For Immediate Release: Friday, September 28, 2001
Morven Park to Host
3-Day Event and Advanced Horse Trials
October 4-7, 2001
Some of the world’s leading event riders will compete at Morven Park in
Leesburg, VA during the CCI* and Advanced Horse Trials, October 4-7, 2001.
This international competition will see riders from Canada, New Zealand,
Great Britain, the Netherlands and the United States face off over Morven
Park’s challenging courses. According to Margaret Good, Event Organizer,
“This event attracts the rising stars as well as the professional and
Olympic riders.” She adds, “Morven Park is also a wonderfully spectator
friendly facility. It’s a great place to get close to the action.”
Some familiar names entered in the event include: Kim Vinoski coming off
her win at the Bleinham Horse Trials, and Nina Fout on 3 Magic Beans. Nina
recently competed at Burghley along with John Williams and Beale Morris who
are also slated to compete at Morven Park. Other competitors are veteran
Olympians David and Karen O’Connor, Stephen Bradley, Bruce Davidson, and
Mara Depuy. International riders include Phillip Dutton, veteran Australian
Olympian, Emily Bluchter of New Zealand, Great Britain’s Donna Catchell and
Ferial Johnson, Patricia Van Der Minne from the Netherlands, Alfonso Gomez
from Mexico and a contingent of 18 Canadian riders including Stuart Black,
Peter Gray and Ian Roberts.
The sport of eventing tests horse and rider in three diverse disciplines -
dressage, cross country jumping and stadium jumping. The dressage phase of
the competition will be held on Thursday, 10/4, and Friday, 10/5, starting
at 8:00 a.m. each day. Endurance Day, which includes the thrilling
cross-country phase, will begin at 7 a.m. on Saturday,
10/6. The final phase, Stadium Jumping, will be begin at 8 a.m. in the
Davis arena on Sunday, 10/7. In the CCI* division, riders will face solid
obstacles up to 3’7" in height, drops of 5’3" and spreads of up to 9’2".
At the Advanced Level, the obstacles can reach up 4’7" in height and 11’6"
in width.
Spectators are welcome on all days of competition. During the cross country
phase on Saturday spectators are invited walk out onto the course. “One of
the nice things about Morven Park is that there are several excellent
viewing areas that allow you to see quite a few fences” says Marcia Keene,
Morven Park’s Director of Equestrian Events. For those who want to learn
more about the sport, John Williams, USET member, will lead a cross-country
course walk for spectators on Thursday, October 4th at 5 p.m. This is a
rare opportunity to learn how a professional rider would tackle the jumps on
the Morven Park cross-country course. Participants should wear comfortable
shoes and children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult. All
interested spectators should meet at 4:45 pm at the CCI* start box located
near the Hedge Ring Arena.
Tickets to the Morven Park CCI* and Advanced Horse Trials will be available
at the gate. Admission is $5 per person per day or $10 for all 4 days. Car
passes admitting four people may be purchased at $10 a day or $20 for all 4
days. There is no additional charge for the spectator course walk.
For more information about the Races, please call 703-777-2414.
Morven Park is operated in the public interest by the Westmoreland Davis
Memorial Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization founded to protect, preserve
and promote the historic and cultural resources of Morven Park.
For More Information Contact:
Pamela Woolley
Marci Keene
703-777-2890
Morven Park International Equestrian Center
