Author: Catie Staszak

Langley, BC – Through 18 riders in an action-packed jump-off in the Hillcrest Show Jumping “Seize the Day” Grand Prix 1.30m, the leaderboard couldn’t have been much closer. First and second were separated by a half-second. So, too, were third through eighth.

Then James Chawke entered the arena and blew the entire class open. Last to go, he and Alison Locke’s Nacara van Berkenbroeck Z took the most expedient of tracks around Joey Rycroft’s (CAN) short course, crossing the timers nearly three seconds in front (27.94s). Catherine Brentzel (USA) and Quintago VA finished second (30.39s), with Georgia Knight (CAN) and Ecolano vs Romano third (30.97s).

“The horse is very fast, so I know that if I’m a bit smart about my plan, I should be right up there,” Chawke said. “There were a lot of horses in the jump-off. Of course, it’s handy being last, because then you know what you have to do. You’re not taking any unnecessary risks and you have to kind of go fairly fast.”

Chawke weighed the risks that came with a leave-out no one else had attempted between the jump-off’s first two fences, and he determined riding an eight-stride track was the best strategy for success. It was smooth sailing from the moment he left the ground to the first jump.

“I walked one to two, and I thought there would be an eight there,” Chawke said. “I figured most people would do nine or ten [strides], but I knew eight was there if I needed to, so I didn’t actually watch that many. But I saw [Brentzel] before me go the last little bit. She looked very fast, so I figured I probably should try and get eight there and be tight back to the double if I could.”

Chawke has been partnered with the 10-year-old bay for about a year, and it’s been a successful summer for the pair, with the gelding also winning the Diamond Valley Ranch U10 Young Horse 1.35m at the Summer Fort Welcome. After his latest victory, he’ll get a well deserved rest before a winter season of showing in Thermal, CA.

“He’s a very good jumper, very careful. He’s got quite a bit of blood and is a bit strong, but he’s improved,” Chawke said. “He’s got a great mindset. He always wants to do the right thing. He’s always trying to win.”

Hillcrest Show Jumping “Seize the Day” Grand Prix 1.30m
Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time

1. Nacara van Berkenbroeck Z / James Chawke / IRL / Alison Locke / 0/0 27.94
2. Quintago VA / Catherine Brentzel / USA / O’Neill Show Jumping LLC / 0/0 30.39
3. Ecolano VS Romano / Georgia Knight / Georgia Knight / 0/0 30.97
4. Caponerhall / Kaylie Martinoff / CAN / Inga Martinoff / 0/0 31.61
5. Eloise / Rachel Cornacchia / CAN / Eventyre Farms Ltd / 0/0 32.02
6. Livius P / Lilah Nakatani / USA / Lilah Nakatani / 0/0 32.03
7. Lucky Strike / Andrea Strain / CAN / Andrea Strain / 0/0 32.29
8. Fenelon WF / Kassidy Keith / CAN / Kassidy Keith / 0/0 32.36
9. Infostar / Georgia Hunt / CAN / Georgia Hunt / 0/0 32.86
10. Darling Sherlock / Niko Keshtkar / CAN / Niko Keshtkar / 0/0 33.27

Langley, BC — Throughout the two days of competition at the Equine Essentials CET Regionals in the indoor arena at Thunderbird Show Park, Sloane Betker kept herself in the hunt.

She didn’t win either of the Flat/Gymnastic or Jumping Phases, but she was close, finishing third and fifth, respectively. That was all she needed to make the top six, all of whom returned for a final “jump off” style course to determine the final placings.

This was where Betker, with a strong show jumping background, could shine. She received the highest marks of the jump-off phase to take a narrow victory over Chloe Mache, with Colby Winther Konig finishing third. Georgia Knight secured fourth honors; these four earned invitations to compete in the CET Finals at the Royal Horse Show later this fall.

“My goal was just to be top four. I wasn’t going in to win; I just wanted to stay consistent,” Betker explained. “I was aiming for CET Finals again this year. Last year I ended up third at the Royal, and my goal this year was to qualify and have another shot.

“When I went into the jump-off, I knew that I had to step up,” she added. “We were all super close, and I knew that one mistake could cost us the top four. I just went for it, and it all came together.”

Betker has had a banner year, winning her first USHJA International Hunter Derby—also aboard Crack—at the Summer Fort Classic and representing Canada at the North American Youth Championships. Her equitation and derby mount, Crack, was originally leased until her family bought him outright at the lease’s conclusion.

“I think the way he goes and his style is just really suited to the equitation ring,” Betker shared. “He has quite the personality. You can’t tell how he is going to behave until you are in the ring, but when he is on his game, there is no better horse.”

