Buck on Andrea’s ride Chesterland’s Image
Buck Davidson had a busy day Friday at the Rocking Horse Winter II Horse Trials, riding six horses in the Advanced, and his girlfriend Andrea’s Mystic My in the Intermediate and Chesterland’s Image in the Preliminary, even though he laughed at me when I commented upon it, and told me that with 85 horses currently at his barn today was akin to a day off! The most wonderful news was that Andrea did come to the event and watch for a little while and after Buck had a rail down on Mystic My told him he would have been fired if it had been two! Buck said he was really pleased with the way the horses were going, especially with The Apprentice’s jumping as he’s been working hard with him over the winter to tidy up his jumping; he explained that scope and talent isn’t the problem, it was more a case of encouraging him to jump across the fence, that sometimes he would hit it in front on the way up. Buck also singled out DA Adirmo and No More Rocks, telling me he’s been working hard on their flat work and so was very happy with them.
D.A Adirmo currently leads Division A A, and Buck lies third on Park Trader
He added though that Reggie (Ballynoe Castle RM) is feeling great, that he was thrilled with Park Trader, that Mar De Amor had gone well….so I suppose all in all it was just a good day altogether!
One of Buck’s students Adrian Jones and Irish Odyssey, a full sister to Mandiba, in the Prelim.
Peter Atkins is currently second after dressage and show-jumping in Advanced Division AA after a very nice test and a clear round. Henny looks wonderful and I asked Peter if he’d been working hard on his flatwork over the winter; he replied that Henny had basically had six weeks training with Bettina while Peter was off with his broken leg, and that while he was in Germany he’d also worked with Rick Klaassen and Eckart Meyners once he started riding again, and has just recently started working with Chrissa Hoffman. When I asked him what his plans for the Spring were Peter looked at me as if I were completely mad for a minute and then laughed, “You know me and plans! We’re just taking it day by day. Certainly Rolex is a consideration but we’ll see…”
Ronald Zabala-Goestchel has HJ Hampton’s little brother. Wise HJ Bono makes his debut at novice level Saturday.
Leslie Law and Zenith ISF lead Advanced AB after a super test and a penalty-free show-jumping round. Linda Zang has been helping Leslie on the flat and told me that not only does she love working with the event riders – she’s been based in Ocala for the last couple of months, but that in particular she really enjoys helping Leslie, that “despite being one of the best riders in the world he’s still so open and receptive and loves to learn, and that’s what’s going to make him even better.” It was such a pleasure to see Linda again, on her feet again after being wheelchair bound for three months after she broke her leg turning out a horse, and sharing her wisdom and knowledge in her signature kind and gentle manner.
Lesley and Liam watch Leslie’s dressage. Lesley told me with a rueful smile that the plan was to run Zenith at Pine Top Advanced next weekend, and so he was only planning on doing a Combined Training Test here at Rocking Horse, although she did wonder if Leslie might be tempted now that he was leading. Longer term she told me Leslie wasn’t sure yet whether he would take Zenith to Rolex in the spring, or do another CCI*** instead, but would make up his mind after a few more runs.
Props to the Rocking Horse organisers who kept the event running like clockwork and were cheerful and friendly, despite several last minute changes and hundreds of horses to deal with over the weekend. After torrential rain for most of the day Thursday they were still scooping standing water out of one of the main dressage arenas five minutes before the start of the competition but apart from that it seemed to run without a hitch.
How fantastic to see Kyle Carter’s Madison Park back in action in the OI Division even if perhaps his dressage score suffered due to his over-enthusiasm for the job!
It was also great to see his wife Jen Carter competing, on the very nice Sayyida who I hear via Twitter is available for syndication!
At about the same time Kyle was on his second ride of the day, the extremely eye-catching Oldenburgh Serengeti, I think by Donnerhall, in the PH Division.
Kyle Carter and Serengeti
Another incredibly well-bred horse is Sharon White’s ride in the OP Division Don Sheffield by Don Shuffro. Not only is he beautiful to watch, but Sharon said he’s a complete teddy bear in the stable, one of the gentlest, sweetest horses in her barn. Sharon recently went to England to look for another horse to add to her string but arrived in the middle of the snowstorm so didn’t get much accomplished, and besides, she added, “it’s very difficult to find something as nice as the horses I already have.” Wundermaske went well in the Advanced Division, and Sharon also rode Bonnie Mosser’s former star Merloch for her client in the OP Division – “just to keep him (Merloch) happy!”
