Four
USEF National Eventing Champions Crowned at Hagyard MidSouth 3-Day and Team Challenge
Horse Trials
By Helen Murray
Lexington, KY – Four USEF Eventing National
One Star Championships were contested at the Kentucky Horse Park during October
15-18, 2009. Held in conjunction with the Haygard MidSouth 3Day and Team Challenge
Horse Trials competitors flocked from all parts of the country to vie for the
National One Star Championships.
Showing
once again that eventing is not for the faint of heart, competitors endured near
frigid temperatures, deluges of rain and blustery conditions. However, riders
were undeterred by the weather and took every opportunity to show case their beautifully
turned-out and fit horses. Erin Freedman
(Oak Hill, VA) and her 7-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, Viola, captured the
USEF National One Star Championship over Jamie Price and Poker Run. Freedman
led the competition from start to finish adding just 4.4 time faults on the cross
country to her winning Dressage score of 41.6. In
the USEF Junior Championship 15-year-old Noelle Varga (Louisville, KY)
and Great Scot put in a consistent performance over the weekend in spite of the
chilly conditions to take home the blue ribbon. Elinor
MacPhail came from Johnstown, OH with her Selle Francais gelding, Parador
Mail, to win the USEF 19 to 21-Year-Old Championship. In
addition to a third place overall finish Kassidy Kirchner (Ellettsville,
IN) and Umi were also awarded the USEF National Amateur Championship. Kirchner
was one of the few competitors to not add a single penalty point over the weekend
and finish on her dressage score of 47.2. Emily Rose Evans (Nashville,
TN) and Read All Over took home the Reserve Championship in the Amateur division.
ENDS For more information,
please contact USEF Director of Eventing – National Programs, Shealagh Costello
at: scostello@usef.org.
The vision of the United
States Equestrian Federation® is to provide leadership for equestrian
sport in the United States of America by promoting the pursuit of excellence
from the grassroots to the Olympic Games, based on a foundation of fair,
safe competition and the welfare of its human and equine athletes.
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