Events  

USEA Gold Cup Series Returns to the
2008 Richland Park Horse Trials

The Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series is returning to
Richland Park August 21 – 24, 2008!

This national equestrian competition series features top Advanced and Intermediate eventing riders and horses who are in the run for the 2008 Adequan USEA Gold Cups and cash prizes. Riders accumulate Gold Cup points by riding in any of fifteen such events across the country, making the Richland Park Horse Trials now one of the premier equestrian competitions in the nation.

But, the Gold Cup series is not all.

Karen O'Connor, the 2007 Gold Medalist at the Pan Am Games, is among nearly 350 U.S. and Canadian horses and riders expected to compete in Novice, Training, Preliminary, Intermediate, Advanced, CIC 2 * and CIC 3* levels at the Seventh annual Richland Park Horse Trials to be held August 21-24 at the Richland Park complex near Richland.

This equestrian event, in cooperation with the United States Eventing Association, the USEF, and the FEI, includes the standard three phases of dressage, cross country jumping and stadium jumping. Thursday, August 21 will feature the international CIC levels performing their dressage tests. On Friday, August 22 all remaining levels will perform their dressage tests. Cross country jumping will take place on Saturday, August 23 and will feature the upper level horses and riders. Novice and Training level will compete in the stadium jumping phase on Saturday. Sunday, August 24, Novice and Training will ride the cross country phase and the Upper level horses and riders will ride the stadium jumping phase. Organizers of the horse trials are Bob and Kay Willmarth, owners of the Richland layout, which is located at 8651 N. 30th Street, just 3/10’s of a mile south of M-89.

Last year’s trials attracted several thousand spectators and considerable newspaper, radio and television coverage. Single day parking is $5.00 and admission is $5.00. Weekend parking (four,three or two day) is $10.00 and weekend admission is $10.00. Children 12 and under are FREE. Parking fees are being donated to the Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center in Augusta, which provides riding experiences for a variety of special needs children and adults. Additionally, the first annual Richlandfest (formerly Octoberfest) will be held on Friday and Saturday evening, August 22 & 23 at the Village Square, featuring music, games, food and beverages. Plan on spending A WEEKEND IN THE COUNTRY in the lovely village of Richland.

Refreshments and Richland Park souvenirs will be available for purchase.

The cross country course was designed by Michael Etherington-Smith of Great Britain, a widely respect Olympic and international course designer. He is the course designer at the Rolex Kentucky Four Star Event in Lexington, Kentucky, one of the most prestigious equestrian events in the world. Michael also designed the Sydney Olympic course, and designed the Beijing Olympic Course. The cross country course builders are Bert Wood of Temecula, California and Jay Hambly of Guelph, Ontario Canada.