Press release from Traverse City Horse Shows

Natalie Dean (USA) won the CSI2* Grand Prix during the first Traverse City MLSJ week in 2022 with Dotcom D’Authuit (Diamant de Semilly x Quidam de Revel). This year, she moved up with Dotcom D’Authuit in the $39,000 CSI5* Winning Round and took the win, then went on to take a repeat win in the $76,000 CSI2* Grand Prix with Oasis Van De Bucxtale (Quinn vd Heffinck x Skippy II). 

Coming back in good company, Dean was one of 10 returning for the jump-off, all of which were either clear or finished with one time fault. Karl Cook (USA), Eyrnn Ballard (CAN), and Alison Robitaille (USA) were just a few of the quick pairs Dean had to look out for, but she had faith in her partner that she’s developed for several years now.

“I knew Karl [Cook] had a very fast horse and he was coming behind me,” she explained of how she felt going into the jump-off. “She’s so fast naturally, and she tried her heart out so it worked out today. Karl had one down. But I’m thrilled with my horse.”

Later in the day, with Oasis Van De Bucxtale, Dean was in the winner’s circle again. She topped a 15-horse jump-off in the $76,000 CSI2* Cabana Coast Grand Prix, the very class she won last year with Dotcom D’Authuit.

“I took a risk to the last [jump] but she’s an amazing horse,” Dean said of Oasis Van De Bucxtale, a 9-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare “She’s still quite green at this level but every day gets better and I think she’s going to jump everything. I think she’s one of my top grand prix horses for the future."

Acquired at the beginning of 2023, Oasis Van De Bucxtale is already showing great promise, despite making her first attempts at the higher levels. “She’d never jumped the 1.45m and last week she did her first three-star grand prix,” Dean said. “This week it was nice for her to step down and jump the two-star. She’s just an unbelievable mare. She’s got some sass, but she’s all game.”

Dean has horses competing at all levels on the Major League tour, so she appreciates the variety the tour provides for riders like herself. “It’s been an amazing week,” she reflected. “With Major League, it’s so nice that you’re allowed to do the five-star and the two-star in the same week because there’s not a lot of shows that let you do that. Dotcom, who I won on earlier, won this class last year so now she’s a year older and stepping up into the five-star. Hopefully Oasis will be there next year.”

Dean believes that for her string the Major League events provide the perfect class breakdown for every mount to shine. “I have a big string of horses, and a lot of them are younger horses, so Major League really suits me and my string because I can do the young horses and develop them in the two-star and still jump the five-star,” she shared.

The results have played in Dean’s favor for quite some time, so she enjoys coming back, with the team at Ilan Ferder Stables. “I love Traverse City,” she shared. “We always come here for a couple weeks. The footing was great Thursday when it rained so much; I couldn’t believe they were able to show, and I think the management has done such a good job. AJ [Holmes] who runs the gate has been super. Everyone is so friendly and I’m excited to be here.”