Woodside, Calif., Oct. 5, 2017 – It was all about the young horses today at the Woodside International Horse Trials as the best up-and-comers showcased their talent in the USEA Young Event Horse West Coast Championship.
The USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) Series scores talented 4- and 5-year-old horses across three phases – conformation, dressage and jumping – with the goal of identifying the next generation of top eventing horses. Today’s panel of judges included Judy Bradwell, Mark Weissbecker and Faith Fessenden.
Tamra Smith and Summerbridge Parc. Photo by USEA/Jessica Duffy.
Bonner Carpenter’s Summerbridge Parc was named the 5-year-old West Coast Champion with Tamra Smith in the tack. The Irish Sport Horse is by Ramiro B and out of Summerbridge Lilly.
“Wally” was sourced by Smith, who first met him overseas last fall. “He was a 4-year-old that I actually saw when I was in England based out of Rodney Powell’s,” Smith explained. “We’d been looking for a horse for Bonner [Carpenter] and vetted a couple here in the United States. Finally I just go, ‘You’ve got to buy this horse. We’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse. I promise you if you don’t like him, I’ll find a way to buy him from you.’ She bought him sight unseen.”
Carpenter’s purchase has proved well worth it with Wally performing exceptionally well across all three phases today. He earned 11.15 points for his conformation (out of 15 points) and produced the highest dressage score of the group on 25.9 (out of 35). His jumping score of 43.4 (out of 50 points) was again the highest in the group and gave him a finishing result of 80.1%.
Charlotte Babbit and 2 A.M. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Charlotte Babbitt’s 2 A.M. was a familiar face for young horse enthusiasts. “Abe,” a Dutch Warmblood (Sheraton x Regina K) owned by Babbitt, was the 4-year-old Champion on the East Coast last year, and showed just as much promise this year earning the Reserve Champion title as a 5-year-old. Piloted by Babbitt, Abe scored 11.78 for conformation, 24.15 for dressage and 36.15 for a three-phase score of 72.08%.
Third place went to Enfinity. The Holsteiner mare was bred by Brian Jalbert and is by Cortilo and out of Ericka. Owned and ridden by Andrea Baxter, she finished on a score of 67.3% after gaining 10.8 conformation points, 23.45 dressage points and 33.05 points over fences.
Marc Grandia and Sunsprite’s Watusi. Photo by Shelby Allen.
The judges awarded the 4-year-old Championship title to Sunsprite Ranch’s Sunsprite’s Watusi on a result of 78.05%. The Oldenburg gelding, who is by Wild Dance and out of Kamirette, was bred by Pamela Duffy. He picked up a conformation score of 10.74 and a dressage score of 25.06 before showcasing his best abilities over fences for 42.25 points.
For rider Marc Grandia, this win is a direct reflection of Duffy and her husband Don Trotter’s breeding program at Sunsprite Warmbloods. “They sent him to me as a 3-year-old last fall and they’ve been absolutely fantastic to work with. They’re always looking out for the horse which is why he hasn’t shown much this year, because he didn’t need to. It was the right thing for him. So excited just to see the success of their horses. It reflects really well on their breeding program and for me it’s just a fun experience,” Marc commented.
Nancy Read’s CrossCross PCH followed suit in second place. Ridden by Nicole Carroll, the Oldenburg gelding by Con Capilot finished on the heels of the winner. A conformation score of 10.89, a dressage score of 29.33 and a jumping score of 37.25 produced a cumulative final score of 77.47%.
Tamie Smith and MaiStein. Photo by Shelby Allen.
MB MaiStein closed the day as the third-placed 4-year-old. Owned by the MB Group and ridden by Tamra Smith, the Oldenburg gelding by Rocky Lee posted a result of 74.71%. He boasted both the highest conformation and dressage scores of this class with scores of 12.45 and 29.96, respectively.
The Woodside International Horse Trials continues tomorrow with dressage beginning at 8:00 a.m. The international divisions will then show jump in the Grand Prix Arena starting at 2:30 p.m. Join us at 5:00 p.m. for dinner and drinks during the CIC3* jumping at our Welcome Reception. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at this link.
Spectators are welcomed and encouraged! Eventing fans can get an unobstructed view of the cross country course under the shade of a sprawling oak tree, or they can explore the course to get a front row seat on the action. For an admittance fee of $10 per car, spectators will receive parking and an event program.
The Event at Woodside is excited to welcome CWD, Devoucoux, Equine Insurance, the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series and Majyk Equipe as 2017 Presenting Sponsors.
Sunsprite Warmbloods is a Gold Medal Sponsor.
Silver Medal Sponsors are: JRD Saddles, SmartPak, Voltaire Design and Professional’s Choice.
Bronze Medal Sponsors are: Auburn Laboratories, Inc. (APF), Geranium Floral, Ride On Video, Shires Equestrian Products and Triple Crown Nutrition.
Eventing Training Online is a Friend Sponsor.
To learn more about The Event at Woodside, please visit, www.woodsideeventing.com.
To learn more about The Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series, please visit, www.useventing.com/competitions/goldcup. To learn more about the USEA Young Event Horse Series, please visit www.useventing.com/competitions/yeh.
Media credentials are available. Please contact the Press Officer: Shelby Allen,shelbyrallen@gmail.com, 770-530-4937