Clayton Fredericks and FE Money Made at Red Hills. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Between balancing his duties as Canadian team coach and running a successful sales business, we don’t get to see Clayton Fredericks compete at every major competition on the North American calendar, so he is making his weekend at Red Hills count by taking control of the CIC2* leaderboard with FE Bowman and FE Money Made.
FE Bowman, an 8-year-old Wurttemberger gelding known as “Bowie” that Clayton owns with Amanda Bernhard and Diana Crawford, is currently sitting in first place on a 41.4. FE Money Made or “Connor,” a 7-year-old Westphalian gelding that shares the same group of owners, sits in second place on 44.4 in his CIC2* debut — and today is his birthday!
“I’ve had them both for a little while now, and it’s been quite nice with all my other commitments not having to rush too much to produce a horse and get him up to the grades to do something serious,” Clayton said. “I’ve just sort of taken my time with them and produced them slowly, and I think that helps.”
Clayton Fredericks and FE Bowman. Photo by Jenni Autry.
With this being an Olympic year for the Canadian Eventing Team, Clayton said Red Hills is one of the main competitions this year for both Bowie and Connor. “I probably won’t have them doing too much going forward these next few months. They’ll both do the CCI2* at Ocala, and that will probably be their last thing for a little while, and then we’ll do the Olympic Games and I’ll have a play at the end of he year.”
You’ll see four Fredericks Equestrian horses with the FE prefix on the Red Hills leaderboard. In addition to FE Bowman and FE Money Made holding the top spots in the CIC2*, Allie Knowles and FE Crosby are sitting in third place in the CIC*. FE Capricino is also competing in the CIC* with Victoria Garland in the irons.
As for what Clayton thinks of the CIC2* course designed by David O’Connor, he said he thinks the changes made this year to give the course a more open, galloping feel have paid off. “I think the courses look good. It was interesting to know how they were going to change things around and make it flow, and I think the track definitely flows better this year. Tomorrow we’ll tell how they ride.”
Alex O’Neal and Rendezvous With Charly. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Caroline Martin is sitting in third place on 46.3 with Effervescent, a 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Sherrie Martin. Alex O’Neal and Rendezvous With Charly delivered a stunning performance this afternoon that seemed destined to challenge the leaders, but their score of 47.2 still has them in seventh and well within stalking range.
You’ll also see three Brazilian team riders in the CIC2* division, with Marcelo Tosi and Briefing DB Z leading the way in fifth place on 46.7. Marcio Calvalho Jorge and Lissy Mac Wayer, his 2015 Pan American Games team silver medal partner, are in ninth place on 48.0, and Henrique Pinheiro and Land Quenotte do Feroleto, who also competed at the Pan Ams last year, are in 24th place on 55.2.
Marcelo, Marcio and Henrique have been based at Liz Halliday-Sharp’s Horsepower Equestrian in Ocala for the last few weeks, passing through the U.S. on their way to England to compete this spring and train with Brazilian team coach Mark Todd. It’s been wonderful to have them in Ocala and at Red Hills this weekend, and Samantha Clark caught up with them for more, so stay tuned for that on EN.
Marcio Calvalho Jorge and Lissy Mac Wayer. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Looking to the CIC*, Boyd Martin and Santos were one of the first combinations to do their test late in the afternoon on Thursday, and no one could ultimately catch their leading score of 41.6. You’ll remember Santos, a 7-year-old off-track Thoroughbred gelding owned by Gloria Callen and Ron and Densey Juvoven, as one of the horses we’ve highlighted in EN’s Got Talent, and Boyd said the horse is definitely living up to his potential.
“He has very flamboyant movement for an off-track Thoroughbred, and he’s really starting to mature and stay focused, which has been our biggest challenge over the last 12 months,” Boyd said. “I think a lot of this horse, and he’s been at this level for nearly a year. He’s been a bit of a handful to get going, and I feel like we’re just starting to get on the same page.”
One of the biggest examples of how much the horse has matured is comparing his performances in Boyd and Phillip Dutton’s Aiken Masterclass events over the past two winters. “A year ago we put him in the Masterclass and he was rearing and bucking, and this year we put him back in the Masterclass, and he was a completely improved horse,” Boyd said.
Boyd Martin and Santos. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Hannah Sue Burnett is leading the CIC3* with Jacqueline Mars’ Harbour Pilot, and she’s also enjoying sitting in second place in the CIC* with Alonzo III, an 11-year-old Dutch gelding owned by Mary Ann Ghadban. Allie Knowles and FE Crosby, a 6-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Katherine O’Brien, round out the top three on 42.4.
It was a long day today at Red Hills, with the Advanced division finally wrapping up dressage around 5:30 p.m. EST. Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night are leading the way at the conclusion of the first phase, easily sitting in first place on 26.6. “Blackie,” a 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Deborah Halliday, is aiming for another crack at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event next month.
Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Phillip Dutton is sitting in second place in the CIC3* with Tom Tierney and Annie Jones’ Fernhill Fugitive, and he’s also sitting in second place in the Advanced on 31.9 with David and Candace Garrett’s Indian Mill, an 11-year-old Thoroughbred gelding previously ridden by Paul Tapner. Lauren Kieffer and Team Rebecca’s Veronica are in third on 33.3.
Looking to the rest of the leaderboard, Buck Davidson and Carlevo LLC’s Carlevo are leading the Open Intermediate on 23.7, Maya Black and Mowgli lead the Open Preliminary on 29.1, and Michelle Koppin and King Best lead the Preliminary Rider division on 32.6. Click here to view the live scores.
It’s going to be another crazy busy day tomorrow, with CIC3* show jumping starting at 9 a.m. EST and CIC3* cross country starting almost immediately after. We’ll know the winner of that division by about 12:30 p.m. barring any lengthy holds on course. Then cross country in the other divisions will be running all day from 8 a.m. to about 5 o’clock in the afternoon. Keep it locked on EN!
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