2016 Stickability Awards: The 6 Best Cross Country Saves of the Year

What you got in them pants, EN … velcro? From Beginner Novice horse trials to the Olympic Games, we spotlight the top six stickiest britches of 2016 and put it a vote: Who had the best save of 2016?

Tom Kimmel & Vital Eight at the Hagyard Midsouth Training Three-Day Event

Tom Kimmel, whose helmet cam videos we have greatly enjoyed this year, and his Thoroughbred Vital Eight were having a cracking go around the Training Three-Day course at Hagyard Midsouth until they stumbled up a bank and nearly parted ways over the jump that followed.

But Tom pulled a Karen O’Connor and crawled back into the saddle on sheer will. What a good horse! Three cheers for Tom and Vital Eight for going on to finish the course clear and inside the time!

–Jenni Autry


Kim Severson & Fernhill Fearless at the Pine Top CIC3*

Kim and “Sparky,” her 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, took the term “athleticism” to a whole new level during their trip through a combination of huge hammocks on the Pine Top CIC3* course in February. All seemed to be going well in their approach until right before the fence when Sparky pulled his right front shoe in the last stride.

“Then we were a half stride off, and he jumped it and I thought, ‘We are definitely going down,’” Kim said. “But he banked the jump, I let go of the reins and away we went. I definitely got lucky. He’s so amazing that he landed on his feet. We galloped about five or six strides, I got the reins back from up by his ears, and we did an S turn to the other hammock.”

EN’s Leslie Threlkeld was at this fence shooting photos for HoofClix.com and caught the full sequence of Kim and Sparky’s amazing save:

Kim gave the credit to Sparky for smartly handling the situation despite the pulled shoe: “That jump was really, really big and walking up to it even on a four-star course you would have been concerned. Thank goodness for Sparky.”

You have to click through the full gallery below to truly appreciate the awesomeness of the save. As Leslie put it: “What Kim and Sparky pulled off is one of those clips you’d find on a thrills and spills tape — just a remarkable example of a horse finding his fifth leg and giving it his all. And Kim somehow managed to stay balanced and centered — and apparently totally calm!”

–Jenni Autry

Ava Wehde & Butts Leonie at GMHA September Horse Trials

Ava Wehde & Butts Leonie Prelim Save from WOA on Vimeo.

Ava Wehde wasn’t about to let a little gravity keep her from a blue ribbon at the GMHA September Horse Trials. When she and her horse ran into trouble at the second to last cross country fence, she somehow clawed her way back into the saddle and finished the course.

“My horse Butts Leonie and I went into cross country in the lead with a 28.6 and I really wanted to stay on!” Ava says. “We did end up winning, only adding 2.4 time faults to our dressage score!”

Ava, of Plainfield, NH, is 21 years old and has been eventing since she was nine. Leonie is a 12-year-old Hanoverian mare and half-sister to Andreas Dibowski’s Olympic team gold medal winning mount FRH Butts Leon.

“I’ve had Leonie for about a year and a half and we have built up a wonderful partnership, as demonstrated in the video!” Ava says.

Video courtesy of Brian Hoar.

–Leslie Wylie

Ellen Doughty-Hume & Sir Oberon at the Rolex Kentucky CCI4*

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Ellen Doughty-Hume cruised around Rolex cross country last spring for the second time, braving tough footing and rainy weather for a clear round with time added. Sir Oberon is Ellen’s 14-year-old Holsteiner/Thoroughbred gelding, and both Ellen and “Obie” managed an amazing save at the Hollow. Co-commentating at the time, Will Coleman called Ellen’s save “the most graceful leg-hang you will ever see.”

Thanks to Nicole Trapp, we’ve got a full series of shots from the save — check them out here.

–Sally Spickard

Jamie Hood & Charade at Loch Moy

EN reader Jamie Hood sent us the shots and video of her great save while competing Beginner Novice at Loch Moy in March. Jamie’s horse, Charade, took a stagger step as they approached the last fence on course.

Jamie kept her wits about her as her horse decided to jump anyway, essentially dismounting and remounting in mid air! Check out the video:

Jamie is a part of the Red Hawke Eventing team, training with Mary Macklin in Mount Airy, Maryland. We’re not sure where Jamie learned those save skills, but we’re certainly impressed!

–Sally Spickard

Phillip Dutton & Mighty Nice at the Rio Olympic Games

No countdown of the top saves of the year would be complete without a nod to Phillip and Happy’s epic Olympic save. It was a wild and wooly day out on cross country course, and our final U.S. combination had us all gasping for air when they pulled off some wild acrobatics at the first corner at 6.

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Phillip Dutton Eventing is basically a sorcerer.

#twohearts

Posted by Lauren Romanelli on Monday, August 8, 2016

The rest, of course, was history as they came home clear with 3.2 time penalties, ultimately securing individual bronze.

Teammate Boyd Martin later commented during a ceremony to honor Phillip and Happy’s performance: “He didn’t quite read it, and there was a moment where any normal horse or normal rider would have glanced off the jump.

“But Phillip being Phillip and Mighty Nice being Mighty Nice somehow found their way through the flags. For me that was a defining moment. It really speaks to the character of Phillip, and it also speaks to the heart of Mighty Nice.”

–Leslie Wylie

Alright, EN — now it’s time to put it to a vote. Who had the best save of 2016?