More than 200 entries tackled the new cross country course designed by Olympic Gold Medalist David O’Connor last Saturday during the Colorado Horse Park Fall Horse Trials held September 29-October 1. The event, which featured divisions from Beginner Novice to Preliminary, attracted entries from several states. Competitors faced the triathlon of horse sports—dressage, cross-country and show jumping.

Winning the Open Preliminary division was Martha McDowell from Billings, MT. She rode her nine-year-old Thoroughbred gelding Gaelic Marriage to the victory, which qualified her for the one-star event later this month at Galway Downs in California. McDowell praised the new cross-country course. “It rode beautifully and set you up to gain confidence,” she said. “The first half of the cross country course was very inviting with a great design. It allowed you and your horse to get moving forward.”

This was a recurring theme from the riders—the course was very encouraging and rewarded the horse and rider who galloped forward. All of the jumps and tracks on the course were new, including two new water jumps, a horseshoe bank and a trakehner. O’Connor utilized new areas of rolling acres just south of the showgrounds, which offered fresh footing and allowed for spectators to view all but one fence from a single vantage point.

Second placed finisher, James Moore, used the event as a warm-up for the Radnor Three Day Event in Pennsylvania where he will be competing in the two-star division. He found the course “well thought out and well built with excellent footing. The new tracks are great with big fences.” Moore’s students were also successful with Anisa Tracy and Tigger claiming first place in the Young Rider Preliminary division. Tracy finished on her dressage score of just 22.6.

With the success of the horse trials, confidence is high for next spring’s one-star three-day event. “We are very pleased not only with the course, but also the feedback from the competitors,” said General Manager Rob Janson. Plans call for the continuation of the design and construction of more cross-country jumps. Among the new obstacles in the works are an Indian Village and a granary complex involving a historic granary that is being hauled to the Colorado Horse Park.

Visit www.coloradohorsepark.org for complete information and results.

Results Open Preliminary:

1. Martha McDowell
2. James Moore
3. Jamie Gilbert

Results Young Rider Preliminary:

1. Anisa Tracy
2. Alison Wilaby
3. Erin Hoverson

The Colorado Horse Park is a 501 (c) 3 not for profit organization. The purpose of the Colorado Horse Park is to showcase the history and heritage of the west using the horse as the primary teaching tool through hands-on educational programming, museum exhibitions, competitions, boarding and training, recreation, entertainment and therapy for all ages. Visit www.coloradohorsepark.org.
~~~