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Aug 29, 2014
After Dressage, the Eventing World Championship Is Still Anyone’s Game
The US Eventing Team is in third position after two days of dressage, with a provisional team score of 138.8 in the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2014 in Normandy. Germany leads the team standings with 116.9 team points, followed by New Zealand with 125.5. A German rider, Sandra Auffarth, holds the individual lead as well with a score of 35. Her mount, Opgun Louvo, is a local favorite, and was born about seven miles from the Games central venue in Caen, where the stadium jumping phase will be held Sunday in D’Ornano Stadium.
The American riders fared well, with Phillip Dutton and Trading Aces (43.8) placed ninth – the highest placing for Team USA. Fellow team rider Boyd Martin and Shamwari 4 (46.3) didn’t place as well as they are certainly capable of but put in a solid performance to sit in a tie for 17th. Rounding out the team performances were Buck Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM (48.7) and Lynn Symansky with Donner (53.0). Competing as individuals were Sinead Halpin with Manoir de Carneville and Kim Severson with Fernhill Fearless. Both pairs scored a 50.8.
On Saturday, the eyes of the eventing world will remain on Haras du Pin, the magnificent 2,400-acre historic property that is the venue for the eventing dressage and tomorrow’s cross-country course, designed by Pierre Michelet. From the dressage arena you can see several of the cross-country fences, with a shared backdrop of a 14-century castle built by Louis the XIV. Haras du Pin is the premier National Stud in France. It is an hour to an hour-and-a-half by car from Caen.
When Auffarth entered the arena Friday, the atmosphere was amped. She received a perfect ten for the halt from Ground Jury President Gillian Rolton (AUS) and three nines for her riding. At day’s end, she had a 2.5-point lead over the first-day dressage leader, William Fox-Pitt (GBR), who is sitting in second with Chilli Morning (37.5). Jock Paget of New Zealand is in third aboard Clifton Paget (38).
The performance of Auffarth, who has earned Olympic and European team gold medals, in addition to individual silver and bronze, lengthened Germany’s lead over New Zealand. Looking ahead to cross-country, she expressed relief as the sun shone in a blue sky, a rare sight the past few days. “The course is difficult enough [without rain], but it’s really well built and horse friendly. I’m looking forward to it,” she said. Owing to the wet weather this week, the ground jury decided to remove fences 20 and 23 which takes out one galloping loop of the track and reduces the optimum time by one minute.
May 20, 2025
Young Riders
USEF Announces Host of the 2026-2027 USEF Eventing Young Rider Championships
The U.S. Equestrian Federation is pleased to announce that the Maryland International and Horse Trials at Loch Moy Farm in Adamstown, Maryland, has been chosen as the host of the 2026-2027 USEF Eventing Young Rider Championships (CCIJ1*-Intro, CCIYJ2*-S, CCIU253*-S). The championships will be held on June 25-28, 2026, and June 24-27, 2027.
May 20, 2025
ECP Coach Ashley Johnson: Better Coaching for a Brighter Future
What makes a trainer qualified to coach? Could it be a master’s degree in psychology from Harvard University? A career as a five-star event rider? Being an ‘A’ rated Pony Club graduate? Getting your license as a U.S. Equestrian Federation ‘R’ judge and technical delegate for eventing?
May 19, 2025
Eventing News
MARS Bromont Rising U25 Grant Recipients Announced for 2025 MARS Bromont CCI
The MARS Bromont Rising U25 scholarship program, administered by the USEA Foundation, is pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s grant funding for riders aiming to compete in the MARS Bromont CCI (Quebec, Canada) taking place June 5-8.
May 19, 2025
Interscholastic
USEA Podcast #387: Flashbacks to the USEA Intercollegiate & IEL Eventing Championships
Were you one of the competitors at this year's USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL) Eventing Championships? Or do you dream of the day that you can participate yourself? Are you just a huge eventing superfan and love seeing young riders of all ages enjoying the sport? No matter where you fall, you will love this week's episode of the USEA Podcast where we chat with a member of the USEA IEL champion team and the president of this year's Intercollegiate Spirit Award winners, the University of Georgia. Get a behind-the-scenes look at what it feels like to participate in one of these championships from Olive Dumais and Katlyn Parker.
