Classic Eventing Nation

Fence 13

Gooooood morning to you, fellow insane eventing fans!

It’s just before 1 a.m. here in Northern California and I’ve had a bit of an early-evening nap and a weird-feeling latte to get me back up and running for one of my favorite activities: cross country live updates!

I’ll be posted up here to bring you updates from the action as the 5* cross country gets underway at Longines Luhmühlen Horse Trials, live from Germany. The better experience, if you’re able to, is to tune in to the live stream via Horse & Country. You will either need a H&C+ subscription(good for live and on-demand viewing) or a one-time event pass (good for live and on-demand viewing for 30 days) to watch Luhmühlen. If you aren’t already an H&C+ subscriber, you can save 15% on an annual membership using code EVENTINGNATION15.

H&C+ subscriptions start at $12.99/month or $99.99/year. A pay-per-view event pass for Luhmühlen only costs $19.99 and provides access to the event for 30 days, including the live stream. Click here to select the option you’d like to purchase.

Germany is one hour ahead of British time, six hours ahead of Eastern time, and nine hours ahead of Pacific time. I’ve gone ahead and converted times for all you other early birds to keep track of.

Top 5:

• (3) Kitty King and Vendredi Biats (26.8): 10:02 a.m. local / 4:02 a.m. EST / 1:00 a.m. PST — CLEAR inside time
• (2) Pippa Funnell and MGH Grafton Street (23.1): 10:12 a.m. local / 4:12 a.m. EST / 1:12 a.m. PST — CLEAR, 15.6 time
• (5) Emily King and Valmy Biats (28.4): 11:26 a.m. local / 5:26 a.m. EST / 2:26 a.m. PST — 20 penalties, 39.2 time
• (4) Yasmin Ingham and Rehy DJ (27.5): 11:46 a.m. local / 5:46 a.m. EST / 2:46 a.m. PST — CLEAR inside time
• (1) Laura Collett and London 52 (20.3): 12:02 p.m. local / 6:02 a.m. EST / 3:02 a.m. PST — CLEAR inside time

U.S. Riders:

• Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg – 9:38 a.m. local / 3:38 a.m. EST / 12:38 a.m. PST — 20 penalties, 33.2 time
• Sydney Elliott and QC Diamantaire – 9:58 a.m. local / 3:58 a.m. EST / 12:58 a.m. PST — CLEAR inside time
• Katherine Coleman and RLE Limbo Kaiser – 10:18 a.m. local / 4:18 a.m. EST / 1:18 a.m. PST — 40 jumping, 66.0 time
• Hallie Coon and Global Ex – 10:26 a.m. local / 4:26 a.m. EST / 1:26 a.m. PST — Retired
• Boyd Martin and Fedarman B – 10:54 a.m. local / 4:54 a.m. EST / 1:54 a.m. PST — CLEAR inside time
• Tamie Smith and Solaguayre California – 11:34 a.m. local / 5:34 a.m. EST / 2:34 a.m. PST — Retired
• Matt Flynn and Wizzerd – 11:42 a.m. local / 5:42 a.m. EST / 2:42 a.m. PST — Eliminated (RF)
• Boyd Martin and Luke 140 – 12:10 p.m. local / 6:10 a.m. EST / 3:10 a.m. PST — CLEAR inside time

You can follow live scores, including a running fence report, here and see the starting order here. And be sure to stick around for the 4*-S division following this one — I won’t be doing live updates for that division, but the live stream will continue on H&C+ and you can find live scores/starting orders here.

For reference, the U.S. ride times in the 4*-S are as follows:

• Dan Kreitl and Carmango – 2:33 p.m. local / 8:33 a.m. EST / 5:33 a.m. PST
• Hallie Coon and Cute Girl – 2:45 p.m. local / 8:45 a.m. EST / 5:45 a.m. PST

Mike Etherington-Smith’s track will run in a different direction that recent years, with an optimum time of 11 minutes. There are 46 total jumping efforts set across 28 numbered obstacles. You can read more in Tilly’s analysis here and in the rider reactions summary here.

The first pair out of the box this morning will be Great Britain’s Oliver Townend with the 5* debutant Cooley Rosalent at 9:30 a.m. local / 3:30 a.m. EST. Keep this page refreshed periodically for updates! Here’s to safe and clear rides for all. Go Eventing!

Longines Luhmühlen: [Website] [Entries] [Timing & Scoring] [How to Watch] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage] [EN’s Form Guide]

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6:25 a.m. ET: I was wrong! Boyd finishes 4 seconds inside the time with Luke 140 and will go into fourth place overnight as the top-placed U.S. rider. What a smashing debut for both of Boyd’s first-timers here. Laura Collett will hold her lead with London 52, followed by Kitty King and Yasmin Ingham filling out the podium. A look at the top 20 is below.

The cross country will continue with the 4*-S division beginning at 1:15 p.m. local time / 7:15 a.m. EST. I won’t be running live updates for the 4*, but you can follow along live on H&C+ here. Tilly will be along later today with the full report! Thanks for tuning in.

6:21 a.m. ET: Boyd has about 20 seconds to get home as he comes to the last couple of fences. I don’t think he’s going to quite get there..

6:19 a.m. ET: Luke is clear at the final water and really impressing me here. I think this horse just needed a 5* to get his brain working at the right speed!

6:17 a.m. ET: Swallow Springs finishes really strong here with plenty of time and gas left in the tank. A nice rebound for this guy after an unfortunate end to his Badminton weekend. Boyd is clear through 20 and approaching the final water.

6:16 a.m. ET: I missed the GIF, but Luke had a really handy and bold ride through the water at 13. Luke would probably be one of the toughest rides on Boyd’s string — he’s always a bit of a powder keg and his smaller stature makes him very maneuverable (in a way that makes him quick to get out from underneath you!). BUT, that nippiness actually lends itself quite well to a track like this, and if Boyd can manage rideability this is going to be a serious 5* horse for the future.

6:14 a.m. ET: Boyd showing me why I’ll never be a 5* rider — just look at him carve this distance out of stride early on course:

GIF via H&C+.

6:13 a.m. ET: Luke 140 is very strong with Boyd at the first combination but is able to get back in time to make the distance work. London 52 is well inside the time as he finishes and Laura will hold the lead overnight.

6:12 a.m. ET: Laura is clear through the final water and has only a few fences left to jump. It’ll be interesting to see where she ends up on time — she has about 16 seconds in hand.

6:10 a.m. ET: Laura relies on her partnership with London 52 to hustle him through the turning questions at the arena. Oliver has a big jump into the water at 13 with Swallow Springs and is clear here. Our final pair in the 5*, Boyd Martin and Luke 140, are on course.

6:09 a.m. ET: Lots of shuffling through the water at 17 for Laura and Dan, but they’re still clear! Felix and Colero are home clear and 8 seconds inside the time to remain on their dressage mark of 33.3 and current seventh place.

6:08 a.m. ET: A look at an elated Jerome Robine finishing:

GIF via H&C+.

