CCI3*-S competitor Emeline Gilbert presents EWSZ Mozart in dressage. Photo by Veronica Green-Gott.
It was an action-packed day at VHC Eventing, presented by Capital Square. Against the dramatic backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains, four FEI divisions and seven national divisions laid down their best performances in the ring and across the country. When the cards fell, an inspiring trend was made clear– nearly every leader was a newly-paired horse and rider.
EWSZ Mozart and Emeline Gilbert made a good show of contesting their first time at the CCI3*-S level, taking the lead with a 34.9 after a double-clear show jumping round. Gilbert was shocked to find herself in the lead, following the withdrawal of Allison Springer and Crystal Crescent Moon.
“I was just in shock when I came out of show jumping,” Gilbert said. “I was like, ‘Oh my god, we just show jumped clear in our first three star.’ And then to find out I was in the lead– that’s really exciting, but I’m trying not to let that add any sort of pressure and just go out and make it a good experience for both of us tomorrow. Obviously be competitive, too, but I’m focusing more on it being a good outing for both of us.”
Despite her early success, Gilbert isn’t resting on her laurels and is still eager to improve her performance at her next three-star outing. “I thought he was really good in the dressage. I thought there were parts where I left some points on the table, but I thought he was really good and tried really hard for me. And then I thought in show jumping, he really stepped up to the plate. Even when I wasn’t perfect, he was a rock star, and made the course feel easy, which was nice.”
In the CCI2*-L, Katherine Maroko and Redfield Champion pulled off a hat trick, not only taking the lead in their division, but also claiming the title of FEI low score of the day, 23.6. The division was jam-packed with notable names, including 2023 Pan-American Games team silver medalist Sharon White and Australian five-star eventer Ryan Wood. Originally ridden by Olympian Caroline Pamukcu, the 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding recently won the CCI2*-S with Maroko at the Maryland International at Loch Moy Farm this July. Maroko has been building her partnership with Redfield Champion over the last year, having only completed two FEI events together so far.
Valerie Pride took the lead in the CCI2*-S division with Kiss My Jambo M, a new ride for the FEI judge. This is only her third FEI event with the 8-year-old gelding and their first time at the two-star level together. Still, “Jambo” has had a stellar record with his previous young rider.
“I got him last fall and he made a big trip to get here. He came all the way from Spain. I was really excited about him. He was ridden by a young rider over there, and so we’ve just been taking some time to build a partnership, get used to life in the states,” Pride said. “He campaigned a bunch. He’s still one of the top Modified horses in the country, even though he did that last spring.”
Despite their new partnership, Pride and Jambo laid down a double clear show jumping round to end the day on their dressage score of 28.6. Looking ahead to tomorrow, Pride says that while he’s never seen terrain of this magnitude before, she’s feeling confident.
“He’s definitely never done anything with terrain like that, so we’ll learn a lot about him tomorrow,” Pride said. “Obviously, I have high hopes for him, and you have a way of telling how they’ll handle that hill. There’s some pretty good questions out there, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
While the other FEI divisions completed dressage and show jumping today, the CCI1*-L completed the dressage and cross country phases. Leading the way going into show jumping tomorrow is Mandolin Whitten and Bossanova, with a score of 26. This is the pair’s first time riding at the FEI level, which is only sweetened by the fact they’re currently holding onto the second lowest FEI score of the day.
“Bossanova makes my job easy!” Whitten said. “He was so pleasant on the flat and game around a super fun cross country course. It’s really a privilege to ride such a good-hearted horse.”
Whitten has been riding “Nova” for the past two years. Prior to Whitten, the 13-year-old Hanoverian gelding had only competed in the dressage ring. “I started him over fences and have produced him up to the Preliminary level. He’s the first horse I’ve brought along this far, so it’s all been really exciting.”
Tomorrow, the one-star riders will start the day bright and early with a horse inspection at 7:30 a.m. Riders in the CCI2*-S, CCI2*-L, and CCI3*-S will tackle cross country starting at 8 a.m. Riders, competitors, and volunteers are invited to the Competitor Party tomorrow evening, featuring a live band, delicious food, and beverages sponsored by Triple Crown.
VHC Eventing would like to thank all of our sponsors, Capital Square, Hyperion Stud, Old Dominion Equine, World Equestrian Brands, Sagmae, and Dover Saddlery for their support of the Virginia Horse Center Foundation.
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