Have you ever heard the one about how French eventing horses have 6 gaits–1 forward and 5 in reverse? France and Sweden have qualified to send teams to the London Olympics by placing 2nd and 4th at the European Championships respectively. So far, the nations that have qualified Olympic teams:
Great Britain (the host nation automatically gets a team) United States (WEG) Canada (WEG) Germany (WEG) New Zealand (WEG) Belgium (WEG) France (European Championships) Sweden (European Championships)
One more team qualifying nation will be found from the Asia Pacific Eventing Championship which will be held at Blenheim in England as ESJ mentions in his post this morning. The best placed team from either Olympic Groups F (Africa and Middle East) or G (South East Asia and Oceania) will qualify. Then two more qualifiers will be found at the Pan American Games (North American and Central and South America) where the top two teams other than the US and Canada will get teams qualified.
This will fill out the 11 direct qualifiers. More teams can be added beyond this for nations who can field more than 3 qualified team members based on FEI Olympic rankings but who have not yet received a direct qualifier. Clear as mud?
It was not raining when Luhmühlen woke up this morning and everybody could look forward to a final day full of excitement. Most of the horses were looking very fit this morning. It took two people to hold Nicola Wilson’s Oppositions Buzz he was just raring to go again. Whenever I see this horse I just have the feeling he loves eventing and is really enjoying himself. However Piggy French seems to be getting into the habit of losing things when she presents Jakata, it was a stocking at the first vet check, which was gallantly rescued by the trainer much to the amusement of the spectators and as her scarf flew away today people started to wonder what she will lose next. Three horses withdrew before the final vet check this morning and two were not passed so a total of 51 horses were listed to take part in the show jumping.
The show jumping course designed by Heiko Wahlers proved to be fairly challenging. The first 21 riders started before the lunch break and it soon became apparent that the course wasn’t easy and after the first riders all finished with not only jumping faults but also time faults the allowed time was upped by 4 seconds. Jane Doherty (IRL) riding The Only One rode the first clear round and during the morning session there were only two other clear rounds and they were from Carlos Diaz Fernández (ESP) riding Iberon CP and the Swedish team rider Dag Albert riding Mitras Eminen.
Tim Lips (NED) started the afternoon session and unfortunately took a pole on the first jump of the triple combination. The first German rider to enter the arena was Kai Steffen Meier who was placed 52nd after the dressage, moved up to 26th place after the cross country and now rode a good round finishing with just two time faults and a well earned 20th place. Kai was followed by the next German rider Julia Mestern riding FRH Schorsch and she went clear. The first French team rider also went clear and Nicola Wilson and Opposition Buzz left the arena with 4 faults. The remaining two French team riders also went clear and as Piggy French picked up 4 faults, the British Teams hopes of a silver medal started to fade and the pressure was on William Fox-Pitt and Cool Mountain. The last Italian team rider Stefano Brecciaroli riding Apollo van de Wendi Kurt Hoeve put on a super performance and also went clear. There were just 7 riders to come, three German team riders, 2 German individual riders, the last Swedish team rider Sara Algotsson-Ostholt and of course William Fox-Pitt for Great Britian. Dirk Schrade individual rider for Germany went clear, William Fox-Pitt entered the arena knowing that he had to go clear for Britain to win silver, but it was not to be, at jump 3 a pole fell and Britain dropped down to bronze medal position. Frank Ostholt the last individual rider for Germany was next and rode a brilliant clear round to finish at least 5th. It was then the turn of the first German team rider Sandra Auffarth riding Opgun Louvo and as she went clear the excitement in the arena started building up. Just three riders to go. Sara Algotsson-Ostholt(SWE) riding Wega rode an impressive ride until the first fence of the last combination where Wega suddenly decided she didn’t like the round blue water on the left side of the jump and Sara had no chance of preventing the refusal at the second element. She finished the course with a total of 18 faults and dropped down to 12th place. Just two horses to go with Sandra Auffarth sure of a bronze medal. Michael Jung and Sam went clear and the last rider to enter the arena was Ingrid Klimke riding FRH Butts Abraxxas. The first pole to fall was at 4 and before she finished the course another 5 had hit the ground…..
World Champion Michael Jung (GER) is also now Individual European Champion, with Sandra Auffarth (GER) second, a great achievement at her first big Championship and the individual rider Frank Ostholt(GER) 3rd and Germany is European Team Champion, France 2nd and Great Britian 3rd.
It has been a great Championship with a lot of excitement and awesome sport. I am sure that everyone that has attended has enjoyed the very special atmosphere here, despite the rain.
At the prize giving ceremony the French officially revealed their secret weapon and their lucky mascot was carried into the arena.
I have really enjoyed sharing my experiences with you and I hope you have enjoyed reading them.
