Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive.Photo by Sally Spickard.

We’ve been talking all week about how this CCI3* at Galway Downs will be anything but a dressage competition — and that was proven right in spades today as it turned out to be a very difficult day across the board.

It was made to look like a cakewalk from Phillip Dutton, though, who piloted both Mr Candyman and Fernhill Fugitive around double clear — just one other rider, Allie Knowles, also stopped the clock in time.

It was Fernhill Fugitive who was one of the last horses to head out today. This horse is practically a household name when it comes to Phillip’s string now, and he jumped around Ian Stark’s course easily with time to spare. This would be impressive on any course, but on a day like today it really showed Phillip’s experience in situations such as these.

“It’s the best he’s ever gone, so I was pleased,” Phillip said of “Jack”. “He’s not the speediest horse I’ve ever ridden so I had to really work at the time and he really dug in at the end and galloped home quite well and amde up some time so that we could finish and get under the time.”

“He’s a pretty laid back character so we have to motivate him a little bit. It’s been a great year for him, he stepped up and did Kentucky and was fortunate enough to get on the team for the Pan Ams and hopefully will finish well here.”

To say the course rode tough could be considered an understatement. At the start of the division, we waited at the final water at fence 20 while the first two riders out had unlucky gos and retired early on. So it was Phillip with Mr Candyman, the third on course, to be the first to make it to the Shamu water. He went on to move from 12th up to fourth thanks to his quick and clear round.

Mr Candyman is running his first CCI3* this weekend, and this is only his third FEI event with Phillip which is equally impressive. The 8-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Ann Jones, Bridget Colman and Caroline Moran was still keen and full of run by the time he reached the tail end of the course.

Phillip Dutton and Mr Candyman. Photo by Sally Spickard.

“It’s his first time at this level,” Phillip said. “And I wouldn’t say I know him that well. He wasn’t sort of grabbing the bit and taking me to every jump, I had to work for it a bit but I was pretty impressed with him. He’s got a nice gallop to him and he’s a beautiful jumper and doesn’t get strong at all, so that makes it easier.”

Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett had perhaps my favorite ride through the CWD Splash, and Lauren’s grin on the way out said it all as she easily galloped on towards home. This mare is hot off a team gold and individual seventh place finish at the Pan Ams — and she, too, is just 8 years old. Lauren and Scarlett came home with just two seconds worth of time for a two-day score of 45.8 and second place.

Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett. Photo by Sally Spickard.

“After the Pan Ams she had a nice vacation,” Lauren said. “I really have Jess Brumfield at home to thank for legging her up for me while we were in England because we didn’t take her with us. And then David rode her when he could. But I was thrilled with her – she really is an amazing horse. She’s only 8 and she hadn’t run since the Pan Ams.”

“I went out and I just kind of let her pick her pace in the beginning but she really did pick up the questions. I certainly didn’t think the course rode easy, it rode difficult but she was brilliant. She was spot on to everything. At the end I was able to make up a bit of time, she had plenty in the tank.”

Allie Knowles and Sound Prospect get the job done at the final water. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Allie Knowles has to be in seventh heaven today after picking up the only other double clear aside from Phillip aboard Sound Prospect. Allie rerouted here following a fall from The Dark Mark at Fair Hill which led to her withdrawal of “Sounder.”

This is a homecoming of sorts for former Cali girl Allie (I’m sure that’s not the first time someone has used that nickname!), so today is even sweeter for her and Sound Prospect LLC’s Thoroughbred gelding to be here with all of their West Coast friends.

“The last two years, Sounder and I have been building a partnership and we’re working out kinks and it really came together today,” Allie said. “It felt like he was really ready for Fair Hill and it was a bit of bad luck that I wasn’t able to run him, so I didn’t feel like his season to come here. So I made the decision to come here and I’m so glad that I did. It was fun to be back, and I needed to prove to myself that he and I were ready to tackle a three star and do well.”

“He was full of running. I thought I actually was going to be a bit behind the time, but I couldn’t have asked him to be any better.”

Allison Springer and Athlone Anto. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Completing the top five are Allison Springer and Athlone Anto, another reroute from Fair Hill. Allison said at Fair Hill that this was one she has been particularly excited about, and he certainly got his revenge after ending his weekend early in Maryland. This pair added 5.2 time to their dressage score for a total of 52.1 following cross country.

