We Speak Horses
Orpheus Claims USEA/USEF 7-Year-Old Developing Horse National Championship at Morven Park
Consistency across all three phases carried Orpheus to the 2026 USEA/USEF 7-Year-Old Developing Horse Eventing National Championship at Morven Park International in Leesburg, Virginia.
The Dutch Warmblood gelding, owned by Cellar Farm Corp and ridden by Amber Birtcil, started the weekend third after a dressage score of 30.2. A double-clear show jumping round moved him into second, and on cross-country he added no jumping penalties and just 10.8 time penalties to finish on 41.0 and claim the CCI3*YH-S title.
For Birtcil, who has developed Orpheus since he was a young horse, the title was years in the making. She acquired him in Holland and brought him to the United States at the start of his 4-year-old year; as a 5-year-old he placed fifth in the USEA Young Event Horse West Coast Championships.
“He has just been amazing. He’s incredibly bold, he’s super game, he has the biggest heart in the entire world, and it’s just been working on rideability,” Birtcil said. “All the pieces really came together for him this weekend. I’m so incredibly proud of him.”
We Speak Horses
Jordan Coyle and Cordiamo Win the $100,000 Grand Prix de Penn National in Harrisburg
Jordan Coyle closed out his week at the 80th Pennsylvania National Horse Show the way he spent it: winning. The Irish rider and Cordiamo captured the $100,000 Grand Prix de Penn National on Saturday night in the Harrisburg Coliseum.
From a starting field of 29 over a course designed by Bernardo Costa Cabral, eight pairs advanced to the jump-off. Filip de Wandel and Strongbeau set the time to beat at 38.725 seconds — and then Coyle blew it away, crossing the timers in 31.758 to win by nearly four seconds. Gustavo Xavier Cortez and Action T took second in 35.602, with de Wandel holding third.
It completed a sweep of the week’s two biggest jumper classes for Coyle, who had also won Thursday’s $30,000 1.40m Welcome with the 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding, owned by Elan Farm. Cordiamo was also named the 1.40m Jumper Champion, and Coyle received the Harrisburg Kiwanis Club Challenge Trophy.
“I know he’s a fast horse,” said Coyle, who has had Cordiamo since the gelding was 3. “He’s not going to touch them. There is a big future with him for sure. He’s very careful, he’s very competitive. If I do a good job, I think he’ll jump five-star grand prix competitively.”
The win wrapped the open jumper competition at the 80th edition of the Pennsylvania National Horse Show, held October 8-18 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex.
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