Becky Broussard's Legacy Rides on with Record Number of Competitors Registered for the West's Largest Equestrian Competition July 21-24, 2011
Kalispell, Mont. - A record 503 competitors are registered to compete in the 10th Anniversary of The Event at Rebecca Farm where many of the world's best horses and riders, as well as promising young competitors, will compete July 21-24, 2011. The Event is the largest equestrian triathlon in the U.S. and a selection trial for the 2012 London Olympics.
Nearly 20,000 spectators will walk the grounds over the four days that span the triathlon. Competitors will vie for more than $60,000 in prize money and over $30,000 in trophies and tack awards while they compete in dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. Admission for spectators is free. Guests may walk the cross-country course or view it from a hillside with a great vantage point of the complex. Six different arenas offer close-up views of dressage and show-jumping. In addition to the competition, a trade fair is also offered with a wide range of food and beverage concessions, as well as a new kid's zone with face painting and pony rides.
"Our community is fortunate to have the unique experience of watching Olympic athletes compete locally alongside local riders, especially in this 10th year of competition," said Kalispell Mayor Tammi Fisher. "As incredible athletes arrive from all over the nation, we are reminded of the great contributions Becky Broussard made during her lifetime to the equestrian sporting world, and in her legacy a commitment to bringing the finest horses to the Flathead Valley continues. The City of Kalispell continues to benefit from the Event, not only culturally, but economically and we are proud to serve as the host community for The Event at Rebecca Farm."
In December, the equestrian community lost the namesake of the Farm, Rebecca Chaney Broussard after a brave battle with cancer. "Becky" was often touted as one of the strongest supporters of Eventing in the nation. A celebration of her life will occur on July 20.
As a sport, Eventing is one of the most comprehensive and exciting in the world today, testing horse and rider over a series of challenges, disciplines and courses that showcase the attributes of a well-rounded team. The three phases of Eventing test every facet of horsemanship. With historic military ties meant to replicate what a horse and rider would go through in the cavalry, their cumulative performance in the triathlon determines their final standing.
Dressage is designed to test obedience and the harmony between horse and rider. Cross-country is designed to test endurance with horses running long distances at high rates of speed. It also tests courage, boldness, confidence, and stamina of both horse and rider. Show jumping examines precision, agility, and technique while jumping over high obstacles. It is also a test of condition and focus after completing the dressage and cross-country phases.
"The Event was my mother's passion and dream," said her daughter and Event organizer Sarah Broussard Kelly. "She believed in helping riders at all levels, but especially wanted to see the U.S. at the top of international Eventing competitions. My parents developed The Event to be a platform for riders to move onward to international competition. What we see today was my mother's vision from the start and represents the ongoing legacy of that giving spirit."
In Becky's memory this spring, the Broussard family launched The Rebecca Broussard International Developing Rider Grant, offering an unprecedented $250,000 fund through the United States Eventing Association Endowment Trust that will, over the next five years, offer an annual $50,000 training and competition grant to developing riders who are successfully competing at the advanced level. The grant represents the fulfillment of Becky's desire to help riders achieve the goal of representing the U.S. in international team competition. Grant applicants competing at The Event will wear special vests to identify them.
The trip via airplane by top riders from the east coast is another legacy of Becky's memory. The charter flight here last summer was the first time since Pebble Beach in 1962 that a group of competitors from the East Coast had traveled to a competition in the West. "It's not just western Canada and the western U.S. - it's all of North America that is coming to Rebecca Farm now," said Roger Haller, President of National Grand Jury. "We're hitting the cream of the crop for North American riders."
18 horses and 13 riders will arrive on charter flight Air Horse One at the Glacier Jet Center on July 19. Among the athletes arriving is Olympian Karen O'Connor, who won the World Cup competition held here last year. "Rebecca Farm is such an amazing venue set in beautiful country," said O'Connor. "I have been competing internationally for two decades across 27 countries and I've seen it all. This venue that the Broussard family brought to fruition from crop fields ten years ago is the best venue I have ever been to in the world."
The beauty of the course that has bloomed over the past decade has only been possible by an enormous, dedicated staff, including course builder Bert Wood. His team of artists have designed iconic jumps to look like massive trout, a moose, rattle snakes, a beaver, a water dragon, an old steam train - and even prehistoric creatures in the zone called "Jurassic Park" and the exciting "Key Hole". For the 10th Anniversary, Wood has added a special twist by constructing an old western town that looks like a movie set, complete with a sheriff's office, a school, and a church. The final jump will send riders over the front door of an old fashioned saloon.
"Rebecca Farm is unlike most other courses in the world," said Captain Mark Phillips, a world-renowned course designer and coach of the U.S. Olympic Eventing team who has added new tests each year for the horse and rider to puzzle through. "A lot of the fences that Bert and his team have designed are more like a work of art then they are a horse jump. It really makes for quite a spectacle for people to come out and watch."
To help celebrate the 10th anniversary, the Broussard family commissioned Whitefish artist Pete Thomas to design an iconic Rebecca Farm poster and limited edition serigraph print. Thomas's vintage, iconic style has gained him international recognition with previous work like the Whitefish Centennial art print series. The print and poster are available for sale in the Rebecca Farm boutique, with proceeds of the limited edition print being donated to the grant fund.
To access Rebecca Farm, from the junction of Highways 93 & 2, travel 2 miles north on Highway 93 to West Reserve Drive and go west 2 miles to Springcreek Road, then south on Springcreek. The entrance is 3/4 mile on the right.
Prior to The Event on July 20, the USEA Young and Future Event Horse Series will be featured. The Future Event Horse series judges the potential that yearlings, two-year-olds, and three-year-olds have to become successful event horses. The Young Event Horse series gives owners and breeders the opportunity to showcase the potential of their four- and five-year-old horses.
Schedule of Events
Wednesday, July 20, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The USEA Spalding Labs Young Event Horse Series.
Rebecca Broussard Celebration of Life.
Thursday, July 21, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Dressage, all FEI Levels. Dressage, National Horse Trial Levels.
Friday, July 22, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Dressage, all FEI Levels. National Horse Trial Levels Dressage continues. Cross-Country phase begins at 8 a.m. National Horse Trials Novice and Training Levels.
Saturday, July 23, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cross-Country phase all day. All FEI Levels. National Horse Trial Levels continue.
Sunday, July 24, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Show Jumping phase, all levels. Awards ceremony at end of each division.
The major sponsor of The Event is Kerrits, which manufactures performance equestrian apparel, clothing, and riding breeches for women and kids. The Event operates under the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) rules and the rules of the United States Equestrian Federation. For more information on The Event, visit www.rebeccafarm.org.