Waters, one of the youngest riders competing in the class, made a quick and efficient effort around the track designed by Michele Ismalen, which featured 23 entries. Four combinations returned to test their efforts against the short course, which saw three of the combinations complete the evening with a double clear effort in both rounds of competition.
Uppie De Lis, a 2001 Dutch Riding Horse gelding, owned by Mr. & Mrs. Chuck Waters, has a breadth of experience at the international level with several top riders, but has found his stride with Waters piloting from the irons. The pair has already accomplished several career defining feats in 2017, and Waters is looking forward to the rest of their season together.
"I'm really excited. He's such a good horse. I've only had him since the beginning of the Ocala circuit this past winter," she explained. "I love how dependable he is. He's a great partner and a great teammate. He fights for you at the jumps and he's been such a good teacher for me."
The pair will look to contest both national and international competition this season, and Waters feels that their relationship and partnership will only get stronger as they continue to solidifying their communication with each other. While winning the class came as an unexpected victory for Waters, she noted that she wanted to keep her plan simple by deconstructing each fence and riding the course jump by jump.
"I jumped my first big class on him this past winter and he's given me a great feeling. I was just trying to go one jump at a time tonight. There were a few things that changed when we were in the ring from my original plan, but he took it all in stride. I just wanted to keep everything organized."
The pair will head north to contest a few other major competitions before re-evaluating the rest of their summer and fall schedule. She explained, "He is so scopey and has such a good heart. I want to thank my team, my parents, my family, for their help and support. I feel like we're at such a good point and I think that there are only good things to come from here."
