Michael Jung and fischerRocana. Photo by Libby Law Photography.
Historically, it was the practice of commanding officers in battle to always have a second horse ready and waiting should your first horse tire, and it seems Michael Jung has made a careful study of the art of war. While he and overnight leader fischerTakinou had a beautiful four-star debut for the gelding over the soft footing at Pau, it added 8.8 time faults to their score to drop them to fifth going into show jumping. But no matter. He’d already put in a nearly flawless performance on the smart and elegant fischerRocana to maintain his lead in France’s four-star event. They added just .4 time faults in one of the fastest rounds of the day to lead the crowd on a score of 44.2.
“Rocana was wonderful – she is so simple to ride – and Takinou gave me a good feeling for his first time at this level,” said Michael of his two rides.
Maxime Livio and Qalao Des Mers. Photo by Libby Law Photography.
They’ll have pressure tomorrow, however, as they are topping France’s Maxime Livio and Qalao des Mers by just 1.1 points after the pair put in one of only two double clears of the day. They came home to uproarious applause from the French crowd and look poised to put up a strong fight tomorrow.
Nicola Wilson and One Two Many. Photo by Libby Law Photography.
In fact, it ought to be a battle among all the best-finishing horses, as less than a rail separates the top five which includes Nicola Wilson and One Two Many, Jock Paget and Clifton Signature, and Michael’s second mount, fischerTakinou.
American Boyd Martin sits just outside this group on Crackerjack in sixth place after putting in a strong and flowing run over the 32 elements and 45 jumping efforts to add just two time penalties to their score. They’ll move on to show jumping on a 49.7.
“I’m thrilled with how both horses went. It was the best four-star run I’ve had on Crackerjack,” Boyd told EN. “He was quite settled most of the way around. I was able to make the turns and keep the fences coming up in stride. He doesn’t have the best wind, and I had to ease up off him through the last few fences just because I felt like he was running out of gas.”
Boyd Martin and Crackerjack. Photo by Libby Law Photography.
Boyd Martin and Welcome Shadow. Photo by Libby Law Photography.
Boyd’s second ride of the day aboard Welcome Shadow was also a strong finish for the United States’ only Pau entries. The pair added 5.2 time penalties to jump from 25th place after dressage to 15th on a score of 57.1.
“Shadow definitely felt a notch greener than Crackers. She’s such a trier and an honest mare. I felt like I had to balance her a little bit more for some of the fences, which cost me a bit of time, but she’s a great horse and both of them really tried hard today.”
Boyd made it clear that despite many clears on course and great results for his horses, it was no walk in the park to get there.
“It was a proper four-star track, a little similar to Rio in that is was not super huge but had lots of angles and turns and accuracy questions. It really tested your riding ability and your horse’s training. I knew what I was in for so I’ve been cross country schooling a lot at home, and it paid off today. With it being the first four-star for Shadow I was very pleased. It was the best four-star run Crackers has had; he’s getting better and better.”
Irishwoman Camilla Speirs made one of the biggest placement moves of the day, as she and Portersize Just a Jiff added only 1.6 time faults to launch from 32nd place to just outside the top ten in 11th. Nicola Wilson did almost identically well on her second mount Annie Clover, moving from her tied 32nd position to move into 12th. Chris Burton and TS Jamaimo were the only other combination to make the time today, moving from 44th to 22nd.
There were two retirements on course today (Ben Vogg with Bellaney Castle and Emily Lochore and Hexmaley’s Hayday) and seven rider falls.
Laura Collett on Palmero 4 were the highest-ranked pair to take an unfortunate tumble when they parted ways at the bright and vertical palette fence; they had been in eighth place after dressage. Tim Price and Xavier Faer parted ways near the end of the course to have a disappointing end to their otherwise cracking round. They had been sitting in 11th place after dressage.
The faults were spread relatively evenly around course today, and the infamous WEG fish that plagued many-a-world-class rider at Normandy in 2014 was mostly a non-factor in today’s outing. One of the toughest questions came very early on at three and four, a brushed log atop a hill to a narrow corner that proved a bit hard to read. (You can see a course preview courtesy of our friends across the pond at Horse & Hound.)
Kirsty Johnston and Opposition Detective had one of the most spectacular saves of the day at 24 and 25, a log drop into water straight to a corner that could be jumped to the left or right. Kirsty lost her seat a bit in the first landing, but her inspiring steed was completely locked on the corner brush to the right and she hung on for dear life to clear the element. She took a moment to re-situate herself before galloping on and giving Opposition Detective a heap of well-deserved pats and encouragement.
Among the rookies, Cathal Daniels of Ireland aboard Rioghan Rua were the talk of the town, adding just 3.2 time penalties to their dressage score to currently sit in 14th place behind a sea of veteran four-star riders and recent Olympians.
With sticky moments here and there and a bit of deep footing to contend with, there may be some developments overnight, but overall the ground seemed to hold up remarkably well despite the significant rain the venue got earlier in the week. Keep it locked on EN for all the updates.
Tim Bourke and Foreign Quality. Screenshot via YouTube.
In addition to all the other hype at Fair Hill this weekend, they also played host to the East Coast Young Event Horse Championships and crowned winning four-year-old and five-year-old horses.
The winning five-year-old was the lovely Foreign Quality, owned by Marley Stone Bourke and ridden by her husband Tim Bourke. The Dutch Warmblood came to the U.S. by way of The Netherlands and Ireland before ending up in the Bourke’s barn, and the stallion flaunted his skills in all the disciplines, leading from start to finish. You can watch his jumping phases here:
Reserve Champion went to Get Gaudi, also a Dutch Warmblood, owned and piloted by Matt Flynn of Flynn Sport Horses. The Alicante HBC x Second Floor mare danced her way through the phases, holding the second place slot throughout the event.
In the four-year-old division, Matt Flynn didn’t have to settle for second, claiming the championship aboard 2 A.M. after starting out in 11th after the first day. 2 A.M. was the only horse in the division to score in the nines in the jumping phase, and in fact scored a 9.45, the best jumping score of either age group.
Four-year-old Reserve Champion went to the elegant dapple gray mare Hopscotch, owned and bred by Nina Gardner and ridden by Jennie Brannigan.
You can see more photos and get more back stories about all these horses and more at the USEA Website.
Full results for the Young Event Horse Championships – East Coast are available here.
Skyline Eventing Park organizers and course designer James Atkinson are pleased as punch to be debuting a Preliminary division cross country course this weekend at their burgeoning facility–one which only opened its doors for the first time exactly one year ago. This course will be Utah’s second Preliminary division and cuts down the distance between two Prelim event facilities from eight hours apart to three hours apart. The organizers have put in the hours to make it happen, but nonetheless seem a little surprised to have pulled it off.
