Thermal, CA – November 6, 2024 – Amanda Gomez has consistently proven that she and Charly-Ann are ones to watch in speed classes at the Desert International Horse Park, and the duo demonstrated that again on Wednesday evening, November 6 during National Sunshine Series 2. From a field of 65 entries, Gomez and Charly-Ann topped the $10,000 Andalusia Country Club 1.35m Welcome Speed by a margin of more than a second.
Amanda Gomez and Charly-Ann. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
From the first vertical to the last, Gomez used Charly-Ann’s natural foot speed to take the victory in a time of 57.611 seconds. Second place went to Mark Kinsella on Cameron Z, who cleared the course in a time of 58.701 seconds. Finishing in a very close third place was Michelle Bion, who rode Madges Lane Gem to a time of 58.703 seconds.
“[Charly-Ann] just came out with a good attitude today and wanted to win, so it made my job very easy!” said Gomez of the 13-year-old Holsteiner mare, owned by Rising Star Equestrian. “She’s definitely naturally fast, and she’s naturally careful, so those are two very good qualities to have in a speed class like this. Typically, the more I let her gallop, the more careful she gets, which is again another really great advantage to have in a class like this.”
On her way to the win, Gomez coupled the mare’s carefulness and naturally fast pace with strategic leaveouts that left her well ahead of the large field.
“Walking [the course], I thought maybe seven [strides] up the first line; after talking about it, I just realized that if I wanted to win, I had to do six and then kind of just keep flowing through the rest of the course,” continued Gomez. “I met the six beautifully up the first line. All the numbers ended up being right on step with what I walked and the rhythm that I ended up starting out with, so everything just kind of went in my favor today, which is great!”
Things are often going in Gomez and Charly-Ann’s favor ever since the 2024 Desert Circuit, which is when Gomez says she really clicked with the mare that she has now been partnered with for the past two years. Going forward into the 2025 Desert Circuit in Thermal, CA, Gomez plans to continue to carefully select 1.35m classes for the talented Charly-Ann.
“She’s a very special horse to me,” said Gomez, who hails from Norco, CA. “She’s always been a competitive horse – and she was competitive when I first got her as well – but just having her here for the circuit in the beginning of the year and really being able to learn her was a huge breakthrough moment for me – just learning how to allow the mare to shine through.”
Amanda Gomez and Charly-Ann. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
Gomez continued, “Being able to continue to build off of that has been great. I try to be delicate with her because she is such a bullet, and she’s such a nice competitive horse to have in classes like this. I try to place her in spots where I know she can shine and be very competitive because that is the caliber horse that she is…I’m just kind of playing it by ear, and Charly will tell me what she wants to do!”
For full results of Wednesday’s $10,000 Andalusia Country Club 1.35m Welcome Speed, click here. In addition to awarding new winners on Wednesday, the class also counted as the second leg of the DIHP Speed League. During Desert Circuit 10 – at the culmination of the 2024-2025 Desert International Horse Park show season – the top 25 total money earners in the 1.35m Speed classes offered throughout the season will have the opportunity to jump in the $20,000 DIHP Speed League Final.
This week, competition at National Sunshine Series 2, presented by FarmVet, continues through Sunday, November 10, with the extensive list of highlighted class offerings including Friday’s $65,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby Regional Championships, Saturday night’s $100,000 FarmVet Grand Prix and much, much more. To learn more about all competition at the Desert International Horse Park, visit DesertHorsePark.com.