Equine Essentials CET Regionals 
Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Score

1. Crack / Sloane Betker / CAN / Sloane Betker / 79/85/86
2. Fanta / Chloe Mache / CAN / Chloe Mache / 83/86/83
3. Bit Ticket / Colby Winther Konig / CAN / Sorine Winther / 80/87/81
4. Cortofino / Georgia Knight / CAN / Brabant Holdings Inc. / 81/78/85
5. Annorlunda / Locklyn Williamson / CAN / Graham Williamson / 78/83/80
6. Black Pearl / Katrina Klimach / CAN / Katrina Klimach / 73/82/82
7. Pac Man TW / Amara Gottwald / CAN / Amara Gottwald / 63/77
8. Special K IV / Bianca Duronio / CAN / Katie de Witt / 61/72

Langley, BC – Two fences from home in the first round of the CSI3* tbird Grand Prix Saturday at Thunderbird Show Park, a clear round looked unlikely for Uma O’Neill (NZL) and Clockwise of Greenhill Z.

Heading toward the penultimate vertical, Clockwise’s bridle slipped over his ears. The tack fell beneath his nose, but the stallion held onto his bit.

Instead of trying to pull up, O’Neill determinedly continued on, managing to steer right to the final oxer. The pair cleared the fence and returned without issue to the ingate, where the stallion was safely stopped, and his bridle was repositioned—not that he seemed to need it at that point.

The pair would go on to win the class, besting a five-horse jump-off in the final international Grand Prix event of the 2023 Thunderbird Show Park season.

“It was very wet from the rain, and as I kept going around the [first round] course, I noticed that there was more and more bonnet sticking up above his ears,” O’Neill shared. “Over [the B element] of the triple [combination] I got a little concerned, and cantering to the Odlum Brown oxer, I thought the bonnet might be covering his eyes, and I wasn’t quite sure where his vision was, but he still felt amazing.

“I landed off the next jump, and the bridle went over his ears,” she continued. “He started to back off, but I kept my leg on, and he felt confident, so I decided to keep going. There was only one jump left, and he felt great.”

They jumped clear again in the second round, crossing the timers of Joey Rycroft’s (CAN) short course in 41.11 seconds. Jaehee Jeon (KOR) finished just behind the winning pair in second with Kadans van de Mispelaere (41.78s), followed by Kassidy Keith (CAN) and Havana, who had the time but also a single knockdown on their scorecard (4/40.57s).

There was an option to sneak inside of the combination to the vertical three fences from home in the jump-off, but the top three combinations all elected to forgo it, after Tiffany Foster attempted the track and had the rail down aboard exciting 8-year-old, Kadans. That pair ultimately finished fourth.

“I watched Tiffany go, and I was not confident, especially turning right, about the inside turn after the double,” O’Neill said. “I decided that the best decision for me was to go quickly around to that vertical. If anyone wanted to try that inside turn after me, they would be taking that risk. [Clockwise] just felt really on it and smooth and followed me everywhere.”

O’Neill and Clockwise have been partnered for nearly a decade, climbing the ranks from the junior jumpers and the North American Youth Championships (then called the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships) to the Tokyo Olympic Games. The stallion is feeling as fresh as ever at age 16. According to Jumpr App, this year Clockwise is jumping clear 40 percent of the time at 1.50m.

“I have so much confidence in him. I know he knows the job, and it’s just about keeping him fresh, happy and loose in his body. He’s ready to go,” O’Neill said. “He had a little bit of a lighter spring and summer this year. He came back feeling really fresh. He spent most of that time swimming at Premier Equine Center [in Oakdale, CA]. It’s been super beneficial at his age, just keeping his fitness up with less concussion on his joints.”

Many memorable results have come at tbird over the course of their partnership, including a win in the 2018 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Vancouver, when they produced the only clear effort of the class.

“Tbird is a place that has really done a lot for my career and Clockwise’s career,” O’Neill said. “We’ve had many special memories here, and the Tidball family and staff at tbird have always felt like family.”

CSI3* tbird Grand Prix 1.50m
Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time

1. Clockwise of Greenhill Z / Uma O’Neill / NZL / Uma O’Neill / 0/0 41.11
2. Kadans van de Misplelaere / Jaehee Jeon / KOR / Brother Fortune Equestrian Ltd / 0/0 41.78
3. Havana / Kassidy Keith / CAN / Kassidy Keith / 0/4 40.57
4. Kadans / Tiffany Foster / CAN / Artisan Farms LLC / 0/4 43.12
5. Un Diamant des Forets / Jim Ifko / CAN / Eventyre Farms Ltd / 0/8 39.95
6. NKH Carrido / Brooke Morin / USA / Strasburg Morin Inc / 3 91.74
7. Odysseus / Kyle King / USA / Patricia Vasey / 4 83.65
8. Capitale 6 / Charlie Jones / GBR / Morning Star Sporthorses / 4 86.19
9. SIG Chiari / Kyle King / USA / Kyle King / 4 86.28
10. Igali LN / Braden James / CAN / James James Sport Horses / 4 86.32

Langley, BC – Last to return in the CSI3* Winning Round 1.45m Friday evening at Thunderbird Show Park, Kyle King (USA) had only himself to beat for a second consecutive victory aboard Odysseus.

