Mill Spring, N.C.—Aug. 31

The first of three days of cross-country kicked off today at the U.S. Eventing Association American Eventing Championships, presented by Land Rover and Nutrena, with preliminary and training level riders taking to Mark Phillips’ courses at the Tryon International Equestrian Center.

With entries up by 100 from last year to nearly 770, the event is buzzing with riders from beginner novice to advanced across 21 divisions.

Persistent rain all day meant riders and horses came home soggy, but there were plenty of happy faces.

Bella Mowbray felt some pressure heading into the preliminary cross-country today on Ruth Bley’s En Vogue, but she pushed it aside to put in a confident round with 2 time penalties, taking over the lead in the preliminary horse division from Holly Payne Caravella and CharmKing, who picked up a refusal.

Bella Mowbray and En Vogue. Photo by Lindsay Berreth.

“I had a great ride. I’m really lucky to be riding such a sure-footed horse with the weather and terrain that we had,” she said of the 12-year-old Hanoverian mare. “I had a lot of fun out there. The course was awesome. It was a really forward-testing course but it rode beautifully. It rode how I thought it would aside from the downhill; it was a little slippery but I was quite late in the division.”

Bley imported the mare as a 3-year-old and competed her to training level. Mowbray, Larkspur, Calif., has been riding her for about six months.

“There was a little bit of pressure [on me going into today,]” she said. “I was excited about yesterday’s score [23.5,] and I went in there today wanting to make the time and have a really good, confident run, and it definitely panned out,” she said. “[I’m hoping to] leave all the fences up [in show jumping,] and just have a confident ride and enjoy it. It’s a wonderful venue to be competing at.”

Katherine Knowles and Cillnabradden Ceonna. Photo by Kieran Paulsen.

In the junior/young rider preliminary division, Katherine Knowles and the stunning grey Cillnabradden Ceonna took over the lead with .8 time penalties, up from third after dressage.

Knowles got the mare two years ago from Ireland with the help of Buck Davidson.

“My horse was perfect. She’s always perfect but this time I was able to be supportive enough to really help her out,” she said. “I just keep kicking, and she really helps me out. I thought the course was really fun, and the footing seemed to really hold up so I think it went well!”

“When I brought her back she hadn’t really done much, so I slowly brought her up through the levels,” she continued. “We started going preliminary last fall, and she’s just been great. She’s 10 now so we are just getting started! She’s a good jumper, I just can’t mess up tomorrow!”

In the preliminary amateur division, Cindy Buchanan and Flying Candles rocketed to the top of the leader board from seventh after dressage with a double-clear round.

“Today was awesome. My mare is pretty good in the mud because she’s done a lot of foxhunting,” she said. “She’s a homebred, and we live in Unionville, [Pa.] so she’s been doing a lot of foxhunting and show jumping. I started eventing her about three years ago.”

Buchanan is aiming for the Plantation Field CIC* (Pa.) in a couple of weeks.

The AEC offered rider divisions for the first time this year, and Coti Hausman, Waxhaw, N.C., is leading the preliminary rider division on Quantico, moving up from fifth after dressage with a double-clear round.

“It started out nice and fast up top, and he’s always ready to go when he leaves the start box, despite the fact that he’s pretty quiet in warm up,” she said. “He rode around the course great. I planned on doing more strides with most of the combinations, but as he rode around he got stronger and stronger so we ended up doing the faster lines and doing the five in the combinations behind the barns, so he trucked around really great. I was a little nervous about the hill, but I balanced him, and he rocked it, jumping whatever was in front of him.”

Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous. Photo by Lindsay Berreth.

In the Adequan Gold Cup Advanced Final, Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous found themselves in a familiar place—on top of the pack. Twenty-four horse and rider combinations did their dressage today, and Little scored a 27.8, leaving her a slim margin ahead of Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda on 29.6.

“She was a little fresh today, a little more fresh than normal. It’s her first run back so it was exciting to get her back, and she was very enthusiastic,” said Little. “The trot work wasn’t as subtle today as it could’ve been, but I was fully pleased with the effort she made with the canter, and the changes were nice. It’s good to see them this enthusiastic, and she’s got a heavy training fall ahead of her. It won’t be competition heavy, it’s usually two steps forward, one step back, and I think that we are in the right step back phase.”

Little and “Kitty” won The Fork CIC*** at Tryon in April and went on to place well at the Luhmühlen CCI**** (Germany), the mare’s first four-star.

“She’s in a bit of a transition phase, and I think that we saw some of that today but I think that in the next few months with her we can get that resolved and bring the impulsion in with the quietness that she lacks. It’s a journey!” said Little with a smile.

Important links:  All the COTH coverage of the 2017 AEC  |  full results  |  live streaming