• Save

Talented Field Lines Up for USEF National Open Horse Trial Championship

Lainey Ashker and Anthony Patch won the National Title in 2013 (Leslie Threlkeld/USEA)

Tyler, Texas – Eventers from across the United States will descend upon the Texas Rose Horse Park to contest Beginner Novice through Advanced level competition at the Nutrena USEA American Eventing Championships presented by VTO Saddlery held September 25-28, including a field of 12 talented combinations looking to earn top honors in the 2014 USEF National Open Horse Trial Championship held as part of the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series Final.

Lainey Ashker (Richmond, Va.) has traveled to the Texas Rose Horse Park with her own Anthony Patch looking to retain the National Title the pair earned in 2013. Following wins in Advanced level competition at Millbrook Horse Trials and Five Points Horse Trials this summer, they look to peak this week in Texas.

Looking to stand in Ashker’s way are Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team veterans Becky Holder and Buck Davidson. Holder (Palmetto, Ga.) won the USEF National Open Horse Trial Championship in 2010 and 2012 with her Olympic and Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games partner, Courageous Comet, and this weekend aims to add her name to the trophy a third time with Phil and Melissa Town and Tom Holder’s Can’t Fire Me. The pair will look to reproduce its winning performance from last year’s Poplar Place CIC3*, while Davidson (Ocala, Fla.) is set to take a shot at the title with his 2013 Galway Downs International Three-Day Event CCI3* winner, Sherrie and Caroline Martin’s Petite Flower.

Advanced level competition kicks off with the dressage on Thursday, continues on Friday as competitors take on Capt. Mark Phillips’ cross country track, and comes to a conclusion with the show jumping on Sunday.

To learn more about the Nutrena USEA American Eventing Championships presented by VTO Saddlery, visit: http://useventing.com/aec.

Leave a Reply