Classic Eventing Nation

Michael Jung and Sam Take 2015 Land Rover Burghley Title

By on Sep 6, 2015 11:36 am -
Michael Jung and La Biosthetique Sam FBW win! Photo by Samantha Clark. Michael Jung and La Biosthetique Sam FBW win! Photo by Samantha Clark.

Our friends at EquiRatings warned us this morning that since 2010 Caroline Powell was the only rider to sit in the top three at Burghley and then jump clear on the final day. Michael Jung is unlike any other rider and proved that again this afternoon, jumping a flawless clear on La Biosthetique Sam FBW to clinch the Land Rover Burghley title at his first attempt.

Tim Price is also a rider who will probably go down as one of the best of his time when all’s said and done, and he too conjured a beautiful clear out of Ringwood Sky Boy, the horse’s first at this level. Between them, Tim’s wife Jonelle and Chris Burton, it’s pretty clear which nations are going to be a real threat at the Olympics in Rio next year.

Jonelle was unlucky when Classic Moet had the first part of the treble down and dropped from second to fifth, opening the door for Chris Burton to finish in 3rd and 4th places on TS Jamaimo and Haruzac respectively after two clears. Mark Todd for New Zealand and Cedric Lyard for France both jumped clean on Leonidas and Cadeau Du Roi for 6th and 7th, and Tina Cook jumped clear to finish as highest placed Brit in 8th on Star Witness after a miraculous save at the Trout Hatchery yesterday.

Last year’s Badminton champion Paulank Brockagh never looked like she was going to touch a rail and Sam Griffiths finished 9th on her, with William Fox-Pitt rounding out the top 10 on Fernhill Pimms who had an unlucky rail but looked bright and keen and must be such an exciting prospect for his rider and owners Catherine Witt and Carol Gee.

Lynn Symansky and Donner finish 14. Photo by Samantha Clark.

Lynn Symansky and Donner had one rail down to finish 14th. Photo by Samantha Clark.

Lynn Symansky and Donner finished 14th with one rail down to be the highest-placed U.S. combination. Donner looked a bit spooky early on but settled well to complete on a final score of 64.9. Colleen Rutledge and Covert Rights moved up from 30th after cross country to finish in 22nd thanks to jumping one of just five clear show jumping rounds this morning.

Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch had three down to finish 48th, with honorary American Tim Bourke and Luckaun Quality having one down to finish 39th. You can read all about the morning session and see photos of Colleen, Laine and Tim here, plus watch an interview with Colleen. Scroll down to see the photo gallery from the final show jumping session.

The press conference is about to get underway, so keep checking back for much more from Burghley. All show jumping rounds are now available to watch on Burghley TV at this link. You can also see lots of photos and GIFs in EN’s open threads; click here for the morning session open thread and here for the afternoon open thread. Go Team USA at Burghley! Go Eventing!

#LRBHT: Website, Final Scores, Burghley TV, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram, @samanthalclark

Screen Shot 2015-09-06 at 11.33.12 AM

Burghley Top 25 Show Jumping Open Thread: Michael Jung and Sam Win!

By on Sep 6, 2015 9:20 am -
Michael Jung and La Biosthetique Sam FBW win! Photo by Samantha Clark. Michael Jung and La Biosthetique Sam FBW win! Photo by Samantha Clark.

Welcome back to the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials! We’re all set to see our top 25, including one American in Lynn Symansky, show jump on a tough course that caused plenty of problems early this morning.

You can take a virtual walk around the course in this preview from Horse & Hound, and we’ll be kicking off the action at 9:25 a.m. EST for what’s sure to be a nail-biting finish all the way to the end.

Refresh this page periodically for the latest updates. Go Burghley!

#LRBHT: Website, Entries, Live Scores, XC Fence Report,Schedule, Burghley TV, Course Preview, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram, @samanthalclark

10:45 a.m. EST: And last, but most certainly not least, a look at Michael’s winning round aboard Sam! Stay tuned for the full show jumping report — and all rounds are now uploaded to Burghley TV!

michael jung

10:39 a.m. EST:

10:38 a.m. EST: Tim Price finishes a textbook round with a fist pump!

tim price

10:36 a.m. EST: Adding some last minute GIFs in now, here is Lynn’s round:

lynn sj

10:34 a.m. EST:

10:33 a.m. EST: Michael Jung comes to Rolex for the first time in 2015, wins. Michael Jung comes to Burghley for the first time, wins. Ironically enough, Tim Price has placed second to Michael on both occasions. At Rolex, when asked if Tim would come back to Kentucky, he looked at Michael and laughed, “No!” #butpleasecomebackTim

10:33 a.m. EST:

10:32 a.m. EST:

10:32 a.m. EST: Incredible as always! Michael Jung and La Biosthetique Sam have WON Burghley 2015!

10:31 a.m. EST:

nailbiter

10:30 a.m. EST:

10:30 a.m. EST:

10:29 a.m. EST: WOW! We eat our words, Tim! Tim pilots Ringwood Sky Boy to a CLEAR ROUND. The pressure is really on Michael and Sam now, as they do not have a rail in hand. Ringwood Sky Boy had four rails down at Badminton in 2014 and three in 2015. Way to ride to the occasion!

10:28 a.m. EST: Ringwood Sky Boy is not the best show jumper, but he’s clear halfway round.

10:27 a.m. EST: Fun fact brought to you by EquiRatings: no one has finished on their dressage score like Chris Burton just did in the last three years of Burghley.

10:26 a.m. EST:

10:26 a.m. EST: Here we go! Tim Price is in to put the pressure on Michael Jung.

10:25 a.m. EST: And she won’t do it, sadly. Jonelle has the first part of the triple down.

10:24 a.m. EST: Chris Burton has finished on his dressage score and Jonelle Price is the only other who stands the do the same. She’s in the ring now!

10:23 a.m. EST:

10:23 a.m. EST: Chris Burton and TS Jamaimo show their experience and jump a clear round to remain on a score of 45.0. That’s their dressage score, by the way.

10:21 a.m. EST:

10:20 a.m. EST: Damn, not the day for Bill Levett and Improvise. They have 5 down to drop down to 15th position. This moves Lynn and Donner into 14th.

10:19 a.m. EST:

10:17 a.m. EST:

10:15 a.m. EST: Mark Todd and his Best Conditioned Leonidis II are in the ring!

10:14 a.m. EST:

10:12 a.m. EST:

10:11 a.m. EST:

10:09 a.m. EST: Oliver Townend returns with his third and final ride, the ninth placed Dromgurrihy Blue, who was the trailblazer on cross country yesterday.

10:09 a.m. EST:

10:08 a.m. EST: And into the top 10 we go with Kristina Cook and Star Witness! #pressureson

10:06 a.m. EST:

10:05 a.m. EST: Oliver Townend and Armada’s ride has some really nice moments:

oliver armada

10:03 a.m. EST:

10:03 a.m. EST:

10:02 a.m. EST: Here’s a snippet of Jock Paget’s round with Shady Gray:

jock

10:01 a.m. EST: Lynn Symansky is now into the top 15!

9:58 a.m. EST:

9:57 a.m. EST: A bit off topic, but here’s a more in-depth look at Ringwood Sky Boy’s award for Best Shod Horse.

9:56 a.m. EST: We’re into the top 15 now, Sam Griffiths and Paulank Brockagh are in now.

9:55 a.m. EST:

9:54 a.m. EST: Go USA!

9:53 a.m. EST:

9:52 a.m. EST: A clear round from Chris Burton and Haruzac, who jumped out of order for 5th place.

9:51 a.m. EST:

9:50 a.m. EST: Lynn gets away with some rubs with Donner, but she’ll be thrilled with her round with just one down for a finishing score of 64.9. She’ll hold no worse than 17th now.

