United States Eventing Association

Fast Facts: 2019 Twin Rivers CCI and Horse Trials

The Twin Rivers CCI and Horse Trials begins this afternoon at Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, California with the first horse inspection for the CCI-L divisions and competition for the Future Event Horse and Young Event Horse classes. Twin Rivers is the last prep event for West Coast riders competing at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event as well as an important qualifying event for the North American Youth Championships.

• Twin Rivers will host a total of 476 entries this weekend across 34 divisions. The event offers Beginner Novice to Advanced horse trials divisions; an Advanced combined test; CCI2*-L, CCI3*-L, CCI3*-S, and CCI4*-S international divisions; and Young and Future Event Horse divisions.
• Two of this weekend’s entries are bound for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event in two weeks: Andrea Baxter and Indy 500 (Cromwell x TensofThousands) and Frankie Thieriot Stutes and Chatwin (Contendro I x Oktav). Both Thieriot Stutes and her 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding and Baxter and her 14-year-old Thoroughbred mare are entered in the Advanced combined test for their final run prior to Kentucky.
• Tamra Smith and Wembley (Lester x E-VIP), Kevin Baumgardner’s 15-year-old KWPN gelding, are also competing in the Advanced combined test. They’re gearing up for a trip to Badminton at the beginning of next month.
• Smith has the most international entries of any one rider this weekend, with four in the CCI3*-L and one in the CCI3*-S. Amber Levine has the most entries in the horse trials divisions, with six horses entered from Beginner Novice through Training plus once horse in the CCI3*-L.
• The CCI2*-L and CCI3*-L are both large divisions compared with years past, with 29 to see in the CCI2*-L and 18 to see in the CCI3*-L. The CCI2*-L is also the largest of the 34 divisions at Twin Rivers this weekend.
• The CCI3*-S is a new division at Twin Rivers this year and will see 13 entrants.
• Entries in the CCI4*-S division are down this year to four from last year’s seven. None of the pairs competing this year are return competitors from last year, meaning the title is wide open for anyone to claim.
• The 2016 Olympic pair Lauren Billys and Castle Larchfield Purdy (Karistos x Hallo Purdy), her own and the Purdy Syndicate, LLC’s 17-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, are back out at the CCI4*-S level this weekend for the first time since finishing fifth at The Event at Rebecca Farm last year. The last time the pair competed in the international divisions at Twin Rivers was in 2016, where they won the CIC3*. Can they repeat their success from 2016?
• This is Leah Breakey’s first time competing at the CCI4*-S level since 2014 when she and Master Plan finished third at Copper Meadows. She and Master Class (Cree x Night Destiny xx), her own 10-year-old Canadian Warmblood gelding, completed their first Advanced horse trials as a pair at Twin Rivers Winter Horse Trials in March.
• Derek di Grazia and Ringwood Justice (Ringwood Harley Carol x Ringwood Venus), his 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, are coming off a strong performance in the Intermediate division at Galway Downs last month where they finished third on their dressage score.
• Liza Horan has produced Lafite, her own 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Linaro x Sundrift Sandal), from the Novice level and together the pair have a nearly spotless cross-country record. They will be making their second appearance at the CCI4*-S level this weekend after placing second in the CIC3* at Woodside last fall.
• Three different nationalities are represented by the competitors in the CCI4*-S. Of the four entries in the CCI4*-S, one rides for Canada (Leah Breakey) and one rides for Puerto Rico (Lauren Billys).
• There are also four horse-and-rider combinations to see in the Advanced division, including Madison Temkin and her own Dr. Hart (Skimming x Moving Memo). Temkin and the 12-year-old Thoroughbred gelding are fresh off a win in the Advanced division at Galway Downs - their first Advanced level competition as a pair.
• Canadian Samantha Pritchard and King’s Landing (El Corredor x Shalini), her own 9-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, also competed at the Advanced level for the first time at Galway Downs. This is the pair’s first time competing at Twin Rivers.
• Marc Grandia and Team Rebecca, LLC's Campari FFF (Camiros x Tanner), a 9-year-old Holsteiner gelding, are making their Advanced level debut. Grandia has produced Campari from the Novice level over the last three years.
• Gina Economou and her 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Exclusive (Marlon x Julia S) have already completed two CCI3*-S competitions this spring at the Fresno County Horse Park and Galway Downs and are looking for their first completion at the Advanced level this weekend.
• James Atkinson has designed the cross-country course for the international, Advanced, and Intermediate divisions while Marc Grandia designed the Beginner Novice through Preliminary courses. Both designers are also competing this weekend - Atkinson is riding in the Intermediate division and Grandia has two entries at Novice, two at Training, and his advanced mount.
• Jose Nava is Twin Rivers’ show jumping course designer.
• Susan O'Brien (NZL) and Ana Schravensande (MEX) will serve as Technical Delegates for the FEI divisions alongside President of the Ground Jury Robert Stevenson (USA), Richard Baldwin (GBR), and Valerie Vizcarrondo (USA). Sheila Strickler (USA) and Linda Paine (USA) are the FEI Stewards.
• For those of you following along at home, Ride On Video will be live streaming portions of the competition! Click here for the live stream.

Competition Schedule

Thursday, April 11

• 8:30 a.m. – YEH Competition
• 12:00 p.m. - FEH Competition
• 12:30 p.m. – First Horse Inspection (CCI2*-L, CCI3*-L)
• 2:30 p.m. - Dressage (CCI3*-S, CCI4*-S)

Friday, April 12

• 8:00 a.m. – Dressage (CCI3*-L, CCI2*-S, Advanced, Intermediate, Preliminary, Training, Novice, Beginner Novice)
• 1:30 p.m. – Show Jumping (CCI4*-S, CCI3*-S, Advanced, Intermediate)
• 3:00 p.m. - Cross-Country (Beginner Novice)

Saturday, April 13

• 8:00 a.m. – Cross-Country (CCI4*-S, CCI3*-S, CCI3*-L, CCI2*-L, Advanced, Intermediate, Preliminary, Junior Training)
• 8:00 a.m. – Show Jumping (Training, Novice, Beginner Novice)

Sunday, April 14

• 7:30 a.m. – Second Horse Inspection (CCI3*-L, CCI2*-L)
• 8:00 a.m. – Cross-Country (Training, Novice)
• 8:30 a.m. – Show Jumping (CCI3*-L, CCI2*-L, Preliminary, Junior Training)

Helpful Links

• Twin Rivers Website
• USEA Prize List
• Entry List
• Ride Times
• Live Scoring
• Live Stream

Follow the USEA event coverage on social media!

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter