United States Eventing Association

West Coast’s Best Come Together for Twin Rivers Spring International

Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, California, is gearing up for its largest FEI event ever with the 2025 Twin Rivers Spring International taking place April 10-13. There are 73 entries across the CCI4*-S, CCI3*-L, CCI3*-S, CCI2*-L, CCI2*-S, and CCI1*-L levels. National levels will go from Beginner Novice up to Intermediate.

Twin Rivers Ranch has offered the FEI levels of eventing since 2005. The Twin Rivers Spring International has taken on national significance as many of the West Coast’s top riders use it as their final tune-up before traveling to top competitions on the East Coast.

The CCI4*-S at Twin Rivers represents a qualifier in the US Equestrian Open of Eventing leading up to the $200,000 finals at Morven in Leesburg, Virginia, on Oct. 9-12. Seven of the 11 horses are entered at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event on April 24-27. Caravaggio II and Bec Braitling and Karma and James Alliston are aiming for the CCI5*-L after both horses made their five-star debuts in Kentucky in 2024.

Braitling, who represents Australia internationally and is based at Twin Rivers, is coming off a victory with Arnell Sporthorses’ 14-year-old British Sport Horse gelding (Vangelis-S x Courtesan) in the CCI4*-S at the Galway Downs International H.T. in Temecula, California, last month. She and “Ernie” won the level at the 2022 Twin Rivers Fall International.

“It’s nice to know you’ve done one [five-star] on him, so you know the horse can go jump the fences and go the distance,” Braitling said, looking ahead to a return to Kentucky, where they finished in the top-20 in 2024. “My goal this time would be to go a little quicker. Ultimately, it’s building on every year you hope you do a little better test.”

The popular pair have clicked in the jumping phases ever since their first competition at Training in 2019. They’ve never incurred jumping faults on cross-country in the United States. Their dressage score of 30.4 at Galway was their best in an FEI event in more than five years.

“He’s on the whole a lot better,” Braitling said. “He got a change at Galway, and it’s the best he’s ever felt on the flat for me. So, that’s kinda cool.”

Alliston and Karma, an 11-year-old Oldenburg mare (Escudo II x Travita), have become fixtures at top events and have represented the United States around the world. After four-star wins at The Event at Rebecca Farm in Kalispell, Montana, and at the Twin Rivers Fall International in 2023, they were 14th in the CCIO4*-NC-L at Boekelo in the Netherlands at the end of 2023. Then in 2024, they were 12th in their CCI5*-L debut in Kentucky and ninth in the CCIO4*-S at Aachen in Germany. They had zero jumping penalties in cross-country and show jumping in each of these competitions.

“Last year, she tied up at the start of the week in Kentucky, so she really wasn’t feeling fantastic,” Alliston said. “If I get her into cross-country day a little bit healthier, I think she’ll gallop better because she’s such a fast horse and good galloper. She definitely wasn’t feeling great, so I had to go a little slower with her last year, but she still did it very well. I’m hoping if she’s feeling well, we can fly, I hope.”

Alliston has won the last four four-star competitions held at Twin Rivers. In addition to Karma, he has three other mounts at the level—Cora, Irish Pop, and Paper Jam. Among that trio, as well as Nemesis, who is entered at Intermediate at Twin Rivers, Alliston will choose which two horses he will take to the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S.

“It’s always a balance,” Alliston said. “I have a lot of Advanced horses right now, which is amazing, and you want to use them.”

Paper Jam won the four-star at this event last year, and this will be his first event since. With his age and experience, including competing in the Kentucky five-star in 2022, Alliston said he’s been picking his spots with the 16-year-old chestnut Hanoverian gelding (Paparazzo x Reely Jamin).

Cora, a big 10-year-old Oldenburg mare (Commissario x La-Montana), won the CCI4*-S at the 2024 Twin Rivers Fall International. Kentucky would be her first event outside California, and that would also be the case for Irish Pop, a 13-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Inliner x Norma Jean), who is making his four-star debut at Twin Rivers.

This will be the first event for Nemesis since the chestnut Canadian Warmblood gelding (Novalis x Sara’s Muse) competed as the youngest horse in the Kentucky five-star field in 2023 at 9 years old. He won the CCI4*-S at the 2023 Twin Rivers Spring International.