9:48 a.m. EST: Lynn Symansky and Donner are in the ring now.

9:48 a.m. EST:

9:47 a.m. EST: Georgie Spence is clear with Wii Limbo! She finishes on a final score of 61.4.

9:46 a.m. EST:

9:45 a.m. EST:

9:45 a.m. EST:

9:42 a.m. EST: Colleen Rutledge now moves into 23rd — can she get into the top 20? We’ll see!

9:42 a.m. EST:

9:42 a.m. EST:

9:41 a.m. EST:

9:40 a.m. EST:

“I was really happy and he tried his best for me…he got to a high level quite quickly and he needed some time to…

Posted by Eventing NZ on Sunday, September 6, 2015

9:40 a.m. EST:

9:39 a.m. EST: The rounds are loading fast to Burghley TV today! Here’s a look at Emily Llewellyn’s trip through the treble:

emily llewellyn

9:37 a.m. EST: Tehe.

9:37 a.m. EST:

9:36 a.m. EST: One down for Jock for a final three day score of 69.9.

9:35 a.m. EST:

9:34 a.m. EST:

9:31 a.m. EST:

9:31 a.m. EST: Here is a great look at the course with designer Richard Jeffery:

9:28 a.m. EST: And we’re off!

Colleen Rutledge, Laine Ashker & Tim Bourke Complete Burghley

By on Sep 6, 2015 8:58 am -
Laine Ashker and Antony Patch show jump in the Land Rover Burghley main arena. Photo by Samantha Clark. Laine Ashker and Antony Patch show jump in the Land Rover Burghley main arena. Photo by Samantha Clark.

The first session of show jumping has wrapped up in the Land Rover Burghley main arena, and with it we have two U.S. completions and one for our American Irishman Tim Bourke, with Colleen Rutledge jumping clear on her 9-year-old homebred Covert Rights and Laine Ashker having three down on her OTTB partner Anthony Patch. Tim had just one fence down on Luckaun Quality, and we couldn’t be prouder of all three of them. (Click here to watch videos of their rounds on Burghley TV.)

There were only seven clear rounds, and Colleen’s puts her in the lead in 25th place as we break for lunch before the remaining 24 horses jump. Watch Colleen talk about her clear round and what’s next for Covert Rights in the video interview below:

Our sympathies to the first rider in the ring Emily Lochore, whose horse Hexmaley’s Hayday couldn’t decide whether to stop or go at the upright white gate, and ended up trying to stop at the last minute, crashed through it and slipped and had a soft fall on the grass. Luckily both horse and rider were absolutely fine but it must have been unnerving for Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch who had to follow them in.

Tim Bourke and Luckaun Quality en route to completing the Land Rover Burghley CCI****

Tim Bourke and Luckaun Quality en route to completing the Land Rover Burghley CCI****. Photo by Samantha Clark.

Sam Griffiths conjured a clear round out of the historically rather careless Happy Times and he must be cursing his 20 at the Discovery Valley yesterday as Happy Times is usually such a reliable campaigner in that phase — isn’t that why three day eventing is the ultimate test to try and get the best in all three phases at the one competition!

Paul Tapner jumped clear on Vanir Kamira which will be a nice confidence boost ahead of his round on Kilronana this afternoon. Also clear were Georgie Strang on Cooley Business Time (Lucinda Green’s pick to ride XC yesterday) and local rider Kerry Varley on Bluestone Luke. Ros Canter on the enormous, scopey Allstar B had just one time fault to add to their overnight score — what a super performance at their first Burghley.

Colleen Rutledge and Covert Rights jump clear! Photo by Samantha Clark.

Colleen Rutledge and Covert Rights jump clear! Photo by Samantha Clark.

Nana Dalton jumped clear on the striking grey Elite Syncopation, and Austin O’Connor was our first clear round of the day on Morning Venture with a smooth, well-judged round to show us all how it can be done.

