American Bred Mr. Manhattan came out on top in the 2022 Devon Horse Show’s $3500 Green Hunter 3’6″ Stake at the 2022 Devon Horse Show in what was the Martin Schaeppi-owned gelding’s first visit to the iconic Dixon Oval.
Trained by Kitty and Johnny Barker and ridden by Daniel Geitner, Mr. Manhattan also finished second in the division’s handy round of competition.
“We tried not to overthink and left him a little more fresh, and he just went in and was a star today,” says Geitner. “He’s a superstar horse and really showed off today.”
Johnny Barker says Mr. Manhattan was not affected whatsoever by the bold venue or the pressure that often comes with competing at Devon.
“He doesn’t walk into an atmosphere like Devon and shrink,” says Geitner. “He really is confident in his ability and it’s really cool.”
Geitner gushed about Mr. Manhattan’s quality and how special it is that the gelding is American bred.
“That to me is really a cool thing, because most of our horses are bred in Europe,” says Geitner. “It’s pretty exciting [that] we’re starting to produce quality like this here in America.”
Barker says Mr. Manhattan’s jumping ability and attitude make him a winner.
“He’s such a good jumper and well-behaved in the ring,” says Barker. “[He’s] not spooky. He just turned out to be a really nice horse, and an easy horse, which is probably the most important thing.”
Mr. Manhattan was the featured American bred in the December 2021 issue of The Plaid Horse. Read the story here.
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