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Sunday, Sept. 19, 2004 - Show Jumping Day

Preliminary Horse Division:

Canada's Mike Winter, fresh from a successful trip to Athens as a member of the Canadian Eventing Team, finished both first and second in the Preliminary Horse Division. He was first with Wonderful Will (31.25) and second with Kingpin (32.5). Because of fast Cross Country rides with both horses, Mike was able to pip David O'Connor riding Walk On the Moon (33.75), who finished 3rd, and Darren Chiacchia with Tim Holekamp's Huronia (34.75),who finished 4th. All four Show Jumped clean.

Mike and Wonderful Will also won the Eastern DeBroke Championship Trophy, for which they had qualified earlier this year. (Mike and Wonderful Will are pictured at the right along with Wonderful Will's owner Sher Schwartz. Sher also won the Novice Championship riding Jamocean.)

Mike said of Wonderful Will, "He is just so fast and he knows his job so well. He is only 15.1 and this track suited him quite well. He is by Woodman and sold for $200,000 as a yearling."

Mike was also sixth in this Division riding Daybreak.

John Strassburger, Editor of The Chronicle of The Horse, rode Master Merlin in the Preliminary Championship Division. This pair placed 4th in the Amateur Section at that level. (John and Master Merlin are pictured at the left during the Cross Country.)

 

 

Advanced Championship:

Nathalie Bouckaert of Chatsworth, GA, and West Farthing, fresh from a prepratory win at the Kentucky Classic CIC**, in Lexington, KY, who had surged to the lead Saturday with the fastest Cross Country of the Division, maintained that lead with only one fence down in the Show Jumping for 4 faults and a final score of 40.77. (Nathalie and West Farthing are pictured at the right.)

Karen O'Connor held on to second place with Lourdes Peralta's Grand Slam. This pair had three rails for 12 faults and a final score of 53.11. Karen said of Grand Slam, "He's not the best mover, and he doesn't jump the highest; but he . . ." will try. He just hangs in there. Karen won the Training Horse Division riding A Phar Cry. She was pleased with that as well as with Grand Slam's efforts. (Karen and Grand Slam are pictured at the left below.)

Corinne Ashton, who had entered the Show Jumping Phase in 5th place, had only one rail down with Dobbin to rise to third place. Corinne won the trophy for the Best Amateur Rider in the Division.

Michael Pollard finished 4th, on 57.47 (12 jumping faults - 1 time fault), while Holly Hepp was 5th with Mary Secrist's Damien (12 jumping faults).

Sara Mittleider, finished in 9th place, riding El Primero. This pair won the Trophy for the Best Young Rider in the Division.

Gillian Clissold, who show jumped first, having had a fall on the Cross Country, was the only competitor, from 19, to Show Jump clean with everyone's favorite grey horse Sports Car.

Bonnie Mosser, soon to be heading to Pau, France, for the FEI Eventing World Cup, won the Sportsmanship Trophy. The second to last fence, brown planks with large turrents and urns, blew over twice during Bonnie and Jenga's Show Jumping Round. They still managed just one rail down and no time faults to finish 11th on 82.88.

The top 10 finishers:

1. Nathalie Bouckaert, West Farthing - 40.77 (4 jumping)
2. Karen O'Connor, Grand Slam - 53.11 (12 jumping)
3. Corinne Ashton, Dobbin - 56.65 (4 jumping)
4. Michael Pollard, SS Jett - 57.47 (12 jumping, 1 time)
5. Holly Hepp, Damien - 64.58 (12 jumping)
6. Mark Weissbecker, Swayne - 69.00 (12 jumping)
7. Darren Chiacchia, San Salvador - 70.69 (8 jumping)
8. Maren Foster, Latour - 72.80 (8 jumping, 3 time)
9. Sara Mittleider, El Primero - 76.17 (4 jumping, 2 time)
10. Molly Hooper, Kiltartan - 78.178 jumping, 3 time)

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The below competition coverage provided by Amy J. Daum, with contributions by Amber Heintzberger.

While Sher Schwartz won the AEC Novice Championship on Saturday, on Sunday her coach Mike Winter, a member of this summer’s Canadian Olympic team, rode her gelding Wonderful Will to win the Preliminary Horse division and the Eastern DeBroke Trophy, on their dressage score of 31.25. Mike also took home second place with Kingpin, an eight-year-old Irish Thoroughbred gelding owned by Kingpin Sindicates, on a score of 32.5. And to round out the day, he also finished in sixth with Daybreak, on their dressage score of 37. The John Williams designed cross-country course proved to be quite influential in this division, with only two of the twenty starters going double clear.

