Jaguars Duende is Climbing to the Top

Tryon's Podium

The young mare Jaguars Duende continued her upward trajectory at the Tryon leg of the US Equestrian Open of Eventing taking the win in the CCI4*-S class. It marked back-to-back CCI4*-S podium finishes for this pair, following a second place on debut at the level.

It was their speed cross country that set her ahead of the field that included established names like Tsetserleg and Direct Advance. Sharon White and Jags picked up 4.4 time faults, the fastest in the field, while the average for the class was 16 penalties.

Kim Severson and Cooley Corraghy Diamond delivered a strong performance to secure second place, while rising stars Cole Horn and MBF Cooley Permission To Land rounded out the podium in third. Remarkably, it was only the pair’s second CCI4*-S start together - and their first completion at the level - making the result a major milestone in their young partnership.

Jaguars Duende's International Wins

Their victory at Tryon CCI4*-S marked Jaguars Duende’s fifth international win. That win follows up their 2nd place at Ocala for their four-star debut and a 5th at Carolina this spring - adding to a record that already included four other major wins :

• Maryland 5 Star CCI3*-L (2024)
• Tryon CCI3*-L (2024)
• Carolina CCI3*-S (2024)
• Virginia CCI2*-S (2022)

Across 14 international starts, they’ve finished on the podium 9 times, showing their impressive consistency and form.

📈 The Rise in Numbers: Elo and What It Tells Us

A standout marker of their form? Jaguars Duende’s Elo rating has surged from 338 to 625 since her international debut. Unlike most horses whose ratings fluctuate, Jags has only moved in one direction - up.

Elo is a performance rating system used by EquiRatings to track the strength of combinations over time. It goes beyond simple results — taking into account:

• The level of competition
• The strength of the field
• How consistently a horse finishes ahead of top-class rivals

The higher the rating, the more proven the horse is in big fields. And big jumps in Elo suggest a combination is trending in the right direction - fast.

Elo is not just a stat - it is a story of steady improvement and strong performances against increasingly tough competition. For Jaguars Duende, a rise of nearly 300 points since 2022 confirms what fans and selectors alike are noticing: this horse is exceptional.

What is next for Jaguars Duende?

At just 9 years old, Jags is on the brink of breaking into the top 25 Elo-rated horses in the USA, with her current score sitting just below Hallie Coon’s Cute Girl (630 Elo). Based on her sharp upward trend and consistent form, we expect her to move into that elite tier at her very next outing.

What makes this even more remarkable is the age gap — the average age of the top 25 Elo horses is 14. If Jags breaks through, she’ll be the youngest in the group. She’s climbing fast, and doing it years ahead of schedule.

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