Katherine Dinan and Athos D’Elle Dominate the $36,600 Welcome Stake CSI3* at Traverse City Tournament of Champions I

Traverse City, Mich. – Sept. 3, 2021 – Show jumping athletes descended upon the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring Friday afternoon to battle for top honors in the $36,600 Welcome Stake CSI3*. The beginning of a thrilling weekend of world-class competition saw several of the world’s top show jumping athletes eager to notch a win under their belt. In addition, athletes had the chance to accumulate points towards the highly sought-after $30,000 CaptiveOne Advisors Open Jumper Rider Bonus. In the end, Katherine Dinan (USA) and Athos D’Elle ultimately beat out the competition after a double clear effort. United States rider Jonathan McCrea and Fantasy BB were right on their heels to claim second place, while Colombian rider Roberto Teran and Gabrovo rounded out the top three.

Katherine Dinan and Athos D’Elle, Photo courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography

Canadian course designer Peter Grant set forth a 13-obstacle first round track with a time allowed of 77 seconds. The first round offered up a technical route that challenged the riders to be quick but careful. Several athletes found difficulty with the second-to-last combination that featured a long two-stride to a one stride line. In the end, only seven pairs continued on to the jump-off, where they were tasked with maneuvering through seven of the original 13 jumps within a quick time allowed of 48 seconds. Dinan and Athos D’Elle beat out the other six other pairs with a clear effort and blazing time of 38.51 seconds.

Katherine Dinan and Athos D’Elle, Photo courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography

Dinan and Athos D’Elle, an 11-year-old Selle Francais stallion owned by Grant Road Partners LLC, were first to try their hand at the seven-obstacle jump-off, where they sliced and diced their way to the lead with a fault-free effort and an impressive time of 38.51 seconds. This longtime pair were the trailblazers of the jump-off, setting a fast pace for the remainder of the athletes. Dinan spoke highly of her mount, and believed allowing him to carry his natural speed helped them secure an early lead in the jump-off.

Jonathan Mc Crea and Fantasy BB, Photo courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography

United States rider McCrea once again found himself on the podium in Traverse City.  This dynamic pair was second to enter the ring for the jump-off as they tackled the fast and challenging track set forth by Grant. He rode Windsor Show Stables’ 11-year-old KWPN mare Fantasy BB to a double-clear effort and a quick jump-off time of 38.74 seconds, just two-tenths of a second shy of Dinan.

Roberto Teran and Gabrovo, Photo courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography

Colombian rider Teran and his own mount Gabrovo, a 9-year-old Hannoverian gelding, galloped their way to the first jump in hopes of taking the lead, but their efforts would ultimately finish the pair just a narrow one-hundredth of a second behind second-place finisher McCrea in a time of 38.75 seconds.

Friday’s $36,600 Welcome Stake CSI3* counted towards valuable points for the $30,000 CaptiveOne Advisors Open Jumper Rider Bonus. As the finale of this highly sought-after bonus quickly approaches, Katie Laurie (AUS) once again remains at the top of leaderboard with a total of 42 points. Kyle King (USA) continues to hold his second place spot with 38 points, while Karl Cook (USA) stands third with 37 points. Olivia Chowdry moved into the fourth position on the leaderboard, now with 32 points, while McCrea stands in fifth place with 28 points. Offering show jumping competitors the chance to accumulate points throughout the 12-week Traverse City Horse Show series, the bonus is awarded to the athlete with the most points at the conclusion of the 2021 $230,000 American Gold Cup Grand Prix CSI5*, presented by CaptiveOne Advisors. The CaptiveOne Advisors Open Jumper Rider Bonus is a highly sought-after prize among the field of international competitors that attend Traverse City Horse Shows.

Jumper competition will continue Saturday beginning at 8:30 am in the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring with the $1,000 7-Year-Old USHJA YJC, and will conclude in the afternoon with the Sugar Run Farm & Gajoch Family Low Junior/AO Jumper.

FROM THE WINNERS CIRCLE

Katherine Dinan – Winner of the $36,600 Welcome Stake CSI3*

On Athos D’Elle:
“He is an 11-year-old chestnut stallion. We got him in 2019 when he was nine years old. We bought him directly from the breeders because they had bred both the father and grandfather of one of my best horses. He has been coming along very well. I felt like we got in a nice groove this summer. We were here in Traverse City this whole summer and loved it. The last grand prix he jumped in Traverse City, he was clear in the first round and just had a tiny mistake in the jump-off that kept us out of the top three.”

On Jump Off:
“My plan going into the jump-off was to go as fast as I could and really use the natural pace of my horse. Athos is very quick off the ground. He wants to clear the jumps and does it in his own style. The more he trusts me, and the more I trust him, the better he is. We are still getting to know each other, but I am extremely proud of him. My mindset is to focus on the riding and not so much on the results. What happens, happens. It was really nice that it worked out. He is faster than I think he is because I couldn’t believe I was quicker than Jonathan McCrea and Roberto Teran.”

On Traverse City Horse Shows:
“I am excited to be here for all three weeks for the [Tournament of Champions]. I am going back and forth to New York because I am currently in graduate school. I think this horse show is great. My first time coming here was in 2007 when I was riding as a junior rider. It is great to be back here and see the unbelievable jumping facility more than 10 years later. It is so reliable; we know that the footing will hold up when we come, and the competition will be great. Normally in the past I have gone to Europe, but this year I did not. I have to say that it is so nice to have a horse show like this in the United States. I want to thank the organizers and sponsors of this show for making this possible. The athletes really appreciate it.”

RESULTS

Place / ​​Horse / Rider / Country / Owner / R1 Faults | R1 Time / R2 Faults | R2 Time

1. Athos D’Elle / Katherine Dinan / USA / Grant Road Partners LLC / 0 | 74.70 / 0 | 38.51
2. Fantasy BB / Jonathan McCrea / USA / Windsor Show Stables / 0 | 73.72 / 0 | 38.74
3. Gabrovo / Roberto Teran / COL / Roberto Teran / 0 | 74.98 / 0 | 38.75
4. Dougie Douglas / Katherine Dinan / USA / Grant Road Partners LLC / 0 | 73.83 / 0 | 39.66
5. Fantast Van Het Vinckenhof / Kristen Berian / USA / Coral C Stables LLC / 0 | 75.36 / 0 | 40.13
6. Massimo / Michael Morrissey / USA / Imperial Show Stables / 0 | 75.56 / 0 | 41.49
7. Express Blue GP Du Bois Madame / Caitlyn Connors / USA / Caitlyn Connors LLC / 0 | 75.51 / 9 | 48.10
8. Arpeggi / Brooke Kemper / USA / Caroline Blum / 1 | 77.99
9. Gotcha / Simon McCarthy / IRL / Rock Ridge Farms / 1 | 78.98
10. Haitie / Sandra Dalman / USA / Dalman Show Jumping / 1 | 80.04
11. Balkana Du Tillard / Olivia Chowdry / USA / Atlas Equine Holdings LLC / 4 | 73.10

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