Kurt Martin and Delux Z. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Well that’s a wrap on Rebecca Farm 2015! The three-star divisions show jumped concurrently this afternoon, making for an exciting finish for both the CIC and CCI riders.

The course took many, many prisoners today. Four of the eight completing riders left all of the poles up in the CCI3* and just two jumped without knocking any in the CIC3*.

It was not the day for overnight CCI3* leaders Buck Davidson and The Apprentice. They never really got into a good rhythm together, resulting in six rails on the ground and a drop out of first place for Buck.

“Dirk” has a show jump record dotted with rails, including six down at Rolex this year, so we know Buck continues to work to find an improvement for Sherrie Martin’s Irish Sport Horse.

Buck had his usual positive demeanor in the press conference following show jumping, knowing that he and The Apprentice would be back another day. “Obviously I’m disappointed,” he said. “I didn’t come here to be third, but on days like this I always say turn on CNN and my life is not that bad.”

“We’ll have to go back to the drawing board, and we’ll have to see if we can make it better,” Buck continued. “I thought I was onto something last year when he was jumping well and it’s sort of fallen apart this year but we’ll have to go back and find it. That’s one thing about this sport is you’ve just got to keep working and trying different things.”

Buck Davidson and The Apprentice. Photo by Sally Spickard.

The door was open, though, and Kurt Martin had already jumped a beautiful clear round to really lay the pressure on thick from second place. Kurt received a Rebecca Broussard Travel Grant for this trip, and he’s sure to be all smiles in the press conference to have made such a successful trip.

“I think (Delux Z) was a bit overwhelmed, he was spooky and I’ve ridden him long enough to know that that’s how he’d be going in,” Kurt said. “It wasn’t my smoothest round, but I think he trusts me. When he spooks, he jumps higher so that’s definitely a good thing. I’m really proud of him, and to put it all together at your first attempt and finish on your dressage score is not easily done.”

Kurt and Delux Z are the sole pair to finish on the dressage score here in the CCI3* on a final score of 47.0. From there, it wasn’t too much of a contest as second placed James Alliston and Parker lowered three rails for a three day total of 62.9.

James Alliston and Parker. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Parker’s round today was also a bit surprising, but as I said before the course was very tricky and asked a lot of both horse and rider. There was little room for error, and unfortunately many fell victim to the smallest of mistakes.

James was still pleased with Parker today, though. “It was a bit of a disappointing end to the show, it really wasn’t the best show jumping round honestly, but I’m still delighted to be second,” he said.”

David Acord and Reigns of Justice. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Both David Acord and Bunnie Sexton produced the other two double clear rounds of the division. David Acord gave Reigns of Justice a very enthusiastic “Good girl!” halfway through, and Bunnie was equally pleased with her “Ecko” after her lovely round.

Poor Kiyomi Foster and Tasman Sea were having a lovely go of things in their second CCI3* when things came to a sliding stop at the triple bar at 6A. Tasman Sea decided he’d prefer not to get to the other side, leaving Kiyomi to pick her bruised ego up off the ground. Such a bummer, but we know they’ll be back to fight another day.

Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. Photo by Sally Spickard.

In the CIC3*, it was a no contest as Tamie Smith and Mai Baum ran away with the win despite having one rail down, the pesky plank at the railroad crossing. I’m excited to hear Tamie’s thoughts on her ride today in the press conference, as she’s sure to be thrilled. She is preparing to go back East with Alex Ahearn’s German gelding this fall, so this was an excellent prep and guage of where this newer partnership is.

“(Show jumping) is kind of his trickiest phase,” Tamie said. “He’s so careful and spooky and he hasn’t had a lot of experience at this level. He was very good at the one-star and Intermediate level, but when he went up to two-star and Advanced and three-star now, it’s been a bit of a struggle.”

The rail that came down, a plank, was on a flat cup that Mai Baum barely touched, which Tamie attributed to a slight disagreement on the distance. “He’ll leave from a gap sometimes and sometimes he wants to add. Susie Hutchinson came over and worked with me last month, and she said ‘when you’re on that decision, you need to add,’ and then I had the rail. But we’ll get to know each other and I think he’ll get more confident as we keep going. But he was phenomenal … he jumped really well.”

