Eleanor Pieters Dominates $20,000 1.30m Grand Prix at Fieldstone Spring Festival I

Eleanor Pieters and Wikarla Van Den Bosrand Z

Halifax, MA – May 12, 2025 – Eleanor Pieters delivered a stellar performance on Sunday afternoon, capturing both first and third place in the $20,000 1.30m Grand Prix, sponsored by GGT Footing at the Fieldstone Spring Festival I. Aboard her mount Wikarla Van Den Bosrand Z, Pieters laid down a blazing double-clear in 33.075 seconds, narrowly edging out Michael Janson and Rochas Van De Brouwershoeve, who finished second with a double clear time of 33.343 seconds. Pieters rounded out the top three with Catarina, owned by Nancy Hathaway, finishing in 34.217 seconds.

The first round of the day’s highlight event challenged competitors with a series of bending lines and combinations that demanded precision and adjustability. Riders who advanced to the jump-off faced a tight, technical track with options for daring inside turns and a final bending line from the in-and-out to the last fence.

For Pieters, the win aboard “Carla,” as Wikarla Van Den Bosrand Z is known in the barn, was the result of a successful partnership. “We’ve had her for over a year,” said Pieters. “She’s super careful in the ring, like a fire-breathing dragon, but in the barn she’s so quiet. We also always say she moos like a cow when she sees the treats.”

Despite being first to go, Pieters was confident in her mare’s ability to rise to the occasion. “I walked the course with my dad today – it was a busy day so we didn’t overthink it. We made a brief plan and just went for it to see what would happen.”

Later in the class, Pieters returned with Catarina for her third-place finish, an impressive feat given that it was one of their very first classes together. “She’s such a fun ride, very different from Carla, and this was my first time doing a jump-off with her. Peter Wylde actually won the Welcome earlier this week with her, so she came in a little fresh, but she was great.”

A longtime Fieldstone competitor, Pieters was especially impressed with the upgraded venue. “I’ve been coming to Fieldstone since I was in the walk trot, it’s kind of been our second home during the summer. Now with the new GGT footing in the Grand Prix ring we can jump bigger classes, and it rides so nicely. Even with all the rain on Saturday, the footing was perfect and we were still able to show. It makes a huge difference.”

Competition at Fieldstone Show Park continues next week for Spring Festival II with even more hunter, jumper, and equitation action. For the latest updates and full results, visit FieldstoneShowPark.com or follow @fieldstoneshowpark on social media.