The story of the $30,000 Walter Oil & Gas Grand Prix couldn’t have had a better script: Hometown girl returns to where it all began and rides her dream horse to victory. That girl was Meagan Nusz, and the horse was Willow, a mount she reunited with at the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show after two years apart.

“I’m thrilled. It’s a nice ending to the story,” she said with a smile. “My best friend, Megan Haag, and I have been coming here since were tiny, and it’s literally taken me 28 years to win a Pin Oak Grand Prix. So, I told (show president) Lynn Walsh tonight, ‘Finally! I finally did it!’ So, I came back home after five years, and it was successful, and I’m ecstatic.”

The class was the featured event on April 2 during Week II of the 71st Pin Oak Charity Horse Show, presented by Irish Day Farm.
Nusz didn’t have the class handed to her, though. It was a hard-fought victory in a field of 32 talented entries over a challenging Alan Wade-designed course.

Nusz and the 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood (Guidam—Starina) were the third of nine contenders to jump clean in the first round, and the successful names included familiar ones, such as last Saturday’s grand prix winner Natascha Gates, the show’s Leading Open Jumper Rider Michael Tokaruk, Gambler’s Choice winner Andy Kocher and previous class winner, Trapp O’Neal.

Nusz also qualified her $10,000 Pin Oak Welcome Stake winner Vesuvius for the jump-off, but she felt going in that he was tired.

“I knew that I really had to depend on the gray one, and once again we were at the top of the order with Trapp and Andy and all of these guys behind me,” she said. “What are the odds?”

After Kocher riding Ora Del Te Di La San Giorgio and Gates riding Quickie both posted four-fault rides, Nusz went into the ring aiming to post the first clear and lay down the gauntlet.

“My horse has an enormous stride and is naturally so, so fast. My biggest thing is not beating myself, so I let him do his round,” she said, describing her plan. “And he’s so handy and quick in front and over the jumps that I really don’t have to do too much. I just planned my strides and tried not to think about it too much. I just kind of let him do his thing, and he was a superstar.”

Even though this was only the pair’s fourth class together, Nusz trusted the experienced international jumper and dropped strides wherever she could to reduce those ticks on the clock. They posted the fastest clear in 35.99 seconds.

“I thought the first part of the jump-off was great, and the only thing I could have ridden better was the last line,” she said. “It was kind of an awkward turn because it wasn’t shaped well and it drew you in to get the deep one, which happened to me. So, I just tried to sit tidy there, and, luckily, the jumps weren’t huge and he was able to get out of the way.”

In the end, even with a raucous and enthusiastic crowd cheering on the remaining competitors, no one could catch Nusz and Willow on this night. O’Neal gave it his best shot with Marieke Silk’s Vorione Fortuna, placing second with a clear jump-off in 37.36 seconds, and Kocher picked up third on Le Conte, also jumping clean in 37.59 seconds.

Nusz, who is now based in Wellington, Florida, and Lexington, Kentucky, purchased Willow three years ago for herself but realized early on that they weren’t yet ready for one another and gave the ride to her trainer, Kent Farrington. With Farrington aboard, Willow has earned grand prix victories around the world, from the Global Champions Tour in Europe to the $130,000 CP Grand Prix at the National Horse Show in Kentucky last November.

“He was great tonight, and I’m so thankful that Kent gave me the opportunity to have this ride,” she said. “Like I said the other night, I knew I was almost there, so to have the chance to call Kent tonight and say, ‘I won the grand prix on that horse!’ is so exciting.”

Now that a partnership has forged so quickly, Nusz said that she plans keep the ride aboard Willow and see how their story continues to unfold.

“I was not expecting to bring this horse here and to be successful, so now my plans are being altered because I have a real grand prix horse I can jump anywhere,” she said with a smile.

Nusz also credited Haag and her team behind the scenes for helping her to reach her goals. “Megan flatted all my horses, helped me during the class and is my ‘right-hand man.’ People sometimes forget that it’s not just the horse and rider who win, there are a ton of people that are in the background that make your success possible, and it’s their long hours and hard work, too. I’m just so thankful to everyone.”

