Maya Black and Doesn't Play Fair at Plantation Field. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Entries for the Dutta Corp Fair Hill International Horse Trials went live over the weekend, with 58 horses entered in the CCI3* and a record-breaking 122 horses entered in the CCI2*. Click here to view the full list of entries. Forty-five combinations started in the three-star last year, with 69 in the two-star, so this is an exciting upswing in entries.
While Buck Davidson has nine horses appearing on the entry list, he confirmed last night that Ballynoe Castle RM is enjoying his vacation as planned, and Copper Beech will go to California for the Galway Downs CCI3* instead. His three rides in the CCI3* will be USEA Adequan Advanced Gold Cup Final champion Petite Flower, The Apprentice and Wiley Post.
Boyd Martin confirmed that Trading Aces will go to California for the Galway Downs CCI3*, giving him four rides in the three-star at Fair Hill between Crackerjack, Pancho Villa, Steady Eddie and Master Frisky. Those four horses give him the most rides in the division.
A strong West Coast contingent including Tamie Smith, Matt Brown, Avery Klunick and Mackenna Shea have come east to compete at Fair Hill, with Tamie most recently bringing home the USEA American Eventing Championships Merial Intermediate win with Twizted Syster and Matt placing third in the Adequan USEA Advanced Gold Cup Final with Super Socks BCF.
Last year’s CCI2* champion Allie Sacksen and Sparrow’s Nio return in the CCI3* this year, and Maya Black and Doesn’t Play Fair, coming off a big win in the Plantation Field International Horse Trials CIC3*, will also compete in the three-star. Fans of super pony Forrest Nymph will be excited to see the little mare entered in the two-star with Sinead Halpin as planned.
Ellen Doughty-Hume and Sir Oberon, who finished sixth in the CCI3* last year, are coming from Texas once again to contest the three-star, which will be their first FEI event back since a nasty heel grab at Red Hills in March kept them from competing in their first Rolex in April.
Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda, Katy Groesbeck and Oz the Tin Man, Jimmie Schramm and Bellamy, and Amanda Wilson and Cool Decision all return looking for redemption in the CCI3* this year, as does Buck with Petite Flower after cross-country day didn’t go their way last year.
The USEA Young Event Horse East Coast Championships will also take place during Fair Hill, with 24 5-year-olds and 12 4-year-olds slated to compete. Those numbers are down slightly from the 30 5-year-olds and 18 4-year-olds that competed in 2013. The USEA Future Event Horse Championships will take place at Loch Moy Farm in November this year instead of at Fair Hill.
EN’s fortune teller Maggie Deatrick, who is competing in the CCI2* with her own Divine Comedy, will be checking in next week with her predictions for the top 10, sleeper and dark horse in the CCI3*, and Chinch will be leading the coverage team as we bring you all the action from the USEF Eventing National Championships starting next week.
Go Eventing.
Dutta Corp Fair Hill International: [Website] [Entries] [Schedule]
