Classic Eventing Nation

EN TRENDS:

Sam Griffiths Leads, Buck Davidson Just Outside of Tattersalls CCI3* Top 20

By Sally Spickard on May 28, 2015 1:30 pm -

Tattersalls CCI3* leaders Sam Griffiths and Favorit Z. Photo by Libby Law Photography.

It was a stiff day of competition in the CCI3* at Tattersalls in Ireland today. North American riders are represented in nearly every division this weekend, and Buck Davidson with Carl and Cassie Segal and Sherrie Martin’s Copper Beach represents the U.S. in the CCI3*.

Sam Griffiths and Favorit Z will take the lead in the CCI3* after the dressage, scoring a 36.1. Favorit Z is a 10-year-old Zangersheide gelding owned by Sam as well as Sue Brendish. Favorit Z achieved his personal best FEI dressage score today and was one of just two horses to crack into the 30s.

The next few positions on the board belong to British riders, with Flora Harris and Bayano scoring a 37.4 for second and Nick Gauntlett and Crown Talisman in third on a 41.3.

Crown Talisman, as you may recall, was sold to Nick Gauntlett after campaigning to the three-star level with U.S. rider Doug Payne. This is the first CCI3* competition for Nick and “Tali”, who most recently completed the CIC3* at Belton.

Buck Davidson and Copper Beach. Photo by Libby Law Photography.

Buck Davidson and Copper Beach had a nice, consistent test. A bobble in one of the flying changes cost them some marks, but this was a very nice debut for this horse in his first overseas start. Buck and Sean scored a 50.1 to sit just outside of the top 20 going into cross country.

This is Buck’s first time competing in Ireland, and it’s also the first trip to an Irish event for the Segals. Sherrie Martin is also supporting her daughter, Caroline, who is prepping for Bramham in the CIC3* with Quantum Solace.

U.S. coach David O’Connor is all smiles. Photo by Libby Law Photography.

The remainder of the North American riders will compete tomorrow in the dressage. You can read more background information on the North Americans at Tattersalls this weekend here.

As always, we’d like to thank Niamh Flynn of the Tattersalls press team, Libby Law Photography and the Eventing Consultant himself Diarm Byrne of EquiRatings for giving us behind the scenes access this weekend at #Tatts2015. Stay tuned from much more from Ireland.

Tattersalls Links: Website, Entries, Ride Times, Live Scores, Schedule, Live Stream, @Tatts2015

: Katherine Coleman smiles through the rain. Photo by Libby Law Photography.

: Scenes from Tattersalls. Photo by Libby Law Photography.

: Scenes from Tattersalls. Photo by Libby Law Photography.

Eventing Community Mourns the Loss of Seema Sonnad

By Jenni Autry on May 28, 2015 10:15 am -

Seema Sonnad in her element. Photo by Cynthia Gilbert/Gazworks Inc.

The eventing community mourns the loss of Seema Sonnad, a rider, volunteer, owner, official and rock of the Area II family, who passed away last night after suffering a fatal cardiac arrhythmia while running an ultramarathon in Seattle; she was 52 years old. Blue Hill Farm, where Seema boarded her horse and trained with Jessica and Missy Ransehousen in Unionville, Pennsylvania, confirmed the news this morning:

“We want to ask everyone to remember her amazing spirit, determination and generosity to all the people who were graced by her presence. Seema embodied philanthropic spirit, and her infectious ‘can do’ personality will forever be part of our family at Blue Hill Farm. Our love goes out to Henry and all of Seema’s extended family, which was enormous. The entire eventing community grieves today.”

A USEF ‘r’ Eventing Technical Delegate, Seema was a stalwart of eventing in the U.S., where she dedicated countless hours to volunteering and was a very familiar face at major events, from the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event to Plantation Field International Horse Trials. In her quest to encourage more eventers to volunteer, she sat on USEA committees and worked with the Professional Riders Organization to increase volunteer recognition.

