United States Eventing Association

Temecula, Calif., March 26, 2010 — After the first day of competition, Tiana Coudray finds herself standing atop not one but two leaderboards at the Galway Downs International Horse Trials. The Ojai, Calif. native is leading the CIC*** after dressage and show jumping aboard her longtime partner, Ringwood Magister, and she is leading the CIC** aboard a brand new mount, Arielle Eccher’s Master Hill.

In the CIC*** Coudray, 21, and the lovely gray Ringwood Magister grabbed the lead early with a smooth and flowing dressage test, and then jumped a double-clear show jumping to keep her lead.

“I’ve had him since he was a kid, so I know him so well,” she said of the Irish Sport Horse. “And his tests keep getting better and better. For a while you think of all the movements you want to make better. Now, I’m only down to one. I’m thrilled.

“The show jumping I thought I could have ridden better,” she continued. “But he jumped it no problem.”

Coudray’s long relationship with Ringwood Magister is in sharp contrast to her relatively short relationship with CIC** leader Master Hill. The bay Irish Sporthorse has already had a successful start to his career with his owner, Eccher, but the demands of college have made Eccher decide it’s time to sell him.

“She figured it’s better to sell him now, while he’s going well, than have him sit around and wait for her,” said Coudray, who has been riding him since January.

“I don’t want to say I’m surprised [to be in first with him], because I know he’s such a lovely horse, but I’ve only done one preliminary horse trial with him, so it’s still a bit of a surprise,” she said.

Master Hill was standing second after dressage, but slid in to the top spot when dressage leaders Mackenna Shea and Landioso had an unlucky rail to drop to second.

Kelly Prather, 26, and Andrea Pfeiffer’s Ballinakill Glory are another long-time partnership having an excellent showing this weekend, currently standing second in the CIC***. Prather, of Bodega, Calif. and the bay Irish Sport Horse mare are aiming for the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** in April, and the Galway Downs International Horse Trials is one of the few competitions she’ll be using for her preparation.

“We’ve discovered she goes best if she’s a bit fresh,” said Prather. “For me, I’d love to run a bunch, for it’s better for her if we don’t do much.”

The pair were standing an uncharacteristic fourth after dressage, due to a few bobbles in the canter work, but a lovely double-clear show jumping moved them in to second going in to the final cross country phase.

This weekend the CIC’s will be following the European format of dressage and show jumping the same day, with cross country jumped the next day in the reverse order of placing. Coudray is under double pressure with her double lead.

“I think it’s going to be good,” said Coudray of the new format. “It’s a bit more pressure for me with them both in the lead, but we’ll see.

“As the person who braids all my own horses, I certainly appreciate getting to leave the dressage braids in for show jumping,” she finished with a laugh.

Prather is also enthused with the new format, especially the prospect of running in reverse order of placing. “Tomorrow should be really exciting, especially for the spectators,” she said.

General admission for the Galway Downs International Horse Trials is $5 for Sunday and $8 Saturday in advance and $10 at the gate. Patrons’ tickets—which include seating in the ringside tent, lunch and a full selection of beverages—are available for $55 per day in advance. For advance reservations, go to www.galwaydowns.com.

More than a dozen generous sponsors provide prize money, prizes and other support to the Galway Downs International Horse Trials. Those sponsors include: Point Two Air Jackets, Equine Insurance, CWD, Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series, Auburn Labs, Advanced Protection Formula, Revere Saddlery, Big Horse Feed, Embassy Suites Hotel Temecula, Doug Hannum Equine Therapy, Riding’s Publications Inc., SmartPak Equine, and Sonoma Saddle Shop.

Mark your calendars for the Galway Downs International Three-Day Event on Nov. 4-7, featuring the brand-new CCI3*, the first ever on the West Coast. For more information on the Galway Downs International Horse Trials and the Galway Downs International Three-Day Event, visit www.galwaydowns.com or call 951-303-0405

The Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series is made possible through the support of its many sponsors: Title: Adequan; Legacy: Nunn Finer and Nutrena, and Patron: Broadstone Equine Insurance Agency, Mountain Horse, and Succeed.

Winners of the CIC3*, the designated "Gold Cup division," will take home $500 in prize money, 7-dose box of Adequan, a three-month supply of SUCCEED, and a pair of Nunn Finer American Style open front boots. Second place finishers take home a Nutrena feed gift certificate and a pair of Nunn Finer American Style open front boots, and third place receives a pair of the Nunn Finer boots as well.