The first opening date of Area 1 has passed and we’re one step closer to the season kicking off later this month! With the warmer weather slowly approaching, those who traveled south are in the thick of their spring season with 24 Area 1 YR competitors traveling to 11 different events throughout March. By the end of last month membership levels reached a total of 108, 30 of whom are joining for the first time this year.
Despite having a slower start to the month with a blank first weekend, things took off running the second weekend at Bouckaert Equestrian Horse Trial and International in Fairburn, Georgia. Kiera Delahanty piloted BGS Silver Lining in the CCI1*-S to bring home 7th place while Madison Blodgett and Babette Lenna’s DK Fenrir placed 4th in the Open Novice. A little further north at Southern Pine’s first horse trial of the season, Siri Carr came out on top with Foxtrot Treacle in their first event of the season in the Novice Rider division. Elizabeth Gill and Opportunity Knoxx also kicked off their 2024 season in the Open Preliminary. About three hours east in Aiken at Full Gallop Farm, Evelyn Miller tackled the newly recognized level, Starter at Full Gallop’s first event of the season.
A few days later and beginning mid-week was the Setter’s Run Farm Carolina International CCI & Horse Trial. Held at Carolina is the U.S. Equestrian’s Futures Team Challenge. This challenge is a part of USEF’s Eventing Pathway Programs to help “create an environment where U.S. athletes learn how to succeed at championships.” The team challenge is designed to prepare selected athletes with two days of team training, education, and experience. Area 1 Young Rider, Lea Adams-Blackmore who had a fantastic weekend with Frostbite in the CCI3*-S, had the honor of being one of the two riders selected as alternates. The pair ended their weekend with only a few points of time in show jumping added to their dressage score, landing them in 8th in a division of 37 starters. Lea also piloted Sharon White’s Nike in the Open Novice coming home in 7th. In the CCI2*-S was EA21 athlete, Annabelle Sprague and Kylie Lyman’s Da Vinci Code who had a super weekend as well coming in 7th in a division of 27 starters. Natasha Quirk and First Class, in the Training Rider division, kicked off their season coming home in 11th while Jack Curtis and Luska Candy Clover also made their 2024 debut in the Open Intermediate with a clear cross-country round. Siri Carr and Foxtrot Treacle kept their top three placing 2024 record coming home in 2nd in the Novice Rider out of 14.
During the hustle and bustle of Carolina, further south at Ocala Winter II H.T. in Florida, Myles McLaughlin and Up the Ante tackled the Training level along with Beckett Hazel and Call It Courage who came in 7th. Both running the Modified level was Lyman Ordway with Exces De Folie along with Bridget O’Rourke and Something To Talk About. Sarah Newman and Hang Time had their second Preliminary run of 2024 to come home 5th and starting their season together at the Beginner Novice level were Ariel Belson and Forrests First Class.
Traveling to their second event of the year, both Eliza Quigley and Dorothy Greenshields competed at Pine Top Spring Horse Trial. Eliza and Carlsburg had the lowest score out of all the Area 1 Young Riders this month in the Open Preliminary with a 25.3 and came home 4th with Kwibus in the Open Modified. Dorothy also had two rides bringing home 6th at both levels with Glensmill Kroon Girl in the Beginner Novice and Jag in the Novice.
After a weekend of events down south, we announced on March 19th that our Summer Clinic will be returning for a second year with Booli Selmayr and Emma Lomangino. The clinic runs one day with two rides, a private morning dressage lesson with small groups of jumping in the afternoon. It will take place on Wednesday, June 19th at Foxrace Farm in Amenia, New York. Stay tuned for more details and sign-ups which will be announced on social media and the Area 1 webpages.
Getting closer to the end of the month, the most popular event of the month was the March Horse Trials at Majestic Oaks in Reddick, Florida. Lea Adam-Blackmore and Sharon White’s Nike took the win Open Novice while Inspiration’s Illusion, also owned by Sharon and piloted by Lea, took home 4th. In the Open Beginner Novice, Ariel Belson and Forrests First Class had their second run at the level while Ava Hamlett and James Wildasin’s Calle came in 4th for their 2024 debut. In a successful move-up to the Modified level, Ava Applebaum and FE City Boy came in 7th. At the Preliminary level was Bridget O’Rourke and Something To Talk About along with Kate Servais and Life Story. Kate and Life Story came in 2nd for their second Preliminary event of the season and as a pair. Later in the weekend, at Full Gallop Farm, Ava Hamlett and Calle had their second event together coming in 4th in the Open Beginner Novice and Evelyn Miller came in 6th in the Starter level.
Three events wrapped up the final weekend in March. Starting with The Event at TerraNova in Myakka City, Florida, Lea Adams-Blackmore and Frostbite made their CCI4*-S debut. Sarah Newman and Hang Time also made a move up the CCI2*-S division. Also in the CCI2*-S, Audrey Littlefield and Mr. Pumpkin came in 12th and Emma Armstrong with Newman came in 15th. Ava Applebaum and FE City took the Training Rider division by storm ending on their dressage score to take home the win out of 20 starters. Emerson Hover and Ace of Spades made their 2024 debut in the Beginner Novice Rider division coming in 7th.
With March wrapped up in Florida, five Aiken based riders took to Jumping Branch Farm. Ellie Blass and Estrella Bosque kicked off their season as a pair to come home 4th in the Novice rider division. In the Open Training were Madison Blodgett and DK Fenrir. Dorothy Greenshields with Jag in the Junior Novice Rider came in 6th and 4th in the Beginner Novice Rider division with Glensmill Kroon Girl. The same weekend, up in Leesburg, Virginia at Morven Park Elizabeth Gill and Opportunity Knoxx ran their first Intermediate of the season coming in 4th.
Despite the snow storm, we are very much looking forward to the start of the 2024 season at home, and be sure to send in those entries for the UNH Spring Horse Trials which will take place on April 27th. The closing date is Tuesday, April 9th which is right around the corner! This is a fantastic opportunity to get your feet wet (in the water complex, rain stay away!) with the addition of the Starter level and divisions for both Modified and Modified/Training.
March Winner’s Circle
TRAINING
Ava Applebaum & FE City Boy – The Event at TerraNova
Novice
Lea Adams-Blackmore & Nike – March Horse Trials at Majestic Oaks
Siri Carr & Foxtrot Treacle – Southern Pines H.T. II