A longtime owner in the sport, she was a member of syndicates for Sally Cousins and Caitlin Silliman and supported riders like David Ziegler and countless other young eventers, whom she both mentored and helped compete when they didn’t have the means to do so. Exceedingly generous and resourceful, she believed that ownership was possible on a budget and dug deep into her own pockets to prove it was true.

An accomplished rider and well known on the circuit, she had competed through the Intermediate level and in more recent years enjoyed re-training Thoroughbreds off the track. She had been competing her OTTB Keegan at the Preliminary level while managing her extremely busy schedule, which included a passion for marathon running.

A graduate of Stanford University and the University of Washington, she earned her Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley. Originally from Kalamazoo, Michigan, she started her career in medicine in the state and later became the Director of Health Service Research for the Christiana Care Health System. She was a well-known and respected part of the greater Philadelphia medical community and beyond.

There are simply not enough words to explain how much Seema meant to the Area II and Area V eventing communities and how much she will be missed. Today our thoughts and prayers are with Henry and her extended family, her barn families at Blue Hill and Cobblestone farms, and the countless people who were lucky enough to call Seema a friend.

Update: The American Journal of Managed Care, for which Seema served as an associate editor, published a very touching tribute that expands on her numerous personal and professional achievements. You can read it at this link. She will be missed by so many.

Jumper Rider Ali Boone Acquires the Ride on Otis Barbotiere

By Sally Spickard on May 28, 2015 9:00 am -

Boyd Martin and Otis Barbotiere at Luhmühlen. Photo by Jenni Autry.

After sending Otis Barbotiere to Florida earlier this year to be tried as a jumper mount, Boyd Martin confirmed that Ali Boone, a young jumper rider from Kentucky, has acquired the ride on his London Olympic mount. The news comes several months after Trading Aces, another of Boyd’s four-star mounts, was sold as an equitation horse to young rider Alexandra Pielet.

Otis, a 13-year-old Selle Francais gelding owned by the Otis Barbotiere Syndicate, most recently competed with Boyd at Luhmühlen CCI4* last year, where they finished 15th. After that competition, Boyd and his syndicate members made the decision to seek a new home for Otis, as they felt that upper level eventing was not ideal for his longterm soundness.

“He still loves competing, and he’s a high energy horse that likes to be in on the action,” Boyd said. “We made plans to redirect his career. We originally paired him with Lauren Hough down in Florida, who would take him and show him in some jumper classes.”

Lauren then searched for a rider she thought would be a good match for Otis in a jumper career. “Lauren wouldn’t let him go to just anyone,” Boyd said. “She did a wonderful job and found him an excellent rider in Ali Boone, who takes excellent care of her horses.”

With Otis’ longterm soundness in mind, Boyd and Lauren wanted to find a rider who competes on a lighter schedule. “We didn’t want someone who would use him up too much — Ali shows him maybe twice a month. She wintered in Palm Beach and will spend some time in Kentucky before heading up to Calgary to compete at Spruce Meadows,” Boyd said.

Otis, who is by Quidam de Revel out of Java Barbotiere, by Veneur de Baugy, is well bred to be a pure show jumper, and he began his competition career as a jumper in France before coming over to the U.S. to event with Boyd.

Boyd said he is happy to see his horses move on to homes where they can thrive. He’s grateful to the Otis Barbotiere Syndicate members who have provided their support, and he hopes that eventually his next “needle in a haystack horse” will come along as his next eventing superstar.

“Now that two of my big syndicated horses have gone on to other careers, I’m not necessarily actively looking, but special horses come along once in a blue moon. I am hopeful that when the next special horse comes around, the syndicate members will be ready to have another go,” Boyd said.

“Otis really completed a dream of mine to compete at the Olympics. It’s something I’ll always be indebted to him for. I can proudly call myself an Olympian, and I will never forget riding around Greenwich Park — a very testing course — and he showed wonderful grit and determination. He tries so hard, and it’s my duty to make sure he’s looked after for the rest of his life.”

We wish Otis the best of luck with his new rider, and we’ll be looking for updates from Spruce Meadows soon!

