in the $208,200 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Wellington CSI4*-W earlier this year at the Palm Beach Masters Series. The duo continued to showcase their partnership and talent with a world-class jump-off effort to lead the lap of honor on Friday.

On the jump-off:
“I was really happy with him in the jump-off. We started a little slow because he got a little bit fussy coming to the first jump, so it was not totally planned. I knew the six-stride was going to be steady for him if we came in too big, so I just built my canter for the first line. From there, it really was just knowing the horse well and some luck on my side. Everything came up out of stride in a great rhythm and he rode perfect for me today. It worked out really smooth.”

On Carlchen W’s progression:
“He has come on really strong through this entire winter. He’s really gotten consistent at the 4* and 5* level — he had a great WEF. I did a 3* a couple of weeks ago in Kentucky and that was our warm-up show after Mexico for here. He just has such a drive, I don’t think I’ve ever worked with a horse like Carlchen — that has as much drive to go in and win as I do. He’s been really special to me.”
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On the UCHS:
“I love the venue, it’s my first time here. I’ve been trying to get here for two years, so I’m glad we made it! [Carlchen] felt phenomenal today. I think the venue is beautiful. I love it — all of the rings are great and the course designer has done a great job, I like Alan Wade’s courses. It’s an interesting new ring to ride in and he’s doing a nice job building through the week. I am having a great time.”

Lexington, Ky. – May 18, 2019 – The highlight of the Kentucky Spring Classic took place on Saturday evening with the $134,000 Mary Rena Murphy Grand Prix CSI3*, honoring the late Mary Rena Murphy. Hosted in the Rolex Stadium, top horse-and-rider combinations took to the ring hoping to walk away with the week’s highest honors and prize money. After 40 athletes tried their hand, it was Alex Granato (USA) and Page Tredennick’s Carlchen W who excelled with clean and quick rounds to take the night’s victory.

With a total of five horse-and-rider combinations advancing to the jump-off, Christiansen took to the ring first and once again set the pace with a clear round and a swift time of 49.08 seconds. Entering the ring next, 29-year-old Wolff would best Christiansen’s time by two tenths of a second but fell victim to an unlucky rail. After Cook and Welles both tried their hands at the course, dropping various rails, Granato and his partner of five years, Carlchen W, entered the ring as last to go. The 11-year-old Mecklenberg gelding is a crowd favorite in jump-offs, thanks to his incredible speed and careful style. The pair stopped the clocks at an impressive 46.26 seconds, almost three seconds faster than Christiansen.

Granato and Carlchen W have proved to be fierce competitors together for a number of years, especially gaining notable placings during the 2019 season in Wellington, Florida. The pair dominated at the CP Palm Beach Masters Winter Classic CSI4*-W, hosted at Deeridge Farms, by winning both the $71,200 Suncast® Palm Beach Masters World Cup Qualifier and $208,200 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Wellington CSI4*-W. Carlchen W will help Granato keep a busy schedule through the remainder of the year, traveling to the Upperville Colt & Horse Show in Virginia, in addition to representing the United States in Falsterbo and Hickstead this summer.

On Carlchen W:
“He’s been amazing. We’ve been together for five and a half years so we have a really fun partnership and we’ve gotten to know each other really well. He’s coming off of a great winter. We haven’t done much the past 7 weeks. We went to Mexico for the Nations Cup where he actually didn’t feel in his best health because the travel was a little hard on him. We’re using this to gear up for our spring circuit. He’s back to feeling himself and he’s really happy.”

On the jump-off:
“He’s so naturally fast and I’m really lucky with that in a jump-off. This is really is the best he has felt in a jump-off. He had a great circuit, but this is the smoothest, most consistent jump-off that he has had in a while. I changed the tack a little bit this week. We used a little bit different type of noseband and I felt like his reaction to my timing was better through the corners so it really made him a lot faster than I was really even planning to be which was nice because then I could let off a little pressure down the last line and not take too much risk. He jumped [fence] one to two so well and I wanted to be sure to get away from [fence] two quickly so that I could be a little bit patient into the double [combination] off of a long gallop. Into a vertical-oxer double [combinations], he is sometimes a little more focused on the oxer so I wanted to give him enough time to balance there. He rode great and it came up just right for us tonight and it felt really good. After that I just tried to stay real efficient and quick without being too greedy.”

