Buck Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM. Photo by Jenni Autry.

The U.S. All-Time Highest Scoring Horse Ballynoe Castle RM has numerous accolades to his name, but he’s never won a CCI3* until today when he jumped clear in show jumping to clinch the win for Buck Davidson at the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event with his mom, Carol, watching on Mother’s Day and owners Carl and Cassie Segal in attendance too.

Buck had Reggie’s groom Kathleen Blauth-Murray ride the 15-year-old Irish gelding into the awards ceremony to acknowledge her longtime dedication to the horse — and it doesn’t hurt that the honor came on this particular holiday, as Kathleen is a mom to two sweet little girls.

Kathleen Blauth-Murray and Reggie. Photo by Jenni Autry.

“I jumped him a little bit this morning, and he was jumping great, and in warm-up he was jumping great. You always think, ‘Oh my God, he didn’t touch one in the warm-up. What if my luck runs out?’ But I trust him completely,” Buck said, “Halfway around the (cross country) course yesterday, I thought, ‘If Reggie wins, I’d like to have Kathleen ride him in the prize giving.’ So that was my motivating factor today to have that happen.”

Lauren Kieffer and Marie LeMenestrel’s Meadowbrook’s Scarlett dropped one rail but still maintained their second place position to finish on a final score of 46.0. This 8-year-old Thoroughbred/Holsteiner mare has a virtually flawless show jumping record; that was just the fifth rail of her entire career. “She really jumped well, and I was thrilled with how she came out and felt because it was a long course yesterday,” Lauren said.

Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Now Lauren plays the waiting game to see if Scarlett will be named to the U.S. Pan American Games team. With Jersey Fresh being the final selection trials, Lauren said she hopes the second place finish today will help strengthen her bid. “I don’t think she could have made much of a stronger case,” Lauren said. “She did her job really well. She didn’t look green anywhere.”

Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa are also hot on the Pan Ams trail with their third place finish. They had one rail down but still moved up the leaderboard to finish on 49.9 after Kelly Prather and Blackfoot Mystery pulled two rails. “It was a frustrating rail because he’s a very good show jumper; it’s his strongest phase,” Boyd said. “I think it was a $1,000 rail! But I was pleased overall with his performance this weekend.”

Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa. Photo by Jenni Autry.

While Pancho, a 12-year-old Selle Francais gelding owned by the Pancho Villa Syndicate, was originally entered to compete in his first CCI4* at Rolex Kentucky, Boyd withdrew him to aim for Jersey Fresh with the Pan Ams in mind. “If I took him to Rolex, I would have been hoping to get around the course well, and I knew if I took him here he would be really competitive, which would give me a better chance at getting picked for the team,” he said.

Boyd also has Steve Blauner’s Master Frisky in the mix for the team, but Boyd confirmed to EN that he told the selectors he would rather have Pancho be considered for the Pan Ams in order to keep “Mikey” on a path for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, where he hopes the horse will be a good back-up for the Shamwari Syndicate’s Shamwari.

“The selectors have got a very confusing job to sort through who they want to pick,” Boyd said. “At the end of the day, it’s really up to them if they want to pick seasoned horses and seasoned riders or young horses and riders without team experience. Whatever the team is, that’s their call on what they feel is best to give us our best performance.”

Colleen Rutledge and Escot 6. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Looking at the rest of the final CCI3* leaderboard, Kelly Prather and Blackfoot Mystery finished fourth with two rails on a final score of 52.2 to complete the horse’s first CCI3*, and Matt Brown and Happenstance pulled one rail to round out the top five on a final score of 52.7. Matt also finished a second horse inside the top 10 with BCF Belicoso, who pulled two rails to finish 10th on 63.1.

Only three pairs jumped double clear rounds over Sally Ike’s course. In addition to Buck and Reggie, Michael Pollard and Ballingowan Pizazz jumped double clear to finish in sixth on 53.3, and Colleen Rutledge and her own Escot 6 also jumped double clear to finish seventh on 56.1. “Monkey,” a 9-year-old Hanoverian gelding, was also named Best Conditioned Horse in the awards today — a great way for Colleen to finish the horse’s first CCI3*.

We’ll have many more thoughts to bring you on the final Pan Ams picture in the coming days. The U.S. team is expected to be named no later than May 20, so we have 10 days to gnaw on the data and make our predictions. Keep it locked on EN — your top source for Team USA news. Go Eventing.

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Michael Pollard and Cyrano. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Michael Pollard and Carl Bouckaert’s Cyrano jumped a foot perfect show jumping round at the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event today to win the CCI2* on their dressage score of 36.9. “It’s great to be back in the winner’s circle here,” Michael said. “Things either seem to go really well here for me or really badly, so I’m glad we choose this weekend to have an up weekend.”

Now Michael will wait to see if the selectors are willing to overlook Cyrano’s 20 jumping penalties at Ocala from last month and give him a slot on the U.S. Pan American Games team. “I’m hoping that they’ll want to look at him and put him on the short list,” Michael said. “I think at the two-star level he’s a hard horse to beat anywhere in the world, and actually I think he’s got a lot more than that in him.”

The 14-year-old Zangersheide gelding represented Belgium at the 2012 London Olympic Games, and now he has a good shot at representing the Stars and Stripes in Toronto thanks to winning the final selection trials for the U.S. team. “He’s a little bit quirky, but I think that’s what makes good horses often,” he said. “I haven’t had very many top horses that weren’t a little bit strange, so you have to deal with that, and that’s what makes it fun.”

Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Tamie Smith knows firsthand about quirky horses, and she experienced quite a swing between the highs and lows of the sport in the show jumping today. While Tamie jumped a beautiful clear round with Alex Ahearn’s Mai Bum to finish in second place in the CCI2* on 41.5, she was also eliminated with Fleur de Lis, who was sitting in third place overnight, after two refusals.

Things came unraveled with “Milton” spooked and reared at the second jump, which had planks painted in the exact blue shade of a liverpool. “He’s kind of funny at liverpools and fence 2 he thought was a liverpool (hanging vertically),” Tamie said. “He’s never done that in the show jumping before.”

She got Milton going again, but then the horse somehow got his egg bar shoe stuck in the carabiner clip of his belly guard girth while jumping over fence 9b. With his shoe caught in the girth (click for a close-up photo — many thanks to EN readers Tracey and Erin Soboleski!), he stumbled on landing, which ripped the shoe off his foot and pitched Tamie forward. There was no way for her to make it to fence 10 a few strides away.

The moment when Fleur de Lis caught his shoe on his girth — brilliantly captured by EN reader Erin Soboleski.

“I knew I rode the best I could ride, and there wasn’t anything I could do. It just happened,” Tamie said. “I just put it out of my mind and went, ‘Thank God I have another shot.'” She came back later in the division to deliver the clear round with Mai Baum to keep her Pan American Games bid alive.

Ryan Wood and Sarah Hughes’ Alcatraz finished third on their dressage score of 44.3 after jumping clear — a super showing in the 10-year-old Dutch’s gelding’s first CCI2*. “I was thrilled with him. He hasn’t had a rail down all year, and I was thinking maybe today was going to be the day,” Ryan said. “He moved up quite a few places after the cross country and then a couple more to get the bronze.”

“Murray” will now enjoy a nice summer break and come back out in the fall for the Dutta Corp Fair Hill International CCI2*. Ryan is also hoping to get some Advanced level horse trials under the horse’s belt with the long-term goal of aiming for a three-star next spring.

Ryan Wood and Alcatraz. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Phillip Dutton and Get Ready, owned by John and Kristie Norton and Ray Bond, also jumped clear to finish fourth on a final score of 47.3, and Mara DePuy and Coolcorron Kinsale round out the top five after jumping clear to finish on a final score of 47.8.

Thirteen horses and riders jumped double clear rounds. In addition to those already named, the following pairs jumped double clear: Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue D’Argouges (6th), Waylon Roberts and Bill Owen (7th), Lauren Kieffer and Landmark’s Monaco (8th), Lillian Heard and Arundel (9th), Erin Sylvester and Paddy the Caddy (10th), Boyd Martin and Welcome Shadow (13th), Peter Barry and Long Island T (15th), and Adrian Jones and Irish Odyssey (16th).

Sally Ike’s CCI3* course is being set now, and we’ll get underway with CCI3* show jumping at 1:30 p.m. EST. Buck Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM are sitting in the lead on 41.6, followed by Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett in second on 42.0, and Kelly Prather and Blackfoot Mystery in third on 44.2. Less than a rail separates the top three, so it will be an exciting show jumping finale here in Allentown!

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Jessica Phoenix and Exultation at the first horse inspection on Wednesday. Photo by Jenni Autry.

We have an update on Jessica Phoenix’s condition after her rotational fall with Exultation at fence 6, a hanging log with a steep drop off the back, on the CCI2* cross country course this morning at the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event.

Rusty Lowe, FEI safety officer for Jersey Fresh, confirmed to EN that Jessica broke three ribs, her clavicle and her sacrum in the fall. She has been transported to the trauma center at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey, where she is reportedly in stable condition.

Jessica has no head or neck injuries and is currently being assessed for internal injuries. We will continue to update you on Jessica’s condition in this post, so keep checking back. You can also keep an eye on the Phoenix Equestrian Team Facebook page for updates at this link.

Exultation, an 11-year-old Thoroughbred gelding owned by Jessica, was uninjured in the fall. The EN team sends our best wishes for a full and speedy recovery for Jessica. Go Phoenix Equestrian Team!

Update: Jessica underwent surgery this afternoon at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital to repair damage to her liver that she sustained in the fall. The surgery went well and she is resting comfortably tonight. She is expected to make a full recovery. Please join the EN team in sending lots of positive thoughts her way.

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#43. Buck Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Buck Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM were unbeatable on cross country today at the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event, and their double clear round will keep them in lead going into show jumping tomorrow on a score of 41.6. It’s a taste of redemption for Carl and Cassie Segal’s Reggie after the horse retired early on course at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event.

It was just a matter of getting to the wrong spot at that fence, Buck told EN yesterday after Reggie’s leading dressage test. The horse is just fine both mentally and physically, and he looked like his usual self on course today — ears flicked back listening to Buck, galloping along eating up the course with his signature game face on.

“Reggie” is historically a very good show jumper, which is a good thing considering he won’t have much breathing room with Lauren Kieffer and Marie LeMenestrel’s Meadowbrook’s Scarlett waiting in the wings. Lauren and “Scarlett” also jumped clear in the mare’s first CCI3* to maintain their second place position on a score of 42.0 — a super showing in their bid for the U.S. Pan American Games team.

Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Kelly Prather and the Blackfoot Mystery Syndicate’s Blackfoot Mystery delivered a cracking double clear round as the trailblazers on this course, which moves them up one position to third place on their dressage score of 44.2. Not only did they accomplish that in the horse’s first CCI3*, but it looks like “B” might have turned a corner after struggling with blips on cross country at FEI events since last fall. Go OTTBs!

