PRO will be streaming live radio commentary on Ustream starting at 9 a.m. EST from Carolina International. The action kicks off first with the CIC*, and CIC3* cross country starts at 12:15 p.m. EST. This is a wonderful way to follow along with the live scores, and we’ll also be running our live updates on EN for the CIC3*. Don’t forget to check out our course preview here and Kate’s bike cam of the CIC3* course here for a tour of the track. Go eventing!
[Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Marilyn Little and RF Demeter in the CIC3* show jumping at Carolina International. Photo by Sally Spickard.
It’s been a great weekend of competition in both North Carolina and Georgia, as both the Carolina International and Poplar Place are running. The entries are positively stacked at both competitions, and there is plenty more action to come today. Jenni and I will be wrapping up our coverage of the CIC3* at Carolina International today; the 43 pairs will run cross country today on what promises to be a challenging course designed by Hugh Lochore. Many commendations are in order for the event organizers, volunteers, and officials who have kept this weekend running so smoothly. The riders have had nothing but praise to give, and Jenni and I echo those sentiments. In fact, let’s just give a nice, big EN shout out to ALL of those hard working individuals who keep our beloved events running day in and day out. There is so much work that goes on behind the scenes to pull off an event of any size, and that hard work does not go unnoticed. So thank you to each and every one of you who make weekends such as this possible.
Events This Weekend:
Carolina International CIC: [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Poplar Place Farm March H.T. [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Saturday Links:
Don’t forget, The Horse Pesterer is here at Carolina International this weekend. He has videos from both the dressage and show jumping for the FEI divisions uploaded to his YouTube channel, and will be out taking video of the cross country today. [The Horse Pesterer]
Tipperary Equestrian has announced the “Dash for Cash” for riders competing at Rolex this year! This exciting contest gives riders who wear Tipperary gear at Rolex a chance to win an additional $5,000 in prize money. All three phases have a $5,000 which riders can qualify for. The winning rider must be wearing a new Tipperary 3015 Eventer Pro vest in the cross country phase of competition. In the dressage and show jumping phase, the winning rider must be wearing a Tipperary T-Series helmet to qualify for the bonus money. Be sure to read up on the full guidelines and rules here. Good luck to all Rolex riders who plan to participate!
Are you in Ocala? Don’t forget to enter Jump Extreme — where show jumping and cross country converge! The event starts at 10 a.m. March 26. There will be a hospitality food tent with food and drinks. The Southern Stars Saddlery $5,000 Mini Prix starts at 10 a.m., and the Harley Davidson Grand Prix — with the grand prize of a Harley Davidson motorcycle — starts at 1 p.m. Enter on www.EventEntries.com. [Jump Extreme]
Dressage Canada has announced the availability of financial support for 2014.
From western pleasure to FEI dressage.
The 2014 Nations Cup for Eventing has begun!
Steve Asmussen has been removed from consideration for the Racing Hall of Fame.
The NRHA and AQHA have officially become affiliated with the FEI.
Best of the Blogs:
Check out EN writer Erin Critz’s take on the whole prize money debacle over on Bloggers Row.
Saturday Video:
“Horses Unite the World” is the theme for this year’s Dubai World Cup promo.
Riesling de Buissy on their way to a second place finish in the CCI2* at Jersey Fresh in 2013. Photo by Jenni Autry.
The CIC divisions here at Carolina International wrapped up the show jumping today, and the top three from both the one- and two-star divisions came over to the media tent for a quick press conference at the end of the day. The big story of the one-star is Will Faudree’s lovely ride, Riesling de Buissy, a 9-year-old French gelding. “P-Nut” suffered an unfortunate injury in 2013, tearing a flap on the edge of his deep digital flexor tendon sheath, which required tenoscopy surgery, and spent the remainder of the season rehabilitating. “He was alright at Jersey, and when we got him home the tendon really blew up. Luckily I was close enough to NC State and had a very supportive owner, so I am really lucky to have had the support,” Will said. Will is a consummate horseman when it comes to rehabbing horses, so he meticulously and slowly brought P-Nut back from the injury.
“He’s a fun horse, and I have high hopes for him and his future,” Will said. “He’s a very good jumper. He was found by Katie and Henri Prudent in France, and they originally showed him to Phillip (Dutton). Phillip mentioned the horse to me, and it was kind of a right place at the right time situation.” This CIC* is Riesling de Bussy’s first full run back since the injury, and he is clearly feeling healthy and ready to go, as he goes into cross country tomorrow in second place behind Peter Barry and Long Island T.
