Katherine Strauss wins EY Cup Qualifier
The final event on Wednesday night was the first round of the USEF U25 National Championship, which was a $15,000 Faults Converted class, where all rails were added to the athletes’ final times to determine the winner. The class also served as the first qualifier for the only US leg of the European Youngster Cup.
The first combination to leave all the rails intact and without being conservative was Michael Hughes of Ocala, FL, riding Christina Fried’s Luxina. They tripped the timers at 72.88 seconds, but their lead would be short lived. Katherine Strauss of Southampton, New York was next to enter the arena aboard All In, and they set down the gauntlet.
The duo raced across the arena, clearing each obstacle and stopping the clock at 68.56 seconds, four seconds faster to take over the lead. The only other rider to come close was Eugenio Garza of Hickory Creek,Texas, with El Milagro’s Bariano, who cleared the course just a touch faster than Hughes in 72.03 seconds to take home second place.
“I was really excited coming here out of all the shows we’ve been to because this is the biggest ring of all the indoors,” Strauss said after her win. “My horse has a really big stride, so I can use that strong body of his to my advantage, especially here with the course tonight. There were a lot of open fences where you really have to gallop, and that is where my horse can be a lot faster than the other horses.”
The U25 division is still relatively new in the United States, but athletes like Strauss enjoy having the opportunity to use it to develop themselves and their horses. She concluded, “I think that it is amazing that USEF and the sponsors are doing things to support and really help develop the upcoming riders. I think this is where the future of the sport is, so I am grateful for the organizations and people who are working hard to develop this division.”
About the finals of the European Youngster Cup at the Mevisto Amadeus Horse Indoors in Salzburg (3 – 12 December) Katherine Strauss said: „It would be exciting to qualify but we will just have to see how everything goes.“
The CP National Horse Show/ CSI4* Lexington is broadcasted on www.eqsports.net.
From 3 to 6 december, the final of the European Youngster Cup takes place during the MEVISTO AMADEUS HORSE INDOORS in Salzburg (AUT)
The European Youngster Cup online: www.eycup.eu
Source: Press release
