Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Cubalawn. Photo by Jenni Autry.
This weekend’s Pan American Games prep trials started with a bang when a monster storm cell rolled through The Plains, Virginia, about half an hour before the division was set to begin. Once lightning started cracking overhead, the riders in warm-up were quickly sent back to stabling, and the officials called what ended up being about a 45-minute rain delay.
Phillip Dutton had been warming up for his test with Fernhill Cubalawn during the downpour in preparation as the first to go in the ring, and he had to alter his plan for the test accordingly. But the shake up to their usual warm up didn’t seem to phase “Cuba” at all. The 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Tom Tierney and Simon Roosevelt scored 42.8 to take the early lead and ultimately win the division.
“I thought it was a good call (to delay the start) because it seemed as if (the storm) was going to pass, and then it got pretty crazy with the lightning, so I was quite happy to go back inside,” Phillip said. “The hardest thing is then do you start from scratch in your warm up, or do you abbreviate the warm up? So I just made a bit of an educated guess and got on with 20 minutes to go, and it worked out well.”
Cuba is the reigning USEF CCI4* National Champion after finishing fifth in his first four-star at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event in April. “This test is pretty easy for him since he’s done a four-star now. Some of the other horses are a lot greener,” Phillip said. “It’s just trying to present him well and make him look soft — forward but not rushed. He still could do a lot better, but I was pretty pleased with him.”
Lauren Kieffer and Marie Le Menestrel’s Meadowbrook’s Scarlett were the second to last pair to go in the division late into the night, which is a very different atmosphere from what the 8-year-old mare is used to. But, as usual, Scarlett seems to be unflappable, scoring 43.3 for second place. “She’s certainly never been in an atmosphere like this, but she didn’t even bat an eye,” Lauren said. “She’s very mature for only being 8. She went in and was very fluid. I couldn’t be unhappy with her about anything.”
Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa round out the top three on a score of 43.9, which puts three of the four U.S. Pan American Games team members at the top of the leaderboard. Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous, the other members of Team USA, are sitting in sixth place on 45.6. Team alternates Will Faudree and Pfun and Matt Brown and BCF Belicoso are in equal fourth place on 45.2.
We have to give a shout out to the Mexican eventing team for holding their own in what is likely the biggest atmosphere they’ve ever seen in a competition. All the riders and horses delivered very nice tests, and we’re looking forward to cheering them on for the rest of the weekend. For more on Team Mexico, don’t miss this exclusive interview with Coach Karen O’Connor.
The Pan Ams prep trials wrapped up a long day here at the Land Rover Great Meadow International. Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda lead the CIC3* with the best three-star score of their career on 39.8, followed by Buck Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM on 40.8, and Tamie Smith and Mai Baum on 41.1. Click here for the full CIC3* report. Go Eventing.
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