Sunday, June 3, 2007 - Show Jumping Day

CCI***

The folks at Jersey Fresh must live right! The competition dodged the drenching downpours and thunderstorms that accompanied tropical storm "Barry" by mere hours. It did drizzle on and off during Show Jumping day; however, the main body of the storm did not reach Allentown, New Jersey, until after the last horse had jumped the last fence and the prizes had been awarded.

Bonnie Mosser, of Unionville, PA, jumped one of only six double clear Show Jumping rounds from thirty-nine finishers to rise from fourth place after Cross Country to become the winner of the CCI***. (Bonnie and Merloch are pictured at the right during their Victory Gallop.)

Bonnie rode Merloch, a nine year old New Zealand bred who Bonnie found for her student Alexander Zavoyna four years ago. She called Alex' parents from New Zealand and said, "Wire the money!" Merloch, who had done a one star at the time of his purchase, turned out to be a perfect horse for Zavoyna, who won Young Riders on him, in 2006, before going off to college and selling the gray to Bonnie.

Bonnie said, "He's a quiet steady Eddie - very rideable and has a good temperament. He's a new horse for me. He's been a work in progress. I still haven't figured out how to go fast on Cross Country. (Merloch picked up 2.4 time faults on Saturday for six seconds over time.) I'm working on improving my speed and my Show Jumping."

Stephen Bradley and From held on to second place, on a score of 50.5, in spite of being passed by Bonnie for the top slot. Steve noted, "I am absolutley thrilled to have From back. (He had done a tendon at Jersey Fresh last year.) He had a really good time this weekend!" From placed tied for fourth after Dressage, second after Cross Country and second over all. (Steve and From are pictured above at the left.)

Mara Dean finished third with Nicki Henley. This pair won the Dressage on Thursday with a sensational ride, were third after Cross Country and remained third over all with one fence down in Show Jumping.

Mara said, "This (competition) has really been a turning point. It's been a bumpy road and we've really smoothed it out! The conditions felt really good, (under foot on Sunday) though there was a lot of turning." (Mara and Nicki Henley are pictured at the right.)

Eighteen year old Waylon Roberts, the highest placed Canadian rider in the Advanced Horse Trial for Pan American Games candidates from both the USA and Canada, agreed. He said of Sally Ikes Show Jumping track, "It was herky jerky."

Sally had commented that she had tried to build a big course in a small arena. The Show Jumping was held in front of the covered pavillion as a favor to spectators, rather than in the larger ring that actually would have been more suitable, but less fan friendly.

William Coleman III and Icarus, the overnight leaders, dropped from first to fourth with eight jumping faults and two time faults. Twenty-three of the thirty-nine competitors, or just under 60% of those who completed, incurred time faults in the Show Jumping phase.

Kim Severson placed two horses in the top ten - Tipperary Liadhnan finished fourth and Tsunami finished tenth.

CCI*** Final Results Top Ten:

1. Bonnie Mosser, Merloch - 48.7 (DCSJ)
2. Stephen Bradley, From - 50.5 (4 Jumping faults SJ)
3. Mara Dean, Nicki Henley - 50.9 (4 jumping faults SJ)
4. William Coleman, III, Icarus - 54.2 (8 jumping, 2 time faults SJ)
5. Kim Severson, Tipperary Liadhnan - 54.6 (4 jumping faults SJ)
6. Karen O'Connor, Allstar - 60.4 (4 faults SJ)
7. Selena O'Hanlon (CAN) - 62.9 (4 jumping, 3 time faults SJ)
8. Allison Springer, Arthur - 63.0 (12 jumping faults SJ)
9. Dana Widstrand, Relentless Pursuit, 63.7 (DCSJ)
10. Kim Severson, Tsunami - 64.9 (8 faults SJ)

Other Prizes:

Best Conditioned Horse - Merloch, Bonnie Mosser

Best Turned Out at the Horse Inspections - Merloch, Bonnie Mosser

Closest to the Optimum Time - tie between Tipperary Liadhnan, Kim Severson and Arthur, Allison Springer

* * *

CCI**

The thirty-six of the original fifty-one CCI** competitors Show Jumped first of the three divisions (CCI**; Advanced Pan Am Games Trial; and CCI***). Fifteen of the thirty-six Show Jumped double clears.

The overnight leader, Clark Montgomery, riding Up Spirit, was not one of those who jumped double clear. Clark had a lead of 8.6 faultes going into the arena on Sunday morning. He and Up Spirit used up 8 of that 8.6 fault lead with two rails down and managed to hold on to the CCI** victory by .6 of a fault. (Clark and Up Spirit are pictured at the left during their Victory Gallop.)

