Top Three at The Fork CIC2* Ooze Talent, Potential

Emily Beshear and Shame on the Moon. Photo by Jenni Autry. Emily Beshear and Shame on the Moon. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Emily Beshear retained her overnight lead with Shame on the Moon in the CIC2* at The Fork today, pulling one rail over Chris Barnard’s course to move forward on her score of 47.3. Delta, who Emily just got the ride on over the winter, can be easily distracted, Emily said, and the chaotic warmup contributed to a bit of an erratic start to the course, with the mare spooking at standards and trees. “I just wanted to get over the jumps at that point, but it got better as we went,” Emily said. “It’s all part of getting to know her, and it’s only the second time I’ve ever show jumped her in a ring. She had some really fabulous moments. Hopefully next time those will outweigh the awkward moments.”

Knowing Delta can be easily distracted, Emily is going into cross country tomorrow with a game plan to get her focused right away. “At Carolina, we’d be galloping along, and she’d notice something and scoot sideways,” Emily said. “She’s always noticing things around her, so it will be a good test, especially with her going later in the day when more spectators are out watching. I’ve got a plan to go out and go forward, but I might need to take more time at things.” Though she’s green to the level, Delta is honest and brave, and Emily is looking forward to the challenge tomorrow.

Jennie Brannigan moved up to second place after show jumping with Henry thanks to putting in one of eight double clear rounds in the division. As she’s riding seven horses at The Fork, Jennie has been scrambling all weekend to get to her ride times, and she said she was in a big rush today to get to the two-star ring with Henry. “I didn’t have that great of a run on Indie, but I took a deep breath and knew I was sitting on one of the best jumping horses,” Jennie said. “I was lucky to have such a nice round. He’s a really lovely, scopey, careful jumper. I’m happy to be riding him; I feel like I’ve ridden him my whole life.”

Jennie Brannigan and Henry. Photo by Samantha Clark.

Jennie Brannigan and Henry. Photo courtesy of Samantha Clark.

Owned by Sharn Wordley, the horse came over from Europe in the same batch of talented youngsters as Veronica, and Scott Keach campaigned the horse through the two-star level back in 2010. After Henry suffered an injury, Scott competed him in the jumpers for several years until this past February when Jennie brought him out at Ocala Horse Properties Horse Trials to run Preliminary. Sharn wanted the horse to come to The Fork to try the two-star, and it’s been a great weekend so far. “At the end of the day, it’s a super horse, but it’s not gone Intermediate in years,” Jennie said. “Knowing how hard it was to make the time in the Prelim today … I’ll go out to try to give the horse a nice round.”

Lynn Symansky is also sitting on a talented young horse newer to the level in Osborne 9, a coming 8 Westphalian gelding she owns in partnership with Alton Quanbeck. While he’s been slower to develop than she first envisioned, the horse has scope to burn, and Lynn said she was very pleased with his effort today. “He can be a bit distracted when you get in the ring,” Lynn said. “When you put a little atmosphere with it, he doesn’t quite focus on the fences 100 percent of the time.” Lynn and Osborne had a rail down at the fourth fence, where she said she got a bit quick with her body in the inside turn.

Because he’s such a big horse, it can be tough to turn him, which has made the show jumping a challenge.  “It’s getting better,” Lynn said. “He’s a big horse, and I’m trying to teach him to be a small horse. It was definitely an improvement from Carolina in terms of rideability.” And the same turning issues extend to cross country too. “He has a lot of Thoroughbred in him, but it takes awhile to turn him still and get him set up for the jumps,” Lynn said. “I would like to have a good run, but I’m not looking to be crazy competitive. The goal is a good outing and to look to be more competitive in the future.”

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