By Catie Staszak for tbird
Callie Schott (USA) has taken some time to get to know Teddy Z—not because she and the 11-year-old Zangersheide gelding weren’t initially seeing eye to eye.
Instead, the established professional—a longtime assistant to Olympic gold medalist Beezie Madden (USA) before taking up the job as professional at Southern Arches—was dealing with injury. Schott was out for nearly six months while recovering from shoulder surgery to repair her labrum, a chronic issue that came to a head during routine activity at her home.
“We got him in December, [and] then I had my surgery in March, so we hadn’t had him that long and then we had a little lull,” Schott said. “And then I think [during] the circuit in Florida, we became a good team together.”
The duo carried their forward momentum to tbird after some top 10 placings in three-star competition in Wellington (USA) in April, achieving the first Grand Prix victory of their partnership in the $37,200 CSI2* tbird Grand Prix. Ali Ramsay (CAN) and exciting 9-year-old Conrado finished second, with fellow Canadian and birthday girl Vanessa Mannix (CAN) and Catinka 25 third.
“I just feel like the more we get to know each other, [the more] we’re starting to be able to trust each other to really go for it.”
In a jump-off where risk didn’t often come with reward, Schott’s well calculated plan paid off with efficiency, a well executed inside turn, and a committed gallop to the last. The 13-horse jump-off produced just four double-clear efforts, with Schott’s the best of the lot.
“Beezie was watching the other [riders] and she was like, ‘You can do 10 [strides] to the last,’ and so I went for it.
“It feels unbelievable.”
$37,200 CSI2* tbird Grand Prix
Place / Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time
1. Teddy Z / Callie Schott / USA / Southern Arches LLC / 0/0 39.67
2. Conrado / Ali Ramsay / CAN / David Sport Horses Inc. Ramsay Equestrian Inc. / 0/0 41.48
3. Catinka / Vanessa Mannix / CAN / Vanessa Mannix / 0/0 42.48
4. Battlecry / Tiffany Foster / CAN / Artisan Farms LLC, Kent Farrington LLC / 0/0 42.64
5. Picador / Jordan Coyle / IRL / Elan Farm / 0/4 36.74
6. Jiminy Cricket / Nayel Nassar / EGY / Evergate Stables LLC / 0/4 37.84
7. Contefina LVF / Ashlee Bond / ISR / Ashlee Bond Showjumping LP / 0/4 38.00
8. Cunningham / Christopher Lowe / CAN / Christopher Lowe / 0/4 44.61
9. H-Lucky Retto / Antonio Chedraui / MEX / P Dolfsma / 0/4 45.20
10. Scato van de Molenbrug Z / Jennifer Waxman / USA / Daniel Bluman, The Scato Group LLC / 0/8 41.01
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