6:07 a.m. ET: Laura has a strong ride into the first water at 13 with London 52 and is clear there. Colero uses his footwork a bit up the step at 15 but is clear still. Oliver Townend is away with Swallow Springs.

GIF via H&C+.

6:05 a.m. ET: Jerome Robine comes home clear with a handful of time and looks absolutely thrilled! A nice round from this pair. Laura is clear at the coffin at fence 11.

6:03 a.m. ET: Now away are Laura Collett and London 52, your overnight leaders! They do have some time in hand, but we’ll see if they wind up needing it. This would be a different sort of track to what you’d generally peg “Dan” to relish, but Laura will know exactly how to get the best ride out of her Tokyo and World Championships partner. Felix and Colero are clear through 15.

6:01 a.m. ET: Cedric Lyard comes home 18 seconds over time with Unum de’Or.

5:59 a.m. ET: Joining us now are Jerome Robine and Black Ice as well as 2022 winners here Felix Vogg and Colero.

5:57 a.m. ET: Spencer updates us that Tamie said she pulled California up as she felt the mare wasn’t feeling up to the task to finish. No injuries or health issues, it appears, which is good news! Meanwhile, Yasmin stops the clock clear inside the time with Rehy DJ — what a ride from the World Champion!

5:55 a.m. ET: A lovely trip through the coffin for Cedric and Unum de’Or:

GIF via H&C+.

5:53 a.m. ET: Just five more pairs to see today after the two we have on course. Yaz is riding Rehy DJ pretty strong, but the efforts are paying off as they’re clear so far and coming towards home. Cedric flies over the ditch and brush on the Anglo-Arab Unum de’Or and approaches the coffin at 11.

5:50 a.m. ET: Yasmin is clear through the coffin and heading to the big water at 13. French pair Cedric Lyard and Unum de’Or are the latest starters.

5:46 a.m. ET: Yasmin Ingham and Rehy DJ are our next on course. Bill Levett’s day comes to an end with a runout now at the A element at the hedges in the arena. He came around to re-present before realizing he was now eliminated. Yasmin has the course to herself now.

5:45 a.m. ET: Wow, I guess Hubertus had actually jumped the wrong side of the hedge on the first attempt. Rats. He will carry on with 2 refusals now.

5:44 a.m. ET: Ah, man. Matt Flynn will sadly not get hardly any cross country done today after a fall at fence 2. What a gutting end for this pair. We also pick up with Bill Levitt, who’s had an issue at the angled hedge up the bank at 15. He’s jumped the wrong side of the flag on the re-attempt, which is another refusal.

5:41 a.m. ET: We aren’t getting much of Tamie on the feed, but I can tell you she has retired at fence 15. The problem is showing at the A element of 15, a big table before the step up, but it’s now showing that she incurred penalties here so I’m not sure. I’ll try to get an update for you. Meanwhile, Emma Brüssau and Dark Desire GS stop the clock about 30 seconds over but with an impressive clear round. Keep an eye on this pair!

5:39 a.m. ET: Emily King finishes with just under 40 time penalties – she’ll be disappointed with that outcome but hopefully will be leaving with that much more gumption for the next go. Now on course are Badminton re-routes Bill Levett and Huberthus AC, repping Australia. Tamie is clear through the big water at 13 as well as 14.

5:37 a.m. ET: Tamie has a nice ride through the first combination, a pair of narrow houses at 7AB. Emma and Desi are clear through 18.

5:34 a.m. ET: Spencer updates us that Imogen pulled up Roheryn Ruby ahead of the water at 17 because she felt the horse wasn’t quite right. We are now joined by Kentucky 5* winner Tamie Smith with 5* debutant Solaguayre California.

5:33 a.m. ET: No! Emily takes a half-halt on Valmy Biats and got way off her line to the arrowhead, and she has a drive-by here. That will drop her out of the competitive placing here this weekend. Real bummer. A look at the issue:

GIF via H&C+.

5:32 a.m. ET: Lovely up the big step at 15 for Emily and Valmy Biats. We’re also joined by German pair Emma Brüssau and Dark Desire GS.

5:29 a.m. ET: Just 4 seconds of time, pending the decision at 17, for Seppe and Kawa de la Cour Z. Super round from this pair, who clearly know each other exceptionally well! Emily is clear through the coffin.

5:28 a.m. ET: Seppe Vilain and Kawa de la Cour Z have a ?? on their score at 17C — the second water jump.

5:27 a.m. ET: Emily King and Valmy Biats are now on course and will look to hold or improve their current fifth place position. Nicolais Wettstein did withdraw Meyer’s Happy ahead of cross country, so we won’t be seeing them today.

5:25 a.m. ET: Monbeg by Design gets really clever at the final Longines Water — wow! Also, a really impressive ride so far from Seppe Vilain and Kawa de la Cour Z, who’ve been together all the way up from the junior rankings.

GIF via H&C+.

5:22 a.m. ET: This is, of course, a very different track to the likes of what we’d see at another 5* — each venue has its own characteristics that make it unique. That being said, I can’t say enough about how much I appreciate the influence of this track without there being much “scary” happening. I’ve seen most all horses finish very well in themselves and not looking gutted, and so far — touch wood — we’ve had no horse falls. Yet the leaderboard has changed considerably, so I would challenge any purists out there who believe cross country must still look like it “used to” to rethink what a successful day of sport looks like. Hopefully I’ve not spoken too early on that thread!

5:21 a.m. ET: Harry Meade stops the clock three seconds inside the time with Tenareze after a lovely round. Really nice.

5:19 a.m. ET: Belgian pair Seppe Vilain and Kawa de la Cour Z are the next to join us.

5:17 a.m. ET: Harry Meade and Tenareze are straight and clear through the water at 17.

5:14 a.m. ET: Lea looks like she pulled up with lots of pats after the water, so maybe this was a planned retirement. We will try to find out! I’m sad I missed the GIF of her ride through the water as she lost her right stirrup and still made it look like a gymnastic ride. Meanwhile, Florian’s question marks have been cleared and no penalties were applied. Susie Berry now joins us with 5* debutant Monbeg by Design.

5:13 a.m. ET: Whew, Lea Siegl and DSP Fighting Line have a wonderful and gutsy ride at 13, but now it looks like she may be retiring? Unsure. I wonder if this…was the plan for this horse? That seems not right, though.

5:11 a.m. ET: Florian Ganneval and Blue Bird de Beaufour have a ?? at fence 13C, which would be the final element of the Le Mieux water. Also on course now are Lea Siegl and DSP Fighting Line.

5:10 a.m. ET: Our next starters are Harry Meade and Tenareze.

5:10 a.m. ET: A look at Will and The Partner making things slightly more challenging:

GIF via H&C+.

5:07 a.m. ET: Wow, Will Rawlin and The Partner jump the very tall left side of the second angled brush at 21! This issue later springs up again but sadly results in a drive-by at the first hedge at the Longines Water. Also, a look at the big effort made by Florian Ganneval and Blue Bird de Beaufour at the out of the coffin:

GIF via H&C+.

