West Yorkshire, England – The Bishop Burton College Under 25 CCI3* division tackled Ian Stark’s challenging cross-country course at the Equi-Trek Bramham International Horse Trials on Saturday. Under the guidance of USEF Eventing Developing Rider Coach Leslie Law, Jenny Caras and Fernhill Fortitude had a great round to sit in eighth place heading into the final day of competition.
Caras (Cartersville, Ga.) is competing at Bramham as part of the Karen Stives European Developing Tour with the help of a Karen Stives Endowment Fund for High Performance Eventing Grant. She delivered a bold, forward ride over the lengthy course with her own Fernhill Fortitude. Caras and the 2004 Irish Sport Horse gelding performed well over one of the biggest tracks they have faced as a pair, collecting 7.6 time penalties. They head into Sunday’s show jumping phase in eighth place on a score of 56.5.
“He was really good. He was really brave and fighting for it the whole time,” Caras said of her mount. “He slipped, turning back in to the first water complex, so he was honest to keep going and get it done. The course was very challenging, but he was happy to be doing it.”
Caras tried hard to manage her time out on course, explaining, “I set out in the beginning wanting to save a bit in the tank for the second half of the course with the terrain and some twisty turns. The course was pretty heavy the whole way round with even some of the galloping fences being tough, like a narrow ditch and brush. I was up on my minute markers most of the way but got behind in the last two minutes. I’m kicking myself a bit, but he finished full of running so now I know for next time.”
Two other U.S. combinations had strong performances at Bramham on Saturday. Clark Montgomery (Tetbury, England) led the Event Rider Masters CIC3* division with Loughan Glen, Jessica Montgomery, Kathryn Kraft, and Holly & William Becker’s 2003 Irish Sport Horse gelding, after scoring 36.5 in Friday’s dressage phase. On Saturday, the pair had a four-fault show jumping round and a double-clear cross-country round to finish second on a score of 40.5 in a star-studded field.
“The course had shown that you could make time,” Montgomery said of the cross-country phase, which served as the final phase for the division. “I didn’t necessarily think Alex [Hua Tian] would go slow but he might find it tough, but the course did show that you could make time. It was all up to Alex after I came home double-clear and he went fast enough too.”
Alex Hua Tian of China won with Don Geniroon a score of 40.1 and Jonelle Price of New Zealand finished third on a score of 42.9 with Faerie Dianimo.
In the Equi-Trek CCI3* division, Katherine Coleman (Wiltshire, England) climbed from 42nd to 14th place on the strength of a double-clear cross-country round with Longwood, her own 2002 Irish Sport Horse gelding, to sit on their dressage score of 53.9 heading into show jumping on Sunday.
View results here.
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?
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!
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.
Ride iQ’s popular “Ask An Expert” series features professional advice and tips from all areas of the horse industry. One of the most-downloaded episodes is an expert session with Peter Gray, an accomplished dressage judge and Olympic eventer. He has recently judged at events like the five-star at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, and he served on the ground jury at the 2022 FEI World Eventing Championships in Pratoni, Italy. His background as a competitor in the Olympic Games riding for Bermuda and as a coach and selector for the Canadian eventing team adds depth to his understanding of the sport.