United States Eventing Association

All Photos courtesy of StockImageServices.com

Today’s cross-country at The Event at Rebecca Farm certainly had a big impact on the CIC3* leaderboard. Phillip Dutton and Team Rebecca’s Ben, overnight leaders in the Adequan USEA Gold Cup CIC3*, looked set for another good round when a slight disagreement on the approach saw them crumple on landing after the Slab Table at Fence 12. Both horse and rider were fine and Ben may now believe that Phillip knows a lot more about cross-country jumping than he does. The horse is spectacular to watch with his big lofty stride and presence, and is a superstar in the making, but today was not his day.

Twenty-four-year-old Katie Groesbeck and her 18-year-old Poof of Purchase (pictured abovw) were the first out on course and though Katie felt that she had possibly used too big a stud in the hind shoes, “Poof” flew round the course to come home clear and inside the time. In California the horses never have to wear studs because of the sandy terrain so this was a very different feel for Katie. “I felt that he was a bit sticky with his feet as I came out of the start box. He was sticky going into to fence four (Pallisade drop into pond) and into 5a and b (Brush In Brush Out). Normally he is so light and springs off the ground so he did feel different, but I asked him to move on and he was right there, which was important with the big ditch to Brush corner coming up.”

Katie was full of praise for Ian Stark’s course. The course ran in the opposite direction this year but the fences were essentially very similar to 2012. “The great thing was that the couple of fences that did not ride well last year had been modified and rode so much better this year.” The big Ditch to Brush Corner at 8ab was one of these and this year was one of the fences that caused no real issues.

When asked how she felt when it was announced that she was in first place with Poof of Purchase and that the course had caused some issues, Katie said that she hadn’t been really paying attention. Her focus was getting her first horse home, cooled down and comfortable and then getting the second horse ready and warmed up. It was only when she was going to the start box on Oz The Tin Man that she heard the news and while pleased put it out of her mind to concentrate totally on her horse and her round, and so she did bringing her second horse in clear and under the time also.

“I was making sure I was on my minute markers,” she said “but like Poof, this horse is fast. They are both forward and brave and honest, they never get rattled and each fence is just fun to them. They never think backwards.”

Friend and “stablemate” Emilee Libby (25) had a brilliant round on her ten-year-old Nonsensical and sits in third place behind Katie. This was Nonsensical’s first CIC3* and in this his third advanced competition he put in a foot perfect round inside the time. Emilee and Katie both train with Hawley Bennett in Temecula and are good friends, riding and training together much of the year. When asked what they would be doing to celebrate tonight Emilee replied “Icing, braiding and walking.” Evidence that both these riders put the care of their horses above their own. Both are confident about their horses’ jumping ability on the third day. As Emilee said, “My horse loves the footing in the arenas here, it’s like he is on a trampoline and just springs into the air.” Something the folks at Premier Equestrian who provided the footing for the arenas will be very happy to hear.

Katie Ruppel (26) also had a very good round ratcheting up just 7.2 time penalties on the nine-year-old Houdini. US Eventing Team Coach David O’Connor will be delighted to see so many up and coming young riders filling the top spots here at The Event at Rebecca Farm, especially as many of them have been working with him this year in the USEF Team Training Sessions.

Veteran Kristi Nunnink and R-Star added 8.8 time penalties to drop from second to fifth after cross-country, but it was another under-25 who moved into sixth place when Zachary Brandt gave Cavallino Cocktail a lovely ride to come home with just 7.6 time penalties. Zach (20) is in his first year of advanced with this grey mare and looks to have formed a perfect partnership with her.

Gina Miles and Chanel looked to be going so well and had a good ride through the water at 10 and 11, only to come unstuck at the coffin at 14 abc when Gina was popped out of the saddle. But the hardest moment for all the USEA members here at Rebecca Farm was when our past president, Kevin Baumgardner, and his lovely horse Jefferson D’Aurois, parted company at 16ab (Snake to Ogopogo). Kevin had one of the best rides through the first half of the course of anyone and especially through the water at 10ab and 11ab, but “Jeff” left a leg and Kevin fell over his shoulder. He is now planning his next attack on a CIC3* with a goal of competing at a CCI3* this fall.

Show Jumping is scheduled to start at 2:00 pm tomorrow in reverse order of standing and with just 5.6 penalties separating the top six will surely be responsible for some serious nail biting. Log on to http://eventingscores.com/eventsr/rebecca/ht0713/index.php to keep up with the scores minute by minute.

Riders competing on Rebecca Broussard International Travel Grants: http://useventing.com/news/recipients-rebecca-broussard-travel-grant-announced

The Adequan USEA Gold Cup features 11 qualifying competitions throughout the United States at the Advanced Horse Trials and CIC3* levels with the final at the Nutrena USEA American Eventing Championships September 26-29 in Tyler, Texas. Riders who complete a qualifier earn the chance to vie for $40,000 in prize money in the Adequan Advanced Division and the title of Adequan USEA Gold Cup Champion.

The Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series is made possible through the support of its many sponsors: Adequan; Nunn Finer; SmartPak Equine; Nutrena; Broadstone Equine Insurance Agency, Point Two; Dubarry; Grand Meadows and FITS.

The PRO Tour Series

consists of 13 premier destination events in the United States and Canada in 2013 featuring the best riders and most entertainment. Riders and Horses are awarded points on the PRO Tour Rider Leader Board and PRO Tour Horse Leader Board. Riders can also earn points on the PRO Tour Series at the Intermediate or two-star level for the Multi Radiance Intermediate Challenge. The 2013 Multi Radiance Challenge Leader Board Champion will win a Multi Radiance MR4 ACTIVET Portable Laser System.

The Professional Riders Organization would like to thank the following sponsors for their support of the 2013 PRO Tour Series: Martin Collins USA, The Official Footing of PRO; Multi Radiance Medical, The Official Laser Therapy of PRO & Sponsor of the Multi Radiance Medical Intermediate Challenge ; Tex Sutton, the Official US Equine Air Carrier of PRO; SSG Riding Gloves; Finish Line Horse Products; Midlantic Ltd.; and Mythic Landing Events.