Peter Barry took over the ride from his assistant trainer Colleen Loach on Long Island T this weekend, who moved up from third to first with a double clear show jumping round. Peter, along with the other riders, commented on the quality of the event here in Carolina, saying the cross country course asked a lot of good questions. “Maybe I’m talking out of league here, but outside of Rolex, I would consider this to be my go-to event. The quality of the courses I think trickles down,” Peter said of the well-organized Carolina International, which he believes is a great example of a fair, challenging event that offers something for everyone.
Doug and Jane Dudinsky’s Cellar Door have also had a rocking weekend. So far, this pair has added nothing to their dressage score to lie in third going into cross country on a 50.9. Cellar Door, or Little Leo as he is known at home, is one of Jane’s homebreds, and Doug said that the horse has made a lot of progress since they began their partnership. “The jumping has been a work in progress, so I was really pleased that he jumped well today,” Doug said. “He’s absolutely a dirt bike kind of horse. He doesn’t need a lot of time to set up, and it makes for a lot of fun on cross country.” Doug plans to keep Cellar Door at Prelim to ensure that he has all of the tools in his arsenal that he will need to move up. “I’d rather spend a little bit more time to make sure I have everything I need instead of pushing him. He’s a really nice horse, and I try to do my best to maintain him.“
Emily Beshear and Shame On the Moon in the CIC2* dressage. Photo by Sally Spickard.
In the CIC2*, Leslie Law moved up from third to first after a double clear show jumping round, sitting on his and Fernhill Whatever’s dressage score of 49.4. Leslie is still getting to know “Winston,” and he thinks that the cross-country course tomorrow will really help them solidify their relationship.
Michael Pollard has enjoyed a successful weekend so far, sitting in second in the CIC2* aboard the 9-year-old Trakehner stallion Halimey. This horse was bred to event; his sire, Askar AA out of Hamamelis Go, is a Polish Anglo-Arab and was one of the last stallions to compete in the long-format Olympics in 1996, so the stamina factor is definitely in play with Halimey. Michael acquired the stallion last year and has since been working through some confidence issues. The pair moved from fourth to second to add nothing to their dressage score of 49.7. “He is actually a really careful jumper; he’s got good power,” Michael said. “It’s more about keeping his feet moving and coming off the ground, and when you do that, he actually jumps pretty well. I think he’s got it in him to be a really good horse, but I just need to be careful not to overface him.”
Emily Beshear and Shame On the Moon had a solid go-round in the show jumping today as well. They ran into a bit of a blip when “Delta” peeked at the second liverpool on course and knocked a rail. “She wants to be careful, but she can get a little unorthodox,” Emily said. “She’s not very solid in her technique yet, so she tries hard, but it doesn’t always work out the way she wants. I’m trying to make that a little more solid going forward.” Emily plans to get a good confidence-building round for Delta tomorrow on cross country. She, like Leslie and Fernhill Whatever, is still forging a new partnership with Delta and is excited to get the mare out for a good run.
[Website] [Live Scores]
Jan Byyny and Inmidair at the Carolina International CIC3*. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Michael Pollard put the pressure on overnight leader Will Coleman early in the day by jumping double clear in the CIC3* show jumping, moving into first place provisionally before an hour-break in the division. Taking a break at the halfway mark of show jumping is certainly different, and you have to wonder how that impacted Will’s mental game with Conair, a horse he admits isn’t strong in this phase. Whether that break played a role or not, two rails came down for Will when he finally did jump, giving Michael the overnight lead on 42.3 heading into cross country tomorrow.
The fact that Michael got a bit lost after the first jump on Marc Donovan’s course — and was able to re-route and still jump clear and make the time — says a lot about Ballingowan Pizazz’s strength in this phase. Michael said he had to turn the rest of the round into something of a jump off, and Mango’s penchant for the show jumping meant he could go for it and let the horse take care of the rest. But that’s not necessarily the strategy he’ll take on Hugh Lochore’s course tomorrow. “I need to look at the big picture,” Michael said. “If I feel like he’s not jumping fantastic, then I’m not going to make this into the Olympics.”
Michael’s ultimate goal for the spring is to get Mango to the CCI3* at Jersey Fresh, a destination that thus far has eluded them since their partnership began two years ago. “I’ve had him ready to do that a couple times and have had something come up,” Michael said. “He feels really good right now. We’ll go to The Fork and then Jersey and see where we end up after that.” Mango has recovered beautifully from a tendon strain that cropped up about 18 months ago, and he was also out for a month last fall, which prevented Michael from aiming toward Fair Hill. But — knock on wood — he’s healthy so far this season.
