Courtesy USEA (Jennifer Wooten-Dafoe and Daisy Tognazzini's, The Good Witch.)
Over 200 riders from across the country competed in eight elite events that comprised the 2010 Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series. Consistent placings and double-clear rounds for Jennifer Wooten-Dafoe and Daisy Tognazzini's, The Good Witch, made them the overall winners of the 2010 Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series, which will award them $10,000 during this year's Year-End Awards Luncheon at the USEA Annual Meeting and Convention, held in Scottsdale, AZ, December 8-12.
Wooten-Dafoe riding the 14-year-old Irish Thoroughbred mare started out the season with a fourth-place finish in the CIC3* at Galway Downs (Temecula, CA). Double clears in both cross-country and show jumping gave them a boost with 90 bonus points. The pair’s next Gold Cup event was at the CIC3*-W at Rebecca Farm (Kalispell, MT) where they finished a respectable seventh place out of 28 horses. Wooten-Dafoe and The Good Witch culminated their Gold Cup season at the Land Rover/USEA American Eventing Championships with an eighth in the Advanced class.
“I am very excited to have won the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series this year,” Wooten-Dafoe said. “I think that it is a great program, very fun to participate in, and exciting to have such a large incentive to go for at the end of the year!”
The Adequan USEA Gold Cup leaderboard shifted with each of the Gold Cup events this year, but in the end Wooten-Dafoe sat on the top with 595 points – 105 points over the Reserve Champions, Karen O’Connor and Mandiba.
“I did keep tabs on the points after each event,” said Wooten-Dafoe. “It was so exciting to see the final leaderboard posted and knowing I had won $10,000. I am aiming to compete at the Badminton CCI4* next year so plan on saving the funds to compete there. As my fellow competitors and I know it is very expensive to compete especially aiming for events overseas. I am so grateful for all of the sponsors of the Gold Cup and am glad that they are willing to help us out.”
The Good Witch is taking a bit of a vacation now and will be spending the winter competing at dressage shows in an effort to come out next season and be even more competitive. Wooten-Dafoe is hoping to travel to England with The Good Witch a month prior to Badminton to continue competing and training.
In addition to her plans for Badminton, Wooten-Dafoe is aiming both The Good Witch and her other Advanced horse, Nabouco De Lessay, for the 2011 Adequan USEA Gold Cup events, Galway Downs and The Event at Rebecca Farm. She hopes to have a chance to be the Keeper of The Cup for two years running.
As the overall Adequan USEA Gold Cup winner, Wooten-Dafoe will receive a hefty check for $10,000 and a huge trophy at the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention, which will be held in Scottsdale, AZ, this December.
About The Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series
The Gold Cup Series is comprised of destination events throughout the country. In 2010, the series had eight premier events, at each competition, the top division offered at the competition is the designated "Gold Cup" division, whether it be a CIC3*, Advanced or a CIC2*.
Horses and riders must achieve points together as a pair at the Gold Cup events, and both must be members of the USEA. First place winners take home 200 points for their win, and can also earn bonus points: 50 extra points for double-clear cross-country rounds, and 40 extra points for double-clear show jumping rounds. To learn more about how horses and riders rack up points, visit the Gold Cup Points System page.
Winners of the CIC3*, the designated "Gold Cup division," will take home $500 in prize money, seven-dose box of Adequan, a three-month supply of SUCCEED, and a pair of Nunn Finer American Style open front boots. Second place finishers take home a Nutrena feed gift certificate and a pair of Nunn Finer American Style open front boots, and third place receives a pair of the Nunn Finer boots, as well.
ENDS