Welcome to week two our new series, “Ride of the Week” brought to you by our friends at Hallway Feeds, where we feature the absolute best rounds the hunter jumper universe has to offer. These clips are not only a thrilling spectacle of the world’s very best competitors at the top of their game, but also a valuable learning tool.
This week we bring to you a beautiful round from legend Anne Kurskinski aboard Caspar’s Lasino, owned by Market Street, Inc. at the I Love New York Horse Show in Lake Placid. The seven-year-old Holsteiner gelding is still young and learning his way around the 1.40m classes, and it’s clear that Anne’s goal is less about winning and more about giving him a quiet and confident ride.
One of the most notable elements of Anne’s ride is about 55 seconds in through the far end of the field when Lasino has to clear an exceptionally wide oxer and then pull it together just four strides later for a tight in-and-out. She really coaches him to perform over the spread, asks him to shorten up a bit, and then really stays out of his way to let him sort through the in-and-out himself.
She stays perfectly balanced and quiet in the saddle and keeps her hands present but not overly persuasive. The result is not only a clean result, but also a confidence-building experience for a horse who is oozing with potential in the future. Perhaps just as impressively, the quick and clever gelding leaves the arena quiet and on the buckle. *Swoon*
The clear in the first round moved them into the jump-off where an unfortunate rub after a tight rollback cost them a rail, but Anne and Lasino go on to finish 7th out of 38. Proof that a ride doesn’t always have to be a winning round to be worthy of our ride of the week.
Stay locked on to Jumper Nation for more beautiful rounds and quality learning opportunities, and go jumping!