Chesterfield, S.C. — The Heart of the Carolinas (HOTC) Three-Day Event and Horse Trials at Southern 8ths Farm in Chesterfield, S.C. is live streaming all three phases of the 2016 long-format competition with color commentary from clinician Sally O'Connor and announcer Charles Pinnell.
Friends and family of competitors and anyone interested in classic eventing may tune in to watch the live stream at this link or enjoy recorded video of the competition at a later time.
The Training Three-Day, Novice Three-Day and Beginner Novice Three-Day will ride dressage on Friday, May 6. The live stream will be begin at 8:40 a.m EST with the Training Three-Day test ride. The dressage competition will begin at 9:00 a.m.
Endurance day begins with Phase A roads and tracks at 9:00 a.m. EST on Saturday, May 7. The cross country will begin shortly after and a portion of the Tremaine Cooper designed course will be shown on the live stream.
The finale takes place on a grass show jumping arena on Sunday, May 8. At 10:00 a.m., the Preliminary Combined Test (CT) will be the first division to jump a course designed by Marc Donovan. As part of the inaugural Carolina Eventing Challenge, the Preliminary-CT will jump a derby style course with both cross country and show jumping fences. The three-day and horse trials divisions will follow; all divisions plus awards will be included in the live stream.
Southern 8ths Farm is the only venue in the country that offers USEA-recognized traditional long-format three-day events at the Beginner Novice, Novice and Training levels. The goal of the competition is to provide an unparalleled educational opportunity for riders and to support the continuation of the classic long format.
This year, Heart of the Carolinas added a Preliminary-CT and Coaching Allowed Test to the schedule and partnered with the Carolina Horse Park to offer the Carolina Eventing Challenge for all three-day divisions and the Preliminary-CT. USEA President-elect Carol Kozlowski and Sally O’Connor, a renowned FEI eventing and dressage judge, are the 2016 clinicians.
Thanks to the generosity of sponsors, HOTC is offering a wealth of prizes for first through eighth place in all three long-format divisions. Special awards include Best Conditioned Horse, Best Turned Out, and Lowest Scoring Adult Amateur. Winners at each level of the Carolina Eventing Challenge will receive a grand prize. Thoroughbred Incentive Program awards will be given in all horse trials and three-day divisions, including the Preliminary-CT.
Links: [Live Stream] [Schedule] [Website] [Live Scores] [Ride Times]
Did you know that the USEA Foundation awards over 150 grants each year to deserving individuals who are involved in the sport of eventing? With grants that assist riders with accomplishing their competition goals, grants geared toward licensed officials, grants that are specific to continuing education for coaches, grants that assist competitions with obtaining frangible technology, and so much more, there really is a grant opportunity available to almost anyone!
With the start of the New Year just days away, now is the time to consider how your actions can have a positive impact on the sport of eventing in 2025. Each and every member of the eventing community has an important role to play in ensuring the sport continues to grow and thrive. From fostering educational opportunities to supporting grassroots initiatives and participating at all levels of the sport, there are so many ways to get involved.
Ride iQ’s popular “Ask An Expert” series features professional advice and tips from all areas of the horse industry. One of the most-downloaded episodes is an expert session with Peter Gray, an accomplished dressage judge and Olympic eventer. He has recently judged at events like the five-star at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, and he served on the ground jury at the 2022 FEI World Eventing Championships in Pratoni, Italy. His background as a competitor in the Olympic Games riding for Bermuda and as a coach and selector for the Canadian eventing team adds depth to his understanding of the sport.
With a total of 382 volunteer hours in 2024, Catherine “Cathy” Hale not only topped the USEA Area III VIP Volunteer leaderboard, but she also ranked fourth out of all eventing volunteers across the country. Hale (The Villages, Florida) has worked as a travel agent for over 30 years, a career that suits her love of travel nicely. At the time of being interviewed for this article, Hale was passing the equator on a cruise to Tahiti, New Zealand, and Australia.