Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous. Photo by Jenni Autry
It was a busy day at the Carolina Horse Park, as many FEI riders had horses in multiple divisions, a challenge further complicated by the fact that the two- and three-star were show jumping at the same time the one-star was riding across the country.
Nineteen horse and rider pairs out of 50 starters show jumped clear in the Setters’ Run Farm CIC2*, and while there was plenty of shake up in the standings, Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous were double-clear to maintain their lead and set themselves up for a fourth consecutive two-star victory.
“Scandalous is becoming a very consistent horse and the partnership is getting very strong,” Marilyn said, adding that she’s pleased whenever the 10-year-old Oldenburg performs well in a new environment. “She’s a very careful horse and she’s very smart. So all the training is done with that in mind. The way you leave her at home is the way you’re going to find her at a show. That can be a blessing and a curse.”
To add to Marc Donovan’s technical course, the sponsors tent and spectators lining the white picket arena added plenty of atmosphere, which Marilyn felt was a good thing in preparation for spring CCIs.
Ryan Wood and Powell. Photo by Jenni Autry.
“I think she thought she was going cross-country today because at the last event [Red Hills], they did dressage and then cross-country, so she came out very nervous today. In warm-up she was a bit atwitter, and then to see her put in such a solid performance in the ring was a great thing.”
Marilyn hasn’t had a good look at the course yet for tomorrow but said the mare, owned by Raylyn Farms and Phoebe and Michael Manders, has a good rhythm and balance and the open spaces at the Carolina Horse Park will help to further develop her gallop.
Ryan Wood and Powell, an Oldenburg gelding owned by the Company Summit Sporthorses, were fifth after yesterday’s dressage. A double-clear round today moved them up to second, and they will start cross country on their initial score of 44.4.
The 9-year-old gelding, bred by Ilona English, is a big horse, standing 17.3 hands. However, Ryan says that for his size he can collect well and is easy to ride. Ryan has had the ride for two years and took the horse to his first event. They were successful at the one-star level last year, placing second and first in the two FEI competitions they entered. Tomorrow will be his first two-star level course.
“It’s going to be a good ask for him. He’s a pretty genuine horse and a scopey jumper,” said Ryan, who plans to ride for the time. “There are a couple technical questions he’ll be seeing for the first time. Hopefully he’s got the trust in me that he’ll go between the flags.”
Phillip Dutton and Mr. Medicott. Photo by Jenni Autry
With two double-clear show jumping rounds, Phillip Dutton sits third and sixth with Mighty Nice and Mr. Medicott, both of whom are returning to competition following injuries in 2014. They are both also entered in the Advanced at The Fork as a final prep for Rolex Kentucky.
“Certainly Cave [Mr. Medicott], it’s just a privilege to have the horse and to feel how excited he was to be doing it again,” Phillip said. “It is rewarding, so we’ll take it one step at a time and see how he goes tomorrow and how he comes out it and then on to the of The Fork. There’s so much power, and what a great feeling it is when he jumps.”
Show jumping has never been Mighty Nice’s best phase, but Phillip had help from Richard Picken today so he was pleased with a clear round. “He sort of makes a bit of a move at the jumps, but I’ve got to be trusting enough that when he gets there he’s going to be clever and careful.”
Because tomorrow will be the first cross country run for both horses in quite a while, Phillip will be “going around as quiet as I can hold them.”
“The footing’s pretty good. It does vary a bit – there’s some wet spots and some parts I think will get a bit deeper. When you’re going faster they’re legs are stretched more, they’re muscles are stretched more, and that’s usually when you put more strain on their legs. I’ll be trying just to have a good conservative round on both of them.”
Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Southern Pines Equine Associates CIC*
The top three placings at the conclusion of the Southern Pines Equine Associates CIC* this afternoon will remain unchanged going in to the final phase tomorrow. Marilyn Little rode double-clear rounds on her first and third placed horses RF West Indie and RF Overdressed. Doug Payne also went double-clear with Lysander to remain in second. The scores are close, however, and a single rail will make a significant difference on the leaderboard.
Marilyn has been partnered with Raylyn Farms’ RF West Indie for four years now, and although she is a Hanoverian, Marilyn says she rides like a Thoroughbred across the cross country. She cantered home today, making the time easily.
Doug Payne and Lysander are second between Marilyn’s two rides on a 35.8. “He’s got such a big stride he can cover the distance without getting fast,” Doug said. “I was a little bit down on the clock coming up towards the water the second time. A couple times I just let him open up, and he takes 10 strides and you’re ten seconds up.”
“The great thing about this venue,” Doug continued, “is that although there are a lot of trees, it’s a pretty open galloping type course, more so than you would ever expect I think for being in the woods for a lot of it. So the horses do come off quite confident and in the end probably better for it.”
The 8-year-old Thoroughbred/Holsteiner just qualified for the CCI2* at Fair Hill last fall, but the event was full when Doug tried to enter. So, several of the DP Equestrian horses spent the fall show jumping at the new Tryon International Equestrian Park. “Big Leo” placed in the 1.30-meter classes.
Doug Payne and Lysander heading home after a double-clear cross-country round. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld
“We took the time to do a bit of jumping and I think it was really helpful for him. He’s going to move back up to Intermediate at The Fork. This is a good spring board back.”
The CIC* cross-country course designed by Hugh Lochore caused few problems overall and the time was easy to achieve, resulting in a quite a few double-clear rounds in the division.
“It was a great building course and used the terrain really well,” Marilyn said. “It was a great leg up for horses going to a CCI* – they could get a lot of fitness out of it. For horses needing to learn they could take a bit of time.”
While a few riders picked up a refusal at the first element of the Brickhouse Double at fence 4, the influential fence was the Cloud 11 Watership Down at 11abcd. This combination consisted of a brush jump followed by four or five strides to a bank up on to an island, a stride or two across the top of the island and a bank down, followed by another five strides to a forgiving log.
“They’re coming from the field where they’re galloping a lot of single fences, then all of a sudden they’re in the woods [and their’s a lot to see],” said Marilyn, who stated the water complex never rides the way it walks. “That brush invited a nice jump but it did put them on their back foot a little bit … if you really don’t have them up in front of you, it’s easy to get them a little slow in their footwork.”
Marilyn rode the combination, which she walked on half strides, in 5 and 6 strides on both her mares, while the 18-hand Lysander easily made the 4 and 5 stride sequence.
Marilyn said the course will be a real test for the CIC2* and CIC3*, who tackle the cross country tomorrow. The CIC* competitors will be show jumping on the grass with hopefully a bit more sunshine to dry out the slick spots caused by last night’s rain. Stay tuned for much more from Carolina International!
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