These interviews, as always, are courtesy of Josh Walker, Frankie Thieriot, EEI, Rolex, and the USEA.  Click below for more…

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William Fox-Pitt and Parklane Hawk skipped around the course to put the pressure on Allison

It’s lunch break at Rolex and time to reflect on a crazy morning of cross-country.  30 pairs started out on the Rolex 2012 cross-country Saturday morning.  Of those starters, 10 pairs finished the course clear, 7 finished with a stop, and 13 were eliminated or retired.  For most riders, the focus quickly turned from going clear to getting their horses back on track and confident after a problem.  Some rose to the challenge and some didn’t.  Although there were a ton of issues on course, the course rode safely this morning and despite numerous falls everyone was up quickly and walked away.  One theme of the course that I noticed was that horses appeared to be unseating their riders over the jumps and at the landings in combinations.  The first thing I thought about the course the first time I walked it was that the jumps in the combinations looked really big for elements of combinations.  The coffin at 9ABC rode incredibly tough this morning–all three elements of that complex caused numerous problems.  There were just three double-clear rides of the morning: Erin Sylvester and No Boundaries, 2nd placed William Fox-Pitt and Parklane Hawk, and Will Coleman with Twizzel.

[Live Rolex Scores, Faults by Fence]

An interview with William after his ride, courtesy of Josh Walker, Frankie Thieriot, EEI, Rolex, and the USEA:

Here’s how it all played out…

With Buck Davidson withdrawing both of his horses this morning, Andrew Nicholson was the first out on course with Calico Joe.  Andrew is such a great XC rider I think most people expected to get the day off to a good start.  Andrew Nicholson jumped well early but soon had an issue at the coffin, breaking a frangible pin and retiring after a stop. The course was put on a 25 minute hold to repair the broken frangible pins.

Karen and Veronica were held at the start box during the wait.  Karen did a great job keeping Veronica relaxed but still warmed up, and she wisely took Veronica back the warmup to keep the mare fresh.  However, Karen was eliminated early on course when she lost her stirrups after a huge jump into the steep landing of 5AB.  Veronica was a good girl to keep going through the combination but Karen took rumble at the next jump, 5C in the water.  Karen was up quickly but that cold dip into the water is one of the most miserable feelings.  Karen’s fall was the first of a few early falls caused by stickiness on the landing side of an element.

Next out on course was Becky Holder and Courageous Comet.  The veteran pair has had so much success here at Rolex that I expected great things from their round.  Comet looked spectacular all around the course up until the Normandy Bank when he appeared to stick after the jump up the bank a bit and Becky was tipped forward over the log resting on top of the bank.  They circled around to jump the corner option after the bank, but Comet stopped and Becky popped off over the front of the jump.  Becky was up quickly and looked fine.

At this point I think everyone–riders, fans, officials, everyone–must have been shocked to watch Andrew, Karen, and Becky all have problems.  But then Marilyn Little-Meredith stepped up and put together a really quality clear round with RF Rovano Rex.  It was gritty performance from MLM and she straight up saved the day for Rovano Rex a couple of times.  It was anything but a ride where the horse did all of the work.  They finished with 4.4 time penalties.

Next out, James Allison and Parker picked up 20 at the coffin and then retired after a runout at the corner at the sunken road, which is a really tough element that caused several issues this morning.

Jolie Wentworth and Good Knight also had runout at coffin.  They picked up two more runouts elsewhere to get eliminated with their day ending at the Normandy Bank.

Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Eagle had some green moments but finished a very educational round with just 0.8 time faults.  Phillip had a big pat for Fernhill Eagle after the round and he should be really proud of that horse today for doing so well at his first 4*.  At this point, that was the second clear round of the day.

Michael Pollard and Wonderful Will suffered runout at coffin.  Michael fought so hard around the course, using his really good balance on the cross-country to get through some tough moments and finish.  Michael is in great position with his later ride Icarus (in 7th) and will have an advantage having seen the entire course once before.  Michael was assed 20 more penalties for circling before the slanted brush combination at the end of the course.

Kristi Nunnink and R-Star acquired a runout at the corner out of the sunken road–that element is a really tough test.  R-Star didn’t look brilliant today, but Kristi rode really really well to guide her around and a completion.  They finished with 20 jumping and 40 time.

High Society and Jessica Hampf of Canada finished a great round with just time faults and jumped themselves right into the middle of Canada’s Olympic picture.

Will Faudree and Andromaque has a stop at the ditch (9B) in the coffin.  Will put things back together and got Andromaque looking strong and confident in just a few fences–accomplishing that took some great riding by Will.  They finished with just 12 time faults despite the stop.

Jane Sleeper and UN picked up an early 20 penalties on course at the coffin.  Jane rode really smoothly after that and they completed the course looking better and better.

Laine Ashker fell at the second element of the double corners with Anthony Patch.  It looked like Al might have stepped on her after the fall, but she sat up quickly and was soon up and patting her horse.  They had a strong ride going up to that point.

Katie Ruppel fell from Sir Donovan at the trakehner at 7.  There was no pause on course and Katie was fine.  Donald and Katie are normally a great XC pair–they just can’t catch a break here at Rolex.

Amidst all of this craziness, Erin Sylvester and No Boundaries put down a brilliant round and finished full of run.  Erin rode like a seasoned veteran around that entire course.  Erin delivered the first double-clear of the day and I couldn’t have been more impressed with her riding.

Pam Fisher and the stallion Sea Lion had a stop at the rail into the coffin (9A).  They elected to retire at that complex after another stop.

Doug Payne and Running order had a glance off at the chevron out of the coffin (9C).  As you can imagine from all of the issues, that coffin requires a perfect ride to get through it clear.  Doug dug deep and did a great job to finish the course for a good education for Running Order.

Holly Payne and Madeline also picked up a stop at 9C.  They suffered another stop at the corner out of the sunken road.  Holly rode with strength and determination but her ride ended at the HOTL when Madeline had a stop at the brush out.

Peter Barry and Kilrodan Abbot made the course look like a training level XC course.  Kilrodan Abbot was so honest, as always, and Peter guided him through the course really smoothly.  They finished with just two time penalties.  I keep telling people this is one of the best horses in the world, and I’ll just keep saying it.  He’s not the flashiest of horses, but he is the most honest–watch that replay and tell me you wouldn’t want to ride that horse.  Peter gave Canada their second clear ride of the day at that point and also took a step right into the middle of discussion for the Olympics.

Rafferty’s Rules and Sharon White are a pair that I was really cheering for this weekend.  Sharon rode absolutely brilliantly around the course until they picked up a stop and retired at 26.  Rafferty’s Rules had a big rub in the infield and then stopped at a single fence at 26.  Sharon showed her horsemanship by pulling up and they walked back tot he barn.

Kadi Eykamp and Double Rivers Dillon parted company at 9A, the jump into the coffin.  Kadi fell but she was quickly up as Dillon galloped off.

Fortune finally smiled on Will Coleman and Twizzel and they finished as the second double-clear.  Twizzel looked tired at the finish, but Will rode that course beautifully and they both stepped up to the occasion.

Holly Hudspeth and Last Monarch trotted 5C in the water and made it look easy.  They were having a solid but not great round until they had two sticky jumps into the Head of the Lake.  Holly showed her horsemanship and retired there despite not having any faults.  They will be back to fight another day.

Jordan Linstedt and Tullibard’s Hawkwind cantered their way around the course in what looked like a forward show jumping pace.  Jordan gave her horse the ride she felt he needed and good for her.  I can’t say I have ever seen anyone ride Rolex at that pace, but there are many ways to skin the cat and she looked good over the jumps despite the lack of speed.  They had a lot of time penalties but they finished clear and that’s a lot more than most can say.  They finished with 42 time penalties.

Shigatzi and Diana Burnett were yet another pair to suffer defeat at the hands of the coffin. They stopped at 9A coming into the coffin.  They had another stop at the alternate route and retired there.

Boyd Martin and Remington finished with a quality clear round.  Remington looked a little tired at the end and I think 4* distance is a bit of a stretch for Remi to finish clear, but Boyd used all of his brilliance to get him around with 7.2 time faults.   Boyd was as tired as I have ever seen him in the box after that ride.

Heather Morris and Slate River worked hard to get around the course.  They jumped through the flag at the corner after the Normandy bank and then galloped on.  10 seconds later the announcer said they were charged with a runout and they had to gallop back up to jump it again after almost reaching the next fence.  They finished with those 20 penalties and some time.

Madeline Blackman and Gordonstown had a refusal at the double corners (14B) but finished the course successfully after that.

Belmont and Kate Hicks were 14th after the dressage and they had a brilliant ride as Rolex rookies finishing with 22.8 time penalties.  Kate wins the biggest smile of the morning award.

William Fox-Pitt and Parklane Hawk were the last to ride before lunch and they made the course look like a walk in the park.  William used all of his considerable skill and although it looked like William was barely working they were up on the clock throughout the course.  That was an incredible professional round and puts all of the pressure on Allison and Arthur this afternoon.

I’m expecting better results from the afternoon rides as information on the best way to ride the course filters back to the barns and as the riders with two horses get their second look at the course.

Our EN live blog resumes at 1:30PM ET.  Go eventing.

Samantha Clark photo

Buck Davidsons’s two rides, Titanium and Absolute Liberty withdrew on Saturday morning before the start of the cross-country at Rolex.  Jolie Wentworth’s Killian O’Connor also withdrew before the XC.

Buck told me this morning that USEF’s expert orthopedist Dr. Farrell said it was his recommendation for Buck not to ride today.  Buck injured his collar bone in mid-February when he fell off of a horse at his farm in Ocala, Florida.  Buck received surgery soon thereafter.  He sadly partially reinjured his collar bone in a fall from his trailer’s steps at Red Hills and he has been battling to recover in time for Rolex.  Buck is one of the toughest riders I know and if he can’t go I know that means he really can’t go.  Buck has one of the best support teams in eventing and I know he will put together a great plan to get his season back in track.

The Course: Derek Di Grazia’s Rolex cross-country course is designed to prepare the pairs with Olympic aspirations for the London cross-country while giving the less experienced pairs a good experience–that is no small task!  The galloping lanes are narrower than previous years and more emphasis has been put on the technical elements and turning questions.  Like every Rolex, the key is to take things one combination at a time and protect your horse around the terrain.

Weather: The weather started cloudy and cool on Saturday.  Highs are expected in the 70’s F and scattered thunder storms are predicted for this afternoon.

Thank you to the volunteers, organizers, and fans for making Rolex possible.  Good luck to all of the horses and riders–stay safe and have fun.  Go eventing.

Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen were the class of the afternoon session but they couldn’t catch Arthur

Allison Springer and Arthur maintained their dressage lead at Rolex despite several really nice rides from their competitors on Friday afternoon.  Clark Montgomery and Loughen Glen moved into third on a 43.2, 1.9 points behind William and Parklane Hawk.   Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen competed with the poise and style that I would expect from them.  Glen was wonderfully presented by Clark with superb trot and walk work and he looked like anything but a Rolex rookie.  Their canter work brought their score down a bit and I think Clark is still developing that gait.  They scored an impressive 43.2 and are in great position to improve their Olympic resume going into the weekend–a consistent clean ride is what Clark needs tomorrow.

Karen O’Connor and Mr. Medicott also put themselves in great position to prove that they have formed a strong partnership this spring.  Karen got the absolute most she could out of Mr. Medicott today, as Karen usually does with her rides, and they go into the XC on a 44.2.   Mr. Medicott needs to develop more suspension and jump in his gaits over the summer to be in winning form for London, but that’s being pretty picky about a test that is in 4th place at Rolex on Friday night.

Final Rolex Dressage Scores:
1. Allison Springer and Arthur 39.8
2. William Fox-Pitt and Parklane Hawk (GBR) 41.3
3. CLark Montgomery and Loughan Glen 43.2
4. Karen O’Connor and Mr. Medicott 44.2
5. Jonathan Paget and Clifton Promise (NZL) 44.8
6. Boyd Martin and Remington 45.3
7. Micahel Pollard and Icarus 46.7
8. Lucy Wiegersma and Granntevka Prince (GBR) 47.5
9. Karen O’Connor and Veronica 47.8
10. Andrew Nicholson and Calico Joe (NZL) 48.7
[Full Rolex Dressage Scores]

Karen and Mr. Medicott, photo with kind permission of Lesley Ward

Big fields lead to tightly packed leader boards.  57 horses rode dressage and the top 14 places are separated by less than ten points.   38 horses are within 20 penalties of the lead.  As always, we’ll have to see how the time rides on Saturday but a clean and fast ride is going to rocket you up the leader board and the opposite is true for a mistake.

As for other notable afternoon rides, Jonathan Paget of New Zealand produced a rhythmical test with Clifton Promise to score a 44.8, which puts them into 5th.  Jonathan is part of New Zealand’s very strong squad working their way towards London.  Two of New Zealand’s four pairs at Rolex are in the top 10 after dressage.   Great Britain has two pairs in the top 10 and the USA owns 6 of the top 10 placings after the dressage.

Rolex 2006 champion Andrew Hoy rode a good test aboard the handsome Rutherglen.  They are well back with a 56.5 but as we all learned in the 2006 show jumping, anything can happen and two clean rounds would put them in great position to end the weekend well.

Michael Pollard and Icarus

Icarus, one of many terrific OTTBs in this Rolex field, delivered yet another good dressage test with Michael Pollard.  Michael and Icarus go into the cross-country in 7th and Michael will look to move up with quick rounds on both Icarus and Wonderful Will, who sites in 26th.

