Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.
Time to set your DVR, folks! NBC is broadcasting a recap of the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event TODAY at 2 p.m. EST. Because after back-to-back live streaming weekends, who doesn’t need more eventing?
In all honesty, this is the perfect way to introduce your non-horsey family/friends/S.O. to the sport without trudging your way through any complicated explanations. Let NBC do it for you! The program is scheduled to last one hour as it shows highlights of the competition.
Tune in and show some support for our sport! Go eventing.
Grab a cup of coffee and settle in because it’s time for the grand finale on the final day of the 2018 Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials. Two North American representatives remain after the influential cross country phase: Selena O’Hanlon with Foxwood High and Lauren Kieffer with Veronica. Keep it locked here for all the action from the final day at Badminton!
JONELLE PRICE jumped her first clear international round since Hartpury 2014! She is the first female winner here since 2007.
This is her first ever CCI4* winner. @Nicole_Brown90 and half the crowd are crying. @bhorsetrials
9:44 a.m. Mark Todd is back, this time with Kiltubrid Rhapsody.
9:43 a.m. Padraig, who has show jumped at the highest levels, kept all the poles up, but had 3 time penalties, to finish on 38.3. A great day for the Irish!
9:42 a.m. With a shoe back on, Mr Chunky is in the arena.
9:40 a.m. One disappointing rail down for these two, but still a fantastic finish for Veronica and Troll on 38.6.
9:39 a.m. Lauren Kieffer and Veronica clear through fence 5 so far.
9:38 a.m. Gemma just got her third consecutive clear show jumping at Badminton! She and Spike stay on 35.2 points.
9:37 a.m. Arctic Soul looks maybe slightly tired, but still so careful.
9:35 a.m. Gemma Tattersall will jump ahead of Padraig McCarthy as Mr Chunky has lost a shoe.
9:34 a.m. By the end Sam Griffiths had 3 down and 2 time penalties for a score of 50.4.
9:34 a.m. Sam Griffiths and Paulank Brockagh take down the orange plank at 5 and the oxer at 9.
9:32 a.m. Beautiful round for Tom and Toledo de Kerser! Not a foot wrong. They finish on 37.7. “Even a silly old man like me would come out of retirement to ride this one!” Ian Stark says, he thinks these two might have a trip to Tryon in their future.
Tom goes clear and sweetly points to his horse #mmbht
9:30 a.m. Now we welcome Tom McEwen and Toledo de Kerser.
9:29 a.m.
IN the seven runnings of @bhorsetrials between 2000 and 2007, we had five female victories (Mary King, Pippa Funnell three times and Lucinda Fredericks) but we haven’t seen one since.
Jonelle Price is leading and Ros Canter in third is on a great show jumper. Is it time? #MMBHT
9:22 a.m. Cooly SRS gets the second clear of the day! That horse can JUMP! They’re on 33.1
9:21 a.m. Oliver Townend gets started with fifth-placed Cooly SRS.
9:20 a.m. Only the orange plank came down Imogen! Great finish for her on 46.1.
9:18 a.m. Second fastest yesterday, Imogen Murray and Ivar Gooden are in the arena.
9:17 a.m. Foodwood High looked very alert, but generally unconcerned with hitting the poles. Poles down plus .62 time gives them a final score of 63.8.
9:16 a.m. Holding my breath for Selena!
9:15 a.m. 4 come down for Mark Todd. He and Leonidas finish on 49.3.
9:13 a.m. Leonidas II in the arena now with Mark Todd.
9:12 a.m. Quite a few down for Carlos to finish on 70.2 with 26 total penalties added, which doesn’t quite do his work yesterday justice!
9:11 a.m. Oh no! Spain’s Carlos Diaz Fernandez and Junco CP crash into the second fence. Not the way to start a round.
9:09 a.m. 4 down, but good on the time for Emilie Chandler and Coopers Law. They finish on 60.3.
9:09 a.m. While the arena may look flat on your screen, there’s actually plenty of terrain! You might notice they start rolling downhill between 3 and 4.
9:07 a.m. “That doesn’t just happen. That’s experience” A beautiful ride by Harry Meade with Away Cruising. One down and 2.25 seconds over the time for a final result of 52.5
9:05 a.m. Great riding by Harry Meade. Clear so far!
9:04 a.m. Nana has four down and one time penalty. She finishes on 69.6.
9:03 a.m. Nana Dalton and Absolut Opposition are in the ring!
8:43 a.m. The first 34 pairs made their way around the show jumping course today with only one, Dani Evans and Smart Time, achieving a completely clear round. The pressure is on for top 20!
Selena O’Hanlon definitely had one of the best Badminton cross country rides of the day in my eyes. Though it took a while for the live stream to catch her ride, once they did it really was a master class. They made even the most challenging of exercises look easy. So exciting for her and of course for John and Judy Rumble.
Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.
The Ground Jury has issued Oliver Townend an official warning regarding his use of a whip on both Ballaghmor ClassandCooley SRS during Saturday’s cross country at the 2018 Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials.
“They gave him an official warning regarding his over-use of the whip on both horses,” a statement from the competition said.
“[The Ground Jury] told him that the horses would be checked very carefully on Sunday morning for the horse inspection for their fitness to compete in the jumping phase.”
Fifth-placed Cooley SRS and Oliver Townend. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.
Oliver piloted both horses to clear rounds with 7.2 time penalties each. Ballaghmor Class is in second on a score of 28, and Cooley SRS is in fifth on a score of 33.1. Oliver could be seen using a whip through the course, with spectators and viewers using social media to raise their concerns for the horses’ welfare.
Oliver posted this on his Facebook page Saturday afternoon: “Thanks to everyone for your support today – both horses have recovered well. They’ve been checked over, had a graze and are now enjoying some well earnt quiet time.”
Having won both Burghley last fall and Kentucky last weekend, the British rider is in contention for the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing. He would need a win this weekend at Badminton to take home the $350,000 prize.
Good morning, EN! We are ready to dive straight in to an very exciting day of cross country at the 2018 Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials. Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy!
Keep refreshing this page for all the latest from Badminton!
Here are the North American entires/ride times:
Selena O’Hanlon & Foxwood High: 12:58 BST / 7:58 a.m. EST CLEAR with 16.4 time penalties
Lauren Kieffer & Veronica: 13:38 BST / 8:38 a.m. EST CLEAR with 9.6 time penalties
Madeline Backus & P.S. Ariana: 15:34 BST / 10:34 a.m. EST Rider Fall at The Lake
Will Coleman & Obos O’Reilly: 15:50 BST / 10:50 a.m. EST Retired on course
12:05 p.m. Tom currently does not have 20 pen for his re-route at the corner. Might be a conversation by the Ground Jury, but looks good from the view of the camera.
12:04 p.m. Tom gives all the credit to Strike Smartly even before they’ve crossed the finish.
12:03 p.m. Strike Smartly looking a little tired, but Tom McEwen doing a great job of showing him the way home.
12:00 p.m. 7.2 time penalties for Oliver puts him equal with Jonelle. Because she was closer to the optimum time, she goes into the lead.
11:58 a.m. At this point, Oliver will be over the time, but he has some breathing room. Horse looking tired, but they push on.
11:58 a.m. Little sticky at the last combination. The horse seems to be looking tired.
11:57 a.m. Oliver is riding very boldly through the Joules corners, and looking good on the time so far.
11:56 a.m. Georgia Spence home on 56.9 penalties.
11:56 a.m. Positive riding by Oliver gets them through the hollow!
11:55 a.m. Tom McEwen at the Lake adding loads of strides through for a careful ride.
11:53 a.m. Oliver living dangerously through the Eclipse water, but he’s clear!
11:51 a.m. Oliver plays it safe with the long route at the Lake.
11:49 a.m. Georgie Spence takes the long route at the Mound after popping up over the B element.
11:47 a.m. Oliver Townend now on course with Ballaghmor Class. Despite Ollie’s suggestion, the crowds cheer him off.
11:46 a.m. We can now confirm that Alexander Bragg was eliminated with Redpath Ransom
11:45 a.m. Ireland’s Ciaran Glynn has a few fliers around, but kicking on toward the Eclipse pond.
11:43 a.m.
Into fifth for Mark Todd and Kiltubrid Rhapsody, who come in 25 seconds over the time. #mmbht
11:38 a.m. We are hearing that Alexander Bragg has possibly been eliminated on course.
11:36 a.m. Caroline Powell trotting through the lake. Whatever works!
