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Jenni Autry
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Jenni Autry

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About Jenni Autry

Originally from San Diego, Jenni discovered eventing thanks to the Bedford Hunt Pony Club in Virginia. After working in both newspapers and magazines, she joined the EN team in 2012. She travels extensively covering the U.S. Eventing Team and has reported at the Olympic Games, World Equestrian Games, Pan American Games, Badminton, Burghley, Kentucky, Luhmühlen and Pau. As for her favorite event, it’s a toss-up between Aachen and Boekelo. When she isn’t on the road, she’s busy competing her heart horse, Imperial Striker, better known as Derry.

Latest Articles Written

Eventers Give up Their Plane Seats to Get Michael Jung to Badminton

By on May 2, 2016 8:00 pm -
"Just did our good deed of the decade & gave up our seats to Michael Jung & his parents so they can get to London & make it to Badminton after United oversold their flight." Photo courtesy of Asia Vedder.

Michael Jung may be Ze Terminator after winning Rolex for a second consecutive year with fischerRocana FST and setting himself up for a shot at the Rolex Grand Slam at Badminton this week, but even he has to deal with #EventerProblems.

Thankfully, the eventing community was there to help this afternoon when Michael and his parents, Joachim and Brigitte, were bumped off their United flight from Lexington’s Blue Grass Airport en route to London Heathrow due to it being oversold.

With Badminton starting on Wednesday, it was imperative that Michael get to England as soon as possible. But no other flights with open seats were available until Tuesday, which would then get Michael to Badminton on Wednesday with barely enough time to trot up his horse, much less ride his mount La Biosthetique Sam FBW ahead of the competition.

Asia Vedder, Michelle Emmermann and Holger (Max) Hoetzel, who traveled from California to spectate at Rolex, gave up their plane seats to get Michael and his parents to Houston so they could then go on to Heathrow to reunite Michael and Sam much sooner.

“We actually had met Michael’s parents on Thursday morning at the airport because they there picking up his brother,” Asia said. “Then we saw them with Michael at the airport again today when we were checking in our bags, and we wished him good luck at Badminton and went to our gate.”

Asia, Michelle and Max were meant to fly from Lexington to Houston to Los Angeles on their way home, but when they arrived at their gate, they soon realized that Michael’s flight, which was scheduled to leave before theirs out of the same gate, had been oversold.

Betsie Blaznek, Holger (Max) Hoetzel, Michelle Emmermann and Asia Vedder at Rolex. Photo courtesy of Michelle Emmerman.

Betsie Blaznek, Holger (Max) Hoetzel, Michelle Emmermann and Asia Vedder at Rolex. Photo courtesy of Michelle Emmermann.

“They were supposed to go to Chicago on their way to Heathrow, and that flight was leaving out of our gate,” Asia said. “Once we realized they had been bumped off their flight, we thought that maybe getting them to Houston would give them more options since it’s a larger international airport.”

Max, who is from Germany, was able to speak with the United agent at the gate to help explain the situation and then communicate back and forth with Michael and his parents in German to hash out a new plan.

“Meanwhile, our flight started boarding, so the gate agent took us off the flight and started working on getting them to Heathrow, which she did literally right as they were supposed to close the gate. When it all happened and Max said, ‘We gave you our seats on this flight,’ his mom said, ‘You would do that for us?’ They were so grateful that we had done it.”

Michael was scrambling to exchange contact information with Max as the flight was boarding so he could properly thank them later, and the gate agent ran the phone number scribbled on a piece of paper down the ramp to hand it to him as they boarded. She also reported back that there was a huge round of applause as Michael, Joachim and Brigitte found their seats.

“It was fortuitous that we had already met them earlier in the week and that Max spoke German and was able to help,” Asia said. “In our minds, it made total sense to give up our seats. We don’t have to jog a horse at Badminton on Wednesday!”

Asia, Michelle and Max ended up receiving a voucher from United and taking a taxi to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, where they then caught a flight to St. Paul International Airport in Minnesota and are currently waiting for their final flight home to Los Angeles International Airport.

This is just one more example of how the eventing community looks out for our own. Asia, Michelle and Max — EN salutes you for displaying such kindness to Michael, Brigitte and Joachim. Go Rolex. Go Eventing.

May 3 update: Michael has arrived in London! Roughly translated: “Our return flight was overbooked  Fortunately, there are still nice people who made it possible that I’m at Badminton on time  Now we’re off of London with the car and soon we’ll be with Faye and Sam.”

Monday Video from Tredstep Ireland: Behind the Scenes with Elisa Wallace

By on May 2, 2016 5:00 pm -

Tredstep Ireland rider Elisa Wallace had a fantastic weekend at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Land Rover, adding just 10.8 penalties to her dressage score to finish in eighth place on 60.8 with the Simply Priceless Syndicate’s Simply Priceless.

Go behind the scenes at #RK3DE in this video blog, in which Elisa talks about her dressage test and also cross country day (plus Chinch makes an appearance!). Congrats to Elisa and her whole team on a super performance with “Johnny.”

#RK3DE: Website, Final Scores, On Demand Video, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Rolex Guide, Instagram

Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST Clinch Repeat Rolex Victory

By on May 1, 2016 5:30 pm -
Victory gallop! Photo by Leslie Threlkeld. Victory gallop! Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Considering Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST started their show jumping round at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event with four rails in hand, it’s hardly surprising that they clinched a repeat victory. With one rail down, they took the win for a second year in a row, finishing on a final score of 39.2.

Not only were Michael and “Roxie” the only pair to finish in the 30s, but no other combinations finished in the 40s either, and the next best finishing score of 52.5 came from Lauren Kieffer and Veronica to crown them the USEF National CCI4* Champions for a second time. To say Michael terminated the competition is an understatement.

Lauren Kieffer and Veronica clinched the USEF National CCI4* Championship for a second time. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Lauren Kieffer and Veronica clinched the USEF National CCI4* Championship for a second time. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Michael now heads to Badminton next week with La Biosthetique Sam FBW, who finished second at that event in 2013. If Michael and Sam can win there, he’ll become the second rider in history to win the Rolex Grand Slam, which awards $350,000 to a rider who wins Rolex, Badminton and Burghley in any consecutive order.

Pippa Funnell remains the only rider to have taken the hat trick, winning the Grand Slam in 2003 with victories at Rolex and Burghley with Primmore’s Pride and at Badminton with Supreme Rock. We’ve already seen Michael win gold medals at every major eventing championships in the world, and now we just might see him make history once more.

As for the rest of the final leaderboard, we’re beaming with pride tonight for the next two finishers. After taking the USEF National CCI4* Championship in 2014 with Team Rebecca’s Veronica, Lauren and “Troll” jumped one of a handful of clear show jumping rounds to move up from sixth to take the title again, finishing in second on 52.5.

From left: Kevin Kieffer, Alexa Perkiel, Jo Kieffer, Max Corcoran and Shannon Kinsley. Alexa flew in to be Lauren's good luck charm for the event, as she was also here in 2014 when Lauren and Veronica finished second. Photo by Jenni Autry.

From left: Kevin Kieffer, Alexa Perkiel, Jo Kieffer, Max Corcoran and Shannon Kinsley. Alexa flew in to be Lauren’s good luck charm for the event, as she was also here in 2014 when Lauren and Veronica finished second. Photo by Jenni Autry.

And just as EN’s data analyst Maggie Deatrick predicted, Maya Black and Dawn Dofelmier’s Doesn’t Play Fair continued to make the case that they are a serious combination for the future of U.S. eventing, pulling one rail to move up to third place on 53.9. Click here to see what Michael, Lauren and Maya had to see in the final press conference.

U.S. riders took eight of the top 10 spots on the final leaderboard, but only Lauren and Veronica jumped a clear round out of all of them. It wasn’t so much that Richard Jeffery’s course was especially difficult, but horses were definitely tired after yesterday’s massive effort in the rain around Derek di Grazia’s beefy cross country course.

Maya Black and Doesn't Play Fair. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Maya Black and Doesn’t Play Fair. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Just a slim 12 percent of the field jumped clear show jumping rounds, and only four managed to jump clear and also make the optimum time of 92 seconds: Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch (19th), Lillian Heard and Share Option (24th), CCI4* first-timers Kurt Martin and DeLux Z (25th), and Blyth Tait and Xanthus III (44th).

In addition to Lauren and Veronica, two other pairs jumped clear with time penalties. Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot jumped a beautiful round with 2 time penalties to finish 15th, and Courtney Cooper and her homebred Who’s A Star jumped clear with 6 time penalties to finish 50th in their four-star debut.

Heavy rains fell on and off while the top 20 were show jumping. Boyd Martin and Blackfoot Mystery persevered to have one rail down. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Heavy rains fell on and off while the top 20 were show jumping. Boyd Martin and Blackfoot Mystery persevered to have one rail down. Photo by Jenni Autry.