After finishing in the top ten on all of his AEC mounts, Mark Weissbecker, of Richmond, Massachusetts, took home a $5,000 check and new Amerigo saddle for his win aboard Decordova in the Intermediate Championships, on a final score of 48.73. The eight-year-old Thoroughbred-cross gelding stands out in the crowd for his skewbald coloring and for his consistent performance. He placed fourth after dressage, jumped clear but with time on cross-country, and had one rail down in show jumping. Luck was on his side as rail after rail fell on Sunday and he moved up from sixth place to take the win.

Winner of the Advanced Championship Nathalie Bouckaert, who rode her father Carl’s West Farthing to a final score of 40.77, kept her cool to jump around the show jumping course with just one rail down, after Karen O’Connor and Grand Slam took off the pressure with three dropped rails to finish second, nearly 13 points behind Bouckaert (only one pair, Gillian Clissold and her feisty mare Sportscar, made it around the show jumping course double clear).

Bonnie Mosser, of Coatsville, Pennsylvania, riding Jenga, placed 11th overall in the Advanced division, and the pair were awarded the Arete´ Trophy by the ground jury. The most articulated value in Greek culture is Arete´. Translated as virtue, the word is better described as meaning something closer to excellence, honesty, and commitment. The trophy was created in memory of the Selle Francais/Thoroughbred gelding R.G’s Renegade, to recognize those who have overcome obstacles in their quest for excellence. Owned by Colleen Hofstetter and ridden by Darren Chiacchia, “Reggie” competed in a number of international competitions, including the 2002 World Equestrian Games.

As the weekend wrapped up, hundreds of tired but accomplished horses and riders made their way back home, from distances as far as Tujunga, California; East Derry, New Hampshire; Kuna, Idaho; and Dallas, Texas. Almost everyone had a kind word for the staff and volunteers at the event, and left with a vow to come back next year.

For complete coverage, photos, and results from the inaugural AEC, sponsored by Bit of Britain, SmartPak Equine, Amerigo, Cover-All, Waldhausen USA, and Dry Nest Animal Bedding, visit the USEA website at www.useventing.com or www.carolinahorsepark.com.

Please click here for full Results

Sunday AM - GOOD NEWS! As Ted and I drove into the parking area at the Carolina Horse Park, Kim Severson pulled up to park beside us. She was back from the hospital! Though extremely stiff and sore, she explained that she had sustained a "severe neck sprain." Kim was unable to ride in the Salute to the Bronze Medal Olympic Team, as well as to herself as Individual Silver Medalist at Athens; however, she was able to take part in the Ceremonies. (Kim is pictured at the left during the Ceremony recognizing her as the Olympic Individual Silver Medalist as well as a member of the Bronze Medal Team.)

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Saturday, Sept. 18, 2004 - Cross Country Day

Advanced Championship Division

This section started poorly when Giles Rowsell, the announcer, said that Kim Severson, the overnight leader with Royal Venture, would not be running any of her horses due to an injury sustained in the stable area. Kim also stood 9th with Maguire and in a lesser position with Upper Register.

Kim had just gotten on Choo Choo Magoo, near his stall, to prepare to Show Jump in the Preliminary Horse Section, in which he stood 7th. He suddenly made a huge jump forward, may have gone to his knees, and shot Kim over his head. She landed on her head and neck, under a horse that was being washed. Kim complained of pain in her upper back and neck. She never lost consciousness, and understood all questions. She was able to move all her extremities. Kim was transported to a hospital in Moore County by ambulance along with another person who had sustained an injury on Cross Country. No further word was available at Press Time.

eventingetc wishes Kim and her ambulance mate the very best. More news will be posted when it becomes available.

Next, it started to rain about five minutes before the Advanced competition began and it continued to rain throughout, stopping just after the last horse finished.

The inclement weather failed to bother Nathalie Bouckaert and West Farthing, recently members of the Short List for the Athens Olympics, who laid down a copy book Cross Country run for the fastest time of the day - 7.2 time faults - to rise from 6th after Dressage to the top of the Leader Board on a score of 36.77. (Nathalie and West Farthing are pictured above at the right in the last water.)

Nathalie's husband, Michael Pollard, had a great run with SS Jett for 13.6 time penalties and 44.47, which catapulted him from 7th to 3rd place. (Michael and SS Jett are pictured at the right jumping onto the island at the last water.)

Holly Hepp, also a member of the Olympic Short List, with Mrs. Mary Secrist's Damien, a home town favorite, had the second fastest time Cross Country, for 12.8 faults, and 4th place.

Corinne Ashton is 5th with Dobbin on 52.69 (21.6 time faults) and Imtiaz Anees (IND) stands 6th riding Freetown with a score of 56.36 (16.8 time faults).

