Lizzy Traband and Eddie Blue Capture $25,000 VFC Grand Prix with Sole Clear Jump-Off

Lexington, VA – August 9, 2025 – Lizzy Traband and Eddie Blue secured the top spot in Saturday’s $25,000 VFC Grand Prix at the Lexington National Horse Show, presented by Attwood Equestrian, producing the only clear round in the jump-off to claim the win. Out of a competitive field, only three riders advanced to the jump-off, making for an exciting finale. Marylisa Leffler and Zaza Z took second, while Ashley Worthington and Diadora rounded out the top three.

“With the jump-off, I’m just getting to know Eddie, he’s a new ride for me,” Traband shared. “I just wanted to be smooth and to be clear. Honestly, I think he really understood what was going on. He was a lot more ready to be competitive. I think he jumped the first jump and I was just along for the ride – he definitely understood the job.”

The first-round track tested riders with bending lines, technical combinations, and careful questions. It began over an oxer bending to a single, then a single bending to an oxer through the center of the ring. Riders faced a testing triple combination on the outside: an oxer in followed by two verticals before bending to another oxer. The course continued with a diagonal line starting with a triple oxer, then a second diagonal line made up of three fences in a row, before a liver pool bending to the final outside line.

The jump-off allowed for bold turns to shave seconds off the clock. Riders began the abbreviated course with a single before rolling back to the bending line across the center. The outside triple combination returned, though the C element was removed, creating an oxer-to-vertical line. From there, a tight rollback led to a single on the diagonal before finishing with the three-fence diagonal line.

Traband was quick to praise Eddie Blue’s storied career and current role. “There’s so much to know about Eddie. He’s owned by Lori Larrabee, she’s had him since he was a young jumper and produced him all the way through. He’s jumped all around the world. Now at 16, he doesn’t need to jump at the five-star level anymore, but he’s really enjoying having a job and still having a purpose. He gets night turnout, rides in the woods, his life has changed a little bit, but he still really wants to do it.”

“This is one of my favorite horse shows – it has a soft spot in my heart,” Traband added. “It’s one week, really good people come together, and they make it about the horses, the people, and the experience. Every year they make improvements, usually for the horses. You can bring young horses, get them in a small Grand Prix, and expose them to a crowd. And at the end of the day, they can go hack out in the cross-country field and be real horses, not all horse shows offer that.”

As the Lexington National Horse Show comes to a close, anticipation builds for the final day of competition tomorrow, featuring the 2025 AYR Equitation Challenge and the VHSA/M+S Adult Medal Finals.