SKILLMAN, N.J.--Doug King rode Main Line Girl to have the only clear round in a five horse jump-off to win the $30,000 Grand Prix at the Princeton Horse Show on Aug. 7.
"That was really special," said King. "Main Line girl is a 10-year-old by Numeo Uno that by daughter Gillian got from her mother. Susie Beale. She was imported from Ireland after she had foals in Ireland. She wasn't broken to ride until she was 6. Susie had bee eventing her. Then Gillian got her, and in one year she went from jumping 1m to grand prix."
Kind said he had had a couple of rough years.
"Two years ago, I got divorced, and then I got prostate cancer," said King. "I was really lucky. My doctors were incredible. I had been training race horses, but I stopped training race horses two years ago. I do all my own work. I shoe all my own horses."
"IT'S BEEN 20 years since I won a grand prix," said King. "Main Line Girl is really hot, like a thoroughbred. She's the kind of horse that I love. She has a lot moe jump in her. I've taken her to 12 shows, and at every show she's had clean rounds. We'll give her a rest now and then go back to the next Princeton horse show."
"Princeton is like my home horse show," said King. "We're really lucky to have horse shows like the ones Princeton runs where you can develop young horses."
Main Line Girl had the only clear round in the five horse jump-off, and King, going fourth in the finishing in jump-off, opted to go for a clear round, finishing in 47.894.
Filip De Wandel on Manhattan Van 'T Leeuwerikenhof was second with 4 faults in 43.414, with William Coleman on Tks Cooley third on 4 faults in 43.843, and Devin Ryan fourth and fifth on Hangover, 8 faults in 40.625, and Itina, 8 faults in 42.o36.