Day two of the USEA Area II Championships started off with a little repair work. In the night, the HSM start box tent took out the corner of the start box itself and came to rest in one of the dressage rings. Our garish, yet arresting, start box tent’s sad and battered remains, once discovered, received the immediate attention of the start box emergency repair technicians. We hope for a full and complete recovery in time for its next outing.
Fortunately, Team Maryland pushed the tent tragedy aside and went on to put down some excellent runs:
Open Training Championship Division:
- Morgan Connelly (Jarrettsville) and her Hanoverian Rio are sitting in 7th place after cross country, and they are first in the show jumping ring for Team Maryland, at 8:04 a.m.
Training Rider Championship Division:
- Kendal Fansler (Clarksville) and her ISH gelding Milchem Giovanni are in 2nd place after cross country, behind Claire Kassar (originally from Steamboat Springs, Colorado) and Chaplin, who put down a very impressive dressage score of 22.8. Fansler starts her stadium round at 9:04 a.m.
- Donald Ruths, Jr. (Federalsburg) and his Friesian gelding Raven are in 4th on a 28.9. They start stadium at 9 a.m. sharp.
- Malie Lockard (Sykesville) and her Kentucky Thoroughbred Dynamic Decision are in 12th place after some time faults on cross country. She goes into the show jumping ring at 8:44 a.m.
- Sarah Kane (Street) and her Pennsylvania-bred Thoroughbred mare Silver Lido are in 15th after cross county, also due to time faults, and they go into stadium six minutes before Kane, at 8:38 a.m.
- Jessica Goldberg (Silver Spring) and her Louisiana-bred Thoroughbred America Runs on Duncan, another pair who fell victim to time faults, are in 17th after cross country. Their stadium round starts at 8:34.
- Amy Boccia (Baldwin) and Firefly, a Pennsylvania-bred Thoroughbred gelding (JC Ohnonotagain) incurred a costly 20 points on cross country to stand in 19th place. They will try to redeem themselves in stadium starting at 8:30 a.m.
Open Novice Championship Division:
- Courtney Waskiewicz (Clarksville) and her 2018 Irish Sport Horse Carrowgar Future are in the lead after cross country on a 31.1. Maryland-bred Thoroughbred Two Today is right behind them in second place on a 32.5. Two Today sets the pace for the pair in stadium at 9:50 — Waskiewicz does her best to beat him at 9:52 a.m.
- Nicolas Hinze (Keedysville) and his Illinois Thoroughbred Prado Jett climbed from 8th after dressage to 5th after cross country. They finish their competition with stadium at 9:54 a.m.
- Susan Thompson (Leonardtown) and KWPN gelding Navarino are in 6th place on their dressage score after cross country. At 10:27 a.m. they start stadium in an effort to maintain their spot.
Novice Junior Championship Division:
- Chloe Luedtke (Odenton) and her un-raced Kentucky Thoroughbred Insuspense were 3rd after dressage and are still 3rd after cross country. Fellow Marylander Ella Ruth Goodman (Severna Park) and Irish Encanto are only .6 points behind them, in 4th. Goodman will try to best Luedtke in stadium at 10:56 a.m. Luedtke will try to hold off Goodman two minutes later, at 10:58 a.m.
Novice Rider Championship Division:
- Liz Espinosa (Beltsville) and her Oldenburg gelding Benediction are in 3rd place after cross country, only .3 points ahead of their closest rival. They enter the show jumping ring at 10:33 a.m.
- Erica Gregg (Salisbury) and her Maryland-bred Thoroughbred High Noon are in 7th place after cross country and will finish up in stadium at 10:25 a.m.
- Cyndy Mackey (Brookeville) and the Connemara gelding Seattle Reign pulled themselves up from 17th after dressage to 11th after cross country. They will try to climb up the rankings even more in their stadium round at 10:17 a.m.
Beginner Novice Rider Championship Division:
- Veronica Mallett (Churchville) and her New York Thoroughbred Southern Bay (JC Sean South) are in 8th place but less than a rail away from 3rd place. They go into stadium at 11:53 a.m. in a bid to climb to 3rd – or higher.
- Maryland KWPN Kirika and Ashley Beheler (Sykesville) had a tough cross-country round and incurred 80 penalty points. They go into their stadium round at 12:09 p.m. in 13th place.
Junior Beginner Novice Rider Championship Division:
- Ryan Gaches (Davidsonville) and his New York Thoroughbred Franklin’s Reserve (JC Stash My Money) are in 3rd place after cross country and start their stadium round at 1:05 p.m.
- Maryland-bred Thoroughbred Pac Yer Tack and Sophie Pilon (Potomac) are in 6th place after cross country. They will finish out their competition in the show jumping ring at 12:59 p.m.
- Maryland Thoroughbred Magical Mesa and her New Jersey rider Cheyanne Smith are tied for 13th place after cross country with Marylander Zoey Bucior (Sykesville) and her Kentucky Thoroughbred Miss Lotus Flower. Bucior enters the show umping ring tomorrow first, at 12:43; Magical Mesa will try to break the tie with her stadium round two minutes later, at 12:45.
Open Starter Rider Championship Division:
- Katrina Davis (Hanover) and her APHA gelding Paint Misbehavin’ are in 5th after cross country and will start their stadium round at 2:10 p.m.
Open Starter Championship Division:
- Maryland-bred Hanoverian gelding Accordingly and Sharon Repetto are, as we expected, sitting in 1st overnight after cross country with a commanding 16-point lead over his nearest competitor. Saving the best for last, we are rooting for the pair to repeat their AEC victory with an Area II Championship title after their stadium round at 2:45 p.m.