Barb Crabo and Eveready. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Barb Crabo and Eveready had perhaps my favorite and one of the smoothest rounds of the entire day, making the three-star course look easy much as Barb did with Over Easy in the two-star. Barb picked up just one time penalty but she’s still good for second place on a final score of 70.2.

Jen McFall and High Times. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Jen McFall and High Times also had a lovely round, but some hard rubs finally gave way to two rails down towards the end of the course. Jen’s planning to run a couple of combined tests as a part of her prep plan for Blenheim, so we know she will be working hard to get Billy’s show jumping as close to perfect as it can be before she goes to England. Overall, this pair looked fantastic all weekend — really one that is beginning to come into their own.

Once again, I can’t congratulate all of these hard working and gracious riders enough on a great weekend, and thank you to all of the support staff who has made this, without a question, my favorite event to cover.

Go Rebecca!

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Heather Morris and Charlie Tango. Photo by Sally Spickard.

We’re going to start calling Tamie Smith “The Pressure Cooker” (or something more funny) because she’s certainly good at laying the pressure on thick this weekend. As she did in the CCI*, she once again delivered a double clear round, this time aboard Dempsey, to put the pressure on her business partner and best friend, Heather Morris.

Heather and Tamie exchanged high fives as Tamie exited the ring, and Heather settled an exuberant Charlie Tango for a beautiful round to clinch the win. They did pick up one time penalty, but it was still within the breathing room Heather had to still take first.

Tamie Smith and Dempsey. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Charlie Tango, owned by Team Express Group LLC, now picks up his second consecutive win at the CCI2* level, proving himself to be a very serious competitor for Heather. This pair will finish on a score of 43.7 and will have plenty of celebrating to do this evening.

Tamie and the West Coast Dempsey Syndicate’s Dempsey also delivered a clear round to end on their dressage score in his CCI2* debut. This horse finished sixth in the CIC2* at Copper last month and continues to deliver under pressure for Tamie. This pair will take home a final score of 49.4.

Barb Crabo and Over Easy. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Barb Crabo and Over Easy picked another of the double clear rounds today for third place overall on a final score of 52.8. Over Easy is a fun jumper to watch, and this pair made Richard Jeffery’s course look like child’s play.

The top three are the only to have double clear rounds — the rails were falling for the remainder of the division as the course became bigger and more technical. There was an interesting option at fence two on course consisting of either a narrow vertical or a normal width, set at different angles.

Fence two on the CCI2* course. Photo by Sally Spickard.

The choice was the riders’, and the left hand turn to the next fence, a big oxer, was to be taken into account. I did see a handful of riders take the option (the wider fence) for what were perhaps green or particularly strong horses.

In all, we saw 10 riders complete the division today after Fleur de Lis (Tamie Smith) and Guinness St. James’ (Amber Levine) were withdrawn overnight. I’ll be adding a gallery from the day to this post later on, so stay tuned for more!

We’re set to kick off the three-star show jumping in about 30 minutes. The orders of go have been combined, so we’ll be seeing both the CIC3* and the CCI3* riders in reverse order — fifth place and then fifth place and so on. I’ll be live tweeting the action over on @eventingnation, so follow along for the latest updates!

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Kelly Pugh and Corazon. Photo by Sally Spickard.

The pressure was certainly on Kelly Pugh as she entered the main arena here at Rebecca Farm. A large crowd had gathered and second placed Tamie Smith and Under Wraps had just put in a flawless clear round. Kelly had not a rail in hand to spare, but she needn’t have worried as she, too, jumped a beautiful round to clinch the CCI* win.

Many of the CCI* pairs ended the weekend on their dressage score, and Kelly and David Garrett’s Corazon finished on a final score of 41.3. This weekend was Corazon’s first U.S. FEI competition, having campaigned in Europe previously, and he’s certainly one to keep an eye on for the future. I feel an EN’s Got Talent coming on…

Tamie Smith and Under Wraps. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Tamie Smith had a tense morning at the horse inspections, but she shook it off and jumped a beautiful round aboard Beth Lendrum’s Under Wraps for solid second place on a three-day score of 43.0. Tamie has been very pleased with Under Wraps throughout the weekend, who she says keeps improving on a daily basis.

Ruth Bley and Silver Sage. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Ending their weekend in third are Ruth Bley and Silver Sage, her own 13-year-old Holsteiner gelding. This pair has quite a few one-star miles under their belt, and this weekend’s score of 48.3 is one of their lowest to date.

