Sally Spickard is a Korean adoptee living in San Diego, California. Sally joined the Eventing Nation team in 2013 and has subsequently written for Noelle Floyd, Heels Down Mag, and other publications both in and out of the equestrian world. Sally is an eventing fan through and through and enjoys telling the stories of riders who are not well-represented within equestrian media.
Ingrid Klimke and SAP Hale Bob OLD competing at Aachen. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Think Jersey Fresh is the only FEI event you should be paying attention to? Think again – this weekend’s four-star competition at Marbach in southern Germany is certainly one to watch, and even better, it’s the first European event that we’ll get to live-stream in full this year. If you’re a H&C+ subscriber (which, you really should be!), you can tune in for the conclusion of dressage as well as stadium jumping and cross country phases tomorrow and Saturday.
It’s no surprise to see Ingrid Klimke and SAP Horseware Hale Bob OLD out in front after day one, earning a score of 24.6 from judges Dr. Helmut Mett and Hanna Rogge. Sweden’s Katrin Norling and Fernando-Ukato are in early second place on a score of 26.6, followed by 2014 World Equestrian Games gold medalist Sandra Auffarth and Viamant du Matz in third on a score of 26.7. Not far behind in fourth are Michael Jung and fischerWild Wave, earning a score of 27.0. The defending Olympic gold medalist has three rides in the CCI4*-S this weekend: Highlighter, fisherWild Wave and fischerChipmunk, who we’ll see tomorrow.
To view the full dressage standings, click here. Ride times can be found here, and results for the coming phases will be found here.
You can catch the conclusion of dressage as well as show jumping tomorrow and the cross country test on Saturday. If you haven’t checked out all of the incredible on-demand content available on H&C+, you definitely should give it a look – and additional features such as live streaming from all over the world make the $9.99 per month cost well worthwhile! Click here to check it out.
It’s always a quick turnaround between the first CCI5* of the year and, for East coast riders at least, the first CCI4*-L of the year. Typically held on Mother’s Day weekend in Allentown, Nj., the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day event commences today with all pairs in the Long format divisions presenting for the ground jury consisting of president Bobby Stevenson, alongside Christina Klingspor and Peter Gray (Mark Weissbecker and Helen Brettell are the ground jury for the CCI3* divisions).
We sadly do not have a reporter on the ground this year, but we’ll be doing everything we can to bring you updates remotely. This is the final Olympic selection trial and while many decisions were likely solidified at Kentucky last month, we may see some stellar performances this weekend that elevates a hopeful into a contender. You can preview the entry list in drawn order here.
We’ll see a handful of pairs rerouting here after tough luck at Kentucky as well as quite a few pairs who were seen in the inaugural CCI4*-S at Kentucky last month, so it may feel a bit deja vu keeping up with the action in New Jersey this weekend. Also featuring on the entry list are some pairs making their CCI4*-L debut – Jersey Fresh is always a big mark on the spring calendar as those not aiming for a five-star often earmark it as their big goal for the early season.
Dressage begins bright and early tomorrow at 8:20 a.m. with Allie Knowles and Business Class kicking things off in the CCI4*-L. The CCI3*-L also begins tomorrow with Boyd Martin and Wabanaki first down centerline at 8:20 a.m. We’ll see the Short format divisions start their competition weekend on Friday.
The First Horse Inspection this afternoon was mostly uneventful with just one horse, Sydney Shinn’s Paprika, held but passed upon re-inspection in the CCI3*-L jog. Here are a few glimpses at the early action from social media. Stay tuned for more from Jersey Fresh!
We were pleased to present our “Flyest Horse at Kentucky” award to the sole German representative, FRH Butt’s Avondale, and her groom Ayleen Stuhr. FRH Butt’s Avondale was piloted by Anna Siemer, who completed her first CCI5* at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by MARS Equestrian in the top 30. We caught up with Ayleen just after she returned to Germany to get to know her and FRH Butt’s Avondale a bit more.
Coach Hans Melzer, Ayleen and Anna after the first jog at Kentucky. Photo courtesy of Ayleen Stuhr.
EN: How long have you been working with Anna?
AS: I started working for Anna directly after high school, so I have been grooming with Anna only for past 1 and 1/2 years. My first experience as a groom on international competition was at the European championships 2019. I still have my accreditation. I also ride, but on a much lower level than Anna! I’m very happy that I am allowed to ride Anna’s horses, because I don’t own a horse anymore.
EN: Was this your first overseas trip with Anna? How did you get to the U.S.?
AS: I travelled the whole way with Avondale. We started in Luhmühlen to Belgium, then we flew to New York. Because of the Quarantine we had to stay 2 days. After that we had long Trip with the Truck to Kentucky. I already was on a few international competition with Anna, for example Bokeloe, Strzegom, Barbarowko or Arville. But Kentucky was the first completion oversea, that was a real adventure.
Photo courtesy of Ayleen Stuhr.
EN: What is FRH Butt’s Avondale like at home?
AS: Avondale is a really brave and mostly calm mare. She really likes traveling and can also do it very well. We had to wait on the airport on the trip back home, so we unloaded her and grass a little bit. She acted like ist was totally normal. In the barn she loves looking out of the window and you have stroke her or give her a treat. Also in the barn doesn’t really have a nickname, mostly we call her Avondale or Avo.
EN: What was your routine while you were at Kentucky?
AS: Avondale was our only horse in Kentucky so we could focus on her. In the morning after feeding and cleaning we always went for a walk and a bit lunging. The rest of the day was depended on what happend, is for example dressage day or a little hack. Also Avondale really enjoyed her Mash in the evening. As a caretaker I am always a little bit excited, especially while traveling this long way. However, our time was pretty relaxed as we only had one horse with us and when it got stressful we could solve it quickly.
Photo courtesy of Ayleen Stuhr.
EN: Tell us about your favorite moment of the weekend.
AS: One of my favorite moments was when we drove to the Kentucky Horse Park for the first time, just overwhelming. Also the great dressage of Avondale and Anna. The really difficult cross country that both mastered with aplomb. I could list a lot more things like that, it was a great and exciting adventure.
Made it home safe and sound! Photo courtesy of Ayleen Stuhr.
EN: What is one of the most important things a groom should know?
AS: One of the most important things to know as a groom no matter in the barn or on competition is to keep your horse happy and fit.
The social media team at Strides for Equality Equestrians (SEE) has been doing a great job of proving glimpses into pieces of equestrian history made even more rich and diverse by the distinctly different cultures that infuse the industry. I was really excited to learn a little about the Nez Perce tribe and the relationship they had with some of the earliest horses found in North America. When the horses were eventually seized by the U.S. cavalry, the tribe lost its nomadic culture and the horse, through subsequent generations of breeding, was lost. In 1995, the Nez Perce tribe created a registry for a new breed of horse – the Nez Perce.
“They realized the characteristics this new breed must posses would need to be exacting if it was truly going to resemble the historic horse of their tribe,” Cowgirl Magazinereports. “It was decided that the Appaloosa would be bred with the Akhal-Teke horse of Turkmenistan, possibly the most ancient breed in the world, and the purported mount of both Alexander the Great and Marco Polo. It is also thought to be a probable progenitor of today’s English thoroughbred by way of the Byerly Turk and the Darley Arabian. It has been suggested after much scholarly research on the subject, that the Akhal-Teke could be an actual ancestor of the original Nez Perce horse, according to Nez Perce elder Rudy Shebala, who spear-headed the program.”
You can read more about the Nez Perce and the Nez Perce Horse here.
Just a few hours remain to place your bid on the May Internet Auction from Sport Horse Auctions. You can check out our preview post here and the rest of the horses offered for sale here.
There’s nothing better than a good amateur story, and Alex Reed – who is competing in the CCI3*-L at Jersey Fresh this weekend – is one of them. Thanks to a good amount of determination and willingness to put it all on the line, Alex finds herself competing at the Advanced level with her OTTB, On Broadway. Read more here.
Are you an Area IV eventer? Then listen up: here’s your chance to win this season! The Area IV Young Riders Program is excited to offer a Pairs Payback Competition at Mill Creek Pony Club, Queeny Park, Summer Otter Creek and Fox River Valley Pony Club Horse Trials. With a small buy-in, you could win a portion of the prize money pot! Learn more here.
May is Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month – and horses can suffer from asthma, too! Learn some tips from Wren Burnley, DVM and Haygain here.
If you struggle with fear, anxiety or lack of confidence in your riding, the latest Noelle Floyd Masterclass might be for you – and this one is free! Learn more about the “Take Back Your Power” mini course here.
Several Young Event Horse program graduates competed at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event this year. Find out how the weekend broke down for these six alumni here.
Equestrian media job alert! The Paulick Report, an independent horse racing publication, is seeking a Weekend News Editor. To learn more and apply, click here.
Wednesday Video Break: Just a little #JFI throwback for you!
Ingrid Klimke grew up counting the years in Olympic cycles thanks to the athletic success of her father and well-known equestrian legend Reiner Klimke. Traveling to places such as Seoul – the site of the 1988 Summer Olympics – gave younger Ingrid a taste of equestrian sport at the highest levels. In 2000, the year after Reiner’s passing, Ingrid would go to her first Olympics representing Germany in Sydney, Australia. She would also represent Germany in Athens (2004), Beijing (2008), London (2012) and Rio de Janiero (2016).
Qualified to represent Germany this year in Tokyo in both dressage and eventing (though she’s sadly had a bit of hard luck, with both her dressage mount Franziskus and one of her top eventers, SAP Asha P, injured), Ingrid now also boasts double European Championship gold but is still seeking her first individual Olympic medal. Her trophy cabinet is far from thin, though: she’s collected three team Olympic medals, two team WEG medals and a bronze individual medal at WEG in 2018 to boot. She’ll also likely look to defend her European title, which she won in both 2017 and 2019, this fall at Swiss Avenches.
But don’t let me tell you all about Ingrid, hear from the queen herself in the latest episode of the FEI series “Icons” which looks back on the careers of legendary equestrian athletes and the partners who have helped their dreams come true.
Welcome to Amateur’s Corner on Eventing Nation! The goal of this series is to gather perspective, experience, and advice from the hardworking and dedicated amateurs that populate our sport. We’ll be doing Q&A profiles with amateurs from all walks of life, hoping their experiences can help others working to balance horses with, well, the rest of life. Do you want to participate in an Amateur’s Corner Q&A? Send your tip to [email protected]. To read more Amateur’s Corner Q&As, click here. Next up is Maggie Morgan, originally from North Carolina, who when not competing on a cross country course can be found traversing the seas as a pilot and instructor for the U.S. Coast Guard.
Photo by Blake Morris.
EN: Tell us a bit about yourself!
MM: I just turned 37 this month and am starting my third season of eventing. I’m originally from North Carolina but have lived in Mobile, AL the past 3 years. I’m a U.S. Coast Guard pilot who currently instructs new and recurrent students in the MH-65 helicopter. I’m currently competing at training level with an Irish Draught Sporthorse named Kegan MacCruise (barn name Paddy).
EN: What or who gave you the “eventing bug”?
MM: My parents said I had the horse “bug” since I was a toddler and so they started riding lessons for me when I was 5 years old. Growing up, I competed in the Paint Horse circuit in North and South Carolina, and had the awesome experience of competing in the APHA World Championships in Texas a few times.
I took a long break from riding while going to college, taking flying lessons, and working on a career as an airline pilot. I briefly picked up riding for a few years in my mid-twenties but again took another long break as I transitioned from being an airline pilot to joining the U.S. Coast Guard to become a helicopter rescue pilot.
While at my first air station in San Francisco, the horse bug came back again, and I started taking lessons at a hunter/jumper barn. I loved jumping and heard about cross country but never got to try it out while living in California. I purchased a horse and six months later, moved across the country to Alabama to work as a MH-65 helicopter instructor pilot. I found an eventing barn 5 minutes from my house, had my horse shipped from California, and was immediately hooked on cross country after trying it for the first time.
Posing with one of the Coast Guard K9s after some in-water practice. Photo courtesy of Maggie Morgan.
EN: Tell us about your “work/life/ride balance”. What does this mean to you?
MM: It is definitely a challenge to balance everything and some days or weeks are better than others. I think the key is to be ok with the fact that sometimes I can’t do it all. There are going to be things that happen that throw off that balance. In San Francisco as a search and rescue pilot, I was frequently gone for two weeks at a time for work trips. I decided to focus on riding during the times I was home, take several lessons per week to make up for my time away, and work out an arrangement for my trainer to ride my horse while I was gone. While I would’ve loved to do all the training on my green horse by myself, it wasn’t feasible to do with my work schedule.
My job in Mobile is much easier to achieve a real balance because I rarely have to travel for work and my work schedule can be flexible. I make sure to also take time to do non horse related activities with friends and take vacation trips to see family. The one thing that stays consistent about being in the military is that we will live far from our families and move to new places where we don’t know many people. The barn family welcomed us immediately and has really made it feel like home living in Alabama.
EN: Describe a typical day in your week.
