Postcard: 2007 Jersey Fresh Three-Day Event
Allentown, N.J., June 3, 2007 -- You can add another standout to the list of key U.S. eventing competitions. Jersey Fresh, held at the Horse Park of New Jersey, has achieved that status in the fifth year of its existence.
It drew more than 120 competitors, including most of the top names in the sport from the US and Canada, for a 2-star, a 3-star and an advanced horse trials that served as a Pan American Games final outing/selection trial combo.
With cross-country routes devised by top-level competitor John Williams, U.S. Equestrian Federation show jumping director Sally Ike doing the courses for the final phase, lots of land, good footing and, as one competitor pointed out, flush toilets, it's no wonder that Jersey Fresh is a draw.
The lead changed in all three divisions during the event's run, which made for an exciting finish, but when the trophies finally were awarded, the bulk of them went to Bonnie Mosser.
In the 3-star, which served as a qualifier for both the Pan Ams and next year's Olympics, Bonnie was on top with Merloch. This luscious gray New Zealand-bred previously belonged to a student of the Unionville, Pa., trainer who decided there was more to life than eventing at this point and went off to college.
Bonnie noted the fact that she herself is 44 and still going strong demonstrates that you can do other things and come back to the sport a decade or two later if necessary, something she thinks her student took into consideration when she departed.
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In the advanced horse trials, Bonnie's victory came aboard Close the Deal, a fiery chestnut. She also did dressage and show jumping in that section with her longtime partner Jenga, whose cross-country effort at Rolex Kentucky in April excused him from that phase, along with five other horses who selectors felt had proven themselves cross-country at the 4-star.
The only trophy unclaimed by Bonnie was in the 2-star, where she didn't have an entry. Clark Montgomery grabbed it by a whisker after moving from third in dressage with the British import, Up Spirit, to first following cross-country.
The 2-star route, some said, was on the strong side, as just six of 47 starters, including Clark, were double-clear. But with Fair Hill's tough 3-star coming up as the next stop for many in the division, it probably was time for them to see what a real cross-country quiz is like.
The show jumping course was equally as stern in its fashion. No one got a break there; riders had to think every minute and focus on accuracy.
Clark, who is an assistant trainer working with David O'Connor, really was under pressure. After he went double-clear on Raconteur, Jennifer Libby (Jazz King), Jessica Kiener (My Boy Bobby) and Buck Davidson (Ballynoecastle RM) did the same on their Irish-bred horses.
But Up Spirit, the last to go, was having a down day as two rails fell. Clark got over the finish line with 8 penalties for a total of 55.6, to 56.2 for Buck and Jessica, who tied (the tie was broken in Buck's favor based on his cross-country time). It was a little too close for comfort.
Listen: 2-star winner Clark Montgomery explains how he scraped through to keep first place.
The 2-star was, in effect, just the scene setter. The show jumping course for the 3-star, which was the same as for the horse trials, turned out to be even tougher, with a need for riders to nearly execute a roll-back from the double to a Swedish oxer. That kind of practice should help when they're negotiating those narrow corner jumps on cross-country!
In the 3-star, Bonnie started off in third place after dressage, where Mara Dean who rode as an individual in the 1996 Olympics) was the winner on Nicki Henley. But Mara has won dressage with the horse before, and he has faltered more than once on cross-country, so it was easy to figure that the game was wide open after the first phase. Will Coleman was second on another high-flying gray, Icarus, and Stephen Bradley on From was tied for fourth with Kristen Bond, Buck's girlfriend, on Three Wishes.
Cross-country was rather different than last year. More land was cleared to provide an extra loop in the beginning so John could get the distance he needed without forcing horses to run uphill at the end of the test, which had been difficult and discouraging for some.
John had planned well, but on Friday the prediction of hot, humid weather (which did materialize) led to both the speed and distance wisely being cut in the 2- and 3-star sections (the horse trial was short enough to begin with).
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