Auburn Excell Brady and Royal Lux. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Auburn Excell Brady and Royal Lux enjoyed a nice move up with a rare clear round that landed them in fourth up from eighth after cross country. Auburn and R. Lawrence Sawyer’s Royal Lux picked up two time penalties on course today for a final score of 49.0.

Amanda Hund and Pik Pilot. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Jetting up the board from tenth place to finish in fifth are Amanda Hund and her own Pik Pilot, who are contesting their first CCI* here this weekend. This pair will also finish on just their dressage score for a total of 49.4.

Richard Jeffery’s course was definitely tough, which is to be expected. The earlier morning light may have caused some of the fences to become “bogey” type fences, and clear rounds were hard to come by as time went on. Particularly tricky were the liverpool as well as the “railroad crossing” jump which featured a pesky plank that preferred to live on the ground.

I have more photos to add from this division as a gallery, so I’ll add that to the bottom of this post once I am able to. Congratulations to all finishers on a successful weekend!

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Kelly Pugh and Corazon. Photo by Sally Spickard.

The 50-strong CCI* division has just finished cross country, and it was Kelly Pugh and Corazon who jumped double clear to remain on their dressage score of 41.3 and, subsequently, in the lead heading into show jumping.

This is Kelly’s first FEI event with Corazon, owned by David Garrett, who has proven himself to be a solid citizen after today’s run. This pair doesn’t have much in the way of breathing room in the show jumping tomorrow; less than a rail separates Kelly from second placed Tamie Smith and Under Wraps, who also ran double clear.

Tamie Smith and Under Wraps were one of the last to go, and she was thrilled with how well he ran today. “He’s just such a quality, sweet horse,” Tamie said. “It’s so fun to be on the young ones and see them gain confidence as they keep going out.”

Owned by Beth Lendrum, Under Wraps is under Tamie’s care until he sells and gaining more confidence and experience with every outing. They’ll remain on their dressage score of 43.0 for second place overnight.

Third after cross country is still Auburn Excell Brady and Pinotage, who also easily made the time to add nothing to their dressage score of 45.8. Auburn also has a second ride who is in the top 10 in Royal Lux, who just barely came home over the optimum time for two time penalties. Royal Lux will take eighth place into show jumping on a score of 49.0.

Patience O’Neal and Hollywood Diva ran a fast and clear round and were rewarded with a move up the board, from sixth to fourth, on a score of 47.6. Hollywood Diva is a 14-year-old KWPN mare owned by Barbara Flynn who is a newer ride for Patience. This is their first FEI competition together; they most recently finished fourth in the Intermediate at Whidbey Island.

Anna Collier and The Green Machine round out the top five, moving from seventh to fifth on a score of 48.0. The Green Machine is contesting his second CCI* this weekend and looked like he was thoroughly enjoying himself as he rounded the turn to the last group of fences today.

The CCI* course rode quite well overall, 25 of the 42 finishers completing double clear runs. We did see a few tired horses coming around to the last, but overall it seems the horses were fit and running well through the end.

We’re just wrapping up the press conference for the CCI3* now, so I’ll be updating all of my reports throughout the rest of the day with quotes and more photos. Once again, I can’t thank everyone here who is working so hard to run a smooth and seamless event. Hats off to each one of you!

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Buck Davidson and The Apprentice. Photo by Sally Spickard.

It was a dramatic day for the CCI3* riders here on Ian Stark’s course at Rebecca Farm, and we’re heartbroken for dressage winners Jordan Linstedt and RevitaVet Capato, who had a spill at fence 23, the Stone Oxer. From what we have heard both Jordan and Capato are ok, but their unfortunate elimination has slotted Buck Davidson and The Apprentice into first place.

“(The Apprentice) actually did it easier than I thought he was going to,” Buck said. “I found the time to be quite easy. I was a little worried about the last water, but he dug in and tried there. I’m very happy with him.”

Buck was quick to thank the Broussards as well as the hard workers who have been making improvements to the ground and who have done so much to promote the sport. “As transportation gets easier, the country gets smaller,” he commented. “We can’t have ‘East Coast eventing,’ ‘West Coast eventing,’ and ‘Texas eventing’ — it has to be USA. It’s a benefit for the sport that everybody gets to see everybody, and for me to come out and ride different courses, it’s good for me.”

