Mill Spring, N.C. – Drivers in four intermediate divisions competed for USEF Combined Driving National Championships at the Tryon International Equestrian Center last week. Single and pair horses and ponies were in the spotlight across three phases of competition.
Intermediate Single Pony
Anna Koopman (Middleburg, Va.) and Chandler Creek Eclipse, her own 2010 Morgan gelding, took an early lead in the Intermediate Single Pony division and held on to it until the end. The pair earned a 54.30 in the dressage phase, had the top result on all but one of the marathon obstacles, and had one ball down in the cones phase to clinch the title.
Intermediate Pair Pony
Megan Fullgraf (Reidsville, N.C.) was the lone entry in the Intermediate Pair Pony division with her own Bayshore Pastime, a 2011 Dartmoor Pony mare, and Bayshore Be Pacific, a 2015 Dartmoor Pony mare, and had solid results in each of the phases.
Intermediate Single Horse
Allison Stroud (Kennett Square, Pa.) had a solid dressage, a superior marathon, and two balls down in the cones phase with her own 2013 Dutch Warmblood gelding, Istvan E Z, to win the Intermediate Single Horse Championship.
Intermediate Pair Horse
Jennifer Coyle Johnson (Barboursville, Va.) with her pair of Andalusian mares, JC Espirital and JC Plumona, gained valuable experience in each of the phases and took home the National Champion title in the Intermediate Pair Horse division.
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