5:05 a.m. ET: Six seconds inside the time for Boyd and Fedarman B; they’ll remain on their dressage mark of 32.4 ahead of tomorrow. What a debut for this incredible horse! For now, this pair will go into fourth.

5:02 a.m. ET: Boyd and Bruno are clear through the two questions in the arena. We also get an update from Spencer Sturmey in the commentator’s booth that Tim Price informed him that Happy Boy was withdrawn due to a slight cough picked up from shipping fever. No point in risking things at the horse’s first 5*, he says. Meanwhile, we’re joined by Florian Ganneval and Blue Bird de Beaufour on course. Boyd is heading for home.

5:01 a.m. ET: Oliver picks up three seconds (1.2 penalties) of time to go onto a 31.1 with Tregilder.

5:00 a.m. ET: A beautiful ride through the big water at 13 for Boyd and Bruno as we are also joined by Will Rawlin and The Partner. Oliver is on the way home with Tregilder, still sitting on a quick clear.

4:59 a.m. ET: A look at Boyd and Bruno through the coffin:

GIF via H&C+.

4:57 a.m. ET: Tregilder gets a big pat from Oliver after navigating the water complex at 17.

4:56 a.m. ET: Straight and forward through the first combination at 7 for Boyd and Fedarman B.

4:55 a.m. ET: Tregilder stands off from the right-handed corner at the Le Mieux water at 13, but has no trouble making it work and is clear on the direct line.

4:54 a.m. ET: Boyd Martin is underway with 5* debutant Fedarman B.

4:53 a.m. ET: Tom Jackson stops the clock 9 seconds inside the clock with Farndon — nicely done!

4:51 a.m. ET: Ah, sadly after a giant leap into the Le Mieux water Aistis Vitkauskas and Commander VG run into trouble at the right-handed corner. Aistis elects to retire here rather than keep going, and this is an experienced horse that doesn’t necessarily need the extra wear and tear with any chance of competitiveness now gone.

4:51 a.m. ET: Oliver Townend joins us again, this time with the more experienced Tregilder.

4:48 a.m. ET: Another candidate for Biggest Climber this year, Lithuania’s Aistis Vitkauskas and Commander VG, are now on course.

4:47 a.m. ET: Esib runs into more trouble with a duck out at the A element of the angled brushes in the arena. She’s put her hand up and will call it a day here.

4:45 a.m. ET: Ah rats, Senza Fine grinds to a halt at the top of the step up question at 15. They’re clear on the second attempt. David Doel comes home the quickest of the day so far, stopping the clock almost 20 seconds inside the time with Ferro Point.

GIF via H&C+.

4:43 a.m. ET: Esib clearly draws her line for the long route at the water at 13, and she’s reasonably quick through there even on the long route. Now joining us are Tom Jackson with Farndon.

4:42 a.m. ET: David Doel lives dangerously at the angled brushes in the arena but manages to close the door on the right side to stay true.

4:39 a.m. ET: Riding for Ireland and joining us now are Esib Power with Senza Fine — and major apologies to Esib, as it appears we’ve left her off of our Form Guide!

4:37 a.m. ET: Fiona Kashel is coming home clear and almost inside the time with Creevagh Silver de Haar. We’ve also been joined by David Doel with Ferro Point.

4:32 a.m. ET: Ok, some updates: looks like Hallie Coon has picked up 20 at fence 5 early on and looks to have retired. Katherine Coleman and RLE Limbo Kaiser have picked up another 20 at fence 23, an upright gate to an angled log.

4:30 a.m. ET: Pippa’s going to lose her position here with at least 30 seconds added on the clock here. “Squirrel” looked like he got a little strong out there, which of course can make it really hard to go fast, especially on a track like this! Katherine Coleman is clear through the water at 17. Fiona Kashel with Creevagh Silver de Haar are on course, as are Hallie Coon and Global Ex.

4:27 a.m. ET: Rats! Katherine has a nice bold jump into the water at 13, but she sadly couldn’t quite get there on the direct route and has to go long after picking up a 20 drive-by here. I also apologize as my GIF app has gone a bit funny so I’m a bit short on visuals at the time.

4:26 a.m. ET: Pippa really commits to the narrow brush arrowheads at the water at 17 and kicks away to get back up on her minutes.

4:24 a.m. ET: We’ve sadly not seen much of Felicity Ward today but she is heading for home on a clear round. She is our third home clear inside the time, which will be encouraging for the riders yet to come.

4:22 a.m. ET: Muzi Pottinger comes home just one second over the optimum of 11 minutes with Just Kidding. Our next U.S. rider, Katherine Coleman, is out of the box with RLE Limbo Kaiser. Pippa is clear through the water at 13, going the long route after a bit of a scramble in over the drop. She’ll have lost some time on the winding long route here.

4:19 a.m. ET: Pippa Funnell and MGH Grafton Street, 2019 Burghley winners and currently second-placed here, are now away. Muzi Pottinger is heading for home sitting on a clear with Just Kidding. Felicity Ward is clear through 17.

4:17 a.m. ET: Kitty is on a solid redemption trip here with Vendredi Biats as she heads for home sitting on a clear round. She should be pretty good to finish inside the time as well, and she puts herself well in line to have a hope to capture the podium — or maybe even the win — this weekend.

4:15 a.m. ET: Kitty King and “Froggy” are straight as an arrow through the angled brushes in the arena. Muzi Potting has a lovely trip through the coffin at 11, and we’re joined by Felicity Ward and Regal Bounty. Just Kidding has a rough jump into the big Le Mieux water, but what a gutsy little horse as Muzi is able to keep him on the line for the direct route.

GIF via H&C+.

4:13 a.m. ET: Sydney finishes INSIDE THE TIME – YES GIRL YES! She will remain on her dressage score of 37.8.

GIF via H&C+.

4:11 a.m. ET: Muzi Pottinger and her OTTB Just Kidding are away. Kitty is clear at the big water at 13. Sydney is just a couple from home and is not hanging about so I’ll be keen to see her time.

4:10 a.m. ET: Sydney is clear through the angled brushes at 21 in the arena that have caused some trouble so far.

4:09 a.m. ET: Sydney grits her teeth and really makes the direct route happen at the top water at 17. Nice riding! Kitty is clear at the combination at 7, two narrow houses.

4:07 a.m. ET: Ok, we’re back underway! Hopefully it was just a fence repair issue but if I do get an update I will let you know. Sydney is clear through the step up at 15. Kitty King is away with Vendredi Biats.

4:05 a.m. ET: Kitty King looks to be being sent back to warm-up to stay loose, so this could be a longer hold. No news yet on what’s happening, I’d only assume it’s due to Imogen as she would be the only one on course ahead of Sydney.

4:02 a.m. ET: Looks like Imogen Murray has retired Roheryn Ruby at the second water at 17. Sydney Elliott and QC Diamantaire put their first water demons to rest with a bold ride through the direct route at 13. Get on, girl! Sydney is also now being held — could be an issue with Imogen’s trouble at 17. Kitty King is also being held at the start with Vendredi Biats.

