United States Eventing Association

Gold Cup Fast Facts: 2018 Galway Downs International

2018 marks the 20th anniversary for the Galway Downs Horse Trials in Temecula, California. The event has been offering a CIC3* every spring since 2003 - making 16 years of the division. The CIC3* serves as the first West Coast leg of the Adequan USEA Gold Cup in 2018. You can learn more about the history of the event and the venue in Galway Downs’ Events A-Z article.

• A total of 290 entries are set to compete at this year’s Galway Downs International Horse Trials, which offers Novice through Intermediate levels and CIC*, CIC2*, and CIC3* divisions.
• The CIC3* will see just seven entries, the smallest field this event has had at this level. The CIC2* division has 17 entries and the CIC* has 26 entries.
• Frankie Thieriot-Stutes and The Chatwin Group’s Chatwin, winners of the 2017 Galway Downs International Horse Trials CIC3*, are returning this year to defend their title. In their five three-star attempts, Thieriot-Stutes and the 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Contendro I x Oktav) have never placed outside of the top four.
• Two of the seven entries in the CIC3* belong to Tamie Smith, who will ride both Wembley and Sunsprite Syrius. Wembley (Lester x E-VIP), Kevin Baumgardner’s 15-year-old KWPN gelding, finished 10^th in the CIC3* last year with Smith in the irons and has come out swinging in 2018, winning his last two runs at the Advanced level. Sunsprite Warmbloods’ 10-year-old Trakehner gelding Sunsprite Syrius (Titulus x Slytely Cinnamon xx) will be making his debut at the three-star level after winning the Fair Hill International CCI2* last fall.
• Andrea Baxter and Indy 500 (Cromwell x Tens of Thousands) will return to compete in the CIC3* at Galway Downs International for the third time. Baxter and her own 13-year-old Thoroughbred mare finished in 11^th place at the Galway Downs CIC3* in 2015 and then third in 2016.
• Helen Bouscaren and Ebay (Escudo x Contessa), her own 9-year-old Oldenburg gelding, are attempting the CIC3* level for the first time after placing second in their first Advanced at Twin Rivers earlier this month.
• Rebecca Braitling and the 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Walterstown Don (Don Juan de la Bouverie x Walterstown Treacy) first competed together as a pair in the Open Intermediate at last year’s Galway Downs International Horse Trials after Braitling took over the ride from owner Lauren Burnell. Walterstown Don previously competed at the three-star level with both Clayton Fredericks and Michael Pollard, and this is Braitling's third three-star with the gelding.
• Derek di Grazia and Ringwood Justice (Ringwood Harley Carol x Ringwood Venus), his 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, will be looking for the horse’s first successful completion at the three-star level.
• Sunsprite Syrius, Indy 500, and Ringwood Justice are all graduates of the USEA Young Event Horse Program.
• Eric Winter took over the position of cross-country course designer for the international levels at Galway Downs from Ian Stark last fall, who designed at the venue for 10 years. Bert Wood is the course designer for Novice through Intermediate levels.
• Marc Donovan is the show jumping course designer for all levels.
• General admission tickets are $15 on Friday and Saturday and $10 on Sunday. Patron’s tickets are also available and include arena-side tent seating and breakfast and lunch. You can purchase Patron’s tickets for $55 per day or $150 for the weekend. Tickets are available for purchase online.

Competition Schedule

Thursday, March 29

• 4:00 p.m. – Veterinary Inspection (CIC*, CIC2*, CIC3*)

Friday, March 30

• 8:00 a.m. – Dressage (All Levels)
• 2:25 p.m. – Show Jumping (CIC*, CIC2*, CIC3*)

Saturday, March 31

• 8:00 a.m. – Cross-Country (Preliminary, CIC*, Intermediate, CIC2*, CIC3*)
• 10:00 a.m. – Show Jumping (Training, Novice)

Sunday, April 1

• 8:00 a.m. – Show Jumping (Intermediate, Preliminary)
• 8:00 a.m. – Cross-Country (Training, Novice)

Helpful Links

• Galway Downs Website
• Omnibus Listing
• Entry Status
• Ride Times
• Live Scores
• Schedule of Events
• Tickets

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About the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series

The 2018 Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series features 11 qualifying competitions throughout the United States at the Advanced horse trials and CIC3* levels. The qualifying period begins August 2017 and continues through August 2018 with the final taking place at the 2018 USEA American Eventing Championships at the Colorado Horse Park in Parker, Colorado, August 29 – September 2, 2018. Riders who complete a qualifier earn the chance to vie for $40,000 in prize money and thousands of dollars in prizes and the title of Adequan USEA Gold Cup Champion in the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Final Advanced Division.

The USEA would like to thank Adequan, Standlee Hay Company, Nutrena, Merck Animal Health, Parker Equine Insurance, and FITS for sponsoring the 2018 Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series.