11:35 a.m. We have an anxious eye on Mark Todd. Have not seen him on the stream lately, and we have heard there is a hold on course. Not sure the reason.
11:34 a.m. Alexander Bragg seems to have retired on course. We’ve stopped seeing him on the stream.
11:32 a.m. Harry Dzenis with a wild ride in the Eclipse Pond. Good on Dromgurrihy Blue!
11:27 a.m. Alexander Bragg has the frangible pin down at the Eclipse Pond. He also had the pin down with his first horse.
11:26 a.m. 11 seconds over for Gemma and Spike but she’s thrilled and so is the crowd.
11:25 a.m. Gemma kicking much more than we’ve ever seen her do with Arctic Soul. Headed to the finish.
11:25 a.m. Mark Todd keeps his line as the horse doesn’t quite see the last element of the Huntsman’s Close. Kick on!
11:24 a.m. Fingers crossed for Mark Todd who is out with his second ride, Kiltubrid Rhapsody.
11:23 a.m. 30 seconds over for Paulank Brockagh and Sam Griffiths!
11:21 a.m. Gemma is better on the time even than Jonelle was a fence 20. Can she keep it up?
11:20 a.m. Harry Meade says the OTTB is a petrol engine, rather a than a diesel engine — for all those #horsehubby types tuning in.
11:18 a.m. Arctic Soul slides in to the Lake and gets strong ahead, so Gemma re-routes to the longer route. Smart move.
11:15 a.m. Arctic Soul out on course! He’s another fast one that could do the time.
11:14 a.m. Sam Griffiths neatly through the Lake taking the long route to C.
11:13 a.m. Harry Meade reports that he turned his watch off halfway around!
11:12 a.m. James O’Haire and China Doll came in a little too quick and both took a bath in The Lake. The horse just didn’t have a chance to get his knees out of the way. Both OK.
11:09 a.m. Previous winners Sam Griffiths and Paulank Brockagh are off and away! Looking determined through the Quarry.
11:08 a.m. Hang on tight, Michael Owen! Bradeley Law flying through the lake, they jump the rope on the way.
11:04 a.m. Will has pulled up and opted to retire.
11:03 a.m. Will Coleman and Obos O’Reilly will a runout at The Lake. Will is going to be kicking himself.
11:03 a.m. Huge cheers for Harry Meade as he finishes.
11:02 a.m. Amazing save for Dani Evans and Smart Time at the Hildon Water. Quick thinking from both horse and rider.
10:59 a.m. “She’s so un-special that’s she’s incredibly special. She makes me look good.” – Jonelle on Classic Moet.
10:57 a.m. At the Hildon Water Harry Meade is currently bang on the time.
10:56 a.m. Smooth sailing for Harry Meade and Away Cruising! Clear through the Eclipse Water.
10:52 a.m. Save of the day goes to Emilie Chandler! She nearly comes off at the Eclipse Cross Pond after hanging a leg, but Coopers Law stayed dead straight on task and jumped them out safely.
10:47 a.m. Oh rats! Just didn’t quite get the line to the C element of the Lake, and Madeline comes off. Sad, early ending for her today.
10:46 a.m. We haven’t seen her yet, but Madeline Backus is on course somewhere!
10:46 a.m. Nana Dalton clear so far with her homebred Absolut Opposition!
10:44 a.m. She’s not just the fastest — she’s the fastest by nearly 5 seconds! And she even took a long route. So impressive for these two. #JumpLikeJonelle
10:42 a.m. Jonelle is just one second over to take the lead!!!
10:41 a.m. Oh no! Piggy French and Vanir Kmira both take a swim at the Hildon water. Looks like the horse misread the fence — taking off and then coming back down on it.
10:41 a.m. Definitely! They are having a super day so far.
Piggy French is hands down the most stylish cross country rider out there #MMBHT
10:39 a.m. Just 16 seconds over for Ireland’s Joseph Murphy! That puts him in the top 10.
10:36 a.m. Expert riding through the Mound for Jonelle!
10:34 a.m. A little too quick through the lake for Jonelle. She was at the buckle and forced to take the long route at C.
10:31 a.m. Jonelle Price has the pedal down with Classic Moet! These two are ones who could make the time.
10:30 a.m. Another leg left for Silva has both horse and rider on the ground at the Eclipse Water. Both up quickly looking OK.
10:29 a.m. Warren Lamperd steers Silva to the less-used right-handed route at The Mound, but unfortunately have a runout.
10:25 a.m. Cooley Rorkes Drift jumped himself into the open oxer at the Eclipse Water, and Jonty hops off to help the horse out. What looked scary for a moment was quickly resolved. Both walking away looking OK.
10:23 a.m. Becky Wolven and Charlton Down Riverdance take a bit of a flyer at the Vicarage Vee, which has the both on the ground up on landing. Both are up quickly.
10:22 a.m. Jonty in the back seat but he makes it happen at The Lake!
10:19 a.m. The People’s Horse — Cooly Rorkes Drift — is off with Jonty Evans.
10:16 a.m. Tom Crisp takes the long route after a huge jump over the B element of the Mound.
10:15 a.m. Junco CP gets a few words of encouragement from Carlos after the Vicarage Vee.
10:13 a.m. Good job for Tom Crisp as he opts for the longer route through the Lake with Coolys Luxury.
10:11 a.m. Well done for Ashley Edmond and Triple Chance in their first four-star. Coming through the finish with a clear round, but 83 time penalties added. The horse looks thrilled with himself at the finish!
10:10 a.m. Carlos Diaz Fernandez, the only Spanish rider here this weekend, is clear so far with Junco CP
10:07 a.m. Lissa Green finishing with 31.2 time penalties.
The next person to go clear will be the 400th person to go clear jumping at @bhorsetrials since 2008. Will it be @LissaGreen88 or Ashley Edmond? Both on course.
9:31 a.m. James Sommerville takes the pin down after a wild ride at the Eclipse Water.
9:29 a.m. The Huntsman’s Close is becoming the most influential fence today as it gives William Fox-Pitt 20 penalties. He pulls up after a second successful go.
9:27 a.m. William Fox-Pitt is off and away with Fernhill Pimms
8:59 a.m. Pippa pulls up with Billy Beware. Not their day unfortunately.
8:59 a.m. Lauren is 24 seconds over the time! So exciting to watch her and Veronica go fast for it.
8:57 a.m. Lauren kicks away from Savills Escalator. Just three to go!
8:56 a.m. 1 minute 11 seconds over for Simon Grieve
8:55 a.m. A runout for Pippa and Billy Beware at the C element at The Lake. So far the jump judging isn’t penalizing her. She might have gotten lucky for now.
8:53 a.m. Billy Beware is making Pippa Funnel work hard, but they’re clear so far.
8:53 a.m. Lauren and Veronica clear through the Hildon Water, they’re just about 8 seconds above the time currently.
8:52 a.m. Lauren and Veronica are going very quickly around today. Good through fence 18.
8:51 a.m. A miscommunication has Danielle Dunn out of the tack at fence 27, the BHS Table.
8:50 a.m. Lauren was nearly at the buckle after a big jump into the lake, but they stayed dead on through the direct route. It does look like they’re going for speed.
8:49 a.m. Super quick ride for Lauren and Troll through the Huntsman’s Close.
8:47 a.m. Lauren Kieffer and Veronica are on course!
8:46 a.m. Simon Grieve also takes the long route at the Lake. Smartly done.
8:44 a.m. Super, positive ride for Danielle Dunn and Zocarla BHL through the Mound (14/15/16ab)
8:43 a.m. A minute and a half over the time but a huge smile for Lydia Hannon at the finish.
8:42 a.m. Danielle Dunn takes the long route at The Lake, but looks very confident.
8:40 a.m.
A busy mixed zone for Germany’s Michael Jung following his round on Sam “…xc you have to be careful from the first to the last fence…..it’s nice to sit on him & enjoy” #MMBHT#MichaelJungpic.twitter.com/bOSVDXUR6U
8:21 a.m. Tim and Ringwood Sky Boy take the quick route through the Hildon Water Pond, climbing out of the brush at C. They’re moving a little slower than usual today.
8:21 a.m.
Just six time penalties make Michael Jung and La Biosthetique Sam FBW our fastest round of the day! #mmbht
8:15 a.m. Andy Daines goes to add a stride, but doesn’t quite work as he and Spring Panorama have a slightly slow motion roll/fall away from the Joules Corners. They are both up quickly and looking ok.
