LEESBURG, Va.--Sharon White of Summit Point, W.V., on Claus 63 won the $200,000 US Equestrian Open Eventing Final on Sunday, Oct. 11 at Morven Park.
It was a historic result as White became the first woman to win a Final, with four previous winners across jumping, eventing, and dressage.
White went clean in the final phase, show jumping, and finished the weekend on a score of 30.8 penalties.
Will Coleman of Ocala, Fla., on Off The Record finished second on 36.6 after having two rails down in show jumping.
Coleman had taken the lead after cross-country on his dressage score of 28.6, finishing the course in 10:01 minutes, just inside the optimum time of 10:09.
Mia Farley of Lexington, Ky., on Invictus placed third on 39.8 after jumping clear, moving up from 13th after dressage.
Invictus was also awarded the MARS Equestrian American Bred Talent Trophy which is given to the top finishing U.S.-bred horse of the competition in the CCI4*-L division.
Going into show jumping, White had been third after cross-country, 2.2 penalties behind Coleman.
Her clear jumping round over Christopher Barnard’s course moved her to the top of the leaderboard.
WHITE has been a regular presence at American eventing's largest competitions for 18 years, and has a team silver medal at the 2023 Pan American Games where she made her senior team debut.
"I'm really glad that a woman has finally won the Final," said White. "But whoever ends up on top, we all work so hard, and all the horses try so hard, so I feel lucky that I have ended up on top. It could easily have been either of these two excellent competitors, Will or Mia, sitting beside me.”
This was White's fourth appearance in the CCI4*-L at Morven Park with Claus 63.
"I think I needed to match my belief in myself with my belief in him so we could really partner together," said White. "And he appreciates that I've finally figured that out."
"It's an intimate partnership," she said. "You really spend a lot of time with your horse, and you get to know them, and you're asking them to do a really big job out there."
Coleman's Off The Record is known as “Timmy” in the barn.
"He's been such a consistent and reliable horse for us, and I think he defined us to a degree for a long time," said Coleman. "It's a real privilege to have had him for 13 years."
"He's not the flashiest, but he's a trier,” he said. “It's clear that he loves it, and I think people can recognize that bit of heart and that bit of extra effort that some horses put into it.”
Farley and Invictus, who is known as “Sammy,” had five FEI runs with five podium finishes this season, including their first CCI4*-L win at Tryon in May.
"We learned that he really can fight for us on cross-country, and he showed his whole heart," said Farley.
Invictus was bred by Karen O'Connor in Middleburg, Va., and grew up about 30 minutes from Morven Park.
"I love Virginia, and this feels a little bit like home," said Farley. "Sammy has a lot of personality, and he's very proud of himself sometimes. We love him for that."
