September 21, 2006

Opening Day at the 2006 Wellpride American Eventing Championships

The 2006 Wellpride American Eventing Championships began today at the Carolina Horse Park in Raeford, NC. Riders from across the country have traveled here to compete in championship divisions from beginner novice to advanced, for a chance to compete for a $50,000 purse, trophies and more than $100,000 in prizes.

Fifty horses are entered in the inaugural Beginner novice Championship. Mary McKeon, 35, of Kirtland, Ohio is in the lead with a dressage score of 24.80, riding Cindy Bank’s 11-year-old Cleveland Bay gelding, Idlehour McHenry. She is followed by Margaret Simak on Cappuccino (28.0) and Fred McCashin on Private Pilot (30.3).

McKeon attended the 2004 AEC and says that it was the best horseshow experience she’s had so far. “I look forward to sharing the same experience with my new event horse and his owner,” she said.

A longtime dressage horse, “Henry” began eventing in May of this year at the Kentucky Horse Park. “It was his first time and he loved it,” said McKeon. “I’m proud of how well he’s progressing and adjusting to his new career.”

Allison Springer of Middleburg, Virginia and her own six-year-old Irish cross Arthur have the lead in the Open Preliminary on a score of 28.5, just ahead of Molly Rosin on Havarah’s Charly (29.4) and a tie for third between Lynn Coates-Holmes on Pistolero and Lucia Strini on Pantalaimon for third (31.5).

Springer, who won the Novice Horse division at last year’s AEC, said that Arthur was tense in dressage today but performed a clean test. He also led after dressage last year, but his spookiness caused problems on cross-country. She is hoping that he will be more focused tomorrow. Springer is also in 23rd place on Miss Varga, a Thoroughbred mare owned by Colleen and Noel Hersson.

In the Preliminary Horse DeBroke Championship Karen O’Connor, of The Plains, Virginia is in first and second places on Lottery Ticket and Mandiba, respectively. Lottery Ticket is owned by Maria Brazil, who won the Open Training division last year on Gadget des Brumes. This year Brazil and Gadget are competing in the Open Preliminary division, and are currently tied for 12th place.

Brazil, an anesthesiologist from Missouri, also rides Lottery Ticket but asked O’Connor to move him up to intermediate over the winter. She competed him over the summer, but asked O’Connor to take the ride for the championships.

“I know him well,” said O’Connor, who has only been riding the gelding again for the past week, but has so much experience in the sport that she takes it in stride. “He’s a lovely horse.”

Mandiba, owned by Joan Goswell of Valencia, Pennsylvania – also the owner of former advanced level horse Worth the Trust – won the Training Horse division at last year’s AEC. She recently won the intermediate at Poplar Place Farm Horse Trials in Hamilton, Georgia and O’Connor hopes to compete in the two-star at Radnor with her.

There is a tie for the lead in the Preliminary Junior/Young Rider division between Callie Judy on Kilkenny Castle and Barrett Diehl on Dawn’s Peak (32.9). Andrea Leatherman on Mensa is in third place with 33.3 penalties.

There are many special stories behind the competitors at the Wellpride AEC. Competitors not only had to qualify, but many overcame difficult challenges to get to the event: lameness, rider injury, financial hardships and many other obstacles. But the draw of competing against their peers and alongside the best in the sport drew amateurs and professionals alike, locally and from great distances.

Many riders from the southeast, whether they had competed at the Wellpride AEC before or not, felt that they couldn’t pass up the opportunity to compete in the championships’ last year in North Carolina, before moving to Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, Illinois in 2007.

Allison Springer said that Barrington Hills, Illinois is her hometown, so she will definitely be going to the championships after they move to Lamplight next year. “I go to the Maui Jim Wayne Horse Trials every year,” she said. “It’s a fabulous event.”

Tomorrow the competition continues with Intermediate and Novice dressage and Preliminary and Beginner Novice cross-country. Make sure to visit www.useventing.com for live audio streaming of the cross-country action. Archived video footage will also be available throughout the weekend.

The Wellpride AEC would not be possible without the support of an impressive list of sponsors, which include brand new title sponsor Wellpride; Presenting Sponsors: Amerigo, Bit of Britain, Nutrena, and Saratoga Horseworks; and Contributing Sponsors: Adequan, Cover-All Building Systems, The Fork Stables, Finish Line, and UlcerGard; and Platinum Sponsor: Suncoast Bedding.

Additional Wellpride AEC sponsors include Gold Level: International Truck and Engine, John Deere, Charles Owen, Fleeceworks, Maui Jim Sunglasses, Mountain Horse, Practical Horseman, Stackhouse Saddles, Rouncy.com, and Equestrian Collections.com; Silver Level: Likit, Pegasus Design, Joz, Inc., Phoenix Performance Products, Platinum Performance, Flair Nasal Strips, and SSG Gloves; Bronze Level: 3M, Auburn Laboratories, Mackinnon Ice Horse, Gore Trailers, Hi-Tech Horse Jumps, Spalding Labs, and Rodney Powell Body Armour.

The Carolina Horse Park 2006 Wellpride American Eventing Championships Photo Gallery