HARRISBURG, Pa.--Caitlin Boyle on Tahiti van’t Klavertje Vier won the $30,000, 1.30m Grand Prix on Friday evening, Oct. 16 at the 80th Pennsylvania National Horse Show.
Caitlin Boyle on Tahiti van t Klavertje ((Photo by Andrew Ryback)In a huge jump-off 18 from a starting field of 41, over a course set by Bernardo Costa Cabral, seven of the 18 were clean again to became a tightly contested race against the clock.
The third to go in the jump-off, Samantha Schaefer on Emely van de Pluimert Z, had been competitive all week, and that was true again on Friday night, as Schaefer set the time to beat with a time of 33.515 seconds.
That time would hold up for the lead until Boyle six trips later.
With some carefully ridden tight turns Boyle cut two-tenths of a second off Schaefer's time to ultimately win in 33.279 seconds.
Schaefer held on to second place, while Augusta Iwasaki on Fee Des Hermines was third in 34.057.
HANNAH MATTS on Maltic Dream was fourth in 34.282, with Ashley Worthington on Diadora fifth in 37.658, Kianna Luscher on Hollywood Rock H sixth in 38.167 and Marylisa Leffter on Oopsala seventh in 39.174.
“Tahiti is a lovely, lovely mare,” said Boyle of the 7-year-old. “She just gave me everything she had all week. I couldn’t be more proud of her. She’s been nothing but perfect this whole time, and she’s just the most game little mare and tries her heart out all the time. We purchased her out of the Youngsters Auction last October, just about a year ago. She jumped a couple 1.30m prior to the auction. So, we took a little bit of a risk on her, and clearly that’s paying off for us!”
“Right now I would like to keep her a little longer," said Boyle. "Everything I ride is always for sale, but she’s just been amazing. I’m in a little bit of a transition period with some horses. My last two that I had that were excellent, excellent partners for me did get sold. So, she’s one that’s a little bit more up and coming. I hope that she’s going to be a nice ranking horse for me to show in some international competition.”
In addition to winning Friday night, Tahiti finished as the 1.30m Jumper division reserve champion.
With a very narrow margin separating Boyle and Schaefer, Emely van de Pluimert Z won the championship.
Schaefer won the Leading Lady Jumper Rider Award and the 1.30m Leading Jumper Rider Award.
It had been several years since Schaefer last competed at the PNHS, but now, she plans to be back.
“They do an amazing job, and I love this opportunity with the way the 1.30m division’s laid out," said Schaefer. "I think it’s a really unique show, and the atmosphere was awesome tonight. I mean, it was a 1.30m grand prix, and how often do you get to do that? It was awesome. So, we’ll definitely be back. We loved it.”