The reign of mares at Rolex continued Friday afternoon with nice tests from Qwanza and Demeter.  I have to think that more mares are competing at Rolex this year than any previous year, which is awesome to see and good news down the road for event horse breeding enthusiasts.  Andew Nicholson is great fun to watch on the cross-country but I also enjoy watching him on the flat.  He rode the mare Qwanza to a 55.8 that I felt should have scored better.  Demeter impressed the judges with great movement and Marilyn rode a very disciplined test to score a 49.0.  Both of Marilyn’s horses at Rolex are very nice movers, but Marilyn added accuracy to movement today which led to much the better score.

6 riders were assessed errors in the Rolex dressage, half of them for entering the arena after the 45 second post-bell time limit.  Even the always cool Phillip Dutton arrived late to the arena with Mighty Nice.  I can’t imagine how tough it must be to execute a test under so much pressure with so much to think about, but all 6 of those riders know they left some easy points on the table.

Speaking of Phillip, Mighty Nice impressed all of us on the live blog as a horse for the future.  The horse handled the Rolex pressure with complete relaxation and ears flopping with the rhythm of his supple gaits.  They scored a 58.7 for 34th place, two spots ahead of Phillip and Fernhill Eagle.    Announcer Nigel Casserly noted that amazingly Phillip has ridden in every Rolex since the event became a four-star.  Mighty Nice looks like a great Normady horse for Phillip and a good Olympic backup.

I would say the exact same about Otis Barbotiere, Boyd’s flying French wonder.  The test was right on the edge of being really nice.  A few less accurate moments showed that maybe Otis was focusing some of his attention on the atmosphere, but all in all Boyd should be really please with this young horse’s performance and they are certainly right in the thick of things at this point.  Boyd and Otis enter the XC tied for 16th on a 51.

On the other side of the spectrum, Sal Dali was tense from the start and gave Beth Perkins absolutely no chance.  They had a disastrous test that scored an 84 as all of us rode along with Beth willing Sal Dali to cooperate.  Beth received a nice supportive cheer after the test and we’ll all be cheering this pair on for a better two phases this weekend.

Allison with a fist pump after her ride Friday morning

Notes from the press conference:

Allison said that she knows what she has to do to produce a good result tomorrow and she’s ready to go out and do that.  As for the course, Allison said that Derek Di Grazia has designed a beautiful course.  She emphasized the importance of riding the right line in this course.  Allison called it a “beautifully designed and beautifully built course.”

Clark said that Loughan Glen is a young horse but he makes up for it be always trying to please.  He said that desire to please is what made Glen able to focus today in the dressage despite the atmosphere.  Clark said “he needs to gain confidence more than he needs to win this event” and that that mentality will shape his riding.

William said he thinks it’s a clever course, that it’s very well presented, and that it’s a very imposing track.  He explained “when you get to the third to last you will certainly know you have jumped a four-star.”  He also said his goal was to keep Parklane Hawk jumping well one fence at a time.

I want to extend thanks to everyone who joined us and participated in our live blog.  I also want to thank Marcia Kulak, Gina Miles, and Cathy Weischhoff for joining us as guests.  Thanks to all of the volunteers, organizers, and officials who made Thursday and Friday a wonderful experience at the Horse Park.  We’ll see everyone back here for our live blog of the cross-country, starting at 10am.

Go eventing.

Here are more great rider interviews courtesy of Josh Walker, Frankie Thieriot, the USEA, and Rolex.

(more…)

Allison and Arthur performed a beautiful test to lead Rolex Friday morning on a 39.8

William Fox-Pitt and Parklane Hawk took the Thursday night lead from Boyd and Remington early this morning and the British pair stood atop the Rolex leader board all the way up until the last pair of the Friday morning session–Allison Springer and Arthur.  Allison and Arthur combined their great talent with their by now considerable experience for a very impressive performance.  Arthur showed three great gaits and kept his calm throughout the test.  Arthur can certainly be a bit spooky but he stayed relaxed and really let Allison ride him today.  They scored a 39.8 to take a 1.5 point lead at the Friday lunch break.

We knew we would get a special test out of William Fox-Pitt and Parklane Hawk.  The Bughley 2011 champions didn’t disappoint.  In the trot and walk work, Parklane Hawk was fluid, relaxed, and supple and he listened to William’s almost invisible commands to perfection.  The pair lost a few points as Parklane Hawk started to anticipate the flying changes in the canter work.  William rode through that anticipation well and the pair finished on a 41.5.

Friday Lunch Break Dressage Scores:
1. Allison Springer and Arthur 39.8
2. William Fox-Pitt and Parklane Hawk 41.5
3. Boyd Martin and Remington 45.3
4. Lucy Wiegersma and Granntevka Prince 47.5
[Full Rolex Live Scores]

William and Parklane Hawk

As expected, the scores Friday have been lower than on Thursday.  Great Britain’s Lucy Wiegersma and Granntevka Prince jumped into 4th with a 47.5.  Granntevka Prince is a beautiful horse and Lucy did a good job riding through a few tiny early bobbles to finish with a nice test.

