United States Eventing Association

After day two of dressage at The Fork Horse Trials and CIC3*in Norwood, North Carolina, none of the competitors in the Advanced division could catch overnight leaders Heather Morris of Lewisville, Texas and Slate River. The pair threw down the gauntlet early in the competition on Thursday with their 28.3, and remain atop the pack in this designated Adequan USEA Gold Cup division heading into tomorrow’s cross-country.

But a familiar pair wowed the crowds this afternoon, as Kim Severson of Scottsville, Virginia and Tipperary Liadhnan performed a brilliant test to earn a 29.0 and second place standing. The 14-year-old, 18-hand Irish Sport Horse gelding, known as ‘Paddy,’ had a slow start to his season, but is on target for a great year.

“He hasn’t done anything in awhile, so I didn’t know what to expect, but I was very pleased with him. Of course, there’s always stuff to work on, but he was really good,” explained Kim.

Paddy has been recovering from a freak pasture injury in which his shoe somehow became embedded in his pastern. “He did it right before Poplar Place,” said Kim, who’d planned to compete the gelding in the event during the last weekend in March. Paddy spent a week at University of Georgia making sure no infections popped up, and seems to be healing quite well. Right now it looks good, Kim said, and added that the gelding has suffered no more effects from his bout with cellulitis, which kept him from participating in the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games last fall.

The lightly rolling terrain, world-class footing, and challenging course designed by Capt. Mark Phillips has always been a destination event for riders heading to spring three-days. “With the exception of the double corners at the end of the course, it’s much the same as it’s been,” Severson explained. “With him having only done one Intermediate so far [this year], I’d planned on just keeping him in the Advanced anyway. However there’s not a whole lot of difference between the [advanced and CIC3*]. They’re very similar, which has not been the case in the past, so I was a little bit surprised. Nonetheless, they’re still great courses.

“I’m going to have a gallop,” she went on. “He needs to have a gallop anyway. I’m going to see how he feels and let him pick the pace. He generally wants to be a reasonably fast horse, so it’s not like I have to kick him around,” she said with a laugh.

Aiming for the Rolex Kentucky CCI4* at the end of this month, Severson said she’ll be sensitive to how he does this weekend and how he feels afterward.

Three Advanced riders scored a 29.3 to share the third place position: Tiana Coudray and Ringwood Magister, Boyd Martin and Remington XXV, and Allison Springer and Arthur.

The CIC3* standings were shuffled quite a bit, with all of the new top ten riders competing during the second day of dressage today. Clark Montgomery, based out of Chattahoochee Hills in Fairburn, Georgia has had nothing but success with Loughan Glen recently and today proved to be no exception as they catapulted to the top of the pack with a 42.1. The 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, owned by Kathryn Kraft and Holly Becker, has several big victories under his belt including last year’s Fair Hill CCI2*, and his past two Advanced horse trials, at Pine Top and Poplar Place.

Jennie Brannigan and Nina Gardner’s Cambalda also had a fantastic test this morning, and they currently sit in second place with a 45.9. West-coast pair Tiana Coudray and Master Hill round out the top three with a 46.4.

The cross-country begins at 9AM tomorrow morning with the four Intermediate divisions, followed by CIC3* and Advanced. For more information on The Fork, check out their website: http://forkstables.com/horsetrials.html

Since the Advanced class is serving as the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series division, the winner will receive a Gold Cup trophy, $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. The second placed finisher will receive: a 7-dose box of Adequan and a pair of Nunn Finer American Style open front boots. Top finishers in this division also earn valuable points towards the year-end purse.

Thank you to the wonderful Adequan USEA Gold Cup Sponsors for this continued support of this exciting series: Adequan, Nunn Finer, Nutrena, Broadstone Equine Insurance, and SUCCEED.

The CIC3* is the designated division for the PRO Tour Series. To learn more about PRO, check out their site: www.professionalriders.org