Riding in front of a hometown crowd

There’s nothing quite like competing in front of a hometown crowd.

Just ask Langley’s Tiffany Foster and Aldergrove’s Kassidy Keith, who both had good showings as the Summer Fort Welcome series got underway at Thunderbird Show Park.

Foster said she always look forward to competing at tbird “and this year I will compete in every FEI (Fédération Equestre Internationale) event that they are hosting. I think tbird is a fantastic place to develop horses and I hope the group I’m currently producing will go out into the world of high level show jumping and make Langley proud.”

A busy Kassidy Keith was looking forward to riding at tbird, too.

“The hometown audience is always very good!” Keith enthused.

Foster told the Langley Advance Times she’s been “having a pretty strong year so far.”

“I’ve introduced a few new exciting, younger, horses to my group that are all proving to be competitive horses. I have three nine-year-olds who have all stepped up and are starting to look like legitimate [five star] competitors. The future looks bright!”

Foster recently hired Langley native Megan Southam as part of the training staff at her Little Creek Equestrian

Southam, who started riding at eight, rode horses and assisted with stable operations at tbird for several years, going on the have a successful junior career before she was recruited by the University of Georgia to compete on their equestrian team

“I’m committed to supporting her career,” Foster remarked. “She’s a great rider and wonderful person so I am excited to see what we can do together.”

Work on Foster’s new Langley facility is not expected to be completed until next spring, the result of what Foster described as “issues with the contractor.”

Keith described her season as “good, so far,” and was planning to show Fenelon WF in the U25 classes and Havana in the three-star classes, saying both have been “very keen all season.”

“I am very happy with both horses,” Keith said.

“My goals going into all these events is to give my horses my best, so they can perform at the top of their game.”

READ ALSO: VIDEO: Aldergrove rider Kassidy Keith is looking to move up

Foster and Brighton topped a field of 19 on opening day, Wednesday, Aug. 9, taking first in the CSI3* tbird Speed 1.45m. Riding Electrique in the same event, Foster tied for seventh.

On Friday, Aug. 11, Foster and Electrique won a four-horse jump-off in the CSI3* Steel-Craft Doors 1.50m, and riding Battlecry in the same event, placed eighth.

On Sunday, Aug. 13, Foster ran her winning streak to three, taking the CSI3* The Keg Grand Prix aboard Electrique.

READ ALSO: VIDEO: Langley’s Foster wins two at tbird

In week one, Keith’s record included three top-10 finishes - with Havana in 10th at the opening day CSI3* tbird Speed 1.45m, sixth with Fenelon WF in the MarBill Hill U25 1.35m on Thursday, Aug. 10, and third with Havana in the The Keg Grand Prix 1.50m on Sunday.

They were far from the only Langley riders finishing at or near the top of their events in week one. Others included:

Laura Jane (L.J.) Tidball, who took second Thursday, Aug. 10, riding Jericho in the CSI3* tbird 1.40m Challenge, and the pair finished seventh in the CSI3* Uryadi’s Village winning round on Saturday, Aug. 12.

Aldergrove’s Ashley Papalia and Comme Tu Veux Z finished third in Thursday’s CSI3* tbird 1.40m Challenge.

Langley rider Ashley Arnoldt rode Lestat OLD to seventh in the MarBill Hill U25 1.40m on Saturday, to eighth in the MarBill Hill U25 1.35m on Thursday, as well as taking third in the DIHP Canadian Hunter Derby Open riding Light My Fire the same day.

Langley’s Ayla Martinoff and Calloway finished third in the Diamond Valley Ranch U10 Young Horse 1.35m event.

Former Langley rider Brian Morton was sixth in the The Keg Grand Prix 1.50m on Sunday, riding Luikan Q.

READ ALSO: Langley hosts some of worlds best riders this month