Laura Ratliff

Aug. 26—Bridgehampton, N.Y.

Molly Ashe-Cawley rode into the lead at the Hampton Classic’s $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby and never looked back. Despite going last in the field of 35, Ashe-Cawley rode Kristen Abbatiello-Neff’s Kennzo to scores of 90 and 92 in the first round over Steve Stephens’ big, flowing track.

This was the first year that the class was held on the grass grand prix field, so Kennzo, a former jumper, felt right at home.

MIDDLEBURG

Welcome to the nation's horse and hunt capital and home of the Chronicle! Perhaps the most long-standing equestrian area in the country, Middleburg appeals to the equine-inclined of all disciplines. Hunts, events and horse shows are held nearly every weekend. A drive through the countryside can comprise a pleasant afternoon in and of itself; but, of course, the area is not without its share of upscale restaurants, inns and attractions.

At the tender age of 9, Jordan Coyle is already a USEF Pony Finals veteran. Coyle was one of the youngest competitors at the 2007 competition, when her show age was 5.

Starting early has always been the Coyle family’s operating strategy, though.

“We started her riding when she was 2 years old, and we could finally get out the door without packing the house, without the whole car seat and kit and caboodle,” said her mother, Jana Coyle. “We thought we could do it as something fun and exciting. Seven years later, this is basically a full-time job for us!”

Six American event riders have applied to compete abroad this fall, according to the U.S. Equestrian Federation.

Five riders will compete at the Blenheim Horse Trials, held in Woodstock, England.

Madeline Blackman and Gordonstown, Sharon White and Rafferty’s Rules, William Coleman and Nevada Bay, and Aimee Chambers and After Eight have all applied to ride in the CCI*** at Blenheim. Julian Stiller has applied to ride in the CIC*** with three horses: Salsa, Chapel Amble, and Carolinus.

Despite frequent thunderstorms and heavy rains, the equestrian events of the Central American and Caribbean Games went on last week in San Juan, Puerto Rico, at Bayamon Park.

Dressage led off the competition, with 25 riders from nine different countries competing.

Colombia took team gold, thanks in large part to a score of 70.05 percent from Marco Bernal, aboard Farewell IV. Guatemala and Mexico took the silver and bronze medals, respectively.

Individual medals were contested two days later in the Prix St. Georges.

The 2010 International Hunter Futurity competitions have added a new money incentive for horses foaled in Virginia.

The Virginia Horse Industry Board will sponsor the Virginia-bred program, and horses competing at both IHF East and West competitions are eligible. The owner of the nominated horse must provide a notarized statement stating the entry was foaled in Virginia.

The $3,000 grant will be divided between the winning and placing entries in both the IHF Challenge and Performance Series.

Check back every Wednesday through Aug. 18 for more articles in the Mobile Horses: Care On The Road series, sponsored by UlcerGard.You can find all the articles on our Mobile Horses page.

The U.S. Equestrian Federation has approved a request from Steffen Peters to skip the USEF Dressage Selection Trial for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, to be held at the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Festival of Champions in Gladstone, N.J., Aug. 6-8 and Aug. 13-15.

Peters, San Diego, Calif., requested not to attend the Trials due to logistical reasons.

Kingston, the World Cup mount and Olympic alternate for U.S. dressage rider Leslie Morse, underwent colic surgery last week due to a displacement of the large colon. He is expected to fully recover.

According to Morse, the 18-year-old Dutch-bred stallion was dehydrated due to the extreme Los Angeles, Calif., heat, which brought about the colic.

“We were lucky that we caught it late that night,” said Morse. “We got to the clinic around 2 a.m., and he was in surgery by 4:30 a.m. It was a very long day.”

According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games need about 1,000 more volunteers for the Games, which are scheduled to begin Sept. 25.

The additional volunteers will serve as competition judges, ushers, parking attendants and general information guides. Volunteers must commit to six eight-hour shifts at the WEG and attend three training sessions.