GALLERY: Every Rider, Every Angle from WIHS Costume Jumper Class, Presented by Draper Therapies

October 27, 2017

Photo by Lorraine Jackson

We simply must heap huge praise on the FEI riders who go all-out for the silly classes – we know it’s not easy to let loose when your whole livelihood depends on structure and planning and a certain amount of composure. The sport can sometimes breed two extremes of either huge personalities who feed off the crowd and those who perceive sharing their human side as a necessary evil of pursuing their equestrian goals.

But the vast majority of participants in Thursday night’s $35,000 International Jumper Accumulator Costume Class were clearly more than happy to be there and show a little lust for life to the boisterous crowd.

Kama Godek and De Grande were the winners of the $1,000 Costume bonus for their over-the-top portrayal of a scarecrow and living garden, and Beat Mandli of Switzerland was the big winner of the class by going clear over every fence (including the finale joker vertical) and doing so with the fastest time.

But the real winners were the fans and of course all of you! See the full gallery of costumes below PLUS all the costumes in action, because some of these simply must be seen in action.