Buck showed every ounce of experience he possessed during a very hairy moment at a big, airy oxer at fence 14. The gathered spectators held a collective breath as Buck and “Dirk” got the job done and kicked on for a double clear round. When asked about that moment in this afternoon’s press conference, Buck just laughed and said he was trying to keep things exciting for the spectators watching. Mission accomplished!

Additionally, this is a particularly exciting day for this horse, owned by Sherrie Martin, as it’s the first time he’s made the time at this level. Well ridden, Buck!

Kurt Martin and Delux Z. Photo by Sally Spickard.

A good number of the riders had no trouble making the time today, and Kurt Martin with Delux Z was one such. I saw the riders come through the intense water complex here at Spectator Hill, and it’s a very technical series of questions that Kurt did quite well with. He said yesterday that he was looking out for his horse, and he certainly did a great job managing his ride as Delux Z looked full of run at the finish.

“(Delux Z was focused and went around really smoothly,” Kurt said. “I think it was as good as he’s ever gone. I think it’s all coming together.”

James Alliston and Parker. Photo by Sally Spickard.

James Alliston and Parker moved up to third with another of the double clear rounds. This is another experienced pair who had no trouble making the time and looked smooth everywhere I saw them. Parker looks fighting fit and quite ready to continue his season after finishing 15th at Rolex in April.

“I probably went a bit too quick really,” James said. “But (Parker) did it easily. He’s a very fast horse. He’s been super sound and he’s a really great horse for me.”

Bella Mowbray and Star Vision. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Bella Mowbray and Star Vision also had a great run, moving up to fourth place despite picking up some time at the water by taking the alternate route. I plan to try to catch up with Bella at some point this week — we must get to know our new Aussie friend!

As with the CCI2*, the final water at fence 22 caused a lot of issues. One rider, JM Durr with Esprit de la Danse, was eliminated on refusals here, where others picked up 20s. James Alliston retired Tivoli here after picking up one refusal. Buck Davidson also pulled Petite Flower up shortly after starting — he said yesterday that she has been dealing with some shoulder discomfort, so he will save her for another day.

I have much more commentary to add from this division, as well as press conference comments, but the CIC3* is about to begin so I will have to return to this this afternoon!

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Heather Morris and Charlie Tango. Photo by Sally Spickard.

It’s a lovely morning for cross country here at Rebecca Farm, and we’ve just completed a very exciting CCI2* division. The course seemed to flow well, but it was not without its troublesome spots. One pair with no such trouble, though, was overnight leaders Heather Morris and Charlie Tango.

Heather and Charlie Tango, who is contesting his second CCI2*, made short work of the course with a start time about mid way through the field. The 7-year-old gelding owned by Team Express Group LLC is looking solid to win his second CCI2* in tomorrow’s show jumping, and he certainly looked like an old pro out there today. They’ll remain on a score of 42.7 as they look ahead to tomorrow.

Charlie Tango actually won the Training Three Day here two years ago, and now that Heather is ramping him up she feels he’s gaining more confidence every day. “I’ve been a little bit patient with him,” Heather said. “We’ll aim him for AECs and then keep going East and (do the CCI2*) at Fair Hill.”

Tamie Smith and Fleur de Lis. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Tamie Smith and her two rides in this division, Fleur de Lis and Dempsey, fill in the top three after both going double clear today. Tamie survived a hairy moment at the moose which was the C element of the water at 14 when Dempsey tripped up the bank. Both Tamie and Dempsey gritted their teeth and made it out over the C element unscathed.

Meanwhile, Fleur de Lis will also remain on his dressage score of 46.5 for second place overnight as one of the first out this morning. We’ve said it before, but Tamie is developing herself a very nice string of horses for the future, and we saw some impressive riding today.

Amber Levine and the first of her two rides, Carry On, will take fourth place overnight after a double clear round to remain on their dressage score of 52.7. This was another pair who was early out on the course and made the 8 minute and 39 second optimum time look easy.

Rounding out the top five are Barb Crabo and Over Easy, who added 2.4 time penalties to their score for a two-day total of 52.8. This is another experience pair who made Ian’s course look like child’s play today, and the mare was still full of run as she came to the Halt at X finish line.

