John Madden, Chair of the FEI Jumping Committee presenting Katie Dinan with the Furusiyya Rider of the Day award (StockImageServices.com/FEI)
The Furusiyya Rider of the Day award is presented to the horse & rider combination that is judged to have best displayed qualities such as harmony, partnership, balance and skill throughout their two rounds; values represented and embodied by Furusiyya.
"I feel very honored. I feel honored to be on the U.S. Team and to be chosen as the Furusiyya Rider of the Day in this company," said Dinan. "It's great. This is only my second Nations Cup and I really wanted to show I belonged on the team. It's a little more pressure being on a team, so I was happy with my performance today."
Judge of the award at the CSIO5* Spruce Meadows, Kim Morrison - President of the Ground Jury, commented, "There were a few reasons why we chose Katie as the Furusiyya Rider of the Day. One: She was double clean. Two: She's young and probably a little less experienced than the other ones were. We liked that she stepped up to the plate and never once faltered all around the course. She did a great job. She was with the horse and they were a great pair."
"They're very similar mindsets, the two of them. They have a can-do, keen attitude and they feed off of each other. I don't think there's much that the two of them can't accomplish when they're both going with a positive mindset, which is what we liked about it. She had her plan, she did it consistently both rounds, the horse responded really well to whatever she asked, and you saw the results."