United States Eventing Association

From Starter to Advanced, the Woodside Spring Horse Trials Was an Event to Remember

Woodside, Calif.—May 27—The Woodside Spring Horse Trials highlighted accomplishments across a range of experiences for event horses and riders.

For the sport’s elites, Kynan and Tamie Smith followed up their top‑10 finish in the CCI4*-S at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event with a win at the Advanced level. That sets them up for some of the country’s top four-stars the rest of the year.

For the up-and-comers, The Horse Park at Woodside created a five-star atmosphere for the Modified Match to spotlight the Modified level that has made a significant impact on the progression of eventing’s rising stars to the upper levels.

For the veterans, 22-year-old horse “C” Taz Go and 78-year-old rider Susan Burwen completed a “Century Ride” at the Starter level.

Smith finished first and second at Advanced with Kynan and Lillet 3. Between Kynan’s top-10 in Kentucky and this win at Woodside, Smith said she’s as confident as she’s ever been with the Kynan Syndicate’s 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Envoy x Danieta).

“It’s just like one day it just all clicked, and he feels like a grown-up now,” Smith said. “It happened before Kentucky, but I don’t think I really trusted it. So, Kentucky really solidified that, and then coming here after Kentucky, I’m like, ‘OK, was that because Kentucky was big and impressive and on terrain, and was that because of that?’ And no, he was actually even better this weekend. Every time he just gets more with me, and now I feel like we have a real understanding and a real partnership.”

Smith reminisced that “I believed in him from the very beginning” since they started competing together in 2022, and The Monkees’ “I’m a Believer” played during their victory lap at Woodside. She said she will now aim for the top by moving Kynan up to the CCI4*-L at Rebecca Farm in Kalispell, Montana, in July and at Morven Park in Leesburg, Virginia, in October. Morven’s four-long will serve as the inaugural $200,000 US Equestrian Open of Eventing Final.

Both Kynan and Lillet 3 had zero jumping penalties, just adding time on Derek di Grazia’s Advanced cross-country course and going double clear on William Robertson’s show jumping. Kynan’s final score was 47.3. Lillet 3 was right behind with 47.6.

“It’s such a different ride than Kynan, which is difficult,” Smith said about the 9-year-old Holsteiner mare (S.I.E.C. Livello x Princess L) that joined her stable less than a year ago after winning a four-star in Europe.

“Sometimes you see riders, and they have a type of horse, but that’s not really me," she said. "I pick a horse based on whether I like their qualities, and it just happens to be that all of them are all so different. At the Intermediate level, she and I just jell, but she’s green at the Advanced level. The course was testing, and she fought for me the whole way. I made mistakes and she still fought for me and got through the flags. I wouldn’t say that I gave her the best ride, but it’s coming, and she show jumped beautifully and had a beautiful dressage. So, it’s just matter of time.”

The organizers of the Woodside Spring Horse Trials also believe there’s no time like the present to give a five-star experience to the sport’s up-and-comers. The second Modified Match featured Horse and Rider divisions at the level first introduced in 2017 with the purpose of bridging eventing’s lower and upper levels.

Dressage took place in a large arena with two judges—something that would typically be seen at championships or FEI levels. Woodside’s Bay Arena gave off vibes of Rolex Stadium with spectators collectively cheering and holding their breath during the show jumping finale that coincided with the event’s competitor dinner.

Saulo Tristao won the Modified Rider Match division with Cartaleyo JF. They led after a dressage score of 28.7, went double clear on Bert Wood’s cross-country course, and added one rail on William Robertson’s challenging show jumping to finish with 32.7. This was just the third USEA-recognized event that Tristao competed the 7-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding (Mr Vain GJ x Cantara).

“It was an incredible atmosphere,” Tristao said. “Of course winning is great, but to share with Chocolate Horse Farm and everyone there made it so special. I am very excited about ‘Leo’ and together with Andrea [Pfeiffer] and Tommy [Greengard], we think he can be my next upper-level horse. He is only 7 but so serious at cross-country. Also, he is built nicely for dressage, very uphill, making it easy for me to get him to collect.”