4:01 a.m. ET: Arne is home CLEAR and just barely over the optimum time, 2 seconds over. What a ride! They’ll go onto a score of 41.1 for tomorrow.

I’ll take three Luthiens please! GIF via H&C+.

4:00 a.m. ET: Luthien just makes this look like a Novice round. She and Arne are very nearly home and could be our first clear round. I’ll be curious to also see their time!

3:58 a.m. ET: Our next U.S. rider is away: Sydney Elliott and QC Diamantaire come to cross country day with a score of 37.8.

3:57 a.m. ET: Arne and Luthien are making good on my prediction that he’ll jump up the board after cross country, with a very quick and gutsy ride at this water:

GIF via H&C+.

3:56 a.m. ET: Next away will be Imogen Murray and Roheryn Ruby. Arne Bergendahl and Luthien are clear through 15.

3:54 a.m. ET: According to the live scoring, Gireg has picked up a refusal in the main arena at fence 21. A very interesting runout here as the pair really seemed to be on their line before the horse ducked his right shoulder.

3:53 a.m. ET: Gireg le Coz has a really nice trip through the big Le Mieux water with Caramel d’Orchis. What an interesting day so far! Sure we have only seen three come home, but that’s three Olympians (albeit, on two very green horses early in their 5* career) to pick up trouble on a track that won’t be buzzy for size, but more so for technicality.

3:51 a.m. ET: Next away are Arne Bergendahl and Luthien. Laura Collett is giving Dacapo a really skillful ride as they reach the last third of the course. Dacapo has looked a tiny bit green around this mentally taxing track, and now that comes to grief again with a runout at the angled brushes in the arena. Now he’s run out a second time and that will be it for their day today.

3:49 a.m. ET: Boyd and Tsetserleg are home in a time of 11:33. He’ll be more than disappointed about that glance-off in the water, but he’s got two more rides to get a better feel today.

3:48 a.m. ET: French rider Gireg le Coz is next away with Caramel d’Orchis. Boyd is through the arena questions and heading for home. Dacapo almost slides to a stop in front of the big, angled trakehner into the water but slithers over and Laura opts to go long.

GIF via H&C+.

3:46 a.m. ET: Boyd gives Thomas a strong ride through the gymnastic-looking water at 16 and 17. Laura Collett is approaching the Le Mieux water at 13.

3:43 a.m. ET: Oh no – Boyd and Thomas jump pretty big and straight into the big, buzzy water at 13 and cannot get to the corner on the right stride. That’s 20 here, and Boyd picks up to jump the long route. Meanwhile, Laura Collett is underway with her first ride, Dacapo.

GIF via H&C+.

3:42 a.m. ET: Boyd and Thomas are clear through fence 12. Cooley Rosalent comes home looking fresh, with those 20 penalties on the card but a decent debut for this 9-year-old mare today.

GIF via H&C+.

3:39 a.m. ET: And here we are with Boyd and Tsetserleg, coming forward on a dressage mark of 30.1. This course should suit Thomas pretty well. They’re clear through the first combination at 5ABC.

3:38 a.m. ET: Oliver now comes into the arena, where fences 20 and 21 await. Boyd Martin is next to leave the box aboard Tsetserleg TSF.

3:37 a.m. ET: Oops! Cooley Rosalent ducks to the left at the very skinny arrowhead at the water at 17, so Oliver comes around for the very long route around. Just a green mistake here.

3:36 a.m. ET: Oliver gives Cooley Rosalent a strong ride into the big Le Mieux water and goes long but he’s clear and now approaching fence 17.

3:32 a.m. ET: Ok, and I seem to have fixed my issues and we’re live! Oliver Townend is the first away with the debut mare, Cooley Rosalent, and they’re clear through fence 9.

3:25 a.m. ET: We’re off to a bit of an inauspicious start this morning as the H&C+ live stream seems to be a little late getting online today. I’ll start us off as soon as it’s up and running!

Laura Collett and London 52 dance their way to the first-phase lead in Luhmühlen’s CCI5*. Photo by Alex Jeffery.

Laura Collett will be your Longines Luhmühlen CCI5* leader going into tomorrow’s cross-country phase, after a foot-perfect test with her Olympic gold medallist and Badminton winner London 52 (Landos x Vernante, by Quinar Z). They delivered their sparkling test late in the final session of the day, and put to bed two days worth of arguably harsh marking to put a 20.3 on the board — a score that sees them 2.8 penalties, or seven seconds tomorrow, ahead of second-placed Pippa Funnell and MGH Grafton Street, our day one leaders.

“He felt amazing,” says a beaming Laura, who has won on both her previous five-star starts with the 14-year-old, who she co-owns with Karen Bartlett and Keith Scott. “He’s obviously got so good in this phase now, but I genuinely was having a whale of a time in there, because he was just so with me and I can just really show him off now. He went through a phase of being very fragile and now he just loves it.”

But although ‘Dan’ is the consummate showman in this phase, and is so often expected to lead the dressage, he’s still a horse — and horses, no matter how talented, can be unpredictable. Laura was reminded of this moments before her test: “He started off in the big warm-up arena, and he felt really nice, really relaxed — and then I went over to the last, final arena and I totally lost him,” she explains. “He hasn’t done that to me for a long time, and I was getting a little bit nervous, because he just tensed up and totally lost the connection. They said ‘you’ve got three minutes’ and, luckily, he just took a deep breath — so Dicky [Waygood, Team GB Performance Manager] was like, ‘you’ve got him back!’ As soon as he went in the arena, he just knows now, he kind of needs to put on a show. It’s a fine line, but we got it right today.”

Laura Collett nails the brief with London 52. Photo by Alex Jeffery.

Laura’s been getting remote support from her dressage coach Ian Woodhead, and has been putting sage advice from part-time trainer, dressage superstar Carl Hester, into action as well — but that certainly doesn’t mean she’s been spending her time drilling the flatwork. Instead, she says, the key to a great test with Dan is to minimise how much schooling he does.

“We’ve  got a system with him now, and it’s quite difficult to stick to sometimes, because the last couple of days he’s been really fresh and really overexcited about being here,” she explains. “But sticking to the same system that we know works — and keeping me off him is the main thing! I came out this morning and just did some poles, and he felt really good — so it’s just about being brave enough to stick to what we know. He knows the moves, and that’s what we have to trust, so it’s basically about getting his brain right. We went through a phase of overworking him and he got body tired, so we just do different things — hacking and keeping him occupied and getting his body working. We do pole work in the morning, just trot poles and canter poles, not jumping, but it just really relaxes him, and then he can go in and do his thing.”

Particularly special was the appearance of the Holsteiner gelding’s breeder, Ocke Riewerts, who journeyed from rural northern Germany to be reunited with his pride and joy for the first time since London 52 was a foal.

“I haven’t seen him for fourteen years, and I came here just to watch him,” he says. “I’m very happy — maybe tomorrow, or the day after that, I’ll really process what happened today! He was a very beautiful foal, with very long legs, but at the beginning I thought maybe he was too small — but then after four weeks, he grew, and I thought, ‘maybe this could be a good one!'”