While all but three horses and riders in the top 20 had rails, that doesn’t mean we didn’t see promising show jumping performance. Boyd Martin piloted the Blackfoot Mystery Syndicate’s Blackfoot Mystery to a one-rail round to move up from 34th after dressage to finish in sixth on 59.6 as the highest-placed off-track Thoroughbred.

Elisa Wallace and the Simply Priceless Syndicate’s Simply Priceless pulled five rails in their Rolex debut last year, and when they pulled just one rail today to finish in eighth place on 60.8, the crowd went absolutely wild. Tim Bourke and his own Luckuan Quality also had one rail down and added 1 time penalty to move up from 44th after dressage to finish in 11th on 67.3.

Looking to the other top spots on the leaderboard, Phillip Dutton took fourth and fifth places with Mighty Nice and Fernhill Cubalawn, respectively, after having a tough day in Rolex Stadium. Mighty Nice had two rails down to finish on 57.8, and Fernhill Cubalawn had one down to finish on 59.4. Fernhill Fugitive, who started the day in second place, pulled five rails to finish in 13th on 68.5.

Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Mark Todd and his 2012 London Olympic partner NZB Campino dropped one rail to finish in seventh place on 60.4. Buck Davidson and Petite Flower had two down to finish ninth on 60.9, giving us three mares to finish in the top 10. Fan favorites Sinead Halpin and Manoir de Carneville had one down to finish 10th on 64.4.

As EN predicted, Matt Brown and Super Socks BCF finished the competition as the highest placed Rolex Rookies, adding four rails and four additional time penalties to place 21st on 76.5. Congratulations to Matt, Cecily, the Blossom Creek Foundation and the whole team behind “Flaxen” for this achievement.

Here are more facts and figures courtesy of John:

  • Richard Jeffery’s show jumping course allowed just seven of 54 pairs to jump clear. Only four pairs finished the show jumping double clear: Blyth Tait and Xanthus III, Kurt Martin and DeLux Z, Lillian Heard and Share Option, and Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch.
  • The highest placed finishers with a double clear in the show jumping were Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch, moving up eight places and finishing in 19th.
  • Kurt Martin and DeLux Z moved up the most places in the show jumping, rising 11 spots to 25th.
  • Seven of the top 10 pairs heading into the show jumping went on to finish in the top 10.
  • Only one top 10 pair going into the show jumping jumped clear: Lauren Kieffer and Veronica.
  • Blyth Tait and Xanthus III were the only one international pair to jump clear today.
  • Just 25 of 54 (46 percent) pairs finished without show jumping time penalties.
  • Phillip Dutton finished two horses inside the Rolex top 10 for the second straight year. Boyd finished one horse in the top 10 for the second straight year.
  • Think Rolex is a dressage competition? Boyd Martin and Blackfoot Mystery moved up from 34th after the dressage to finish in sixth by adding just 7.6 penalties on the weekend.
  • Michael Jung’s final score was 0.5 points better than the second placed pair after the dressage, Allison Springer and Arthur.
  • No pairs finished on their dressage score.
  • Fifty-four of 71 starting pairs completed the weekend.
  • Only one pair finished the weekend in the 30s. Zero pairs finished the weekend in the 40s, and only five pairs finished the weekend in the 50s.
  • The U.S. finished with eight pairs in the top 10. New Zealand continued its strong record at Rolex with two pairs in the top 14. Five countries finished at least two pairs: the United States, New Zealand, Canada, Australia and Great Britain.
Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch were one of only four pairs that jumped a double clear round. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch were one of only four pairs that jumped a double clear round. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Relive all the show jumping action in EN’s open thread at this link, stay tuned for a full show jumping photo gallery from the fabulous Leslie Threlkeld, and click here to catch up on all our #RK3DE coverage. Thank you SO much to all of you for following along with the EN team all weekend. Go Eventing.

#RK3DE: Website, Final Scores, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Rolex Guide, Instagram

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In Memory of Prince Panache, 1984-2016

By on May 1, 2016 12:09 pm -
Biko, Prince Panache, Custom Made and Giltedge at Stonehall Farm. Photo by Susan Clarke. Biko, Prince Panache, Custom Made and Giltedge at Stonehall Farm. Photo by Susan Clarke.

The EN team was sad to learn that Karen O’Connor’s iconic partner Prince Panache was euthanized today at the age of 32.

“Nash,” a Thoroughbred gelding owned by Jacqueline Mars, had many accolades to his name, notably winning Individual and Team Bronze Medals at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000. He also competed at the World Equestrian Games in Rome in 1998 and completed Badminton that same year.

Karen kindly spoke with us today about her special horse: “He was wonderful cross-country — bold, brave as a lion on course, nimble and fast.”

He had a winning personality as well, both toward his human and equine friends.

“He was one of the most loving horses I’ve ever met,” she said. “I never saw him put his ears back, ever.”

It’s appropriate that he lived the final days of his life during Rolex weekend, as he won the event in 1999 and placed third in 2000. Karen noted the synchronicity of the event and Nash “choosing his time.”

The original plan was to wait until Monday in hope that Karen could be with him when he passed. But when it became clear that the timeline needed to be moved up, Karen says, “It wouldn’t have been fair to make him wait. He passed very peacefully.”

Nash lived out his retirement at Stonehall Farm in The Plains, Virginia, under the wonderful care of Sue Clarke. Karen was able to visit him there last week.

Custom Made, 31, is now the sole living member of the Fab Four. Biko died in 2014 at 30 years old, and Giltedge died last year at 29 years old. It says a lot about the care these horses received in their golden years that they all lived to such a ripe old age.

“One by one we’ve had to make the tough call on each of them,” Karen said. “He had a wonderful retirement with his pals. He had a wonderful life.”

Our thoughts are with Karen, Ms. Mars, Sue and all who knew and loved Nash.

[Prince Panache Euthanized At 32]

Rolex Jog Report: 54 Horses Move to Show Jumping, Never OutFoxed Spun

By on May 1, 2016 10:30 am -
Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST are ready to defend their title. Photo by Jenni Autry. Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST are ready to defend their title. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Fifty-four horses will move on to show jumping following this morning’s final horse inspection at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event.

Sadly, Holly Payne’s mount Never OutFoxed, who looked so impressive on cross country and jumped clear with one of the fastest rounds of the day to move up to 19th place, was not accepted by the ground jury.

“Completely heartbroken,” Holly said on her Facebook page after the jog. “Fox was perfect yesterday and not one vet can find an issue with him today. Happy and healthy.”

The good news is we will see Holly in show jumping today, as she has a second horse in the competition in Santino, who is sitting in 40th place after cross country.

Lynn Symansky and Donner. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Lynn Symansky and Donner. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Three more horses were sent to the holding box: Boyd Martin’s mount Shamwari 4 (4th), Kyle Carter’s mount Madison Park (32nd), and Liz Halliday-Sharp’s mount HHS Cooley (36th). All three horses were accepted upon re-presentation. Lauren Kieffer’s mount Veronica (6th) was asked to jog twice and accepted.

Katherine Coleman withdrew Courage Under Fire prior to the start of the jog. It’s a bummer of a way to end their Rolex Rookie debut, and we hope to see Katherine, who is based in England, back in the U.S. soon.

“My mare is so amazing,” Katherine told EN after the jog. “She absolutely jumped her heart out for me yesterday, and I am gutted we are not going to be able to finish. She gave me the ride of my life and we made it home safe, so I am grateful. She is my hero.”

We definitely saw some tired horses this morning following yesterday’s grueling task, and Richard Jeffery’s show jumping course will almost certainly shuffle the leaderboard.

Elisa Wallace and Simply Priceless. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Elisa Wallace and Simply Priceless. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Aside from overnight leaders Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST, who have three rails in hand, scores are tightly bunched, with just 8.1 penalties separating the rest of the top 10, who are all U.S. combinations.

A huge shout out to all the grooms who had the horses looking spectacular in the morning Kentucky sunlight. Thoroughbreds stole the show yesterday on cross country, and they definitely did again this morning on the jog strip. Elisa Wallace’s mount Simply Priceless and Lynn Symansky’s mount Donner both looked especially fantastic and ready to go around Derek di Grazia’s course again.

Check out EN’s Instagram for more photos from the jog, and stay tuned for a full photo gallery. Show jumping starts at 1 p.m. EST, and we’ll be live tweeting all the action and running an open thread here on EN. Go Eventing!

#RK3DE: Website, Schedule, Live Scores, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Rolex Guide, Twitter, Instagram

Jung Still Leading Rolex But Dutton Proves He’s Mr. Miyagi of U.S. Eventing

By on Apr 30, 2016 5:00 pm -
Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld. Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST are one step closer to clinching back-to-back victories at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event after crossing the finish with the fastest round of the day. The 11-year-old German Sport Horse mare owned by Brigitte and Joachim Jung came home just 2 seconds over the optimum time to hold her lead on 35.2, the only score still in the 30s.

That will give Michael and “Roxie” three rails in hand heading into show jumping tomorrow. While that is historically the mare’s most challenging phase, it seems nearly inevitable they this dynamic duo will take the win once again, which would position Michael to take a shot at winning the Rolex Grand Slam at Badminton next week.

