Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Jennie Brannigan punched the air as she crossed the finish line aboard Tim and Nina Gardner’s Cambalda, knowing that a clear trip inside the time gave her the win in The Fork CIC3* on her dressage score of 42.8. It’s the second time in the last five runnings of this CIC3* that she’s won aboard her longtime partner “Ping,” a 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, and they’ll take this positive momentum forward to Rolex Kentucky in three weeks.

“He actually wanted to go today, which I’m not used to,” Jennie said. “He didn’t feel like he wanted to hesitate at anything, which is cool because he doesn’t always feel like that. Hopefully he’s starting to come into form and we’re not peaking too soon. He just felt spot on everywhere.”

Now Jennie and Ping look ahead to Kentucky, where they’ll hope to end the weekend with a number score. After Ping slipped on pavement and had to be withdrawn before the trot up in 2013 and then jumped all the way around the course last year only to receive a technical elimination for missing a flag, this pair is due a little good luck in Kentucky.

“I think the horse ran well at Kentucky last year,” Jennie said. “He’s way fitter now than he ever has been before. Jumping around at Rolex made me confident, and then having Fair Hill go well, Wellingon go well, Red Hills go well and now today, I feel like our partnership is getting more and more consistent. I’m excited and looking forward to Kentucky.”

Buck Davidson and Ballynoecastle RM. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Carl and Cassie Segal’s Ballynoecastle RM is peaking at just the right time with Buck Davidson, with the veteran four-star campaigner preparing to make his fourth return trip to Rolex. “Reggie,” a 15-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, skipped around today to deliver one of the seven double clear trips in the division, taking second place on a final score of 45.7.

“He was so good and was a machine out there,” Buck said. “I’m very excited with where he is in all three phases right now. Like I say every time, it’s an honor to be riding him. I feel like I know him and trust him, and he trusts me and knows me too. We’re just having fun right now.”

Marilyn Little and RF Demeter moved into the top three after also jumping double clear, scooting up the leaderboard from 16th after dressage to finish on their final score of 50.8. Like Jennie and Ping, this is another combination that historically performs well at this venue, and Marilyn and “Demi,” a 13-year-old Oldenburg mare owned by Team Demeter, have never finished lower than fourth in four appearances at The Fork.

“To be honest, she felt the best that she ever has,” Marilyn said. “It’s wonderful to be able to come back to the same event year after year because you have a wonderful gauge of where the horse is in that point of the season and in its career. The way she galloped today and the way she felt, I’ve just never felt her like this. I’m thrilled for the horse.”

Marilyn Little and RF Demeter. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Marilyn said she was also very happy that Jacqueline Mars, a member of Company Team Demeter, could be in attendance today to watch Demi storm around the course. “She is a very seasoned horse now, and it’s a privilege to ride a horse with her amount of experience. Going into Rolex with a partner who has seen what she’s seen makes it that much more exciting.”

Lynn Symansky and her own Donner, who won the CIC3* here in 2013, jumped clear with just .8 time penalties to finish in fourth place on 52.4 — which means EN’s Maggie Deatrick correctly predicted the entire top four in the CIC3*. How’s that for some accurate crystal ball reading? Phillip Dutton and Tom Tierney and Annie Jones’ Fernhill Fugitive, who also jumped clear with 1.2 time penalties, round out the top five on a score of 52.9. The entire top five are all entered at Rolex.

In addition to the pairs already named, the following combinations also jumped double clear: Erin Sylvester and No Boundaries, 8th; Sharon White and Wundermaske, 9th; Selena O’Hanlon and Foxwood High, 11th; and Sara Kozumplik Murphy and Fly Me Courageous. All of these horses and riders are also heading to Rolex.

Lynn Symansky and Donner. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Tremaine Cooper’s CIC3* definitely caused some drama, particularly when Caroline Martin and Pebbly Maximus fell at the sunken road at fence 11, the Uwharrie Bank Hollow, which was revamped this year after now appearing on course last year. The ground jury elected to remove the sunken road from the course at that time, as they had not been happy with how it rode for the first few horses. We confirmed with Caroline that thankfully both she and “Rory” are OK.

As it usually does, the coffin at fence 8, the Land Rover Leap, caused several problems, and the following pairs had runouts here: Holly Payne and Santino, Holly Jacks-Smith and More Inspiration, and Kelly Prather and Blackfoot Mystery. The cheese wedge combination at fence 17 also caught out a couple pairs: Colleen Rutledge and Covert Rights, who still managed to make the time; Kelly Prather and Blackfoot Mystery

We saw some scrappy rides at the mound complex at fence 21 toward the end of the course, which was a new addition last year. Numerous horses and riders executed impressive Superman launches over the log on the top of the mound; Tamie Smith had a runout here after circling a very fired-up Twizted Syster before the brush at the A element to regain control.