MM: My work schedule is very erratic and changes daily, so I don’t really have a typical day. My job consists of instructing in the helicopter, simulator, and classroom, as well as regular office work. I try to find time to ride in the morning or evening depending on the flight schedule. Some days I’m at work by 630 and some days I go in at 4pm for night flying. Fortunately, my barn has a lighted dressage arena and last week I found myself riding in the rain at night twice because of long workdays and needing to prepare for a show this weekend.
EN: What has been a challenge that amateurs often face that you’ve found a way to conquer? (Budget, vacation time, relationships, etc.)
MM: I’m extremely lucky when it comes to support from my husband. He is also a helicopter pilot in the Coast Guard with a demanding work schedule and is fully committed to supporting my horse and eventing obsession. After attending one of my first recognized shows, he decided we should get our own trailer so we can camp in it with our three dogs. He then found and purchased a two-horse gooseneck and installed living quarters in it by himself to make that idea into reality. He now comes to every show and is an expert in taking care of the horse, cleaning tack, mucking stalls, walking cross country courses, and putting in studs.
We have perfected our show routine as we’ve both learned more about eventing and he enjoys spending the weekends being outdoors. He also never complains about the money spent on anything horse related. I know money can be a source of contention between couples, especially if the other person isn’t a “horse person” and questions the necessity of vet treatments, therapies, supplements, etc.
Photo by Blake Morris. Blake Morris
EN: What is your best advice as an amateur rider? How do you “make it work”?
MM: I think you can make anything work if you really want it to. It takes prioritizing what is truly important and building relationships to get you there. This sport is nearly impossible to do alone. One thing I love about eventing is the community. Everyone seems to be very supportive of each other and as an amateur rider you need lots of support to make it work. It’s imperative to find trainers and friends who are willing to help you achieve your goals. I’ve made lots of friends and connections through eventing. I could not do this without the huge support from my trainer, Stephanie Tyler-Wright and my barn family.
EN: What drives you/motivates you the most?
MM: I’ve always been a very motivated and competitive person who loves an adrenaline rush. I’m motivated by the thought that I have to live life to the fullest and take advantage of every opportunity because we aren’t guaranteed the next day. So far in my career, I’ve known several people who died at a young age in aviation accidents, and I don’t want to live with any regrets. I try to say yes to any opportunity, whether it be a horse show, vacation with family, or hangout with friends.
EN: What is the best or most impactful piece of advice you’ve gotten as an eventer?
MM: The best advice I’ve had is to remember to have fun. This sport has lots of highs and lows, which can be very frustrating. In the end, I’m doing this sport because I enjoy it and every day I get to ride or compete is a privilege, even if it’s not going as well as I hoped. Especially in the past year with Covid restrictions, I feel lucky to participate in a support that is able to hold competitions.
EN: In one sentence, what does the sport of eventing mean to you?
MM: Eventing balances my life by giving me goals and a place to relieve tension away from my high stress job. When I go to the barn or a show, I rarely talk or think about work. I believe one reason my husband and I both enjoy eventing so much is because we can escape our worklife and still participate in a high paced and exciting sport. The eventing family has become an important part of our life and makes us feel more connected to the community in area.
Maggie Morgan with the MH-65 Dolphin helicopter she calls home for work duties. Photo courtesy of Maggie Morgan.
EN: What is something with the sport that could evolve to better serve its amateur riders?
MM: I wish there were more opportunities for scholarships or financial support to help amateur riders compete and attend clinics to improve their riding. The sport is so expensive, and a lot of times amateurs have to spend money for services that they don’t have time to do themselves. I try to ride 5-6 times a week, clip my own horse and clean my own tack but some sometimes I have to pay someone else to do those tasks when my work schedule is demanding or I’m out of town.
With two incomes and no kids, my husband and I are able to budget our show and horse expenses comfortably. However, I know many amateurs who are single, have several kids or just starting their careers, and they have to make difficult decisions on how they should spend a limited horse budget. Many times, it means they can’t attend shows or skip on lessons/clinics. Add any unforeseen vet bills, which seem bound to happen to everyone, and the budget gets harder to manage.
EN: Having a military lifestyle often means a lot of moving around. How do you manage your demanding, ever-changing lifestyle and your horses?
MM: As far as military life goes, it can be tricky with moving around every few years. So far I’ve only had one move but we are due to rotate next summer and are very anxious about where we could be headed. We are making our requests based off of locations where I can continue to event, so hoping to stay on the east coast. It is stressful always having to think about the next move and never getting to really settle down. Having our own trailer will be helpful to be able to haul for shows and clinics by ourselves if needed in our next move.
I’m hoping to find an eventing barn. If not, my second choice would be a jumper or dressage barn where I could haul to schooling for show jumping and cross country. While in California, I shipped my horse to Alabama and that was a stressful process that took over a month to coordinate. I tried 3 or 4 companies until I could find one that could do that route. Once again, I was lucky to have a trainer I trusted in California to take care of and ride him after I moved. For the next move, we plan to haul ourselves and that will be a new adventure. I’m also on a few facebook groups for military equestrians. These types of groups help people find barns and shipping options when transferring.
I’ve spent a lot of time researching new barns in potential locations and will go see them in person once we get official orders to where we are moving. When moving to Mobile, we took a long weekend for house hunting and our first stops were to check out a few barns. I’m glad I looked at them in person before making a decision because websites can be deceiving. I went with my gut instinct based off the visit to the facility and after talking to the owner and trainer and that was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
My work and bosses have been very supportive of eventing, especially after I gave a quick explanation of the sport. Like most people, they didn’t understand equestrian sports and mostly thought of horse riding as trail rides or western style riding Even with strict Covid restrictions on travel, they allowed me to attend shows last year because of the sport being completely outdoors and because of the new rules the USEA/USEF implemented.
One strangely great thing to have emerged to the forefront on the heels of the pandemic is the concept of a virtual sport horse auction. Of course, Tim and Cathy Jennings have been running their auction business, SportHorseAuctions.com, in a virtual format since 2012 – but after the unusual year that was 2020 brought these options to the limelight, business is booming.
Tim Jennings first founded the family’s auction company with his brothers in 1978, quickly establishing the brand as a recognizable platform for quality horses across all major disciplines. As the industry has shifted over time, Sport Horse Auctions has evolved with it. This week’s auction, which closes tomorrow, May 5, is the manifestation of that evolution and features a wide array of primarily U.S.-based horses for all types of buyers.
For those who are currently horse shopping, the process has been streamlined to offer prospective purchasers resources on the horses as well as veterinary records and x-rays. All transactions are handled through Sport Horse Auctions, making the process transparent and safe for the shrewdest of buyers. You can learn more about buying on SportHorseAuctions.com here.
There are a total of 27 horses available in the May Internet Auction, the full catalog for which can be viewed here. Here are a few we’re eyeing!
Kahuna is a big bay 6-year-old Thoroughbred gelding (Harlington x Dazzle Dixie) available in Florida. He’s a sweet guy with a big presence looking for his person. Kahuna has done some recognized shows and could go in any direction with his new person.
Looking for your next packer type? This adorable Thoroughbred gelding in Virginia might just be the trick! “Roo” is a 16 hand, 10 year old Thoroughbred who has successfully competed in jumper ring up to the 1.0m, has done recognized Beginner Novice and unrecognized Novice eventing with scope to do Training. He has competed with a junior the past two years competing in derbies, starter trials and a recognized event.
Apinionated Lady is an 11-year-old Oldenburg mare (Apiro x Cattywampus) who has spent some time in the jumper arena but has talent and scope to do more. This mare is located in Arizona and is said to be brave to jumps but comfortable to ride. She might be your next bold eventer!
This is a 2016 bay Canadian Warmblood gelding (Checkmate x Enya) standing 16.3 hands and located in Florida. Started by a young horse professional in Florida, Waiting Game CM is ready to move on to be finished in any direction. He’s got a light, ground covering step that would suit any discipline and looks like a solid young horse to bring up the levels.
This month’s auction closes tomorrow (May 5) so don’t wait to get your bids in!
When I got Keira this helmet cam I didn't realize just how funny she is…..the audio is priceless! This is Flower and Keira at Loch Moy Yesterday doing Show Jump and XC….
Meet Keira O’Connor-Reichert and her 12.2-hand Welsh pony, Pine Creek’s Snapdragon (Evans Cirque Du Drallion – Cymareg’s Rain or Shine), or “Flower”. This pair tackled the Loch Moy Schooling Derby last month and strapped on their helmet cam for the ride. Here’s some more about Keira and Flower from mom Debbie:
“Flower is a jumping superstar! Flower and Keira had a rocky start initially a couple years ago. A lot of falls and tears in the first year. We leased her from someone as her other pony had been hurt and was on stall rest, and after a year we just HAD to buy her. We have had her three years now. She was bred to be a hunter (most of her siblings/cousins are) and I think she may be the only event pony in her lineage. She won third at Devon as a foal in Hunter Breeding and because she was the last foal of Loch Kelly, and she was never sold to anyone. She was leased out to a camp and then ultimately to us.
Photo courtesy of Debbie Reichert.
We knew right away she was special. Keira really learned to ride well when she got Flower if she wanted to stay on because she is FAR from an easy pony ride. She’s forward, fast and quick to jump. She’s always been a fabulous jumper but this year she moved up to Beginner Novice and its been a bit of a rough start with some stops in Show Jumping. There are not many 12.2 ponies at that level in eventing. This was her second event of the season where she went clear both rounds!
Photo by Dr. Lauren Klutchka.
Keira has always talked to her ponies religiously but I never realized until I saw this helmet cam just what she does! She gives Flower so much confidence and Flower really responds to her voice that this was a pair made in heaven!”
It’s a story of resilience and versatility on all accounts. For Keira, whose biological mother passed away when she was four, life changed quickly, but with those changes brought the familial support of her aunt and now adoptive mother, Debbie, and her husband, Steve, as well as the company of horses. “I only started her in horses because I have a farm and I thought horse therapy would help her deal with any pain she had emotionally,” Debbie told EN. “So, I started with my horse Keegan and gradually introduced her to riding. She began riding at five years old and became a member of Pickering Hunt Pony Club. Nancy Ligon of Firefly Farm is her trainer in Glenmoore, Pa. Keira has turned tragedy into being the most positive kind child on the planet. She overcame so much trauma and as a result I think is so supportive and kind to her ponies.”
Enjoy the ride, and kick on, Keira! If you want to follow along with Keira and her riding, you can do so on Instagram here.
You may not ordinarily associate the name “Bob Baffert” and the term “inexpensive horse”, but in this context in particular it’s beneficial to remember the Kentucky Derby’s winningest trainer’s modest beginnings in the sport. His first Derby winner, Silver Charm, wasn’t quite as bargain bin-priced as 2021 winner Medina Spirit – but at $85,000, in racehorse terms he may as well have been. It’s safe to say, then, that he, like most of the eventers reading this, is not one to turn up a nose at a modestly priced horse that might not have caught the eye if you saw him in the flesh.
It’s just one reason why this year’s plucky colt who showed tenacity and grit on the homestretch on Saturday makes for a movie-ready story. Medina Spirit (Prontico – Mongolian Changa, by Brilliant Speed) was first sold for just $1,000 – the minimum bid at the 2019 Ocala Breeders Sale where the colt was listed as a yearling. Bred in Florida by Gail Rice, who calls upon the generations of horse knowledge in her family to run a small breeding operation and select lesser-known matches, the then-unnamed colt by the freshman sire Prontico only caught the eye of one bidder at the January OBS sale. Christy Whitman of Whitman Sales was on the hunt for bargains, and the colt with the great walk and the correct angles ticked the boxes on her checklist. One minimum bid later, and Christy had herself the find of a lifetime.
Watch Medina Spirit’s appearance at OBS in 2019, where he sold for $1,000:
Eventually, Christy with the help of exercise rider Jose Gallego would bring the inner talent of the dark bay colt to light, selling him to now-owner Amr Zedan of Zedan Racing Stables for the still paltry and unchallenged amount of $35,000 via bloodstock Agent Gary Young. The thing that caught Amr’s eye? The colt’s sire, Prontico – not a particularly well-known sire in his own right – had been campaigned by his friend, Oussama Aboughazale.
Amr named the colt Medina Spirit after his and Oussama’s hometown and the prominent Islamic pilgrimage site in Saudi Arabia. After first going to Bob Baffert’s program under his Los Alamitos assistant, Mike Marlow, Medina Spirit quickly showed his worth stretched far beyond his purchase price. It’s even said that the colt gave Bob Baffert inklings of his predecessor, Silver Charm.
So it may not have been the sleek champion Essential Quality or the highly touted Mandaloun who would take the crown on the first Saturday in May. Rather, it’s a reminder of something that all in the equestrian world know well: a true measure of a horse’s worth lies not in their monetary value but in their heart. And it’s this gutsy little horse who kicked out to the lead on the biggest racing stage in the country, fought his heart out to keep his streak of not allowing other horses to pass him alive, and crossed the wire ahead of three hard-charging challengers.
It was the stuff movies and dreams are made of – in fact, Medina Spirit’s breeder Gail Rice perhaps said it best: “This is a passion, but when it comes to fruition like this, how can it be more validating? You don’t have to have a lot of money. When God gives you his favor, it doesn’t matter where you came from,” she said.
