January 27, 2022 
Keri Potter (USA) doesn’t always show her student’s FEI horses.
But when she does (in the first international class of the 2022 Desert Circuit), she wins.
FEI competition officially kicked off at Desert International Horse Park (DIHP) in Thermal, CA on Thursday afternoon with the $5,000 Vita Flex 1.40m Two-Phase CSI3*. A total of 34-combinations contested the power and speed course set by Mexico’s Manuel Esparza.
The 14-obstacle track saw the first eight fences set within a time allowed of 53 seconds. Riders who manage to find a clear path through phase one advanced to the immediate jump-off, trying to clear the final six fences in the fastest time. Faults and time from the second phase determined the final placings.
First to tackle the course, Mavis Spencer (USA) and Con Calle set the time to beat with a double-clear effort, crossing the timers in 35.31 seconds for the speed phase. The lead changed hands 10 rounds later when Keri Potter (USA) and Quitana 11 shaved three seconds off the leading time to stop the clock at 31.95 seconds. Twenty-four pairs tried to catch the time. No other combination managed to squeak in under the 32 second mark.
“[Quitana 11] in particular is a very fast horse; you just have to just let go a little bit and she kicks it into fifth gear,” said Potter.
“This mare just kind of takes you and carries a great rhythm and gallop, so it’s quite easy to go fast.”
Potter also took fifth place aboard Bisou. Both horses belong to her long-time student Hannah Loly, who is currently studying at Tufts University in Medford, MA.
“[Hannah] will be back this summer, so I am just keeping them fit,” said Potter. “[Quitana 11] is 16 years old now and is a seasoned horse at this level so it’s nice to get on one that knows what it’s doing and just let her take over a little bit. [Bisou] is a younger one that is moving up into this division and she was awesome also today. It was a good day!”
Shawn Casady (USA) and RMF Chacco Top took second place posting a clear speed phase time of 32.25 seconds. Misti Cassar (USA) and Viking de Laume fell one-tenth of a second short at 32.39 for third.
International competition continues on Friday with the $37,000 TALUS 1.45m Speed CSI3* and Saturday with the $37,000 Sun Air Jets 1.45m Classic CSI3*, culminating with Sunday’s $138,600 Purina Grand Prix 1.55m CSI3*. Catch all the action live on deserthorsepark.com.
