When 19-year-old Andrew Diemer decided to take a break from riding, his mother, Dana, briefly considered giving his event horse some time off as well.

They had the pasture space. They had other horses in training to occupy their time and spend their money. Most important, they had a Welsh pony named Bryn, who desperately missed having the event horse around.

But horses as talented as Cold Harbor don't come along every day, so the Diemers sent the 9-year-old Canadian sport horse gelding to their friend and trainer, Holly Hudspeth. A veteran of the 2003 Pan American Games, Hudspeth had coached Andrew for the past four years, helping him learn the ropes with Cold Harbor at the upper levels. Andrew and "Bo" were team silver medalists at the 2008 North American Junior Young Riders Championship, and completed their first three-star that year.

Hudspeth, who was known as Holly Hepp before marrying Chuck Hudspeth in November, recently relocated from Southern Pines to a 600-acre farm in Rougemount, 20 miles north of Durham. Last weekend, she and Cold Harbor made their competitive debut at the Pipe Opener I combined test, held at the Carolina Horse Park. The pair finished on their dressage score of 33 to win the Preliminary A division. Gina Fiore and her Irish Sporthorse gelding Feral Errol won the Preliminary B division, finishing on their dressage score of 28.

Hudspeth, 37, jumped at the chance to ride Cold Harbor for the Diemers.

"I told Dana awhile ago I thought Bo had advanced potential," said Hudspeth, who was short-listed for the 2004 Olympic Games with Mari Secrist's Damian. "I taught Andrew on him from the beginning, and I've always thought he was a lovely horse."

The Diemers bought Cold Harbor from local eventer John Williams in 2006. Cold Harbor's sire, Cozymyn, is also the sire of Williams' current advanced horse Sweepea Dean. Both horses are half brothers to Williams' mount from the 2004 Athens Olympics, Carrick.

"It was just kind of natural for Holly to take over the ride on Bo," said Dana Diemer, who stepped down from her position as director of competitions at the horse park in October. "He did four intermediates last spring and was in the top three or four with a junior rider who had never ridden intermediate before. We're very excited for Holly to show him."

Hudspeth is aiming her own thoroughbred gelding, Last Monarch, for the Rolex Three Day Event in Lexington, Ky. In the meantime, Bo will be "Stewie's" traveling companion to shows including Pine Top next month and Southern Pines I in March.

"Bo's going to all the shows with us. He's just going to compete at a level below Stewie," Hudspeth said.

The Diemers, who raise sport horses at their Pegasus Ridge Farm in Raeford, seem content to sit back and watch Hudspeth take Bo to new heights.

"We talk all the time," Dana Diemer said, "I trusted her with my son, so I trust her with the horse. When it's your child, there's an emotional attachment ... you want them to be safe. Now, I can almost say the pressure is off and it's more enjoyable. My husband (Manny) and I are really looking forward to having a good time this year."

Full results for Pipe Opener I are available at www.carolinahorsepark.com.