On paper, “Odie” was the undeniably faster horse of his two mounts. But on this occasion, it was stride that prevailed over footspeed. As Odysseus pulled a rail at the combination three fences from home, it sealed the win for 10-year-old Cerolino.

The scopey grey gelding crossed the timers of Joey Rycroft’s (CAN) course in 40.41 seconds. Bretton Chad and Grandeur WP finished second (41.18s), with Stephanie Valdes and Cyber Lady Z third (43.19s).

“Cerolino has tremendous scope. I did him in a five-star about a month ago,” King said. “He’s a slower jumper and scopier type, but I really have high hopes for him this season in the three and four stars continuing on.”

Both King and Odysseus and Tiffany Foster and Jetouelle-S posted swifter times, but a rail apiece pushed them farther down the leaderboard in the uniquely formatted competition, in which the top 10 performers from the first round, regardless of score, return for a jump-off on a clean slate.

“I just compartmentalize. I put [my last round away], and I tried my best shot on Odie,” King said. “I kept seeing everybody getting deep [into the combination], which is perfect for Odie. He did a quick little step when he read it, and it got long for me [when] he needed to get deep there. So, he just got a little bit belly flat there, which is unfortunate because he had the time.”

Cerolino, meanwhile, put forth a deceptively quick round, positively eating up the ground with his massive step. He and King were also the only combination to attempt and execute a leave-out in the final line, doing just seven strides to the last fence, a liverpool oxer.

“I was also pretty gappy to that third jump on the angle,” King explained. “I thought about doing one more [stride there] for a second, [but] I just know this horse has tremendous scope and sometimes can be a little slower on the front end. So, I thought it was the right choice, and it was pretty gappy, but that also saved me some time. I was a little slow after that, but then he was very good down [the] last line, and I was able to get the seven.”

King has had the ride on Cerolino since the fall. According to Jumpr App, the pair is jumping clear at an impressive 57 percent clip at the 1.45m height, averaging just 2.07 faults.

“He’s owned by Ilan Ferder, and I’m lucky enough to be able to produce him,” King said. “I’m hoping we can just keep climbing the ranks and get jumping in bigger and bigger classes.”

CSI3* Winning Round 1.45m
Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time

1. Cerolino / Kyle King / USA / Ilan Ferder / 0/0 40.41
2. Grandeur WP / Bretton Chad / CAN / Stone Ridge Farms LLC / 4/0 41.18
3. Cyber Lady Z / Stephanie Valdes / CAN / Wendy Valdes / 6/0 43.19
4. Jericho / Laura Jane Tidball / CAN / Thunderbird Show Park Ltd. / 3/0 45.6
5. Jetouelle-S / Tiffany Foster / CAN / 5 Roosters / 0/4 38.41
6. Odysseus / Kyle King / USA / Patricia Vasey / 0/4 39.4
7. Igali LN / Braden James / CAN / James James Sport Horses / /4 41.1
8. Castros / Meredith Ellis / CAN / Meredith Ellis / 8/4 44.05
9. Messi 10 / Uma O’Neill / NZL / Uma O’Neill / 3/4 45.2
10. Diva de Talma / Catherine Brentzel / USA / Catherine Brentzel / 4/8 38.89

Langley, BC – Jim Ifko (CAN) had a plan for the CSI3* tbird Qualifier before he even saw the class’s course map.

His goal was simply to keep his horse relaxed and to not let too much out of the tank ahead of Saturday’s CSI3* Grand Prix.

“I was hoping that we’d have just a comfortable round—[but] of course, you always want to get in the jump-off,” Ifko said. “Then in the jump-off, I actually just wanted to have a nice smooth—let’s call it ‘relaxing,’ if you will—round. I know my horse is fast anyway, but if I try and go too fast then he’s gone [and] we’ve lost everything over the last class.”

It turns out that cruising speed for the spectacular 15-year-old stallion Un Diamant des Forets is still good enough to best a competitive eight-horse jump-off. Ifko and his mount took the victory Thursday evening in the Thunderbird Jumper Arena with a winning time of 39.64 seconds.