Crown Talisman was almost comical to watch in the show jumping today due to the way he effortlessly rocked back on his hocks and practically stepped over the jumps with Doug Payne in the irons. Doug and Tali jumped double clear to move into second place on 44.1. “He’s an incredible horse, but in the grand scheme of things, his prime will be in the next couple of years to come. You’re not going to do anything jeopardize his future,” Doug said in regards to his strategy on course tomorrow. But that doesn’t mean he won’t try to up the ante for Tali, who he’s aiming at Rolex — though he’s also applied for a grant to Saumur.
Since Tali just moved up to Advanced last year at Millbrook, Doug spent the fall taking the easy routes around courses to further the horse’s education. But now that he has enough runs at this level under his belt, Doug is looking to step things up, meaning he’ll be taking more direct routes tomorrow. “The mound to the corner (at Zoe’s Bank Complex) — I would probably bend that out in five in the past,” Doug said. But he’ll plan on taking the direct route in four tomorrow. He also likes that the second water is more forward thinking, and he plans to kick on through there, whereas in the past he might have backed off to let Tali process what was happening.
Jan Byyny’s Inmidair — in stark contrast — is not a horse that needs to process what’s happening at this point in his career, or at least he thinks he doesn’t. “Normally at my expense, he enjoys himself,” Jan said. The overnight leaders after dressage, Jan and JR fell victim to the natural oxer at fence four, which rode a bit tough due to its placement right next to the new Stonehenge complex. That rail drops them to third place on a score of 44.5 heading into cross country. “I think he barely hit it, to be honest,” Jan said. “My horse wants to be careful, and he can be quite spooky, but I didn’t feel that there at all.”
Jan said she might go for it a bit tomorrow — as the horse needs a good gallop — but this is not her end goal. “I have one horse at this level right now, and that’s it,” Jan said. “I’ll work him in places. He’s a naturally quick horse. He’s a fast cross-country course, and this kind of course normally suits him as long as I show him where he’s going.” Jan plans to head to The Fork next to run Advanced as their final preparation for Rolex Kentucky, and she again echoed her mantra of one day at a time. “The horse doesn’t need the runs,” Jan said. “I probably need them more than he does. So we’ll see what happens tomorrow first. He would like to think he’s a professional.”
Sharon White and Under Suspection. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Sharon White has to be on Cloud 9 right now. With Rafferty’s Rules well on his way back to the top following his 2012 injury at Burghley, Wundermaske looking confident and in good form following a mishap at Millbrook that kept him home from Blenheim, and a brand new ride in super talented and up-and-coming Under Suspection, Sharon’s season is looking bright indeed. We’re thrilled for her good luck so far, and I caught up with Sharon and Reggie in the barns for an interview this afternoon.
Under Suspection — who is contesting her first three-star this weekend at Carolina International — is in fourth place in the CIC3* on a score of 45.0 thanks to jumping double clear today. Rafferty’s Rules came bouncing into the show jumping and pulled two rails in boisterous fashion to sit in 18th place overnight on 56.9. Wundermaske jumped beautifully with one rail down to sit in 25th on 60.7. Best of luck to Sharon tomorrow as she tackles Hugh Lochore’s cross-country course with Reggie, Pippy and Patch.
EN loves photos shot between the ears! If you happen to be out for a hack, are riding in some obscure place or just take some cool photos aboard your mount, send them to [email protected] with a quick blurb about the photo’s story. This week’s View comes to us from Paula in Pennsylvania.
From Paula:
This is the view from the back of my 25-year-old semi-retired event horse, Samson. He is an Anglo-Arabian, and I board him at the gorgeous and peaceful Schocharie Ridge Farm (Sandy Kantor) in New Tripoli, Pa. Samson was a lesson horse for most of his life at the famously awesome Pleasant Hollow Farm (Jane Cory) in Coopersburg, Pa., and literally taught dozens of people over the years not only how to ride, but also how to event. Those who remember him will recall he was also very good at teaching you not to get ahead while jumping. 🙂
I think we all know how hard it is to find a barn with good school horses, but to find a barn that has good school horses that you can also learn to event and compete on is indeed rare. Pleasant Hollow was one of those rare places. Samson became mine for his retirement. I’ve had him for almost seven years, and we have been having a great time together. He may be 25 but acts half his age and is still quite a spicy character. He is still very lively and loves a good gallop and would much rather be out hacking cross country than in the ring (as do I)!
Becky Allen and Da Vinci preparing for their first CIC*. Photo from the Phoenix Equestrian Team Facebook page.
