The Galway Downs International Event starts on Halloween Thursday and ends on time-change Sunday, so there’s likely even more excitement than usual to be had this weekend. So much so that organizer Robert Kellerhouse commissioned a one-minute promotional video to help spread the word.
Three hundred horse/rider pairs from throughout the West will convene at the Galway Downs Equestrian Center’s beautiful 240 acres in the heart of Temecula Valley Wine Country. Fan friendly “Super Saturday” is set to draw big crowds with live music, local craft beers, and beverages from Galway Spirits Distillery enjoyed in on-course oasis spots with great views of the cross-country action.
Important qualifying scores are on the line in the CCI-L 4/3/2* divisions, with equally intense national level competition through Beginner Novice. The agenda includes the popular Training Three-Day division, which preserves eventing’s origins by staging all of the discipline’s original endurance day phases: roads and track, steeplechase, more roads and track, and cross-country.
Interesting match-ups are already emerging, including several steeds tackling their first CCI4*-L challenge. The CCI3*-L division features mother-daughter duo Tamie Smith and Kaylawna Smith-Cook going head-to-head, as well as James Alliston and Helen Bouscaren. These training business and life partners will jump off their horses after Sunday’s show jumping then dash off to a special cross-country spot to tie the knot in front of their equestrian family.
FEI-Stabling is the newest of year-round facility upgrades. New cross-country features and expert footing maintenance highlight a track that combines the international perspective of Canadian designer Jay Hambly with the local expertise of longtime Galway builder Bert Wood.
Did you know that the USEA Foundation awards over 150 grants each year to deserving individuals who are involved in the sport of eventing? With grants that assist riders with accomplishing their competition goals, grants geared toward licensed officials, grants that are specific to continuing education for coaches, grants that assist competitions with obtaining frangible technology, and so much more, there really is a grant opportunity available to almost anyone!
With the start of the New Year just days away, now is the time to consider how your actions can have a positive impact on the sport of eventing in 2025. Each and every member of the eventing community has an important role to play in ensuring the sport continues to grow and thrive. From fostering educational opportunities to supporting grassroots initiatives and participating at all levels of the sport, there are so many ways to get involved.
Ride iQ’s popular “Ask An Expert” series features professional advice and tips from all areas of the horse industry. One of the most-downloaded episodes is an expert session with Peter Gray, an accomplished dressage judge and Olympic eventer. He has recently judged at events like the five-star at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, and he served on the ground jury at the 2022 FEI World Eventing Championships in Pratoni, Italy. His background as a competitor in the Olympic Games riding for Bermuda and as a coach and selector for the Canadian eventing team adds depth to his understanding of the sport.
With a total of 382 volunteer hours in 2024, Catherine “Cathy” Hale not only topped the USEA Area III VIP Volunteer leaderboard, but she also ranked fourth out of all eventing volunteers across the country. Hale (The Villages, Florida) has worked as a travel agent for over 30 years, a career that suits her love of travel nicely. At the time of being interviewed for this article, Hale was passing the equator on a cruise to Tahiti, New Zealand, and Australia.