We love wrapping up your weekend each Monday morning, and no matter whether or not you brought home a ribbon for your efforts, we hope that any weekend spent out eventing is worth its while. A big shout-out to the riders we know and love shaking off their five-star hangover (and here’s looking at everyone else involved with the event who was right back to the grind this past week!) and getting their younger horses out competing over the weekend. No rest for the wicked, eh? Or maybe it’s the insane. Either way, we’re right there with you sharing the love for this crazy sport!
Our Unofficial Low Score Award this week goes to Grace Walker Alonzi and Frantz, who won their Training division at Fresno County Horse Park in California on a score of 18.8. This is a personal best for this pair, who have been competing together for just under a year. Congratulations! Now let’s round up the rest of the winners from the four USEA-recognized events this weekend:
Open Preliminary: Blake Fortson and Quiana AF (30.4)
Open Training: Maxine Preston and Shannondale Magnum (27.7)
Training Rider: Jerry Barnette and Evan Almighty (33.8)
Novice Rider: Wendy Low and Pybyru (31.0)
Open Novice: Anna Loschiavo and Contefino Grande (24.8)
Beginner Novice Rider: Audrey Bennett and Bad to the Bone (30.3)
Open Beginner Novice: Hillary Irwin and Konecke (28.3)
Open Intermediate: James Alliston and Nemesis (31.3)
Open Preliminary: James Alliston and Get Wild (22.0)
Preliminary Rider: Taylor McFall and High Times (31.6)
Open Modified: Amanda Boyce and Mercury (31.5)
Open Training: Grace Walker Alonzi and Frantz (18.8)
Training Rider Junior: Coco Meerkamp and Dalanteretto (28.8)
Training Rider Senior: Matthew Walley and Cassiopeia (31.4)
Novice Rider Junior: Ellie Eyhorchuk and Russian Roulette (32.4)
Novice Rider Senior: Jordan Chase and Wellington (31.9)
Open Novice: David Adamo and Desdemona (23.8)
Beginner Novice Rider Junior: Bridget Sibley and Venus (34.0)
Beginner Novice Rider Senior: Stefanie Gladen and Columbus (23.5)
Open Beginner Novice: Sarah Bonfield and Angel (28.0)
Introductory Rider: Katherine Jackman and Lookit Louie (33.3)
Open Introductory: Caitlin Davison and KeepSake (29.7)
Open Intermediate: Alexandra Green Kerby and Isslehooks First Sight (41.5)
Intermediate/Preliminary: Alexandra Green Kerby and Fernhill Leitrim Lass (38.1)
Open Preliminary A: Alexandra Green Kerby and Fernhill Corbeagh Delux (36.1)
Open Preliminary B: Liz Halliday-Sharp and Shanroe Cooley (30.1)
Preliminary/Training: Hannah Warner and Drombane Dynamite (36.2)
Training Horse: Alexa Ehlers and Curraghraigue Clear Future (31.9)
Open Training: Alexandra Green Kerby and Fernhill Vitality (34.8)
Training Rider Junior: Annabelle Friend and Fine With Me (32.4)
Training Rider Senior: Eric Sampson and Pancho Villa (29.3)
Training/Novice: Olivia Marsh and Decadence (33.3)
Novice Horse: Alexandra Green Kerby and Fernhill In Motion (29.1)
Novice Rider Junior: Sidnee Milner and My Valentine (29.5)
Novice Rider Senior: Stephanie Friece and Zander (31.7)
Beginner Novice Horse: Laura Crowl and C’Zara (28.1)
Beginner Novice Open: Emily Brooks and Nucifera (33.6)
Beginner Novice Rider Junior: Kennedy Daley and Classic Coin (30.3)
Beginner Novice Rider Senior: Tori Coakley and First Fling (37.5)
Starter Junior: Riley Jones and Endgame (34.8)
Starter Senior: Mason Fierro and Brew (30.8)
Intermediate: Monica Fiss and Malibu Rock (65.0)
Intermediate CT: Morgan Connelly and Benevolence (60.6)
Open Preliminary: Valerie Vizcarrondo Pride and Versace (31.8)
Preliminary Rider: Zara Flores-Kinney and Elusive Dassett (39.8)
Modified A: Martin Douzant and Beall Spring Seahawk (35.2)
Modified B: Stephen Bradley and Erika Louvo (25.7)
Open Training: Daniel Clasing and Butts Arthur (31.0)
Training Rider A: Erin McElhone and Mamoobil (31.2)
Training Rider B: Payton Myers and Tekkenistic (36.1)
Novice Horse: Jan Byyny and Layla LFS (26.2)
Novice Rider A: Isabella Craft and WallE’s World (28.3)
Novice Rider B: Julie Augustine and Texas Riddle (31.2)
Novice Rider C: Rachel Narrow and Nui (27.6)
Open Novice: Kurt Martin and Jump Street Hero (26.0)
Beginner Novice Rider A: Elizabeth Burns and Nazrullah (31.9)
Beginner Novice Rider B: Carla Lindsay and Paint Misbehavin’ (26.1)
Open Beginner Novice: Valerie Vizcarrondo Pride and Tommy (28.3)
If you still can’t get enough Kentucky (and we won’t blame you if you can’t!), you’ll want to set your DVR or tune in live for the annual NBC recap show at 12:30 p.m. EST today. If you have NBC or a streaming service carrying NBC, you’ll be able to tune in for the recap which also features highlights, interviews and all the excitement condensed into an hour-long show.
Don’t forget: NBC and NBC Sports will be the carrying network for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. We can help ensure that equestrian events are shown on NBC’s programming schedule by watching this and other equestrian events on the channel now – your support matters!
Wanting to catch the whole replays? I certainly know I’m spending some time rewatching what I missed this weekend! You can do so on USEF Network’s on-demand page here.
My favorite place to hang out during the final day of the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event is, without fail, the ramp leading to Rolex Stadium. I invariably get goosebumps watching rider after rider trot down the ramp to seal their weekend and I find myself sharing in the emotions felt by all as they make their way back up, both after good and bad rounds. I thought I’d share some of these moments with you as my final farewell to the 2021 event, which was special in many ways – mostly because it was happening at all.
Here’s to another weekend of highs and lows! It was an honor to document them all week long. To look back on all of EN’s LRK3DE coverage, click here.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
No big deal, just rubbing elbows with Jonelle Price. Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Tamie and BFF Heather Morris share a hug. Photo by Sally Spickard.
Good boy, Bug! Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Alyssa Phillips finds out she’s just won the CCI4*-S. Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Ema Klugman soaks in the moment before awards. Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
The top riders watch Oliver and Ballaghmor Class on the Jumbotron. Photo by Sally Spickard.
“Ever gonna win one of these things, Boyd?” – William, probably.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Photo by Sally Spickard.
Coach Marilyn Little comes down to debrief with Ema Klugman after her round. Photo by Sally Spickard.
The always popular Top Dog at LRK3DE contest has come and gone and we’re pleased to bring you this year’s finalists! Whether you watched at home or were lucky enough to be on site as a groom, owner or volunteer, there were plenty of dogs also following along with the Kentucky action. The winner of this year’s Top Dog contest will receive a VIP Equestrian saddle pad, which you can learn much more about here.
Last week, Strides for Equality Equestrians (SEE) announced its new scholarship, the Ever So Sweet Scholarship, in partnership with the USEA Foundation, Edy Rameika and Sara and Brian Murphy. This scholarship, which will provide the opportunity to train at Sara and Brian’s Overlook Farm in Berryville, Va. for three months, includes a living stipend, housing and a proper education in the workings of a professional program. The group at SEE has been working hard to create opportunities for more riders to make inroads as equestrians, and this is one step forward in the right direction. To learn more about the Ever So Sweet scholarship, click here.
Now here’s something pretty cool. We talk a lot about the idea of opportunity and bringing it to underserved and underrepresented populations. Student riders at the University of Maryland – Baltimore teamed up to begin offering riding lessons at The City Ranch in Baltimore. This program is intended to help more young riders learn about horses and horsemanship, and with the supplement of riding lessons it’s one more way for someone to get “the bug” and look for other opportunities to stay around horses. More on this later after I do some more digging!
Diversity is more than just a buzzword. Some barns, such as Warrenton, Va.’s White Oak Stables, have tried to find more ways to be active allies to equestrians of all ethnicities and backgrounds. Through her efforts to provide some equipment, scholarship opportunities, and just the chance to learn how to ride, White Oak Stables owner Greta “Jade” Krafsig has prioritized the fostering of an inclusive community. You can read more about Jade’s incredible work here.
Looking for a clinician to book? Learn about the background and teaching philosophies of the latest USEA featured clinician, Daryl Kinney.
Many riders competing at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event last week (how was it already last week?) are big fans of Haygain – and there’s a reason why! I’ve been seeing more and more Haygain steamers popping up on my social media feeds, in both large and small, amateur and professional programs. Read more about the Kentucky riders who use Haygain here.
Wednesday Video Break:
Just because the round was just so good, watch Tamie Smith and Mai Baum tackle the CCI5* cross country at LRK3DE:
Oliver Townend and Ballaghmore Class. Photo by Shelby Allen.
He’ll take three, please! Great Britain’s Oliver Townend meant business when he sent in his two entries for this year’s Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by MARS Equestrian, and he sealed the deal aboard the horse that had yet to claim a victory (or make a trip) here: Angela Hislop, Karyn Schuter and Val Ryan’s Ballaghmor Class (Courage II – Kilderry Place). Today he equals Germany’s Michael Jung as the second rider in Kentucky history to win the event three times in a row.
As is typical on Sunday afternoon during Kentucky, you could hear a pin drop in Rolex Stadium as the standings ticked down and the rails continued to fall. As was the theme this morning in the CCI4*-S, Steve Stephen’s track tested the horses fresh off an equally trying cross country track – as such, just seven riders of the 44 remaining starters produced double clear rounds.
This meant Oliver Townend entered the ring under an immense amount of pressure. This isn’t something he’s unfamiliar with – he’s not had a rail to spare in all three of these Kentucky wins, and each time he delivered a clear round inside the time. When asked about the pressure, it was clear that Oliver all but embraces it.
“Tim has me under pressure every week in England,” he joked. “We’re the biggest pain in each others’ backsides…it’s very competitive in England so you kind of get used to the feeling. You can never write these guys off.”
Oliver Townend Ballaghmor Class. Photo by Shelby Allen.
“Of course I’d have loved them all to drop a rail,” he grinned. “But look, it’s just what’s so special about our sport, that tense finish and no margin for error and I think that’s what got everyone so excited at home. I don’t think between us that we could have credited a better finale so it’s been a wonderful day for all of us.”
Ballaghmor Class, who has historically been known to knock a pole or two, had no plans of keeping in line with history, though and jumped a classical clear round to cement Oliver’s third victory here in as many years. They will end the weekend just barely off their dressage score on a 27.3.
Photo by Shelby Allen.
It’s just another accolade to the growing list of accomplishments for the 14-year-old Irish Sport Horse by Courage II that has been in Oliver’s yard since he was just four years old. “Thomas” certainly set the bar high when he entered the then CCI4* ranks, winning Burghley in 2017 at his first attempt at the level. This weekend marks his sixth CCI5* and his sixth time finishing in the top five. To say he’s consistent would be a massive understatement, as it would be to say that Oliver loves the horse more than just about anything else in the world.
“Today he felt in incredible shape,” Oliver said. “I’ve never felt him as good and as careful.” This was the first time Ballaghmor Class has show jumped on footing at a five-star – his comfort in the footing may well have contributed to the freshness Oliver felt beneath him that left no doubt and all the rails in their cups.
It’s officially a three-peat #LRK3DE victory for Great Britain’s Oliver Townend.🥇Townend and Ballaghmor Class topped the 2021 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event after a flawless show jumping round that led them to finish on 27.3 penalties, which awarded them the win and put them in contention for the ROLEX Grand Slam of Eventing. 🥈Second place went to Tim Price (NZL) on 28.2, while🥉Jonelle Price closed out the top three with 30.7.Thank you to the USEF Network for the video coverage!
“We’ve had him since he was four years old, so we know him very well,” he described. “He was very sharp all the way through and still can be. But that sharpness, when we’ve managed to bend it, is what makes him so special. He has got that extra gear in comparison to most horses so when you say ‘go’, he really can go. He used to go when he wanted to go – it was more his choice than yours. Now he’s very professional about what he does. He knows his job, he knows what day it is. It’s hard to put your finger on what makes him so special, but he definitely, definitely is.”
Tim Price and Xavier Faer. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Two-thirds of the New Zealand contingent here, husband and wife duo of Tim and Jonelle Price, did all they could to put the pressure on and each delivered jump fault-free rounds. It would be Tim Price and the 15-year-old British Sport Horse gelding Xavier Faer (Catherston Liberator – Faerie Dazzler, by Catherston Dazzler), who was third here in 2019, steadily climbing from 11th after dressage into second overall on a score of 28.2. Xavier Faer is owned by Trisha Rickards (who is also his breeder), Nigella Hall and Tim Price.
