The Portola Valley Training Center in Menlo Park, CA was the site of the June 5-6 Selection Trials for teams hoping to represent the US at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. It was a celebration of top vaulting and Woodside Vaulters' 20th anniversary as a vaulting club.
Again, the team competition was fierce. All five declared teams were present and the top two repeated the last trial's placings. FACE topped the leader board with an impressive overall score of 8.272, an improvement of more than 0.5 points over their score from Garrod’s Spring Classic. Adding and tweaking some incredible moves to their Romeo and Juliet theme made for exciting entertainment. In talking with Mary Garrett of the team, she attributes much of their success to the incredible work ethic. Annalise VanVranken agrees adding that there's fun stuff too. "We do improvisations ... making [our routine] a dance." And dance this team did. Right to the top.
Isabelle Parker, coach of the Woodside team which held on to the second spot, said that her vaulters wanted to tell a story, a charming production of the Lion King tale with appropriate music and costume on team horse Giovanni, they had a final score of 7.605.
In the Gold Individual Men's competition, Devon Maitozo topped the final overall scores with an 8.426 on Palatine. He has many international medals, but just in case his FACE team is not selected he is also competing as an individual as well. It would not be a World Equestrian Games without him. Recovering from a double knee surgery, he's back in business.
On the Gold Individual Women's slate, all top five names again came up in the same podium order as the trials at Garrod’s Spring Classic with Mary McCormick in first place with 8.699, then Alicen Divita, Megan Benjamin, Katherine Wick and Elizabeth Ioannou. The number of scores topping 8.0 showed that the women are staying fit and the horses are doing their job. With a bit of lunger shuffling due to an injury, it was the well-trained horses and sensitive handling that made the magic happen for many of the competitors.
For McCormick on Sir Anthony Van Dyke, owned by Sydney Frankel and lunged by Emma Seely, everything was in place as usual and the scores reflected her fluid style and long lines that complement the horse.
Divita was also able to use her favorite horse/lunger combination of Giovanni and Krista Mack, and again performed with her unique attitude and strong impressive moves. Divita is definite star in the Woodside lineup.
Top individual vaulters and teams have applied for several CVI2* events outside of the US in the upcoming month. They will be selected depending on scores and the number of available invitations. Included are FEI Recognized events at Chilliwack, BC, Krumke, and Aachen. Those scores influence the outcome of the selection process. The next US Selection Trial is FACE Off July 17-18 in Somis, CA.