Kim Farlinger and Cordoba won the $30,000 Grand Prix of Traverse City on Sunday, July 18, at the Horse Show by the Bay Equestrian Festival in Traverse City, Michigan. Photo by Lauren Fisher, Phelps Media Group

July 20, 2010 – Traverse City, Michigan – Canada’s Kim Farlinger of Ottawa, ON, made her first trip to the Horse Show by the Bay Equestrian Festival in Traverse City, Michigan, a winning one, claiming top honours in the $30,000 Grand Prix of Traverse City on Sunday, July 18.

Course designer Pierre Jolicoeur set a track that saw eight horses advance to the jump-off. Four were again able to leave all the rails in place, but none could get the job done faster than Farlinger and Cordoba, who raced through the timers in 36.32 seconds. Scott Lenkart finished second with a time of 37.89 riding Un Prince, and also placed third with a time of 38.35 seconds aboard Impulsive.

“Cordoba is a fast horse naturally, and he was in the game for sure,” said Farlinger, 25, of her victory. “I had to go pretty fast, but everything just came up nicely and I did not have to slow down anywhere.”

Of the first round, Farlinger noted, “Pierre built a good course, it was technical and long enough with 13 numbered fences, including a triple and a double that was off a difficult bending line.”

Cordoba is a 12-year-old bay Dutch Warmblood gelding by Polydox that Farlinger imported as a six-year-old. Owned by Kim Farlinger Stables, Cordoba placed second in the $60,000 Bonjour Quebec Grand Prix at CSI2* L’International Bromont, QC, in 2007, and was third in the $100,000 John Deere World Cup Grand Prix at CSI-W Tournament of Champions in Palgrave, ON, the following year.

In addition to Cordoba, Kim Farlinger Stables also owns Bay Street and the newly acquired Caprice van de Brouwershoeve. Both horses performed well in Traverse City with Bay Street winning a 1.30m class. The 11-year-old Hannoverian gelding by Escudo is just coming back to the top level after a hoof wall separation, and Farlinger hopes to show him in the $30,000 Grand Prix during the third and final week of competition in Traverse City. Caprice van de Brouwershoeve, a seven-year-old Westphalian mare by Corofino II, also had a win in the 1.30m jumper competitions.

“All of my horses jumped very well, and all three that I own won a class during the opening week,” said Farlinger, who will compete all three weeks of the Horse Shows by the Bay Equestrian Festival. “Everything in the barn was good; the horses were very fresh and jumping well. The horses are all on form.”

Farlinger arrived in Traverse City with nine horses in total, three of her own and six owned by clients. In fact, Farlinger started her first day of competition with a win in the 1.30m jumper competition riding Acardia 3 for owner Emily Kinch. The horse was purchased for Kinch, 17, of Barbados with future North American Junior and Young Riders’ Championships in mind. Kinch herself rode Acardia 3 to a third place finish in Saturday’s $5,000 NAL Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Classic.

“It took 12 hours to get here, but we are used to driving and it was worth it,” complimented Farlinger. “The show is on Traverse Bay off Lake Michigan, and this is very much a summer vacation town. There are lots of restaurants and shopping right on the water.”

Farlinger first made a name for herself in 2003 when she won the North American Young Riders’ Championship Junior Individual Gold Medal in 2003, the same year that she made her Grand Prix debut riding del Destino. In 2004, she finished a close second to Ian Millar in the Canadian Show Jumping Championships. While continuing to pursue her Grand Prix aspirations, Farlinger is also developing a reputation as a trainer of horses and riders at all levels, and is committed to the success of her students.

Farlinger operates Kim Farlinger Stables, a full service hunter/jumper training facility, in Spencerville, located 40 minutes south of Ottawa and 30 minutes from Brockville. For more information, please call 613-658-2765 or visit www.kimfarlinger.com.

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