Emily Mastervich Beshear Wins the First US Equestrian Open Qualifier
Emily Mastervich Beshear and Rio de Janeiro triumphed at the first US Equestrian Open Qualifier, securing a dramatic win after a flawless show jumping round. With the overnight leader forced to withdraw, the stage was set for a nail-biting finish that came down to just 0.1 of a penalty.
It was a nail-biting finish today to conclude the US Equestrian Open’s first qualifier. It was the clear round today that ensured Emily Mastervich Beshear and Rio de Janeiro clinched the win – but this was a win built over three phases. They started the weekend with a 34.4 dressage test to sit in third. They delivered a steady cross-country round yesterday, clear jumping and within the fastest five. Today, they maintained their 2024 form and jumped their fifth clear from six internationals.
Emily took over the ride on this 15-year-old horse last year from her son Nicholas, and she now has three wins from their first six events together. A milestone win too, after 33 previous runs at this level, they have their first CCI4*-S win. And a milestone for the US Equestrian Open – the first points of the season are on the board.
When we arrived at Morven this morning, we got the unfortunate news of the withdrawal of overnight leader Hannah Sue Hollberg and Business Ben. Hannah Sue, who had led the field after cross-country, was forced to withdraw due to a minor, superficial injury to Business Ben. While the injury was not severe, the decision to withdraw was made as a precautionary measure, ending what looked like it was going to be a big breakthrough moment for this still-new combination. It opened the door to a jump-off style finish between Ema Klugman and Emily Mastervich Beshear – Ema was 3.9 penalties ahead, so her rail down meant the final standings were decided by just 0.1 penalty.
Final Standings: Emily’s Clear Round Secures the Win
Beshear and Rio de Janeiro maintained their composure and executed a perfect clear round in the show jumping phase, continuing their impressive form from earlier events this year (now three wins in their last four internationals). She finished on her final score of 46.8, narrowly ahead of Ema Klugman and RF Redfern, who finished on 46.9.
Eye-Catcher:
Arden Wildasin was excellent this weekend across a number of sections, but arguably, the clear here on the final day with her new partner Billy Beaufort was the highlight. It is her third stadium clear of her career at this level, and in a tight field, it was enough to secure a podium finish.
What’s Next for the US Equestrian Open?
With the first eventing qualifier now complete, attention turns to the two remaining events of this year – Bouckaert in a couple of weeks (October 25th-27th) and TerraNova in November (November 13th-17th).
We estimate that it is going to take 200+ points to secure the series prize money. Emily is off the mark, and a new series is underway.
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For media inquiries about the US Equestrian Open Series, please contact Carly Weilminster at cweilminster@usef.org . For sponsorship opportunities, contact Layson Griffin at lgriffin@usef.org.
