More than 80 riders came from Georgia, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, Kentucky, England and Canada to compete at the Bluegrass Fall Finale at the Kentucky Horse Park.  Friends caught up with old friends and made new ones.  The improvement in the riders' skill level from the first competition of the year was inspiring.  Riders who had trouble vaulting early in the year were flying across the ring and nailing their vaults.  Even the weather cooperated (a balmy 70 F).                                                                                                                           The first ever 4 Ever Young division drew more than 20 riders of all ages and was a hit with many  parents and younger riders. After spending many years setting up equipment and helping out,  the parents finally got a chance to experience first hand what seasoned games competitors already know (games are a lot harder then they look- but they are also even more fun to ride then watch).  The Green team and Blue team kept many spectators guessing( this is a common problem in Kentucky where the grass is called blue).  

      The Patriots team (composed of this year's Pony Club international riders--watch out world), gave strong chase to the Canada Black team followed by  the Stars and Stripes who managed to overcome many injuries (by the end of the competition the team was down to two sound riders). In hot pursuit were the Blue team and the Starblazers.

      Canada White finished first in the B-final with the Dynamites, Vegimites , Wild Thangs and the Green team close behind in a blanket finish.   The quality of the teams in both finals were remarkably consistent with every team in the A and B finals placing first in at least one race.

   Thanks to Canadian coach Jim Dunn (and team), U.S. Coach Robert Taylor and Susie Warne for giving clinics to riders on Saturday morning (the draw was much larger than expected).  Thanks to Krista Wilson for coaching the Patriots in the A final and riding with the Zippy Chickies in the 4-ever young division and to Susie Warne who coached the Wild Thangs through much of the B final.  Thanks to Val Brown for helping coach the clinic on Sunday night and Joanne Emblin for coaching the Rocket Riders.  Thanks also goes to Debbie Bush who did an brilliant job organizing the competition. A special thank you also to the ground crew headed by Chelsea Bush, Carol Bertilson and Paul Greiling (aided and abetted by Berg, Malm, Vit, Kisiel, McCready et allii)  and to those many people whose faces are like family but whose names escape us at the moment.  Thanks for your unsung but heroic work in putting on this competition.  A special thanks also to those who do the unglamorous but essential job of judging and refereeing.  Calls were fair and honest and you don't know how much you were appreciated.    There are many others not mentioned on the list who also were invaluable. Thanks also to starter and Head Judge Robert Taylor who did an exceptional job of keeping things on time, up to date and organized, scorer Janie Lawrence and announcers Katie Bush and Liz Englert,  and check in person Sharon Brown, who worked the office and had to miss Val's spectacular riding the first day.   We will have pictures to post from the competition by Beth Lough, who also did safety checks on riders.             

 Thanks to Idi for providing incredible action packed photographs of the entire weekend.  The photographs can be viewed at www.idiphoto.com/photopage.html.

Ground Session 1

Heat 1A

1st Canada Black(66 pts.): (B. Bent, J. Dunn, A. Dunn, S. Dunn, K. Durward) 

2nd Star Blazers(53 pts.): (L. Cummings, C. Foreman, J. Fuller, K.C. Mullin, T. Malm)

3rd Green(43 pts.): (J. Brandt, A. Schmitt, K. Schmitt, N. Schmitt, K. York)

4th Veggie-Mates(43 pts.): (V. Brown, J. Coe, K. Kuhl, M. Lawrence, M. Lough)

5th Dynamites(37 pts): (B. Beunger, T. Berg,  A. Clay, T. Rumba)

Heat 1B

1st Stars and Stripes(67 pts.): (J. Emblin, C. Greiling, S. Greiling, S. Warne, R. Vit) 

2nd Patriots(59 pts.): (A. Bertilson, K. Caddel, A. Lough, J. McCready)

3rd Blue(48 pts.): (J. Hoke, J. Kisiel, L. Montgomery, K. Wilson, B. York)

4th Wild Thangs(40 pts.): ( S. Bush, K. Goncharoff, H. Griffin. E. Steele, J. Strayer)

5th Canada White(38 pts.): (A. Heroux, C. Radcliffe, S. Townsend, S. Ulias)

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Ground Session 2

Heat 2A

1st Patriots(63 pts.): (A. Bertilson, K. Caddel, A. Lough, J. McCready)

2nd Canada Black(61 pts.): (B. Bent, J. Dunn, A. Dunn, S. Dunn, K. Durward) 

3rd Canada White(52 pts.): (A. Heroux, C. Radcliffe, S. Townsend, S. Ulias)

