Fair Hill International by Katherine O. Rizzo
October 17 marks the fi rst day of the 24th Dansko Fair Hill Inter- national Festival in the Country as the world’s
top event riders present their horses to the ground jury during the fi rst horse inspection. T e festival features both a CCI** and CCI*** international competition as well the East Coast Young Event Horse championships. Competing in this fall three-day event is the goal of many riders as they prepare their Inter- mediate horses for winter and spring move-ups to Advanced, and the Advanced horses prepare for CCI**** spring events such as the Rolex Kentucky T ree-Day Event or the Burghley Horse Trials in England. T e festival combines these great competi- tions with plenty of shopping, food and fun activities for the whole family.
What is a Three-day Event?
T ree-day eventing, also known as com- bined training, is three-phase competition that includes dressage, cross-country and show jumping. Back in the day, “three-days” spread these phases over three to four days and also included roads and tracks and steeplechase before the cross-country phase. Now, three-day event- ing still takes place over three to four days but is run on what is commonly known as the “short for- mat.” Horse and riders are asked to perform a dressage test on the fi rst day (which sometimes due to entries is split over two days). On the second day, they ride over cross-country fences. T en on the third day, they present their horses for a fi nal soundness inspection before continuing to show jumping. Eventing at Fair Hill has a long history start- ing back in 1989 when Karen Lende, now U.S. Olympian Karen O’Connor, won aboard Nos Ecus. T e three-day event is only held once a year at Fair Hill. However the grounds once owned by William duPont, Jr. also holds sev- eral U.S. Eventing Association horse trials (all three phases in one day) and schooling horse trials. Besides eventing, the Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area is the site of the annual Foxcatcher Endurance Race and Elk Creek Combined Driving Event.
www.equiery.com | 800-244-9580 Locals to Cheer
Some say FHI is a stepping stone before hitting the big four-star events and many Mary- land natives consider FHI a “must do” stop on their eventing calendars. Julia Wendell of An
What: Dansko Fair Hill International Festival in the Country When: October 17-21, 2012 Where: Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area (Elkton) For tickets, see “Spectator Events” under Horsin’ Around Maryland on
equiery.com
Otherwise Perfect Farm in Upperco has competed at FHI both at the CCI** and CCI*** level on multiple horses. T e high-quality competition keeps her coming back and as of press time she is entered aboard Cav- endish. To read more about Fair Hill in her own words, see the sidebar “T e Draw of Fair Hill” later on in this artile. Mary Macklin of Red Hawke Eventing in Damascus has always set FHI as a goal since she started eventing as a teen. Dreams of com- peting in the CCI*** was her fi rst goal but since FHI added the CCI**, those dreams are com- ing true faster than expected. “I moved my mare Mahogany Beauteo up to Intermediate last summer at Loch Moy and Fair Hill became a goal since I want to qualify for a CCI*** next year,” she said. To get ready for FHI, Mary competed at Rich- land Park in Michigan in the CIC** and her fi nal prep was the regular horse trials division at Plantation Field in Pennsyl- vania. “I’m really excited about Fair Hill. I keep hearing how beautiful it is and how well run the whole event is,” she added.
Tailgates Expand
Mary Macklin of Damascus will be tackling the course at FHI for the fi rst time in the CCI** division.
In 2011, FHI opened two sections of the cross-country course to tailgating. T e orga- nizers of FHI received so much positive feedback that they ex- panded the tailgate spots for 2012. T e Equiery was lucky
enough to snag one of the limited spots last year and our staff played host to competitors, spec- tators and Equiery readers and clients while still being able to snap photos as the riders jumped nearby fences. Food, friends and world-class competition— what more can you ask for? T is year there will be three sections open for tailgating, 30 spots total. Lo- cations will be overlooking the Chesa- peake Water complex near the middle of the course, along the galloping lanes near Gallaher Road and on the hill near the Frog Pond. FHI Executive Director Charles T. Colgan said, “all the tailgate spots sit pretty high so that
people can see several fences from one loca- tion.” See the FHI map for tailgate spots.
Don’t Miss the Action!
Competition begins
on the afternoon of Wednesday, October 17
when all the CCI** and CCI*** horses will be presented for the fi rst horse inspection. Admis- sion is free and the inspection takes place in the main arena. Dressage for both levels takes place on T ursday and Friday. Saturday is fi lled with cross-country action with the CCI** riders fi rst to hit the course and after the lunch break, the CCI*** riders compete. T e fi nal horse inspection and show jumping for both levels is on Sunday. T e YEH dressage phase takes place on
T ursday in the main arena and the jumping phase takes place on Friday across the road at the Saw Mill. T e U.S. Pony Club Senior President’s Cup Mounted Games competition begins on Sat- urday morning and concludes Sunday morning with competition being held next to the main arena on Saturday and at the Foxcatcher Arena in the Fairgrounds Area on Sunday.
Gone to the Dogs
Even though the dog agility competition is no longer a feature of FHI, dogs are still a heartfelt part of the FHI experience. T is year trainers from the Academy of Dog Training will be on hand to help dog owners teach their canine friends how to navigate agility courses. Flyball races will also be held this year. In
this race, each dog must run in relay fashion down over a course of jumps, trigger a fl yball box that releases the ball, retrieve the ball and return over the same course of jumps. T e Hard Drive Flyball team will be performing demon- strations on Saturday. Ever wanted to try dogsledding but love warmer temperatures? Well, then Dryland Sled continued...
Don’t forget to stop by The Equiery’ Fair Hill on cross-country day!
s tailgate spot at OCTOBER 2012 | THE EQUIERY | 21
854139-121012
Katherine Rizzo
Tracy McKenna
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112