Hannah Sue Burnett leads the way in the USEF CCI2*-L Eventing National Championship at the Virginia Horse Trials. Riding Christa Schmidt’s Carsonstown, an 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Cappuchino x Nonavic Spyridonna) to third place in dressage, the pair moved up with a double-clear cross-country round for a two-phase score of 32.3.
Burnett and Stakkato Bronx, owned by Jacqueline Mars and Christa Schmidt, are tied for second with Caroline Martin and her own Redfield Dexter. The two pairs were tied for fourth after dressage with a 32.5. Both were fault-free on cross-country and finished on the exact same elapsed time of 7:06 to remain tied.
Charlotte Stillfried and Palma D, her own 8-year-old Westphalian mare (PR.H Philipo x Hauptstutbuch Piacenza) head to the final phase leading the USEF CCI2*-L Junior/Young Rider Eventing National Championship. They scored a 30.6 in dressage and added 7.2 time penalties on cross-country to sit in fifth place in the division CCI2*-L division overnight.
Second in the USEF CCI2*-L Junior/Young Rider Eventing National Championship is Annabelle Kress and Canny Calypso.
Several divisions wrapped up today at the VHT International & Horse Trials. Allison Springer and Nancy Winter’s Crystal Crescent Moon, last year’s USEF CCI2*-L Eventing National Champions, won the CCI3*-S. They started in third place on a 33.6 in dressage. A double clear show jumping moved them up to second, and a clear cross-country round with 5.2 time penalties moved them into first place.
Alyssa Phillips and Cornelius Bo took home the win in the CCI2*-S. Scoring a 30.1 in dressage they began the competition in 5th place. Double-clear show jumping and cross-country rounds moved them up to the top spot.
Will Faudree and Mama’s Magic Way, owned by Jennifer Mosing and Sterling Silver Stables, won the Advanced Intermediate-A division, moving up from sixth place after dressage. Tim Bourke and Kristen and Mark Anderson’s Lennard won the Open Intermediate division with a final score of 37.1.
Competition continues tomorrow with show jumping and cross-country at the Virginia Horse Center.
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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.
The USEA office will close at 5:00 p.m. EST on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, and will reopen again on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. The USEA staff will return emails and phone calls when the office re-opens on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 or at their earliest convenience.