As far as how he’ll choose his duo for the Kentucky four-star, Alliston said, “You do what suits the horse. I know sort of which horses are the fastest. For the four-short in Kentucky, the time is very influential, so you need some speed there. I know the ranking of speed of those four horses. Nemesis has a ton of experience and he’s done Kentucky well. If he’s healthy, he’s probably my number one.”

Also aiming for Kentucky in the CCI4*-S are:

• Molly Duda and her 15-year-old Oldenburg gelding Disco Traveler (Donatelli x Cadence), winners of two four-stars in California in 2024 who also represented the United States overseas as part of the U.S. Eventing European Development Tour
• Tamie Smith, the 2023 Kentucky five-star heroine, and the Kynan Sydicate’s 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Kynan (Envoy x Danieta), two-time three-star winners in 2024 that are now back competing at four-star

The CCI3*-S at the 2025 Twin Rivers Spring International is a who’s who of West Coast eventing prospects.

Tommy Greengard and his 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Joshuay MBF (Foreign Affair x Fernacchy MBF) are using the CCI3*-S at Twin Rivers to prep for the CCI4*-S at Kentucky. They won the CCI4*-S at the 2023 Woodside Fall International in Woodside, California, and are in the midst of a comeback after missing the 2024 competition season.

Greengard also has That’s Me Z, whom he co-owns Andrea Pfeiffer, at Intermediate ahead of the Kentucky four-star. He and the chestnut Zangersheide gelding (Take a Chance On Me Z x Veneita) represented the United States in the 7-year-old world breeding championships at Le Lion in France.

Also in the three-short at Twin Rivers, Gabriella Ringer and Get Wild are back at the venue where they made their debut in 2018 when the rider was 14 and the dark bay Dutch Warmblood gelding (Plot-Blue x Cantana) was 6. They won the CCI2*-L at this event last year and then two more two-stars in 2024.

Andrea Baxter, whose first FEI event at her homebase of Twin Rivers came in 2006, has a pair of 7-year-olds, Camelot PJ and The Big Easy. They both made big impressions at the Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse West Coast Championships held at Twin Rivers in 2023. Camelot PJ (Colman x Hauptstutbuch Evita) won the 5-year-old championship. The Big Easy (Mr Lincoln B x PLS Hippo Q) won the Safe Harbor Award given to the 5-year-old with the most graceful and rider friendly performance throughout the competition.

“I love the personality of all of them so much that I can’t imagine replacing their desire to work and learn and please and their personal interest in the sport,” Baxter said. “Right now, they’re young and still developing, and much as I want them to come home with better ribbons, their performance is so going in the right direction that they’ll be hard to beat in the future. But right now, I’ve got to take my time and not rush them and let them develop in their own time.”

The 2024 5-year-old YEH West Coast champion, Only-Else (Idrigill x Kapry-Else), is entered in the CCI1*-L in the bay Irish Sport Horse mare’s FEI debut.

The 2025 Twin Rivers Spring International will shine a wide spotlight—from young prospects to seasoned veterans.

“That’s just exciting for California to be developing so many nice horses,” Baxter said.

Links

Entries & Ride Times | Twin Rivers Website | U.S. Equestrian Open

Sponsors and Volunteers

Twin Rivers is proud to host the 2025 Twin Rivers Spring International with generous support from sponsors.

Presenting sponsors for the season include: Auburn Labs, manufacturers of the adaptogenic APF Formula for horses, people and dogs; Best Western PLUS Black Oak, which offers exclusive discounts for exhibitors; Professional’s Choice, manufacturers of sports medicine boots for equine athletes; and Whirlwind Excavating, excavating contractors in San Luis Obispo County.

For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Christina Gray of Gray Area Events at [email protected].

Volunteers play a major part of events at Twin Rivers. Twin Rivers’ generous volunteer incentive program includes vouchers for show stabling and credits for schooling between events at the beautiful 500-acre venue. That is in addition to the genuine appreciation of the Baxter family and the entire Twin Rivers team. To sign up, please visit www.twinrivershorsepark/volunteer.