United States Eventing Association

Woods Baughman leads CCI4*-L

Rebecca Farm FEI dressage scores are tightly packed

The FEI competition at Rebecca Farm continued today with the CCI3*-Long, CCI4*- Short, and CCI4*- Long dressage. With scores ranging from the mid-20s to the low 30s, the standings in all divisions are tightly packed.

Woods Baughman and his self-owned horse, C’est La Vie 135, a 13-year-old Hanoverian, scored a 31.1 to lead the CCI4*-Long. Woods said that his horse “felt pretty good all the way around. He was a little in my hand too much but had a good test.” Woods also said that his horse is a cross country machine and the cross country course looks really solid for the level. Woods, who trains with Sharon White on the East Coast, is enjoying his first trip to Montana.

Erin Kellerhouse and her self-owned Woodford Reserve, a 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse, stand in second place with a score of 31.3. Erin was happy with “Woody” today because he often “warms up really well and then gets super revved up in the ring” but today he stayed really relaxed.

Currently standing in third place with a score of 32.8 are James Alliston and Paper Jam, a 12-year-old Hanoverian owned by James’ wife, Helen Alliston. James said “Jammers” can “get a bit lit up [in the dressage ring] but he likes it here and stayed relaxed in the ring today.”

The top three after dressage in the CCI4*-S are all well-known names within the eventing community. Maya Black and Miks Master C lead the division with a score of 25.8. “Mickey” is a nine-year-old Swedish Warmblood owned by Laurie Cameron. Maya said he was a good boy and that even after a long haul from the East Coast, he “went in and stayed really relaxed and obedient.”

Elisabeth Halliday-Sharp and The Monster Partnership’s Cooley Quicksilver stand in second place with a score of 28.8. Liz said, “The Monster” is a bit out of practice because this was his first test since Landrover Kentucky in April. “He is quite wiggly and quite cheeky, but actually all in all the movements were quite good.”

Andrea Baxter and Indy 500, her 16-year-old Thoroughbred mare, are veteran competitors at Rebecca Farm, as they have been competing here together for nine years. After scoring a 33.1, Andrea said “she [Hundy] is an old pro these days, but really is learning the game and the drill and is trying hard… and I finally got a good test out of her here.”

In addition to his third-place standing in the CCI4*-L, James Alliston also stands in first place in the CCI3*-L with Nemesis, a seven-year-old Canadian Warmblood owned by Alliston Equestrian. Commenting that Rebecca Farm can have quite a “buzzy” atmosphere, Nemesis is a relaxed sort of horse. “He could have gone a bit more forward, but he made no mistakes.” He’s a young horse and this is his first CCI3*-L, so James was quite happy with a score of 30.3

A score of 32.3 puts Auburn Excell Brady and her self-owned BSP Tuxedo in second place. “Tuxy Buns” is a 12-year-old Oldenburg and Auburn said it “was actually a bit surprising that he was so relaxed.” Auburn is excited to be here – her horse is “keen but can be a bit spooky,” although “he is capable” of doing well on the challenging course.

Rounding out the top three, Jennifer McFall and Stoneman, a 10-year-old Thoroughbred owned by Cheron Laboissonniere, scored a 32.7. Jennifer said they have “been working through some tension and performance anxiety” but that “Stoney” was really good and relaxed today. She is looking forward to cross-country, but commented that “the first water is the hardest thing on the course – it's a big jump in, you have the crowd on the hill, and a vertical gate out.” The other riders agreed with that assessment and noted they will need to ride with precision on Ian Stark’s course on Saturday.

The FEI divisions begin cross country on Saturday at 9:50 am local time. For 2021 ride times and results throughout the weekend, click here.

Admission for this family-friendly spectator event is free, with full concessions and a large multi-interest shopping fair, as well as a free Kid Zone that includes pony rides, PonyUp! (Horsemanship 101 classes for kids), face painting, arts and crafts, and more. A one-time recommended $10 parking donation per car supports Halt Cancer at X and a full weekend pass is available with a $25 donation.

To access Rebecca Farm, from the junction of Highways 93 & 2, travel 2 miles north on Highway 93 to Reserve Loop and go west 2 miles, then south on W. Springcreek Rd. The entrance is 3/4 mile on the right.

ABOUT THE EVENT AT REBECCA FARM

The Event at Rebecca Farm presented by Montana Equestrian Events is held every July in Kalispell, Montana. One of the largest equestrian triathlons in the United States, The Event is also considered to have some of the world's finest scenery. Each year it draws hundreds of riders of all levels, from amateur to Olympians. The 2021 Event celebrates the 20th anniversary of Rebecca Farm.

The Event at Rebecca Farm features 13 courses ranging from novice to Olympic qualifier, which were originally developed by world-renowned course designer, Mark Phillips. In 2012, Scottish equestrian Ian Stark redesigned the Rebecca Farm courses. Known for his immense contributions to eventing, Stark has won multiple Olympic medals and was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.