United States Eventing Association

The fierce competition continued at The Fork Stables today as the second day of Dressage shook up yesterday’s leader board. No score was safe as the dressage got back underway.

Olympian Becky Holder and her longtime partner Courageous Comet took an impressive lead in the USEA/Adequan Gold Cup Advanced division this afternoon. The pair, fresh off their win at Southern Pines, turned in a flawless test to receive a 23.7 from the judge.

“He was very rideable and very expressive today,” Holder said. “He was a little naughty, spooking at the boards and the rails in some places, but I am happy that I was able to keep his concentration in the test.”

Holder and Comet have spent the winter working to improve certain aspects of their dressage, and she felt that the hard work paid off today in a big way.

“We’ve been working on getting a little more expression in his flying changes and keeping the quality of his canter, and I felt like we were really able to do that today. Also, as fancy as he is in the front during his trot work, he doesn’t always come through in the back in his medium and extended trots. His extended trot today was really through and connected for him.”

The three tied for the lead after yesterday’s session moved into second behind Holder and Comet, and added a fourth to the group vying for sole position of second place. Amy Tryon and Leyland performed a steady and expressive test to earn a 27.3 and put them into the tie for second.

“He was good today,” Tryon said after her test. “It’s my first Advanced of the season and Leyland is still young; he’s only 9. I’m definitely looking forward to tomorrow.”

Tied with Tryon for second are Mara Dean and High Patriot, Phillip Dutton and Connaught, and Hannah Sue Burnett and St. Barths.

Less than a point behind with a score of 28.0 are Bonnie Mosser and her flashy grey Merloch. Mosser and Merloch impressed the judge with a steady and fluid test to put them currently in sixth, but in a great position to move up in the standings in cross-country and show jumping.

The standings in the CIC3* remained relatively unchanged, with the exception of Buck Davidson and My Boy Bobby moving into a tie for the lead with Allison Springer and Arthur, and Will Coleman moving into third with Twizzel on a score of 40.1.

Davidson, who is also sitting in 13th with Ballynoecastle RM, was pleased with Bobby’s effort today, and is clearly very fond of his flashy partner.

“Bob hasn’t been out much this year. I did a Preliminary and a dressage test at Red Hills, so I was really happy with him. He did everything I asked for today. Both his changes were really good. He’s real steady and he’s a genuine horse. He got a 39 at Kentucky and a 39 at the World Cup Final, and a year later he got a 36. Hopefully we’ll have him around for September and maybe he’ll get a 29.”

In addition to the Advanced and the CIC division, two more Intermediate and Preliminary divisions ran their dressage tests as well.

In the Intermediate-C division, Molly Rosin and Havarah’s Charly took the lead with a score of 28.0. Danielle Ditching and the appropriately named Tops are currently leading the Intermediate-D class with a 27.6.

The Preliminary-C division is currently being led by Jonathan Holling and King’s Ransom, who earned a 23.5 today, and Claire Kelly is leading the Preliminary-D division aboard Clifton Peekachu. The pair also received a 23.5 from the judge.

The Preliminary divisions will complete their show jumping tests tomorrow while the rest of the competitors will head out on the cross-country course. While the course does ask some tough questions of the horses and riders, most of them are looking forward to getting their chance to ride.

“It’s a nice course,” Davidson said. “It’s certainly not a piece of cake, but in Bobby and Reggie (Ballynoe Castle RM) I have two great jumpers, as well as Titanium in the [USEA/Adequan Gold Cup] Advanced division. It’s a nice course. I like the horses that I’m on. The real question is whether Bobby is fit enough to go that fast, but we’ll see that tomorrow.”

“I think it’s very technical,” adds Leslie Law, who is currently sitting in fifth in the CIC3* aboard Fleeceworks Mystere du Val. “There’s an awful lot of corners out there to get jumped, so if we can negotiate those out there we can hope for a good ride, but they’re definitely very technical and they come very early on in the course. Hopefully the horses and myself will get settled down and have a good ride.”

Cross-country kicks off at 9:00 tomorrow morning with the Intermediate division, followed by the CIC and the USEA/Adequan Gold Cup Advanced division. Preliminary show jumping begins at 10:00 am.

The Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series is made possible through the support of its many sponsors: Title: Adequan; Legacy: Nunn Finer and Nutrena, and Patron: Broadstone Equine Insurance Agency, Mountain Horse, and Succeed.

Winners of the Advanced division, the designated "Gold Cup division," will take home $500 in prize money, 7-dose box of Adequan, a three-month supply of SUCCEED, and a pair of Nunn Finer American Style open front boots. Second place finishers take home a Nutrena feed gift certificate and a pair of Nunn Finer American Style open front boots, and third place receives a pair of the Nunn Finer boots as well.