Heather Hooker Flies the Highest in $25,000 Jumper Classic at Tryon

By Jumper News Branches on March 31, 2022

Wellington, Florida, USA – March 27, 2022 – Tryon Welcome 1 kicked off the 2022 USEF competition season at Tryon International Equestrian Center & Resort (TIEC) with more than two hundred horses in attendance, featuring Hunter, Jumper and Equitation competition. The $25,000 Jumper Classic hosted Sunday in Tryon Stadium served as the weekend’s feature class. Heather Hooker (USA) and Charles 82 cleared the jump-off track set by Skip Bailey (Wellington, FL) in 40.592 seconds for the win.

Just behind, her husband Chasen Boggio (USA) guided his own Co Pilot, the Westphalian gelding (Coney Obellnsty x Pauline), to reserve on a time of 42.661 seconds. Also going double-clear for a podium finish was Fernando Cardenas, Jr. (COL) riding Dale Car, the 2013 Oldenburg mare (Quincy Car x Kaline De Moens) owned by Fernando Cardenas, to a time of 44.203 seconds for third place.

“We were pretty close on the time allowed [in the first round], so I’m glad we went clear,” Hooker Boggio admitted. “On Friday, we had an okay day. We all had ribbons, but Chasen had a better day. Today, we were like, ‘We want to jump clear so bad!’

Hooker Boggio (USA) and her own 2010 Holsteiner gelding (Cachas x V-Carica) have been paired together for just more than a year, after they connected at a time when Hooker Boggio wasn’t in the market for a new ride.

“I was down visiting my mom and rode one of her horses over to my trainers, Ken Burkley and Scott Stewart, and they said, ‘I think we have the perfect horse for you.’ I didn’t think I was going to get a horse,” Hooker Boggio explained, “but Ken told me to just sit on him and see if I liked him, knowing that we would love him. He’s wonderful. He’s really like a big puppy and a total sweetheart.”

The Boggios are frequently found in the TIEC competition arenas, both juggling full-time jobs and academic pursuits. “I’m in business school and Chasen has a full-time job, so we just do this on the weekends when we can. I have to go back to school for class at 8:30am tomorrow morning [Monday], she reported after Sunday afternoon’s win. Chasen will work and I’ll go to school Monday through Thursday, then we’ll drive back here Thursday night.”

Such a good experience in the ring makes the long commute and many hours worth the effort, Hooker Boggio emphasized. “It makes the drive back to Atlanta a lot nicer after a successful weekend like this!”

“We show here a lot, and do a little bit of spring, summer and fall. TIEC is really convenient for us because it’s only about two and a half hours from Atlanta,” Hooker Boggio concluded. “The horses love the stalls, and it’s really easy for us because we have the big aisle, the dog pen outside, and the barns are cooler when it’s hot out and warmer when it’s cold out.”