On his upcoming plans with Carlchen W:
“We kicked off competition here in Kentucky and next we will do Upperville [Colt & Horse Show]. I think we will do one week in Tryon which is building up to July where we’ll head to Europe for the Nations Cups in Falsterbo and Hickstead.”

On Kentucky Horse Shows:
“I love Kentucky in general. We have based here for the last four summers. They do a great job here and it’s a fun show to kick off our spring series. The horses love it here and it’s a nice change in atmosphere after getting out of Florida so we always make it a purpose to get here.”

There were 37 entries in the five-star grand prix, and six were clear and moved on to the jump-off over a course designed by Anthony D’Ambrosio.
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Alex Granato and Page Tredennick’s Carlchen W went in the jump-off next and brought the leading time down to 39.51 seconds, which would finish in second place. Mario Deslauriers and Wishing Well Farm LLC’s Bardolina 2 were clear in 40.75 seconds and they finished in fifth place.
“Going around [from jumps one to two] I got a little hung-up,” said Granato. “I got one or two extra strides to the wall than I wanted. That was the only place I wasn’t thrilled with in the jump-off, but I thought he was really on the pace and did exactly what I wanted and stuck to the plan. I was happy with how it ended up. [Dani] was the clear winner with how she laid it on the table.”

Granato and Carlchen W, an 11-year-old Mecklenberg gelding by Chacco-Blue—Celline-W, Continue) have had a streak of top finishes in the past year, including a win three weeks ago in a World Cup qualifier.

“In the last year and a half he’s exceeded all of my expectations,” said Granato of the horse he’s ridden for six years. “He’s come so far, and he’s done a lot for and with me now. He’s on form, and now he just keeps stepping up to the plate for me. I’m thrilled about it.”

Alex Granato (USA) scored the weekend double, beating two former FEI World Cup champions to win the $208,200 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Wellington at the CP Palm Beach Masters Winter Classic CSI4*-W presented by Suncast. Riding Carlchen W, Granato also won the FEI $71,200 Suncast Palm Beach Masters World Cup Qualifier on Friday.
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“It’s all just very surreal. It’s been an amazing week," said Granato. "It’s a privilege to get to ride at a venue like this and against riders like these whom I have looked up to for a long time. To have a week like this is amazing.”

The jump-off read like a who’s-who of international show jumping with Olympic veterans and FEI World Cup™ champions among the nine who jumped in the second round on the Alan Wade-designed course. Conor Swail (IRL), was the pathfinder in both rounds and rode the first clear in the jump-off in a time of 44.68 seconds on GK Coco Chanel, which resulted in fourth place. Granato and Carlchen W shaved off nearly two seconds with a time of 42.70 to take the lead with a slew of stars yet to jump.

“I have a naturally fast horse, so for both classes I got to play that to my advantage and try to let him run at this pace and stay focused on my track and my turns,” said Granato. “I think I got lucky here and there with a rub in each jump-off, but the horse is very fresh. I’ve been gearing him towards this week and I think he came out really fresh and strong and ready for it.”

The crowd held its breath as last to go was 2007 FEI World Cup Champion and Olympic veteran Beat Mändli (SUI) raced around the course on Dsarie and was on track to take the win, but missed with 44.16 seconds for third place.

Granato will long remember his time at Deeridge Farms. “It’s a beautiful venue, I can’t say enough nice things. They do a great job. It’s so great of them to open their facility for us to come over. It’s an energizer in the middle of the circuit for us as riders and for the horses to get to jump at this kind of venue.”

​​This is the fourth year for the Palm Beach Masters at Deeridge Farms and if the riders have any say, the series will continue for a long time.

“To see the level of competition here is extraordinary. That was the most gratifying to me that people plan their year and bring their best horses here,” said Lou Jacobs, series co-founder along with siblings Charlie Jacobs and Katie Robinson. “As a family the best times we’ve had have revolved around horses. It brings us closer together as a family. It’s a love that we all share and we’ve got some great memories. This is a special place for us. We’ve spent a lot of happy times here as a family. It’s wonderful now for me to enjoy it with my daughter and extended family. It’s been really very much a labor of love.”
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There were several special presentations awarded on Sunday. As Sunday’s winner, the Hunter Harrison Award was presented to Page Tredennick, owner of Carlchen W. Tredennick also won the Sue Grange Award on Friday, as the owner of the winning horse of the FEI $71,200 Suncast® Palm Beach Masters World Cup Qualifier.
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Granato (Wellington, Fla.), and Carlchen W, Page Tredennick’s nine-year-old Warmblood gelding, the combination selected to ride tonight in place of Laura Kraut and Confu, rode into only their second-ever senior Nations Cup arena. A clear round was needed to keep the U.S. team in contention for the top-three spots. Granato and Carlchen W delivered a beautiful and flawless round to keep the team on eight faults.