Kyle King (USA), fresh off a win in Wednesday’s CSI3* tbird Speed, finished second with SIG Chiari (42.01s). Charlie Jones (GBR) and Capitale 6 were third (42.7s).

Joey Rycroft’s (CAN) jump-off asked riders to make choices, as he offered several opportunities for inside turns while also keeping in the track the combination that fell most often in the first round. Ifko and Un Diamant des Forets navigated the more difficult track flawlessly.

“I tried to just be smooth and as relaxed as possible and just keep a lid on things and he was really rideable,” Ifko said of his mount. “So, all the short turns worked out really well. And the plan actually just kind of worked out.”

Ifko has been partnered with “Monty” for more than seven years, and the duo has recorded 13 international victories together. According to Jumpr App, they finish in the top 10 at a 38% clip when jumping at the 1.45m height.

Originally, however, their partnership was unplanned. Ifko was shopping for mares in Europe when he came upon the stallion. Ultimately, Ifko returned home without having purchased a single mare, but the stallion became a permanent addition. Monty is an active breeding stallion at Eventyre Farms near Calgary, AB, covering a few mares before heading to tbird to compete.

“I think the biggest surprise when it comes to the story of finding him is the fact that he was literally a horse that we looked at on the way to the airport,” Ifko shared. “So, it was a last minute thing. But as soon as I rode him, I knew—I wasn’t 100% sure how far along, height-wise he would go—but I knew that he was going to be a competitive horse along the way. And as it turns out, it’s exactly the way I was thinking.”

CSI3* tbird Qualifier 1.45m
Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time

1. Un Diamant des Forets / Jim Ifko / CAN / Eventyre Farms Ltd / 0/0 39.64
2. SIG Chiari / Kyle King / USA / Kyle King / 0/0 42.01
3. Capitale 6 / Charlie Jones / GBR / Morning Star Sporthorses LLC / 0/0 42.7
4. Kadans / Tiffany Foster / CAN / Artisan Farms LLC / 0/0 42.94
5. Cunningham 4 / Christopher Lowe / CAN / Christopher Lowe / 0/0 43.01
6. Rhapsody / Sarah Lottis / CAN / Kevin Lottis / 0/4 41.55
7. Heartvit ZH / Tracey Epp / CAN / Tracey Epp / 0/4 45.94
8. Klasse One / Tracey Epp / CAN / Tracey Epp / 0/4 48.25
9. CSF Princess Blue / Bretton Chad / CAN / Stone Ridge Farms LLC / 4 74.74
10. Clockwise of Greenhill Z / Uma O’Neill / NZL / Uma O’Neill / 4 76.22

Langley, BC — Thunderbird Show Park hosts the final event of its 2023 season this week in Langley with the BCHJA Fall Finale, featuring three-star international competition and the CSI3* $100,000 Grand Prix.

Thirty-five equine athletes were brought forward Tuesday for the international horse inspection—a competitive group of horse-and-rider combinations already with winning records during tbird’s 50th Anniversary season.

A powerful female lineup will be on display this week, as Tiffany Foster (CAN), Bretton Chad (CAN), Kassidy Keith (CAN) and Brooke Morin (USA) all return to tbird after recording memorable victories in August and September.

Just a week ago at the Harvest Celebration, Keith topped the MarBill Hill U25 League final for the third consecutive year, doing so aboard her longtime partner, Havana. In August, this pair also jumped double-clear for a third-place finish in the CSI3* The Keg Grand Prix—the biggest finish of their respective young careers.

Local favorite Foster claimed four international victories at tbird in August, including the CSI3* Kubota Canada Winning Round 1.45m with Jetoulle-S at the Summer Fort Classic. The 9-year-old mare has blossomed under Foster’s tutelage this summer and may jump her first international 1.50m class at the BCHJA Fall Finale.

Chad revealed a talented mount of her own this summer in 9-year-old CSF Princess Blue, who was best in the Maui Jim Grand Prix at August’s Summer Fort Welcome. The agile bay will contest the second three-star event of her career this week. Meanwhile, Morin will return to the level with her veteran partner NKH Carrido, with whom she jumped her first five-star classes in Calgary this summer. In August, the duo took a U25 win at tbird, setting them up for a confident finish to their season in Langley.

Travis Root (USA) shined brightest at the jog, receiving the Equi-Products Best Dressed Award. Sporting an orange tbird logo cap and ribbon, Root went home with a $100 gift card for his standout style down the jogging lane.

Competition at the Summer Fort Classic CSI3* kicks off Wednesday with the CSI3* tbird 1.40m Speed.

All classes in the Thunderbird Jumper Arena Arena stream live on tbird.ca.

Tickets are available for Saturday’s CSI3* $100,000 Grand Prix 1.50m at tbird.ca/tickets.