Jennie Brannigan & Cambalda (Leslie Mintz/USEA)

Norwood, N.C. - The Fork has always been a lucky location Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda and this year the streak continued with the pair earning a win in the CIC3* with a picture perfect cross-country round.

“Between myself and the people I am friends with, we all seem to do well at this event,” said Brannigan. “They are all really good riders and those are the ones that usually do well [at The Fork].”

“[Cambalda] galloped and didn’t try to run out on any corners, so I was happy about,” said Brannigan. “He was on today; he was on for everything. He wanted to fight for the flags, and that was a really nice feeling because he doesn’t always feel like that.”

Brannigan and Nina Gardner’s 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding have been partners for 7 years and in all that time they have had only two events with cross-country jump penalties below the four-star level.

“You think about the horse you’ve had through ups and downs and ins and outs, and you think about all the horses that people have had, and I just think to myself ‘gosh I still have this horse.’ He is still kicking along which is great. At the end of the day at the four-star level we have had a lot of weird stuff happen, but I don’t think you are going to find a horse that is this consistent at the three-star level.”..read more at www.USEventing.com.