Greenwich, Connecticut – October 05, 2023 – As two- and five-star competitors got acclimated with the one-of-a-kind venue at the Greenwich Polo Club for the 2023 edition of CSI Greenwich, Katie Dinan (USA) had a specific goal for Thursday’s Two-Phase Opener CSI 5* : practice efficient speed.
Knowing she could put full trust in her longtime partner Atika des Hauts Vents, Dinan executed that plan to perfection, taking the win over the 70-strong field that navigated Alan Wade’s (IRL) Power and Speed track.
Dinan and “Atika” crossed the timers of the competition’s second phase in 33.35 seconds.
Spencer Smith (USA) finished second with Tulara Colmine , being clean all the way to the wire and crossing the final timers in 34.20 seconds.
He was followed by Erynn Ballard (CAN) and Libido van’t Hofken, who completed the top three in flawless fashion too, doing so in 34.33 seconds.
“I’m practicing for myself as a rider—and with her as a combination—[by] working on our turns and going fast without rushing. This felt like a great opportunity to work on that and still give [Atika] a good round for the rest of the week coming up. So I’m really, really happy,” Dinan explained. “[Atika] gives you a tremendous amount of confidence. I could be prompt in the speed phase, because I can really trust her, and she doesn’t need that much setting up in front of the jump.”
CSI Greenwich has shined a spotlight on the greater New York show jumping community, which is particularly meaningful for Dinan. Her Grant Road operation is named after the street on which her family’s farm in North Salem, NY, resides. She is based less than an hour from GPC and has competed at CSI Greenwich since its inception in 2021.
“This definitely feels like a home show of sorts for me. I will have the team from our stable come and hopefully watch over the weekend. I have some [non-equestrian] friends from home coming, and I think my parents will be able to come for a bit,” said Dinan, a five-time veteran of the FEI Jumping World Cup™ Finals. “Greenwich and Westchester County are great horse areas, and some of the best riders in the U.S.—and even the world—base in this area. So, it makes a lot of sense that we have a horse show that represents that caliber of field.”
With CSI5* and CSI2* divisions on the schedule, CSI Greenwich spans four days, with the $500,000 CSI5* Grand Prix of Greenwich the competition’s hallmark on Sunday, Oct. 8 at 2pm ET. The event continues Friday with the CSI5* MLSJ Team Competition and the CSI2* Qualifier.
Final Results – Two-Phase Opener CSI 5*
1) Katie Dinan (USA) & Atika des Hauts Vents – 0 / 0 – 33.35
2) Spencer Smith (USA) & Tulara Colmine – 0 / 0 – 34.20
3) Erynn Ballard (CAN) & Libido van’t Hofken – 0 / 0 – 34.33
Source: Press Release from CSI Greenwich
Photos: © CSI Greenwich / Teddi Pritzker for Ashley Neuhof Photography
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