Close to 600 horses have gathered in Kalispell, Montana, for the Event at Rebecca Farm, where the competition celebrates its 25th year. Three-time Rebecca Farm CCI4*-L champion James Alliston and HMR Rolan set the pace with a 30.6.
With the FEI dressage divisions split over two days, Virginia-based Gabby Dickerson and Casalto, along with Florida-based Alyssa Phillips and Rockett 19, will have a chance to overtake them Friday before the division heads out on Jay Hambly and Bert Wood's cross-country course Saturday.
In the CCI4*-S, Jen Moody leads the first group of five of a nine-horse field on Team Rebecca’s Fixin De Conde. Moody is based at Rebecca Farm, but she said there’s no home field advantage.
“Starting two weeks before, there’s a new porta-potty every day, and flags going up everywhere,” she said. “It’s hard, but I think he’s taking it in stride.”
Moody said she’s actually had to overcome a home-turf disadvantage in the dressage court. “I put a lot of pressure on myself to do well at home,” she said. “I have a lot of friends and people watching, and sometimes I can psych myself out. This time, I just went in there thinking I’m going to have fun. And I think it worked out pretty well!”
Nicknamed “Pullitz” after a the dog in old French cartoon, the 11-year-old Selle Francais has been with Moody since December. They got to know each other riding indoors through Montana’s snowy winter, then spent spring in California developing their partnership further with three top 10 CCI3*-S finishes.
Julie Wolfert and SSH Playboy are the favorites to win this division, per the U.S. Equestrian Open of Eventing’s Fan Guide. They’re currently holding second place on a 35.9. Stephanie Goodman and Elwenda DP are third on a 36.9, fresh from a four-star win at the Aspen Farms Horse Trials (Washington).
Wolfert and "Playboy" are expected to gain ground on cross-country, where Rebecca Farm's courses have historically made the optimum time difficult to achieve. Saturday’s track looks as if it will continue that trend.
See the full results here. Video can be viewed via free livestream on Rebecca Farm’s YouTube channel.