United States Eventing Association

Adequan USEA Gold Cup competitors are enjoying a day off from competition at Richland Park in anticipation for tomorrow’s cross-country, so we took advantage of this to explore the CIC3* and Advanced courses. As classic Ian Stark courses, these obstacles will encourage forward positive riding. Here’s what the riders have to say:

“The great thing about Richland is that it’s a course and a facility you can trust. You know that the footing is going to be good. You know that the courses are going to be good. Year after year they’ve been consistent with the courses and the footing and everything else and that’s important at any level really.” – Lauren Kieffer

“It looks like exactly the perfect run that I would pick for him back from Kentucky. Challenging, but friendly.” – Katie Ruppel, Advanced leader.

“It’s no slouch. It’s typical Ian [Stark] course with the importance on forward riding and holding your line. Things that they should be able to do when they get to this level.” - Will Coleman

Competitors leave the start box and sail over two friendly fences before ducking in and out of the woods toward their first combination at three where they will find a log to triple brush.

Fence 3ab.

They will keep right on with fence four, a palisade brush jump, followed by an incredibly steep slope to an angled brush fence at 4b.

There's 4b. Waaaaaay down there.

Six is where the course starts to get interesting and competitors get their toes wet for the first time. Both CIC3* and Advanced riders will climb up a small mound to jump the Ghecko log drop. Then, CIC3* riders have a right handed corner at 6b and a left handed corner at 6a. Meanwhile advanced competitors have a little more time after the steep drop into water to organize for an angled brush at 6b and a chevron brush at 6c.

Advanced 6bc line.

Next, they catch their breath as they head to the back field for two tables at 7 and 8 before the sunken road combination. Here, riders face a hanging log [9], a sunken road [10ab], and finally an angled brush [11] all in quick succession.

Heading to the main field now, they jump another palisade with a hugely impressive landing side drop at 12 and a wagon at 13. Three-star riders then soar through the keyhole at 14, while the Advanced riders go through a nearby coffin at 14abc.

CIC3* Keyhole.

Advanced Coffin [14abc].

Next up are the double corners where three-star riders will have both a left and right handed corners at 16ab, and the Advanced will only have the first.

Double corners.

At 18ab both the CIC3* and Advanced divisions have two ditch and rail fences on a related distance.

At the final water, CIC3* riders will have a bounce into water [21, 22a] and a water-to-water gate [22b]. Advanced riders will ride a log into water [22a], jump a turtle in the water [22b] and jump out over a frog [22c].

CIC3* Final Water.

Advanced final water.

With the most complex fences behind them, competitors will head to the last few jumps including a table to honor Philippa Humphreys.

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About the Adequan USEA Gold Cup

The Adequan USEA Gold Cup features 11 qualifying competitions throughout the United States at the Advanced Horse Trials and CIC3* levels. The final will take place at the Nutrena USEA American Eventing Championships, September 1-4 in Tryon, North Carolina. Riders who complete a qualifier earn the chance to vie for $40,000 in prize money and thousands of dollars in prizes in the Adequan Advanced Division and the title of Adequan USEA Gold Cup Champion.

The 2016 Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series is made possible through the support of its many loyal sponsors: Adequan, Standlee Forage, Nunn Finer, Nutrena, Merck, Broadstone Equine Insurance Agency, and FITS.