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This story is from the United States Eventing Association.
West Coast riders aiming for this summer’s Pan Am Games will be in action during the Woodside Horse Trials, at the Horse Park at Woodside, on May 25-27. Capt. Mark Phillips, the U.S. eventing team’s Chef d’ Equipe, along with other officials of the U.S. Equestrian Federation, will be there to assess the candidates’ performance.
Eventing is one of the three Olympic equestrian disciplines, along with dressage and show jumping, each of which will be contested at the Pan Am Games.
This event marks the first time since 1991 that a West Coast event has been part of the selection process for a U.S. championship eventing team.
“It’s really tremendous to have this opportunity. Creating a level playing field of chances and opportunities for our West Coast-based riders is a part of what I set out to achieve ten years ago by running events at Galway and now at Woodside,” said Robert Kellerhouse, the event’s organizer. Kellerhouse also organizes the international events held at Galway Downs, in Temecula, each March and November.
“We’re honored by their recognition of the talented horses and riders located in our part of the world, and we’re looking forward to hosting this unique competition at Woodside,” Kellerhouse added.
Woodside is one of two “mandatory outings,” from which the selectors will choose the eight horse-and-rider combinations they’ll send to Brazil. Once in Rio de Janeiro, four riders will compete on the U.S. team, three will compete as individual riders, and one will be the reserve rider, available in case one of the other selected horses becomes unable to compete at the last minute.
In addition to hosting the Pan Am Games mandatory outing, the Woodside Horse Trials will host a selection trial for young riders hoping to represent USEA Area VI (California) at this July’s North American Young Riders’ Championships in Virginia.
And on Saturday night, Jef and Katie Graham, joint masters of the Las Altos Hounds, will host a fund-raising party for the benefit of the Horse Park at Woodside at their home a few miles away in Portola Valley. Tax-deductible tickets for this gala event, at $150 per person, can be purchased from the event secretary, Christina Gray, by calling 805-239-3930 or emailing gray3day1@comcast.net.
There is an $8 admission charge per person to the Horse Park at Woodside each day. Tickets can be purchased at the gate on Sand Hill Road. Competition in the Pan Am Games division will begin at approximately noon each day.
For more information, go to http://useventing.com/competitions.php?section=gcs&id=915
