From our newest EN Team member, and Blogger Contest co-Winner, Lacy Cotton. I apologize for the quality of photos below, I had some technical site issues getting things loaded properly. That’s my fault, not Lacy’s!
This past weekend saw the coming of that festive holiday, Halloween! And in Area Five, that also means it was time for the spookiest of all USEA shows, the Holly Hill Fall Horse Trial!
Holly Hill Farms has been an established part of the Area Five eventing scene for many years. The 280 acre farm is owned by Dr. Bobby and Tracy Hewlett, who offer training, boarding, and a racehorse breeding program. Holly Hill also boasts several area five eventing highlights, such as USEA/USEF recognized shows, area championships, and clinics featuring instructors David and Karen O’Connor. The Fall Horse Trial is a yearly celebrated event where competitors can both strive for excellence and show their Halloween spirit!
On this October, Friday and Saturdays morning dressage was a chilly and soggy affair, with high winds that put a lot of the horses on edge. A sudden coldfront had swept through the southern states only hours before the competition was meant to begin, bringing with it icy rains and piercing winds. Many of the eventers arriving didn’t know whether to curse the weather gods or simply be grateful for a break from the drought!
Intermediate and prelim completed their dressage phase on Friday, while all other levels began competition the next day. On Saturday, upper levels through Training occupied the stadium arena as Novice and Beginner Novice competed on the cross country course.
This fall horse trial was particularly exciting for upper level riders because it was their first opportunity to ride the newly designed prelim and intermediate cross country courses, courtesy of course designer and clinician David O’Connor. Both XC courses appeared to run smoothly throughout the day on Sunday, with minimal refusals or rider falls. Preliminary competitor Kristy Limon commented on the new design, saying, “I really liked this course. It’s so nice to have a new challenge, and this cross country course is very inviting and horse friendly. I love Holly Hill’s courses because my horse always finishes more confident than when he started it!”
The lower levels experienced similar course updates last spring, also designed by David. All courses appeared to ride well despite the rain, though Beginner Novice did experience a bit of excitement when a decorative pumpkin rolled out from beneath a jump and into the riders’ path during competition. Show officials obligingly removed refusal penalties for the horses that stopped due to the offending gourd.
Intermediate and Preliminary levels completed their Cross Country on Sunday while the lower levels finished with Stadium. Open Intermediate Competitors Juliue Wolfert and Buenos Aires begun their weekend in second place and moved to first after finishing on their dressage score of 31.6. In Jr. Preliminary, Avery Klunick rose from third place to first when her horse, In It to Win It, went double clear in Stadium and Cross Country! And in Open Preliminary, Meighan Ferguson rode Cappataggle Clover to victory on a dressage score of 29.6! Congrats competitors!
For a more complete listing of the final placings from all levels, refer to the competition’s results page here.
Despite the frosty weather (well, frosty for the south!), the atmosphere at the Holly Hill Far Horse Trials was anything but frigid. Competitors and officials alike got into the Halloween spirit, offering cheerful support and encouragement that made for a great weekend of friendly competition!
Go Eventing!
~Lacy Cotton
