PrintBonnie Mosser thought she had a score to settle, and that's why she decided to start Happy Valley in the inaugural Virginia CCI** on Nov. 4-6.
She and Happy Valley appeared to have finished second at the Radnor Hunt CCI** (Pa.) four weeks earlier when they galloped through the cross-country finish flags. But on that rearranged weekend--when floods forced the long-format event into a short-format event, with cross-country as the final phase--Happy Valley was eliminated at the second horse inspection, held right after Sunday's cross-country phase.
He'd hit his hindquarters on a keyhole jump and had a bruised muscle, an injury that had no time to heal.
"It was so stupid to have the vet check after cross-country--the competition is over, so what's the point?" said Mosser.
She said that, since Radnor, she's talked to Capt. Mark Phillips and other members of both the U.S. Equestrian Federation and FEI Eventing Committees, urging them to clarify the rule requiring two horse inspections, to make sure it happens before cross-country, not after, if the phases get switched.
"You could say I came here with a fire in my belly," said Mosser with a smile.
The victory was the second in a CCI for Mosser, 43. In 2002 she won the Foxhall Cup CCI*** (Ga.) on Jenga.
She won this one largely in show jumping, where her fluid round on the Irish-bred gelding incurred no faults at all, pushing her ahead of Mara Dean on Jos Ambition, who incurred 6 time penalties. Being 6 seconds slow prevented Dean, 32, from winning her second two-star this year, having topped the Bromont CCI (Que.) in June on Nicki Henley.
But the battle for the blue ribbon wasn't exclusively between Mosser and Dean. Emily Beshear, of Charlottesville, Va., held first and third after dressage, but she fell heavily when third-placed Woodburn made a mistake midway around the cross-country course and retired. And then leader Three Wishes, a U.S.-bred Irish Sport Horse, 7, lost his focus in show jumping and dislodged five rails to drop all the way to 14th place.
Substantial Progress
For Mosser and Dean, Virginia was a strong indication that they've made substantial progress with their horses.
Owner Sanford Freeman, of Allendale, N.J., bought Happy Valley, 8, in Ireland as a 5-year-old. The big-boned bay hadn't evented, but he'd competed as a show hunter extensively.
"He knew his job, but he was green," said Mosser.
She started him at training level and "too quickly" moved him up to preliminary. "He all of a sudden developed issues" about skills Mosser thought he understood.
In hindsight, Happy Valley has been for Mosser one of those horses who teaches you more about your craft. He's a gifted, willing and confident horse, but a horse who likes to have new problems thoroughly explained to him.
"I kind of fast-tracked him because he seemed to be so good, but now I've realized that the longer he stays at a level, the better he gets," said Mosser. "Basically, I figured out that he has to compete more often and that I have to challenge him all of the time. I have to constantly give him new exercises--like jumping a single barrel--to find out what he doesn't know."
But she's never doubted his eagerness. "He always shows up at shows," said Mosser with appreciation.
