US Equestrian is pleased to announce the athlete-and-horse combinations selected to represent the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team at the CHIO Aachen CCIO4*-S in Germany, Sept. 15-19, 2021.
“Simultaneously as we are out in Tokyo in our last preparation before the Olympic Games, our eyes have consistently been looking forward to the FEI Eventing World Championship in Pratoni, Italy, next year,” said Erik Duvander, U.S. Performance Director of Eventing. “This year’s CHIO Aachen is an opportunity for our riders to get a proper team experience in a unique environment that simulates a championship. I believe we have a high-quality group of athletes and horses that are tracking in this direction.”
The following athlete-and-horse combinations have been selected to represent the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team at the CHIO Aachen CCIO4*-S and are listed in alphabetical order:
Will Coleman (Gordonsville, Va.) and Off The Record, a 2009 Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by the Off the Record Syndicate
Sydney Elliott (Bossier, La.) and QC Diamantaire, a 2010 Oldenburg gelding owned by Carol Stephens
Ariel Grald (Southern Pines, N.C.) and Leamore Master Plan, a 2009 Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Annie Eldridge
Tamie Smith (Murrieta, Calif.) and Mai Baum, a 2006 German Sport Horse gelding owned by Alexandra Ahearn, Ellen Ahearn, and Eric Markell
The following combination has been selected as the alternate for the CHIO Aachen CCIO4*-S:
Lauren Nicholson (The Plains, Va.) and Vermiculus, a 2007 Anglo-Arabian gelding owned by Jacqueline Mars
Learn more at www.chioaachen.de.
For Mary Fike, there’s one memory that embodies the spirit of Classic Three-Day. “I know this may sound kind of contrived, but I remember being out checking on something on the [cross-country] course, and a rider came by in [Phase] C that was just singing to her horse,” she recollected. “She was patting them, talking to the gate judges, and just having a great time. She came into the vet box with the biggest grin on her face, and that sense of euphoria, I think, really reminded me why I love doing this.”
Overnight leader Hallie Coon kept her cool riding Cute Girl to jump clear and in the time allowed in the B&D Builders CCI4*-S show jumping today at The Event at TerraNova in Myakka City, Florida.
Riding a high from the latest milestone in Galway Downs’ path to hosting LA28 Olympic equestrian competition, several of the event’s 50 international competitors tried to put themselves on that same path today.
Just before the lunch break in the dressage phase of the B&D Builders CCI4*-S at The Event at TerraNova, Hallie Coon and the 11-year-old Holsteiner mare Cute Girl (Coventry x Caligula), whom Coon co-owns with Helen Coon, performed a foot perfect test to take the lead (28.5) from Phillip Dutton, who held the top three placings all morning.