8:08 a.m. Not a lot to say about Selena and Woody because they doing such a masterful job. Each view on the stream is pretty perfect for these two!
8:07 a.m. Ack! Andy Daines looses balance as he slips over the log into the Lake before taking a wild ride at the b element. They scamper over the ropes trying to get to the alternate — the Ground Jury may review that as dangerous riding.
8:07 a.m. Michael Jung and Sam are out of the box!
8:05 a.m. Selena goes the quick route through the Hildon Water Pond. She really is making this course look easy.
8:04 a.m. Tom Jackson and Waltham Fiddler’s Find add one in the Joules Corners, but still smooth and clear!
8:03 a.m. Finally seeing Selena on the live stream! She’s super through the Lake. She and Woody made it look like a novice combination.
8:02 a.m.
Big pats for Bronze Flight after sailing over the Vicarage V from @irishalan2#MMBHT
7:47 a.m. Disappointing flyby for Louise Harwood and Mr. Potts at the Huntsmans Close. Looks like they didn’t even register on the B element.
7:46 a.m. Padraig McCarthy looking super around so far with Mr. Chunky.
7:45 a.m. Ben Hobday reports from the finish that Mulry’s Error may be directed toward a career shift to lower level eventing after this. Ben saying, “I can’t thank the horse enough.” Legend.
7:43 a.m. Hold on! Dag Albert takes a flyer at the Vicarage Vee.
7:42 a.m. Ireland’s Claire Abbott and Euro Prince fall at the Bullfinch. Looks like he got a bit close and his boldness sent them down on the back side. Both up and look ok at the moment.
7:41 a.m. I think we can practically hear the cheering for Ben and Mulry’s Error on the east coast as they finish the course.
7:38 a.m. Whoa! A huge jump nearly unseats Ben Hobday at the Joules Corners, but he sticks it! Unfortunately picking up 20 pen as he crosses his tracks to represent to the second.
7:36 a.m. I would imagine riding Euro Prince is akin to holding onto a runaway train. He knows the job!
7:34 a.m. Euro Prince gives Claire Abbott a hugely enthusiastic ride through The Lake.
7:33 a.m. Fan favorites Ben Hobday and Mulry’s Error taking the long route through The Lake to a big cheer from the crowd.
7:32 a.m. Alexander Whewall pops off at the Vicarage Vee. The stride wasn’t quite right and and Chakiris Star opts to step down in the ditch and around. Alexander’s left leg felt a hard smash against the Vee as he fell off, but he walked off course. Will update as we get more info!
7:31 a.m. Dan Jocelyn home with the 20 penalties and over a minute over the time.
7:30 a.m.
The ground is holding up well and the course proving a true challenge.
Fastest rounds so far have been from our 2017 winners Andrew Nicholson with Nereo as well as current leader @Oliver_Townend with Cooley SRS – full results so far https://t.co/efNCfo2ixT#MMBHTpic.twitter.com/rmw46sopnz
— Badminton Horse Trials (@bhorsetrials) May 5, 2018
7:28 a.m. Alexander Whewall taking the very long route at The Lake, but clear
7:27 a.m. Alicia is home finishing her first four-star! She looked like a seasoned pro.
7:26 a.m. What will Ollie do between now and his next ride? He’s going “back to the wagon to have a sleep!”
7:15 a.m. “Its nice ground to gallop on, but when you do it for 12 minutes it’s hard work,” Andrew Nicholson explains that this ground is leading to horses looking a little tired.
7:15 a.m. Cooley SRS comes home 18 over the time. He and Oliver sit on 33.1 penalties.
7:13 a.m. Easy ride through the Huntsmans Close (6abc) for Richards Jones and Alfies Clover
7:10 a.m.
Mark Todd said that the ground is quite sticky and that Leonidas was surprisingly tired at the end of the course #MMBHT
7:06 a.m. Oliver shouts to take the long route at The Lake (9c)
7:05 a.m. “Oliver is like a man possessed!” Ian Stark has it right — Oliver Townend flying with Cooley SRS
7:03 a.m. Scary horse fall for Harry Dzenis as Xam hangs a leg at The Pond (9A). Both horse and rider quickly up on their feet.
7:02 a.m. Mark Todd and Leonidas are home with 8.4 time penalties.
7:01 a.m. Gemma is the first to take the long route at The Hildon Water, so it’s possible!
6:57 a.m. Mark Todd starts on the alternate route at The Hildon Water, but does a quick turnaround to exit via the direct route! Masterful riding as always.
6:56 a.m. Leonidas also dragging his feet slightly at the Eclipse Cross Pond, but doesn’t take the pin down.
6:55 a.m. SO love Pamero 4, ridden by Gemma Tattersall. Super keen!
6:54 a.m. 18 over the time for Andrew and Nereo
6:52 a.m. Alexander Bragg’s Zagreb takes the frangible pin down on The Eclipse Cross Pond (18A)
6:51 a.m. Leonidas II and Mark Tood have smooth sailing through the first of the course.
6:51 a.m. Same
The xcountry just started and I was already in tears 3 times. #MMBHT
Still feeling that Kentucky hangover? Same. Hang in there — Badminton coverage is on the way. To help bridge the gap, Land Rover has produced a highlight video from Kentucky. Give it a watch and go eventing.
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Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.
With the Chinch’s blessing, we are back online! This weekend was a bit of an adventure as our online only publication found itself without a website, but coverage soldiers on! Thanks are due to you, Eventing Nation, whose loyalty and readership will never again be underestimated. You guys are awesome for hanging in there as we head to Badders.
Congratulations to Taylor Blumenthal, winner of EN’s Annual Kentucky Pick ‘Em Contest, Presented by Omega Alpha! Only three EN readers picked Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class to win. Taylor’s prediction that Oliver and Coolio would win on a final score of 29.0 was only 0.3 penalties off their actual winning score of 28.7. Way to go, Taylor!
Monday horse show hangover anyone? Well I have bad news for you because the insanity doesn’t rest this time of year! We charged head first into Badminton now, so hold on tight!
Congratulations are in order for Ella Swales, the big winner in EN’s #FleeceworksFan Kentucky Contest! She snapped our favorite selfie at #LRK3DE with Fleeceworks riders Mackenna Shea, Heather Morris, Andrea Baxter and Sara Kozumplik Murphy to win the Ultimate Fleeceworks Prize Package valued at $750.
National Holiday: National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day
Last chance to enter the Majyk Equipe Kentucky Photography Contest! Get the Majyk Shot and win: Snap a photo of one of the Majyk Equipe riders during the cross country or show jumping phase at Kentucky and send it to [email protected]. We’ll post our favorites to a poll, and the lucky photographer who receives the most votes will win a pair of Boyd Martin Vented Infinity Stadium Jump Boots. The contest deadline is Monday, April 30, at noon EST. [Kentucky Photography Contest: Get the Majyk Shot and Win!]
Individual WEG tickets go on sale Wednesday May 2! They’re expecting to sell out, so jump fast if you want to watch in person. These individual tickets are available for eventing with prices ranging from $20-$175. [Buy WEG Tickets]
Help support event rider Kim Meier! Since being paralyzed in a riding accident in 2007, Kim has stayed involved in the horse world, but is looking to get a new accessible van so she can be even more active. [Go Fund Me: Help Kim with an Accessible Van]
Today’s show jumping finale proved to be the nail-biting one we all hoped for. Once the dust settled we welcomed a new winner in Oliver Townend aboard Cooley Master Class, followed in second by previous winners Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST, and in third by new USEF CCI4* National Champions Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous. Read on for the top quotes from our top three on the final day in Kentucky:
Oliver Townend
“It’s obviously a fantastic feeling. I had to do a bit of arm twisting to get the horses here because there was no funding from Great Britain this year, so my owners Angela Hislop and Tom Joule, who own King Joules, they gambled on me to win a bit of money back, and I’m just very pleased with the horses. They’ve come through with great results and I’ve hopefully repaid my owner’s gamble on me.”
“It’s about time! (Oliver Townend will now become #1 in the FEI World Eventing Rankings) I didn’t realize that. I’m fairly clueless about things like that to tell you the truth. I don’t follow the rankings at all. I wouldn’t really understand how the system works, but I’m very happy about that.”
“We’ve had him since he was four years old (Cooley Master Class). He’s always been a favorite at home by all the members of staff and myself. He came right at the end of a period when I had sold an awful lot of good horses, and in terms of Land Vision to Mark Todd, lots and lots of horses to obviously set my life up and buy a property. He came right at the right time in terms of when I sat on him I said, ‘this one were going to one way or another keep.’ I was lucky enough to sell him to Angela Hislop to keep the ride.
