Lauren Hester and Happy Feet B Shine Victorious in the $5,000 Ruby Tour Speed CSI3*, sponsored by Green is the New Blue

Photos © ESI Photography

For Immediate Release:

THERMAL, Calif. – February 28, 2020 -Lauren Hester (USA) and Happy Feet B danced their way to the top of the $5,000 Ruby Tour Speed, sponsored by Green is the New Blue, with a time of 54.47 seconds in the speed course. Lane Clarke (AUS) finished out the top three, placing second aboard Epic Air with a time of 54.85 seconds, and third aboard Frodosi with a time of 55.12 seconds.

The speed course designed by Bernardo Cabral (POR), challenged twenty-six pairs in the Grand Prix Stadium on Friday morning. “I did not plan on going as fast as I did,” Hester admitted. “She is very fast naturally, so going to the last jump I was like ‘well, I might as well try!’ and that is where I made up a lot of time.” Hester shared. “I also took the longer track to one of the jumps instead of taking the inside turn which made for a very difficult track and when I talked to the course designer after, even he said it was better to take the longer track.”

Photos © ESI Photography

Hester and the 2012 Dutch Warmblood mare have been partnered together for the mare’s entire career, “I bought her as a foal in Holland and imported her when she was five.” Hester noted that Happy Feet B is not always the easiest mare but that she is willing to fight for her. “We started working with her instead of against her; she is naturally very careful so you just kind of let her go and do her job,” Hester concluded.

About Desert International Horse Park

With nearly 1.3 million square feet of competition and riding space, the Desert International Horse Park is one of the largest equestrian facilities in North America. Offering multiple weeks of world-class equestrian competition from October through March, the facility is a destination location for thousands of equestrians, their horses, family and friends for several months annually. Competitors from all over the world travel to Thermal, CA to not only compete but to enjoy everything the desert has to offer.