Tamra Smith and Sunsprite Syrius led wire to wire this weekend in the Training Horse division at the AECs. Tamra had a busy weekend here with several rides in different divisions. I was able to watch her show jumping round in the Intermediate on Fleur de Lis, on whom she ended up 8th. Tamra was nice enough to chat with me for a few moments on her win with Syrius as well as the rest of her weekend. Many thanks to Tamra for taking a few moments out of her day!
Mallory is competing at the AECs for the first time this year at novice level. After qualifying with a second-place finish at the Area IV Championships, Mallory was heartbroken to learn her horse was starting to develop degenerative joint disease. The AECs will be their last event together before he retires from jumping. They are sitting in eighth place heading in show jumping today. [AECs Live Scores]
Mallory and Phoenix heading to cross country.
From Mallory:
Hello again, Eventing Nation! It has been a pretty busy past couple of days here at Texas Rose Horse Park, and the weather is humid and hot. Volunteers have been busy making sure everyone is staying hydrated, and they have a large cooling out station out by cross country, which has been beneficial. I’ve got to hand it to the event volunteers; they are really working hard to make this a great and smooth event. It has been a pretty successful weekend so far for Julie Wolfert Eventing. Including Julie and her nine students, seven of us are in the ribbons. That is pretty exciting to have that many students qualify, but then to actually do well is an accomplishment in its own.
Friday was a hectic day of constant running around. I braided early and then lightly lunged my horse to help him stretch out his old man back. He was definitely feeling himself that morning, bucking and exploding into his canter transitions, which reassured me that he was feeling good. I wasn’t feeling too nervous for dressage because since I haven’t been able to jump my horse leading up to this, I really hammered the dressage work in.
All of my hard work paid off because Phoenix was great from the get-go in warmup and carried it right over into his test, earning us a 28 to start the weekend off in eighth place — and my new personal best dressage score. I set it my goal to score in the 20s this weekend, so I was pretty ecstatic to accomplish that. After that I filmed some dressage of the girls from our group, and watched some upper-level cross country. Julie and Aires made easy work of the Intermediate course to move them into third, and then we all headed back to the barns to tuck our horses in for another day. Needless to say, our whole group was pretty satisfied after dressage day.
Cross country day was another exciting day. The weather was absolutely perfect the first half of the day, with temps in the 80s and a breeze. It’s amazing how much cooler it feels with a little cloud coverage. There was a lot of action going on at the park. Upper levels were stadium jumping from 8 a.m. up until the storms rolled in at 5 p.m., while lower levels stormed around cross country all day.
Phoenix and I went early in the afternoon and went clean and inside the time to stay in eighth. The course rode great — definitely a championship course for the level, and the terrain really decided where the jumps were placed. Later in the day, we watched (and drooled over) some nice horses in the Intermediate. Julie jumped a beautiful stadium round, but unfortunately had the last rail down to finish in fourth place, which is still exciting! After the Advanced division got rained out due to that crazy downpour, I skipped out on the competitors party to braid and prepare Phoenix for show jumping.
I’m really excited for stadium today. The course looks fun, and I feel more than ready to finish the weekend strong. I’m sad to see the weekend coming to an end. I’ve literally counted down to this week for the past year, and just like that it has come and gone in the blink of an eye. It has been a great first experience at the AECs, and I know as Texas Rose starts to add its flavor to the event that the next two years will be just as awesome. Go eventing.
Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch on their way to the win. Photo courtesy of Liz Hall.
In true butterfly form, Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch skipped over the mud and came home double clear to hold onto their lead in the Advanced division at the AECs. Unfortunately, my camera seems to have suffered a stroke this morning, so I must send a big thank you to Liz Hall who sent me her photos as soon as she got to the airport. Laine looked absolutely elated to win the blue this weekend, as she should. This is one pair that has worked extremely hard to get where they are today, and their consistent placings this season are making them a true force to be reckoned with.
Kristi Nunnink and R-Star. Photo courtesy of Liz Hall.
R-Star looked sharp for Kristi Nunnink, storming around the course cleanly to come up for 2nd place after Ellen Doughty had a couple of rails down. I definitely found a huge soft spot for this striking mare over the weekend, since this is the first time I have gotten to see her in person. Kristi is a true class act and we are looking forward to a successful showing at Pau from these two next.
Ellen Doughty, who I was incredibly impressed to find out is virtually self-taught, had a couple of unfortunate rails down to fall down a place to 3rd. This is an extremely poised and impressive pair to keep an eye on, and the fingers crossed plan is to aim for Rolex next year.
Richard Jeffrey’s course, true to form, took many victims in the form of rails, and only 3 pairs finished with no rails down and no time. Jonathan Holling and DHI Zatopek B had one rail down to move from 6th to 4th. This horse looks like quite a handful, and Jon does an excellent job keeping him contained.
Michael Pollard and Mensa G. Photo courtesy of Liz Hall.