Thursday News & Notes from SmartPak

By Kate Samuels on May 28, 2015 12:03 am -

Caroline Martin and the infamous Nacho all bundled up at Tattersalls in Ireland. Photo courtesy of Caroline.

This weekend, I’m becoming a girl for a whole night and doing an incredibly not-horsey thing: going to my college roommate’s black tie wedding! All I ever do is have my hair in a messy bun or stacked inside my helmet, and all I ever wear is a variety of riding pants with shirts that are sweat proof and a sports bra. This weekend I’m treating myself to the full girl situation: hair did, nails did, fancy dress, and I even made an effort to tan my ghostly legs. I might even pass for a “normal” girl!

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Waredaca H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Poplar Place Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

IEA H.T, T3D & N3D [Website] [Entry Status]

Colorado Horse Park H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Tattersalls is streaming live world-wide starting today. Tattersalls is holding a CCI3* and CIC3* this weekend, and the entire thing is being streamed live from start to finish. Buck Davidson will be contesting the CCI3* while Caroline Martin, Katherine Coleman and Rebecca Howard are all entered in the CIC3*. Brianne Stanley is also in the CIC1* YH. The streaming does require a one time log-in process. [CCI3* Leaderboard] [CIC3* Leaderboard] [Live Streaming Schedule]

There is almost nothing better than an awesome view from the back of your horse. We are not alone in our desire for “between the ears” photos, as the British have taken up the idea as well. Horse and Hound discusses the best places for hacking and soaking in views in England, and shows us the pictures! [Best Hacking in England]

Could American Pharoah win the Triple Crown, misspelled name and all? Despite the fact that somebody bungled the Jockey Club naming process for this colt, he’s looking surprisingly good coming off the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. He had his first work this week, running an easy 1/2 mile in 48 seconds. Trainer Bob Baffert thinks he’s looking fine, and the colt with ship out on Tuesday if all goes well. [American Pharoah Impressive In First Work]

Oh, the things horses can get themselves into….Intrepid four-year-old gelding Archie thought that perhaps he wanted to jump out of the horse section of the horse box, and into the storage section. Little did Archie know that this was a terrible plan, and he would become stuck halfway between both sides. The fire brigade had to be called to cut Archie loose! [Gelding Gets Stuck in Horsebox]

This is incredibly cool, to watch the speed of the horse and the heartbeat of the rider along with the helmet cam!

Video Content AnalyticsNow we can capture and analyse key statistics, combing video and data logging. Here’s our latest project from the National Three Day in Taupo, New Zealand. A big thanks to the guys involved: Nik Eliadis, Samantha Felton Samantha Felton Eventing , Andrew Leiataua, Rainer Hagspihl. (Click HD for best quality.)

Posted by Equestrian Live NZ on Monday, May 25, 2015

Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: On Board with Ingrid Klimke + Data Analysis

By Sally Spickard on May 27, 2015 5:00 pm -

We have begun excitedly refreshing YouTube when we hear that Ingrid Klimke was out competing over a weekend, as her helmet cams with SAP Analysis have been a huge hit for fans all over the world. SAP Equestrian Analytics has been able to sync Ingrid’s helmet cam to provide up to the second data on speed as well as her position on course.

Ingrid competed FRH Escada JS in the CIC3* at Wiesbaden this past weekend, finishing in fourth on a final score of 46.7. If you missed any of the recap from this German event, you can catch up on Maren Engelhardt’s report here.

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North Americans Out in Full Force at Tattersalls in Ireland

By Jenni Autry on May 27, 2015 3:30 pm -

Buck Davidson and Copper Beach. Photo by Libby Law Photography.

It’s a big week for Team USA and Team Canada in Ireland, as we have a full contingent set to compete across several divisions at Tattersalls International Horse Trials, one of the country’s biggest events of the year. Our North Americans all passed the first horse inspection today, and the action kicks off with dressage tomorrow.

We’ve had one last minute withdrawal, as Clark Montgomery did not present heavy favorite Loughan Glen at the first horse inspection. It was just a change of plans for the horse, and Jess Montgomery confirmed this afternoon that Glen is just fine — “bright eyed, bushy tailed and fit as a fiddle” — and still right on track for Luhmühlen, where he’s entered in the CCI4* later this month.