Boyd Martin and the Pancho Villa Syndicate’s Pancho Villa jumped around in good form, coming home clear just one second over the time to move into fourth place on a score of 45.9. Matt Brown and Mary McKee’s Happenstance jumped one of the eight double clear rounds in the division to round out the top five on a score of 47.7. Both Pancho Villa and Happenstance are very much on the Pan Ams radar, so they did exactly what they needed to today.

The West Coast riders simply dominated today on cross country. Tamie Smith delivered two double clear rounds in the CCI2* to sit in second and third places with Mai Baum and Fleur de Lis, respectively, and Matt also has two horses in the top 10 in the CCI3*, as Blossom Creek Foundation’s BCF Belicoso jumped clear with 6.8 time penalties in his three-star debut to sit in ninth place on 53.1.

Kelly Prather and Blackfoot Mystery. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Buck Davidson also has two horses in the top 10; in addition to holding the lead with Ballynoe Castle RM, he’s also sitting in sixth place with Wiley Post, who jumped double clear to remain on his dressage score of 47.8. Holly Payne and Santino delivered a cracking round in front of family and friends — I think the Payne crew bought about four tailgating spots at the Jersey Shore — to sit in seventh place after jumping clear with 6 time penalties.

Beaulieu’s Cayenne showed off her scope in the mare’s first CCI3*, jumping double clear to sit in eighth place on 53.3, and Michael Pollard — who is leading the CCI2* with Carl Bouckaert’s Cyrano after a double clear round this morning — and Ballingowan Pizazz round out the top 10 after jumping clear with 6.8 time penalties to sit on 53.3.

Like the CCI2* course, John Williams’ CCI3* course also rode well across the board, and the rain that pelted the two-star riders this morning dried up for the CCI3* action. In addition to the pairs already named, Nilson Moreira da Silva and Muggle and Colleen Rutledge and Escot 6 also jumped double clear around the course to sit in 12th and 13th places, respectively.

Matt Brown and BCF Belicoso. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Just three horses picked up jumping penalties on course. Allie Knowles and Sound Prospect had a glance off at fence 12, the brush wedge in the main arena. LCC Barnaby stopped at fence 9, the drop bank, to pick up 20 penalties there. Liz Riley and Renaissance had two stops, one at the table at fence 10 on the hill coming down into the main arena and another at fence 17, a brush coming into the Jersey Shore.

The only fall on course came when Phillip Dutton and John and Kristie Norton’s I’m Sew Ready fell at the corner on the final combination on course just two fences from home when “Jackson” left a leg. Phillip confirmed to EN that both he and the horse are OK.

You can relive a play-by-play of the action with our live CCI3* updates here. We are waiting word on Jessica Phoenix’s condition after she and Exultation fell at fence 6 in the CCI2* this morning. She withdrew her remaining horses from the competition and is reported to be in stable condition at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital. Stay tuned for more updates.

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Michael Pollard and Cyrano. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Today’s forecast showed a 2 percent chance of rain for the morning’s cross country action at the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event, but Mother Nature quickly proved she has a sense of humor when a downpour started toward the end of the CCI2*. Overnight leaders Michael Pollard and Carl Bouckaert’s Cyrano battled driving rain to deliver a double clear round to remain on their dressage score of 36.9, which will give them a rail in hand going into tomorrow’s show jumping.

Tamie Smith had to keep her cool when Alex Ahearn’s Mai Baum, who was sitting in third place after dressage, threw a show in warm up, causing her to miss her scheduled ride time while she waited for a farrier. With Lexus’s shoe tacked back on, they delivered a double clear to move into second place after cross country on their score of 41.5.

Then this California girl showed she’s impervious to weather when she returned later in the division in the worst of the rain to record another double clear round with the Team Milton Syndicate’s Fleur de Lis. That puts “Milton” in third place on 42.8, just behind his stablemate Lexus. Tamie came east to make her case for the U.S. Pan American Games team, and she made one hell of a statement today in the final selection trials.

Tamie Smith and Fleur de Lis. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Buck Davidson had a cracking round aboard Carlevo LLC’s Carlevo to remain in fourth place after jumping clear with 1.6 time penalties. That’s the brightest spot to his day so far, as he popped off Lisa Darden’s Be Mine at fence 7; the horse was sitting in sixth place overnight. He was up right away and walked the horse back to stabling. There’s no rest for Buck — he still has three more horses to ride today!

Ryan Wood jumped double clear on both of his horses, moving up to fifth place with Sarah Hughes’ Alcatraz on 44.3 and seventh place with Summit Sporthorses’ Powell on 47.4. Phillip Dutton also jumped double clear on Get Ready, owned by John and Kristie Norton and Ray Bond, to move up to sixth place on 47.3.

Seventeen combinations in all jumped clear and inside the time. In addition to the pairs already named, the following also jumped double clear: Mara DePuy and Coolcorron Kinsale (8T), Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue D’Argouges (8T), Waylon Roberts and Bill Owen (10th), Lillian Heard and Arundel (12th), Erin Sylvester and Paddy the Caddy (13th), Matthew Ulmer and Palmetto Conair (14th), Boyd Martin and Welcome Shadow (15th), Buck Davidson and No Remorse (20th), Adrian Jones and Irish Odyssey (21st), Francesca Broggini and Petit Bleu Marine (22T), and Sara Gumbiner and Polaris (28th).

Buck Davidson and Carlevo. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Kevin Baumgardner and Wembley win the Save of the Day Award after pulling off a hell of a ride at the Jersey Shore. Every single rider took the option at 17bc except Kevin, even when Wembley stumbled up the bank. He pulled to the left to make the direct route work when jumping off the bank and got to the final element of the combination, a skinny brush, with no trouble. I hope someone got that on video!

