Tamie Smith and Sunsprite Syrius are your 2017 Fair Hill National CCI2* Champions! Photo by Jenni Autry.
Tamie Smith and Sunsprite Syrius jumped a flawless clear show jumping round over Sally Ike’s course today to win the Dutta Corp Fair Hill International CCI2* and become the new USEF National CCI2* Championships here in Elkton, Maryland.
Tamie and “Syrius,” a 9-year-old Trakehner (Titulus X Slytely Cinnamon xx, by Silent Fox xx) bred by Lori Whitley and owned by Pamela Duffy and Donald Trotter of Sunsprite Warmbloods, led from start to finish to complete on their dressage score of 40.9.
“He was perfect in every phase, and I couldn’t have asked him to be any better. He show jumped today like a million bucks,” Tamie said.
“It’s always good to be in the winner’s circle and is really special for this horse. The owners have a small breeding farm in southern California, and Pam is very diligent about breeding the horses and which horses she acquires for the sport. Don is a huge volunteer in U.S. eventing. I’m really happy for them, and it’s been a long road to get here.”
Syrius has never finished outside of the top two in any of his nine completed international competitions, and he has now won five FEI events to give him a 56% win rate. Keep your eye on this one as he steps up to the Advanced level next year!
“He’s always been a very competitive horse ever since I started riding him as a 5-year-old,” Tamie said. “I’m hoping he keeps climbing the ladder. He has all the ingredients to be a top horse.”
Will Coleman and Off the Record. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Will Coleman and Off the Record, an 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse (VDL Arkansas X Drumagoland Bay, by Ard Ohio) owned by the Off the Record Syndicate, jumped a clear show jumping round to complete on their dressage score of 49.9 and finish second as the USEF CCI2* National Reserve Champions.
“Anytime you finish a three-day event on your dressage score I think it’s a major accomplishment,” Will said. “This horse has done it twice this year, which I’m really proud of. He’s been consistent this year; that’s something we can hang our hat on, and we’ll keep trying to get a little bit better.”
Matt Flynn and Get Lucky jumped clear today to finish third on 50.4, adding just 0.4 time penalties to their dressage score on Derek di Grazia’s cross country course yesterday. The 9-year-old KWPN (Van Gogh X Ranna, by Wagenaar) owned by Flynn Sport Horses also finished third in the Fair Hill CCI2* two years ago.
“I was really happy wth him in all three phases,” Matt said. “I was disappointed to be 1 second over (on cross country), but for him I’m thrilled. It’s his second CCI2*, and he’s been third here before, so it was nice to repeat.”
Get Lucky also received the Best Presentation Award for being the best presented horse at the first and final horse inspections as determined by the CCI2* ground jury of Wayne Quarles and Kellie Towers.
Matt Flynn and Get Lucky. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Looking to the rest of the leaderboard, 21 of the 53 show jumping starters (40%) jumped clear rounds inside the time over Sally Ike’s show jumping course.
Jenny Caras and her own Fernhill Full Throttle, an 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse (Cyrano X Euro Glory, by Euro Clover), finished in fourth place on their dressage score of 51.0.
Tamie Smith and Matt Flynn both finished two horses in the top five on the CCI2*. Glock Pullman, an 11-year-old Brazilian-bred gelding by Coriall, finished fifth on his dressage score of 51.2. Wizzerd, an 8-year-old KWPN (Wizzerd WV X Amai, by Oklund) owned by Flynn Sport Horses, finished ninth on his dressage score of 55.9.
Colleen Rutledge and her own UNO, an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare (Harry the Hat X UN, by Cavalier Royale) bred by Jane Sleeper, finished sixth on their dressage score of 53.1. UNO, who is 15.3 hands, also received the Small But Mighty Award, which is given in memory of Judy Thayer to the smallest horse that completes the CCI2*.
Jennie Brannigan and Tim and Nina Gardner’s FE Lifestyle, a 7-year-old German Sporthorse (Leo von Faelz X Berina A), finished seventh on their dressage score of 53.9 to win the USEF National Young Horse Championship.
Kevin Keane finished as the highest placed amateur rider with his own Sportsfield Candy, a 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse owned by Condios, completing in eighth place on their dressage score of 53.9.
Lindsay Beer and her own Kennystown Frankie, a 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse (Frankfort X Kennystown Lass), had one rail down in show jumping to finish 10th on 56.0. They finished as the highest placed Canadian pair and won the Palmaccio Trophy.
Looking to other special awards presented in the CCI2*, Alarmaball (Hook and Ladder X Shesabull, by Buckaroo) finished as the highest-placed Thoroughbred in 11th place on his dressage score of 56.3 with Nita Sanfillippo.
Sophie Click and Fernhill Rising, her own 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse by Cyrano, won the USEF Young Rider CCI2* Championship, finishing in 16th place on 58.4 with one rail down in show jumping.
Cornelia Dorr and Louis M, her own 12-year-old Rheinlander (Lissabon X Angelique M, by Abanos), won the Young Rider Reserve Championship with three rails down in show jumping to complete on 60.1 in 22nd.
Click here to view final scores in the CCI2*. CCI3* show jumping starts at 1:30 p.m. EST, so stay tuned for much more! Go Eventing.
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