Like last year, Tattersalls will once again be running an excellent free live stream (which started today with CCI* dressage and super commentary from the fabulous Sue Stewart), so you’re definitely going to want to tune in. Click here to check out the entries in all the divisions, and read on for our full preview on the North American pairs.

The Irish Field CCI3*

Buck Davidson and Copper Beach have the chance to make an early statement for Olympic selection at Tattersalls, which is a selection trial for Rio. This 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Carl and Cassie Segal and Sherrie Martin is already an experienced competitor at this level, having won Jersey Fresh CCI3* and placed second at Galway Downs CCI3* last year. This is his first trip back home to Ireland, and he should feel right at home should rain keep coming down like it did today during the trot up.

Caroline Martin and Quantum Solace. Photo by Libby Law Photography.

George Mernagh Memorial CIC3*

British-based American Katherine Coleman and Courage Under Fire are one of two U.S. combinations competing in the CIC3*. Katherine and this 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare she owns have already had success for the U.S. this year, finishing sixth in the CCI3* at Ballindenisk last month. This horse finished 10th in the CIC3* at Tatts in 2012 with Steven Smith in the irons, so Katherine will look to replicate that good result with the mare.

It’s fantastic to see Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master returning to competing after the horse sustained an injury at Badminton last year. This is the first event back at the FEI level for “Rupert,” a 14-year-old Canadian Sport Horse gelding owned by Blithe Hill Farm. He’s done three Intermediates and one Advanced since the beginning of April, and Samantha Clark caught up with Rebecca at Aston Le Walls earlier this month to find out more about Rupert’s triumphant return.

This is a big summer for Caroline Martin and Quantum Solace, as they’ve traveled across the pond to compete not only at Tattersalls but also at the Under 25 CCI3* at Bramham next month. Tatts is their first overseas competition! Caroline and “Nacho,” a 10-year-old Argentinian Thoroughbred gelding owned by Caroline and Sherrie Martin, have been competing successfully at the three-star level since 2013. He’s an extremely good cross country horse, and this should serve as an ideal final prep for Bramham.

Katherine Coleman and Courage Under Fire. Photo by Libby Law Photography.

Eventing Ireland CCI2*

Katherine Coleman and Longwood, a 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding she owns, will be the sole pair flying the Team USA flag in the CCI2* division. This horse was sixth in the Under 25 CCI2* at this event with Charlotte Agnew in the irons in 2011, so he has plenty of experience at this level. Katherine has had the ride on him for about a year, and they will look to complete their first CCI2* as a combination at this event.

Cooley Farm CCIYH*

Irish-based American Brianne Stanley is riding her homebred Bit of Business in the Young Horse CCI* division. This 7-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare owned by Eleanor Hadden did her first CIC* last month at Ballindenisk and is now stepping up for her first CCI*. The majority of the division did dressage today, and Brianne and Bit of Business scored 59.4 to sit in 42nd place currently. There are 68 total competitors in the division, so more action to come tomorrow.

Where the action is happening tomorrow! Photo by Libby Law Photography.

Watch Live

CCI3* dressage will stream all day tomorrow at this link. It is free to watch; you just need to sign up. You can click here to see the full live stream schedule for the week. Sadly we won’t get to see much of the CIC3* or other divisions on the live stream since all eyes will be on the CCI3*, but we can still cheer on Buck and Sean tomorrow; they do their test at 9:35 a.m. EST.

We’ve teamed up with the fabulous Niamh Flynn of the Tattersalls press team, Libby Law Photography and the Eventing Consultant himself Diarm Byrne of EquiRatings to bring you lots of photos, coverage and behind-the-scenes tidbits from #Tatts2015, so keep it locked on EN. Go Eventing.

Tattersalls Links: Website, Entries, Ride Times, Live Scores, Schedule, Live Stream, @Tatts2015

Stefanie Brand Released from Hospital After Rotational Fall

By Sally Spickard on May 27, 2015 2:00 pm -

Stefanie Brand and Claudius. Photo via Stefanie on Facebook.

We’re pleased to report that Stefanie Brand was released from the hospital in Atlanta last week after undergoing surgery to place a plate on her broken collarbone sustained after a rotational fall at CHC International earlier this month. After spending the night in Atlanta, Stefanie was on a plane the next day to return to her home country of Guatemala to begin physical therapy treatments.

“She’s feeling much better now that she is out of the hospital and seeing the real world again,” family friend and groom Barry Tomason said. “She’s of course itching to get back on her horse, but she’s taking it one day at a time at this point.”

Stefanie’s horse, Claudius, was uninjured in the fall and has traveled to Canada with the rest of the Guatemalan team. Claudius will continue his preparations for Toronto with Peter Gray, although at this point Stefanie’s plan of running at Bromont is no more.

“Peter will continue to ride the horse and keep him sharp,” Barry said. “At this point, she is not running Bromont. We aren’t sure yet if someone will ride him and do the dressage, but she will not be riding.”

As it stands now, Stefanie still would like to represent Guatemala at the Pan American Games in July, but naturally her recovery will be the top priority as she looks ahead to the rest of the summer.

We will continue to provide updates on Stefanie and her progress as it becomes available. In the meantime, we’re relieved to hear that she is well on her way to returning to the saddle and that Claudius was able to walk away from the fall unscathed.

Kristi Nunnink Announces R-Star’s Venture Into Jumper Ring

By Sally Spickard on May 27, 2015 12:00 pm -

Kristi Nunnink and R-Star. Photo by Samantha Clark.

It’s been a rollercoaster of a week for Kristi Nunnink, who announced the heartbreaking news on her Facebook page that her talented former four-star mare R-Star lost her foal by Royaldik just before the due date. Fortunately, the prognosis for “Rosie” is good, and the mare should make a full recovery.

“We still aren’t exactly sure what happened to the foal,” Kristi said. “I had dropped Rosie off at the vet clinic on my way to a show over the weekend, because she was due while I was gone. I’m very thankful that I did that, because I’m afraid we would have lost her as well if the vet wasn’t right there.”

The first sign of trouble came on Thursday evening, when the vet called and told Kristi that the foal’s vital signs were “slowing down.” Kristi instructed the vets to do whatever they could to save her beloved mare. “It was very nerve wracking,” she said. “I wanted that baby, but I love that mare more than anything, and so I told them to do everything they could to keep her alive.”

Rosie ultimately never went into labor, and the foal died in utero. The 14-year-old Holsteiner mare remained under veterinary care for the next few days while her own vital signs returned to normal, and she was released to Kristi’s care this week.

Now, Kristi has begun planning to bring the mare back into work. While a heart condition discovered before Rolex last year will prevent R-Star from returning to her career as an event horse, she’s been cleared to continue competing as either a pure dressage or a pure show jumping mount.

“Her heart could handle everything but the high cardiac activity for a prolonged amount of time,” Kristi said. “I’ve been given the green light from the vets to see what she wants to do in the jumper ring.”

R-Star was never one to have much trouble in the show jumping phase during her eventing career, so Kristi has not done much in the jumper ring with her. “I’ve done up to Fourth Level dressage with her to help her settle, but she’s always been so good with the show jumping I never felt she needed the extra time,” she said. “But I grew up doing hunters and jumpers, so it will be great to be able to make a return to that.”

Kristi is confident that Rosie will make a return to full work soon, as she’s been ridden periodically since her retirement from eventing. “She was unhappy sitting around, and she hated seeing us leave for shows,” she said. “So we eventually put shoes on her, and I had my girls start riding her here and there, just so she felt she was doing something. Once she got pregnant, she seemed much more content.”

Despite the loss of her foal, Kristi reports that Rosie is in good spirits. The mare is definitely purpose bred for dressage or show jumping (by Riverman out of Marisol, by Corofino I), so it looks like she should be right at home in the jumper ring.

