October 14, 2024 
Success at the upper levels of eventing can either feel like a white-knuckle rollercoaster ride or a long, slow, slog.
For Bucyrus, KS-based eventer and Morven Park CCI4*-L winner Julie Wolfert, both of those perspectives probably ring true.
After years of trying to find a single horse—let alone a string—to get her to the *4/*5 level, two of Wolfert’s students’ parents pitched in to form Team Pivot in the hopes of finally buying their coach a top-caliber horse.
In 2021, Team Pivot found and purchased the now-12-year-old Irish Sport Horse, SSH Playboy—known a “Jaego” in the barn—who had been campaigned up to the *3 level by Irish rider Camilla Speirs.
“I wouldn’t have this horse if I didn’t have the team behind me,” said a tearful Wolfert after her win. “Renee Senter and Sheri Gurske, they saw me struggle, and they were like, ‘Hey, you’re a great rider, and we want to help you out.’ So we came together, and we built our partnership, and we went to Ireland where I bought this amazing horse. I would literally still be doing Beginner Novice without Jaego right now. I am very fortunate.”
But even after she found her horse, it was hardly smooth sailing up to the five-stars for Wolfert.
In addition to living in the center of the country—many hours by truck and trailer from most upper-level qualification events—Wolfert, 35, and Jaego also had their fair share of growing pains (read: big bucks). Some of the more severe of these landed Wolfert on the injured list for a large part of the 2023 season.
Then, after solid performances this spring in the Defender Kentucky CCI4*-S and their first CCI4*-L in May at Tyron International, Wolfert and Jaego had an uncharacteristic stop on cross-country in July at the Rebecca Farm CCI4*-L. The American rider once again questioned if and when a *5 debut with her talented mount would be feasible.
Thankfully, the answer to that question was clear this weekend during a career-first win in the Morven Park CCI4*-L. Wolfert and Jaego finished on their dressage score of 34.5, besting a field of 16 combinations. Lucienne Bellissimo of Great Britain took second aboard Dyri on 35.5; American rider Allison Springer and No May Moon were third on 42.1.
“I still can’t believe I’m here right now. I just came this weekend to get a nice, confidence-boosting round—my last few events were a little sketchy for my liking,” Wolfert said after the class. And while living in Kansas might be struggle for the potential Defender Kentucky CCI5*-L hopeful, it’s clear she feels she’s right where she’s supposed to be.
“There is a very big need for event trainers in the Midwest, in Kansas,” Wolfert said.
“I feel like if I leave, then there’s nobody. I help run a recognized horse trial that is very much in need of help, and we’re all volunteers, and it’s a nonprofit. If I leave, that could go away, and then eventing is going to be gone.
“I just love my students, and I want them to understand, that if they want to come out here and do this, l will go places with them. I’ll drive across the country with them. Just because we live in the Midwest doesn’t mean we can’t do it.”
CCI4*-S/The US Equestrian Open
Ironically, it would be Julie Wolfert’s former coach Emily Mastervich Beshear (USA) who would take home the Morven Park CCI4*-S division as well as the inaugural leg of the US Equestrian Open series.
Riding Rio De Janeiro, Mastervich Beshear moved into first on Sunday after Hannah Sue Hollberg (USA), who led after cross country, was forced to withdraw her horse, Business Ben, after he suffered a superficial injury.
Beshear’s final score of 46.8 took the title by a mere 0.1 penalty point after a steady cross country round and a clear, fast finish in show jumping. Ema Klugman of Australia and RF Redfern followed close behind on 46.9 after a costly rail down on Sunday. American rider Arden Wildasin was third, earning another impressive stadium clear with Billy Beaufort on 48.7.
This was just the second CCI*4-S outing for Beshear, 47, and the 15-year-old grey gelding who was formerly campaigned by her son, Nicholas Beshear. “[My horse] is still pretty new to the level, so I was just hoping to get some good mileage under his belt, and every day he just impressed me more and more,” she said.
“He started out on cross country a little bit surprised by some of the bigger jumping efforts, but finished like a rockstar. [He] came out today [for stadium] jumping out of his skin. I couldn’t be any happier.”
With this win, Beshear—who operates Brickland Eventing in Somerset, VA—will receive 40 points toward the US Equestrian Open Eventing Final and its $200,000 prize pot (Kulgman earns 35 points, Wildasin 30 points, and so on). Whichever rider accumulates the most points at the close of the 20-event qualifying season will earn $25,000, with additional prize money for second- and third-place finishers.
Up next: the US Equestrian Open moves on to Bouckaert Farm in Georgia (October 25th-27th) followed by TerraNova in Florida (November 13th-17th). Follow along or learn more about the series here.