“He’s pretty much won at every level all the way through. He’s never really let us down. He’s just had a couple of niggles injury-wise, and at certain stages at his career we’ve often thought, ‘My God is he actually ever going to come through with what we know he can come through with?’ We know how talented he is, we’ve seen him do some very special things at the home competitions, but at certain points in his career it didn’t quite look like he was ever going to come to fruition. In his last two seasons he’s toughened up and we’ve found a way to manage him better and learn more about him. He’s always been cheeky — always been talented, and we’re just very pleased that he’s finally come through.”
Michael Jung
“I’m very happy about fisherRocana. I was a little bit sad more about me because that was absolutely my mistake. I was too far away from this fence, but my mare tried hard. It was still a good round. One down — one down too much, but I’m happy all in all it was a very nice week again in Kentucky. I really like this event. It was really beautiful. I am very happy to be here. It was just a really nice week.
“She’s a very nice horse. She’s very sensitive and very nervous sometimes, but she can very good concentrate and focus on the rider and on the thing what she has to do. She’s very nice to ride for the dressage. She’s not the mover like a dressage horse, but she’s very concentrated and correct. ALso in the jumping and the cross country, she’s not the horse with the best talent, but she’s very good with the brain and she has a very big heart. She tires. She fights. I think for her it’s important that I got her very young, and we’ve grown up together. We learn together and we learn about the good things from each other. And we trust each other, I think that’s the best thing. Otherwise it would not work.
“We had a strong winter, but I had two really good competitions with a hilly place where I can gallop, and I ride there also a bit early, so I can use the gallop tracks twice. It was a very good preparation I think.”
Marilyn Little
“It’s an incredible honor to be up here with riders like Michael and Oliver. I’m very lucky to have an incredible team of people that helped make it all happen. Not just to bring an event horse here, but to be able to compete as well in show jumping and eventing. It’s because of the team around you — it’s because I get to ride two very special horses.
“I actually haven’t had Kitty so long. We did not grow up together. She came into the stable at 8 years old and she is a diva, but she’s notoriously difficult in the stable. She strikes fear into the heart of many people who have to take care of her. But she knows her people. She is very trusting, and she’s a wonderful horse to ride. She has an incredible sense of the moment. She knows when to turn it on. She loves performing for a crowd, so the bigger the crowd the better. She’s a real princess, which was actually a concern early on. We wondered if she was going to be too delicate, too fragile, too careful for eventing, but she’s actually become a very courageous, brave horse and she will give you 150% of everything she has.”
Lynn Symansky and Donner. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.
Lynn Symansky and Donner. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.
There are few feelings better than the end of cross country day when everyone comes home safe. It was a great day in Kentucky (or at home if you tuned into the live stream!). I was thrilled to see Lynn Symansky and Donner come out on top for the Americans. These two finally had their day to shine. With the scores bunched tightly this year, today’s show jumping finale will be a nail-biter!
It’s #LRK3DE photo contest time. If you’re at Kentucky, don’t forget to enter — here’s the 411:
EN’s #FleeceworksFan Kentucky Contest: Snap a Selfie and Win! Snap a pic with any Fleeceworks sponsored rider or a selfie with Mini Rory at the Fleeceworks booth (#117 in the Trade Fair) for a chance to win an Ultimate Fleeceworks Prize Package valued at $750. Post your selfie on social media with the #FleeceworksFan hashtag no later than Sunday, April 29 at 5 p.m. EST.
Kentucky Photography Contest: Get the Majyk Shot and Win! Snap a LRK3DE photo of one of the Majyk Equipe riders during the cross country or show jumping phase at Kentucky and send it to [email protected]. We’ll post our favorites to a poll, and the lucky photographer who receives the most votes will win a pair ofBoyd Martin Vented Infinity Stadium Jump Boots. The contest deadline is Monday, April 30, at noon EST.
There are few feelings better than the end of cross country day when everyone comes home safe. It was a great day in Kentucky (or at home if you tuned into the live stream!). I was thrilled to see Lynn Symansky and Donner come out on top for the Americans. These two finally had their day to shine. With the scores bunched tightly this year, today’s show jumping finale will be a nail-biter!
It’s #LRK3DE photo contest time. If you’re at Kentucky, don’t forget to enter — here’s the 411:
EN’s #FleeceworksFan Kentucky Contest: Snap a Selfie and Win! Snap a pic with any Fleeceworks sponsored rider or a selfie with Mini Rory at the Fleeceworks booth (#117 in the Trade Fair) for a chance to win an Ultimate Fleeceworks Prize Package valued at $750. Post your selfie on social media with the #FleeceworksFan hashtag no later than Sunday, April 29 at 5 p.m. EST.
Kentucky Photography Contest: Get the Majyk Shot and Win! Snap a LRK3DE photo of one of the Majyk Equipe riders during the cross country or show jumping phase at Kentucky and send it [email protected]. We’ll post our favorites to a poll, and the lucky photographer who receives the most votes will win a pair of Boyd Martin Vented Infinity Stadium Jump Boots. The contest deadline is Monday, April 30, at noon EST.
Top three after cross country: Chris Burton, Michael Jung and Oliver Townend, plus top American, Lynn Symansky. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.
After an influential cross country day in Kentucky, we are looking a very different leaderboard than we had yesterday. What do our new top three think about the day? Read on for the top quotes from Michael Jung, Chris Burton, Oliver Townend, Lynn Symansky and course designer Derek di Grazia:
Michael Jung
On his ride today: “I’m very happy about fischerRocana, but first I have to say also that we had a really good course, a really nice course. I liked it. The gallop track changed through the last years. My feeling was much better also for fischerRocana. She was really wonderful to ride. Nice galloping, and she gave me a really good feeling around. I had a really fantastic ride. fisherRocana was really powerful. I had a great feeling from the start. From the first fence up to the other jumps she galloped nice. She was in a very good condition.
On an uncharacteristic bobble in the Head of the Lake: “On Jump 18, the water, I would like to do four strides. I missed this also — in the end I just wait on what she’s doing. I try to keep her straight in front of the fence, and she tried to not really jump, but go over. I think in the end this is was you need in a partnership: that the other one is also fighting for you. She was really fighting for me in that situation and that makes me proud that she also never gave up. She had every chance to do a stop or a run out, but she fights for me and that was perfect. We lost a few seconds there. We were good on the time up to there, but then we have to go really fast after that, and it’s nice to feel when the horse really fights for you and gallops fast. It’s also good to feel the horse had such great fun in a tough course like this.
On what tomorrow looks like for him: “We have a lot to do. I have another friend with me, which I have to help. Some things to take care of with the horses, we have to prepare for the vet check, we have to do the vet check. Then I think I will ride my horse a little bit, also maybe we do a few jumps. We have to look that we prepare the horse as good as we can, so that the horses feels very well, and has no muscle pain. In the end we have to try to do our best job, and then we will see how it works.”
Chris Burton
On his ride today: “It’s easy to be happy when you’ve had a great run. The team and I are delighted. I’m with Michi, there wouldn’t be anyone in the field today I think that doesn’t think it was a great day of sport. The course designer, he has a lot of feel, and a great track. Good going and the weather was nice, what a good day for eventing.
“We had such good conditions. I think we all were able to enjoy it. My horse, he’s gotten a bit stiff as he’s gotten older, and it’s taken a lot of work from our team to manage him and get him here, and I was delighted that he came home as well as he did. He’s all heart and he looks through the flags really nicely. I really had a great time out there I have to say.”
On the footing: “The tough thing about our sport is we can’t control the weather conditions, so It’s nice then when you have a place like this. However, cross country aside I have a belief that eventing should be like this. We should be doing dressage on the surface (on arena footing) and show jumping on the surface. I think that should become more of the guideline because I’ve jumped horses in the UK in the rain, and I think, ‘why are we doing this to them? Show jumping in the mud this is silly.’ Of course if we have to run cross country in the mud that’s fine.”
On the course: “It’s a four-star. There’s no question. You had to ride well. There was technical questions everywhere. There was plenty of places to have a mistake, but I don’t believe cross country course should just be tough, and I think he (Derek di Grazia) got the balance exactly right.”
Oliver Townend
On the course: “An unbelievable track I think. Derek is one of the best course designers in the world if not the best at the minute. The ground was fantastic. Course was fantastic, but with a huge amount of feel and empathy for the horses, but still a serious four-star and a proper, proper test.
