Joie Gatlin of San Juan Capistrano, CA, riding SunCal’s King, owned by Canyon Capital Insurance, won the $25,000 Open Jumper at the evening session of the Metropolitan National Horse Show Wednesday night in New York City. Gatlin topped a roster of 12 horses and earned $7,500. The Table II.2b class required riders to clear the Linda Allen-designed course of 11 jumps in order to move on immediately to the eight-obstacle jump-off. Six riders went clean in the first round, but only Gatlin was able to produce a double clear performance for the win. Georgina Bloomberg of New York City placed second aboard Nadia, owned by Gotham Enterprizes. Ken Berkley of Flemington, New Jersey, placed third aboard Ratina Z, owned by Carolyn Kelly.

“It’s very, very exciting because this is my first time back here at The National,” said Gatlin, 37, who had competed as a junior at the National Horse Show in Madison Square Garden. “I was so thrilled to be able to come here and show, so it makes it extra special to win.”

Gatlin went eighth in the order, when Bloomberg was holding down first place with Nadia and second place with Lumina 2, who eventually finished in fourth place. Gatlin took over the top spot and held it, with only the final rider, Berkley able to shake the final outcome.

“The course was very inviting,” commented Gatlin. “Linda Allen is totally professional. She set a very nice course for our first time around out there. It was a nice start for the week.”

Gatlin credited her win to her horse’s performance in the jump-off. “In the first round he was a little bit hard to ride, a little excited, a little strong. After he got the first round out of his system, then he settled down in the jump-off and was a little bit smoother.”

SunCal’s King is a 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding that Gatlin has had the ride on since the end of March. “He was the horse that I did the Olympic Trials on,” noted Gatlin. “He’s a very scopey horse. We’ve just been constantly working on the rideability--lots of flatwork, lots of gymnastics and small jumps. All that hard work is starting to pay off.”

Gatlin and her husband Morley Abey own a business in California with 30 horses competing in classes from hunters and equitation to Grand Prix.She said she chose to make the trip across the U.S. to compete in the Metropolitan National Horse Show because of the prize money and the computer points for the computer list, but also “just to do something different.” She was favorably impressed with Pier 94 and The Show Piers on the Hudson. “I really like it. The stabling is great. There’s a nice size warm-up and a beautiful size ring. It’s very nice. It’s really kind of exciting--you’re right on the water, and that’s a very unique thing at a horse show.”