The second water complex at fence 15, appropriately named the Rocking River Crossing, had a number of riders worried yesterday, but it rode well for most of the combinations today. Holly Payne and Santino did pick up 20 here after taking the option at B, and Tim Bourke and Luckaun Quality had a bummer of a glance off at the brush corner in the water at B.

Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Mackenna Shea and Landioso also picked up 20 on their score card at the Rocky River Crossing after the horse left a leg at the brush corner at B in the water, which knocker her off balance and made it impossible for them to get to the arrowhead at C. Kurt Martin and Delux Z also had a runout at this water complex.

Zach Brandt and Cavallino Cocktail parted ways at the first water, the fish pond at fence 13, and “Skotty” was taken back to the barns in the horse ambulance as a precaution after cutting her leg. Thankfully, Zach confirmed later in the afternoon that the mare is totally fine aside from being a little scraped up.

You can relieve all the action in our live updates thread at this link and see all the scores at this link, and be sure to check Thehorsepesterer’s YouTube channel for cross country videos. We’ll be back soon with score updates and photos from the Advanced, CIC2* and CIC* divisions, so stay tuned for much more from The Fork.

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Fence 15 - Rocky River Crossing

The Fork is the traditional final run before Kentucky for the vast majority of riders based in the U.S., and as a result, it’s always a tense morning on Saturday in Norwood, North Carolina. This year, course designer Tremaine Cooper has added a new loop on the far end of the CIC3* course, incorporating both a re-vamped coffin and bringing back the sunken road in quick succession to up the level of intensity in this section of the course.

That feeling of questions coming up quickly one after the other is meant to simulate what the riders prepping for Rolex will face in just three weeks’ time, and Tremaine kindly gave EN a tour of the course to show firsthand how he’s softened the beginning of the course to compensate for that new far loop. But there’s still plenty of work to do the whole way around, and this course historically shakes up the leaderboard and leaves riders with homework to do before Kentucky.

The first four fences are open, galloping jumps to help horses and riders settle into a rhythm, with the first question coming at fence 5, the Carolina Farm Credit Curve. Riders can go right or left at the corner at B, with the combination working nicely as a straight five strides on the left or a slightly bending six strides on the right. While not super technical, it’s a question that will get horses and riders on their toes for the challenges to come.

The next question comes at the coffin at fence 8, which has been branded the Land Rover Leap and sports a new look this year. Tremaine did add an option at the C element this year, and while it will certainly eat up a lot of time on the clock, it does provide a back-up plan for riders who run into trouble at the triple brush arrowhead at the direct route; there’s really not a good way to re-present to that fence following a runout.

Riders will then enter the new loop of the course, which features freshly laid turf Tremaine said he will be closely monitoring throughout the day — especially if more rain falls overnight — followed by a new gate at fence 10, which features a MIM clip, and the return of the sunken road at fence 11, the Uwharrie Bank Hollow.

Next riders will splash through the first water at fence 13, which simply features a table in the water, before jumping the same angled ditch and brush that appeared on course last year and staring down what is easily the most difficult combination on course, the second water at fence 15, the Rocky River Crossing.

This is by far causing the most chatter in the barns, and it’s easy to see why. When you stand directly in front of the big, airy log at the jump in, it doesn’t seem very doable, with a brush corner in the water sitting at a sharp turn to the right, followed by a triple brush arrowhead as the out element at C.

“It’s one of those things were you stand at A and you don’t see it — there’s no in — and then you start to walk it, and all of a sudden it opens up when you’re in the water, and I think the horses will really read it,” Tremaine said. “You need to keep planning all the way through and ride them all separately.”

If riders jump in straight over the log and wait to turn, it’s a steady five strides to the corner, followed by a straightforward three strides to the arrowhead. There is a line there, but this water is almost certainly going to cause drama tomorrow. There is a black flag option at the B element, so riders do have a backup plan if they run into trouble at the corner in the water.

Next is a gallop around the back loop of the course, which features the same tables and cheese wedge combination we usually see here, followed by the mound complex, which debuted last year and has a different look this year. Last year, riders jumped in over a hayrack, through a keyhole on the top of the mound and out over an angled brush.

This year, horses and riders will jump that angled brush as the in, followed by a sizable log on the top of the mound, with three strides taking them down the mound to a narrow, angled log. The angled log at the C element has a good ground line, as well as a small log sitting upright at the front right to encourage riders to curve their line a bit.

“It’s different in that the keyhole kept you exactly in one spot, whereas this is quite a wide log. If you’re a foot or two to the left, it will change your distance to C,” Tremaine said. “The log has a nice ground line, so even if you get in quite close, they’ll be fine. You might have to do a little bit more to work for it, though. You won’t have the same ride over this for every horse, which will make it interesting.”

From there it’s a straight shot home, with just a handful of fences standing between the riders and the finish line. With the front of the course softened this year and a new technical loop added on the far end, it’s tough to say exactly how time will shake out. The top 25 percent of the CIC3* will jump in reverse order, so it will definitely be an exciting finale here at The Fork.

