In an effort to expose developing equestrians to the best show jumping venues around the world, Equestrian Sport Productions (ESP) and Jumping Chantilly announced a fantastic partnership in 2014 that has provided incredible opportunities for some of the world’s most promising talents to compete abroad. Held during the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF) in Wellington, FL, the 2014 Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix Series (AFYRGPS), presented by The Dutta Corporation in association with Guido Klatte, awarded a free Wild Card entry to the Chantilly Jumping CSI 2* on July 24-27. Series winner Victoria Colvin of Loxahatchee, FL, took the trip and had exceptional results. In return, France’s Nicolas Delmotte, the winner of the Jumping Chantilly Grand Prix, has now received an invitation to the 2015 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival. During last week’s Longines Global Champions Tour of Chantilly, a CSI 2* event was taking place in a majestic ring, referred to as the Amphitheater, in front of the beautiful castle of Chantilly. Strong competition was present, including Olympic champion Nick Skelton of Great Britain, the bronze Olympic medalist from Atlanta, Alexandra Ledermann, the first female European Champion (in 1999) and many others. The Pessoa family was also there as Alexa Pessoa, wife of the three-time World Cup winner and Olympic Champion in Athens, was competing. Through her victory of the Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix Series, young American Victoria Colvin was invited to participate in the event. Comprised of four competitions held throughout the 12-week FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival, Colvin emerged victorious in the AFYRGPS over the more than 50 participants competing for increased prize money under FEI sanctioning. The AFYRGPS is open to riders of any nationality between the ages of 16 and 25, making 16-year-old Colvin one of the youngest competitors. As part of her prize, Colvin was awarded entry to the CSI2* division of the Global Champions Tour at Chantilly and two tickets to the Chantilly VIP lounge, courtesy of event director Gérard Manzinali. Transportation for her winning mount, Don Juan, was generously provided by The Dutta Corp. in association with Guido Klatte. In addition, Artisan Farms’ lead rider, 2008 Olympic Champion Eric Lamaze, lent Colvin a second horse, Cesanna, to compete. Colvin proudly represented the United States in Chantilly, claiming two victories. She proved on international soil why she was a deserving recipient of the prize, winning back-to-back 1.35m classes on Friday and Saturday in the CSI2* division with Cesanna. Riding Don Juan, Colvin took a strong third place finish among a 96-horse starting field in Friday’s 1.40m competition. Other young American riders from the AFYRGPS were also competing, such as Kalvin Dobbs and Adrienne Sternlicht. The partnership between the horse shows proved to be a great success as Chantilly had never received as many American entries in its three CSI’s to date (CSI 1*, 2* and 5*). Gérard Manzinali, President of Chantilly Jumping, and Christian Paillot, Ambassador of Chantilly Jumping in the United States, will of course be there next winter to ensure that the partnership continues to grow in years to come. Carlene and Andy Ziegler of Artisan Farms created and developed the AFYRGPS to provide a bridge between the junior and amateur divisions to the grand prix level, allowing up and coming riders to gain experience at the upper levels of show jumping sport while still competing against their peers. In four short years, the Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix Series has produced an elite list of champions including Reed Kessler of the United States (2011), Nayel Nassar of Egypt (2012), Chloe D. Reid of the United States (2013), and Colvin. All four riders are currently enjoying incredible success as their international careers advance. The fifth annual Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix Series will be held during the 2015 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival from January 7 through March 29 in Wellington, FL. In return for hosting Colvin in France, Jumping Chantilly will now have the opportunity to send one of their riders, Nicolas Delmotte, to compete in Wellington this winter.
