Press release from Desert International Horse Park
On the grass field, the day was Kaitlin Campbell’s (USA). She topped the $5,000 Whittier Trust CSI3* 1.45m Speed aboard Tashmir Z, an entry owned by Alexandra Biederman. Together the duo took the fastest time in a competitive field of international jumpers.
“He’s 12 this year and owned by my friend Alex Beiderman who usually shows him,” Campbell shared. “I have shown him once before but this is the first time I’ve jumped him FEI. I’m competing him until he finds his next rider.”
Campbell doesn’t need extra confidence, but she’ll take the confidence she gets from Tashmir Z. “He’s super experienced,” she said of the Zangersheide gelding (Toulon x Kashmir Van Schuttershof). “He’s jumped Nations Cups in Europe so he’s super brave. I know he’s always going to the other side, now that I’ve gotten to know him better today was the first time I’ve really asked him to go fast. He really responded and was jumping great out there.”
Jumping on the grass is a welcome change for FEI riders, who have had several opportunities this season to do so. “It gives them a nice change of scenery,” Campbell remarked. “For a horse like this who is super brave it’s really impressive when you walk out there so it makes them look when you jump out there.”
Also on the podium were Cassio Rivetti (BRA) in second aboard Billy Dorito, owned by Monarch Farms, LLC, and Ali Ramsay (CAN) with Godfather B Belesbat, owned by Britt Scheifele, in third.
Show jumping resumes Saturday with the $117,000 Kubota CSI3* Grand Prix and the $40,000 Prestige Italia National Grand Prix.