As we stated before, the course was not without its troublesome spots. Fence 19, the final water consisting of three elements, caused the most trouble — three falls and one retirement. Sabrina Glaser and Aid and Abet are listed with a Mandatory Retirement; initial reports said they were both ok, but we will provide more updates as they are made available.

[UPDATE]: We do know that Aid and Abet was vanned off after his fall at the final water. We are currently awaiting further updates on his condition.

[UPDATE 2:45 p.m.]: We’ve just been informed that Aid and Abet is resting comfortably in his stall after his tumble this morning. We hope to see him and Sabrina out and about soon!

Aside from that, the corner in the water at 12 also rode a bit sticky and caught David Acord out on his second ride, Sasha Fierce. Unfortunately he’d picked up another refusal earlier on course, so he ended his day early with two at this corner.

The moose at the C element of 14 also rode a bit tricky towards the end, with a couple of runouts and sticky moments. There is a small crowd gathered here at the water to cheer on the scrappy rides that were getting the job done through the water.

In all, 12 out of 20 horses completed the division, five of which were double clear. I have more photos to add later on, so keep checking back. In the meantime we’re gearing up to start the CCI3* cross country in just about 15 minutes! Follow us on Twitter @eventingnation for live updates!

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Jordan Linstedt and RevitaVet Capato. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Jordan Linstedt took her turn in the white box as part of the last group of riders in the inaugural CCI3* here at Rebecca Farm, and she made a lasting impression that earned her a 43.7 and the overnight lead after the dressage.

While the beefy courses promises that this will be anything but a dressage competition, Jordan is still pleased with how her and Barbara Linstedt’s 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding handled the atmosphere today.

“I was really pleased with him,” Jordan said. “He keeps getting better and better each time I go in the ring. He’s been a bit of a tricky one in the past, really spooky, comes up and gets real resistant with me. Today he felt great in there and the past six months has been better and better so I’m really excited.”

Many thanks to Chesna Klimek for the video of Jordan’s test today:

Jordan moved Capato up this spring to the four-star level, making his debut at Rolex and completing with one stop on cross country. Jordan said she felt the gelding came out of the start box at Rolex a bit greener than she expected, so her goal this year is to work on getting him more experience and confidence.

Most recently, Jordan and Capato won the CIC2* at Aspen Farms, which Jordan said was a confidence booster for her horse.

Buck Davidson and The Apprentice. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Buck Davidson held the lead as the trailblazer with The Apprentice in the division on a score of 44.1 until he was challenged by Jordan. Owned by Sherrie Martin, the 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding put in what Buck says was a great test.

“The Apprentice did for sure his best test,” he said. “I’m very proud of him today.” The Apprentice is another horse who ran Rolex and is back to full competition mode, and Buck says he made the long trailer trip to Kalispell quite well.

Petite Flower, Buck’s other ride for the week, unfortunately did not travel quite as well as her trailer mate. As of now, Buck is playing it by ear as to whether he will take the mare out on cross country tomorrow. Flower scored a 54.7 for seventh place overnight, and we’ll keep you updated on any further updates on her entry status.

Kurt Martin and Delux Z. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Kurt Martin received a Rebecca Broussard Travel Grant to help with the cost of traveling here to Kalispell, and he’s currently lying third with Delux Z, a 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding.

“He traveled really well,” Kurt said. “He had a couple of light days when he got here. He’s been quiet, sort of focused, which has been nice. The test was good work for him. I felt like last night whenever I rode the horse in the ring familiarization was the best work he’s ever done in his life, so I was really excited about that.”

Delux Z scored a 47.0, well within reach of the top of the leaderboard — but Kurt’s main priority this weekend is to take care of his horse. It’s a long course, with the optimum time in the 10 minute 40 second range, and this is Delux Z’s first CCI3*.

“I felt like (Delux Z) needed more time than to go to Bromont,” Kurt said. “Just education, taking my time going around courses. I don’t want him to come out and just rip around. It felt like this was a great opportunity — with the USEF giving a grant to travel, it was the only reason I’m here, I couldn’t have done it on my own.”

“I think (the course) has a good flow to it,” he continued. “Hopefully for where my horse is in his education, this will be good to pick up a rhythm and take quite a few fences out of stride. It’s a bit longer than I thought it might be, but I’m going to take care of my horse at the end of the course so that I can keep on with him in the fall. That’s the most important thing to me.”

