Reddick, Fla. – Nov. 25
On Thanksgiving weekend most people are eating turkey, watching football with their families and shopping until they drop, but eventers aren’t most people.
As the saying goes, if you build it, they will come, and a large group of riders packed their bags and headed to the inaugural Ocala Jockey Club International this weekend.
Equiventures CEO Richard Trayford helped bring the new FEI-level competition to fruition, along with event director Alec Lochore, course designer Mike Etherington-Smith, and Ocala Jockey Club owners Erik and Pavla Nygaard. Clayton Fredericks signed on as course designer for the CCI** and CCI*, Tyson Rementer and Levi Ryckewaert built brand new cross-country jumps, and Richard Jeffery, who designed the site plan, is the show jumping course designer.
The Nygaards were first introduced to the idea of hosting an event when four-star rider Jennie Brannigan rented a townhouse on the property two years ago, and now their facility is hosting a CIC***, CCI** and CCI* with $100,000 in prize money, the largest for an event in the U.S. besides the Rolex Kentucky CCI****.
Buck Davidson and Carlevo. Photo by Lindsay Berreth.
Dressage got underway yesterday with the CCI** and CCI*, and dressage for the CIC*** just wrapped up. Show jumping for that division will start at 3:30 p.m. today.
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Twenty-ones riders are vying for the CIC*** win, and Buck Davidson tops the leaderboard after dressage with a 38. 7 on Carlevo, a 9-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Carlevo LLC.
Fredericks is close behind in second place on FE Bowman (40.2), and Allison Springer (Arthur) and Doug Payne (Vandiver) are tied for third (41.7).
Check back later tonight for a full report.
Click here for lots of photos.
Click here for full results.
Click here for the live stream.
Curious about the new Ocala Jockey Club International? We’re on site to bring you coverage of the CCI*, CCI** and CIC*** and lots of photos! Check out a full report in the Dec. 12 print edition of the Chronicle.