Shannon Lilley and Ballingowan Pizazz have gone from first left off to first on the Pan American Games short list by winning the selection trials today at Richland. They were just added to the Pan American Games short list from the list of ranked substitutes in early August when Alexandra Slusher and Last Call withdrew. Now, just three weeks later they have virtually booked their ticket to Guadalajara, Mexico and the Pan American Games by winning the mandatory outing selection trials. Shannon and Ballingowan Pizazz, from California, jumped a nearly perfect clean round and capitalized on a costly two rails from overnight leaders Hannah Burnett and Harbour Pilot.
–In my morning recap of the CIC3* division I mentioned that the show jumping was riding surprisingly easy and I obviously spoke too soon. Both the advanced horse trials and Pan American selection division were influenced heavily by the show jumping.
–The advanced height in the show jumping was meant to test the short listed horses and it did just that. One of the goals of making the riders go advanced was to make sure that all of the horses sent to the Pan American Games have the upside to continue on and go advanced after the games. Hopefully all of the riders are going away from this weekend feeling proud of themselves and their horses because absolutely everyone showed moments of brilliance throughout the competition.
–Hannah Burnett and Harbour Pilot had a disappointing two rails to drop them to 4th in the final results and they had a rub that easily could have been a third rail. Hannah got Harbour Pilot to the right spot but he simply didn’t jump high enough by one centemeter over several of the fences. That being said, his show jumping has never been a big issue for them and I don’t think this will stop them from being selected for the Pan American Games.
Pan American Games Mandatory Outing Results:
1. Shannon Lilley and Ballingowan Pizazz +0 47.1 2. Michael Pollard and Schoensgreen Hanni +0 49.1 3. Lynn Symansky and Donner +0 50.5 4. Hannah Burnett and Harbour Pilot +8 52.4 5. Kristin Schmolze and Ballylaffin Bracken +4 52.4 6. Buck Davidson and Asbolute Liberty +0 53.6
—Michael Pollard has had a great day of show jumping. He jumped a beautiful clean round with Schoensgreen Hanni to move up from 5th to second in the Pan American selection trials. He also moved up from second to win the advanced on DV8 with a one-rail round. The advanced division hasn’t gotten much coverage this weekend because it keeps getting sandwiched between the CIC3* and PAG divisions. Sara Kozumplik and Manolo Blahnik finished second with a one-rail round and Katie Ruppel and Sir Donovan finished in third.
—Lynn Symansky and Donner moved up to third in the selection trials with another of the double-clears today. Donner is an excellent jumper and Lynn has made a great case for her selection with a third place finish this weekend. Donner was one of only two horses to finish on his dressage score in the PAG division.
–The second horse to finish on their dressage score was Absolute Liberty, ridden by Buck Davidson. Buck had to work really hard for that clear round but he got it done. They moved up 6 places on the weekend with that performance and finished in 6th.
–My guess is that the USEF will want to send at least one experienced team rider to the Pan Ams, and that comes down to either Buck or Boyd. Buck likely put his name at the top of that list with today’s performance. Boyd of course is on the short list but received special permission not to compete here because he is in England for Burghley.
—Good Knight and Upper Crust D began the day tied for 10th and they both had really nice clear rides. Good Knight finished just ahead of Upper Crust D because he was closer to the optimum time on the XC.
—Veterinarian and short lister Keven Keane had a tough Saturday with a stop on the cross-country yesterday, but he made up for it with a beautiful ride today and only one rail. Kevin rode in a hackamore. He will surely go away from this weekend very proud of his horse.
–The rider with the grittiest performance of the weekend has to go to 19 year old Max McManamy, who, incidentally, is one third of Kevin’s age. Project Runway had a stop at the first show jumping fence, which was a triple bar that they were never quite right to. Max put things back together and jumped a solid rest of the round. This year probably isn’t their year for the Pan American Games, but the selectors will definitely go away with a great impression of Max for future team selection. Doug Payne and Running Order also had a stop at that first fence in the 3*.
—Tamra Smith and Mar De Amor needed a good show jumping ride and they got a solid one with two rails. Mar De Amor has as much jump as any horse in the field, but just barely pulled two today.
–The selection process is starting to look a lot clearer. Next up for the US will be a round of vet examinations on Monday, starting with the first placed pair. By no means would I expect the top 5 pairs from the selection trials to get sent to Guadalajara because the selection decision will depend on a lot of factors. But, of course, the pairs that did well here this weekend took a huge step in the right direction. The US Pan American Games squad is scheduled to be released on Tuesday and my guess is that we will see a Canadian list on Tuesday if not before.
