First-day leader sets the stage for FEI competition at Rebecca Farm
The FEI competition kicked off on a strong start today with the CCI2*-Long dressage. The top three riders are veteran competitors at Rebecca Farm, although their horses are all fairly new to the level.
Tommy Greengard and his self-owned horse, Joshuay MBF, a seven-year-old Dutch Warmblood, scored a 25.4 to lead the division. Tommy said that his horse was super today and that, although Josh isn’t really a “natural dressage horse, he really lights up in the ring in all the best ways. He is naturally very relaxed, and he allows me to show him off in the ring. And he doesn’t get too bothered by the atmosphere.” Tommy also said they’ve been working hard to improve the suppleness that’s introduced in the lateral work at the 2* level, and Josh was really with him all the way today.
Maya Black and Double Diamond
C, a 6-year-old Hanoverian owned by Laurie Cameron, stand in second place with a score of 27.0. Maya was proud of his performance today saying, “he’s a young horse, and he was as good as he could be for where we’re at right now.” Maya drove her horses out from
the East Coast and was thrilled with how well he traveled and settled in after arriving in Montana on Saturday. Although Maya trains in Virginia now, she is originally from Washington state and still considers Rebecca Farm to be a local event. One of her favorite
things about competing at The Event is spending a week with her friends from home. She said Rebecca Farm has a different feel and atmosphere than any other event she has been to, and there is nothing quite like the homecoming feeling for her.
Currently standing in third place with a score of 30.9 are Lauren Burnell and Freedom Hill, an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse owned by Arnell Sport Horses. Lauren said he is normally quite spooky at the judges’ boxes and cameras, but “today he really held it together.” She said she was nervous heading into the ring because the warmup didn’t go as well as she hoped, but ultimately he tried really hard, and “it was one of his better tests.” Lauren thought perhaps he enjoyed being first in the ring, or maybe he just knew it was an important ride. She commented that she loves the atmosphere and people here and that The Event feels special.
All three riders are feeling
good and looking forward to cross-country. Tommy said his horse is “a phenomenal jumping horse… I just want to get in a good rhythm and try my best to support him but not interfere with him. He’s ready to do the job, and it’s just fun to be back up here and
to let him run on the grass.” Maya and Lauren both agreed about being excited to run on excellent grass footing this year, as well as having a longer course that allows more room to gallop in a steady rhythm and jump out of stride. The CCI 2*-L division begins
cross country at 1:00 pm on Saturday.
For 2021 ride times and results throughout the weekend, click here.
Admission for this family-friendly
spectator event is free, with full concessions and a large multi-interest shopping fair, as well as a free Kid Zone that includes pony rides, PonyUp! (Horsemanship 101 classes for kids), face painting, arts and crafts, and more. A $10 suggested parking donation
per car supports Halt Cancer at X, and a full weekend pass is available with a $25 donation.
Follow along on social media:
Facebook and Instagram @rebeccafarm
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Media Contact:
Sara Busse, [email protected]
406.253.1708
The United States Eventing Association (USEA) is pleased to announce the continued partnership with RevitaVet and Tom Neuman to provide the 2024 USEA Young Rider of the Year with one RevitaVet system and prize pack.
As the curtains close on the 2024 competition season, the USEA is looking back at an incredibly busy fall season. With the MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill, two Dutta. Corp USEA Young Event Horse Championships, Area Championships in all 10 sections of the country, and more, there was no shortage of excitement, but the rise in IEL Team Challenges was certainly a highlight of the year for the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL). Since we last reported in October, 13 additional IEL Team Challenges were hosted at events across Areas II, III, IV, VI, and VIII, to bring the grand total for the year to 44 challenges.
As 2024 draws to a close, we would be remiss not to recognize the many volunteers who dedicate countless hours of their free time to the success of our sport. There were 72,374 hours logged in the USEA’s Volunteer Incentive Program (VIP) this year across the 171 events that utilized the eventingvolunteers.com platform to log volunteer time. This impressive amount of volunteer time was contributed by 4,378 amazing VIP volunteers.
Are you following along with the action from home this weekend? Or maybe you're competing at an event and need information fast. Either way, we’ve got you covered! Check out the USEA’s Weekend Quick Links for links to information including the prize list, ride times, live scores, and more for all the events running this weekend.