Summer Fort Welcome Roundup at Tbird

Kruger Executes Win in CSI3* tbird 1.40m Challenge

The CSI3* tbird 1.40m Challenge came down to a match race Thursday afternoon at Thunderbird Show Park.

Having the advantageous position of following her lone opponent in Laura Jane Tidball (CAN), Katie Kruger (CAN) knew exactly what she’d have to do to claim the second international victory of her career.

But her winning strategy was not to try to outdo her competition; it was to simply commit to her own plan.

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Kruger and her longtime partner Goodwill VB executed the only double-clear performance of the competition to take the win; the pair crossed the timers of Peter Holmes’ (CAN) short course in 44.94 seconds. Tidball and Jericho finished second with a score of four faults (44.62 seconds). Ashley Papalia (CAN) and Comme tu Veux Z—fresh off a win of their own in Wednesday’s CSI3* Happy Welcome—finished third after incurring a single time fault in the first round.

“I had walked [jumps] one to two in the nine [strides], and we were watching LJ, and she did the 10,” Kruger said. “But my horse has a huge step, so we thought the nine would be easy. We walked a few lines that we wouldn’t normally walk so that I had an idea of what was possible. I rode them exactly how we walked, and it just showed up nicely for me.”

Kruger and now 17-year-old Belgian Warmblood stallion have been partnered for nearly seven years, and they have climbed the ranks from the amateur jumper divisions up to the four-star level. At the 1.40m height, this pair jumps clear 62% of the time, according to Jumpr App.

“He has taught me so much…He is like a pure gift,” Kruger gushed. “Every day I get to ride him, I am so grateful. He’s just taught me to enjoy every moment and have a little fun with it, because he’s got a good sense of humor, and he has really helped me have a better sense of humor about it, too.”

It was during tbird’s August series in 2021 that Kruger recorded her first FEI win. Adding a second proved to taste just as sweet.

“I’m pretty darn excited,” she shared. “I did not ride as well as I wanted to yesterday, and so it feels pretty great to have a great round today.

“The [tbird] facility is amazing. The ring is beautiful. It’s beautifully maintained. The jumps are gorgeous,” Kruger added. “My horses love the field. It’s just— it’s our favorite place to be.”

CSI3* tbird 1.40m Challenge
Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time

1. Goodwill VB / Katie Kruger / CAN / Caledonia Stables / 0/0 44.94
2. Jericho / Laura Jane Tidball / CAN / Thunderbird Show Park Ltd / 0/4 44.62
3. Comme Tu Veux Z / Ashley Papalia / CAN / Ashley Papalia / 1 82.35
4. Heartvit ZH / Tracey Epp / CAN / Tracey Epp / 4 78.73
5. Glacier ZF / Shauna Cook / CAN / Zeidler Farm Canada 2017 Ltd / 4 80.49
6. Carre D’as Lili / Sebastien Devrainne / FRA / Sebastien Devrainne / 5 82.01
7. Castros / Meredith Ellis / USA / Meredith Ellis / 8 82.23
8. Didi 42 / Laila Klinsmann / USA / Laila Klinsmann / 8 85.92
9. Quidamo F / Kara Chad / CAN / Stone Ridge Farms LLC / 9 86.54
10. Pasquinelle / Emily Fitzgerald / CAN / Emily Fitzgerald / 23 100.05

Chernoff Saves Best for Last in MarBill Hill U25 1.35m

The Summer Fort Welcome’s U25 division kicked off Thursday with the MarBill Hill U25 1.35m jump-off class—and a win for Stella Chernoff (CAN).

Stella Chernoff and Gutascha jumping a fence at tbird.

Stella Chernoff (CAN) and Gutascha. (tbird/Kim Gaudry photo)

In a seven-horse jump-off, Georgia Knight (CAN) and Ecolano vs Romano were holding onto a commanding lead of more than five seconds when Chernoff entered the ring, last to go. Aboard a developing mount in Gutascha, Chernoff edged Knight at the wire, crossing the timers of Peter Holmes’ short course in 42.33 seconds. Knight settled for second (43.53 seconds), with Brooke Morin (USA) and NKH Carrido third (48.75).

With two rides in the jump-off, Chernoff was determined to improve upon the mistake she made aboard her first mount, Connador. Her knowledge and familiarity with the track pushed her ahead, as she chose to ride smart early in the course and take more risks at its end.

“I knew I had Jump 4 down on my first horse, so I kind of wanted to stay out a little bit more to that one. I didn’t do the same thing, make the same mistake [on Gatascha],” Chernoff explained. “Then [it was just about ] putting [Gatascha] into another gear and galloping to the last jump.”

