FEI Season Gets Going in Area VI, Tamra Smith Cleans Up at Fresno County

Helen Bouscaren and Ebay. Photo by Shelby Allen.

While Rocking Horse got the Advanced season under way on the East Coast this weekend, Fresno County Horse Park in Fresno, CA, kicked off the first Advanced and FEI events of 2018 on the West Coast. Also on the schedule were Beginner Novice through Intermediate divisions, making for a busy weekend.

Helen Bouscaren and her 9-year-old Oldenburg, Ebay, kicked off the year in grand form. They won the CIC2* division to clinch their third consecutive win at the level. Scoring a 32.7 for third place after dressage, they held their position with a downed rail, but moved up to win after posting one of only two double clear cross country rounds in the division.

Derek di Grazia and his 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse, Ringwood Justice, were the leaders after the first two phases with a 29.1 on the flat and four penalties added in show jumping. Unfortunately, one extra second on cross country narrowly cost them the win.

Third place went to Tamie Smith and Sunsprite Warmbloods’ 10-year-old Trakehner, Sunsprite Syrius, the only other pair besides the winners to run double clear across the country. They finished on 38.2 in his first run since winning the Fair Hill International CCI2* in October.

Tamie took home two big wins in the CIC* and Advanced divisions. She and the MB Group LLC’s 8-year-old German Warmblood mare, MaiBlume, led the CIC* from the start, adding nothing to their dressage score of 31.1.

 

MaiBlume won the CIC1* this weekend ending on her Dressage score of 31.1.
It’s been a fun task of negotiating with this special girl, but it’s starting to come together!!

Posted by Tamie Smith on Saturday, February 17, 2018

Finishing second in the CIC* was Brianna Maroney and her 15-year-old Dutch Warmblood, Kaala Jaadu, who added only time penalties in both jumping phases to finish on 35.5. Amaya Davis and her 10-year-old Holsteiner Evening Attire made a big move up the leaderboard. Sitting tenth after dressage, they added one rail in show jumping but were fault-free on cross country to finish in third on 40.9 in their very first FEI appearance.

Looking to the Advanced, it was Tamie and Kevin Baumgardner’s 15-year-old Dutch Warmblood, Wembley, who led from the start on a 33.2. They added only two seconds of time on cross country to finish well ahead of the rest of the division in their first start since the Fair Hill International CCI3*.

Hawley Bennett-Awad and Jollybo, a 14-year-old British Sport Horse mare, added a rail and 12.8 cross country time penalties to their dressage score to finish second with a 50.7. Alexis Helffrich and Pamela Williams’ 11-year-old Thoroughbred/Warmblood, London Town, rounded out the top three on a final score of 54.2.

We also have to give a big shoutout to friend of EN Frankie Thieriot Stutes for winning the Intermediate division aboard her “pastry loving black horse” Chatwin in her first event back since giving birth to her second son last November. Tamie kept the 10-year-old German Warmblood in work while Frankie was on maternity leave, but Frankie and Chatwin didn’t miss a beat in their first event since the Bromont CCI3* last June, where they finished fourth. #mompower

Fresno County Horse Park H.T. [Website] [Results]