But let’s talk about the U.S. contingent, which is holding every other spot in the top 10 after a wet and wild day on Derek di Grazia’s cross country course. Heavy rains fell throughout the day, and Phillip Dutton solidified his position as the Mr. Miyagi of U.S. eventing, persevering through less-than-ideal conditions to deliver fast and clear rounds on all three of his horses.

Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Tom Tierney and Annie Jones’ Fernhill Fugitive moved from fifth to second place with 4.4 time penalties (47.5). HND Group’s Mighty Nice moved from 11th to third place with 4.8 time penalties (49.8.). Fernhill Cubalawn, owned by Tom Tierney, Simon Roosevelt and Caroline Moran, moved from 19th to ninth place with 7.2 time penalties (55.4).

As the reigning U.S. National CCI4* Champion, Phillip is poised to take that title once again this year, but first he’ll have to contend with a tightly packed leaderboard of top U.S. combinations. Just two rails separate second through 10th places, and it’s sure to be a nail-biting show jumping finale.

Maya Black and Dawn Dofelmier’s Doesn’t Play Fair are continuing to live up to the high expectations the EN team set for them this weekend, jumping clear with 4.4 time penalties in a cracking, gutsy performance to move from 12th to fourth place (49.9). “Cody” was pulling her along the whole way — what a little monster!

That gives us four riders with sub-50 scores as we look ahead to show jumping. No horses and riders ultimately made the optimum time of 11 minutes, 15 seconds, with time penalties making for some drastic shuffling on the leaderboard. Twenty-five of the 56 pairs that completed came home with more than 20 time penalties; that’s 45 percent of the field.

Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

In addition to Phillip Dutton, Boyd Martin and Lauren Kieffer also finished the day with two horses in the top 10 — a very impressive showing at the first selection trials of the year for the U.S. as we look ahead to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The Shamwari 4 Syndicate’s Shamwari 4 returned to the CCI4* level for the first time with Boyd Martin since finishing eighth as the highest placed U.S. horse at the 2014 World Equestrian Games, jumping clear with 5.6 time penalties to move from ninth to fifth (50.9.)

Kentucky-bred Blackfoot Mystery is the highest-placed off-track Thoroughbred after cross country, moving from 34th up to 10th place with just 3.6 time penalties. His performance with Boyd is especially impressive considering “Big Red,” owned by the Blackfoot Mystery Syndicate, was one of the last horses on course and battled churned-up, saturated footing.

Lauren Kieffer also had a smashing day and finished both her horses in back-to-back spots in the top 10 on the leaderboard. Team Rebecca’s Veronica, the 2014 USEF National CCI4* champion, moved from eighth to sixth place with 7.6 time penalties (51.5), showing Rolex who’s boss after retiring on course last year.

Lauren Kieffer and Veronica. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Lauren Kieffer and Veronica. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Jacqueline Mars’ Landmark’s Monte Carlo made one of the biggest jumps up the leaderboard, tying for the fastest round aside from Michael Jung. “Patrick” came home with just 2.8 time penalties in his CCI4* debut, and since his dressage score was lower than Donner and Never OutFoxed, Lauren won a two-year lease on a Land Rover Discover Sport as the closest U.S. rider to the optimum time.

With Derek’s track proving to be a mammoth challenge and the rain not making the task at hand any easier, it was a good day to be sitting on a Thoroughbred. While she never raced, Caroline and Sherrie Martin’s Petite Flower is the highest-placed Thoroughbred after cross country thanks to a clear round with 7.2 time penalties to move from 14th to eighth place (53.9).

In all, 20 Thoroughbreds left the start box, with 19 completing the course and six siting inside the top 20. Speedy OTTB Never OutFoxed moved all the way up from 67th to 19th place with 2.8 time penalties, giving Holly Payne Caravella EN’s Biggest Mover Award.

Matt Brown and Super Socks BCF finished the day as the top Rolex Rookies, looking polished and confident the entire way around the course to finish with 10 time penalties to remain in 13th place (56.5.) Fellow rookie Daniela Mougel also had a super round with Cecelia for Mexico, moving from 55th to 24th with a clear round and 14.4 time penalties.

Boyd Martin and Shamwari 4. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Boyd Martin and Shamwari 4. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Allie Knowles deserves a big shout out for finally conquering the Rolex cross country course; the Sound Prospect Syndicate’s Sound Prospect, another OTTB, looked foot perfect the whole way around and finished with 16 time penalties to move inside the top 20 (66.4).

Looking to pairs who didn’t have the day they wanted, Allison Springer and Arthur started cross country in second place but ultimately came to grief at the coffin at the Park Question, picking up 20 jumping penalties at fence 24c. Marilyn Little and RF Demeter were third after dressage but fell at fence 22, the big Tobacco Stripping Barn table, when the mare tired on course.

Colleen Rutledge and Escot 6 also fell at the Tobacco Stripping Barn. Tim Price and Bango had a heartbreaking end to their trip to Rolex when the horse got caught up on fence 28b, the Hillside Corner, just one fence from home, which sent Tim out the side door. Nilson Moreira da Silva fell from Muggle at the big jump into the Frog Pond at fence 7, and Ryan Wood also parted ways with Frankie there. All horses and riders are OK.

Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot, who were sixth after dressage, had a super round that was unfortunately marred by an early problem at an open oxer at fence 3. “William” tapped the back rail with his hind legs on landing, giving them 11 frangible penalties to go along with their 13.2 time penalties; that dropped them down to 20th.

Matt Brown and Super Socks BCF. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Matt Brown and Super Socks BCF. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Three more pairs had frangible penalties: Barb Crabo and Eveready at fence 24, the Hollow; Sydney Conley Elliot and Cisko A at the open corner at fence 23, the Fox Den; and Panda Christie and Little Leo at fence 8, the Cedar Oxer.

Three pairs retired on course. Ringwood Master stopped at fence 6a, the Creekside Cabin at the first water, and Tiana Coudray called it a day. Kim Severson and Fernhill Fearless were having a fantastic trip until the coffin at fence 24 when “Sparky” said no at 24c at the Park Question, and Kim retired. Mikki also retired Rubens D’YSieux at the coffin after picking up their second runout on course.

Liz Halliday-Sharp withdrew Fernhill By Night, who was fourth after dressage, before cross country but went on to complete her with HHS Cooley, jumping clear with 26 time penalties (37th). Jessica Phoenix, who was 10th with Pavarotti after dressage, withdrew all three of her rides.

Selena O’Hanlon also withdrew Foxwood High as planned and will re-route to Bromont to make their bid for the Canadian Olympic team. Two more pairs withdrew before cross country: Emily Beshear and Shame on the Moon and Lillian Heard and FYI.

Boyd Martin and Blackfoot Mystery. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Boyd Martin and Blackfoot Mystery. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Here are more facts and figures from the day:

  • Just eight of 64 starting pairs failed to complete Derek di Grazia’s Rolex course. Forty pairs finished on clear rides; 16 pairs finished with jumping penalties. Seven pairs withdrew before the cross country.
  • Michael Jung delivered the fastest ride of the day with just two seconds of time penalties. Lauren Kieffer, Lynn Symansky and Holly Payne Caravella were the next three fastest, each seven seconds over.
  • Of the six riders who started the day with three horses, only Phillip Dutton finished on three clear rides. Phillip moved up a collective 21 places and sits in second, third and ninth going into the show jumping. Another Saturday at Rolex and another strong performance from PDutty.
  • Phillip Dutton, Lauren Kieffer and Boyd Martin account for seven of the Rolex top 10 rides going into Sunday.
  • Nine of 16 (56%) starting international pairs finished on clear rides. Thirty-one of 48 (64 percent) U.S. starting pairs finished clear on home turf.
  • Of six Canadian pairs who started Rolex, just two elected to run today. Kyle Carter and Madison Park moved up 23 spots with a clear round, and Lisa Marie Fergusson dropped just five spots with 20 jumping faults.
  • Holly Payne Caravella and Never OutFoxed skyrocketed up the leaderboard, moving up 48 spots to 19th by adding just 2.8 time penalties. Lynn Symansky and Donner had a 30-place improvement to 16th by adding the same number of penalties. Daniela Moguel moved up 31 spots aboard Cecelia. Leah Lang-Gluscic moved up 30 places.
  • Michael Jung has a commanding three-rail lead going into the show jumping. Things get a lot more competitive from there, with five pairs within a rail of second and eight pairs within two rails of second.
  • Since 2012, the largest lead going into Rolex show jumping was 2.8 points (2013 champions Andrew Nicholson and Quimbo). Since 2012, the cross country leader has won Rolex three out of four times. The only upset came from Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST last year, moving up from third to win on a double clear show jumping round.
  • The USA isn’t dominating the top of the leaderboard. But we are dominating the top 10 with 9 U.S. pairs stacked behind Michael Jung.
Maya Black and Doesn't Play Fair. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Maya Black and Doesn’t Play Fair. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Here are more links you need to click on:

Rolex Leaders Break Down Cross Country in Day Three Press Conference

Part 1 of 2 Rolex Cross Country Open Thread, Presented by SmartPak

Part 2 of 2 Rolex Cross Country Open Thread, Presented by SmartPak

Ride Around Rolex with Elisa Wallace and Simply Priceless

Watch Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST’s Leading Rolex Ride

And here is the cross country recap from the USEF Network:

Click here for a full photo gallery of every pair that completed the course jumping through the Head of the Lake! We also have to send a HUGE thank you to everyone who came out to EN’s 4th Annual Insanity in the Middle Tailgate presented by Amerigo. We’ll be posting a full report and photos from that soon. Go Eventing.