Clark said, "I am not totally dissatisfied. He did not jump terribly well in this ring last year. I wish I had a really good explanation for him. He wasn't tired. We'll just go back to the drawing board and get it fixed. We did a lot with Laura Kraut (the Show Jumper) and I get a lot of help from David (O'Connor).

Up Spirit and Clark had run one of only six double clears on Cross Country in the Division, on Saturday.

Buck Davidson and Ballynoecastle RM, seventh after Dressage and tied for second after Cross Country did jump a double clear and held on to second place, although actually tied with his student Jessica Kiener and My Boy Bobby, who also jumped a double clear. Both Buck and Jessica finished the competition on 56.2. Buck took second place having been closer to the Optimum Time on Cross Country.
Both Ballynoe Castle and My Boy Bobby are owned by Cassandra and Carl Segal, of Pottersville, NJ. (Jessica, Buck and the Segals are pictured at the right above during the trophy presentations.)

Clark Montgomery also placed fifth riding Raconteur.

Susie Beale, who rides internationally for Great Britain, placed seventh in the CCI** with Isabella II. Susie had ridden the versatile Isabella II in the Family Class at the Devon Horse Show the prior week.

CCI** Final Results Top Ten:

1. Clark Montgomery, Up Spirit - 55.6 (8 jumping faults SJ)
2. Buck Davidson, Ballynoecastle RM - 56.2 (DCSJ)
3. Jessica Kiener, My Boy Bobby - 56.2 (DCSJ)*
4. Jennifer Libby, Jazz King - 56.2 (DCSJ)*
5. Clark Montgomery, Raconteur - 63.8 (DCSJ)
6. Andrea Leatherman, Mensa - 65.0 (4 jumping faults SJ)
7. Susie Beale (GBR), Isabella II - 65.2 (4 jumping faults SJ)
8. Will Faudree, Mr McWhinney - 65.4 (DCSJ - FODS)
9. Jonathan Holling, RingFort Tinkatoo - 66.0 (DCSJ)
10. Olivia Loiacono, Subway - 68.8 (4 jumping faults SJ)

* Tie broken by time closest to optimun on Cross Country. (Buck had 4.0 time faults, for 10 seconds over time on XC. Jessica had 5.2 time faults, for 13 seconds over time on XC.)

* * *

Advanced Horse Trial

An Advanced Horse Trial for American and Canadian candidates for their respective country's Pan American Games Teams was held in connection with the Jersey Fresh CCI*** and the Jersey Fresh CCI**.

Once again, on Sunday, Bonnie Mosser was the winner, this time with Close The Deal. Once again Bonnie took over the lead on a one rail down Show Jumping performance, having been third after Cross Country. Bonnie and Close The Deal's final score was 47.0. (Bonnie and Close The Deal are pictured at the left during their Victory Gallop.)

Bonnie has three horses eligible for the Pan American Games - Merloch, the winner of the CCI***; Close The Deal, the winner of the Advanced Horse Trial; and Jenga who was eighth in the Horse Trials Dressage and Show Jumped double clear. Jenga was excused from having to run Cross Country having finished twenty-eighth at the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** earlier in the spring.

Jonathan Holling and Lion King II, the overnight leaders, dropped to second place with three rails down for 12 faults and a final score of 49.9. (Jonathan and Lion King II are pictured at the right.)

Canada's eighteen year old Waylon Roberts riding Paleface placed third on 52.2. Waylon, who trains with Mark Hayes, said,"I am taking the Pan Am Games very seriously."

Amy Tryon rode Poggio II in the CCI***, presumably to qualify him for 2008. He was seventeenth after Dressage on 76.8; had 21.2 time faults Cross Country and Show Jumped double clear, one of only five to do so. Poggio II ended up 17th of thirty-nine finishers on a score of 76.8. Thankfully the sniping that followed Rolex was not in evidence. Most of the people damning Amy have never ridden in a CCI*** or a CCI**** and have no idea how a horse feels at the end of a big course. Of course she made a mistake and she is paying for it. Let's quit the piling on.

The US squad for the Pan Am Games is expected to be announced Monday night or Tuesday morning.

