United States Eventing Association

Kelsey Briggs and her Thoroughbred gelding The Gentleman Pirate took home top honors at the first SmartPak Equine/USEA Training Three-Day Series of the year at the Florida Horse Park in Ocala last weekend.

Elliott Blackmon and Prince Caspian led the competition with a 28.5, but unfortunately two rails on Sunday knocked them down to fourth overall. Sarah Dunkerton and Metapeake finished second, while Angela Gottler and Caan's Grey Heir took home third place.

Briggs, 20, of Indian Land, S.C. kicked off her weekend with a 29.0 in dressage, bumping her up to second place in the 13-rider division. "He was a little wound up before dressage, because of the atmosphere. But he really knew he had to get it together, and he went in the ring, settled down, and pulled off his best test yet!" said Briggs.

The six-year-old off-the-track Thoroughbred performed brilliantly for Briggs, jumping clean and well within the time on all four phases on cross-country. "It's so important early on in a horse's eventing career for them to learn how to gallop safely and confidently," explained Briggs. "He was so good on cross-country after the steeplechase phase. He was straight as an arrow, and pulled me to the jumps in a very good, bold way."

The young gelding looked refreshed and ready to go for the final phase of the competition. "Pirate was listening very carefully to me on Sunday during show jumping, and jumped brilliantly," she said. "I've won other events before, but this win meant so much than anything. It really felt like such a huge deal!"

Though Briggs has competed up to Preliminary before, she'd never competed in a three-day event. "I have a lot of respect for the organizers who put these events on, and also for the USEA who support the series. Even though we don't have these long-format events available at the four-star level, I think these lower-level long-format events still have a place in our sport," said Briggs.

Briggs felt it was incredibly educational and enlightening as a horseman to prepare for and compete in a long-format event. "It's so neat to be able to gauge your horse's fitness--we were spot-on on our time the whole way, and he felt so good on cross-country."

Briggs bought Pirate from the racetrack two-and-a-half years ago for $600, and has been training him ever since. "When I went to the track to look at prospects, here was this big, awkward, gangly looking guy," remembered Briggs with a laugh. "He has so much heart and work ethic--he just loves to do his job. He really made me fall in love with eventing all over again. He's just my best friend!"

Briggs owns a small-scale operation in South Carolina, and teaches lessons and trains young horses for clients. "This is absolutely my passion. We aren't raking in the money, but it pays the bills--if nothing else, it allows me to enjoy competing my horses." Look for Briggs and Pirate at other events in Area 2 and 3, as they prepare for a long-format CCI1* this year.

About the SmartPak Equine/USEA Training Three-Day Series

Training 3-Day events are long-format events held at the Training level, and pride themselves on being fun, educational, and still competitive. Over the past few years, this series has taken the eventing world by storm, with horses and riders of all ages making these three-days their destination events!

Winners of each of the Training 3-Day Events take home a $200 gift certificate from SmartPak Equine, a pair of FITS breeches, a pair of Nunn Finer American Style open front boots, and also a pair of ProChaps. At the end of the year, two winners are chosen during a random drawing to receive a very special prize: a Stackhouse saddle or a year's supply of SmartPaks.

Want to learn more about the Series? Click on the T3DE logo on the USEA homepage.