#RK3DE: Website, Schedule, Live Scores, XC Ride Times, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Rolex Guide, EN Tailgate Info, Twitter, Instagram

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Ride Around Rolex with Elisa Wallace and Simply Priceless

By on Apr 30, 2016 2:38 pm -

Take a ride around the Rolex cross country course with Elisa Wallace and Simply Priceless! Elisa and Johnny, a 15-year-old Thoroughbred gelding owned by the Simply Priceless Syndicate, jumped clear with 6.8 time penalties to move into the top 15.

Cross country is still underway. Click here to catch up on the morning action in Part 1 of John’s open thread, and here to follow the rest of the day in Part 2. I’m also tweeting @eventingnation. Stay tuned for much more!

#RK3DE: Website, Schedule, Live Scores, XC Ride Times, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Rolex Guide, EN Tailgate Info, Twitter, Instagram

Watch Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST’s Leading Rolex Ride

By on Apr 30, 2016 2:10 pm -

USEF Network has posted the full video of Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST’s leading cross country round at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. Michael and “Roxie” jumped clear with just 0.8 time penalties to hold their lead.

Cross country is still underway. Click here to catch up on the morning action in Part 1 of John’s open thread, and here to follow the rest of the day in Part 2. I’m also tweeting @eventingnation. Stay tuned for much more!

#RK3DE: Website, Schedule, Live Scores, XC Ride Times, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Rolex Guide, EN Tailgate Info, Twitter, Instagram

Allison Springer and Arthur Crack 30s to Challenge Michael Jung

By on Apr 29, 2016 6:00 pm -
Allison Springer and Arthur. Photo by Jenni Autry. Allison Springer and Arthur. Photo by Jenni Autry.

It came down to the final dressage test of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event to find a combination that could mount a charge against the indomitable Michael Jung and his rockstar mare fischerRocana FST. After scoring an eye-popping 34.4 in their test yesterday, it seemed unlikely that anyone would catch Michael and “Roxie” as they look to replicate their win from last year.

But Allison Springer and Arthur managed to chip away at his monstrous lead a bit more, making their seventh Rolex dressage test one to remember with a score of 39.7 to take second place at the conclusion of the first phase.

That’s 0.2 penalty points higher than their best career Rolex score, which they achieved in their last appearance at the event in 2014, but it was still the only other score to crack the 30s, and that’s a big reason to be proud of Allison and her longtime partner Arthur tonight.

Coming off a big win at Carolina International CIC3*, Allison and Arthur, a 17-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by the the Arthur Syndicate, will look to keep their cross country mojo alive as the final pairs to go tomorrow. Not only are they facing a beefy Derek di Grazia track, but there’s also the added unknown element of what tomorrow’s forecast will bring.

Mark Todd and NZB Campino. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Mark Todd and NZB Campino. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Weather.com is currently predicting an 80 percent chance of rain, with scattered thunderstorms throughout the morning and more storms rolling in during the afternoon. Michael Jung and Allison Springer both detailed their cross country strategies during this afternoon’s press conference, which you can watch in full at this link.

Marilyn Little and RF Demeter led the U.S. charge this morning with a career best CCI4* score of 42.5, which has them sitting in third place after dressage. The 14-year-old Oldenburg mare owned by Jacqueline Mars, Raylyn Farms and Patrick Witte looked relaxed and happy to be doing her job — absolutely a pleasure to watch..

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night and Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive are still sitting tandem near the top of the leaderboard thanks to lovely performances yesterday. Allison’s score bumped them down one more spot to slot Liz and Phillip into fourth and fifth places on 43.0 and 43.1, respectively.

Numerous other top combinations tried to catch Michael Jung’s leading score in the afternoon session, with Mark Todd and his 2012 London Olympic partner NZB Campino putting in a valiant effort to score 43.2, which ties them for sixth place with Hannah Sue Burnett and Jacqueline Mars’ Harbour Pilot.

Lauren Kieffer and Veronica. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Lauren Kieffer and Veronica. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Lauren Kieffer and Veronica easily had one of the largest cheering squads today, led by her proud parents Kevin and Jo, and it definitely gave them the boost they needed to thrown down a 43.9, the best four-star score of their career. That puts the 14-year-old Dutch mare owned by Team Rebecca, and better known as “Troll,” in eighth place heading into cross country.

Boyd Martin and the Shamwari 4 Syndicate’s Shamwari 4 held onto the top 10 spot from yesterday, ending the second day of the competition in ninth place on 44.6. That’s also the best four-star score of the 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding’s career — adding one more to the encouraging amount of personal best four-star scores from the U.S. contingent.

Jessica Phoenix and Don Good’s Pavarotti also narrowly bested their previous best four-star performance, scoring 44.7 to round out the top 10 and end the first phase as the highest placed Canadian pair. The 14-year-old Westphalian gelding is one of three horses Jessica is competing, though she told us earlier in the week she will likely only take one around cross country

Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Breaking news for all EN readers: John made his annual pilgrimage to Rolex this year and has resumed his tradition of cranking out random bits and pieces of #RK3DE knowledge. Here are our observations after the first two days of dressage:

  • Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST beat their 2015 winning score by 4.9 points. They will enter cross country three spots higher on the leaderboard than they did last year.
  • Three mares stand in the top 10 after the dressage: fischerRocana FST in first, RF Demeter in third and Veronica in eighth.
  • In his seventh Rolex start, Arthur delivered his second best score. Arthur’s 39.7 score today was just 0.2 points higher than his 2014 dressage score.
  • fischerRocana FST’s 34.4 in the Rolex dressage was the mare’s third best score at the CCI4* level, behind her 2015 Burghley and Luhmühlen performances. She did not finish either of those events. The mare has finished no worse than second in her four other events at this level.
  • No pairs are within a rail of the lead. Only Allison Springer and Arthur are within two rails of Michael’s dressage mark.
  • Seven U.S. riders sit in the top 10. Germany (Michael Jung), New Zealand (Mark Todd) and Canada (Jessica Phoenix) occupy the other three spots.
  • Phillip Dutton has all three of his rides in the top 20 after dressage: Fernhill Fugitive in fifth, Mighty Nice in 11th and Fernhill Cubalawn in 19th.
  • Matt Brown and Super Socks BCF are the highest placed Rolex Rookies after the first phase, sitting in 13th place on 46.5.
Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice. Photo by Jenni Autry.

EN reader and USEA Hall of Famer Denis Glaccum pointed out that 21 U.S. combinations delivered sub-50 dressage tests: “A great step forward — to have over 20 with better than 50 penalties is a giant improvement in American dressage performances at the four-star level. Well done. Tomorrow hopefully will be as rewarding.” Well said, and we couldn’t agree more.

As John alluded to, scores are very tightly bunched at the top of the leaderboard. About 10 penalty points separate the top 10, and the consensus from the riders is that the optimum time of 11 minutes, 15 seconds will be difficult to make. With the end of the course stacked with tough combinations, it will be especially difficult to make up time in the final minutes.

While we don’t know how tomorrow’s cross country day will play out, here’s what we do know: John and I will be running live updates on EN and Twitter all day tomorrow to keep you updated. USEF Network and FEI TV are both live streaming cross country, with good friend of EN John Kyle at the helm of the commentary team.

Tiana Coudray and Ringwood Magister. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Tiana Coudray and Ringwood Magister. Photo by Jenni Autry.

EN’s 4th Annual Insanity in the Middle Tailgate presented by World Equestrian Brands is sure to be a rowdy hot mess and a stop you absolutely have to make during your day. Free beer! Free food! Free T-shirts! Celebrity guests! Live chinchillas (and the Chinch himself). Click here for everything you need to know about the tailgate.

In addition to EN’s open threads (morning post here and afternoon post here), we’re been posting plenty of other content throughout the day that you can catch up on here. Samantha has been doing amazing ringside interviews with the riders after their tests. Click here for her day one interviews and here for day two.

Rolex is our Super Bowl, and it takes a huge support crew to keep EN running smoothly during this crazy event. We have to thank the amazing press team, headed by none other than Marty Bauman, and all the volunteers who make Rolex possible. And we’re sending the biggest shout out of all to these amazing Pony Clubbers, who scored a 10 on their sychnronzied walk for sure.

