Parker, CO - July 30, 2013 - Caitlin Boyle reaffirmed her place in the ranks of promising young riders by following up a winning winter season in Wellington, FL, with three weeks of outstanding results at Summer in the Rockies. She achieved top finishes in the equitation, hunter and jumper rings during the latter half of the Colorado Horse Park's summer circuit and now has her sights set on the major equitation finals.

Caitlin Boyle and Loredo in the Washington Jumper Phase at Summer in the Rockies. Photo by Flying Horse Photography.

Highlights of Boyle's time in Colorado included dominant performances in the qualifying classes for the Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) Equitation Finals. She and Loredo, a bay Mecklenburg gelding owned by Micaela Kennedy, earned consistently high scores for the Washington Hunter and Jumper Phases.  They came away with the overall honors twice and finished second once.

Caitlin Boyle and Loredo. Photo by Mary Adelaide Brakenridge.

"He's been so good," she said of Loredo. "We had 90s one week for the jumper phase, which was exciting - it's so fun to get a 90 because it doesn't happen very often! I'm just working on keeping a forward pace, trying to make everything smoother each week and putting all the pieces together."

Scores in the 90s may be rare, but Boyle is making them a habit. At the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in Wellington, FL, she earned nods from the judges with marks in the 90s in the Washington Hunter and Jumper Phases on her way to overall wins there. As of July 26, her point total puts her among the top five riders in the highly competitive Washington Equitation East Standings.

She must remain in the top 30 riders in the standings in order to compete in the WIHS Equitation Finals, a feat that looks well within her grasp. She and Loredo have also qualified for the Pessoa/US Hunter Seat Medal Finals and the ASPCA Maclay Regional Finals.

Boyle was also a formidable contender in the Summer in the Rockies jumper classes. She was especially proud of her results with Carus Z, owned by Kim Nixon. She just began riding the horse and got off to a great start with top five finishes right out of the gate, including a second place out of 38 over a difficult course in the $5,000 NAL Low Jr/AO Jumper Classic during Week VI.

"It was a really tough track," Boyle said. "There were many lines that were very short, on the half-step, and some that were very long. You really had to ride very correctly to not punch out through the rails."

"That is probably about my seventh time riding him (Carus Z)," she added. "He's a great horse. He's very careful. As long as you ride it well, he's got it covered and he's very clever."

Boyle made a splash in the hunter divisions as well, riding her own Finders Keepers. They recently claimed the Small Junior Hunter championship at Summer in the Rockies VI.

Caitlin Boyle and Finders Keepers. Photo by Flying Horse Photography.

"He's just awesome!" Boyle said of Finders Keepers. "You can do anything with him. He has a big stride and looks so great when he goes around."

"We've made many, many improvements with him," she added. "When we got him, he'd probably never jumped over 3'. So it's nice to see how much he can do. He's actually really athletic. We improved his smoothness, jumping form, lead changes and strength. He's so simple now."

After her impressive circuit in Colorado, Boyle has plenty of achievements to celebrate, but she won't be resting on her laurels. Instead, she will be looking ahead to her next goal: riding Loredo to top finishes at all of the major indoor equitation finals.

With her good performances at the 2012 Pessoa/US Hunter Seat Medal Finals and ASPCA Maclay Finals, Boyle has shown she has what it takes to compete among the top equitation riders. Now, with another year's experience under her belt, she is ready to take her game to a new level. She said she has been able to improve her partnership with Loredo and fill in some of the gaps to make sure he's prepared.

"He's a lot stronger now than he was," she noted. "We know a better routine in the morning of how to get him soft and supple and really listening. That's a major difference. It's a world of difference."

Boyle and Loredo have a close relationship that carries over into the show ring. "He's a gentle giant," she smiled. "He's so funny in his stall. He's at least 17.2 and he just wants to be held like a little baby. When he's laying down, he'll try to just put his head on your lap."

"I get along with him really well, and it definitely does help in the show ring," she added. "If I jump anything, I can feel in the air if he's going to land and want to play, or be dull, or just keep going."

Caitlin Boyle and Finders Keepers. Photo by Flying Horse Photography.

Boyle possesses a perfect blend of talent and determination, along with plenty of motivation to succeed. She trains with her father, Patrick Boyle, as well as Kim Gardiner of Perfecta Farm. Messenger Hill Farm's Freddie and Jodi Vazquez, along with Katie Kappler, assisted her at WEF and the Colorado Horse Park when her father was busy. "Kim helps me at home, and then my dad will give me a lot of hardcore lessons that are very difficult but help so much," she said. "When I go to the horse shows, he takes over - he helps me school and is always at the gate."

With a supportive team behind her, a special partnership with her horse, and the experience of a rigorous show season that proved she could match and even defeat the top equitation riders, Boyle looks to have all the pieces in place that could add up to a breakout performance on the country's biggest equitation stages.

Caitlin Boyle and Loredo at WEF. Photo by Sportfot.

About the Colorado Horse Park

Celebrating its 20^th Anniversary, the Colorado Horse Park was founded by visionary Helen Krieble who acknowledged the need for a high-volume horse show and horse boarding facility to serve Colorado.  The Colorado Horse Park welcomes more than 75,000 visitors per year and hosts over 40 competitions annually.  CHP features a derby arena designed by Olympic-designer Linda Allen and a cross-country course designed by Olympic Gold Medalist David O'Connor and eventing super-star James Atkinson. There are 300 permanent stalls with capacity for more than 1,000 stalls.

 

The picturesque property, located only minutes from the town of Parker, hosts international equestrian events in multiple disciplines. Visitors enjoy the beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountain surroundings and access to miles of trails and open space.  The Colorado Horse Park is committed to supporting equestrian education and amateur athletics, preserving open space, fundraising for local charities and supporting the community.

 

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