It has been a great day of show jumping here at Richland as the CIC2* is just wrapping up. I want to thank all of the organizers, volunteers, and officials for putting on what is truly a spectacular event here at Richland. The footing is wonderful, everyone is extremely nice, and the event has a big-time feel to it–Michigan eventing is doing it right here at Richland Park. Go eventing.
Buck gives Reggie a pat after their victory gallop
Eventing is sometimes a sport of seconds and that proved true in the Richland Park CIC3* division. Buck Davidson with Carl Segal’s Ballynoecastle RM and Jennie Brannigan with Camblada were tied after the dressage, finished with no penalties on the cross-country, and both jumped double-clear show jumping rounds. But Buck was 6 seconds closer to the optimum time on the cross-country so he picked up the victory. Phillip finished in 3rd and 4th with Ben and William Penn respectively. Kendal Lehari and Daily Edition of Canada moved up from 8th to 5th on a clear show jumping round.
The show jumping at Richland is held on undulating grass terrain and although the footing is excellent the show jumping usually causes quite a few issues. This wasn’t the case for the CIC3* division today as the show jumping rode quite well. Only one rider had double-digit show jumping penalties and the top 5 horses all jumped clear.
Richland CIC3* Results:
1. Buck Davidson and Ballynoecastle RM +0 43.3 2. Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda +0 43.3 3. Phillip Dutton and Ben +0 49.9 4. Phillip Dutton and William Penn +0 53.4 5. Kendal Lehari and Daily Edition +0 58.3 6. Jan Byyny and Inmidair +4 58.8
Eventing Nation has received this correspondence report from Brian O’Connor, live from the eye of hurricane Irene. For the second time today I think the term “epic” is applicable. We hope Brian and everyone on the east coast survives the hurricane and go eventing.
Michael Jung and Germany have just wrapped up their domination of the European Championships. Before we get to our show-jumping recap, check out William Fox-Pitt and Cool Mountain’s two epic saves from yesterday. The first is from the photo we posted yesterday and the slow motion replays start at 1:40 in the video. The second is where Cool Mountain climbs all over the corner and then William jumps a narrow with one stirrup at 4:09. I’m not sure whether to give more credit to Cool Mountain or William, but they are both true champions for getting it done and keeping their country’s medal hopes alive. [via JM] Go William.
On a brisk morning here at Richland the preliminary show jumping started before the CIC3*, CIC2*, and Pan American Games selection division jogs. It was a good morning of jogs with all of the horses accepted and only a couple of holds. In the CIC3*, Erin Sylvester and No Boundaries were held but passed on reinspection. In the CIC2*, only Lady Hannah B and Liz Lund were held, but they were quickly passed on reinspection.
After the CIC divisions jogged, the US team selectors, personnel, and Dr. Kohn watched the Pan American short listers jog. All 14 jogged and although this wasn’t really a pass/fail exam everyone would have passed.
The horses looked quite good overall, especially in the Pan American division, which I think it a testament to young legs and good footing. Max McManamy was definitely at least a 2/5 and stood by in crutches and watched Project Runway get jogged.
The prelim show jumping is running right now and will be followed by the CIC3*, advanced, PAG, the CIC2*, and finally the intermediate. Stay tuned for a great day from Richland.
Luhmühlen was struck by a really big thunderstorm last night, with torrential rain and high winds. My internet and mobile phone net was dead for a couple of hours and it felt like the end of the world. However everyone survived the night and it was probably nothing compared to the American storms right now but we are in Europe! On arrival at the show ground this morning there just seemed to be acres of mud. However out on the course all the good preparation that had gone on in the weeks preceding the event seemed to have paid off. The footing was definitely going to be okay for the first riders, how it would hold out however was the question of the day!
The first ten riders completed the course without major problems with a lot of them choosing alternative routes to avoid jumping faults. Nicola Wilson (GBR) and Opposition Buzz, as always making it look easy, coming home within the time and moving up from 39th to 15th place. The first shock came as Andreas Dibowski (GER) riding FRH Fantasia fell at fence 22 and at the press conference afterwards, Andreas still had no real explanation as to what went wrong, however he left the course without a word and the disappointment and frustration were more than obvious in his facial expression. Benjamin Winter (GER) and Wild Thing were next and his performance was a joy to watch. I spoke to him later on, he is not a man of many words and when I asked him how it felt to cross the finishing line after getting through his first senior championship course, the answer was “Pretty good”…as I said a man of few words. The next German shock came just a few minutes later as Julia Krajewski retired at fence 13a to be closely followed by a refusal from Julia Mestern (GER) at 23b after what had been up until then a very convincing round. The pressure was on Germany.