On his two different rides: “I had two very different rides with my horses. King Joules is notoriously strong, which is possibly why I got the ride. Andrew Nicholson rode him before, and Mary King before that. Andrew obviously had his injury, and he was sadly the first one to get turfed out. There’s not question that he’s got a huge amount of talent and an huge amount of gallop. Ability is definitely no problem, but trying to even slow him down sometimes is quite a problem. I got basically run off with for 11 minutes on the first one, but he was exceptionally honest and put himself between the flags. Basically I spent my whole round saying, ‘whoa, whoa’ and steering.
“The second ride completely different. First time at this level and couldn’t be any happier with him. Not quite so confident, not quite so used to the crowds, holding his breath a little bit. Basically been run away on the first one and squeezing all the way with the second one, but he grew in confidence as he went and I think that is a very good sign from a course design point of view that you felt sticky, and you thought to yourself, ‘my god. He doesn’t feel like he’s going great at the minute.’ He was going about had his ears pricked all the way, and as the round progressed, his confidence grew and he started to get better and better as he went. Never didn’t prick his ears, so I thought that was a good sign. He’s had very little preparation due to the horrifically crap spring that we’ve had in England, so I couldn’t be happier with both horses.”
On tomorrow’s show jumping: “It’s one of the biggest three-day events in the world, and it’s like trying to jump her around show jumps after you’ve taken a horse round the Grand National. Good jumpers can have fences down, and bad jumpers can screw up clears. Obviously, I think all three of us will be trying to jump a clear round tomorrow, but we shall see.”
Lynn Symansky
On her ride today: “I don’t have many complaints on my horse today. We went out — he takes a little bit to get into the groove of a course, especially with the crowd, so I would say probably his hairiest moment was the corner at the coffin at 6. After that, honestly, I couldn’t say that a lot going around a track like this, but it was pretty boring it was like clockwork, and I think that’s a tribute to knowing the horse so well and having a great partnership with him. He tried his heart out and I think he was very efficient, and at the end I was really able to slow up because I had my minutes. I thought it was a great track. It rode according to plan, and I was really happy with the way he came home. This was his ninth four-star and he’s a little bit older — he’s 15 this year — so I think it’s actually a little bit easier on him, just knowing the horse so well and not having to ride quite as hard as you do a few years earlier in the partnership.”
On this being the 10th anniversary of an American victory: “I honestly haven’t really looked at the scoreboard because my phone doesn’t work! I think I’m just going to go out and do the job I would do on any sort of day. I think we’ve been battling for years and years to try and defend our home turf. I think these boys all have a very good chance of taking the throne once again. I think as much as we don’t like losing on our home turf, we really welcome the international contingent. It’s really nice to have more competition over here.
On tomorrow’s show jumping: “We’ll just take care of him tonight to give him a good go tomorrow. I’m actually more nervous about surviving the jog than the actual show jumping. Not because he’s lame, just because he’s a little difficult.”
Derek di Grazia
On the 11 double clears: “I think that the ground ending up being quite fast today. You couldn’t get any better conditions I think if we would’ve had a little bit of rain it would’ve been different, but you never know. We had a very good field of riders today. It might not of been a huge number, as far as there may not have been 60 or 70 of them, but I think the ones we had are very good riders. They all took a crack at it, and we ended up with 10 within the time, but I think they had to work at it to get there.”
On how he thinks the course rode: “I’m very happy about how the course rode. I think the faults were spread out across the course. All the combinations I felt rode really well, and at the same time the combinations, you didn’t have to do them all the same way, and certainly that was shown out there today. People did things differently and it could still work out for them. I was happy with how the course ended up riding overall. Again, we didn’t have any horse falls, which is really a great thing. And we didn’t have any injured riders, which is a great thing. To me that is a positive.
On his course design philosophy: “The big thing for me is one: to develop a good flow of the track. That’s the first thing I do when i come to design the track year after year is getting that flow, and then really trying to ask different exercises, and making the riders have to use the things they’ve learned and what they’ve trained their horses to do to, and be able to make sure they can do what they do in their dressage test by going forward, they have to bring them back and having to be straight. It’s all those things we learn as we bring these horses through the levels, and I think that’s what you try to incorporate into the course. And at the same time, you are always thinking that you want to be a fair course to the horses because I don’t ever like to see a horse get hurt on course.”
On reversing the track this year: “I think having the Head of the Lake a little past seven minutes, I still think that the horses were fresh enough at that point. I think really when they get past the Normandy Bank is when you start to see horses start to get tired, so I think that in some ways it’s an advantage to the riders because the Head of the Lake is quite a big thing when you come there. Not only with the crowds, but there’s always a lot to do, and I think that being well into the course at that point, I think the horses and the riders actually should be into a good rhythm and should actually ride almost better at that point than being at four minutes where we’ve had it in the past.”
On his upcoming Olympic course in Tokyo 2020: “It’s interesting because the Tokyo course to me is pretty much mostly done in that we might make little changes, but the whole concept of the course, the track of the course and all that is done, so we’re really in the final development of that course. To me again, I like each site, whether it’s here or any of the other ones I do, they’re all different, so you basically design for the site because the terrain is different and there are quite a few different characteristics, so maybe you have to design according to what that facility gives you. That’s what I try to do because you’d hate to go one place and have it be exactly the same as the other. You want to try to make a difference in each place.
“Certainly if there’s jumps that were somewhat presented like what we have in Tokyo, then if you didn’t like how it was then certainly you can make the adjustments. I think that goes for whatever you’re doing from course to course, anywhere you’re designing. The same if you go to watch a course that’s not your own, maybe someone else’s that you’re watching how the jumps ride put in a certain way. You can say, ‘I like that, I don’t it.’ I think we’re always learning about course design every day.”
The moment we’ve all been waiting for is here — it’s cross country day at the Land Rover Kentucky Three Day Event! This is the page you’ll want to keep refreshing all day for all the action as it happens. Also follow our twitter feed (@eventingnation) for more live updates.
Cross country will be hugely influential. The entire field is spread across just 22.4 points without the dressage coefficient, meaning time penalties will prove costly. Our overnight leader, Marilyn Little, has room for just about five seconds, so she’ll have to put the pedal down to stay on top.
If you’re on site and want to experience cross country day with a mimosa and a certain celebrity status chinchilla, then come enjoy the EN’s 6th Annual ‘Insanity in the Middle’ Tailgate, Presented by Amerigo! We’re in spaces S294 and S295. Click here for more info.
We’ll kick things off with the first rider at 11 a.m. EST. To catch EN’s course preview click here. Click here to catch up on all of EN’s coverage from #LRK3DE. Go Eventing.
4:46 p.m. EST Thanks for hanging in there with us, EN! Our servers famously crash every year in Kentucky, and this year proved different only in the length and intensity of the technical issues! #ChichCrash2018 tried to slow us down, but we kept right on. Read on below if you missed any of the action today. Also check out our twitter feed (@eventingnation), which followed the action in ~actual~ real time.
12:37 p.m. Quick & clear through the Head of the Lake for Oliver.
12:35 p.m. Buck makes the Mighty Moguls his master this time through!
12:34 p.m. Oliver is using King Joules’ big gallopy stride to make up some time. Made it in three strides between the offset logs at 15.
12:34 p.m. Well done for Buck at the Normandy Bank. Keeps Carlevo between the flags.
12:33 p.m. HUGE leap into the the water at 10A, aptly named the Rolex Grand Slam Challenge, as Oliver is chasing that challenge himself.
12:31 p.m. Slight drift left into the Head of the Lake, Buck lets him take his time and goes clear.
12:30 p.m. Agh! A wild ride through the water at 4abc for Oliver Townend. They get away with it.
12:29 p.m. Holly takes the long route into the Head of the Lake. Doesn’t quite get her canter back before the corner in the water, and is jumped out of the tack. Horse & rider both ok.
12:28 p.m. Carlevo looks to be backing off a little at the coffin at 6. Buck is having to work hard.
12:28 p.m. Eyes are on Oliver Townend now. We expect him to make the time today with MHS Kind Joules
12:27 p.m. Buck through the first water with his second ride Carlevo.
12:25 p.m. Ashley finishes clear with 33.6 time penalties.
12:23 p.m. Great ride through the first water for Holly Jacks Smither. She’s hugging her line!
12:21 p.m. Eek! Tactical Maneuver climbs through the brush at 21d. Over, under or through right?