Thank you to Selena O’Hanlon for sharing her photos of the course, and thank you to Tremaine for his time in giving EN an exclusive look at this year’s CIC3* course. The CIC* will tackle the course first in the morning at 8:30 a.m., followed by the CIC3* at about 10 a.m. You can follow along live with our updates here on EN and listen live on PRO Tour Radio at this link. Be sure to click here to catch up on all our coverage from The Fork.

Go Eventing.

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Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda. Photo by Jenni Autry.

The ladies continued to bring the heat today at The Fork, with Jennie Brannigan, Sinead Halpin and Molly Tulley leading the CIC3*, CIC2* and CIC* divisions, respectively, at the end of a windy, dusty day of show jumping, and we caught up with them at the afternoon press conference to break down their rides.

Nina Gardner’s Cambalda had a hard rub at the final fence in the CIC3*, a blue oxer set on a six-stride bending line. Jennie looked back at the fence as she galloped past the timers, and with the pole still sitting in the cups, she took the lead with a double clear round to stay her dressage score of 42.8.

“He’s so behind the leg, and I was laughing because he can do two-time changes, but then he wouldn’t do a clean flying change in the show jumping,” Jennie joked, but she said she was very happy with the round, which course designer Chris Barnard told me he thought was one of the nicest in the division.

Jennie and “Ping” have never finished lower than third place in three appearances in the CIC3* at this event, and they won it in 2011. With Jennie planning to put the pedal down on Tremaine Cooper’s cross country course tomorrow, chances look good for our prediction that she’ll take home the win for a second time.

But first they’ll have to get past the final water complex, which has been overhauled this year and has all the riders chattering in the barns. Coming at fence 15 on course, the jump in at A is a big, airy log, with five strides to a sizable brush corner in the water at B, followed by three strides out of the water to a chevron at C.

The technical delegate did approve adding a black flag option at the B element, which Jennie said she was happy about so riders have a Plan B if they do run into trouble there. “I love this place; the ground is always great, and we got some rain last night, so I’ll be going out to try to give him a good, solid round for Kentucky.”

Liz Halliday-Sharp came into show jumping sitting in the overnight lead with Deborah Halliday’s Fernhill By Night. A rail down at the second to last fence dropped them to third place on a score of 45.8, and Liz took full responsibility for the dropped pole.

“Blackie jumped great; the rail was completely my fault,” she said. “I was going for time, and he’s a really big, rangy horse; he has a huge stride, and I always struggle with distances with him. But I know him well enough now, and he jumped big over the vertical, the third to the last, and I realized I was going to get there in 5 1/2 strides.”

Liz said she’s not planning to run fast tomorrow on cross country, as she needs a confidence-building go heading into her first CCI4* at Rolex with the horse after having runouts at both Red Hills and Carolina International.

Sinead Halpin Takes the CIC2* Lead

The live scores are not correct for the CIC2*, and Sinead Halpin and Nicole Carolan’s Topgun are actually leading on their dressage score of 40.3 after jumping double clear. Sinead has had the ride on “Gunnar,” a 9-year-old gelding by a Dutch stallion and out of an Irish pony mare, since last spring when his owner went to college.

“He’s a character,” Sinead said. “He’s a really talented horse — a super jumper. He’s just been a little quirky.” They worked through some bitting issues last fall, and Sinead said things have started coming together really nicely in the last few events this season. “We’ve come up with a few different tricks for him — the right noseband, the right bit and no warm-up before dressage.”

The plan is for Sinead to keep the ride on Gunnar through the year, as Nicole is having surgery on her ankle next month, and they’re aiming for the CCI2* at Bromont. She said she plans to go fast out of the box tomorrow to help give him the experience he’ll need in Canada.

Lillian Heard and Abbie Golden’s Arundel pulled one rail to drop to third place in the CIC2*, and she said she was still really pleased with the performance, as he had two rails at Carolina International. “He jumped really well,” Lillian said. “I just got him a little close to the second jump and tried to do something about it too late.”

With the CCI2* at Jersey Fresh or Bromont as their major goal for the spring, Lillian said she’ll try to have a fast run tomorrow with “Spencer,” though she’ll adjust her plan if he feels rusty, as he hasn’t had that many runs this year.

Molly Tulley Moves Into CIC* Lead

Molly Tulley took the CIC* lead with a clear show jumping round aboard Allie Knowles’ former upper-level mount Last Call, who she is leasing to gain mileage at the Preliminary and one-star level. She successfully completed her first CIC* at Carolina International aboard “Fergie” and said she’s incredibly grateful to have the opportunity.

“I kept saying to Allie, ‘I really feel like we’re going to nail it this weekend, because I feel like everything is coming together,’” Molly said. “She’s not the kind of horse that just gives everything to you. I’ve learned so much from her, and I can’t wait to apply it to my own horses at home.”

