FIRST, FIRSTS: KERI POTTER

Keri Potter and Jiminy Cricket clear the California wall. The pair won the 2019 FEI CSI 2* Gold Tour Grand Prix at Ranch & Coast

PC: Captured Moment Photography

Some of a rider’s most memorable moments are the first, firsts they achieve in the show ring. These victories reward all the hard work, dedication and challenges along the way. In this series, riders share the first, firsts that shaped their journey.

On May 11th, 2019 at the Showpark Ranch & Coast Classic in Del Mar, Keri Potter and Melanie Brooks’ Jiminy Cricket earned their first victory as a team in the FEI CSI2* 1.45m Grand Prix. This win was a monumental step in their journey together, which started when Potter broke ‘Jimmy’ as a young horse. Potter brought him along his #PathwayToSuccess in the Young Jumper divisions. Just last year, they clinched the top spot in the 7-year-old Young Jumper Championships.

Although Jimmy is new to the 1.45m division, Potter has a long list of wins under her belt. She has been a top Grand Prix contender on multiple mounts over the years, and many of them at Blenheim EquiSports events!

We asked Potter to share some of her most memorable first, firsts. She takes us back to when she was a horse crazy kid to years later when was a rookie on the international scene and to today as a veteran bringing along young equine stars such as Bitalica, Diabolical C and Jiminy Cricket as well as star young riders, like Hannah Loly.

Keri Potter and Diabolical C in the 2017 Young Jumper Championships (PC: McCool Photography)

When was your first, first at a horse show? (class, horse…) What do you remember about it?  

I think my first, first at a show was when I was seven. I was riding our family horse Mosobe at a local county show in Del Mar. I was so excited to win! It was also memorable when Mosobe had a seizure and kicked out the windshield of a car a few minutes after we won…. Yikes!!

Do you remember your first win at a Blenheim EquiSports show? Can you tell us a little bit about it?

I have been showing at Blenheim shows since I can remember!  I am pretty sure I won my first Junior Jumper classic at the Oaks on Call Me in the Morning. I won my first Futures Class at the Oaks on Montero, and then about a year later I won my first Grand Prix on Montero.  

We would love to hear about any other ‘first firsts’ that are memorable.

I qualified for my first international team at Showpark on the Developing Riders Tour on Infatuation. I won my first World Cup qualifier class at the Oaks, in the indoor at night, on Rockford. In 2018, Bitalica won the first FEI 3* Gold Tour Grand Prix at Blenheim and then Jimmy just won his first FEI 2* Grand Prix at Showpark! I also won my first 7-year old final two years ago at Blenheim on Diabolical C and then won it again last  year on Jiminy Cricket. Blenhiem EquiSports has definitely been good to me over the years!

Keri Potter and Call Me in the Morning win the Jr. Jumper Classic at the Oaks (now Blenheim EquiSports)