United States Eventing Association

South Farm hosts Area VIII T3D in Ohio

Training riders gathered in the Midwest July 3-5 to participate in the South Farm Training 3 Day, held in conjunction with the Middlefield, Ohio farm’s Summer Horse Trial. Twelve riders representing half as many states were at the reins for the competition and educational experience.

Presiding over the ground jury was Sally O’Connor, who, along with Ellen Pritchard also served as judge, with Robert Stevenson serving as T.D. Clinicians lecturing to participants included Ralph Holstein, Sr. who shared his experience on event time management and family involvement; Jack Lesyk, Ph.D., Director of the Ohio Center for Sports Psychology, who helped riders get in the zone with mental preparation for competition, and Ralph Holstein, Jr. who did a lecture and demo on the jogs and formal inspections. Clinicians shared info and advice and gave T3D participants the opportunity to ask lots of questions about what to expect at one stars and above.

A mounted steeplechase clinic gave some competitors their first exposure to this phase of the competition, conducted by Sue Hines and Jackie Smith. Competitors had the opportunity to walk the roads and tracks course with Stephanie Schmidt and the country course with Jeff Taylor, who has ridden every advanced cross-country tack on the east coast. Then riders had the chance to wrap-up their educational sessions with a Q &A with Kara Andrew. All riders received a wonderful South Farm welcome gift, a Cosequin bucket with lots of goodies inside donated by Cosequin, Farnam, Pfizer and other supporters.

The mounted work began on Friday, with no one escaping rain drops as they rode their tests. Gorta Glen, a 17 hand Irish Thoroughbred gelding was letter-perfect in the test ride, with 2009 Rolex competitor, Ralph Holstein, Jr. in the irons. After the rides were scored, it was. Colleen McBride in the lead, aboard her eight-year old Canadian Sport Horse, Phinneus, with a score of of 37.7, followed by Kevin Smith aboard Thoroughbred, Tintin in second with a score of 38.4, with Justin Expression (TB) in third, with Helen Rogers in the irons, scoring 41.9.

Early Saturday morning, the first horse headed off for the endurance test, over the beautiful wooded grounds of South Farm and adjoining property. Phases A-D racked up approx, 8500 meters between 160 mph and 520 mph. The cross country course included 23 jumping efforts. All but one made it around the course without any jumping faults, but three racked up a few time penalties, mixing up the standings just a bit, with Smith moving into the lead, and Carly Strohmeyer moving up into second from fourth aboard Sonny Dee Jinsky, and McBride sliding into third.

Despite those rain drops on Friday morning for dressage, the rest of the show drew picture-perfect weather. It was cool and sunny, great weather for an event. The footing was perfect, benefitting from some nice rain earlier in the week. The final inspection started the day on Sunday, with all horses passing. Then, it was off to stadium for the final phase.

The stadium course posed some challenges throughout the entire horse trial, and the T3D was no exception. Leader Kevin Smith fell out of contention with technical elimination, landing Strohmeyer in first place with a final score of 42.1, followed by McBride with a score of 42.5 and Rogers with a final score of 42.7.

Nineteen-year old Strohmeyer of Erie, PA was all smiles leading the victory gallop aboard her 13 year-old Appendix Quarter Horse gelding, Sonny Dee Jinsky, originally purchased for her sister. The duo has been eventing for five years, and this was their seventh training event. “I really enjoyed the Training Three-Day at South Farm. It was a great experience. I loved the cross country phase,” said Strohmeyer.

Strohmeyer, who said her ride plan changed after walking the course with Jeff Taylor had lots of praise for the clinicians. “I really appreciated Jeff Taylor’s advice to ride the straight lines and save the horse’s legs. That’s what I did on course.”

Along for the ride from the Keystone state with Strohmeyer on this trip were her parents, Gene and Sue and her sister, Hallie. Even dad benefitted from Holstein’s lecture earlier in the week, when he was put to the test on Saturday in the 10 minute box helping his daughter. (Carly says he did great!)

Of course her first place finished also landed Strohmeyer the title of highest-placed young rider. The award for the best turned out horse went to Susan O’Toole aboard Houston, while Natalie Martin garnered the title for best conditioned horse, Sir Tees, as well as the highest placed off the track Thoroughbred.

The event even brought a husband and wife team to the Cleveland area from Cincinnati – John Kropp guided Curly to a sixth place finish, while Lindy carried his wife, Terry to seventh place. Terry was also elected the riders’ representative.

Organizer Sarah Greer, owner of South Farm, said she was really pleased to be able to host the USEA T3D, which was the only one scheduled in Ohio in 2009.

“Education and training are so important to our event riders. The Training 3 Day is a great opportunity for training-level riders to learn from the pros and have fun, while benefiting from the experience of riding and participating in all the facets associated with the classic format.

“These events are very successful. The young rider who won our T3D last year, Kimberly Toop, has successfully moved up to the preliminary level with her horse Lissandro and finished in third place in our horse trial this year. And, the winner of the preliminary division, Alex Hauptmann with Tri-Seine, completed the T3D a few years ago. We’re really glad to be able to contribute to future generation of the sport by supporting this great initiative of the USEA,” Greer said.

For more details on the T3D, visit www.southfarm.net