Advanced Horse Trials Final Results (Pan Am Games Candidates):

1. Bonnie Mosser, Close The Deal - 47.0 (4 faults SJ)
2. Jonathan Holling, Lion King II - 49.9 (12 jumping faults SJ)
3. Waylon Roberts (CAN) - Paleface - 52.2 (4 faults SJ)
4. Emilee Libby, Cahir - 54.7 (4 faults SJ)
5. Sandra Donnelly (CAN) - Buenos Aires - 55.4 (DCSJ)
6. Kyle Carter (CAN) - Madison Park - 57.7

* * * * *

USET Foundation Awards Gladstone Trophy to Eventer Bonnie Mosser

Cream Ridge, NJ - June 7, 2007 - The United States Equestrian Team Foundation is pleased to announce that Bonnie Mosser and Merloch were presented with the 2007 Gladstone Trophy on Sunday at the Jersey Fresh CCI***, which ran from May 31 - June 3.

The Gladstone Trophy is awarded to the highest placed American rider at the USEF CCI*** Spring Championship, held at the Jersey Fresh CCI***. In addition to being the highest placed American, Mosser was also the overall victor of the division, finishing on a score of 48.7.

Mosser, partnered with Merloch, a gray 9-year-old thoroughbred gelding, started the weekend in third place with a dressage score of 46.3. She added just 2.4 time faults on cross country to her total, and her clean show jumping round catapulted her to the top of the standings for the win.

Of her success, Mosser laughed: "Well, it was a pleasant surprise that I won with Merloch, who is a new horse for me. I started competing with him this winter in February. He had been a horse in my program. He was a student's horse, and I just purchased him last winter from my student. So, it was definitely a nice weekend."

Mosser expressed her appreciation to the USET Foundation for assisting in the preparation of her horses for competition. "We've had support through coaching with Laura Kraut and Captain Mark Philips, so that's been very helpful. The funding from the USET Foundation is so important to making sure we can compete and represent our country at the highest levels."

The Unionville, PA, resident also won the Advanced horse trials, which were the selection trials for the Pan American Games in July. Riding Close the Deal, Mosser finished on a score of 47.0 for first place. She also rode her veteran partner Jenga in the Advanced division but withdrew him before cross country.

"I would say that all three of my horses performed the best they possibly could at the time. Merloch won the three-star, Close the Deal won the Advanced horse trials for the Pan Am selection trials and Jenga was in that same division but did not run cross-country. I was very pleased with how all three of them had stepped up to plate and showed their best when it was the most important time," Mosser described.

The United States Equestrian Team Foundation supports the competition, training, coaching, travel and educational needs of America's elite and developing international high performance horses and athletes in partnership with the U.S. Equestrian Federation.

For more information on the USET Foundation, please visit www.uset.org.

* * * * *

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 4, 2007

Allentown, NJ - The rain held off for most of the day for the finale of the Jersey Fresh Three Day Event, but everyone appreciated the break in the weather. Sally Ike’s show jumping tracks proved challenging yet fair and major changes in the standing of each division would unfold as the day went on.

There were plenty of surprises in the Advanced Horse Trials division which was serving as a selection division for the Pan American Games for both the US and Canadian riders. 17 horses showjumped but only nine were jumping for awards, as more than half the field opted to not run cross country.

Of the remaining horses in the division, clear rounds were very difficult to find. Bonnie Mosser had jumped cleaned with Jenga (who didn’t run cross country) but almost came unseated at the final fence in the process. She just picked up a rail on her second horse Close the Deal to end up winning the class.

Overnight leader, Jonathan Holling and Lion King II had three rails and dropped to second, and Darren Chiacchia who was in second with Better I Do It, picked up a refusal at fence three but jumped clean around the rest of the course.

Owned by Rebecca Polan, Close The Deal, a 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood/ Thoroughbred cross gelding, looked professional all weekend and made Mosser’s bid for a pinque coat closer to a reality. Polan competed the horse through the two-star level herself.

“I literally can’t even talk,” said Polan after Close the Deal returned to the barn from the show jumping. “I’m so excited. I’ve had this horse since he was a baby and this is the culmination of a really, really exciting time with Bonnie.”

Mosser took responsibility for having the rail at the first part of the triple combination, but over all was pleased with the performance of both of her horses in the division.

“Bob’s always great, I rode too forward into the triple,” said Mosser of her round on Close the Deal. “Aside from that mistake, today, yesterday and the day before ­– he was great. He’s really dependable. To come here and do what I was supposed to do, on both horses, that’s important. Jenga I thought was a little rusty, but he’s still always there for me.”

The US selection process for the Pan American Games continues as the veterinarians will evaluate the horses Sunday night and all day on Monday. There were also horses in the CCI*** in consideration for the Pan American Games which affords for many possibilities over the next few weeks. And as it turns out, no one has more possibilities than Mosser. After winning the Advanced she returned to the show jumping ring and served notice with another star.