Amateur Amy Ruth Borun rode a few minutes before Lucy and she put together a really quality test aboard Santa’s Playboy.  If you read Abby’s amateur spotlight on Amy, you know she has worked so hard to get here and it’s great to see her representing all of us amateurs.  Kate Hicks and Belmont have also worked hard to get to Rolex.  Kate squeezed every point she possible could out of Belmont’s gaits and they have to be happy to sit in 9th place on a 49.5 at the break.  Keep an eye on this pair over the weekend.

The lovely mare Pepper Anne wowed the crowd with her lovely light gaits.  She was impeccably turned out and just presented such a nice picture with Oliver Townend aboard.  I really felt that this mare deserved a better score than the 48.8 (tied for 7th currently) that she received.  The judges must have really knocked her for being perhaps just a tiny bit behind the vertical.

Oliver giving a nice thanks to the Pony Club volunteers

Friday morning continued this great group of wonderful mares we have competing at Rolex with nice tests from Pepper Anne and Sally Cousins’ Tsunami.  Marcia Kulak commented on our live blog that Sally must enjoy not having her normal allotment of 8 horses to ride this weekend.  Sally delivered a great ride on the normally tense Tsunami.

We are 40 rides into the competition and there have been 5 errors of course given in the dressage so far here at Rolex.

The Governor and First Lady of Kentucky are attending Rolex this weekend in part I’m sure to support their daughter-in-law Emily Beshear, competing in her first 4*.   We have featured Emily, her husband/vet Jeff, and the rest of their family on EN before –it’s a great reminder that eventing is very much a family sport.  Emily rode with her typical, great accuracy and “Quincy” listened well for a 53.8.

Debbie Rosen and The Alchemyst as well as Kate Brown and Mojito are looking to step their performances up at Rolex from last year. I thought they both deserved better scores than they received but now it’s time for them to focus on the cross-country.

The judges have been really consistent in their scoring of horses–all three judges are typically within just a couple of percentage points of each other, which is a credit to their judging and gives the riders confidence in the scores.

Thanks to Gina Miles and Marcia Kulak for joining our live blog this morning and to PRO for helping with organizing our guests.  We’ll be back after lunch at 1:00PM ET for our live blog and the last 17 Rolex 2012 dressage rides.  Go eventing.

Boyd and Remi with a smile to the crowd

Boyd Martin and Remington were the second to last pair to ride on Thursday at Rolex, but their performance was well worth the wait.  Boyd rode the 16 year old veteran Remington to near perfection and took the lead from Karen O’Connor and Veronica with a 45.3.  There were many horses competing today that were flashier movers than Remington, but Boyd rode a very accurate test and found just the right tempo to present “Remi’s” best gaits to the judges.  The only criticism of Remi’s test would be a couple of inconsistent flying changes.  With so many big horses still to compete on Friday, I don’t expect 45.3 to be in the lead going into the cross-country, but it will put Boyd and Remi in great position for the weekend.  The field is tightly packed behind Remington, with just a rail separating 2nd through 7th.

Thursday Rolex Dressage Scores:
1. Boyd Martin and Remington 45.3
2. Karen O’Connor and Veronica 47.8
3. Andrew Nicholson and Calico Joe (NZL) 48.7
4. Becky Holder and Courageous Comet 48.8
5. Doug Payne and Running Order 50.2
6. Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch 51.0
7. Will Coleman and Twizzel 51.3
8. Marilyn Little-Meredith and RF Rovano Rex 54.7

[Full Rolex Live Scores]

Overall the dressage scores on Thursday were quite high.  I think some of this is because the 4* Dressage Test B is a real challenge and some of it is because there just weren’t any really spectacular tests today.  The B 4* test is challenging particularly because the trot work is broken up by a turn on the haunches and because the test features the always challenging shoulder-ins down the centerline (which adds to the difficulty in maintaining straightness and rhythm).  The judges must have read my post about judges usually being conservative with the first few rides–three of the top four horses after Thursday (Veronica, Calico Joe, and Comet) were part of the very first morning group!

Doug Payne and Running Order put together a great test for their first 4*.  Running Order showed the potential he has in a throughout the test and a few bobbles kept them from a better score than the 51.0 that they received.  Doug should be really happy with that test and he got a big cheer from the crowd as they left the arena.  They sit in 5th.

Doug was followed in the arena by his sister Holly Payne, who was riding Madeline, yet another really nice mare to compete here today.  Madeline was a little tense in her first 4* dressage test, but Holly rode beautifully and they should be really proud of their effort.  What a special day for the Payne family!

