Traverse City, Michigan, USA – June 07, 2024 – Quentin Judge (USA) christened the season in Northern Michigan by claiming the $32,000 Traverse City Record-Eagle Speed Challenge CSI 3* Speed during opening week of the Traverse City Spring Series, presented by Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel. Judge piloted 10-year-old Oldenburg stallion HH Medarco PS to the first international win of the week in the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring at Flintfields Horse Park.

Speed was put to the test by course designer Peter Grant (CAN) with Judge being the only rider to break the 70-second mark and stop the timers at 68.66 seconds for the win. He unseated current leader Spencer Smith (USA) aboard Quibelle (70.75 secones), while Lacey Gilbertson (USA) rounded out the all-American podium riding Karlin van’t Vennehof (73.010 seconds). 

HH Medarco PS, owned by Double H Farm and The Creel Family, joined Judge’s string at the end of the 2023 winter season. The stallion (Messenger x Darco), however, has a unique connection to Judge having been sired by his former five-star grand prix horse, HH Messenger. 

“He definitely piqued my interest [as a young horse] more than others because he’s by Messenger,” said Judge. “I have a very good friend who owned the horse before and said he’s really special and he has definitely become that for us.

“I’m always surprised to win, but I’m not surprised how good he was,” continued Judge, who is returning to the international ranks with a strong group of horses, including HH Medarco. “He’s such a trier and I can trust him 100%. We’ve taken the last season or two to build up our string. I had a lot of really great horses that all seemed to retire at the same time, so last season I only had one grand prix horse as I was building these young ones up. It’s all slowly coming together.”

Final Results – $32,000 Traverse City Record-Eagle Speed Challenge CSI 3*

1) Quentin Judge (USA) & HH Medarco PS – 0 – 68.66

2) Lacey GIlbertson (USA) & Karlin van’t Vennehof – 0 – 70.75

3) Spencer Smith (USA) & Quibelle – 0 – 73. 010

Source: Press Release from Traverse City Horse Shows

Photos: © TCHS / Andrew Ryback Photography / Megan Giese Photography

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Link