12:20 p.m. Great ride through the long route at the Head of the Lake for Ashley.
12:19 p.m. Lots of strides added for Ashley at the offset logs. She is determined for a clear round.
12:18 p.m. A stop at 4a for Hawley Bennett-Awad and Jolly bo. She puts a hand up. Heartbreaking early end to their day.
12:17 p.m. Sticky ride for Ashley over the alternate corner at 10b, but still looking good.
12:14 p.m. Lovely ride through the Mighty Mogels for Sharon. She’s headed home and looking quite good on time.
12:13 p.m. Ashley Johnson and Tactical Maneuver make their way through the start of the course.
12:11 p.m. Sara and Polaris have done it! First 4* cross country finish!
12:10 p.m. Sharon saw four, but Louie said he needed the five at the angled trees at 15ab. They made it work.
12:08 p.m. Louie looking so game. She is one of the first riders to do five strides between 12 and 13A.
12:07 p.m. They had a wiggle on the way into the coffin combination at 6, but gets it done!
12:06 p.m. Sharon White out on course. Go Louie!
12:05 p.m. Andrea is home with 40 jump penalties and 19.2 time penalties.
12:03 p.m. Huge jump from Rookie Sara Gumbiner and Polaris at 6D!
11:56 a.m. Knowing her past issues with right handed corners, Andrea goes the long way at 10ABC and makes it clear.
11:56 a.m.
Live scoring has been updated! Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST pick up ONE time penalty. That still keeps them ahead of Burto and Nobilis #LRK3DE
11:30 a.m. “Come on!” Boyd encourages Tsetserleg through the Mighty Moguls. They come home 4 seconds over the time.
11:29 a.m. Boyd is down on the clock, but giving this horse a great ride. Tamie is out on course. Go Wembley!!
11:27 a.m. Boyd adds through the angled logs, but Tsetserleg looks happy to do it.
11:26 a.m. A clear round for Lillian! She picks up 19.6 time penalites.
11:25 a.m. Boyd has to dig deep at 10BC, but he gets it done!
11:24a.m. Joe has pulled up with Clip Clop.
11:23 a.m. Phillip Dutton comes home clear with a four-star first-timer. No one but Phil could make that happen! “I’m pretty proud of my little horse”- P’Dutty.
11:21 a.m. A stop for Joe Meyer and Clip Clop at 13 A.
11:21 a.m. Lillian looks like she’s having a canter around. Absolutely beautiful riding.
11:20 a.m.
Joe Meyer living dangerously with Clip Clop at the first combination at fence 4. After an awkward jump in at A, Joe zig-zagged to B and is away clear over C #LRK3DE
11:19 a.m. Phillip has 30 second to get home. Z is looking a little through 27AB.
11:18 a.m.
Caroline Martin and Spring Easy complete clear with 21.6 time penalties. Buck Davidson and Park Trader had 12 time in addition to the 20 jumping #lrk3de
11:15 a.m. Lillian Heard and Share Option are looking super out to start.
Share Option and Lillian Heard are making their sixth consecutive start at Kentucky today. Share Option’s CCI3* PB is 2.4 time but at 4* haven’t gotten closer than 22.8 time. #XCday#LRK3DE
11:04 a.m. Caroline Martin and Spring easy are off!
11:02 a.m. Buck and Park Trader get the three strides through 4a-4b. He’s cruising.
11:00 a.m.
“Derek di Grazia has built the toughest cross country course I have seen in my 40 years at this venue” – Jimmy Wofford.
In 2012 @KyThreeDayEvent had a clear jumping rate of 38.9% – the toughest in the last decade. In 2 of the last 3 years, less than 50% jump clear. #LRK3DE
Welcome to the final dressage session here at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event. We held our breath this morning as Chris Burton and Nobilis 18 took to the ring, and while parts of their test did trend above overnight leaders Michael Jung and fischerRoacana, they couldn’t quite overtake them. But the standings are very tight with Burto earning a score of 27.9 behind Michael’s 27.1.
Now we look to the afternoon rides. There are quite a few very competitive pairs yet to go, and we could be looking a completely different leaderboard by day’s end. Keep it locked here for all the action as it happens.
2:37 p.m. Cooley Master Class currently trending at 71%
2:35 p.m.
Cooley Master Class will be the final challenger of the day for the top of the leaderboard. This is his first 4* start, but his 3* PB is a 22.4. In 7 starts since 2016 after returning from injury, he has scored 73% or above in six of them. @Oliver_Townend#dressagedaytwo#LRK3DE
2:23 p.m. Caroline Martin and The Apprentice working through their changes now. Clean, but going a little wide with the hind legs might ding their score.
2:22 p.m.
“She just trotted in and gave me that feeling of ‘okay I’m ready, let’s dance’.”
2:13 p.m. Buck Davidson makes his final appearance in the dressage arena with Copper Beach
Copper Beach and Buck Davidson have quite the track record together, being 1 of 4 pairs in the field to have 5+ CCI3* completions together. Their 4* PB of 30.7 could easily edge closer to their 3* PB of 25.8 this afternoon. @BDJEventing#dressagedaytwo#LRK3DE
Our second most experienced 4* pair in the field, Donner and Lynn Symansky will be hoping to move their 4* PB (currently 30.9) closer to their 3* PB of 28.5. @LynnSymanskyEq#dressagedaytwo#LRK3DE
1:44 p.m. Beautiful test by Colleen Rutledge and Covert Rights. A little bit of anticipating through the rein back, but now showing off his beautiful canter.
Covert Rights and Colleen Rutledge hold the honor of having the 3rd lowest 3* score in North America in the last year, with a 3* PB of 22.2 at Richland last summer. Their 4* PB of 28.2 would be competitive as well. #dressagedaytwo#LRK3DE
RF Scandalous achieves a 4* PB with 24.6, along with a PB under Sue Baxter and Christian Landolt. She was ranked first by all three judges. @MarilynRLittle#dressagedaytwo#LRK3DE
1:20 p.m. OTTB fans out there? Paddy The Caddy and Erin Sylvester are in the ring showing off some great elastic movement.
1:19 p.m.
STAT: Just 22.4 penalties separate first and last @KyThreeDayEvent at the moment. The average time penalties at this venue in the last 3 seasons is 19.1. Now people will see the effect of the removal of the multiplier. Cross country is key at 4*. #LRK3DE
1:12 p.m. Fan favorite Elisa Wallace and Simply Priceless are off. Looking very polished to start.
Simply Priceless and Elisa Wallace have a 4* average that is nearly four points lower than their 3* average, suggesting an ability to step up in the moment. They have a 3* PB of 30.3 and have scored as low as 31.2 at 4*. @WallaceEventing#dressagedaytwo#LRK3DE
.@MarilynRLittle Little & RF Scandalous scored 25.3 last time they were at this level (Luhmuhlen 2017). Currently trending leader. The roof will come off this place if they keep this up. #LRK3DE
1:02 p.m. Pure class so far for Marilyn and Kitty. Her scores are trending at 74%
1:00 p.m. First back after the break, Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous, could challenge our leaders
RF Scandalous/Marilyn Little have ridden with all three judges and never received worse than 72.88% from Sue Baxter at FHI CCI3* 2016 between all 3 judges. Their 3* PB is 24.2 and they scored a 25.3 in the mare’s only 4* start. @MarilynRLittle#dressagedaytwo#LRK3DE
Good morning and welcome to the second day of dressage at the 2018 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event! Michael Jung holds his familiar leading spot after day one, but there are quite a few heavy hitters coming today that are eager to surpass him.
We get underway with the first ride at 9:30 a.m. with Buck Davidson and Carlevo. Keep it locked here for the Internet’s best tweets, posts, gifs and unauthorized color commentary.
11:41 a.m. We’re headed into the lunch break. At 1:00 p.m. we’ll be back with even more action on our afternoon thread.
The final session of the morning got slightly tougher, with the overall average +2.58% higher than expected. Overall for the morning, the scores were +2.46% above expected, following +1.61% for the morning sessions yesterday and +1.68% yesterday afternoon. #dressagedaytwo#LRK3DE
10:59 a.m. Luckaun Quality really shines in the canter work. It’s obvious this horse can cover the ground-what a lovely, huge stride!
10:57 a.m.
Luckaun Quality and Timothy Bourke are 1 of 5 pairs to be in the 5+ 4* starts club this weekend. He;ll be looking to push his 4* PB of 37.0 closer to his 3* PB of 35.3. #dressagedaytwo#LRK3DE
10:52 a.m. Truly Wiley and Kelly Prather are making their second four-star appearance today. This is an exciting Thoroughbred who was bred by Bruce Davidson.
