Richard Spooner & Chatinus Reunite for Victory in $10,000 Buckeye Nutrition Future Prix

By Jumper News USA on February 20, 2022

Ocala, Florida, USA – February 18, 2022 – The seventh of the 2022 Winter Spectacular Show Series showcased a special $10,000 Buckeye Nutrition Futures Prix under the lights on Friday evening. Nearly 50 horse-and-ride combinations competed over an ornate track designed by FEI Level IV course designer Leopoldo Palacios (VEN). Twelve combinations achieved a clean first round and eight jumped double clear, but it was Richard Spooner (USA) and his own Chatinus (Chacco-blue x Argentina) that emerged victorious.

“This class means a lot to me because Chatinus has had four years off due to an injury. We have been bringing him back very slowly. He’s 15-years-old, so it’s kind of a resurrection with a very sweet victory,” expressed Spooner.

Spooner and Chatinus made short work of the first round track delivering a clean jumping effort in 77.222 seconds. “He’s an incredible horse. He went to the World Cup Finals. I only had him for seven months before he got injured, where we won a World Cup Grand Prix or two, then went to the World Cup Finals in Paris. He was on the team in the Nations Cup in Vancouver, which is where he unfortunately got hurt. He doesn’t owe me anything.”

Spooner and the 15-year-old Hanoverian gelding advanced straight to the jump-off, galloping through the lines, “He’s a naturally fast horse. He had a lot of fun to the last jump. Every once in a while, you have a long run at the last jump, of course, Leopoldo is a genius course designer, and this facility is so wonderful. The footing is spectacular and there is nothing to inhibit a bad run. Chatinus just gobbles that up, it’s not very often they get let out of the box like that.”

Spooner and the talented Chatinus soared over the last fence to stop the timers at 38.796 seconds, a time that no other competitor could best.

The second fastest double clear round was secured by Derek Petersen (USA) and his own Zechariah 3:9 (Zirocco Blue x Katrina). Petersen and the eight-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding produced a quick first round in 74.312 seconds, well under the time allowed of 83 seconds. The pair advanced to the jump-off, galloping through the entire course not pumping the brakes once in 39.366 seconds.

David Tromp (USA) and David Tromp Show Stables, Inc.’s Incognito (Baltic VDL x Sweet Dream) rounded out the top three in the $10,000 Buckeye Nutrition Futures Prix. Tromp and the nine-year-old KWPN gelding delivered a smooth first round in 77.149 seconds. The duo jumped-off immediately, dashing through the course, not touching a single fence and stopping the clock at 42.026 seconds.