In 2014, the City of Mt. Pleasant, Utah approached local equine vet and eventer Summer Peterson about an idea. The city had built a major regional rodeo facility on 100 acres and still had 65 acres left. Might she and her fellow athletes be interested in building a cross country course out there?
In the two years since, the raw, rugged land speckled in sage brush and yellow sandstone boulders has been transformed into a premiere recognized event in Area IX. When they decided to add a Preliminary course for the next fall event, among their highest priorities was building a division that perfectly complimented the existing levels of Intro through Training.
“The thing that’s cool about our course is we have mini versions of everything, so the ditch wall on the Intro course is built the same way we built the ditch wall on Prelim,” said Carrie Matteson, co-organizer and show secretary. “The quality of building, the design and the strength are the same for every fence, and that’s something that was really important to us in this area.”
18ab – Pallisade to Bank. Photo by Lorraine Jackson.
Skyline is co-organized by five women, including Dr. Peterson, who are avid eventers and were eager to fill a desperate need in the region. They almost immediately contracted course designer James Atkinson to build a course from scratch that could simultaneously test and advance riders and trainers in the area but also be an open invitation to lower level riders to catch the eventing bug.
“He’s a wizard with a chainsaw,” Carrie says of James. “You go from a raw log we pulled off the mountain last year and in 45 minutes he’s transformed it into a trakehner, entirely free-hand. Seeing the vision in his mind transformed into this beautiful jump is something that’s so cool to be a part of.”
Organizers share that it’s been a bit of a sociology study watching eventers, ranchers and the local rodeo community come together in a single venue and respect each other’s crafts and spaces. Sometimes the eventers stash overflowing horses in stalls in the cattle pens, and the cowboys sometimes wander out on their horses to take a gander at the cross country course.
The connection deepened this summer following the death of longtime local English instructor and fellow eventer Ellen Walker. Both the eventing and local community were reeling from the loss, and the ConToy arena which houses both the rodeo complex and Skyline Eventing became a gathering place for all who missed her. Skyline Eventing named the fall event after her, and among the new Preliminary fences is a “book jump” built in Ellen’s honor (she was an avid reader), and organizers hope it will be a space where both equestrians and non-equestrians in the community can have a place to come and remember their friend.
3 – Ellen Walker’s Book Jump. Photo by Lorraine Jackson.
Throughout the week since the jump was placed, riders and locals have been seen lingering at the fence, and you’ll often catch sight of someone touching the pages of the book where Ellen’s poetry verses have been added, or staring at it from a distance.
The event has a strong spirit and a powerful momentum, and the organizers signed a deal earlier this year with Area IX to host the Area championships in 2017.
“Not even two years ago we had zero dollars, and today we’re going to run our first Prelim division with no debt, and that’s a testament to the eventing community, the sponsors, the city officials and the local community who embraced us and our sport here,” Carrie said. “The stars aligned for this, for sure.”
Six tour legs, hundreds of top competitors, and more than £350,000 in prize money distributed in a single year. The Event Rider Masters Series in Great Britain concluded their inaugural season last month, and over the course of the summer picked up significant momentum and praise for building an innovative new forum for equestrians and non-equestrians alike to experience eventing.
With the more compact, TV-friendly format, the massive social media effort, the professional quality streaming and champagne podium scenes with giant checks, they garnered viewers from over ninety different countries and dozens of time zones. It will be interesting to see how the series will grow and change in coming years after such a successful kickoff.
If you’re totally out of the loop on the ERM, it’s not too late to get in on the fun. We highly recommend starting with this sassy series recap:
Of course, we covered the series faithfully here at EN, and you can visit ourERM Archives to read up on the event day by day.
And finally, you should definitely check out the Event Rider Masters Website, which has loads of information about their intentions, their series riders, and tons of replays from all the series stops.
We’d love to see an ERM tour leg in the United States someday – what do you think EN citizens? Bring William Fox-Pitt along for the ride, and we’ll be there.
With their first Advanced division under their belts this weekend, Stable View farm is already looking to the next project where they can break new ground in the sport: The junior and young riders. The Aiken, South Carolina event has teamed up with Fair Hill International and Plantation Field Horse Trials to start a new championship series exclusively for the youth of the sport called the 21 Series. The series is intended to encourage riders to stretch their legs at several venues, earn prize money, and ultimately develop their skills to be more well-rounded and versatile competitors.
The Grand Prize is certainly a worthy incentive: The top three riders at the conclusion of the series will win up to one month of free board at Stable View during the 2018 winter season, and will include apartment accomodations on-site, use of all the facility’s equestrian amenities, and training sessions with top clinicians who set up shop in the area for the winter season.
To be eligible for the championship, junior and young riders must compete in the kick-off event in March at Stable View Farm, and at least one of the other participating venues’ spring horse trials — either Fair Hill International’s April Horse Trials or Plantation Field’s May Horse Trials. The competition will be geared toward competitors in the Preliminary and 1* Divisions.
Carla Geiersbach, Executive Director at Fair Hill International, shares in Stable View’s excitement to host a “student friendly series” which will give that age group exposure to international level riders. “By targeting the Preliminary and 1* level competitors, we will work together to help the next generation of the sport. That is the time in life — during high school and college — when young people are determining their path.”
Mary Coldren, organizer of Plantation Field Equestrian Events, also chipped in their enthusiasm and support. “We are excited to work with Stable View to encourage and support the young riders in the sport and to give them this opportunity!”
Competitors, parents, and trainers interested in learning more about the program can get more information at Stable View’s website, or contact Amber Lee at [email protected].
In a spin-off from our ever-so-popular Olympic Eventing History series, we now bring you obscure, forgotten history of our sport that has made all of us who we are today. From the first safety vest to the most triumphant stories you've never heard, we'll see to it that you're always learning -- in and out of the saddle.
Ludwig Stubbendorff and Nurmi in Berlin Olympics. Photo courtesy of Reiterverein Hannover.
Born on a frigid February day in 1906, Ludwig Stubbendorf was born to Ludwig Sr. and Franziska Stubbendorff in Gostorf, Germany. His father’s occupation was listed as a “forester” in early census reports, and in the next 1919 census, we see that he lived in a mixed large home with siblings, his mother and no listed father. If his father was still technically in the picture, he likely spent many months away from his family each year performing hard labor in the vast German forests.
In the late 1920s, Ludwig finished his early schooling and immediately joined the 2nd Prussian Artillery Regiment, which was a division of the German State’s “Reichswehr” Army. After the end of WWI, The Treaty of Versailles required that Germany only maintain a defensive military, a fraction of the size its military had previously been, and with no offensive tactical units that could pre-emptively attack.