James Alliston and Tivoli. Photo by Sally Spickard.

James Alliston brought two horses here to contest the CCI3*: Tivoli and Parker. Parker is currently the higher of the two in the standings, earning a 50.9 for fourth place leading up to tomorrow’s cross country.

Tivoli isn’t too far off, scoring a 53.7 for sixth place overnight. Tivoli suffered from a bit of tension in his canter work after some lovely trot work, but again we should see plenty of opportunity for moves up tomorrow.

Bella Mowbray and Star Vision. Photo by Sally Spickard.

We’d like to issue a warm EN welcome to the States to Australian rider Bella Mowbray, who is contesting her first FEI event here in the U.S. with Star Vision. A 16-year-old Thoroughbred gelding owned by Camilla Mowbray, Star Vision earned a respectable 53.7 to round out the top five after dressage. This is quite experienced pair at the three-star level, with several top 10 finishes and a couple of wins back in Australia.

Lastly, I must give a shout out to Bunnie Sexton, who put in a really classy ride on a keyed up Rise Against. Unfortunately, Bunnie’s score is not what she was hoping for, but she did a wonderful job of coaxing her horse into some moments of relaxation in a tense atmosphere. Well ridden, Bunnie!

Ride On Video was here to record the press conference this afternoon, so we’ll be adding that to this post when it becomes available. I also have many more photos to add, so please keep checking back for even more!

It’s been a wonderful day of dressage (and cross country!) here in Kalispell, and I’d like to thank the hard working staff and volunteers who have made this such a great event to work at. The WiFi is quick, the cold water is plentiful, and everyone from the volunteers to the stewards are professional and friendly. As always, thank you to Sarah Broussard for all of her hard work as hostess of what is surely everyone’s favorite summer event.

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Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. Photo by Sally Spickard.

A small crowd gathered to watch the CIC3* horses do their dressage this afternoon, and we did see some tension in many of the entrants, which was reflected in the resulting scores. The atmosphere almost served to puff Tamie Smith’s Mai Baum, owned by Alex Ahearn, up even more, resulting in a very impressive show that earned a 40.5 from the judges.

“It was his best test all year,” Tamie said. “At Great Meadow, he just didn’t feel super connected and I just felt a bit out of my element. So we came home my dressage trainer, Niki Clarke, and I worked really hard on getting him more connected and more through and today he was really, really good.”

“He has a very good presence about him,” Tamie said. “But he can be tricky, because he’s so short coupled he can a little tight in his back, but we just strategically planned a specific warm up for him and it really paid off for him.”

Chesna Klimek kindly shared this video of Tamie and “the Black Stallion’s” winning test:

I think Tamie isn’t alone when she said she was hoping for a score to crack the 30s, but she’ll take a handy 12.3 point lead into tomorrow. While judges Marilyn Payne and Angela Tucker both scored Mai Baum in the mid to high 70s, the judge at M, Heather Buckland, scored much lower, causing a 10.39 percentage point spread and also kicking the score up into the 40s.

Barb Crabo and Eveready. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Barb Crabo was our trailblazer in the CIC3*, and she earned a 52.8 with Eveready to take second overnight. This is pretty darn close to their average on the flat (this is their first time performing this test), which is 53.6, so they’re in excellent position to perhaps improve upon the predictions Maggie set forth earlier this week.

Barb and Eveready, a 16-year-old Swedish gelding, are one of the most experienced pairs here, and they are no strangers to Rebecca Farm. They’ve placed fifth in the CCI3* for the past two years running.

Jen McFall and High Times also put in a very nice looking test, earning a 53.1 for third place overnight. Jen was pleased with her test, as she can feel her 11-year-old Holsteiner really maturing as time goes on.

Jen McFall and High Times. Photo by Sally Spickard.

“He started off actually pretty hot in the warmup, so I was a little worried because he wasn’t feeling real rideable,” Jen said. “But when we got (in the ring), he actually was showing a little maturity. He got in there and went to work. We still had some sticky moments, but he actually recovered from them and went on.”

A year ago, Jen says, “Billy” may have let a few tense moments steer the direction of the remainder of the test, but today Jen felt him listen to her aids and respond by continuing to work instead of melting down. That’s a start she’ll take as she looks ahead to the CCI3* at Blenheim this fall.