Stephanie Goodman, who has competed on seven different horses so far in 2025, helped Diranca take a step forward in her career with the mare’s first blue ribbon earned in the Modified Horse Match. Goodman sourced the 8-year-old mare (Don Fiano x Miranca) registered with the Anglo European Studbook from the Netherlands. Their first event was at Novice in February 2024.

“We fell in love with her canter, and she is brave and a great partner,” she said.

Goodman and Diranca were the only ones to finish on their dressage score out of 25 entries in the two Modified Match divisions.

“We will run Aspen Farm [in Washington] next moving all the horses up and going FEI, then Rebecca and aiming for East Coast for fall,” she said.

As the Modified Match participants eye higher levels, one decade after “C” Taz Go did his final upper-level competition with Bradley Champagne, the now 22-year-old bay Thoroughbred-cross gelding teamed up with 78-year-old Susan Burwen for a Century Ride, where the combined ages of horse and rider add up to 100 or more. They finished third in the Senior Starter Rider division with clear jumping on a score of 31.7.

“The weekend was a highlight of my life,” Burwen said. “Growing up in New York City as a horse-crazy kid, I never expected in my wildest dreams that I would actually ever own a horse, let alone learn to ride as an eventer. I am so deeply grateful that I was lucky to find a horse like ‘Taz,’ a true partner.”

Whether it’s one of the country’s best like Smith solidifying a partnership to take on the best in the country or a rider like Burwen fulfilling “dreams beyond my wildest imagination,” the Woodside Spring Horse Trials became an event to remember.

Looking ahead, The Horse Park at Woodside will next host the Woodside Summer Horse Trials from Aug. 9-10. Then, the Woodside Fall International will take place from Oct. 3-5.

Results | Website

The full list of winners from the 2025 Woodside Spring Horse Trials:

• Advanced: Tamie Smith and Kynan (47.3)
• Open Intermediate: Tamie Smith and Jutopia (31.0)
• Open Preliminary: James Alliston and Made by Leontine EB (25.8)
  Preliminary Rider: Olivia Baca and Casskinero (29.0)
• Modified Match Horse: Stephanie Goodman and Diranca (30.4)
• Modified Match Rider: Saulo Tristao and Cartaleyo JF (32.7)
• Open Modified: Tommy Greengard and Cooley Sligo (28.0)
• Open Training: Tommy Greengard and EWSZ Java (30.3)
• Jr. Training Rider: Zoe Barker and Kontessa M (30.3)
• Sr. Training Rider: Nicci Guzzetta and Little Richard (26.6)
• Training Amateur: Clara Marks and Crystal Blue Persuasion (26.1)
• Open Novice: Tommy Greengard and SD Fort I Valent (23.9)
• Jr. Novice Rider: Michaela Smith and Cashmaker (27.2)
• Sr. Novice Rider: Lisa Peecook and SZ Raudo (23.6)
• Sr. Novice Amateur: Dana Chase and Caradette SZ (28.1)
• Open Beginner Novice A: Tommy Greengard and Sailing Time (33.3)
• Open Beginner Novice B: Sigourney Jellins and Lausbub Z (28.2)
• Jr. Beginner Novice Rider A: Sophia Kuzma and CF Quintano (29.7)
• Jr. Beginner Novice Rider B: Emma de Vos Benavente and Cat Ballou (31.8)
• Sr. Beginner Novice Rider A: Gretchen Pope and Optimistic Sol (32.0)
• Sr. Beginner Novice Rider B: Annie Desmond and Little Elf (20.0)
• Open Starter: Ashley Cox and Leilani (28.0)
• Jr. Starter Rider: Aliana Reiss and Cre Ard Lady (29.3)
• Sr. Starter Rider: Mohamed Mostafa and Rodrigue Du Granit (28.7)