THERMAL, Calif. – February 27, 2021 – A field of twenty-one top show jumping athletes battled it out in the FEI $36,600 1.45m CSI3*, sponsored by AIG, Saturday afternoon in the Grand Prix Stadium. Three pairings returned for the jump-off round and in the end, it was hometown favorite Kyle King (USA) aboard Coffee To Go (Cinquecento 7 x De Colady) who would prevail and take home the lion’s share of the prize. The pair stopped the timers at 36.80 seconds to clinch the win.
Featuring a triple combination, a triple bar, and multiple tight rollbacks, course designer Bernardo Cabral (POR) built an impressive track for riders to conquer. Multiple riders fell victim to four faults and three veteran riders advanced to the jump-off. The short course had riders galloping forward and leaving out strides between fences in a true fight to the finish.
“I was kind of shocked how many people were having rails; my first horse had an unfortunate rail but I was pretty confident going in with the way he has been jumping. It was a pretty decent track, if I could just stay out of his way and be smooth, we would be good,” narrated King. “We had some great talent in the jump-off. Beth Underhill on her horse is just so fast naturally and Will [Simpson] is one of the best riders I have ever seen no matter what he is sitting on. I was very honored to beat him.”
King has been paired with Coffee To Go for the last year and a half. In that time, King has continued getting to know and developing Coffee To Go into the horse that he is today. The twelve-year-old Westphailan gelding, owned by Spruce Meadows LTD, is very special to King. The duo have competed in multiple CSI2* and CSI3* events with consistent rounds and King is fully confident that it is his time to shine.
“He is a very special animal. He has more talent than maybe any other horse I have sat on, physically. Mentally he has taken a little while to develop,” explained King. “I have had him for a year and a half and I have known he has been so close. He is just so consistent and so close. Now I am able to let him gallop and turn, I know him so well. Livepools are an after thought these days. He is such a talented horse and I think he really, mentally, is coming into his own right now.”
ESI Photography.
Just a few seconds behind King, Beth Underhill of Canada aboard Count Me In were awarded the second place honors for their time of 38.08 seconds. Owned by Sandy Lupton, Count Me In, is a fourteen year old Hannovarian gelding by Count Grannus out of Sunshine. The podium was completed by Will Simpson (USA) and his long time mount Chacco P (Chacco-Blue x Cera P), a twelve year old Mecklenburg gelding, owned by Simpson himself, with a quick time of 38.32 seconds. The pair had two unfortunate rails to finish in the third position.
ESI Photography.
FEI competition will conclude Week V with the FEI $137,000 1.55m CSI3*, sponsored by Kubota on Sunday afternoon in the Grand Prix Stadium.
To view the full results of the FEI $36,600 1.45m CSI3*, visit Showgrounds Live.
About the Desert International Horse Park
With nearly 1.3 million square feet of competition and riding space, the Desert International Horse Park is one of the largest equestrian facilities in North America. Offering multiple weeks of world-class equestrian competition from October through March, the facility is a destination location for thousands of equestrians, their horses, family and friends for several months annually. Competitors from all over the world travel to Thermal, CA to not only compete but to enjoy everything the desert has to offer.