Competitors have arrived at the Virginia Horse Center for the Virginia Horse Trials, home to the USEF CCI1* and USEF CCI1*-JR/YR National Championships this weekend. The championships, at their new home at the Virginia CCI/CIC Horse Trials, will feature 62 horses in the CCI1* and CCI1*-JR/YR divisions. These horses were presented for the first horse inspection on Thursday.
Forty-two horses competing in the USEF CCI1* Eventing National Championship passed the jog earlier today. Among the competitors, Boyd Martin (Cochranville, Pa.) will contest two horses in the CCI1* to vie for the championship title. He will ride Maya, an 8-year-old Holsteiner mare owned by The Mirador Group, and Ringo Star, an 8-year-old Thoroughbred gelding owned by Helle Goodrich. Sharon White (Summit Point, W.V.) will also contest two horses for the CCI1*national championship. Her rides include Highlife’s Je T’Aime, an 8-year-old Oldenburg mare owned by Madeline Hartsock, and Masterel, a 9-year-old Thoroughbred gelding she owns with Denis Glaccum. In addition, Colleen Rutledge (Frederick, Md.) will ride C Me Fly, her 6-year-old Westphalian mare.
All 22 horses in the young riders division, the USEF CCI1*-JR/YR Eventing National Championship, also passed the jog. Among the JR/YR athletes competing are Olivia Hayes (Havertown, Pa.) with Astrana De la Galerna, the 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding she owns with Jodi and William Hayes, and Caitlin O’Roark (Centreville, Va.) with Lucky Devil, the 13-year-old Thoroughbred/Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Shannon O’Roark. Additionally, Molly Sherman (Dickerson, Md.) will ride Winsome, the 11-year-old Thoroughbred gelding owned by Cheryl Sherman.
Friday, November 2, marks the first day of competition featuring CCI1* and CCI1*-JR/YR dressage beginning at 8:00 a.m.
Ride times are here. Follow the live results here.
Great Britain’s Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir found themselves in a familiar position today at the top of the leaderboard after dressage at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, scoring a 26.0. A year ago, Ingham and “Banzai” led the field heading into cross-country after Friday’s dressage, but they drew an earlier start this year, and Ingham’s got a few more challengers to come tomorrow.
In comparison to many of his other upper-level event horses, Commando 3, or “Connor” as he is known in the barn, is still a newer ride for Boyd Martin, but that hasn’t held the pair back.
Are you following along with the action from home this weekend? Or maybe you're competing at an event and need information fast. Either way, we’ve got you covered! Check out the USEA’s Weekend Quick Links for links to information including the prize list, ride times, live scores, and more for all the events running this weekend.
Let the fun and games begin! This morning kicks off the official start of competition at the 2024 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event (K3DE). The hefty four-star field is the first to set foot in the Rolex Stadium starting at 8:00 a.m. Last year we saw 49 four-star pairs in this division, but this year there are 63 pairs in the field.