Allentown, N.J.—May 9

Cosby Green’s week at the Jersey Fresh International didn’t start out exactly how she’d planned.

On Thursday, she was schooling one of her horses at the competition when she felt her throat start closing up.

“I started to walk back to the barn,” she said. “I started to black out and faint a little bit, and I was throwing up all over the barn. I was shaking. It was a little random!”

Green thought she didn’t need to go to the hospital, but her supporters and trainer Allie Knowles insisted.

After five hours, it was determined she’d had an anaphylactic reaction to something unknown. She was given fluids and an EpiPen injection and was cleared to go back to the show.

Thankfully, Green was feeling better by Friday, where she rode Highly Suspicious in the CCI4*-S and her new ride, Copper Beach, in the CCI3*-S.

“Sean just really stepped up for me!” she said.

Cosby Green and Copper Beach. Lindsay Berreth Photos

Yesterday didn’t go as planned on cross-country with Highly Suspicious, resulting in a retirement on course, but Copper Beach stepped up to win the CCI3*-S.

“Sean’s” name may sound familiar; he’s the former five-star ride of Buck Davidson. The 15-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Radolin—Cloverballen) has competed at the Land Rover Kentucky CCI5*-L, Boekelo CCIO4*-L (the Netherlands) and the Pau CCI5*-L to name just a few of his accomplishments over the years with Davidson. He won the Jersey Fresh CCI4*-L in 2014.

When Green, who was born and raised in Kentucky, retired her former Young Riders horse Takine De La Barbais, she was on the hunt for her next partner. Knowles trains with Davidson, and he suggested Sean when he knew Green was looking.

Dressage leaders Dan Kreitl and Carmango added two show jumping rails and some time to finish in second.

She bought him in October 2020, and admits she definitely feels pressure riding such a well-known and accomplished horse.

“The pressure is unreal, and it definitely freaked me out at the beginning,” she said. “I was really worried about it, but I try to turn a blind eye to it. I’ve been forgetting lots of dressage tests because I’ve been so self-conscious about it.

“We’ve always gotten along from the beginning, but as far as the show jumping goes, my other horses are really lovely jumpers, and it’s been a little bit of an adjustment getting used to his ‘efficient’ jumping style!” she continued.

Green, 20, spent the winter working for Davidson and spent the week with him before Jersey Fresh.

“He always tells me every single thing you do with a horse counts and to make the simple things difficult,” she said.

The pair had one rail in show jumping on Saturday morning and added 1.2 time penalties on cross-country to take the win.

“Our show jump round was definitely our best one to date. I just had an unlucky rail. That’s improved a lot,” she said. “The cross-country was a bit of a perfect storm. We really clicked together. He was soft, but he wasn’t running off with me. I just feel like he really knew there was a win on the line, and he really tried hard for me and really listened to me. It was an amazing feeling.”

Green is a sophomore at the University of Kentucky majoring in management and marketing. She’s eyeing the Virginia Horse Trials CCI3*-L at the end of the month.

Booli Selmayr and Urania finished in fourth.

Elisa Wallace and Riot Gear finished fifth.

Caroline Martin and HSH Vamonos finished sixth.

Elizabeth Bortuzzo and Belongs To Teufer finished seventh.

Ashley Adams and Charly were eighth.

Erin Kanara and Warren LVSZ finished ninth.

Sydney Solomon and FE Mactan were 10th.

For full results, click here.

The Chronicle of the Horse will be on-site all weekend for the Jersey Fresh International bringing you reports from each round of competition, beautiful photos and stories from the competitors. Follow along with all of our coverage here, and be sure to read our June 7 issue for more in-depth coverage and analysis of the event.