Wega, Sarah Algotsson’s (SWE) grey mare is an amazing horse. In the dressage arena she is totally relaxed and concentrated and in the cross country so full of power. As Sarah said after their brilliant performance, her horse just ate up the course and was still fit and ready for more at the end and her bronze medal overnight position is truly deserved. Her husband Frank Ostholt (GER) riding Little Paint wasn’t quite able to keep up with his wife and dropped down from 3rd to 5th place but guaranteed they will both be celebrating tonight.
The next team rider for Britain was Piggy French and Jakata and they managed to hold their overnight 11th place. Sandra Auffarth was the next German team rider and she knew she had to come through without any faults. Although she admitted later to feeling really nervous at the start she rode a great round and is 4th overnight.
There were further falls, both Andreas Ostholt (GER) riding Franco Jes and Sarah van Hasselt riding Arctic Fox Too fell at the same fence that claimed Andreas Dibowski. Two further very experienced riders, Mary King (GBR) and Karin Donkers(BEL) also fell at 14b and 21 respectively. However none of the falls were serious and although Mary King was treated on the course she was able to get up and walk away.
The footing was definitely starting to suffer and was aggravated by even more rain. However Ingrid Klimke (GER) riding FRH Butts Abraxxas put in a perfect round and was one of the only 5 pairs to ride the direct route at the Rolex corner and defended her gold medal position.
The last set of team riders had to deal with increasingly difficult footing and it was a case of finding a line that not too many other horses had used. William Fox-Pitt had an anxious moment at the 2nd water complex but skillfully changed his route and took the final alternative and crossed the finishing just 3 seconds under the time.
The last horse to go was La Biosthetque-Sam FBW ridden by Michael Jung and he defended his silver medal position.
The team positions have changed with France moving up into third place and Italy dropping down to 6th. Sweden held their fourth position however Germany now has a 42,30 point lead over Great Britain, however the three leading teams have all lost a rider so the vet check tomorrow at 9:00am takes on a very important role.
Captain Mark Phillips was slightly surprised that neither the HSBC Water Complex nor the coffin created any problems but that fence 22 an uncomplicated fence caused 3 falls and he was happy that none of the falls were serous.
27,000 spectators came to watch despite the bad weather and Julia Otto, the organizer was full of praise for her team who worked the whole night dealing with the damage done by the storm.
The decision to whom gets gold will be decided either tomorrow morning at the vet check but hopefully tomorrow afternoon in the show jumping arena.
A number of teams have been rudely woken the past mornings by what they thought was Ingrid Klimke’s youngest daughter crying. However the truth will out and the culprit has been found. Believe it or not the French team have a cockerel as a lucky mascot. He is flying around free in their truck and he feels it is his responsibility to wake everybody up every morning!
It was a great day of cross-country for the US short list at the Pan American Games mandatory selection trials. The risk of making the Pan American Games short listers jump over the advanced track here at Richland was that the USEF might have unnecessarily caused some of our top intermediate horses to have problems. However, the upside was that everyone who had a successful day would be able to head for the Pan American Games knowing that they had conquered an Ian Stark cross-country course that was tougher than anything they will likely face in Mexico. Fortunately, the later happened for almost all of the short list riders and it turned out to be a nearly perfect Saturday for the US Pan American hopefuls. Today proved that the selectors did a good job picking their short list and that the US has a great shot at winning Pan American gold.
There was originally some confusion with the timing as the reported scores were giving the riders more time penalties than they thought they had. The Pan American Games division competed with a time of 550 meters per minute rather than the advanced time at 570 mpm, so my guess is that the scorers originally were using the advanced time. The adjusted time is 14 seconds less than advanced, so with the adjustments there were 4 double-clear rides. With a total of 3.2 time penalties for the top 7 horses the leader board barely changed today:
Richland Pan American Selection Trials XC Results:
1. Hannah Burnett and Harbour Pilot +0 44.4 2. Shannon Lilley and Ballingowan Pizazz +0.4 47.1 3. Tamra Smith and Mar De Amor +0 47.8 4. Kristin Schmolze and Ballylaffin Bracken +2.0 48.4 5. Michael Pollard and Schoensgreen Hanni +0.8 49.1 6. Lynn Symansky and Donner +0 50.5 7. Buck Davidson and Absolute Liberty +0 53.6 8. Jonathan Holling and Downtown Harrison +4.4 53.6 9. Emily Beshear and Here’s to You +8 58.8 10T. Jolie Wentworth and Good Knight +6.8 59.0 10T. Anna Collier and Upper Crust D +10.4 59.0 12. Maxance McManamy and Project Runway +22.0 73.6 13. Kevin Keane and Fernhill Flutter +20.8 76.6 14. Jenniver Taxay and Taboo +22.0 80.9
–There was only one stop in the selection trials division and only three riders finished with double-digit time penalties.
