April 12, 2024 – Katy, TX – Of the five grand prix classes held thus far at the 2024 Pin Oak Charity Horse Show in Katy, TX, four of them have been won by Nicolas Gamboa, including Thursday’s $25,000 Monarch Stables Grand Prix.
Gamboa has now earned an impressive nine Pin Oak grand prix wins since securing his first-ever grand prix victory at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center only two years ago. His victory in Thursday’s class came aboard his winningest mount throughout those two years, NKH Mr. Darcy.
Gamboa and the 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding, owned by NKH LLC, were one of 17 entries in the class and one of six to jump clear over the first-round course designed by Bernardo Costa Cabral.
From there, Gamboa and “Darcy” showcased what has become their signature speed, stopping the clock in 35.702 seconds for the win. Second place with a time of 36.844 seconds went to Martien van der Hoeven and Chance Encounter, owned by Marlac Ventures. Finishing in third was the only other grand prix winner so far this Pin Oak circuit, Avery Griffin, this time aboard Bodega Semilly, owned by PBC Equine Investments, LLC.
“I wanted to be quick, but I didn’t want to take everything out,” said Gamboa of his jump-off plan. “There were obviously some places to go inside and some places to go around. Normally, you would think inside is quicker, but I chose to go around there. I think it paid off in the end that I could keep cantering and didn’t have to slow down. I didn’t watch everybody in the jump-off go, but I think Darcy just kind of flowed very nicely and evenly everywhere. He was the one that won the class for us today.”
Gamboa continued, “Bernardo [Costa Cabral] is obviously one of the best course designers in the world. He does a fantastic job everywhere. Pin Oak is extremely lucky, and all of us in Texas are extremely lucky to have him here. He did a great job for a Thursday grand prix, setting us up for the rest of the week. I personally did not jump the [Welcome Stake] yesterday, but I watched a few go, and I thought this was just a little bit bigger, a little bit more technical. Overall, I thought it was a fantastic course with enough questions. He for sure didn’t pull out all the tricks today, but you can see his mind thinking on what he wants to do for Saturday’s [$100,000 Hildebrand Fund Grand Prix].”
That $100,000 Hildebrand Fund Grand Prix is what Gamboa will set his sights on next, as the class marks the highlight finale of three weeks of top hunter/jumper competition at the 78th Pin Oak Charity Horse Show. The evening’s grand prix festivities will kick off on Saturday, April 13, at 7 p.m. with entertainment from the Diaz Family, followed by the first horse on course at 7:30 p.m. Spectator admission and parking are free, and all are invited to attend.
April 11, 2024 – Katy, TX – Victory in each of this year’s three Pin Oak Charity Horse Show Welcome Stakes has gone to a different horse each week, but all with the same rider: Martien van der Hoeven.
On Wednesday, April 10, van der Hoeven completed his clean sweep of the classes with a win in the $15,000 Rendezvous Farm Welcome Stake aboard Mr. Jackson B.
On his way to the win, van der Hoeven was one of 16 entries to contest the course set by renowned course designer Bernardo Costa Cabral. From there, van der Hoeven and Mr. Jackson B were one of six entries to advance to jump off in the Main Ring at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy, TX.
A slick inside turn helped them jump to the top of the leaderboard by a nearly four-second margin, stopping the clock in a winning 40.699 seconds. Second place with a time of 44.677 seconds went to Rachel Lindsay and her own Cokidoo, and Matt Cyphert and Paddington, owned by The Paddington Group, finished in third with a time of 49.732 seconds.
“Bernardo [Costa Cabral]’s amazing,” said van der Hoeven. “We’re so lucky to have these [course designers] for the three weeks here at Pin Oak. I thought the first track was very nice for who was here – the horses, the level. The jump-off today was a little bit more for me to test what Mr. Jackson could do. We tried an inside turn that I don’t know if anyone else did. It worked out for us today which sort of helped and helped us win the class, but had it not, I don’t think it would have been a discouraging moment either. I think it would’ve been something we could have learned from, so it was a really good jump-off for us to sort of see where we’re at.”
Gauging where they’re at is important, as van der Hoeven and the 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding – owned in partnership with Maarten Huygens – have been partnered for just a few short weeks.
“Mr. Jackson B is new to the string; we just got him as we left Wellington,” explained van der Hoeven. “He’s a little green, but we’re very excited about what he could possibly turn into. Mr. Jackson still rides a little green in between the fences; I wouldn’t say that we have all the gears working quite yet, but once he gets to the jump, he has all the ability. It feels like he really has the potential to jump much bigger. He does it right. We just have to sort of work through a little bit of the kinks.”
For van der Hoeven, the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show has presented a great opportunity to work out those kinks, and, as a Texas resident and a competitor at Pin Oak for more than 20 years, van der Hoeven is proud to support the U.S. Equestrian Heritage Competition.
