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Apr 11, 2017
Morven Park Celebrates 41st Spring International Horse Trials
LEESBURG, VA – More than 230 riders competed in the Morven Park Spring International Horse Trials, held April 1st and 2nd at the Morven Park International Equestrian Center in Leesburg, Va. Riders of all ages and ability levels, from children to Olympic veterans, turned out for a spectacular spring weekend at Morven Park. Counting riders, spectators and guests an estimated 600 people were in attendance.
The winners included Cornelia Dorr riding Sir Patico MH to victory in the Intermediate division. The Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.) award was offered in each division. The winners include Sally Cousins on her superstar Tsunami in the Intermediate, and Mimi Abel-Smith’s Sevasto, ridden by Natalie Wales, in the Beginner Novice division. T.I.P. was designed by the Jockey Club to encourage the retraining of Thoroughbreds into other disciplines upon completion of careers in racing or breeding, and this award showcases the success of Thoroughbreds in eventing competition.
For a listing of all competitor results, click here.
This year’s competition featured 16 divisions from Beginner Novice through Intermediate. Riders and horses enjoyed new footing in all of the riding arenas and galloped across Morven Park’s renowned cross country jumping course, known as one of the best in the world.
At a Horse Trials competition, riders compete in an equestrian discipline known as “eventing,” in which each horse and rider combination must compete in three disciplines: dressage, show jumping, and cross-country.
Each year, Morven Park welcomes 200,000 visitors who come to enjoy exquisite scenery, formal boxwood gardens, the Morven Park International Equestrian Center, the athletic fields, the iconic Greek Revival mansion, museums and hiking trails. Morven Park was once the home of Thomas Swann, Jr., governor of Maryland during the Civil War, as well as the home of Westmoreland Davis, governor of Virginia during WWI.
Morven Park is a nonprofit that relies on donations to fund its work in historic preservation; a world-renowned equestrian center; youth sports and athletics; and a unique civics education program that partners with Loudoun County Public Schools. To learn more or to donate to Morven Park, visit www.MorvenPark.org.
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Sponsor
“Happy Horse Equals Happy Judge”: Ask An Expert with Dressage Judge Peter Gray, Brought to You by Ride iQ
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.
