The fences came up fast, hard and high during the finals of the A.G.A. $25,000 Grand Prix at the Oregon High Desert Classics II.

Most of the horse and rider teams wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. But there could be only one winner.

Battling heat, exhaustion, and a difficult, technical course designed by Texan Patrick Rodes, Canadian Lisa Carlsen beat out veteran jumper Rich Fellers in the jump-off round of the Grand Prix, winning by four hundredths of a second.

Carlsen’s unofficial jump-off time was 39.625, and Feller’s was 39.665 aboard Flexible, owned by Harry and Mollie Chapman of Wilsonville.

Carlsen rode two horses in the Grand Prix, while Fellers rode three. Carlsen rode to victory on Thatcher, a gray powerhouse owned by Brenda Riddell of Edmonton, Alberta.

Others in the class were not so lucky. Tricky approaches and formidable jump combinations took their toll on riders and horses every step of the way.

Rodes set up his course with fences as high as 5 feet and spreads of 5 feet, 3 inches. Many of the jumps were taller than the riders when they walked out on the course to size it up before the competition at J Bar J Boys Ranch in Bend.

”I like to see a horse that’s adjustable, so I use some long distances and some short distances,” explained Rodes. ”Each horse is different. I like to test the rider being able to make the horse’s stride longer and in some cases shorter. They (the rider) have to be able to compact it and steady it up automatically.”

Rodes had predicted a technical course for the Grand Prix riders. But even with such formidable fences and fence combinations, safety was Rodes’ underlying concern.

”We have excellent horses and riders here but we also have a real mix of exhibitors showing. Some people are just getting their feet wet,” he said.

”I had to do a course and set safety as the first goal; design a course where even the new people will be comfortable and have a good outcome, but test the really good riders and horses too,” Rodes explained.

If looks could put up fallen rails, most of the riders in Sunday’s Grand Prix class would have finished a lot happier because so many were weeded out of the jump-off by having just one or two rails come down in the first round. Many riders looked back in dismay upon hearing the distinctive sound of a rail coming down.

Big white fluffy clouds started moving in as the Grand Prix class progressed. The large audience, most in shade, cheered empathetically for the class of over 20 competitors as they attempted to beat the clock and the course.

Carlsen had an exceptionally good day. She won the Bob Thomas Mini Prix earlier in the day on Qualibra Z, owned by Foxdale Farms of Cochrane, Alberta.

”I was lucky this time,” she said, referring to her afternoon win over Fellers. ”This morning I really felt I was efficient and deserved to win (on Qualibra Z). But this afternoon I was lucky. Rich could have beat me. For sure I was really lucky turning back to the orange jump in the jump-off. Thatcher jumped that from a standstill. Luck was on my side for sure today with Thatcher. She’s an aggressive ride, very careful, she doesn’t like touching jumps. When you’re riding her you have to be riding aggressively.”

Carlsen also attributes the faith the mare had in her to winning.

”That mare believes in me,” she said. ”She will just try super hard. She really tries hard to miss the rails.”

Fellers smiled through the heat, the tough course, and missing first place by a whisper.

”The two horses I brought are both very young,” he said. ”I’ve had them less than a year. I didn’t bring the experienced horses. I left them at home to rest. I’m just really pleased they did as well as they did because the course was a little bit tougher than they’re used to doing.

”The course designer did a great job,” Fellers added. ”I’ve jumped his courses quite a few times and he does a really good job.”

Fellers finished third on Ketel One, another jumper owned by the Chapmans. Cara Anthony placed fourth aboard Castaway Ladd, owned by Potcreek Meadow Farm.