Monday, June 10 2013 / Published in General

Colorado Horse Park CCI*, Training Three-Day and Horse Trials Wrap-Up

Parker, CO – June 9, 2013 – The Colorado Horse Park’s CCI*, Training Three-Day and Horse Trials, held May 31-June 2, drew riders from around the United States and Canada for a challenging weekend of fun and competition. The weekend marked a triple-header for the Horse Park, which also hosted High Prairie Dressage I, II and III and a local hunter/jumper show.

“It was very exciting,” Helen Krieble, owner and founder of the Colorado Horse Park, said. “It builds a sense of community and respect for other people’s disciplines. I think we had 560 stalls being used this weekend and it was just fun. Fun is a magic word and I think it’s something that many horse shows and many horse people forget.”

The eventing action began on Friday, May 31, with a full day of dressage for all divisions. Saturday featured cross-country competition over the popular course designed by James Atkinson. Sunday’s show jumping determined the final placings as competitors strove to keep all the rails up after the challenges of the previous days.

Julie Wolfert had a particularly successful weekend, racking up wins in the CCI* with Buenos Dias and the Open Intermediate with Buenos Aires. Summer Peterson and Jake the Fish took home the win in the Training Three-Day.

Julie Wolfert and Buenos Dias en route to victory in the CCI*

CCI*

Wolfert and Buenos Dias came out strong on the first day of the CCI*, earning a score of 44 penalties to take a convincing lead going into cross-country. Sydney Conley Elliott and SaffariO notched a score of 48.6 to sit in second place after dressage.

Wolfert and Buenos Dias cemented their lead in the CCI* with a double clear cross-country ride on Saturday. “She was fantastic,” Wolfert said after cross-country. “It was really fun! I liked the last water because she jumped it so big and so fun. The course rode great and was very open. It was perfect for where I’m at and for my horse’s training.”

The pair closed out the win with a four-fault show jumping effort on Sunday. Wolfert described the Brian Curry-designed course as a true challenge.

“It was really tough,” Wolfert said. “It was really tight and turny – you had to keep turning and thinking.”

Sydney Conley Elliott and SaffariO, second in the CCI*

Sydney Conley Elliott, who finished second behind Wolfert on SaffariO, and Grayson Wall, who placed third on Stryker, were the only two CCI* riders to jump double-clear in both the cross-country and show jumping. Elliott, who finished on her dressage score of 48.6, ended up just .6 penalties behind Wolfert after Wolfert dropped a rail.

“He was wonderful,” Elliott said of SaffariO. “He jumped well. Very rideable, which he has been really struggling with. He finished on his dressage score. I can’t beat that.”

Open Intermediate

Julie Norman on Consensus took the early lead after dressage on a score of 32.60. Norman said she was aiming to keep Consensus moving forward throughout the test.

“I had a great ride this morning,” Norman said after the test. “He was very obedient and he was nice and forward. Sometimes he likes to get behind my leg so my goal today was just to go in and go forward. He really stepped up to the plate with me and I was really pleased with him.”

Julie Wolfert and Buenos Aires jump to the win in Open Intermediate (Photo by Cristy Cumberworth)

But Norman and Consensus dropped out of the running when they were eliminated after a fall on cross-country day, leaving the door open for Wolfert and Buenos Aires, who had been second after dressage on 35.40, to take over the lead. And the pair stepped up to the plate, putting in a stellar cross-country run to take a 10-point lead over the rest of the field going into show jumping.

Wolfert noted that Buenos Aires needed a bit of a push to get going at first. “He was a little picky and a little strong and then he finally settled in toward the end in our groove,” she said. “The course was great and it was reversed (from previous years) and I like how it rode better in this direction. (Course designer James Atkinson) gave us a lot of nice, inviting jumps, and then it got technical, and then there were some breaks again.”

Wolfert and Buenos Aires had one rail down and no time faults in the show jumping to seal the victory. “I always have a lot of fun when I ride him,” Wolfert said, noting that her earlier ride on Buenos Dias in the CCI* helped her with the course. “I rode a little more forward around the turns and found my distance better.”