This may in fact have opened a door for Ludwig, as there was briefly more focus in the German forces on sophisticated training and ceremonial divisions such as those in the competitive cavalry. In the 1930s, an artillery regiment would have had a significant cavalry element as they needed horses to move heavy supplies, and it was likely here Ludwig’s horse skills first flourished. In 1930 those skills earned him a spot in Germany’s illustrious Hannover Cavalry School.
The Cavalry was founded in 1920, and their primary duty was starting and developing horses for officers and delivering them to the troops. They would also go on drag hunts, though it’s not clear if this was a more entertaining form of training or purely a joyous diversion among the men. It was also during this time that Ludwig met his future wife, Margot Dorothea Theidel, who lived in the nearby town of Hannover. They were married May 7, 1933.
Ludwig apprenticed for two years before being asked to join the competitive dressage team, and soon thereafter he found his true knack in eventing, or “versatility” as it was known then. In 1936, he and his Trakehner partner Nurmi were named to the Olympic German eventing team, and the pressure was on. The competition would be on home turf, and in the past year, Adolf Hitler had publicaly revealed the aggressive expansion of the German military in defiance of the Treaty of Versailles. With the equestrians being among some of the exclusively military teams, it was considered vital that they demonstrate their dominance to the world – and they did.
As Leslie Wylie described in a previous synopsis of the 1936 Games, the Germans were actually so dominant – particularly at a few obstacles that the other equestrians had never seen before – that the IOC investigated the possibility of an unfair advantage. The Germans were ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing, but the proverbial asterisk has remained with many of the victories Germany achieved over the Berlin games.
The Ludwig Stubbendorff Olympic Trading Card. Via eBay.
Soon enough, the cheers of the crowds and peaceful pursuit of equestrian excellence would become a distant memory for Ludwig. The war began in earnest in 1939, and Ludwig would be shipped to the front lines with the First Cavalry Division of the German Army. The division initially fought in the Netherlands and later in northeastern France. Ludwig was wounded in battle on May 14, 1940 while attacking the Kornwerderzand Dam when they were hit with grenades. He survived the attack and it appears may have been promoted as a result of the deaths of his superior officers in this battle.
The cavalry’s next assignment was to march to the Eastern Front and participate in the fateful Operation Barbarossa, which is known by historians as one of Germany’s greatest failures and marks the changing of Hitler’s fortunes in the war. The plan had been to invade and destroy the Soviet Union swiftly and devastatingly, but instead Germany found itself dedicating a shocking number of its troops to two major war lines simultaneously, and the Eastern Front proved to be a long, hard slog rather than swift surrender as Hitler had envisioned.
Ludwig would live to see little of this; the invasion began on June 22, 1941, and he would die less than a month later.
According to records pertaining to the First Cavalry, between July 7th and July 31st, the division was engaged in defensive fighting at the Dnjepr/Dnieper River in where is now Bychau, Belarus. There are some sources which suggest that Ludwig died in “fierce hand-to-hand combat” in this battle. He died July 17, 1941, and was buried at the battle site, where he remains to this day. There is a marker in Verden, Germany, which honors his Olympic achievements, his military service, and his Olympic mount, Nurmi.
Ludwig was not alone in his sacrifice for Germany; of the nine riders who won an individual or team gold medal for Germany in the equestrian events in Berlin, four died in the war (Ludwig, his eventing teammate Rudolf Lippert and show jumpers Heinz Brandt and Kurt Hasse), and a fifth died in Russian captivity in 1953 (Konrad von Wangenheim). Athletes from many sports and many countries perished in the past century of wars, but with few exceptions, they were just men doing their jobs.
While I cannot provide a narrative or primary source of Ludwig’s thoughts and feelings on the Third Reich, what is known is that he was a competent horseman and natural leader – years before the Nazi regime took hold. I cannot and would not canonize Ludwig or any historic figure, but only good can come from understanding the full breadth of our human story.
Special thanks to the many historians who did the heavy lifting in advance of my arrival to this story – Ron Klages, the historians of grebbeberg.nl, and the axis history forums.
This bad boy is one of the final fences to be added to the brand new preliminary course at the Skyline Equestrian Park in Mt. Pleasant, Utah. My fellow committee members have been working exhaustively around the clock this summer to design, construct and develop tracks for the next level of our event with our talented head course designer, James Atkinson. This week we officially finished the course, and next week it will make its debut at our recognized fall event. Shout out to committee members Carrie Matteson, Dr. Summer Peterson DVM, Lani Homan-Taylor, and Ingrid George. You are wonder women!
Phillip Dutton and Z. Photo by Lisa Thomas, Mid-Atlantic Equestrian.
The boys are back in town and making a splash in Aiken as Stable View Farm successfully completed its first inaugural Advanced event to rave reviews. The crew really went for it when they opted to run all three phases on Saturday, but the show went on without a hitch, and Phillip Dutton and Boyd Martin laid claim to many of the top slots.
As he did in the three-star at Plantation Field two weeks ago, Phillip nabbed first and third, this time with Z claiming the top spot over barnmate and Plantation Field winner Mr Candyman. Once again, Boyd Martin managed to split up the hat trick to claim second place on Welcome Shadow and fourth place aboard Steady Eddie.
“Z is only 8, and all credit really has to go to the horse. I didn’t feel like I was going that fast, but he’s extremely quick off the ground and a fantastic jumper,” Phillip told EN. “His run at Plantation Field two weeks ago set him up perfectly for today, so that definitely helped him take the win.”
Boyd Martin and Welcome Shadow. Photo by Lisa Thomas, Mid-Atlantic Equestrian.
Boyd Martin and Welcome Shadow managed to lay down a new personal best in dressage at this level this morning, scoring a 29.70 and adding just 2.40 time penalties to that score over the jumping phases.
“Captain Mark Phillips built a pretty tough track. It was a little bit twisty, but then it opened right up and had some good gallops. There were some tough turning questions with the mounds, and it was a great preparation for Shadow (heading to Pau) and for the other competitors heading to Fair Hill. It had terrain so the horses got a fitness run out of it, and I think the horses will come out of it well because the footing was so good. It was well worth the 12-hour drive here. All three phases were world class.”
Boyd’s fourth place ride, Steady Eddie, was the only cross country ride to make the optimum time today.
Doug Payne accepting his fifth place award from Nick Attwood of Attwood Equestrian Surfaces. Photo by Lisa Thomas, Mid-Atlantic Equestrian.
Doug Payne and Vandiver were able to rise from 11th after dressage to finish in fifth by adding no faults in show jumping and just four time penalties in cross country, finishing on a final score of 39.30.
Doug Payne and Vandiver. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.
Also showing their strength in the jumping phases were Joe Meyer and Clip Clop who moved up the board from 21st to sixth when they added just 3.60 time faults in the final phase.
