www.eventingetc.com

Gina Miles and the mighty McKinlaigh not only won their third 2006 Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series event at the Twin Rivers International Horse Trials, they also earned the title of “Keepers of the Cup,” taking the top spot on the Leaderboard as 2006 Gold Cup Advanced champions. (Gina and McKinlaigh are pictured at the right below in the Show Jumping phase at Twin Rivers. Photo by Tass Jones.)

Miles and McKinlaigh, her and Thom Schulz’s 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Highland King-Kilevmney Hostess), jockeyed for position with Darren Chiacchia and Timothy Holekamp’s Windfall most of the summer. They took the lead after wins at Rebecca Farm and Woodside in July and August respectively, but then Chiacchia and Windfall, a 14-year-old Trakehner stallion (Habicht-Wundermaedel), capitalized on their win at The Fork in April with wins at Millbrook and Richland in August, sitting atop the leaderboard with 940 points. The pair missed the final Atlantic division Gold Cup event, Poplar Place Horse Trials in early September, opting instead to make the trip to Malmo, Sweden to represent the U.S. at the FEI Eventing World Cup Finals where they finished fifth, adding another impressive performance to a resume that already includes a Rolex Kentucky win, Olympic Team Bronze, and Pan Am Gold.

So, in the end, it all came down to the final Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series event--Twin Rivers International Horse Trials in Paso Robles, California, September 29-October 1.

As usual, Miles and McKinlaigh took the early lead after dressage (27.9), with Robyn Fisher and Lady Calido hot on their heels, making their Advanced debut with a score of 30. The pairs’ positions flip-flopped after cross-country when both jumped clean, but McKinlaigh didn’t quite make the time with 2.8 penalties. Of the 12 competitors in the division, only Fisher and Lady Calido went double clear.

Their lead was brief though. Two knocked show jumping rails dropped them to second on an overall score of 38. McKinlaigh and Miles added just one time penalty to win the division on 31.7. Fellow Gold Cup contenders, British Columbian Hawley Bennett and Livingstone, took the third spot on a score of 52.9.

These performances earned McKinlaigh and Miles, who hails from Creston, California, an additional 305 points (for a total of 1140), and Bennett and Livingstone another 230 points (for a total of 955), on the Gold Cup Advanced Leaderboard, enough for both to surpass Chiacchia and Windfall, who dropped to third.

For her Twin Rivers win, Miles earned $500 cash from the USEA, and from Series sponsors: a seven-dose pack of Adequan, a Mountain Horse jacket with Gold Cup logo, a front and hind pair of Nunn Finer American Style brushing boots, and the choice of either a Cross-Country Sereno Top Ride pad with ultra-suede, or the Cross-Country Ortho Top Ride saddle pad with advanced memory foam from Ogilvy Horse. (Gina and McKinlaigh are pictured during the trophy presentation at Twin Rivers. Photo by Tass Jones.)

For her second place finish, Fisher earned her choice of a Sereno dressage, cross-country, or show jumping pad from Ogilvy Horse.

On the national stage, Miles will be presented with her keeper Gold Cup trophy—as well as $6,000 in prize money from the USEA, an Amerigo saddle, and another Adequan gift certificate—during the Awards Luncheon held at the USEA Convention in St. Louis, Missouri, December 7-10.

For their efforts, Bennett and Livingstone, her 16-year-old Canadian Thoroughbred (Wander Kind-Dancing Proud) gelding, have earned another Adequan gift certificate as well as a $3,500 Bit of Britain gift certificate courtesy of John Nunn, owner of longtime USEA sponsors Nunn Finer and Bit of Britain.

Intermediate Action

Grant Hemingway, of Napa Valley, California, and his 16-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Nieco (Holland-Jomara) made quite an impression in their CIC** debut, besting a field of 27 on a final score of 52.8, just 1.1 penalties ahead of Petaluma, California native Matthew Brown and Jasmine X. Hemingway and Brown took home the same prizes from Twin Rivers as their Advanced counterparts (as mentioned above).

For their win, Hemingway and Nieco added 150 points to their 105 earned from a sixth place finish last month at Woodside, for a year-end total of 255 and final finish of fifth on the Intermediate Leaderboard. Brown and Jasmine, Cecily Clark’s 12-year-old Canadian Warmblood mare, had already tallied 150 points from their win in the CIC** this July at The Event at Rebecca Farm. The additional 125 points from Twin Rivers propelled the pair from 27th place into a tie for second with Kelly Prather and Andrea Pfeiffer’s seven-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare Ballinakill Glory (Mark Twain-Ballinakill Popsey) on the Gold Cup’s year-end Intermediate Leaderboard. This achievement earned both of their mounts’ owners $2,000 Bit of Britain gift certificates to be presented at the USEA Convention.

With 290 points, it’s Becky Holder, of Mendota Heights, Minnesota, and Rejuvenate, Ann Bower’s eight-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Renaissance-Lost Issue), who will be honored in St. Louis with the 2006 Intermediate Gold Cup trophy, $4,000 in prize money from the USEA, an Amerigo saddle, and Adequan gift certificate. Holder and Rejuvenate put their first points on the Gold Cup leaderboard in April with a ninth place finish at The Fork Horse Trials. After better and better finishes throughout the summer, they capped their season off with a win at the Maui Jim Horse Trials in July at Lamplight Equestrian Center, host site of the 2007-2009 Wellpride American Eventing Championships. (Becky and Rejuvenate are pictured at the right at the Maui Jim Horse Trials. Organizer Katie Lindsay congratulates Rejuvenate and Becky.)

The Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series would not be possible without the support of its sponsors: Title, Adequan; Presenting: Amerigo, Nunn Finer, and Nutrena; Contributing: Cover-All, Premier Equestrian, UlcerGard, and Wellpride; and Patron: Mountain Horse, and Ogilvy Horse.

For complete results of the Twin Rivers event, visit the Twin Rivers Ranch website at www.twinriversranch.us.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------