Andrew Kocher Clinches Second FEI Win at Devon in $35,000 Devon International Speed Stake CSI4*

Andrew Kocher and Zantos II (Photo: The Book LLC)
Andrew Kocher and Zantos II (Photo: The Book LLC)

Devon, Pa. – May 30, 2018 – International show jumpers returned to the Dixon Oval on Wednesday to compete in the $35,000 Devon International Speed Stake CSI4*, sponsored by Herr’s. Pennsylvania native Andrew Kocher (USA) outpaced 28 horses and athletes with MKO Equestrian LLC’s Zantos II to ride away with the win and the George T. Pew Jr. Memorial Perpetual Trophy in the one-round speed competition.

Andrew Kocher and Zantos II
Andrew Kocher and Zantos II with Chubby Checker (fourth from right).

Growing up in Pennsylvania not far from the Devon Horse Show, Kocher used to attend the iconic event every year with his family but never competed as a young rider himself. It wasn’t until 2016 that he competed at Devon for the first time in the open jumpers, and in 2017 he earned his very first win at Devon in the $50,000 Devon Welcome Stake CSI4* with Navalo De Poheton.

Kocher came in to Wednesday’s competition on a high note after taking the win in the 7-Year-Old Young Jumper class with Erica Hatfield’s La Luciole just prior to the evening’s featured show jumping event.

As ninth in the order, Kocher and Zantos II marked the third combination to clear Brazil’s Guilherme Jorge’s 14-effort track. While a number of athletes used Wednesday’s class to school their horses in preparation for Thursday’s grand prix, Kocher, as always, came to win. He and the 14-year-old KWPN gelding flew around the course in 58.20 seconds to slide into the first place position, which held throughout the remaining 19 contenders.

Devin Ryan and Cooper
Devin Ryan and Cooper

Finishing closest to Kocher’s time was this year’s Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final runner-up, Devin Ryan (USA), with his own Cooper. They came within 8/100th’s of a second to Kocher in 58.28 seconds to claim the red ribbon.

Rounding out the top three was fellow American Georgina Bloomberg and Gotham Enterprizes, LLC’s Paola 233, who crossed the finish line in 58.88 seconds.

Georgina Bloomberg and Paola 233
Georgina Bloomberg and Paola 233

Previously ridden by British international show jumpers Robert and Louise Whitaker as well as their father and Olympian, John Whitaker, Kocher began competing Zantos II in summer 2016 and the pair have collected many notable wins, including CSI2* and CSI3* grand prix victories at the Tryon International Equestrian Center and the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival as well as claiming multiple speed classes, over the course of their two years together. However, after sustaining a tendon injury in Ocala in February 2017, Zantos II was forced to take a year off to recover.

Kocher slowly began bringing Zantos II back into competition at the end of the 2018 Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida, and, after Wednesday’s victory at Devon, the gelding is undoubtedly back to his winning ways in full force.

Andrew Kocher and Zantos II
Andrew Kocher and Zantos II

On Thursday, Kocher will ride his other mount, Kahlua, in the $250,000 Sapphire Grand Prix of Devon CSI4*, which is set to kick-off at 8:30 p.m. in the Dixon Oval.

FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE

Andrew Kocher (USA) – $35,000 Devon International Speed Stake CSI4*, sponsored by Herr’s, winner

On Zantos II:
“I bought him with my friends Bob and Robin Mulkey, and we bought him cheap. He only has one gear. If it goes well, he wins the class. Every time he jumps clear, he has won a class. He can get out of hand a lot too — that’s the problem. I thought he was ready to go so I was going to use him hard tonight. I thought I might get beat by Laura [Chapot] or Devin [Ryan]. I was thinking, ‘Slow down!’ [Zantos II] is an amazing horse. If you meet all the jumps right, he’s going to win the class. He’s really careful. He knows what he’s doing. He’s done so much for me. I wouldn’t sell him, and I sell a lot of horses.”

On Wednesday’s round:
“I think jumps two and three [Zantos II] sliced and diced it. It was smooth how it just came up. The rest of the way he wasn’t at a full run but he was 90 percent the whole trip.”

On his back-to-back wins at Devon on Wednesday:
“I’ve never won a class at Devon until last year. I’m 35 now so it takes a long time. The 7-year-old is a new owner for me. I don’t have many owners, most of the owners are me. It’s a new horse for me. That was the first time I’d ever ridden and showed it so I was happy with that. I didn’t know how she was going to go.”

On the Devon Horse Show:
“This is a really special show in America. Nothing is like Devon. Devon is extremely special. There are big crowds and it’s exciting. It’s my favorite show. I could’ve gone to Spruce Meadows — I’ve never been there and I really wanted to go — or leave the horses home and show at Devon. That’s how much I like Devon. I’m from Pennsylvania. I always came here as a kid. I never showed, but we would come all of the time and my dad used to show.”

RESULTS

$35,000 Devon International Speed Stake CSI4*, sponsored by Herr’s:
Place / Horse / Rider / Country / Owner / Faults / Time
1. Zantos II / Andrew Kocher / USA / MKO Equestrian LLC / 0 / 58.20
2. Cooper / Devin Ryan / USA / Devin Ryan / 0 / 58.28
3. Paola 233 / Georgina Bloomberg / USA / Gotham Enterprizes, LLC / 0 / 58.88
4. Orientales / Sima Morgello / USA / Double S Farm, LLC / 0 / 59.84
5. Dicas / Margie Engle / USA / Storm Ridge Capital Showhorses, Inc. and Garber and Gladewinds / 0 / 62.42
6. Quirie 2 / Ali Wolff / USA / John Wolff / 0 / 62.53
7. Cicero’s Electric / Peter Wylde / USA / Aram Ampagoumian LLC / 0 / 62.69
8. Chandon Blue / Laura Chapot / USA / Mary Chapot / 0 / 64.62
9. Amice Z / Charlie Jayne / USA / Charlie Jayne / 0 / 65.62
10. DHI Zulu / Nicholas Dello Joio / USA / The Ninov Group / 0 / 69.65
11. Jasmijn / Christine McCrea / USA / Candy Tribble / 0 / 70.43
12. Cessna 24 / Vasco Flores / PUR / Gotham Enterprizes, LLC / 0 / 74.53

No Comments Yet

Comments are closed