Joe Meyer accepting his award for sixth place from Nick Attwood of Attwood Equestrian Surfaces. Photo by Lisa Thomas, Mid-Atlantic Equestrian.
Allison Springer and her longtime veteran partner Arthur lead the day to begin with a dressage test that earned a 27.7, but they encountered some trouble in show jumping and ultimately finished their day just outside the top ten.
“Big Things to Come in Aiken”
The general consensus among the riders was that Stable View’s inaugural advanced test was a huge success, and a big step for the eventing community in Aiken.
Boyd mentioned how nice it was to have so much of the footing be a prepared synthetic — including in the warmup areas — and he never had to worry about the impact of the event on his horses in any phase. “The cross country course was great, and with perfect footing,” he added. “The whole course is fully irrigated with sprinklers the whole way around.”
Allison Springer and Arthur, trailblazers on the Advanced course at Stable View. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.
Phillip echoed Boyd’s sentiments, adding there’s not much more you could want from a new event.
“The organizers did a fantastic job at this inaugural Advanced horse trials. The footing on cross country was excellent, and Mark Phillips’ course was challenging enough with good questions. Richard Jeffery’s show jumping course also proved to be influential, so it was definitely an exciting day for the sport.
“Stable View has put itself on the map as a top-notch venue, and this new Advanced course opens the door for even bigger things to come in the future in Aiken.”
Stable View owners Cyndy and Barry Olliff, Honoree Joannah Glass, and Event Organizer Anne Dearborn. Photo by Lisa Thomas, Mid-Atlantic Equestrian
Kim Severson and Cooley Cross Border. Photo by Valerie Durbon.
The weather was yet again the ultimate foe to battle at Morven Park this year, but Kim Severson and her own Cooley Cross Border slayed the wet dragon to finish the CIC3* on their dressage score of 46.70. Will Faudree managed to lay claim to the second and third place slots aboard Hans Dampf and Pfun, respectively.
Kim and the Irish Sport Horse gelding set out today to nab a qualification for Fair Hill and did so in style despite the tough conditions. They were the only double-clear round of the day, and Kim was quick to credit her horse’s good attitude and a little bit of luck.
“I didn’t take him to Plantation Field, so I knew I wanted to run him here to get qualified for Fair Hill,” Kim told EN. “I knew how he would feel about the rain and the softer footing, but he prefers this, really. He was terrific today, he felt really good and I finally gave him a decent ride! And we kept all four shoes this year which helped a lot – we’d lost both front shoes by the fourth fence last year, so we were lucky today!”
There were a handful of trouble spots on course today, including the early 4ab combination of a square floating beam to an imposing skinny table which had the rider’s attention. But the pairs sailed through with flying colors and loads of confidence going into their fall season finale.
4b at Morven Park. Photo courtesy of CrossCountry App
“We knew that fence four had been giving people problems all day and the ground was a bit deep, but he was very good there and everywhere. He was great on all the tricky stuff and was really jumping in stride, which is big for him.
“We’ll see how he looks tomorrow and make sure everything is on track, but he felt great and very within himself; it felt like a really great fitness run for him,” Added Kim. “It’s wonderful to know you’re on a good jumper, and he’s really the kind of horse we’re always looking for. I’m very lucky.”
Will Faudree and Hans Dampf. Photo by Valerie Durbon
Will Faudree and Hans Dampf added just two time faults to their earlier phases to pop up from fourth to second place to finish their weekend, and had the second-fastest time of the day. The pair finished on a score of 57 even. Hans just edged out barnmate Pfun, who added twelve time faults to finish in third on 61.8.
There were several withdrawals overnight, including all four of Canadian Jessica Phoenix’s entries, Justine Dutton and Huck Finn, and Ronald Zabala-Goetcshel and Wundermaske. While it was a tough day to ride, those who did were rewarded for the most part, with only one retirement on course and one stop in the three-star.
It was quite a different story in the Advanced, where several horses opted not to run today, and the horses who did attempt to run ultimately retired early. Four combinations headed out on course today, three of whom opted to retire, and a fourth mandatory retirement. In one of the stranger endings to a division, there were no ribbons to give out, but the horses and riders are safe, mostly dry, and will duke it out on course another day.
No better way to see the brand new Advanced Stable View cross country course than to see it in action! Show Jumping and Cross Country are running somewhat concurrently in Stable View’s one day event format, so you can watch the advanced show jumping starting at 1:00 p.m. ET, and cross country rounds beginning at 1:20 p.m. ET. Both will be show intermittently on Stable View’s live stream on their website.
Allison Springer and Arthur currently lead the charge on a dressage score of 27.7, followed closely by Phillip Dutton aboard Z on 29.1 and Boyd Martin in third on Welcome Shadow with a 29.70.
With the top 15 separated by less than ten points and a tight optimum time of 6:19 over an unfamiliar course, there’s plenty of room for the leaderboard to see a big shakeup.
The Morven Park cross country track has been unveiled and the course is ready for your virtual viewing, courtesy of our friends at Cross Country App.
The Tremaine Cooper course will be the same for both the advanced and CIC3* divisions, with a total of 36 jumping efforts across a little less than 4,000 meters. The optimum time is set for a quick 6:55.
It will be interesting to see how the time comes into play with the current weather conditions; Leesburg, Virginia is forecasting a day of steady rain showers and a high of around 61 degrees. The good news is, it’s not sleet, snow, or hail, and there’s no accompanying winds gusts. Just another day in the life of a Virginian eventer.
Keep it locked on EN this afternoon, as we’ll be bringing you a full report on the CIC3* and Advanced Divisions.
If right off the bat The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in downtown Toronto doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, here’s a little sweetener you could add to the deal: Individual Olympic Eventing Champion Michael Jung will be headlining the $20,000 Horseware Indoor Eventing Challenge on November 4th and 5th!
The invitation-only event is limited to 8-10 riders, and will also include members of the Rio Olympic Canadian eventing team and other entries yet to be announced.
If you’re unfamiliar with the indoor challenge format, it’s quite a clever concept. There is no dressage — rather, they feature a show jumping phase and an indoor cross country phase which incorporates solid efforts and water obstacles for a thrilling showdown. The scores and times from the two phases are added together to make a total cumulative score for each pair, and the combination with the lowest faults will be named the winner.
Fallen rails in show jumping are five penalties, refusals in either phase are ten penalties, a refusal which dislodges a fence on cross country incurs a time correction of six seconds plus ten penalty points.
The heights and speeds are set to one-star levels, and horses must have completed at the one-star level to be eligible to compete.
For their efforts, the winner goes home with a cool $6,000, and if you’re anyone besides Michael Jung, you also win the incredible bragging rights to say that you beat Michael Jung. The highest placed Canadian will also take home the Colonel Michael Gutowski Award.
Nick Skelton and Big Star. Photo by Cealy Tetley.
