Megan McDermott and Nintendo Are at the Top of Their Game To Win the $62,480 CSI3* Welcome at HITS Hudson Valley
The marquee event of the day on Thursday, July 18, 2024, at HITS Hudson Valley in Saugerties, New York, was the $62,480 CSI3* Welcome. HITS-on-the-Hudson IV marks the first of three weeks of international show jumping competition as part of the Hudson Valley Show Jumping Tour® Series. After two exciting rounds of sport, Megan McDermott (USA) claimed the top spot with her super partner Nintendo.
In a field of 42 elite horse-and-rider combinations, a total of 19 found the clear path over the course designed by Megan Rawlins (CAN). Of those, three elected to withdraw from the jump-off to save their horses for the rest of the week, leaving 16 to race for the win.
“I liked today’s course a lot,” commented McDermott. “There were a lot of rollbacks and other areas that could have been challenging, but I’m lucky because I know my horse really well and he has a wonderful canter, so everything was really smooth.”
As the time to beat got faster and faster, riders took chances to shave even more time off the clock, causing rails to fail across the short course. McDermott put the pedal to the metal, racing through the timers in 43.92 seconds. The penultimate combination to contest the jump-off track, Egyptian Olympian Nayel Nassar and his trusted mount Igor van de Wittemoere, a 16-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Cooper van de Heffinck x Orlando) owned by Evergate Stables LLC, gave it a good shot with but when the clock stopped at 44.26 seconds, Nassar would have to settle for second place. Daniel Bluman (ISR) and his superstar Gemma W, a 13-year-old KWPN mare (Luidam x Unaniem) owned by Blue Star Investments and Over the Top Stables LLC, completed the top three in 44.53 seconds.
“The jump-off was a little tricky and it was definitely a precision round,” detailed McDermott. “I know my horse is really quick, and I took advantage of the long gallops. I almost overdid the long gallops so that I could slow down to be slow in the turns and then keep going. I know Nintendo is so reactive, so I’m able to do that with a lot of confidence.”
McDermott began riding the 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Nintender x Chaco Blue), owned by Counter Balance LLC, after Bluman sent him to her from Europe. While both Bluman and McDermott always agreed on Nintendo’s impressive talent, they also knew that his quirks meant McDermott would really need to develop a relationship with him. Now three years later, the pair have gone from strength to strength, including a win earlier in the season in the $75,000 CWD Grand Prix during HITS-on-the-Hudson II, and the day’s $62,480 CSI3* Welcome.
“I give him a lot of treats,” shared McDermott. “He’s a really high-stress horse and he’s traffic-shy and super spooky. Because he’s so sharp, sometimes it’s hard to train him, so we try to relax him a lot. At home he’s in the field as long as he can be every day. We try to just focus on the basics. He really is the best horse, and I love him so much.”
Read more:
HITS Del Mar Series – HITS Horse Shows (hitsshows.com)
