Classic Eventing Nation

Ashley McCaughan and Diassini. Tina Fitch Photography.

The Bert Wood Novice Stakes at the 2024 Woodside Summer Horse Trials brought out what the Novice level of eventing is all about—showcasing promising new horses in the sport, providing young riders with an opportunity to gain foundational experience, and celebrating the adult amateur riders that are an integral part of hosting successful events.

Organizers chose to make one of eventing’s lower levels the marquee of the middle USEA-recognized event of the year at The Horse Park at Woodside. A member of The Horse Park’s board donated $6,000 in prize money to be divided among the Junior Novice Rider, Senior Novice Rider, and Novice Amateur division top finishers, prize money usually associated with eventing’s upper levels. There was a breakfast of bagels, lox, and mimosas served during the show jumping finale in the Laughing Monk Grand Prix Arena on Sunday.

Bert Wood rides Helen Alliston’s four-star horse Ebay in the dressage test ride for the
Bert Wood Novice Stakes at the 2024 Woodside Summer H.T. Tina Fitch Photography.

The showcase level was named after Bert Wood because of the commitment the West Coast-based cross country builder and designer of more than 30 years has made to the lower levels that serve as the foundation of eventing. Plus, the event raised money and awareness for a charity founded by Bert and his wife, Kris—the Cowboy And Rousseau Animal Assistance Fund (CARAAF) that offers financial assistance for families with rescue dogs that have medical needs.

First, it was 16-year-old Ava Eschelman that clinched her first ever blue ribbon in a recognized event in the Junior Novice Rider division aboard Rochambeau after a clear show jumping round moved them into first place to finish on their dressage score of 30.0. The 16-year-old bay Thoroughbred gelding, whose first USEA-recognized event came at the Beginner Novice level at The Spring Event at Woodside in 2014, has previously competed up to the two-star level with Ashley Long. Eschelman started leasing “Bo” in April. This was her first recognized event at the Novice level with jumps up to a height 2 feet 11 inches after six previous events at the Beginner Novice level of 2 feet 7 inches dating back to 2021.

Ava Eschelman and Rochambeau. Tina Fitch Photography.

“He’s such a beautiful and amazing horse, and he’s taught me so much already,” Eschelman said. “I’m so excited for our partnership together. He’s good in every way. He’s such a fantastic jumper and competitor. He’s definitely quirky in his own ways. He’s just the best.”

Then, Ashley McCaughan won the Senior Novice Rider division in the first recognized event for the well bred Diassini after a clear show jumping round moved them up from third to first to win on their dressage score of 30.0. The 9-year-old bay Holsteiner gelding is by Diarado, the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horse’s leading eventing sire in the world for past two years. He was bred by Georg Schrankl, the same breeder as Helen Alliston’s three-star eventer Call Me Rudi, and the Allistons sourced Diassini for McCaughan from Germany, where he was a show jumper.

“He didn’t know what cross country was until [this weekend], so it was a lot of fun,” McCaughan said. “And, he’s the sweetest piece of sugar in the world—unbelievable. So, this will be really fun.”

Jeanne Carley and Shannondale Fionn. Tina Fitch Photography.

The Bert Wood Novice Stakes concluded with Jeanne Carley capturing the Novice Amateur division with her longtime partner Shannondale Fionn on their dressage score of 30.6.

Carley’s first recognized event came at the Woodside Summer Horse Trials in 2007. “Dale,” a 13-year old bay Irish Sport Horse gelding (Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan x Shannondale Sacha), was originally produced by five-star eventer Daniel Clasing to a win at the Preliminary level in 2016.

“He took him Prelim in his 5-year-old year—four Prelims first through fourth in every one—he knew he had a brave horse,” Carley said. “I love Daniel. He’s very nice. Tell him if you see him how much I love this horse.”

Starting their partnership in 2017, Carley and Dale won the USEA Classic Series Novice Three-Day at The Event at Rebecca Farm in 2018. The Bert Wood Novice Stakes marked their first blue ribbon since, and Carley drew comparisons between it and the USEA Classic Series in terms of the experience lower-level riders get.

“I picked this sport up in my fifties,” Carley said. “So, just to get a feel of what it’s like to ride upper-level, which I would never do, to do a Three-Day was great. Everybody I meet, I encourage them to do a Three-Day. It gets the horse thinking forward. You get in-barn [exams], you get jogs, you get roads and tracks.”

