It was a brilliant weekend, July 6-8, in The Plains: Great Meadow set a superb stage for the Brook Ledge Great Meadow International, presented by Adequan, delivering an action-packed 3-Day competition with the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ and CICO3*. The long weekend even received Mother Nature's blessing with dry weather and a very brief daytime drizzle.

As for the horses, you don't have to be a pony-crazy kid to catch the excitement. It's really just a matter of time before people, who are flocking to Great Meadow for Virginia Gold Cup (May), International Gold Cup (October), Twilight Polo (Saturday evenings May through September), Twilight Jumpers, Fourth of July, Middleburg Horse Trials, and other sporting and al fresco events, discover that they can tailgate and party while watching some of the world's best horses and riders striving for top honors in this prestigious international competition.

Best of all, the sporting extravaganza lasts for three days, making this a great excuse for a getaway, maybe stay at a local B&B — because there's so much going on during this world-class event. In addition to everything associated with 3-day eventing, the FEI format, Great Meadow International upped their game with significant changes and improvements that include parking locations to the new site of the Meadow Market Trade Show and Meadow Market Beer & Wine Garden. That big tent complex alone is worth a day or three in the country.

For those who like to enjoy their equestrian event and party, too, the Meadow Market Beer & Wine Garden was the place to be with live music on Friday afternoon, Saturday afternoon and evening. Meadow Market was also rocking a terrific view of the Fleming Farm Arena, and parts of the cross-country were a quick walk or jog nearby. You had good shopping with vendors inside the tent and out, food stands; there were opportunities to meet the equestrians, quite a few are Olympic, Pan Am, and World Equestrian Game medalists.

At Great Meadow, it's all about preserving open space for public enjoyment, non-profit events, community service and equestrian events. The Friday evening polo exhibition in the Fleming Farm Arena sends the message that it's never too late to learn to play polo even if you don't know how to ride. After all, there's the Great Meadow Polo School in the arena on the other side of the Gold Cup course, and that glorious grass polo field...

Dressage began on Saturday morning, with show jumping in the late afternoon. Forty horse and rider combinations competed. The cross country ran on Sunday morning. The Awards capped off the sport while people continued to shop, tailgate, and enjoy the beautiful venue.

All in all, it was a fun weekend that attracted about 10,000 over the course of the three days. That number is up from last year and will continue to grow as people get to know how much fun eventing is for spectators. Great Meadow International also invites you to get involved as a volunteer; you'll receive lots of appreciation, a commemorative t-shirt, and enjoy a little welcoming party on Thursday evening. You can also get involved as a sponsor and/or bring your business to Meadow Market. VIP Hospitality is the way to go if you like to be pampered. All of this is vital to the growth of the Brook Ledge Great Meadows International and the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™.

This marks the third year that Great Meadow International has staged the only leg of the FEI Nations Cup™ to take place in North America. It's a monumental undertaking to produce this sort of competition. The Eventing series is based on the Show Jumping Nations Cup that began in 1909 and, in 1930, came under the supervision of the Fédération Equestre International (FEI).

The Eventing version debuted in 2012, traditionally taking place at various venues in Europe such as Aachen, Germany. This relatively young series earned the patronage and approval of knowledgeable Europeans, hardcore equestrian enthusiasts who really appreciate a good horse show.

Great Meadow International faced the challenge of starting from scratch, of marketing and promoting not only 3-Day Eventing but also the Nations Cup format, which requires teams of horses and riders to represent their homeland. It's totally different to go on the show circuit in Europe; doing the same in North America means coping with seriously wide open spaces. Canada and the USA go back and forth for horse shows, but flying horses transatlantic puts a whole new spin on "hitting the circuit."

Great Meadow International with the help of title sponsor Brook Ledge and presenting sponsor Adequan, has done a very good job of growing the event into a popular destination. It's a great deal for people who enjoy a day in the country while socializing and watching gorgeous equine athletes partner with their equally skilled riders as they go through their paces in dressage (ballet on horseback), show jumping, and the always-exciting endurance test of cross-country jumping.

This year, three was the charm for the British who triumphed in their third attempt on American soil, essentially winning the Nations Cup with their performance on the cross-country course. Designed for world-class competition by Michael Etherington-Smith, Sunday's cross-country proved extremely decisive and totally changed the top 10 in the final results. Canada finished second, and the U.S. placed third, which was a bit of a disappointment after the Americans prevailed the first two years of the GMI Nations Cup. Virginia's own Will Coleman claimed the individual win with Off The Record and fourth place with Soupcon du Brunet.

You can still access complete coverage online at EventingNation.com, Chronofhorse.com, and US Equestrian (USEF.org) where $25 for a fan membership gives you access to their coverage of big equestrian events and the 2018 GMI FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ is available "on demand."

Better yet, start making plans to come out next year. Get up a group — family, friends, folks from work, school, church, 4-H, Pony Club, your lesson barn or boarding facility. If you live too far away, come for a long weekend and enjoy all that Great Meadow International offers: horse- and people-watching, partying, and equestrian sport in beautiful surroundings.

For more information about GMI: www.greatmeadowinternational.com For information about Great Meadow: www.greatmeadow.org