Anna Collier and Gleaming Road. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Anna Collier and Gleaming Road, one of our returning Rolex pairs in this division, slotted into fourth place with a score of 58.9. An 11-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, Gleaming Road completed his first CCI4* in Kentucky this spring and has been a consistent three-star performer for Anna. This pair was ninth here last year, and they’ve taken a bit off their score of 60.6.

Topping off the five leaders are Anna Grandia and Chaos and Ashlyyn Meuchel and Morning Star, who are tied on a 60.9. Anni and Chaos, a lovely 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding, are CIC3* first-timers, as are Ashlynn and Morning Star, who is a former ride of Lynn Symansky’s.

We’re kicking off the inaugural CCI3* dressage in just a few minutes — we have 14 horses and riders to see, so keep checking back for more from that division.

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It’s time for your daily edition of Who Jumped It Best? Rebecca Farm! Today we turn our attention to the Training Three-Day divisions, which just completed their phase D on endurance day. The course, judging from the announcing, was challenging and caused a few issues, but we saw lots of big smiles and athletic horses at the end. We have four riders for you to choose from today, so pick your favorite overall impression and vote in the poll below! Go Rebecca.

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Amy Gentile and Parfait. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Melissa Thorson and Rooster Cogburn. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Sophia Hulme and Ice Ice Cooley. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Tommy Greengard and Colonial Art. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Tamie Smith and Under Wraps. Photo by Lisa Takada for Eventing Nation.

It’s been a great beginning to competition here at Rebecca Farm! It was a busy day of riding, and the first complete day is officially in the books. We also can’t forget about the Future and Young Event Horse divisions who competed yesterday, so here’s the full scoop on day one.

In the CCI* this afternoon, Kelly Pugh has overtaken the lead aboard Corazon, a relatively new ride owned by David Garrett. An 8-year-old KWPN gelding, Corazon was originally campaigned by New Zealand’s Lucy Jackson through the two-star level. In their first start together, Kelly and Corazon placed fourth in the Prelim at Shepherd Ranch in June.

Kelly and Corazon earned a 41.3 to take the lead in a strong field going into the cross country portion of competition. Lying in second after the dressage are Tamie Smith and Under Wraps, her second ride of the CCI*.

Owned by Beth Lendrum, Under Wraps is an 8-year-old KWPN gelding making his FEI debut after most recently winning his Open Prelim division at Copper Meadows last month.

Auburn Excell Brady and Pinotage. Photo by Lisa Takada for Eventing Nation.

Rounding out the latest top three in the CCI* is Auburn Excell Brady and her second ride, Pinotage. A 7-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Lo Olbin, Pinotage is also a CCI* first-timer, having most recently coming fourth in the Open Prelim at Copper Meadows.

Tamie and Auburn now have two rides each in the top five, so Saturday is sure to bring some exciting moments as the leaders duke it out for the eventual winnings.

All of the Novice divisions, excluding the Three Day divisions, who rode dressage only, completed their dressage and cross country competition today. The Novice course is definitely a true Novice course, with plenty of challenges and tricky questions.

What caught my eye the most was the final water complex, which features jumps for every other division as well. This made for a lot of navigating through the various fences to reach the Novice question, and it was really neat to see the riders and horses figuring it out (and making it look easy!).

Your Novice leaders after the first two phases are as follows:

Senior Novice

A: Karen O’Neal and Briena 21.8)

B: Shari Peterson and Oliver Money (26.5)

C: Lauren Boriotti and Slingshot (28.0)

D: Leigh Mesher and Finally DG (24.0)

E: Robyn Fisher and Erusa (23.0)

Junior Novice:

A: Genevieve Kirsch and Fleeceworks Cinco (21.8)

B: Lilly Linder and Pele (23.3)

Your Novice Three-Day leaders after dressage are:

A: Taress Hsu and Gideon (26.8)

B: Kathryn Canario and Ringwood Little Imp (20.5)

Some of the Training divisions completed their dressage tests (can you tell it was a busy day today?) and will move on to cross country tomorrow, beginning with the Three Day divisions in the morning.

