EVENTING Area V Celebrates New Beginnings With An Adult Team Championship Nothing seals new friendships like a victory in The Chronicle of the Horse/USEA novice ATC.

BY LINDSAY BERRETH AND MEGAN BRINCKS

Area V Team #1 won The Chronicle of the Horse/USEA Adult Team Championship at the novice level. (From left) Cherye Huber on Barnabus celebrated with USEA President Diane Pitts, teammate Jessica Pye on DeeJay, USEA CEO Jo Whitehouse, Hannah Smitherman on Sir Lamb Chop and Sharon Choney of Nutrena. (Not pictured: Sunny Shepard and Fast Front.) LINDSAY BERRETH PHOTO

annah Smitherman was the perfect horse, Sir Lamb Chop. “I kind of thought my AECs were over on top of the world after “She has such a great eye for horses,” for this year,” said Smitherman of losing the 2013 Nutrena/U.S. said Smitherman. “We had some big Buster Brown, a draft cross. “He was great. Eventing Association shoes to fill. That partnership is so You lose a horse, and it’s hard. He got anti- HAmerican Eventing Championships, important, and she matches person- biotics because he got a cut on his leg and taking home the senior beginner alities. In six months, it’s kind of just got some tendonitis; I guess draft horses novice amateur title with her PMU clicked recently.” are pretty sensitive to antibiotics, and he got rescue horse Buster Brown. The pair qualified and made the a bad colitis and a bad infection.” They successfully moved up to novice trek to this year’s AEC in Tyler, Texas, Smitherman, 43, had only competed later that year, but then the gelding died Sept. 25-28 (p. 92), finishing as the Sir Lamb Chop, a 13-year-old Percheron after a bout of colitis. reserve champions in the senior novice cross, twice this season before the AEC, Distraught and discouraged, amateur division and leading the Area but the pair put in a solid performance. Smitherman thought her shot at the V Team #1 to the novice win in The “I always say, ‘It’s hard shoes to fill, AEC this year was over—until her Chronicle of the Horse/USEA Adult Team but we can have more than one pair of trainer, Angela Grzywinski, found her Championships on a total score of 94.0. shoes,’ ” she said.