Yasmin Ingham and the ever-reliable Rehy DJ. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

While no one else could surpass the excellent 23.1 posted by yesterday’s leader, Pippa Funnell, nor the 26.8 posted by third-placed Kitty King and Vendredi Biats, who also rode yesterday, reigning World Champion Yasmin Ingham certainly put up a good fight with her ever-consistent longtime partner, Rehy DJ. They posted the horse’s five-star personal best of 27.5 to sit fourth going into cross-country, and received particularly enthusiastic cheers from their good-time-gals support crew, helmed by mum Lesley, owner Janette Chinn, and close friend and horse-sourcer extraordinaire Rachel Wakefield. Yas, for her part, was delighted with how ‘Piglet’ — “he lives by food, so it’s Piglet by name, Piglet by nature!” — has continued to improve in this phase.

“I was super happy with that. He’s been getting better and better, which is great — I’m always seeing improvements,” she says. “The last five-star he did was back in 2020 at Pau, and he scored a 28.5, so to come and do a penalty better is really good.”

Although Piglet isn’t necessarily the flashiest horse in the lineup, Yas says that the marginal gains, and working on honing the accuracy, have been the key to cracking the first phase.

“It’s all about the fine margins in dressage and just trying to grab every single mark you can. With Piglet, he’s not the most extravagant horse in the world, but I think he gets all his marks from being accurate and he’s so easy on the eye as well. He’s got such a pretty face and he’s really nicely put together, so I just need to do my job as a rider and pilot him round correctly. And then hopefully, he’ll do the rest for me!”

Yas, who enjoyed a great finish with the gelding at the similarly twisty and technical CHIO Aachen last year, has long had her eye on Luhmühlen as a suitable five-star for the gelding, who she says loves his moments in the spotlight.

“He’s quite funny — he whinnied coming out at the end, like, ‘Everyone is clapping for me!’ which is quite cute,” she says. “I’m really pleased we decided to bring him here, because I’m hoping that the terrain and the ground will suit him. Thinking back to Badminton and Kentucky, they probably weren’t quite for him at this time of year, but I think coming here is a good option. So I’m looking to go and give it our best shot!”

Emily King and Valmy Biats. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

There’s a serious British takeover at the top end of the leaderboard, and fifth place overnight is held by Emily King, who delivered a clear round test with Philippe Brivois and the Valmy Biat Syndicate’s Valmy Biats to earn a 28.4.

One of the greatest joys that can come a rider’s way in this phase is being able to tick all the boxes in the arena that they’ve been able to tick while schooling through the week — and that’s exactly what Emily found she could do today.

“He’s worked really well here this week: the last warm-up he felt mega, and then he just took it in there, which is really nice,” she says. “There’s nothing worse than warming up great, and going in there, and then having them change — and then you have to think about how to counteract things. He’s lovely, and he’s feeling really established at this level now, which is nice — not to worry that ‘is he going to change, is he going to be able to do this?’ He’s pretty cool — I haven’t have him so long in the grand scheme of things, and he’s been late coming into how I ride, so at this rate he feels like when he’s 20, he’s going to be amazing!”

Part of the final polish came thanks to help from dressage coach Ian Woodhead, a last-minute addition to her support team.

“I actually had my first ever lesson with Ian the other week. It’s probably not the best thing to do, change trainers the week before a five-star, but I thought it might be nice to have a bit of different input. And just a few things that he said has really helped just elevate him even more and get me in the groove.”

The fourteen-year-old Selle Français started his 2023 with a bang, winning the Grantham Cup CCI4*-S at a wet Thoresby at the start of the season, and then doing a very competitive test at Badminton last month — again, in seriously wet conditions. Today, the pair got the chance to show what they can do on more consistent footing, for which they were both grateful.

“I think he was quite relieved to be on some good [footing],” laughs Emily. “He’s so powerful, and he’s quite strong, so he can then give you so much power that he can go a little bit off the contact. Then, with the added changing of terrain, that [means] I have to really focus on that — but today he was lovely. That was something I didn’t have to really think about at all, because he was stable [on the footing].”

This is a reroute from Badminton for the pair, who made it to the lake in fine style before Emily opted to put her hand up and save the gelding for another day.

“He’s a powerful horse, and a big galloper, but he’s quite small — he’s not a big horse,” she says. “I really felt the ground just sucking the life out of him at Badminton, and while the time wasn’t a big thing [that day], from where he was at on his minutes I thought, he’s not going to be in the top handful and it was going to be proper hard getting home. I didn’t want to risk anything, and with how he felt, I thought it would be quite easy to risk something. So instead, he just had a quiet two weeks in the field and then just picked up, carried on with his galloping, and came here.”

Jérôme Robiné and Black Ice. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Laura Collett also holds sixth place overnight on her day one ride, Dacapo, while fellow day one competitors Oliver Townend and Tregilder sit seventh — the best of Oliver’s three rides, after a surprise 31.7 on his final ride, Swallow Springs, which put them into fourteenth overnight.

While we don’t often see many German riders in this class — the four-star here is the German National Championships, and so tends to be a much bigger focus for the home nation — one of the young debutants coming forward for the home side was able to crack that British domination and make a great first impression. Jérôme Robiné and Black Ice certainly aren’t new to Luhmühlen: they came forward for the CCI4*-S last year and were among the stars of the week, sitting second after cross-country and finishing fifth overall, and while it was tempting to return and try to take the win, Jérôme decided to take the next step up this year.

“At the beginning of the year, I thought of coming at four-star again, or going to Aachen with him again, or something like this and then the coaches said, ‘No, you better get out of your comfort zone. You’re good at four-star level; you did it a lot of times.’,” he explains. “And I think that’s good for me to hear — just to get something new. I think I’m old enough and experienced enough, and my horse is old enough  and experienced enough. He’s very good at cross country, and  always gives me a very good feeling, so they say, C’ome on, you can do it!’ So that’s why we’re going to do the five-star.”

Though an inexperienced mistake in the first change cost them valuable marks, Jérôme and his pandemic project produced a test that otherwise belied their inexperience at this level, earning them hearty cheers from throughout the grandstands and a 30.1 on the leaderboard.

“In the end, it was a new experience, and it was really special to be in there,” says Jérôme, who rides as part of the German Federation’s Warendorf training base for younger riders. “The crowd is really on your side and they’re really happy to see a young German rider trying to tackle a five-star. But yeah, it’s all pretty new, and there were some little mistakes I didn’t expect in the beginning, but in the end, you have to ride a test a few times in a stadium on this level and then maybe get it better without mistakes. Today, I was happy.”

Boyd Martin and Luke 140. Photo by Alex Jeffery.

Boyd Martin also helped sprinkle a bit of variety into the flags in the top ten with the last of his three rides, the five-star debutant Luke 140. They delivered the final test of the day and earned a 30.1 after recovering from an early mistake in the trot work.

“There was a bit of atmosphere in there and Luke’s an electric horse, so he just lost a little bit of concentration at the beginning and unfortunately, he broke in the first medium trot, which is a bit of a disaster at the beginning of the test,” says Boyd, who also sits 13th overnight with Tsetserleg and 17th with Fedarman B. “But he had some good stuff in there, and to recover and get a score of 30 is not too bad.”

