Samantha Clark photo
I mentioned this morning that Buck and Titanium, owned by Buck and Carl Segal, have withdrawn from Burghley. The good news for Titanium’s many fans is that “Ty” is happy and healthy. The withdraw is because of Buck’s hectic schedule. I spoke with Buck briefly today who, as usual, impressed me with his openness and horsemanship. Buck explained that he has clinics over the next few days and then the Pan American selection trials at Richland with Absolute Liberty just a week before Burghley. By the time he flew over to England, he would have had just two days to school Ty before the dressage at Burghley. Buck jokingly said that something finally slapped him in the face and he said to himself “Buck, you are so stupid.” So he wisely decided to keep Ty in the US. Titanium will now do Richland and then the AECs. Buck and Titanium have a wonderful partnership, and I give Buck a lot of credit for making the hard decision to give up a shot at riding around Burghley.
Andromaque, Chapel Amble, Icarus, Manoir De Carneville, Neville, Shiraz, and Twizzel are all still entered for the United States, and Canadians Exponential, Gin & Juice, and Madison Park round out the North American contingent. [Burghley Entries]
Speaking of the American Eventing Championships, there are currently just 12 entrants, not including Titanium, in the advanced AEC division. There is $20,000 in prize money up for grabs in the advanced, so doing the math it seems like a pretty good bet to enter the division. I think there are so few entrants because of scheduling, people not knowing about the prize money, and because of footing concerns since it was so hard at Chattahoochee Hills last year. Chattahoochee has installed a new irrigation system, so I think the footing will be much improved. If you have an advanced horse and want a chance to win some prize money, you might have a good shot at making some money at the AECs. There’s a sentence I never thought I would write.
Speaking of Burghley, the track is freaking obscenely huge, to use the technical terminology. I talked to one rider still entered at Burghley who told me they watched the Burghley course preview through Eventing Nation and instantly regretted the decision. I tend to have bad dreams and trouble sleeping whenever I hear Mark Phillips giggle. If I was entered at Burghley and watched Mark Phillips giggling in the preview video about how enormous the course is, I wouldn’t be able to sleep for days. [Burghley Course Video]
Speaking of bad decisions, take it away Ron Burgundy and Anchorman:
This post is going downhill fast. Stay classy, carry on, and go eventing.
