Mill Springs, N.C.—July 11   

If you haven’t heard of Dobra De Porceyo you might want to take note. If her recent performances are indicative of her future in this sport, we’ll be seeing a lot more of her.

This little mare has had a dynamite couple of weeks. Last week she topped the $127,000 Ariat Grand Prix, and tonight she returned in similar form topping the four-horse jump-off in the $210,000 Asheville Regional Airport Grand Prix.

“Almost in disbelief,” was Schuyler Riley’s response to winning two grand prixes, before she stopped herself. “Not disbelief—I knew she could do it. She’s just a really good horse. She’s just amazing. Every time I walk a course I think she can do it, and I haven’t had that feeling in a very long time. She’s such a pleasure to ride. She enjoys the sport. She gets it. She just knows she’s supposed to jump and not hit them and go fast in the second round and not hit them.”

The clear-round pathfinder of the class, Schuyler Riley took a moment after she landed off the final fence free and clear to canter around with her fist held up in victory. But as the moment of celebration dissipated, she turned towards the middle of the ring, halted and leaned over to hand “Dobra” a treat.

“You see me feeding her cookies in the ring—she’s very food motivated,” said Riley. “She looks forward to that and then she enjoys it. It’s easy for her to do this physically, so then she thinks this is playtime.”

This is Dobra’s first season campaigning in the grand prixes, and last weeks’ win marked her first victory. Though Dobra exudes confidence and appears easy when she gallops around in a loose ring snaffle, it wasn’t always that way. When Riley first started riding the 9-year-old mare was a bit unruly, and it took awhile to gain her trust.

The course designed by Ana Catalina Harris proved a bit tough but fair with 10 pairs jumping to four faults and an additional nine finishing on eight faults. Fence 4, the Kingsland oxer out of a bending line and the second combination on course, and 13AB caused the most knockdowns throughout the evening.

Juan Pablo Gnecco (Cyraneiky) picked up a stop at the last fence and Andrew Welles (Boo Van Het Kastenjehof) elected to retire. 

“I thought it was really tough, and I was worried that she would make the time allowed too tight; though for me that’s not a problem with that mare because she’s so fast,” Riley said. “I thought it was a little much for the level we had here, but I knew my horse was capable of doing it.

“I knew it was going to be tough,” she continued. “My horse felt a little rubber legged on the last line, maybe could have not jumped as big. She probably hasn’t jumped that big since her last competitions in Florida, but I really enjoy riding [Harris’] courses. They’re technical, but you can ride them. If you’re communicating well with your horse you can make it happen.”

Though Riley admitted to leaving some doors open for competitors to steal the top check from her, their pace of 39.009 seconds stood up. Kimberly Prince rode RMF Bella Baloubet to second (39.960). Scott Keach had the time with Fedor with a 38.475, but they dropped a rail to finish in third. Candice King and Kismet 50 completed the jump-off with a rail for fourth.