United States Eventing Association

It was a seriously good decision that the Land Rover Great Meadow International organizers moved up the schedule to outrun the scheduled thunderstorms and both the CIC3* and Pan American Preparatory Trial were completed in just a little over the hour. Shortly after the final horse jumped the skies opened up to intense storms and tornado warnings.

In the CIC3* Cambalda’s barn name, Ping, was quite fitting tonight as he tackled the Richard Jeffery show jumping course with ease – leaving all the rails in the cups and maintaining her spot at the top of the leaderboard.

“Richard Jeffery is a top designer,” said Jennie. “I was lucky he designed Galway for several years so I have gotten to jump around his tracks a fair bit. I also competed at Twilight Jumpers here before so I know the small arena, but it was a great track.”

Jennie Brannigan and Nina Gardner’s 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding will be the last to go on cross-country tomorrow in the CIC3* as the competition continues to run in reverse order of placing..

“What an honor is it to be riding on this ground,” continued Jennie. “As someone who appreciates race riding it will be special for me to be out riding on the cross-country course tomorrow. Mike [Etherington-Smith] is an amazing designer, and I think we are all nervous about the rain, but at the same time you can’t have better turf then this. I think that is pretty cool.”

Ballynoe Castle RM also went in to the ring and jumped a clear round to stay hot on Cambalda’s heels. Buck Davidson piloted Carl and Cassandra Segal’s 15-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding this evening after spending the day riding six horses at the Surefire Horse Trials.

“It is just another day – there just happens to be a drive in between,” said Buck. “It filled up the day and that’s a nice thing.”

Lynn Symansky and The Donner Syndicate’s Donner moved up into third place with a double clear round. The top three pairs all sit within three points of each other so tomorrow’s cross-country could prove very influential.

The Pan American Preparatory Trials leaderboard shuffled a bit when overnight leader, Phillip Dutton, took an unplanned dismount from Fernhill Cubalawn when the horse tripped in the footing following the triple bar and fell down. Both horse and rider were back up quickly on their feet and are okay. The following seven riders all jumped double clear and just moved up one place on the leaderboard.

Lauren Kieffer and Marie Le Menestrel’s Meadowbrook’s Scarlett, an 8-year-old Thoroughbred mare, became the overnight leaders with a double clear. Although Lauren said that Phillip deserved to be sitting in the top spot, Scarlett jumped a lovely round that belied her age. “I thought it was great," said Lauren. "It rode well. I felt like I was out there for a really long time, but it certainly all rode the way it walked."

Pan Am U.S. Team Members, Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa sit in second on a 43.9 while Team Alternates, Will Faudree and Pfun and Matt Brown and BCF Belicoso are tied for third on 45.2.

The cross-country kicks off at 9:30 AM tomorrow. Information and schedules are available on the Great Meadow website.

View full results from today.