Classic Eventing Nation

Plantation Lunchtime Report: Windurra Controls 1*-A, 2*-A, Symansky Owns 2*-B

By on Sep 22, 2018 11:54 am - 171 views

CIC1*-A CROSS COUNTRY

Mike Pendleton and Carlsburg. Photo by Shelby Allen.

The CIC1*-A riders were the trail blazers out on course today and time penalties quickly shook up the leaderboard as overnight leader Rebecca Brown and Dassett Choice picked up 4.0 time penalties to drop down the order. That left room for the West Grove crew of Mike Pendleton, Ryan Wood, and Boyd Martin to all climb the leaderboard.

Mike Pendleton claims first position at the end of the division on Steve Blauner and Boyd Martin’s 6-year old Irish Sport Horse Carlsburg, a horse he’s developed for the past two years in his position as rider at Windurra. This is the horse’s first international event and he’s making a good start of it by leading on his dressage score after two phases.

Sliding into second is Ryan Wood with Ruby, a 9-year old Oldenburg mare owned by Summit Sport Horses. Ruby has experience up through the two-star level but has spent the 2018 season solidifying her form at the Prelim and one-star level after a year’s hiatus from competition.

CIC2*-A STADIUM

Phillip Dutton Fernhill Pit Pocket. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Boyd Martin and Long Island T maintained their position at the top of the leaderboard after the stadium phase this morning, putting in a clear round to add nothing to their dressage score of 25.7.

After Allie Knowles and Business Class pulled a rail to drop down the order, the path was cleared for both Anna Loschiavo with Spartacus Q and Kurt Martin with Captain Chacco, who were both tied for third after dressage on a 28.0.

Anna Loschiavo and Melanie Loschiavo’s 9-year old Hanoverian stepped up to the pressure, jumping a clear round to maintain their position. Kurt and Captain Chacco, a 7-year old Oldenburg owned by Shanon Baker, answered right back, putting in a clear round themselves to make it a battle for optimum time on cross-country.

On a sentimental note, Phillip Dutton sits in sixth on Lee Lee Jones’ 7-year old Irish Sport Horse who is making his first 2* start.

CIC2*-B STADIUM

Lynn Symansky RF Cool Play. Photo by Shelby Allen.

As of lunchtime, only about a third of the division had jumped before going on break. Despite that, we know that the 1-2 positions are unchanged, as both Lynn Symansky on RF Cool Play and Boyd Martin on Contessa have jumped clear rounds.

Plantation Field: Website, Schedule, XC Start Times, SJ Start Times, Live Scores, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Volunteer of the Day: Jess Tibbels Discovers an Unexpected Benefit of Volunteering

By on Sep 22, 2018 9:36 am - 441 views

Buck Davidson and volunteer Jess Tibbels share a high five at the end of dressage day. Photo courtesy of AK Dragoo Photo.

The volunteer crew at Plantation Field is a well-oiled machine, regardless of whether they are a first-time participant or a veteran of years. With bright orange vests to mark their status, they are hard to miss for spectators and competitors alike.

Dressage days don’t need the mass number of volunteers that the jumping phases require, but can definitely struggle to fill positions due to being held during the work week, when many die-hard volunteers are at their own jobs. Cue Jess Tibbels, a nursing student at Del-Tech and a veteran volunteer at Fair Hill. Jess gave up her Friday to come play gate steward for the dressage rings today, patiently opening and shutting the gate over and over again as riders came in and out. Although she has volunteered at Fair Hill over the last four years, this was her first trip up to Plantation.

Buck Davidson was first up in the three-star division this morning, and while the names Boyd Martin, Phillip Dutton, and Dom Schramm are impressive but not intimidating to Jess, the name Davidson means something more.

Jess has been watching Buck since 2010 and his father, the legendary Bruce Davidson, since 2004. To her he’s more than just another rider, he’s a local legend. As he rode his test with Erroll Gobey, Jess, who clearly has an engaging and outgoing personality, struck up a conversation with one of the horse’s owners, Natalie Sandler, who was standing nearby. She happened to mention that she was a huge fan of Buck’s.

