Simone Dietermann and Free Easy NRW
After an exciting two days of dressage at Burghley, Germany’s Simone Deitermann has the lead going into the cross-country with Free Easy NRW. Free Easy NRW has a history of impressive dressage performances and scored a 36 in the dressage at the WEGs, although they were eliminated on the XC. Five time Burghley champion William Fox-Pitt is in second, just 0.4 penalties back from Deitermann. Mary King and this year’s Rolex champion Kings Temptress are in third. Andrew Nicholson impressively has two horses in the top 5–WEG bronze medalist Nereo in 4th and Avebury in 5th. New Zealand also has a rider in 6th with last year’s Burghley champion Lenamore and Caroline Powell. The only other rider with two horses in the top 10 is Mary King, who also has Apache Sauce in 8th.
The USA had a great morning of dressage, with superb rides from Sinead Halpin and Michael Pollard. The afternoon rides bumped both of them out of the top 10, but they are in great position in 12th and 16th respectively. Boyd Martin and Neville Bardos will go into the cross-country in 24th place and I have to think Boyd is feeling good about that position with how tough the course looks. Jules Stiller and Chapel Amble are in 32nd with a 52.0 after their ride this morning. 3 points separate the Team Canada riders–Hawley Bennett-Awad and Gin & Juice (58.5), Jessie Phoenix and Exponential (59.5), and Kyle Carter and Madison Park (61.5). Colleen Rutledge rounds out the North American contingent with a 63.7.
[Scores, Video Replays, Interviews]
Burghley Dressage Scores:
1. Simone Deitermann and Free Easy NRW (GER) 39.3
2. William Fox-Pitt and Parklane Hawk (GBR) 39.7
3. Mary King and Kings Temptress (GBR) 42.2
4. Andrew Nicholson and Nereo (NZL) 42.3
5. Andrew Nicholson and Avebury (NZL) 42.8
6. Elizaboth Power and Kilpatrick River (IRL) 43.3
7. Mary King and Apache Sauce (GBR) 44.8
…
12. Sinead Halpin and Manoir De Carneville (USA) 46.0
16T. Michael Pollard and Icarus (USA) 46.7
24. Boyd Martin and Neville Bardos (USA) 49.7
32. Jules Stiller and Chapel Amble (USA) 52.0
53. Hawley Bennett-Awad and Gin & Juice (CAN) 58.5
59. Jessica Phoenix and Exponential (CAN) 59.5
67T. Kyle Carter and Madison Park (CAN) 61.5
73. Colleen Rutledge and Shiraz (USA) 63.7
The good news for North America is that we haven’t sent a bunch of combined test horses over to Burghley. These horses can run and jump and every single one is capable of a performance tomorrow that will rocket them up the leader board. The top 20 riders at Burghley are separated by less than 10 points. Go Burghley.
