Tim Price and Wesko Win Luhmühlen, Boyd Martin and Shamwari 4 Finish 3rd

Tim Price and Wesko. Photo by Jenni Autry. Tim Price and Wesko. Photo by Jenni Autry.

It’s a somber occasion this afternoon at Luhmühlen. Tim Price clinched his first four-star win, and Boyd Martin and Phillip Dutton both finished in the top 10, but the tragic events that occurred yesterday make it difficult to celebrate. There was no victory gallop today. Instead, riders quietly accepted their ribbons before being escorted out of the arena. Tim spoke briefly to the spectators after accepting the trophy and dedicated his victory to Benjamin in a touching moment:

At the conclusion of show jumping, Tim and Wesko jumped one of the three double clear rounds to win on 43.8, the only pair to finish on their dressage score. This is also the horse’s first four-star completion, as they re-routed from Badminton after parting ways at The Lake. Michael Jung lost yet another four-star due to a rail late in the course. fischerRocana FST pulled three rails at Boekelo CCI3* last fall, and though she pulled just one today, it was costly enough to bump Michael to second place on 45.5.

Michael Jung accepts his ribbon from Gillian Rolton. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Michael Jung accepts his ribbon from Gillian Rolton. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Our own Boyd Martin rounds out the top three with Shamwari 4 thanks to a clear round with 1 time penalty, joining the four other riders who jumped clear with time. This was a classy performance across all three phases, and their final score of 48.8 shows Boyd and Shammie can deliver on the international stage. Boyd has barely competed the horse due to breaking his leg nine weeks ago. Think about how good they could be with enough time to really develop the partnership.

Boyd Martin and Shamwari 4. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Boyd Martin and Shamwari 4. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Phillip Dutton didn’t end the week quite the way he wanted with Mighty Nice. The horse is super keen in this phase, and the atmosphere definitely ramped him up. Phillip said after their round, which saw three rails fall, that he was actually really pleased with the way the horse jumped, and the clear rounds will come with time once Happy gets more exposure at bigger events. Even with the rails, they still finished on 58.0 for seventh place, which is the horse’s best four-star finish.

Philip Dutton and Mighty Nice. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Philip Dutton and Mighty Nice. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Otis Barbotiere had two rails, and it was clear the effort of jumping clear yesterday took its toll. This was a big ask for him having just come back to competing in February, and Otis tried his heart out this weekend to finish in 15th place. With some more time, he’ll get his mojo back. At the end of the competition, Team USA is bringing all of its horses and riders home safe, and that alone is enough to call the week here at Luhmühlen a success. Stay tuned for much more.

Luhmühlen Links: [Website] [Final Scores] [EN’s Luhmühlen Coverage] [@eventingnation]

Screen Shot 2014-06-15 at 4.00.56 PM

click to enlarge

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments