The international show jumpers took center stage on Thursday, October 25, at the 60th annual Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) for their first two competitions of the week. In the $40,000 International Jumper Welcome Stake, Catherine Tyree (24) of Chicago, IL, rode the 12-year-old KWPN gelding Bokai, owned by Mary Tyree, to victory. Brian Moggre of Flower Mound, TX, and MTM Flutterby accumulated the most points to take home the top prize in the $35,000 International Jumper Accumulator Costume Class. WIHS continues through Sunday, October 28.

The $40,000 Welcome Stake was held as a “winning round” format, where the top 10 riders, regardless of how many faults they had in the afternoon’s first round, were invited back for the second round which was held in the evening session. Tyree and Bokai came back seventh in the order of the top 10 and put down a fast, clear round in 34.88 seconds for the win. They followed the 2018 FEI World Cup Jumping Final winners Beezie Madden (USA) and Abigail Wexner’s Breitling LS, who would finish in second place in 35.00 seconds.

Tyree said it was watching Madden from the in-gate that gave her the plan to win. “Bokai is so quick, and I had the advantage of seeing Beezie go before me. She is so tight in the turns, so I was able to count some of her strides, and I really just wanted to try and do what she did. She did six [strides] to the last [jump]; I got a good gallop, and I kept going in five. I really got lucky there; my horse gave an amazing effort, which he shouldn't have done. He just has a huge heart and he wants to win. He just rises to the challenge when it matters," says Catherine Tyree.

Third place in the class went to this summer’s FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) team gold medalists, Devin Ryan (USA) and Eddie Blue, owned by LL Show Jumpers LLC, who had a time of 35.76 seconds. Cormac Hanley (IRL) and Alma Z, owned by Heathman Farm LLC, were fourth in 37.82 seconds, while fellow WEG team gold medalist Laura Kraut (USA) and St. Bride’s Farm’s Confu were fifth in 38.25 seconds.