"They just have a great partnership. They bonded right from the beginning."
- Darci Burton
Megan Edwards—
Virginia Horse Trials
By: Jon Siegel
“Hey, would you be interested in joining me to watch Megan in a 2-star long competition?”
“Sure, that sounds like a great idea. What exactly is a 2-star long event?”
That was my invitation to Virginia, as we planned to witness Megan Edwards compete with Darci Burton’s newly acquired horse, VS Correlli Surprise, also known as Charlie, in their first-ever 2-star event. With enthusiasm, I gathered the necessary gear and swiftly hopped into the truck with my wife, Christine, embarking on our journey to Virginia.
Throughout my life, I’ve always been involved with Thoroughbreds, but thanks to my wife, I’ve been introduced to the captivating world of eventing. Over the years, accompanying her to various horse shows has granted me some knowledge about the intricacies of three-day eventing. This year, I even had the opportunity to attend the prestigious Land Rover event in Kentucky for the first time. Witnessing the incredible trust between the horses and their riders was truly awe-inspiring.
“I like to do short term goals with a long-term dream... I’ve got to keep climbing that ladder and I’ve got to keep challenging myself and I need to keep challenging my horses in the right direction.”
Megan Edwards
Our connection with Megan goes way back, as she competes with one of our own horses and has skillfully guided him from the lower levels up to training level. I used to consider those jumps quite significant, but after experiencing Land Rover, training level obstacles seem comparatively smaller. Of course, I could never summon the courage to take on such challenges myself.
Megan has a dream to reach the pinnacle of the sport, the coveted 5-star level, and has already competed up the 3-star level. This sport, however, demands a harmonious partnership between horse and rider to ascend to the higher echelons, and the passage of time can sometimes pose a hinderance. With each new horse, fresh hope is kindled that a winning connection will be forged, and thus the journey begins.
In the realm of three-day eventing, a horse must possess three essential qualities—ability, mental fortitude, and unwavering heart—to ascend to the highest levels of achievement. It was an absolute delight to capture the moments as this remarkable team took one step closer to their cherished dream.
I don't want our journey to end at a 2 star. I want to keep progressing with this horse. I do think he's special.
—Megan Edwards