There will be no shortage of top-level horses and riders competing when the Maui Jim Horse Trials get under way on Thursday, July 6, at Lamplight Equestrian Center on North Dunham Road in Wayne, IL. The four-day event has attracted a record number of entries ranging from such far away spots as Vancouver, California, Texas, Virginia and North Carolina. This popular competition is in its second year of being designated as a United States Eventing Association Gold Cup Event, marking it as one of the 10-best such competitions in the country. The Horse Trials is sponsored by Peoria-based Maui Jim, Inc., makers of popular high-end sunglasses. In honor of the company’s support, the newly constructed cross-country water jump, which will be christened this weekend has been named “Nui Lua Wai,” or “Big Water Hole” in Hawaiian.
Previous Maui Jim Advanced Division winners Stuart Black (2002-2004), Cathy Weischhoff (2005) and Becky Holder (1999) will be returning this year riding young horses they hope will become tomorrow’s superstars. A special retirement ceremony is scheduled to take place on Sunday, July 9, for Highland Hogan, the horse Holder rode in her 1999 win (who later went on the be named as alternate at the Sydney, Australia Olympic Games). Dorothy Crowell who was Silver medalist at the World Equestrian Games will also be among those returning this year. Canadians Kelli Temple and Ian Roberts will be using Maui Jim’s CIC*** (an Advanced level competition sanctioned by the international body governing equestrian sport, the FEI), as a final run through before they leave in August for Aachen, Germany, to represent Canada at the World Equestrian Games.
Newcomers to Maui Jim this year will be Buck Davidson, son of legendary two-time world eventing champion, Bruce Davidson, who himself has represented the United States at the Pan American Games, and Bonnie Mosser. Mosser, along with Holder, is on the American short list to go to Aachen and has also entered Maui Jim with one of her younger horses.
Not to be outdone by the “oldsters,” past and present stars of the
national Young Rider eventing program will also be well represented. Maui Jim serves as a qualifying competition, and for many, a final run through before the 2006 North American Junior and Young Rider Championships that will take place in Virginia in August. No less than five top individual medalists from past Young Rider Championships have entered–-Sara Kozumplik-Dierks, Buck Davidson, Ashley Dalton, Katlyn McMorris, and last year’s Gold Medalist Jessica Pye.
The Maui Jim Horse Trials will run for four days starting on Thursday, July 6, at 8 a.m. when 20 Young Event Horses will take center stage to be judged on their potential. This class is divided into two age groups, four- and five-year-olds. The regular horse trials commences the same morning with training level dressage. This competition attracted so many riders that the fourth day was added on to accommodate many of the training riders who make up the future of the sport.
Admission to the Maui Jim Horse Trials is free, and spectators are encouraged to spend time watching amazing performances by skilled human and equine athletes and browsing through the varied shops that make up the competition’s trade fair. Food is available on site and parking is free. For further information go to www.mauijimhorsetrials.org.
~~~