Michael Pollard took it relatively easy on Mensa G today, coming home with a rail down and a handful of time penalties. Michael was looking for a solid run in preparation for Pau and he should be pleased with Mensa’s performance this weekend. They head to France in just a couple of weeks.
Barb Crabo rode a steady rode on Eveready to leave the rails up and pick up one time fault.
Kyle Carter and Madison Park continued their comeback tour with a couple of rails down to end up in 7th overall. Parker looked fantastic all weekend and I am really excited that he looks to be on the right track for his comeback.
Hawley Bennett and Gin & Juice. Photo courtesy of Liz Hall.
Hawley Bennett-Awad and Gin & Juice had 2 rails down to wind up in 8th overall. Hawley’s goal, like Michael and Kristi, was to get around this weekend with solid runs, and Ginny looks to be in top form for Pau.
Jon Holling and Proper Timing had 2 rails down and a few time to drop a place to 9th on the weekend. I could flip a coin to say which of Jon’s two Advanced rides this weekend was my favorite, but I think Proper Timing might get the slight edge for me.
Katy Groesbeck and Oz the Tin Man. Photo courtesy of Liz Hall.
Katy Groesbeck and Oz the Tin Man had a stellar show jumping round, completing one of only three double clear rounds all day. “Wort,” as he is known around the barn, looked polished and professional all the way around and they attacked this course with a vengeance. Katy wrote on Facebook that she was absolutely thrilled with her course and her weekend overall. Katy, who has been a student of Hawley’s, will hitch a ride back East with Laine and Al and will be staying there to train with Buck.
Alexandra Green and Fernhill Cubalawn had 5 rails down to take 11th place on the weekend. Alex said on her Facebook that Cuba “felt his way around” the course today, so I would imagine the mud may have been a factor.
Avery Klunick and In It To Win It held their 12th place position with 2 rails down and 10 time. Avery was the youngest competitor in the Advanced this weekend, a 20 year old college junior. Avery did a great interview with the USEA before AECs and seems like a great young lady to keep an eye on. You can find the interview here.
After having a couple of stops on cross country, Barb Crabo and Over Easy had 2 rails down this morning. Over Easy is still relatively new to the Advanced level, having completed 2 Advanced runs and 1 3 star run prior to this. This mare is fun to watch and should be a true talent for Barb in the near future.
Kim Keeton and Accolade
It was certainly Kim’s weekend here at the AECs, as she and her homebred stallion, Accolade, took the top honors in the Senior Prelim Amateur division. I spoke with Kim last night after her cross country and she told me that Accolade was not the most reliable in show jumping yet, but that she felt a bit better having a rail in hand. Turns out the rail in hand was all she needed to clinch the win.
Darlenne McInnes, from Colorado, moved up from 6th to take 2nd place on Warlord, and Janet Marden, from Texas, secured 3rd on Flagmount’s Amazing Grace.
I was able to catch up with Kim back at the barns to talk about her winning weekend. She also mentioned that she dedicated her rides this weekend to Christine Brown, who passed away earlier this year. A portion of Kim’s winnings will be donated to Christine’s fundraising efforts. Enjoy the video below!
Laine and Anthony Patch are your Advanced AEC winners. Photo from Liz Hall.
Despite a postponed show jumping round for the Advanced show jumping, Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch threw down a double clear round to maintain their lead and take home the Adequan USEA Gold Cup.
Kristi Nunnink and Ellen Doughty changed places, with Kristi and R-Star taking 2nd place and Ellen having a couple of unlucky rails to drop down a spot to 3rd.
I will be bringing you a full report shortly. In the meantime I must give a huge thank you to all organizers, sponsors, volunteers, and riders who made this weekend so fun. The event was top notch and everyone was welcoming and well organized. Everything certainly is bigger in Texas, and that includes the AECs!
Jump alone? Lack working students, a boy/girlfriend eager to build biceps while eating dust, or simply lack the oomph to haul yourself on and off your horse? Then this just might be the high-tech advancement of the century. Or at least the week.
Callum Hunter, a 17-year-old British student, designed a prototype of a motorized jump cup you can adjust with a remote control, reports Horse & Hound. “I spent last summer working for event rider Tom Rowland, and I realized how much time is wasted getting on and off changing jumps, if you don’t have help on the ground,” Callum told H&H.
Officials just announced recipients of the MacArthur “Genius” Grant. How’d they miss this kid? Is it high tech rocket science? Nope. Chains and sprockets, people. Just like the ones I’ve always envisioned automatically raising and lowering standards from the ceiling of the indoor.
Callum’s still working out the bugs, mainly the fact that the motorized contraptions don’t fare so well if your horse repeatedly knocks the pole out of the cup. Surely he’ll have that one solved in time for next year’s grants.
