Source:  News Release/USEA

Adequan USEA Gold Cup and PRO Tour Series –
The Event at Rebecca Farm Show Jumping

R-Star (pictured left) has done it again. For the second consecutive year, this grey Holsteiner mare by Riverman, has won the CIC3* at The Event at Rebecca Farm rising from fifth after cross-country to first with an accurately ridden round over the Marc Donovan designed show jumping course. Katie Ruppel and Houdini took down just one rail to move up to second ahead of Katie Groesbeck and Oz The Tin Man who moved down to third with one rail and some time penalties.

“R-Star’s forte is her jumping so I feel very confident and relaxed in the ring, and if anything she is jumping better than ever,” said Kristi. “We have been making some slight adjustments to the way I ride her and I think we are on the right track with the changes in dressage, but I rode her cross-country in a different bit and that was not a good change. She can get very strong and I had some control issues which caused time penalties.”

Second placed Katie Ruppel and Houdini (pictured right) made their long trip from Florida worthwhile finishing on a final score of 60.4. “Houdini is a thoroughbred and should have made the time, but I hit my stop watch at fence 4 and stopped it and I was off the pace on the cross-country after that,” she said. Katie added 7.2 time penalties yesterday, but it is unlikely that will ever happen again.

“If my stopwatch had stopped I would have had 50 time penalties,” quipped Kristi Nunnink. “So good for you!”

When asked why the rail on the first fence came down so much throughout the afternoon, Katie Ruppel replied “It was a difficult approach, whether you came from the left or the right you did not have much time to let the horses look at it and there is so much else to look at they just didn’t focus.”

Overnight leaders Katie Groesbeck and Oz Poof of Purchase had the same problem and rolled the top rail, as many had done before him. He tried his heart out for Katie but another three rails fell dropping him down to a final eighth place finish and it was Oz The Tin Man (pictured left) with one rail down and an additional four time penalties that kept her in in the top three. “Oz The Tin Man is a little machine and put in a stellar performance yesterday and today,” said Katie. “I could not be more proud of either of them.

Speaking of her ride on Oz Poof of Purchase Katie smiled ruefully. “I had firstfenceitis, Poof had his heart and mind in the right place but I was nervous and mentally riding ahead of myself,” she said. Katie has known Poof his (and almost her) entire life and was on hand to watch his entry into the world eighteen years ago. “This is his first year at advanced and his first CIC3* so I am thrilled with him. He and Oz The Tin Man are the closest thing to siblings I have.”

In fact, all three riders have one thing in common, a long relationship and a very strong bond with their horses. Katie Ruppel bought Houdini off the track as a three-year-old. He was a gift for her then boyfriend who started him and took him to his first Beginner Novice event. Houdini played up, misbehaved and was truly obnoxious so the boyfriend handed him back to Katie and told her he was hers. “Then he (the boyfriend) dumped me,” said Katie laughing. “So it was up to me to do something with the horse and here we are.” Her plans for Houdini’s fall campaign include Fair Hill CCI3* in October. “It is the logical next step for him. He had a good round at Jersey Fresh and he is not quite ready to go to Europe, so I think Fair Hill will be the perfect place,” she said. “It is a lovely course and will definitely give him a good education.”

Each of the riders had nothing but praise for Rebecca Farm and the fact that they were benefiting from the Rebecca Broussard International Travel Grants.

“This event just gets better and better,” said Kristi Nunnink (pictured right). “The grass has grown in this year and it felt like riding on a golf course. The footing in the arenas is second to none. We are so lucky to have organizers like the Broussards who put so much into providing us with a wonderful event for our horses.”

Katie Ruppel agreed. “I could not have got here without the grant, it is so much appreciated. This is my second trip to Montana and I love it. No effort is spared and no detail is missed.”

“I am also on a Rebecca Broussard Grant,” said Katie Groesbeck. “I couldn’t have done this without it. The grant is making a huge difference in the development of horses and riders. Both step up to the plate because of this support and things start to happen that we never believed could happen.”

There was huge praise for the volunteers and the organizers from the three young women. The general opinion from them was that Rebecca Farm runs like clockwork. If the schedule says dressage starts at 9:00 am, it starts at 9:00 am. If show jumping starts at 2:00 pm the first horse is in the ring at 2:00 pm. The hospitality is fantastic and everyone is so friendly and helpful and the volunteers are the best anywhere in the world, which is why they and the rest of the competitors and the spectators are already looking forward to The Event at Rebecca Farm in 2014.

Log on to http://eventingscores.com/eventsr/rebecca/ht0713/index.php  to analyze the final results in all divisions.

Riders competing on Rebecca Broussard International Travel Grants: http://useventing.com/news/recipients-rebecca-broussard-travel-gran...

The Adequan USEA Gold Cupfeatures 11 qualifying competitions throughout the United States at the Advanced Horse Trials and CIC3* levels with the final at the Nutrena USEA American Eventing Championships September 26-29 in Tyler, Texas. Riders who complete a qualifier earn the chance to vie for $40,000 in prize money in the Adequan Advanced Division and the title of Adequan USEA Gold Cup Champion.

The Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series is made possible through the support of its many sponsors:Adequan; Nunn Finer; SmartPak Equine; Nutrena; Broadstone Equine Insurance Agency, Point Two;Dubarry; Grand Meadows and FITS.

The PRO Tour Series consists of 13 premier destination events in the United States and Canada in 2013 featuring the best riders and most entertainment. Riders and Horses are awarded points on the PRO Tour Rider Leader Board and PRO Tour Horse Leader Board. Riders can also earn points on the PRO Tour Series at the Intermediate or two-star level for the Multi Radiance Intermediate Challenge. The 2013 Multi Radiance Challenge Leader Board Champion will win a Multi Radiance MR4 ACTIVET Portable Laser System.

The Professional Riders Organization would like to thank the following sponsors for their support of the 2013 PRO Tour Series: Martin Collins USA, The Official Footing of PRO; Multi Radiance Medical, The Official Laser Therapy of PRO & Sponsor of the Multi Radiance Medical Intermediate Challenge ; Tex Sutton, the Official US Equine Air Carrier of PRO; SSG Riding Gloves; Finish Line Horse Products;Midlantic Ltd.; and Mythic Landing Events.

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