After lowering three rails with Bango earlier on, Tim knew his work was cut out for him aboard the higher placed Xavier Faer. “I thought it was a very difficult show jumping course,” he said. “It had all sorts of elements. The time wasn’t just a gimme. You had to work for the clock. I thought there was an opportunity in there to jump a clear round. I thought it was going to be difficult to manage a clear round today. I didn’t manage on my first horse and he’s been double clear in his two five-stars. Managed to get it done with this guy. It’s not the same as being in the lead, so you can focus on your job see where that leaves you.”
Jonelle Price and Grovine de Reve. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Jonelle Price collected one second of time aboard the 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse Grovine de Reve, finishing on the podium in third place on a final score of 30.7.
Grovine de Reve (Heremea de Reve – Erkina Jane, by Rimilis) had run around some big tracks including the 2018 World Equestrian Games with former rider Dan Jocelyn before coming to join Jonelle’s string in 2019. She said she spent some time installing the buttons she needed and adjusting to the new ride. Those efforts paid off in a big way today, and now she says he’s near the top of her string looking ahead to the Tokyo Olympics. Grovine de Reve is owned by Therese Miller and Jonelle Price.
“I haven’t been given the ride on a lot of older more experienced horses,” she said. “He had jumped around the Worlds with Dan so it probably took a year to sort of change him a bit and adjust him to how I wanted to get him to go and my buttons. And the next year has been sort of fine tuning more and more and more. He’s not the most outward horse, we’ve sort of had to coax it out of him, but he’s got an immense amount of talent. He’s 75% Thoroughbred blood and he’s just given me more and more and I was really impressed with him.”
Boyd Martin and On Cue. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Boyd Martin lowered one rail aboard Christine Turner’s On Cue to finish in fourth position on a score of 31.8, making him the USEF National Champion here for the second consecutive running of the event. He’d love to have that rail back, but, as he jokingly put it “I think it’s great that America gives a prize to the highest placed American!”
On Cue (Cabri D’Elle – On High, by Primitive Rising) surprised many with her stellar performance this weekend – even Boyd would have given the top finish among his string to the most experienced horse of the three, Tsetserleg TSF. But after an untimely fall on cross country yesterday with Tsetserleg TSF, it was the 15-year-old Anglo-European mare’s time to shine.
"Obviously when you bring a horse to this level for this first time you don't know what to expect. She's unbelievable and exceeded all my expectations. She tried her absolute guts out and I'm just thrilled with her."At her CCI5* debut, On Cue helped Boyd Martin take home his second consecutive Land Rover #USAEventing CCI5* Eventing National Championship at #LRK3DE!(Thank you to the USEF Network for the video coverage throughtout the entire Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event.)
Despite the rail, it was a heck of a debut for On Cue, who finishes her weekend on a score of 31.8 in fourth place.
“When you bring a horse to this level for the first time you don’t know what to expect,” Boyd said. “She exceeded my expectations. I really thought it would’ve been Tsetserleg that would have done better…she tried her absolute guts out and I’m just thrilled with her.”
Harry Meade and Superstition. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Harry Meade capped off a successful weekend aboard the 12-year-old British Sport Horse Superstition, owned by Mandy Gray as well as Harry, rounding out the top five on a final score of 33.6 with one rail down. It was a comeback weekend for Harry, who completes his first CCI5* since finishing sixth at Burghley in 2018. Dealt a massive head injury to recover from in 2020, this weekend certainly has been a special one for Harry as well as for Superstition, who clinches his very first CCI5* completion.
Kevin McNab and Scuderia 1918 Don Quidam. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Australia’s Kevin McNab also enjoyed a successful weekend in Kentucky, finishing sixth with Scuderia 1918 Don Quidam (Quidam – Nairoby, by Amethist), who climbed from 21st after dressage to finish sixth overall on a score of 34.6.
Jonelle Price and Classic Moet. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Jonelle Price and the speedy and very experienced Classic Moet (Classic – Gamston Bubbles, by Bohemond) finished seventh on their dressage score of 35.2. “Molly” is 18 this year, and Jonelle says with the uncertainty of the British five-stars, she wanted to make the trek with the 2018 Badminton winner. Molly fans fear not, though, you may not have seen the last of the superstar mare – Jonelle thinks she may have one more five-star in her, so we may potentially see her out at Burghley later this fall (or hey, Jonelle, there’s a little event happening in Maryland this fall too you know…).
Phillip Dutton and Z. Photo by Shelby Allen.
U.S. riders fill out the rest of the top 10, with Phillip Dutton jumping one of the fault-free round today with The Z Partnership’s Z to climb into eighth position on a final score of 35.2. Phillip was thrilled with Z’s efforts today, taking time to thank his team for all their hard work after he came out of the ring. This is another horse that has begun to show increased consistency as he’s matured – no doubt he’ll still be on the Tokyo selectors’ radar after this weekend.
Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. Photo by Shelby Allen.
It was a fairytale of a weekend for Tamie Smith and the Ahearn family and Eric Markell’s Mai Baum, who capped things off with a double clear jumping round to finish ninth overall on a score of 38.8. It’s been a long, long road with the 15-year-old German Sport Horse by Loredano. I’ll let Tamie speak for herself here – grab a tissue:
Liz Halliday-Sharp didn’t have the ending she wanted with Ocala Horse Properties’ Deniro Z. The pair lowered two rails and picked up two seconds of time to drop into 10th place on a score of 39.0. It’s the 13-year-old KWPN gelding’s best finishing score at the CCI5* level, and Liz commented yesterday after her cross country that he’d finished strong and had given her a positive feeling about his progression. The career is, with any luck, still young for this pair and they’ve certainly got much to be proud of nonetheless this weekend.
Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deniro Z. Photo by Shelby Allen.
The name of the game certainly was climbing the ranks this weekend, and all riders in the final press conference were quick to reiterate the importance of having a true, gritty event horse who could finish the job in all three phases to emerge successful at the end of the weekend.
Indeed, looking at the dressage rankings, the eventual top 10 this year contained six combinations who were placed 11th or worse after dressage. When the dust settled, aside from the leader all other places shuffled once again and left us with a different top 10 than what we had last night.
Looking to how the course rode today, we saw a total of 16 clear jumping rounds (37.2%), 12 pairs had one rail down (27.9%), nine had two rails (20.9%), three had three down (7%) and three had four or more down (7%). A total of nine pairs had rounds that were clear inside the time.
With so many incredible storylines this week I’m bound to miss a good few of them, but I leave you today with my favorite pair, Ema Klugman and Bendigo, who capped off their weekend by winning the Highest Placed Youngest Rider for the competition. They end their weekend in 33rd place, and while Ema is kicking herself for a hairy moment in the triple and a second rail down, it’s a weekend she won’t soon be forgetting. Take a listen:
And finally, Buck Davidson took a moment to reflect on the weekend – one where he finished Katherine O’Brien’s Carlevo in the top 20 and piloted Kat Cuca’s Jak My Style to his first five-star completion – and the sudden loss of his longtime friend and partner, Ballynoe Castle RM. “Reggie” was a special one who gave us many, many happy Kentucky memories, so it felt fitting to reflect on the experiences Buck had with him:
It’s hard to believe that the Kentucky Three-Day event has already come and gone. After the devastation of the coronavirus pandemic, life as we know it changed in more ways than we can name. The weekend was, above all, permeated with a sense of gratitude. Gratitude to be here, gratitude for the thousands of donations that allowed the event to run after initially canceling, gratitude that the sun finally peeked its head out just in time for the CCI5* conclusion today, gratitude that all horses and riders were back in the barn safe and sound last night. It’s easy to think “oh, it’s just a silly horse show,” for some – but it’s more than that for us. I know not everyone had the weekend they wanted – there were points left on the table, decisions that you’re kicking yourself for now – but I hope we’re all leaving the Horse Park tonight with a fresh sense of awe, appreciation and thankfulness. I certainly know I am.
Thank you so much for taking the time to follow along with us this weekend. Until next year (hopefully)! Go eventing.
If there’s any weekend to win your first CCI4*, why not make it that of the biggest, baddest four-star the country has seen in recent memory? Luckily, Alyssa Phillips says she rides better when she has some pressure – and now she’s the winner of this year’s newly-added CCI4*-S at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event.
That cool under pressure mentality came in great handy as Alyssa and the 12-year-old Holsteiner Oskar (Coriando – Nicole, by Marlo) not only turned in the quickest cross country in exceptionally tough conditions yesterday but also laid down a rare double clear show jumping effort this morning on a day that saw just five pairs do the same around Steve Stephens’ track. They end their weekend in first place on a finishing score of 37.9.
“I think I’m dreaming, I should probably pinch myself and wake up from it!” Alyssa said as she sat in her first Kentucky press conference. “It’s pretty unreal. It’s my first four-star win and I just couldn’t be happier, I’m over the moon.”
Alyssa reacts after realizing she’d won her first CCI4*-S. Photo by Sally Spickard.
Alyssa’s 2021 season has been off to a rocking start. With her two younger horses, Cornelius Bo and FE Celestino, she’d already collected seven wins and is currently on a nine-win streak that extends back into 2020 with the 7-year-old Cornelius Bo (who was actually purchased from German rider Anna Siemer, who is competing in the CCI5* this weekend). So, it’s safe to say Alyssa’s soaking up the moment – and the pressure she rode under all weekend makes this win that much sweeter.
“I pulled up the live stream and started to watch (yesterday),” she said of her cross country trip, which was the fastest of the day with 5.6 time penalties added. She moved up from 15th after dressage into second following the second phase. “Nothing was riding according to plan, so I was a bit nervous but I actually ride a bit better under pressure. I went to the warm-up and (coach Jennie Brannigan) told me ‘you know your horse, just ride to plan and be aggressive’.”
Alyssa Phillips and Oskar. Photo by Shelby Allen.
With the rain pelting in her eyes, Alyssa didn’t even check her watch while on course, knowing that the most important job was just to get home safely. Luckily, Oskar, she says, doesn’t require a lot of setup in front of a fence, making him more efficient despite not necessarily being the quickest horse in the field. It was the toughest track she’s seen, she said, saying her nerves actually helped her ride a little better.
Alyssa and Oskar – who she describes as “pretty much like a dog” around the barn – don’t have much time to celebrate this weekend, as they’re next heading to their first CCI4*-L at Jersey Fresh in early May.
Tamie Smith and En Vogue. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Tamie Smith, the overnight leader with Ruth Bley’s EnVogue, just barely ticked a rail at fence 9A, the first of the treble, lowering her final placing to second on a final score of 40.2. Ever the practical professional, though, Tamie was quick to congratulate Alyssa, whom she has known for several years, and says for her, the competition is with herself. This event now sets Tamie and “EV” up for the Jersey Fresh CCI4*-L, the duo’s final destination before heading back to California after spending the spring out East.
EnVogue (Earl – Laurena, by Lauries Crusador), who is in her second full season at the Advanced level, has continued to grow into herself and Tamie says she’s thrilled with the 16-year-old mare’s progression.
“She hasn’t done much in her career,” she explained. “Ruth Bley started her as a young horse and she did a lot of Prelims with a girl who worked with Ruth and couple of Intermediates before coming to me. So shes only been up at Advanced for two years or year and a half and she’s a very – knock on wood – sound and strong horse. So I think she’ll do the long at Jersey and look at heading to Maryland 5 Star in the fall. With these horses, honestly age is kind of just a number if they’re feeling great and sound and good in their bodies. And every event she just keeps getting better and better so we hope to do some exciting stuff with her.”
Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Moonshine. Photo by Shelby Allen.
We’re thrilled to see Liz Halliday-Sharp and the carefully produced Cooley Moonshine, owned by The Monster Partnership, slot into third place overall, ending the weekend with a firm double clear jumping effort to finish on a score of 42.5.
Cooley Moonshine (Cobra – Kilpatrick Duchess, by Kings Master) has competed at the FEI WBFSH Eventing World Breeding Championships at Mondial du Lion twice, finishing third as a six-year-old and second as a seven-year-old – suffice it to say, this horse is one to watch as his career continues. Just nine this year, Liz said she’s taken her time producing him. “He’s pretty green still, but I think it’s such a great opportunity to get a horse like him into this atmosphere,” Liz said after the first day of competition this weekend.
Colleen Loach and Vermont. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Rails clattered down around the course this morning with problems relatively scattered, though fences 1, 6 and 7 seemed to collect the most penalties. Clear rounds were difficult to come by – perhaps an after-effect of the tiring cross country tomorrow, the atmosphere in Rolex Stadium, or any combination of those and other factors. Other riders collecting clear rounds were: Colleen Loach – who enjoyed a stellar weekend with both Vermont (4th – 45.8) and FE Golden Eye (12th – 71.1), Ann Goodwin and Fedarman B (6th – 58.3), Alex Baugh and Mr Candyman (7th – 58.7),
We’ll now get ready for the nail biter of a conclusion in the CCI5* which will kick off at 1:30 p.m. EST with the first group and the top 20 at 3 p.m. EST. We can’t wait to see how this all shakes out! Thanks for following along with us.