You can watch Allison’s dressage test and a Day 2 recap video below:

#RK3DE: Website, Schedule, Live Scores, Entry List & Ride Times, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Rolex Guide, EN Tailgate Info, Twitter, Instagram

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Marilyn Little and RF Demeter Leading American Charge at Rolex

By on Apr 29, 2016 1:15 pm -
Marilyn Little and RF Demeter. Photo by Jenni Autry. Marilyn Little and RF Demeter. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Michael Jung is still holding onto his hefty lead with fischerRocana FST at the day two lunch break here at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, but Marilyn Little and RF Demeter managed to chip away at that margin a bit with the best four-star performance of their career.

“Demi,” a 14-year-old Oldenburg mare owned by Jacqueline Mars, Raylyn Farms and Patrick Witte, put in a lovely, fluid test with Marilyn to score 42.3, with slots them into second place with two more groups still to come this afternoon.

Marilyn opted for a different preparation for Rolex this spring, only running Demi at the Wellington Eventing Showcase and then two Intermediate events before coming to Kentucky. Her theory was that the mare would feel more rested and better able to perform her best in the sandbox, and it definitely seems that the strategy is paying off so far.

Samantha Clark is ringside interviewing the riders after their tests, and we’re uploading those and posting the links in the open threads throughout the day. Click here to listen to Marilyn’s comments after her test, and click here to catch up on all of Samantha’s interviews from yesterday.

Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night and Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive, who sat second and third after the first day of dressage, were bumped down one spot and now sit in third and fourth places on their scores of 43.0 and 43.1, respectively.

Hannah Sue Burnett and Jacqueline Mars’ Harbour Pilot joined the top five thanks to a nearly mistake-free test that scored 43.2. “William,” a 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, definitely put on his dancing shoes this morning, and he looks fantastic in his first four-star start since Burghley in 2014.

Maya Black and Doesn’t Play Fair, another pair that did their test yesterday, are now sitting in seventh place on 45.5. Matt Brown and Super Socks BCF have taken over the title of Top Rolex Rookie so far thanks to scoring 46.5, which has them in eighth place.

“Flaxen,” a 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by the Blossom Creek Foundation, kept his composure perfectly through the test and then gave the crowd a bit of excitement after the final halt when the applause wound him up. He looks more than ready to tackle the first cross country course of his career tomorrow.

We have two Thoroughbreds rounding out the top 10 currently. Buck Davidson and Petite Flower were the second pair out this morning, scoring 46.7 for ninth place. The 14-year-old mare owned by Caroline and Sherrie Martin will look to improve on her 14th place finish from Rolex last year.

Matt Brown and Super Socks BCF. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Matt Brown and Super Socks BCF. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Holly Payne Caravella is no stranger to Rolex, but her 13-year-old partner Santino is making his first four-star start this weekend. “Sonny,” owned by Bethann Groblewski, put in a super performance to hold 10th place on a score of 46.8.

We had one withdrawal just before the lunch break when Lisa Barry pulled F.I.S. Prince Charming from the competition. “His feet are just a bit too sore after the hard footing we’ve had for the last couple of weeks,” Lisa wrote on her Facebook page. “Although we could make him happy enough to get through the dressage, I don’t think it’s in his best interest.”

We still have 15 more horses and riders who will try to catch Michael Jung’s leading score of 34.4. So far no other combinations have managed to break into the 30s, but we have multiple heavy hitters still to come who are capable of catching those numbers.

Holly Payne Caravella and Santino. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Holly Payne Caravella and Santino. Photo by Jenni Autry.

If you missed any of the morning’s action, be sure to relive it in Sally’s open thread. Click here to open the afternoon open thread. Remember you can watch the competition live on USEF Network and FEI TV.

Sinead Halpin (12th with Manoir de Carneville) and Selena O’Hanlon (23rd with Foxwood High) both gave fantastic interviews to Samantha after their tests, so be sure to listen to those here and here. Catch up on all of EN’s #RK3DE coverage at this link, and check out more photos on the morning on Instagram. Go Eventing!

#RK3DE: Website, Schedule, Live Scores, Entry List & Ride Times, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Rolex Guide, EN Tailgate Info, Twitter, Instagram

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It’s the Michael Jung Show at Rolex

By on Apr 28, 2016 4:35 pm -
Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST. Photo by Jenni Autry. Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST. Photo by Jenni Autry.

As expected, Michael Jung is handily holding the lead after the first day of dressage at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event with last year’s winner fischerRocana FST, besting his score from last year by more than five points to top the leaderboard at 34.4.

The 11-year-old German Sport Horse mare owned by Brigitte and Joachim Jung has completed three CCI4* events in her career to date and never finished lower than second in any of them. “Roxie,” or Beyonce as the EN team has dubbed her, is widely expected to take the win in Kentucky this weekend.

But there’s a top class field ready to challenge the reigning queen for her throne should things not go Michael’s way. Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night, who led at the lunch break on their score of 43.0, sit in second place at the conclusion of the first day thanks to a lovely test.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night. Photo by Jenni Autry.

“Blackie,” a 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Deborah Halliday, had a definite pep to his step during his test today, and Liz told us before the lunch break that she was very proud of his effort. You can read more of her comments in our lunchtime report, and stay tuned for more in the press conference report.

Phillip Dutton has three Olympic hopefuls competing at Rolex this weekend, and we’ve predicted all of them to finish in the top 10. Fernhill Fugitive is currently leading the way for Phillip’s trio, sitting in third place on 43.1, just 0.1 penalty points behind Liz and Blackie.

“Jack,” an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Tom Tierney and Annie Jones, finished ninth in his four-star debut at Rolex year, and he’s poised to improve on it this year, with his performance in all three phases steadily improving.

Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Boyd Martin and Shamwari 4 put in a valiant effort to catch the top of the leaderboard as the penultimate pair to dance in the sandbox today, scoring 44.6 to hold fourth place currently.

This is the first time we’ve seen the 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by the Shamwari 4 Syndicate compete at the CCI4* level since the 2014 World Equestrian Games, and “Shammie” looks to be in super form. It’s fantastic see him back at the highest levels of the sport!

Boyd Martin and Shamwari 4. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Boyd Martin and Shamwari 4. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Maya Black and Doesn’t Play Fair are rounding out the top five on their score of 45.5. She told us after the test that she was pleased with his improved rideability, and while there were still a few bobbles, the 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Dawn Dofelmier has come a long way in the last year.

Jock Paget and Clifton Signature are leading the way for the New Zealand contingent after the first day of dressage action, sitting in sixth place on 47.5. The 11-year-old Thoroughbred-cross gelding owned by Frances Stead and Russell Hall can be a bit cheeky in this phase, but his form continues to improve, and he’s an exciting horse for the future for Jock.

Phillip Dutton has a second ride in the top 10 in Fernhill Cubalawn, a 13-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Tom Tierney, Simon Roosevelt and Caroline Moran. “Cuba” scored 48.2 for seventh place currently in his bid to defend his title as the USEF CCI4* National Champion.

Maya Black and Doesn't Play Fair. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Maya Black and Doesn’t Play Fair. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Tim Price and Bango and Katie Ruppel and Houdini are sharing eighth place on 48.3, and Jordan Linstedt and Revitavet Capato are rounding out the top 10 on 49.2. Courtney Cooper and Who’s A Star are our highest placed Rolex Rookies after the first day. “Tag” scored 50.9 for 16th place in the early going.

Looking to other notable tests, Elisa Wallace and Simple Priceless had the unenviable task of following Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST’s jaw-dropping dressage test, and “Johnny” held his composure beautifully to score 49.8 for 13th place.

We have a smashing team bringing you up-to-the-minute coverage of #RK3DE all weekend on EN: Samantha Clark, Leslie Wylie, Leslie Threlkeld and Sally Spickard, and even John himself is making his annual pilgrimage to the Kentucky Horse Park to aid the cause.

We’re so grateful that you’ve chosen to make EN a part of your Rolex experience. Click here to read the lunchtime report, here to view lots of photos on Instagram, and here to catch up on all of our coverage so far. Keep it locked on EN!

#RK3DE: Website, Schedule, Live Scores, Entry List & Ride Times, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Rolex Guide, EN Tailgate Info, Twitter, Instagram

 

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Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night Take Rolex Lunchtime Lead

By on Apr 28, 2016 1:15 pm -
Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night. Photo by Jenni Autry. Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night are your leaders on 43.0 at the lunch break on the first day of dressage at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. That bests their dressage score from last year’s event by more than five points, and Liz said after the test that she’s thrilled with “Blackie,” a 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Deborah Halliday.

“I’m really pleased with him,” Liz said. “I think he tried really hard. He can be quite lazy, but he kept plugging away. He did everything that he needed to do.”

Blackie didn’t have the most ideal lead up to Rolex, as he cut his leg on cross country in their final prep run at The Fork and had to miss some work while he healed, but Liz said she actually thinks that played to his advantage in their test.

“He knows all the movements now, and in a way it was good not to school too much the flat,” she said. “We just started doing flying changes again two days ago. It helped him be fresher, and he felt happy in the ring.”

Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive kicked us off this morning with a lovely test that scored 43.1, besting their score from last year by more than four points. That slots them very close behind Liz and Blackie in second place currently.

