Lauren Kieffer at Rolex Kentucky 2015
Competition at the Land Rover Great Meadow International presented by Adequan wrapped up with cross-country taking place over the hallowed ground at the Great Meadow Foundation in The Plains, Va. Twenty combinations contested the CIC3* and 12 combinations competed in the Pan American Preparation Event division over the Mike Etherington-Smith-designed course. Taking home the win in the Preparation Event was overnight leader Lauren Kieffer and Marie Le Menestrel's Meadowbrook's Scarlett adding six time penalties to finish on 49. In the CIC3* competition, team alternates Jennie Brannigan (Kennett Square, Pa.) and Nina Gardner's Cambalda remained atop the leaderboard, adding just eight time faults to their dressage score to win on 47.8.
Rounding out the top three in the Preparation Event was Marilyn Little (Frederick, Md.) and Raylyn Farms and Phoebe and Michael Manders' RF Scandalous, turning in the fastest time of the day, placing second on 50.4 and Boyd Martin (Cochranville, Pa.) and the Pancho Villa Syndicate's Pancho Villa, finishing third on 53.9.
The weekend served as a final build up to the 2015 Pan American Games, taking place July 17-19 in Caledon, Ontario for the U.S. Pan American Eventing Team of Kieffer, Little, Martin, and Phillip Dutton.
"In three weeks, if they are standing up on a podium with Gold medals around their necks, that would be a great thing for the United States," said Chef d'Equipe David O'Connor. "You could not ask for four better people to represent the U.S., including two first time team members, Marilyn and Lauren. We are really excited about going up to Canada and doing our job."
"I am excited about the team we've got and all the support staff that surround the team," said Dutton. "We are determined to go to Canada and bring home the Gold medal."
Speaking to the incredible support the athletes receive from their dedicated owners, Little said "We are all lucky to have great support behind us, with all our horses. Everyone that comes to support the team here [at Great Meadow] has a piece of their heart in these team horses, that is why we are all here - we are all owners in a little bit of a way."
The complete competition will be available on-demand on the USEF Network.
View complete results from the CIC3* and Preparation Event division