If you’re also an unabashed (or highly covert) show jumping fan, this is double the fun: Individual Rio Golden man Nick Skelton will also be attending with the one and only Big Star to compete in the $135,000 FEI World Cup class on November 9. Four-time Canadian Show Jumping Champion Yann Candele of Caledon, ON, Tiffany Foster of Vancouver, BC, and Amy Millar of Perth, ON, will all compete at this year’s Royal Horse Show, as well.
“The Royal Horse Show consistently attracts some of the world’s best competitors and if you didn’t make it to Rio this summer, you have the opportunity to see Olympic Champions in action right here at The Royal,” said Charlie Johnstone, CEO of The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.
It’s never too early to give them the bug! Four-year-old Reagan and two-and-half-year-old Olivia Grace are seen here walking the course at Twin Rivers, eating up the course walk experience. Don’t forget to double count your strides in the combinations, ladies! My own little munchkin gets her fair share of barn time and eventing/show jumping livestreams, though her favorite part of horsemanship so far has been the vintage leather crop bestowed upon her by her grandmother, which she uses to beat her toys and occasionally yours truly.
Photo courtesy of Tamie Smith and Next Level Eventing.
It was a happy capstone to a roller coaster few weeks abroad for Tamie Smith, who today took fourth out of an eye-popping 82 starters in the CIC2* at Gatcombe. She and Twizted Syster (“Chloe”) added just 2.4 time penalties in cross-country and a single rail in show jumping to move from sixth to fourth in a massive field.
It was a rewarding personal victory after the torrential rain and an equipment issue hampered their plans last weekend at Blenheim Palace, with Tamie ultimately opting to retire and re-route. The pair went back to their temporary base at Rodney Powell‘s yard to put in some hours, and the USEF travel wizard Joanie Morris assisted in getting the pair rerouted to Gatcombe for the two-star.
Tamie and Chloe made good on their adventure, laying down a solid dressage score of 45.3 to slot them in eighth behind the likes of Sam Griffiths (AUS) and Paulank Kings River (the only pair to break into the thirties this weekend with a 39.7), Tim Price (NZL) on two horses — Pats Jester and Kincooley Cruising— and Tina Coudray (USA) and Aloha.
On a day when the time was almost impossible to make (only Britain’s Gemma Tattersall was able to squeak under the optimum time), Tamie was able to use a clear jumping round and just 2.8 time penalties to catapult her from eighth to fourth.
The two encountered just one troubling rail in show jumping on the final phase to finish on a 51.7. The score was good enough to hold on to their fourth place position for a very satisfying conclusion to their trip across the pond.
The victory was ultimately clinched by Dan Jocelyn (NZL) and Beaucatcher with a score of 48.7 after adding just .4 time and a double clear in show jumping. Second was Kitty King (GBR) and Vendredi Biats who added 1.6 cross country time to their dressage score, and Sam Griffiths used his large dressage score buffer and 10.8 time penalties to ultimately finish in third.
U.K.-based American Tiana Coudray had a great start to her weekend with Aloha scoring a personal best in dressage, but ultimately opted to withdraw prior to show jumping after picking up a stop on cross country. We’ll hope to see her and Aloha out again soon!
Congratulations to all the Gatcombe Riders on a successful event and safe travels to Tamie and Chloe as they make their way west once more.
The iconic stone wall complex at Plantation Field. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.
Welcome to the CIC3* Cross Country live updates feed! We’ve got a dedicated team today bringing you content in the field, crunching numbers behind the scenes, and a massive herd of incredibly fit Chinchillas running on the little chinch treadmills that keep our servers going. All to bring you every moment of the Best. Event. Ever.
The first run of the day was supposed to go at 12:40 p.m. ET, but has been pushed back just a bit to 1:00 p.m. ET. You can get a fence-by-fence preview of the course here or a drone flyover of the course here. USEF Network will be running a livestream for the CIC3* rounds with our own Jenni Autry commentating alongside Karen O’Connor! You can watch here.
With the delay, we’ve recalculated the ride times as follows (barring additional delays):
As you can see, there was one withdrawal overnight, Matthew Brown and Super Socks BCF. Phillip Dutton will ride the second-placed Mr. Candyman out of order to allow him time to get all three of his rides in today.
12:40 ET – As mentioned above, the start time has been pushed back 20 minutes to 1:00 p.m. ET. First out of the start box will be Ryan Wood on Fernhill Classic.
1:05 ET – Ryan Wood and Fernhill Classic are officially on course!
1:07 ET – Ryan and Fernhill Classic are clear through the coffin, first water complex, and angled corners. They are making a big course look easy and effortless.
1:09 ET – Erin Sylvester and Campground are on course now. Ryan still looking good through the cabins and ruins!
1:11 ET – Bobby Meyerhoff and Dunlavins Token on course now as well.
1:12 ET – Ryan and Fernhill Classic are home without jumping faults but were a bit over the optimum time of 6:11 with 18.4 time penalties.
1:15 ET – Erin Sylvester and Campground are also through without jumping faults and added just a handful of time to their score. Bobby and Token are really starting to open up and getting closer to the time than the previous rounds.
1:16 ET – William Coleman and Soupcon de Brunet on course and looking very sharp, huge gallop on this horse.
1:17 ET – Boyd Martin and Welcome Shadow now on course, Boyd looking no worse for the wear from his fall in the two-star earlier today.
1:18 ET – Justine Dutton on course now, Will Coleman and Soupcon come in clear but about 30 seconds over the time allowed.
1:20 ET – Official scores in for Erin and Campground added 10.8 time penalties, and Bobby and Token added just 8.40 time penalties.
1:25 ET – Boyd and Welcome Shadow are screeching around course and looked really strong heading into the end of the course. We’ll bring you an official time as soon as we have it.
1:28 ET – Madeline Backus and P.S. Ariana on course now and clean through the first coffin complex
1:30 ET – Booli Selmayr and Jaeda wrapping up on course and looked really solid through the final water, and will cross the finish flags at around the 7-minute mark.
1:31 ET – Will Coleman and Soupcon de Brunet’s official score was clear and 10.8 time penalties.
1:32 ET – Madeline Backus clear through the second water and she is grinning from ear to ear as she clears the last and heads to the flags!
1:34 ET – Boyd and Welcome Shadow’s official time in now and they too collected 10.8 time faults to currently sit in first.
1:34 ET – Justine Dutton and Huck Finn’s scores in as well, and they had a problem on course that didn’t make it on camera, but they finished with 60 jumping penalties and 20.8 time penalties.
1:36 ET – There’s a hold on course and as soon as we know what’s going on we’ll let you know.
1:37 ET – Word is that a frangible pin is broken at fence #6 – Liz Riley and It’s the Truth will be charged with launching the pin and it appears they’ve retired, but they’re making the fix and have us back underway momentarily.
