Since winning the Western DeBroke trophy at Jackson last year, 27-year-old Gina Miles moved her horse McKinlaigh through the intermediate level and debuted in advanced at Jackson.

As is befitting of a champion, she won the division, despite the fact that it was the first time either she or the seven-year-old Irish Sporthorse had run advanced. Miles completed her dressage with a score of 40.5, which ranked her fourth place. She had 8.4 time penalties on cross country, finishing the course in 6:19, which moved her up to first place. A clean stadium jumping round secured the win and a check for $3,000 as well as other prizes.

“This is my first really spectacular horse,” Miles said after her victory lap on Sunday following a clean stadium jumping round. “At first I was really casual about moving up to advanced. Then I walked the course and realized I had to really focus.”

McKinlaigh runs fast, is careful and was able to navigate the tough questions throughout the course. Worrisome to Miles was the advanced table at the top of a hill late in the course. Riders cleared the table, ran down a steep hill to a nearby jump. With his scope and confidence, McKinlaigh negotiated the obstacles with ease, she said.

“I was most worried about the table and the slide after it because it comes at the end of the course and I knew he would be tired,” Miles said. “But he was perfect.”

The trust between Miles and McKinlaigh is so secure that she said she was confident she could ask anything of the athletic horse and he would comply. “I was planning on just going for it, and we went,” she said. “It was fantastic.”

Ultimately Miles hopes to make the Olympic team with McKinlaigh.