In total, 18 riders completed, 15 sans jump penalties, a very tough course. Problems were relatively scattered, although fence 9 — the Sunsprite Trakehner to a big corner — caused perhaps the most. With as many issues as there were, just two riders fell from their horses: Jacob Fletcher fell from Atlantic Domino at 15 and Erin Murphy fell from Athlone Travel On at 9.

Overnight leaders Marilyn Little and RF Demeter had a grand run up until the second to last water at fence 17, where Demi had an uncharacteristic drive-by of the B element, an up bank.

From there, Marilyn came to the final water and jumped the B element on top of the hill, after which Demi never really locked on to the Shamu and instead bolted past it. It took Marilyn several strides to pull up a very strong horse, and she put her hand up at that point.

Jessica Phoenix had a mixed day, bringing home two of her four rides home and retiring two. She retired Bentleys Best following some trouble midway through and later would retire Patras VR after trouble at the Triple Crown Brushes in the trade fair.

It’s been quite the drama-filled day here in Temecula, and there’s still more to come as the show jumping will conclude competition tomorrow. I’ll be back in the morning with a jog report as well as recaps from the exciting conclusion from Galway Downs!

Tamie Smith and Chatwin. Photo by Sally Spickard.

What a beautiful day it is for some cross country here at Galway Downs! We’ve just wrapped up the cross-country from the CCI2*, and we did have a few problems crop up here and there, but overnight leaders Tamie Smith and The Chatwin Group’s Chatwin positively stormed around to come home 9 seconds under time to retain their lead.

We had to wait until the end of the division to see Tamie, but the ride was definitely worth the wait as she really showed her prowess across the country and piloted a keen looking Chatwin around Ian Stark’s tough course easily.

Marilyn Little and RF Overdressed put the pressure on Tamie, giving her just three seconds of time to play with in order to remain in the lead. Marilyn was another who put the pedal down, but RF Overdressed responded brilliantly and made the course look like child’s play. Marilyn will remain in second place, one of just three double clear rounds, on a score of 42.7.

Marilyn Little and RF Overdressed. Photo by Sally Spickard.

From there, the standings have jostled quite a bit as time was definitely a factor today. Aside from Tamie and Marilyn, just one other rider made the time: Josh Barnacle and Celtic King. This will jet them up from 21st into 10th place overall.

Moving from fifth into third are Jonathan Holling and Kildalton Cooley, who were slated to be the trailblazers until Jon apparently had an airvest incident earlier this morning. He went out second after his vest was attended to and skipped around just a few seconds over the time.

Jon Holling and Kildalton Cooley. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Owned by the Kildalton Group LLC, this 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding is one Jon has been excited about, and we certainly saw why today. Should he complete tomorrow, this will be his first CCI2* completion after several CIC2* starts.

Amber Levine and Carry On also had an effortless round, moving up from ninth into fourth overnight. This pair looked really solid through the second water and the arena where I saw them. This pair is coming off of a fourth place finish in the CCI2* at Rebecca Farm — consistency certainly appears to be the name of their game!

And rounding out the top five are Sara Sellmar and TF Kreisler, who will remain in sixth place overnight with 14.8 time penalties added today. This is the first CCI2* for this horse, so Sara will be thrilled with their performance today.

We did see quite a few issues for some pairs. Barb Crabo unfortunately ended her day early after falling from Over Easy at the second water. Both were up and walked off ok.

In fourth overnight, Kelly Pugh and Corazon decided to call it a day after two refusals at the coffin at 10 — such a bummer, but this pair will no doubt be back to fight another day.

I should have quotes to add to this post later, but in the meantime I need to run out for the start of the CCI3*, which will begin at 11:45 PST. Don’t forget to catch the Ride On Video live stream, the post for which I will bump on our homepage, and follow us on Twitter @eventingnation for live updates!

Marilyn Little and RF Demeter. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Marilyn Little and RF Demeter laid down a very impressive dressage test this afternoon, scoring a 40.5 for their second best at this level to win the CCI3* at Galway Downs. This pair is known for being a powerhouse in, well, all three phases, and this mare sure has some fancy moves.

To show just how good this score was for Marilyn and “Demi”, their previous best was at Schenfeld in the CIC3* in 2013 — a 37.2. Thanks to our numbers guru, Maggie, for finding that fun fact!