While the Carolina International is in full swing here in North Carolina, don’t forget that there is also another big event running this weekend. Poplar Place is running CIC one, two, and three star divisions and horse trial divisions all the way from Beginner Novice to Advanced, so you can bet it’s a busy, busy weekend in Georgia as well. The CIC divisions rode dressage today, will show jump tomorrow and run cross country on Sunday.
[Website] [Live Scores]
Jennie Brannigan catches a quick nap in between rides. Photo from Allie Knowles.
CIC3*:
1. Jessica Phoenix – Patras VR – 48.8
2. Diana Burnett – Diamond Cut III – 53.4
3. Diane Burnett – Shigatzi – 56.0
CIC2*:
1. Kyle Carter – Serengeti – 49.9
2. Pedro Gutierrez – Racques Biats – 51.2
3. Karl Slezak – Yoshi – 53.5
CIC1*:
1. Elisa Wallace – Corteo – 38.8
2T. Kelly Taylor – Kynynmont Indeliby Irish – 42.4
2T. Sabie Giesler – Devil Munchkin – 42.4
I don’t know about you, but I about fell out of my seat laughing when I saw the first part of Evention TV’s “How Horses Eat Their Food.” It’s scary how accurate Dom and Jimmie’s portrayals of various horse eating personalities are. Well, now the dynamic duo is back with another edition of “How Horses Eat Their Food,” and I dare say that this one may even be better than the first. Enjoy!
Buck Davidson and Petite Flower. Photo by Sally Spickard.
The leaderboard certainly saw some changes this afternoon as the CIC3* division show jumped. As Jenni reported earlier, Marc Donovan’s course was challenging and required accurate, forward riding. It seems that this morning’s bogey fence, fence four, was replaced by fence 6A this afternoon. 6A was part of an in-and-out that came five strides after fence 5. Some horses seemed to come in to the in-and-out with a bit too much power, and the fence took many hard rubs and quite a few fallen rails. All in all, 11 out of 43 pairs in the CIC3* jumped double clear today. Michael Pollard and Ballingowan Pizazz will lead the field going into cross country, followed by Doug Payne and Crown Talisman, and Jan Byyny and Inmidair.
Will Coleman and Conair. Photo by Sally Spickard.
Will Coleman came into show jumping having speculated in yesterday’s press conference that show jumping may be the biggest question mark on Conair’s resume. Unfortunately, Conair knocked rails at fences 5 and 6A, dropping him down to 11th place. Knowing that Conair may benefit from some more fine tuning in the show jumping, I’m sure Will is already at work formulating a strategy to get all cylinders clicking.
Marilyn Little and RF Demeter. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Marilyn Little and RF Demeter jumped a lovely, fluid round to move into fifth place. I can’t say enough about how amazing Demi looks this year, and I think we are all in for a treat as we watch her continue to campaign with Marilyn.
Holly Payne and Santino. Photo by Sally Spickard.
Buck Davidson, in true Buck fashion, piloted three of his four CIC3* rides to double clear rounds: Ballynoe Castle RM, Petite Flower and Park Trader. Petite Flower will be the highest place horse for Buck going into cross country; she will go into sixth place after show jumping. Ballynoe Castle RM is not too far behind his stablemate with a move into equal seventh with Jon Holling and Downtown Harrison. Park Trader is a bit farther down in the standings, but still within striking range in 12th place overnight.
Rachel Jurgens and Ziggy. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Rachel Jurgens and Ziggy had a huge cheering section today, and I could hear the cheers from all the way back by the media tent after she finished.
We will continue to add more videos to this post as they upload, so keep checking back! Go Carolina.
Michael Pollard and Ballingowan Pizazz:
Doug Payne and Crown Talisman. Disclaimer: Please excuse my moment of clarity when I saw Doug taking a daring inside turn through the Stonehenge complex!
Jan Byyny and Inmidair:
Boyd warms up Shamwari 4 under the watchful eye of David O'Connor. Photo by Sally Spickard.
Boyd Martin and the Shamwari Syndicate’s Shamwari 4 were on their A game this morning. I was able to see the tail end of Boyd’s warm-up with David O’Connor, and I overheard Boyd remark that Shamwari’s changes were beautiful so far. The horse continued to warm up wonderfully, and looked ready to put on a show in the dressage arena.
Shamwari did not fail to disappoint, and Boyd piloted him to score a 25.9 to lead the division currently. There are still a few riders left to ride the Advanced dressage today, so Boyd may have some late challengers.
Two other pairs have so far cracked into the twenties as well: Lauren Kieffer and RF Cosmina (27.7) and Courtney Cooper with Who’s a Star (29.1). The scores are still coming in, so the final dressage results are still pending.
Here is a video of Boyd and Shamwari’s dressage test:
