October 23, 2023 
Another day, another big win for Caroline Pamukcu.
The Pennsylvania-based rider reigned victorious with and HSH Connor in the USEF CCI3*-L National Championship at the MARS Maryland 5 Star in Elkton this weekend.
What’s next for Pamukcu? Well, put it this way: she’s not going to Disney World.
The newly crowned national champion was virtually whisked out of her Maryland press conference in order to catch a plane bound for Santiago, Chile, and the Pam American Games, where she’ll ride for Team USA aboard HSH Blake.
As one of the brightest (and busiest) rising stars in the country, the victory marked the 28-year-old’s 11th international win of the year—the most of any rider in the world. She currently sits at no. 36 in the FEI Eventing World Rankings.
“I’ve had [HSH Connor since he] was a 4-year-old, and there’s such a big community behind me,” said Pamukcu of the Irish Sport Horse gelding, who she co-owns with Sherrie Martin and Luann McElduff.
According to a post published this weekend on Pamukcu’s Facebook page, “Connor” is currently the highest-rated 7-year-old eventing horse in American history. This latest victory was a four-peat for the gelding, who’s won four out of four of his last three-star competitions this year at the Ocala Horse Park, Bromont, Morven Park, and now, Maryland.
“It was just emotional for me to remember his first jump school, his first flat school, and then all the way to this moment. We were so close to winning the Young Horses World Championship CCI3* [in 2022 in Le Lion d’Angers, France], so for him to win the USEF CCI3*-L National Championship, it’s amazing.”
Pamukcu had three rides in the CCI3*-L this weekend, and five more entries in the Young Event Horse divisions. When asked how she juggles multiple horses and multiple rounds throughout the weekend, Pamukcu said that compared to training days at home, events like these might as well be a vacation.
“I ride a lot at home—I do 12-hour days, most days. So honestly, when I go to show, and I only have five to six to ride, it’s quite [a bit] easier for me to mentally switch over,” she said. “Most of [these horses] I’ve had since they were 4-year-olds, so I’ve done millions of jumps on them.”
And, when it comes to her young horse development program, Pamukcu doesn’t pull any punches. When asked why she’d chosen to run HSH Connor again just one week after his win in the Morven Park International CCIYH3*-S, the American rider was frank.
“I’m pretty picky about which shows I run him at, because this season, I really wanted shows that were challenging.
“I want to keep in mind the horse’s future. I don’t want to run around, doing the easiest courses in the country—I want stuff that will actually challenge him,” Pamukcu explained, adding that she prioritizes courses designed by Derek di Grazia. “That’s the same thing at Morven—it’s one of the best courses. I just [want] to keep picking courses in my mind that are challenging, not just little dirt bike tracks to use the jumps as speed bumps.”
The USEF CCI3*-L National Championship was actually Pamukcu’s backup plan after she failed to receive a USEF grant to compete at this year’s Le Lion d’Angers Young Horses World Championship. She hopes to be part of a Developing Rider Tour in Europe next year in order to continue HSH Connor’s training in England with her mentor, Great Britain’s Pippa Funnell.
But for the near-future, at least, it’s likely that Connor will be seeing a lot more down time than his peripatetic human counterpart.
“He’s getting all of his shoes pulled. He’s going out in the field with his buddies King, Al, and Blake—after [HSH Blake] gets back from the Pan Ams,” Pamukcu said. “He’s going to have about two months [to get] furry and fat, and have a good time with his buddies.”
Well deserved, indeed.