Lo and behold, after Buck finished his test, he had a quick talk with Natalie. The next thing Jess knew, Buck was striking up a conversation with her, thanking her and taking a photo, and handing her his gloves.

Jess and Buck, just chillin’. Photo courtesy of AK Dragoo Photo.

Now these aren’t just any gloves, these are gloves that are veterans of a three-star test, still slightly damp with sweat. These gloves have experience, they have gravitas. Jess plans on never wearing them….unless she is competing her paint partner Star Bar. Then she’d wear them to channel her inner Buck.

Instagram or it didn’t happen. Photo courtesy of AK Dragoo Photo.

The real question of the day….does she plan on washing them?

“No. Never!”

Go eventing, go Jess, go Natalie and Buck, and go our amazing volunteers.

Plantation Field: Website, Schedule, XC Start Times, SJ Start Times, Live Scores, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Plantation Field International CIC3* Cross Country Course Walk

By on Sep 22, 2018 8:21 am - 378 views

Fence 8AB – First Water. Photo by Jenni Autry.

The 11th running of Plantation Field International has ushered in the first glimpse of fall weather here in beautiful Unionville, Pennsylvania. For those of us who came directly to Plantation Field from Tryon, the cooler weather is a welcome respite from the blistering heat and humidity last week in North Carolina.

While we have battled dry weather in the past for this event, steady rainfall leading up to Plantation Field, plus even more rain in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, has given us superb footing. Jamie Hicks and the Embree brothers meticulously care for this ground throughout the year, and those of us who live in the area are supremely lucky to have such a special piece of property right in our backyard.

Fence 17ABC – Hollow. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Mike Etherington-Smith has upped the ante in his fourth year of designing the CIC3* course. You can scroll fence-by-fence through the course in the photos below. The course was built by Eric Bull, Tommy Neneman and Dylan Barry and has some seriously cool woodwork — check out the trakehner at fence 20! Janine McClain, Karen Carski, Ami Howard and TJ Costa decorated the course, which is beautifully presented with autumn flair.

There are 35 total jumping efforts on the 3,850-meter course. The optimum time is 6 minutes, 54 seconds. Five pairs caught the optimum time in last year’s running of the CIC3*, but we typically see fewer pairs beat the clock each year. Click here to read about the speediest combinations in this year’s CIC3* field.

Fence 19ABC – Second Water. Photo by Jenni Autry.

With heavy rain predicted for Sunday, Plantation Field officials elected to move all of CIC2* cross country to run on Saturday. The schedule for CIC3* cross country also has been adjusted for Sunday. The CIC3* division will run in two parts, with the first half running from 10:30-11:50 a.m. EST, followed by the second half from 1:30-3:30 p.m. EST.

USEF Network will stream CIC3* show jumping today from 1:35 p.m.-3:40 p.m. EST, as well as CIC3* cross country tomorrow. The highly anticipated Real Rider Cup will also be aired live during the lunch break tomorrow. Click here to catch up on all of EN’s coverage of Plantation Field so far. Go Eventing.

Plantation Field: Website, Schedule, XC Start Times, SJ Start Times, Live Scores, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Saturday Links from Tipperary

By on Sep 22, 2018 12:01 am - 716 views

I know this is Eventing Nation, (Jumper Nation is over here) but holy smokes, who else caught the WEG team jumping finale yesterday? Spoiler alert: Team USA clinched gold in a jump-off and it was hella exciting!

Don’t worry though: our portion of the WEG may be over, but eventers still have an exciting weekend ahead with Planation Field CIC3* live streaming and our very own Jenni Autry behind the mic. (Not to mention the SEVEN sanctioned horse trials plus East Coast FEH Championships happening this weekend!)