The final session of show jumping is due to get underway here at 2:25pm GB time 9:25am US eastern and we’ll be willing Donner the Deer and Lynn Symansky on — they’re due to go 9th in the division as they currently lie in 18th place. Do join the Horse & Hound live blog if you can, and if not follow us on Twitter.

Scroll down to see a full show jumping gallery from the first group, and stay tuned for much more from Burghley, including a video interview with Colleen Rutledge once we can get it to upload! Thank you for making Eventing Nation part of your Burghley Experience, and Go Eventing!

#LRBHT: Website, Entries, Live Scores, XC Fence Report, Schedule, Burghley TV, Course Preview, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram, @samanthalclark

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Burghley First Group Show Jumping Open Thread: Colleen Rutledge Clear!

By on Sep 6, 2015 5:26 am -

A whirlwind weekend is coming to a close at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, and after an intense trot-up this morning, and 50 horses will proceed to the show jumping this morning.

The first group will jump first, placings 26-50, followed by the top 25 at 9:25 a.m. EST — we’ll post a new open thread for that group.

Good luck to all competitors this morning and stay tuned for an exciting finish to Burghley 2015!

#LRBHT: Website, Entries, Live Scores, XC Fence Report,Schedule, Burghley TV, Course Preview, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram, @samanthalclark

6:55 a.m. EST: Good boy CR!

cr sj

6:49 a.m. EST: Colleen wins the morning session!

Screenshot (100)

6:47 a.m. EST: Paul Sims and Glengarnock were the last to jump for the morning session — they had the last rail down to drop into 26th, officially moving Colleen into the top 25. We’ll be back with a new open thread for the top 25 at 9:25 a.m. EST, where we have yet to see Lynn Symansky and Donner representing the U.S.

6:47 a.m. EST: Colleen Rutledge and Covert Rights had three rails down at Aachen and bounced back to jump clear at BURGHLEY. Way to rise to the occasion, CR. So proud.

6:46 a.m. EST: Thanks to our friends at Horse & Hound, here’s a look at the course for today.

6:45 a.m. EST:

6:45 a.m. EST:

6:44 a.m. EST: Happy to see Movistar looked perky today for show jumping:

movistar

6:43 a.m. EST What a finish for Colleen and her 9-year-old homebred! A clear round puts her on a final score of 74.9. She could easily clinch a top 25 finish here with 26th place at the moment.

6:41 a.m. EST: Colleen Rutledge and Covert Rights are in!

6:40 a.m. EST:

6:40 a.m. EST: Just one down for Sophie Jenman and Geronimo.

6:39 a.m. EST:

6:38 a.m. EST: Just one down for Lucy Weigersma and Mr Chunky for a three day total of 80.3.

6:37 a.m. EST: A lovely round from Rosalind Canter and Allstar B:

rosi canter

6:25 a.m. EST: Francis Whittington and Hasty Imp have three down.

6:34 a.m. EST:

6:34 a.m. EST: Clear for Sam Griffiths and Happy Times!

6:31 a.m. EST: Andrew James and Movistar put together a round with just two down.

6:30 a.m. EST: Forgot to post this from our friends at EquiRatings!

6:28 a.m. EST: Next in is Andrew James with Movistar, the horse who looked utterly exhausted at the end of cross country yesterday.

Andrew James

6:28 a.m. EST:

6:27 a.m. EST: Go Tim and Obie!

tim bourke sj

6:25 a.m. EST: Oliver Townend has THREE horses still in competition here this weekend. What a beast. He’s in now with Samuel Thomas II.

6:24 a.m. EST: Five down for Jodi Amos and Wise Crack. Disappointed for them.