Sharon White and Merloch
Clayton Fredericks had a busy day – he was helping students of various nationalities all morning before riding in the Training Divisions in the afternoon. Above with Shandiss McDonald and Rockfield Grant Juan – congratulations to Shandiss and Jordan on their marriage in November. I managed to catch up with Jessie Phoenix in between her own riding and coaching duties to find out what she’s been up to, what her thoughts were on the new Canadian Coach, and what her plans are for the Spring.
Many thanks to Jessie for taking the time to chat. It did sometimes seem that Rocking Horse was almost overrun by Canadians, if they weren’t so nice we might have to complain!
Canadian Selena O’Hanlon and Foxwood High. Selena told me that the farm she’s spent the winter at in Ocala for the last four years just got sold so instead she’s brought five horses down this year and is staying with Bruce Davidson Sr and is loving it, “Watching him ride and take lessons from Gerd Zuther, and taking lessons from Bruce and Gerd, just being around that level of horsemanship makes you want to man up and better yourself” she told me, and that they’ve especially helped her with A First Romance’s flatwork. Anne Marie will come down and help Selena at the big events but for now she’s still up in Canada, as is Selena’s loyal companion Colombo, or Mr C, who celebrated being named to the USEA Top 50 Horses of All Time List this year with a party courtesy of Selena, who is now also his proud owner having paid a dollar for him to spend his retirement with her! So far he’s kept her busy, doing dressage six days a week as she explained he is way too smart to do nothing and it wouldn’t have suited him at all.
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After a nice test first thing Saturday morning on DHI Zatopek B (full marks to Leslie Law for helping him in the warm-up at 7:45am, that man is tireless, he was still teaching when we left at 4pm) Jon Holling brought out his ‘big horse’ Downtown Harrison who has obviously benefited from being a year more mature, he looks fabulous, but also the recent High Performance Training Sessions with David O’Connor. A smooth, forward-going, accurate test and a seemingly easy clear round show-jumping left them in second place behind Leslie in Advanced Division AB overnight.
Marilyn Little only rode one of her three scheduled rides today but RF Demeter looks stunning this year; her coat is shining and she looked a little fresh in the dressage to start off with which perhaps wasn’t ideal, but jumped beautifully. Long and leggy with so much scope in her movement she and Marilyn look much more of a partnership now,and Demeter much more solid and confident. Both Mr. Medicott and Clair De Lune were withdrawn before the dressage.
Diana Burnett and Shigatzi jumped a super clear round in the Advanced Division, he was one of several rides for her.
Sara Kozumplik and Flagmounts Sterling Prince in the Advanced
Allie Knowles, who we’ve been featuring in our Training Diaries, had a great day. Currently tied for first in both OI divisions with Last Call (above) and Juicy Couture after dressage and show-jumping, Komik did a decent test for her first time at Prelim but booted out both parts of the double in the show-jumping for 8 faults. Unfortunately my kids might have started driving home themselves if I’d told them we were going to wait until 5pm to watch Roxy, but I’m looking forward to seeing everyone I missed Friday out on course on Saturday.
Blair King and Kingsman
Michael Pollard and Cheyenne Blue
Emma Kate Fisher and Carlingford’s Forever
I’ve been looking forward to seeing Sinead Halpin’s On Cue since she told me about her in England, and I was not disappointed; Sinead stopped to chat after her test about Cue and Tate (Manoir De Carneville), who she’s wearing – hey, it IS the Oscars next week! and where she’s getting married.
Sinead also rode Don’t Be Alarmed for Shannon Quigley in the OP Division
Rick Wallace and Ultimate Victory in the Advanced AB Division
Rowdie Adams turned heads with her pink collar and accents. There were lots of people that I didn’t have time to talk to, or get to take pictures of but I hope to at least catch up with some of them on Saturday, and lots more people who I should have mentioned. If the upload speed here were slightly faster I could have brought you a video interview with Robin Walker and Joe Meyer but that will have to wait until we get back to Kentucky probably – suffice it to say that Canada and America will definitely have to beat the “Rest of the World” at Scott Keach’s Southern Cross Equestrian Farm when they hold their eventers’ jumper team class there in the beginning of March. More from Rocking Horse on Saturday, but in the meantime thank you for making Eventing Nation a part of your day, and thank heavens for the sunshine! Go Florida and Go Eventing!
