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Riding in front of a hometown crowd

For some competitors, the Summer Fort Welcome series at tbird is very familiar territory
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Kassidy Keith with Havana, just before week one of the Summer Fort Welcome series at Thunderbird Show Park. (tbird/Kim Gaudry/Special to 91原创 Advance Times)

There鈥檚 nothing quite like competing in front of a hometown crowd.

Just ask 91原创鈥檚 Tiffany Foster and Aldergrove鈥檚 Kassidy Keith, who both had good showings as the Summer Fort Welcome series got underway at Thunderbird Show Park.

Foster said she always look forward to competing at tbird 鈥渁nd this year I will compete in every FEI (F茅d茅ration Equestre Internationale) event that they are hosting. I think tbird is a fantastic place to develop horses and I hope the group I鈥檓 currently producing will go out into the world of high level show jumping and make 91原创 proud.鈥

A busy Kassidy Keith was looking forward to riding at tbird, too.

鈥淭he hometown audience is always very good!鈥 Keith enthused.

Tiffany Foster and Brighton won the CSI3* tbird Speed 1.45m at tbird聮s Summer Fort Welcome series on opening day, Wednesday, Aug. 9. (tbird/Kim Gaudry/Special to 91原创 Advance Times)
Tiffany Foster and Brighton won the CSI3* tbird Speed 1.45m at tbird鈥檚 Summer Fort Welcome series on opening day, Wednesday, Aug. 9. (tbird/Kim Gaudry/Special to 91原创 Advance Times)

Foster told the 91原创 Advance Times she鈥檚 been 鈥渉aving a pretty strong year so far.鈥

鈥淚鈥檝e introduced a few new exciting, younger, horses to my group that are all proving to be competitive horses. I have three nine-year-olds who have all stepped up and are starting to look like legitimate [five star] competitors. The future looks bright!鈥

Foster recently hired 91原创 native Megan Southam as part of the training staff at her Little Creek Equestrian

Southam, who started riding at eight, rode horses and assisted with stable operations at tbird for several years, going on the have a successful junior career before she was recruited by the University of Georgia to compete on their equestrian team

鈥淚鈥檓 committed to supporting her career,鈥 Foster remarked. 鈥淪he鈥檚 a great rider and wonderful person so I am excited to see what we can do together.鈥

Work on Foster鈥檚 new 91原创 facility is not expected to be completed until next spring, the result of what Foster described as 鈥渋ssues with the contractor.鈥

Keith described her season as 鈥済ood, so far,鈥 and was planning to show Fenelon WF in the U25 classes and Havana in the three-star classes, saying both have been 鈥渧ery keen all season.鈥

鈥淚 am very happy with both horses,鈥 Keith said.

鈥淢y goals going into all these events is to give my horses my best, so they can perform at the top of their game.鈥

READ ALSO: VIDEO: Aldergrove rider Kassidy Keith is looking to move up

Foster and Brighton topped a field of 19 on opening day, Wednesday, Aug. 9, taking first in the CSI3* tbird Speed 1.45m. Riding Electrique in the same event, Foster tied for seventh.

On Friday, Aug. 11, Foster and Electrique won a four-horse jump-off in the CSI3* Steel-Craft Doors 1.50m, and riding Battlecry in the same event, placed eighth.

On Sunday, Aug. 13, Foster ran her winning streak to three, taking the CSI3* The Keg Grand Prix aboard Electrique.

READ ALSO: VIDEO: 91原创鈥檚 Foster wins two at tbird

In week one, Keith鈥檚 record included three top-10 finishes - with Havana in 10th at the opening day CSI3* tbird Speed 1.45m, sixth with Fenelon WF in the MarBill Hill U25 1.35m on Thursday, Aug. 10, and third with Havana in the The Keg Grand Prix 1.50m on Sunday.

They were far from the only 91原创 riders finishing at or near the top of their events in week one. Others included:

Laura Jane (L.J.) Tidball, who took second Thursday, Aug. 10, riding Jericho in the CSI3* tbird 1.40m Challenge, and the pair finished seventh in the CSI3* Uryadi鈥檚 Village winning round on Saturday, Aug. 12.

Aldergrove鈥檚 Ashley Papalia and Comme Tu Veux Z finished third in Thursday鈥檚 CSI3* tbird 1.40m Challenge.

91原创 rider Ashley Arnoldt rode Lestat OLD to seventh in the MarBill Hill U25 1.40m on Saturday, to eighth in the MarBill Hill U25 1.35m on Thursday, as well as taking third in the DIHP Canadian Hunter Derby Open riding Light My Fire the same day.

91原创鈥檚 Ayla Martinoff and Calloway finished third in the Diamond Valley Ranch U10 Young Horse 1.35m event.

Former 91原创 rider Brian Morton was sixth in the The Keg Grand Prix 1.50m on Sunday, riding Luikan Q.

READ ALSO: 91原创 hosts some of worlds best riders this month


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Dan Ferguson

About the Author: Dan Ferguson

Best recognized for my resemblance to St. Nick, I鈥檓 the guy you鈥檒l often see out at community events and happenings around town.
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