Julie Wolfert was a triple threat at the Area IV Championships held by the Mid-America Combined Training Association (MACTA) at their Heritage Park course in Olathe, Kansas. Not only did she win both the Preliminary Championship and Open Preliminary divisions on her dressage scores, but she also scooped the Adult Rider Low Score Award with her Championship score of just 26.1 penalties!
Some doubts about the weather this late is the season were dispelled when temperatures in the 80s were forecast for the week. In the event, the weekend dawned bright and clear with temperatures that had dropped below half that earlier forecast. MACTA runs its horse trials in the traditional order and both the dressage and cross-country phases went without serious incident - although one visiting rider from Oklahoma found the new water complex was not really deep enough to go swimming!
Temperatures had warmed up sufficiently by the evening and all (at least those 21 or older) were able to enjoy the Champagne & Chocolate Reception provided by prime sponsor Cavalor and hosted by Cynthia Wiseman and Staci Myer.
Stadium began an hour late because of fears that the footing could be frosty and thus too slick, but the Beth Stoker-designed, Richard Jeffery-tweaked course rode well. Thanks to great volunteers who came from all across the Kansas City area and from as far afield as Wichita, all nine classes went as quickly and efficiently as possible. An hour later, all trace of competition had been packed away – again by the great volunteers.
Click here for more Area IV Championships and Heritage Park Horse Trials results.
Did you know that the USEA Foundation awards over 150 grants each year to deserving individuals who are involved in the sport of eventing? With grants that assist riders with accomplishing their competition goals, grants geared toward licensed officials, grants that are specific to continuing education for coaches, grants that assist competitions with obtaining frangible technology, and so much more, there really is a grant opportunity available to almost anyone!
With the start of the New Year just days away, now is the time to consider how your actions can have a positive impact on the sport of eventing in 2025. Each and every member of the eventing community has an important role to play in ensuring the sport continues to grow and thrive. From fostering educational opportunities to supporting grassroots initiatives and participating at all levels of the sport, there are so many ways to get involved.
Ride iQ’s popular “Ask An Expert” series features professional advice and tips from all areas of the horse industry. One of the most-downloaded episodes is an expert session with Peter Gray, an accomplished dressage judge and Olympic eventer. He has recently judged at events like the five-star at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, and he served on the ground jury at the 2022 FEI World Eventing Championships in Pratoni, Italy. His background as a competitor in the Olympic Games riding for Bermuda and as a coach and selector for the Canadian eventing team adds depth to his understanding of the sport.
With a total of 382 volunteer hours in 2024, Catherine “Cathy” Hale not only topped the USEA Area III VIP Volunteer leaderboard, but she also ranked fourth out of all eventing volunteers across the country. Hale (The Villages, Florida) has worked as a travel agent for over 30 years, a career that suits her love of travel nicely. At the time of being interviewed for this article, Hale was passing the equator on a cruise to Tahiti, New Zealand, and Australia.