102 The Chronicle of the Horse

When the ATC divisions were light on entries, organizers decided to pool NOVICE THE CHRONICLE OF THE eligible adult riders together to form HORSE/USEA ADULT TEAM TOTAL teams (see sidebar). Smitherman, Fort TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS 1. AREA V #1 94.0 Worth, Texas, knew one of her team- Tyler, Texas—Sept. 25-28 Sir Lamb Chop/ 29.0 mates, Cherye Huber, and enjoyed Hannah Smitherman meeting Jessica Pye and Sunny Shepard. PRELIMINARY DeeJay/Jessica Pye 32.5 “I think riding brings different walks Barnabus/Cherye Huber 32.5 TEAM TOTAL of life together, and it’s our common- Fast Front/Sunny Shepard (W) ality,” Smitherman said. “It’s really fun 1. AREA V & VII RUN FOUR ROSES 109.0 2. AREA VI & VIII 97.0 to meet different people. You end up Light In The Dark/Catie Cejka 31.3 Our Questionnaire/ 29.5 Change Order/ 35.7 finding other things in common too Carrie Landry Alexandra Wikstrom and end up making friends that you see Saint Louie/Britt Sabbah 30.0 every other weekend.” Santarae/Louise Leslie 42.0 Southern Belle/Sarah Lipetz 37.5 Smitherman works as a pediatric ER Viva La Diva/Kelley Kays-Everett (122.8) Night Flight/Tracy Scott (40.0) physician, and she appreciated the time 2. AREA IX 112.7 away from her job for the weekend. Warlord/Darlene McInnes 28.3 3. AREA III & IV 101.2 Deputy Deuce/Ryan Bean 29.5 “I really couldn’t do this if my Princess Pavan/Christina 39.4 husband didn’t pitch in and help with Henriksen NZ Jewel/Jean Fowler 33.0 the kids,” she said. “Most amateurs have Ginnetts Manricko/Julia Spatt 45.0 It’s Teddy/Sharon Anthony 38.7 jobs and families, and this is our hobby. 3. AREA IV, VI & X 152.7 Da Capo/Angela DeBoer (62.1) That’s why the team aspect is really fun Noblesse Oblige/Heather Drager 41.5 Also competed: 4. Area V #2 (My Shamrock too, because it adds the social aspect in Best Etiquette/ 47.2 Paddy/R. Rickly, Win/Win Situation/J. Denton, addition to the sport. I feel like we adults Camie Stockhausen Baxter VIII/C. Ferrell, Rio Paisano’s Juliet/C. Green), 105.5; 5. Area V #3 (Christoff/J. need that social aspect too.” Willoughby Bay/Joy Simon 64.0 Markham, Scotland Yard/L. Fogg, Sportsfield For Huber, 56, of Dallas, the weekend Ryan/C. Peterson, Falconwood’s Defender/W.J. Also competed: 4. Area III & VIII (Midnight Everett), 110.9; 6. Area VII & IX (Enchanted/K. was a chance to let her stress melt Special/P. Kimmel, Daisy/I. Lampton, Awesome Hardy, Storm Of The Century/S. Richards, away after a tough week at her job as Commander/C. Duncan) 153.3. GottaFeeling/C. Cejka, Proud Will Power/M. Smith), 113.5; 7. Area X “X-Factors” (On The a psychiatrist. She rode her homebred TRAINING Fly/A. Armijo, Bucky O’Hanlian/K. Storm, Stina/C. Lazzaretti, Wyatt Earp/L. Vesper), 143.3. 6-year-old Swedish Warmblood by TEAM TOTAL Consul, Barnabus. 1. AREA II, III & VIII 107.2 BEGINNER NOVICE “It’s really nice for me, because he Diamond Legacy/Melissa Fox 31.4 holds a special place in my heart,” she TEAM TOTAL Special Performance/ 33.6 1. AREA II & II 103.0 said. “I was really happy with his cross- Pamela Kimmel Santos/Jenna Calcaterra 30.5 country. Dressage, I didn’t mark as well Fernhill Chaos/Brie Murray 42.2 as I usually do, but I had a rough work Reseda De Fleyres/ 32.5 It’s Friday/Jyl Lavera (70.7) week before, so it’s hard to get your head Sher Schwartz in the game when you work and this is 2. AREA II, III & V 116.1 Sterling Silver/Justin Hull 40.0 your hobby.” Anegada/Adele Baker 31.8 2. AREA IV 107.0 Huber, who’s married to professional High Maintenance/Carrie Poloson 40.9 C.D. Dancer/ 23.5 Jill Wagenknecht eventer Mike Huber, came to the event Drop The Buck/Cindy De Porter 43.4 Beautiful Bess/Ruth Rose 38.5 just for the AEC, but she was happy she NZ Bay Of Islands/Jean Fowler (R) Nearco/Debbie Beam 45.0 elected to ride for a team as well. 3. AREA X 321.1 “I think for us amateurs that have Riva’s Revenue/Nancy Fronczak (RF) KER Action Hero/Anna Kjellstrom 37.6 other jobs, you get here, and you maybe 3. AREA X FIVE STAR HOBOS 107.5 Patriot’s True North/Shawn Ortiz 138.6 haven’t gotten to ride the week before Lady Black Hawk/Julia Skains 30.5 as much as you wanted to, so we really NZ Valentine/Kelly Dray 144.9 All Riled Up/Michelle Scarzone 35.5 support each other,” she said. “In the Cedar Hill/Susan Philpott (E) Las Trampas/Lyn Fagan 41.5 warm-up, we’re like, ‘It’s going to be Also competed: Area IV & V (Zigana/M. Marks, OK!’ It’s fun.” Jesabelles Shadow/T. Shaft, Shotgun Willie/S. Also competed: 4. Area V #2 (Ragtime Gold/C. Reimers, Cavalier/C. Meehan), E. Abrams, El Cid/A. Jensen, Martha’s Frenchman/S. Pye came to the Texas Rose Horse Agnew, Twilight Hunter/C. Newman), 113.5; Park specifically to compete in the 5. Area V (Flagmount’s Rebel/R. Bliss, Three Quarter Ton/H. Cozewith, Miaren/J. Stewart, ATC, and she left with two blues, one Fuerst See Ruby Falls/M. Bader), 192.3; Area IX for the team and one as the winner of DeeJay was a former dressage horse (Remark/K. Michel, Gracefully Dun/V. Dudasch, Grand Finale/J. Greer-Slade), E; Area VI, VIII & IX the separate ATC novice division with and has been jumping for about a year. (Kallisto Kalio/S. Batterson, Sir Cantaro CRU/A. Jo Ellen Krueger’s DeeJay, a 6-year- “We got him and didn’t know what Desmond, Lil’ Birnie/J. Ramsey), E. old Dutch Warmblood gelding (San we had, but he’s turned into some- Remo—Titania II). thing really cool,” said Pye, 28,

