Oscar Soberon (USA) tested 38 horse-and-ride pairs on his first-round track, with seven pairs qualifying for the jump-off contest. Shahinian-Simpson and “Nahla,” the 2008 Holsteiner mare (Quinar x Landwind II) owned by Carol Rosenstein and Silver Raven Farms, were one of two double-clears on the night, taking the victory in what is only Nahla’s second show back after recovering from major surgery to repair guttural pouch mycosis via two nitinol plugs placed in Akuna Mattata’s internal carotid artery.

Out of the starting field of 73, Shahinian-Simpson was one of only seven to reach the tiebreaking jump-off by riding without penalty over the 16-effort, first-round course designed by 2016 Olympic course designer Guilherme Jorge (BRA). One rider, Jessica Mendoza of Great Britain had two of the seven horses that had qualified for the decisive phase. She took an early lead in the jump-off when, riding third in the order, rode Dublin clean over the 8-jump, tiebreaker course finishing with a time of 38.63 seconds, a mark that would earn her bronze honors.