The Mission Pacific Vaulting Selection Trials were held May 13-14 in Somis, CA, and with only two more selection trials before the short list is named, the competition is tight, especially among the women.

A seasoned athlete at age 18, Megan Benjamin of Saratoga, CA, led the women with a strong score of 8.608 on her horse, Faronia, a 17-hand Dutch Warmblood. Fifteen-year-old Elizabeth Osborn of Menlo Park, CA; 22-year-old Mary McCormick of Woodside, CA; and 16-year-old Ali Divita of Redwood City, CA, were less than half a point behind Megan.

In the team competition, F.A.M.E wowed the crowd with their breathtaking freestyle, winning the competition with a score of 7.924. Diamond Bar and Woodside are hot on their heels with solid compulsories scoring 7.226 and 6.848, respectively.

Twenty-four–year-old Kenny Geisler, of Diamond Bar, CA and his 18-hand Quarter Horse cross, Goliath, won the men’s division with a score of 7.533. Twenty-six-year-old Todd Griffiths of Pullman, WA and 21-year-old Blake Dahlgren of Sun Valley, CA finished second and third respectively.

The 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games short list will be named after June 12 and will consist of up to three men along with one alternate, three women along with one alternate, and one team. The remaining selection trials will be held this Saturday, May 20 in Saratoga, CA and on June 4 in Portola Valley, CA.

For further information on the Vaulting FEI World Equestrian Games rankings and the selection procedures, please visit www.usef.org and click on High Performance and then Vaulting.

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