John Williams’ course rode very well overall, with only a few problems cropping up. Most notably, Jessica Phoenix has been transported to Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in Hamilton after falling with Exultation upon landing from fence 6, a hanging log with a steep drop off the back. The horse was up right away and is reportedly OK, and we had a long hold on course while waiting for Jessica to be transported off the course. We have been told she is “doing well at present.”

Jessica subsequently withdrew her remaining horses from the competition. She was sitting in second place in the CCI2* with Patras VR, 15th with A Little Romance in the CCI3*, and second in the CIC2* with Pavarotti. We will continue to bring you updates on Jessica’s condition, so keep checking back to EN.

Kevin Baumgardner and Wembley. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Woodge Fulton and Captain Jack had a heartbreaking fall when the horse slipped after fence 23; they were having a cracking round up until that point. Both are reportedly OK. Marley Burke Stone was also reported as OK after falling off Kilrodan Ambassador when he slipped near fence 8.

The only jumping penalties on course came at 9b, the arrowhead in the main arena, where Lillian Heard and FYI had a glance off, and fence 18, the big brush after the Jersey Shore, where Faolan ducked out at the last minute with Ian Roberts. The course had a very high completion rate, and 82 percent of the starters jumped clear around the course.

You can relive a play-by-play of the action in our live updates here. The CCI3* is about to get underway now. Matt Brown has withdrawn Super Socks BCF, so Kelly Prather and Blackfoot Mystery will be the first out on course. Follow along with our live CCI3* updates here, and stay tuned for much more from Jersey Fresh.

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Fence 9a

The CCI divisions will be the first out on John Williams’ cross country course this morning at Jersey Fresh. Buck Davidson and No Remorse will kick us off at 8:34 a.m. EST on the CCI2*, and the CCI3* is slated to kick off just before noon EST.

Be sure to check out our fence-by-fence previews for the CCI2* course here and CCI3* course here and refresh this page periodically for the latest updates. Go Jersey!

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8:30: We’re underway! Buck Davidson and No Remorse are our first on course.

8:36: Jessica Phoenix has parted ways with Exultation at fence 6, a hanging log with a steep drop on the back. Looks like she fell off on landing. The horse is OK and the medical team is tending to Jessica.

8:37: We have a hold on course while the medics help Jessica. We will update you on her status as soon as we can.

8:39: Buck Davidson and No Remorse come home clear and 10 seconds under the time. We are still under a hold.

8:43: We have word that the medical team is stabilizing Jessica Phoenix. Exultation a is OK after the fall. We are still under a hold.

8:46: We have word that Jessica is alert and talking to the medical team.

8:47: Jessica is being transported off the course. We will continue to bring you updates as we can. We are about to get back underway.

8:48: We are running on a 12 minute delay due to the hold on course.

8:53: Lillian Heard and FYI have a glance off at 9b, the chevron in the main arena.

8:54: Mai Baum threw a shoe in warmup and will be running out of order. The farrier is heading to tack it back on.

9:01: Lillian Heard and FYI are home with 20 jumping penalties and 23.6 time penalties.

9:05: Kevin Bumgardner and Wembley are the first to take the direct route at the Jersey Shore. Wembley stumbled up the bank but Kevin got it done!

9:06: Marley Stone Bourke popped off Kilrodan Ambassador when the horse slipped near the trakehner at fence 8. She is OK. Huge bummer.

9:08: Kevin and Wembley are home clear and just 2 seconds over the time. A great ride for him.

9:11: Tamie Smith and Mai Baum are still scheduled to go but the horse is still getting his shoe tacked back on after pulling it in warm up.

9:17: Kristen Buffamoyer and Jim are home clear. Madeline Backus and P.S. Ariana are heading home for a clear round. Tamie Smith and Mai Baum are clear through the main arena.

9:23: Tamie Smith and Mai Baum are home double clear to move into the lead!

9:28: We have word that Jessica Phoenix has been transported to the local hospital for evaluation.

9:31: Tik Maynard and Dutch Times are home clear with 7.6 time penalties. They looked textbook through the Jersey Shore.

9:36: Kelsey Briggs and The Gentleman Pirate are home clear with just a few time. Liz Riley and Renaissance are on course now and having a good go.

9:40: Just about every rider is taking the long route at the Jersey Shore so far. It doesn’t add that much time and gives riders more time to get organized for the skinny brush that comes next.

9:42: Liz Riley and Renaissance home clear with 3.6 time penalties.

9:43: Sara Gumbiner and Polaris are our third double clear!

9:47: Ryan Wood and Powell are our fourth double clear. That moves them to second in the standings so far.

9:50: Damn! Woodge Fulton has popped off after fence 23 when Captain Jack slipped on the turn. Huge bummer. They were having a super trip. They are both up and OK.

9:55: Buck Davidson and Carlevo come home clear with a handful of time. They move into second.

10: Matthew Ulmer and Palmetto Conair are our fifth double clear.

10:03: Phillip Dutton and Get Ready finish 14 seconds under the time — that’s the fastest of the day and our sixth double clear.

10:07: Erin Sylvester and Paddy the Caddy blaze home 40 seconds under the time! Our seventh double clear.

10:09: Faolan ducks out at the last minute at fence 18 to pick up 20. They were clear on second attempt.

10:15: Boyd Martin and Welcome Shadow are our eighth double clear.

10:24: Francesca Borginni and Petit Bleu Marine are our ninth double clear!

10:30: Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue D’Argouges are our 10 double clear. The course is riding very well overall. Two of the three falls on course came when horses slipped.

