Omega Alpha Ambassadors Hannah Sue Burnett and Selena O’Hanlon handily won their divisions at the Red Hills International Horse Trials CIC three-star competition in Tallahassee, Florida, this month. Omega Alpha Pharmaceuticals, a company that produces all-natural equine health supplements, sponsors both riders and was thrilled to congratulate them on their victories. .
Burnett rode Harbour Pilot to win the international CIC3* division. Harbour Pilot is a 14-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Cruising x Shannon) owned by Jacqueline Mars. The pair began with an excellent dressage score of 44.10. In the warm-up arena for the stadium jumping phase, Harbour Pilot threw in some excitement by bucking Burnett off – but she hopped back on and the pair completed a clear round with only two time penalties. On a difficult cross-country course, they were again clean over fences, gaining only 8.8 time penalties. The Omega Alpha Ambassador won the competition with a final score of 54.9 – which was 12 points ahead of her nearest rival.
No stranger to besting competition, Burnett has been on many USEF High Performance Training lists. She won individual silver and team gold medals at the Pan American Games in 2011, and in 2012 was USEF National Champion at the Fair Hill CCI3*. She lives and trains in The Plains, Virginia.
Another Omega Alpha Ambassador, Selena O’Hanlon, rode John and Judy Rumble’s Foxwood High (“Woody”) to win Red Hill’s Advanced Division. With only one fence down in show jumping, the pair finished with a score of only 36.2 penalties. “I think the dressage test was our most improved phase this year at Red Hills,” commented a happy O’Hanlon. “He was more relaxed over his topline, and I rode more forward and smoothly thanks to Bruce Davidson's dressage lesson prior to the event.”
O’Hanlon, from Kingston, Ontario, has a long list of accomplishments, including being a member of the 2008 Canadian Olympic Eventing team and the 2010 World Equestrian Games (WEG) silver medal team. She was also a member of the sixth-placed 2014 WEG Eventing team.
A long-time Omega Alpha Ambassador, O’Hanlon doesn’t go anywhere without the company’s products for her horses. She points to a variety of Omega Alpha formulations that she says help Woody and her other horses perform at their best. “Omega Alpha Antiflam and Sinew-X Plus help maintain Woody’s joints and address any aches or pains,” she says. “Omega Alpha Biotic 8, MinerEQ, and Equisel-Lyte are his daily supplements that make sure he has everything his body needs to balance out his rigorous work schedule.” Woody also gets Omega Alpha Equisel-BCAA after intense workouts or a long trip. “I give him Omega Alpha Gastra-Fx right before I put the bit in his mouth to ensure he doesn't suffer from ulcers, and at shows he uses Omega Alpha Chill Ultra for better focus in the dressage tests.”
O’Hanlon says Omega Alpha RegenerEQ is probably her favorite product for competition horses. “It promotes long-lasting gastro-intestinal health without limiting the stomach acid production that is so essential for digestion.”
As to the future, O’Hanlon says that she and Woody will go back to their winter base in Ocala, Florida, to prepare for The Fork at Tryon before going on to the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event in Kentucky.
