On August 5-7, 2005, the Over the Walls Horse Trials will take place in Hardwick, MA. Riders and spectators alike will enjoy the marvelous facilities and beautiful grounds at Great Meadowbrook Farm, the site of the event. With top-notch competition taking place, a trade fair with numerous booths offering an abundance of equine products and gifts for sale, everyone will find something to enjoy.

Eventing is the equestrian version of a triathlon: one rider and one horse compete together in dressage, cross-country and then show jumping to win the overall event. This is equestrian’s extreme sport, contested at the highest level.

Last year at Over The Walls, the CIC*** World Cup qualifier and U.S. Eventing Association (USEA) Gold Cup Series event was won by Bonnie Mosser of Coatesville, PA, riding Jenga, who went on to represent the U.S. at the World Cup Finals in Pau, France.

In 2005, Over the Walls will again be a World Cup qualifier, this time for the World Cup Final to be held in Malmö, Sweden, in August 2005. Advanced, Preliminary, and Young Rider divisions will also be offered. Truly a world-class event, the Over the Walls Horse Trials has attracted competitors from the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, Ireland and New Zealand.

Over The Walls is also part of the USEA Gold Cup Series events for 2005. Modeled similarly after the successful sports industry of NASCAR and its Nextel Cup Series, the Gold Cup Series is based on a cumulative points system and at the end of the year, the rider that has earned the most cumulative points in Gold Cup Series events will earn the title of USEA Gold Cup Series Champion.

The Gold Cup Series allows sponsors to consolidate marketing initiatives and expenditures while multiplying their level of exposure exponentially, providing a vast pool of potential new market through one endeavor. Sponsors can attach their name to this series, receiving instant brand or corporate recognition and reaching potentially tens of thousands of spectators.

The highest-placed U.S. rider in the Advanced division will win the Jack LeGoff Trophy for the National Advanced Horse Trials Championship. Last year this was awarded to Kim Morani riding Test Run, a horse that she bred and trained herself.

The event is organized by husband and wife team Erik Fleming and Torrance Watkins, who also have a training business at Morningfield Farm in Hardwick.

An Olympic Gold medalist, Watkins has established herself as one of the premier three-day event riders in the world, having been an integral member of several Olympic and World Championship teams. Watkins has successfully translated her knowledge as a successful competitor into the role of cross-country course designer. She has designed such prestigious events as the CDCTA Three-Day and Intermediate Horse Trials plus the GMHA Preliminary and Intermediate Horse Trial courses, as well as the courses for Over the Walls.

For more information on the Over the Walls Horse Trials, including complete competition results, please visit www.overthewalls.com or call Erik Fleming or Torrance Watkins at (413) 477-0040.