Classic Eventing Nation

Erin Sylvester and Mettraise moved up from 12th to lead the CCI2* at Bromont.

Erin Sylvester and Mettraise made quick work of Derek Di Grazia’s CCI2* cross-country course at Bromont this afternoon, coming home clear with just 2.4 time penalties to move up from 12th place to take the lead. This Thoroughbred mare is a super scopey jumper and locked on beautifully at 13ab, a combination that caused numerous problems for the riders on the CCI2* course. Buck Davidson and Knight Lion were first out on course in the division and flew around, coming home with the only double clear trip in the CCI2* to move all the way up from 20th to second place. Booli Selmayr and Castle Diamond hold third place after putting in a clear trip with 16.4 time. The horse looked a bit tentative in the middle of the course, and Booli gave him a really smart ride to get the horse around safely.

Buck Davidson and Knight Lion moved up from 20th to second place.

The CCI2* leaderboard changed drastically this afternoon when things didn’t quite go as planned for numerous riders. Overnight leaders Sharon White and Don Sheffield unfortunately had a runout at the skinny at 13b — the fence that caused the most problems on course by far — and dropped to ninth place. Jordan McDonald, who was sitting in second place overnight with Prince Mayo, had two stops on course and retired at the corner at 16b in the arena. Unfortunately, Jordan’s bad luck continued with Glencento, who was sitting in fifth place overnight and had a chance to take the lead as the last horse out on course. They had two runouts at 13b and called it a day. Benita Strini and Sammy Jo also had two stops at 13b and retired, and Jessica Phoenix and Extraordinaire also retired after glancing off 13b.

Booli Selmayr and Castle Diamond stayed in third place with a clear trip.

The second water on the back of the course also caught out several riders. Buck Davidson and Santa’s Keeper, who came into the cross country in fourth place, had a stop at the water and subsequently dropped to seventh place. Jennifer Simmons fell from GV Tuscany at the water and reportedly landed on her feet. Caroline Martin and Petite Flower and Alexandra MacLeod and Railroad Man Jim both had stops at this water complex as well. Anita Nemtin-Gilmour had the only other fall in the division when she popped off Topper just three jumps from home. The other tricky spot on course proved to be the corner at 16b in the main arena, where Jordan and Prince Mayo had their runouts, as well as Abigail Wilson and Fernhill Flag. In all, 10 riders made it home without a jumping penalty, six riders retired on course and two fell from their horses.

Kate Chadderton and VS McCuan Civil Liberty are in fourth place.

The waterlogged footing continued to deteriorate throughout the day, which likely contributed to many of the problems for the CCI2* riders and made the going very heavy. We managed to dodge the rain for most of the day, but a fine mist started about halfway through the CCI2*, and a steady rain was falling by the time Jordan McDonald and Glencento started out as the last pair on course. We just can’t seem to catch a break here at Bromont. Last but not last, I have to give a shoutout to EN’s Got Talent superstars Kate Chadderton and VS McCuan Civil Liberty, who had a super trip to move up to fourth place, and Erin Freedman and Viola, who Samantha and I chatted with while we walked the course yesterday. In an example of EN’s karma at its finest, Erin and Viola rocked it with a clear trip to move up to fifth place. Stay tuned for much more from Bromont!

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Will Coleman and Obos O'Reilly take the lead with a clear trip and eight time penalties.

Will Coleman said he was nervous about how Obos O’Reilly would handle the CCI3* cross-country course at Bromont in yesterday’s press conference. The horse is green, Will said, and Derek Di Grazia’s course presented relentless challenges and questions. But Obos rose to the occasion today, jumping clear and coming home with eight time penalties to take the lead in the CCI3* on a 58.2. The horse looked very confident when I saw him coming through the big drop at 14a and cruised through the rest of the combination with no problems. Will has a rail in hand going into the show jumping tomorrow ahead of Sally Cousins and Tsunami, who moved all the way from 16th up to second place on a 64.2 thanks to the only double clear trip of the entire division. Sue is a beast across the country and looked fighting fit when she blew past me toward the end of the course. Kyle Carter and Madison Park continued their comeback by jumping around clean with 10.4 time penalties to move up one spot to third place on 64.4, just .2 penalties behind Sally and Sue. Parker seemed very happy to be out on course the two times he passed by me and looked fantastic when I saw him at the second to last fence.

Kyle Carter and Madison Park are in third place after a clear trip and 10.4 time.

Selena O’Hanlon has to be thrilled with two horses in the top 10 following the cross country. She’s sitting in fourth place on Bellaney Rock and moved all the way from 12th to fifth with Foxwood High after clear jumping trips with both horses. There were 12 clear trips in all in the CCI3*, with the course riding very safe but time proving hard to make. Volunteers worked tirelessly laying gravel around the fences to preserve the footing, which undoubtedly slowed many of the horses and riders. Eight riders picked up one or more stops or runouts on course, with the problems occurring at a variety of fences around the course. Lauren Kieffer and Veronica, the overnight leaders after the dressage, were having a smooth trip before being held on course after Rick Wallace and Ultimate Victory broke a frangible pin at fence 13. After getting back underway following the hold, which lasted about 10 minutes while Jay Hambly and his crew replaced the pin, Lauren and Veronica had a stop at the corner at 16b in the main arena, dropping them down to ninth place with 20 jumping penalties and 11.6 time.