Plus, if you want to get into something a little different but kind of similar, combined driving is happening at the WEG right now with the marathon phase (the driving equivalent of cross country) happening today from 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. EST. It’s pretty cool!

National Holiday: American Business Women’s Day

Major Events This Weekend:

Plantation Field: Website, Schedule, XC Start Times, SJ Start Times, Live Scores, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

U.S. Weekend Action:

Twin Rivers Fall H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Aspen Farms H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Marlborough H.T [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]
Flora Lea Fall H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
MeadowCreek Park H.T – The Fall Social Event [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]
FEH Qualifier at Loch Moy Farm [Website] [Results]
FEH Championships at Loch Moy Farm [Website] [Entry Status] [Times]
Saturday Links:
Saturday Video:

Winning Moment – Jumping | FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018

Well…we’ll be watching this EPIC finale again and again for a long time. It all came down to the most electrifying Jump-Off we have ever seen at the FEI World Equestrian Games. But when put to the sword, it was Team USA who came through a nail-biting finish and overcame a very strong Swedish team. Huge congratulations to Team USA – that was incredible!🥇 US Equestrian / 🇺🇸🥈 Svenska Ridsportförbundet – Officiell sida 🇸🇪🥉 Deutsche Reiterliche Vereinigung e.V. (FN) 🇩🇪

Posted by FEI Jumping on Friday, September 21, 2018

WEG Happy Hour: USA Clinches Team Show Jumping Gold In Thrilling Jump-Off

By on Sep 21, 2018 10:00 pm - 788 views

McLain Ward of the United States on Clinta. Photo FEI/Martin Dokoupil.

What were the chances that after three rounds of jumping there would be a tie for the gold medal position? In fact, it’s the first time that such a result has occurred at the World Equestrian Games, culminating in a jump-off for gold. The jump-off itself was so close that it literally came down to the final round — and McLain Ward and the stunning Clinta delivered. Catch the full recap, and watch the winning round, complete with thunderous roar from the thrilled home crowd. [U.S. Show Jumping Team Takes WEG Gold On Home Turf]

Turn up your volume for this one. It’s well worth it.

Winning Team – Jumping | FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018

Well…we’ll be watching this EPIC moment again and again for a long time. It all came down to the most electrifying jump off we have ever seen at the FEI World Equestrian Games. But when put to the sword, it was Team USA who came through a nail-biting finish and overcame a very strong Swedish team. Huge congratulations to Team USA – that was incredible!🥇 US Equestrian 🇺🇸🥈 Svenska Ridsportförbundet – Officiell sida 🇸🇪🥉 Deutsche Reiterliche Vereinigung e.V. (FN) / 🇩🇪

Posted by Fédération Equestre Internationale on Friday, September 21, 2018

History was also made in Para-Dressage, in which the Netherlands became the first team to dethrone the British since the sport’s recognition. It came down to less than one percentage point, and the Dutch edged out the reigning Brits with consistent performances across the board. Para-dressage competition concludes tomorrow with the freestyle championship. [The Netherlands ends Great Britain’s unbeaten para dressage run: ‘We will come back stronger’]

The USA has set the bar high on the first day of combined driving, led by the legendary Chester Weber in driven dressage. Weber currently sits second in the individual standings with a score of 35.10, and teammate Misdee Wrigley-Miller is fourth with a 42.00; USA’s James Fairclough held the drop score. This summary article from the FEI does a great job of explaining just why driven dressage is a tougher challenge than it looks: combine the traditional challenge of dressage with the task of pulling a carriage while working in unison with a total of four horses, and driven dressage is in fact not a casual drive in the park! [USA Drive to the Top]

Don’t miss these gorgeous images from today’s show jumping team final! [Show Jumping at #Tryon2018: Day 2 Photo Gallery]

What does it mean to be chef d’equipe? Rob Ehrens of the Netherlands shares his thoughts and his strategies that have helped pilot the Dutch team to the highest highs as well as the lowest lows. From communication to scheduling, Ehrens details how he drew his road map to the WEG in a fascinating look at one of the more critical roles for a world championship team. [It’s Business As Usual: Rob Ehrens Discusses His Role As Show Jumping Chef d’Equipe For The Netherlands]

Friday Video and UK Notes from World Equestrian Brands: Meet Ros Canter, Our New World Champion

By on Sep 21, 2018 6:00 pm - 1,246 views

You did it, Ros! Photo by Leslie Wylie.