Doug Payne can typically be spotted out on cross country tracks wearing his slim, low-profile Cambox helmet cam and he’s already put up some highlights from his run yesterday with Vandiver, who jetted up from 38th into 14th thanks to a quick cross country with just 2.8 time penalties added. They’ll take a score of 37.3 into today’s show jumping conclusion.
Also…we’ll just leave this here:
Want to grab a Cambox of your own? Check out some good deals here.
Oliver Townend and Ballaghmore Class. Photo by Shelby Allen.
All 45 horses remaining in the CCI5* at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by MARS equestrian, trotted up this morning before the ground jury of Christina Klingspor, Peter Gray and Bobby Stevenson. A total of four horses were held and asked to re-present, and unfortunately Oliver Townend’s Cooley Master Class, eighth placed after cross country, was not accepted on his second jog.
“I’m just really sad,” Oliver said after the jog. “He’s picked up a bit of a cut. He’s sore but at the same time I hopped on and gave him a little ride this morning. He’s sound to ride, he’s very fresh, he’s well in himself. He would have jumped well. Unfortunately he didn’t present well and obviously the welfare of the horse is paramount in our sport and that’s (the ground jury’s) decision to make and their job to decide. It’s very sad for me and very sad for the team. But he’s still in one piece. He’s very, very happy and well in himself. He had a little buck on the way down from the trot ups. It’s more of a frustration than anything else, but hes 100% well in himself.”
Doug Payne’s second ride, Quantum Leap, Phillip Dutton’s Fernhill Singapore, and Ema Klugman and Bendigo were all sent to the hold box but were accepted on their second presentation.
The CCI4*-S horses also trotted up for the ground jury of Mark Weissbecker and Helen Brettell. Just one horse was sent to the hold: Meghan Marinovich Burdick’s Riviera Lu. They were accepted on their second presentation. There were no overnight withdrawals in either division. We’ll see 22 horses show jumping in the CCI4*-S later this morning.
Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Generally speaking we saw many horses looking fit and ready to go run around cross country again this morning – a big shout to the grooms, riders and veterinary support staff for looking after these horses last night to ensure they could trot up feeling their best this morning.
The winners of the MARS Equestrian Best Turned Out Horse Award is Diachello (ridden by Jesse Campbell and the groom is Hannah McLean) in the CCI5*L, and Albano (ridden by Bobby Meyerhoff and the groom is Kirsten Daniels) 👏👏 #lrk3de
We’ll now have a fairly rapid turnaround to begin the CCI4*-S show jumping at 10:45 a.m. EST, followed by the start of CCI5* show jumping at 1:30 p.m. EST and the top 20 beginning at 3 p.m. EST. All divisions will jump in reverse order of standing. We’re sure to have a thrilling finale in both divisions, so be sure to stay tuned on USEF Network, Horse & Country TV and right here on EN for all the latest.
Elisa Wallace and Let It Be Lee. Photo by Shelly Allen.
You can also follow along with all the action using EN’s Ultimate Form Guide to LRK3DE, full of info on each horse including show jumping past performance. We can’t wait to see who our champions will be when the dust settles!
Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class. Photo by Shelby Allen.
The cross country gods certainly make sure they made up for lost time today, as a very dramatic cross country shuffled both the CCI5* and the CCI4*-S leaderboards. As the day ends, the top four in each division look completely different than they did yesterday. It will be Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class, who sat fifth after dressage, to take over the top spot on the CCI5* board, stopping the clock two seconds over the time for a two-phase score of 27.3. Tamie Smith and EnVogue lead the CCI4*-S on a score of 35.0. More on the 4* shortly.
Ballaghmor Class has never finished outside the top five in five-star competition, and his performance this afternoon in the rain puts him well into position to ensure that streak continues tomorrow. After Oliver picked up 6.4 time penalties with his first ride, Cooley Master Class, he carved off some more seconds with “Thomas”, though a hairy moment at the Rolex Grand Slam and some slipping around cost some extra seconds. It was a round that we’ve come to anticipate from this pair, though, and their combined experience served them well to move them ahead of the rest of the field – though Oliver won’t have much room to breathe.
The Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI5* presented by Mars Equestrian reported a shift in the lead after today’s challenging cross-country run. It’s Great Britian’s Oliver Townend on Ballaghmor Class who will head into the final show jumping phase in the first-place position with only .8 penalties added to their dressage score. Boyd Martin (USA) and On Cue currently sit in second place, while Tim Price (NZL) holds onto the top three with Xavier Faer.Thank you to the USEF Network for the video coverage.
Truth be told, Oliver came home a bit crestfallen at his rides today – he would’ve preferred more stylish, more smooth rides, but having lost a shoe early on with both Ballaghmor Class and Cooley Master Class (who added 6.4 time to drop into eighth place on a 30.5) forced him to modify his plans to just keep the horses feeling confident and on their feet.
“For me today was the toughest cross country course for a long long time at the five-star level,” Oliver said. “It’s right up there with the very toughest in the world…It’s my job to have the horses prepared and to be as prepared myself as possible…I cant see the Olympics being tougher than this. Even from a technicality pint of view I thought that’s as tough as you can get.”
“(I’m) still very emotional about how amazing they both are in terms of they both literally gave me their heart and soul today,” he reflected. “Cooley Master Class didn’t have a smooth trip at all, but every time I gave him a squeeze he put his head down and did what he could.”
Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class. Photo by Sally Spickard.
With his shoes in tact, Oliver says Ballaghmor Class would likely have come home well inside the time, but the slipping caused by the loss prompted Oliver to do what he could to protect, finding straight lines to “go like a bat out of hell” wherever he could but otherwise just focusing on keeping his feet. It would prove to be enough for the lead, but he’d perhaps like to get those rides back to smooth them out.
“The amount of gear changes the (Ballaghmor Class) has done around there in comparison to most of the others and to still be close to the time for me makes him as special as he is,” Oliver continued. “I feel a bit sad for him because I’d love to be stylish and ride around as I want to ride, but it was rough and tumble and start and stop and just try and keep his feet.”
Boyd Martin and On Cue. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Hot on the leader’s tail is the top-placed U.S. rider, Boyd Martin with Christine Turner’s On Cue (Cabri D’Elle – On High, by Primitive Rising). This 15-year-old Anglo-European mare has a massive task today in her five-star debut but she ends the day as Boyd’s lone remaining ride after he parted ways with both Long Island T and Tsetserleg. She would also pick up just two seconds of time in a supremely impressive round that threw any and all predictions any of us made out the window (honestly, it’s rather fun when that happens) and will go into Sunday’s finale in second on a score of 27.8.
“I think riding this event for over a decade, this is one of the hardest cross country courses that I’ve seen designed here,” Boyd commented. “It’s a whole different ballgame if you go out there trying to make the time or if you’re just trying to get around.”
Not having the best of days with his other two rides and electing to scratch Luke 140 from the CCI4*-S after a rough tumble with Tsetserleg TSF (Luke is aimed at the CCI4*-L at Jersey Fresh next month as it is), Boyd’s still thrilled with the debut efforts of On Cue.
A solid #LRK3DE cross-country round for Boyd Martin and On Cue, the closest of the American contingent to go double clear. They’ll carry a score of 28.2 into tomorrow’s show jumping final 🇺🇸Thank you to USEF Network for the videos!
“She’s a lovely horse…got an awesome gallop, good jumper and this year she’s given me a great feeling in the prep events,” he said. “One thing I’ve learned watching guys like Tim (Price) and Oliver (Townend) is if you want to win you’ve got to have a crack at it – you cant save them, you cant take an option. In my opinion I’d rather fail trying to win it than just tippy-toeing away.”
This plan “sort of worked one time today but didn’t work the other two,” Boyd said with a wry laugh. “But that’s the sport and there’s no shame in going for it. The big ones like this, if I want to win this one day you got to throw caution to the wind and it’ll be what it’ll be.”
In fact you have to go down to eighth place to find a rail in hand, meaning tomorrow’s show jumping will certainly be an all-out nail biter.
Derek di Grazia’s track caused its fair share of problems (which might be an understatement), and the optimum time of 11 minutes on the nose proved difficult for all but three pairs in the field to manage. All four riders producing double clear efforts were overseas entries: Tim Price and Xavier Faer (28.2), Harry Meade and Superstition (29.6), and Kevin McNab and Scuderia 1918 Don Quidam (30.3 – 6th).
Tim Price and Xavier Faer. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Third placed overnight will be New Zealand’s Tim Price and Xavier Faer (Catherston Liberator – Faerie Dazzler, by Catherston Dazzler), who finished third here in 2019 and betters his two-phase score by 2.7 penalties. Xavier Faer, who is owned by his breeder Trisha Rickards as well as Tim and Nigella Hall, will stay on his dressage mark of 28.3 thanks to his double clear effort today and will be eager to put the show jumping pressure on the top two tomorrow. He’s a consistent show jumper with no rails predicted by Maggie Deatrick in EN’s Ultimate Form Guide, while Ballaghmor Class and On Cue each have slightly more rails on their record and each have one rail predicted tomorrow.
A fun note on Xavier Faer: he is related to Jonelle Price’s superstar Faerie Dianimo on the dam side – both horses were bred by Trisha Rickards.
Harry Meade and Superstition. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Perhaps the best story of the day has been Great Britain’s Harry Meade, who some may not have known before today has suffered a rash of fairly horrific injuries in recent years, among other troubles. Last fall, he suffered a head injury in a fall at Thorseby that left him contending with a severe concussion and resulting neural fatigue.
The incredible resilience and dedication of Harry has brought him back to the five-star level this weekend, and today’s double clear effort aboard the 12-year-old British Sport Horse Superstition (Satisfaction FRH – Cordalame) is the absolute icing on the cake.
Superstition, owned by Harry as well as Mandy Gray makes his five-star debut this weekend, but he’s got a couple of wins at the four-star level to his name and now builds on that experience with a gutsy performance all around the testing track. They’ll remain on their dressage mark of 29.6 to move from equal 17th (if that doesn’t show you the caliber of competition this weekend, I don’t know what will) into fourth tonight.
“He’s a game little horse and it’s his first five-star,” Harry said after his ride. “The theme of the course was big, bold, attacking, jumping, plenty of really decent jumps into water. He’s not had a great run out since we’ve had all our events canceled in England and the two he’s had he jumped really stickily into the water. So I just thought I’ve got to fill him with confidence and really just pump him up and he got jumping really well and felt super. The further he went, the more he grew in confidence and went out a boy and came home a man. Up on his minutes the whole way, he’s never gone this distance, never done a five-star.”
Harry says he could probably have gotten in 30 seconds under, but he elected to take the longer route at the Mighty Moguls at 26 and brought him home six seconds under the time. He calls Superstition a “worrier, very much an internalizer,” so he’s focused on keeping the gelding breathing and letting go in his warm-ups, aiming to keep his heart rate low so he goes out of the box with a fresh mind. The system clearly works, and Harry’s got himself a newly minted five-star horse on his string this weekend.
Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deniro Z. Photo by Shelby Allen.
“What a phenomenal horse, isn’t he?” Liz Halliday-Sharp reflected after her ride aboard Ocala Horse Properties’ Deniro Z, who finishes the day as the second highest-placed U.S. horse, moving from eighth into fifth with 2.8 time penalties added and a two-phase score of 30.2. “He just keeps getting better and he fought for me the whole way. He was just 100% with me and I’m just over the moon with him.”
Knowing Deniro Z (Zapatero – Zonne-Trend, by French Buffett xx) as a big, bold and forward horse, Liz’s plans for the day didn’t change in the face of the oncoming rain. “That’s what this track wanted,” she said. “My plan was to make all the distances no matter what. I think this course rewards you just going in and attacking it.” Liz was looking for a strong finish from the 13-year-old KWPN gelding – “that’s kind of what we want is for them to come back a stronger five-star horse and I think he’s shown that so I’m thrilled.”
Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Dressage leader Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous jumped a clear round but unfortunately picked up 71 seconds of time, electing to get home safe. Tamie Smith and Mai Baum, second-placed after dressage, had an unfortunate frangible pin activated at the Park Question coffin at 24, but, as Tamie said after, “he doesn’t know he had a frangible pin” – she’s all out thrilled with “Lexus'” efforts in his long-awaited five-star debut.
Thanks to the difficulty of the time – and the track, in general – those who jumped clear were rewarded with large jumps up the board. Notable among these move-ups are Jonelle Price and Grovine de Reve, who shot up from 20th into equal sixth place with Kevin McNab and Scuderia 1918 Don Quidam, who move up from 21st. Jonelle also earns the Biggest Mover award for jumping a whopping 34 places from 46th into 12th with the superstar Classic Moet, who remains on her dressage score of 35.2. Runner-ups for the Biggest Mover award goes to – drumroll – not one, but two of our all-star Rookies this weekend: our own Ema Klugman and Bendigo (61 to 31) and Emily Hamel and Corvett (56 to 26), who each had incredibly stellar debuts at the level and have a whole lot to be celebrating tonight.
Ema Klugman and Bendigo. Photo by Shelby Allen.
In terms of completion and clear ratings, this course, with 61 total starters in the CCI5*, saw 45 pairs complete (73.8%), 40 of which were clear (65.6%). The four riders making the time made up 6.6% of the starters. Several high-profile pairs sadly came to grief at various points around the track, including early ninth-placed William Fox Pitt and Oratorio II.
A total of seven pairs were given a Mandatory Retirement for a horse fall; no serious injuries to horses or riders have been reported in either division: Karl Slezak and Fernhill Wishes, Mike Pendleton and Steady Eddie, William Fox Pitt and Oratorio, Zoe Crawford and K.E.C. Zara, Valerie Vizcarrondo Pride and Favian, and Jennie Brannigan and Stella Artois, and Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg. This is a big increase in the horse fall rate – we’ve had a total of seven horse falls at Kentucky since 2015. 11.5% of the starters were given Mandatory Retirements, six riders (9.8%) were eliminated for Rider Fall, one pair (1.6%) retired on course, and two (3.3%) were given a Technical Elimination for missing an element. You can view a few more stats from the day in our At A Glance here.
In terms of the horse falls, we saw three of them come at the Mighty Moguls, two logs on a related distance at fence 26. Tim Price and Boyd Martin commented in the press conference that the ground really fell away after the second log – and riders had to aim for a corner to the right on landing. Mike Pendleton, William Fox Pitt and Boyd Martin all had their falls here. Valerie Vizcarrondo Pride fell at fence 13, the Park Gates, which were clipped but the MIM clip was not activated in the fall. Zoe and K.E.C. Zara fell at the Triple Scoop at fence 22. Karl Slezak and Fernhill Wishes missed their spot to the second hedge of Pete’s Hollow at 17 and very nearly had a rotational fall. Jennie Brannigan and Stella Artois seemed to peck on landing after jumping into the Rolex Grand Slam Challenge at fence 19.
Tamie Smith and En Vogue. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Tamie Smith Leads CCI4*-S
To say that the CCI4*-S rode more like a CCI5*-S or the CCI4*-S Olympics – take your pick – would be accurate considering the results of the cross country, which ran after the five-star this afternoon. The division was originally slated to run cross country first but was changed in light of the weather forecast.
Which means that the four-star riders got a good brunt of the weather, and a tricky and technical track didn’t help matters. The last out of the box, and after a not so successful run aboard her first ride, Danito, Tamie Smith laid down a round aboard Ruth Bley’s EnVogue that she said felt almost easy. Despite some time added (no one managed the optimum time of 6 minutes, 46 seconds), Tamie will take a leading score of 35.0 into tomorrow’s show jumping.
“It definitely rode very tough and big,” Tamie said. “On EnVogue, it was a blast. I was originally entered in the (five-star) and I decided to drop her down and do another four-star long instead. Obviously she just zipped around and was awesome and I was a little bit like, gosh I wish I would have kept her in (the five-star)! But he slow was is always the fast way.”
It was a big ask for EnVogue (Earl – Laurena, by Lauries Crusader), who also ran in the mud at Tryon last fall – and it’s that run that Tamie credits with helping the 16-year-old Hanoverian mare grow into herself and find some more confidence.
Alyssa Phillps and Oskar. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Tamie won’t have a rail in hand over second placed Alyssa Phillips and Oskar (Coriando – Nicole, by Marlo), who were one pair who actually looked to be having a bit of fun out there and were rewarded with a rocket jump all the way from 15th into second on a score of 37.9 and the fastest round of the day with 5.6 time penalties accumulated. Colleen Loach and Vermont, who were second after dressage, remain in the top three with a score of 41.8. Doug Payne and Starr Witness (42.1) as well as Liz Halliday-Sharp and the young talent Cooley Moonshine (42.5), equal third after dressage, also turned in excellent rounds with time to remain inside the top five.
Colleen Loach and Vermont. Photo by Shelby Allen.
“I’m so happy to be done with it!” Alyssa said after her ride. “He fought really hard for me. It’s the hardest course I personally have ridden. (Oskar) is not all that experienced at the level. He’s gone around a couple four-stars but this is the toughest he’s ever seen. He really fought for me at all those combinations. It wasn’t easy, it rode super hard. Jennie Brannigan, my trainer, gave me some words of wisdom out of the start box so I just rode aggressively and I didn’t pull.”
“You know your horse,” Jennie told Alyssa as she warmed up. Just keep kicking, she advised. “I couldn’t do it without her,” Alyssa said.
In total, 18 of the original 40 pairs were eliminated or opted to retire. Just 14 pairs came home clear of jumping penalties, making this one of the toughest CCI4*-S tracks we’ve seen in recent memory. Weather certainly played a factor, but the intensity of the track made for a stiffer challenge than what might have been seen elsewhere at the level. As the day progressed, it became clear that just a clear round would be sufficient to hold a placing or move up, and most pairs prioritized getting home over going fast.
We’ll see both the CCI4*-S and the CCI5* horses trot up tomorrow bright and early at 8 a.m. EST. Show jumping will then commence at 10:45 a.m. with the CCI4*-S jumping first in reverse order of standing. We’ll then start the CCI5* show jumping at 1:30 p.m. EST with the first group, followed by the top 20 beginning at 3 p.m., all in reverse order of standing.
Buck Davidson, Ballynoecastle RM and Kathleen Blauth-Murray. Photo by Sally Spickard.
What do you say when one of the greatest horses to grace our sport passes? What comes to mind in this moment is: it’s been an honor. It’s what we would say to Ballynoe Castle RM, the longtime partner and friend of Buck Davidson and owners Carl and Cassie Segal, who passed away peacefully in his Ocala field earlier today at the age of 21.
Before he was the winningest event horse in U.S. eventing history, “Reggie” was first and foremost a beloved family member for Carl and Cassie Segal, who have been longtime supporters of Buck’s. After his retirement from competition in 2017, Reggie went to live in luxury at the Segal’s farm in New Jersey, but still traveled with the BDJ crew to Ocala for the winters. In 2019, Breyer Horses created a model of the bay gelding.
Purchased sight unseen from Ireland and Patricia Nicholson as a six-year-old by the Segals, the Irish Sport Horse gelding by Ramiro B showed up to work every day. It was Buck who would produce him up from the Preliminary level, ultimately completing 35 international competitions and 51 USEA national competitions. In 2013, Buck and Reggie were named USEF National Champions when they finished fourth in the Kentucky CCI4*. They also finished in third place, their best then CCI4* finish, in 2014. In total, Reggie completed six CCI4* competitions, including the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington.
In January 2015, the USEA announced that Reggie had surpassed Winsome Adante as the overall points leader in USEA history with a total of 1,377 points accumulated. He would go on to retire in 2017 in a ceremony at Kentucky with over 1,600 USEA points, including those earned when he spent the last year of his career partnering with his longtime groom, Kathleen Murray (he also played a large role in Kathleen’s wedding in 2014).
Team Reggie! Buck Davidson, Kathleen Murray, Cassie and Carl Segal. Photo via Kathleen Murray.
It’s the greatest horses that make the greatest stories. Among his countless accomplishments and accolades are woven even more innumerable memories, moments made even more special. I think it’s safe to say that it’s these moments that those who loved Reggie will cherish the most.
“It’s bittersweet for me to see him retire, but it’s great to see him retire on top of the sport and healthy,” Carl told me when Reggie retired. “It’s impossible to replicate — there will never be another Reggie. I think the thing that stands out to me the most is how similar Buck and Reggie are. They both work so hard and want to please. The partnership that they developed is so special. We had no idea when we bought him that he’d end up being a superstar. He and Buck are both very resilient, and that hard work really shows in the consistency of their performance and the longevity of their career together.”
Kathleen Murray and Ballynoe Castle RM. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.
“My life is owed to him,” Buck told Nancy Jaffer in 2017. “It was a great career and I’m thankful I was actually able to be the one who steered him around. It was a joy every single day.”
We know Buck will be riding with in Reggie’s honor today at Kentucky – what had to have been Reggie’s favorite place to compete. Please join us in sending our sympathies and thoughts to Buck, the Segal family, Kathleen, and all of the countless others who were privileged enough to spend time with this legend of a horse.
Here are just a handful of our favorite Reggie moments:
A fan meets Ballynoe Castle RM. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.
Kathleen Murray and Ballynoe Castle RM head into the ring. Photo via Maralee Paul on Instagram.
Kathleen Murray and Ballynoe Castle RM head down the ramp with their entourage in tow. Photo by JJ Sillman.
Super groom Kathleen Blauth-Murray rides Ballynoe Castle RM at the Jersey Fresh awards ceremony. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Buck Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Buck Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Reggie gives EN’s own Sally Spickard a boost in Ocala. Photo by Kelly Dutton.
Some quiet time with Reggie. Photo by Jenni Autry.
It’s not often that a horse waltzes into the arena in its five-star debut and throws down what’s not far off from the record for a debut in terms of score. But most horses aren’t Mai Baum. To be fair, Mai Baum’s seen the imposing Rolex Stadium before – he’s been the test ride here before – but even so, there’s a world of pressure that rides on a horse that’s known for his competitive scores. And compete is exactly what he and Tamie Smith did today, laying down a 21.8 to sit just a whisker hair off from Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous, who will hold their lead on a 21.7 after the conclusion of dressage at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by MARS Equestrian.
Tamie says that it took some time for her to build a partnership with the 15-year-old Mai Baum (Loredano – Ramira, by Rike), who was originally piloted by Alex Ahearn (who with her family and Eric Markell still own the German Sporthorse gelding) through the old three-star level. When Alex was preparing to head off to college, she took Tamie to dinner and laid out her vision: Tamie needed a great horse, and Lexus was going to be it.
“I get chills every time I think about that night,” she reflected. “It changed my career actually.”
Indeed it did. Of course, Tamie’s no stranger to special horses and five-star rides, but anyone who saw “Lexus” as a young horse – he was selected in Germany by the Ahearns assisted by the expertise of Michelle Pestl – knew he would, without a doubt, be special. Special enough, in fact, that Tamie and Mai Baum’s owners have been cautious with him, carefully choosing his events. In hindsight, Tamie says she maybe would do things different given another chance.
Tamie shares a hug with Alex Ahearn, Mai Baum’s owner and former rider. Photo by Sally Spickard.
“It was a choice that we had made (not to do a five-star until this year),” Tamie said. “We had high hopes for him going into Rio (in 2016). He’s a very extravagant mover and we chose to not to a five-star until now. I don’t know if I would do that again just because when you have a horse of a lifetime…we almost just saved him. Just looking back I don’t know if I would do that again. We wanted to have a chance to do an Olympic Games and that just happened to be five years later.”
Tamie kicked herself for not having a better square halt, which could perhaps have squeaked her ahead of Marilyn, but in truth she’s already focused on tomorrow. Derek di Grazia’s course, she says, suits Mai Baum’s big, galloping style well. “It is very much a course that suits him,” she explained. “He is a big galloping type horse. He’s also quick and naturally fast, rideable, so I feel very prepared. When I first walked (the course) there were a couple combos that I was quite worried about, but they look really rideable now and I feel like I have a really good plan. I feel really ready. I’ll get to walk again in the morning and I’ll get to watch a few.”
Mai Baum’s score goes down as the fourth lowest five-star debut score on record; the lowest was a 19.9 earned by Germany’s Julia Krajewski and Chipmunk FRH at WEG in 2018.
Tamie Smith (Next Level Eventing) closes the gap at the top of the #LRK3DE leaderboard at the conclusion of dressage with this test that was just one-tenth shy of the top spot 😍Leaderboard: https://kentuckythreedayevent.com/leaderboard/XC Ride Times: https://kentuckythreedayevent.com/5-star-list/Thank you to the USEF Network for the video coverage!
An interesting note on Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous, who retain their lead after today: RF Scandalous has now led the field after dressage in twelve consecutive A/4/5* starts. Now, she typically has much more time in hand for the next phase than she will this weekend, so time will tell how the storyline plays out there.
Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg TSF. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Boyd Martin was second best of day two, slotting into fourth place overnight aboard the Turner family’s Tsetserleg TSF on a score of 25.4. This is “Thomas'” best score at the level, his previous best score of 27.1 earned at WEG in 2018.
“He’s a great little horse,” Boyd said. “He’s a veteran at this level now and he’s just fun to ride and he’s such a trier. He goes in there and gives it his all every time. I’m really pleased with him. Dressage is a tough sport where you can always think of a movement here or there that you could’ve done better, but on the whole he was good.”
Boyd credited his wife, Grand Prix dressage rider Silva Martin, for having trained up his horses on the flat in the lead-up to this weekend, even doing some dressage tests as practice at Fair Hill a few weeks ago. “A few of them got a bit hot in the warm-up and she quickly went to some exercises which defused them and relaxed them, so I’m a pretty lucky person.”
Tsetserleg TSF (Windfall – Thabana, Buddenbrock) is one of two horses competing this weekend sired by the champion Windfall – Doug Payne’s ride, Vandiver, is the other.
Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class. Photo by Shelby Allen.