Jack, an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Tom Tierney and Annie Jones, has emerged as one of Phillip’s most consistent partners at the upper levels, and we’ve predicted him to once again finish in the top 10 in his second career four-star start.

Maya Black and Doesn’t Play Fair, heavy favorites to deliver an impressive showing at Rolex this weekend, significantly improved on their performance in the sandbox from last year (52.3), scoring 45.5 to round out the top three at the lunch break.

Clean flying changes likely would have put “Cody” in the lead, but that score will still have the 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Dawn Dofelmier well positioned as we look ahead to cross country.

Maya Black and Doesn't Play Fair. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Maya Black and Doesn’t Play Fair. Photo by Jenni Autry.

If you missed EN’s course preview with photos of each fence on Derek di Grazia’s track, click here to get caught up to speed. Tim Price, who is currently sitting in equal fourth place with Bango, also gave us his thoughts on the course.

The 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by the Numero Uno Syndicate scored 48.3, which is a bit higher than his dressage performance at Luhmühlen last year in his four-star debut. We have Tim and Bango predicted to finish in the top 15.

Katie Ruppel and Houdini were the final pair to go before the lunch break and also scored 48.3 to tie Tim and Bango for fourth place. Affectionately known as “Screwdini,” the quirky 12-year-old off-track Thoroughbred gelding held his composure admirably while also improving on his score from last year’s Rolex (49.8).

Katie Ruppel and Houdini. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Katie Ruppel and Houdini. Photo by Jenni Autry.

We saw solid tests across the board from our Rolex Rookies in the morning group, with Courtney Cooper and her homebred Who’s A Star leading the way for the first-timers so far on a score of 50.9 to sit just inside top 10. The smile on Courtney’s face after finishing her test with “Tag” said it all — how special it must be to compete at Rolex on a homebred!

Nilson Moreira da Silva and Muggle are also making their four-star debut in the hopes of representing Brazil at the 2016 Olympic Games this summer. The 12-year-old Dutch gelding owned by the Phoenix Syndicate isn’t the easiest horse to ride on the flat, but Nilson has the advantage of training with Brazilian team coach Mark Todd, as well as Bruce Davidson, who he’s been working with for the past year.

While the week’s weather forecast has included plenty of threats for heavy rain and thunderstorms, we’ve been lucky today so far, with a mix of sun and clouds making for an ideal day to spectate at the beautiful Kentucky Horse Park. More than 90,000 tickets were sold for this year’s event, so it’s sure to be an action-packed weekend.

Courtney Cooper and Who's A Star. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Courtney Cooper and Who’s A Star. Photo by Jenni Autry.

If you missed this morning’s Dressage Open Thread presented by SmartPak, click here for a full rundown on all the action. You can also watch the competition live on USEF Network and FEI TV.

If you’re just tuning into EN for the week, what are you even doing with your life? Click here to check out all of our coverage so far. We posted a full photo gallery from yesterday’s first horse inspection, plus our picks for EN’s Best Dressed. You all voted Sinead Halpin and Matt Brown as the winners!

Don’t forget to keep checking EN’s Instagram for tons of photos from both the competition and behind the scenes with Chinch as he runs wild around Lexington. He’s even taking a very special field trip with our friends at Horseware to meet the only and only American Pharoah today!

Dressage resumes at 1:30 p.m. with Kurt Martin and DeLux Z leading off after the lunch break. We still have plenty of exciting pairs to come, but of course all eyes will be on last year’s winners Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST as they enter the sandbox at 1:46 p.m.

Will Michael and “Roxie” — who we’re calling the Beyoncé of event horses — defend their title? You’ll have to keep it locked on EN to find out. Go Rolex. Go Eventing!

#RK3DE: Website, Schedule, Live Scores, Entry List & Ride Times, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Rolex Guide, EN Tailgate Info, Twitter, Instagram

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Vote for EN’s Best Dressed at Rolex 2016

By on Apr 27, 2016 8:00 pm -

The Rolex riders brought their A-game at the first horse inspection this afternoon, and the EN team has made our picks for Best Dressed. Due to popular demand, we’ve separated the voting into a Ladies and Gentleman category. Check out the nominees below and be sure to vote in each poll. Voting closes at 8 a.m. EST tomorrow!

#RK3DE: Website, Schedule, Entry List & Ride Times, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Rolex Guide, EN Tailgate Info, Twitter, Instagram

THE LADIES

Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Angela Gryzwinski and Novelle. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Angela Gryzwinski and Novelle. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Sinead Halpin and Manoir de Carneville. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Sinead Halpin and Manoir de Carneville. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Lauren Kieffer and Landmark's Monte Carlo. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Lauren Kieffer and Landmark’s Monte Carlo. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Avery Klunick and In It To Win It. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Avery Klunick and In It To Win It. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Allie Knowles and Sound Prospect. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Allie Knowles and Sound Prospect. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Leah Lang-Gluscic and A.P. Prime. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Leah Lang-Gluscic and A.P. Prime. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti. Photo by Jenni Autry.

THE GENTLEMEN

Tim Bourke and Luckaun Quality. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Tim Bourke and Luckaun Quality. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Matt Brown and Super Socks BCF. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Matt Brown and Super Socks BCF. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Joe Meyer and Clip Clop. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Joe Meyer and Clip Clop. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Nilson Moreira da Silva and Muggle. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Nilson Moreira da Silva and Muggle. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Jock Paget and Clifton Signature. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Jock Paget and Clifton Signature. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Doug Payne and Vandiver. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Doug Payne and Vandiver. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: Behind the Scenes with Jessica Phoenix

By on Apr 27, 2016 5:00 pm -

Jessica Phoenix has three horses competing at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, and Samantha Clark went behind the scenes with her prior to the first horse inspection to chat about her strategy for the weekend. With the 2016 Olympic Games just 100 days away, Jessica is firmly focused on Rio, which will likely factor into how many of her horses go cross country come Saturday.

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All Horses Pass First Inspection at Rolex Kentucky

By on Apr 27, 2016 4:15 pm -
Avery Klunick and In It To Win It didn't let a little rain dampen their spirits! Photo by Jenni Autry. Avery Klunick and In It To Win It didn't let a little rain dampen their spirits! Photo by Jenni Autry.

All horses passed a soggy first inspection this afternoon at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, with 72 combinations moving on to dressage. Two horses were withdrawn prior to the start of the jog: Caroline Martin’s mount Quantum Solace and Rachel McDonough’s mount Irish Rhythm.

Caroline Martin withdrew Quantum Solace from what would have been their four-star debut due to a suspected infection. “We think he may have a viral infection, and it’s in his best interest not to compete this week,”she wrote on her Facebook page. “I’m really disappointed, but I hope to be back with Nacho in the future.”

Rachel posted on her Facebook page that she decided to withdraw two-time Rolex competitor Irish Rhythm after he wasn’t feeling 100 percent. “Oliver was not feeling his normal self, and I feel this is the best decision for my boy. I know him too well and he has given me more than I could have ever dreamed to push him if he is not feeling his normal fiery self.”

Laine Ashker pulled out all the stops at the #rk3de first horse inspection

A photo posted by Eventing Nation (@goeventing) on

Three horses were sent to the holding box, with all accepted upon representation: Ryan Wood’s mount Frankie, one of three rides for him; Liz Halliday-Sharp’s mount HHS Cooley, one of two rides for her; and Matt Brown’s mount Super Socks BCF, who is making his first CCI4* start.

Despite a steady rain that fell throughout the horse inspection, the vast majority of horses and riders opted to stick with their first choice for outfits. Stay tuned for EN’s picks for Best Dressed and a full photo gallery, but you can get a sneak peek now on our Instagram.

Surely Joe Meyer has to be in the running for @dubarryofireland Best Dressed in his kilt! #rk3de

A photo posted by Eventing Nation (@goeventing) on

There were definitely a few dramatic moments, with Colleen Rutledge taking a tumble on the jog strip but thankfully popping right back up no worse for the wear. Clip Clop showed off his bucking skills, perhaps to punctuate the fact that Joe Meyer rocked a kilt in honor of his father and grandmother.

We saw a number of fresh horses looking fighting fit and raring to go. Lynn Symansky did a valiant job of hanging on to Donner the Deer, who looks more than ready to skip around Derek di Grazia’s cross country course. Manoir de Carneville was absolutely breathing fire before his turn on the jog strip with Sinead Halpin, who looked stunning in a stylish hat.

With rain falling and thunderstorms crowding this afternoon’s radar, there was definitely a certain tension in the air through the horse inspection. These horses and riders have worked so hard to get here, which made it all the more heart-stopping when three horses were sent to the holding box.

It was definitely an emotionally charged moment for Liz Halliday-Sharp as HHS Cooley was announced as “accepted” after re-presenting from the holding box. She breathed a huge sigh of relief as her super groom Gemma Jalinska grabbed her in a big hug. Those are the moments that define what it means to compete at Rolex.

