United States Eventing Association

Today marked the start of cross-country at the 2016 Nutrena® USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Land Rover (AEC). Nearly all of the overnight leaders stayed on top after cruising around Captain Mark Phillips’ courses here at the Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) in Mill Spring, N.C., but the competition isn’t over until the last show jump is cleared!

Professional's Choice Training Amateur

Anna Kristin Paysinger and her own 8-year-old Oldenburg mare, Luistana (Linton x Espersica), held their lead in the Professional’s Choice Training Amateur division after finishing a double clear trip around the cross-country track and will look to take top honors in the division after their completion of show jumping tomorrow. The pair will continue forward on their dressage score of 25.0.

The pair have led both phases of the division to this point in the competition and Paysinger was proud of the pair’s confidence around the tough track. She noted, “I thought my mare was really brave throughout the course. I was fretting the most about jump six, but she jumped it fine and didn’t seem to notice all of the people at all and went right into the water after that.”

Encountering a hold on course, Paysinger discussed her mentality shift after she was cleared to continue around the track. The horse and rider combination who initiated the hold, were able to walk off course, but Paysinger had to refocus Luistana to be prepared for the remainder of the track.

“I think my mare thought that she was done and decided that she wanted to head back to the barn,” she explained. “Before we started back I asked if it was okay to trot around and canter a bit and they were nice enough to let me jump the novice jump to let me get back into rhythm. I thought we both handled the situation really well and I’m very proud of her.”

The duo will conclude their week of competition after show jumping tomorrow while Patricia Hildalgo and her own Sapphire Storm (Orchard Park x Sailor's Gold) are currently placed within striking distance on a 26.4, while Natascha Erschen and her own Emerald Lion, a 6-year-old Irish Sport Horse by Keltic Lion, secured third place with a double clear effort and a score of 26.8.

Professional's Choice Training Horse

Professional’s Choice Training Horse competitors made easy work of this Capt. Mark Phillips cross-country course today. Of the 47 starters, 42 finished with no jump penalties, and 38 went double clear including our overnight leaders Leslie Law and Sky’s the Limit (Stravinsky x Desiree).

Tracy Corey’s 8-year-old Westphalian mare was a little taken aback by the environment on course, but never stopped trying. “I did think she might be a little starry-eyed out there,” Law explained. “But she went super actually. Jump-wise she exceeded my expectations.”

The top 12 remain unchanged after the second phase of competition, leaving Courtney Cooper and Dare to Dream Team’s Tender Bravissimo, a 7-year-old Holsteiner gelding, in second on a 22.5, and Lynn Symansky and SpectraVET Cohiba (Con Spirito x Lea), 6-year-old Wurttemburg mare, in third place on a 22.7.

Preliminary Horse

The Preliminary Horse division saw a shake up of the leaderboard as Boyd Martin and Barry, a 7-year-old gelding owned by Windurra USA, took over the lead after the second phase of competition, heading into show jumping tomorrow with a 26.0.

“It was an amazing cross-country course. The course really opened up to be galloping and open towards the end. The first part of the track tested accuracy and control and then the horses stamina got tested,” commented Martin.

Martin and Barry added nothing to their dressage score of 26.0, which they earned yesterday, while Martin also piloted Contessa into the top ten after a speedy trip around the course.

“I think that the cross-country will be a very influential phase here at the AECs, which is good. Here, at Tryon, they’ve built a pretty stiff cross-country course. It’s very interesting for the Intermediate and Advanced divisions because if you try to go slowly around the course you’ll get around, but you’ll pick up quite a bit of time penalties,” he explained. “You’ve got to be quick and take a chance out there to win.”

The division will head into show jumping tomorrow at 8:00 a.m., as Martin will look to keep a tight grasp on the lead ahead of Ryan Wood and Sarah Hughes’ Shannondale Percy, a 6-year-old Irish Sport Horse by Shannondale Sarco, who currently are in second place with a 29.1 and Maya Black aboard her own 6-year-old Thoroughbred, Mowgli (Our New Recruit x Night Siren), who sit in third place on a 29.2 after cross-country.

Broadstone Beginner Novice Horse

In the very first division to head out on the cross-country course, Lauren Chumley and Nikolas (Novalis T x Capina Mia) held onto their lead of the Broadstone Beginner Novice Horse division. Melissa Dowling’s eager Westphalian-bred 5-year-old jumped bold and clear without even a second thought. They remain on their dressage score of 27.3.

“He ate up the cross-country. He’s about the bravest thing on the planet,” Chumley said, and added that he’s maybe even too bold throwing in a few bucks in the warm-up. “He’s figured the whole eventing thing out now. He’s a little bit cocky.”

