Elkton, Md. – Competition at the Maryland 5 Star kicked off on Thursday with the first half of dressage rides in the 2023 USEF CCI3*-L Eventing National Championship and the Maryland CCI5*-L.
USEF CCI3*-L Eventing National Championship
Lauren Nicholson (The Plains, Va.) and Landmark’s Jungle Gold (Diarado x Jungle Tale), a 2015 Holsteiner/Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Jacqueline Mars, went early in the order of the CCI3*-L dressage. Nicholson and the eye-catching dark bay posted a 30.3, which proved to be an unbeatable score for the rest of the day.
“He’s a homebred, so I’ve had him his whole life and career, and he’s always handled atmosphere quite well,” said Nicholson. “I wasn’t too worried about getting him in [the ring], and the chilliness kind of perked him up a bit. A lot of horses, when they’re younger, get distracted in there. He’s a very self-confident creature and always has been, so he just kind of went around and was quite content.”
The top three after the first day of dressage sit within less than a point of each other. Lynn Symansky (Middleburg, Va.) and Idefix van de Crumelhaeve (Emir R x A. Adermie 1), a 2013 KWPN gelding owned by Katherine Coleman, had the second-best test of the day, earning a 30.7. Woods Baughman (Lexington, Ky.) rode Kamara CFF (Negro x Damara), a 2015 KWPN mare owned by Kamara CFF, LLC, to the third spot on the leaderboard with a score of 30.9.
Maryland 5 Star CCI5*-L
With the first 13 of 26 entries in the CCI5*-L having completed their tests, Great Britain’s Piggy March sits in the lead with Brookfield Cavalier Cruise (Cavalier Carnival x Ryans Cruise), a 2013 Irish Sport Horse stallion owned by Alison Swinburn, Chloe Perry, and John Perry. The pair posted an impressive 24.2 in their CCI5*-L debut and will be the score to beat for the second half of the field on Friday.
New Zealand’s Monica Spencer and Artist (Guillotine x unknown), her own 2011 Thoroughbred gelding, sit in second place with a 28.4. Hannah Sue Hollberg (Kennett Square, Pa.) and Capitol HIM (Con Air 7 x O-Heraldika), Christa Schmidt’s 2007 Holsteiner gelding, are the top-placed American combination after day one, sitting in third place with a 32.4.
US Equestrian fans, subscribers, and members can watch the live stream of the 2023 MARS Maryland 5 Star and USEF CCI3*-L Eventing National Championship on USEF Network powered by ClipMyHorse.TV. Not a member? Join now.
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Competition Information
Event Website | Schedule | Results
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