Kim Severson and Cooley Cross Border Lead Ocala CCI2* In Early Going

Kim Severson and Cooley Cross Border. Photo by Bailey Moran.

Kim Severson and Cooley Cross Border blew their personal best dressage score of out the water this afternoon at the Ocala Horse Properties International Festival of Eventing, scoring 30.9 to lead the CCI2* by 10 points after the first day of dressage at the Florida Horse Park.

With this event being a U.S. selection trial for the Pan American Games team, it’s not a bad day for the 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by the Cross Syndicate to throw down his best score. Thanks to EN’s good friend Thehorsepesterer, we have video of the test below, and Bailey Moran also kindly took photos for us — check out her gallery below!

Kyle Carter and FR’s Trust Fund. Photo by Bailey Moran.

Kyle Carter and FR’s Trust Fund, a horse we featured on EN’s Got Talent two years ago, also scored a personal best of 40.3 at this level to sit in second place. This 9-year-old Dutch/Thoroughbred gelding bred and owned by the Carters finished sixth in this event last year and is poised to make a case for the Canadian Pan Ams team with a good showing this weekend.

Michael Pollard and Carl Bouckaert’s Cyrano scored 40.5 to take third place at the end of the first day at Ocala. While gaining a CCI3* qualifier is the 14-year-old Zangersheide gelding’s main goal in Ocala this weekend, he also has a chance to put in a solid performance to be in consideration for U.S. Pan Ams selection.

Ariel Grald and Carol Rittenhouse’s LBF O’Leagh’s Image scored 43.4 to tie for equal fourth place as they look for their first successful CCI2* completion this weekend. “Leah,” a 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare, won her Advanced division at Carolina International last month.

Michael Pollard and Cyrano. Photo by Bailey Moran.

Canada’s Mélissa Boutin and her own Guy’s Elegant Miss also sit in fourth place on 43.4 in the 7-year-old Canadian Warmblood mare’s first CCI2*; they finished 22nd at the Red Hills CIC2* last month. Will Faudree and Caeleste, owned by Jennifer Mosing and Sterling Silver Stables, scored 44.2 to sit in sixth place. The 8-year-old Holsteiner mare is another horse on the Pan Ams trail for Team USA.

There are still a number of top CCI2* horses and riders to come in dressage tomorrow, including Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous, who have won four FEI events in a row at Galway Downs, Pine Top, Red Hills and Carolina International. They’ll be chasing Kim and Cross’s amazing score of 30.9.

In the CCI*, Philippa Humphreys accidentally left boots on Master Eli during his test, which scored 36.5; while she was originally eliminated on the live scores, the new 2015 FEI Rules for Eventing actually state that wearing boots in a test now only results in an error, so she’s back in! That error should give her a score of 37.8 to lead once the live scores are updated.

Once Philippa and Eli are factored back into the scoring, Makenna Rold and Fernhill Imperial will sit in second place in the CCI* on 38.2, followed by Ashley Dalton and Henry Knox in third place on a score of 39.6. The second half of the CCI* division will also wrap up dressage tomorrow.

Check out Bailey Moran’s full gallery of photos below and click here for more of Thehorsepesterer’s videos from the first day of dressage action at Ocala. What’s Up Media will be running a live stream of the CCI2* cross country and show jumping on Saturday and Sunday, and you can see the full broadcast schedule here.

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