Edited Press Release
A chilly, breezy morning at the FarmVet Ring 7 Saturday at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) wouldn’t deter Wisconsin native Hannah Hoch and Jentle from a strong performance in the Palm Beach Adult Medal sponsored by Bruno Delgrange.
Hoch rode Jentle, a KWPN gelding by Chaqui Z owned by Heritage Farm, Inc., to the win with a score of 88 over fences and a flat work-off that ensured they remained in the top spot.
“He’s a young horse so I just wanted to give him a good, confident, accurate ride,” said Hoch of the eight-year-old chestnut. “This is my first show on him. I showed him for the first time on Thursday, and he’s been a great partner so far.”
The newly-formed partnership is off to a stellar start with a second-place finish in the NHS/THIS Adult Medal and a win in the Ariat National Adult Medal – with a score of 89 – preceding their Palm Beach Adult Medal win.
“He’s owned by my trainer. We’re hoping that he’s going to be a big equitation horse,” Hoch noted, “so the more confident he gets in these divisions, hopefully he can move on and start the big equitation.”
While Hoch and trainer Andre Dignelli have big equitation goals in mind for Jentle, Hoch herself remains excited to continue in the adult equitation and the jumpers.
“I love showing him, and any horses I can get the opportunity to show I enjoy,” Hoch said. “I also show my own mare in the medium and high amateur jumpers.”
Second place in the class went to Tatyana Soldera of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, aboard Better in Blue, owned by First Blue LLC, and third to Cameron Kohls of New York, NY, with her own Fubioh.