— Danielle Marie Neumann (@danimarie_ink) April 27, 2018
10:47 a.m. Huge smiles from Lillian! She earns a 37.5.
10:41 a.m. Lillian is back with her second ride.
LCC Barnaby is competing at his third consecutive Kentucky, with the experienced Lillian Heard in the irons. Their 4* PB of 35.8 comes close to matching their 3* PB of 35.5. @LillianHeard#dressagedaytwo#LRK3DE
The first morning session on Friday was overall scored +2.35 points above expected. For reference, the four sessions yesterday were +1.38, +1.93, +1.32, +2.22. The judges are maintaining a relatively consistent toughness thus far. #dressagedaytwo#LRK3DE
The largest disagreement was 3.62% on MHS King Joules, who received 70.86% from Sue Baxter and 64.24%/67.93% from the other two judges. @Oliver_Townend#dressagedaytwo#LRK3DE
We said we could see nine of the top 10 at @KyThreeDayEvent change today. We have seen four change in the first seven horses. Nobilis & Burto to come in the next group.
10:27 a.m. We’re on a coffee break now. When the action starts back we’ll be looking for a score of 31.1 or better. That will put the pressure on Michael Jung because he currently has a pole ahead of the competition.
10:24 a.m.
Lisa Marie Fergusson and Honor Me score 43.5 for 25th place for Canada We are now on the first morning break #LRK3DE
10:07 a.m. Allie Knowles is squeaking out every point she can with Sound Prospect, another great TB!
10:03 a.m. Can an American win this year? Karen O’Connor says yes. “No more sending prize money abroad #OverIt”
9:59 a.m. Well done Lauren! Doesn’t quite catch Ze Terminator, but a 31.2 puts her in a tie for second with Boyd. Michael Jung still has one pole ahead of the field.
9:56 a.m. Vermiculus and Lauren Kieffer in the ring now. Fun fact-Vermiculus is latin for maggot, which was the barn name of Lauren’s first four-star partner and “Bug’s” full brother Snooze Alarm!
9:55 a.m. Just misses a sub-40 mark! 40.9 for Ronald Zabala-Goetschel
Ronald Zabala-Goetschel is one of two riders in their fifties to compete this weekend, the other being Phillip Dutton. He and Wundermaske are making their first 4* start as a pair but have a PB of 33.0 at 3*. #dressagedaytwo#LRK3DE
9:44 a.m. Michael Jung did leave the door open yesterday, but not sure if Oliver has walked through it.
9:40 a.m. Very beautiful test. If we’re being nit-picky it lacks a little bit of accuracy. Looks like it’s trending about 3% lower than Michi.
9:38 a.m. Oliver Townend and MHS King Joules circle the ring. These two could really challenge our leaders!
9:37 a.m. 32.2 for Buck!
9:32 a.m. Buck is riding a beautifully rhythmical test. Looking forward to seeing the score for this one!
Carlevo, one of the eight horses making his first 4* start this weekend, has broken the 70% barrier in 75% of his 16 starts at 3*. With Buck Davidson in the irons, his 3* PB is 25.8. @BDJEventing#dressagedaytwo#LRK3DE
9:30 a.m. Karen O’Connor joins the live stream this morning. She commented that this test challenges horse’s foundation because these sequences of movements are so much closer together than in past years.
Michael Jung and fisherRocana FST are easy favorites this weekend at the 2018 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event. They have three consecutive wins at this venue, and they’re gunning for a record fourth. This pair are off to a good start earning a 27.1, and though that trends much higher than their personal best at the level, it’s still enough for the lead. And of course, it’s always an absolute pleasure to watch this pair go. Enjoy!
Tsetserleg checks out the atmosphere at his first CCI4*. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.
In the last ride before the lunch break, consecutive three-time winners Michael Jung and fisherRocana FST took their rightful place atop the leaderboard at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event on a score of 27.1.
Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg are currently the highest placed Americans on a 31.2 in second place. Click here if you missed our morning updates. Keep checking back here for the latest this afternoon!
2:28 p.m. Holly Jacks-Smither and More Inspiration, our final pair of the day are off to a strong star. This is another Thoroughbred, and he was the most successful in the field earning $55,000 in his first career.
2:27 p.m. 40.5 for Hawley which is four points higher than last year’s score (36.5)
2:22 p.m. We’re enjoying Hawley Bennet-Awad and Jollybo’s test for Canada. Looking great! Hawley flashes a smile after one of their first changes.
2:16 p.m. Ashley is doing a tactful job of working through tension. She’s sitting on a very fit Thoroughbred for sure!
2:13 p.m. “It’s a three-day competition, and I think we forget that when we ride a rough dressage test. The smiles are a lot bigger on Saturday night than they are on Friday night” – Will Coleman
2:11 p.m. Now we welcome Ashley Johnson and Tactical Maneuver to the ring!
Ashley Johnson returns with Tactical Manuever after a year’s hiatus to work out some kinks. With a 3* PB of 38.5, this pair will look to improve on their only 4* score of 42.3. #dressagedayone#LRK3DE
2:02 p.m. Jen McFall gets us back underway. She beams a huge smile down the centerline aboard High Times.
1:48 p.m. 35.6 for Sharon and Louie
1:45 p.m. Sharon and Cooley On Show are trending a bit low (63%) now, but picking back up with the canter work
1:41 p.m. Next up is Sharon White and Cooley On Show. EN has predicted this pair to do quite well today!
Cooley on Show and Sharon White’s dressage average has been dropping through the past year and their 2018 average sits below 30. Their 4* PB is 33.2 but their 3* PB of 28.9 came recently at Carolina. @lffarm#dressagedayone#LRK3DE
1:28 p.m. Small details can make the difference, according to Sinead. Leah was just a hair early for her halt and rein back at A.
1:26 p.m. It’s Thoroughbred hour—Leah Lang-Gluscic and AP Prime are in the ring. They had a bit of a competition break last year, but are looking great today.
1:23 p.m. Great consistency from Andrea and Indy, but some disappointment with their 42.5.
1:17 p.m. Andrea Baxter circles the ring with her super OTTB Indy 500. This is a pair with a storied relationship. Andrea has had this mare since she was a yearling.
West-coast based Andrea Baxter and Indy 500 own the distinction of having the most number of CCI3* completions (6) as a pair in the field. Their 4* PB is 37.9 while their 3* PB is 35.5. #dressagedayone#LRK3DE
1:10 p.m. We have our first Canadians in the ring! Waylon Roberts and Kelecyn Cognac are producing a very accurate, workmanlike test. They are looking to grab every point they can.
Waylon Roberts is another of the five riders in their twenties. He and Kelecyn Cognac have a 3* PB of 31.1 but the horse is one of eight making a first 4* start. #dressagedayone#LRK3DE
1:07 p.m. A lovely, fluid test for Ellie and Ricky Bobby gives them a starting score of 34.8.
1:02 p.m. Ellie gets this ride back after her husband, Alex O’Neal, spent some time competing “Ricky Bobby.” As Sinead says, “It’s helpful to have a good riding husband!”
1:00 p.m. Ellie Macphail O’Neal and RF Eloquence have kicked off the second half of today’s dressage with a very elegant start to their test.
12:45 p.m. First rider back in the sandbox will be Ellie MacPhail O’Neal and Sally Crane’s RF Eloquence at 1:00 p.m.!
Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.
It’s go time, EN! The long anticipated 2018 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event is officially upon us. We’re looking to the first day of dressage, where pairs will be shooting for excellence int he first phase. Don’t forget—we’ve also ditched the dressage multiplier, so we’re going to see the leaderboard get pretty tight. Click here to read more about what Equirating’s Diarm Byrne thinks that means for this year’s competition.
Buck Davidson and Carl & Cassie Segal’s Park Trader are first to go at 9:30 a.m. You can watch all the action live thanks to USEF Network. I’ll be updating this post throughout the morning, so keep checking back for all things #LRK3DE.
11:56 a.m. Michael, you’ve got some explaining to do according to the USEA’s CEO:
11:38 a.m. We’re on a lunch break now, dressage continues at 1:00 p.m. and we will start an afternoon open thread, so stay tuned for much more from Kentucky!
