Clayton Fredericks and Walterstown Don have their first US start at Fair Hill
The Dansko Fair Hill International CCI once again boasts top quality fields in both two- and three-star competition. The annual fall championship, running October 18-21, is always a fixture of the USA eventing calendar and will again crown USEF National Two- and Three-Star Eventing Champions.
USEF National Three-Star Eventing Championship
A total of 34 horses were presented and accepted without incident at the First Horse Inspection Wednesday and 30 of those are in the running for the USEF National Three-Star Eventing Championship.
In an ultra-competitive CCI3* field, Will Faudree is among four competitors with multiple horses entered in the division. He will ride Jennifer Mosing's DHI Colour Candy and Pawlow. DHI Colour Candy makes his first start at a CCI3* but is on familiar turf at Fair Hill after having placed fourth in last year's CCI2*. Faudree and Pawlow come to Elkton in top form having led the victory gallop for the CIC3* at the Plantation Field International Horse Trials a month ago.
Faudree spent this summer training and competing in England thanks to a Land Rover Competition and Training Grant.
Two members of the Gold medal winning U.S. Team at last year's Pan American Games will vie for the National Title. Hannah Sue Burnett (The Plains, VA) will ride her Pan American Games Individual Silver medal winning partner Jacqueline Mar's Harbour Pilot. Burnett is no stranger to success at Fair Hill having claimed the CCI2* National Title in 2009 and the CCI3* Championship in 2010 with St. Barths. The 26-year-old will look to add to her already extensive resume this weekend. She is also contesting the USEF National Two-Star Eventing Championship with Neaopolitan Holding Co. LLC's Danio.
"Danio is just here to get the experience. He's done a full year of Intermediate but this is his first CCI2*. William (Harbour Pilot) has been prepping all year for this, it's his first CCI3* but we're ready to pull the trigger on him," said Burnett. "We're hoping for a good showing this week."
Buck Davidson competed alongside Burnett on the U.S. Team in Mexico, earning Team Gold and Individual Bronze. The Ocala, FL resident will ride Carl and Cassandra Segal's Park Trader and Leigh Mesher's Mar de Amor in the USEF National Three-Star Eventing Championship. He will also ride Debbie Adams' D.A. Adirmo and Sharon Will's No More Rocks in the CCI2*.
Australia’s Clayton Fredericks who has just relocated to Ocala, Florida will compete in the CCI3* on Walterstown Don
USEF National Two-Star Eventing Championship
A field of 55 line up to compete for a Two-Star National Title and a total of 62 horse-and-rider combinations will head down centerline in CCI2*. Four horses were held at this afternoon's Horse Inspection; Jessica Bortner-Harris and Beth Perkins, both from the U.S., chose to withdraw Win the War and Fernhill Cove respectively in hold. Canadian Callie Evan's ride Glendening Avis and American Natalia Gurmankin's Tequesteris were not accepted upon re-inspection.
Three members of the U.S. Eventing Team from the London Olympic Games will look to claim top honors in the CCI2*. Will Coleman (Charlottesville, VA) has had numerous top finishes at Fair Hill and looks to score another strong placing in 2012 with Jim Fitzgerald's Zipp. Phillip Dutton (West Grove, PA) will utilize the skill that has propelled him to five Olympic Games (three as an Australian and two as a member of U.S. Teams) with Tom Tierney and Ann Jones' Fernhill Fugitive. Dutton will also ride Team Rebecca LLC's Fernhill Eagle in the CCI3*.
Boyd Martin (Cochranville, PA) was the first competitor down centerline and on the cross-country in Greenwich Park this summer. He will once again be among the first group of riders on course at Fair Hill Saturday as he has drawn tenth with Charlotte Hogg's Master Frisky. He is also be looking for his second CCI2* victory of the season as he brings his Jersey Fresh winner Lucy Boynton's Crackerjack to Elkton.
Jennie Brannigan and Clark Montgomery have recently returned from overseas, where alongside Dutton, they competed at the Military Boekelo CCIO3* as members of the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team. Brannigan (West Grove, PA) will demonstrate the experience earned over the last week as she rides Nina Gardner's Indie in the USEF National Two-Star Eventing Championship. Brannigan also has a chance to claim the CCI3* crown with Gardner's No Objection.
Montgomery (Kennett Square, PA) claimed Champion and Reserve Champion honors in the CCI2*in 2010 with his two Boekelo rides on Holly Becker and Kathryn Kraft's Loughan Glen and Jessica Montgomery's Universe. In 2012 he will ride Joan Nichol's Garrison Flash in his quest to re-capture two-star bragging rights.
"It's always nice to compete at home," said Montgomery of returning to compete in the U.S. after competing in Holland last week. "After having been at a big competition overseas, you're always a little more confident coming home and competing."
Competition officially gets underway Thursday with CCI2* dressage; Darrah Alexander will ride South Park as the first combination at 9:15am ET on Thursday.
By Helen Murray
For more information about the Dansko Fair Hill International CCI visit; http://www.fairhillinternational.com
