Elkton, Md.—Oct. 20—In the CCI3*-L competition at the MARS Maryland 5 Star, Sharon White, who was part of the U.S. Team that took home silver in the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, jumped from ninth place to first after a spectacular cross-country round on Saturday, and held firmly onto her lead with a clean show jumping round with her 8-year-old Westphalian mare, Jaguars Duende (Jaguar Mail x Latina) finished with a total score of 29.6.
“Maryland is a unique place and a good test of fitness and a very proper course,” White said. “The atmosphere is unreal and special in both the dressage and show jumping so it’s such a good education for a horse. To me, I want not to overwhelm them and if you really produce them confidently, sometimes you have to be a little patient and I don’t mind being patient.”
Sara Schulman and her 8-year-old Oldenburg gelding Cooley Chromatic (Thorgal x Castrade) held onto second place throughout the entire competition, finishing with a final score of 30.6. Overall, Schulman and her gelding had strong finishes in each phase. Schulman held off Will Coleman and Team Rebecca's 9-year-old Selle Francais gelding Fahrenheit Addict (Utah van Erpekom x Picouik du Pont), as the pair finished with a final score of 31.5. Coleman, the two-time Olympian from Gordonsville, Virginia, moved up the leaderboard after a great cross-country round, going from fourth to third in the finale on Sunday.
“We are appreciative of our sponsors for continuing to make the Maryland 5 Star possible again this year, especially MARS Equestrian™ and Brown Advisory,” said Jeff Newman, President & CEO of the Maryland 5 Star. “The weather was outstanding and the crowds throughout the weekend were incredible to see. Ian Stark’s final cross-country course was beautiful and challenged the sport’s most elite riders and their horses. Thank you to the FEI riders and officials for coming from around the world to help lay the ground work for this event, to the staff and volunteers who worked tirelessly to get it off the ground, and our fans who continue to show us amazing support every year. We look forward to seeing everyone back out at Fair Hill and in Cecil County in 2025.”
Helpful Links
Can't watch the livestream? Follow the USEA event coverage on social media!
Facebook | Instagram | Threads | TikTok
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.
The inaugural USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL) Championships may have been the pinnacle for program members of the IEL last year, but that’s not the only exciting achievement that occurred in 2024. A total of 41 events offered IEL Team Challenges for over 360 program members, and in the end, a year-end leaderboard champion was named at every level from Starter through Intermediate. The following IEL members worked tirelessly with their clubs and on their own competitive journeys in 2024 to earn the title of Interscholastic Rider of the Year at their respective level. Join us in congratulating these up-and-coming eventers on their success!