Michael Jung is unsurprisingly the first rider to break 70% from all three judges. However, 27.1 is Rocana’s worst 4* score since WEG in 2014. We have a competition, folks. #dressagedayone#LRK3DE
The judges are now spreading out their top scores, with Sue Baxter scoring high 3x, and Jane Hamlin and Christian Landolt each scoring high 4x. Jane Hamlin scored low 5x, Christian Landolt 2x, and Sue Baxter 4x. #dressagedayone#LRK3DE
The second morning session scored +1.93 above their group expected average, with an overall +1.61 points for the morning from the ground jury of Christian Landolt, Sue Baxter, and Jane Hamlin. #dressagedayone#LRK3DE
11:12 a.m. Colleen Loach and the flashy grey Qorry Blue D’Argouges make their way into the arena
Qorry Blue D’Argouges and Colleen Loach are sort of 4* rookies; they are one of 2 pairs to have competed at Rio but are attempting their first traditional 4*. Their Rio test (a shortened 4* test) scored 37.7 but their 3* PB is 29.8. #dressagedayone#LRK3DE
11:06 a.m. Woodge Fulton and Captain Jack are working through their test now. Liz Halliday-Sharp notes on the live stream that Woodge is the first rider not wearing spurs in her test.
11:04 a.m. A score of 32.1 moves Tamie and Wembley into second place! Great to see Tamie back here in Kentucky. Her last start was here in 2009 with Chaos Theory.
10:49 a.m. Ellen Doughty-Hume is in the ring with Sir Oberon. This week they celebrate their third 4* start as well as her fourth wedding anniversary! Ellen and her husband, Alistair, married here at the horse park in 2014.
10:48 a.m. SPOTTED: Ze Terminator in the warm up! XOXO, Gossip Girl
10:37 a.m. Here’s the insights on scoring so far:
The pairs in the first session scored +1.38 points above their expected group average. Sue Baxter was the highest scoring judge for 50% of the riders, while Jane Hamlin gave the lowest marks for four of the six pairs. #dressagedayone#LRK3DE
The judges differed in opinion most on Park Trader, with a delta of 5% between Christian Landolt (highest) and Jane Hamlin (lowest). No pair has broken the 70% mark with any judge yet; Tsetserleg comes the closest after receiving a 69.48% from Sue Baxter. #dressagedayone#LRK3DE
10:10 a.m. Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg have started with a very accurate test so far! Starting their season in Wellington is paying off.
Tsetserleg is the only horse in the field who made his first 3* in 2017 and is competing at his first 4* the following year. His personal best for the 3* level is 29.9. @WindurraUSA#dressagedayone#LRK3DE
9:55 a.m. Lillian Heard and Share Option make their way into the ring.
Lillian Heard and Share Option have the longest running 3* career in field, having run their first 3* back in 2010. Since 2013, Share Option has only run 4* events aside from national horse trials. His 4* PB is 34.4 and his 3* PB is 31.7. @LillianHeard#dressagedayone#LRK3DE
9:54 a.m. 33.7 for Phillip and Z. Expert riding on a horse that started a little tense in his first four-star.
9:45 a.m. Phillip Dutton and four-star first-timer Z circle the ring. Fingers crossed – these are my predicted winners!
9:43 a.m. 33.3 for Caroline Martin and Spring Easy. Well done!
9:38 a.m. “It’s like sneaking vegetables into your kid’s diet” – John Kyle on why eventers must do dressage #relatable
9:37 a.m. Caroline Martin may need crutches on the ground, but she doesn’t look at all limited with Spring Easy in the dressage arena!
9:36 a.m. Buck earns a 35, just a hair above this pair’s PB (33.1)
9:32 a.m. Marilyn Payne says new this year, riders half pass all the way across the ring to the quarter line, then do a flying change on the quarter line—a big straightens test. What a treat to have insights from a four-star judge on the live stream!
9:30 a.m. Buck and Kobe are in the ring!
9:25 a.m. You’ll notice that the dressage arena is reversed this year, with the Judge at C now sitting with his back to the in gate.
The last few weeks have been filled with unbridled chinchilla anticipation. They are practically counting the seconds until the start of the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event. If you’re like us and you need something to keep your mind busy before Wednesday’s trot up, catch up on all the action at the Vairano Nations Cup in Italy last weekend thanks to FEI, who has shared the entire live stream (2+ hours) for you to watch. Consider it a little something to hold you over until the Kentucky action officially kicks off.
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We’ve made it! It’s here – The Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event starts tomorrow! We are so excited to bring you wall-to-wall coverage of the event, so keep checking back all week for all the Kentucky action. If you are watching from home this weekend, don’t forget you can watch it FREE thanks to USEF Network.
The Area II Young Riders’s auction is live! Help fund their way to NAJYRC and snag something awesome for yourself. There’s lessons with top professionals, entries, merchandise and much more! [Area II Young Riders Auction]
The USEA Young Event Horse Series is proud to have seven graduates competing in Kentucky this week! Cooley Cross Border, Tsetserleg, Truly Wiley, Covert Rights, Indy 500, High Times and Landioso are the major success stories of the program, which acts as a pipeline for identifying the next future stars of the sport. [Foundation for a Four Star: Young Event Horse Graduates Entered at Kentucky]
James O’Haire has had Patricia Heffernan’s China Doll in his yard since she was a yearling, and now they are gearing up to take on Badminton together. James is well known for starting mamny top young horses including Fernhill Pimms who will also compete in two weeks time. [Badminton first-timers: James O’Haire and the mare who will take a pony companion]
Tuesday Video:
Which product does Olympic medalist Phillip Dutton trust to keep his horses calm and focused at the biggest events in the world? Chillax. Learn more.
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France is out in front of the 2018 FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ Series after a decisive win of the first leg at the Vairano CICO3* in Italy this weekend.
The team of Luc Chateau on Propriano de I’Ebat, Maxime Livio on Pica d’Or, Brice Luda on Valere de Bonnieres, and Raphael Cochet on Sherazad de Louviere lead from start to finish, ending the weekend on a final group score of 88.2 – making France a back-to-back winner at Vairano.
The entire team finished inside the top ten individually, with Luc and Maxime topping the group in second and third place, respectively.
Swedish riders took home second place on a score of 124.3 with a team made of Christoffer Forsberg with Hippo’s Sapporo, Ludwig Svennerstal with Balham Mist and Anna Freskgard with Box Qutie.
The home team of Italy earned third place on 128.6 points with rider Clelia Casiraghi on Verdi, Rebecca Chiappero on Quilando Z, Fosco Giardi on Feldheger, and Arianna Schivo on Quefira de l’Ormeau. Fourth place went to the Swiss team of Robin Godel, Patrizia Attinger, Jasmin Gambriasio, and Camille Guyot on a score of 164.9.
Arianna Schivo & Quefira de l’Ormeau, 2018 Italian Champions. Photo by Paolo Angius.
The CICO3* also stood as the Italian Senior Championships, where the title is won by the best-finishing Italian rider. This award went to Arianna Schivo, who finished in eighth place individually with l’Ormeau on a score of 36.9.
Alice Naber-Lozeman and team celebrating. Photo vai Alice Naber-Lozeman’s Facebook page.
Riding for the Netherlands, Alice Naber-Lozeman clinched the individual win in the CICO3* class aboard R. Van Reine & Yvonne Smit’s ACSI Peter Parker. They added nothing to their dressage score of 26 for this a wire-to-wire win.
Less than a point behind was Luc on his team horse Propriano de I’Ebat. These two also finished on their dressage score of 26.7. Maxime continued the FOD trend with Pica d’Orc, finishing in third on a score of 28.
In addition to the Nations Cup, Vairano also hosted a competitive CCI3* which was won by local rider Susanna Bordone and Mazzocchi Maria Giovanna’s Dinky Inky. Fifth after cross country, a double clear round secured them a win on a final score of 33.9.
Switzerland’s Patrizia Attinger and Denise C. Egger & Attinger Peter’s Hilton P had a strong second place finish after a personal best dressage (31.5) and only one pole down for a three-phase score of 35.5. Sidney Dufresne took third with Tresor Mail on 36 points.
The course is coming together in Kentucky! These decorators work tirelessly to make the Kentucky Horse Park a picture of perfection, and no detail is overlooked!
We are ONE WEEK away from cross country day at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event! Hard to believe it’s already here. The chinchillas are buzzing with excitement for the big event, and looks like the competitors are too. Some are polishing up before next week’s action, and many have already touched down in the Bluegrass state, including the queen herself – three-time Kentucky winner fisherRocana FST.
Here’s what’s going on in Eventing Nation with less than a week to go:
