$10,000 Adult Equitation Challenge Won by Sydney Chmel
South Dakota State rider earns her first Traverse City equitation challenge victory with new partner Griffin.
Adult amateurs had their first championship opportunity of the season on Sunday during Traverse City Spring III in the $10,000 Frank & Eileen 3’ Adult Equitation Challenge. Sydney Chmel topped the class aboard Griffin, earning a score of 87 in the jumping phase before delivering another strong performance on the flat to secure the victory.
Aboard Griffin, owned by Kyle and Carly Muckler, Chmel confidently tackled each of the various challenges presented on course, including areas to collect and extend the stride, a one-stride oxer to vertical combination, a double of verticals, plus rollbacks and bending lines. After the jumping round, the riders returned on the flat where they were asked to display their equitation skills once again.
“I thought they did a great job showing different challenges for every rider,” Chmel said about the course built for the occasion. “You got multiple different directions you could have taken to the first fence. And then the nice, bending six [strides] really allowed riders to open up and show the horse’s stride, and they had some nice hunter aspects through it. I think it just tested riders on how adjustable your horse was throughout the course.”
Though she primarily competes in the jumper ring, Chmel has embraced equitation through the South Dakota State University equestrian team. Her experience riding a variety of horses in that program has helped her to adjust on the fly and be able to execute a course plan well.
“I think that the equitation is nice in preparing you for jumpers, and vice versa,” she explained. “You really need to get your bending lines down and things like that. I also think the jumpers really help prepare you for the equitation.”
Read more:
Sydney Chmel Aces $10,000 Frank & Eileen 3′ Adult Equitation Challenge – Traverse City Horse Shows
