James Chawke brought a fresh string to the CSI3* Summer Fort Welcome, the first of back-to-back weeks of international jumping at Thunderbird Show Park this month. The question was how fresh?

The Irish rider tested the waters on Wednesday, jumping a few fences in the CSI3* Happy Welcome 1.40m with both Daido Van’t Ruytershof Z and Nacara Van Berkenroeck Z. Later that evening, he tested the gears in the $31,100 CSI3* tbird Speed 1.45m.

“Neither of my horses have shown since [we were] here in May. So that’s why I jumped the 1.40m and just did a couple of jumps on both of them to see where they’re at,” explained Chawke.

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