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VIDEO: Aldergrove’s Kassidy Keith wins BCHJA Fall Finale at tbird

First FEI senior victory for rider
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Kassidy Keith and Havana won the $36,900 tbird 1.45m at the BCHJA Fall Finale on Friday, Oct. 1. (Photo by tbird/Quinn Saunders)

At the Harvest Celebration, Kassidy Keith was named series champion of the MarBill Hill U25 League at Thunderbird Show Park.

Less than a week later, she has recorded her first senior FEI win (Fédération Equestre Internationale win – the international governing body of equestrian sports).

Keith and her nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare Havana bested a star-studded eight-horse jump-off en route to victory in the $36,900 tbird 1.45m Friday evening at the British Columbia Hunter Jumper Association (BCHJA) Fall Finale at tbird.

READ ALSO: Conor Swail wins $150,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Vancouver at Thunderbird Show Park in Langley

They even bested last week’s victors of the $150,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Vancouver, Conor Swail and Vital Chance de la Roque, who took second. For a second day in a row, Lauren Crooks and Louisiana van de Moortelshoeve finished third.

”Since I went later in the jump-off, I did watch quite a few [other riders] go, and I decided that I was going to do eight [strides between the first two fences] like everybody else,” Keith explained. “From there, I just thought I was going to keep the turns tight and give [Havana] room at the verticals. I thought she was fabulous. She did everything I asked of her.”

Keith works alongside her mother Cheryl at Keepsake Farms in Aldergrove, where Keith rides, trains and coaches.

When she’s competing with Havana, she also receives help from fellow Canadian show jumper, Darrin Dlin.

With Dlin’s guidance, horse and rider have become forces at the U25 level, and they made their CSI3* (Concours de Saut International, the ranking system for the equestrian competition show jumping) debut in August.

READ ALSO: VIDEO: Tiffany Foster and Galino lead wire to wire in win at Langley’s tbird

Keith has been developing her mount since Havana was just four years old, and the two have climbed the ranks together.

“This is by far the biggest win of my career,” Keith said. “It’s very special to have developed Havana to where she is now. She just keeps showing me that she can be better and better. I just can’t wait for the things to come.”

Results:

Place / Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time

1. Havana / Kassidy Keith / CAN / Kassidy Keith / 0/0 41.4

2. Vital Chance de la Roque / Conor Swail / IRL / Conor Swail / 0/0 41.81

3. Louisiana van de Moortelshoeve / Lauren Crooks / USA / Crooks Show Jumping, LLC / 0/0 41.82

4. Beneficial / Alicia Gadban-Lewis / CAN / Alicia Gadban-Lewis / 0/0 43.28

5. Milton / James Brennan / IRL / Crooks Show Jumping, LLC / 0/0 44.82

6. Willow / Lauren Myers / USA / Lauren Myers / 0/4 47.74

7. Livestream 2 / Lisa Carlsen / CAN / Lisa Carlsen / 0/31 74.33

8. Chico ASK / Johanna Siefert / USA / Jill Davidson / 0/EL

9. Castros / Meredith Ellis / CAN / Meredith Ellis / 1 73.47

10. Concetto Son / Laura-Jane Tidball / CAN / Thunderbird Show Park Ltd / 1 74.26


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Dan Ferguson

About the Author: Dan Ferguson

Best recognized for my resemblance to St. Nick, I’m the guy you’ll often see out at community events and happenings around town.
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