22 riders who started out on Sue Benson’s cross-country course at Boekelo were eliminated, 10 retired, and nearly 20 finished with at least a stop. Time was a huge factor and just 6 out of 109 starters made the time. As expected, the footing was an issue for many of the riders today and the US riders headed out with the biggest studs they had.
Mark Todd and NZB Campino put together a fantastic round with just 2.4 time penalties and extended their lead to 5 points. Andreas Dibowski and FRH Butts Avedon moved up from 11th to 2nd with a clear round. Camila Speirs and Portersize Just A Jif of Ireland jumped all the way from 20th to 3rd, also with a double-clear.
As for Team USA, Boyd Martin delivered a typically clean day of cross-country, finishing the course strong on both Otis Barbotiere and Remington. Boyd did everything he could to coax Remington around close to the time, but the speed wasn’t quite there today and they picked up 16.0 time penalties to drop to 32nd. On the other hand, Otis Barbotiere was spectacular for Boyd. Otis delivered one of the 20 fastest rounds of the day with 11 seconds of time penalties in his first CCI3* and moved up from 55th after the dressage to 23rd following cross-country. When Boyd brought Otis over from France last year the scouting report was that the horse had all the movement and jump but speed was a question. Boyd told me then that he felt the horse would turn out to be fast enough and Boyd and Otis went a long way to proving that today.
[Live Boekelo Scores, Team Results, XC Course Preview]
I spoke with Boyd briefly after the cross-country and he explained that Remington worked hard for him all the way around the course and they took all of the quick routes but Remington battled with the mud all day and just couldn’t make the speed. Boyd was very encouraged by Otis’ performance and pointed out that Otis had only competed at one event since the TPF fire leading up to Boekelo because he had been laid up for weeks after the fire with colic complications. Boyd said that he took his time with Otis early on the course but when the horse felt full of run at the halfway point he stepped up the speed and Otis finished strong. Otis will now enjoy a hard earned break this autumn and then get geared up for Rolex in the Spring. As for the environment at Boekelo, Boyd said “it’s just so competitive here, it’s good to get a feel for the highest level of competition.”
Mar De Amor was eliminated at fence 9. According to Leigh Mesher, he lost a shoe at fence 3. Dinero then had two run outs at the skinny brush at 7b and a run out at the skinny brush 9a of the first water complex, leading to elimination. After her ride, Tamra wrote:
“If you can image 15 rows of people with umbrellas in both sides if the gallop lanes…well that’s basically how it was…unbelievable amounts of people.
Dinero was either worried about the crowds or that he lost his left front shoe, or maybe both because he just wasn’t quite himself. I had 2 stops at a skinny and then another to the skinny before the first water so we had a very crowded walk back to the finish. The Captain says this sport is tough and the tough get going…..so that what I will do…” [Tamra’s Facebook]
DV8 had a stop at 18a, a drop into water, and Michael wisely decided to retire there. Michael was in a really tough position today knowing that he had to ride DV8 as best as he could, but at the same time knowing that he has to ride at the Pan Ams in just a few weeks so he couldn’t let anything stupid happen.
Four rides, two clear rounds, one retired, and one was eliminated. The US won’t come home from Holland with a silver medal like last year’s Boekelo team, or with the number of top placings that our squad came home from Blenheim with. But the Boekelo trip is funded with a development grant and I think it’s important to remember that a big part of development is failing and learning from it. I’d much rather see our riders go to Europe, make a mistake, and learn something than stay in their comfort zone and place well in a three-day back in the States.
Go eventing.