10:35: We are still awaiting an update on Jessica Phoenix’s condition. We are assuming at this point she will be withdrawing Patras VR, who was in second place overnight in this division.

10:39: Adrian Jones and Irish Odyssey are our 11th double clear with a cracking round.

10:42: We have a steady rain falling now in Allentown, which might make things a bit slippery out there. We have already had two horses slipping after fences, which resulted in one RF and one MR.

10:43: Juan Larrazabal and Atlanta are home clear with 16.8 time penalties.

10:47: Ryan Wood and Alcatraz have the 12th double clear round of the day to move into third place. That’s Ryan’s second double clear of the day, as he also made the time with Powell.

10:49: Lauren Kieffer tells Landmark’s Monaco “Good buy!” as he jumps clear through the main arena complex, which has been riding well for the CCI2* division. Just one runout at the arrowhead so far.

10:50: Jessica Phoenix has officially withdrawn all her horses from the competition. She was sitting in second place in the CCI2* with Patras VR, 15th with A Little Romance in the CCI3*, and second in the CIC2* with Pavarotti. Gutting. We are still awaiting word on her condition at the hospital but have been told she is “doing well at present.”

10:52: Peter Barry and Long Island T are home clear with 14.4 time penalties. The horse looked foot perfect through the main arena.

10:53: Overnight leaders Michael Pollard and Cyrano are on course now. They are clear through fence 10.

10:55: Lauren Kieffer and Landmark’s Monaco are home clear and just a few seconds over the time.

10:56: Buck Davidson has been popped out of the tack with Be Mine at fence 7. Both horse and rider are OK.

10:59: Michael Pollard and Cyrano come home clear one second under the time — our 13th double clear of the day. They will keep their lead going  into show jumping tomorrow.

11:03: The rain has picked up to a steady downpour now. The final horses and riders on this CCI2* course will be battling less than ideal conditions!

11:05: California girl Tamie Smith showing this heavy rain doesn’t bother her one bit! She’s flying through the main arena on Fleur de Lis and is clear so far on course. Looking fantastic.

11:07: Lillian Heard and Arundel deliver our 14th double clear round in pissing rain. Conditions deteriorating rapidly here in Allentown!

11:11: Tamie Smith and Fleur de Lis come home clear and two seconds under the time to become our 14th double clear. That will put her in both second place with Mai Baum and third place with Fleur de Lis going into cross country tomorrow.

11:12: Mara DePuy and Coolcorron Kinsale are heading for home now clear so far. Waylon Roberts and Bill Owen are our last on course and are clear through seven.

11:15: Mara DePuy and Coolcorron Kinsale are the 16th double clear to move into the top 10.

11:18: Waylon Roberts and Bill Owen are home clear inside the time to become our 17th double clear. That wraps up CCI2* cross country. Stay tuned for the full report on EN! Final top 10 scores are below; click here to view full scores.

Matt Brown has withdrawn Super  Socks BCF from the CCI3*, so Kelly Prather and Blackfoot Mystery will be our first out on for the CCI3* at 11:40 a.m. EST.

Emily Beshear and Shame on the Moon. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Emily Beshear and Deep Purple Eventing’s Shame on the Moon sailed to a comfortable lead this afternoon in the CIC3* at the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event, scoring 41.6 to give them a five point margin over second place. That’s a personal best score at this level for “Delta,” a 9-year-old Trakehner/Thoroughbred mare who is extremely talented in this phase but sometimes battles nerves due to atmosphere.

Delta was all business in the ring today, and Emily rode her beautifully in what should prove to be a good confidence building time in the sandbox in the mare’s final preparation for Bromont next month, where Emily confirmed they will aim for the mare’s second CCI3*. This pair also completed the Dutta Corp Fair Hill International last fall.

Caroline Martin and Quantum Solace. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Lauren Kieffer is sitting in second place in this division — in fact, she’s sitting in second place in three of the four divisions at Jersey Fresh — after scoring 46.4 with Landmark’s Monte Carlo, a 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Jacqueline Mars. We’ve predicted “Patrick” to clinch the win this weekend in his first CIC3*.

Kurt Martin and his own Delux Z delivered a consistent test, scoring 50.7 to sit in third place after dressage. This horse was a star at the two-star level and has struggled a bit in his move up to the Advanced/CIC3* level this spring, and we’re sending all the EN karma to Kurt and this lovely 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding for a good go around John Williams’ cross country course tomorrow.

Buck Davidson and Copper Beach. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Caroline Martin and Quantum Solace scored 51.1 to sit in fourth place in what will be their final preparation for the Tattersalls CIC3* in Ireland for their first overseas competition later this month. “Nacho,” an Argentinian Sport Horse gelding owned by Caroline and Sherrie Martin, will then go on to Bramham with Caroline to compete in the under 25 CCI3* competition during the second week in June.

The CIC2* horses were the last to go today, and Buck Davidson and Copper Beach scored 40.2 to lead the class. “Sean,” a 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Carl and Cassie Segal and Sherrie Martin, won the CCI3* at this event last year, and he’s in the CIC2* this weekend as a tune up for Tattersalls CCI3*, where he’ll do battle against some very big names.

Lauren Kieffer and Takine de la Barbais. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Lauren Kieffer is also enjoying prime real estate on the leaderboard in this division, sitting in second place on 44.6 with Takine de la Barbais, an 8-year-old Selle Francais mare owned by Jacqueline Mars. This is yet another lovely young horse in Lauren’s string and a relatively new ride for her, as the mare was imported just before Christmas last year after being campaigned to the two-star level by by Antoine Percheron in France.

Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti round out the top three in the CIC2* on a score of 44.9. “Rotti” just did the dressage at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event last month, and Jessie confirmed he is waiting in the wings should Canada decide they want the horse for the Pan American Games. The horse won individual gold at Guadalajara in 2011, so he’s no stranger to the Pan Ams. Canadian Chef d’Equipe Clayton Fredericks confirmed today that their team won’t be named until after Bromont.

Doug Payne and Lysander. Photo by Jenni Autry.

CIC3* show jumping is at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow morning, with CIC2* show jumping at 10:30 a.m. Both divisions will go cross country in the afternoon. You can follow along with live cross country action on PRO Tour Radio, and we’ll also be posting live updates right here on EN. Click here to see ride times. Go Eventing.

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Buck Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Buck Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM took the CCI3* lead this morning at the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event, scoring 41.6 to just edge Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett’s score of 42.0 at the conclusion of dressage. It’s familiar territory for “Reggie” to be sitting in, as he’s twice finished in the top five at the CCI3* in this event, placing second in 2008 and fourth in 2012.

“He’s so relaxed, and I was a little worried myself that maybe I was too relaxed,” Buck told EN after the test. “But he just does his professional test every time. It doesn’t matter where he is — he could be at Kentucky, he could be here, he could be in the middle of 1-95 for that matter, and he just does the same test every time.” (Watch video of the test here.)

Reggie re-routed to Jersey Fresh after early trouble on cross country last month at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, where Buck said he got the 15-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding to a bad spot coming to the big table at fence 7b, the jump out of the Frog Pond.

Phillip Dutton and I’m Sew Ready. Photo by Jenni Autry.

“I jumped into the first water, and I turned, and when I went to go to the table, it was so wrong. It wasn’t like I could just lean back and kick,” Buck said. “It was completely my fault, and there’s absolutely no reason to jump Reggie around a course with 20 penalties at this point in his career, especially with that weather.”

Buck said he wasn’t worried about Reggie physically after Kentucky, but he decided it would be a good time to get him checked out at New Bolton Center by Dr. Eric Parente, who performed the horse’s wind surgery. “Dr. Parente passed him with flying colors. We did blood work, and the blood work was awesome,” Buck said. “We just need to put a pair of glasses on the rider and we’ll be fine.”

Carl and Cassie Segal, Reggie’s owners and Buck’s longtime supporters, live right down the road from Jersey Fresh, and with this being their hometown event, Buck said it made sense to re-route the horse here. “He’s a competitor, and he loves his job. That’s not how he wants to finish an event. He’s fit and well, and we’re here to try to win.”

Matt Brown and BCF Belicoso. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Buck confirmed that he did apply for the Pan American Games with Reggie, but he said he does not expect the horse to be named to the team. “It gives the selectors options. At the end of the day, we want (the U.S.) to win, and we want to send the best horses that are at the two-star level. If you don’t apply and it turns out they could really use an experienced horse, then you can’t help your team.”

Looking ahead to tomorrow’s cross country, Buck said he loves what course designer John Williams and his crew have done with the course. “It’s so different, and it’s so much more open now. It’s not easy, but it definitely has a better feel to it. It doesn’t feel so busy now,” Buck said.

We’ll have a full preview of the cross country course coming your way next. The grounds crew has been diligently aerating the ground all morning, as the Allentown area hasn’t seen much rain in the last week. Tomorrow’s forecast is still looking dry, but punching the ground has made a huge difference in the footing, and it should be good going for the horses.

Cecily Brown all smiles after her husband Matt Brown’s test with BCF Belicoso. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Looking at the other influential tests from this morning, Phillip Dutton and I’m Sew Ready scored 42.4 to move into third place. That bests their dressage score of 43.1 from Carolina International, where Phillip and “Jackson,” an 11-year-old Dutch gelding owned by John and Kristine Norton, went on to win the CIC3*. This weekend is the horse’s first crack at a CCI3*.

While BCF Belicoso is the greenest of Matt Brown’s three CCI3* rides, he delivered the nicest test of the bunch this morning to move into equal sixth place on a score of 46.3. All of Matt’s horses have superhero personas, and Matt wore a Captain America shirt underneath his show clothes for the test this morning with Belicoso, a 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by the Blossom Creek Foundation.

Be sure to keep checking back to the EN homepage for all the latest news from Jersey Fresh and Badminton Horse Trials, where Samantha Clark is providing excellent coverage from England. Tomorrow is going to be a very busy, exciting day with cross country running for both events. Go Eventing!

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Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett delivered the consistent test we’ve come to expect from them today and then some, delivering their best score at the three-star level to date to lead on 42.0 about two-thirds of the way through CCI3* dressage at the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event. This mare has campaigned primarily in national horse trials during her career, and with only three FEI starts to date, she’s flown a little bit under the radar.

You could argue that “Scarlett,” an 8-year-old Thoroughbred/Holsteiner mare owned and bred in the U.S. by Marie LeMenestrel, had her breakout moment last year when she won the Bromont CCI2*, but now she’s really coming in hot as a serious contender for the U.S. Pan American Games team. We’ve predicted her to finish second this weekend only to current U.S. All-Time Leading Horse Ballynoe Castle RM, which should give you an idea of just how bright this mare’s future is if things continue to play out like this.

“She really doesn’t do anything wrong, and she’s just going to keep getting better as she gets older. She has such a good presence in the ring. Her whole career she’s just been a really lovely horse,” Lauren told EN after the test. “The hardest part is remembering that she is a bit green because she’s never given me any kind of trouble. She’s such a good horse in all three phases, and she’s such a trier.”

Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa. Photo by Jenni Autry.

We’ll have to wait until tomorrow morning to see if Scarlett holds her spot at the top of the leaderboard, as there are eight more combinations still to come as the CCI3* division completes dressage, including Buck Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM, Carolina International CIC3* winners Phillip Dutton and I’m Sew Ready, Michael Pollard and Walterstown Don, and West Coast hot shots Matt Brown and BCF Belicoso.

In other notable tests this afternoon, Kelly Prather and Blackfoot Mystery returned to the good form we saw from them last fall with a beautiful test, scoring 44.2 to sit in second place. These two led after dressage in the big Plantation Field CIC3* class in September, and we saw that same quality of work today when Kelly and “B,” an 11-year-old off-track Thoroughbred gelding owned by the Blackfoot Mystery Syndicate, knocked it out of the park. It’s never a bad day when your horse’s best score comes in his very first CCI3* test.

Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa were the final pair to go this afternoon, scoring 45.5 to sit in third place currently. Silva Martin helped them warm up before the test — while sporting an adorable baby bump — and Boyd said after the test that “Pancho,” a 12-year-old Selle Francais gelding owned by the Pancho Villa Syndicate, was a little more up in the ring than he expected.

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

This is the first time that horses have done dressage in the Grand Prix ring at the Horse Park of New Jersey, and it’s a very different atmosphere than we’ve had in the past here for this phase. The brand new VIP tent (you can buy tickets here!) sits at one end of the arena, and horses have to go right past it when entering the ring. The blue and yellow flags in Jersey Fresh’s colors were flapping for most of the day in the wind, and it definitely created a certain energy in the air.

If the key theme of the CCI2* division was how much all the horses, especially the Pan Ams contenders, stepped up to the plate and delivered nice tests, the theme of the CCI3* division so far has to be “what might have been.” The highly anticipated combination of Matt Brown and Super Socks BCF had a disappointing test as the very first pair out, when “Flaxen” made it very clear he was not a fan of the double bridle Matt was using; they scored 57.9.

Matt tasted redemption with his second of three rides in the division, as Mary McKee’s Happenstance, a 9-year-old Holsteiner gelding, delivered a lovely test to sit in sixth place on a score of 47.7, which was perhaps judged a bit harshly. You’ll notice quite a spread amongst the judges when looking at many of the scores from today across both divisions.

Michael Pollard and Ballingowan Pizazz. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Michael Pollard and Ballingowan Pizazz, who led this division after dressage last year, unfortunately had a break to the canter during the extended trot. While they recovered quickly and well to score 46.5 to sit in fifth place, that’s still a costly mistake to make with Pan Ams selection on the line. Michael is also in Pan Ams contention with Cyrano, who currently leads in the CCI2*.

U.S. Chef d’Equipe David O’Connor is scrutinizing every test ringside, and while I haven’t spotted any of the selectors yet, they’re here somewhere; they’re always watching. Here’s a look at the horses and riders who are in the hot seat at Jersey Fresh this weekend with this event being the final selection trials for the U.S. team.

Holly Payne and Santino delivered their personal best score at this level in front of a large cheering squad of family and friends to sit in fourth place on 46.3. The Payne family are longtime supporters of this event, and it was great to see them all here today to cheer on Holly and “Sunny.” Holly’s mom and well-known dressage judge Marilyn Payne was particularly thrilled with the test and asked that everyone help bail her daughter out of “jail,” as Holly is one of five riders under “stall a-rest” this weekend.

Colleen Rutledge and Escot 6. Photo by Jenni Autry.

“Bad to the Bone” Buck Davidson, “Lawless” Lauren Kieffer, “Wayward” Tik Maynard, “Hooligan” Holly Payne and “Crooked” Kristin Schmolze all must raise $1,000 by Saturday night in order to make bail. All proceeds benefit Jersey Fresh and the Horse Park of New Jersey’s Capital Campaign for Footing Refurbishment.

So far, Tik leads with $560, followed by Lauren with $360, Holly with $325, Kristin with $235 and Buck with $275. The rider who raises the most money for these two great causes will win the “Big Dog” title and take home a special prize. Click here to make a donation and help bail your favorite rider out of jail.

It’s a busy weekend around Eventing Nation, with the final selection trial for the U.S. Pan American Games team here at Jersey Fresh running concurrently with the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials in England. Check out videos from Jersey Fresh courtesy of Thehorsepester below, and be sure to read Samantha Clark’s fantastic coverage and interviews from Badminton at this link. Go Eventing.

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Michael Pollard and Cyrano. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Michael Pollard and Cyrano nailed it this afternoon at the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event, scoring 36.9 as the only combination to crack the 30s in the CCI2* to easily lead the 40-horse division at the conclusion of dressage. Every move these riders make has a chance to impact the Pan Ams picture at this point, and it’s definitely a good time to be delivering a personal best dressage score.

Michael and Cyrano did that today, besting their score from last month’s Ocala Horse Properties CCI2* by four points. The 14-year-old Zangersheide gelding owned by Carl Bouckaert is no stranger to championship scenarios, having represented the Belgian eventing team at the 2012 London Olympics. Now it’s up to Michael to bring it home in the next two phases with a ticket to Toronto on the line.

Jessica Phoenix and Patras VR sit five points back in second place on a score of 41.4 for Canada. This 14-year-old Trakehner gelding owned by Kirk Hoppner needs to qualify for the Pan Ams here at Jersey Fresh this weekend, so the next few days will be critical for this combination. Jessie is also sitting in 13th place in this division with her own Exultation, an 11-year-old Thoroughbred gelding looking to compete his first CCI2* this weekend.