—Tamra Smith and Mar De Amor started things off at a blazing pace today and set the tone for all the riders trying to make the time. Mar De Amor made the parts of the course that I saw look easy. This horse is one of the best pure jumpers on the short list. He had a shaky show jumping round this year at Bromont, so Sunday will probably be his most important day for the weekend.
–I saw Kristin Schmolze and Ballylaffin Bracken (try typing that 5 times fast) through the first loop on their course and they looked very solid. They finished the day in 4th with 2.0 time penalties
—Hannah Burnett and Harbour Pilot meticulously negotiated the course. They never looked challenged or like they were galloping very hard. Hannah rode efficiently to finish just under the optimum time. This was William’s first advanced, making their performance even more impressive.
Hannah shared her thoughts with us after her ride:
—Kevin Keane and Fernhill Flutter had a heartbreaking runout to the right at the C element of the first water complex, which was a brush vertical. It looked like Kevin never quite found his line. They finished the course strong and Fernhill Flutter is an incredibly nice horse for the future.
—Lynn Symansky gave Donner a very positive ride through the first water and the sunken road. Lynn wasn’t leaving anything up to chance and they finished clear as a result. Donner is in 6th going into the show jumping.
—Emily Beshear and Here’s to You looked solid throughout their ride. This is a great look for the selectors at a horse who can win any event he enters. They finished on 8 time penalties.
—Shannon Lilley and Ballingowan Pizazz had a lot of pressure on them starting out in second place but they delivered a great performance finishing just one second over the optimum. All of the west coasters had a great day here at Richland.
—Jennifer Taxay and Taboo took the long route at the coffin and they finished with 22 time penalties.
—Jolie Wentworth and Good Knight had a good trip and added just 6.8 time penalties to their dressage score. They would have moved up more if everyone else hadn’t finished so close to the time.
—Buck Davidson and Absolute Liberty looked a bit tired at the end but they finished clear as we would expect from this experienced 3* pair. They moved from 12th to 7th, which was the biggest placing improvement of the day.
—Jon Holling and Downtown Harrison delivered an excellent performance although they were sticky through the coffin. 4.4 time penalties dropped them down one spot. Jon is long overdue to represent the US and I’m hoping a great round tomorrow will get them there.
—Anna Collier and Upper Crust D picked up 10.4 time penalties and dropped from 6th to 10th. They jumped well, but those time penalties were costly.
—Michael Pollard and Hanni finished a beautiful ride just two seconds over the optimum. Hanni has all the talent in the world and she is really growing up quickly. Hannie is an excellent show jumper, so I expect she will put some pressure on the pairs above her tomorrow.
—Max McManamy showed a ton of toughness today. She’s 19, had surgery on her foot 3 weeks ago, and moved her horse up to advanced today over what was certainly not a move-up course. Max was limping when she hopped off at the finish line, and she finished with over 20 time penalties, but she should be incredibly proud of her ride. Max has done two interviews with us this weekend, so I’m going to give EN Karma a bit of credit.
–There are just 4 penalties separating the top 4 places going into the show jumping making for an exciting Sunday at the selection trials.
–Changing divisions, Selena O’Hanlon and the veteran Colombo were one of just two pairs in the advanced to make the time and they moved into the lead. Michael Pollard and DV8 dropped to second. Katie Ruppel and Sara Kozumplik moved from being tied for seventh to being tied for third with 1.6 time penalties each. Holly Payne is in 6th with Madeline and Lisa Marie Fergusson is 7th with Smart Move.
The preliminary divisions are running cross-country right now and the many novice and training divisions have been show jumping all day. Go eventing.
Max McManamy took a few minutes from watching the CIC3* cross-country to walk us through how she plans to ride the tough advanced sunken road in the Pan American Games division on Project Runway. Thanks Max and good luck later today. Go eventing.
Buck Davidson and Ballynoecastle RM are tied with Jennie and Cambalda for the CIC3* lead
With no breaks between divisions, riders starting out of order, and the occasional friend needing help in the vet box, Saturday afternoon has turned into a whirlwind here at Richland Park. Here’s a quick look at the CIC3* results and we will be back after the Pan American Games division with a recap of that and all of the advanced divisions. And sometime this afternoon we’ll write about Germany’s historic dominance today at the Europeans.
–Jennie Brannigan rode around the CIC3* cross-country course with a vengeance. Jennie clearly wanted to prove that there were no lingering issues from their tough cross-country at Luhmuhlen earlier this summer and she did just that. Jennie had one of six double-clears today and they made it look easy moving up to first place.
–Buck and Ballynoecastle have had some ups and downs on the cross-country this year, but they too made a statement today and with a double-clear round they are tied with Jennie. Jennie’s coach Phillip occupies the next two spots with Ben and William Penn, giving True Prospect a commanding position going into the show jumping. Phillip’s 4th place horse, William Penn was particularly impressive with his long stride which should make it easy for him to make the time throughout his career.
