Thermal, Calif. – The honor of doing the first victory gallop of the very first Desert Spring Fling 1 went to Britt Scheifele and Phaedra Dor on Wednesday, March 18, at Desert International Horse Park. The pair kicked off the inaugural show with a win in the $7,500 Core Specialty 1.35m Welcome Speed.
Britt Scheifele and Phaedra Dor. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
Scheifele and Phaedra Dor were one of 32 entries that contested the first class of the day in the Grand Prix Stadium, and when they entered the ring, the time to beat had been set at 61.912 seconds by Patrick Billes and his own Espartano LS.
Winners just last week at Desert Circuit 10, Billes and Espartano LS are known for their speed, so Scheifele knew she would need to pull out all the stops if she wanted a shot at the top of the leaderboard.
“When I walked the course, some of those inside turns were really questionable!” said Scheifele, who trains with James Chawke. “I was like ‘Should I do them, or should I not?’ …The inside to the double, I saw some people do, some people not do, but when I saw that the leading time had it, I thought ‘I have to do this for the win!’”
Britt Scheifele and Phaedra Dor. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
Scheifele continued, “Patrick is fast! That little horse has a short step, but it flies. He was good. He did 10 [strides] between [fences] two to three and three to four, I did nine and nine. I think that’s where I got just that little bit of extra time, and then [Phaedra Dor] is so fast, it’s hard to beat.”
With those strides left out, Scheifele flew over the finish in 60.580 seconds for the win. Billes and Espartano LS held on to second place, and Steffen Hauter and Donatella Versace finished in third on a time of 63.367 seconds.
Scheifele has had her winning partner, Phaedra Dor, for the past year and a half, and she knows that the 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare is a force to be reckoned with in a speed class.
Britt Scheifele and Phaedra Dor, joined by Bradley Bowns of DIHP. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
“She’s blood; she likes to go,” said Scheifele. “I’ve never had a horse that loves to win the way that she does. She’s so fast; she’s so competitive. She looks for the jumps. She’s so quick in the turns. She’s just the most fun to ride. Honestly, she is everything to me. She’s a really, really special mare. James [Chawke] found her for me, and she has just exceeded all expectations. She’s been an incredible partner.”
Scheifele and Phaedra Dor have competed in the high amateur jumper divisions throughout the 2025-2026 season at Desert International Horse Park, and Scheifele, who currently resides in Canada, is always happy to have the opportunity to compete at the facility.
“I actually used to show when it was the old Thermal,” concluded Scheifele. “I took 10 years off of show jumping, and I didn’t ride at all. I came back to the sport to the new venue, and it’s been amazing. My family comes down. I don’t go back and forth anymore, and I just love it here.”
The all-new Desert Spring Fling horse shows offer two back-to-back weeks of National Hunter and Level 5 Jumper competition, continuing through March 29. To learn more and to view a complete schedule of class offerings, click here.
To find complete results from Wednesday’s $7,500 Core Specialty 1.35m Welcome Speed, click here.