Lainey Ashker and Anthony Patch delivered a lovely test.  Their canter work dropped their score a bit, but they produced a picture of relaxed obedience and quality gaits.  This crowd favorite pair heads into the weekend on 51.3 and they are currently in 6th.

I wrote about this in the live blog, but I think that a test where a rider accomplishes her goals and the horse responds well is a great performance even if it doesn’t get the best score.   Katie Ruppel and Sir Donovan had a great test today.   They were eliminated last year when Donald wasn’t in the mood to do dressage, but he was 100% improved this year.  Donald was relaxed and extremely obedient for Katie.  They didn’t score the best but Katie had the biggest smile of the day on her face when they left the arena.

Erin Sylvester struggled with a very tense No Boundaries today, but she kept her cool and put together the best test she could.  They received an error for entering the arena after the allotted pre-test time amount.  The super mare UN was a tense but she listened to Jane Sleeper well and they will move onto their best two phases on a 68.5.

A bobble in the trot was the only big problem in Will Coleman and Twizzel’s test, which scored a 51.3.  Will Coleman and Twizzel have had terrible luck including an inexplicable tumble last year at Rolex and a freak lameness minutes before their Burghley dressage that left as quickly as it appeared.  When Will and Twiz do finally catch a break they will put together a terrific weekend.  Twizzel was among a few horses in the afternoon group that I would have scored better.  Peter Barry’s Kilrodan Abbott was really kind and obedient and I felt he deserved better than 60.3.  Kadi Eykamp and Double Rivers Dillon produced some really nice movements with Dillon’s usual flashy gaits but still only scored a 58.3.

Boyd taking the lead was the headline from the final group, but Thursday concluded with some really nice rides from Holly Hudspeth, Jordan Linstedt, Diana Burnett, and Heather Morris–they all produced good performances from their horses.  Diana Burnett has a good shot at making the Canadian Olympic team with a good performance this weekend.  Tullibards Hawkwind stuck me as a lovely big horse with nice movement and a lot of upside for the future–I can’t wait to see them on Saturday.

Some really heavy hitters ride on Friday including Burghley 2011 champions and my pick to win William Fox-Pitt and Parklane Hawk.  Thank you so much to all of our readers who joined and contributed to our live blog today.  If you had trouble logging on we will be expanding our capacity for tomorrow.  Thank you also to all of the organizers, sponsors, and volunteers who make Rolex possible.

Go eventing.

Via Josh Walker, Frankie Thieriot, EEI, Rolex, and the USEA

A few Wednesday interviews for your viewing pleasure:

[More great videos]

Go Rolex.

Will Faudree and Andromaque

Karen O’Connor and Veronica have the early Thursday lunch break lead here at Rolex on a 47.8.  Veronica is competing in her first 4* this weekend but she handled the atmosphere with ease and Karen rode a very correct veteran test.  The good news for USA for the future is that Veronica has a lot more upside with her flatwork.  I don’t this a 47.8 will lead at the end of Thursday, but it puts Veroinica in great position for the weekend.  I do expect Karen to take it easy with her around the XC since the goal this weekend is education for the future.

Andrew Nicholson and Calico Joe of New Zealand are in second with a 48.7.  Calico Joe showed off good movement to impress the judges.  Both New Zealand and Australia are really well represented here at Rolex and New Zealand has three pairs competing on Friday.

Becky looked a bit conservative with Courageous Comet, but the veteran pair put together a really nice test.  Comet is a big crowd favorite here this weekend and, like at the jog yesterday, he got the biggest cheer of the morning.  They scored 48.8 which is good enough for 3rd at the lunch break.

Rolex Thursday Lunch Break Scores:
1. Karen O’Connor and Veronica 47.8
2. Andrew Nicholson and Calico Joe (NZL) 48.7
3. Becky Holder and Courageous Comet 48.8
4. Marilyn Little-Meredith and RF Rovano Rex 54.7
5. Will Faudree and Andromaque 54.7

[Full Rolex Live Scores]
Two notable first time 4* mares–Veronica and Absolute Liberty–looked like they belonged at Rolex this morning.  Karen and Buck respectively did a great job managing their horses and produced really quality tests.  I always think it is an advantage for younger horses to go early on Thursday because the mood at the Horse Park is much calmer than it will be on Friday when much larger groups of spectators arrive.  We saw some fantastic mares this morning–Andromaque, Veronica, Absolute Liberty, R-Star.  We pick up after lunch with another awesome mare, UN, ridden by Jane Sleeper.