The cinematography starts at the first water complex:
–Jan Byyny rode the corners just as she told us she would and she moved up with Inmidair to 5th place.
–Nina Ligon’s Fernhill Fearless looked quite good and that horse is really starting to build a reputation as a top cross-country horse. They moved up from 19th into the top 10 with a double-clear. Veronica looked very focused through the sunken road and my feeling is that she has a very promising future on the cross-country. Can’t Fire Me also looked lovely and was very keen to recover from a stumble in the second water.
–Seven riders had issues on the CIC3* course, with four stops, two retires, and one rider fall.
–The first water complex caused most of the issues today. Lucia retired there, as did Buck and LA Albert. Lisa Barry took an unfortunate tumble in the water and they were having a very nice ride up until then. Doug Payne had a stop at fence 5 but looked good elsewhere, although Running Order was a bit sticky in the water again.
It’s so far so good for Ian Stark’s advanced course with two more divisions to go. See you soon and go eventing.
We’re big Jan Byyny fans here at Eventing Nation and Jan was kind enough to walk the huge corner combination at #18ABC on the CIC3* course. The advanced and Pan American divisions jump the corners on the left side with a much smaller corner in between. Thanks very much to Jan for taking the time to chat with us on her final course walk and good luck to all of the CIC3* riders today!
The CIC2* track at Richland rode as we would expect an Ian Stark course to ride–big, forward, and safe. The CIC2* horses shared many of the same jumps with the advanced, and the many competitors who finished the course can pride themselves on getting it done over a very tough course. The horses looked good crossing the line and although the temperature is rising there is a nice breeze and occasional cloud cover perhaps courtesy of the far outskirts of hurricane Irene.
Kadi Eyekamp from Australia held onto her dressage lead with just 3.2 time penalties. Siobhain O’Connor and Mizar moved up from 7th to second with one of only 3 double-clears.
Our worst video ever series rolls on by popular demand, this time from Richland. If Bromont was one of the best worst videos ever, this is certainly one of the worst. God help us all and
Aisling Carrol and Fluff from Louisville took the lead in the Richland Training Rider C division
Richland Park: To give you a feel for how busy today was at Richland, there are 7 preliminary divisions, 8 training divisions, and 7 novice divisions. All four arenas here at Richland were busy non-stop and the warmup arena was a whirlwind.
I spent a few hours watching the dressage in the afternoon and there was a good mix of riders in terms of talent level. I have to say that I think the quality of horses here at Richland is right up there with what you would see at big events throughout the country.
Two other events with live scores from today: [Stanton Farms scores, Shepherd Ranch scores] Hurricane Irene is on the way and hopefully the rest of the east coast events will find a way to safely compete this weekend.
Burghley: Injuries in the last two weeks before four-starts are both a reality of eventing and completely heartbreaking. Most everyone reading this has gotten bad news from vets and we all know how it feels. I said it earlier today, but just thinking about what it must have felt to get bad news so close to Burghley for Will and Nat and their entire team breaks my heart. The great news is Andromaque is a fabulous horse and I can’t wait to see her back in action.
European Championships: Looking at the Europeans, there’s really no way to overstate what the Germans did on Thursday and Friday in the dressage. I’m not sure, but I would be willing to bet no team in the history of international competitions has ever finished the dressage phase with a team score under 100 points. They are sitting on a staggering 98.7 for their top 3 riders going into the cross-country. We’ll see how the weekend plays out, but I still definitely would not count Great Britain out. I have heard Luhmuhlen got a huge thunderstorm tonight so I hope everything is fine at the show grounds.
In a very sad development that is unfortunately all too often a part of the path to three-days, Will Faudree has withdrawn Andromaque from Burghley after heat was found in her left front today. Andromaque has been one of my favorite horses since I watched her first competing at intermediate and I know that when Missie gets a shot at her first 4* she will tear it up. I can’t imagine how heartbroken Will, Nat, and their entire team must be right now, but all of Eventing Nation is wishing Missie a speedy recovery. Here’s a quick statement Will and Maizey Manor Farm sent us:
Will Faudree has today withdrawn Andromaque from the Burghley Horse Trials. Whist posting a 68% score in the four star test yesterday at Hunters and being perfectly sound there was a bit of heat in her near fore today and after scanning Will has taken the decision to not risk the 10 year old mare around what is undoubtedly going to be a true stamina test at Burghley this year. Missie is happy and sound but will have to wait a little longer for her 4 star debut. Will said “I am devastated for Jennifer Mosing and the team but the welfare of my horses has always been my priority and this certainly does not rule me out of the Games next year.”