Julie Wolfert with her two winners: Buenos Dias (left) and Buenos Aires

Training Three-Day

Summer Peterson and Jake the Fish scored 36.10 on dressage day to begin the competition with a narrow lead over Arden Stephens and All That Matters. The showdown between the two competitors continued through cross-country day, when both had a refusal to stay on close terms heading into show jumping.

Peterson enjoyed her ride over the course and thought the reversal of direction from previous years helped it flow well. “I think James did an awesome job,” she said. “It really builds on itself. This course was really fun. I wish I could go do it again, right now, and do it better this time!”

Jake the Fish has particular reason to relish the cross-country course at the Colorado Horse Park, which features three water complexes: Peterson said his name was inspired by his love for water and resemblance to a sea creature. “He really likes water,” she explained. “In the winter he grows a big mustache and he looks like a big catfish.”

Summer Peterson and Jake the Fish

Stephens was first to go in show jumping and had four rails down, giving Peterson plenty of leeway going into her round. But even a double clear round couldn’t have earned Stephens the win, as Peterson and Jake the Fish put together a clear and fast round to pick up no further penalties.

Peterson was very pleased with Jake the Fish’s effort. “Stadium is definitely his hardest and he was the most rideable he’s ever been, even if it didn’t really look like it,” she said. “He was good and I was really proud of him.”

The Training Three-Day format gives horses and riders the opportunity to ride the classic long format at the Training level. Roads and Tracks and Steeplechase phases are added to cross-country day, providing an additional test of horses’ endurance.

Open Preliminary

Rochelle Costanza and Lionhart had a comfortable lead in Open Preliminary after cross-country, but two rails and a time fault in show jumping nearly cost them the win. They finished on a score of 39, while Amy Gilbertson and One Honest Man closed the gap to finish on 41.5. Summer Peterson finished just a tenth of a point behind Gilbertson in third.

“The course today was challenging,” Costanza said after the show jumping. “The distances were varied so you really had to adjust your horse accordingly.”

Other Colorado Horse Park winners included Nicole Musmanno and Cobblehill JHN Imogen in Open Training, Christina Henriksen and Princess Pavan in Training Horse, and Dan Michaels and Landonn II OHF in Training Rider. Novice division winners were Martha Deeds and CF Rock Star in Novice Horse, Heather Haubrich and Jasmine in Novice Rider A, Grace Simpson and Rapport in Novice Rider B, and Angelika Beutel and Sidney Rose Belle in Open Novice. Vicki Dudash and Gracefully Dun took first place in Beginner Novice Rider, Lauren Jost and Wink at the Judge earned the blue in Jr. Beginner Novice Rider, and Lee Anne Thomas and Orion’s Dunaire were the victors in Open Beginner Novice.

For full results, go to http://www.evententries.com/livescoring/15284.html.

Rochelle Costanza and Lionhart (Photo by Cristy Cumberworth)

About the Colorado Horse Park

Celebrating its 20th Anniversary, the Colorado Horse Park was founded by visionary Helen Krieble who acknowledged the need for a high-volume horse show and horse boarding facility to serve Colorado. The Colorado Horse Park welcomes more than 75,000 visitors per year and hosts over 40 competitions annually. CHP features a derby arena designed by Olympic designer Linda Allen and a cross-country course designed by James Atkinson and Olympic Gold Medalist David O’Connor. There are 300 permanent stalls with capacity for more than 1,000 stalls.

The picturesque property, located only minutes from the town of Parker, hosts international equestrian events in multiple disciplines. Visitors can enjoy the beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountain surroundings and access to miles of trails and open space. The Colorado Horse Park iscommitted to supporting equestrian education and amateur athletics, preserving open space, fundraising for local charities and supporting the community.

Visit CHP at: http://coloradohorsepark.com/

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Colorado Horse Park Sponsors:

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