October 13, 2014 • chronofhorse.com 103 EVENTING

The combined team from Areas II and III won The Chronicle of the Horse/USEA Adult Team Championship beginner novice division. (From left) Jenna Calcaterra on Santos posed during the awards ceremony with event official Robert Stevenson, Sher Schwartz on Reseda De Fleyres and Nutrena representatives Sharon Choney and Ruthie Stotler. (Not pictured: Justin Hull on Sterling Silver.) MEGAN BRINCKS PHOTO

Flower Mound, Texas. “He’s a really A mother of a 4-year-old, Shepard came “So I’ve had to learn to ride again fun, easygoing, laidback kind of horse. to the ATC with a painful chest contusion without the mobility,” she said. “It’s We missed out on qualifying for AECs after falling off at her final prep event. She a passion, and horses—I love them to four times for frustrating reasons, so I also broke her neck in 2009, which led to death—but they’ll beat the snot out of wanted to come here before he moved some new riding challenges. you in every sense of the word. But up to training and use the champion- “My horse saves my tail all the time!” they’re awesome. It’s a sickness, and I’ve ship course.” she said with a laugh. “Like Cherye got it bad!” Pye runs her own Pye Equestrian and said, you just don’t always have the time Shepard runs IPC Stables, a has ridden to the three-star level. Her that people who do this consistently Thoroughbred breeding farm, and often previous team experiences were at the can. I can’t ride five days a week. I have gets her homebreds back to compete in FEI North American Junior and Young conferences, I have a husband, I have to other disciplines. Rider Championships, so she was cook dinner. I’m just so grateful. She’s looking forward to competing excited to have the opportunity to ride “Coming back off of breaking my in another ATC competition, even if her on a team again. neck in two places, I have this new first experience didn’t go to plan. “It’s a great way to get people from fear that I’ve never had before,” she “I can’t wait to do it again,” she said. other parts of the state to get to know continued. “My horse just totally takes “It’s like a little family.” each other a little better,” she said. “I care of me. When he colicked, the vet think when we go, even at the local said he was OK, but I just didn’t feel like An Unexpected Ribbon shows, you stick to the people you he was 100 percent. I just didn’t want While Sher Schwartz waited for know—you don’t have a lot of time to go to do that to him because he takes such the awards ceremony for the senior venturing off.” good care of me. I can bring him into the beginner novice amateur division at the Shepard’s ATC didn’t go the way jump wrong, and he won’t miss a beat. AEC, she struck up a conversation with she planned when her 7-year-old off- He won’t punish me for it.” Jenna Calcaterra. They had met at an the-track Thoroughbred Fast Front The 38-year-old from Hot Springs, event earlier this year in Virginia, and (Changeintheweather—Fast For All, Sea Ark., noted that she can’t move her both were riding in the same division at Salute) colicked after dressage on Friday. head and neck as much since her injury, the AEC. She decided to withdraw, but she stuck which occurred when she fell from But what Schwartz realized while around to watch her team win. another horse. making idle conversation was that,