If you’re just tuning in to EN, don’t miss our Team Picks, Maggie Deatrick’s predictions for the top 15 finishers, and the next edition of Rolex at a Glance featuring numbers you need to know about all the riders competing. Click here to catch up on all of EN’s coverage, and stay tuned for much more from the jog!

#RK3DE: Website, Schedule, Entry List & Ride Times, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Rolex Guide, EN Tailgate Info, Twitter, Instagram

It’s Go Time! EN Team’s Picks for Rolex

By on Apr 27, 2016 8:30 am -

Jog day at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event is upon us! With the first horse inspection at 2 p.m. this afternoon and dressage kicking off tomorrow, the EN team is ready to make our picks for horses and riders we think will stand out in seven categories: Big Winner, Top American, Top Canadian, Best Rookie, Spoiler Alert, Top Thoroughbred and Best Mare.

Let us know your own picks in the comments below, and don’t forget to pick your team for EN’s Rolex Kentucky Fantasy League presented by Dubarry of Ireland. Stay tuned for Maggie Deatrick’s detailed predictions for the top 15 finishers, including a Dark Horse, Sleeper and Spoiler. Go Eventing!

#RK3DE: Website, Schedule, Entry List & Ride Times, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Rolex Guide, EN Tailgate Info, Twitter, Instagram

Here we go again! #foreverjung Photo by Julia Rau

Here we go again! Photo by Julia Rau.

BIG WINNER

Jenni Autry: We get it, Michael. You’re the best. You win.

Samantha Clark: Maya Black and Doesn’t Play Fair. I love everything about their partnership.

Maggie Deatrick: Michael Jung isn’t paying for a plane ticket for his top mare for her to place second. fischerRocana FST could easily end up as the first back-to-back winner since Winsome Adante by the end of this weekend.

Kate Samuels: I won’t make the same mistake as last year, and while it seems impossible that Michael Jung could win back to back on the same horse, we all thought it was impossible for him to keep beating our butts year after year at all the championship events. Ze Terminator fo sho.

Sally Spickard: After last year’s dominant performance and her subsequent second place finish at Pau last fall, it’s hard to bet against the super mare that is fischerRocana FST. The mare is only 11 this year, and it’s crazy to think of how successful she has already been. Michael will be in prime “put me on the Olympic roster” form, so I think we can all expect a dazzling performance yet again.

Leslie Threlkeld: I wonder if Michael Jung keeps all his first-place ribbons. He must have hundreds by now and surely he’s run out of wall space, and who wants to toss those hard-earned tassles in the trash? I can take them off your hands, buddy. And one of those fancy watches, too. Forever Jung.

Leslie Wylie: As someone who showed up to the last World Equestrian Games in an American flag bikini, and since it’s an Olympic year, I cannot in good conscience put my money on anyone but an American to win. So, with a filthy dirty conscience, I put my life savings on Michael.

Maya Black and Doesn't Play Fair. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Maya Black and Doesn’t Play Fair at The Fork. Photo by Jenni Autry.

TOP AMERICAN

Jenni Autry: Maya Black and Doesn’t Play Fair. From EN’s Got Talent to winning top events like Plantation Field and The Fork, I’ve watched these two carve out a place for themselves at the upper echelons of the sport in the U.S. Now I’m going all in on their second trip to Rolex.

Samantha Clark: Lauren Kieffer and Veronica. Duh.

Maggie Deatrick: A sharply-improving Maya Black and Doesn’t Play Fair will be waiting in the wings to take advantage should things not go Jung’s way and if the ever-remarkable Mark Todd continues his history of non-completion at Rolex.

Kate Samuels: Boyd Martin and Shamwari 4. This horse hasn’t been out at the top levels since the 2014 WEG, but he’s a fierce competitor and lovely in all three phases. This is where I’m putting my bets. Plus, Boyd is really fun to watch when he becomes something of a cowboy in the lap of honor.

Sally Spickard: I’m a big believer in Allison and Arthur, and their success this spring makes me feel really confident about their chances in Kentucky. We all know Arthur will be right up there with the big guns after dressage, and I feel it’s going to come down to a gritty cross country ride to seal the deal for Allison. This is one of the best partnerships to watch in the sport today, and it will be a treat to see Allison and Arthur (#Allithur) back out there this year.

Leslie Threlkeld: I voted for them last year and I’m going with them again. Lauren Kieffer and Veronica.

Leslie Wylie: If he can’t win, Phillip Dutton can at least one up his 2015 result by having not two but all three horses (Mighty Nice, Fernhill Fugitive and Fernhill Cubalawn) in the top 10.

Jessica Phoenix and A Little Romance. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Jessica Phoenix and A Little Romance at the Wellington Eventing Showcase. Photo by Jenni Autry.

TOP CANADIAN

Jenni Autry: Multiple Pan American Games gold medalists Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti have proved time and time again that they are a force to be reckoned with and always seem to rise to the occasion when it really counts.

Samantha Clark: Jessica Phoenix … It doesn’t matter who she’s riding!

Maggie Deatrick: A Little Romance hasn’t had the best four-star luck, but as the quickest and most consistent jumper in Jessica Phoenix’s arsenal, she could find herself as the Top Canadian despite not being quite as strong on the flat.

Kate Samuels: Selena O’Hanlon and Foxwood High. This horse continues to improve and has already blown us away in the dressage. Selena has tons of experience at this level and a great relationship with the horse.

Sally Spickard: Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti. We all know this pair can throw down on the flat, so if they can tie things up with a shiny cross country bow and leave the sticks in place on Sunday, they’ll be sitting pretty during the awards ceremony.

Leslie Threlkeld: Foxwood High and Selena O’Hanlon. There’s an O Canada joke in here somewhere.

Leslie Wylie: I’m going to double-down on the Canadian here and pick Jessica Phoenix and her Canadian-bred mare A Little Romance.

Kurt Martin and Delux Z. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Kurt Martin and Delux Z at Fair Hill. Photo by Jenni Autry.

BEST ROOKIE

Jenni Autry: Matt Brown and Super Socks BCF have flown under the radar this spring with limited runs, but after making a splash in their overseas debut at Boekelo last fall, they proved they have what it takes to be competitive with the best in the world.

Samantha Clark: Kurt Martin and DeLux Z — Great form through the spring!

Maggie Deatrick: Kurt Martin and DeLux Z. The winners of the inaugural Rebecca Farm CCI3* are making their first four-star attempt. As consistent as they’ve been, a top-15 finish isn’t an unlikely scenario even in such strong company.

Leslie Wylie: Matt Brown and Super Socks BCF. You can take an eventer out of the West Coast, but you can’t take the West Coast out of an eventer, and Matt is permanently imbued with the sort of California confidence that makes him a formidable competitor anywhere (Exhibit A: Boekelo last fall). I dare Rolex to try to melt the ice in this pair’s veins.

Allison Springer and Arthur. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Allison Springer and Arthur at Carolina. Photo by Jenni Autry.

SPOILER ALERT

Jenni Autry: Allie Knowles and Sound Prospect have quietly racked up consistent good results in the past calendar year, and they have all the tools in place to take a top spot on the leaderboard come Sunday. Plus, how great would it be to see a Kentucky-based rider shine on a Kentucky-bred Thoroughbred?

Samantha Clark: Sinead Halpin and Manoir de Carneville … because they could win the whole thing and because I’d love them to.

Maggie Deatrick: Allison Springer is bringing Arthur to make his eleventh start at a CCI4* and they have all the necessary tools to bring three phases together in one weekend, including an improved show jumping record this spring.

Kate Samuels: Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot. William has been off the radar for some time since his injury at Burghley in 2014, but he came out this spring swinging, and I think he’s grown up a lot in the time away from competition. She can easily put together three competitive phases and surprise us at the top on Sunday.

Sally Spickard: Boyd Martin and Blackfoot Mystery. I really, really like this horse. He wowed us last year at Fair Hill when Boyd had barely established a partnership, and you have to think of how much more solid this pair could be this year. If the stars align, maybe we’ll see Boyd ride side saddle in the victory gallop.

Leslie Threlkeld: Maya Black and Doesn’t Play Fair. They’ve been crushing it this spring. Plus the horse is a little pocket rocket and those are my faves.

Leslie Wylie: Here I go committing blasphemy against my American flag bikini again but who would get a bigger standing ovation than Mark Todd if he made Rolex history? With two top 10 four-star finishes last year on his Olympic mount NZB Campino at Pau and Luhmühlen, a bring-the-house-down performance in Kentucky is far from out of the question.

Lynn Symansky and Donner. Photo by Rare Air Eventing Photography.

Lynn Symansky and Donner at Carolina. Photo by Rare Air Eventing Photography.

TOP THOROUGHBRED

Jenni Autry: Expect Blackfoot Mystery to be in the hunt heading into the final phase. Boyd Martin has worked diligently with Richard Picken to fine-tune this horse’s show jumping. If they can leave the poles in the cups, these two have a shot at a top finish.

Samantha Clark: Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch. How can you not cheer for them? #bringit

Maggie Deatrick: Donner is making his sixth four-star start, and improved consistency on the flat rewarded them last fall with a score in the 40s at Burghley. A similar score here will make this pair even more formidable than they already are.

