Nov 03, 2021

Fast Facts: Galway Downs International

By Meagan DeLisle - USEA Staff
Kim Miller photo

The final FEI event in Area VI gets underway today in Temecula, California. For the 11th year, Galway Downs International is offering their CCI4*-L in addition to a CCI3*-L, CCI2*-L, a Modified/Training Challenge, Training/Novice Challenge, and Novice/Beginner Novice Challenge, and Beginner Novice, Novice, Training, and Preliminary horse trial divisions.

The Field:

  • There are 11 horse and rider pairs entered in the CCI4*-L at Galway Downs. Two riders in the field will each compete two horses: James Alliston with Helen Alliston’s Hanoverian gelding Paper Jam (Paparazzo x Reely Jamin XX) and the Alliston Equestrian owned Warmblood gelding Czechers and Tamie Smith with Louisa Southworth’s Dutch Warmblood gelding Elliot-V (Zavall VDL x Vera-R) and Judith McSwain’s Holsteiner mare Fleeceworks Royal (Riverman x Marisol).
  • Alliston gets the award for the busiest rider in the CCI4*-L. In addition to his two four-star entries, he also has one horse in the CCI3*-L and two in the CCI2*-L.
  • Four horses will be attempting their first CCI4*-L this weekend: Alliston’s mount Czechers, both of Smith’s rides, and Sophie Click will be giving her first CCI4*-L a go aboard her own Holsteiner gelding Quidproquo (Quidado x Waleila).
  • Holsteiner breeding reigns supreme in the four-star field with four of the entries coming from Holsteiner bloodlines.
  • Alliston and Paper Jam are coming in hot after clinching the win in the CCI4*-L at Rebecca Farm in July. Their four-star win was preceded by a win in the Advanced at Twin Rivers and followed by a win in the Advanced at Woodside. Can they keep up their winning streak this weekend?
  • Megan Sykes and her Oldenburg gelding Classic’s Mojah are feeling fresh after a second-place finish last month in the CCI4*-S at Woodside International.
  • Smith and Elliot-V also snagged a second-place finish at the CCI4*-S level in September at Twin Rivers.
  • Dana Cooke and the FE Mississippi Syndicate's Wurttemberg mare FE Mississippi have been all over this year having competed in Ocala, Tennessee, New Jersey, North Carolina, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Virginia before making their way to the West Coast for this weekend’s CCI4*-L.
  • Unique to Galway Downs is the Modified-Training Challenge, Training-Novice Challenge, and Novice-Beginner Novice Challenge. These three challenges are modeled after the popular Preliminary Challenge, held at the Woodside Horse Trials in the spring.

The Facts:

  • Mary Duenow (USA) is the FEI technical delegate with Wendy Wergeles (USA) assisting.
  • Christina Klingspor (SWE) is the president of the ground jury of the CCI4*-L and will be assisted by Marilyn Payne (USA) and Amanda Miller (USA).
  • Clayton Fredericks (AUS) is the cross-country course designer for the FEI divisions.
  • Marc Donovan (USA) is the show jumping course designer.
  • The CCI4*-L is a qualifier for the $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final that will take place at the USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds.

The FEI Competition Schedule

Wednesday, November 3

  • 4:00 p.m. - All FEI horse inspections

Thursday, November 4

  • 8:00 a.m. - CCI2*-L dressage
  • 9:30 a.m. - CCI3*-L dressage
  • 2:30 p.m. - CCI4*-L dressage

Friday, November 5

  • 9:30 a.m. - CCI3*-L cross-country
  • 11:20 a.m. - CCI4*-L cross-country
  • 12:30 p.m. - CCI2*-L cross-country

Saturday, November 6

  • 8:00 a.m. - All FEI second horse inspections
  • 10:25 a.m. - CCI2*-L show jumping
  • 12:45 p.m. - CCI3*-L show jumping
  • 2:15 p.m. - CCI4*-L show jumping

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