Sometimes it’s better to fly Coach, that’s what 12-year-old Nicole Belissimo of Wellington, FL demonstrated when she and Coach won the North American League (NAL) Children’s Jumper Finals.
“I am really excited. I knew he could do it. He’s really careful and takes good care of me, I just didn’t know if I could do it,” she said. “The first course was not tight, there weren’t any crazy lines. The jump-off course was tighter, short turns. I had to have pace, have a connection and be able to lift him.”
Although she has only been riding Coach since January, she felt a strong connection from the beginning. They qualified for this final by the end of the Winter Equestrian Festival. She is hoping to move up to Junior Jumpers next year with him.
Second place went to Heather Timm, 15, of Wellington, FL and her 8 year-old Columbian Thoroughbred Manuela del Juncal. “She is small, only 15 hands 2 inches, but has a big heart. She is also very careful,” Timm said. Together they executed the plan: “go fast and tight.” Unfortunately, they were less than half a second behind Coach
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