Rain at the AEC's. Photo from Liz Hall
The American Eventing Championships got hit with a bit of rain yesterday before Preliminary. It cleared up for a while, but returned with a vengeance before the 5:15 start for the Advanced division’s Stadium, causing AEC organizers to push Stadium to a 7:45am start today. Lainey Ashker currently leads the division. In addition to Stadium for the Advanced division, the AEC’s wrap up today with the Novice and Beginner Novice divisions also tackling Stadium. Expect these divisions to be particularly competitive with many riders heading in to Stadium with scores in the 20’s. Speaking as someone who regularly comes away with 40’s in Dressage, color me impressed! Best wishes for great rides to all of the remaining competitors, I look forward to seeing how it all turns out. For now though, I’m going to get off the internet so that I can avoid any Breaking Bad series-finale spoilers!
AEC Links:
[AEC Homepage] [Schedule] [Live Scores]
Events This Weekend:
Jump Start H.T. [Website] [Ride Times/Live Scores]
University of New Hampshire [Website] [Ride Times/Live Scores]
The Middleburg H.T. [Website] [Ride Times]
Flora Lea Fall H.T. [Website] [Live Scores]
Sunday Links
COTH Article on AEC Competitor Holly Breaux and her Appy Flecken Awesome
Colorado Rockies give Todd Helton a horse as a retirement gift
Member of TWHBEA’s Executive Committee sparks uproar with poll of membership
WNV Confirmed in Washington State
San Diego County Animal Services Investigating Trainer After Horse Dies
Horse shared trailer with ton of marijuana
ERS-Eventing.com provides riders with an interactive online portal that showcases product information, demonstrations, tutorials and reviews from fellow competitors and top international riders.
We were able to catch Bonner Carpenter in the barn as her team was packing up to head home on Saturday evening. Bonner had a wonderful weekend, winning the Intermediate division on her horse Basco, who she has only had for about a year. Bonner is a genuinely wonderful person and it was a pleasure to interview her. Not to mention, her horse Basco is a total sweetheart! Thank you Bonner for letting us chat!
All dressed up with nowhere to go - Anthony Patch waits until tomorrow for show jumping
One thing I definitely did not expect coming down here was this much rain! It’s been raining nonstop since about 4:30 today, so the Advanced show jumping will begin at 7:45 am tomorrow. I will be staying down here until the conclusion of the Advanced division. The rain certainly put a damper on everyone’s plans, but Michael Pollard said it well when he said that we have to think of our horses first and foremost. I know that several Advanced riders were planning on heading home early tomorrow morning. I sent Hawley Bennett a text asking if she was able to change her flight and she said that she was having difficulty but as of right now the entry list is still complete.
I have a lot of interviews and photos to bring you from other divisions, but alas the WiFi at my hotel seems to be failing me as the videos are being extremely finicky with uploading. I will bring those to you as soon as I can.
In the meantime, here is a quick recap of the current standings and results:
Intermediate: Bonner Carpenter and Basco take home the win. I posted some photos earlier, and I was able to speak with Bonner after her ride so stay tuned for that video. Here’s a fun tidbit: She has only had Basco, who is very large by the way, for about a year, so their win today speaks volumes about the chemistry between these two.
Preliminary Jr/YR: Elizabeth New and Uppercrust D led wire to wire and took home the blue on their dressage score of 25.7.
Preliminary Sr. Amateur: Kim Keeton and her beautiful stallion, Accolade, also finished on their dressage score. I spoke with Kim about her win, stay tuned for that video as well.
Preliminary Horse: Leslie Law and Tout de Suite won this division handily on a 23.7.
Training Junior: Madeline Backus maintained her lead with PS King of Hearts to win her division. Madeline is a very sweet girl who I had the pleasure of speaking with yesterday, and her win is a well deserved one this weekend. Her second horse, PS Arianna, wound up 7th after a double clear show jumping round to move up from 12th.
Senior Training Amateur: Beth Weisberger and R. Hocus Pocus held on to their overnight lead to clinch the win.
Training Horse: Tamra Smith and Sunsprite Syrius led their division from start to finish, adding only 1 rail to their score to win.
Junior Novice: Olivia Brashear and her own Apple Jack are still sitting on their dressage score going into tomorrow’s show jumping.
Novice Horse: Elliott Blackmon and WH Topgun maintain their lead after cross country on a 25.0.
Senior Novice Amateur: Sher Schwartz and Jamocean, from Georgia, lead this divison on their dressage score of 22.5.
Beginner Novice Horse: Beth Stelzleni and Giselle sit atop this divison after cross country on a 26.7.
Junior Beginner Novice: Anna Konley and Reba’s song moved up from 3rd to 1st after a double clear cross country round on a course that claimed many victims.
Junior Beginner Novice 14 & Under: Emilie Mudd and Le Cheval Royale maintained their lead after cross country today.
Senior Beginning Novice Amateur: Andrea Mitchell and Divine lead this division on a 21.0.
Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch will have to wait until 7:45 am tomorrow morning to defend their lead in the Advanced AEC. A strong storm system has delayed the show jumping until tomorrow morning.
Many of the riders have early flights out in the morning so the entry list may dwindle.
We will have more updates as they come in.
