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Kieffer Claims Both Adequan USEA Gold Cup Divisions at Red Hills

Lauren Kieffer and Czechmate won the CIC3* division at Red Hills Horse Trials in Tallahassee, Florida. StockImageServices.com photo.

Lauren Kieffer stole the show this weekend, riding her way to two Adequan USEA Gold Cup Division wins. She was the overnight leader in both the Advanced and CIC3* divisions after cross-country, and managed to pilot both horses flawlessly around William “Fuzzy” Mayo’s technical show jump course today.

The crowds showed up to support the Red Hills International Horse Trials in the sunshine today, providing a lot of atmosphere in the newly renovated show jump arena at the Elinor Knapp-Phipps Park. The Advanced Division went before the CIC3* Division, and Kieffer rode Team Rebecca’s mare Veronica to an effortless double-clear round.

“Veronica was great, and she’s the type of horse that feeds off the atmosphere: the more of it, the better she gets,” said Kieffer. “She’s such a professional and experienced horse at this point, and she was such a pleasure to ride all weekend.”

Czechmate on the other hand did not take a liking to the atmosphere, but Kieffer handled the situation with poise and rode the Ramsay’s Czech Warmblood gelding through a very systematic round in the CIC3* Division.

“Being new to this level and this type of atmosphere, Czechy was a little spooky at the beginning, but I was happy with the way he got better as he went,” she said. “He really handled himself well this weekend and I’m proud of him.”

Liz Halliday-Sharp certainly kept the pressure on Kieffer in the CIC3*, leaving no room for error after her seamless double-clear round aboard Deborah Halliday’s Irish Sport Horse gelding HHS Cooley.

“He jumped out of his skin today, and I couldn’t have asked for more,” stated Halliday-Sharp, who has had the gelding since the beginning of his eventing career. “He had a bit of time off, and then I had a difficult time with him at the last two events, but he was just fabulous here all weekend. I really felt like I got my horse back this weekend, and that’s a wonderful feeling.”

Jennie Brannigan secured third place in the CIC3* with a beautiful double clear round aboard Nina Gardner’s Irish Thoroughbred gelding Cambalda.

Elinor MacPhail earned the Jockey Club’s Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.) award with her 13-year-old OTTB mare, True Dynamite, coming in as the highest placed Thoroughbred in the CIC3* Division.

“This is [True Dynamite’s] first CIC3* and I’m really happy with the way she jumped all weekend,” stated MacPhail. “Cross-country is her best phase, as she’s a quick horse, and my goal is to get her to the Jersey Fresh three star this spring.”

Once again, Red Hills proved to be a weekend of top class entertainment for the local community, and fierce competition for the competitors.

The Adequan USEA Gold Cup and PRO Tour Series now moves to the Carolina International CIC3* on March 19-22 in Southern Pines, North Carolina and then heads west to the Galway Downs CIC3* in Temecula, California.

To see the full list of this weekend’s results at Red Hills International, go here.

About the Adequan USEA Gold Cup and PRO Tour Series

Qualifying for the 2015 Adequan USEA Gold Cup began last fall with the Plantation Field CIC3* (PA) and the Woodside CIC3* (CA) and features 11 qualifying competitions throughout the United States at the Advanced Horse Trials and CIC3* levels. The final will take place at the Nutrena USEA American Eventing Championships September 2015 in Tyler, Texas. Riders who complete a qualifier earn the chance to vie for $40,000 in prize money in the Adequan Advanced Division and the title of Adequan USEA Gold Cup Champion.

The 2015 Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series is made possible through the support of its many loyal sponsors: Adequan, Standlee Forage, Nunn Finer, Nutrena, Broadstone Equine Insurance Agency, Point Two, Dubarry, and FITS.

The PRO Tour Series consists of 13 premier destination events in the United States and Canada, featuring the best riders and most entertainment. Riders and Horses are awarded points on the PRO Tour Rider Leader Board and PRO Tour Horse Leader Board.

Authored By: USEA

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