Over 200 competitors came to Morven Park International Equestrian Center for this year’s Spring Horse Trials and a successful 2021 eventing season kick-off.
The weekend’s big winners were Skyeler Voss, who won the Open Intermediate division riding Argyle and Ainsley Colgan riding Ginobi, who achieved the lowest score of the weekend with an impressive 26.10 in the Junior Beginner Novice Rider division.
In addition to Voss and Colgan, other notable winners were Ema Klugman who won the Open Preliminary-A division riding RF Redfern and Michael Pendleton who won Open Preliminary-B riding Redfield Fellow. Bruce Davidson, Sr., rode Invito, to a first-place finish in the Open Training division. Scores for all divisions will be posted on MorvenPark.org/HorseTrials.
“This was my first time attending Spring Horse Trials and I was awe-inspired by the sheer scope of an eventing competition,” said Stacey Metcalfe, Morven Park’s new Executive Director/CEO. “Each phase of competition was more exciting than the last and of course the competitors were all so impressive. We cannot thank the riders, officials, judges, and volunteers enough for coming out this weekend, in the sun and in the rain, to celebrate horse trials with us.”
Beginner Novice through Intermediate was offered at this year’s horse trials and for the first time, a Preliminary Training Division was available. The P/T division winner was Martin Douzant riding Olympus. Cross-country took place on the Park’s sprawling 1,000 acres and competitors enjoyed dressage and show jump arenas outfitted with Eurotex footing from Attwood Equestrian Surfaces.
The Morven Park International Equestrian Center thanks Sponsors SmartPak and Winchester Equipment Company, Silver sponsor Adequan, and Bronze level sponsors Total Equine Veterinary Associates, Coat Defense, and In Memoriam Pet Services for their support of Spring Horse Trials.
The Morven Park Fall International Horse Trials and CCI4*-L, CCI3*/2*YH-S, CCI 4*/3*/2*-S will be held October 6 – 10 and the Park’s popular hunter/jumper summer series kicks off next weekend with a sold-out show. Visit MorvenPark.org/Equestrian for details. For sponsorship opportunities, email [email protected].
About the Morven Park International Equestrian CenterMorven Park International Equestrian Center is a premier competition venue located in Loudoun County, VA and attracts some of the world's top riders. Morven Park hosts events year-round, and in nearly all riding disciplines, such as carriage driving, hunter/jumper shows, dressage competitions, and the Spring and Fall Horse Trials. The Equestrian Center grew out of the renowned Morven Park International Equestrian Institute, one of the world's most prestigious riding academies. In addition to holding competitions and events, Morven Park also welcomes riders and show managers to rent facilities such as the indoor and outdoor arenas, stalls, cafe, and show office space. To learn more, visit MorvenPark.org/Equestrian.
About Morven Park Morven Park is a 1,000-acre nonprofit park in Leesburg, Virginia. Known as the “Central Park” of Loudoun County, Morven Park welcomes 250,000 visitors each year who come to enjoy exquisite scenery, formal boxwood gardens, the Morven Park International Equestrian Center, the iconic Greek Revival mansion, museums, and hiking trails. For more information, or to support the Park, visit MorvenPark.org.
Four years ago, Megan Weber was feeling discouraged about her event horse who didn’t seem to want to do the sport. She’d made the decision to find a new horse but found she was struggling to connect to the several she’d tried.
She reached out to a friend who had experience with adopting mustangs, and the idea of an untouched, green horse sounded like a fun idea.
The 2023 United States Eventing Association (USEA) American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds is just a few months away, which means it is time to start planning a trip to Lexington, Kentucky! This year, the AEC will return to the iconic Kentucky Horse Park from Aug. 29 through Sept. 3, 2023. Coined as the “Horse Capital of the World,” Lexington had countless attractions and activities to explore! The AEC will offer up to 23 divisions this year covering all levels from Beginner Novice to Advanced, including the $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final. The AEC will also host the 2023 USEA Adult Team Championships (ATC) at the Beginner Novice, Novice, Training and Preliminary levels, as well as the new Modified Adult Team Championship.
Virginia Horse Center Eventing, presented by Capital Square, wrapped up on May 28 after a fun-filled weekend of top competition. The Virginia Horse Center welcomed riders of all levels from Olympic to beginner eventers.
The course updates and world class officials made the inaugural VHC Eventing memorable. The entire VHC Eventing management team and the Virginia Horse Center appreciate all who competed at this weekend's event, and we look forward to welcoming you back in November!
Are you following along with the action from home this weekend? Or maybe you're competing at an event and need information fast. Either way, we’ve got you covered! Check out the USEA’s Weekend Quick Links for links to information including the prize list, ride times, live scores, and more for all the events running this weekend.