Guido Klatte Jr. Wins $52,500 Coachella Valley Classic CSI4* at HITS Thermal
Guido Klatte Jr. & Qinghai. Ph. ESI
“It was a nice course, not too big or too technical,” said Klatte Jr. “My horse jumped both rounds really well-he’s in really good form at the moment.”
The 21-year-old rider who earlier this year was named the individual European Young Rider Champion has been making the most of his fall tour of the North American West Coast circuit. He first competed at Sacramento CSI2* before continuing on to Del Mar CSI4*. The Sunshine Series is his latest stop, and by earning the 1st place ribbon in Friday’s $53,500 Coachella Valley Classic CSI4*, he added his biggest win yet.
Klatte rode Qinghai, a 9-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Quidam de Revel x Cordalme) to the win over a class of 45 starters.
“We bought him as a foal and already as a young horse he’s jumped every Young Horse class spectacular,” shared Klatte Jr. “I won the European Young Rider Individual Championship this year with him in Ireland. We’ve grown up in the bigger classes of the sport together-we know each other very well.”
The pairs’ well developed relationship is a definite advantage Klatte Jr. says when it comes to high pressure situations.
“When he’s on course he’s always trying his best for me If I do nothing wrong, then he normally doesn’t make mistakes,” he said. “He’s so careful and scopey, he has everything that a top horse needs.”
Second of only two double clear efforts in the jump off round, Katte Jr. rode a fast and clear second round in 39.75 seconds to beat out Nayel Nassar’s clear time of 39.91 seconds. Third went to Kevin Babington and Double O Seven 7 (Mr. Blue x Celano) while Enrique Gonzalez and Chacna (Chacco-Blue x Narew XX) finished in 4th.
“I was a little lucky in the jump off because most of the riders already had a rail and there was one clear but they weren’t so fast,” he said. “I thought to just go fast but the first things is to be clear. So I was clear and luckily ended up faster than Nayel.”
Next up for the young German rider, is a trip to Nevada for the Las Vegas National Horse Show CSI4* to wrap up the rest of the 2016 season.
“I’ll go to Vegas and after that I’ll head back to Germany. Then hopefully, the plan is to do some World Cup classes over in Europe to get some World Cup points.”
CSI competition continues—and concludes—at the National Sunshine Series on Sunday, November 13 with the $200,000 Sunshine Series Grand Prix CSI4*.
Want to know more about Guido Klatte Jr.? Read this 2015 profile of the talented rider by clicking here.
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