Molly, who works for Allie and also exercises horses at the Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center in Lexington, hopes the experience she gains on Fergie will help her with her Trakehner mare Miriam, who she hopes to take to her first CIC* at Morven Park or Plantation Field in the fall.

Beau Guimond is sitting in second place in the CIC* with his own Filibuster ST on a score of 44.3 after jumping a clear round with 1 time penalty; this is the horse’s first one-star, and Beau said he’s been extremely happy with him all weekend.

Boyd Martin originally found the horse, an 8-year-old Hanoverian gelding, through Alex Robertson and told Beau, who was a working student for him at the time, that he thought the horse would be a good mount to take through the levels.

“He’s a really cool horse, and I’m very lucky to ride him,” Beau said. “He had a reputation for bucking people off, and he’s still wild now, but he’s gotten a lot better in the dressage. I’m going to take him as far as he’ll go.”

Marilyn Little and RF Overdressed moved into the top three in the CIC* with a clear show jumping round. Though the horse, an 8-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Jacquie Mars, Robin Parsky and Raylyn Farms, has two-star mileage, Marilyn has been competing him at the one-star level to develop the partnership.

“His show jumping has been a work in progress,” Marilyn said. “He’ll gallop along tomorrow because he is a two-star horse, and he’s had some great two-star runs, but also the partnership is going up and down right now in a building phase,” Marilyn said.

She has been working on the shape of his jump and creating more of an arc, as she said he tends to “jump like Bambi” — “Carolina was better, and today was an improvement,” she said. The plan is for the horse to aim for the CCI2* at Bromont.

CIC* cross country starts at 8:30 a.m., followed by the CIC3* at about 10 a.m., with the CIC2* scheduled to go around 3 p.m. PRO Tour Radio will be streaming live all day, and we’ll also be posting live updates for the CIC3* and Advanced here on EN.

If you missed the Advanced report from earlier, click here to read it, and stay tuned for the full preview of the CIC3* course with analysis from Tremaine Cooper.

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Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda. Photo by Jenni Autry.

You know it was an influential day of show jumping when riders with rails found themselves moving up the leaderboard. With the dust settled — literally — on this blustery day at The Fork in Norwood, North Carolina, Jennie Brannigan and Nina Gardner’s Cambalda took the lead in the big CIC3* on their dressage score of 42.8 after delivering one of the handful of double clear show jumping rounds in the division.

While 12 in all jumped clear rounds, only six managed to do it inside the tight time of 72 seconds around Chris Barnard’s twisty track. With multiple turns requiring hairpin rollbacks after verticals, we saw plenty of rails fall as riders tried to take inside lines to beat the clock. And the near gail-force winds only upped the ante, with planks and flags blowing off the jumps and the decorative ferns rolling around like tumbleweeds.

The horses and riders enjoying spots at the top of the leaderboard overcame the conditions. Bruce Davidson and Ballynoecastle RM executed a beautiful round with 1 time penalty to move up from fourth to second place on a score of 45.7. Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deborah Halliday’s Fernhill By Night led after dressage but pulled the second to last fence today in their race against the clock, though they’re still enjoying a spot inside the top three on a score of 45.8.

Lynn Symansky and Donner. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Mackenna Shea and her own Landioso, who hauled from California to compete at The Fork before tackling their first CCI4* at Rolex, pulled off the save of the day by far and are now sitting in fourth place to reward their efforts. When “Landi” found a long spot to the first fence of the tricky triple combination, Mackenna slipped the reins and smartly let the horse pick his way through. They ultimately jumped clear with 2 time penalties to move up from seventh on a score of 48.3.

Colleen Rutledge told her homebred CR “good boy” after he cleared the last fence on course, where they pulled one rail to move up to fifth place on 50.3 in their final preparation for the horse’s first four-star at Rolex. To show you just how much clear rounds caused movement on the leaderboard, Marilyn Little and Team Demeter’s RF Demeter moved all the way up from 16th to sixth place after jumping one of those six double clears.

Silvio Mazzoni, the USEF eventing team show jumping coach, watched attentively from the side of the ring as Boyd Martin and Steve Blauner’s Master Frisky started their round. Boyd and Silvio have been working hard on the show jumping with “Mikey,” and while the horse pulled a rail at the third fence, they still moved up from ninth to seventh place on a score of 50.9.

Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Lynn Symansky and her own Donner, who is notoriously spooky in busy atmospheres like the one we saw today, jumped a lovely clear round with 3 time penalties, moving from 13th to eighth place on 51.6. Phillip Dutton is having a hell of a weekend with Tom Tierney and Annie Jones’ Fernhill Fugitive as the horse prepares for Kentucky; the horse jumped beautifully despite pulling one rail, which moves them up to ninth on 51.7.

