The $15,000 Open Welcome Stake was the featured class of Thursday during Week VI of Summer in the Rockies in the Kathy and Brad Coors Family Grand Prix Arena. Almost 30 horse and rider combinations would try their hand at FEI course designer, Alan Wade’s track. It had rained the night before but the GGT footing in the arena was prepared and in fine shape for the class. “We were lucky to run it after the weather last night,” said Wade about the footing. “It held up really well and they did a good job of keeping it right. It’s jumping good. It’s a good start to the week.” The course produced 15 clear first rounds, including all three of Susan Hutchison’s mounts, Ziedento, owned by St. Bride’s Farm, SIG Excel and SIG Zueleika, both owned by SIG International. Eight horses went double clear but no one could catch the speed of first, Ziedento who finished the short track in 38.974, then SIG Excel, who surpassed Ziedento’s speed with an astounding 37.911 and won the class. Then, SIG Zuleika came in third with a 39.202. John Pearce from Bermuda Dunes, CA and Forest View Farm’s Son of a Gun would be fast enough for fourth followed by Hunter Hollowayfrom Topeka, KS and I Love Lucy owned by Hays Investment Corporation. “It was a lot better than I thought it would be,” said Hutchison about the footing. “Had I not felt on the first horse that it was going to be okay, I wouldn’t have gone but it felt fine.” “It was a nice Welcome class. Usually they can’t outrun Ziedento but she’s (SIG Excel) very fast, very careful and she’s really a fun horse. I’m really blessed to have some really cool horses right now.” Hutchison is clearly an incredibly great rider with some wonderful horses. She’s a winner of many grand prixs, has represented the U.S. at the World Equestrian Games and in World Cup Finals. She started riding at the age of five at Flintridge Riding Club in La Canada, CA and became a very successful hunter and equitation rider. “The only real mentor in my life was Jimmy Williams,” Hutchison said. “I got my first real horse when I was 10. He was named Best Bet and he was only four when we got him. I don’t know how Jimmy knew it was going to work. I started riding him when I was 11. I went indoors with him when I was 12. He was reserve champion at the Garden in the Junior Hunters. I did the Medal and the Maclay on him. He was quite a horse.” Best Bet went on to be Pacific Coast Working Hunter Champion with Hutchison in the irons for six consecutive years. When she was around 15 years-old, she knew she’d found what she wanted to do with her life. “I would go to ride in the morning before school and I’d ride after school,” she said. “Jimmy was quite good at two things - a) if you started to think you were too good he’d put you on a horse that would prove to you that you weren’t. Horses are very humbling in that respect. And b) he would have you start teaching. So if you were 16, you would be hooked up with someone who was 12 or 13. If you had a particular riding issue that you had overcome, he would try to pair you with someone who had the same issue and you would help them overcome it.” There are legendary names associated with Flintridge Riding Club and Jimmy Williams such as Mary Mairs Chapot, Mason Phelps, Linda Hough, Ann Kursinki, Robert Ridland, Rob Gage, and many more. “He was my life,” said Hutchison. “He was my mentor. He was my everything. Everything is thanks to him.” Today, Hutchison has a phenomenal group of horses to show, and has a small group of students. She says she loves teaching, training and competing but she doesn’t like to combine too much at the same time. “I think the sport has gotten so big and there are so many rings to be at that you can only do so much. When I was a junior there were only two rings. There was the jumper ring and there was the hunter ring. In Santa Barbara, I actually did 54 rides in one day jumping from the hunter ring to the jumper ring. Now, I don’t think it’s fair to the horses or to the owners or to the clients to have them sitting and waiting for you to come from one ring to another ring to get them ready. Or maybe stressing myself out thinking I’m not going to get back to doing what I need to do.” Hutchison has paid her dues and now she’s very thankful to SIG for buying her some wonderful horses to bring along and compete. “I have just a few clients like Adrienne Dixon, Amy Emerson, Veronica Tracy, Nancy Drake – just a handful,” said Hutchison. “Those four are my group at home and I meet up with some people on the road. I try to keep it fairly small where I can really manage it. I have about 12 horses at home.” On Friday show jumping action returns to the Kathy and Brad Coors Family Grand Prix Arena during Week VI of Summer in the Rockies with the $2,500 1.30m and the $2,500 1.40m. 589. $15,000 Open Welcome Stake result/entry #/horse / owner/rider/prize 1/687/SIG Excel SIG International, Inc./Susan Hutchison/4500.00 2/690/Ziedento St. Bride's Farm/Susan Hutchison/3250.00 3/689/Sig Zuleika SIG International, Inc./Susan Hutchison/1950.00 4/967/Son of A Gun Forest View Farm/John Pearce/1200.00 5/974/I Love Lucy Hays Investment Corp./Hunter Holloway/900.00 6/845/Copias AMA Marketing & Mgmt, Inc/Justin Resnik/700.00 7/915/Bull Run's Alli Lu Ya Bull Run Jumpers Three LLC/Kristen Vanderveen/600.00 8/972/Any Given Sunday Hays Investment Corp./Brandie Holloway/425.00 9/541/Zippo Z Messenger Hill/Freddie Vazquez/425.00 10/580/Southern Pride Blair Cudmore/Karen Cudmore/350.00 11/916/Bull Run's Eternal Bull Run Jumpers One LLC/Kristen Vanderveen/350.00 12/973/Yolo Hays Investment Corp./Hunter Holloway/350.00 13/719/WildThing 2 Rancho Corazon, LLC/Chenoa Mc Elvain/0.0
