Velveted, affectionately known as Vegas, is a striking 7-year-old Holsteiner gelding ridden by Kristen Jones, who rides with Daniel and Cathy Geitner at DFG Stables in Aiken, South Carolina.
Vegas has one speed when it comes to food: full throttle. Every morning, he dives nose-first into his breakfast mash, ending up with a forelock full of oatmeal and a spotless bucket after 10 dedicated minutes of licking. He lives for his meals—and for licking his salt block, which is hands-down his favorite treat!
But Vegas isn’t just about food; he’s a true show ring star. This year, he and Kristen qualified for Devon in the 3’6” Amateur Owner Hunters—after showing in the division for just six months. It was a dream come true for Kristen, who had always wanted to ride in the Dixon Oval. Vegas, who had only shown at two other venues before, took the atmosphere in stride and earned an 86 in the Stake class, placing 4th. Not bad for an underdog.
“Vegas never lets me down,” Kristen shares. “He always gives his best. I’ve never seen him have a bad day.”
Their story together began when Kristen bought Vegas as a 3-year-old from Germany, sight unseen off an auction video. It was a difficult chapter in her life—her former A/O hunter had suffered an injury and had to stop jumping. But Vegas came into her life and became everything she didn’t even know she needed. At 18.2 hands, he’s a true gentle giant with zero bad habits. Developed slowly under the expert eye of Mario Maintz in Germany, he didn’t start showing until he was five.
With his scope and style, there was plenty of interest in him as an International Derby horse—but Kristen couldn’t bear to part with him. Today, he competes in the 3’6” Amateur Owner Hunters and makes the jumps look effortless. “Every time I ride him,” Kristen says, “I feel so incredibly lucky.”
Kristen’s journey with horses began early—she was in the saddle before she could walk, riding in front of her mom. She started formal lessons at age 5 and grew up showing hunters and equitation as a working student through college. After college, she took a 20-year break to pursue her medical career. Kristen is a neurosurgeon at Duke University, and riding has become her way to recharge from the intensity of her work.
“I missed riding so much. Being with horses is the only time I can truly relax,” she says. Today, she owns three horses—Incus, Atlas, and Vegas, all living at DFG Stables. While she used to commute from Minneapolis to ride, her move to North Carolina has brought her just four hours away from the barn, allowing her to spend more time with her horses and the team that cares for them.
Karinda K. is a Houston, TX based equine photographer that travels around the United States photographing equestrians and their horses. Karinda specializes in Outdoor Horse & Rider Portrait sessions that bring to life the magical relationship equestrians share with their horses, Senior Portraits, and Fine Art Black & White Background Portraits for those that want a piece of art featuring their very own animals.
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Information shared in this blog is based on information collected at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show, if for any reason this information is incorrect and you would like your horse’s blog post updated, please notify us via email.
