Thermal, Calif. – With one veteran partner and one up-and-coming mount, Kaitlin Campbell claimed a one-two finish in the $25,000 Barnwalkers & IDA Development Grand Prix, held on Saturday, January 10, at Desert International Horse Park in Thermal, Calif. Campbell clinched the win aboard Palina de L’Escaut, and she finished in second place with Cosm Questa VD Heffinck.
In total, Campbell competed four horses in the Desert Circuit 1 grand prix, and she qualified all four of them for what would be an 11-horse jump-off.
“Kenny Krome was building this week, and he always does a really nice job for the classes and horses that he has,” said Campbell. “There were quite a few in the jump off. Kyle [King] had three, and I had four. Matt Williams had two. So, it was a rotating jump off there, but it was quite stacked for a $25,000 grand prix!”
Campbell was first back in the Grand Prix Stadium for the short course aboard Cosm Castlefield Cornelious, and the pair laid down a time to beat of 43.768 seconds – which would ultimately hold up for fifth place.
“I did my first horse, [Cosm Castlefield Cornelious], who is my five-star horse, because he jumped big classes at the end of last year,” explained Campbell. “I wanted to just jump a nice class before he jumps the CSI5* again during Week 3. So, he came just to jump a nice, lower pressure class under the lights. I didn’t go fast on him. I just went nicely around to set up for the CSI5*, and then I did Palina next.”
With her longtime partner Palina de L’Escaut, Campbell took a different approach and put the petal to the medal, stopping the clock in 37.213 seconds for the eventual win.
“I just know if I run and we leave the jumps up, she’s really close,” said Campbell of the 17-year-old Hanoverian mare, owned by SWS Training & Sales. “She is very close to unbeatable, especially at this height. So, I just went as fast as possible, and she was great tonight. We’re just having fun at this point. She owes me nothing, and I knew this would be a really good class for her to go in. She loves going under the lights.”
Sliding into second place with a time of 38.700 seconds was another mare that Campbell hopes will ultimately follow in Palina’s footsteps: Mirasol Equestrian’s Cosm Questa VD Heffinck.
“She is up and coming,” said Campbell of the 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood. “So, I hope over time she’ll kind of be my next Palina – but Palina showed her tonight! She’s not quite there yet.”
With Campbell taking both of the top two spots, third place on a time of 38.865 seconds went to Ali Ramsay and Bonita VH Keizershof Z, owned by Ramsay Equestrian Inc. For complete results from the $25,000 Barnwalkers & IDA Development Grand Prix, click here.
While Sunday, January 11, marks the conclusion of competition at Desert Circuit 1, presented by Barnwalkers & IDA Development, the 2026 season is just getting started at Desert International Horse Park. To view more information on all competition offerings, visit deserthorsepark.com.