Thermal, CA – November 15, 2024 – Course designer Anderson Lima set a galloping jump-off track for Friday night’s $49,999 1.40m Grand Prix, sponsored by Barnwalkers and IDA Development, and by the end of night, it proved to be perfectly suited to Kasey Ament and Gaia. The pair blazed across the finish to take home the win in the featured 1.40m event of the 2024 Las Vegas National Horse Show at the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa in Las Vegas, NV.
Kasey Ament and Gaia. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography
“I’ll tell you; [Anderson Lima] is one of my favorite course designers,” said Ament. “Every show he goes to here on the West Coast, I try to attend. Every time, I always feel like my horses come out of the ring jumping better than when they started – but the jump-off was especially great for us.”
As the first of six entries to jump off, Ament did not need to see the other riders go to know what she needed to do, as she counted on Gaia’s natural foot speed.
Kasey Ament and Gaia. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography
“I chose to do extra strides in the long bending lines…but my horse is so quick on her feet that doing an extra stride doesn’t necessarily mean I go slower, but it allowed me to turn tighter on the back side,” explained Ament. “So really, the jump-off flowed so effortlessly, and I just had to tell myself to not try to win and just let her natural pace do the work!”
That plan worked as Ament crossed the jump-off finish line in a winning 35.646 seconds. Second place in the 24-horse field went to Maddee Morley, who finished in a clear 36.542 seconds aboard her own Champions Legue. Third place went to the week’s leading 1.40m rider, Amanda Gomez on Charly-Ann, owned by Rising Star Equestrian. The duo came into the night with wins in the week’s $5,000 1.40m Welcome and $5,000 1.40m Speed already under their belt, and it looked like they would sweep the 1.40m division until one rail fell, giving them four faults in the fastest time of 34.934 seconds.
Second place went to Maddee Morley and Champions Legue. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography
For Ament, the Las Vegas National is a stop on the horse show calendar that she tries not to miss, and earning a win with her partner of five years, Gaia, makes it all the more special.
“She’s my longtime partner, said Ament of the 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare. “She’s probably the most winningest horse I’ve ever had. She’s the fastest, the bravest, the most game. She was very challenging for me to figure out how to ride. She’s very sensitive, but ultimately, she just gives everything every time.”
For full results of the $49,999 1.40m Grand Prix, held on Friday, November 16, click here.
Competition at the 2024 Las Vegas National concludes on Sunday, November 17. To learn more about all events produced by the Desert International Horse Park, visit deserthorsepark.com.