United States Eventing Association

Mere seconds played a huge role in the final outcome of this year’s Richland Park CIC3* (Richland, Michigan), one of the final legs of the $20,000 Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series.

Buck Davidson, riding Ballynoe Castle RM, and Jennie Brannigan, aboard Cambalda, had been neck-and-neck all weekend, jostling for a top position. The two riders began the event tied for second with 43.3, but after cross-country day, Davidson and ‘Reggie’ finished double-clear just a second under the optimum time over Ian Stark’s challenging course; Brannigan and ‘Ping’ also finished fault-free but were seven seconds under the optimum time. Both moved into a tie for the lead after overnight leader Phillip Dutton and Ben picked up a few time faults; they headed into show jumping Sunday morning knowing how incredibly close the standings were.

Luckily for both riders, their horses jumped beautifully over Marc Donovan’s show jumping course on the rolling turf, and both finished the event on their dressage scores. Though both completed with the same score, it was Davidson who earned top honors because of his accurate cross-country time.

“Reggie was fantastic in all three phases,” said an excited Davidson. “He couldn’t have been better. He’s really growing up, and we’ve been working on the cross-country a lot, and trying to make him fast enough and brave enough and make him easy enough to ride. He’s done everything that I’ve asked and I have to thank my girlfriend Andrea [Leatherman] for looking after things while I was away and getting all the horses ready for me.”

Davidson has partnered with Carl and Cassandra Segal’s 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding for the past several years, and together have an impressive list of accomplishments including completions at Badminton CCI4* this spring and the World Equestrian Games last fall as members of the U.S. team. Their latest top finish was the runner-up position at the Rebecca Farm CIC3* in late July in Montana.

With this Gold Cup win, including bonus points for double-clear cross-country and show jumping rounds, Davidson and Reggie now share the lead with their long-time student and friend Hawley Bennett-Awad and her talented little mare Gin N’ Juice. While Bennett-Awad and ‘Ginny’ prepare for one of the most challenging events of their career this weekend, the Land Rover Burghley CCI4* in England, Davidson and Reggie have their sights set on the penultimate event of the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series, the $20,000 Advanced class at the Nutrena USEA American Eventing Championships, presented by Bit of Britain, in two weeks.

Though Brannigan had to settle for second best this weekend in the CIC3*, she was incredibly pleased with her and Ping’s success, especially falling in the wake of a disappointing event at Luhmuhlen CCI4* earlier this summer. Redemption was sweet, and the pair seems back on track and better than ever, and the only thing Brannigan wishes was that Ping’s owners, Tim and Nina Gardner, had been able to attend this special event.

Both Davidson and Brannigan also had fantastic weekends with their other horses as well. Brannigan picked up two blues, one in Preliminary Horse-B with Indie, also owned by the Gardners, and the other with Ollie, owned by

Suzanne Kloud and Beth Battel, in Training Horse-A. Davidson finished in sixth place on his dressage score in the Pan Am Games Mandatory Outing with his and Sharon Wills’ mare Absolute Liberty. He also took fourth in the Advanced with his four-star veteran Titanium.

In the Pan Am Games Mandatory Outing, Shannon Lilley’s double-clear round with Ballingowan Pizazz bumped them up a position for the win, completing the event with a 47.1 after tacking on just a single cross-country time fault. Overnight leader Hannah Sue Burnett had an unfortunate two rails with Harbour Pilot, dropping them to fourth. Meanwhile, Michael Pollard guided the lovely mare Schoensgreen Hanni to a double-clear for second place, and Lynn Symansky and Donner finished on their dressage score of 50.5 to take third. Symansky and Davidson were the only two riders in the division to finish on their dressage score.

"The weekend was phenomenal," said Lilley. "The organizers [Bob and Kay Willmarth] did a great job to make this well worth the trip. The courses were fantastic. Ian [Stark] designs a great course and the course builders did a great job as always." Lilley, who hails from Gilroy, California, was one of the riders with the longest trips to the event.

(Right: Shannon Lilley and The Lilley Group's Ballingowan Pizazz performed beautifully to win the Pan Am Games Mandatory Outing. StockImageServices.com photo.)

The Pan Am Games short listed horses will have veterinary evaluations and the team members are expected to be chosen by Tuesday.

Michael Pollard and Dv8 led the Advanced class early in the weekend with a 25.3, and dropped one position after gaining eight time penalties on Saturday, but just a single rail ensured their victory yesterday afternoon. Manolo Blahnik jumped well for Sara Kozumplik, and they took home the red ribbon after dropping a rail, and Katie Ruppel and Sir Donovan picked up eight jumping faults, but still finished in third.

Kadi Eykamp and Double Rivers Really Cool had a superb weekend, leading the CIC2* from start to finish, and added only time faults to their score to finish up with 51.1. Michael Pollard picked up second with Jude’s Law, and two double-clear rounds by Foxwood High boosted him and Selena Hanlon into third.

For his win in the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series, Buck Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM take home $500 in cash, an Adequan USEA Gold Cup trophy, a 7-dose box of Adequan, a three-month supply of SUCCEED, and a pair of Nunn Finer American Style open front boots. Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda also take home a 7-dose box of Adequan and a pair of Nunn Finer American Style open front boots.

Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM also earned 290 Gold Cup points this weekend—200 for their win, 50 for their double-clear cross-country round, and 40 for their double-clear show jumping round. If they do well at the AEC in two weeks, where Gold Cup bonus points are being offered, then they have a great chance to pick up a check for $20,000 at this year’s USEA Annual Meeting and Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series is made possible through the support of its many sponsors: Title:Adequan; Legacy: Nunn Finer, Nutrena; and Patron: Broadstone Equine Insurance Agency, and Succeed.

Adequan is proud to be the official joint therapy treatment of the USEA.