Michael Pollard and Ballingowan Pizazz round out the top 10 in the big CIC3* class on a score of 52.1 after a bit of a hairy moment at the final fence, a big blue vertical going toward the crowd of spectators. They pulled a rail there and picked up 2 time penalties to drop from sixth place.

In addition to the pairs already mentioned, the following combinations also jumped double clear: Julie Richards and Beaulieu’s Cayenne, 22nd; Boyd Martin and Crackerjack, 24th; Jessie Phoenix and A Little Romance, 25th; and Caroline Martin and Quantum Solace, 26th.

Kurt Martin and Anna Bella. Photo by Jenni Autry.

It was definitely a dramatic afternoon of show jumping to say the least. Santino had a refusal with Holly Payne at the triple bar after seeming a bit upset by the atmosphere. With this being Good Friday, large crowds were out enjoying the sunshine at the event today, so the rails were packed with spectators, which upset some of the horses.

Leah Lang-Gluscic and A.P. Prime parted ways at the second fence on course, a vertical jumping away from the crowd. It looked like “AP” stumbled on landing and couldn’t quite get his balance back, and Leah tumbled over his head. She was up right away and walking. In an ideal world, the event officials will allow her to go cross country HC tomorrow, as this is their final prep run before their first CCI4* at Kentucky.

The CIC2* is show jumping now, and I’m about to go tour the cross country course with designer Tremaine Cooper to bring you a full fence-by-fence preview. If you missed the Advanced show jumping report from this morning, be sure to click here to read all about how Lauren Kieffer is dominating both divisions. Stay tuned for much more from The Fork.

The Horse Pesterer is busy uploading videos from today’s rounds, and he’s already uploaded Jennie’s ride in the CIC3* this afternoon:

You can view more rides from the day as they are uploaded here.

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Lauren Kieffer and Veronica. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Lauren Kieffer is absolutely dominating the Advanced divisions at The Fork after show jumping, delivering clear rounds to both hold her overnight lead with Team Rebecca’s Veronica in one class and move into the lead with Court and Kylie Ramsay’s Czechmate in the other.

She delivered four total clear rounds in all this morning with all four of her Advanced rides, and it’s safe to say Lauren has found her sweet spot in this phase. Her clear with Veronica is her fourth consecutive show jumping clear aboard the mare this season — not a bad hot streak to be on heading into Rolex.

Five horses and riders in all delivered double clear rounds over Chris Barnard’s show jumping track in the Advanced Test A division, and time definitely proved to be a factor, with leaders Lauren and Veronica recording 1 time fault for a score of 23.

Lillian Heard and Share Option. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Will Faudree and Jennifer Mosing’s Andromaque delivered one of those double clear rounds to move up from fourth to second place in this division on a score of 24.5. Lillian Heard and her own Share Option jumped a lovely clear round with 1 time penalty to move from fifth to third on 26.6.

Phillip Dutton and Evie Dutton’s Mighty Nice, who is known for his exuberance in this phase, pulled one rail early on the course to slip from second to fourth place on 27.1, followed by Courtney Cooper and Who’s A Star, who pulled one rail to drop from third to fifth on 27.8 in their final prep event before their first CCI4* at Rolex.

Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Cubalawn (6th) also jumped double clear in this division, with “Cuba” amusing the crowd with his sassy hind leg kicks in mid-air over the fences. Will Coleman and Obos O’Reilly jumped double clear too, along with EN’s own Kate Samuels and Nyls du Terroir and Abby Hamblin and Silver Flash.

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

Riders definitely had to keep moving to make the time, which was adjusted to allow more breathing room after the first few riders went this morning. Rails fell throughout the course, with the triple combination jumping away from the in-gate and toward the VIP tent catching out a number of riders, as many of them jumped in from a long spot.

In the Advanced Test B division, Boyd Martin and the Pancho Villa’s Syndicate’s Pancho Villa are sitting just behind leaders Lauren Kiffer and Czechmate on a score of 28.7 after jumping one of the nine double clear rounds in this larger class of the two.

Ellie MacPhail and Sally Crane’s RF Eloquence, who led this division after dressage, dropped one rail to slip to third place on the leaderboard on a score of 31.3. Continuing her total domination of the Advanced divisions, Lauren also jumped clear with Meadowbrook’s Scarlett and Landmark’s Monte Carlo to move up to fourth and fifth places, respectively, on score of 33.2 and 35.9.

Jimmie Schramm and Bellamy. Photo by Jenni Autry.

We are on a slight delay now before CIC3* show jumping starts at 12:15 p.m. The CIC* riders jumped early this morning, with Molly Tulley and Last Call moving up to first place with a double clear round. Beau Guimond and Filibuster ST moved up to second with a clear round and 1 time penalty, followed by Marilyn Little and RF Overdressed in third.

Be sure to follow along with live updates from the CIC3* show jumping on EN’s Twitter, check out behind-the-scenes photos on our Instagram, catch up on videos from dressage on Thehorsepesterer’s YouTube channel, and stay tuned for much more from The Fork.

