United States Eventing Association

Cedar Ridge Farm YEH/FEH Competition: A Wet But Triumphant Day

Though the mantra of the day seemed to be "rain, rain, go away," eventers proved once again that they were more than fair-weather fans. The horses were beautifully turned out, rid of the manure stains they incurred over night, and the crowd was bubbly in spirit. The day started out with the in hand portion for the four and five-year-olds competing in the USEA/Spalding Labs Young Event Horse Competition. The handlers were told by judge Charles Musco to stand their horses up and then jog them down the lane. An entrant for the five-year-old division decided to scratch, leaving the class with only one entry, while the four-year-old division had three. None of the horses seemed to mind the constant drizzle and showed off their sensible minds to the judge.

The torrential downpours caused two lakes to form in the dressage ring but the competitors did not even take a second look going through the water. Zeb Fry and her off-the-track Thoroughbred were the first to go for the five-year-old division. They rode their test well and the three that followed made up the four-year-old division: Ashley Giles on Grey Goose, Heather Jackson on L'Avventura, and Dr. Kim Keeton on Accolade. Judge Musco seemed happy with the consistency that all competitors showed and that all the horses were quiet and eager to work for their riders.

After the dressage, a small triangle was set up inside a larger triangle for the IDHSNA/USEA Future Event Horses to walk and jog. Most of the entries were handled by dressage trainer Anke Boersma, who was able to bring out the best in the babies. A show isn't complete without a couple bobbles but for the most part, the yearlings, two-year-olds, and three-year-olds knew their jobs. In the end, it was Terra di Siena, a Holsteiner mare owned by Meagan Moore, that took the high point award with a 78.

Despite the heavy rain, the cross country course at Cedar Ridge Farm held up nicely. The riders of the Young Event Horse divisions did not seem concerned by the slick surface and certainly rode their courses confidently. The five-year-old and four-year-old courses were a mixture of show jumping and cross country and ended with a long gallop. Kim Keeton, riding Hope Thomas’ Accolade winner of the four-year-old division, said that the jumps were honest and the course flowed well. Accolade is a four-year-old Swedish Warmblood stallion by Amiral and out of a Swedish Warmblood approved Thoroughbred mare. After their win, Keeton took the time to praise the Young Event Horse and Future Event Horse competitions and how great it is for babies to be put through the program.

Charles Musco sent his thanks saying, "I want to thank the Cadiers for putting together such a great event. Cedar Ridge is a great facility and is suitable for this exact kind of competition." It is clear that a smoothly-run competition was a true testament of how well their farm is managed on a day-to-day basis. Carolyn Cadier was more than satisfied with how it went and looks forward to running another one in the springtime.

Photo Gallery of Competitors available by clicking here.