We’ve all had nearly a week to recover from the excitement of the WEG eventing, but I know I’m not alone in periodically getting hit by the warm-and-fuzzies all over again — Ros Canter’s face when she realised she was World Champion! The Irish team’s long-awaited podium finish! The hugs, the tears, the horses who made it all happen! Dickie Waygood quietly murmuring ‘BOOM’ at his tiny protege, which isn’t a euphemism, but I appreciate that it sounds a bit like one. I’m a bit of an emotional wreck about eventing at the best of times but honestly, blub city over here.

Like the rest of the EN team, I’ve been enjoying watching some of the other disciplines this week, from cavorting-in-style (um, vaulting) to the seriously exciting showjumping. Mainly, if I’m honest, because I am OBSESSED with Danielle Goldstein‘s hair. She is an actual bird of paradise, and her feisty chestnut mare Lizziemary is game and gutsy and I. Am. Here. For. It.

UK Weekend Preview

Events Opening this Weekend

  • 21st: Aston-le-Walls (5) – BE80N – [Enter] Northamptonshire (October 26-27)
  • 21st: Horseheath (3) – BE80-BE105 – [Enter] Cambridgeshire (October 27-28)

Events Balloting this Weekend

  • 22nd: Broadway (2) – BE80-N – [Enter] Worcestershire (October 13-14)

Friday Video: Go Behind-the-Scenes with Ros Canter

Softly-spoken, fiercely determined, and possessing an enormous work ethic that belies her tiny stature, World Champion Ros Canter is a new name to many eventing fans. But the 32-year-old, who has been, perhaps, Great Britain’s best-kept-secret, isn’t lacking in experience or time spent logging essential riding and competing hours. Take a look into life behind the scenes with Ros, her trainer and owner of Allstar B Caroline Moore, and the team behind them, and enjoy a snippet of what goes into producing the performance of a lifetime in this video from Team GB Equestrian. We’re willing to bet you’re going to love Ros, with her endless gratitude, graceful riding, and unabashed love for her horse, as much as we do.

Candy Uncatchable at Plantation Field: Dutton Holds CIC3* Pole Position After Dressage

By on Sep 21, 2018 5:25 pm - 1,134 views

Sportsfield Candy and Phillip Dutton. Photo courtesy of AK Dragoo.

One Kentucky winner gave the other a good run for his money today in the Plantation Field CIC3*, with Clayton Fredericks almost catching Phillip Dutton on FE Ophelia in dressage. With only seven riders left to go, Clayton entered the ring on the 11-year old Zweibrucker mare to lay down a 31.5, good enough for second but leaving Phillip Dutton and Sportsfield Candy in first by almost two points.

Owned by Diana Crawford and Hugh Wrigley, FE Ophelia will be aimed at the CCI3* at Fair Hill this fall; Clayton would have liked to take her to Ocala but being the designer of the course there prevents him from competing himself. FE Ophelia sat out the spring, and Clayton is relieved to be competing her again.

“It’s nice to have her back out. She’s really matured and getting established now at this level. There were a couple little blips, but all the pieces are there. She went super well at Fair Hill last year, and it was such a shame we didn’t get to complete. The goal will be to get a good CCI3* qualification at Fair Hill and start thinking ahead to the Olympics.”

FE Ophelia and Clayton Fredericks. Photo by AK Dragoo.