Despite the stellar run today, Chumley is a realist and has no hesitation in sharing their shared weakness: show jumping, and she’s not excluding extreme measures to keep her lead. “I saw Doug Payne on cross-country. He’s in second behind me. I tried to pay him off but it didn’t work,” she joked. I thought about pushing him off his bike, but Andrea Davidson told me that was probably bad, so I didn’t do that. Unfortunately now I’m going to have to actually jump the jumps.”

Doug Payne and Stephen Blauner’s Mr. Mitchell, a 4-year-old Irish Sport Horse, follow Chumley on a 28.3, so she must jump clear to tomorrow to finish as the winner of this division. Payne also lacks any cushion in his score as Susan Thomas and Leslie Allen’s Tango are right behind them with 30 penalty points for third place.

Novice Horse

Heading out on the course with an inexperienced young horse, Lucia Strini didn’t know what to expect from Plain Dealing Farm’s Cooley Daydream (by Chacoa). This competition is only the 5-year-old Irish Sport Horse’s fifth event, and the atmosphere here is unlike anything they’ve seen before, but the mare rose to the challenge. They remain on their dressage score of 24.3 after a double clear finish today.

“Whenever she saw the jumps she settled a bit,” Strini explained. “She was really bold and brave. By the time we came into the derby field she was super full of herself. She finished more confident than she started, which is always good.”

Looking toward tomorrow’s show jumping, Strini feels prepared and believes today’s experiences have set them on the path to another clear round. She doesn’t have a rail in hand as the second and third placed pairs are only one point behind. Ashley Phillips and Bayni Slade (Doneraile Court x Klagenfurt) and Dominic Shramm and Cooley Renaissance Man (Eurocommerce Washington x Storm) were tied on a 25.3, but Phillips finished closer to the optimum time which gave her second place.

Professional’s Choice Master Training Amateur

Sandra Holden and her own Cano Cristales (Conteur x Haupstupbuch Konny) kept a strong hold on their lead today in the Professional’s Choice Master Training Amateur division after the cross-country phase, finishing on a score of 21.6. The 13-year-old Hanoverian gelding laid down a confident round with Holden piloting from the irons and the pair head into show jumping tomorrow with a 1.8 point lead ahead of Ruth Bley and Spartacus D’L’Herbage, a 10-year-old Selle Francais, who are sitting in second on a 23.4. Nanette Schumaker and La Cosa Nostra (by Kevekka), a 9-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, rounded out the top three, adding nothing to their dressage score of 24.6 around cross-country today. The division will conclude tomorrow in the George H. Morris Arena as competitors will begin their show jumping portion of competition at 3:20 p.m.

Preliminary Amateur

Ruth Bley and her own Rodrigue Du Granit (Robin II Z x Delight Gree), an 11-year-old Selle Francais, maintained their lead in the Preliminary Amateur division, mastering the track and only adding .4 time faults to their dressage score of 27.2 to hold top honors heading into show jumping tomorrow with a 27.6. Nita Sanfilippo piloted her own Alarmabull (Hook and Ladder x She’s A Bull) to second in the standings, collecting an additional 1.6 time penalties for a 30.1. Randa Sorzano and Pleasant Rendezvous, a 9-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, secured third after crossing through the finish with a double clear trip to sit on a 30.5. The Preliminary Amateur division will conclude tomorrow, as horse and rider combinations complete the final phase of competition at 10:55 a.m. in the George H. Morris Arena.

Find all the live scores here

About the AEC

The Nutrena® USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Land Rover (AEC) is the pinnacle of the sport for the national levels. Held annually, this event draws together the best competitors from across the country vying for national titles from the Beginner Novice through the Advanced level. This year's AEC is being held at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, N.C. August 31-September 4, 2016.

The 2016 Nutrena® USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Land Rover would not be possible without our wonderful sponsors: Nutrena, Land Rover, Adequan, Merial, Broadstone Equine Insurance Company, Professional's Choice, Devoucoux,Merck Animal Health, Standlee Hay, Charles Owen, Fleeceworks, CWD, The Chronicle of the Horse, Noble Outfitters, Auburn Laboratories Inc., Smartpak, Stackhouse Saddles, Point Two, VTO Saddlery, FLAIR, Dubarry of Ireland, FITS Riding, Equine Art by Julie, Ride Safe, The Jockey Club, Ovation, Eventing Training Online, Kastel Denmark, Happy Saddle Treats, I Love My Horse, GumBits, Horse Hydrator, Phoenix Bodyworks, C4 Belts, The Scoring Chix, and more.

*Many of these sponsors are in attendance at the AEC with vendor spaces in the USEA Sponsor Village, located directly next to the George Morris Arena at TIEC. Get ready to shop!