Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice at The Fork. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Luhmühlen week is here, and the competition is especially fierce this year. With many pairs re-routing from the muddy conditions at Badminton, the entry list is positively stacked with top competitors. Combine that with the fact that this is positively the last competition to prove one’s worth to a team selector for the upcoming World Equestrian Games, and the stakes are guaranteed to be high this weekend. Team USA has three entries: Boyd Martin riding Shamwari and Otis Barbotiere, and Phillip Dutton riding Mighty Nice.
Boyd already has Trading Aces qualified for the WEG, but he has been out of the saddle much of the spring, and while we know he has the horseflesh to get the job done, he needs to prove that his partnerships are competitive on the international level. Phillip doesn’t currently have a horse in the running for team selection, so the pressure is on Happy to put in a good performance this weekend. The importance of a good showing here over the next week cannot be emphasized enough, and not just for the Americans. All the competitors here will have the WEG in the back of their minds as they try to grab the chance to represent their country.
[WEG Selection Countdown] [Luhmühlen Entry List]
Boyd Martin & Otis Barbotiere: Otis returned to competition this year, after coming off the Olympic cross-country course with a bum ankle, and this will be his first real test as he makes his bid to represent the U.S. for a second time on a team. These two have only been able to complete two full three-phase events together this spring, although thanks to Phillip lending a hand, Otis did get to run an Intermediate at The Fork and won the Advanced at Fair Hill this spring.
With only one Advanced run under his belt since his Olympic effort, this four-star competition will certainly be the biggest thing that Otis has seen in almost two years. Boyd, who is valiantly working through his own bum leg, recently ran both horses in the Intermediate at Waredaca, using it as a prep for galloping cross country fences a little faster, and was pleased with the results. Otis is fully capable of pulling together three good phases and staying competitive, but this will certainly be a big leap from what he’s been doing this spring in competition.
Boyd Martin and Shamwari at Pine Top. Photo by Kate Samuels.
Boyd Martin & Shamwari 4: Luhmühlen will be the first big test for these two, who are still building a competitive partnership. They never really got the chance to get rolling this spring, because after Boyd snapped his leg at Carolina, Phillip took over the reins and competed Shammie a few times. They were third at both the Fair Hill CIC3* and Jersey Fresh CIC3* this spring, which serves as a good prep. Shammie is a lovely, fluid mover and has a history of posting some very good dressage scores; he also seems to know his job very well on the cross country, but show jumping seems to be his weakest link, as he hasn’t posted a clear round at the Advanced level all spring.
Boyd definitely purchased this horse with the intention of having him as a strong WEG contender, and I don’t think he’s out of line with that kind of thinking. This horse is a real athlete and has already been to the Olympics with his previous rider, Ludwig Svennerstal. While this is Boyd’s first real international test with the horse, I like their odds to place well as the weekend comes to a close.
Phillip Dutton & Mighty Nice: Phillip’s WEG hopes rest in Happy’s hooves, who is looking to complete his second CCI4* since his debut at Rolex in 2012, where he was 10th. In 2013, they posted a 57 in dressage but retired early in the course after incurring a stop at the coffin element, and this year they improved their dressage score to a 51, but withdrew before the jumping efforts. While Happy hasn’t completed a CCI in two years, he has shown signs of improvement this spring and recently was 2nd at the CIC2* at Virginia with a 43 on the flat, a rail and some time.
I think the dressage at this competition will be above and beyond anything that we experience in the United States, and I expect the winner to finish somewhere in the low 40s. While Happy might be able to pull together a low 50s dressage result, I’m not certain that he can keep up with horses like Flying Finish, who usually get a sub-40 result on the first day. What he can do, however, is post two good jump rounds and finish with a top 15 placement and hopefully not make us go to the WEG without Phillip for the first time in 20 years.
Chris Burton and Tempranillo. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Chris Burton & Tempranillo: I’m very fond of this mare, and while her CCI4* debut last fall at Pau did include a silly runout on cross country, I left the competition remembering her name. Another horse that was brought up through the ranks by Ludwig Svennerstal, she and Shammie can have a bonding moment over that, as they both might end up in the ribbons. Chris is a very determined cross country rider, and the horse has an almost impeccable show jumping record. They did score a 50 on the flat at Pau, and I’m assuming they can improve on that a bit here this weekend. This is my pick for the not-so-obvious pair that can finish very well at the end of the competition.
