Allison Springer, Heather Gillette, and Hawley Bennett-Awad Top the Leader Board after Dressage
KALISPELL, MONT. (July 22, 2011)--After a quick, morning rainstorm lifted from the valley, The Event at Rebecca Farm trotted into high gear as 20 elite competitors of the international 3-Star division took to the dressage arena. Using The Event as a precursor to the Pan American Games this October in Mexico and as a stepping stone to the 2012 summer Olympics in London, these riders donned their double-breasted long-tailed coats and genteel top hats to focus on the elegant harmony between horse and rider, the key component in dressage.
Allison Springer and her Irish Sport Horse Arthur performed an accurate and relaxed test to take the lead with a score of 37.4, while Heather Gillette and Our Questionnaire, owned by Kathleen McDermott, landed in a close second with 48.4. Rounding out the top three was Hawley Bennett-Awad and Gin N' Juice, owned by Linda Paine, scoring 48.6.
Leading the CIC 3-star with an 11-point lead, Springer said, "I am really pleased. What happened in the dressage ring was considerably better than warm up all day long. He was beside himself. The cool weather feels great and with all the tents flapping he was excited. But he is maturing well, being a good boy.
"What I have been working on is exactly this - he is not a relaxed horse. He is spooky, nervous; a superb athlete, but I need to work through how to be consistent. When he is that tense and nervous it's a challenge to put together a consistent test. Today I didn't give any points away. Everyone had excited horses. The question is how can you mange that? But that's the fun of riding - managing this partnership.
In regards to the cross-country course she will compete on tomorrow, Springer added, "The course looks really nice. I love how great the footing feels. Beautiful design, beautiful construction, beautiful footing - you can't ask for more."
Springer arrived here on Tuesday aboard Air Horse One, a charter flight that brought 19 horses here for The Event. "The people and the community here are wonderful. Everyone is so kind and laid back. It's such a blessing to have a world-class event like this in our country and a family like the Broussards who are so supportive of this sport and understand why it's important to have competitions like this in our country. For what I am trying to accomplish - the London Olympics - Rebecca Farm is a really important stop on this road."
Second-place Gillette was pleased, too. "Our Questionnaire was right on his job, didn't get sidetracked or get creative and did everything I asked. He was amazing."
Gillette was also one of the riders who flew to Kalispell to compete. "Getting off the plane was surreal," she said. "We got swept off our feet. I felt like a president. The more you look at the facility, the more you appreciate all the thought that went into it.
"We decided to bring my Rolex horse Our Questionnaire out to Montana because the footing on cross country is legendary," she continued. "His owner Kathleen McDermott attended the Event in 2009 and just raved about it."
"I am very happy with Gin N' Juice," said Bennett-Awad, in third place. "It can get a bit electrical with the cross-country going on at the same time and I actually rode her four times today. I am very happy with her trot work, although she got a little behind in the canter."
This is Bennett-Awad's 13th time coming to Montana, a rider for the Canadian National Team. "The organization and the Broussard family are second-to-none. There are 600 horses on the property and you'd never know it because it is so spread out. It's a favorite event of mine - a pivotal event in the calendar. This is my prep for going to a European fall three-day in England."
Looking to the cross-country stage tomorrow, the riders spoke about the course designed by Captain Mark Phillips, one of the leading designers in the world. 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.
Phillips designed the 12 cross-country courses that include four water complexes and over 150 different jumps. One special feature this summer is a newly built "old west town," where riders and horse will leap through the saloon doorway. The miniature town also features a hangman's gallows, an old west bank, a town hall, and more.
"The western decoration is one of the nice things about designing here," said Phillips. "You can indulge in a little bit of history and fun. As far as the horse is concerned, however, all they see is the actual fence."
The sport of Eventing is an equestrian triathlon. The horse and rider compete as a partnership in all aspects of horsemanship to complete three tests of dressage, cross-country, and show jumping as a team, with their cumulative performance determining their final standing.
Day 3 of the Event at Rebecca Farm begins tomorrow, July 23 with the cross-country phase running all day from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. 3-Star riders will begin competing on the course at 1:05pm.
For more information, visit www.rebeccafarm.org. For live results, visit http://eventingscores.com/eventsr/rebecca/ht0711.
For an aerial fly-through of the cross-country course, visit the www.RebeccaFarm.org. The fly-through was completed on July 21 by remote-controlled helicopter powered by Jeff and Adele Scholl of www.GravityShots.com.
Top 10 results after Dressage:
Allison Springer, Arthur, 37.4
Heather Gillette, Our Questionnaire, 48.4
Hawley Bennett-Awad, Gin N' Juice, 48.6
Buck Davidson, Ballyneocastle RM, 49.2
Jolie Wentworth, GoodKnight, 50.4
Carl Bouckaert, Cyrano Z, 50.4
Tamra Smith, Mar De Amor, 50.6
Joe Meyer, Snip, 51.8
Barbara Crabo, Eveready II, 51.8
Alexandra Slusher, Last Call, 51.8
###