“It was awesome, I loved the show,” said Granato. “It’s my first time here and it was a little last minute that I ended up being on the team. I came as the reserve rider, planning to jump the Grand Prix. Then when some cards changed, we decided to go tonight and I am thrilled with the decision. I am thrilled with the horse, he felt fantastic and rose to the occasion.”
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Edited Press Release 
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Parker, CO - July 12, 2017 - Week five of the Summer In The Rockies Series (SIR) concluded at The Colorado Horse Park (CHP) on Sunday, July 9, after another successful week of top hunter, jumper, and equitation competition. Alex Granato of Wellington, FL, and Carlchen W kicked-off their competition stretch at CHP with victories in the $20,000 Carolina Arena Equipment Welcome on Thursday, July 6, as well as the $70,000 Ariat® Grand Prix for the Mayor's Cup, the highlight class on Saturday, July 8. 

On Saturday, July 8, the combination bested a competitive class of 23, to take the win in the $70,000 Ariat® Grand Prix for the Mayor's Cup, after stopping the jump-off timers at 44.245 seconds. Second place was captured by the quick Katharin Gualtieri, of Morrison, CO, and Castalano, owned by Sandwillow Farm, with a jump-off time of 46.260 seconds. Derek Braun of Lexington, KY, rode Lacarolus, owned by MRN Family Corp, to third place with a jump-off time of 47.249 seconds.

Of Carlchen W's performance in the class, Granato said, "I was very happy with him today. I think it was a very good course. It was really fair for the field, and there were a lot of really good riders out here today." 
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"The jump-off was competitive. After going fast and winning the Welcome Stake the other day, my biggest goal, as I know already that he's naturally fast, was just to keep his focus as we kept a quick speed and not get too crazy myself," he continued. 

Granato and the 2008 Mecklenburg gelding (Chacco-Blue x Celline-W) owned by Page Tredennick, started off their week by dominating the $20,000 Carolina Arena Equipment Welcome Stake, completing the jump-off with a speed round of 39.702 seconds. 

"I was really pleased with him. He's still a young horse with only really a year of experience doing competitive upper level classes. He's really stepped up and is having and awesome year. I couldn't ask for more," commented Granato. 

Granato has had the ride on "Carl" for the past four years and has brought him up slowly. The pair have worked their way through the levels and the partnership shows a lot of promise for the future, which is has been an exciting journey for Granato. 

"I got the start with him as a five-year-old," he continued, "The Tredennick's purchased him and really let me take the time to develop him. This is our first real season doing the bigger classes. We've done some FEI this season and he's turned into a good competitor. We took a slower pace through his seven and eight-year-old years, used that time to focus on the future, and it's paying off for him."

The duo has steadfast goals for the future, and Granato plans to continue with his competitive streak. With a few more FEI competitions on the horizon, Granato is eager to continue their education. 

"Our biggest long term goals are definitely to continue stepping up," he said. "Right now we've got some national classes that we're doing now to give him some time to cool down after he has come out of the three-star competitions. We did about three weeks of FEI between the Winter Equestrian Festival. Our current plan is to just keep it more level until the fall, where we will move back up and do some FEI to get ready for the next Wellington show season and he's ready for those four-stars."

Jumper Highlights

Alex Granato and Carlchen W earned top honors in the $20,000 Carolina Arena Equipment Welcome Stake earlier in the week, while second place was awarded to Bjorn Ikast of Parker, CO, and Chestina Z, owned by Ikast, after a solid first round, followed by a jump-off time of 41.535 seconds. Ikast also clinched the third-place spot with Colorado, also owned by Ikast, after a quick jump-off time of 43.048 seconds. 

Describing his ride aboard Carlchen W, Granato said, "This is the first class that I have jumped with Carl out here, so he's a bit fresh today. He did feel really good though. He was a bit strong in the first round but he finished up well so I thought that I could take a good shot in the jump-off. I think the biggest place that made the difference with us was the first line. After the first roll-back I did a seven from the oxer to the vertical, where most riders did eight. I just tried to stay at that pace and keep it as quick as I could." 
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