104 The Chronicle of the Horse A New Home For The ATC

or more than 20 years, The competition. The preliminary and Those new regional ATCs will be Chronicle of the Horse/U.S. training had four teams each, and used as qualifiers for the national FEventing Association Adult the novice and beginner novice had ATC championships and will give Team Challenge has brought adult seven. riders who can’t make the trip to riders together for a friendly team Louise Leslie, who sits on the Texas a chance to try a team competi- competition in the Eastern, Western Board of Governors representing tion. She said six areas hosted adult and Central regions. Area VII and is also the Vice team challenges this year. But last year, the USEA Board President of Area Affairs, trav- “Going forward, that’s something of Governors voted to change the eled from Seattle to contest the that we’re going to be building on, format and move the ATC to the preliminary ATC division and was a having these local, regional team Nutrena/USEA American Eventing member of the winning ATC team. challenges and then having the big Championships with the idea of “Since it was the first year and a deal at the AECs,” she said. “It’s creating a celebration of the adult lot of people didn’t understand what going to be structured like the Young rider. we were trying to achieve making Riders, in that the areas are going to For the 2014 ATC, riders who just one national, big deal [event], it be able to financially help individuals wished to compete on a team had to was a little weak getting the teams get there.” enter the designated ATC division together,” she said. “[By pulling Leslie said the USEA Adult Rider at their level and were not eligible to riders together] the team competition Committee will also rethink the have their scores count for the AEC was very successful, and we achieved name of the divisions so they can as well. our goal there. I would say I could include adult riders whether they’re But participation was low in the have done a better job explaining it. professionals or not. ATC divisions at the closing date, I wasn’t disappointed [with the low “I think we’ll keep the individual with none in the beginner novice, ATC entries]—I was sorry there was adult amateur division [at the AEC] four in the preliminary, three in confusion about what the ATC divi- and rename the ATC division some- the training and six in the novice— sion was. People didn’t understand thing like the Adult Rider division, hardly enough riders to make a team, what it was all about.” because the target group for the team let alone a team competition. Leslie noted that the USEA is competition is the adult amateur, but In the end, organizers decided to hoping to grow the regional adult also for the non-high performance pull teams of adult riders together team challenges that have been professionals out there,” she said. from the ATC and AEC amateur created since the elimination of the “We need to set up a division that they divisions to make for a healthier Eastern, Western and Central ATCs. can fit in.” unbeknownst to her, the two women jumper, but when she moved from New “She’s always like, ‘What can I do comprised two-thirds of the winning Jersey to Virginia, she rediscovered her for you today?’ ” Schwartz added of Area II and III beginner novice ATC love for the sport of eventing, in which the mare she’s had for four years. “She team. she had competed years ago. wants to please, always. Cross-country “I knew I was on a team, because “I fell in love with it, qualified [for was really fun; it was awesome.” I was checking the scores online,” the AEC] last year and came down “Sasa” earned a dressage score of Calcaterra said. “But then we were here, loved it and said, ‘Any year I can, 28.5, and added one rail during show talking, and [Schwartz] was like, ‘What I’m going to come down,’ ” Calcaterra jumping to their score. team?’ ” said. “It really feels like a championship Hull, of Gray Court, S.C., rode his Schwartz and Calcaterra were joined because it’s so far out of my area. It feels Sterling Silver to a dressage score by Justin Hull, and their collective score more special.” of 40.0, which he kept through the of 103.0 earned them prize packages and As for Schwartz, the team’s win was weekend with clean jumping. the winning honors. a pick-me-up after an eighth-placed Calcaterra, a 39-year-old commodi- finish in the individual competition with Joining Together ties broker from Culpeper, Va., rode her Reseda De Fleyres, a 9-year-old The winning training division team her Santos, a 16-year-old Belgian Selle Français (Sarastro—Reglisse Du members, composed of riders from Warmblood of unrecorded breeding, Maury). Areas II, III and VIII, didn’t know each to finish on their dressage score of 30.5. “I had a disappointing rail, so this other before coming to the competition, They’ve been a team for almost nine makes up for it,” said Schwartz, a but they agreed the experience was well years, but they’ve only been eventing 63-year-old clinical psychologist from worth their trips to the Texas Rose for two. She purchased the gelding as a Waverly Hall, Ga. Horse Park.