Go Eventing.

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Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. Photo by Jenni Autry.

It’s not every day that we have an all-female press conference at a major FEI competition, and the leading ladies of The Fork (and Buck Davidson) gathered in the gorgeous tack room at The Fork this afternoon to rehash their dressage tests — and hold their noses while Tamie Smith’s adorable albeit stinky French Bulldog “Pig” made the occasion all the more memorable. Let’s break it down:

Not every horse and rider combination could pull off a 5-minute warm up before a CIC3* dressage test, but that’s what Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night did today at The Fork, scoring 41.8 to hold the overnight lead after the first day of competition here in Norwood, North Carolina.

Liz said she had diligently checked her ride time online the night before, only to find out it had been moved up by about 20 minutes when she arrived in warm up. Her super groom Gemma Jalinska calmly removed Blackie’s boots while U.S. Team Coach David O’Connor told her to pick up the canter. She trotted for about 30 seconds, picked up the canter, executed a flying change in both directions and went in the ring. It worked.

“I was really happy with the trot work, and I thought it was some of the best he’s done,” Liz said. “His changes were better than they were at Carolina, especially under the circumstances. He was a very good boy.”

This is the third FEI event in the row in which Liz and “Blackie,” an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Deborah Halliday have been on or near the top of the leaderboard after dressage, and Liz said she’s benefited greatly from training with both Jacquie Brooks while she’s been based in Ocala for the winter, as well as working with her usual trainer James Burtwell, who also trains Francis Whittington.

“It’s always good to have someone who knows the horses really well,” Liz said, which is why she’s thrilled to have James traveling to the States for Rolex Kentucky later this month, where she’ll be competing in her first CCI4* with both Blackie and HHS Cooley, who is sitting fifth in the CIC3* on 45.3.

But if Liz wants to take home a blue ribbon here at the final prep event before Kentucky, she’ll have to go through Jennie Brannigan first, who has never finished lower than third place in the CIC3* here in three lifetime starts with Nina Gardner’s Cambalda, who delivered his personal best score today.

“I love this event,” Jennie said. “Knock on wood, I’ve always seemed to have a good weekend here.” Indeed, the weekend has started off very well for Jennie and her longtime partner “Ping.” The 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding scored 42.8 to sit in second place in the CIC3*, well within striking distance.

“He’s not a big mover, but he seems to throw down at every event,” Jennie said. “I have a nice partnership with him; he’s a good boy. At this point, you know your horse, and you know what you’ve got. You know he’s probably not going to score in the 30s, but he puts in an accurate test, and he’s a consistent player.”

Jennie said she hasn’t focused much on the flatwork with Ping lately since she’s been concentrating on galloping for Rolex Kentucky to ensure his fitness is up to par, so she was happy with the quality of work she was able to achieve today in the little white box.

Buck Davidson is enjoying third and fourth places in the CIC3* with Sherrie Martin’s The Apprentice and Carl and Cassie Segal’s Ballynoecastle RM, who are sitting very close together on scores of 44.3 and 44.7, respectively.

With both horses aiming for Rolex Kentucky, Buck said now is the time to put the polish on things, and he was happy with both performances, particularly with “Dirk,” as he feels like the 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding is ready to take the CCI4* step after giving him plenty of time to mature.

“He’s a bigger horse now, and he’s a stronger horse. It’s time now. He’s 11, and he’s done a lot of three-stars. It’s time for him to have a go at Kentucky,” Buck said. He was very happy with the performance on the flat today — and there’s something about this horse that judges really seem to love. He has a commanding, captivating presence in the sandbox.

Looking ahead, Buck said he won’t push for time on Saturday with Dirk — “Mentally, he’s not a horse you want to get too wound up — but his strategy across Tremaine Cooper’s cross country course will be different with his longtime partner Reggie, who is preparing to return to Rolex for a fourth appearance.

“He’s not a horse that goes well going slow. I’ve found over the years that he gets better with a hard go at Carolina and then here to set him up well, which has worked the last two years. If we get a lot of rain, we’ll adjust the plan. It’s not about winning or losing. It’s about getting him fit and having him competition ready.

Buck and the Segals have said repeatedly that Reggie has nothing left to prove. Every major competition the horse does at this point is really a gift, he said, and the horse truly looks better than ever. Like a fine wine, Reggie just keeps getting better with age.

“Every day he’s a dream. He’s amazing with what he’s fought through. He did Carolina so much easier than last year. He loped around there easy.” The horse battled a bit of pnemonia over the winer, as did owner Carl Segal, so this spring is just about having the whole team happy and healthy, Buck said.

“If we can get Carl and Cassie and Reggie to Kentucky all in good health, then we’ll have a go. I feel like we’re starting to peak at the right time. … I try to be realistic about how this can all go. They’re fragile animals, and we try to go the best we possibly can for them. We try to leave no stone unturned. But you have to have a little bit of luck, and we’ve got a long way to go until Kentucky.”

