While the morning of Friday, August 2, 2024, started with the U.S. Jumping Team clinching the silver medal at the Olympic Games in Paris, France, previously shortlisted U.S. athlete Katie Dinan was achieving success on the international show jumping stage at HITS Hudson Valley in Saugerties, New York. The $40,000 Go Rentals CSI3* Winning Round was the highlight event of the day during HITS-on-the-Hudson VI, the final exciting week of the Hudson Valley Jumping Tour®. It was Dinan who ruled the day, riding to the win with Amiro B Z, and finishing in second with Dijon Terdoorn Z.
An even 30 horse-and-rider combinations set out to contest the challenging first-round course set by world renowned FEI Level 4 Course Designer Marina Azevedo (BRA). Based on the winning round format, the top 12 duos, regardless of penalties, returned in reverse order of merit on a clean slate to tackle a second speed track. Dinan, who finished on four faults in the first round with Dijon Terdoorn Z, was second to return for round two with the 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Diamant de Semilly x Lord Z), owned by Grant Road Partners LLC. They turned in a lightning quick effort to cross the timers clear in 38.78 seconds. With plenty of impressive pairs left to compete, Dinan was not convinced she had done enough to seal the deal for the victory.
“I was fast, but the sport has gotten so fast, and I knew I left a little bit of room,” detailed Dinan. “I actually came out a little disappointed with myself. I didn’t think my time with ‘Dijon’ would hold up, and I knew there were two jumps I was a bit conservative to, so I came out feeling hungry to do better.”
With that in mind, Dinan returned in the middle of the order on her second mount, Amiro B Z, a 10-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Asca Z x Concreto) also owned by Grant Road Partners LLC, ready to give it her all. Her determination paid off as she shaved a bit off her own leading time, stopping the clock in 38.22 seconds. Ultimately, no one could catch Dinan, giving her the first- and second-place honors. Irishman Paul O’Shea came the closest with Hellcat, a 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare (Cassander van het Bremhof x Conan) owned by Team Eye Candy. Their final time of 39.62 seconds saw them finish in third.
“When I went in with Amiro, I thought to myself, ‘Don’t worry about the score, but really just ride this the way you want to ride the jump-off, and force yourself to go for a little bit of a risk.’ I was really happy with how I rode that, and obviously I’m super happy about the result.”
While Dinan’s partnership with Dijon is three years in the making, Amiro is a newer mount for her. Dinan first rode Amiro when he came into her stable two years ago, but since then, her coach, Swiss Olympic medalist Beat Mändli had the reins. This summer, however, Dinan took over once again, and the two have been getting to know each other more in the show ring.
“We haven’t really done so much, so this is our first FEI win together, and that was really exciting,” said Dinan of Amiro. “I have to credit both of my horses, though, because a result like this is a testament to their quality. Dijon is a little bit more ponyish and has a little bit of a smaller stride and a little bit more of a fighting spirit, and Amiro has a lot of scope and a big stride, and it’s really just about keeping him focused. They are so different, so to ride a course with a little bit of different strategy but end up with less than half a second in between them, just shows what a crazy sport this is.”
Dinan, who is based at her Staysail Farm in North Salem, New York, is a frequent competitor at HITS Hudson Valley and really appreciates all the facility has to offer in such close proximity to her home.
“I love everything that has been done at HITS Hudson Valley in the last few years,” she expressed. “This is practically a local show for us, and it’s such a luxury to be able to go home. We have so many top show jumping barns in the Northeast, and to have an FEI circuit here that’s more local but still a high level and that allows us to not be always on the road is great.
“The quality of classes and the caliber of the event and the prize money is worth it for whatever level your horse is,” continued Dinan. “It’s also great for a newer mount or a greener mount or to move up in these levels. There are so many things this horse show affords, and I’m thrilled and really happy to be successful here and support the show and everything they have done. It has been a real game-changer for our summer schedule, so thank you to everyone at HITS Hudson Valley.”
International show jumping competition during the action-packed Hudson Valley Jumping Tour® comes to an exciting conclusion on Saturday, August 3, with the $116,050 Purina Animal Nutrition CSI3* Grand Prix. For complete results, please visit www.showmanagementsystem.com.
