United States Eventing Association

Watching Jordan Linstedt and Revitavet Capato float around the Tin Men Supply Advanced cross-country course today at Aspen Farms Horse Trials, you would never know that the gelding has been notoriously difficult and spooky for most of his life. The Hanoverian gelding (Contendro – Annabelle) looked nothing but confident around Tremaine Cooper’s course.

“We were all in warmup [worried about] how late in the day it was and we had been teaching and riding all day, so we were in a bit of a funk,” said 26-year-old Linstedt about the 4:10 p.m. start time for the Advanced. “But as soon as I started, he was great from fence one. Everything I asked for on course, he did.”

Linstedt and Capato had no jumping penalties, but picked up 5.2 time penalties on the undulating terrain.

“Both water [complex questions] were pretty tight for his big stride and he probably could have left [a stride] out but I made him sit down and wait, which is probably where I picked up some of my time. He used to be a little bit of a runaway and would tow me down, but now he’s right there as soon as I sit up.”

The Advanced division was short and sweet with an all-female field of seven, but no less challenging for riders who had to kick on in an effort to make the time. While no one came in under the optimum time, second-placed Rebecca Buehler and Brighton came the closest. This is especially impressive since this is the first Advanced Horse Trials that both horse and rider have ever completed.

“In the past, I’ve struggled a lot with his gallop,” said Buehler of Ridgefield, Washington. “He naturally wants to gallop on the forehand, so teaching him to gallop round has been a struggle but it has really come along in the last two years. He’s better about when I let him go forward; he doesn’t just fall on his face.”

Buehler and the 12-year-old Thoroughbred (breeding unknown) had to reroute after a fall in their first attempt at Advanced at Rebecca Farm last July. After some more schooling and some chiropractic work, it seems that they have found their stride and the horse is regaining his confidence.

“He’s not naturally a bold horse, but he’s starting to get a bit of an ego which is actually great.”

Anna Collier and Gleaming Road were last-minute entries in the division, but Collier is certainly glad she came as she sits in third place overnight. The 10-year-old off-the-track Thoroughbred (breeding unknown) finished ninth in the CIC3* at Rebecca Farm in July, and placed second in the Advanced at the Twin Rivers Spring Horse Trials.

“I was a little concerned about the shadows and it did have an effect on a few of the fences, especially coming in and out of the woods,” said Collier of Woodland, Washington. “I missed my line a bit to the first water and he helped me out, which gives me a ton of confidence.”

The pair is successful these days, but Collier remembers when she first tried the chestnut gelding to buy.

“I got him from a hunter barn. He was definitely not a hunter,” she laughed. “He bolted and he reared and he bucked when you halted him. When I tried him, they wouldn’t let me take him out of the arena and you had to use a wire snaffle outside. I was his last home; he bucked all these people off, and he had severe anxiety and his tongue was out flapping all the time. He raced until he was about 6.”

She credits John Camlin and a pivotal clinic with Jimmy Wofford for turning a troubled horse around.

“He’s not an easy horse and I’m not trying to over compliment myself. I’ve needed all the help I’ve gotten with him.”

Aspen Farms has run the event beautifully, and this is only their second year running the Adequan USEA Gold Cup/PRO Tour Series. The from the decoration on course, to the VIP tents and spectator areas, to the lovely footing and jump construction, Johnathan Elliot and his team have done a wonderful job. The evening wrapped up with a Bareback Puissance competition and a competitors’ party with dinner and drinks.

Tomorrow’s Advanced show jumping will be held in reverse order of standing, beginning at 8:30 a.m. Stay tuned for more coverage and be sure to follow along on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Results.

About the Adequan USEA Gold Cup and PRO Tour Series

Qualifying for the 2014 Adequan USEA Gold Cup began last fall with the Plantation Field CIC*** (PA) and the Woodside CIC*** (CA) and features 11 qualifying competitions throughout the United States at the Advanced Horse Trials and CIC3* levels. The final will take place at the Nutrena USEA American Eventing Championships September 2014 in Tyler, Texas. Riders who complete a qualifier earn the chance to vie for $40,000 in prize money in the Adequan Advanced Division and the title of Adequan USEA Gold Cup Champion.

The Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series is made possible through the support of its many sponsors: Adequan; Standlee Forage Nunn Finer; SmartPak Equine; Nutrena; Broadstone Equine Insurance Agency, Point Two; Dubarry; and FITS.

The PRO Tour Series consists of 13 premier destination events in the United States and Canada in 2013/2014 featuring the best riders and most entertainment. Riders and Horses are awarded points on the PRO Tour Rider Leader Board and PRO Tour Horse Leader Board. Riders can also earn points on the PRO Tour Series at the Intermediate or two-star level for the Multi Radiance Intermediate Challenge. The 2014 Multi Radiance Challenge Leader Board Champion will win a Multi Radiance MR4 ACTIVET Portable Laser System.

The Professional Riders Organization would like to thank the following sponsors for their support of the 2014 PRO Tour Series: Martin Collins USA, The Official Footing of PRO; Multi Radiance Medical, The Official Laser Therapy of PRO & Sponsor of the Multi Radiance Medical Intermediate Challenge ; Tex Sutton, the Official US Equine Air Carrier of PRO; SSG Riding Gloves; Finish Line Horse Products; Midlantic Ltd.; and Mythic Landing Events.