When overnight leaders Sandra Auffarth and Let’s Dance 73 (Lancer II x Stella VIII), Dörthe Loheit and Marina Köhncke’s 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding, had the last rail of the triple combination down, Laura Collett and London 52 (Landos x Vernante) moved up to take home the win in the Military Boekelo CCIO4*-L. It’s an improvement on their performance from last year, as Collett and her own, Keith Scott, and Karen Bartlett’s 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding finished second at Boekelo in October 2018.
Second place went to Christopher Burton and his own and Geoffrey and Kate Guy's 9-year-old Holsteiner gelding Clever Louis (Cyrkon x Lafita 6), who sat tied with Collett and London 52 for second place overnight. Collett and London 52 were the closer of the two pairs to the cross-country optimum time, meaning they won the tie and ultimately took home the win.
Michael Jung and Creevagh Cooley (Camiro de Haar Z x Darragh Field), Mitt Hjärta Hästsport and Hälsocenter’s 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare, were in eighth place overnight on a score of 28.1, but a double clear round catapulted them up the leaderboard to finish the weekend in third place.
Tamra Smith and Mai Baum (Loredano x Ramira), Eric Markell and Ellen and Alex Ahearn's 13-year-old German Sport Horse gelding, were in seventh place after cross-country and a single rail and one time fault today dropped them down the in the standings to conclude the competition in 11th place.
Elisabeth Halliday-Sharp and The Monster Partnership's 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Cooley Quicksilver (Womanizer x Kylemore Crystal) moved from 24th place to 30th place after dropping two rails in today’s show jumping.
Matt Flynn and Wizzerd (Wizzerd x Amai), Patrick and Kathleen Flynn and Merry Go Round Farm's 10-year-old KWPN gelding, pulled one rail and picked up 2.8 time faults to move up the leaderboard from 57th and finish the weekend in 52nd place.
Although eliminated on cross-country yesterday for a fall of rider, Jennie Brannigan and Stella Artois still show jumped today as part of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup competition. She and the Stella Artois Syndicate's 11-year-old Holsteiner/Thoroughbred put in a double clear round for Team USA.
Germany had a commanding lead in the FEI Eventing Nations cup competition heading into the final phase of competition, so even 16 added penalties couldn’t rob them of the win, which they took home on a score of 94.1, nearly 30 points ahead of the second-placed Australian team, which finished on 123.5. Third place went to team Japan on a score of 124.2. The U.S. team added 12.4 penalties to their overnight score of 292.9 to finish the FEI Eventing Nations Cup team competition in eighth place on 305.3.
For final individual scores, click here. For final team scores, click here. To read the USEA’s coverage, click here.
Did you know that the USEA Foundation awards over 150 grants each year to deserving individuals who are involved in the sport of eventing? With grants that assist riders with accomplishing their competition goals, grants geared toward licensed officials, grants that are specific to continuing education for coaches, grants that assist competitions with obtaining frangible technology, and so much more, there really is a grant opportunity available to almost anyone!
With the start of the New Year just days away, now is the time to consider how your actions can have a positive impact on the sport of eventing in 2025. Each and every member of the eventing community has an important role to play in ensuring the sport continues to grow and thrive. From fostering educational opportunities to supporting grassroots initiatives and participating at all levels of the sport, there are so many ways to get involved.
Ride iQ’s popular “Ask An Expert” series features professional advice and tips from all areas of the horse industry. One of the most-downloaded episodes is an expert session with Peter Gray, an accomplished dressage judge and Olympic eventer. He has recently judged at events like the five-star at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, and he served on the ground jury at the 2022 FEI World Eventing Championships in Pratoni, Italy. His background as a competitor in the Olympic Games riding for Bermuda and as a coach and selector for the Canadian eventing team adds depth to his understanding of the sport.
With a total of 382 volunteer hours in 2024, Catherine “Cathy” Hale not only topped the USEA Area III VIP Volunteer leaderboard, but she also ranked fourth out of all eventing volunteers across the country. Hale (The Villages, Florida) has worked as a travel agent for over 30 years, a career that suits her love of travel nicely. At the time of being interviewed for this article, Hale was passing the equator on a cruise to Tahiti, New Zealand, and Australia.