Screenshot via USEF Network.
1:40 ET – Elinor Macphail and RF Eloquence on course now and cruising in huge gallop.
1:41 ET – Elinor takes the wide four strides in the angled corners but goes clean so far!
1:42 ET – Phillip Dutton and Z on course now.
1:43 ET – Booli Selmayr and Jaeda are our first official double clear! (Update: this was a scoring error, they had 19 time penalties)
1:44 ET – Eli slows down through the ruins to get it done, then cruises through the kennels and heads toward the last few fences on course.
1:45 ET – Phillip Dutton and Z looking strong over the course, and word is that Eli finished clear with about 20 seconds over the time.
1:46 ET – Phillip is through the final water and flirting with the optimum time
1:47 ET – Savannah Fulton and Captain Jack wrapping up on course now, through the ruins clean.
Savannah and Captain Jack.
1:49 ET – Jenny Caras and Fernhill Fortitude on course now and clear through the first half.
1:52 ET – Lillian Heard and Arundel on course and clear through the first water.
1:53 ET – Phillips official score on Z added 6.8 time penalties to put them in first provisionally with a 59.2
1:54 ET – Jenny Caras home clear, will bring you her time as soon as we get it!
1:55 ET – Robin Walker on course with Freedoms Light
1:57 ET – Lillian Heard and Arundel are on the final stretch, and rode very aggressively through the angled kennels and clear through final fences – she will have some time faults but she looks very pleased!
1: 58 ET – Canadian combo Lisa Marie Fergusson and Honor Me on course now, this horse looks incredibly athletic. (Jenni tells us he’s a welsh cob/TB cross)
1:59 ET – Robin Walker has some sticky moments in the ruins but Robin coaches him through it like a champ and they’re clear through there.
2:00 ET – Robin Walker and Freedoms Light complete their first CIC3*, well done!
2:01 ET – Sharon White and Cooley on Show on course now in their festive orange and gray.
2:02 ET – Lisa and Honor Me have a very deepy sticky moment in the ruins but they power through!
Lisa Marie Fergusson and Honor Me.
2:03 ET – Jenny Caras and Fernhill Fortitude add 12 time faults to their final score for 75.20 altogether.
2:04 ET – Sharon and Cooley on Show clear through the kennels!
2:06 ET – Ryan Wood and Woodstock Bennett on course now and looking sharp, currently in 10th place. Sharon White is through and possibly close if not under time! We’ll let you know when the final score comes in.
2:08 ET – Ryan and Bennett are through the ruins, as well as the angled kennels
2:09 ET – Erin Sylvester and Mettraise are on course now for Erin’s second ride of the day. Ryan and Bennett complete the course with a bit of time. One more ride for Ryan today!
2:10 ET – Another Canadian pair wrapping up – Jordan Thompson and Femme Fatale super sticky at the top of the ruins, but they scrape through!
2:11 ET – Megan O’Donaghue and Palm Crescent on course now. Jordan and Femme Fatale have a heartstopping final fence but complete!
2:15 ET – Erin Sylvester and Mettraise looking fresh and resplendent on course:
Erin Sylvester and Mettraise
2:17 ET – Score update: If these scores hold, they’re currently showing Sharon White and Cooley on Show as our first double clear to put her into first place for the moment! Lisa Marie Fergusson and Honor Me also had a double clear round to put them provisionally in sixth.
2:18 ET – Megan and Palm Crescent wrap up their round beautifully through the kennels and final water. This is a very exciting prospect for Megan!
2:19 ET – Sara Moore and Polaris on course and moving along, Adrian Jones and Magnificent Toy just starting their round.
2:20 ET – Sara and Polaris are through the ruins and the angled kennels.
2:21 ET – Our second placed pair Phillip Dutton and Mr. Candyman are now on course!
2:23 ET – Phillip and Mr. Candyman clear through the first water.
2:25 ET – Megan O’Donaghue and Palm Crescent add only four time faults to pop up to third for the moment.
2:27 ET – Phil and “Elmo” looking fantastic and clearly cruising for the time. It appears he’ll be inside the OT!
Phillip and Mr. Candyman
2:28 ET – Justine Dutton and Jak My Style on course now and clear through the ruins.
2:30 ET – Emily Hammel and Ramsey on course, just heading out is Gina Economou and Calidore
2:32 ET – Phillip Dutton’s official score on Mr Candyman adds just 2.8 time to put him in first for the moment.
2:33 ET – Emily Hammel and Ramsey have a gutting stop in the final water and after circling get through it.
2:34 ET – Will Coleman out on his second horse aboard Tight Lines, a lovely big gray.
2:35 ET – Will through the angled brushes at 13.
2:36 ET – Jennie Brannigan now out aboard I Bella.
2:37 ET – We can confirm a retirement on course, Gina and Calidore. Sounds like they’re okay but living to fight another day.
2:38 ET – Will and Tight Lines living up to their names and cruising through the ruins and angled kennels. Had a bit of a skip stride in the final water but they’re through clear!
2:39 ET – Jennie and I Bella clear through the angled brushes and ruins.
2:40 ET – Hallie Coon and Celien out on course now.
2:42 ET – Jennie and I Bella are clean in the final water and over the final fence, we assume with a handful of time. We’ll bring you their official score as soon as we get it.
2:43 ET – Will Faudree out on course now aboard 10-year-old Hans Dampf, lovely prospect from Europe.
2:44 ET – Hallie Coon and Celien clean through the ruins and kennels.
2:45 ET – Hallie and Celien have a very fast round that’s perfectly competitive with a string of world-class riders. She’s surely pleased as punch with that.
2:47 ET – Buck Davidson and Park Trader are out now.
2:48 ET – Will Faudree clear through the ruins despite a sticky moment and over the angled kennels.
2:49 ET – Will and Hans have a hard rub going into the water and activate the frangible pin on the drop log.
2:50 ET – Buck has a fall at the far end of the course, but both he and Park Trader are up and okay, if not sorely disappointed.
2:51 ET – Boyd Martin and Crackerjack make several efforts on course before being held while they repair the two frangible pin repairs on course – one for Will, and one for the big oxer which Buck activated in his fall.
Boyd and Crackerjack walking during the course hold.
2:53 ET – This long hold will unfortunately come with Boyd out on course and just Ryan Wood and Phillip Dutton left to go on their third horses of the day, respectively.
2:55 ET – Our top ten current appears as follows:
2:56 ET – They’re back underway and Boyd is straight back into his full gallop and over the oxer that spelled trouble for Buck.
2:58 ET – Ryan Wood and Powell are now out as well.
2:59 ET – Boyd and Crackers through the ruins and clean through the angled kennels, as well as the final water.