4th Veggie-Mates(43 pts.): (V. Brown, J. Coe, K. Kuhl, M. Lawrence, M. Lough)

5th Green(38 pts.): (J. Brandt, A. Schmitt, K. Schmitt, N. Schmitt, K. York)

Heat 2B

1st Stars and Stripes(70 pts.): (J. Emblin, C. Greiling, S. Greiling, S. Warne, R. Vit)

2nd Blue(51 pts.): (J. Hoke, J. Kisiel, L. Montgomery, K. Wilson, B. York)

3rd Star Blazers(48 pts.): (L. Cummings, C. Foreman, J. Fuller, K.C. Mullin, T. Malm)

4th Wild Thangs(45 pts.): ( S. Bush, K. Goncharoff, H. Griffin. E. Steele, J. Strayer)

5th Dynamites(44 pts.): (B. Beunger, T. Berg,  A. Clay, T. Rumba)

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Final Heat

B Final

1st Canada White(60 pts.): (A. Heroux, C. Radcliffe, S. Townsend, S. Ulias)

2nd Dynamites(53 pts.): (B. Beunger, T. Berg,  A. Clay, T. Rumba)

3rd Veggie-Mates(52 pts.): (V. Brown, J. Coe, K. Kuhl, M. Lawrence, M. Lough)

4th Wild Thangs(50 pts.): ( S. Bush, K. Goncharoff, H. Griffin. E. Steele, J. Strayer)

5th Green(45 pts.): (J. Brandt, A. Schmitt, K. Schmitt, N. Schmitt, K. York)

A Final

1st Canada Black(66 pts.): (B. Bent, J. Dunn, A. Dunn, S. Dunn, K. Durward) 

2nd  Patriots(57 pts.): (A. Bertilson, K. Caddel, A. Lough, J. McCready)

3rd Stars and Stripes(52 pts.): (J. Emblin, C. Greiling, S. Greiling, S. Warne, R. Vit)

4th Blue(44 pts.): (J. Hoke, J. Kisiel, L. Montgomery, K. Wilson, B. York)

5th Star Blazers(39 pts.): (L. Cummings, C. Foreman, J. Fuller, K.C. Mullin, T. Malm)

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4-Ever Young Division

Heat 1

1st Canada Nags(45 pts.): (M. Lalonde, E. Martin, M. McCulligh, D. Sharpe, S. Woods) 

2nd Mummy's and the Archeoligists(32 pts.): (A. Brandt, J. Brandt, H. Schmitt, D. McCready, J. McCready)

3rd Rocket Riders(27 pts.): (C. Boone, L. Griffin, D. Johnson, H. Duhnam)

4th Zippy Chicks(22 pts.): (D. Bush, L. Caddel, L. Englert, l. Phillips, K. Wilson)

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Heat 2

1st Canada Nags(52 pts.): (M. Lalonde, E. Martin, M. McCulligh, D. Sharpe, S. Woods) 

2nd Rocket Riders(40 pts.): (C. Boone, L. Griffin, D. Johnson, H. Duhnam)

3rd Zippy Chicks(34 pts.): (D. Bush, L. Caddel, L. Englert, l. Phillips, K. Wilson)

4th Mummy's and the Archeoligists(27 pts.): (A. Brandt, J. Brandt, H. Schmitt, D. McCready, J. McCready)

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Final Heat

1st Canada Nags(48 pts.): (M. Lalonde, E. Martin, M. McCulligh, D. Sharpe, S. Woods) 

2nd Zippy Chicks(32 pts.): (D. Bush, L. Caddel, L. Englert, l. Phillips, K. Wilson)

 3rd Mummy's and the Archeoligists(31 pts.): (A. Brandt, J. Brandt, H. Schmitt, D. McCready, J. McCready)

4th Rocket Riders(29 pts.): (C. Boone, L. Griffin, D. Johnson, H. Duhnam)

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Mock Rally

Heat 1

1st Rocket Riders: (C. Boone, L. Griffin, D. Johnson, H. Duhnam, S. Holmes, L. Khaki,  J. Caddel,)

2nd Pegasus Ponies: (A. Adams, H. Barbedo, K. Barbedo, S. Shultz,  J. Voss)-Also rode hors' concours in the 4-ever-young division.

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Individuals

Timed Runs

1st J. Hoke

2nd J. Kiesel

3rd K. Durward

4th J.McCready

5th J. Coates

6th V. Brown

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United States Equestrian Games Association/United States Mounted Games Association            
For problems or questions regarding this web contact: pgreili@bellsouth.net
Last updated: January 23, 2003.