The US Eventing Association’s Area II Championships kicked off today at Loch Moy Farm in Adamstown. Area II comprises Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
To qualify for the championships, a horse-and-rider pair from anywhere in Area II must finish 1st through 5th at at least one event in the Intermediate, Preliminary, Modified, Training, Novice, Beginner Novice, or Starter divisions. The competition will run through Sunday across 14 different divisions. As always, Maryland horses and riders are in plentiful supply, and many of the pairs that contested the American Eventing Championships at the Kentucky Horse Park in August are competing again this weekend.
Todays Starters
James Power of Mt. Airy started Team Maryland off in the Intermediate (3’9″) Championship division today, riding his Young Rider Championship partner, the 10-year-old Connemara/Thoroughbred gelding, Brambleridge Ponder the Truth (aka Patrick).
Since the Young Rider championships in June, Power and Patrick competed at the Waredaca Farm Horse Trials on August 15 — where they were disqualied due to an involuntery dismount — and the Seneca Valley Pony Club Horse Trials on August 29th, where they finished 9th.
Today, Power and Ponder completed all three phases of the Intermediate Championship division and finished 2nd behind Newmarket Jack, a more experienced Irish Sport Horse ridden who has already competed at the CCI3* level, ridden by professional rider Alexandra MacLeod from Marshall, Virginia.
Ride Times for Saturday
The rest of the Championship divisions will run tomorrow with Team Maryland start times as follows:
Training (3’3) Championships:
- Kendal Fansler (Clarksville) will start Team Maryland off for the day with dressage at 8 a.m. on her five-year-old Irish Sport Horse Milchem Giovanni.
- Morgan Connelly (Jarrettsville) will start her dressage test at 8:42 a.m. with her eight-year-old Oldenburg gelding, Call Me Rio.
- Malie Lockard (Sykesville) will start dressage at 9:42 a.m. on her Kentucky-bred Thoroughbred Dynamic Decision (Dixie Union x Risk (Wavering Monarch)).
Novice (2’11) Championships:
- Allison Snowden of Virginia takes her Maryland-bred Thoroughbred Two Today (Mineshaft x Lucy Stragmore) (Tale of the Cat)) down the center line at 10:21 a.m.
- Cyndy Mackey (Brookeville) starts her test at 10:51 a.m. on her own 12-year-old Connemara gelding Seattle Reign.
- The 11-year-old Maryland-bred Thoroughbred High Noon (JC High Noon Lute) (Midnight Lute x Memories of Mystic (Dixie Union)), bred by Dark Hollow Farm, and his rider Erica Gregg start their test at 11:33 a.m.
- Susan Thompson (Leonardtown) starts dressage at 11:39 a.m. on her eight-year-old KWPN gelding Navarino.
Beginner Novice (2’7) Championships:
- The eight-year-old Maryland-bred Thoroughbred mare Magical Mesa (Sky Mesa Oro Blanco (Hold for Gold)), bred by Everest Stables Inc., begins her dressage phase at 10:39 a.m. with New Jersey-based rider Chayenne Smith.
- Askley Beheler (Sykesville) begins her dressage test at 1:24 p.m. on her 11-year-old home-bred KWPN mare Kirika (Riverman x Noblesse Oblige (Consul)).
- Sophie Pilon (Bethesda) rides her 16-year-old Maryland-bred Thoroughbred gelding Pac Yer Tack (Purge x Irish Bride (Sligo Bay)), bred by Mr. & Mrs. Charles McGinnes, at 11:27 a.m.
Starter (2’3) Championships:
- The reigning American Eventing Champion for the Starter division — the ten-year-old Maryland-bred Hanoverian gelding Accordingly (Florianus II x Conteah (MD) (Contucci)), who was bred by Phoebe DeVoe-Moore (Glen Arm, MD) — will start his competition division with his new rider Sharon Repetto at 2:00 p.m. Will they take their second championships of the season?
We will bring you full converage of the Area II Championships over the weekend, along with exclusive photos and social media provided by our visual arts partner Erin Gilmore Photography.