Pope Prevails for First Grand Prix Win

Pope Prevails for First Grand Prix Win

Jacob Pope (USA) fulfilled a lifelong dream Saturday afternoon, scoring his first grand prix victory in the $30,000 Traverse City National Grand Prix at Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF), presented by CaptiveOne Advisors, aboard Highway FBH. As one of ten pairs to jump clear over Bernardo Costa Cabral’s (POR) first-round track, Pope’s strategy in the jump-off paid off and he took home top honors aboard a horse he recently just met.

“This is only my third class with him,” Pope said of the 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Plot Blue. “He’s just incredible. We got him two weeks ago and I did a 1.30m and a 1.40m, then the Grand Prix. You can just keep kicking and he keeps jumping higher. Needless to say, I’m super happy with him and pumped for the future.”

Of the ten jump-off contenders, Pope went third, so he did not know what would be required to take the win but strategized well regardless. “My strategy was to not go as fast as I possibly could but just to be tidy and clear and that seemed to be what really made it happen today,” Pope explained. “Everyone after [me] was trying to do one less in the first line or turn even tighter and ended up having rails. In the end my tidier clear track going early was a smart move.”

Read more:

Pope Prevails for First Grand Prix Win  – Traverse City Horse Shows

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