Smith rides Bantry Bay V to win

GREG SCHINDLER/The Daily Inter Lake

Mixed emotions permeated The Event at Rebecca Farm on Sunday, as the close-knit riders atop the CIC*** final standings shared tears of joy while lamenting their fellow competitors who weren't as lucky.

Tory Smith of Camarillo, Calif., rode Bantry Bay V through a flawless show-jumping phase, securing the biggest win of her career on a day when only four of her division's riders finished their rounds.

Smith's 55 total points easily held off her runner-up and mentor, Debbie Rosen of Calabasas, Calif., who incurred just eight jump penalties to finish with 79.1 points atop The Alchemist.

Chelan Kozak (96.9 points) of Abbotsford, British Columbia, and Barbara Crabo (115.7) of Scottsdale, Ariz., finished third and fourth, respectively, on Tasman Sea and Eveready.

Jolie Sexson of Martinez, Calif., led Smith by 8.1 points after Saturday's cross

country, but she withdrew as a precautionary measure for her horse, Killian O'Connor. Josh Barnacle of Santa Rosa, Calif., also was a late scratch with Florestan du Seri.

Hawley Bennett of Langley, British Columbia, was eliminated Saturday after SplendoroftheSun's three refusals, and Nicholas Cwick was disqualified Sunday for starting before his signal on Asterix.

It was only the third three-star event for Bantry Bay V and Smith, who was just as disappointed for Sexson as she was pleased for herself. Sexson told Smith on Sunday morning that she wouldn't be jumping.

"I was extremely sad and upset earlier when I found out about Jolie," Smith said. "But she's a great sport and wished me the best of luck, and I would have been so happy for her if she would have gone out there today and won."

Smith trains with Rosen at El Sueno Equestrian Center in Somis, Calif. Sunday marked the second time the student edged her teacher for top honors, including last year at Twin Rivers.

"It's hard," Smith said of competing against her coach. "I think I had to get used to it a few years ago when she started riding Al.

"We were always just sort of neck-and-neck, but it's just great, and it's an honor to share this with her. She's helped me so much."

More than an hour after the competition, Rosen was still beaming about her pupil's performance at one of just three qualifying events in the country for September's HSBC FEI World Cup Final in Deauvile, France.

"It's unimaginable," Rosen said. "Just joyful to watch how far she's come from where we started.

"I don't even have my mind around it yet. It's the best feeling ever."

Rosen placed third on The Alchemist in CIC*** at The Event last summer, but she said that success wasn't enough to put her at ease this year - even at a venue that feels like home.

"I think more often than not, my horse is better than I am," she said. "I'm still trying to learn where to be on him, so every course is really a learning experience, and that's all I think about when I go in there."

Rosen called Sunday's results "terribly bittersweet" and said most of the riders are friends.

"So much of this is luck," she said. "It's one of the most heartbreaking sports that I can imagine, because we all work so hard. We're all very diligent and very careful and take excellent care of our horses.

"Josh's horse stepped on himself. Jolie had to make a very difficult decision, but I'm so proud of her; she's a horse person.

"I think whenever we have a question in our mind, even if it's just in our own gut, most of us are going to err on the side of caution."

Smith left with $9,500 and a bundle of prizes, while Rosen pocketed $7,200 among her awards.

Smith hopes to someday compete at Rolex Kentucky, but up next is Fair Hill International this fall. According to Smith, Rebecca Farm was ideal preparation for her and the 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse she bought in 2003.

And Smith said her 16.1-point pre-phase lead over Rosen didn't affect Sunday's round.

"Actually, I didn't know what the [point] difference was," she said. "I was just riding for me and my horse, and trying to get a round in for us rather than the score.

"He's a pretty good jumper. He has springs on his feet, as we like to call it."

A member of the Canadian Equestrian Team, Kozak had 16 jump penalties on the horse she has been furiously working to tame. She bought Tasman Sea, a race horse in New Zealand, two years ago and rode him in eight events in eight weeks just six months later.

"All he did really well when I got him is fling his head around and run sideways," Kozak said. "He still does a fair bit of that.

"He is the most challenging horse I've ever ridden in my life. He's just a tough, tough horse."

The Event is the ninth of 13 Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series events in the United States. Though Kozak left The Event with $6,000 and prizes, that loot wasn't necessary to draw the 1996 Olympian to Rebecca Farm.

"The Olympics is a four-star, so the competition kind of is one step higher," Kozak said.

"But in terms of this venue, it's absolutely second to none. The footing is the best in the country - it just is.

"We have horses that we put our heart and soul into, and to gallop on footing that you know is absolutely perfect … you just can't say enough how much you appreciate that."

Ali Holmes-Smith of Chase, British Columbia, rode Paddington to the CCI** crown with 60.2 points. Martha McDowell (81.6) of Billings placed seventh on Gaelic Marriage.

Nicholas Cwick (54) of Saratoga, Calif., won the CCI* (with steeplechase) division on Sir Donovan. Kalispell's Natascha Eickert (71.2) was third on Paddy Winkler Lad, and Stevensville's Dawn Bunge (111.2) placed 10th on O'Reilly II.

Last year's CIC*** champ, Kelly Prather of Bodega, Calif., was the CCI* (without steeplechase) victor with 41 points on Ballinakill Glory.

Emily Pestl-Dimmitt (66.6) claimed the CIC* division on Talus.

Kristi Walker (51.5) of Washougal, Wash., retained her second-day lead in the Advanced division on Myelusivedream, where Kalispell's Cindy Marvin (61.1) placed second on My Sedona after incurring just four jump penalties.

Sarah Keppner (35.9) of Hailey, Idaho, used a flawless final round on Diamonds and Pearls to finish first in Intermediate, which saw 2007 CIC*** runner-up Sara Mittleider (39.3) of Kuna, Idaho, place third on Here's Awesome.