Heather Morris and Charlie Tango. Photo by Sherry Stewart.
With Heather Morris in the irons, Charlie Tango (Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan x Our Queen Bee, Ricardo Z) has eight top two finishes in 13 career international completions. Yesterday, he added another to his record, earning his second CIC3* victory at Twin Rivers Spring CCI, CIC and Horse Trials in Paso Robles, California.
Leading from start to finish, Heather and the Team Express Group’s 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse added only 6.8 cross country time penalties on James Atkinson’s testing track to finish on a final score of 37.1 in their first Advanced run since the Fair Hill International CCI3* last October.
Sabrina Glaser and Rembrandt. Photo by Sherry Stewart.
Sabrina Glaser and Patricia Yust’s 10-year-old Thoroughbred cross Rembrandt (Galouet x Last Rose of Summer, Travelling Victor) got their second CIC3* completion, finishing in second place with 5.2 time penalties to add from cross country.
Tamie Smith held on to third and fourth with Kevin Baumgardner’s 15-year-year-old Dutch Warmblood Wembley (Lester x E-VIP, Cantus) and Judith McSwain’s 9-year-old Holsteiner mare Fleeceworks Royal (Riverman x Marisol). They added 12.4 and 10.0 time penalties, respectively, in the final phase.
Fifth place went to Alexis Helffrich and Pamela Williams’ 11-year-old Thoroughbred/Warmblood London Town (Laitin x Kildara Baylee, Rising Fortune). They added 18 time penalties on cross country for a final score of 58.7.
Tamie Smith and Wembley. Photo by Sherry Stewart.
Our hearts break for the connections of Walterstown Don, especially his owner Laura Burnell and rider Bec Braitling. The 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse was second in the CIC3* before the start of cross country, but he sadly collapsed and passed away between fences late in the course.
Bec currently leads the way in the CCI2* riding Lauren Burnell’s Santana II (Camax L x Hofdame H, Heraldik xx) with a two phase score of 35.4. She was transferred to Sierra Vista Regional Medical for care after Walterstown Don’s collapse yesterday. Update: Bec withdrew from competition before show jumping.
Mallory Hogan and Clarissa Purisima. Photo by Sherry Stewart.
Second after cross country in the CCI2* is Mallory Hogan and her 11-year-old Holsteiner mare Clarissa Purisima (Limmerick 1 x Briza). A double clear round yesterday moved them up two places on a score of 38.3. Amber Pearson and her 12-year-old Thoroughbred Patagonia (Mass Market x Dancing Eyes, Maudlin) also moved up from fifth to third with a clear round and two-phase score of 40.6. David Koss and Robyn Fisher’s 9-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare Erusa CBF (Idocus x Rarusa H, Indoctro) were another pair to go fault-free on cross country to sit fourth on 42.4. Jess Hargrave and her 11-year-old Trakehner Regenmann added 9.2 time penalties to drop from third to fifth.
Megan Sykes and Classic’s Mojah. Photo by Sherry Stewart.
Of the 28 CCI* starters, 17 finished without jumping penalties causing some shuffling on the leaderboard. However, Megan Sykes and her 9-year-old Oldenburg Classic’s Mojah (Chambertin 3 x Senna, Sevillano xx) held on to their lead in the CCI* after a fault-free cross country round to sit on a 29.2. They have a rail in hand as they head to the final phase today.
Liza Horan and Lafite. Photo by Sherry Stewart.
Liza Horan and her 11-year-old Holsteiner Lafite (Linaro x Sundrift Sandal, Brogan) moved up from sixth to second after cross country with a 34.9. Third place currently belongs to Sara Sellmer and Freesela with a score of 36.3. Sara and Erika Watson’s 19-year-old Canadian Warmblood mare progressed from ninth to third.
Amber Levine and her 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse Mare Under Your Hat made a big move from 12th after dressage to fourth as did Lauren Lockwood and her 12-year-old Thoroughbred Louis Vuitton (Islander x Silvered Tiara, Jig Time), who went from 13th to fifth. Scores are tight at the top and today’s show jumping finale may impact the final results of the remaining FEI divisions.
Twin Rivers CIC & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]