“A little bit disappointed because he can do so much more,” Oliver Townend said when asked how he felt about his test today aboard Ballaghmor Class, the very experienced 2017 Burghley winner who is making his Kentucky debut. The pair earned a 26.5 to sit fifth overnight, giving stablemate and former winner Cooley Master Class the slight edge in third on a 24.1. “I think the last time he did that particular test he was on 20.8. That’s life and horses and it’s a three day event, so we’re still close enough.”
Oliver and the 14-year-old Ballaghmor Class (Courage II – Kilderry Place) also had a lighter prep that most years with the shutdown of British Eventing for the better part of the spring season. But all the same, Oliver says it’s time to crack on and get on with tomorrow’s duties.
“(Our preparation was) fine from a physical point of view, it’s just been a bit tricky in England with the cancelations,” he said. “Obviously Kentucky being canceled and then Badminton being canceled, it does take a bit of wind out of your sails, but at the same time the horses know their jobs. They’re very fit, there’s no excuses.”
Buck Davidson and Carlevo. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Buck Davidson enjoyed a great ride aboard Katherine O’Brien’s Carlevo (Eurocommerce Caresino – Ramatuelle, by Levernois) as the last horse of the dressage phase this afternoon, scoring a 26.7 for sixth place overnight. This is the 14-year-old Holsteiner gelding’s second go at the five-star level, and he bests his 2018 Kentucky score by 5.5 penalty points to put Buck into competitive position ahead of tomorrow.
“He was great. I was really, really proud of him,” Buck said, joining us with Katherine O’Brien for a quick chat. “He’s really good in this phase and to do that, that’s as good as he’s gone. It’s cool, the O’Briens live here in Lexington and they helped me keep the horse and I can’t thank them enough.”
Liz Halliday-Sharp and Ocala Horse Properties’ Deniro Z (Zapatero – Zonne-Trend, by French Buffett xx) was another pair most of us had earmarked to watch for a competitive mark, and they earned a 27.4 to sit eighth overnight behind Boyd Martin and On Cue (27.0). This is a five-star personal best for the 13-year-old KWPN gelding, and Liz says she saw a lot of improvements today to be pleased with.
Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deniro Z. Photo by Shelby Allen.
“Deniro always tries in the ring for me, but he was pretty steamed,” Liz said after her ride. “In the first halt, he was definitely looking around and feeling it, and I was like, ‘come here, boy, let’s do this’. Historically flying changes have been the hardest thing for him, and they weren’t great but they were all clean today and that is a huge step forward for that horse, so I’m really proud of him. When we can get those dialed in, I’m sure he’s going to be on a 25 or lower. I could have had a little more relaxation in places, definitely I would have liked the half-passes to have a little more flow, but I had to ride that I had today, so with that in mind I’m really pleased with him.”
How did the numbers from today break down? Maggie Deatrick checks in:
Of those who went today, Z and Ballaghmor Class suddenly find themselves in the uncomfortable position of having to make up more ground than they expected on the leaderboard. They join heavy favorites Classic Moet and Vandiver in hoping to see the cross-country run difficult, particularly in the matter of time penalties. Marilyn Little is probably sweating a bit too, despite RF Scandalous holding onto the lead. Although RF Scandalous has now led the field after dressage in twelve consecutive A/4/5* starts, she usually relies on having some cushion to allow for some cross-country time penalties. Tomorrow, she’ll have none.
Mai Baum and Off the Record both have to be extremely pleased with their freshman debuts at the level; despite scoring a little over two penalty points each off their recent pace, their ability to lay down such a strong result at their first 5* bodes well for the future of both of these and puts them both in position to finish as the top American. Tsetserleg TSF performed close to expected as well, and remains on track to also contend for a repeat of 2019.
It’s hard to come to a five-star and not want to write 8000 words about every horse and rider, and I’ll try not to keep you too long but I must leave you with my two favorite stories of the day: the five-star debuts of Ema Klugman, Germany’s Anna Siemer and Valerie Vizcarrondo Pride.
Ema Klugman and Bendigo, a 19-year-old Thoroughbred/Trakehner cross by Refuse to Lose, much-loved members of the Nation Media family (Ema moonlights as Jumper Nation‘s editor), were tickled to make their debut today and earned a 41.5 from the judges, fairly close to his typical average at the upper levels. This is a cross country-loving horse known for making a climb up the board based on his speed in the second phase.
Ema Klugman and Bendigo. Photo by Sally Spickard.
“It felt kind of surreal I have to say,” Ema said. “I have only watched it on TV, so it was pretty cool to go in the ring. My horse was, for him, really good and I was happy also just to get to the final salute. [Ben doesn’t always like dressage, we don’t blame you buddy] It means a lot (to be here). I’ve had him for eight years and he’s not really the easiest horse to ride but he tries really hard for me and he loves eventing, so it’s kind of cool that a horse like him can not only qualify but come to an event like this. He was 11 years old when we got him and he was sitting in a field, so he wasn’t the horse that was supposed to come here and it’s really fun to have him here and do it together.”
Germany’s Anna Siemer made for one of the best moments of the day when she earned a very competitive 28.1 to sit in 10th place overnight in her first five-star with the 14-year-old Hanoverian mare FRH Butt’s Avondale (Nobre xx – Heraldik’s Amelie, by Heraldik xx). Interestingly, Anna actually lives just a short distance away from another five-star: Luhmühlen. So why choose Kentucky as your first go at the level?
“I think people at home are like, we have a five-star like two kilometers from my stable and you go now to the other side of the world to do our first five-star? But five years ago I was here, watched the course and I was like, ‘I really want to go here with this mare’ because this is what she likes I think…I think she can do this tomorrow.”
Anna Siemer and FRH Butt’s Avondale. Photo by Shelby Allen.
“It was super!” Anna exclaimed after her test. “There were still two things not working out, but the rest was fine and she was quite calm in there for her nerves. She could be more excited, today she was ok.”
Watch and become a fan, friends:
Valerie Vizcarrondo Pride got a bit emotional as she reflected on her first time in Rolex Stadium, where she earned a 34.8 to sit equal 42nd overnight. Take a watch (and grab a tissue):
We’ve got plenty more content to send you off with this evening, so stay tuned for more photos (scroll down for a small selection), a round-up of our post-ride interviews with the riders over the last two days, and more from the #BestWeekendAll Year.
Cross country will be intense tomorrow, no doubt, and the action kicks off at 8:30 a.m. EST with Jonelle Price and Grappa Nera first out of the box. The CCI5* will wrap up with Buck Davidson and Carlevo at 12:38 and will be followed by the CCI4*-S, with Jessica Phoenix and Rabbit first out at 1:45 p.m. To catch up on today’s CCI4*-S action, click here.
Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Marilyn Little wasn’t sure how the colder temperatures this afternoon would affect RF Scandalous, who is definitely a Florida girl who prefers not to experience being cold (I can relate to that, Kitty) – but she needn’t have worried as she marched down the ramp to throw down a lovely effort worth a 21.7 nod from the judging panel of Christina Klingspor, Peter Gray, and Bobby Stevenson. This is very nearly a Kentucky record, though a bit short of Bettina Hoy’s 19.2 (or a 28.8 on the old scoring system that was in place at the time) earned in 2009. Lucinda Fredericks also scored a 21.5 (on the new system) here in 2009.
Naturally, as most riders are, Marilyn was quick to point out areas where she felt she could have earned a few more points. This pair performed this test (CCI5* test B) a year ago in Wellington, where they earned a 19.9, and Marilyn said she had hoped to get a bit closer to that mark in order to give “Kitty” a little bit of breathing room come Saturday.
The addition of the mare now being five-star fit, the cooler temperatures, and a glimpse of the cross country in warm-up gave Kitty a “sense of Saturday”, Marilyn said, conceding that this mark was “fantastic” considering the circumstances (“considering the circumstances” – Marilyn, I once got a 47 on a Beginner Novice test. I’ll take your 21.7! These perfectionists, I tell you). “She just said, ‘I’m ready, let’s do it!’ so I was able to push a bit.”
Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Nonetheless, it was a strong start to a weekend that Marilyn has been looking forward to, albeit with a tinge of sadness as she is doing her first five-star without the support of her longtime friend and mentor, the late Packy McGaughan. In his honor, though, she’s focused on the task and knows there’s a lot to do this weekend. Above all, though, she echoes the sentiment of the other riders: gratitude.
“We’re always thrilled to come to Kentucky, but this year we’re so blessed to come to Kentucky,” she said.
A common theme that emerged in mixed zone interviews today was that this is, without a doubt, one of the deepest fields the Land Rover Kentucky CCI5* has seen – and one of the toughest cross country courses to go with it. Add in some forecasted rain and, well, let’s just say this won’t be a dressage show.
“It’s a real five-star test,” Marilyn said of the track. “When I walked it, I thought, ‘I’m really glad I’m riding (Kitty). It’ll be tiring early on and for horses that are a little shocked, it’s going to come up hard and fast in the beginning. She’s very experienced and so now I’ve got to do my job and be as efficient as I can, put as few footprints on the course as I can and just let her do her job.”
Marilyn has been working hard honing RF Scandalous'(Carry Gold – Richardia, by Lario) warm-up routine and working with the 16-year-old Oldenburg mare owned by Phoebe and Michael Manders as well as Ms. Jacqueline Mars to the point where at Stable View last month she said she finally felt like the mare was letting her drive. As a result, they’ve gotten quicker across the country, and they’ll get to practice their improved rideability on Saturday.
It's been over a decade since someone has scored a 21.7 at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event but Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous did just that today in the Rolex Stadium to lead the CCI5*-L. Watch #LRK3DE live and on-demand brought to you by Mars Equestrian: https://broadcast.usef.org/coverage/2021lrk3de/Thank you to the USEF Network for all of the livestream coverage.
It’s no surprise to see some of our overseas entries breathing down on our leaders’ necks after day one, and it’s Oliver Townend, twice a winner here in as many years, and Angela Hislop’s Cooley Master Class (Ramiro B – The Swallow, Master Imp) who earned the same score (hey, he’s consistent, eh?) as their last trip here, taking a 24.1 into cross country.
Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class. Photo by Shelby Allen.
“I’m very very happy with him today. I think that’s the best test he’s done at Kentucky,” Oliver said. “I think he’s on pretty much exactly the same score as he was last time but at the same time it’s a different test which possibly doesn’t suit him quite as well. But at the same time very very happy and he felt very relaxed in there. He’s probably one that does miss the crowd a little bit because he is a very laid-back character and it does him no harm to have a bit of atmosphere. You don’t worry about him blowing up, you worry about keeping him going. He’s had a very quiet life and a quiet career. We just quietly get him ready and he seems to take to the plane journey and he seems to take to everything. He needs very little training in terms of dressage, it’s more about keeping him fit and happy and enthusiastic and he loves his job very well.”
Oliver’s had a light prep – as have his other British compatriots – to start the season as British Eventing saw the start of its season canceled due to ongoing coronavirus complications. With events only running for designated Elite level riders beginning March 22, the onus fell to the riders to do their fitness prep without a lot of runs. This isn’t so unusual for Oliver, though, as he typically can be found running his top horses on a lighter schedule.
“It’s probably been difficult mentally more than anything else because it’s been a little bit start-stop with the ‘is it on or is it off’ with Kentucky and Badminton,” he reflected. “It kind of takes the wind out of your sails a little bit because this is obviously what we’ve worked our whole lives for. But when it’s back on the wind went back into the sails. Then it’s how the hell are we going to pay for this. But we got that, we’re here, we can’t afford the flight home unless it goes well (haha). It’s very very special to be here. With the horses, at this stage they know the job very well so it’s just having them mentally and physically as ready they can be and we’re very happy with where they’re at.”
William Fox-Pitt and Oratorio. Photo by Shelby Allen.
It’s a warm welcome to another British competitor and a three-time winner here, William Fox-Pitt, who in all interactions this weekend has just been absolutely tickled to be back here competing after not making the trip since 2015. In between, he suffered a traumatic brain injury and made a miraculous return to competition – at the top level, too – and now just says he’s quite grateful to be here with the opportunity to compete again. He will sit in third place overnight with Oratorio II on a score of 27.9, one of the best dressage scores the horse has earned in international competition.
Oratorio II (Oslo Biats – Cinnamon Brûlée, by Topanoora) is a special horse for William, though he found his way back to his string in a bit of circuitous way. Bred by William and a progeny his former four- and five-star horse, Oslo, he crossed the heavier stallion with the lighter Thoroughbred former point-to-pointer Cinnamon Brûlée to produce a bloodier horse.
But when Oratorio was three and his owners offered the ride to William, he turned it down. Surely, he’d be retired by the time the horse was ready to go conquer the world. Why “waste” the ride on him?, he thought. So he recommended the horse go to Laura Collett, who did a world of a job producing him through his early international careers. At that point, he’d become a big and strong horse and it became apparent that he might be better suited for a male rider. Just like that, and with William firmly not retired, Oratorio found himself a new partner.
William says he’s feeling a bit on the underprepared side coming into this weekend, having just run a couple of Intermediates and an Advanced before hopping on the plane. “I’d like to be a little more prepared,” he said. “We couldn’t even go and do an indoor show jumping round, so we’re a little underprepared I would say. Our season didn’t really start until April. I think I went cross country schooling in March.”