“I was really thrilled with Demi,” Marilyn said. “She did her job out there and she’s such a show girl. She is loving California — the heat really suits her. She’s been very comfortable all week so I was looking forward to the test today hoping she was going to be the best she could be. This was one of her better scores so I was really thrilled that it all came together for today.”

“She’s 13, so she’s reasonably well-educated, so at this point I’m trying to do my best on the day for her and we’ve really been working on bringing her frame up a little bit more. She’s a very powerful horse coming from behind, so balancing all of it takes a little bit.”

Marilyn is looking forward to tomorrow’s test and feels this will be a great course for her experienced horse. “I’m really looking forward to getting out there with Demi tomorrow,” she said. “She’s been a great partner and she’s a wonderful cross country horse. Obviously, there’s a lot to do out there … but I can’t think of a horse I’d rather be heading out of the start box to jump it on.”

Marilyn had plenty of competition, especially in the latter part of the day, with both Phillip Dutton with Fernhill Fugitive and Jacob Fletcher and his AEC winner Atlantic Domino coming up to challenge.

Jacob Fletcher and Atlantic Domino. Photo by Sally Spickard.

I was really impressed with Atlantic Domino today — this is my first time seeing him in person — and I thought perhaps their performance could really challenge Marilyn for the lead. They earned a consistent 71% from all three judges for a penalty score of 42.6 and second place going into cross country. This is a personal best for this pair at the level — their previous best score was a 48.3 at Richland earlier this year.

This was my first opportunity to speak with Jacob, who has been consistently working to improve himself and his horses — and that work really paid off in the sandbox today.

“The main goal (for the two horses) was that they had confident building rounds,” Jacob said. “That they came out better than they started. Domino just keeps better and better. I came this weekend trying to be competitive too and trying to make the bigger guys think about me a little bit.”

Jacob, clearly an astute student of the sport, referenced his start at Blenheim last year with this horse and how he used Phillip Dutton’s performance aboard Fernhill Fugitive as his barometer today.

“I attempted the Blenheim CCI3* on Domino in 2014, and Mr. Phillip smoked me like a cheap cigar on the same horse he brought here,” he said. “So it was a really good reference point to see where I am.”

Jacob also talked about his experience working for Kevin McNab last year and what he has brought back to the States with him. “The biggest thing I came back with was a system that I can follow and use on every single horse I ride,” he explained. “I didn’t have a system when I went there. That would be the biggest difference.”

As far as tomorrow is concerned, Jacob is feeling the pressure being so highly placed following dressage. He feels that Ian Stark’s course will suit his two horses and is looking forward to getting out there and giving it his all.

Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Phillip and Fernhill Fugitive, who has become a seasoned veteran on Phillip’s string this year, had a really nice test, showing their consistency in the contact and the precise accuracy that the best in the world have to score a 43.4 for third place after dressage. Big Phil received some hearty cheers from the patron’s tent, earning his fans a blown kiss for their support. So charming, Phillip!

“This was (Fernhill Fugitive’s) best test to date,” Phillip said. “As far as the course, it looks challenging but should be a fair test.”

So charming. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Jessica Phoenix had herself a day today. She’s got four horses competing in the CCI3* this weekend, three of which sit inside the top 10: Bentley’s Best (43.7, 4th), Patras VR (44.6, 5th), and Abbey GS (48.6, 9th). Bentley’s Best led the field for much of the day and was the trailblazer — and at his first attempt at the CCI3* level!

Jessica Phoenix and Bentley’s Best. Photo by Sally Spickard.

EN’s pick to win, Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett, also had a solid effort that earned them a 45.0 nod from the judges. While this score is a bit higher than her average of 42.0, but we know this pair is more than competent out on cross country, and the cross country will surely make this anything but a dressage competition.

Most of the riders are likely out doing their final walks on the course as the sun sets — cross country will begin with the CCI2* at 10 a.m. PST followed by the CCI3* at 11:15 a.m. and the CCI* at 2:30 p.m.

Enjoy this great recap of the day’s action courtesy of Anne Haller and Ride On Video!

Tamie Smith and Chatwin. Photo by Sally Spickard.

As the penultimate rider of the division, the pressure was on Tamie Smith to see if anyone would challenge Marilyn Little’s early lead. As per usual, though, Tamie and The Chatwin Group’s Chatwin danced their way into the lead in the CCI2* at Galway this morning.

