Statement Win for Returning Pamukcu
Five weeks after becoming a mother, Caroline Pamukcu had every reason to ease into the 2025 season. Instead, she tore up the script and the turf, delivering a dominant performance aboard HSH Double Sixteen to win on her debut in the US Equestrian Open Series.
Across the 2023 and 2024 seasons, US Olympian Caroline Pamukcu notched up 20 international wins - the most of any rider in the world. Five weeks ago she became a mother for the first time and so you would be forgiven for thinking that she would take her time to ease in the 2025 season…
But there was absolutely no ‘taking her time’ whatsoever in her first US Equestrian Open qualifier at Bouckaert this weekend. She absolutely blitzed her opponents, registering the fastest time of the day by 18 seconds to take the win aboard the thoroughbred HSH Double Sixteen.
Series leader, Phillip Dutton, was second the fastest on the experienced Jewelent, out of a thoroughbred mare, but the performance was only enough to take the third spot on the podium. The competition’s leader after both of the first two phases, Lucienne Bellissimo with Dyri, has a spring five-star in her sights and she claimed the second spot having taken on a few more time penalties than her rivals either side of her.
Part of the plan…
Bouckaert has proved influential post the dressage phase, with only one competitor at this level ever finishing on their dressage score at this venue - check out our form guide here for a deeper dive. Pamukcu knows her numbers, and when asked if this always looked an opportunity for HSH Double Sixteen she affirmed the plan:
“Yes, my team and I targeted “Six” to go there early this season. I felt the atmosphere and terrain there would suit him most, especially as his two last four-star runs being a win and a 3rd place, I was having high hopes for him.”
Support and Belief
Parenthood has spurred on many remarkable performances in sport, but there can’t be many mothers to have returned to peak performance so soon after welcoming their child into the world. Kicking off her 2025 season with another international victory, she was quick to credit those around her and pay a special tribute to the smallest of them all:
“Blake is just 5 weeks old and I am lucky to have an incredible support team that’s been in place right from the beginning. My husband keeps reminding me when I second guess myself that we have the best support or belief backing us to make this possible, so I just have to focus on trusting and leaning on that. I definitely have fire in my belly to show I still have my same form, but I’ve felt that way every year. I wouldn’t trade having Blake in my life for anything.”
What’s Next
As riders have traded thoroughbred blood for dressage prowess in their event horses, there is undoubtedly opportunity available for gallopers over the next few years as the sport corrects itself. HSH Double Sixteen looks a huge long term prospect to benefit around tracks like Badminton and Burghley, but it looks like he could make his first appearance at the pinnacle level of the sport on home soil. The winning-most rider in the world currently will also look to make the most of the exciting new US Equestrian Open:
“I’m definitely focusing on the US Opens and am aiming for both Carolina and TerraNova. I’m looking to have a horse for every US Open that I feel I could win. For “Six”, he’ll do the four short at TerraNova and then hopefully the five-star at Kentucky if I can continue to improve my fitness.”
Whatever lies ahead for Caroline Pamukcu this season, she couldn’t have written a more outstanding opening chapter to the first of the 2025 US Equestrian Open qualifiers.
For more on the US Equestrian Open, visit the fan site here.