Rehy Lux’s Pine Top Advanced Recap

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Leslie Law and Rehy Lux

After opening the morning with a downpour that delayed the dressage, the Pine Top weather kept getting better all day and ended with clear skies and high 60’s.  The riding followed the same trend and although some of the show jumping rounds were problematic, the cross-country rode really well this afternoon to close out the one-day advanced event.

1) Leslie Law dominated the advanced divisions with Rehy Lux.  After scoring a 22.8 in the dressage, Leslie added just 2.6 penalties in the jumping phases to beat the field of nearly 60 horses by 9 points.  Leslie always seems to find terrific horses, especially in the dressage, and rides them really well.  I can’t wait to see how Rehy Lux does at a three-day this spring.

Advanced A-1 Results:
1. Leslie Law and Rehy Lux +1 +1.6  24.5
2. Boyd Martin and Remington +1 +2 34.6
3. Nina Ligon and Fernhill Fearless +0 +0 35.6

[Full Pine Top Results]

2) The early morning downpour might have caused problems for the dressage but it made the normally good Pine Top footing nearly perfect.  While the course might have been able to take just a bit more rain, the riders could approach the cross-country with the knowledge that they probably wouldn’t have better footing all spring.

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Karl Slezak and Kachemak Bay

3) With cross-country and show jumping to write about, who cares about the dressage, but there are a few interesting notes.  Of course, Leslie Law had a ridiculously good score with a on Rehy Lux.  Tipperary Liadhnan and Neville both had uncharacteristic dressage tests.  Paddy scored a 37 and Neville nearly broke the 50 barrier.  Both of those horses are sure to look a lot better on the flat the next time out.  In the end, Paddy had just one rail in the show jumping and withdrew before the XC as planned.  Neville had excellent jumping rounds, as we would expect.

4) Running the advanced all on Friday seemed to work really well in terms of scheduling and comfort for the riders, even though it was hectic for riders with multiple horses.  Running the advanced on a separate day let the riders focus on on their advanced horses, and then they can spend the weekend with their young horses and students.  From an organizers’s perspective it does put more of a burden on having volunteers for two days of cross-country, but hopefully it makes each day less hectic.  I think there should be some sort of poll to find out if the riders and organizers like the one day advanced competition; from my perspective I hope more events start doing this in the future.  I had a chance to briefly speak with Glenn Wilson who told me that after today the weekend would be a breeze for Pine Top.

5) The advanced show jumping at Pine Top is built on undulating terrain and the course deginer used that to his advantage, for example by putting a few jumps on downward slopes.  The one stride vertical to oxer line was sloping away from the horses and it caused ‘stickiness’ all day, including Selena’s fall.

6) Team Canada continues to work out some kinks early in the season.  After Kyle’s surprising stop at the Rocking Horse water last weekend, Selena looked like she ran out of room to the first element of the one-stride.  Colombo crashed through that and Selena popped off the front.

Advanced A-2 Results
1. Boyd Martin and Last Monarch +0 +1.2  36.8
2. Allison Springer and Arthur +0 +6.4  39.2
3. Becky Holder and Can’t Fire Me +8 +0  40.2

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A very pregnant Holly Hudspeth congratulated Boyd after his round

7) I’m not sure whether Remington or Last Monarch looked more fresh for Boyd.  I spoke briefly with Boyd and he told me that all three of his horses here today, Neville, Remington, and “Stewie” are all targeting Kentucky.  Holly told me that because the footing was so good she told Boyd to let Stewie run–they added just 1.2 time penalties to win the advanced A-2 division.

8) All of the US based coaching candidates that have been made public were here at Pine Top in one capacity or another.  I saw Jimmy out watching throughout the day.  Bobby was also out watching as well as hacking his horse that he will be riding in the intermediate tomorrow.  David was out coaching the Canadians and watching throughout the day.  Phillip and Leslie were of course riding several horses.  There are 9 applicants for the coaching search, meaning that 4 are not public, but I anticipate that most of those are less familiar European names.

Advanced A-3 Results
1. Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen +0 +5.6  35.0
2. Michael Pollard and Icarus +0 +0 41.9
3. Colleen Rutledge and Dillon +0 +7.2  45.6

9) Karen retired on Mandiba in the show jumping after he jumped through a black and white vertical and loosened his right front shoe.  The shoe rotated with the clip in the middle of Mandiba’s foot so it was good Karen did not finish the course.  The black and white vertical caused issues throughout the day, including causing Kelly Pugh’s fall, and a very sticky jump for Phillip and Isabella.  Arthur also spooked at the white circles in the standards on his way out after an excellent clean round.

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Just to provide photographic evidence that even Phillip has a bad jump every once in a while

10) As I mentioned the cross-country went really well this afternoon .  A year ago this course rode like an absolute nightmare for a few horses, but today was safe and smooth for everyone.  I don’t recall there being a single hold on course, and aside from some typical ridiculousness such as a loose horse running back to the barn, someone jumping the wrong jump, and a few pop-offs, it was a super day.

11) The course itself was pretty straightforward, or at least as straightforward as any advanced course can be.  The first water was a keyhole down to a drop and then either four or five strides to a chevron.  Throughout the course the horses had enough time to analyze what was going on and the technical elements were spaced far enough apart with galloping fences in between to let the riders do the same.

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Jane Sleeper and UN had a great day to finish 4th

Advanced B Results
1. Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda +0 +7.6  35.6
2. Peter Barry and Kilrodan Abbott +0 +12  48.3
3. Collen Rutledge and Shiraz +8 +4.8  57.1

12) In a strange result, the show jumping caused just as many falls as the cross-country today.  Selena and Kelly Pugh popped off in the show jumping, and Doug Payne and Ashley McVaugh fell on the cross-country.  I didn’t see Ashley’s, but Doug’s fall was a simple pop-off in the water. 

13) The cross-country course caused just 5 stops out of around 50 advanced starters.

14) Clark Montgomery continued his winning ways with Loughan Glen in the advanced A-3 division–and it was Loughan Glen’s first advanced.  This pair won the Fair Hill CCI2* last fall and, while I wasn’t sure if Loughan would move up to advanced so well so quickly, I’m glad to be proved wrong.  Clark is one of those riders one horse away from breaking through and being a team rider for the US.

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Peter Barry and Kilrodan Abbott are quietly becoming one of Canada’s best pairs

15) Most of these advanced horses will either head to Red Hills next week or go to Sourthern Pines or Poplar to set up The Fork.

16) Update: Even though she can be a bit shy, we should definitely show some love for EN’s own Coren Morgan who finished her first advanced today with Ebb Tide.  Coren has been writing for us less recently because she has been working 12 hour days as a barn manager and rider, but all that hard work is definitely paying off. 

That’s all for now.  I left the video camera in the truck today after it got wet this morning, but we’ll have videos from the next event of course.  Thanks to the organizers, officials, and volunteers for a fantastic day of eventing.  Now, more than ever, go eventing.

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