In a thrilling performance at HITS-on-the-Hudson VII in Saugerties, Kelli Cruciotti-Vanderveen bested a field of 32 competitors to claim Top 3 in the CSI5* $37,000 Smartpak Welcome aboard Forever SFN, Gideon and Isabella Van De Zuuthoeve, respectively.
Photo by ESI
Returning to the jump off against 10 other horse and rider combinations, Kelli jumped first aboard Gideon, racing to the lead for the majority of the class. Proving herself to be hard to beat, Kelli finished just behind Gideon aboard Isabella. With 4 left to go, Kelli and Forever SFN set a new time to beat.
Speaking on her spectacular performance, “I felt absolutely elated following the completion of the class. Not only was it incredible to have results like this in a 5* class, but I am so proud of my horses for their effort and form.”
Her winning mount, Forever SFN, is a 12 year old gelding by Azteca VDL. “Forever has been in incredible shape the entire year, with this class marking his 6th CSI ranking class win since our partnership began in March.” Within weeks of his arrival in her barn, Forever shined in their first win during Week 12 of the Winter Equestrian Festival in the CSI2* Power & Speed.
Forever SFN (Azteca VDL / Non Stop)
Photo by ESI
“As for Gideon and Isabella, I was extremely happy with how these young horses handled the track and their overall progression this past year. It’s very rewarding to bring them along and now have them jumping successfully at the highest level”
Just 8 years old, Gideon and Isabella Van De Zuuthoeve have been steadily moving up the ranks this year with consistent performances throughout. Last week, both Gideon (Super Trooper De Ness x Corland) and Isabella Van De Zuuthoeve (Thunder VD Zuuthoeve x Wander Vd Mispelaere) jumped double clear in multiple classes at the prestigious Hampton Classic Horse Show.
Isabella Van De Zuuthoeve (Thunder VD Zuuthoeve x Wander Vd Mispelaere)
Photo by ESI
Thank you to our friends at HITS for an exciting week of competition in Saugerties, our hard-working staff, and our sponsors who make it all possible. Kelli Cruciotti-Vanderveen and the Serenity Farm team would like to thank GGT-Footing, Devoucoux, Platinum Performance, and Weatherbeeta for their ongoing support of our team.