Lexington, Kentucky–by Helen Murray. A small but mighty field lines up this weekend in the USEF National Open Horse Trial Championship for the Jack Le Goff Trophy to vie for the first eventing National Title of the autumn. Run in conjunction with the Nutrena USEA American Eventing Championships presented by VTO Saddlery, national championship competition will run September 26-28, 2013, at the Texas Rose Horse Park in Tyler, Texas. Twelve elite combinations are set to kick off competition, which is run at the Advanced level, in the dressage phase on Thursday.
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Kristi Nunnink R-Star (Shannon Brinkman)
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Kristi Nunnink (Auburn, Calif.) has enjoyed success with her own R-Star this season and they look to add a National Title to their resume this weekend. The pair was eighth at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Land Rover in April, before clinching a repeat victory in the CIC3* at The Event at Rebecca Farm in July. Nunnink and the talented mare have been awarded a USEF Land Rover Competition Grant to compete in the CCI4* at Les Estoiles De Pau in France later this fall, and a good outing in Texas will send them overseas with an abundance of confidence.
Three riders will be doing double-duty in the USEF National Open Horse Trial Championship, as Michael Pollard, Barbara Crabo and Jonathan Holling each will ride two horses. Pollard (Dalton, Ga.) lines up with his father-in-law Carl Bouckaert’s Mensa, who has also been awarded a USEF Land Rover Competition Grant to compete at Pau. Pollard also has the ride on the Phoenix Syndicate’s striking gelding, Ballingowan Pizzaz. Crabo (Scottsdale, Ariz.) brings her 2011 winner of the USEF National Open Horse Trial Championship, Eveready, in addition to her own Over Easy. Holling (Ocala, Fla.) will ride Meghan Richey’s Proper Timing and Team Rebecca, LLC’s DHI Zatopek B.
To learn more about the Nutrena USEA American Eventing Championships presented by VTO visit; http://useventing.com/programs/aec
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