Jon Holling and Sarah Kelley’s DHI Zapotek B on the CIC*** course
Donner and Lynn Symansky – the CIC*** winners: you can hear all about her ride and her Rolex prep from hereon in on this week’s Eventing Radio Show, as well as insights from Allie Knowles, 6th in the Advanced on her mare Last Call, (“I trust her more than most humans, we have such an incredible bond”) as she prepares for her first Rolex.
Pirate and Megan O’Donoghue had a great prep run for Rolex, but more importantly, who is that creeping in her picture?
Becky Holder and Rolex-bound Can’t Fire Me (21st) looked foot perfect
Kaitlin Spurlock, a member of the Dutton Eventing Team rode beautifully on her mare Expedience for a nice clear and moved up to 22nd with just 2.8 time faults
Shiraz (27th) leaping over the fences like cavaletti!
Lisa Barry and F.I.S Prince Charming (17th) who just continues to improve – what a superhorse he’s going to be!
Michael Pollard and Mensa (13th) making the troublesome coffin look easy.
Phillip Dutton and Atlas, 11th.
Lizzie Snow and Coal Creek, 15th in the Advanced division.
Allison Springer still getting to know Copycat Chloe but I think they will be formidable once they click
Marilyn Little and RF Demeter finished fourth in the CIC*** division
Buck Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM flying round for third place in the CIC***
Leslie Law and Zenith ISF finished fifth in the CIC*** and I think they head to Jersey Fresh next
The incomparable Exponential (Canadian OTTB) and Jessie Phoenix in sixth place in the CIC***; again, I can’t wait to watch them at Rolex.
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Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive, 8th in the CIC***
Rolex bound Sir Donovan looking good for Katie Ruppel and 9th in the CIC***. Apologies to Hannah Sue Burnett who was tenth on lovely Harbour Pilot for not getting a photo of them, but they looked fabulous, and I’m delighted to hear they’ll be representing the USA in the CCI*** at Saumur in a few weeks time.
Emily Beshear and Here’s To You, 12th.
Boyd Martin’s Trading Aces (15th) turned in good performances in all three phases
Sarah Cousins and Tsunami (16th), going to Rolex, and another combination to make the coffin combination look easy
Courtney Cooper and Who’s A Star, 18th in the CIC***
Erin Sylvester’s No Boundaries (20th) looked full of confidence; they seem to have such a great partnership and just skipped round the CIC*** xc course. With Burghley under their belts, I look forward to seeing them tackle Rolex again this year.
Dressage leaders Phillip Dutton did take Mighty Nice around slowly as promised but still looked pretty impressive, even if ‘Happy’ didn’t look very happy about having to go slowly! How exciting for owner Bruce Duchossois, the Dutton Eventing Team, and indeed the USA that this horse is only a 9 year old (I had to double and then triple check my very unreliable maths, it hardly seems believable, but he was born in 2004!)
Marilyn Little (21st) had a glance off at the cheese wedges near the end of the course but still managed to make the time; Smoke on the Water now goes to Saumur CCI***.
Daniel Clasing and Houston, 25th, clear and inside the time – all systems go for Rolex.
Wise Equestrian Master Rose and Ronald Zabala-Goetschel, 28th. Look out for some exciting news from then on EN shortly, and also look out for this partnership at Rolex.
Cody Sturgess and Imperial Melody, 29th
A steady round for Caitlin Silliman and Catch A Star leaves them in 30th place
Beth Perkins and Sal Dali, Rolex-bound and 32nd in the CIC***
Jon Holling, third time’s a charm!
Who doesn’t love Kildrodan Abbot and Peter Barry? So glad we’ll get to see them at Rolex again this year.
Madeline Blackman and Gordonstown had a run around the Advanced ahead of Rolex
Buck Davidson’s No More Rocks made the coffin look easy but then had trouble at the next jump, the Duck Pond, and the following fence the offset ditch and brush, before calling it a day.
Eventing Nation’s Kate Samuels and Nyls Du Terroir looked fantastic, and jumped round the Advanced clear and fast to finish 5th.
Will Coleman and Obos O Reilly, 11th in the Advanced
Jessie Phoenix and Pavarotti – such a scopey, extravagant jumper; lots of bit but no noseband? Another little bay package with a huge jump – Jessie has an amazing string of horses this year between this one, Patras VR, A Little Romance, Exponential of course, and those are just the ones we’ve seen lately!
I was gutted for poor Shandiss McDonald (above) and Nicole Parkin who both slipped on the turn on the flat in the very back of the course behind the cheese wedges and the main house on their lovely horses, Rockfield Grant Juan and Lexus respectively.
Lillian Heard and Share Option return to Advanced competition and finish 3rd
Caitlin Romeo and Spirit of the Outback have gone consistently all Spring, 18th here in the Advanced division.
Buck Davidson and The Apprentice, 9th in the Advanced division and will join Hannah Sue Burnett, Marilyn Little and Will Faudree at the Saumur CCI*** – Good Luck!
Finally, one of my favourite horses and riders – Sharon White and Wundermaske, 10th in the Advanced Division.
Congratulations to all the riders who completed, competed and won prizes. Well done to all the grooms, supporters and a massive thank you to all the volunteers and organisers, especially those who were out manning the dressage arenas, car parks and in fact, anywhere on the property on Thursday, we award you virtual EN medals of bravery and commitment! Thank you, thank you! It turned out to be a beautiful weekend weather-wise, and just as wonderful as far as the competition goes – I do believe that the ‘new’ CIC format is great for spectators, especially if you have a good commentator. There were some fabulous performances that all point to a really exciting Rolex, Jersey, Bromont and definitely Normandy and Rio. Some riders will go home and work on a few key things during the next fortnight and some are going to go home and wrap their horses in bubble wrap and meanwhile we’ll start speculating about form and trot-up outfits, and counting the days and hours. Thanks as always for making Eventing Nation a part of your day, it is the best job in the world to watch these spectacular horses and riders every weekend and talk to them about the sport we love and I feel incredibly lucky to be able to be a part of it. Let us know what you like or don’t like and if there’s anything in particular you’d like us to focus on at Rolex – updates, photos, video interviews, course walks etc? Looking forward to bringing you lots of what you want from Kentucky – Go Eventing Nation!