Canada's Mike Winter is in first place (Kingpin, 31.25 - 0 time faults) as well as second (Daybreak, 32.5 - 4 time faults) in the Preliminary Horse Section, fromDavid O'Connor and Walk On The Moon (33.75 - 8 time faults) and Darren Chaiacchia and Huronia (34.70 - 9.2 time faults). Saturday was Darren's Birthday.

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The below competition coverage provided by Amy J. Daum, with contributions by Amber Heintzberger.

AEC Success!

Not even the threat of a Category 5 hurricane swirling in the Gulf prevented almost 400 horses and riders from more than 30 states from converging on the Carolina Horse Park in Raeford, North Carolina for the inaugural American Eventing Championships, September 16-19.

In a field of 76, Sher Schwartz, a clinical psychologist from Waverly Hall, Georgia, went into the Novice Championship show jumping in the lead with one horse, her gelding Nothing Spared, and tied for third with her mare, Jamocean. Her double clear show jumping round with “Jam,” a seven-year-old Thoroughbred, earned them a victory—as well as a $5,000 check and brand new Amerigo saddle—on their dressage score of 29.5. A single knocked rail dropped her and Nothing Spared, aka Bobby, to a seventh place finish with 33. Sher attended the AEC with son Drew, who competed in the Preliminary Championship over the weekend.

Adrienne Classen’s almost 3,000-mile trip from Woodside, California was well worth it considering she’ll be taking back a trophy and other prizes for her win in the Novice Horse division. She and Rafferty’s Rules, her six-year-old Australian-bred Warmblood gelding, moved up from second to win the division with a score of 29.65 when overnight leaders Tiffani Loudon and Ricardo knocked two rails, dropping them to 12th place in this very competitive division—the top nine places were split by less than a show jumping rail.

D.C. McBroom and her eye catching 14-year-old Paint/Thoroughbred gelding Woodbine kept their cross-country lead to win the Novice Amateur division on their dressage score of 30.5. D.C. found Woody on the internet in 1999, and he lives on D.C. and husband Steve’s Owl Hollow Farm in Floyd, Virginia. Though only two of the 14 horses in this division had stops on cross-country, and two others were eliminated, the time was a serious factor. D.C. and Woody were one of only two pairs who finished without time penalties. D.C. also finished in ninth place aboard Due South in the Novice Championship division.

Paints were the breed du jour in the Novice divisions, it seemed, with Claire Williams and Top American Paint, aka Merlin, winning the Novice Junior/Young Rider division. The high school sophomore and her nine-year-old, 14.3-hand gelding made the trip from West Newbury, Massachusetts for the inaugural AEC, and finished impressively on their dressage score of 31.5.

The Training Championship division honors went to Rachel Lincoln, of Southern Pines, North Carolina, aboard Kilburn, a 16-year-old Thoroughbred gelding. The pair finished on their dressage score of 33.75 and went home with a check for $5,000 and new Amerigo saddle.

Former Olympian Karen O’Connor and Jackie Mars’ A Phar Cry scored a wire-to-wire victory in the Training Horse division, winning on their dressage score of 26.75. The former Olympian and diminutive seven-year-old Thoroughbred gelding (who stands at just 15.1 hands) finished with an almost four-penalty lead. (Karen and A Phar Cry are pictured at the left at the fence after the water.)

Dayton, Ohio veterinarian Beth Weisberger and Simply Stated, her 10-year-old Thoroughbred-cross gelding, gave themselves a 7.05-penalty cushion going into the Training Amateur division show jumping. The lead came in handy, since they dropped one rail, holding on for the win with a score of 37.25.

Amanda Glueck, of Versailles, Kentucky, and her 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Kabor managed a wire-to-wire victory in the Training Junior/Young Rider division, dropping one rail in show jumping to finish with a score of 29.75. Krissy Smith, of Potomac Falls, Virginia, and her 11-year-old Thoroughbred/Warmblood mare April Sonnet dogged the leaders the entire competition, and finished just one point behind. It’s no wonder the competition was so stiff in this division. In their eight starts in 2004, Amanda and Kabor have won six; Krissy, who has ridden through the CCI* level, had seven 2004 starts with “Bam Bam,” and the pair finished first or second in six of them.

The Preliminary Championship, along with $5,000 prize money and a new Amerigo saddle, went to 17-year-old Young Rider Nate Chambers, from Vienna, Virginia. Riding his own Rolling Stone II, an eight-year-old Warmblood gelding, Chambers added just 1.2 penalties to his dressage score, finishing with 30.7 penalties. (Nate and Rolling Stone II are pictured at the right during their Victory Gallop.)

“On cross-country I had to ride him a little bit more, but he never says, ‘I’m not doing this,’” Chambers explained. “He was my first horse and he is very special. He’s like my little kid.”

 

 

Complete Results are avalable at www.fivepointshorsepark.com (click on AEC)