We’re back for another round of “Ride of the Week” brought to you by our friends at Hallway Feeds, where we feature the absolute best rounds the H/J 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.
Today we’re featuring a thrilling jump-off performance by Simon Nizri and his twelve-year-old gelding E Muze Yek, who in the barn is known simply as “Boss”. The elegant gray put in a brave and scrappy performance at the Blenheim Equisports Showpark Summer Festival in Del Mar, California to win the $30,000 Grand Prix.
The first two fences are a tall vertical to a long bending line oxer, where a horse with a good stride can really cut out some time. Boss makes quick work of it and makes a sharp left turn to #3, another vertical.
The pair must cross the field again, and coming off a hard right turn from the fourth fence, Boss slips on the grass and goes completely down in back, an incident that could end the momentum and confidence in a round for a sensitive horse.
But Boss doesn’t even appear to lose time from the incident, pulling himself upward and forward in one motion and finishing the turn into a monstrous in and out without fault and up on the clock.
He takes the next fence in perfect stride, turning in the air to the final obstacle at his left and stopping the clock at 38.28 seconds, more than a second ahead of the next closest competitor.
Even more impressively, the horse is just coming back from a long injury, and it looks like he’s never been happier to be back in action.
“I didn’t have any expectations. This was his first horse show back since an injury in the winter,” Simon told the press. “He hadn’t shown in so long. I was wondering how he was going to be. But I tell you, every time he goes in the ring he is a superstar. He impresses me each time. He is such a joy to have. I’m so lucky.”
Simon is a fascinating individual who was born in Mexico, lives in the U.S., and represents Israel on the international stage. He first competed in the World Cup Finals back in the 1990s when he was just 17 years old, and hasn’t looked back since. He trains out of Wildflower Ranch LLC in Encinitas, California, and you can find out more about him on the Farm’s Facebook Page and Website.
Go Jumping.