Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, California, hosts the first of its two FEI events in 2023 on April 13-16. Two weeks after the Galway Downs International H.T. kicked off the calendar of international events in Area VI, the Twin Rivers Spring International represents the final FEI competition before California-based riders and horses travel to other parts of the country and around the world to compete at the FEI levels during the rest of the spring and the summer.
In 2022, Helen Alliston and Ebay (Escudo x Contessa) won the CCI4*-S at Twin Rivers in the rider’s comeback to the level after breaking her hip and pelvis the year before. Alliston Equestrian’s gray Oldenburg gelding and Helen went on to win the $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final at the AEC at Rebecca Farm in Kalispell, Montana. Alongside national levels up to Advanced, the 2023 Twin Rivers Spring International will feature a CCI4*-S, CCI3*-L, CCI3*-S, CCI2*-L, CCI2*-S, and the first ever CCI1*-L in Twin Rivers’ history. The CCI3*-L serves as the first Selection Trial of 2023 for the U.S. team that will compete at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, at the end of October.
The USEA will be provide on-site coverage of the Twin Rivers Spring International.
The CCI4*-S Field
There are six entries in the CCI4*-S, the most that have competed at the level at the Twin Rivers Spring International in five years. The largest division at the event is Open Beginner Novice with 25 entries.
There are three riders entered in the 2023 Twin Rivers Spring International that will be using the event as a final prep on their four respective horses before the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event later in the month. The California-based Kentucky-bound riders are: James Alliston with Nemesis (Novalis 46 x Maesy) and Karma (Escudo II x Travita); Tamie Smith with Elliot V (Zavall VDL x Vera-R); and Rebecca Braitling with Caravaggio II (Vangelis-S x Courtesan). Caravaggio II is entered at Advanced with the others competing in the CCI4*-S at Twin Rivers. Nemesis is entered in the CCI5*-L with the others aiming for the CCI4*-S in Kentucky.
James Alliston has used Twin Rivers as his final run before his last six trips to Kentucky—2013 to 2017 and then his return in 2022. He is pointing Nemesis to his first CCI5*-L and Karma to the CCI4*-S in Kentucky.
Nemesis, a 9-year-old Canadian Warmblood gelding, won at Advanced at the 2022 Twin Rivers Spring International before finishing third in last year’s CCI4*-S in Kentucky with James Alliston.
Karma, a 9-year-old Oldenburg mare, will make her four-star debut at Twin Rivers before the four-star in Kentucky. The other horse competing in his first four-star at Twin Rivers is Gina Economou’s 11-year-old warmblood gelding Cooley By Design.
Elliot V, who won at Advanced at the 2023 Twin Rivers Winter H.T., is the oldest CCI4*-S entrant at 14. Nemesis and Karma are the youngest at 9.
Team Rebecca’s Campari FFF (Camiros x Tanner) and Marc Grandia are coming off a strong third in the CCI4*-S at Galway.
Tarantino 54 (Quattro B x Los Argentina) and Sophie Click and Campari FFF and Marc Grandia have won the last two CCI3*-S at the Aspen Farm H.T. in Yelm, Washington—Tarantino 54 in 2022 and Campari FFF in 2021.
The Facts
Mary Duenow (USA) will serve as the Technical Delegate for the CCI4*-S, along with FEI Assistant Technical Delegates Wayne Quarles (USA) and Sharyn Antico (USA).
The President of the Ground Jury for the CCI4*-S is Bobby Stevenson (USA) with Lynda Ramsay (CAN) assisting.
Morgan Rowsell (USA) is the cross-country course designer for CCI4*-S and Advanced, while Adri Doyal (MEX) has designed the tracks for the remaining FEI levels. Marc Grandia has designed the cross-country courses for the national levels up to Intermediate.
William Robertson (USA) has designed the show jumping courses for all levels.
Both the CCI4*-S and Advanced divisions are qualifiers for the $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final that will take place at the USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds in August.
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