Charlotte, NC – April 11, 2004 – Easter Sunday at the Charlotte Coliseum kicked off with another win for Katrina Woods, 18, of Bronxville, NY, aboard her own Susdal in the $25,000 Charlotte Amateur/Young Rider Grand Prix in Charlotte, NC. The win also gave Woods the Leading Amateur/Young Rider Award based on her performances in the four Amateur/Young Rider classes held over three days at the Charlotte Jumper Classic CSI****. In today’s class, Woods and Susdal topped a field of 16 entries and were the fastest of three clear trips in the four-horse jump-off. The teen earned $7,500 for her victory. Cayce Harrison of Wellington, FL, riding Reggae owned by her family’s Double H Farm placed second. Georgina Bloomberg of New York, NY, aboard Nadia owned by Gotham Enterprizes was third.

Riders tackled Steve Stephens’ 10-jump Round One track that presented a double combination at Fence 6, a series of serpentine and rollback turns that led competitors back over Fence 4 in reverse as No. 9, and on to the triple combination at Fence 10, finishing off with a vertical at 11. Time Allowed was set at 72 seconds. “The first round was pretty difficult,” said Woods. “Only four people went clear. There were a lot of good riders. I was kind of nervous going in, but once I did the first part of the course, the bending three [line of fences] it went well. I knew from then on that it was going to be okay.” She noted that the Time Allowed was tight and she had to be aware of her pace but it posed no problem for her performance. “I was able to still ride the way I wanted to, being conservative and just trying to go clear.”

For the tiebreaker course, Stephens re-set with eight elements to jump in under 42 seconds. Bloomberg aboard Nadia led off and set the pace with a clear round in 31.66 seconds. Woods and Susdal went next and edged Bloomberg out of the lead with a scorching fast round in 30.61. Jeanne Hobbs of Pinehurst, NC, riding Montrachet made a valiant attempt to gain the lead and actually posted the fastest time, clocking in at 29.84 seconds, but unfortunately had three fences down on the way and ended up in fourth place with 12 faults. Last to go, Harrison in the irons on Reggae gave it her all and posted a clear round in 30.75 seconds, but was just 1/10th of a second off the leader’s time and had to settle for second place.

Winner Katrina Woods was at the ingate during Bloomberg’s jump-off round. “It was great to watch her because she’s so good and so fast,” said Woods. “I just went in thinking, okay, I’m just trying to be clean and quick and have a good ride. I didn’t even think I was going that fast. I thought I was going to be second or third, and then I heard them announce that I beat her. My horse is just so fast off the ground.”

Woods’s coaches, Olympian Nona Garson and George D’Ambrosio had advised her to shave time by taking an inside turn from Fence 4 back to the oxer at 5, which she slickly performed on course. “He saw the jump out of the corner of his eye and it was so easy,” she said, noting that she took a few more such risks on course. “He’s such a fast horse. He’s in his prime when he’s in the jump-off, so that’s my favorite thing to do.” Woods purchased the 12-year-old chestnut Russian warmblood gelding from Garson 18 months ago. Garson had shown him as a grand prix horse. “He’s very hot-blooded,” said Woods. “He really gets into it, but once he gets into the ring he’s very composed and he just rides.”

Having won two big classes and the Leading Amateur/Young Rider Award, Woods was surprised at her string of successes at the inaugural Charlotte Jumper Classic. “I didn’t expect it at all. The first day went so well and then yesterday I was a little more conservative because I only have one horse here. A bunch of people have more than one, so they can go all-out in some classes. I was trying to save him, but he has so much stamina and he’s in such good shape that he thrives off of this. He’s always the best the last day. I didn’t expect this, but he surprises me all the time.”

Woods was impressed with the Charlotte Jumper Classic CSI**** overall. “It’s really nice. I like everything. The courses were good and it’s run very well, very relaxed, very organized, nice set-up. The ring was good. It’s just like Harrisburg, or Washington, or New York.”

Net proceeds from the horse show will benefit the Bobcats Charitable Fund, the organization’s philanthropic giving arm.

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