October 13, 2014 • chronofhorse.com 105 EVENTING

The Chronicle of the Horse/USEA Adult Team Championship training division win Brie Murray, of Atlanta, rode Fernhill Wikstrom, 28, Seabrook, Texas, went to the combined team from Areas II, III Chaos, a 6-year-old Irish Sport Horse brought her 9-year-old Thoroughbred and VIII. (From left) USEA President Diane (Chacoa—Kec Donna Diamond), to gelding Change Order (Fappie’s Pitts posed with Melissa Fox on Diamond Legacy, Pamela Kimmel on Special Perfor- end on a score of 42.2. And Jyl Lavera Notebook—Supah Boots) and finished mance, USEA Senior Director of Programs wrapped up the winning team on It’s second in the amateur preliminary Rob Burk and Jyl Lavera on It’s Friday. (Not Friday, a 15-year-old Thoroughbred division in their first season at the level pictured: Brie Murray and Fernhill Chaos.) (Charlie’s Orphan—Silver Cloud). Their together. Wikstrom works as a project MEGAN BRINCKS PHOTO score was dropped from consideration manager for a construction company, The team finished on a total score of for the team score, but Lavera was and she competed in the AEC last year 107.2, with Melissa Fox, of Leesburg, Va., pleased with their round nonetheless. in the training division but had never earning the squad’s best score of 31.4 “Friday” was owned and competed done an ATC. aboard her 15-year-old Thoroughbred by Millie Forrest, of Louisville, Ky., until “I really enjoyed it a lot,” she said. “I gelding Diamond Legacy (Unfold—Kiwi the then 19-year-old rider needed to find did Young Riders when I was a junior, so Trip). a new home for her gelding in prepara- I really enjoyed that team experience, and Fox purchased “Gus” eight years ago, tion for attending college. Lavera was I haven’t had that opportunity since then. and they traveled to Texas for the AEC simultaneously deciding to retire her We stabled together so we could help last year as well, but this was their first competitive mount. each other and get to know each other. time participating in an ATC. “She just wanted him to have a good It was a really great opportunity to meet “It’s been really competitive this home,” Lavera said. “I thought [the cross- somebody that I probably wouldn’t from year,” Fox said. “I thought some of the country] was really a challenge—for me out of the area.” questions on cross-country were a little and him, it was a big challenge. He’s not Cejka, 31, traveled all the way from harder—it was worth the trip.” easy to ride, but he’s very honest.” Washougal, Wash., with Light In The Joining Fox on the winning team was Dark, a 7-year-old Thoroughbred mare Pamela Kimmel, Versailles, Ky., who Long Treks Bring Rewards (Raisor’s Edge—Bold Surge). A registered rode Special Performance, her 6-year-old The Run Four Roses team—comprised of nurse in an intensive care unit, Cejka homebred warmblood (Ballywhim An riders from Texas and Washington State bought her mare for $500 as a yearling Luan ACPS 56 XXXIII—Special Event), and named by member Catie Cejka— and has trained her through the levels. to earn a final individual score of 33.6. captured the preliminary ATC title on a “I wasn’t so sure [about coming] Kimmel had competed in previous ATC score of 109.0. because it was such a long way, but our competitions, but she originally doubted “We wanted to coordinate between area coordinator put it together to bring she’d be able to continue the tradition this the Texas Rose Horse Park and us down here,” she said. “I love the whole year. Portland, Ore., ‘The City of Roses,’ ” team thing. It kind of takes a little pressure “I like to do it, but with it being in explained Cejka’s teammate Alexandra off. You want to try harder for your team. Texas and us in Kentucky, we’re not Wikstrom. “And we have a handful of I got to meet all these guys, which was going to be able to send a whole team,” Thoroughbreds, so the Kentucky Derby really fun. We got team shirts and some she said. theme.” other stuff. It worked out really well.”

