Thermal, CA – February 6, 2025 – Thursday, February 6, was a good day to be Joie Gatlin as she rode to two championships and a reserve championship amidst a highly competitive World Championship Hunter Rider week at the Desert International Horse Park in Thermal, CA.
Gatlin kicked off her day at Desert Circuit 5, presented by Fobi, by taking home the top tricolor in the High Performance Hunters with Oslo, owned by Alexis Meadows. The pair came into the day with a first and a second place over fences, as well as a win in the under saddle, and they added a fourth-place finish to their points tally to clinch the championship. Finishing as the division reserve champions were Emily Esau Williams and Star Quality.
“Oslo is probably one of the best hunters I’ve ever ridden,” said Gatlin of the 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding that she has been competing since 2022. “He’s beautiful. He’s big strided; he’s athletic. He’s just an amazing horse. I’m always looking forward to riding him. His owner, Alexis Meadows, shows him in the 3’6” Amateur-Owner Hunters, and he does that job beautifully as well. We’re very grateful to have him.”
Week 5 of Desert Circuit has particularly suited the gelding, as the hunters are center stage in the Grand Prix Arena for the week.
“This big ring out here is great for him because he’s got a huge stride,” said Gatlin. “I can actually gallop a little bit. He’s got the perfect hunter gallop. It’s fun that the hunters are going in the big grand prix ring. It’s a nice opportunity for them to jump some different jumps and open up and to actually be able to see what a horse gallops like – what originally a hunter would be doing out in the hunt field.”
One of Gatlin’s next mounts of the day, Clear As Day, also took quite well to the Grand Prix Arena. The 9-year-old Westphalian gelding, owned by Balmoral, jumped to two wins over fences and a win in the model – as well a fourth place in the handy and a fourth place in the under saddle – to earn the Green Conformation Hunter championship. The reserve championship in the division went to Jamie Sailor and Normandy.
“Clear As Day is a catch ride that Carleton [Brooks] asked me to ride for him,” explained Gatlin. “I ride it one week, and then Nick Haness will come ride it the next week. We’re kind of just building the horse up. Carleton and Traci bought it for Nick, and so when Nick is here, he shows it. When Nick has other obligations, I fill in. He’s a really fun horse. I’ve just gotten used to him; I think my last round in the Green Conformation was probably the best round I’ve had on him. Everything came so easy. He’s a really, really fun little horse.”
Gatlin continued, “It’s fun to work with Carleton. I’ve always watched from afar, but to actually get some coaching from Carleton has been fun, and I’m grateful for that.”
Brooks acquired Clear As Day from Canada at the end of the 2024 winter circuit, initially as a sale horse.
“We took him, and we messed around with him a little bit,” said Brooks previously. “I went to Traci [Brooks] and said, ‘I’m buying him. He’s real.’ So, she shrugged her shoulders, and we bought him! We took him to ‘Indoors,’ which we do with all our babies. We do it for them to grow up, not really for them to be competitive. Nick [Haness] went in and rode him at [the Pennsylvania National Horse Show] and got a 90 in the green stake class. It was very, very well done.”
Of what initially stood out to him about Clear As Day, Brooks concluded, “I look for their balance, their attitude and how smart they are. He’s very well balanced; obviously, he’s proportioned right. He’s beautiful. He’s very wise. You give him a chance to learn what he needs to do, and he does it. Everything is there. He shows himself well.”
In the 3’6” Green Hunters, Gatlin earned her reserve championship aboard Save the Date, while the championship went to Morgan Thomas and Small Crown, owned by Evelyn Bay.
In the High Performance Conformation Hunters, the championship was awarded to Morgan Parasher and B R Farms LLC’s On Point, and the reserve championship went to Katie Taylor-Davidson and Simply Spectacular.
Earning the 3’9” Green Hunter championship were Molly Graham and Cheers!, owned by Olivia Aul. The reserve championship went to Dustin Goodwin and Reputation.
To view more results from Desert Circuit 5, visit dihp.showgroundslive.com.