Your Training leaders following dressage are:

Senior A: Bonner Carpenter and Darkside (20.2)

Training Three Day:

A: Erin Kellerhouse and Rondelet (25.3)

B: Katelyn Grubich and Kaptain Jak (27.2)

C: Dana Todd and MMS Amadeus (26.2)

Earl McFall and Let’s Go DF. Photo via Hawley Bennett on Instagram.

Earl McFall and Let’s Go DF are your Four Year Old YEH winners, earning a total percentage of 78% throughout the three sections of Conformation/Type, Dressage and Jumping/Potential.

Let’s Go DF, a Holsteiner/Thoroughbred gelding by Linaro out of Rani D, was bred by Dragonfire Farm and was the West Coast 3-year-old Future Event Horse champion in 2014 — suffice it to say this one is one to keep your eye on!

Kelsey Horn and Tomlong Ratatouille, a Thoroughbred gelding owned by the Pinnacale Syndicate LLC, earned the top marks in the 5-year-old Young Event Horse class with a final percentage of 81.4.

Catie Cejka and Clarity Redefined are the sole entrants in the Future Event Horse Yearling division and they earned a solid 78.2% for Conformation and Type. In the Future Event Horse Two Year Old division, it’s Marc Grandia and Quantum Theory who will take home the top honors with a total percentage of 79.3.

We’ll be adding photos to this post from the day, so refresh this page for a better look at the day’s action! Much more to come tomorrow, as the remaining FEI divisions commence their dressage.

Many thanks to Rebecca Farm, Ride On Video and Frankie Thieriot Stutes for the great coverage from each day of competition. Check out day two’s coverage here:

#RF: Website, Schedule, Ride Times, Live Scores, EN’s Coverage, Instagram, Twitter

The competition may have just commenced, but we’ve already seen riders out on cross country this afternoon. The Novice divisions rode their dressage tests this morning and also are running cross country this afternoon, so they’re the first ones to get a taste of the beautiful course here at Rebecca Farm.

There are two Junior Open Novice divisions and six Senior Open Novice divisions to see this weekend in addition to the two Novice Three-Day divisions — definitely the largest division by far.

I had the opportunity to go out on cross country for a bit today to watch some of the Novice action, so I’ve put together a Who Jumped It Best? for those that I saw. Please take a look at the following photos and vote for your favorite overall presentation. Eternal EN karma to the winner! Good luck!

#RF: Website, Schedule, Ride Times, Live Scores, EN’s Coverage, Instagram, Twitter

Amy Dery and Cusco.

Jennifer Smart and Aloan. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Ashley Nielsen and Mya. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Kathy Rundhaug and Skye Full of Stars. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Renate Price and SpeeDee Dee. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Sara Mackenzie and Sweetsinginanita. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Tara Hogan and Gone With the Wind. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Bunnie Sexton and Rise Against. Photo by Lisa Takada for Eventing Nation.

FEI competition officially began yesterday at the highly anticipated Event at Rebecca Farm with the first horse inspection, and we’re pleased to report that all horses were accepted and will proceed on to dressage.

The crisp mountain air here made for some frisky horses, and sure enough there were a few moments of excitement on the jog strip. The wonderful Lisa Takada was on the ground to shoot photos for EN yesterday while I completed the last legs of my travel, and we’re lucky to have (adorable preggo) Frankie Thieriot Stutes on the grounds bringing us fantastic video interviews.

Here’s what went down yesterday on the jog strip: In the CCI*, Ashlynn Meuchel’s mount Tatiana jogged twice and was accepted upon re-inspection. There were no holds or second passes down the jog strip in the CCI2*.

For the CIC3*, two horses were asked to jog twice: Rebecca Buehler’s mount Brighton due to freshness and Anni Grandia’s mount Chaos. Novelle, one of the horses coming off of competing at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event this spring, was very frisky for Angela Grzywinski, but they managed to keep all six legs on the strip.

In the CCI3*, James Alliston’s horses may have been the freshest there, with Parker being the more amped up of the pair. All of the horses were accepted, and we can’t wait to see them strut their stuff in dressage Friday.

The dressage commences today with the CCI*, while for the lower levels the Novice and Novice Three-Day competitors also will ride their tests. We’re excited for a great weekend here in Kalispell. Thank you to Rebecca Farm for this amazing event. Go Eventing!

Rebecca Farms CCI, CIC & H.T. Links: Website, Entry Status/Ride Times, Live Scores