Winter 2023-2024 Issue

Page 24 Winter 2023/2024 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN Luann McElduff, has won three consecutive FEI events during the 2023 season, beginning in April. This is the eleventh international win this year for Pamukcu, the most of any rider in the world. Strong in all three phases, HSH Connor is one for the future for Pamukcu, who headed off to represent the United States at the 2023 Pan American Games. She is excited to have such a talented string of horses coming up through the ranks. “It’s so emotional because I’ve had the horse since he was a four-year-old, and it’s one of those things where there’s such a big community behind me,” said Pamukcu. “It’s emotion- al because you remember his first jump school, his first flat school, and then all the way to this moment. We were so close to winning the Young Horse World Championships in Le Lion d’Angers last year, that for him to win the USEF CCI3* National Championship is amazing.” Lauren Nicholson (The Plains, Va.) and Larcot Z, a Zangersheide gelding owned by Jacqueline Mars, finished in second on a 28.6, just adding .4- time penalties from cross-coun- try to their dressage score, but jumping clean in the main arena on Sunday. Local competitor Savannah Fulton (Finksburg, Md.) and Cash Point, a 2015 Holsteiner gelding owned by Nelson Warnell, jumped up the leaderboard after a strong cross-country round on Saturday and a clear effort on Sunday in the final phase to capture third place on a 31.4. Young Horse Event The Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse 4 & 5YO Championships - East Coast presented by Dubarry Ireland concluded an exciting two days of competition on Friday, October 20. Caroline Pamucku and HSH Afterglow, an Irish Sport Horse, took top honors in the 4YO division, finishing on a final score of 90.27, besting 35 other entries. Boyd Martin took first in the 5YO Championships - East Coast, taking the win aboard Schmick, who was champion last year in the 4YO division. Schmick, a 2018 Zangersheide gelding, finished on a final total of 92.82, and scoring a ten for general impression, the only per- fect score in the division. The MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill, one of only two 5 Star level equestrian events of its kind in the United States and just the seventh worldwide, was held at the Fair Hill Special Event Zone in Cecil County, MD, Octo- ber 18-22. her first CCI5*-L, the 23-year- old protegee of David and Karen O’Connor wowed with Phelps, a 2013 Thoroughbred gelding owned by David O’Connor, taking all the direct options on course and cruising through the finish to stay on their dressage score of 32.9. The pair were the only combination to finish double clear, stopping the clock in 11 minutes and 10 seconds on the dot to nail the optimum time. Farley had 8 show jumping faults to finish fifth. Boyd Martin (Cochranville, PA) was the highest-placed U.S. rider going into the second phase, scoring a personal best of 28.8 in dressage, aboard Contessa, a 2009 Holsteiner mare owned by Club Contessa. A fall by both horse and rider, from which both walked away, ended their Mary- land 5* journey. The pair also fell on course at Plantation Field in September. British riders Piggy March and Brookfield Cavalier Cruise were in second place after dres- sage with a score of 24.2. They stood fifth after cross country and withdrew from show jumping to finish 15th. Fellow Brit William Fox- Pitt and Grafennacht started cross country in third with 26.1 points. They moved to second place to start the show jumping round, where a rail cemented their place in second, just six tenths of a point behind the winner. 3 Star Caroline Pamukcu (Rie- gelsville, PA), and HSH Connor led from start to finish in the 2023 USEF Eventing CCI3*-L National Championship, completing on their first-phase score of 25.4. HSH Connor, an impressive 2016 Irish Sport horse gelding owned by Pamukcu, Sherrie Martin, and Austin O’Connor Secures First Five-Star Win For Ireland in 58 Years (Continued from page 23) Austin O’Connor is overwhelmed with excitement after leaving all the rails up to become the first Irish national in nearly six decades to win a five star event. MD 5 Star board member Tim Gardner con- vince O’Connor to make the long trip to the U.S. after the pair had a disappointing result at Burghley earlier in the year. Photo credit: Alison Green for Shannon Brinkman