Lord Willing and Allison Springer maintained their position in the top five despite being the second ride of the day, scoring a 31.6 to sit behind Clayton Fredericks and FE Ophelia by only a tenth of a point. Allison felt that the atmosphere got to Lord Willing a little, but that he settled well.

“He was a really good boy today. He was actually a little bit more nervous than he’s been in a while — that’s where you saw him jig in the walk a bit. But what he does well he does so well. He’s such a super athlete. He’s been so fun to work with, but he is pretty nervous. I think it comes from a place of wanting to do it right. He was nervous, but he’s been so reliable in the dressage ring. He used to feel pretty nervous in the show jumping, and now he’s been reliable in there too.”

Allison Springer and Lord Willing. Photo by AK Dragoo.

As the final ride of the day, Pfun scores a 32.3 in his first international start since Kentucky of 2017, sneaking into fourth with Will Faudree. Mara dePuy and Congo Brazzaville C round out the top five with a 32.5.

Matt Flynn and the Flynn Sporthorses LLC’s 9-year old Dutch horse Wizzerd score a personal best of 32.6 to finish the first day in sixth position. Buck Davidson and Erroll Gobey, owned by Cassie Segal, Lisa Darden, and Natalie Sandler, scored 33.1 to finish in the top seven despite being the first ride of the day.

Chris Talley and Sandro’s Star. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Young stallion Sandro’s Star and Chris Talley cracked into the top ten this afternoon with a 33.4 to sit in seventh place after trekking out to Rebecca Farm this past summer. Caroline Martin on Danger Mouse and Waylon Roberts on Lancaster are tied for tenth on a 33.8.

With high winds and cool temperatures today, we saw horses struggling with relaxation in both the counter-canter and changes, as well as taking exception to various letters throughout the ring. Phillip Dutton managed to coax a relaxed test out of Sportsfield Candy, elevating the test into the twenties. Despite being a temporary ride with Dr. Kevin Keane on the sidelines, Phillip felt the horse’s natural skills help keep the horse competitive.

“There were a couple of little parts that weren’t as polished, but he is just such a beautiful, rhythmic mover and very correct, so that always helps the score along. It’s been fun to have the ride over the summer while Kevin has been healing from his injury. We’re hopeful he’ll be able to take the ride back after Morven Park.”

The periodic rain over the past weeks has left behind incredible footing here at Plantation this weekend, and the riders are all looking forward to getting out on the course. Allison is looking forward to getting out on the course with her pair.

“The footing feels fantastic. I like how they changed the start — we have a nice gallop in the beginning which I think is really good for the horses especially in preparing them for Fair Hill. Liam is a very careful horse. Ditches are what he loves the least, and he’s got to jump a lot of them out there. It will be good practice. It looks like a fair course, a great course. Good questions that will preparation that we all need looking forward to Fair Hill.”

Clayton Fredericks also thought the cross-country would be a solid run for FE Ophelia.

“It’s tough enough. I won’t be blistering around at 100 mph. This is an event to set her up for Fair Hill. I’ll be using the hills since it’s good for her physique to give her a good go.”

CIC1*-B DRESSAGE

Caroline Martin returns to the international scene for the first time since her fall at Millbrook with a bang, leading the CIC1*-B division on her own Cristano Z with a 22.8. The 9-year old Zangershiede gelding has stepped back to the one-star level to re-establish form.

Elizabeth Bortuzzo and Belongs to Teufer, a 2009 Thoroughbred owned by John Witte, sits in second on a 24.2 while Sarah Pyne and her own Quintessential, a 10-year old Irish Sport Horse.

Conditions will be perfect for the 1* and 2*, who both do cross-country tomorrow, with overcast skies and a high of 71 degrees F. Note that there is a schedule change for the 2*-B divisions: all two-star divisions will do both stadium and cross-country phases tomorrow, which is a change for the B divisions. All riders for all divisions should check for updated ride times, as the schedule has been updated to account for rain on Saturday night.