That fire in Luke’s belly will be put to the test over tomorrow’s cross-country course, but by the time he leaves the start box as the last out in this class, Boyd will have gathered two lots of course intel to help him along.

“I think my biggest challenge with Luke is just being able to slow him down,” he says with a laugh. “He’s pretty aggressive and bold and feisty, and trying to slow him down at the jumps without wasting too much time is my biggest challenge. So I think I’ll hop on him in the morning, very early tomorrow morning, and canter around and try and take a bit of juice out of him and work on some turns and going forward and back, and try and get him a bit adjustable before we start. Thomas [Tsetserleg TSF] has jumped everything that we’re looking at tomorrow, but you know, we didn’t have the the best last five-star start, so I’ve got to really pay attention early on the course when Thomas is a bit strong. Bruno [Fedarman B] has been a champion in the last 18 months, so I would hope that he can cope with this, and Luke’s probably the greenest jumper out of all of them. So hopefully I got a little bit of luck saved up for my third ride!”

Australia’s Bill Levett rounds out the top ten with Huberthus AC, who also put a 30.1 on the board.

“It was his first probably mistake-free test that he’s done at a four or five-star,” says Bill, who rerouted the gelding from Badminton. “He’s not a hot horse, but he’s got a lot of tension. You school him and he just seems to have endless energy, so coming to these shows is always better, because you got the chance to set him up and you can get him out three times and just get him to relax. Thankfully, he went in there and stayed with me. I’ve had some good help with Ian Woodhead, and that’s helped me a lot, and Kevin McNab, just before I went in, for half an hour was just helping with my angles and what it looked like. All those things help you be in the right frame of mind to get the best out of him.”

Now, Bill is interested to see how the gelding handles what he describes as “more of a championship horse” — which could, if all goes well, set him up to be a championship horse.

“Like all riders know, with a bit of mileage, you really don’t know what they’re going to be like at the next stage,” he says. “Once they’ve been at the stage for a while, then you really sort of understand them. They’re not machines. Sometimes they’re not feeling well and they’ll let you know, in certain ways. But I took him to the gallops post-Badminton and he was really better than when he went to Badminton. He was like, ‘right, let’s go!’ He doesn’t normally take off up the gallops, and whew, he was off! I’ll be fascinated to see how he goes around here for 11 minutes. He’s gone fast around Blenheim, and so I’m hoping that he’s going to [make the time]. Will he take a little bit of insecurity away from Badminton? You know, that’s what I don’t know. And I’m hoping not. But we won’t know until we’re out there.”

Tamie Smith and Solaguayre California. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Tamie Smith sits 15th overnight after posting a 31.9 with her five-star debutant Solaguayre California, who had some inexperienced moments in the changes but rose to the occasion in the atmosphere.

“She’s green, and she still has another six to twelve months to be stronger,” says Tamie. “I felt like she gave me everything she had, and she was very obedient and listened. I felt like the test was executed well — I mean, a little here and there — but I’m very pleased with her. She’s a bit of a dragon! But in a way, that’s good. You know, she’s a mare and so she has her opinions. We always have to negotiate and kind of come to a compromise, but when it’s time to perform, she always gets to business and get serious.”

Solaguayre California comes to Luhmühlen off the back of a second-place finish in the CCI4*-S at Kentucky, and a third-place finish at Tryon CCI4*-S, but today, Tamie says, was still a valuable lesson in exposure for the twelve-year-old.

“It’s actually a bit spookier for some reason than Kentucky, with the cut out horses…and [Kentucky] is easier when it’s busier, [because you don’t have] like, sporadic people walking around around the arena,” she explains. “So I would say that it’s much more distracting here — maybe the atmosphere isn’t quite as electric, but the focus, because of all the things moving around, [can be tricky]. But I feel like it brings out the brilliance and they lift more in their wither, which is helpful.”

Though Tamie considered making the mare’s debut at the level at Kentucky, she opted instead to give her more time and consolidation this spring and a later move-up here.

“I wasn’t sure how she was going to feel — I mean, she won Morven Park last year, but not the way I would have wanted her to,” she says. “You know, she felt green. And I just wanted to test her. I guess on paper, you’d say ‘take her and do Kentucky’, but I had spoken to her owners — they’re amazing, supportive people — and we just talked about what was maybe best for her. I wasn’t sure I was going to do a five-star in the spring, and they said ‘whatever you think’. So I said ‘I’ll prepare at home and then I’ll go to Kentucky [4*-S] and see how she feels and then I’ll take her to Tryon and if she feels really confident after Kentucky, then I think we should go to Luhmuhlen’. They they were behind me, and I’m grateful for that. I feel like you kind of have one shot — I always want to go into a five-star feeling like I haven’t left anything on the table, and so that was the purpose [of waiting].”

Matt Flynn and Wizzerd. Photo by Alex Jeffery.

Matt Flynn and Wizzerd also came forward late in the section and delivered a smart, consistent test that was just marred by a mistake in the walk to collected canter transition. They posted a 34.2 that puts them in 21st place overnight — but, thanks to the tight bunching of the scores, just a stone’s throw from the business end of proceedings.

The top five in Luhmühlen’s CCI5* going into cross-country.

Mollie Summerland and Charly van ter Heiden make a fine start to their return to Luhmühlen, taking the lead in the CCI4*-S. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Spectators flocked to the stands for this morning’s CCI4*-S to see the hotly-anticipated return to Luhmühlen of 2021 CCI5* winners Mollie Summerland and Charly van ter Heiden — and they certainly weren’t left disappointed. The pair entered the arena very nearly in passage — a degree of engagement and precision that they’ve perfected while training with dressage riders Olivia Oakely and Carl Hester — and carried that cadence and power into the ring with them, throwing down the gauntlet for the otherwise very German-leaning leaderboard. Though one late change cost them a couple of marks, their score of 24.8 couldn’t be touched for the rest of the day, and the cheer they earned from their legion of continental fans was among the loudest of the day.

“He was really relaxed, and actually, he’s felt at home all week,” says Mollie. “So it’s quite strange — he’s only done half an hour of work each day and just come out of stable for grazing, and I literally got on him probably 20 minutes before the test, and he’s just so relaxed. He really likes it here, and I was chuffed with how he felt. He feels like he’s just getting stronger and stronger and better and more confident with that level of power in the arena, and I actually still think he’s got more to give in the dressage.”

For Mollie, too, returning to the site of her biggest career moment is a special feeling: ” I love coming back here, and I love everybody that works at this show,” she says. “They feel like family to me, so I’m really happy that we’ve come back.”

Julia Krajewski’s up-and-comer Nickel take second place – and the lead in the German National Championship – after dressage. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Olympic gold medallist Julia Krajewski sits second overnight, and leads the German National Championship, with her nine-year-old Nickel 21, after putting a score of 26.7 on the board in the gelding’s third four-star. With a second place and a third place under his belt at the level already, he’s rightly tipped as one of Julia’s future top-level stars — but, she explains, that wasn’t always the obvious pathway for him.

