Langley, BC — The seasoned 17-year-old gelding Tic Tac Toe has mostly been competing at the 3′ and 3’3″ heights as he’s entered his late teens. But Thursday at Thunderbird Show Park, the striking bay gelding emphatically stated that he’s happy to step back up when asked.
Kendall Bourgeois and her sister Nicole—who won both the 3’/3’3″ and 3’6″ sections of last week’s Amy Brattebo Real Estate Derby—specifically targeted the USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Summer Fort Classic as a special class in which to showcase Amy Bean’s classy gelding. Kendall piloted the bay to a gate-to-wire victory, receiving scores of 183 and 191 over the course of the two rounds for a 374 winning total.
It was ultimately a spread-out field. Dustin Goodwin (CAN) and Reputation finished 10 points back in second (364), followed by Chelsea Brittner (USA) and Uriko Blue (331).
“We picked this class to ramp him back up, and he obviously performed,” Bourgeois said. “He’s perfectly capable of jumping the height, but he’s special, and we want him to last. It’s more taxing on their bodies to prepare for these classes, so we pick and choose [the occasions] to step him up.”
It’s not too often the Bourgeois sisters compete against each other these days, as Nicole has come to specialize in the hunter ring, while Kendall has focused on campaigning jumpers for their Imagination Lane operation, based out of West Linn, OR. Tic Tac Toe, however, has been a horse that the sisters have both shared with Bean, who rides him in the Adult Amateur Hunters.
“He’s right there with you, every step of the way. He’s scopey, athletic, smart, and light on his feet. He’s the perfect horse,” Kendall said. “[Nicole] could just as easily have swung a leg over and produced the same result on him. That’s what makes him nice.”
While Kendall has spent less time at the hunter ring, making the switch between disciplines comes as second nature. Collecting input from her sister—who identified similar trends in the course from the USHJA National Hunter Derby earlier in the day—Kendall was equipped with a plan for success. Then in the handy round, she was prepared to take more risk.
“We had a little rub halfway through [the handy]. Dustin [Goodwin] was behind me and got great scores, so the pressure was there, and after the rub, I knew I better go for it!” Kendall shared. “So, I made a slick turn to the combination and really bent the two-stride.
“For the hand gallop to the last, I’m known for overdoing it, so I tried to make sure I really showed off without going too fast,” she continued. “It was a bit of a dogleg to the last jump, the high option. It was a really blind turn there, but [Tic Tac Toe] is so seasoned. He locked on and made it look so smooth.”
$25,000 Foxstone Stable USHJA International Hunter Derby
Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / R1 Score / R2 Score / Total Score
1. Tic Tac Toe / Kendall Bourgeois / USA / Amy Bean / 183 / 191 / 374
2. Reputation / Dustin Goodwin / CAN / Kalli Heffner Gay / 176 / 188 / 364
3. Uriko Blue / Chelsea Brittner / USA / Susanne Fernald / 150 / 181 / 331
4. Vingo Bianco / Nicole Bourgeois / USA / Hilary Sosne / 158 / 172 / 330
5. Folklore / Olivia Aul / USA / Olivia Aul / 157 / 159.5 / 316.5
6. Jafanola / Chelsea Brittner / USA / Janaya Torres / 149 / 167 / 316
7. Cuba LIbre Z / Quinn Partridge / USA / Brooke Tupper / 152 / 163 / 315
8. The Lucky One / Olivia Brandon / USA / Olivia Brandon / 144 / 161 / 305
9. Coralina / Lindsey Paton-Garner / USA / Kate Churchfield / 165 / 139 / 304
10. Navigator / Raymond Texel / USA / Phillipa Melski / 181 / 98 / 279
