United States Eventing Association

Brannigan Takes Another CCI4*-L Title at Rebecca Farm

Kalispell, Mont.—July 21—Jennie Brannigan summed up the sentiments surrounding The Event at Rebecca Farm on Sunday afternoon. After nailing a wire-to-wire win in the CCI4*-L with Pascal, Brannigan and the handsome grey lingered in Ring 1 long after the victory gallop.

Brannigan gave her winner's bouquet of wildflowers to a delighted ringside fan, then posed outside the arena for pictures with others. It was the last hot day of a hot week, but clearly she didn't want to leave.

The 22nd staging of The Event was filled with compliments for the footing, the hospitality, and other tangibles. But Brannigan's actions best reflected the Rebecca Farm spirit that regularly attracts 600+ horses, their riders and families, hundreds of loyal volunteers and thousands of fans every year.

Presented by the non-profit Montana Equestrian Events, Inc., The Event has also raised over $1 million dollars for breast cancer research and care through the Halt Cancer At X campaign. Begun in 2012, in honor of the competition's late founder, Rebecca Broussard, the initiative continues to promote awareness and donations as evidenced by ubiquitous pink ribbons, stickers, apparel, and gear, including on many horses' haunches.

The CCI4*-L champion with Stella Artois in 2019, Brannigan retook the title with the youngest, at 9, of this division's five horses. They had two-plus rails in hand, but only used 1.6 time penalties over Chris Barnard's show jumping track made of Rebecca Farm's famously colorful and artfully-crafted fences. They finished on a 37.8.

Many describe The Event as a litmus test for determining if their four-star horse has five-star potential. "I think he is a really exciting horse for the future," Brannigan said of Pascal, the Holsteiner she also rode to the CCI3*-L win here last year.

Brannigan seemed equally excited about the success of fellow East Coast-based contenders, many of whom she urged to come west.

One of those is runner-up Ashley Adams. Debuting at this level, the 11-year-old Westphalian Charly, owned by Adams' husband Roderick Stuart, had two rails today. Adams described them as pilot problems and perhaps due a little to Charly's fatigue after running his first CCI4*-L cross-country.

"Show jumping is meant to test the horse's adjustability after cross-country," Adams noted. "And this course did exactly what it was supposed to do. Charly has a massive stride. Being able to go forward and keep the organization was challenging because some of the distances were more patient. He answered most of the questions really well, and maybe it's me that needs to answer them better!"

Completing standings that stayed the same after cross-country, Colorado-based Dani Sussman and her own Jos Bravio, a 13-year-old Argentine Silla, finished third. Also completing the division were Julie Wolfert and SSH Playboy in fourth and Karen O'Neal and Clooney 14 in fifth.

Only after Alexa E. Thompson and her 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood Just To Be Clear won this division did the Kentucky-based rider allow herself to dwell on it being first FEI win of more than 50 outings.

"My groom Hannah Warner and I talked about that a little, but I just forced myself to push that way down in my mind," she said. Thompson also chose not to think about their two-rail margin, which came in handy after one rail and 3.2 time penalties put their finish at a 58.3.

"Having a margin was nice, but at the end of the day, I just want to do better and do the best for my horse. Today, I let my eye peak down at the liverpool and that's where our rail came," she said.

Competing in Europe last summer upped Thompson's game, and an ongoing benefit has been the coaching of French rider Maxime Livio. "He was giving me lessons over Pivio this week, even though we're eight hours behind him in Paris. He's an incredible horseman and has helped me a lot," she said.

Cristina Rennie and Flight Of The Arabesque jumped clear with just 2.8 time penalties to move from third to second. Marc Grandia and the Calexico Syndicate's GHS Calexico moved from fourth to third, adding only 2 time penalties to their score.

By finishing on their 33 dressage score, Megan McIver and Tally Chang's 12-year-old Holsteiner, Elle, kept close challengers at bay and put a bright end to what had been a bad month. The Northern California professional broke her wrist and wasn't sure she'd be able to compete here. On top of that, another horse she'd planned to bring coliced recently and couldn't come.

However, the wrist brace came off today. "I couldn't get my show coat on over it," she said. The focus on just one horse helped the pair excel in their toughest phase. McIver determined that suppleness is key to show jumping success with Elle and was able to attain that in their auspicious warm-up. "Today's round was an amazing way to end what's been a stressful month!"

The pair surmounted another formidable challenge, having James and Helen Alliston hot on their heels with two 9-year-old horses. James and Cora, a Hanoverian, and Helen and the Bavarian Warmblood, Call Me Rudi, also logged double clear jumping rounds to stay in second and third place, respectively.

California-based Team USA rider Tamie Smith "only" had five horses here this week, and one of the relatively new rides, Julianne Guariglia's Sumas Tina Turner, is among her favorites. Smith didn't care about their two rails of wiggle room.

"I don't pay attention to my points," she said. "I always try to end on my dressage score." Which she did to stay on a 27.9. "She has such good form and jumping technique I feel very confident with her." After being the only pair to make cross-country time yesterday, Smith feels the chestnut mare has gone from "treating me like a foster parent" to "now she loves me. We had a blast out there."

Fellow Californian Taren Hoffos moved up another rung to finish second with her mother Carolyn's homebred Regalla, a 13-year-old Oldenburg mare. They incurred only 1.6 time penalties to move ahead of Tamie Smith and Molly Duda's Carlingsford Hes A Clover. This pair had what Smith called an "unlucky" rail in another otherwise "beautiful round."

Stephanie Goodman and Elwenda DP, owned by Deanna Briggs, retained their day-one lead in the CCI2*-L, adding another international win to their resume. "She's a great competitor," said Goodman. The long-time pair plans to contest the USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds in Kentucky this year then, "see how we feel."

As another Rebecca Farm veteran, the Idaho-based trainer praised the venue and organizer's ability to ensure that "every year certain things get better. It's always a joy to come. They do such a great job with all three phases and not many events can say that."

Finishing on their 26.7 dressage mark, Goodman and 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood had James Alliston close behind on two 8-year-old horses. With his second-place ride, Anna Nicholas' Irish Sport Horse, HMR Rolan, and his third place partner, Carolyn Colson's big Hanoverian, Renaissance Man, James was fault-free to stay on their 27.1 and 29.3 dressage efforts.

With the completion of its five FEI divisions, the "Western wonderland" that is Rebecca Farm began to look more like an actual farm and less like the equestrian fantasy land it becomes every July. At least until next year...

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