The Catalpa Corner Charity Horse Trials (CCCHT) in Iowa City, Iowa scheduled for May 2, 2020 and August 1-2, 2020 have been canceled.
"With a heavy heart, but clear conscious please note CCCHT has withdrawn from USEA recognized competition in Area IV," Susan Brigham said a statement on the Catalpa Corner Horse Park Facebook page. "We are an aging population of labor, and it has become too physically strenuous with accidents/trauma waiting to happen."
"Honestly, this past weekend as I was planning the jumps for the cross-country course, having moved approximately 75-plus obstacles, I had a near-fatal accident with the Bobcat trying to elevate and move a 12-foot oak log. No matter how many wonderful CCCHT volunteers that come and go, I am usually alone working on the farm with heavy equipment, and despite common sense and a healthy paranoia, situations just got out of hand."
"My family has was wanted us to pull back our commitments and obligations, and the time has come. I am confident Area IV will continue to thrive with new venues emerging and expanding events in the future. Catalpa Corner will continue to be open for schooling. We at CCCHT wish you all the best and thank you for the wonderful memories."
Dr. Jim McNutt and Susan Brigham founded the Catalpa Corner Charity Horse Trials in 2007 in loving memory of the late Dr. Tom Brigham and Susan’s teenaged son, Madison Brigham, who was killed in a car accident. Read more about the Catalpa Corner Charity Horse Trials in their USEA Events A-Z article.
Riders in both the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S and the Defender Kentucky CCI5*-L are sharing similar sentiments about this year's cross-country courses: course designer Derek di Grazia didn't play around this year. Here is what some of the riders across both divisions had to say about the tracks they will aim to conquer on Saturday.
Off The Record decided not to let Michael Jung be the only record-breaking entry at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event this week and delivered a career-best score in the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S on Friday morning. He and Will Coleman delivered a test that received a score of 21.8, not only marking a personal best for the horse but also securing their position at the top of the leaderboard going into cross-country tomorrow.
Boyd Martin and the 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding Commando 3 were the last pair to go in the Defender Kentucky CCI5*-L field on Friday afternoon and were warmly greeted to the bluegrass with an impressive downpour that outshined anything the other horse and rider pairs had to combat throughout the day. But that didn’t stop this pair from putting their best foot forward and impressing the judges enough to earn them a score of 26.0, just 0.2 points ahead of second-place pair Tom McEwen (GBR) and Brookfield Quality.
Please always remain vigilant when it comes to sending any personal communications via email or text. Every year we receive reports of members and leaders of our sport receiving phishing attempts both online and by phone. These are often communications disguised as being sent from USEA staff or other leaders. As the years go on, the phishing attempts appear to be more directed and tailored.