“I think the significance of Pin Oak is not just that it’s a historic show that’s been here for a long time, but also it benefits the charities, the Texas Children’s Hospital, which I think is important,” concluded van der Hoeven. “It’s two-fold. I think the show is very good for the Texas professional community and having a show of this standard. It keeps us relevant, and it keeps us ascending in the sport. Then on top of that, it’s great be able to help the charity and be a part of that as well.”
For full results of Wednesday’s $15,000 Rendezvous Farm Welcome Stake, click here. Competition at the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show continues through Sunday, April 14, with highlights of Week III including the $100,000 Hildebrand Fund Grand Prix on Saturday, April 13, beginning at 7 p.m.
April 7, 2024 – Katy, TX – Nicolas Gamboa has now earned an impressive three grand prix wins since the 2024 Pin Oak Charity Horse Show began on March 26, and on Saturday night, April 6, he not only notched his third victory of the show series, he picked up both first and second in the $50,000 R-C Ranch Grand Prix.
On the way to his one-two finish, Gamboa accounted for three of the 23 entries in the Pin Oak Week II featured event at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center. The first-round course, designed by Oscar Soberon, narrowed that starting field down to 10 horses – and two entries for Gamboa – for the jump-off, and from there, it was an exciting race against the clock.
The very first pair to return for the short course, Natalee Haggan and MTM Hyperion Z, laid down a clear round and set the time to beat at a competitive 40.589 seconds. Four trips later, it was Gamboa’s turn aboard NKH Vittorio S, and a slick inside turn helped shoot the duo straight to the top of the leaderboard with a time of 37.801 seconds.
That time would prove uncatchable, and only Gamboa himself would come within striking distance. Aboard NKH Mr. Darcy, he stopped the clock in 38.783 seconds to take second place, relegating Haggan and MTM Hyperion Z, owned by MTM Farm, to third.
“I think Oscar [Soberon] did a great job with the jump-off,” said Gamboa, who rides for October Hill Farm. “You had to make sure that you didn’t overdo it too early. With ‘Vitto’ I kind of got to [the inside turn I had in mind] a little bit faster than I wanted, so I didn’t quite do the turn the way I wanted. I kind of slipped in between a gap. It was a little bit last-minute thinking there. Then, we were a little bit angled into the combination, but he really worked hard and made it happen.”
Gamboa continued, “With Darcy, I’ve known that horse a little bit longer, and he’s so rideable. He lands and turns. So that [turn] was kind of right there; it’s a given with that horse, but obviously, Vitto just got a little bit the better of Darcy today.”
Gamboa has been partnered with NKH Vittorio S, owned by Neil Knox of NKH LLC, for roughly a year, and the 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding has been on the cusp of a big win for some time.
“He jumped a big class [at the Las Vegas National in November 2023]; that was kind of our first bigger show together,” said Gamboa. “He’s kind of always been knocking on the door…Finally, I think at this show, we put some of those pieces together and figured out the jump-off.”
Gamboa continued, “I think Vitto and Darcy are very similar in a lot of ways but also vastly different in a lot of ways. Darcy’s very athletic, very catty, but a little bit smaller and a little bit shorter with a lot of heart. Vitto has just got such an athletic body and such a massive stride. He’s so quick across the ground. He has all the scope in the world it feels like. Both horses try so hard, and they want to win just as much as I do. It’s always a nice feeling.”
With Saturday’s win added to his increasingly impressive resume, Gamboa has now earned eight grand prix victories at the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show just since 2022.
“It never gets old,” concluded Gamboa. “The feeling is always incredible – knowing that the horses are performing well and that we’re doing everything right at home and at the shows and that the whole team is performing well. It’s great to be able to get this [win] back to the team.”
Next Gamboa will be looking to get one or two more grand prix wins under his belt during Week III of the 78th Pin Oak Charity Horse Show, which kicks off on Wednesday, April 10. Highlights of the week will include Thursday’s $25,000 Monarch Stables Grand Prix and the finale $100,000 Hildebrand Fund Grand Prix on Saturday, April 13. To learn more, visit www.PinOak.org.
April 6, 2024 – Katy, TX – Nada Wise and Chesterfield were the very first pair in the ring for Friday night’s $25,000 Olde Oaks Farm Hunter Classic, and they led the class from beginning to end to clinch the win in the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show’s Week II highlight hunter event.
The first round of the two-round classic saw 21 entries taking on the Alan Lohman-designed course at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy, TX. From there, the field was narrowed to the top 12 to return in reverse order of their standings for the second round.
For Wise and Chesterfield, first-round scores of 88 and 86 from the two judging panels – for an 87 average – secured them the lead and the final returning position.
Just before Wise returned, young rider Logan Jacobson and her own MTM Crossed My Mind had turned in what would prove to be the highest scores of the second round: dual 88s from both judging panels. With those scores giving Jacobson an impressive 172.75 total, the pressure was on for Wise and Chesterfield.
