Becky Holder and Cassidy Lundmark Win Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series Divisions at the Maui Jim Horse Trials
RELEASE: July 19, 2007
AUTHOR/ADMINISTRATOR: By Amy Daum
Becky Holder and Courageous Comet maintained their lead from Saturday's cross-country to win the CIC*** at the Maui Jim Horse Trials on July 15 at the gorgeous Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, IL, which will also be the site of the Wellpride American Eventing Championships in September. Holder and the spunky grey Thoroughbred gelding owned by Becky's husband, Tom Holder, had a nearly 10-point lead over Allison Springer and her eight-year-old Irish Thoroughbred gelding Arthur heading into the show jumping phase of the CIC***, which served as the advanced division for the Adequan United States Eventing Association (USEA) Gold Cup Series.
The pair dropped two rails, but so did Springer and Arthur, leaving the lead wide open for Holder. So Holder rode off with the blue, and Wendy Bebie and her 15-year-old Selle Francais gelding Phoenix and Bruce Davidson and his two-time USEA Mare of the Year Jam both rode double-clear rounds to finish second and third, respectively. Allison Springer and Arthur dropped to fourth, with Ralph Holstein and Arctic Dancer in fifth, followed by Kristen Bond and Fleeceworks Blackout rounding out the top six.
Holder and Courageous Comet had placed second earlier in the year at the Southern Pines Horse Trials, another of the Gold Cup series events. Their win at Maui Jim added 200 points to their tally on the Gold Cup leaderboard for a total of 415, putting them in a tie for the lead with Will Faudree and Antigua. Holder is already planning to head to Richland Park Horse Trials in August, and could very well run away with the lead, and the title of “Keeper of the Cup” if Faudree and the rest of the pack aren’t careful.
In the CIC**, which served as the Intermediate division for the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series, 16-year-old Cassidy Lundmark and her Quarter Horse gelding What's Shakin also maintained their lead. After heading into the show jumping phase with a rail in hand, they managed to drop only a single rail and finish with a score of 54.4. The pair had a sticky moment when the gelding left out a stride and made a huge jump over the wide triple bar, but he cleared it easily, and they finished their round with style.
Jennifer Strauss and her 16-year-old Thoroughbred/Warmblood-cross gelding Another Fable finished in second after a double-clear round, while Canada’s Penny Rowland and Charley Farley added no faults to their score to finish third. Sara Dierks Edith Hunter’s Sweet Az dropped a single rail to bump them down to fourth. Allison Springer and her Destination Unknown were next in fifth after a double-clear round, followed by Meaghan Marinovich and her 11-year-old Anglo-Trakehner gelding Ahlerich, who rode off with the sixth-place ribbon.
Thanks to the generosity of the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series sponsors, Holder will go home with $500 cash, a seven-dose pack of Adequan, a pair of SCS3 boots from Mountain Horse, a fly sheet from Back on Track, Nunn Finer American Style brushing boots, a saddle pad from Ogilvy Horse, a grooming tote with a three-month supply of Wellpride Omega-3 fish oil, Nutrena feed, and a gift certificate for $175 worth of products from World Equestrian Brands.
Lundmark received all of the above for her CIC** win, but instead of the SCS3 boots will receive a Cirrus three-season jacket from Mountain Horse.
Both Bebie and Strauss received a pair of Nunn Finer brushing boots, No Bow wraps from Back on Track, and a gift certificate for $75 worth of products from World Equestrian Brands.
Seven more events remain on the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series leaderboard. The Cup moves back East this coming weekend for the Cosequin Stuart Horse Trials in Victor, NY, July 19-22, and then makes the nearly 3,000 mile trek across the country the following weekend for The Event at Rebecca Farm, July 26-29, in Kalispell, MT.
Once the final tally is in from the final events, through the end of September, th