Alexis Taylor and County Line Strut Their Stuff in the Inaugural $1,000 DIHP Under Saddle Championship
Photo © ESI Photography
For Immediate Release:
THERMAL, Calif. – Mar. 5, 2021 – The inaugural $1,000 DIHP Under Saddle Championship, sponsored by Perfect Products, took place Friday morning at Desert International Horse Park’s Desert Circuit VI. Alexis Taylor (Medina, WA) and County Line stole the show, claiming victory against twenty-one other entries. In a close second place was Lauren Padilla (Palos Verdes Estates, CA) and Sprucedale Inc’s So Enchanted. Rounding out the top three was Chelsea Brittner (Sacramento, CA) and Lysander, owned by Chestnut Hill LLC.
The Championship was open to any horse (or pony) and rider combination. Pairs were shown at a walk, trot, and canter in both directions of the ring. One at a time, entries were brought to the middle of the ring until two final entries, Taylor aboard County Line and Padilla riding So Enchanted, remained on the rail.
“I gotta say, when I turned around and saw that the only one left against me was the adorable pony, I was like ‘Oh no! I don’t know how I can beat that!’ because it was cute,” revealed Taylor. In the end, County Line prevailed over So Enchanted and was awarded the Champion ribbon, a new cooler, and a Perfect Products backpack, mug, and $150 Gift Certificate.
Photo © ESI Photography
“This class meant a lot to me. He’s a very, very special horse. He just has the biggest heart and gives me everything,” Taylor noted of her mount, owned by Aleron LLC. “He’s a very good mover and he’s never lost an under saddle. So needless to say, I was so nervous that I was going to somehow mess him up and not win.”
In preparation for the class, Taylor hacked County Line in the morning, iced his legs, and put him in a Bemer Blanket, which offers Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) therapy. To give County Line an extra edge in the class, Taylor also removed his front shoes before walking in.
“We did pull his front shoes just to be safe because I knew other people would be doing the same thing. It’s very competitive. I knew he’d be feeling light in front,” Taylor remarked. “I’m just so grateful. The horse deserves this so much and he deserves the recognition.”
About the 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.