Kalispell, Mont.—July 23

Hannah Sue Burnett, The Event at Rebecca Farm’s overnight leader in the CCI*** division had a run-in with a moose on cross-country today while aboard Cooley Dream. Fortunately, although moose are common to this corner of Northwest Montana, Burnett’s moose was simply one of the creatively designed jumps crafted by expert jump builder, Bert Wood. 

Hannah Sue Burnett, The Plains, Va., came back from her moosecapade to ride Mary Ann Ghadban’s Under Suspection to a double clear round into the lead with 45.6 penalties. 

Buck Davidson on Copper Beach, a 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse owned by Carl Segal and Sherrie Martin, kept the pressure on with a score of 45.7, placing him just one tenth of a point behind Burnett. 

In third is Hawley Bennett-Awad on her own Jollybo with a score of 53.9.  

“I’ve been second to that one and that one over there, and now this one here,” Davidson laughed and gestured to Bennett-Awad, Burnett and Barb Carbo. “Luckily, none of them are in the two-star, so maybe I’ll get some luck there.”

Davidson currently holds the top spot in the CCI** after riding to a 43.2 in cross-country aboard Company Halimey Go LLC’s 11-year-old Trakehner, Halimey.

In the Adequan USEA Gold Cup CIC*** Division, Barb Carbo burned up the course on her own Eveready, a 17 year-old Swedish Warmblood. With a score of 53.9, Crabo was one of only two clear rides within the time for today’s CIC*** cross-country competition.

“He was just amazing, he was on fire from the moment he left the start box,” said Crabo of Eveready. “He just was dragging me around the course, whatever I pointed him at he just went and said, ‘Let’s go faster.’ It was a blast.”

CIC*** overnight leader, Mackenna Shea, riding her own Landioso, dropped to second behind Crabo with a score of 54.4 after adding some time on today’s cross country course. Yesterday’s second place finisher, Tamra Smith on Peggy Moore’s Oldenburg, Lagos Star, also added time, which moved her to third at 55.3.