Navigating the show circuit is a balancing act for Chernoff, who is also pursuing studies at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. That has made developing a partnership with Gutascha a bit of a slower process, but maintaining patience has proved fruitful.

“It’s pretty new,” Chernoff said of her relationship with the 12-year-old mare. “We got her last year, but I was away at university, so I pretty much just started riding her this May.”

$5,000 MarBill Hill U25 1.35m
Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time

1. Gutascha / Stella Chernoff / CAN / Stump Lake Ranch and Cattle Co Ltd / 0/0 42.33
2. Ecolano vs Romano / Georgia Knight / CAN / Georgia Knight/ 0/0 43.53
3. NKH Carrido / Brooke Morin / USA / Strasburg Morin Inc / 0/0 48.75
4. Ielinea JTL / Jaydan Stettner / CAN / Jaydan Stettner / 0/4 42.19
5. Fair Play D’Esquelmes / Nyah Chernoff / Stump Lake Ranch and Cattle Co Ltd / 0/4 43.79
6. Fenelon WF / Kassidy Keith / CAN / Kassidy Keith / 0/4 44.47
7. Connador / Stella Chernoff / CAN / Stump Lake Ranch and Cattle Co Ltd / 0/4 44.55
8. Lestat OLD / Ashley Arnoldt / CAN / Jennifer Arnoldt / 1 79.15
9. Fay / Stella Chernoff / CAN / Stump Lake Ranch and Cattle Co Ltd / 4 74.91
10. Levando V / Samantha Schulze / CAN / Samantha Schulze / 4 76.35

Rodney Tulloch and Casalito's Boy jumping a hunter derby fence.

Rodney Tulloch (CAN) and Casalito’s Boy. (tbird/Kim Gaudry photo)

Tulloch Triumphs with Casalito’s Boy in DIHP Canadian Hunter Derby

Over the summer in Langley, professional Rodney Tulloch (CAN) was tasked with a most difficult assignment.

His client Jaclyn Jarrell was on the hunt for a new horse, but she had specific instructions: Her next mount had to be a “unicorn.” After all, the horse would be taking over for another that was simply irreplaceable.

Jarrell’s longtime partner Bartez—a winner from Thunderbird to Spruce Meadows, the Royal Horse Show and beyond—passed away in December at the age of 22.

“She didn’t ask me to find a replacement. She asked me to find a unicorn,” Tulloch specified. “You could never replace that heart horse.”

But when Tulloch saw Kalima Ngobi’s Casalito’s Boy jump at tbird in June, the resemblance to Bartez was uncanny, from the horse’s build to his white socks and small blaze.

Jarrell ended up leasing Casalito’s Boy, and when she isn’t competing in the Adult Amateur Hunter division, Tulloch gets to show the gelding in some bigger classes. Thursday evening at tbird, the pair won the DIHP Canadian Hunter Derby with a score of 100. Samantha Smith (USA) and Cashew Q finished second (92), followed by Ashley Arnoldt (CAN) and Light My Fiare (91).

“[Casalito’s Boy] is super uncomplicated. He’s really special,” Tulloch said. “He just tries very hard, and he’s interested in everything. I know I can do any inside turn, and that makes it so fun.”

Held in a one-round format, the Canadian Hunter Derby is judged as a handy class. Judges award a base score for the round. A High Performance Bonus and Handy Bonus—each up to 10 points—are then added to that number to comprise the final score for the round. Tulloch and Casalito’s Boy finished eight points ahead of their closest competitor; the field was tightly bunched behind them.

“I just have so much faith in the horse,” Tulloch said.

DIHP Canadian Hunter Derby – Open
Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Score

1. Casalito’s Boy / Rodney Tulloch / CAN / Kalima Ngobi / 100
2. Cashew Q / Samantha Smith / USA / Lauren Brummett / 92
3. Light My Fire / Ashley Arnoldt / CAN / Jennifer Arnoldt / 91
4. Silver Lining / Chelsea McNeil / CAN / Cindy Ferrie / 88
5. Momma Cita / Ruby Wall / CAN / Ruby Wall / 87.5
6. Oliver van de Leeuwerk / Allison Lagan / CAN / Brittany Qualls / 87
7. Wayfinder / Nicole Bourgeois / USA / Hilary Sosne / 86
8. Old Times LS / Samantha Smith / USA / Red Gate Farm LLC / 85

Competition at the Summer Fort Welcome continues Friday with the CSI3* Steel-Craft Doors Cup.

All classes in the Fort Grand Prix Arena stream live daily on tbird.ca.