United States Eventing Association

Endurance Day at the SmartPak Equine/USEA Classic Three-Day at Hagyard/MidSouth

All three Three-Day Event leaders retained their positions on a crisp, sunny cross-country day at the Kentucky Horse Park, while the Team Challenge competition continued in full swing.

Lara Borson-Knight's Shooby Do, a retired Thoroughbred who she adopted through the Maker's Mark- Secretariat Center, went double clear in all four phases of the Preliminary Three-Day. While this was their first full-format event together, they won the Poplar Place CCI* September 23-25. "I was signed up for the [CCI*] here at MidSouth, but my coach Dorothy Crowell recommended that I run the full format," she explained. "Doing the steeplechase is an educational experience – something just clicks out there while you're jumping at a gallop."

Shooby Do was almost written off as an event prospect. "He has an old bow, and some people thought I was crazy to take him in." But he shares some bloodlines with a horse she had lost to EPM, so when she found him online at the Maker's Mark Center in 2009, she went to adopt him the next day. She is glad she did, and glad that she took Crowell's advice. "He's a good boy," she said, and doing the full format endurance day was "a wild hour of my life. My mom said it was the coolest thing in the world to see." The pair plans to move up to Intermediate at Ocala next month.

Kate Berta, in the other Classic division, the Training Three-Day, also managed to hold on to the lead. Bourbon was "spectacular," the 21-year-old Berta said. "He was perfect—he loves his job and we had a blast." Only five years old, Bourbon's goal this year was to have a good learning experience at the T3D. Berta herself last ran a classic-format event at Virginia in 2008. She and Bourbon are trailed by Jonathan Ketzler and Sal, who sit less than one rail behind them.

The top three placings in the CCI* remained unchanged after the completion of the cross country. Canadian Penny Rowland on Northwinds Breeze held her lead over Robin Walker, who recently changed his citizenship and is now an American. They are both closely followed by Katlyn Hewson, also from Canada, on Jack's Irish Z. The rest of the standings were shaken up somewhat by the cross-country, as the Lexington Marsh at 5 caught out several riders, as did a few other combinations on course. The CCI* jumps at noon tomorrow.

The Team Challenge competition continued, with the Brownsboro Babes claiming the Preliminary Teams title and the Training, Novice, and Beginner Novice Teams beginning their quests for team glory. Some Training teams took to the cross-country course in coordinated team gear or even costumes. The currently eighth-placed Flamingoes The Next Generation was a particularly colorful presence at the event, complete with hot pink shirts, duct tape, and even feather boas. Other teams were more traditionally garbed. Dorothy's Daring Area VIII Young Riders, currently in third place, selected red, white, and blue as their team colors. One of the "young riders" on the team was Dorothy Crowell herself, who sported her United States team vest. The Team Challenge continues tomorrow, as the Training teams, with the Buckeye Feeds team in the lead, complete the show-jumping phase. The Novice and Beginner Novice teams, led by the Team CEO Barn Slaves and the MSEDA teams, respectively, tackle the cross-country course.

For full results, schedule, and information visit www.kyevents.net.

The SmartPak Equine/USEA Classic Series is made possible through the support of its many sponsors: Title Sponsor: SmartPak Equine; Presenting Sponsor: Stackhouse Saddles; Silver Level Sponsor: Fleeceworks; Legacy Sponsor: Five Star Tack Elite Sponsors: FITS and Nunn Finer