Chesterfield, however, has a knack for rising to the occasion, and he did it again on Friday night. With scores of 87 and 87.5 for a second-round average of 87.25, Chesterfield secured the win with a 174.25 total. Following Wise and Jacobson, third place with a score of 170.5 went to Kelly Lorek and MTM Campedu, owned by Emersales LLC.
“Chesterfield was unbelievable,” said Wise of the 8-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding, owned by Stacey Thompson. “We were the first ones to go, and he felt so relaxed and so comfortable. He jumped so well through his body and so high. I couldn’t have asked him to be any better. Then to come back as late as he did in that second round – he just blew it out of the park. He was so good.”
Wise has had the ride on Chesterfield since he was imported three years ago, and together the pair have contested numerous featured hunter events and derby classes – including at the USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship and at the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show where Wise has been competing for the past 14 years.
“I moved here about 15 years ago. I remember my first time showing here; it was such a big deal,” said Wise, who this year has 18 horses competing at Pin Oak with her Rendezvous Farm. “I felt overwhelmed, but now it feels like home. It’s a special place. It’s a special show. All of my clients are here, and they all like to support and sponsor. It’s really nice. We love coming back every year.”
Also earning major hunter wins on Friday were Ann Marie Cowdrey on Zest and Morgan Parasher on Pendleton. Cowdrey and Zest topped a competitive field of 45 entries to win the $10,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby – Junior/Amateur, while Parasher and Pendleton were the best of 27 entries in the $10,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby – Junior/Amateur, sponsored by Leaving One Out LLC.
For full results from all of Friday’s competition, click here.
April 5, 2024 – Katy, TX – For two years in a row, the win in the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show’s Week II $25,000 Grand Prix had gone to Nicolas Gamboa, and on Thursday, April 4, the 23-year-old made it a three-peat, again topping the $25,000 EPIC Sporthorses Grand Prix aboard NKH Mr. Darcy.
As the already two-time winners of the class, Gamboa and NKH Mr. Darcy were a favorite to win it again – but they were not without stiff competition. Thirty-one entries took on the class, with the starting field whittled down to nine to jump-off over the short course designed by Oscar Soberon.
When Gamboa returned to the Main Ring at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center, the time to beat had been set at a competitive 38.022 seconds by Mexico’s Andres Torres Hernandez and Vivant Comedy PS. Aside from Hernandez, only one other rider had broken the 40-second mark, but Gamboa made short work of it. He and NKH Mr. Darcy cleared the final Pin Oak vertical in 36.570 seconds to take the win.
In addition to the overall victory, Gamboa and NKH Mr. Darcy were presented as the winners of the $10,000 Underwood Ranch U25 Grand Prix held simultaneously.
Finishing in second place overall was Hernandez, while third place – and second place in the U25 Grand Prix – went to Genevieve Munson who stopped the jump-off clock in 38.203 seconds aboard her own Zonderling.
“When I walked the course, I did a quick walk of the jump-off, and I thought it was pretty straightforward of what to do,” said Gamboa, who rides for October Hill Farm. “There weren’t many options…it was kind of just how you rode your track and sticking to the plan. [NKH Mr. Darcy] has been very good to me. I’ve gotten to know him quite well over the past few years, and we just stuck to our plan and showed how good he is today.”
It was aboard the 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding, owned by Neil Knox of NKH LLC, that Gamboa got his first ever grand prix win at the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show just two years, and Gamboa and NKH Mr. Darcy have amassed numerous wins since then – including now winning Thursday’s class for three years in a row.
Of their consistency, Gamboa said, “I think NKH Mr. Darcy was just developed well right from the get-go. He really knows everything that you could do. He’s been with [October Hill Farm] for quite some time, since he was quite a young horse. When I got the ride on him a few years ago, he was pretty much already there at the top level, and I was very fortunate to get that ride. We’ve just continued improving and getting better and better the both of us.”
Now, Gamboa will set his sights on Saturday night’s $50,000 R-C Ranch Grand Prix, and beyond that, the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show’s finale event, the $100,000 Hildebrand Fund Grand Prix.
“I have a great group of horses here, [NKH Warrior, NKH Vittorio S and NKH Mr. Darcy],” said Gamboa. “All three of them are going to do the Saturday and then kind of pick and choose and see how we do this week. We’re aiming at the $100,000 during Week III and trying to produce some good results. Obviously, we’ll go day by day and do what’s best for the horses but aim for the win.”
For full results from Thursday’s Grand Prix, click here or visit HorseShowsOnline.com.
Competition at the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show continues through Sunday, April 14, with highlights of Week II including the $50,000 R-C Ranch Grand Prix on Saturday, April 6, beginning at 7 p.m.