Kate Samuels: Lynn Symansky and Donner. Easy peasy. Donner loves Kentucky and has more experience at the four-star level than most in the field. I predict he will slowly stalk his way up the scoreboard to finish in the top 10.

Sally Spickard: I’m laying my bets down on Anthony Patch. Call me sentimental, but Laine may have been on to something with her draw number 77 for Al’s seventh Rolex. May the sevens be with you, Laine!

Leslie Threlkeld: I can’t decide. All the Thoroughbreds are winners. (Click here to meet all of the Thoroughbreds competing at Rolex this year.)

Leslie Wylie: Of all the OTTBs on the Rolex start list Ryan Wood’s Frankie won the most money on the track: $99,000. That’s a horse with expensive taste, who runs faster when there’s something shiny dangling at the finish line. Like a Rolex watch.

IMG_1065

BEST MARE

Jenni Autry: fischerRocana FST, better known as Roxie. Can we officially crown her the Beyoncé of event horses?

Samantha Clark: RF Demeter — because I’ve always admired her in all three phases.

Maggie Deatrick: fischerRocana FST. Generally if a mare wins the event, they also happen to win Best Mare!

Kate Samuels: fischerRocana FST. Like, duh.

Sally Spickard: Go with the Queen. Always go with the Queen. Rocana, we all bow to you.

Leslie Threlkeld: fischerRocana FST first. Veronica second.

Leslie Wylie: All hail Queen Bey.

Tuesday Video from SpectraVet: Let’s Get to Know Panda Christie

By on Apr 26, 2016 5:00 pm -

Panda Christie and Little Leo are one of just two combinations representing Great Britain at Rolex this year, and they’re the only pair that crossed the pond from England to compete. EN’s own Samantha Clark caught up with Panda today at the Kentucky Horse Park to learn more about “Leo,” her own 14-year-old Westphalian gelding (Levantos I – Vroni, Vif-Argent).

Leo completed his first CCI4* at Pau last fall, and he and Panda completed the CIC3* at Burnham Market earlier this month as their final prep for Rolex. Best of luck to Panda and Leo at #RK3DE!

#RK3DE: Website, Schedule, Entry List & Ride Times, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN Tailgate Info, Twitter, Instagram

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Tuesday Sights and Sounds from Rolex Kentucky

By on Apr 26, 2016 4:00 pm -
Lots of smiles today at Rolex! Here's Katherine Coleman with Courage Under Fire and Laine Ashker with Anthony Patch. Photo by Jenni Autry. Lots of smiles today at Rolex! Here's Katherine Coleman with Courage Under Fire and Laine Ashker with Anthony Patch. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Tuesday morning of Rolex week is always a fun time at the Kentucky Horse Park. Many of the competitors have already arrived and are busy taking lessons, hacking the grounds and getting their horses settled in for the big dance. Scroll down for a full gallery of sights and sounds.

If you’re just tuning into EN today, be sure to choose your team for our Rolex Kentucky Fantasy League presented by Dubarry of Ireland, nominate someone who inspires you to win the Tredstep Pay It Forward Challenge, and catch up on all of our #RK3DE coverage here.

#RK3DE: Website, Schedule, Entry List & Ride Times, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN Tailgate Info, Twitter, Instagram

Colleen Rutledge Withdraws Covert Rights from Rolex

By on Apr 26, 2016 3:30 pm -
Colleen Rutledge and Covert Rights. Photo by Jenni Autry. Colleen Rutledge and Covert Rights. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Colleen Rutledge announced in a statement on her Facebook page that she has withdrawn heavy favorite Covert Rights from Rolex Kentucky, who finished 11th last year in his four-star debut.

“He has not been 100 percent comfortable very recently and rather than risk him when we know it is not in his best interest to compete this weekend, we’ve opted to reconsider our options,” she said. “We are confident that he will be back to his normal self very soon. In the meantime, the team is committed to Escot 6’s first run around Rolex and are looking forward to the weekend nonetheless.”

Colleen and “CR,” a 10-year-old Thoroughbred/Clydesdale gelding she bred, have had a stellar season up to this point, finishing second in the $75,000 Wellington Eventing Showcase, winning the Pine Top CIC3*, placing sixth in the big CIC3* class at Carolina International and placing third in The Fork CIC3* in their final prep run for Rolex.

CR’s withdrawal brings the current entry list down to 74 total combinations. Click here to see the current entry list.

#RK3DE: Website, Schedule, Entry List & Ride Times, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN Tailgate Info, Twitter, Instagram

 

Friday Video from World Equestrian Brands: Land Rover Ride of the Day

By on Apr 22, 2016 5:00 pm -

It’s #FlashbackFriday, and we’re reliving Will Coleman and OBOS O’Reilly winning the Land Rover Ride of the Day at Rolex last year. Will and “Oboe” came closest to the optimum time on cross country to win a two-year lease on a Land Rover Discovery Sport. Watch this great video from Land Rover to hear Will talk about their ride and watch great footage from USEF Network.

Can you believe that in just a little more than a week we’ll know the winner of this year’s Land Rover Ride of the Day? Click here to catch up on all of EN’s Rolex coverage so far, and keep it locked here for all your #RK3DE news as we count down the final days to Kentucky.

Thursday Video from Nupafeed: Plantation Field Helmet Cam

By on Apr 21, 2016 5:15 pm -

EN reader Claudia Duncan sent us her helmet cam from last weekend’s Plantation Field April Horse Trials, where she rocked around the Preliminary course with her off-track Thoroughbred Awesome Commander.

Between known as M’hijo in the barn (Deputy Commander – Awespious Lady, by Really Awesome), he raced 15 times before retiring from the track and starting his eventing career with Claudia.

“He’s a California ex-racehorse that I’ve had since he came off the track at 6 years old, and we’ve gone up the levels together,” she said. “We left California four years ago and have lived and competed in Areas VI, V, III and now II. Such a joy to be doing this with him; we’ve come a long way!”

Claudia and M’hijo finished 10th in the Preliminary Rider division. Click here to view final scores from Plantation Field. Go Eventing!

[Plantation Field April H.T. Final Scores]

Online Auction: Bid on Custom Jump to Support Hearts 4 Heroes

By on Apr 21, 2016 3:20 pm -
Emily Beshear and Shame on the Moon. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Bid now to win this beautiful jump and support H4HUS. Photo by Jenni Autry.

EN is delighted to host an online auction on behalf of Carolina International for a beautiful custom jump, with proceeds benefitting Hearts 4 Heroes United States. H4HUS is a non-profit organization that provides equine-assisted and canine-assisted therapy to U.S. veterans and active duty military suffering from physical and psychological impairments, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

“For the past three years, H4HUS has provided dozens of military volunteers to the Carolina International, all of whom work tirelessly to oversee our key logistical needs including pedestrian and equine road crossings, parking arrangements, and equine and rider safety efforts,” Jane Murray, Organizing Committee co-chair, said.

“Eventing would not be where it is today without the amazingly generous time and energy given by all of our volunteers and for that, we are hugely appreciative. The Carolina International is proud to support those that have so valiantly served our country and to merge these wonderful volunteers into our eventing community in the Sandhills of North Carolina.”

This “Spanning The Globe” jump was designed by Brody Robertson Custom Show Jumps and Marc Donovan, Carolina’s show jumping course designer, exclusively for the CIC3* and CIC2* courses at this year’s event. Proceeds from this auction will benefit the wonderful work of H4HUS, so please bid generously!

The jump has a retail value of $2,800, and the starting bid for the auction is $1,000. The auction will close at noon EST on Tuesday, April 26. The winning bidder will receive two jump standards, one plank and four jump poles. See below for more information on the jump and to place your bid. Good luck!

[wpauction id=”2″ /]

William Fox-Pitt Withdraws from Badminton

By on Apr 21, 2016 9:40 am -
William Fox-Pitt and Parklane Hawk at Badminton 2014. Photo by Jenni Autry. William Fox-Pitt and Parklane Hawk at Badminton 2014. Photo by Jenni Autry.

William Fox-Pitt announced this morning that he is withdrawing his sole Badminton entry, Parklane Hawk, from this year’s competition.

“After the disappointment of our performance at Weston Park I have decided that we have run out of time for Badminton,” William said in a statement. “It is obviously a shame not to be heading back, but you have to have the right preparation for a competition like this. Parklane Hawk has got the whole autumn to look forward to.”

William had his first fall post-head injury at Weston Park, when Parklane Hawk fell at a corner in the Advanced section on April 9. Both William and Parklane Hawk were uninjured.

William won Badminton last year with Chilli Morning and said he will compete this weekend at Bicton before going on to contest the first leg of the new Event Rider Masters series at Chatsworth.

“We are naturally sorry that the reigning champion is not returning to Badminton,” Hugh Thomas, Badminton director, said. “But we are delighted that William is in such good health and wish him the best of luck for a successful rest of the season.”

Click here to view the current entry list for Badminton.