There’s quite a lineup for the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event, which gets under way with dressage competition on Thursday, May 6 at the Horse Park of New Jersey in Allentown. (Diehards can attend the horse inspection on Wednesday for free.)
Boyd Martin, no stranger to the Horse Park, will be riding Luke 140 in the Jersey Fresh 4-star Long. (Photo © by Lawrence J. Nagy)
The final selection trial for the U.S. Olympic eventing team that will go to Tokyo has drawn 2016 Olympic individual medalist Phillip Dutton with Sea of Clouds and Pan American Games double gold medalist Boyd Martin with one of his top horses, Luke 140 for the featured 4-star Long.
It will also offer a rematch between the 1-2 finishers in the Land Rover Kentucky 4-star Short, Alyssa Phillips, who won with Oskar, and Tamie Smith with En Vogue, who dropped from the lead after two phases with a rail down and time penalties in the show jumping segment.
The U.S. Equestrian Federation is now allowing spectators at competitions it licesnes, so find out how to get tickets in advance or at the gate here.
Children under 12 years old will be admitted free of charge, as will 4-H and FFA members (with ID), Pony Club members (with pin), and military members and their dependents (with ID). Seniors 65 years and older will be admitted at a discount of $5 per person.
Unlike the case at the Land Rover Kentucky event last month, where Oliver Townend made his victory gallop past cardboard cutout photos of spectators, live fans will be allowed at Jersey Fresh. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
Alyssa, who trains with Jennie Brannigan, is a regular at Jersey Fresh.This year, Alyssa noted, “With everything happening with Covid and all the closures, it fits perfectly with my schedule and he’s fit and ready, so Jersey is the perfect place for him to do his first 4-Long based on the terrain and the technicality that Jersey has to offer. I’m really excited; I’m really looking forward to it. He’s an awesome cross-country horse.”
Alyssa Phillips and Oskar winning the 4-star Short at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Mars Equestria. (Photo by RedBay Stock)
Other big names that will be running in the event, which also includes a 4-star Short and 3-star Long and Short include likely team candidates Liz Halliday-Sharp and local favorite Doug Payne, who grew up in Tewksbury. The 2004 individual Olympic gold medalist from Britain, Leslie Law, now one of the U.S. coaches, will be riding, along with fan favorites Sharon White and Buck Davidson. Doug’s sister, Holly Payne Caravella, is in the 4-star Short.
Dressage continues on Friday, with cross-country on Saturday, as well as show jumping for the 3-star and 4-star Short divisions. The 3 and 4-star Long divisions will show jump on Sunday.
