Edited Press Release
Keeping in the tradition of new partnerships thriving in the hunters Sunday afternoon, Rachael Herkowitz, of Bloomfield Hills, MI, took victory in the Rochester Hills Farm Amateur-Owner Hunter Classic with her partner Harmony.
“This is my third show on her,” Herkowitz said of her new ride. “She’s just a wonderful eight-year-old mare. She’s really even around the whole course, studies the jumps but doesn’t back away from them. She wants to jump high and nice and square. I’m really lucky that I have her.”
When Herkowitz was in the market for the perfect horse, she received a call about Harmony being available in Texas. “We flew down in November and it was love at first sight,” she elaborated about her spontaneous trip. “She loves what she does, so it makes the rider part easy.”
At just eight years old, the mare is already showing her maturity and Herkowitz knows there are still big things ahead. She does remind herself, however, that nothing is guaranteed in horse sport and it’s the small things that really lead to the big things eventually.
“I think our goals are to keep doing what we’re doing,” Herkowitz said. “To keep things basic and simple, don’t forget the small things, take each trip one at a time, stay even and connected, and always have fun.”
Traverse City is practically Herkowitz’s home show, living just driving distance away so she can manage her life at home and continue to show at a high level. “I live about three hours south so I go back and forth,” she explained. “I’ll be back nearly every week. She’ll have a couple weeks off in between but we’ll be here all through September.”
It’s not just the horses keeping her busy, both at home and in Traverse City for the horse shows. “I’m a clinical psychologist and I have a five-year-old son who’s about to be in kindergarten, so I’ve got my hands full,” she shared. “He was passing out ribbons at the hack. It’s his first horse show. He loves to feed them and be around the atmosphere.”
Hunters resume Wednesday for the third week of the Traverse City Spring Horse Shows, presented by Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel, opening with professional hunter divisions.
Original press release courtesy of Traverse City Horse Shows.