RF Rovano Rex was the best mover of the morning, but some tension, an error of course, and a few moments lacking accuracy held their score back.  In fact, I think they got a very good result–4th place for now on a 53.7–for so many errors.  Good movement goes a long way and Mark Phillips was watching Marilyn’s test with interest.

James Allison looked like he was being conservative with Jumbo’s Jake.  Sinead was helping with our live blog commentary and noted that Jake usually shows more expression in his tests.  Nonetheless, James will be in striking distance going into the XC.  The British team definitely has James on their radar–Yogi was filming James’ test on his iPad.

Michael Pollard and the feisty Wonderful Will produced their best Rolex test yet and Michael had a big smile and pat for Will after their test.  Will scored a 56.7 with his best two phases yet to come.

Will Faudree and Andromaque were the last to ride before the lunch break.  Missy has returned superbly from an injury last year and she has been doing so well this spring that will decided to bring her to Rolex rather than a later three-day.  Their test started off well and got better as it went and they are in solid position for the weekend on a 54.7.

One really interesting point that Sinead made on our live blog is that this year’s Rolex XC course is designed with a leaning towards the style of course that Sue Benson will put on at Greenwich for the Olympics–narrower galloping lanes, more technicality, and a more condensed feel.

Sally has been doing an absolutely wonderful job with her commentary on the portable radios here at Rolex and on the USEF Network.  Brian O’Connor was kind enough to bring me a portable radio and I have been enjoying Sally’s commentary along with everyone else watching on the USEF Network.

Update: The SmartPak course walk with Allison Springer and Boyd Martin has been changed from Friday afternoon to Friday at 11:30am.

Our live blog resumes at 1pm.  Thanks to everyone who joined in the fun and discussion this morning.  We are having some issues with the software maxing out at 250 commenters, so if you are logged on stay logged on–no promises you will be able to get back in once you leave.  Go eventing.

Good morning Eventing Nation and welcome to the start of Rolex 2012!  Mornings on EN mean free stuff and today we have an opportunity to win a free airjacket from Point Two.  Entering is simple–just visit the Point Two booth at the awesome SmartPak tent in the Sponsor Village while you are shopping at Rolex.  When you try on a Point Two you will be entered in a drawing to win a Point Two Hybrid or ProAir.  If you purchase a vest and also win the drawing you will get a refund for your vest.  Stay tuned for our live blog coming soon!

Speaking of free stuff, congrats to Canada’s Peter Barry for winning the drawing for a free Rolex watch at Wednesday’s Spindletop competitors cocktail party.  Peter is a class act and easy to root for and I’m absolutely in love with his horse, Kilrodan Abbott.  The rest of the riders will just have earn the one remaining Rolex the hard way this weekend.  Go eventing.

Sharon White and Rafferty’s Rules

58 of 59 horses presented at this afternoon’s Rolex first horse inspection will move on to the dressage. All in all, the horses looked fantastic for the start of a 4*, as the beautiful Kentucky sunshine beamed down upon the crowd of spectators. Llewellyn, ridden and presented by Brittany Kart, was held by the ground jury. Brittany made what feels like the longest jog in the world–the second presentation–and sadly did not pass upon reinspection. Canada’s Diana Burnett and Shigatzi and the USA’s Kate Hicks and Belmont were also held but passed upon reinspection. The most exciting moment of the first inspection came when Phillip Dutton’s ride Mighty Nice slipped and fell all the way down onto his side. The startled horse and rider quickly regrouped and finished their trot to the satisfaction of the ground jury.

Mighty Nice, post tumble

Largest Cheer: The largest cheer of the day definitely went to Rolex veterans Courageous Comet and Becky Holder.

Best Dressed: Asking me to judge best dressed is a bit like asking Charles Barkley to judge a golf swing. As Annie pointed out this morning, 95% of the time you will find me wearing my UVa hoodie, which, indecently, is the only hoodie I own. At any rate, I consulted a few well dressed members of the audience who nominated Lainey, Karen, and Katie Rupel as best dressed. I’m told that the heels Karen wore were three inches tall, which has to be worth major points for sure. Dubarry will be giving out best dressed guy and best dressed lady awards from the first horse inspection this weekend.  Each year I promise to give a most improved dress award, but discretion is the better part of valor and I’ll hold off one more year.

Karen O'Connor and Mr. Medicott

Katie Ruppel and Sir Donovan

Photos: Against my better judgement, I am publishing my jog photos below. Riders, please forgive me. Photo snobs, please avert your eyes. Looking at my jog photos is a lot like watching me go cross-country. It’s the wrong person with the wrong equipment with the wrong timing generally doing the wrong thing. It’s hard to watch and we’re all just glad when it’s all over–me more than anyone else. Also, I didn’t get a picture of Doug Payne Equestrian, which is a true tragedy for all of us.  I also didn’t get anything but a passing photo of the back of Will Faudree’s head, so my apologies Will I’ll make it up to you from Sunday’s jog.  As an international gesture of courtesy to our pairs from overseas, I did not take pictures of them.  We will link to the many better galleries as they are published throughout the evening.  Click on each photo for a larger version page:

Go eventing.

