 John Williams and Sweepea Dean lead dressage after the first day of competition at the Fair Hill CCI3* with a score of 42.6. Emily Daily photo. 
Erika Treis Petersen and Under The Influence earned a 45.4 for second place in the CCI3*. Emily Daily photo. 
Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch finish up the first day of CCI3* competition in third place on a score of 46.0. Emily Daily photo. 
Californian Jolie Sexson rode Killian O'Connor into fourth place in the CCI3* with a score of 48.8. Emily Daily photo. 
After day one of competition in the CCI2* division, Leslie Law leads aboard Hugo Fast with a score of 45.3. Josh Walker photo. 
Kristin Schmolze and Ballylaffin Bracken stand in second place in the CCI2* on a score of 48.1. Emily Daily photo. 
Canadian Kelli Temple and Veelion are tied for third place with Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda (pictured below) in the CCI2* on a score of 48.3. Emily Daily photos. 
Kurt Martin and Master Frisky lead the Spalding Labs USEA Young Event Horse East Coast Championship 5-Year-Old division after dressage on a score of 38.46. Josh Walker photo. 
Kim Severson and Mighty Himself follow closely behind in second place in the 5-year-old division on a score of 38.37. Josh Walker photo. 
Leslie Law and Dresden Hit lead the Spalding Labs USEA Young Event Horse East Coast Championship 4-Year-Old division on a score of 41.36. Josh Walker photo. 
Law also stands in second place in the 4-year-old division aboard Kalamata on a score of 41.13. Josh Walker photo.
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Please contact Joanie Morris at jmorris@usef.org with questions.
Elkton, MD – Autumn seemed to
bypass the 2009 Dansko Fair Hill International in favor of winter, as
cold temperatures and steady rain gripped the USEF National Eventing
CCI** and CCI*** Championships for the first day of dressage.
John
Williams’ faith in Sweepea Dean was finally rewarded with a breakout
performance for the Olympic veteran with the 10-year-old Thoroughbred
gelding. Their test showcased good lateral work and accurate riding, so
their score of 42.6 put them into a clear lead at the end of the first
day.
“He was born in Canada, probably in worse weather than
this,” said Williams (Southern Pines, NC). “So the colder and windier –
the better for him. He’s out of a Thoroughbred mare but the little bit
of Draught in him shines through. He keeps getting put on the back
burner, I get too busy working. So he is doing as well as he is without
me riding him.”
From the same breeder as Williams’ Olympic and
World Championship mount, Carrick, Sweepea Dean is a barn favorite
thanks to his willing nature and sweet disposition. He is a favorite of
John’s wife, Ellen, who does much of the work with him when John is
traveling working as a cross-country course designer.
“I’m happy with where he is,” said Williams. “He really hasn’t done much.”
A
new name found her way to the top of the leaderboard after day one,
when Erika Treis Petersen put in a very professional performance to go
into second place at the halfway point of the dressage on a score of
45.4 with Under the Influence. The classy chestnut gelding was
straight, accurate and obedient for Treis Petersen making the trip from
Holland, MI worth it for the pair’s first CCI***.
Rounding out
the top three in the USEF National CCI*** Championships is Laine Ashker
and Anthony Patch. The beautiful 10-year-old Thoroughbred gelding tried
very hard in his first CCI*** dressage test and Asker was delighted
with the result and score of 46.0.
“’Alex’ finds it tough to
keep his head down,” said Ashker (Crozier, VA). “So the rain is great
for getting him to keep his head down. I have spent all of my lesson
money on flat lessons with Kim (Severson) and going to dressage shows…
I’m really pleased with his work today. I’m definitely happy to be back
here and he is such an awesome horse.”
In the CCI**
Championship, Leslie Law for Great Britain was first in the ring and
his score of 45.3 held throughout the day with Hugo Fast.
“I
probably had the best of the conditions,” said Law who lives in
Bluemont, VA. “So I was fortunate with that, I was quite pleased. It is
hard to go out there as number one and get a good mark. He was very
good, it is his first CCI**. He’s a nice horse, we brought him over
from England at Christmas and he has come a long way in the time we’ve
had him.”
Kristin Schmolze wasn’t giving Law much breathing
room. The Califon, NJ rider delivered a great afternoon performance
with Ballylaffin Bracken, a nine-year-old Irish import Schmolze has
produced herself.
“I’m very pleased,” said Schmolze about
leading the USEF National CCI** Championship. “It is his first two-star
and the rain and cold definitely helped him. He is a little lazy and
laid-back so it helped spark him up just enough – which was nice, so
I’m very pleased.”
In some of the worst of the weather, the
elegant bay gelding floated across the top of the dressage ring and
paid little mind to the horrific conditions. Their score of 48.1 meant
they slipped into second place.
Jennie Brannigan, an
up-and-coming star for the US at age 21, and Cambala put in a polished
effort on a score of 48.3. Brannigan (West Grove, PA), hot off a win at
the 2009 Adequan American Eventing Championships, and the
seven-year-old Irish-bred gelding looked to continue his streak at Fair
Hill with a great test in his first CCI**.
“I’m really happy
with him,” said Brannigan. “He was going very well at the Intermediate
level until his last event, so it has been sort of a scattering to get
here. He’s a lovely horse, but I think it is his fifth Intermediate. I
got him from Kelli (Temple), he had gone Prelim with her, I got Cooper
from her too, and I hope that lightning strikes twice. He’s a good
citizen in the arena, he can be silly walking back to the barn.”
Brannigan
bought Cambala from Temple last year and found herself tied with the
Canadian Olympian after the first day of dressage. Veelion delivered on
Temple’s reputation for producing consistently polished dressage tests.
“I’m happy with him,” said Temple. “He can be very spooky, but
he kept a very cool head. I made a few rider errors, but I’m tied with
Jennie on what used to be my horse, so I’m in good company.”
Schmolze
rides Cavaldi (second in the CCI*** in 2003) tomorrow and Brannigan
also has Cooper in the CCI***, the 2008 North American Young Riders
Champions go Friday morning. Temple has another CCI** horse, Valentine,
and Law has been very busy in the Spalding Labs/USEA Young Event Horse
Championships.
Law is sitting first and second in the
Four-Year-Old Division of the Spalding Labs/USEA Young Event Horse
Championships with Dresden Hit and Kalamata. Kurt Martin and Master Frisky lead the 5-Year-Old Championship division with Kim Severson and Mighty Himself in the following close behind.
The competition gets underway tomorrow morning at 9 am
with the second half of the dressage, and the jumping section of the
Young Event Horse Championships. For more information and times, please
visit:
http://www.usef.org/_IFrames/breedsDisciplines/discipline/alleventing/fairHill.aspx. |
