On the last episode of the USEA Podcast, we heard from USEA CEO Rob Burk about the USEA Educational Activities Program as well as Wendy Wergeles, organizer of The Event Derby in California, and Penny Morse, organizer of the Southeastern Schooling Show Championships at Chattahoochee Hills in Georgia.
Continuing from last week's episode, this week Carolyn Mackintosh of The Maryland Horse Trials at Loch Moy Farm comes on the show to discuss the many different unrecognized events and schooling opportunities available at Loch Moy Farm throughout the year, including the six starter trials held in the spring and fall, cross-derbies held throughout the winter, and twilight eventing in the spring and summer. The Maryland Horse Trials offers levels from Introductory and Elementary all the way up through the new Modified level. Among the unique things about the unrecognized events at the Maryland Horse Trials is that they offer a special award to instructors based on the performance of their students as a way to recognize their hard work and dedication to the sport.
Marc Donovan, Organizer of the Adequan War Horse Event Series held at the Carolina Horse Park, comes on the show next to talk about the history of the series and how it has grown over the years. The series began in 2012 hosting five events a year and a championship in November, offering Training level on down through Maiden and Green as Grass levels. In 2017, due to the popularity of the events, a sixth event was added to accommodate the growing number of entries. The War Horse Series has some very generous sponsors that allow for great prizes, including prize money at championships.
Mia Farley and Invictus, owned by Karen O’Connor, took the lead in the B&D Builders CCI4*-L at The Event at TerraNova at the completion of the dressage phase with 27.9 penalties, followed by Olivia Dutton on Sea of Clouds (29.5). Overnight leader Lauren Nicholson is now in third place with Jacqueline Mars’ Larcot Z (30.4).
Every now and then, a video goes viral on social media of a rider heroically going around a show jumping or cross-country course with one, or no, stirrups. There’s a great one of Mark Todd going around Badminton with a broken stirrup, and you just wonder how on earth a course that difficult could be jumped like that—because it’s hard enough with two stirrups!
Competition is underway at The Event at TerraNova, with the first day of dressage complete. Isabelle Bosley, 27 of Monkton, Maryland, took the lead in The Estates at TerraNova & Laughlin Tanner Group at Premier Sotheby’s International Realty CCI3*-L riding Paper Doll, a 12-year-old U.S.-bred Hanoverian mare (Paparazzo 3 x Datina) owned by Karen Martin, who is also her breeder. Bosley has been riding the mare for six years.
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.