As the CIC3* wraps up their dressage today at Barbury (more on that shortly), the CIC2* divisions are completing their show jumping and cross-country. When Tiana Coudray and Ringwood Magister were circling the start box before their CIC2* cross-country here at Barbury, I started to realize the importance of their round. Success or failure at Barbury meant the difference between getting one of the best horses for the US back on track, or continuing the tailspin that perhaps started at The Fork and continued at Rolex and Luhmuhlen. Tiana and Finian stepped up big time and put together the best cross-country ride I have seen from them, adding just a few time penalties to their dressage score. Tiana and Finian finished in 15th out of 100 competitors. Granted, it was only a CIC2*, but Finian looked like a completely different horse from his tentative and ultimately failed trips around Rolex and Luhmuhlen earlier this year.
The video is a bit jumpy because I had to zoom in so much, and it begins a few jumps into the course
As with all of the divisions at Barbury, the CIC2* competitors did the show jumping first and then the cross-country soon thereafter with an abbreviated warm-up. There were two other competitors riding for the USA in the CIC2* divisions at Barbury. Aimee Chambers and After Eight had a solid weekend, finishing on a 53 and jumping Tiana and Finian to finish in 8th place in the CIC2* Section A. Aimee has competed After Eight at several 3*’s in England, including a finish at Blenheim last year. Cindy Rawson and Mocharabuiee also competed in the CIC2* for the US, and although my ride left before they went out on course, they finished with a rail and 2.8 time penalties for 34th place.
[Section A Results, Section B Results]
After her rides, Tiana was understandably ecstatic with Finian:
Wireless cards do not work at the Barbury show gounds, so I am just getting the videos and recaps uploaded back here at Headley Stud this afternoon. I will be along shortly with a recap from the last day of the CIC3* dressage and a look ahead at the jumping tomorrow. Go eventing.
