New York City—Sept. 22

Before Jennifer Gates headed into the jump-off for the $25,000 U.S. Open Hollow Creek Farm Under-25 Grand Prix aboard Alex, trainer Hardin Towell pulled her aside for a heart to heart.

“He told me to give it a shot,” said Gates, Seattle. “For a long time I’ve been trying to go clear, then going slow in the jump-off. He said, ‘We got this horse for you to learn how to go fast. Just try to do it.’ So that’s what I did, and he was great for me.”

Jennifer Gates and Alex took home the top prize in the $25,000 U.S. Open Hollow Creek Farm U25 Grand Prix. Photo by Kimberly Loushin.

Last to go in the in the three-horse jump-off, Gates went for broke on Alex, slicing the turns to stop the clock nearly a full second faster than Sydney Shulman and Curby Du Seigneur. Irishman Jordan Coyle had the time, but a single rail relegated him to third, still earning a nice paycheck aboard Andrew Kocher’s Chuckles.

Emanuel Andrade and Jennifer Gates gave Alex a pet during the awards ceremony. Photo by Kimberly Loushin.

Gates paired up with Alex, owned by Copernicus Stables LLC, this summer, and they’re still getting to know each other, but Gates had nothing but positive things to say about the 13-year-old Westphalian (Arpeggio—Marilu, Mon Cheri).

“I’ve been to four shows on him, and he’s the simplest horse I had to ride,” said the 21-year-old. “He knows his job, and he’s a sweetheart in the barn. I’m really looking forward to growing the partnership.”

Sydney Shulman led the way with the first double clear performance in the $25,000 U.S. Open Hollow Creek Farm U25 Grand Prix with Curby Du Seigneur to finish second. Photo by Kimberly Loushin.

Shulman, 21, has been on a serious roll, winning three big classes at the American Gold Cup CSI-W (N.Y.) last week.

“Last week was a dream for me; I was almost hoping I didn’t have a horse show as soon as today!” she said. “I don’t show much in the summer; I mostly work with the clients I train [at her family’s Back Country Farm]. I just got the ride from [student] Hannah Patten, who owns the horse, in June.

“Riding him is like being in another sport,” she continued.

For more in-depth coverage from the fourth annual 2017 Rolex Central Park Horse Show, check out the October 9 issue of The Chronicle of the Horse magazine.

Want to know when each class goes and where to watch the livestream? We’ve got that information for you!

You can see full results from the Rolex Central Park Horse Show here. 

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