United States Eventing Association

Yelm, Wash.—Sept. 14—Day 2 at the Aspen Farms Horse Trials, presented by Tin Men Supply, and the USEA Area VII Championships brought picture-perfect weather and high spirits as over 300 riders and horses took on the thrill of cross-country and the precision of show jumping. With clear skies overhead and the scenic Pacific Northwest as the backdrop, competitors across all levels showcased their determination, technical skills, and partnerships.

In the Area VII Open Intermediate Championship, Tommy Greengard and Balladeer Kilbrickens Lad, owned by Patricia Culleton, jumped clear and inside the time on cross-country to take over the overnight lead. With his second ride, That's Me Z, owned with Andrea Pfeiffer, Greengard jumped clear but earned some time penalties, dropping them into second place. Stephanie Goodman and Elwenda DP, owned by Deanna Briggs, moved up to third.

"It was super," Greengard reflected at the end of his Intermediate cross-country runs. "Everything went to plan. Balladeer Kilbrickens Lad had a very confident, forward go, which was the plan. He really showed his education. That's Me Z was absolutely excellent. He came here for a lighter run, and we did just that. He skipped around. We are very pleased with both horses."

Looking ahead to tomorrow's show jumping track designed by Chris Barnard, Greengard said: "Both horses are very good show jumpers. We continue to work for the best round we can have, and the cards will fall where they fall."

Greengard also is first overnight in the Area VII Open Preliminary Championship with MBF Google, and third in the division with EL Porvenir Luigi. Reese Blinks and her Belgian Warmblood gelding, I'M Jaguar, are second. All three had clear cross-country runs.

"They were excellent" said Greengard of his Preliminary level horses after cross-country. "They are a bit younger. They continue to blow us away with their education and their understanding of the job. We couldn't be happier with them; they both were so good today."

In the Area VII Junior Training Championship presented by Panattoni Development, Olivia Harris and Checker Can, owned by Joanne Harris, moved up from second to first thanks to a clear cross-country round.

Bryce Meeker and her Hanoverian/Thoroughbred, Centerfield Varsity, jumped double-clear to maintain their lead in the Area VII Training Amateur Championship overnight.

In Area VII Open Training Championship, Jordan Linstedt and the Dutch Warmblood mare Liberty R, owned by Amy Itkin, also held onto their lead, adding no penalties to their dressage score of 26.4.

"She was clear and fast," Linstedt shared after her double clear cross-country round. "She ate up the cross-country all the way around. Toward the end I had to slow down if anything because she was taking me very boldly around. She's coming off of a win at EI Horse Trials, so I expected her to be good today, but she exceeded my expectations. She always is so fun to ride because she loves the job."

Linstedt is also placed first in the Open Training A division aboard Stealth, owned by Shannon Harger.

There were no changes in the top three on the Novice level Championship division leaderboards today, but that does not mean the Novice cross-country course was not memorable.

"The course was great;" said Melissa Mohr, the current leader in the Novice Amateur Championship with her imported German Sport Horse, Ferrani. "The course rode super well and was really fun to ride! The drops and the challenges were good challenges, but overall it rode really smoothly, and the ground was great."

Emma Lee and Andiamo Baum are the overnight leaders in Junior Novice Championship, and Marc Grandia and Checker Too, owned by Joanne Harris lead the Open Novice Championship division, presented by Olive Equestrian and Caroline Pamukcu.

The overnight leaders in the Beginner Novice Championship divisions are as follows:

- Mikaela Kuiper and Smitten, owned by Jessica Wickersham in Open Beginner Novice Championship

- Susan Harrel and ODonnells Riverdance in Beginner Novice Amateur Championship

-Izabella Fierner and Devotion WGF in Junior Beginner Novice Championship

In addition to 10 USEA Area VII Championship divisions, Aspen Farms Horse Trials is hosting 11 open divisions from Beginner Novice through Intermediate. The upper level open divisions completed cross-country, and the lower level divisions completed show jumping in the Tack Room Too Arena.

In the Open Intermediate, Sabrina Glaser and Excalibur O’Donoghue moved up from third to first after cross-country. Rachel Brickman and Finally DG are second. Sabrina Glaser and the Irish Sport Horse, Cooley Mr. Murphy, owned by Hildegard Johnson, are in third. All three pairs jumped clear over the course designed by Morgan Rowsell, but all added some time penalties to their dressage scores.

"I felt like the course had some of the old flow it used to have, but still with Morgan's key design principles," Glaser shared after her cross-country rides. "When I walked the course, I thought it walked nicely. It asked good questions. The water early on at Fence 4 is a serious question. I have two very different horses to ride--one [Cooley Mr. Murphy] is really experienced. The other [Excalibur O’ Donoghue] is just a 7-year-old, and he is very green to the level. I was really happy with how he went. This was only his second Intermediate, and he already felt more mature and confident at the level than he did at Caber Farms Horse Trials. He gives me an unreal feel on course!"

In Open Preliminary, Dakota McGill and NSC Mettaphor, owned by Lesley McGill jumped clear and inside the time to break the three-way tie and move up to first on her dressage score of 32.9. Caterina Ritson and This Lad is Gold is second on 32.9, and Stephanie Goodman and HSH Clever Z, owned by Coco Ramkowsky are third on 35.3. There will be no room for rails tomorrow in show jumping to hold their place on the leaderboard.

See the complete scores from all divisions online at ShowConnect, here.

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