3:00 ET – The hold makes it tricky to know Boyd’s time, but we’ll let you know as soon as we’ve got something official.
3:01 ET – Ryan and Powell are clean through the first water and angled brushes.
3:02 ET – Phillip Dutton and I’m So Ready are out now and will be looking to sew like the wind and attempt to nab the win.
3:03 ET – Ryan is still clear through the course so far, and Phillip and I’m Sew Ready clean through the first water.
3:04 ET – Ryan and Powell are clear through the final water and heading into the final fences, though they don’t look like they’ll be in it with a competitive time. As soon as we know, we’ll update you.
3:05 ET – Phillip and I’m Sew Ready hung a leg doing down the ruins drop, but stay on their feet and don’t even register the blip on their way through the rest of the complex.
3:07 ET – Textbook through the angled kennels, looking great on time as they cross the flags!
Phillip and I’m Sew Ready
3:08 ET – The word is that Phillip Dutton had 10.8 time on I’m Sew Ready to flip his two top rides in the leaderboard. He’ll win it with Mr. Candyman and take either second or third on I’m Sew Ready! Still waiting on a time for Ryan Wood and Boyd Martin, but we suspect Boyd captured the third slot.
3:11 ET – Ryan Wood and Powell add 20.4 time penalties to finish in 13th place. We’re still waiting on Boyd’s score, as there’s a bit more math to be done with the hold during his round.
3:13 ET – We’re hearing word that unfortunately Buck Davidson broke his collarbone in his fall. We’re sending him some healing vibes after a rough day!
3:15 ET – Overall, however, it was a day low in jumping penalties with two retirements, two pairs with refusals, and Buck’s fall on the Mike Etherington-Smith course. It was the time penalties that completely shook up today’s standings. Sharon White appears to have made the most out of a fast trip today, using one of the rare double clears to catapult from 11th to the provisionally fourth slot aboard Cooley On Show.
3:18 ET – Word is in! Boyd and Crackerjack turns out to be our third double-clear, good enough to split Phillip’s hat trick and nab the second place slot. Congratulations to all the riders on a great day of sport! Here is the final top ten:
Thank you all for joining us for the live updates, and keep it locked on EN for more photos, videos, and full reports to come from our reporters in the field.
Video from the American Eventing Championships has been trickling in this week from RNS Video, and today we get to take a peek at all three phases of the winning ride in the Professional’s Choice Training Horse Division. The winner was Courtney Cooper aboard Tender Bravissimo, a seven-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by the Dare to Dream Team.
Courtney and “Whiskers” scored an impressive 22.5 in dressage and held onto that score to the finish. It was a much needed clear, as Olympic alternate Lynn Symansky was just .2 points behind her in the division aboard SpectraVET Cohiba. Courtney has built a strong ownership team for the horse, and after winning the AECs, she told US Eventing that the ultimate goal for Whiskers is to get him to the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event.
He competed in jumper classes in Ireland before Courtney imported him in December 2015, and he began his eventing career in February of this year. He took to the new discipline with zeal, collecting several top finishes at Training level including a second place at Flora Lea H.T. in May and a win at Plantation Field in June.
For those of us who may not pine for a shot at Rolex but do push ourselves to succeed in the lower levels, it’s useful and motivating to see what exactly comprises the winning test of a training level horse.
Courtney and the rest of C Square Farm are back at it competing at Plantation Field this weekend, so we wish her and the team the best of luck.
It’s here! The final rounds of Plantation Field cross country will commence this afternoon, with the first CIC3* ride going out at 12:40 p.m. ET. You can watch the livestream here, follow the order of go here, and we’ll be posting live updates on Eventing Nation, as well. With reporters on the ground and all the stats, facts, and updates an eventing fan could absorb, we’re here to make sure you won’t have to miss a minute of the action known around town as the “Best. Event. Ever.”
In the meantime, whet your appetite by getting in a smooth, peaceful, double clear round by way of drone in the video below, courtesy of the USEF Network. (If you’re looking for the fence-by-fence preview, you can check that out at this link.)
Photo courtesy of Molly Sherman, Brian Rutledge, and Gaithersburg High School
Your eyes do not deceive you. That’s authenticated, vintage, pre-gold-medal-winning David O’Connor appearing like a knight on a majestic white steed to rally the rabble rousers of Gaithersburg High School in the late 1970s. Normally we’d wax eloquent on the subject of lack of helmet awareness back in the day, but every once in awhile you find so fine a coif that no helmet could or should contain it, and such is the case of this fine ‘do here. Shout out to Molly Sherman for tracking this down, and Brian Rutledge for passing it on — this magnificent treasure now rests in the proper archives of ridiculous eventing history!
Another fun fact I discovered while doing the back-research of this photo, David O’Connor shares his high school alma mater roots with “Magnificent Seven” gymnast Dominque Dawes as well as several successful NFL players. It must have been all that Trojan Horse Troop Rallying on the field!
It’s cross country day at the Colorado Horse Park, which is hosting the Area IX Championships this weekend and they’ve made a full-out spectator event out of the occasion.
The cross country course received a complete overhaul earlier this year courtesy of course designer James Atkinson, and the September horse trials have made some additional improvements and tweaks since the new course debuted in June.
“On this course I wanted to make sure that you’re not locked into a single track,” James said of CHP earlier this year. “As a designer, you want to allow for changes, reroutes, and creativity. We’ve built some very cool fences that are going to be somewhat decorative, but really represent the history and feel of this community.”
In addition to the open and Area IX Championship divisions, there are also two 3-day long format divisions for Novice and Training level riders. For those who are devoted to the fitness, flair, and stamina of the long format, this undulating prairie course will be an exciting challenge.
But it’s not just the competitors who will be having their share of fun this weekend; CHP also holds a family festival in conjunction with cross country day that features food vendors, kid activities, a craft beer tent (YES PLEASE), and live music.
Debuting at the Fall Family Festival is the “Cross Country Safari”, which takes guests on a driver-guided tour of the course during the action to see up to six different questions up close and personal. This is an ideal option for families with young children or even riders from other disciplines who have never seen eventing close up (word on the street is that there’s a large H/J going on at CHP this weekend, as well!)
The Family Festival runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and cross country rounds begin at 8:00 a.m.
Blenheim Palace. Photo by Ella Clark via instagram.
Blenheim was defined today by the heavy rainfall both fans and competitors endured, and once again brave riders and horses had to dig deep to find their way. These stormy days – both literally and figuratively — remind me of a little saying that passion is what gets you started and discipline is what keeps you going. Professionals, amateurs, up-and-comers; We’ve all fallen in love with the sport and accepted the hard days, the risks, and the sacrifice.