“She’s quite good at getting to the base and jumping around and not up,” Kristi said. “I’ve been told on multiple occasions that she had the talent to either be a Grand Prix dressage horse or a Grand Prix show jumper, so we’ll just see what she wants to do. I don’t think I’ve even tapped into her scope. The big question is: How high can she go without me falling off?”

Kristi hasn’t left her dream of breeding R-Star behind just yet, but she does not want to put the mare through another pregnancy at this time. “I do have some very nice semen frozen still,” she said with a laugh, “so not this year, but maybe next year we may look at doing some embryo transfers.”

“I’m really looking forward to riding her — I’ve missed her!” she continued. “I’m not in a hurry to get to a jumper show; I know I will spend a lot of time doing flatwork to get her stronger, and when she feels really good, we will find a show to go to.”

We wish Kristi and R-Star the best of luck in their new adventure together and send our condolences for what surely would have been a lovely foal. We’ll keep you updated on Rosie’s new foray into the jumper world as we learn more.

Go Rosie.

George Morris Doesn’t Disappoint at Windurra Clinic

By Lisa Thomas on May 27, 2015 10:30 am -

Photo by Lisa Thomas, Mid-Atlantic Equestrian Services.

“That’s it. That’s it.” I will have the sound of George Morris’ voice ingrained in my head, repeating this encouragement as his clinic participants followed his instruction and earned his praise.

If you’ve ever had the opportunity to attend a George Morris clinic, you will identify with that tone of voice, knowing that the master of hunt seat equitation is known for his sayings, quips and occasional sharp tongue. Yesterday was no exception, as he came to Windurra USA for the second year in a row and did not disappoint the spectators or riders who took part in today’s education.

As always, George’s teaching style continues to be clear, straight forward, demanding and consistent. He requires repetition of the basics and has high expectations of his students. No room for the unmotivated in a George Morris clinic, and if you come with less than your A game, expect to hear about it.

There were three groups of riders who took part in his instruction today, and attendees ranged in rider and horse experience levels. There was representation from our local upper level celebrities (Boyd Martin, Phillip Dutton, Erin Sylvester, Kate Hicks, Molly Kinnamon and Amy Ruth Borun), while Matt Brown showcased why he’s become the talk of the West Coast.

All the groups had a nice mix of talent with up and coming event riders and fortunate working students who held up well under the pressure of riding in front of the Father of Hunt Seat Equitation. The dark horse of the day was jump jockey extraordinaire and Maryland Hunt Cup champion, Mark Beecher.

Here are a few snippets of “George-isms” that bear repeating and repeating.

George on contact:

“Constantly check that the horse accepts contact with a short rein and closed fingers.”
“Shorten the rein, close your fingers, raise your hand till he starts to accept the aid.”
“If the horse raises his head, raise your hand.”
“If the horse lowers his head, lower your hand.”
“Raise and close your hand if the horse gets heavy.”
“Subtle him. It’s leg/hand, leg/hand, not hand/leg.”
“Your horse’s mouth should be white.” 🙂

George on transitions:

“It’s the frequency of the transitions.”
“Canter/walk transition every eight strides if your horse is too fast.”
“It’s supposed to be active but slow.”
“Your horse should sit into the walk.”
“To halt, sink, stretch, leg on, then hand.”

Back to contact:

“Raise your hand.”
“Raise your hand.”
“Raise your hand.” (you get it)

George on jumping:

“Do not worry about your horse’s head being too high.”
“Once you see your distance, lower your hand.”
“Allow your horse to hit the poles. Don’t carry him over the jumps.”
“If you fall off, don’t pet him. Get back on quick and ride!”
“I love to stop in a straight line.”
“Horses hate corners, so stop in the corner.”
“Jump crew, hurry up!”

George on use of stick and spur:

“Make it quick, don’t nag or repeat.”
“Don’t be too intense. You’re not the Statue of Liberty!”

It goes without saying that having George Morris as a guest clinician at Windurra USA is always a true privilege for the riders and the spectators. His pension for blatant honesty is always balanced with proper praise and brilliant assessment of each horse and rider. We are thankful to everyone who took part in today’s clinic, including all the auditors and our sponsors from Purina and Stubben North America.