6:23 a.m. EST:

6:22 a.m. EST: Austin O’Connor and Morning Venture were our first clear of the day:

austin

6:20 a.m. EST:

6:19 a.m. EST:

6:18 a.m. EST:

6:17 a.m. EST: Rosalind Canter and Allstar B put in a great clear round with one time penalty for a final score of 97.2.

6:16 a.m. EST:

6:15 a.m. EST: Aw, man. Rough luck for Emily Lochore, watching her replay now. Here’s a look at what happened. Those pesky gates!

Emily Lochore

6:13 a.m. EST: Some snippets of Laine’s round with Anthony Patch:

lainey sj

6:12 a.m. EST:

6:09 a.m. EST: 12 faults for Alan Nolan and Bronze Flight, which will bump Tim and Obie up.

6:08 a.m. EST:

6:07 a.m. EST: Just one down for a strong finish for this pair’s first Burghley! Final score of 104.6.

6:06 a.m. EST: Charlotte Brear and Manor Missile have one down. Not a bad finish for her first Burghley! Honorary Americans Tim Bourke and Luckaun Quality are in next. Keep your stirrups on, Tim!

6:03 a.m. EST:

6:02 a.m. EST:

5:58 a.m. EST: Warren Lamperd and Silvia finish with eight faults for a three-day total score of 119.3

5:56 a.m. EST: You can find the live scores here.

5:55 a.m. EST: One down for Louise Harwood and Mr Potts — how much do you love that name?

5:54 a.m. EST: Louise Harwood and Mr Potts are in next.

5:53 a.m. EST: Four down plus time for Charlotte Agnew and Out of Africa Two. Abigail Boulton and Tilston Tic Toc have just one down, the best so far.

5:49 a.m. EST:

5:49 a.m. EST: A total of three down for Laine and her OTTB for a final weekend score of 147.2. Charlotte Agnew and Out of Africa Two are in next.

5:48 a.m. EST: Laine and Al have the middle of the triple combination at 6 down.

5:47 a.m. EST: Evidently Emily Lochore had a fall from Hexmaleys Heyday. According to the H&H live blog, Hexmaleys Heyday tried to stop and ended up sliding and sitting down. Not the ending Emily wanted. Laine is in now.

5:45 a.m. EST: From the Horse & Hound live blog:

Screenshot (99)

5:44 a.m. EST: While we’re waiting for the show jumping updates to start coming in (not sure what the delay is), take a look at this really neat video behind the scenes with William Fox-Pitt’s groom:

5:30 a.m. EST: Emily Lochore and Hexmaleys Heyday will be the first to jump, followed by U.S. rider Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch.

Burghley Show Jumping Live Blog from Horse & Hound

By on Sep 6, 2015 5:00 am -

It’s show jumping day at Burghley! We’re thrilled to once again be joining our friends at Horse & Hound in their live blog for top notch commentary. There is no live stream from Burghley, so stay right here with H&H Live and follow EN’s live updates on Twitter @eventingation for updates on all the action.

The first group will show jump at 10:30 a.m. local/5:30 a.m. EST, and the final group will start at 2:25 p.m. local/9:25 a.m. EST to determine the next winner of the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials.

Burghley TV will publish on-demand video of each show jumping round at this link, so be sure to keep checking back throughout the day. Click here to follow the live scoring, and stay tuned for Samantha Clark’s coverage right here on EN. Go Eventing.

#LRBHT: Website, Entries, Live Scores, XC Fence Report, Schedule, Burghley TV, Course Preview, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram, @samanthalclark

Live Blog Burghley 2015 showjumping
 

All U.S. Pairs Pass Final Horse Inspection, 50 Horses Move to Show Jumping

By on Sep 6, 2015 5:00 am -
Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch

Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch

Our three American ladies and Tim Bourke will all move forward to the show-jumping phase of the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials after passing the Final Horse Inspection Sunday morning. It was not without a couple of heart stopping moments as although Tim Bourke’s Luckaun Quality and Laine Ashker’s Anthony Patch breezed through without a second glance, both Lynn Symansky and Colleen Rutledge were asked to jog Donner and Covert Rights twice respectively before being accepted by the Ground Jury.

