Edited Press Release
Saugerties, N.Y. – June 12, 2022 – Careful and consistent was the recipe to win during Sunday’s $100,000 HITS Grand Prix at HITS-on-the-Hudson III. Despite their new partnership, Mattias Tromp and Noemi VH Wuitenshof had all the ingredients to top the highlight event at HITS Saugerties as the only pair to produce two clear efforts in the three-horse jump-off. Tromp only began riding Noemi VH Wuitenshof a few short weeks ago, but it is a match that is already blossoming at HITS Saugerties.
“I think Tom does a great job at putting a series of classes together for professionals where there’s something for every level of our horses to show in,” noted Tromp after the win with his new horse. “Whether you have young 1.40m horses that are just getting going, or older more experienced grand prix horses that are jumping for real money, there’s some sort of class that you can target towards each week. Once they are jumping 1.35m there is something to aim for, and as a professional, that is really nice. There’s something for everybody here – it’s such a versatile horse show!”
Oscar Soberon set a challenging first-round course that tested riders from the start with a wide triple bar bending line followed by a rollback back towards the gate. The course continued with an oxer-vertical double combination and an oxer-vertical-vertical triple combination, and finished over the delicate YVEL vertical at the far side of the ring. Only three qualified for the jump-off, where they had to begin over the YVEL vertical followed by a tight rollback. Riders had to jump the double combination again, and then had the option to take an inside track and slice the next oxer before galloping home over the final line towards the gate.
Tromp and Noemi VH Wuitenshof were the first to return for the jump-off, and they wanted to make sure to put enough pressure on the remaining riders. They galloped quickly across the inside track after the combination and kept up their speed to the final line. Tromp and Noemi VH Wuitenshof galloped through the timers in 41.749 seconds with all the rails intact.
Laura Chapot was next with Chandon Blue, hoping to keep her winning streak from the week alive. Always quick, Chapot was able to catch Tromp’s time, but it came at the expense of two rails after lowering the height of both fences in the combination. Their 8-fault effort in 40.608 seconds would take home the third-place honors. Walker Pozzi opted for a more conservative round with Fabio Van’t Hagenhof Z. The pair had a rail at the third obstacle for 4 faults in 45.844 seconds for the second-place prize, leaving Tromp at the top of the leaderboard.
“With Laura in the jump-off, you kind of have to go,” explained Tromp. “The first two jumps I got a little stuck in the turns and had to sit up and add a step. My plan was to go inside of the gazebo and I was able to go pretty fast across the middle to that oxer. Then I got a little sideways at the vertical [into the last line], and I got a little lucky. She got up the last line so easily that I almost got there too early!”
Noemi VH Wuitenshof is a 9-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare owned by Tromp’s Beyaert Farm Inc. They recently imported the talented mare from Belgium and Tromp only began riding her six weeks ago. “This is my third show with this mare,” said Tromp. “She has huge scope and is very careful. I think when the last bit of rideability comes together, which it’s changed a lot in the last couple of weeks, I think she’s going to be an absolute machine!”
