United States Eventing Association

Davidson and Kieffer Take Home Adequan USEA Gold Cup Wins at Chattahoochee Hills

Riders couldn’t have asked for better horse show weather today here at the beautiful Chattahoochee Hills in Fairburn, Ga. in the Adequan USEA Gold Cup CIC3* and Advanced divisions. The day started at 8:00 A.M. with Hannah Sue Burnett and the first of her four rides in the Advanced division. It was Burnett’s final dressage ride that topped the leaderboard after the flat.

Cooley Dream (Cruising X The Dreamseeker), a 9-year-old Irish gelding owned by the Cooley Dream LLC, scored a 28.7 and posted a double clear show jumping round to retain his lead heading into cross-country. Burnett and RF Demeter (Rubin Royal X Patricia), a 15-year-old Oldenburg mare owned by Jacqueline Mars, scored a 32.9 and also produced a double clear show jump round to lie third before cross-country.

“Since I had so many, I didn’t get to pre-ride any of them, so the dressage on them was kind of mediocre for where they are. They were fine. They all four show jumped clean a couple time penalties between them, but I was happy with that” Burnett said Burnett of her rides this morning.

Lauren Kieffer and D.A. Duras. Photo by Liz Crawley Photography.

Lauren Kieffer and Debbie Adams and Jaqueline Mars’ D.A. Duras (Numero Uno x Medoc), a 9-year-old KWPN gelding, scored a 29.3 on the flat and had just one time penalty in the show jumping to head into cross-country in second place. “It was probably the best test yet I’ve had with Duras, he’s green but he does keep getting better and stronger. He was really fluid and really accurate and I think we’ll be able to keep building on that. He’s a super careful horse, he’s fun to take into the show jumping. He was super,” she said.

Hugh Lochore’s cross-country course proved a difficult track for both divisions today with problems popping up throughout the course. Buck Davidson and Sherrie Martin and Carl and Cassie Segal’s Copper Beach (Radolin X Cloverballen) an 11-year-old Irish gelding owned by Sherrie Martin and Carl and Cassie Segal posted the fastest round of the day in the CIC3* to add just 4.8 time penalties to his dressage score to finish on a 43.5 to take the win.

“I didn’t push him to go fast. He’s quite experienced now. I didn’t feel like he was going too fast, he’s one of the quicker horses. I had to help him out a bit at the end coming down the hill, so I didn’t go flat out. He was terrific. Hopefully he comes out of this really well and it’s on to Kentucky,” he said.

“Sean,” an 11-year-old Irish gelding (Radolin X Cloverballen) is primed to peak his fitness at the Rolex Kentucky CCI4* later this month. “I think Sean is really fit. I think the bigger he looks the fitter he is. He was hardly out of breath when I finished today. I did use that hill out of the water to give him a good sprint up there, and then after I did the corner to the oxer going back up to the barn I worked him up that hill a bit. He felt awesome, so hopefully we’re in good shape in a couple weeks,” he continued.

Buck Davidson and Carlevo. Photo by Liz Crawley Photograpy.

Davidson also posted a clear round with just 8.8 time penalties to finish second on a 51.3 with Carlevo (Caresino X Ramatuelle) a ten-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by the Carlevo LLC. “it felt like he grew up a lot this weekend. He was really good at that main water with the big jump in. He had a look down in the trakehner as he was in the air, so we were a little off the four strides to the two angled brushes. A year ago I’m not sure he would’ve picked up and done that. I’m really happy with him. He’s a really nice horse coming up the ranks,” Davidson commented.

Lauren Kieffer and Vermiculus (Sazeram X Wake Me Gently) a ten-year-old Anglo Arabian also had a clear fast round to finish third. “Vermiculus is aiming for his first four star, so he had a really smooth run and felt straight and accurate, so I was really happy with that.”

Time was the deciding factor for the final placings today in the Advanced division. Kieffer and D.A. Duras had the fastest round in the Advanced to bring home the win. “Cross-country he was great, you know he was really bold, he was really straight. He’s got a huge gallop and the footing was perfect, so it was a really great run for him,” Kieffer commented.

Burnett brought home the next three placings with Cooley Dream, RF Demeter, and Under Suspection. “They were great, RF Demeter this was the first time I’ve had her at this level and she was so awesome. I just love her, she’s such a blast. Under Suspection is heading to her first Kentucky in a couple weeks and she was great, ran around really confidently. Cooley Dream is a young horse, so he’s pretty new to the level and I was really impressed with him, he ran around like a little champion,” she smiled.

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About the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series

The 2017 Adequan USEA Gold Cup Championship features 11 qualifying competitions throughout the United States at the Advanced Horse Trials and CIC3* levels. Qualifying began last fall and continues through August with the final taking place at the USEA American Eventing Championships, August 30 – September 3 at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, N.C. Riders who complete a qualifier earn the chance to vie for $40,000 in prize money and thousands of dollars in prizes in the Adequan Advanced Division and the title of Adequan USEA Gold Cup Champion.

The 2017 Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series is made possible through the support of its many loyal sponsors: Adequan, Standlee Forage, Nutrena, Merck Animal Health, Broadstone Equine Insurance Agency and FITS.