Selena O'Hanlon and Bellaney Rock are in fourth place after coming home clear with 8.4 time.

Rick Wallace and Ultimate Victory were the only pair to retire on course. The horse thunked his back legs pretty hard when he broke the frangible pin at fence 13, but he trotted away OK after that. We’ll keep you posted on the horse’s status. Jeff Kibbie and Loki and Leslie Chelstrom and Cecilia, who was in eighth place overnight, were both eliminated after three stops on course. Phillip Dutton withdrew William Penn, who was sitting in 11th place after the dressage, before tackling the course and will save the horse for another day. Last but not least, I have to give a huge shoutout to Bunnie Sexton, who moved all the way up from 22nd to eighth with Rise Against after coming home clear with just six time penalties. Due to a long hold on course in the CCI* this morning and the hold to replace the frangible pin in the CCI3*, the CIC3* started running immediately after the CCI3* concluded, so I’m missing part of the action to bring you this report. Thankfully, Samantha is out on course and will be bringing you a full report after the nine riders tackle the course. Stay tuned for much more from Bromont.

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Fence 14abc on the Bromont CCI3* course

The CCI* riders tackled the Bromont cross-country course this morning, and the CCI3* cross country will be under way around noon EST. The course has soaked up quite a bit of water since I walked it yesterday, as steady rains fell overnight. The CCI* riders are reporting that the course is soft in spots but holding, and the course officials are doing everything they can to maintain the footing. As I reported in my course preview from yesterday, Derek Di Grazia’s CCI3* course is big, and many are saying this is the biggest three-star course they’ve ever seen at Bromont. I’ll be bringing you live updates from all the action in this thread, so be sure to keep checking back. Lauren Kieffer and Veronica are your overnight leaders on a 44.6, with Will Coleman and Obos O’Reilly in second on a 50.2, and Emily Beshear and River King in third on a 53.5. Go Bromont.

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12:21: Sally Cousins and Tsunami come home inside the time and are the first double clear thus far.

12:29: Everyone has come home safely so far. The footing is showing some deep divots in certain spots, but volunteers are laying gravel between riders.

12:33: Emily Beshear and River King had a stop toward the back of the course.

12:35: Rise Against gets a big “good boy” as they clear the last fence.

12:37: Allison Springer and Copycat Chloe had a near miss when two volunteers drove right into their path on course. Heads up out there.

12:40: Jeff Kibbie and Loki picked up one too many stops and were unfortunately eliminated.

12:41: Selena O’Hanlon and A First Romance pick up a stop at 4b at the first water complex.

12:53: Rick Wallace and Ultimate Victory broke a frangible pin at fence 13, and the fence is now under repair.

12:56: Lauren Kieffer and Veronica have been held on course as Jay Hambly and his crew put the log back into place at fence 13.

1:09: We’re back underway. Katie Willis and Polar Storm had a stop at the drop at 14a.

11:12: Lauren Kieffer and Veronica unfortunately had a runout at the corner at 16b after being held.

1:19: Jon Holling and Zatopek B had a runout in the arena.

1:22: Lizzie Snow and Coal Creek had a stop at fence 25.

1:25: Leslie Chstrom and Cecelia were unfortunately eliminated on course.

1:31: Will Coleman and Obos O’Reilly came home clear with 8 time to take the lead. Only Selena O’Hanlon and Bellaney Rock can take the lead now.

William Fox-Pitt and Chilli Morning at Rolex. Photo by Jenni Autry.

The cross country took a major toll on the leaderboard today at Bramham, and William Fox-Pitt and Chilli Morning now lead the CCI3* after putting in a double clear trip. Overnight leaders Pippa Funnell and Or Noir De La Loge picked up a stop and 14.4 time penalties to drop all the way down to 23rd. Other top 10 riders after dressage suffered similar fates. Maxime Libio and Cathar De Gamel had been sitting in third place overnight, but dropped down to 29th after a refusal and subsequent 15.6 time penalties. While William moved to the lead on Chilli Morning, his luck didn’t extend to his trip with Doug Payne’s former mount Running Order; they picked up a stop and 9.2 time penalties to drop to 27th place. William and Running Order had been sitting in seventh place overnight.

There were 14 double clear trips in all across the Bramham CCI3* cross country course. Five riders retired on course, while 12 were eliminated, including Zara Phillips and Lord Lauries, who were sitting in fourth place overnight. The top three going into the show jumping tomorrow are now William Fox-Pitt and Chilli Morning, who were second after dressage; Mark Todd and and Leonidas II, who were fifth after dressage; and Mathieu Lemoine and Quickness, who were sixth after the dressage. All the riders in the top five had double clear trips across the country, and all were rewarded by moving at least one spot up the leaderboard. We’ll be back tomorrow with a full report on the show jumping from Bramham.

