United States Eventing Association

The annual Poplar Place Farm September Horse Trials got off to a great start with all seventeen divisions riding dressage on Friday.

In the CIC***, Jennifer Wooten-DaFoe is in first with the beautiful black mare The Good Witch on a 50.4. Wooten-DaFoe is also tied for second in the three star on Nabouco De Lessay against Imtiaz Anees and Interwin.

Clark Montgomery has seven horses entered in the competition, all of which are placed well after dressage. Cyrano Z, who Clark describes as talented and a "bit quirky" leads the CIC** with a 46.9. Universe is third in the same division with a 50.3. In the Advanced division, Montgomery and Raphael III are tied for 1st place with Leslie Law and Rehy Lux on a 32.3. Montgomery’s weekend has barely begun, and he has a big day of cross-country ahead of him tomorrow.

"The ground is a little hard so I don’t know really how fast I’ll go, but it’s the last run before Fair Hill so they need a fitness run," Montgomery said. "I’m going to try and go as quick as I can but keep in mind their feet."

Only two riders participated in the CIC*, but two still makes a competition. Kadi Eykamp (AUS) and 5-year-old Double Rivers Really Cool snagged first place with a 48.1. Haley Hughes and Tommy Two placed second with a 64.7. Eykamp’s second ride in the show, 8-year-old Double Rivers Dillon, is in second in the CIC** after dressage. Eykamp says her horses are fit, which will factor into success on cross-country Saturday.

"The course looks challenging, especially with the time and the heat. There are a lot of turns toward the end of the two star course, and it’s pretty hilly too so I think it’ll be more than a dressage competition after tomorrow." Eykamp is happy to be back at Poplar Place, citing the great warm-up areas for dressage and jumping. And while the "footing can’t always be helped," Eykamp said "they’re doing a great job out there considering the drought we’re in right now."

Michael Pollard has a strong lead in the Open Intermediate. He and Icarus had a lovely ride to put them in the lead with a 29.2. Pollard then put the feisty mare Dekorum through her paces well enough to land in 2nd in the same division with a 30.8. Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen and Missy Miller and Pembridge Swingtime are tied for third behind Pollard on 32.8.

In Open Preliminary, Jonathan Holling is first on a score of 27 with Downtown Harrison, followed by Leslie Law and Zenith ISF on a 33.9. Megan Lynn and Hoosier Daddy and Andrew McConnon and Quiet Council are tied for first in the Preliminary Rider division, making accurate cross-country rides on Saturday paramount.

Nathalie Bouckaert-Pollard swung back into action this weekend, riding Driving Ambition in Open Training and receiving a 26.8. The leader after dressage in Training Horse is, well, Clark Montgomery again, this time scoring a 28.2 on Wassup. Leighton Price and Traveling Light lead Training Rider on a score of 33.2.

First place in Junior Novice is tied on a score of 31.5 between Caitlyn Carpenter and Joyous Occasion and Nancy Katheryn Webb and Elphin Fintan. Elisa Wallace and As You Wish lead Novice Horse-A on a 33.0, and Lellie Ward and Rasta Mon lead the Novice Horse-B on a 34.0. Imtiaz Anees rode Valenta in Open Novice and received a 23.5 – a great score, but not the lowest of the day.

That honor goes to Christine Appling and Amelie; the pair received a 23.3 and are leading Junior Beginner Novice. In Beginner-Novice Rider, Melanie Helms and Sammy D are first on a 30.5. Candace Wheeler and Thinking Big worked together and received a 32.9 to lead the Open Beginner Novice heading into cross-country day.

It’s been a hot summer for all of us, but the southern summers are only made worse by the lack of rain, basically turning the ground into a giant cinder block. While the riders hope for cooler weather on Saturday, the ground crew was hard at work Friday aggravating the ground in the galloping lanes to provide the best possible conditions for the horses.