She won the three-star on the strength of a double clean show jumping round (one of only six in the division) on the attractive grey, Merloch. The 9-year-old New Zealand bred jumped handily around the course and then watched the rails fall under the feet of the three horses in front of him.

“When I got back from Kentucky I went up to (show jumper) Anne Kursinski to get some help after what happened at Rolex,” said Mosser referring to a stop with Jenga in the show jumping. “And also with this horse – I had four rails down at The Fork, which was unusual and I had not expected ­– usually he only has one or none. I went up to Anne’s and she got me riding forward again and I’ve been working on that aspect and hoping that it would show up today. I worked hard at it.”

Mosser’s summer plans are now in the hands of the US selectors but she is the only rider with three horses eligible and qualified.

“I came into this event hoping that Merloch would do what he did, be anywhere in the top five,” said Mosser of the horse’s first CCI***. “Having the other two in the Pan Am selection process with Merloch, it’s a go. I don’t know what the fall is going to bring me. I have to get through this summer first.”

Overnight leader Will Coleman had two rails with Icarus, but looks to have a horse for the future for owner Nathalie Pollard. The flashy grey ended up fourth in his first three-star. Stephen Bradley (From) and Mara Dean (Nicki Henley) held their second and third spots respectively after each dropping a rail. Both of these horses are enrolled in the Pan Am selection process.

The CCI** came down to the very last fence as Clark Montgomery and Up Spirit used up the two rails they had in hand over Buck Davidson (Ballynoecastle RM) and Jessica Kiener (My Boy Bobby) who were tied for second and both jumped double clean. Davidson was closer to the optimum time on the cross-country so he ended up runner-up when they broke the tie. Montgomery was the only overnight leader to take the top honors after the final phase.

Fifteen horses out of the forty that went forward to jump show jumped clean and Montgomery moved up to fifth on his second horse Ranconteur on the strength of a double clear.

“I was feeling really confident,” said Montgomery. “It was nice to get the opportunity to ride the course first on a lesser placed horse. I had a lot of confidence going in, I felt good about my plan for the horse, I just needed to try and execute it.”

Up Spirit, an 8-year-old English-bred lowered the middle part of the triple but jumped carefully around the rest of the course until punching out the second to last.

“He’s a really good jumper,” said Montgomery. “He can be slow footed, and he doesn’t always give you all the scope and effort. You have to create it to keep him jumping. This season the most rails I’ve had at him is two, but you never want to take it for granted. Usually I worry about the verticals on him not the oxers.”

Montgomery, a product of the Young Riders’ program, has two promising horses for the future but doesn’t see either one vying for the CCI*** Championships at Fair Hill International in the fall.

“They are both still really green,” said Montgomery. “I don’t know what they’ll do this fall, they may just keep doing Intermediate horse trials and finish up at Advanced, but I don’t see them going to Fair Hill.”

For more information please contact High Performance Communications Manager, Joanie Morris at (859) 225-2052 or jmorris@usef.org.

ENDS

As the National Governing Body (NGB) of Equestrian Sport, the United States Equestrian Federation®, Inc. (USEF) is the regulatory body for 28 breeds and disciplines, including our country’s international teams competing in the disciplines of dressage, driving, endurance, eventing, para-equestrian, reining, show jumping and vaulting. With over 89,000 members, it is the country’s largest multi-breed organization and annually license more than 2,800 competitions nationwide. The USEF governs all aspects of competition, including education and licensing of all judges, stewards, and technical delegates who officiate shows.

Vision Statement: The vision of United States Equestrian Federation® is to provide leadership for equestrian sport in the United States of America, promoting the pursuit of excellence from the grassroots to the Olympic Games, based on a foundation of fair, safe competition and the welfare of its horses, and embracing this vision, to be the best national equestrian federation in the world.

* * * * *

Sunday Night 7:30 PM:

Tropical Storm Barry was raging when I arrived home in Unionville at 6:50 PM today. Suffice it to say that I could barely get to the back door through torrents of water and have left all my orders of go and results in the car. Jersey Fresh was fortunate to get through almost all the competition before the storm struck. It actually started to rain hard just after the presentations.

The following results are from memory. I will get the complete results up as soon as I can on Monday morning.

The top three in the CCI***, without scores were:

1. Bonnie Mosser, Morlock
2. Stephen Bradley, From
3. Mara Dean, Nicki Henley

I think Bonnie, who lives here in Unionville, also won the Advanced Horse Trial and Clark Montgomery won the CCI**.

Sorry to be so useless - I'd better get this on the Internet before the electricity goes out. Thanks for your patience. Cora C. Cushny