Coulter High Roller in Vegas

By Staff Report November 16, 2012

Saer Coulter jumped to the front of the pack in the $32,000 Markel Insurance Jumper Classic at the Las Vegas National, taking first and second place on Graciella 50 and Julia des Brumes, respectively.  The 20-year-old San Francisco rider topped an international field of 56 horses that converged Nov. 15 at the South Point Equestrian Center.

Christian Heineking (GER) came in third aboard NKH Selena, followed by Helen McNaught (USA) and Lariccello. In all, 10 nations were represented at the Blenheim EquiSports event.

Coulter’s win clocked in at a fleeting 64.26 seconds aboard the 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding Graciella 50, the newest addition at her Copernicus Stables. “This was our fourth show together and everything seems to be clicking,” Coulter said. “I honestly thought I was slower but she covers so much ground and was just that much faster.”

Coulter was third in the order of go with Julia, a 15-year-old mare belonging to her sister, Audrey. The Selle Francais cleanly circled Olaf Petersen Jr.’s FEI Jumper Classic course in 64.26. “My plan was to go fast and smooth, and Julia did a great job settling in,” Coulter said. “I’ve been working on my speed at home a lot, and I think it has helped since I am usually so conservative.”

Only two rounds later, Heineking and his 7-year-old youngster, NKH Selena, were able to put up a fault free round as well but at 64.93 seconds lagged Coulter’s time.  Six other teams were able to master Petersen’s track but it was 45 rounds later that Coulter was able to beat her own score.

FEI Jumper Classic course. “I wanted to see what type of horses we had with us this year,” noted Petersen. “It was a very large field with a very large variety of level and experience. Expect the size and level of technicality to go up for Saturday’s World Cup Qualifier.” Of the fifty-six rounds, only nine were able to leave all the rails in the cups.

“It wasn’t a giant course, or a tough time allowed, but there were many questions that required riders to get their horses under control and set up correctly,” Petersen said of his course. Despite the numerous bending lines and blind angles, riders faced complications coming out of the triple-bar vertical combination, at which point they had to reset for an awkward distance to an oxer. The final line was a vertical-vertical-oxer combination that took many victims if they came in too quick to clear all the elements.

Six other teams were able to master Petersen’s track but 45 rounds later Coulter was the only one to beat her own score, clocking in at an even quicker 64.26 seconds on the 10-year-old Graciella 50, the newest addition at her barn. “This was our fourth show together and everything seems to be clicking,” Coulter added, “I honestly thought I was slower but she covers so much ground and was just that much faster.” The remaining 10 rounds simply could not match the leader.

The 2nd annual Barn Competition was underway when the building erupted in a roar of cheering teams from local equestrian fanatics. Competing barns came together to show off their equestrian spirit and take home bragging rights as they qualify for Saturday night’s finals.

Tonight, the contenders will try test their aptitude in the $30,000 EQU Lifestyle Speed Classic, followed by Saturday night’s $50,000 Fisker Automotive CSI-W Grand Prix.

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