Laura Chapot does it again

She’s been the Winter Equestrian Festival’s overall open jumper champion rider at least since 2009, though Laura Chapot hasn’t kept track of how many times the honor has come her way over the years.

And while she claimed the title again in Wellington, Fla., for 2019, earning it is never the goal.

“I go down hoping I win one blue ribbon at some point during the show,” explained Laura, who of course did much more than that.

She competed with 12 horses from her family’s Chado Farm in Neshanic Station during the 12 weeks of WEF, which in effect is the world’s biggest (as well as the longest) horse show. Each of them wound up winning at least one class. The results also made her mother, Mary Chapot, the overall jumper owner and trainer titleist, as usual.

Laura rides 12 horses a day when she’s at WEF, since she has four customers’ horses in her barn at the show as well. It makes for a busy day, together with all the classes in which she’s entered.

But what really counts for Laura and Mary is how the individual horses fare in terms of their development. The best indicator of that in the Chado group is Chandon Blue, a horse Laura started riding exactly a year ago at WEF. Sent her way by Irish Olympic medalist Cian O’Connor, he has blossomed under Laura’s guidance.

“We never expected he would rise to these heights and become quite the superstar he’s become,” she noted.

A 14-year-old Oldenburg by popular sire Chacco Blue, Chandon Blue scored five victories in 2- and 3-star-rated classes at WEF, along with two seconds and a third in the FEI (international equestrian federation) ranking classes.

“I’m very lucky to have that horse. He way exceeded my expectations. He’s a horse who knows when it counts,” said Laura, who calls the gelding Charlie around the barn.

“He comes out and tries every time. It’s an unbelievable feat when you’re talking about showing at Wellington that a horse can do that well, because you’re competing against some 85-100 horses in the qualifier, and then the top 45 in the grand prix. You hope maybe once during the circuit you win a nice ribbon.  You don’t win five classes at that level with one horse.”

While Laura has shown lots of horses who have gone well over recent years, she’s been missing a breakout star and now Charlie seems to be emerging as a special horse. Laura was chosen to ride on the American team for the New York Masters on Long Island at the end of the month, along with FEI World Cup champions Beezie Madden and McLain Ward, rising star Lillie Keenan and another Jerseyan, Devin Ryan of Long Valley, second in the 2018 World Cup finals.

The show’s featured Riders Masters Cup at NYCB, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, will pit the U.S. squad against a contingent of top European riders. The Europeans won last year during the show’s debut at the arena in Uniondale, N.Y., so you could call this year’s contest a grudge match.

Robert Ridland, the U.S. team’s coach, characterized Laura as “our ace in the hole. She is one of the fastest riders around and is a huge addition to our team.”

Being on the U.S. team is important to Laura. It’s a family tradition. Both her mother and her late father, Frank Chapot, were stalwarts of the squad during the 1960s. Frank continued competing as captain of the team in the ‘70s. He went on to be the team coach, with the U.S. squad winning double gold and individual silver at the 1984 Olympics, among other notable honors, while he was at the helm.

Laura’s last team outing was the 2007 Pan American Games, where the squad won the bronze medal. She just hasn’t had a horse that was up to the ever-increasing demands of team participation, and her budget doesn’t allow for the trips abroad that have become standard for those seeking team berths these days.

“It’s just a matter of what ends up being paid for. For us to take a trip to Europe is pretty much out of reach,” commented Laura, adding another point; “There’s a lot you have to think about that you leave behind at home.

“I haven’t really had a horse to try with, so I haven’t had it (the team) in my sights. I didn’t have it in my sights this year either. But Robert gave me a call and I thought about it and it seemed like it would be a good opportunity to do something. I have not shown him (Charlie) very much indoors, so I don’t know what he’ll be like in such a small ring, compared to the big ring in Wellington. I’m a big supporter of the team and when the opportunity comes along, I love to take advantage of it,” she explained.

“I’ve been very fortunate to have a lot of horses that have been very successful grand prix horses, but I don’t think I really pursued that level with any of them, just because some of the horses I get can be a bit quirky. I feel to put yourself out for a team, you really have to have a horse you can rely on and be consistent with.”

Another horse who has been a good partner is ISHD Dual Star. She sustained a small injury during the circuit, but after a rest may be part of Laura’s string for May’s Devon Horse Show, where she also often has been leading rider.

Although the mare is older, “I thought she was jumping the best she ever jumped in Florida,” Laura said.

“We’d love to breed her one day. At the same time, as long as she’s enjoying her job, I don’t want to take that away from her. She’s not a horse who likes to just sit around. She does not turn out, she doesn’t know what that’s about. She enjoys going and showing.”

Two of her other horses are particularly worthy of note, and both suit Laura’s style of riding. They are by Gemini, the clone of the great Gem Twist, the 1988 Olympic double silver medal mount of Greg Best who was bred and trained by Laura’s father. Laura rode Gem Twist at the end of his career, and everyone has been eagerly waiting to see if the Gemini offspring resemble Gem in their talent.

“When we went down there, they were so green, they’d never been to anything like that. I was hoping by the end of the circuit they would make it into the seven-year-old division. But they were really game right of the bat. They really answered the call by week four or five they already were in the seven-year-old division,” Laura commented..

“They both seem very smart. They’re quick learners and really clever. The mare, Timeless, reminds me more of Gem in terms of style and looks and the way she looks.”

The other horse is Pursuit of Happiness (he was born on the Fourth of July, so his name references the Declaration of Independence—life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.) He wound up as seven-year-old circuit champion.

“He’s more of a classically thoroughbred type. He’s very light off the ground. He still has to physically mature a bit more, but is a very, very brave horse and tries hard every time,” Laura said.

She noted how important her mother has been to her WEF record.

“My mom is always the biggest part of our team, supporting us in every single way so nothing falls through the cracks,” Laura said.

“She’s there at every single schooling jump. She helps me with my strategy on the course. I can bounce things off her and get feedback. She’s the videographer. We watch the tapes at night. She’s helpful in the sense that I have someone to talk to and can play ideas off her. It’s very hard to do it on your own otherwise.”

Laura also acknowledged her sister, Wendy, who lives in Madison. She is an accomplished amateur show jumper and also designs courses and serves as a schooling supervisor. The mother of three, who like Laura has a judge’s license, regularly drops by the farm in New Jersey to check on things while Laura and Mary are in Florida.

“This has always been a family thing and a family team,” Laura emphasized.

“That’s in our blood. I love the horses and I live it every moment of my life. I can’t imagine doing it any other way.”