22 SIDELINES DECEMBER 2012
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
Grand Prix.”
At 18, Charlotte Jacobs is one of the “older” younger
riders to be competing in the Open Jumpers these
days! The two-time R.W. “Ronnie” Mutch Equitation
champion made her debut in the Grand Prix during the
Saratoga Springs Horse Show two years ago. “I admit
that I was very, very nervous,” she said. “It’s a whole
different group of people from the Junior Jumper riders
and that’s a very competitive group, too. But in the
Grand Prix classes everyone really wants to win and
they are all great competitors. It’s so much more fun
to do those classes though, because it steps up your
game in every way.”
Daniela Stransky, 15, also made her debut in
the Grand Prix ranks this year. “My trainer, Hector
Florentino decided that the $50,000 Parker Adventist
Hospital Grand Prix at the Colorado Horse Park would
be perfect to try. I was very happy even though I had
faults. It is not just the height of the fences that go
up when you move up; the courses are much more
technical and there was not any opportunity to lose
focus or take a fence for granted!”
Hector said, “Daniela put in
a smooth, smart ride that gave us the feeling that
we were ready for this level. Every young rider
wants to move up, like Daniela’s friend Jose F.
Bonetti who is also 15; he’d love to follow in her
footsteps. I don’t think that age should be the
deciding factor. It is whether the young rider is
putting in consistent performances and has the
skills to handle that level. When it is time, Jose
will have his chance, too!”
“It is fun to compete against this caliber of
rider, no matter how old they are,” concluded
Daniela. “Most have more years in the saddle
than I do, but then look at Reed Kessler. She’s
a perfect example of how age isn’t what makes
a winning rider!”
During
this summer’s Hampton Classic Horse
Show, Emanuel proved that his age was not
going to slow him down! He piloted his mount
Walter 61 to the fastest four fault effort in the
$7,500 Prudential Elliman Open with two-time
Olympic team gold medalist McLain Ward
winning the class. “Just because someone
has nice horses it doesn’t mean that they
are going to win. There are so many really
great riders on the circuit, so many nice
horses. You have to pull it all together and
you can’t take anything for granted in any
of the classes, not in the Juniors or in the
Daniela Stransky
Photo by Mancini Photos
Emanuel Andrade
Photo by Shawn McMillen
Charlotte Jacobs
Photo by Mancini Photos