Rain has been projected beginning Saturday night and continuing throughout the day on Sunday, so the 3* divisions will have drastically different conditions than they have experienced over the past few years. Stay tuned tomorrow for a full course preview of the three-star!

Plantation Field: Website, Schedule, Saturday SJ Ride Times, Saturday XC Ride Times, Live Scores, Live Stream, Broadcast Schedule, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

 

No Rest For the Weary: U.S. WEG Riders Lead Plantation 2* Divisions, Brown Tops 1*-A

By on Sep 21, 2018 3:27 pm - 542 views

The World Equestrian Games may have only ended Monday but with dressage beginning Wednesday afternoon at Plantation Field, there was no rest for the riders who faced Florence down in Tryon. Boyd Martin in particular had a quick turn-around with one ride Wednesday afternoon and another five on Thursday, while Phillip Dutton, Lauren Kieffer and Lynn Symansky all had rides Thursday and Friday.

CIC2*-A DRESSAGE

Boyd Martin and Long Island T. Photo courtesy of AK Dragoo Photo.

Boyd Martin picked up right where he left off with Long Island T, leading the 2*-A division from the word go. Despite being the first in the ring, often considered a tough spot from which to score well, Boyd and the Long Island T Syndicate’s 12-year old Oldenburg cross dropped the mic with a 25.7 to lead the division by almost two points over second place.

On the quick turnaround from WEG: “Long Island T did a brilliant test on Wednesday. I got home from WEG on Tuesday and gave him a quick school and then the next day I took him to Plantation, so it was a pretty awesome result considering it was the first time I’d ridden him in a few weeks.”

“I’ve got a really great group of people helping me — Mike Pendleton has been schooling the horse along with Silva, and to be honest he felt better than ever. It was a bit depressing for me. I may have to get them to ride him more often.

On dropping his 3* horses down to the 2* this weekend: “Last year I got knocked out of Plantation so I decided to put a lot of my horses down a level. I thought since I haven’t been jumping him that much that I’d err on the side of caution. They’ve been going pretty hard all year, so I’m hoping to give them a nice, easy fitness run this weekend. We know the footing will be spot on and this will be a stepping stone toward our major goal this year of the Fair Hill CCI3*, which is always a serious test of the horse.”

Kentucky-based Allie Knowles sits in second on Katherine O’Brien’s Business Class, an 8-year old Selle Français chestnut mare, after scoring a 27.6. Allie obtained the ride on the chestnut mare at the end of 2016 after the horse finished seventh in the Le Lion d’Angers CCI1* with Sophie Richards of Ireland.

Lynn Symansky and RF Cool Play. Photo courtesy of AK Dragoo Photo.

CIC2*-B DRESSAGE

Lynn Symansky just put in a personal best at WEG with Donner and the success is leaking over to her other rides as she leads the 2*-B with The Donner Syndicate’s RF Cool Play. The 10-year old German Sport Horse gelding scored a 23.0 to lead the division by more than two points over The Apprentice and Contessa.

On keeping RF Cool Play going while at WEG: “The highlight was that he was good because I haven’t been riding him very much recently. He’s had a multitude of riders over the last few weeks. I’ve had some girls filling in at my barn for me, and my friend Hannah Sue Burnett has jumped him a few times for me while I was gone.”

On his fall plans: “I bumped him down to the two-star because this is his first competition back since the CCI3* at Jersey this spring. I just didn’t want to take him in the three-star here after I’d been gone a bit pre-WEG. He’s here just for an easy run, and then he will go to Morven and the CCI at Jockey Club. I’m targeting him at something a little later (in the season) just because I wasn’t around to do a lot of his fitness work. I feel like he’s matured a lot in this last year. I did a lot this spring with him, he had just stepped up to the level. He’s had a little bit of time off and he feels a lot more mature coming out this fall. I think he’s a cool horse for the future.”

On his strengths: “He does have show nerves, so he may be a little fun to ride in the arena tomorrow. He’s a super cross country horse, but he may be a little tricky to show jump. But we’re not here for the big win really, we’re here just to have a little school.

