Two classes, two wins, and Kyle King turned his first Grand Prix as a Canadian into a day to remember.
Kyle King (CAN), reserve rider for Team Canada at the FEI World Championships in Aachen, claimed the $75,000 Steel Craft Doors CSI3* Grand Prix at the Summer Fort Welcome at Thunderbird Show Park, designed by Peter Holmes with 22 combinations on course and 4 jump-off qualifiers. King crossed the finish in 38.10 seconds, first to go and the time nobody could better. “Some of the fastest people on the West Coast are here with James Chawke and Karrie Rufer coming behind me. Going first, I figured I might as well let it all hang out and go as quick as I could.”
It was also the culmination of a historic double, earlier in the day, King had won the JustWorld International Winning Round 1.45m, his first FEI victory under the Canadian flag, having previously competed for the United States.
Replay Touch van de Stapelheyde is a 9-year-old black BWB gelding (Vannan x Narew XX), owned by The Chess Group, the horse King affectionately calls “his dude” and who nearly never came into his hands. When he first saw the horse in Belgium, he refused to get on. The second time, his friend Kirsten Rombouts literally forced him to get in the saddle on the last day of his visit. One jump was all it took: “I’ve never really quite had a feeling like him, he’s like a feather. He doesn’t make a sound off the ground. He lands lighter than he takes off.”
James Chawke (IRL) finished second with One Edition, an 11-year-old chestnut AES mare (Otangelo x Kannan) owned by Vanessa Mannix, in a time of 38.75 seconds, just 0.65 seconds behind the Canadian. Bryna Closson (USA) completed the podium with Meteoric Rise, a 9-year-old bay KWPN gelding (Hotspot x Diarado) owned by Closson herself, in 39.71 seconds.
Karrie Rufer (USA), winner of the Welcome Stake on Thursday, finished fourth with Stern dei Folletti, a 15-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Toulon x Berlin) owned by Morning Star Sporthorses LLC, with 8 faults in the jump-off. Braden James (CAN) rounded out the Top 5 with Kannandine, an 11-year-old bay KWPN mare (Kannan) owned by Stump Lake Ranch and Cattle Co Ltd, with 4 faults in the first round.
Latin & Pan American Presence
A Pan American victory for Kyle King (CAN), his first Grand Prix won under the Canadian flag. First and third through fifth in the Top 5 all Pan American. Jesús Francisco Orante (MEX) retired.
Top 5 Results — $75,000 Steel Craft Doors CSI3* Grand Prix 1.50m | Thunderbird Show Park Summer Fort Welcome 2026
| Pos. | Athlete | Horse | R1 | Jump-Off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kyle King (CAN) 🇨🇦 | Replay Touch van de Stapelheyde | 0 | 0 / 38.10 |
| 2 | James Chawke (IRL) 🇮🇪 | One Edition | 0 | 0 / 38.75 |
| 3 | Bryna Closson (USA) 🇺🇸 | Meteoric Rise | 0 | 0 / 39.71 |
| 4 | Karrie Rufer (USA) 🇺🇸 | Stern dei Folletti | 0 | 8 / 43.74 |
| 5 | Braden James (CAN) 🇨🇦 | Kannandine | 4 / 74.33 | — |
