The first day of competition at The Dutta Corp. Tryon International Three-Day Event was a busy one, with more than 100 horse-and-rider combinations taking to the dressage arena in the CCI1*-L, CCI2*-L, CCI3*-L, and The Dutta Corp. USEF CCI4*-L Eventing National Championship.
Will Coleman (Gordonsville, Va.) and Chin Tonic, a 9-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Chin Champ x Wildera) owned by Hyperion Stud, LLC, were the first four-star entry in the ring, and the pair immediately posted the score to beat. Their 26.0 was untouchable for the remainder of the day, putting them at the top of the leaderboard for the National Championship.
Woods Baughman (Lexington, Ky.) and C’est La Vie 135, the 13-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Contendro I x Annette) he owns with his parents, Kim and James Baughman, currently stand in second with a 29.4. That score puts Baughman just half a penalty point ahead of his trainer, Sharon White (Summit Point, W.Va.), who currently sits in third place with Claus 63, her own 9-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Catoo x Tina II).
The Adequan®/USEF Eventing Youth Team Challenge – East Coast Finals brought 44 horse-and-rider pairs to compete across the CCI1*-L, CCI2*-L, and CCI3*-L divisions. Athletes have come to Tryon from nearly every USEA Area and Canada with teams and individuals competing for championship titles.
In the CCI1*-L division, Ella Braundel (Clayton, N.C.) and Categorically Cooley, her own 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, currently have the leading score for the Area II team, with a 30.5. Ayden Schain (Bradford, Vt.) leads the CCI2*-L division after posting an impressive 26.3 with Dawn Barclay’s 8-year-old Zangersheide gelding Fernhill Hole Shot for the combined Area I/Area V team. In the CCI3*-L, it was Elizabeth Bortuzzo (Pittstown, N.J.) and John A. Witte’s 12-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, Belongs to Teufer, leading the way with a 28.8 for the combined Area II/Area III/Area VIII team.
Competition resumes on Friday with the remaining dressage rides starting at 8:00 a.m. EST.
How to Watch
Tune in to the live stream from The Dutta Corp Tryon International Three-Day Event on USEF Network now through Sunday, Nov. 14.
Helpful Links
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.
The USEA office will close at 5:00 p.m. EST on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, and will reopen again on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. The USEA staff will return emails and phone calls when the office re-opens on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 or at their earliest convenience.