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YEH 5-yr-old winner Esccord RSG ridden by Katie Murphy. Photo copyright Flatlands Foto.

Katie Murphy competed at GMHA Horse Trials  with her own Esccord RGS (“Garth”), the 2012 YEH East Coast Champion Four-Year-Old.  Katie was kind enough to write about her experience from the weekend, where Garth dominated the Young Event Horse 5-year-old class.  Congrats and thanks to Katie! [GMHA Results]

From Katie:

New England summers are the stunning jewel hidden among the deep snows of winter. Though a fleeting season framed by mud-season (“spring”) and the crimson autumn season, the warmth is eagerly anticipated and we Northerners are certain to soak up every ray of sunshine. This past weekend was no exception at GMHA. Riders and horses emerged for two competitions in a heat wave that was both welcomed and unexpected with temperatures averaging over 90 degrees.

 

Over the course of three days, GMHA offered the YEH, FEH and NEH on Friday and their horse trials over the weekend for BN through Preliminary. Esccord RGS “Garth” and I entered both the YEH 5yo division and the horse trials, eager to qualify for the YEH Championships at Fair Hill this fall, and continue to progress at the training level. Since the floods a few years ago, GMHA has revamped all of their courses into glorious representations of the levels offered. The facility is now on par with many in Area 2, and continues to be a destination event for many competitors.

 

There were six entries in Garth’s five year old division. His dressage was a bit laborious due to the heat and humidity. Garth swished his tail in a very annoyed manner throughout the test, resisting the forward and balanced movement we normally achieve. He showed beautifully in the field over fences, working through his topline over the jumps and with a timely and soft reaction to the aids. Due to the heat and seeing other horses slip on the home stretch, we opted for a mild gallop.

 

Perhaps my favorite aspect of the young horse programs is the discipline required of both horse and rider. In order to place well, we as trainers must evolve our classic format for showing a horse into one that best suits the objectives of the program. The inherent ability of the horse reigns supreme, and although you may be competing your 4 or 5yo at the lower eventing levels, the movement and capacity shown in the YEH test must exceed those expected at the horse trials level(s).

 

As such, I have had to retrain myself as a competitor, shifting my objectives to show Garth to the best of his ability – not just in the present, but what he may be capable of years in the future. In the dressage, our gaits are bigger and bolder then those in the horse trials. We take chances in these tests, and it is great fun! Mistakes are easily discovered when you take chances, and as we push the envelope at every movement, the necessity of balance and rhythm is never overlooked. In the jumping test, it is imperative to come to every fence with the same quality foundation of balance and rhythm. Jumping straight, in approach and stature, from a slightly deep distance aids in supporting a genuine effort over the obstacle. Focusing on every stride throughout the course, not the course itself, has been an exceptional learning tool for me. Despite the heat, and a tired Baby G, we achieved our goal finishing on a score of 79.3 – besting the competition by 11.3 points.

 

Garth also competed in the Open Training division. The heat and humidity had taken its toll, and he was tired on Saturday for dressage and stadium. Our dressage test was reflective of his fatigue, yet his stadium represented his joy for the jump and he worked around the course beautifully. Saturday, Baby G was in better spirits, and cantered along the cross-country with pricked ears and an eager eye from fence to fence. Sadly, my attention was not up to par and we jumped the incorrect last fence. Shame on me and a TE!

 

With each step, Garth and I are growing together as a team and as individual entities within this partnership. Every day I am grateful for this lovely horse and the privilege of calling him my partner.

 

Katie Murphy

www.MurphyEventing.com

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Joan Davis kindly sent us a few beautiful photographs from the weekend at GMHA Horse Trials.  Flatlands Foto was the official photographer at the event, and we’re happy to show a few pics from the Future Event Horse and Young Event Horse competition as well.  Thanks to Joan, and congrats to all competitors!  Go to flatlandsfoto.com to view proofs from the entire gallery.  

Erin Freedman, who is competing in the CCI2* at Bromont with her mare Viola, gives some perspective on the height of the drop.

All weekend I’ve been hearing that Derek Di Grazia’s Bromont CCI3* cross-country course is a monster. I finally got out to walk it today, and I have to admit that all the chatter has been spot on. I thought it seemed pretty doable until I got to 14abc, a 5-foot-plus-drop bank to a skinny combination. Samantha and I ran into Erin Freedman, who is contesting the CCI2* with her mare Viola this weekend, while we were walking the course. Erin, pictured above, is 5 feet tall, which gives you some perspective on just how big this drop is, and the fence appears on both the CCI3* and CCI2* courses. That drop is just one example of how challenging this course is going to be for the riders tomorrow. Virtually every table is set at maximum width, and most of the combinations are set at very tricky angles. The CCI1* rides first at 9 a.m. tomorrow. Go eventing.