The Event at Rebecca Farm put on an all around world-class competition the weekend of July 21-23, including a United States Eventing Association (USEA) Spalding Labs Young Event Horse Series division. Held in Kalispell, MT, the beautiful mountains towering in the distance made a fantastic backdrop for the event...but were viewed through shimmering heat waves as temperatures soared up to and over 100 degrees throughout the weekend.
With the highest total score of the weekend, Landioso (Legendaer I x Aspen), a bay Bovarian Warmblood gelding who is already standing at 16.2-hands, took first place in the four-year-old division with a score of 78.2. His part-owner and rider, Michele Pestl of Renton, WA, is very pleased with him, as are his other two owners, Beth Kuhn and Allison Moss--especially since Landioso has only been in the U.S. for eight weeks, and in training for four weeks.
Roses are red, and so are second place ribbons. Rubin Rose (Rubinesque x Pique Perfection) came away with a score of 70.23 with rider Debbie Davis in the irons. Owned by Dr. Jim Davis of Clovis, CA, this 16-hand bay Oldenburg mare looks to have a promising future.
In the five-year-old division, Wonderful Wishes (Wishes and Dreams x Cece) didn't need the help of a genie in a bottle to take top honors with his impressive performance. Rider Jonathon Elliot piloted the talented 16.1-hand bay Oldenburg mare to her first-place finish with a score of 78.09. Owned by Meggie Elledge, this pair made the trip from McKenna, WA, to compete.
R-Star (Riverman x Marisol) wasn't too far behind them with a score of 75.87. Kristi Nunnink navigated the 16.2-hand gray Holsteiner mare through the four phases (dressage, conformation and type, jumping, and suitability and potential) of the competition, and no doubt happily began the long trip back to Auburn, CA, with such a gifted horse in tow.
The USEA/Spalding Labs Young Event Horse (YEH) Series is best described as an equine talent search. The Series gives owners and breeders the opportunity to showcase the potential of their four- and five-year-olds while encouraging them to produce top-level event horses for the future. The ultimate goal? Earn two qualifying scores of 70 or higher to qualify for the championships, which will take place October 6 during the Morven Park CCI* and Advanced Horse Trials in Leesburg, VA. USEA CEO Jo Whitehouse, who spearheaded the launch of the YEH Series, summed up its philosophy best: "Eventers in the U.S. are used to buying horses that are already competing, or finding them off the track and re-training them. Hopefully programs like the USEA/Spalding Labs Young Event Horse Series will encourage more people to consider purchasing a young prospect bred specifically for the sport, or even better, to try their luck by pairing up a mare and stallion that could produce a future Rolex winner!"
The Series is made possible only through the generous support of the title sponsorship of Spalding Labs; presenting sponsorship of Fleeceworks and Stackhouse Saddles; contributing sponsorship of Acorn Hill Farm; and underwriting sponsorship of Dunlavin Horses.
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