On the quick turn-around from WEG: “I spent one night at home, and then I came here on Wednesday. I left the barn at 9 p.m. because I had finally finished my laundry and unpacking from Donner and then repacking. Then I got here at 12:30 in the morning, and my barn was the one all the bottom of the hill, so I got stuck and I just slept in my trailer. I couldn’t get out because I needed to be towed. We went from going to the World Championships to sleeping in my tack room on Wednesday night. Living the dream.

“The turnaround has been fine though. It is exhausting, not just physically but emotionally. And everyone back at the barn has been working super hard to make everything keep going. “

Boyd Martin is a busy man, and not only is he leading the 2*-A division with Long Island T but he also sits tied for second in the 2*-B division with the 9-year old Holsteiner mare Contessa. After winning Bromont CCI2* in June, the Club Contessa-owned mare put in a solid 25.2 to tie with The Apprentice and Caroline Martin. Caroline is competing at the international level again for the first time since her fall at Millbrook; she also has rides on Jump Jet in the 2*, Danger Mouse in the 3*, and Cristano Z in the 1*.

CIC1*-A DRESSAGE

After yesterday’s dressage, Texas-based eventer Rebecca Brown leads the CIC1*-A division with her own 9-year old Dutch Warmblood Dassett Choice on a score of 27.0. Although the pair has 2* experience together, they’ve dropped back to the 1* level this spring, winning the Texas Rose CCI1* in June from start to finish.

Mike Pendleton sits in second with a 28.2 on Steve Blauner and Boyd Martin’s 6-year old Irish Sport Horse Carlsburg while Lucia Strini occupies third on a 29.3 with Plan Dealing Farm’s 8-year old Irish Sport Horse MTF Cooley Classic.

Plantation Field: Website, Schedule, Start Times, Live Scores, Live Stream, Broadcast Schedule, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

U.S. WEG Riders Dominate Dressage at Plantation: Dutton Leads CIC3* at Lunch

By on Sep 21, 2018 12:26 pm - 565 views

Phillip Dutton and Sportsfield Candy. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Allison Springer and Lord Willing were first into the ring for the CIC3* division and, despite a few bobbles, laid down a 31.6 that no one could catch for most of the morning. It took until Phillip Dutton, just three riders before the lunch break, before anyone in the division managed to score in the 20s. Phillip and Dr. Kevin Keane’s 11-year old Irish Sporthorse laid down a 29.7 to lead going into the lunch break.

Phillip Dutton was first paired with Sportsfield Candy back in 2016, moving the horse up to Advanced and the 3* level in their time together. Kevin Keane was looking for a new upper-level partner and ended up buying the gelding and running him at Advanced and 3* in 2017. After Kevin broke his leg in a fall off a young horse early this spring, Phillip took back the ride for the 2018 season. Their partnership has already been fruitful, with a 2nd at Jersey Fresh CIC3* and a top-five finish at the Great Meadow CICO3*, with Kevin watching closely from the sidelines.

Cool and cloudy conditions this morning made for some fresh horses, some of whom struggled through tension early. Sportsfield Candy stayed relaxed and willing for Phillip, with correct changes helping them to a strong score. The atmosphere is as quiet as Plantation gets; flags flap in the breeze but the vendor village is just starting to open and spectators are scarce still.

Stay tuned this afternoon, as heavy hitters Clayton Frederick with FE Ophelia and Emily Beshear with Olney Uncle Sam try to topple Phillip from the pole position.

Plantation Field: Website, Schedule, Start Times, Live Scores, Live Stream, Broadcast Schedule, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

#EventerFailFriday: Jesus Take the Wheel

By on Sep 21, 2018 10:00 am - 2,088 views

Take it from my hands, ‘cuz I can’t get over this jump on my own.

Hey, we’ve all been there. Exhibit A: your latest batch of #EventerProblems.

Go Eventing.