Area
II Intermediate Champion Ryan Wood to Compete at Fair Hill and to Work for Phillip
Dutton at True Prospect Farm Contact: Amber Heintzberger amberwriter@aol.com
828-289-0658 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE West Grove, Pennsylvania
- Australian event rider Ryan Wood is pleased to announce his employment
at Phillip Dutton's True Prospect Farm in West Grove, Pennsylvania. A four-star
level competitor, Ryan, 25 will assist with training and competing the long list
of high-class competition horses in Dutton's barn.
"I am excited
to have Ryan riding for me," says Phillip. "He has a great work
ethic, horsemanship skills and a desire to learn. He has a bright future in this
country."
Ryan had worked with Phillip previously
in the lead-up to the Rolex Kentucky three-day event, (injuries kept him from
competing), and says that he is looking forward to spending more time training
with the Australian-turned-American Olympic eventer.
The move comes shortly
after Ryan and Wynella Wolverine, a Thoroughbred/Warmblood cross gelding
owned by Analisa Hegyesi, won the Area II Intermediate Championship at
the Plantation Field International CIC and Horse Trials in Unionville, Pennsylvania.
"All the horses in the Area II Championship had to have placed first or second
in an event to qualify, so it was the best of the best," says Ryan.
"It's good to have a strong result like that to give us confidence going
up to Fair Hill."
The upcoming championship at Fair Hill, in Elkton,
Maryland, will be Ryan's final event of the year. The inaugural CCI** division
has drawn more than 80 entries. "It's going to be pretty tough; but, I'll
be going for the win," Ryan says. "Hopefully we'll be in striking
distance after the dressage and then jump around well." Back at True
Prospect, "There is plenty of riding for me to do, which is good," says
Ryan. His longtime friend, fellow Australian four-star eventer Boyd
Martin has been employed as Dutton's assistant trainer for the past couple
of years so Ryan is also happy to be working with him, as well as with
recent Young Rider Gold Medalist Jennie Brannigan, whose horse
Cooper
is currently tied for the USEA//Nutrena Horse of the Year title. "Working
alongside Boyd and Jennie is fantastic," says Ryan.
"It's a really fun working environment." About Ryan:
In Australia Ryan competed to the highest level of international eventing,
the four-star level,
with several horses: Koyuna Azgard, Countdown and Wonder.
A native of Sydney, he moved to the United States in February to work for eventing
legend Bruce Davidson in at Chesterland Farm, in Unionville, Pennsylvania.
Ryan swiftly made an impression in the United States at the beginning
of 2008 when he sustained severe injuries in a fall at the Ocala Horse Trials
in Florida, when his horse hung a leg over a table fence. The horse was uninjured;
but, Ryan incurred a fractured knee, a
shattered eye socket and cheek
bone, a broken nose, jaw and palate and a collapsed lung. He was airlifted to
the Shands Hospital, in Gainesville, Florida and underwent nine hours of reconstructive
surgery on his face; he is now held together with three metal plates and 25 screws.
In spite of the severity of his injuries, Ryan was back in competition
by early summer, winning the intermediate division at the Fair Hill Horse Trials,
with a score of 26, riding Wynella Wolverine. He then went on to place second
at the CIC** at Bromont, Quebec. After the 2008 competition season is wrapped
up, Ryan will spend a few months working hard at True Prospect as well
as teaching students in the area and breaking young horses for riding and racing
in the hours after he finishes at True Prospect.
"I finish at the
barn around four p.m. so that leaves a few hours each day to earn some extra money
on the side," Ryan explains. "It's a lot of work but I enjoy
it and it's worth it."
He plans to purchase a young horse as a resale
project while Wynella Wolverine takes a well-deserved rest; but, he also has his
eye on the long-term with his upper-level partner.
He says, "I hope
to get a good result at Fair Hill because I am looking to put together a syndicate
to purchase Wolfy."
Anyone interested is speaking to Ryan about lessons,
training or sponsorship can contact him at woodstockeventing@hotmail.com or call
him at 352-425-4011. Photo: Ryan Wood and Wynella Wolverine at the 2008
Area II Intermediate Championships at Plantation Field, Copyright Amber Heintzberger
for Amy K. Dragoo Photography
|
