With the Olympics less than three weeks away, The Event at Rebecca Farm won’t feature many of the top riders that it has in the past. But, that doesn’t mean there won’t be a void of talent at this year’s competition.

Four of the five riders on the U.S. eventing team at the London Olympics have competed at The Event, all of them previous winners at various levels. Karen O’Connor, Phillip Dutton, Boyd Martin and Tiana Coudray will lead the U.S. against a prestigious group of riders in London.

“Really this event is a very important step in the career of many riders,” event organizer Sarah Broussard Kelly said. “They’ve ridden here and this was an important step on their path. Last year we were billing it as the ‘Road to London.’ It was an event that people came to in preparation and for qualification to compete at London this year.”

Even with those four overseas, there is a wealth of talent at the competition this year. Canadian rider James Atkinson, British rider James Alliston and American Kristi Nunnink are all among the up-and-comers competing in the three-star event this weekend.

“There’s still a high level of competition,” Olympian and former Event competitor Jil Walton said. “It’s still pretty strong which is cool. All those people are definitely people for the future.”

And without a clear top tier in the competition, the cross country race could be even more exciting than usual.

“I was looking through the entries and I know quite a lot of them,” course designer and four-time Olympic silver medalist Ian Stark said. “Some are on younger horses and some are on experienced horses ... It should make it more competitive. But they’ve still got to jump the fences.”

With The Event being a launching pad for so many riders, there is a lot of anticipation in the air for this year’s competition.

“There’s a great multitude of local riders at all levels (in the Northwest), but it’s really not something that’s in your face every day,” Broussard Kelly said. “I think people are starting to realize that this is the kind of level of horse and rider coming here.”

The Event

at Rebecca Farm

Dressage

Thursday’s Results

CIC1*: Lisa Peecook with Blackfoot Mystery (50.6)

Jr. Yr. Open Preliminary: Katherine Cole with Don Jaunito (28.7)

Open Preliminary A: Amber Levine with Midnight Sky Noel (26.5)

Open Preliminary B: Maya Black with Doesn’t Play Fair (26.1)

Jr. Open Training A: Lindsay Wand with Calico Blue (31.4)

Jr. Open Training B: Patience O’Neal with Amelia (33.6)

Sr. Open Training A: Therese Russell on Dante’ (27.7)

Sr. Open Training B: Katherine Mellis with Ballycreen King’s Orbit (27.7)

Sr. Open Training C: Maya Black with Freudentag (20.9)

Sr. Open Training D: Paula Sweeney with Quick Trick (31.8)

Jr. Open Novice A: Becky Staden with ER Nacho (33.5)

Jr. Open Novice B: Emily Corrigan with Tenderack (30.5)

Sr. Open Novice A: Robyn Fisher Nash with Cadillac FS Z (30.5)

Sr. Open Novice B: Jessica Ray with Barnaby (32.0)

Sr. Open Novice C: Nancy Carr with Wedge Wood (25.5)

Sr. Open Novice D: Stacia Lloyd with Split Infinity (20.0)