Samorin, Slovakia – The U.S. Show Jumping Development Team of Michael Hughes, Jennifer Gates, Wilton Porter, and Chloe Reid are ready to compete in Nations Cup competition at the X-BIONIC® CSIO of Samorin, Slovakia, on Friday, September 1. With an emphasis in continuing to develop future CSIO5* team combinations, Chef d’Equipe Anne Kursinski will lead this up-and-coming group as they ride ninth in the order, competing in the following order:
Michael Hughes and Zerlin M: Leading out of the gate for the U.S. team is Hughes (Allendale, N.J.) and Zerlin M. Hughes received the ride on Enda Carroll’s 13-year-old KWPN stallion in February. They clicked from the start, picking up eight top-five finishes in all but one CSI3* competition. In July, they placed third in the BMW Prijs Centrauto at the De Kraal International and won at CSI3* Knokke, Belgium, and the Grand Prix of Bonheiden, Belgium.
Jennifer Gates and Luftikus S.: Second on course for the U.S. team will be Gates (Medina, Wash.) and Evergate Stables LLC’s Luftikus S. The 2016 Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North (NAJYRC) team silver and individual bronze medalist and 13-year-old Deutsches Sportpferd gelding spent the majority of 2017 competing in the Global Champions tour. They placed seventh at the Global Champions Tour Cascais, Estoril Grand Prix in July.
Wilton Porter and Caletto Cabana: Porter (Wellington, Fla.) and Caletto Cabana, Sleepy P Ranch LLC’s 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding, are coming off a successful July, returning to Samorin’s X-BIONIC SPHERE where they placed second in the X-Bionic Sphere Grand Prix CSI4*. They also won the CCV Prijs and tied with Bart Bles of the Netherlands for first place in the Grand Prix of the Provence of Gelderland at CSI3* Arnhem, the Netherlands.
Chloe Reid and Adamo: Having competed in several senior Nations Cup competitions, Reid (Washington, D.C.) will use that experience to anchor the U.S. team in Samorin. The 2014 NAJYRC team gold medalist will ride Team Honor USA LLC’s Adamo. She recently picked up the ride on the 12-year-old KWPN gelding in late June. They return to the same venue in which they won their first competition, the Prix Mohai CSI4* part of their third event as a partnership.
Watch the live stream of CSIO3* Samorin beginning at 8:00 am EST here.
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