She said that the Bert Wood Novice Stakes was about “celebrating the level where you’re at and being happy with that,” and added, “I just love the people in eventing, the whole crew. People congratulate you that are in your division but not even at your barn. The whole eventing world is wonderful, really supportive.”

There were 70 entries at the Novice level, making up the largest level and approximately 25 percent of the 271 entries at the 2024 Woodside Summer Horse Trials.

“Novice is really a foundational level of the sport,” Victoria Klein, a member of the Board of Governors of The Horse Park at Woodside, said at Saturday night’s competitor dinner. “We have so many entries, and it’s their participation that allows us to continue year in and year out. So, we wanted to do something to say thank you to the Novice riders.”

Tamie Smith and Lillet 3. Tina Fitch Photography.

Added Steve Roon, Executive Director of The Horse Park: “We’re just so lucky to have this community, and in our minds, it’s just so special. It takes an enormous amount of work to pull off a horse trial, and anyone who participates is generally appreciative. They know what it takes, and nobody assumes or takes it for granted. There’s this marvelous upswelling of appreciation from everybody in what they’ve experienced being able to compete here at The Horse Park.”

As part of the festivities, Wood rode a dressage test ride for the Novice level aboard Ebay, a winner at the four-star level and the Advanced champion at the 2022 American Eventing Championships with Helen Alliston.

“That’s the first time I’ve ever really had fun riding in a dressage test,” Wood joked. They scored 32.0, which would have put them in third in the Novice Amateur division.

“That’s my favorite level,” Wood said about Novice. “That’s where everyone starts out. That’s where everyone has the most fun.”

There was also a five-star connection with the Novice level at the 2024 Woodside Summer Horse Trials. As soon as she finished cross-country to win the Intermediate level with Lillet 3, Tamie Smith, the CCI5*-L champion at the 2023 Kentucky Three-Day Event, hopped on Kareena K to win the Open Novice division.

“Lillet” won the CCI4*-S at Kristianstad in Sweden with German Olympian Andreas Dibowski this spring before being purchased by Molly Duda, the 2023 USEA Young Rider of the Year, for Smith to ride. Smith and the 8-year-old dark bay Holsteiner mare (S.I.E.C. Livello x Princess L) have now won their first two events together, debuting with a victory at the Preliminary level at Rebecca.

“I feel very fortunate to have [the Dudas] part of the team and equally having found a horse like Lillet is even more exciting,” Smith said. “I will plan to spend the rest of the season at three-star level and aim for a long format this fall. This is my second show on her. We are still getting to know each other, but I will say she already feels like my partner.”

Smith said that “Kareena” (Cash and Carry x Namur III) reminds her of Solaguayre California (Casparo x Solaguayre Calandria), with whom Smith won the robust CCI4*-L at the 2022 Morven Park Fall International. Both mares are owned by Julianne Guariglia.

Tamie Smith and Kareena K. Tina Fitch Photography.

“She is a spitting image of her and has so many traits that ‘California’ had,” Smith said. “So, it’s a bittersweet feeling to be able to ride another special mare.”

Smith also praised Wood at the competitor dinner, saying, “I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to ride so many courses all throughout the world, and there’s nobody like Bert Wood who builds these tracks.”

At the same time, Wood makes sure to credit his dedicated team of cross-country builders, which included David Cathcart, Dwight Weinberg, and Glen Wood at Woodside.

“There’s no one person in this sport,” he said. “You’ve got to have opportunities and a team. They’re awesome. I can’t do it without them.” Following the Woodside Summer Horse Trials, the Woodside Fall International will take place from October 4-6 with short-format FEI levels offered up to four-star, along with national levels from Starter through Intermediate.

“One of the great things as I reflect back on these two days of competition at The Horse Park is all of the marvelous people that have worked so hard with their horses to be here and be able to compete, and it’s the joy you see in their faces as they finish their rounds,” Roon said. “It was the same for the people in Starter as it was for Intermediate. Eventing is very special in the equine disciplines, not only because of the versatility of the horse and rider to deal with the three different phases, but it puts a huge premium on the relationship between horse and rider as well.”

To view full results from Woodside’s Summer H.T., click here.