New horse, Grandia off to a stellar start at The Event

The Event at Rebecca Farm kicked off for the 12th time with a record 560 competitors Thursday, topping its previous high of 480 and making it one of the largest equestrian triathlons in the country.

Marc Grandia, 25, of Onalaska, Wash., has been competing at The Event since it began in 2002 and said it’s obvious why it has continued to grow.

“Just look around really,” he said.

“The simple reason is it’s the only competition under international rules in our area, which is Washington, Montana and Idaho, so we come every year just for that, but it’s a great event, it’s a great area. Most people come and they vacation for a week and then they do the horse show.”

Grandia said he annually competes in 15-20 events, but The Event at Rebecca Farm is one of his favorites.

“It’s really the classiest event as far as the treatment of the sponsors, the spectators, the competitors, all that,” Grandia said.

“I think classy is the best way to describe it. It feels like home for everybody that’s here.”

Besides hosting more and more riders and horses, Grandia said The Event hasn’t changed much over the years, with the exception of last year when new course designer Ian Stark put his stamp on the cross-country course.

“It’s a lot bigger forward course now, versus more technical like it was before,” Grandia said. “I think that pays off for some riders and for others it makes it more difficult.

“It invites a more aggressive rider. Well, a more aggressive horse and rider. A horse that keeps galloping to a fence instead of someone who’s going to take a little more time.”

Grandia and his horse, Fernhill Eagle, scored 45.2 in dressage, putting them in second place in the one-star division behind Matthew Brown and BCF Belicoso, who received a score of 44.2. Suzy Elliott and Ferngully are third with a score of 46.

“It was really good,” Grandia said.

“This is a new horse for me. I’ve had him for, I think, eight weeks now, and he did all that I could’ve expected of him. He did a lot before I got him, so he’s very experienced, more so than me.”

The one-star dressage competition continues today at 8 a.m.

Grandia and Fernhill Eagle will compete on the cross-country course at 1:57 on Saturday.