A Sweet Victory For McIntosh in the Booth Show Jumpers Under 25 Grand Prix

Keely McIntosh, of Magnolia, Texas, may have had the desire to win the $20,000 Booth Show Jumpers Under 25 Grand Prix because her mother, Jenny Booth, sponsored the class. But, in the end, it all came down to the riding.

McIntosh guided So Live Helau to the only double-clear performance to clinch the blue ribbon over second-placed Katie Cox aboard Twilight. The two were the only riders in the 16-entry class to master the first-round course designed by Alan Wade.

“The course rode a little differently than it walked,” said McIntosh. “My only problem was the bending seven (strides) to the short four (strides). It rode a little longer than I thought, and the four was short. He backpedaled so hard and got over that back rail of that oxer. He was so good there; I couldn’t imagine another horse doing that for me.”

Cox and her veteran Twilight went first in the jump-off, but a rail allowed McIntosh to walk into the ring needing just a clear round for the victory. But that result isn’t always as easy as it seems when the pressure is on.

“It was funny. I walked up and said to (trainer) Berry Porter, ‘Don’t tell me if she had a rail or not. I just want to go in there and go clean.’ And as soon as I walked up (to the in-gate people) told me, ‘Oh, she had a rail.’ So, perfect guys, thank you,” McIntosh joked.  But he handled the pressure.”

So Live Helau, nicknamed Sulli, is a 10-year-old Holsteiner (Dollar Du Murier—Ador De La Crasne) that the family purchased from Olympic show jumper McLain Ward just this winter in Wellington, Florida. Ward imported the gelding and called Booth thinking he would be the perfect horse for McIntosh.

“I’m really happy I have him,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve ever matched so quickly with a horse as I did with him when we tried him.”

For McIntosh, 23, a graduating senior at Texas A&M, the class victory was especially sweet as she fully appreciates the opportunity to compete against her peers while also balancing college.

“So, the under 25 division I personally find very important because it gives everyone who is not a top professional the opportunity to jump a height that’s similar,” she said. “But it separates us and gives us a chance to compete at that level without competing against people like McLain Ward and Beezie Madden at WEF or Matt Cyphert and Holly Shepherd here, who are seasoned grand prix riders.”

McIntosh was also thrilled to be able to hang the blue-ribbon sash on the tack room drapes of Booth Show Jumpers and thanked Juan Ortiz, Sarah Bagworth, Porter “and, of course, my mom!”

She added, “It means everything to win this class. I’m really happy because the horse did so well. Everyone’s going to be making fun of me because my mom sponsored the class and I won, but it was still a good round, and that’s all that mattered.”

Anna Robson Rides to Double Blue on Opening Day

Anna Robson and Glynhafan Rodeo Drive jumped to an impressive score of 86 on the way to winning both Medium Pony Hunter over fences classes today at Pin Oak.

Robson, of Dallas, Texas, has been partnered with the 13-year-old gray Welsh (Glannant Cadence--Evans Rodeo R-mance) since last summer.
"That’s probably the highest score I’ve gotten any horse,” she said beaming. “This is great. I haven’t won a class in a while, and to win two classes in a row, especially at Pin Oak, is pretty cool.”

Robson described "R.D." as a sassy pony with lots of personality. "He loves attention and loves you to pet him," she said.

The pair topped an impressive field of nine ponies over fences in both the conformation and the handy classes to lead the section standings going into tomorrow's final day. Robson also competed in the Junior Hunters today and guided Right On to top ribbons in the 3'3" section.

"He jumps really cute and slowly over the jumps," she said of R.D. "He has a huge stride, so you don’t have to gallop. You don’t have to look for the jumps either; you just canter through the corners and make little adjustments."

Robson, who turns 13 next week, trains with Britt McCormick at Elmstead Farm. Her sister Jessica joined her in the ribbon collection and piloted Millcroft Greystoke to the blue ribbon in the under saddle class.

For complete show results, please visit Horse Shows Online.