“He was originally bought by [Amande de b’Neville and Ero de Cantraie’s] owners as a young horse as a showjumper, and then he almost qualified for the six-year-old national championships for jumping, but he wasn’t quite good enough,” says Julia. “Then they said, ‘well, he’s got a good canter — just try him.’ When he was turning seven he did his first young horse class here at Luhmühlen, and he wouldn’t ever walk past the jumps, but he’d always jump them. He went from there to doing his first two-star three months later. He was then sold to a junior rider because I wasn’t sure if he’d go all the way, and so his owners wanted to find an up-and-coming rider for him — but he stayed in my stable, and when she decided to go to New Zealand and explore life a little, her parents asked if I would like to take him back. That was pretty much one year ago, and then he did three-star long at the end of last year, and then his first four-stars, and in between all that, I’ve taken him twice to do the Jump and Drive at Aachen, and he’s done  various indoor cross-country, and he was a little bit the ‘fun horse’, because he’s so straightforward. Somehow, he didn’t really stand out, but I think that’s what makes him good: he’s not complicated. You basically tell him, ‘okay, this is what you’re supposed to do’, and he’s like, ‘okay, fine!’ So that’s really cool.”

Nickel remains in the ownership of young rider Sophia Rössel and her family, who are enjoying the journey to the top levels with the gelding.

“Her parents are the owners at heart, and they really love to be at these competitions — they’re so proud,” says Julia. “It’s really cool to have them with us, and we’ll see how far we all get together.”

Julia also sits fifth overnight with yesterday’s ride, Ero de Cantraie — but Nickel, she says, is a very different horse to ride.

“It’s funny, because he’s normally a way more laid back character than the other one, but he can also be quite quick in switching his mind sometimes — he’ll be really chilled and then really switched on, whereas with Ero, either he’s with me, or he isn’t. Maybe that’s the difference between the French and the German,” she laughs. “They couldn’t be more different, but they are both very genuine and honest, and they want to do well.”

The marking across both classes has remained on the harsher side today, and Julia was disappointed not to see bolder choices made by the ground jury in this class: “Nickel came in and I kept hearing the judges say ‘six’, and I was like, ‘come on‘. They love 6.5 especially all day. I think 6.5 should be forbidden! 6s, okay, it means you sort of managed it but it was a bit shitty, and 7s mean you managed it reasonably fine but it wasn’t special — but what’s between? Half shitty? It doesn’t have a purpose.”

Ingrid Klimke and Equistros Siena Just Do It. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Ingrid Klimke and Equistros Siena Just Do It overcame the mare’s occasional tempestuousness to show off, instead, pure pace and power, earning them a 28.3 and overnight third place, 1.6 marks ahead of yesterday’s leaders, Nadine Marzahl and Victoria 108, with just two minor mistakes in the work.

“I was so pleased, because for sure, when the clapping was going on and she saw the two girls [opening the ring gate at A], she kind of mentally goes somewhere, and she’s like, ‘ahh!’,” says Ingrid. “But as soon as she entered the ring, she was like, ‘okay, I have to behave, and I have to stay in this pattern, I have to listen — she really means it, and there’s no discussion today!’ The two mistakes in the ring, I must say, are my fault: in the second change, I did too much preparation, and so she thought, ‘oh, it’s coming’ — if I’d been a little bit more positive and kept the canter, she wouldn’t have changed early. And the halt we sometimes get a little too early before the reinback, but today, all of a sudden I thought ‘ah, we’re a little bit late!’ and had to stop quite suddenly. So they were both, I think, mistakes on my account.”

While Siena has always had the raw material for a great test — and has delivered plenty, too — she’s also been prone to exploding in the ring. Getting to the other side of this tendency, Ingrid explains, has been a case of time and tact.

“You really have to take a lot of time and be very clear yourself on the one hand, but in a very gentle way,” she says. “You have to find the balance and ask her to be patient, but before there’s an explosion, you must let her be free again, and then you can ask a little bit more next time. I can’t ever put pressure on her — then she explodes. Yesterday, all of a sudden, she decided she doesn’t like to do reinback anymore, so I said, ‘okay’, and went back and put a neck ring on her, and we did it with the neck ring, and a free rein, and then the neck ring with the rein, and then we put it away. If I’d started a battle, she’d have reared. We do a lot of horsemanship, and T-Touch, and we really try to give her, from all sides, the idea that if she relaxes, it’s all okay. It really takes time.”

Hallie Coon and Cute Girl. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Hallie Coon is best of the US in this class, sitting 14th overnight on a 32.1 with the newly-minted four-star horse Cute Girl, who was previously piloted by Australia’s Kevin McNab, with whom she won the Seven-Year-Old World Championship and with whom the pair are now based. This is the mare’s second CCI4*-S, and as such, each outing is a fact-finding mission in every way — from the ringcraft itself to the preparation required.

“She was really good, and she was really with me, but I just think that we worked her a bit too much this week, looking back,” says Hallie. “I think we’ve could’ve given her a lighter week and it would have been better, given that she just travelled over from Millstreet and all that a few days before we came here, and I just think, being a nine year old,  it was maybe just a bit much.”

But, she reasons, these are the elements that can only be fine-tuned with experience, which Cute Girl is gaining in spades on her travels this season — and seasoned upper-level competitor Hallie is, too, with the excellent support team she’s formed around her since her relocation to the UK at the end of 2022.

“It’s been great for me to have Kevin and the family, and [dressage trainer] Sune Hansen, and Francesca Pollara to support me,” she says. “It’s unbelievably helpful. Obviously, this is a selection trial for the Pan Ams and Paris so obviously, we have a whole US contingent here at the show, and I think it’s very focused in terms of a team orientation, but I’m just sort of plugging away with my own team and trying to go about things as normal.”

Dan Krietl and Carmango. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Dan Krietl and Carmango will go into cross-country in 29th place on a 35.4, having kicked off today’s proceedings with a bright and early dressage test to start their first-ever European experience.

“It was good, overall but also, of course, you’re always wishing you could be a little bit better,” says Dan. “I had a couple of mistakes and I could have done a little better, maybe. But overall, he’s an awesome horse and tries so hard, and you can count on him generally to be pretty steady. So I’m thankful for that.”

This isn’t just a first competitive European trip for high-flying amateur CCI4*-L National Champion Dan — it’s also a first trip to Europe, full stop. And he’s making the most of it: not only is he continuing on to Aachen next month, he’s also been able to spend some time training in Belgium with some influential new mentors.

“We’re super excited to be here. I’ve never been to Europe at all, period, and then get to come with horse has been even more fun,” he says. “I actually came here early, like two weeks ago, and have been at Kai and Lara [de Liedekerke-Meier]’s place, Arville, in Belgium. So I’ve been working with Kai and getting some good lessons there, and then we got here Tuesday. The horse made the trip great and settled in well, and it’s been an awesome experience. It seems that just the average quality of rider is maybe a step up over here — and of course being here at a big FEI event, it’s a lot of the best riders and horses. But it’s super fun, and everybody’s super nice and it’s fun to be in a competitive environment.”

