Let The Event begin
Leave it to Kalispell's Rebecca Farm to not just leave well enough alone.
In its sixth year, The Event at Rebecca Farm, which begins today and concludes Sunday, is a day longer and several entrants stronger than ever before.
Once again, The Event is one of four American qualifiers for the International Equestrian Federation Eventing World Cup Finals for CIC three-star riders. Rebecca Farm is also one of only 15 United States Eventing Association Gold Cup Series venues in the country.
Eventing is the triathlon of equestrian sports, including dressage, cross country and show jumping. Competitors must ride the same horse for all three events, showcasing endurance and versatility.
More than 500 riders pre-registered for this year's event, up from 457 last year and 365 in 2005. About 470 will actually compete, however, due to late scratches.
The field includes five Olympians, nine CIC three-star riders, 16 CCI two-star competitors and six CCI one-star entrants.
There will be a new CIC three-star champion as California's Gina Miles, last year's overall winner, recently competed at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and won't be at Rebecca Farm. Last year's runner-up, Tiana Coudray, will also be away.
Hawley Bennett, a Langley, British Columbia native who placed third at last year's event and represented Canada in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, is back, but she will compete at the CCI two-star level. That renders 21-year-old Sara Mittleider of Kuna, Idaho, a potential favorite atop her horse El Primero.
Though most of The Event's riders hail from the West Coast and Canada, there is a sizable local contingent, including 67 Montanans.
About 10,000 spectators attended the admission-free event last year, up from 7,000 the year before. That number should increase again, thanks largely to The Event's increased length, which was necessitated by the addition of the CCI one-star's long format, which includes steeplechase and road and track on Saturday in addition to cross country.
Today's action begins at 8 a.m. with five arenas of dressage. Dressage is a discipline similar to ballet or figure skating where riders display their horse's obedience and willingness to perform by guiding them through a routine of predetermined maneuvers using subtle, non-verbal commands.
Dressage continues Friday, followed by cross country on Saturday and show jumping on Sunday. Final standings are based on penalties from all three disciplines as riders aim for the lowest scores possible.