Designer Derek Di Grazia, builder Mick Costello, and their entire teams have done a wonderful job preparing the Rolex 2012 course. I spoke with Derek briefly who told me the footing is right on track thanks to the portable watering system they use at the Kentucky Horse Park. As you will see, the course is very similar to last year–if it works well, keep doing it.  The first thing I notice from walking the course is that the combinations are some of the biggest I have ever seen at Rolex, particularly the first water and the quarry.

I’ll try to add labels to the photos after the jog, time permitting. Go Rolex.

I think that successfully completing a three-day event is one of the hardest things in sports and I would bet that organizing a three-day event is one of the hardest things in sports as well.  Putting the right team together is half the battle and Jon Holling and Peter Gray have done a fantastic job of that with the Ocala Three-Day.  Jon was kind enough to check in about that process and shamelessly plug the many folks who have helped make that event possible.
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From Jon:

Greetings Eventing Nation, after reading Sunday’s update on Fairhill I decided it was probably time to send in a post.  Sorry John, what can I say?  I am a procrastinator.  I thought I would take this opportunity to send in a recap of our event at the Florida Horse Park last week.  Ocala Horse Properties has been our title sponsor for the past three years, and none of this would be possible without Chris and Rob Desino’s help.  In addition to this support we were also able to host the second annual “Rebecca Brousard Indefatigable cup” for the CCI** thanks to Jerome Brousard.  That meant that the two star riders were competing for a total purse of $10,000.  Finally the Maui Jim CCI* was competing for a total purse of $5,000.00 thanks to the best sunglass manufacturer in the world.  I have to say that in just our third year running these competitions we are so proud to have this kind of support.  It is the support of these main sponsors, and our many jump sponsors, that allows us to put on what we think is a pretty darn good event.  Add to that all of the fantastic volunteers who give up their entire lives for the duration of the competition and beyond and it can actually become a bit overwhelming.  As for the competition itself, our designer Jay Hambly was able to put together a true championship caliber track for both FEI divisions.  I have to give one last shout out to Peter Gray for taking on the organizer role.  His years of experience organizing events in Canada have translated to some pretty fabulous weekends down here in the sunshine state.  I am including a picture for you and then I am going to pass out due to my 16 hour drive home last night from Fairhill.  I need to be up and out the door by 5 am tomorrow so I can get to Rolex. Who knows, I may even take a moment to reflect on that blog about balance in life!

Helmet Cam Monday rolls on with Mike Ryan’s commentary of the Vairano CCI3* course in Italy, courtesy of Patricia Ryan.  Both Ryans competed this weekend at Vairano.  Go eventing.

We have an opportunity to step up and help in the recovery from the fire that killed so many horses this morning at eventer Martha McDowell’s barn in Billings, Montana.  The death toll has been raised to 21 horses, according to the USEA.  The entire High Plains Stables facility as well as Martha’s and her boarders’ tack has been lost.  The USEA has released information on fundraising, which is being done through  Montana Equestrian Events, Inc, a 501c3 Non-Profit organization.

Mail checks made payable to Montana Equestrian Events, Inc. with Martha McDowell’s name in the memo section to:

Montana Equestrian Events, Inc.
P.O. Box 595 • Whitefish, MT 59937

Donations via credit card are being accepted, with a donate butting being set up on the Rebecca Farm  website.  Immediate credit card donations or further questions should be directed to Sarah Kelly at 406-885-3224.

Update: Rebecca Farm has sent out a release with the following donation information–Please make payable to Sarah Kelly and note High Plains Stables in the memo line.  Mail to:

Sarah Kelly
PO Box 8385
Kalispell, MT 59904

[Fundraising Details]

Please, please, please take a moment to help out, no donation is too small.  Go donate.

One of the many things that I love about our great sport is how the eventing community bands together and supports each other in times of hardship.  Last week we learned the heartbreaking news that Peter Atkins had broken his leg in a freak accident and would not be able to attend Badminton with Henny.  I never want to miss a chance to highlight the supportiveness of the eventing community and so I will pass along a simple email from Nancy Marks & Steve Silver, who are hosting Peter’s horses at their farm while he recovers.  In response to the title: When the going gets tough…the tough get going and their friends help them get going.
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From Steve and Nancy:

Life can change in an instant — something we all know in the horse world — but it is how people react after those “events” that is often a true indication of their character.