United States Eventing Association

While much of the East Coast battled with Hurricane Irene, fortunately cross-country day at the Richland Park Horse Trials in Richland, Michigan was blessed with fair temperatures, great footing, and most importantly, lots of good rides and happy horses.

In the Adequan USEA Gold Cup CIC3* division, time played the role of rearranging the leaderboard. Overnight leaders Phillip Dutton and Ben added 7.2 time penalties to their score and now rest in third place.

The tie between Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda, and Buck Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM remains with both pairs posting double clear cross-country rounds. They will both go into show jumping on a two-day score of 43.3.

“Reggie was fantastic today,” Buck said. “I said to my students when we were walking the course, ‘If you want to know how to ride Ian’s course, go watch a movie from twenty years ago of him riding. It’s just attacking. He doesn’t throw in any cheap shots or short distances or anything like that. It’s big, bold, hold-your-line kind of stuff.”

The first combination on course, fences 5 A and B, a big ditch and hanging brush to a narrow brush, required a very bold and confident ride, which Jennie found Cambalda liked.

“I went on a course walk with Ian and he took me around, and he was saying, ‘You can either do a three or a four here. If you’re on a scopey horse, do it in three.’ So I rode the three knowing [Cambalda] would jump big over the brush and land pretty far out.

"That’s when I thought to myself, 'alright I’ll back off of him,'" she went on, "because I’d been riding him pretty strong the first four fences and since Luhmuhlen didn’t go very well. I wanted to have a really positive go here.”

Hannah Burnett and Harbour Pilot kept their lead in the Pan American Games selection division, with a bold, clear trip around the Advanced course.

"It all rode with really great rhythm and built up as you went," Hannah explained of Stark's course design.

Few would guess that this was Harbour Pilot's first Advanced course. But the pair have had the Pan Ams on their mind since last winter and have taken all the right steps to ensure they have the best shot at making the team.

"Even before he did his first Intermediate, we thought he had Pan Am potential and built his schedule around that," she explained. "We've been really careful with his fitness and not running him too much."

Shannon Lilley and Ballingowan Pizzaz stand in second place with a 47.1, while Tamra Smith and Mar de Amor are in third with a 47.8. See all of the results here.

In the Advanced division, Selena O'Hanlon and Colombo (last year's CIC3* victors) top the charts, with Michael Pollard and Dv8 in second. Sara Kozumplik and Manolo Blahnik are tied for third with Katie Ruppel and Sir Donovan.

Now in its eighth year, the prestigious $20,000 Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series is nearing the completion of this year's nation-wide 'Race for the Cup.' Advanced level horse and rider combinations attend destination events from across the country to rack up Gold Cup points and win cash and prizes. Whoever sits atop the leaderboard at the completion of the final event of the series, at Twin Rivers in September, earns a check for $20,000 at this year's USEA Annual Meeting and Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.

Winners of each of the seven Gold Cup events across the country take home a trailer-load of prizes for their achievements. Winners receive an Adequan USEA Gold Cup Trophy, $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 also take home a 7-dose box of Adequan and a pair of Nunn Finer American Style open front boots.

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


Adequan is proud to be the official joint therapy treatment of the USEA.