To that end, William’s putting faith in his horse’s experience (and his own, though he’s too modest to say it) and breeding. While not the most experienced in the field at the level, Oratorio does have a Badminton top-15 finish under his girth. “Horses don’t forget,” William commented. “They’re amazing animals. They can do nothing for a long time and hopefully he’ll just switch into that mode. But with it being so ‘lukewarm’ in Britain, nothing very big and exciting, you certainly walk around a course like this and think, ‘oh, the jumps are quite big.’ It’s just about getting back into it and remembering that’s how the real world is.”
Boyd Martin and Long Island T. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Boyd Martin took command early on in the afternoon aboard the Long Island T Syndicate’s Long Island T (Ludwig von Bayern – Highlight, by Heraldik xx), whose score of 28.2 isn’t an FEI personal best but is nonetheless a damn good five-star debut. Boyd actually lost his stirrup for about five movements in the test, but in all the pair put in one of the nicer tests of the early sessions.”To be honest, he can be hot in the dressage and he was quite settled today, so I was pretty pleased with him,” Boyd said. “Cross country is going to be the deciding factor,” he said, electing not to get too “wound up” about the dressage, though it’s surely a nice feeling knowing you’ll at least be within striking distance come Saturday.
“(The course) looks like the biggest thing that this horses will ever see in his career so far, so I’ve got a mission ahead of us,” he said of Derek di Grazia’s track.
Tim Price and Bango. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Tim Price, part of the three-rider New Zealand contingent in Kentucky this week, was hoping for a personal best aboard the Numero Uno Syndicate’s Bango (Garrison Royal – No Sale, by Don Tristan), but the pair’s score of 31.5, while solid enough for early fifth place, won’t quite catch the 15-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding’s five-star personal best earned at Burghley in 2019 (29.6). In all, though, Tim says he was pleased.
“Probably 90 percent of it was the bet was the best work he’s given me,” Tim said after his ride. “He’s been working well all week, so I’ve been looking forward to having a personal best. It’s close to a personal best for him, but just a couple of little bits and pieces, that’s all it takes to knock you back a few marks, but that’s kind of the nature. He’s red-headed and he’s a blood horse that wants to gallop, and we’re just trying to bide our time until cross country day.
Tim will be looking for a bit of redemption come Saturday, as his last trip to Kentucky with Bango in 2016 saw them part ways just a few fences from home. They’ve since Burghley three times, including a fifth place finish in 2019, so that additional experience will no doubt be called upon when it comes time to leave the start box.
Will Coleman and Tight Lines. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Will Coleman and the 14-year-old Thoroughbred Tight Lines (Turgeon – Merindole, by Tel Quel) saw some marked improvement in terms of relaxation in their test today, and it’s a testament to the time Will has put into “Phish”, who isn’t what you would label as “easy-going” or “chill” on most days.
“I think maybe we’ve both matured a little bit,” Will, who stopped by the mixed zone with his adorable daughter, Charlie, mused. “In general, we prioritize his relaxation as the foundation of everything we’re doing in his training and I think we’ve been pretty consistent about that for the last couple years. I think our whole program has sort of embraced that approach. Certainly a more like him with his racing background and his high-blooded nature, it’s sort of necessary for us to kind of give him that extra time when he needs it and be a little bit conciliatory on certain things. So I think we’ve been on a good trajectory the last couple years and we’re just trying to get a little better every day.”
Fylicia Barr and Galloway Sunrise. Photo by Shelby Allen.
We were over the moon for our Rookie riders today, and Fylicia Barr finds herself in quite good position with her $500 Craigslist mare, Galloway Sunrise (Duty Officer – Coco Chanel), who earned a 32.4 to sit seventh overnight. It was a heck of a debut for Fylicia, who was impressed with her mare for going in there and putting the work in. “I’m so excited for her, she just works so hard,” Fylicia said. “She went in and just did all the movements and kept a straight head and I couldn’t ask for more than that.”
What about the data? Let’s bring in Maggie Deatrick to do some crunching:
Approximately two-thirds of the field scores at or over expected today, with the overall average score 1.15 points above expected. The first session saw the biggest disparities, with pairs in that session seeing on average 2.68 penalties above their expected scores, while the remaining three sessions average less than three-quarters of a point above expected.
On average, the judges saw a 2.69 difference between pairs, with all pairs seeing a difference at minimum of one percentage point. Eleven competitors saw a difference of at least 3 points or more, with Wizzerd and Cooley On Show having at least 5 points between their highest and lowest percentages. Robert Stevenson seemed the most reluctant to hand out marks at the highest end of the scale, offering the lowest marks for all but three pairs who scored sub-33.
A visual breakdown of RF Scandalous’ dressage scores.
Despite the drama of RF Scandalous laying down the lowest score of the last decade at this venue, her score was well within the expected range considering the average of her last three outings was a cool 22.4 penalties. Cooley Master Class however came and did exactly what he did two years ago, lay down a score equal to his personal best at this level and flirting with his personal best overall at A/4/5*.
A visual breakdown of Cooley Master Class’ dressage scores.
While many might think that Oliver Townend duplicating his score from 2019 was predictable, but the reality is that 2019 was the second-best test the horse had ever done at the top levels, and it was followed by a more typical 27.6 at Euros the following fall. It is quite the feat to come back in 2021 and equal that, particularly when your scores were trending in the opposite direction. This score, as it did in 2019, improves his chances tremendously, moving Cooley Master Class from the competing for the top ten to likely favorite to win.
Three other Rookies also made their debuts today: Emily Hamel and Corvett (38.1 – 25th), Mike Pendleton and Steady Eddie (38.4 – 26th), and Zoe Crawford and K.E.C. Zara (44.9 – 29th).
The show is far from over as we’ve only seen half of the pairs in both divisions. Though Marilyn’s mark might be hard but not impossible to chase down (looking at you, Mai Baum!), we’re likely to yet see some hefty shuffling in the ranks before we move ahead to cross country.
Notable rides tomorrow in the CCI5* that could threaten these early top placings include Phillip Dutton and Z, Tamie Smith and Mai Baum, Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class, and Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg TSF – though at this point it’s certainly still anyone’s prerogative to come in and steal the show.
We’ll be coming back tomorrow with lots more from the final day of dressage. We’ll also have a photo gallery to publish this evening as well as more social media, some cross country thoughts from designer Derek di Grazia, and much much more. Thanks for tuning in with us! Go Eventing.
The CCI4*-S field is a stacked one and that fact was made evident by the competition we’ve seen right out of the gate. Many of these horses competing here are younger or newer to the level, making this the biggest atmosphere they’ve likely been in. To that end, we saw plenty of wide eyeballs – Will Faudree’s FRH Ramona was particularly adorable as she would break her concentration in her halts to glance up and give her surroundings a mindblown once-over – but some really nice moments that have led us into a three-way tie for first. It will be Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Moonshine, Doug Payne and Starr Witness and Tamie Smith aboard Danito all scoring a 28.1 for early first place after the first day concludes.
Things are typically quiet on Thursdays here even during a normal year with spectators, but it doesn’t make the vibe in Rolex Stadium any less eerie knowing there will be no filling of the grandstands with fans eager to see the heavy hitters this afternoon and tomorrow. The first few rows of seats are filled with cardboard cutouts, but even without as many humans, it’s still an atmospheric arena for any horse.
All that said, though, it’s a great experience for a young, inexperienced horse to come here and soak it all in – and perhaps it’s one silver lining of the absence of spectators. The four-star pairs performed CCI4* Test B, which is a stiff challenge in itself, particularly in the canter work.
Tamie Smith and Ruth Bley’s Danito (Dancier – Wie Musk, by Wolkenstein II) were among the earlier rides, and after some coaxing in the warm-up and through the first half of the test, the California-based rider was able to eke out some really lovely moments, including the last half of their canter work. Their score of 28.1 is a shade higher than what we’ve seen them pull in the past (Danito’s personal best at the CCI4* level is a 24.4). We’d likely be looking at a lower score without the additional tension – as Tamie said in the press conference, he’s more than capable of producing a better mark – but in all it was a solid performance that we’ve come to anticipate from this pair to set them in a good position ahead of Saturday’s cross country.
“Danito is actually a bit of a misfit,” Tamie said. “Before I got him, he was a little naughty and difficult and just couldn’t find his way with a different rider.”
Ruth Bley, an all-star amateur rider in her own right, initially intended to send the chestnut Hanoverian gelding to Tamie to sell, but after she took a few rides, Tamie knew she wanted to keep the ride. “I rode him a few times and I really liked him..so I called Ruth to ask if she was sure she wanted to sell him, and she said ‘I don’t know, let’s see what happens.’ Now, two years later, here we are.”
Indeed, Tamie calls Danito a match made in heaven (even confessing to me on a farm visit last summer that he just might be her favorite – shhh, don’t tell Mai Baum), and though he was “very quirky” today, she knows she just needs to keep ticking away with him.
Tamie is one of the busier riders this week, with three rides in the CCI4*-S and one in the CCI5*. She credits her team in the barn and the hour-by-hour schedule she sits down to write out each evening for keeping her on track this week.
Doug Payne and Starr Witness. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Doug Payne and his 2019 Pan American Games partner, Starr Witness (Chello III VDL – Carmen, by Veneur) were the next to earn a top score from the judging panel of Mark Weissbecker and Helen Brettell, putting in a smooth and expressive test to also earn a 28.1 on day one.
Owned by Laurie McRee, Catherine Winter and Doug Payne, the 10-year-old KWPN mare continued her trend of scoring above 70%, showing us the consistency she’s become known for as her eventing career has progressed. This is a mare who has quickly made her moves up the levels, having just begun eventing in 2018 after proving to be “too hot” for the hunter ring by former owner Emil Spadone. But thanks to her athletic prowess, she’s taken to her new craft like a fish in water, and Doug says it’s really just been about teaching her the unique nuances of eventing and instilling the confidence she’ll need to continue her upward trajectory.
“She’s wicked smart and quick on her feet,” Doug explained. “The Pan Ams were a big ask, and she stepped up to it and she’s continued to do that…her attitude is such that she wants to try her best, lucky for us she’s an athletic freak and she’s able to accomplish it.”
We’ll see Doug in the CCI5* competition this weekend with Vandiver and Quantum Leap.
Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Moonshine. Photo by JJ Sillman.
Liz Halliday-Sharp brings forward the 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, Cooley Moonshine (Cobra – Kilpatrick Duchess, by Kings Master), who is also green to the level having just done his first four-star last fall at Tryon. This is one she’s particularly excited about, and to that end she’s really trying to take her time producing him and wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to bring him to the biggest atmosphere in the U.S.
It’s not to say that Cooley Moonshine is lacking in competition experience though; he’s competed at Le Lion twice, finishing third and second in 2018 and 2019, respectively, as a six- and seven-year-old.
“He’s a really special horse,” Liz said. “I’ve had him since he was a five-year-old and he went to Le Lion twice, which was really great as a young horse. He’s pretty green still, but I think it’s such a great opportunity to get a horse like him into this atmosphere.”
Liz describes the striking gelding as quite bloody, a bit on the hot side, but he seemed able to put any tension to the side and work through it to also earn a 28.1 mark from the judges.
Above all, all three riders at the top of the CCI4*-S expressed deep gratitude for the fact that the event is running this weekend, thanks in very large part to the efforts of Sara Kozumplik Murphy, Dorothy Crowell, and thousands of private supporters.
“I’m super grateful for the people who got behind it when (EEI) said they weren’t going to run,” Tamie Smith reflected. “Everyone banded together and made a huge effort.”
So, how did the numbers break down? Maggie Deatrick checks in with her analysis:
“The 4*-S pairs who rode this morning had to contend with freezing temperatures and biting wind, and it showed in the scores, with 75% of the field scoring higher than expected, in many cases significantly higher. Four riders should be considerably pleased with their mounts: QC First Class, Landmark’s Monaco, Bogue Sound, and Cooley Moonshine all put in strong above average performances. The extra edge in particular should be exciting for Kimmy Cecere and Landmark’s Monte Carlo, who are strong in the jumping phases. This dressage score, nearly four points better than an average performance for them, potentially allows them to compete for the win this weekend.
The ground jury of Mark Weissbecker and Helen Brettell disagreed by at least 2 percentage points on nine of the twenty pairs to compete today; with three horses (Clip Clop, Bogue Sound, and FRH Ramona) seeing a gap of 4 to 5 percentage points and Trendy Fernhill being a gap of more than 7 points between the two scores. When looking at the overall scores, it can be inferred that Mark Wiessbecker is utilizing his judging scale more conservatively than Helen Brettell, as she has more significantly rewarded higher quality tests but also has given a harder look to those of lesser quality.”
We’re just about to kick off the CCI5* dressage, so be sure to download your copy of our Ultimate Form Guide to LRK3DE and tune in to both the live stream (linked below) and our live update thread.
Here’s a look at the rest of the top slots in the CCI4*-S, which will resume dressage tomorrow morning.
