Press release from Traverse City Horse Shows, edited by World of Showjumping

Francisco Goyoaga Mollet (ESP) likes to go fast, and that philosophy paid off Friday in the $31,100 CSI3* Speed during opening week of the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, presented by B&D Builders. Aboard Queen Van Dorperheide (Chilli Willi x Winningmood), Goyoaga set the winning time as the first to go, then watched 26 challengers fall short.

“This may be the first time I go first and win the class,” Goyoaga remarked. “My horse is really fast. For the last three classes I’ve had the fastest time but with one down so I was very unlucky. Today was the day. I knew I could go really fast with that mare so I did my plan and I was hoping for the others to not go fast enough.”

The time the rest of the field was chasing was 67.45 seconds. Charlotte Jacobs (USA) was the closest to catching that time aboard Cristiano Obololensky (Cornet Obolensky x Stakkato), finishing second, and Kevin Gallagher (IRL) took third aboard Casanova SP (Cornet Obolensky x Carolino).

The course, set by Martin Otto (GER), presented plenty of options for riders to take risks and increase speed, but Goyoaga knew the spots on course that would be worthwhile in preserving time.

“On the inside turns there were a few options, then there were a couple leave-outs I didn’t take because she’s more secure when I do one more [stride],” he explained. “She has such a quick step that I can do one more and still be quicker. She’s faster than the other horses so that made it easy.”

Still a newer partnership, Goyoaga knows Queen Van Dorperheide was capable of the win she produced today. 

“I got her at the beginning of the year,” he said of the 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare. “She was already a winner so everything happened really fast. I tried to not bother her too much and she just did what she knows so that’s great.”

Goyoaga’s success in Traverse City’s speed classes is no coincidence.

“I love to go fast,” he shared. “I always try to go fast which is also frustrating because most of the time it doesn’t work so I have to try to keep myself motivated. I always try to go fast and I enjoy going fast. That’s why I win speed classes.”

Saturday’s competition at GLEF I features the $20,000 Jumper Classic and the $10,000 World Wide Technology Non-Pro Team Jumper Challenge. Fans and competitors can view full schedules, results, and live updates through the Traverse City Horse Shows Mobile App.