Dinan Rides To First Major Win At The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair

Katie Dinan and Glory Days Lay It Down During Weston Canadian Open

Nov. 8th, 2013 – 20-year-old Katie Dinan took the top honors in last night’s $50,000 Weston Canadian Open speed class at The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, Ontario, after an excitingly unusual tie resulted in a jump-off against renowned US rider and Florida resident, Laura Kraut.

A chilly November evening, the Ricoh Coliseum is buzzing with giddy toddlers amazed by the equestrian performances that unravel before their eyes. Well groomed men in suits and women in long elegant dresses occupy the concessions and bowl of the coliseum. They don’t call it “The Royal” for nothing – it’s all very black-tie.

18 international riders are set to participate in the evening’s show-jumping spectacle, made up of one round and based entirely on speed (also referred to as a Table-A class).  Normally consisting of one round the chances of two riders having the exact same time in a speed class is extremely rare. But rare it was and Katie Dinan’s solid round stopped the clocks at exactly the same time as Kraut’s 60.83 seconds. The crowd cheered on and the chatter started as Nancy Wetmore – evenly surprised by the occurrence – went on to discuss the round.

The New York City native has been riding since the age of four and received individual gold at the 2011 North American Junior & Young Rider Championships aboard Vancouver, a warmblood gelding by Voltaire II, bred by Mary Wilson and owned by Grant Road Partners LLC.

Currently trained by Mclain Ward, whom finished 6th aboard Czardas 30, Dinan piloted Glory Days, a 12-year-old Swedish warmblood gelding by Cardento 933, to a spectacular first round that consisted of tight turns, executed fast and flawless. But she never anticipated a tie, “I actually noticed they put a jump-off course on the first diagram and I kind of did a double take on it because it’s a speed class and we rarely see ties.” Hearing the announcer declare a tie was a nice surprise and it presented an opportunity to bring home a first place red ribbon.

When Kraut rode the 10-year-old Dutch gelding, Woodstock, in the tie breaker jump-off and unfortunately knocked down the final jump, Dinan knew all she needed to do was ride fault free. On their approached to the first jump Glory put the brakes on just a bit, cantering almost in place and seemingly not too eager to begin the course. “I had a little bit of a rough beginning, so I knew I wasn’t going to be faster and decided to take my time, concentrating on going clear.”

Once they managed the first jump Glory was good to go and very attentive, jumping carefully throughout the course and landing the final oxer with 0 faults and a time of 40.13 seconds. The victory was all theirs.

In the Hitching Ring, an unmounted Katie Dinan is joined by mom and Delilah, a tiny teacup pup she adopted at the North American Junior & Young Rider Championships, “I bring her to all my shows… She’s my good luck charm.” Soft-spoken and very ladylike she is quick to introduce herself and eager to answer any questions.

This is her second time showing at The Royal – Her first time was in 2011 when she piloted Vancouver, Super Trooper de Ness, and Sandro – and her first win here. “It’s great to be back and win an event like this. Glory was jumping really well tonight and it’s our first major win together. It all worked out really well.”

When asked how she manages to balance school and riding she laughs a bit, “I wish I could have twice the amount of time in a day.” Dedicated to her studies at Harvard University Katie explains her workload is anything but easy and admits, “Sometimes I feel like I’m being pulled in two opposite directions, but school is very important to me,” and she modestly adds, “It’s kind of a work in progress and I’m trying my best.” Her hard work is more than apparent and her competitive edge remains intact despite the pressures of the Ivy Leagues.

Congratulating her on the win and how well she’s tackled both aspects of her life, her smile is contagious, “The horses are a huge part of my life. I love being here and I love riding.”

By: Claudia Lorena

Watch Katie’s 2011 NAJYRC Individual Gold medal round:

Video: ShowNet