Temecula, Calif.—April 2—Clayton Fredericks' April Fools Day international cross-country track left no place for foolin' around Saturday in the final phase of the Galway Downs International's FEI divisions.
Tamie Smith retained her two spots atop the leaderboard with the seasoned veteran Mai Baum (Loredano 2 x Ramira) edging Danito out of a lead he'd carried from dressage and after both show jumped double clear Friday night. While both horses made it look easy, it was not, Smith asserted. "The course rode very difficult and technical and very reactive. There wasn't any part where you could count on something riding like you'd planned it."
The Bank and Double Houses at 13ABC, the Land Rover Mission Viejo Water Complex at 18 ABCD, and the Brush Ditch-Pig Hut-Angle Brush at 21ABC were especially challenging.
Even with her "old, trusted partner," Tamie admitted she was a bit nervous because Alexandra Ahearn, Ellen Ahearn, and Eric Markell's 17-year-old German Sport Horse had not run since their FEI Eventing World Championships team silver outing in September, and the course "was riding way harder than I anticipated."
Smith considered the 6 minutes 19 second optimum time "unmakeable" and, indeed, she and Mai Baum were the closest to it. Their 9.2 time penalties bumped up their 22.2 dressage score, and they won on a 31.4, ahead of Ruth Bley's 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding Danito's (Dancier x Wie Musik) score of 34.8, which included 14 time penalties.
"I went for it with both horses, and I really tried to go faster with Danito," Smith reported. "He's more of a long-format horse. I can ride Mai Baum a little faster because he sets himself up for the jumps so well. Danito is not quite as careful, and he's a bit strong, so that's part of it. But, both were awesome, and I'm thrilled."
Saturday's CCI4*-S cross-country was ideal prep for Mai Baum and Danito going into the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI5*-L later this month, Smith said.
Marc Grandia and Team Rebecca's 13-year-old Holsteiner gelding, Campari FFF (Camiros x Tanner), moved up into third with 19.2 time penalties to end on a 53.5. Katy Robinson and her own 11-year-old Thoroughbred Outrageous Dance (Outrageous Limit x I Wanna Dance) had the biggest jump up the standings, their 12.8 time penalties boosted them from ninth into fourth.
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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.
With a total of 382 volunteer hours in 2024, Catherine “Cathy” Hale not only topped the USEA Area III VIP Volunteer leaderboard, but she also ranked fourth out of all eventing volunteers across the country. Hale (The Villages, Florida) has worked as a travel agent for over 30 years, a career that suits her love of travel nicely. At the time of being interviewed for this article, Hale was passing the equator on a cruise to Tahiti, New Zealand, and Australia.
The USEA office will close at 5:00 p.m. EST on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, and will reopen again on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. The USEA staff will return emails and phone calls when the office re-opens on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 or at their earliest convenience.