Buck has four horses entered at Kentucky, but he said the plan is for Ballynoecastle RM, The Apprentice and Petite Flower to be the three he actually competes, while Copper Beech will go to Tattersalls CCI3* in Ireland.

Caroline Martin is also enterd to compete in the CIC3* with Quantum Solace at Tattersalls, which she’ll use as a prep run for Bramham CCI3*, where the U.S. is hoping to put together an Under 25 team for the event.

As an aside, Buck wanted us to let everyone know that Carl and Cassie have decided to set Reggie’s stud fee at $100,000 — no live foal guarantee — after yesterday’s surprise news. (EN’s April Fool’s story about Reggie even fooled some key members of the BDJ team, not that we’re naming any names.)

Jessie Phoenix is a Total Bad Ass

We’re officially labeling Jessie Phoenix a total bad ass after she’s rebounded so quickly from the birth of her second child, a daughter named Jordan on Feb. 21, to totally dominate the CIC2* here at The Fork with Don Good’s Pavarotti. The 13-year-old Westphalian gelding scored 35 to lead overnight, and Jessie said she was really pleased with the test.

“He gets a little tension in the trot work in the ring; it looks better than it feels,” she said, noting that she thought the canter work was really solid. With her muscles still rebounding after giving birth, she said she couldn’t sit his powerful trot at Poplar Place two weeks ago, so she posted the mediums there. But she was a rockstar today, looking like she hadn’t missed a beat with multiple rides between the two-star and three-star.

She rode up until a week before she went into labor, she said, and Jessie was back on a horse two weeks after giving birth, so she really didn’t miss much downtime at all, meaning she is firmly looking ahead to Rolex, where “Rotti” will once again just do the dressage in preparation for bigger things to come later in the season.

“I’d like to take him to Pau,” Jessie said. “There’s still some discussion as to whether we run him at the Pan Ams. We’ll see how he goes.” Jessie and Rotti are no stranger to the Pan Ams, having won individual hold at Guadelajara in 2011, so it’s very possible Team Canada will choose him as an anchor horse in Toronto.

Lillian Heard and and Abbie Golden’s Arundel are sitting close behind in second place in the CIC2* on a score of 37.5. Abbie, a longtime, dedicated and much-loved member of the EN writing staff, started her first semester at the University of Virginia’s Law School last fall, passing off the ride on “Spencer” to Lillian at that time.

With Abbie focused on school and her future career, Lillian said the plan is for her to keep the ride on the 15-year-old Canadian Sport Horse gelding until he retires, so it’s really all about the journey at this point.

“I taught Abbie for two years before she went to school, and before that, she bought the horse while she was working for Boyd (Martin), so I’ve ridden the horse for a long time,” Lillian said. “That said, getting that score in the dressage was still pretty insane.”

Lillian had shown Spencer in one Prelim event — and won the Bareback Puissance at Plantation Field International Horse Trials — before taking over the ride, and they’ve just seemed to click. “He might not be the scopiest jumper, but he wants to jump everything and do the job, which is really fun to ride,” she said.

Tamie Smith and Alex Ahearn’s Mai Baum round out the top three in the CIC2* on a score of 38, and I really can’t emphasize enough what an exciting ride this is for her. With Alex off to college, Tamie is quickly getting to know the 9-year-old German Sport Horse gelding — with spectacular results to boot.

“Lexus” is a fierce competitor in all three phases, which makes him a serious contender for the U.S. Pan Ams team, a fact Tamie said she tries not to think about: “Whatever happens, happens. He’s a careful jumper, and he’s great cross country. He’s been so much fun. He goes in a snaffle. He has a great mind, and it’s hard to believe he can be that careful and that brave cross country.”

Ellie MacPhail on Top in the CIC*

Sally Crane’s RF Panamera is competing in her first CIC* this weekend with Ellie MacPhail, and she’s made it a memorable competition so far, leading after dressage on a score of 39.5. Marilyn Little found the now 9-year-old Hanoverian mare in Germany as a youngster, and Ellie bought her when she was 6.

After a bad injury, Ellie didn’t know if the mare would even recover to compete, but she’s rebounded beautifully, looking at home in an FEI ring on a busy day at The Fork. “The great thing about her is you can pull her out of the stall, and she comes out loose and quiet. She’s not a big, flashy mover, but she’s really consistent. The trot work scores really well, and the canter work is developing,” Ellie said.

With the mare still being very green, Ellie said she has no major plans for the spring and will look to aim for the one-star at Hagyard MidSouth later in the year.

Allie Knowle’s former upper-level ride Last Call is sitting in second place in the CIC* with Molly Tulley in the irons on a score of 43, and Beau Guimond and Filibuster ST round out the top three on a score of 43.3.

