Oct 17, 2021

Kurt Martin and DA Lifetime Win USEF CCI3*-L Eventing National Championship at Maryland 5 Star

By Maryland 5 Star - Edited Press Release
Kurt Martin and DA Lifetime. Shannon Brinkman Photo.

Kurt Martin finished the CCI3*-L on his dressage score of 23.5 after a fault-free show jumping round on Sunday with D.A. Lifetime, a 9-year-old mare (Lingh x Timeless) owned by Debbie Adams. The pair maintained their spot on the top of the leaderboard throughout all four days of competition to earn the USEF Eventing National Championship and a $7,500 portion of the $25,000 purse. Although 35 horses returned to the Main Arena for their final show jumping test after Sunday’s second horse inspection, Martin was one of only eight riders who put in clear rounds over the 14-effort, 1.20m course designed by Ken Krome.

“It sounds amazing,” Martin said of his 2021 National Championship title. “I wanted this so bad, and I’m glad that everything came together this weekend for all involved.

“Competing here has been amazing,” he added. “I’ve been to the old Fair Hill, but coming here, I didn’t know what the course would be like. I didn’t run the test event. I heard that it was going to be a difficult cross-country course regarding the terrain, but I didn’t know how things were like everybody else. I feel like this went pretty easily, quite honestly. The horse went well, and everyone was so kind.”

Martin has been developing “Clarence” carefully over the last year, learning what he could do with her and when. “I know when to get on that horse; I know when to ask that horse to stand and when I can’t,” he said. “I don’t force that horse to do anything. When I went into the showjumping, I just looked up and took a deep breath at every single fence. What was going to be was going to be, and she did that for me. She really worked hard, and that’s what a partnership is.”

Hannah Sue Burnett and Carsontown. Shannon Brinkman Photo.

Fellow American Hannah Sue Burnett, who sat in fourth place after Saturday’s cross-country Driven by Land Rover, jumped to a second-place finish with 0.4 time faults in the show jumping. She and Carsonstown, a 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Lougherne Cappuchino x Nonavic Spyridonna) owned by Christa Schmidt, earned a final score of 28.1. “We’ve had Carson for a couple of years, and he’s a really special horse,” Burnett said. “He’s grown a lot physically and mentally since we’ve gotten him. He’s quite a big horse, and he’s a very big mover. It’s taken a bit of time to produce him, but he was really wonderful and performed great under pressure. I was really happy with him.”

Oliver Townend and Ulises. Shannon Brinkman Photo.

Oliver Townend piloted Juliana Hutchings Sebring’s Ulises, a 14-year-old Spanish Sport Horse gelding (Fines x Emeraude Du Ponet), into third place after clear rounds Saturday and Sunday in the CCI3*-L. The pair finished on their dressage score of 29.4. Two of Great Britain’s riders won the Shapley’s Best Turned-Out Horse and Rider Awards after Sunday’s horse inspection. Townend and Ulises were the Best Turned-Out CCI3*-L Horse and Rider, while Zara Tindall and Class Affair, Gleadhill House Stud Ltd.’s 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, were the Best Turned-Out CCI5*-L Horse and Rider.

Rounding out the Top 3 in the USEF Eventing National Championships was Meg Pellegrini, who finished fourth in the overall CCI3*-L with RF Eloquence and was named the USEF Top Young Rider. She and her 16-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Contender x D-Ginger) earned a total score of 29.5 after adding 0.8 time faults in Sunday’s showjumping phase.

Additional awards included the Mid-Atlantic Horse Rescue Award, given to Ellen Doughty-Hume and Breakin’ All the Rules for being the highest-placed American Thoroughbred. The Retired Racehorse Project Trophy went to Phillip Dutton and Sea of Clouds as the highest-placed retired American racehorse.

Final results can be found here.

Dec 26, 2024 Association News

The Best of 2024: USEA Edition

With 2025 just days away, we thought it would be fun to take a look back at some of the top moments for the USEA across the 2024 season. Take a trip down memory lane with us and relive these high-performing moments from our online news, the USEA Podcast, and our Instagram account!

Dec 23, 2024 Education

Saddle Fit Simplified

Eventers who are new to the sport may feel a little overwhelmed by the often-misunderstood world of saddle fitting. Riders are often bombarded with information from peers online or self-described experts, putting them at risk of following bad advice related to equipment that impacts horse welfare perhaps more than any other piece of tack. Finding a qualified expert to answer these questions is crucial. Who better to turn to than both a qualified Master Saddle Fitter and a fourth-generation saddle designer to answer some of these questions?

Dec 22, 2024 USEA Foundation

Top Tips for Applying for a USEA Foundation Grant

Did you know that the USEA Foundation awards over 150 grants each year to deserving individuals who are involved in the sport of eventing? With grants that assist riders with accomplishing their competition goals, grants geared toward licensed officials, grants that are specific to continuing education for coaches, grants that assist competitions with obtaining frangible technology, and so much more, there really is a grant opportunity available to almost anyone!

Dec 21, 2024 Education

3 Ways to Help Eventing Thrive in 2025

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.

Official Corporate Sponsors of the USEA

Official Joint Therapy Treatment of the USEA

Official Feed of the USEA

Official Saddle of the USEA

Official Equine Insurance of the USEA

Official Forage of the USEA

Official Supplement Feeding System of the USEA

Official Competition & Training Apparel of the USEA

Official Horse Boot of the USEA

Official Shockwave of the USEA

Official Horse Wear of the USEA