United States Eventing Association

Today was all about keeping up with the clock in the final Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series event of the 2010 season at the Twin Rivers Fall Horse Trials in Paso Robles, California. James Alliston took the lead aboard Jumbo’s Jake in the Advanced division after adding only 5.2 time faults.

Alliston and India McEvoy’s 11-year-old bay gelding added only 5.2 time penalties to their solid dressage ride, making them the overnight leaders going into Sunday’s stadium jumping.

While McEvoy, also a successful upper level rider, focuses on veterinary school, Alliston rides both Jumbo’s Jake and his other upper level mount, Parker. During the summer months, India takes back the reins and is rewarded by also getting to ride Parker. This arrangement seems to be working out quite well by the looks of how both horses have done recently in competition.

James was very pleased with how Jumbo’s Jake performed today in the sizzling temperatures. “I thought he did a great job dealing with the heat today and recovered quickly. He is a great jumper and is very careful,” said Alliston.

The great course and fantastic footing, maintained by the Baxter family at Twin Rivers, also brought rewards for Debbie Rosen and her long-time partner The Alchemyst, who continued their successful weekend with a flawless jumping round, and enter the final phase of competition on the heels of the leaders.

Stadium jumping kicks off Sunday at 2:30pm, and although Jumbo’s Jake has a rail in hand, James is looking towards the CCI3* at Galway Downs this November and will simply be hoping to “have a nice round tomorrow and not worry about the rails, since rails can fall even for the best horses at times.”

The Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series is made possible through the support of its many sponsors: Title: Adequan; Legacy: Nunn Finer and Nutrena, and Patron: Broadstone Equine Insurance Agency, Mountain Horse, and Succeed. Winners of the CIC3*, the designated "Gold Cup division," will take home $500 in prize money, 7-dose box of Adequan, a three-month supply of SUCCEED, and a pair of Nunn Finer American Style open front boots. Second place finishers take home a Nutrena feed gift certificate and a pair of Nunn Finer American Style open front boots, and third place receives a pair of the Nunn Finer boots as well.