Lauren Kieffer and Veronica Continue Hot Streak

In continuing the leading lady trend at The Fork, Lauren Kieffer and Team Rebecca’s Veronica are sitting in first place in the Advanced Test A division on a score of 22. Lauren has emphasized that “Troll” knows her job in the little white box extremely well now. The 13-year-old Dutch mare goes into the ring and brings her A-game every time, and it’s an exciting place for them to be heading into Kentucky.

Phillip Dutton and Evie Dutton’s Mighty Nice are sitting in second in this division on 23.1, followed by Courtney Cooper and her own Who’s A Star on 23.8. The entire top 10 in this division are heading to Rolex, so Saturday will be all-important as they make their final preparations across the country.

Ellie MacPhail is enjoying another slot atop the leaderboard in the Advanced Test B division with RF Eloquence, the mount she’s been riding in the USEF Eventing 25 training sessions. Ellie and the 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Sally Crane will be contesting their first CCI4* in Kentucky later this month.

Lauren Kieffer and Court and Kylie Ramsay’s Czechmate, who are coming off a win in the horse’s first CIC3* at Red Hills, are in second place in this division on a score of 27.8, and Boyd Martin and the Pancho Villa Syndicate’s Pancho Villa, another horse targeting his first CCI4* at Kentucky, round out the top three on 28.7.

If you enjoyed the above videos taken by Thehorsepester, be sure to check out his YouTube channel for more footage from today’s dressage action. Stay tuned as we bring you much more from The Fork.

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

Jennie Brannigan and Nina Gardner’s Cambalda nearly caught early leaders Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night with a lovely test this afternoon in the big CIC3* division here at The Fork. Their score of 42.8 slots them just into second place behind Liz and “Blackie” at the conclusion of dressage, though if history tells us anything, Jennie and “Ping” may not be sitting in second place for very long.

In the three times they’ve competed in the CIC3* at this event, Jennie and Ping have finished no lower than third, winning it in 2011, placing second in 2013 and finishing third last year. Indeed, the stars seem to align for them every time they travel to Norwood, North Carolina, and we’ve predicted them to take the win this weekend. Of course, anything can happen between now and Saturday, when riders tackle Tremaine Cooper’s cross country course.

Buck Davidson will be waiting in the wings with both Sherrie Martin’s The Apprentice and Carl and Cassie Segal’s Ballynoecastle RM, who scored 44.3 and 44.7 this morning, respectively, to sit in third and fourth places at the end of the day. Buck and four-star veteran “Reggie” also typically perform very well in this event, finishing third in 2013 and fourth in 2014, while “Dirk” is preparing for his first CCI4* in Lexington.

Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Liz Halliday-Sharp has another horse near the top of the leaderboard with Deborah Halliday’s HHS Cooley, who scored 45.3 with a solid test to round out the top five. While he’s typically outshone in this phase by his stablemate, he’s very good on the flat in his own right. “Cooley,” like Blackie, is preparing for his first four-star at Rolex and is coming off a second-place finish at Red Hills last month.

In other notable tests this afternoon, Mackenna Shea and her own Landioso did the West Coast proud to score 46.3, which ties them for equal seventh place. Mackenna and “Landi,” a 13-year-old Bavarian Warmblood gelding, made the long trek east to compete in their first CCI4* at Rolex, and they’re running their final prep here at The Fork this weekend.

Colleen Rutledge and Covert Rights are also sitting in seventh place on the same score of 46.3 after putting in the nicest test we’ve seen from them so far this season. Colleen looked thrilled with “CR” after the test, giving the 9-year-old Thoroughbred-cross gelding she bred lots of pats at the final salute. While Colleen is a veteran CCI4* campaigner, CR will be taking his first crack at the level later this month at Rolex.

Mackenna Shea and Landioso. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Boyd Martin and Steve Blauner’s Master Frisky also had a solid test, scoring 46.9 for ninth place in the horse’s final prep run before Kentucky. Did you notice how tightly those top scores are bunched? Less than a rail separates the top five, and two rails separate the top 15. Rails are going to be very costly tomorrow as riders take to Chris Barnard’s show jumping course.

It will be interesting to see how the horses jump in the main arena tomorrow. While the arena here at The Fork has always had a significant slope to it, it seems more pronounced than usual this year, especially in the very middle, which created a bit of an optical illusion for riders and made some horses a bit unsure and unsteady. The grading of the arena may up the ante in show jumping tomorrow.

We’re waiting for the press conference to start and will bring you comments from the leaders in the CIC3*, CIC2* and CIC* after. Jessie Phoenix and Pavarotti lead the CIC2*, followed by Lillian Heard and Arundel on 37.5 and Tamie Smith and Mai Baum on 38. Ellie MacPhail and RF Panamera lead the CIC* on 39.5, followed by Molly Tulley and Last Call in second on 43 and Beau Guimond and Filibuster ST on 43.3.

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