United States Eventing Association

With the announcement of the short list for the 2011 Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team to represent the United States at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, the USEA was pleased to note that a past Young Event Horse Champion and a Reserve Champion, a Nutrena/USEA American Eventing Champion and a Reserve Champion, and a SmartPak Equine/USEA Preliminary Three-Day winner are included on the list.

Breakthrough, the 2009 East Coast Young Event Horse Champion, was named to the substitute list with Matt Flynn. Breakthrough is by a Dutch stallion, Heartbreaker, and out of an Irish Sport horse mare named Tabaca. He had placed in the Young Horse Show Jumping competition in Ireland, but had never evented. Breakthrough was purchased as a five-year-old old in the spring of 2009 by Dr and Mrs. A. Patrick Flynn. Matt introduced Breakthrough to eventing in which he has now enjoyed much success. In 2009 Breakthrough won the five-year-old YEH championship at Fair Hill and then went on to win at the Preliminary level in 2010 before ending the year successfully competing at his first Intermediate at the Virginia Horse Trials in November. This year he has continued to develop placing at several events including the CIC2* at Fair Hill and the CCI 2* at Jersey Fresh.

Young Event Horse regular, Project Runway, was named to the Short List with his 19-year-old owner/rider, Maxance McManamy. Project Runway was Reserve Champions in both his four- and five-year-old years, competing at the YEH championships at the American Eventing Championships in 2008, and on both coasts in 2009. A product of Tim and Cheryl Holekamps’s New Spring Farm, Project Runway (Windall x Polarschecke) has team potential in his blood while following in the footsteps of his sire.

Lynn Symansky and her own eight-year-old Thoroughbred, Donner, took the Intermediate division at the 2010 American Eventing Championships by storm. The pair rose 10 places in the standing with a clean and fast cross-country round to take home the blue. The pair have enjoyed continued consistent placings before being named to the short list.

Constance Holling’s seven-year-old Trakehner/Thoroughbred, Downtown Harrison, was ridden to a Reserve Champion finish in the Preliminary Horse Division at last year’s American Eventing Championships by Jonathan Holling finishing only .3 points behind the winner on a 24.5. Matt Flynn and Breakthrough also finished fifth in the same division, while Hannah Sue Burnett and Jacqueline Mars’ eight-year-old Irish Sport Horse, Harbour Pilot finished ninth.

In addition to Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot’s excellent finish at the 2010 AEC, the pair also won the SmartPak Equine/USEA Preliminary Three-Day at Rebecca Farm the same year.

The USEA is excited for all horses and riders named to the short list and wish them luck at the Mandatory Outing at Richland Park in August!