Thermal, Calif. – Michelle Berry and Traver’s Girl HS have been partnered for eight years, and in that time, they have amassed quite the list of wins at the 1.20m height. Newly added to that list is a victory in the $2,500 Kevin Babington Foundation 1.20m, sponsored by East-West Equine Sports Medicine and Devoucoux and held on January 16 during Desert Circuit 2.
A field of 21 horses took on the Friday afternoon speed class at Desert International Horse Park, with all entry fees donated to the Kevin Babington Foundation. From among those entries, Berry and Traver’s Girl HS emerged victorious with a time of 62.078 seconds – but they were not without some stiff competition.
Finishing less than three-tenths of a second behind Berry for second place, with a time of 62.349 seconds, were Trudi Fletcher and Joplin, owned by Jennifer McLaughlin. Jamie Sailor and Riptide TW, owned by Callen Johnson, also finished less than half a second off Berry’s time to take home third place in 62.526 seconds.
“I was kind of a bit nervous because I’ve been having some more competition!” said Berry. “Today, I was really hoping not to get too competitive against myself because I will compete with myself and go faster than I need to and cause a rail. I really just was trying to stay on my game today.”
Berry continued, “[Traver’s Girl HS] is probably the best horse that I’ve ever had. She continues to win over and over. At home, she just goes in her turnout. She doesn’t jump; she doesn’t do anything, and she comes to the shows and rocks it. She is such a cool horse. She absolutely loves her job. We thought about retiring her because she’s 18. She doesn’t want to!”
To view full results from the $2,500 Kevin Babington Foundation 1.20m, sponsored by East-West Equine Sports Medicine and Devoucoux, click here.
Competition at Desert Circuit 2, presented by Kubota, continues through Sunday, with highlights including Saturday night’s $75,000 Kubota Grand Prix. To view a complete schedule and learn more, visit deserthorsepark.com.