Caroline Martin of Miami, Fla., captured four championship titles during her weekend at the Virginia Horse Trials in Lexington, Va., and capped her impressive weekend piloting her own QC Diablo Hit to the top of the 2020 USEF CCI2*-L Eventing National Championship. Starting in seventh place after dressage, the pair jumped two faultless rounds to finish on their initial score of 33.8 and were presented the Richard Collins Trophy for their win.

“He gets a little nervous in dressage, but that’s all right,” said Martin of the 9-year-old Oldenburg gelding. “Cross-country is a blast. It’s the easiest thing for him. In show jumping, I’m so proud of him. He jumped his heart out. This is the best thing for him, winning this show, because this is going to boost his ego so much. He’s such a tricky horse, so this is the best outcome for him. I think he’ll be my next Advanced horse.”

Carol Stephens had originally sent Diablo to Martin to sell. Martin broke her shoulder the day he arrived and her first ride on him was with just one working arm, but she fell in love. Diablo made it clear early on that he was a one-person horse, and he and Martin bonded.

“He’s such a funny horse,” said Martin. “You can’t put any other riders on him. Even if I’m gone, he goes lunging. He doesn’t like other people.”

Martin produced Diablo to Preliminary and sold him, but he soon came back when the buyer changed their mind. “I called Carol and said ‘I think it’s meant to be,’” she said. “I’ll take the horse back, let me produce him, I’ll own him and keep you updated about how he is. So, I own him now, and he’s been nothing but a pleasure to ride. I knew he was legit since day one.”

Hannah Sue Burnett of Kennett Square, Pa., and Christa Schmidt’s Carsonstown, an 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, led the division for most of the weekend, but a single rail in the final phase dropped them into second, finishing as the CCI2*-L Reserve Champions on a three-phase score of 36.3.

USEF CCI2*-L Junior/Young Rider Championship

Charlotte Stillfried of Saint Stephens Church, Va., and Palma D won the 2020 USEF CCI2*-L Junior/Young Rider Eventing National Championship on a score of 46.2. Stillfried’s mom, Agnes, picked out the now 8-year-old Westphalian mare in Germany recalling, “They pulled her out of a very small barn and she had an amazing appearance.”

This is the first CCI2*-L of Stillfried and Palma D’s partnership. They finished fourth in the CCI2*-S at Maryland Horse Trials this past July. “It’s been pretty cool to bring her along,” Stillfried said. “I had a lot of help—Skyeler Icke Voss from Morningside and Patrick Tigchelaar is my dressage coach.”

Stillfried and Palma D led the CCI2*-L Junior/Young Rider Championship from start to finish and were presented with the Harry T. Peters Trophy for their win. “She’s amazing in the dressage,” said Stillfried. “Show jumping has always been a little bit of a challenge, but she’s also the best cross-country horse I’ve ever sat on. We have a pretty strong partnership…[This week] has been nothing short of amazing.”

Finishing second in the USEF CCI2*-L Junior/Young Rider Eventing National Championship was Annabelle Kress of Villanova, Pa., and Canny Calypso.

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As the highest-placed American in the CCI2*-LA division, Allison Springer, of Upperville, Va., and Crystal Crescent Moon took home the USEF CCI2*-L Eventing National Championship and the Richard Collins Trophy in style, finishing on their dressage score of 30.0 to secure this year’s coveted honors.

“He’s my little brown unicorn,” said Springer. “He’s really fast and trainable. I think he’s going to do great things.”

The six-year-old Connemara cross is owned by his breeder, Nancy Winter, and Springer has known Crystal Crescent Moon since he was a foal. Started under saddle by Cathy Wieschhoff to begin his career, he was partnered with Springer shortly thereafter early in his four-year-old year.

“It means a lot to me and it means a lot to Nancy because it’s so fun watching them come up and do their thing,” said Springer.

She described her ride in the USEF CCI2*-L Eventing National Championship. “He was perfect in dressage. He’s like a little dirt bike cross-country, and he put in a great show-jump round. He’s very careful and scopey and just a fun horse to ride.”

The Reserve Champion title for the USEF CCI2*-L Eventing National Championship went to Jan Byyny and Unbridled Numbers, a nine-year-old Thoroughbred owned by Kaylin Dines. They scored 30.1 in dressage and were double clear in both cross country and show jumping.

Jane Jennings, of Unionville, Penn., and her own Kontessa M led the CCI2*-LA division for both the dressage and cross-country phases of competition on a score of 29.5, but added four faults in their show-jumping round to ultimately finish the weekend in sixth place.

USEF CCI2* Junior/Young Rider Eventing National Championship

Francesca Spoltore and her 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse Millstreet Mitch won the CCI2*-LB division, which served as the USEF CCI2* Junior/Young Rider Eventing National Championship. They were presented with the Harry T. Peters Trophy.

Leading the way after dressage on a score of 31.4, they dropped to second place after adding four time penalties over the cross-country course. In the final phase, the pair clinched the win and reclaimed their top placing with a double-clear show-jumping effort.

“He was amazing jumping in there. He didn’t feel tired at all. He helped me out a little in one of the lines, and he was so good today,” Spoltore said. “My plan when we bought him was to take him to the three-star short at NAYC next year. Hopefully we will bring him out at Preliminary next year, move up to Intermediate and get my qualifiers for Young Riders.”

Spoltore has only been partnered with Mitch for four months, and the pair is still getting to know each other. “He was amazing this weekend,” she added. “It was the best he’s been…the best we’ve been together. For only four months, it was a good finish.”

Jackie LeMastus and Lup the Loop, an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse owned by James LeMastus, moved up from seventh after dressage to finish second and take home the Reserve Champion title in the Junior/Young Rider Championship division.

Cross-country proved to be an influential phase in the divisional standings, with course design led by Carsten Meyer, who utilized the rolling hills of the Virginia Horse Center to ensure horse-and-rider fitness would play a role in the standings heading into the final day of competition. The show-jumping phase of competition also saw changes in the top ten placings for each division, respectively.

“That concludes another incredible week at Virginia Horse Trials,” VHT Organizer Andy Bowles said. “Thanks to everyone for coming and enjoying this beautiful venue. We hope to see you back in the spring.”

Live Results
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