Tamie and Chatwin have been together since this summer when Frankie Thieriot took some time out of the saddle to give birth to her first child, Drake. After this weekend, it’ll be back home to mom for Chatwin, but so far he and Tamie’s final competition together is going according to plan.

Scoring a 41.5 on a day when scores in the 40s, much less the low 40s, were a bit scarce, Tamie will take the lead over Marilyn Little and RF Overdressed, who were in command for the majority of the day after being one of the first to go.

RF Overdressed, an 8-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Ms. Jacqueline Mars, Robin Parsky and Raylyn Farms, was re-routed here after retiring on cross country at Fair Hill. This horse has a pretty stellar record otherwise, though, winning the CCI2* at Bromont earlier this year. Marilyn earned a 42.7 from the judges this morning to set the early standard for the division.

Barb Crabo and Over Easy. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Also riding a particularly lovely test were Barb Crabo and Over Easy, a 9-year-old Swedish mare who is coming off of a third place finish in the CCI2* at Rebecca Farm over the summer. Barb and Over Easy have competed here at Galway many times, so watching them out on cross country tomorrow should be a treat. Barb will take third place into tomorrow on a score of 43.7.

Kelly Pugh and Corazon. Photo by Sally Spickard.

The winners of the CCI1* at Rebecca, Kelly Pugh and David and Candace Garrett’s Corazon, had just a couple of minor bobbles in an otherwise attractive test that earned them a 48.2 and fourth place overnight. This is a move up for Kelly with “Toddy”, though he did compete at the two-star level in Europe. They most recently won the CIC2* at Woodside earlier this month.

Jon Holling and Kildalton Cooley were the first in the ring this morning and really put down a great effort, scoring a 49.8 and sitting in second for most of the morning. They’ll now be in fifth looking ahead to cross country and well within reach of a higher placing. Jon will be aiming for the first CCI2* completion with this 9-year-old Irish gelding owned by the Kildalton Group.

We’ve got a fairly well spread out field of 21 competitors, but 20 penalties are all that separate the top 15 — a fact that can be influential come cross country day.

We’re currently on a lunch break (and yes, I will be patronizing the food trucks!) here at Galway, and we’ll be kicking off the CCI3* at 1 p.m. local time. Don’t forget, Ride On Video will be providing a live stream for this division — we’ll be posting that later on before the start.

The view from the start box.

I just completed what was easily the most inefficient course walk of my career so far. I apparently need to take a class in map reading as I got turned around and had to double back many times to get the photos I needed. I definitely gave myself the all inclusive self-guided tour of Galway Downs! And while I’m currently cursing my physical fitness, I must say that I’m even more excited to watch cross country on Saturday.

Ian Stark is your course designer this weekend and once again he’s done a phenomenal job of putting the three-star riders to the test. While the terrain may not be as undulating as other venues, best not to be caught with your guard down as the questions are very technical and there is a lot to look at throughout the course.

The course is essentially set up to go around the grounds and also through the infield of the track here at Galway. Riders will start and finish in the infield and even take a trip up to the trade fair on their way around the course.

Ian starts off with three rhythm fences — a lovely decorated ramp, a brush oxer and a hay feeder all in the infield — before beginning to ask the hard questions. There is plenty of room to make up a bit of time here and there, but the track does twist and turn quite a bit even in open space.

Fence 20B – CWD Splash

I’m particularly interested to see how the final water, the CWD Splash with the famous Shamu jump, rides. This year, there is the interesting addition of rubber bricks on the upward approach to the B element — and evidently there will be water running down these rubber bricks come Saturday. Naturally, I am not a three-star rider so I can’t say how everyone else is feeling about this question, but it’s a journalist frightener for sure!

Overall there are three water questions and plenty of related distances and accuracy questions to keep the competitors on their toes. As Rachel McDonough said on her Facebook after walking: “Touche, Galway. Touche.”

We’re getting ready to see the FEI horses trot up for the Ground Jury, and I’ll be live tweeting for the CCI3* which is the last group to jog. Stay tuned for the full jog report and, in the meantime, here is the full gallery of the CCI3* cross country. I apologize for not showing the B element of 15, the PRO Tour Moat — I must have been delirious from my lack of ability to read a map.