Tim Bourke and Luckaun Quality

Tim Bourke and Luckaun Quality

Pippa Funnell’s Redesigned was sent to the holding box and subsequently withdrawn. Matthew Heath’s The Lion and Jeanette Brakewell’s Let’s Dance were both sent to the holding box and then spun on re-inspection.  Hannah Bates’ Finbury Hill was sent to the holding box and then accepted upon re-inspection.

Ros Canter’s Allstar B was asked to jog twice and accepted.

Once again we were all asked to be quiet for Emily Lochore’s Hexmaley’s Hayday who was very nervous but completely sound.

Lynn Symansky and Donner pass the Final Horse Inspection at Land Rover Burghley Inspection

Lynn Symansky and Donner pass the Final Horse Inspection at Land Rover Burghley Inspection

The Australian horses were remarkable for how good they all looked this morning, both beautifully presented but especially so fit and well.

The overnight leader La Biosthetique Sam was presented by a very attractive and well-dressed blonde lady, presumably Michael Jung was too lame to jog, but he was watching and smiling, and gave them both the thumbs up as they were accepted.

Colleen Rutledge and Covert Rights

Colleen Rutledge and Covert Rights

Some much anticipated awards were given out at the horse inspection. Best conditioned (as well as best care and presentation) went to Mark Todd’s groom, Khia Cadney-Moon for Leonidas II. Tim Price’s Ringwood Sky Boy wins Best Shod Horse.

A total of 50 horses will go forward to show jumping, which you can follow along with both on our open thread as well as the Horse & Hound live blog.

Rushing out to catch the first group of showjumping and then we’ll be back with more photos. Go eventing at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials!

#LRBHT: Website, Live Scores, Schedule, Burghley TV, Course Preview, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram,@samanthalclark

Sunday Links from One K Helmets

By on Sep 6, 2015 2:09 am -
One K Helmet rider and selfie queen Lainey Ashker at Burghley. Photo by Nico Morgan, via Laine Ashker's Facebook Page One K Helmet rider and selfie queen Lainey Ashker at Burghley. Photo by Nico Morgan, via Laine Ashker's Facebook Page

Labor Day weekend is here and that means sales galore! What to buy? What to purchase? Days like today make me sad that I can only wear one helmet at a time. I’m beginning to horde One K Helmets. I already have a Defender for daily wear, a Defender Bling for shows and a Skull Cap for cross country. Much like the old joke “If you only buy bay geldings, you’ll never have to tell your husband how many horses you own”, I’ve stuck to black helmets so far. However, I’m really digging the brown Defender with snake skin. Too bad brown helmets aren’t legal in eventing! Maybe Chinch can pull some strings for me… hmm.

U.S. & Canada Weekend Action:

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

Chardon Valley H.T.  [Omnibus Listing] [Ride Times/Live Scores]

Copper Meadows CIC & H.T. [Website] [Ride Times/Live Scores]

Five Points H.T.  [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Larkin Hill H.T. [Website] [Ride Times]

The Event at Santa Fe H.T.  [Omnibus Listing] [Ride Times/Live Scores]

Seneca Valley Pony Club H.T.  [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Wit’s End August H.T. [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Sunday Links:

Speaking of sales – Point Two has a Labor Day Special going on. You can get $150 off the price of a new vest. This is subject to availability and colors in stock. This deal is available September 5th thru 7th. [Point Two USA]

Horses come second at Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration

BLM completes Soda Fire wild horse gather

Racing industry worried about plans to curb casino subsidies

 Missing horse recovered after 48 hours

Protesters call attention to horse fatalities at Del Mar races

Sunday Video: We couldn’t do this sport without volunteers. Jump judges are a major part of any event, even the big’uns.