Lucinda Fredericks and Flying Finish: Lucinda and Christi posted a lovely 39 on the flat at Badminton, but pulled up quite early in the course after he cut his stifle and Lucinda felt that he wasn’t quite right. I also saw them run at Pau last year and was super impressed by their performance despite the drive-by late in the course, especially as they were the only pair to crack the 30s in dressage. They have a great partnership there and have been to four CCI4* competitions together. While only two of those have been clear on the cross country, when they do go clear, they hit the top 10 because of their strength in the other two phases. They were second at Luhmühlen in 2012 and returned in 2013 for a 10th-place finish, so you know this is their favorite place to compete. I say top 10, easy.
Andrew Hoy & Rutherglen: This horse was Andrew’s Olympic mount in 2012 and has completed numerous four-star competitions for him with good results. They were individually 13th in London and have also logged a sixth-place finish at Luhmühlen in 2012 and a top 20 result in Kentucky that same year. While they have had a very quiet spring campaign, this horse is a true veteran and will be using all his extra experience to bury the competition. This pair together have recorded very good dressage scores, and while we haven’t seen their old sparkle lately, I’d be hesitant to count them out in the long run.
Lucinda Fredericks & Flying Finish at Pau. Photo by Kate Samuels.
Bettina Hoy & Designer 10: Bettina took this horse to Pau last fall, and while it usually has a great dressage record, it lost the thread a bit, and she withdrew after a disappointing score in that first phase. However, every other competition at the Advanced level where it has gone, it has posted a low 40s dressage score and jumped around cleanly, so I think they’re primed for a good second go at the CCI4* level. While the horse is a bit inexperienced, one should never bet against Bettina, especially on her home turf.
Michael Jung & fischerRocana FST: Well, in a completely unsurprising turn of events, Michael Jung has a horse entered here at Luhmühlen that scores in the 30s on dressage day and has an almost perfect jumping record in the next two phases. I think it’s safe to say that Sam isn’t just a fluke, and this horse might be the one to prove me right. This will be the mare’s first CCI4*, but they had a good prep this spring, only placing outside the top 10 once in the past two years, and recently were fourth at Marbach CIC3*, finishing on a score of 32.9. Look for a top 10 finish here.
Ingrid Klimke & Horseware Hale Bob: This will be Bob’s first CCI4* attempt, but with Ingrid in the irons, I expect nothing less than a competitive effort. Just like all of Ingrid’s horses, they’ve got this flatwork thing down pat, and they almost always post scores in the 30s and very low 40s, including a 33 at the recent Marbach CIC3*. They were 9th together at Boekelo CCI3* last year, but did have a few rails on a tired Sunday morning, so that might be Bob’s weakness. However, this is a pair to watch.
Andreas Ostholt & So Is Et: Another German pair that are bringing the heat here at Luhmühlen is Andreas with So Is Et, who will be making his CCI4* debut here this weekend. They are pretty consistently scored in the 30s and low 40s in the dressage and seem to have had a good prep for the move up with a third at Houghton CIC3* this spring. They were also fourth here last year in the CIC3* division, so they’re well acquainted with the territory. Don’t be surprised to see them right up there in the mix, despite the gelding’s inexperience at the level.
William Fox-Pitt and Cool Mountain. Photo by Jenni Autry.
William Fox-Pitt and Cool Mountain: William is amongst those who are re-routing from Badminton after this horse posted a 53 on the flat there and withdrew before cross country in what turned out to be a wise move. If there is anything we’ve learned from Rolex, it’s to never underestimate William’s ability to come through in the clutch moments to deliver a class performance. Cool Mountain is an experienced four-star competitor, and at 14 this year he knows his job well.
He won his four-star debut at Rolex in 2010 and returned in the fall to finish as the individual silver medalist at the World Equestrian Games. In 2011, he finished 13th at Badminton, and after a year off, he came back in 2013 to get third place at Pau. He’s consistent on the flat, and like most of William’s other horses, clean over the jumps. Top 10? Yeah, sure thing.
Mark Todd & Oloa: Oloa came all the way to Kentucky for Rolex, only to have a bit of a meltdown in the dressage, and Mark pulled him out after that. They thought about going to Badminton, but turns out not going there was a pretty good call, so now they’re here at Luhmühlen to try to take down a few Germans. They were 6th together at Burghley last year in the horse’s debut at this level, with a 48 on the flat and only a little time and a rail to add to that.
I’m going to call their Rolex performance a one-off, because the horse has been pretty consistently in the high 40s for flatwork, and while he does seem to have a propensity for one rail on the third day, he’s been pretty great on cross country. It’s time that Mark had a good run without taking a dunk in a pond, and I hope this horse can help him do just that this weekend.