The clinic continues today, and auditors are welcome. Click here for more information and to see the full rider schedule. You can view a full gallery of photos from Day 1 on Boyd Martin’s Facebook page.

: Photo by Lisa Thomas, Mid-Atlantic Equestrian Services.

: Photo by Lisa Thomas, Mid-Atlantic Equestrian Services.

: Photo by Lisa Thomas, Mid-Atlantic Equestrian Services.

: Photo by Lisa Thomas, Mid-Atlantic Equestrian Services.

: Photo by Lisa Thomas, Mid-Atlantic Equestrian Services.

: Photo by Lisa Thomas, Mid-Atlantic Equestrian Services.

: Photo by Lisa Thomas, Mid-Atlantic Equestrian Services.

: Photo by Lisa Thomas, Mid-Atlantic Equestrian Services.

: Photo by Lisa Thomas, Mid-Atlantic Equestrian Services.

: Photo by Lisa Thomas, Mid-Atlantic Equestrian Services.

: Photo by Lisa Thomas, Mid-Atlantic Equestrian Services.

Julia Krajewski Wins Action Packed Wiesbaden CIC3* in Germany

By Maren Engelhardt on May 27, 2015 9:00 am -

Julia Krajewski and Samourai du Thot. Photo by Lutz Kaiser/buschreiter.de.

Yes, I know … it’s a running gag by now to assume that Michael Jung wins everything. He doesn’t. But he still got oh so close. The city of Wiesbaden hosted its annual Whitsun Horse Show, a CDI, CSI, CIC and international vaulting competition (it would be way too boring otherwise) this past weekend.

Very rarely do you get to see world class riders from the three major disciplines battle it out. And the venue is indeed unique — it all happens in the middle of the city in the park of and right in front of Wiesbaden Castle.

This event has a limited number of open slots, and it is always a thrill to get in. In 2015, eight nations were represented, including Mexico and Japan. Of the 34 pairs that showed up for dressage, 28 finished the event (two horses were withdrawn before cross country, one rider eliminated due to omission of a jump on cross country, one horse retired on course at jump 12a and two horses eliminated on course not due to falls).

Ingrid Klimke and FRH Escada JS. Photo by Lutz Kaiser/buschreiter.de.

The dressage ring in Wiesbaden makes for some exciting viewing, both for horses and spectators. The backdrop of the castle is truly magnificent. Horses get to show off in an arena that appears tight and, like on cross country day, spectators are very close.

The cross country in Wiesbaden is a lovely stretch of rather flat land, but with many twists and turns, some open stretches for galloping and the interesting, if not distracting, optics of other horses coming back towards the start line — eventually you’ll come close to other horses running “against” you. Ride along the course with Michael Jung here.

Dressage seemed like a repetition of the Marbach CIC3* just a couple of weeks ago, with Pia Münker and her own homebred Louis M (by Lissabon out of Angelique M by Abanos) taking an early and very comfortable lead over the rest of the field with a whopping 26.3 points.

Louis M is an extravagant mover who is ridden very well, light in the contact, nicely forward and just oozing dressage talent and athleticism at the same time. Sadly though, Pia and her flashy chestnut had some serious issues during show jumping, adding 30 penalties to their otherwise spotless record.

Pia Münker and Louis M. Photo by Lutz Kaiser/buschreiter.de.

Since nothing was to be gained from a fast round, Pia opted for a safe, confidence-giving ride cross country and added some 11 points to her record to finish 16th overall (67.5 points).

Second place after dressage went to Julia Krajewski, a young German rider, on the exceptional talent Samourai du Thot (by Milor Landais out of Melitos du Thot by Flipper d’Elle). The 9-year-old French gelding is one of the brightest talents in German eventing right now, and it should be interesting to watch this pair mature together.