The Wait is Over: William Fox-Pitt Dons a Helmet Cam

By on Sep 5, 2015 10:18 pm -

This has to be a big first of some sorts: William Fox-Pitt wore a helmet cam on his ride with Fernhill Pimms today! Now the moment we’ve all been hoping for is here, seeing a cross country course through the eyes of one of the best riders in the world.

Fernhill Pimms, owned by Carol Gee and Catherine Witt, is contesting his first CCI4* this weekend at Burghley, and he certainly looked like anything but a rookie out there today. After tying for the lead in the dressage, some extra time bumped William and Pimms down into 13th position.

If you haven’t seen this round yet, you’re in for a real treat. Fernhill Pimms has a really neat way of going and is efficient and ground-covering in his gallop. He never loses his rhythm and William does an excellent job of giving him confidence as the course builds. By the end, it’s easy to tell that a four-star horse has emerged at the finish line.

Enjoy this great opportunity to see things from William’s perspective, thanks to Equine Productions Ltd!

#LRBHT: Website, Entries, Live Scores, XC Fence Report, Schedule, Burghley TV, Course Preview, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram, @samanthalclark

Watch Michael Jung and Sam’s Leading Burghley Cross Country Round

By on Sep 5, 2015 9:28 pm -
Michael Jung and La Biosthetique Sam. Photo by Nico Morgan Photography.

Michael Jung and La Biosthetique Sam. Photo by Nico Morgan.

The official Burghley YouTube channel has uploaded the entire ride from Michael Jung and La Biosthetique Sam’s cross country today — where they would take the lead heading into show jumping tomorrow. This pair truly is one of the “best of the best” and we are privileged to watch another masterful round from Ze Terminator.

And let’s not forget, his took an unplanned swim with his first ride, fischerRocana FST, who was the original leader of the pack after dressage! Way to shake it off, Michael. Let’s take a look at Sam’s FEI record and break out some fun facts:

  • Sam began his FEI career in 2006 and has not incurred a single cross country jump penalty since day one
  • The most time he has ever picked up in an FEI division is 7.6, or 19 seconds
  • He’s won 20 times at the international levels, with 14 of those being at the three-star level or higher
  • He has one Olympic gold medal, one WEG individual gold medal, two Nations Cup wins and one CCI4* win on his record (Luhmühlen in 2009, as a first-timer. No big deal.)
  • He was the second placed horse in the CCI2* at the prestigious Young Event Horse championships at Le Lion in 2007 — a star is born

What do you think, EN? Can Michael and Sam pull out the win at their first time at Burghley tomorrow? Stay tuned tomorrow to find out!

Saturday Results Recap: Five Points, Copper Meadows, Breda, Aspen Farms

By on Sep 5, 2015 5:00 pm -
Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice held the lead in the Advanced division at Five Points. Photo courtesy of Allie Conrad Photography. Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice held the lead in the Advanced division at Five Points. Photo courtesy of Allie Conrad Photography.

It was a day of ups and downs on cross country at Five Points today, where Phillip Dutton is holding his lead aboard Mighty Nice in the Advanced division on a score of 35.1. He’s closely pursued by Kim Severson and Cooley Cross Border, who really seems to have found his cross country groove this year.

Less than a rail separate the top four in the Advanced division, and Boyd Martin with Blackfoot Mystery and Phillip with his second ride, Mr Candyman, are both well within striking position to take advantage of any mistakes at the top in the show jumping.

Kim Severson and Cooley Cross Border. Photo courtesy of Allie Conrad Photography.

Kim Severson and Cooley Cross Border. Photo courtesy of Allie Conrad Photography.

The course overall seemed to ride well, with two riders retiring — Michael Pollard and Halimey and Lucia Strini and Sammy Jo — and one rider fall, Will Faudree from Hans Dampf. We’re awaiting updates on how Will is feeling after parting ways and will provide updates as we receive them.

