Nikko Ritter last years winner of the USET finals with this years winner Sophie Benjamin
and Stacia Madden,Max Amaya.
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Here is just a few of our proud accomplishments so far...
Nikko Ritter last years winner of the
USET finals with this years winner Sophie Benjamin
and Stacia Madden,Max Amaya.
Nikko Ritter also won Regionals
Ezequiel Peralta and Allain Z win AMJ Campbell Van Lines 1.40 Challenge in Calgary Canada
Benjamin Simpkins and Astro Z qualify for Young Rider Championships.
Katherine Bakker and Carambo Z win YJC Eastern League Finals in Hamptons.
Parade of Champions at Raymond James Stadium
Nikko Ritter & Aristoteles 17- 1.45 Circuit Champions
Extremely proud trainer: Wendy Peralta
Tara Bruno & Nanetta- Adult Amateur Jumper 18-35 Circuit Champions
Katherine Bakker and Carambo Z- 6 Year Old Young Jumper Circuit Champions
(from left to right)
Nikko Ritter is Best in Close Contest at Platinum
Performance/USEF Showjumping Talent Search Finals East
By Joanie Morris
A World Championship Format. These top four riders
returned after the lunch break to jump another course on their own horses and
then the same course on each of their competitors’ mounts. Based on
the format used at the World Championships, the competition continues to test a
unique
variety of skills. The scores from the first three rounds are thrown out and all
four riders start again on zero. Each rider rode solid, polished rounds on their
own horses and then began handing the reins to each other. Amazingly, after the
first two rotations, all four riders were tied on a score of 176. Eight more
trips over a course thoughtfully designed by judges McLain Ward (who himself won
the Talent Search Finals East in =2 0 1990) and Jimmy Torano left the judges
with some difficult decisions. The four competitors didn’t make life easy for
the judges. “Picking the winner today was very hard,” said Ward at the end of
the afternoon. “All four of these riders could win on any given day. It’s a
credit to them, the horses, their parents and their trainers.”Torano echoed the
sentiment, “It was a privilege for us to judge these riders.” Ritter jumped
three consistent rounds, scoring an 89 on his own horse and 87s on both Hettoile
Platiere and Deneuve. He then all but sealed a victory for himself with a score
of 92 on Phillips’ =2 0 Flight. His final score in the Ride-Off was 355, which
gave him a comfortable lead, but he was the first rider in the rotation so he
had to wait to ensure that his score held up. The other three riders got close
but at the end of the competition, Ritter’s experience riding lots of horses on
a daily basis paid off. The versatility of his technique was evident as he
seamlessly turned in quality performances. “I spent the summer in Germany and
they drilled on the flatwork,” said Ritter. “I’ve been at home since riding lots
of different horses.” Ritter’s next step is to the grand prixes and he is
looking forward to turning professional later this year. “This was always my
favorite final,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to win it. You really have to be
able to do it all, the flatwork and the gymnastics.”
USEF Talent Search Finals East
Nikko Ritter won the hotly contested U.S. Equestrian Federation Show Jumping
Talent Search Finals East. Postcard sponsored by WeatherBeeta.
By Nancy Jaffer
Nikko Ritter takes a victory gallop.
© 2007 by Nancy Jaffer
Gladstone, N.J., October 7, 2007 -- I like a guy who
kisses his horse. So when Nikko Ritter gave Clover Count a smooch after winning
the U.S. Equestrian Federation Show Jumping Talent Search Finals East today, it
put a big smile in my face. When Nikko talked about Clover Count, he lit up. The
horse is owned by Linda Bakker, but Nikko has a long history with this Irishbred
trooper. It all paid off on his fifth run at the Talent Search crown, one of the
most hotly contested that I can remember. At the age of 11, Nikko started riding
the big brown gelding, who has done everything from the jumpers and the hunters
to the eq with a variety of people. "He's a great horse," said Nikko, who noted
the gelding's riders have included Sloane Coles and Courtney McKay. Now Nikko is
19, and the horse is 20. Clover Count is headed for the low adult hunters; Nikko
is headed for stardom in the grand prix ranks, he hopes, while he juggles riding
and most likely, Rollins College. But first, there's just riding, as he takes a
year off from school and turns professional. A summer spent in Germany honing
his craft with Holger Hetzel improved him as a rider and a person, according to
his mother and coach, Wendy Peralta.
article continues below. You remember Nikko--he was one of the stars of Animal
Planet's "Horsepower" series. It made him a big fish in a small pond, something
it can be hard for a teen to handle. "He had a lot of celebrity, but when he
went to Germany, nobody knew who he was, nobody cared. He had to work really
hard and sift what was important in his life through his brain," said his
mother, who also gave credit for his victory to Stacia and Frank Madden and
Beacon Hill. During his time abroad, Nikko became "a different person," she
said. "It gave him a lot of clarity and he was able to see how hard it is to be
in this business and he decided he wanted to give it a try and see how it goes.
"Actually, Nikko wasn't sure he would attempt the Talent Search again (his
previous best finish was fifth), but a last-minute decision paid off. "This was
always my favorite final, I always wanted to win this," said Nikko, who is not
going on to the other equitation finals because he has aged out. "I think this
one shows you are able to ride. You have to do the gymnastics, you have to do
the flat, you get on other people's horses and just do it." Although his efforts
on the flat were improved by his time in Germany, Nikko finished tied for 14th
in that phase, which was won by Kyle Wolf, who would wind up ninth overall when
the ribbons were awarded. But after the flat phase, the tables were about to
turn, and the gymnastics started Nikko's rise to the top. Jumper riders Jimmy
Torano and McLain Ward served as the judges and set the gymnastics course, which
was a lot different from the tricky set-ups I've seen in the past here at the
U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation headquarters.
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