In the slog and pouring rain, sometimes it takes more than passion to get it all done, and to keep going. That discipline to reach deeper and ask more of ourselves and our horses. Sometimes in the face of frustration or fear. But I’m always amazed by what a deep well eventers have of passion and discipline. It’s what makes us such a great sport, indeed.
Entries for the October 12-16 Fair Hill International CCI close on Tuesday, September 13th. Additionally, ALL entries must be done through the FEI system, and the system shuts down at 3:00 pm EST on Tuesday (not midnight). Don’t be caught by surprise. The USEF will now charge a fee for any entries they must manually enter for riders after the closing. If you plan to compete, do the FEI entry right now!
Hannah Herrig and Natasha Erschen both posted the above picture nearly simultaneously on Instagram yesterday, each praising the momentous occasion of finishing in the top five at the American Eventing Championships alongside their best friend. In the Professional’s Choice Training Amateur Division, Hannah finished third aboard her own Emerald Lion, and Natasha finished fifth with Don Bosco. Congratulations ladies, and we’re glad you were able to savor a sweet victory together! If that’s not the heart of eventing, I don’t know what is.
The future of the Boyd and Silva Martin Dynasty. Photo courtesy of Boyd Martin.
May the day never arrive that the ladies of Eventing Nation ever tire of cooing and squealing over baby Nox Martin, particularly when he is sporting his very own Charles Owen baby helmet and sitting on a shiny black pony. Those finger dimples and fat little feet so perfectly placed on the stirrup pads! Get that kid in an equitation class, stat. (Also, as the proud owner of a 1-year-old, how can I get my hands on a Charles Owen baby helmet? That’s adorable.)
Among the most poignant, important moments of our sport this year, Katie Ruppel was the winner of the Philippa Humphrey’s Advanced Division at Richland. With Michigan being Philippa’s beloved stomping grounds, the event wanted to honor her memory with a memorial division as well as an award for best placed woman – Katie was both, and most deserving of this award as a former Michigan girl herself. Philippa’s family was on hand for this memorable day, and no one in attendance will soon forget it. [An Emotional Win for Katie Ruppel in Richland’s Philippa Humphreys Advanced]
THE AECs ARE THIS WEEKEND! If you’re attending, consider swinging by the USEA Town Hall Meeting on Thursday September 1 at 4:30 p.m. local time in the TIEC Legends Club. Those in attendance will be invited to discuss the issues facing the sport and their recommendations on how the USEA can address them. Members of the USEA Board of Governors, USEA staff and local leadership will be present to listen and take notes on the input provided. [Town Hall to be Held at AEC on Thursday]
Still More AEC Reminders. Looking for ride times? Stabling info? Where to submit your Thoroughbred Incentive Program information? Is it possible you still haven’t booked your lodging and suddenly remembered that you really really don’t want to sleep in the back of your coach’s horse trailer? There’s a link for that: [Important AEC Competitor Information]
A shout-out to the crazies who ride astride on hitch-broke draft horses. Crazies like our managing editor at Horse Nation, Kristen Kovatch. Everything about Kristen’s life is a complete enigma to me. She lives in upstate New York, but she rides a quarter horse on a cattle ranch in a helmet for part of her living. When she’s not doing that, she’s driving a hitch of Belgians. When she’s not doing THAT, she’s riding Belgians in what must be a very, very wide english saddle. This girl was born to run Horse Nation, guys. [7 Thoughts I’ve Had While Riding Hitch-Broke Draft Horses]
Oliver Townend and ERM winner Cillnabradden Evo pictured at Blair Castle. Photo by Libby Law Photography.
Amidst the creation of the new eventing series, Event Rider Masters, it seems we’ve also invented a new illustrious achievement to which a top rider can aspire: The ERM double double. By winning back to back legs of the series with no jumping penalties in show jumping or cross country, Oliver Townend is the first to claim this singular achievement, and we’ll hope not the last.
This victory has catapulted Oliver up the season standings, and with the season finale in two weeks at Blenheim, we’ll be looking to him, Paul Tapner, or Gemma Tattersall to clinch the overall championship.
Betina Hoy had a promising eight point lead going into the jumping phases, but the lead quickly evaporated this morning after dropping an early fence and the b element of the triple combination, and finally adding a single time fault to put her in second place by just fractions.
As Oliver and Cilnabradden Evo had done at Gatcombe, the two put in a clutch clear round in show jumping to give them the edge for the cross country phase.
Jonelle Price and Cloud Dancer, who had been in third after dressage, also struggled to pin down a solid show jumping test, adding two rails and three time faults to fall to 11th.
With rails dropping and the time hard to beat, double clears became a valuable commodity this morning, pushing the likes of Gemma Tattersall, Bill Levett, and Francesca Reid-Warrilow up the standings into podium contention.
Cross Country Highs and Lows
In the thrilling conclusion, the penultimate obstacle on course played a decisive role in the affair as eight of the 39 starters incurred jumping penalties at the angled brushes. At the end of a long and undulating course, multiple horses seemed to lose momentum, misread the distance, or glance off the side of this difficult question.
Among them was the only rider in a position to threaten Oliver’s lead, Bettina Hoy. She tore around course and was making tremendous time until Seigneur Medicott glanced off the side of the b element of the brushes and ended Germany’s chances for their first ERM win.
Jock Paget (NZL) too struggled on course when his mount Angus Blue appeared to jump outside the flags on a brush arrowhead (14a) after a big drop. He was first eliminated, then reinstated for the awards ceremony, and finally after the event had ended and new footage became available for the ground jury to review, Jock and Angus Blue were eliminated for the issue.
While the rain trickled on and off throughout the rounds, it was an absolute downpour for Jonelle Price’s cross country round. But the seasoned veteran barely seemed to notice, and managed to jump around clear to ultimately finish in fifth place.
Series champion contender and crowd favorite Gemma Tatttersal experienced her twist on course before she even started, when her mount Santiago Bay refused to enter the start box. Gemma told the ERM commentators later that the horse was just overly jazzed to get going, and she believes she lost about 5-7 seconds in the affair. Fortunately, the two were able to make up time on course and finish with just four penalty points, enough to secure third place.
These bizarre events were no concern for Oliver Townend, however, who put in a foot-perfect round on Cilnabradden Evo, ultimately finishing with just 2.4 time faults and a final score of 45.2, the only rider to complete in the 40s today. Under 25 up-and-comer Tom Mcewen of Great Britain and Diesel were able to play ball with the veterans today, and rode a clear show jumping round and quick and clean final phase right into second place.
The final leg of the ERM will be September 11-12 in conjunction with the Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials. It’s an all-star cast for the final showdown, so be sure to say locked on with Eventing Nation for complete coverage!
(Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story reported that Jock Paget took second place in the division. The ground jury has since reviewed the case further and determined he was in fact eliminated. The story has been updated to reflect this.)