This is also the first Advanced start for Doug Payne with his newer ride, Vandiver. They look to have had a great time out on course today, picking up 13.6 time for sixth place overnight.

Boyd Martin and Blackfoot Mystery. Photo courtesy of Allie Conrad Photography.

Boyd Martin and Blackfoot Mystery. Photo courtesy of Allie Conrad Photography.

There were two mandatory retirements in the Open Intermediate, which is currently led by Phillip Dutton and Z. Dana Cooke and FE Ophelia and Sara Siegel and Pure Possession ended their weekends with an MR, and we are also awaiting word on how these pairs are doing. Evidently it was quite the busy day for the medics on site! Please check back to this post as we will post updates here when they are received.

Click here for live scores from Five Points.

Copper Meadows DAY 1 Coverage FEI Dressage & Show Jumping September 2015

Copper Meadows

Tamie Smith and Mai Baum didn’t let go of their lead on cross country today, picking up 4.8 time penalties to finish on a three-phase score of 46.1. This pair is coming off a win in the CIC3* at Rebecca Farm as well, and they’ve bested that score by 6.8 points this time around.

Andrea Baxter and Indy 500 also held their position through cross country, taking home second follwed by Bunnie Sexton and Rise Against. Lauren Billys and her Pan Ams mount, Castle Larchfield Purdy, finished their weekend in fourth on a final score of 75.8, and Gina Economou and Calidore complete the division on a score of 94.5.

Unfortunately, Alyssa Phillips as well as Kevin Baumgardner fell from their horses on cross country today, and Barb Crabo withdrew Over Easy prior to the final phase.

Click here to see live scores from Copper Meadows.

That's a lot of mud! Photo via Liz Halliday-Sharp on Facebook.

That’s a lot of mud! Photo via Liz Halliday-Sharp on Facebook.

Breda

Liz Halliday-Sharp is still sitting in a great position in the CIC3* at Breda in the Netherlands aboard Fernhill By Night. It was a supremely soggy day for competition, and Liz posted on her Twitter page that she was still thrilled with how hard her horses tried despite the slop.

Well, all I can say is that my horses are absolute heroes today for show jumping in what can only be described as the…

Posted by Liz Halliday on Saturday, September 5, 2015

Liz picked up 7 penalties in the show jumping today with “Blackie” but will be in fourth place heading into tomorrow’s cross country. HHS Cooley dropped a few places to 11th from sixth with, ironically, 11 penalties, but Liz will be pleased with her results today given the conditions.

In the lead is Pia Münker and Louis M, who picked up 8 faults but still managed to hold their lead on a two day score of 39.2. Just six of the 45 horse field jumped clear inside the time — a remarkable feat given the mud!

Click here to see the Breda leaderboard.

Mark Burke and Prince William. Photo by Tim O'Neal.

Mark Burke and Prince William. Photo by Tim O’Neal.

Aspen Farms

Mary Burke and Prince William have held their lead in the Tin Men Supply Advanced at Aspen Farms, picking up just one second’s worth of time on cross country today to finish the day on a score of 35.6. Mary was pleased with her horse’s effort in their first Advanced together.  “I felt challenged with the course today but he gave excellent effort,” she said in a press release. “It felt great as our first Advanced and we came of course with more confidence for the future. Tomorrow in Show Jumping I am going to try and stay focused and ride my best.”

Fence 6AB. Photo by Chesna Klimek.

Fence 6AB. Photo by Chesna Klimek.

Allison Sparks and Mystic Mojo moved from fourth into second with 10 time penalties incurred, followed by Karen O’Neal and Hollywood Diva. Sadly, Marc Grandia and Fernhill Eagle had a Mandatory Retirement at fence 6, a one stride into the water. We are currently awaiting word on their condition following the fall and will update this post with further information.

Five Points H.T.  [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Copper Meadows CIC & H.T. [Website] [Live Scores]

Aspen Farms: [Website] [Live Scores]

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