Keri Potter (USA) won her second three-star of the week in Sunday’s $117,000 Southern Arches CSI3* Grand Prix during the second week of the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF), presented by B&D Builders. Potter returned to familiar territory to lead the victory gallop around the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring aboard Kalimera van de Nethe Z.
Keri Potter and Kalimera van de Nethe Z. (Megan Giese Media / TCHS)
The 11th season of GLEF heads into its third of six weeks of FEI competition running through August 10, showcasing an FEI Nations Cup CSIO3*, the FEI North American Youth Championships and the return of Major League Show Jumping CSI5* competition to Traverse City. Highlights also include the $100,000 USHJA World Championship Hunter Rider Central Spectacular and weekly qualifiers for the all-new $150,000 Traverse City Equitation Championships debuting in September.
Potter and Kalimera van de Nethe Z opened the week with a win in the $32,000 CSI3* Two-Phase. On the same day that Kalimera van de Nethe Z’s owner — US Olympic team silver medalist Karl Cook — won a five-star grand prix in Sweden, the 10-year-old Zangersheide kept a string of successes alive stateside.
Meghan Rawlins (CAN) set the courses for Sunday’s grand prix with seven combinations advancing to the jump-off. Potter — a Del Mar, CA, native — put her mare’s footspeed to good use, stopping the clock at 38.49 seconds. The closest challenger was Great Britain’s Samuel Hutton riding Etincelle d’Ellipse for owner Lauren Fischer. They crossed the finish timers in 39.53 to settle as the runner-up. Canadian Olympian Erynn Ballard jumped onto the podium in third aboard Fave d’Authuit, owned by Ilan Ferder, in 40.36 seconds. (On Friday, Ballard won the $32,000 MacAllister CIS3* Welcome Stake riding Kandide Chavannaise.) Fellow Canadian Ali Ramsay finished 4th riding Conrado 12.
“This mare has come a long way this last year and this is the first time I’ve taken her out of California. I was nervous to try a new venue, but she came here the first day, took a deep breath and said she felt at home,” said Potter about her first extended stay at Flintfields Horse Park in Traverse City. “It’s pretty easy to use her speed to your advantage, because when you like gear five and that’s where she wants to stay, it’s easy to go fast.”
Potter’s partnership with Cook’s mare is still developing after getting the ride a year ago. “She’s the quickest, most careful, scopey horse I’ve ever ridden. Probably one of the most challenging as well; it’s taken a while to create this partnership, but she and I now know each other so well now that we trust each other.”
Seasonal rain shows made an appearance in Traverse City this week, but Potter and the facility were unfazed. “I have never seen a facility that recovers from rain like this one,” she said. “This place really caters to the horses, but it’s not just a horse show. It’s a facility that cares about the animals; the horses can actually go out and not feel like they’re always competing, which gets them in a better head space.”
Sunday’s victory also earned Potter the Turnham Green Leading Lady Rider title for GLEF II.
Complete results from the $117,000 Southern Arches CSI3* Grand Prix can be found here.
International competition returns to the Turtle Creek Hotel & Casino International Ring with another three-star beginning on July 16. The season culminates in the three-week Tournament of Champions, highlighted by the $340,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ CSI5*-W—Traverse City and $340,000 American Gold Cup CSI5*. New this year, the $100,000 Dudley and Barb Smith 3’6” Equitation Championship and $50,000 Cherry Capital 3’3” Equitation Championship deliver big prize money and prestige to the equitation ranks.
For more information on the season, visit TraverseCityHorseShows.com.
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