Jessica Phoenix and Patras VR. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Tamie Smith made a strong Pan Ams statement today, sitting in third and fifth places with Alex Ahearn’s Mai Baum and Team Milton Syndicate’s Fleur de Lis on scores of 41.5 and 42.8, respectively. She was one of the first out this morning with Mai Baum, a 9-year-old German Sporthorse gelding, and she said after the test that she thought the trot work could have been more through and expressive, but “the horse has been a dream to ride” and she was happy overall with the performance.

Fleur de Lis, a 10-year-old Dutch gelding, was one of the last horses to go in the division, and Tamie said she hoped his score would top his stablemate’s. They didn’t quite do that but still delivered a solid test. Is the fact that this is the final Pan Ams selection trial on her mind this weekend? “We all know it’s the final selection trial, but honestly I always want to win, so I put the same amount of pressure on myself at every horse show,” Tamie said.

Buck Davidson’s top two rides in this division are mashed together with Tamie’s on the leaderboard, with Carlevo LLC’s Carlevo sitting in fourth place on 42.6 and Lisa Darden’s Be Mine sitting in sixth place on 43.4. Both of these horses are very much on the Pan Ams radar and did exactly what they needed to do today. Carlevo, an 8-year-old Holsteiner gelding that came out of Dirk Schrade’s barn, is so supple laterally and creates a striking presence in the sandbox.

Buck Davidson and Be Mine. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Be Mine, a 9-year-old Rheinlander gelding, is not a fan of wind or flapping flags, and there was a gust of wind during his test that flapped the flags around the new VIP tent, causing the horse to scoot down the long side during that particular canter movement in his test. It was unfortunate timing but a marked improvement from how Be Mine handled that type of atmosphere at the Dutta Corp Fair Hill International.

Ryan Wood is the third rider enjoying two horses inside the top 10, with Sarah Hughes’ Alcatraz sitting in seventh on 44.3 and Summit Sporthorses’ Powell sitting in 10th on 47.4. Ryan’s barn is quite simply stacked with exciting up and coming horses right now, with Alcatraz, a 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding, being a prime example. The horse finished third in the CIC2* at Red Hills and second in the CIC2* at Fair Hill last month in preparation for his first CCI2* here at Jersey Fresh.

Powell is another horse to be excited about, as the 9-year-old Oldenburg gelding bred right here in New Jersey by Ilona English hasn’t finished lower than fourth in his last four FEI starts. He was third in the CIC2* at Fair Hill last month, right behind stablemate Alcatraz, and is also contesting his first CCI2* this weekend.

Tamie Smith and Fleur De Lis. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Peter Barry is the second highest placed rider for Canada in the division, sitting in eighth place on a score of 44.7 after a lovely test with his own Long Island T. The 9-year-old Oldenburg/Thoroughbred gelding is attempting his first CCI2* this weekend, and Peter said “Ludwig” may be just outside Canada’s Pan Am’s picture since he’s green to the level. But considering his damsire is this horse named Heraldik xx you might have heard of, this surely won’t be the last we hear of him.

Phillip Dutton and Get Ready, owned by John and Kristie Norton and Ray Bond, are also enjoying a spot inside the top 10, scoring 47.3 to sit in ninth place in what was easily this horse’s best dressage test to date. The whole Norton and Bond crew whooped and hollered on the final salute, and Kristen said “Brooklyn,” a 9-year-old Dutch gelding, looks like an entirely different horse after being under Phillip’s tutelage while she’s adjusting to life as a new mom.

The CCI2* horses in Pan Ams contention set an incredibly high bar in the sandbox today, so it’s up to the CCI3* horses now to keep that level of energy and show they can deliver under pressure. The first part of the CCI3* division is about to get underway now and will wrap up tomorrow morning. Watch videos of the top CCI2* dressage tests courtesy of EN’s good friend Thehorsepesterer at this link.

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

Sixty-four horses will move on to dressage in the CCI divisions following the first horse inspection at the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event in Allentown, New Jersey, this afternoon. All 24 horses that presented for the CCI3* were accepted, and 40 horses were accepted for the CCI2*.

Four horses were withdrawn from the CCI3* prior to the start of the jog: In Style, Ziggy, Pebbly Maximus and Twizted Syster. Tamie Smith posted on her Facebook page that Twizted Syster banged her leg in her stall and is not feeling 100 percent — a bummer of an end to their trip east.

Michael Pollard withdrew Songline and Will Faudree withdrew Caeleste before the CCI2* jog. Three horses were then sent to the holding box during the CCI2* jog: Alasca L V Z with Juan Larrazabal for Venezuela, Sarango with Daniel Carmac for Ecuador, and Petit Bleu Marine with Francesca Broggini for Switzerland.

Juan withdrew Alasca L V Z from the holding box, and Sarango was accepted after the ground jury of Christina Klingspor, Anibal Marianito, and Gretchen Butts wanted to take a closer look at the spur marks on Carmac’s side. Daniel told the ground jury that the horse has been battling a skin fungus after spending time in Florida, and they said they didn’t want him to ride with spurs during the competition. Petite Bleu Marine was also accepted upon re-presentation.

It’s a cloudy, pleasant afternoon here at the Horse Park of New Jersey, and everyone is wondering what the weather will bring later in the week. We have a forecast with hot temperatures and threatening thunderstorms currently in the cards, so we’ll see how it plays out. Ride times are being finalized now, and we’ll link to those when they’re ready.

See below for a gallery from the jog, and click here for a full playlist of videos from the jog courtesy of Thehorsepesterer.

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