The CCI One Star top of the leader board for April 15th at the Florida Horse Park is Robin Walker riding Someday Never Comes with a final score of 47.10 and taking home $1500 of the Maui Jim award monies. Second place is Leslie Law and Kool Aldo with $1250; third place: Lauren Kieffer on Ron Reagan for $1000; fourth place: Samantha St. Jacques and Jaeda for $750 and fifth place: Victoria New riding Fleeceworks mystere du val for $500 prize monies. The total Maui Jim award monies: $4,000.
“I’m extremely pleased because this is one horse that we bred, watched ‘em grow up and now the culmination of the winter’s work!!” said Robin Walker. “I must give credit to all the people and work of an entire team,” he added. “Personally, I had a bit more time to put a system/method together and stay steady from start to finish because I was riding less horses.”
Walker also added, “The event organizer needs to be highly commended; all of the competitors and I are incredibly grateful to Peter (Gray), Jon (Holling) and Jay (Hambly) for such a lovely event of this caliber from the young to the Two Star category in this extremely valuable facility: the Florida Horse Park.” “Do keep developing this park,” he said as he is on his long trip home to Michigan.
Nicole Parkin of Hockley Valley, Ontario, Canada is the Sunday afternoon proclaimed winner of CCI Two Star category with a final score of 47.70 and the Becky Broussard first place award $3000. Parkin rode Lexus who is owned by Nique Hendric. Second place: Callie Judy riding Call on Me for $2500; third place: Eliza Farren on Bantry Bays Dublin for $2,000; fourth place: Sable Giesler riding Evil Munchkin for $1500; and fifth place: Laramie Maxwell on Hunterville for $1,000 award monies.
“I’m completely elated!! We all worked so hard and it is SO fun to end up on top this time! Do give credit to my coach, Phillip Dutton and gratitude to Nique Hendric for her support,” Parkin said. “It is quite obvious that Jon and Peter tended to details down to the footing of this quality international event at the Florida Horse Park. This park is so pivotal to the southern circuit of eventing.” Parkin said. The next event for Lexus is Jersey Fresh in New Jersey in one month.
The Ocala Horse Properties International 3 Day Eventboasted hundreds of entries with horses performing in dressage and running Cross Country and Show Jumping. Viewing the license plates in the Horse Park: New York, Michigan, New Jersey, Minnesota, Ontario, Canada and many others across the country were represented.
“We went to the stadium and enjoyed it immensely!” Ida and John from Silver Spring Shores commented after the event. “We are eager to learn more about scoring and judging and will definitely go again!”
“We so enjoyed the horse event. It was our first time. What a joy it was to watch the jumping competition. They are such magnificent creatures. The riders were so gentle with their horses. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect. The Florida Horse Park is absolutely beautiful and so clean and well maintained, we were very impressed!” Del and Rick, Ocala
The United States Eventing Association, Inc. (USEA) is proud to announce the first class of USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) Judges have completed their certifications through the YEH New Judge Education Program, which was led by YEH faculty member, Marilyn Payne.
Nazila Hejazi and her 20-year-old Missouri Fox Trotter mare, Tessa, may have made for an unconventional pair at the USEA Area VI Championships, held in October at Galway Downs (Temecula, California) but they didn’t let that hold them back. It’s uncommon to see a horse in their twenties still competing in eventing, and even more rare for a gaited horse to compete in a jumping sport.
Today, we pause to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and reflect on the powerful moment in 1963 when he stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and shared his vision for a better future. Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech was more than just words; it was a call to action that transcended time, culture, and boundaries—a beacon of hope that continues to inspire.
We’ve all been there—on the horse who pokes his way around the warm-up ring, needs leg, leg, leg coming into the combination, or brings up the rear on every trail ride. None of us wants each and every ride to be a lower-body squeezefest, nor do we wish to do anything with our crop except maybe wave it at that annoying deerfly. In this excerpt from his book The Sport Horse Problem Solver, former international eventer Eric Smiley explains the essential quality of forwardness and how to prepare the horse to expect you to look for it in all that you do together.