Team Plain Bay Triumphs at Inaugural World Wide Technology Team Jumper Challenge
On Saturday, a new event debuted at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF), presented by B&D Builders. The $10,000 World Wide Technology 1.10m Non-Pro Team Jumper Challenge took to the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring in full force with four four-rider teams going for gold in a nations cup format class across two rounds with a drop score.
The challenge’s first win went to Team Plain Bay Farm. With all eyes on gold, the team left no room for error in the first round with no faults to carry forward. Heading into the second round, Team Plain Bay was tied with Team Our Day Farm who were also on a score of zero. Ultimately, Plain Bay prevailed, finishing the second round on just one rail.
The winning Team, Plain Bay Farm, consisted of Laurel Walker of Copper Canyon, TX, and Conajita, owned by Dorothy Cox; Dorothy Cox of Athens, TX, riding her own Blue Bella; Lori Bidwell of Lexington, KY, on Nim, owned by Five O’Clock Farm; and Breeze Kaye Phoenix, AZ, aboard Ferry Van Den Hoogeweg, owned by Plain Bay Sales.
“We really just wanted to have fun with it as four friends,” said team captain Dorothy Cox. “It was really exciting to get into a ring we don’t always compete in. We were able to let our horses open up and really enjoy it.”
The Plain Bay riders are no strangers to Flintfields Horse Park, with the whole team using the horse show as their summer base. “We come back year after year,” said teammate Laurel Walker. “For classes like this to be added makes it more special for the people and horses who don’t get to compete in these formats.”
Competing in a team format is a path less traveled for most in a predominately individual equestrian sport. When added to a competition setting, riders must step up their sportsmanship for team success. “You don’t often get to cheer on a teammate in this way or have someone there to make up for mistakes you made in the ring. It’s so much fun and made me really enjoy my time on a team,” said Breeze Kay.
Plain Bay’s success came from a strategy of embracing each combinations’ differences. “Each of our horses are different,” said Lori Bidwell. “Coming into the class we worked out how each of us would go about the course and then as a team our coaches came together to make a plan.”
The Silver medal went to Clayton Martines, of Lafox, IL, and his own G.P.S. Brilliant Disguise; Ruth Mckee, of Saint Louis, MO, and Vendome Palordet, owned by Gateway Sporthorses LLC; Ella Smutzer, of Batavia, IL, and her own Shanaja; and Natalie Jayne, of Elgin, IL, with her own Carlo, representing Team Our Day. Bronze was awarded to Doris Neyra, of Surfside, FL, and her own Google; Noa Diener, of Indian Creek Village, FL, and Kalvo, owned by Addison Sengbusch; Hollin Sutherland, of Grosse Pointe Farms, MI, and Berlina M Romagnolo Z, owned by Alexandra Crown; and Hannah Reed, of Pleasant Valley, IA, with Escobar De Kreisker, owned by Blue Hill Farm, LLC, representing Team East Wind.
The World Wide Technology 1.10m Non-Pro Team Jumper Challenge will take place every Saturday during the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, culminating in the series final during GLEF VI.
Read more:
