Any athlete can get on a streak. It doesn’t matter if you’re a baseball player or a whole football team. We’ll often see it happen with jumper riders who win grand prix events week after week. The connection between teammates, and the desire to win, is no different if it is two tennis players in a doubles match or a horse and rider on course. To make the phenomenon of a streak happen in equestrian sports, however, you need a horse beneath you who knows when to step up to the plate and hit a home run.
     John French has that horse and his name is Rumba. When the stunning grey enters the ring in that relaxed and confident lope of his, and his ears prick forward, you know you’re about to see something special.

    Rumba remains undefeated this year in the Second Years after collecting the tri color at Capital Challenge today. It is a streak that French is happy to be on, but he certainly feels the pressure to continue. As the list of winnings grows, it becomes harder to believe that a horse can keep up that kind of performance.
    “It has to end sometime,” said French realistically. French’s nerves and the pressure to win at Capital Challenge didn’t abate after winning both over fences classes the first day. He said, “People have this expectation, and it puts pressure on you. I’d rather come as the underdog and rise to the occasion than know you’re sitting on the best one and hope you don’t mess up.”
    Rumba’s success didn’t start this year, and this isn’t his first tri color at the Capital Challenge. Last year, Erin Duffy rode Rumba to the First Year Green and the Grand Green Championships for the Wilkinson family.
The Wilkinsons sold the Danish Warmblood in December to Mountain Home Stables of Woodside, CA, and that is when French took the reins and continued to successfully campaign Rumba.

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     The professional hunters began their competition today at the Capital Challenge Horse Show, which runs through Sunday, October 4, at the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, MD. Four rated divisions had classes in the indoor arena, while six Future Hunter divisions began outside. The professional hunters will award championships on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The First Year Green Working Hunters were divided into two sections with winners such as Sandy Ferrell on Ante Up, owned by Ann Thompson of Upperville, VA, Scott Stewart on Way Cool, Peter Pletcher with Becky Gochman’s Arabella, and Russell Frey on Inside Scoop, owned by Chloe Reid.
     The big winner in the Second Year Green Working Hunters was John French on Rumba, owned by Mountain Home Stables of Woodside, CA. They led the jog in both over fences classes.
     French and Rumba have been huge winners this year with an undefeated record in Second Year Green Hunter championships. Owner Taylor Siebel competes with Rumba in the junior hunters as well. French and Rumba have not shown since they won the $100,000 ASG Software Solutions/USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals in August.
     French revealed, “When I came up to the ring I was like, ‘Oh no. It is making me so nervous to ride him now.’ I didn’t show him since Kentucky, just so I could rest on that for a while and I thought, ‘Oh God, now I have to show him.’ There is a lot of pressure right now because he just came off of winning the Derby Finals."