Black, Red, Gold dominates the leader board at the end of the 2nd day of the European championships and Germany takes a 20 point team lead into the cross-country. Their full team score is a 98.7. Frank Ostholt (GER) riding Little Paint was the fifth rider to enter the arena this morning and rode a test which I am sure his wife Sara Algotsson-Ostholt (SWE) will be very proud of even if it did remove her from the top of the leader board. It certainly looked as if the Germans have been doing their dressage homework! And this set the trend for the day.
Laura Collett (GBR) riding Rayef was the very next rider and it look as if she would be taking over the leading position until her second flying change marked her down and she finished the day equal 4th with Sandra Auffarth(GER). Mary King the third team rider for Great Britain rode a good test and was rewarded with tenth place but then came Ingrid Klimke (GER) riding Butts Abraxxas and not only did she receive 3 x 10 for her halt and mobility but a further 3 x 10 points for other elements in the test, she moved up to the top of the board with 30,00 points. It was now going to be hard to challenge the German dominance. Stefano Brecciaroli (ITA) riding Apollo van de Wendi Kurt, an 11 year old Belgian bred gelding, a horse with beautiful paces put in a very impressive performance and not only secured the 6th place in the individuals but also moved Italy up to bronze medal position in the Team results and I am sure we will be hearing more about him in the future. William Fox-Pitt and Cool Mountain came out with a disappointing 17th place; Cool Mountain unfortunately didn’t live up to his name and found the main arena rather awesome!
The final rider of the day was Michael Jung (GER), last team rider for Germany and the pressure was on, The first halt and salute were suboptimal and the gelding cantered a pace at the beginning of the extended trot but he then seemed to find his rhythm and put in a top performance and finished the day 2nd on the overnight leader board. The judges seemed to be more generous with their marks today but we did see some nice rides. The youngest rider in the Championships is Christoffer Forsberg (SWE) he is only 21 years old and finished his test today with just 43,30 minus points and a super 19th place.
The horses and riders had to cope with high temperatures and high humidity today, hopefully this won’t be the case tomorrow, many of the riders are of the opinion the cross county course will not be easy; it will demand high concentration from both horse and rider. A lot can happen in the next 24 hours and Germany has been known to have problems in the cross country phase before. I look forward to seeing the leader board this time tomorrow!
The Richland cross-country courses are beautifully designed and built. Ian Stark is known for designing open and galloping courses and Richland is no exception. The footing is generally good although some of the higher areas are perhaps a bit firm. The advanced course shares most of the same fences as last year although some of the loops on the course have been reversed. The advanced course is tough but very doable. The course will be a big test for the Pan American short list horses who will be moving up to advanced or doing their second advanced. The table at #20 and the corners at #18 in particular are quite big, but on the other hand I don’t think the course is overly technical. Here is a quick look at the advanced course…
All of them?
Stay tuned for much more from Richland. Go eventing.
A possible new flag for Michigan eventing, as submitted by a reader after reading FAQ: Michigan
Good morning from beautiful Richland, Michigan. The novice through preliminary divisions are riding dressage today and the upper levels are jump schooling or working their horses on the flat to prepare for the cross-country on Saturday. Everyone is walking their courses under beautiful sunny skies during breaks in their schedules. We’ll have much more from Richland throughout the day so stay tuned.
Icarus and Parker landed happily in the land of fish and chips
The travels to England for the North American Burghley horses are nearly over. Kyle Carter’s Madison Park and Michael Pollard’s Icarus landed safely in England Thursday afternoon. The only remaining horse en route is Hawley Bennett’s Gin & Juice. Ginny left the west coast today in good spirits and will land in Amsterdam and then ship to England on Friday.
Ginny weighed in at 468kg for her pre-flight weight
Goodbye from Mom!
A second goodbye from Mom!
Happy flying Ginny! Hide yo’ kids, hide yo’ wife, a hurricane is coming to the east coast. Coren has the night post, where I am told she will conjugate the Latin pluperfect passive indicative in Chinese characters. Go eventing.
Max McManamy is the youngest Pan American Games short lister, but this isn’t her first time riding under big pressure. She won Young Riders in 2009 and her career has continued to grow at a rapid rate since then. Her horse at Richland, Project Runway, moved up to intermediate this year and they won the CCI2* at Twin Rivers in California. Max recently broke her foot but like a true eventer she is riding through the pain this weekend. Max kindly chatted with me for a few minutes after her ride.
Here is Max’s dressage test:
Good luck the rest of the weekend Max and go eventing.
