Gabriela Reutter Gears Up for American Gold Cup Following GLEF Success

Reutter and Maharees Rock in the FEI 3* Grand Prix Qualifier

Traverse City, MI (August 30, 2020) - September's first week of competition at Flintfields Horse Park will kick off Wednesday, September 2nd, and Lumiere Horses' Gabriela Reutter aims to repeat a string of successes achieved during the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF), held at the same venue in July and August. Chasing down her goals of being the second woman ever to represent her native Chilean flag at the Olympics, Reutter will pilot her two FEI horses in the CSI2-star classes during her first week, then put her sights on the American Gold Cup Grand Prix the second week of September.

With the horse world returning to the show arena, Reutter and her two horses, Atticus Diamant (Monty) and Maharees Rock (Rocky), made their post-quarantine debut in Michigan, spending 3 weeks at GLEF in July and August. Under the tutelage of her trainer, double Olympic Medalist Chris Kappler, Reutter set the tone for the summer by jumping to a win with Rocky in the 1.40M Open, the first class of the show, followed by a 3rd in the 1.35M. Rocky went on to show her talent and scope through GLEF, making her debut in the FEI 3- and 2-star Grand Prix qualifiers. Monty, a seasoned Grand Prix competitor, jumped well with a top six finish in the 1.40M as Reutter perfected their synergy.

"We knocked the dust off those first weeks, and both horses really did well," said Reutter. "Coming back from such a long break can really take its toll mentally and physically, for both the horses and the riders. I was proud of Rocky handling the pressure of her first FEI Grand Prix debut despite some hiccups; you have to start somewhere and we've been lucky enough to have Chris to guide us and a great team of sponsors to keep us in top form."

The American Gold Cup celebrates its 50th year in 2020, and for the first time in the history of the prestigious event, the American Gold Cup and the events leading up to it will feature three weeks of FEI-rated show jumping, with Sept. 2 – 6 (week 2) as a CSI2-star and featuring the Silver Oak Jumper Tournament, followed by CSI4-star competition from Sept. 9 – 13 (week 3). As Reutter travels to Flintfields this week, she will be hoping to channel the spirit of her trainer, Chris Kappler, who has won the American Gold Cup three times.

Reutter, Atticus Diamant, and Olympian Chris Kappler

Reutter's passion for equestrian sport began at a young age, and has since taken her to the upper echelons of show jumping. Combining talent, horsemanship, and dedication to her dreams, she rides with the aspiration of representing Chile at the pinnacle of show jumping sport. Born in Santiago, Chile, Gaby began riding at only four years old. At 17, she moved to the United States to pursue a professional show jumping career. Since 2014, she has ridden under the guidance of Olympic Gold and Silver Medalist Chris Kappler, and is completing her undergraduate degree in Economics and Business Studies at NYU.

To date, Gaby has multiple top finishes in international FEI classes, from the U25 Grand Prix divisions to victory in an FEI 4-star event. She currently campaigns her two show jumpers, Atticus Diamant (aka Monty) and Maharees Rock (aka Rocky), at the FEI level. Both had excellent results during WEF 2020, and you can read more about Gaby’s horses here. Her international equestrian CV also includes Spruce Meadows, The Hampton Classic, and several junior/young rider South American Games. In 2018, Reutter received her certificate of capability for the Pan American Games following a top 3 finish in the FEI 3-star 1.50M Captive One Classic.

Thank you to Gaby's sponsors: Sakkara Equestrian, Butet Saddlery, EquiCrown Canada, Helite Airbags, Equestrian Wellness, and photographers Donna DiMari and Jaqueline Porcaro. Visit Lumiere's Sponsor Page to learn more!

For more information on Reutter, her horses, and Lumiere, visit www.LumiereHorses.com

Follow Reutter on Facebook (@gabrielareutterchile) or on Instagram (@gabriela.reutter)

Media Contact: 
Holly Johnson 
Equinium Sports Marketing 
+1 954 205 7992 
holly@equinium.com 
www.Equinium.com