Fast Facts: Morven Park International
It’s Morven week! This year the Morven Park International is home to the USEF/USEA Developing Horse Championships and the 2024/2025 US Equestrian Open of Eventing. Gear up for all the action taking place in Leesburg, Virginia this week with this edition of Fast Facts!
Morven Park International:
Morven Park looks a little different this year as the event is only hosting the international levels for the 2025 event. In past years, the event has hosted national levels at Novice, Training, and Preliminary.
There are 32 entries in the US Equestrian Open, and four different countries are represented: the United States, Australia, Great Britain, and Canada.
Tamie Smith gets the gold star for furthest traveled—she brought Kynan all the way to the East Coast from her home base in California to compete.
USEA EA21 graduate Braden Speck has his Connemara cross BSF Liam on the entry list.
Six riders have two entries: Ryan Wood, Boyd Martin, Phillip Dutton, Gabby Dickerson, Caroline Pamukcu, and Will Coleman.
USEF/USEA Developing Horse Championships:
There are four horses in the CCI3*YH-S and 9 in the CCI2*YH-S competition.
- USEA YEH Graduates:
- CCI3*YH-S
HSH Talbots Hill, an Irish Sport Horse gelding (Coolkeeran x Sisceal) ridden by Caroline Pamukcu and owned by Sherrie Martin, Gayle Davis, and Pamukcu, is a graduate of the USEA YEH program, having placed in the top 10 at the East Coast Championships in his 4-year-old year and just outside the top 20 as a 5-year-old. Since his YEH days, this horse has a strong career at the two- and three-star levels, including a second-place finish in the CCI3*-S at The Event at TerraNova (Myakka City, Florida) earlier this spring.
While he never competed at the YEH Championships, Arielle and Christina Aharoni’s Dutch Warmblood gelding Notorious (Goodtimes x Alino Queen) did compete in the program as a 5-year-old. He made his three-star move up this year with Arielle in the tack.
- CCI2*YH-S
Anita Antenucci’s Arden Janeway is a graduate of both the former USEA Future Event Horse program and the YEH program, having placed sixth as a 5-year-old in the East Coast Championships with Sharon White. This American Sport Horse mare (Jaguar Mail x Freespirit) comes into the young horse two-star championship off of a top-ten finish in her FEI two-star debut just last month at Plantation Field.
Alyssa Phillip’s Centerfold was a superstar at last year’s YEH East Coast championships having been crowned Reserve Champion in the 5-year-old division. The young Irish Sport Horse gelding (Sligo Candy Boy x Temple Polly) moved up to the two-star level at the end of the summer and has had top-10 finishes at both of his FEI outings.
Phillip Dutton rode Caroline Moran’s Darwinn (Denver x Emma V) to a top-15 finish in the East Coast championships last year and after three strong performances at the Preliminary level, Dutton moved the Holsteiner gelding up to two-star at Plantation Field.
- CCI3*YH-S
The Facts:
The FEI Technical Delegates are as follows: Andrew Temkin (USA), assisted by Tim Murray (USA) for the CCI4*-L. Murray also serves as the TD for the CCI3* and CCI2* divisions. Kathryn Cooper will serve as the National TD.
The CCI4* President of the Ground Jury is Peter Grey (USA) and will be assisted by Helen Christie (NZL) and Bea di Grazia (USA). The CCI3* President of the Ground Jury is Sara Miller Leary (USA) and will be assisted by Robyn Fisher (USA). The CCI2* and CCI1* President of the Ground Jury is Amanda Miller (USA) and will be assisted by Heather Gillette (USA) at both levels.
The cross-country course designer is Derek di Grazia (USA), assisted by Jeff Kibbie (USA).
Chris Barnard (USA) is the show jumping course designer.
The Schedule:
Wednesday, October 8:
11:00 a.m. | US Equestrian Open first horse inspection
Thursday, October 9:
11:00 a.m.. | US Equestrian Open dressage
Friday, October 10:
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. | All remaining dressage
Saturday, October 11:
9:00 a.m. | Show jumping
9:00 a.m. | US Equestrian Open cross-country
Sunday, October 12:
8:00 a.m. | US Equestrian Open final horse inspection
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. | All remaining Cross-Country
12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. | US Equestrian Open show jumping
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