When you are done applauding my creative title please enjoy my interview with Emily Beshear, as well as Kevin Keane’s and Jon Holling’s rides from the Pan American division at Richland this afternoon:
Hannah and Harbour Pilot took the lead with a 44.4
Hannah Burnett and Harbour Pilot aka William put together the professional, steady, and accurate test that we have come to expect from them over the past two years. One of the true arts of dressage is for the horse to move without it looking like the rider is doing anything. Hannah and William captured that seamless communication today.
As a quick update on the short list, Allie Slusher withdrew Pierre from the short list on Tuesday, which bumped Jennifer Taxay onto the short list. Matt Flynn withdrew Breakthrough, thus leaving just 15 horses on the short list. Boyd received special permission to not attend the mandatory outing since he is in England right now getting ready for Burghley. Thus 14 riders took the field today to pursue their Pan American dreams.
Like Hannah, Kristin Schmolze is shooting for her first team appearance and she took one step closer today with a beautiful test on Ballylaffin Bracken. Shannon Lilley traveled farther than any of the other short listers to compete at Richland but she made the trip well worth it and is 3rd going into the cross-country. Shannon’s west coast compatriots Tamra Smith and Mar De Amor are 4th with a 47.8.
Pan American Games Mandatory Outing Dressage Results:
1. Hannah Burnett and Harbour Pilot 44.4 2. Kristin Schmolze and Ballylaffin Bracken 46.0 3. Shannon Lilley and Ballingowan Pizazz 46.7 4. Tamra Smith and Mar De Amor 47.8 5. Michael Pollard and Schoensgreen Hanni 48.3 6. Anna Collier and Upper Crust D 48.6 7. Jonathan Holling and Downtown Harrison 49.2 8. Lynn Symansky and Donner 50.5 9. Maxance McManamy and Project Runway 50.6 10. Emily Beshear and Here’s To You 50.8 11. Jolie Wentworth and Good Knight 52.2 12. Buck Davidson and Absolute Liberty 53.6 13. Kevin Keane and Fernhill Flutter 55.8 14. Jennifer Taxay and Taboo 58.9
Hannah Burnett and Harbour Pilot’s winning dressage ride:
–Fernhill Flutter was having a very nice test until he had a bit of a meltdown in the right turn on the haunches. Kevin told me afterwards that he wasn’t sure if it was a bug or if he caught him with his spur, but Kevin did a good job getting things under control and they had a very steady test everywhere else.
–I felt like Jon Holling and Emily Beshear both had better tests than they scored, but I know both of them quite well so you could call me biased. Downtown Harrison was very impressive at moments throughout his test.
–I have never seen Anna Collier and Upper Crust D compete before but I was impressed with their test for sure. Anna also wins Eventing Nation’s inaugural ‘best salute’ award with Thursday’s best gesture to conclude her test. I’m not necessarily sure what makes a great salute, but Anna had it.
–My feeling is that this selection trials is going to be anything but a dressage test in general although it is going to be very hard for someone to catch Hannah and Harbour Pilot.
–Max McManamy is competing this weekend with a broken foot. We’ll have much more on Max’s journey to Richland in an interview for a later post.
–The Pan American selection trials is being run with the CCI2* B dressage test, and over the advanced cross-country and show jumping. For many of these horses the advanced cross-country will be one of their first advanced runs, so they will see some big steps up from previous competitions.
–I think Absolute Liberty and Schoensgreen Hanni are two horses who left a lot of points on the table today. Libby had bobbles throughout the test, maybe the atmosphere got to her a little bit.
Hannah was kind enough to chat with me briefly after her test:
–The warmup is on grass and the arenas are on sand here at Richland so the smart riders were getting over to the sand right when the rider before them saluted to give their horses a few extra moments to adjust.
–The west coast is very well represented here this weekend. Anna Collier, Max McManamy, Shannon Lilley, Tamra Smith, Jennifer Taxay Kelly, and Jolie Wentworth all hail from the west coast.
–For more info on the short listers, check out this USEF press release. The fun facts include that the average age of the horses on the short list is 9.6 and the average age of the riders is 30, with 19 year old Maxance McManamy being the youngest and veterinarian Kevin Keane being the eldest.
–As a quick note on the rest of the afternoon action here at Richland, Michael Pollard and DV8 took a 5 point lead in a stacked advanced division on a 25.3. Kristi Nunnink and R-Star shipped out to Richland and they are in second. The Canadian WEG duo of Selena O’Hanlon and Colombo is tied for second, and their teammates Steph Rhodes-Bosch and Port Authority are in third. Stephen Bradley is 5th with Leyland. Phillip Dutton and Young Man lead the Intermediate B division.
That’s all for now. The stables are still filling up here at Richland as the novice through preliminary riders are getting ready for dressage tomorrow. The upper level riders have a free day to jump school and stress about the cross-country tomorrow. We’ll have much more from Richland shortly. Go eventing.
