Thermal, CA – February 15, 2025 – Roughly seven months ago, Keri Potter received a call from U.S. Olympian Karl Cook asking her to take on a project horse. As Potter recalls, that project horse, Kalimera van de Nethe Z, “didn’t really want to jump many jumps at all” at the time. Fast forward to today, and the mare is not only jumping many jumps, she is doing it well – and quite quickly.
On Saturday night, February 15, Potter piloted Kalimera van de Nethe Z to victory in the $40,000 Premier Equestrian American Standard Open Classic, marking the duo’s first win under the lights at the Desert International Horse Park.
Also earning a win simultaneously were Mark Finnerty and Lestro VD Valckenborg. The pair took the top call in the $20,000 CWD U25 Classic held concurrently with the $40,000 Open Classic.
On their way to their respective victories, Potter and Finnerty were two of 31 entries to take on the class, and they made up one-third of the six horses qualified to advance to the jump-off.
Finnerty and Lestro VD Valckenborg were the second pair to jump the short course, and they set the early time to beat at 44.854 seconds. While that would hold up to clinch the U25 victory, three more riders would find their way ahead of Finnerty in the overall $40,000 Open Classic standings.
Finishing in third place was Jessica Gleason who rode Source Code to a time of 42.837 seconds. Kevin Winkel and Vertige de Galarzacs took home second place with a time of 41.589 seconds, and Potter pulled out all the stops to take home the win with a lightning-fast time of 39.392 seconds aboard Kalimera van de Nethe Z.
“I knew that I had to [do some leave outs in the jump-off],” explained Potter. “Then, she’s just so fast across the ground that I kind of left the rest to her…She’s the queen of speed.”
Potter continued, “We slowly started this process. I just started in the 1.0m jumpers this summer, and somehow, it evolved to her trusting me and building a relationship to the point where now she feels comfortable jumping this kind of stuff. She’s a mare – a really, really special mare – that is all about trust and bond. I’m the only one that rides her, and the relationship between she and I has just become something that she really, really trusts. I think just the consistency of me working with her daily has gotten her to believe in herself and be able to do what I know she can do which is fly.”
To view results from the $40,000 Premier Equestrian American Standard Open Classic and the $20,000 CWD U25 Classic, click here.
