United States Eventing Association

Ian Stark and the phrase “rider frightener” have become synonymous in the eventing world. His big, bold tracks typically garner wide eyes and nervous stares from competitors, and this CIC3* track for the Adequan USEA Gold Cup competitors is no different. Stark’s course is certainly challenging, with big questions throughout, but if past experiences here give a glimpse of today’s results, the track will reward bold, forward riding.

Dressage leader Frankie Thieriot Stutes says she won’t be taking anything for granted on the cross-country. “It's a very hard course. I think it’s a tricky CIC. It’s got a lot of the elements that were on the CCI3* here in November,” she said.

Aside from daunting jumping efforts, the layout of the track might also prove to make time penalties easy to come by. “I think it’s going to be very difficult to make the time. It’s a very twisty turny course, so I’m just going to kick [Chatwin] out of the box and get in my rhythm and try to be brave,” Thieriot Stutes continued.

Fence 1

Riders leave the start box to a warm welcome of “Good Luck” written in flowers on the first fence before a brush table at two and an uphill palisade at three.

4ab is a combination of two ditch and wall fences amidst a grouping of trees, so competitors have a few options for which line they’d like to take. They take a breather at the Barn Table (5) before the Sunsprite Trakehner to Tiger Trap (6abc), which riders are saying should be challenging. “It’s definitely an Ian rider frightener. It’s working. I think that you have to be brave and come up that hill very bold or you’ve got your work cut out for you getting out of there.” Thieriot Stutes commented.

6a.

The Tiger Trap (6b) to the brush at 6c.

Two more tables at seven and eight bring riders to the Professional’s Choice Lake Galway at 9ab where they have and airy brush jump into water to a brush corner out.

Professional's Choice Lake Galway (9ab)

Galloping across the front of the property, they will clear the Footbridge (10) and Ditch Brush (11) before reaching the Double Corner at the Moat (12ab).

The Equine Insurance Splash (14abc)

The Triple Brush comes up quickly at the bottom of a hill before they reach the second water, the Equine Insurance Splash (14abc) featuring a log drop with a sharp right handed turn to angled fences in the water.

15 is a patriotic open oxer, and 16ab has riders tackling a log drop to right handed brush corner at their final water complex (16ab).

The Majyk Equipe Leaf Pit (18abc)

Inside the racetrack, riders should hang on tight down the the Majyk Equipe Leaf Pit (18abc) which takes them down a drop to a ditch and wall and brush fences. A quick approach to the U Log (19), and the finally combination on the course, Rails to Trakehner (20ab). Then it’s just an open oxer at 21, and finally riders can breathe a sigh of relief as they soar over the final fence, the Galway Table at 22.

The course is packed with non-stop action, a true test for the 14 pairs at this level. “The course keeps coming. It’s challenging at the end. It’s challenging in the beginning,” Thieriot Stutes reflected.

Take a look for yourself, to see the entire three-star cross-country preview. And don’t forget to tune into the livestream and get an up close look at this testing track at www.rideonvideo.net.

Live Scoring | Live Streaming

About the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series

The 2017 Adequan USEA Gold Cup Championship features 11 qualifying competitions throughout the United States at the Advanced Horse Trials and CIC3* levels. Qualifying began last fall and continues through August with the final taking place at the USEA American Eventing Championships, August 30 – September 3 at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, North Carolina. Riders who complete a qualifier earn the chance to vie for $40,000 in prize money and thousands of dollars in prizes in the Adequan Advanced Division and the title of Adequan USEA Gold Cup Champion.