United States Eventing Association

There wasn’t quite enough time to fit all Adequan USEA Gold Cup CIC3* dressage rides into one day, so the final eight riders took their turn in the sandbox this morning. Luckily the schedule worked for Kim Severson who got stuck in the snowstorm that hit Virginia on Wednesday. “We kept not knowing what the weather was going to do,” explained Severson. “I was really hoping to get out on Wednesday, but we got 6 inches of snow on Wednesday night. So, [the horses] got a nice day off on Wednesday and we drove up on Thursday.”

Severson and The Cross Syndicate’s 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Cooley Cross Border (Diamond Roller x Whos Diaz) scored an impressive 20.8 to take the lead with a rail in hand headed into show jumping later this morning.

“He was obviously very, very good,” said Severson. “I was especially happy with his trot work. He sometimes can be unsteady in the bridle with his trot work and I felt that he got a tiny bit tense in the canter work, but I really can’t fault him. I thought he was really, really good. He has matured a lot, he is a lot stronger.”

Severson has been working with the USEF Eventing High Performance director Erik Duvander, who she said has been incredibly helpful. “I like having eyes on the ground. Tracie Robinson, who I have worked with as well, was really helpful in getting in the right directions. It is funny, my dressage with him I have been struggling more than with the jumping. As we all know, my cross-country can be a bit of a thing so hopefully he is as good on cross-country as he was in dressage. He has been incredible this winter. He seems a lot stronger – more confident in himself. He has been really good.”

The only other rider from today’s dressage to crack into the top 10 was William Ward aboard Grando (Grasco x Queen Live), Donald Devine’s 9-year-old Westphalian gelding. He sits in a tie for seventh place with Lynn Symansky and The Donner Syndicate’s 15-year-old Thoroughbred gelding Donner (Gorky Park x Smart Jane) on a score of 28.8.

Show jumping for the Adequan USEA Gold Cup CIC3* will start at 10:00 a.m.

View full scores here. Read the Carolina International Fast Facts for all the event details.

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About the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series

The 2018 Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series features 11 qualifying competitions throughout the United States at the Advanced horse trials and CIC3* levels. The qualifying period begins August 2017 and continues through August 2018 with the final taking place at the 2018 USEA American Eventing Championships at the Colorado Horse Park in Parker, Colorado, August 29 – September 2, 2018. Riders who complete a qualifier earn the chance to vie for $40,000 in prize money and thousands of dollars in prizes and the title of Adequan USEA Gold Cup Champion in the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Final Advanced Division.

The USEA would like to thank Adequan, Standlee Hay Company, Nutrena, Merck Animal Health, Parker Equine Insurance, and FITS for sponsoring the 2018 Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series. View the full schedule and learn more about the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series here.