Sara Gumbiner shared the news today that her long-time partner Polaris passed away at the age of 16. Her social media tribute to the Irish Sport Horse gelding reflected on their career together and all of the wonderful ways that he impacted her life and career. The post read:
Bred by Phyllis Dawson, Polaris was by the Irish Sport Horse stallion Brandenburg’s Windstar and out of the Thoroughbred mare North River Lady. Gumbiner started riding the gray in 2011 when he had just completed two events and produced him from the Beginner Novice level through the CCI5*-L level. Throughout the gelding’s long career, Gumbiner was his rider for all but four events.
Polaris, known in the barn as Larry, was Gumbiner’s first FEI horse and together they competed at their first CCI1* (now CCI2*-L) at the Virginia Horse Trials in 2012, placing fifth. They had a top-10 finish at their first CIC2* (now CCI3*-S) at Fair Hill in 2013 and finished 12th at the Jersey Fresh CCI2* (now CCI3*-L) that same spring.
Polaris stepped up to Advanced in 2015 and in 2018 Gumbiner and Polaris competed at their first Kentucky Three-Day Event with a clear-cross country round and a 27th place finish.
Gumbiner and Polaris returned to the Kentucky Three-Day Event in 2019 and added another clear cross-country to their record for 22nd. In total they competed at 14 CCI3* (now CCI4*) events from 2016 to 2018.
The USEA sends its sincerest condolences to Gumbiner and all of Polaris’ connections.
The Olympic gold medallists Tom McEwen and JL Dublin lit up the arena at the MARS Badminton Horse Trials with a stunning performance and took the lead after the first day of dressage with the excellent mark of 22.4. They have almost five penalties over second-placed Emily King and Valmy Biats on 27.3.
At some point in your riding career, you probably found yourself feeling or dealing with a little fear, failure, or frustration. We’ve all been there. Regardless of whether we’re competitive or recreational, we’ve likely found ourselves getting a bit stuck on stress or a struggle; dealing with a little defeat or disappointment, or feeling overwhelmed or underprepared.
We might still be recovering physically from the excitement of the 2025 USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships, but mentally we keep playing the weekend over and over again in our heads. This is a weekend that many eventers and lovers of the sport all over the country (ourselves included) look forward to each year and this year was no exception. From teams getting to experience their first time ever at the championship to mascots swapping gear in a show of camaraderie, there were so many great moments that took place during this year's end-of-the-school-year event. Take a look at some of our favorite moments from the three day competition below!
As we gear up for the summer, the competition season isn’t slowing down and it’s time for one of the staple events on the international calendar in the U.S., the Tryon International Three-Day Event (Mill Spring, North Carolina). This event hosts one of five CCI4*-L events on the U.S. calendar, and this year there are 13 competitors in the field. Continue reading below for more interesting facts pertaining to the event that kicks off this Thursday, May 8.