106 The Chronicle of the Horse (From left) Kelley Kays-Everett on Viva La Diva, Catie Cejka on Light In The Dark, time. He had one of the quickest times that, everything went like a machine.” Louise Leslie on Santarae and Alexandra because I took the straight routes and cut Kays-Everett, 53, and her husband, Wikstrom on Change Order comprised the corners. The stadium course really made W.J. Everett, run Falconwood Equine Area V and VII Run Four Roses team, the you sit up and ride.” Center near Houston, but she also winners of The Chronicle of the Horse/USEA Adult Team Championship preliminary divi- Kelley Kays-Everett had a challenging works as a general practice veteri- sion. LINDSAY BERRETH PHOTO weekend, picking up a couple of refusals narian, mostly working with small on cross-country with Viva La Diva, animals and exotic pets. As the vice president of area affairs for but the fact that the 17-year-old Belgian- USEA and an active adult rider herself, Morgan cross mare of unrecorded Louise Leslie put her money where her breeding just picked up eventing two mouth was and traveled from Seattle to years ago after foxhunting most of her life the ATC, a 34-hour haul. was impressive. She brought Santarae, a 14-year-old “The first horse I had ever gotten to New Zealand Thoroughbred gelding prelim on was her brother, and he was (Silent Hunter—Santina) and finished fourth with a novice girl last year,” said second in the ATC division behind Cejka. Kays-Everett of Winnie, Texas. “It was The pair has intermediate experience, a challenge to see if I could get her there. but Leslie, 51, decided to drop down a She’s a really fun ride. level to take some pressure off. “We were the senior pair!” she joked. “I “Since I’m an amateur, if I’m going didn’t go prelim until I was 50. I had some to travel all this way, I’d much rather challenges over the weekend, so I was just travel for a team competition than an glad to complete. I had two runouts on individual one,” she said. “If you look at the arrowhead; coming from hunting, it’s the individual [intermediate] division, an been those skinnies sometimes. But after amateur didn’t have a shot. It was really rewarding to come down and have a good time. When they centrally located it, The Chronicle Of The it really added another flavor to the AECs Horse/USEA Adult Team and made it worth the trip.” Championships Leslie lived in the Dallas area in the Tyler, Texas—Sept. 25-28. 1990s and had competed in ATC compe- s Prel. Indiv. ATC - 1. Light In The Dark, C. Cejka, 31.3; 2. Santarae, L. Leslie, 42.0; 3. Best Etiquette, titions previously. C. Stockhausen, 47.2. sTrg. Indiv. ATC - 1. High “I had a blast,” she said. “[The cross- Maintenance, C. Poloson, 40.9; 2. Drop The Buck, C. De Porter, 43.4. sNov. Indiv. ATC - 1. DeeJay, J. country course] really made you ride Pye, 32.5; 2. It’s Teddy, S. Anthony, 38.7; 3. Baxter your lines and pick your spots where VIII, C. Ferrell, 42.0. you’re going to go if you want to make

October 13, 2014 • chronofhorse.com 107