Dressage took center stage on the blustery first day of The Dutta Corp. Fair Hill International Three-Day with both the CCI4*-L and CCI3*-L kicking off. Will Coleman and Dondante owned by Team Rebecca LLC and The Four-Star Eventing Group sit atop the leaderboard in the CCI4*-L division after earning a 33.8.
"He's a greener horse. He's a 9-year-old and this is his first long [format]," said Coleman of the Irish Sport Horse gelding, sired by Pacino. "The [windy] conditions were kind of challenging this afternoon and he's a pretty spooky guy, so I'm proud of him. He's not going to be mistaken for a dressage horse, but he tried very hard and I'm pleased with his improvement."
"He's got a lot of personality; he's a hilarious horse," added Coleman, who bought Dondante from Richard Sheane of Cooley Farm as a youngster and has produced him up the levels. "He's huge, about 17.3! He wasn't that when I got him. He grew a whole hand in the first year. He's cool; he's an honest horse. I can't tell you how rewarding he's been to train."
Lauren Kieffer and the 11-year-old KWPN gelding D.A. Duras (Numero Uno x Medoc) owned by Debbie Adams and Jacqueline Mars are close behind with a 35.4.
Alexandra Knowles and Katherine O'Brien's Morswood, an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Ricardo Z x Princess in Arms), round out the top three with a 36.3.
By day's end, two riders shared the top of the CCI3*-L leaderboard. Both Caitlin Silliman on Ally KGO (owned by Q-Brook Stables) and Holly Payne Caravella on CharmKing (owned by CharmKing LLC) earned a 29.8. Payne Caravella was delighted with the 8-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Cassito x O-Heraldika), who performed well during the gusty conditions. "I was concerned because he is a little noise-sensitive, and with the wind today I had taken him out for a gallop to take the edge off and he was actually a little too quiet in the ring. But I would rather have that any day than have him be explosive."
Silliman was equally pleased with Ally KGO, an 8-year-old Trakehner mare by Hirtentanz *E* who competed in the YEH Championships at Fair Hill a few years ago. "She did both the 4- and 5-year-olds, so it gives you a bit of confidence when you go in the ring. She is quite a hot horse and with tough conditions today on a spooky, sharp one with the wind, the flags, the cross-country jumps, there was quite a bit of atmosphere in the ring. But she was a really good girl and was very focused and rideable today."
Dressage continues tomorrow with the rest of the CCI4*-L and CCI3*-L competitors.
All CCI4*-L phases will be livestreamed on USEF Network and you can follow along with the CCI3*-L via the live scoring.
Helpful Links:
Follow the USEA event coverage on social media!
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
The countdown to the 2024 United States Eventing Association (USEA) American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds is getting shorter and the tentative schedule is officially set! For the second year in a row, the AEC returns to the iconic Kentucky Horse Park from August 27 through September 1 and will offer 26 divisions, including brand new Starter divisions and all levels of recognized evening up through the $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final.
What’s a Hunter Pace? The Sherwood Forest Equestrian Center's Hunter Pace is a cross-country-style course around Sherwood Forest over various natural obstacles/terrain. The course ends with a final treat for riders to take in stunning views of Mt. Hood with a loop through the old Far Hill Farms field. The beginning of the course will first start with a warm-up loop around show jumping obstacles in the outdoor ring at Sherwood Forest and then riders will continue directly onto the course. Sign up as a solo rider, pair, or team.
Claire Allen remembers when she was 11 years old, having just made the switch from the hunter/jumper ring to three-day eventing. She told her new eventing trainer that her goal was to one day compete in the United States Equestrian Federation’s Eventing Young Rider Championships.
As he was finishing tacking up his horse in preparation to navigate the cross-country course at the 2024 Twin Rivers Summer Horse Trials, James Alliston expressed concern about navigating the 101 Freeway. That’s because as soon as he crossed the finish line aboard Intermediate level winner Addyson (Ampere x Nickerbocker) at 10:38 a.m. on Saturday—his fifth cross-country round of the morning with three at Preliminary and two at Intermediate—the West Coast-based five-star rider had to drive 185 miles on the 101 Freeway from Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, California, to San Francisco International Airport to catch a 4:35 p.m. flight to Frankfurt, Germany.