Julia and her “Sam” (coincidence? I think not …) scored 34.2 in dressage, and all they had to do is remain fault-free until the end — which is exactly what they did. Just 3.2 penalties after cross country placed them first after the action was over, with a comfortable lead over second place finisher Michael Jung and his European Champion, the Baden-Württemberg bred Halunke FBW (by Heraldik xx out of Jolanda by Jugol). This proven pair started with 40.2 after dressage and just added two time penalties from cross country.

Interesting note on the side — only two horses in the field managed to run cross country in optimum time: Ingrid Klimke’s WEG Team Gold medalist FRH Escada JS (by Embassy I out of Lehnsherrin by Lehnsherr), who incidentally also took home the fourth place ribbon (did you know fourth place in Germany is blue?), and Freya Füllgraebe’s “old-timer” 18-year-old Oje Oje (by Ocos xx out of Diane by Diolen) — this pair won the U25 prize of the event.

Andreas Dibowski and Butt’s Avedon. Photo by Lutz Kaiser/buschreiter.de.

But to get back to the actual order — third place finisher was Andreas Dibowski with his long-term partner FRH Butts Avedon (by Heraldik xx out of Karina-Andora by Kronenkranich xx), the horse he planned to bring to Rolex, then decided to spare him the quarantine and is now aiming at Luhmühlen’s upcoming CCI4* instead.

They began the weekend on a 40.4 score after dressage and merely added 2.4 points after cross country. The top five placings were rounded off by German team anchor Peter Thomsen and his Holsteiner mare Horseware’s Cayenne (by Cardino out of Siringia by Sir Shostakovich xx) on a final score of 47.6.

Peter Thomsen and Horseware’s Cayenne. Photo by Lutz Kaiser/buschreiter.de.

The highest placed foreign rider was Stefano Brecciaroli (ITA) with his Belgium-bred Apollo v.d. Wendi Kurt Hoeve (by Polidiktus van de Helle out of Naevship v.d. Wendi Kurt Hoeve by Township xx), who started out with 41.3, added four penalties in show jumping and came home with 4.8 points from cross country to finish on 50.1 points.

Other foreign riders took eighth, ninth and 11th place – in that order Sweden’s top rider Linda Algotsson with the home-bred Fairnet (Swedish warmblood by Feliciano out of Fairlisia by Dalby Jaguar xx), Elmo Jankari (FIN) with his WEG mount, the Oldenburg/Trakehner mare Duchesse Desiree (by Don Primero out of Arogna/T. by Noble Roi xx), and Austria’s Katrin Khoddam-Hazrati on the very interesting grey Irish gelding Kilnaboy Buffet (by French Buffet xx out of Cotton Foot by Tammouz xx).

Kilnaboy Buffet is interesting because this horse began his career as a show jumper and even represented his country at the FEI World Championships for Young Show Jumpers in Lanaken in Belgium only to switch disciplines and run the FEI World Championships of Young Event Horses in Lion d’Angers in France one year later!

The Klimke family bikes the cross country course. Photo by Lutz Kaiser/buschreiter.de.

As mentioned at the beginning, Wiesbaden’s show is also home to world-class dressage and show jumping during the same time the eventers battle it out in the spacious castle gardens. And so to those venturing into other sports, this was a firsthand opportunity to see Ingrid Klimke in the CDI Grand Prix on board her stunning black Dresden Mann — and yes, she can ride with the best out there!

Of course Michael “Zee Terminator” Jung didn’t just show in the CDI Small Tour (Prix. St Georges), but also appeared in the CSI 1.40, 1.45 and 1.50 meter show jumper classes, placing sixth in the first on board Captain Sparrow and riding the striking grey Sportsman S in the 1.45 meter class — a horse that was ridden noticeably more “forward” than many of his contestants and … well … won. The 1.50 meter class of course also saw Michael Jung in the money — this time with yet another “fischer” horse, the 9-year-old fischerTamarindo.

So, naturally, I was waiting for Michael Jung to show up in a leotard trying his hand in the vaulting competition as well, but I was disappointed …. but then, what would life be without something to look forward to? Certainly Luhmühlen on the horizon is going to test everybody, and the date is getting closer. Stay tuned!

[Wiesbaden Final Scores]