Young star Tiana Coudray continued her ascent through the eventing ranks by winning top honors at the FEI World Cup Qualifier (CIC***-W). The event was held at Galway Downs in Temecula, March 30 – April 1 as part of the International Horse Trials that also included CIC** and CIC* divisions.
The 18 year old working student for Bea and Derek DiGrazia moved into the lead when Gina Miles and McKinlaigh withdrew from competition before cross country. The pair of veteran international contenders was in the lead after a winning dressage ride on the event’s first day, but Miles got sidelined by a migraine.
Miles’ withdrawal left Coudray and Jolie Sexson of Martinez to take over the top spot. Both posted strong performances over the two-mile cross-country course, finishing penalty free with identical scores of 54.8. After posting the only clean show jumping round in a field of 16 World Cup contenders, Coudray took the title aboard King Street. The 10 year old Irish sporthorse gelding was her partner in victory at Galway’s CIC** in 2005 and has been Coudray’s up and coming mount for four years. For Coudray it was a great preparation for contesting the Rolex Kentucky Four-Star this May in Lexington, KY.
Moving up a spot from Saturday’s standings was the Three-Star’s second-place finisher Kelly Prather of Bodega Bay. She rode Ballinakill Glory, a 7 year old Irish Sporthorse mare. They had a score of 61.7. Last year’s American World Cup representative, Copper Meadows-based trainer Jennifer Wooten, was third with a score of 61.9 with The Good Witch, a 10 year old Thoroughbred mare.
Debbie Rosen of Calabasas captured the top spot in the CIC** division with a clean run in show jumping for a score 53.8 aboard The Alchemyst, a 7 year old Canadian Sporthorse gelding. Rosen edged out Canadian Hawley Bennett, who lives in Temecula, and was the leader after the cross country. Hawley finished with a score of 54.6 on board SplendoroftheSun, a 10 year old Thoroughbred gelding. Andrea Baxter of Atascadero finished third on Estrella, a 7 year old Thoroughbred cross mare, with a score of 62.3.
Julie Ann Boyer of Agua Dulce was the pole-to-pole winner of the CIC* division with a final score of 47.1 aboard Rumor Hazit, a 6 year old Thoroughbred. Second was Tara McKenna Polkabla of Briones Valley on Current Leader, an 8 year old Thoroughbred gelding, with a score of 52.6. Canadian Jennifer Miller of Cave Creek, AZ, moved up two spots overnight to finish third with Jeepers, a 6 year old Oldenburg gelding, with a score of 55.
An international field, which included more than 300 riders from around the world, competed for more than $21,000 in prize money at Galway Downs, a world-class equestrian facility in Temecula that sits in the heart of the 2,000-acre Valle de los Caballos (Valley of the Horses).
The event this year included a touch of nearby Wine Country. Keyways Vineyard & Winery poured its wine and provided its Wine Club members VIP seating at the FEI Eventing World Cup qualifier. Those in the VIP tent on Sunday enjoyed Presto’s catered cuisine at the Keyways Wine Pairing Luncheon.
Event organizer Robert Kellerhouse was pleased with the turnout on Sunday and hoped that Keyways and Wine Country would become a regular part of the annual event.
“Everybody who had a chance to try the gourmet food and award-winning wines had a great time,” he said. “We hope this is the start of a long-standing tradition at Galway Downs.”
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