Now, he’s excited to tackle tomorrow’s cross-country track with the horse he’s built such a close partnership with over the years.

“He’s a beast of a cross country horse, and I think he should handle that course quite well. He loves his job and it looks like a course that’ll suit him,” he says. “I’ve had him since he was four, so we’ve shared all of our first experiences together — s o we knew each other really well. He loves cross country, and as long as he sees the jump, he’ll do his damnedest to get over it.”

Tomorrow’s cross-country will begin with the CCI5* at 9.15 a.m. local time (8.15 a.m. BST/3.15 a.m. EST), and full times for the class — holds notwithstanding — can be found here. Then, it’s on to the CCI4*-S, incorporating the German National Championships, from 12.55 local (11.55 a.m. BST/6.55 a.m. EST) — after that, as the Germans say, we make party. Join us on EN for live updates throughout the CCI5*, and for details on how to follow along on the live stream, click here. Until then: Go Eventing!

The top ten going into cross-country in the CCI4*-S.

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EN’s coverage of Longines Luhmühlen is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products and Ocala Horse Properties.

Mike Etherington-Smith looks to put his mark on Luhmühlen once again. Photo by Thomas Ix.

It’s nearly cross-country day here at the Longines Luhmühlen CCI5*, and this unique venue plays host to not only a seriously good field of entries, it also has a seriously interesting, and hugely academic, course to help determine this year’s movers and shakers.

We caught up with course designer Mike Etherington-Smith to find out what his intentions are for this year’s track.

“Somebody asked me the other day, have I made any changes because of a number of horses are here from Badminton who didn’t have a good time? And I said no,” he says. Instead, he designed the course with social license at the forefront of his mind — a topic that has long been at the forefront of eventing in Germany, where the public consensus has long tended to be against the sport. Instead of building enormous fences that could see a tired horse stumble or fall, he’s chosen to use plenty of accuracy questions, where 15 or 20 penalties are much more likely than nasty accidents.

“I’m very conscious of the exposure of the sport in this country and very mindful of that, which is creeping towards the UK as well,” he says. “We’ve all got a responsibility to look after horses, and so what I try to do with any course I produce has always been the same: if a rider makes a mistake or an error, the horse has a way to get out of it. So there’s a run out or that sort of thing, rather than having horses falling, which we all try and avoid very hard.”

In a sport with as many variables as eventing, though, he concedes that it can sometimes be an uphill battle to ensure 100% safety across the board.

“Obvious, that’s a great theory, but the reality is somewhat different,” he says. “We need luck on that one, obviously. Because riders do make mistakes, horses do make mistakes, and course designers, too, make mistakes. Hopefully we don’t make too many, which is why we work very closely with the with the riders and we have open dialogue all the time, so if they’ve got any thoughts or concerns, they come and share them. I haven’t had any thoughts and concerns [this year], which is nice!”

“So that’s the basic principle of this: that I’m just very mindful of how the sport is seen in this part of the world.” Though Luhmühlen is often — unfairly, perhaps — categorised as a ‘softer’ five-star than, say, Badminton and Burghley, Mike is quick to point out that it simply reflects a different attitude to the sport, a different kind of challenge than the run-and-jump courses — and, of course, a different style of terrain.

“While there are quite a lot of skinnies and angles, we shouldn’t compare Luhmuhlen with Badminton, with Adelaide, with Kentucky, because they’ve all got their own personalities and their own characteristics,” he says. “I mean, here it’s very flat. So as a course designer, you’re trying to find anything that’s got a little bit of a hill in it. My job is to make a course with what we’ve got. If you’ve got lots of terrain, you can make a course look very big very easily. This doesn’t have that — but it’s a great venue to design, and a great venue to play with.”

To increase the challenge and the influence of this phase in a safe way, Mike opts to put a number of technical questions in fairly quick succession, which requires riders to slow down and ride almost gymnastic exercises, and should make the clock play a bigger part than it would if he were to simply stick single fences on this flat bit of land.

“I try and keep riders slower for longer on the course so that time becomes influential, but it’s really, really hard here because there isn’t any terrain to add to that, to help in that regard,” he says. “Compared to two weeks ago [at Millstreet] where I got quite a lot of terrain, I was able to make the time very influential — I’m not even sure one person got it. Here, because you don’t want to turn horses inside out, you have to think ‘okay, how can I do it?’ So I try and keep horses slower over a longer distance, if possible. That’s again, another great theory, but these guys are so good now — they get into a rhythm and they’re quick away from a fence. You watch the good guys — it’s all very smooth and seamless. And you see the not-so-good guys, and it’s all about setting up, jump the fence and then off they go again. Whereas the good guys are in a rhythm,  they’re in a groove and so they make the time.”

The biggest challenge, he says, is maintaining the focus all the way around — for the riders just as much as their horses. With 13 collapsible fences on course, including MIMclipped rails and collapsible tables and corners, they’ll need to prepare quality lines and balanced, neat approaches, too. And once the first horse heads out from the start box? He’ll be making his way the whole way around to learn from how horses handle his course.

“It’s understanding how I want the horses to benefit from the experience so they grow as they go around,” he says, referring to the goal for his own viewing tomorrow. “There will be horses stepping up for the first time, and some horses that need a bit of reestablishment. So you get them into the course quite nicely and then, it needs to be a positive experience and beneficial. It’s very easy to destroy horses physically or mentally, in particular, and there’s nothing clever in that. So I watch horses travelling; I watch how they cover the ground; I watch how they jump the fences; I watch how the riders deal with things. I watch how the horses react when a rider makes a mistake — because riders always make mistakes, and then you want the horse to take over and sort it out. I’ll just quietly watch everything.”

Now let’s take a look at what this clever course offers – because a significant part of the challenge on Saturday will be simply knowing where, exactly, you’re going. On first walking it, it’s definitely not always obvious – and so riders will want to make sure they’ve logged enough focused walks to ensure that they never waste a second trying to remember if their next move is a left- or right-handed turn.

THE TECHNICAL DETAILS

Length: 6350m

Optimum time: 11:08

Fences: 28

Jumping efforts: 46

The CCI5* course map, replete with a dizzying array of twists and turns.

We headed out into the uniquely beautiful woods of the Lüneberg Heide to see what, exactly, Mike has cooked up for us this year. First of all, it’s key to note that the course is being run in the opposite direction to the last few years, which means that the overall feel of the course is a little different: the twistiest, turniest bits of the track are earlier on; the spooky arena comes later in the course when the horses may well benefit from a bit of a pep injection from the enthusiastic crowd; and, notably, what is usually a downhill run to the first water is now a short but steep uphill climb after the final water, so riders will need to manage their horses’ energy levels well to ensure they have enough in the tank to tackle that. Got it? Cool. Let’s get walking.

Fence 1 is an old standby, and used for both courses.

As in any course, the first few fences of Luhmühlen’s track are straightforward single fences with obvious profiles, designed to allow horses and riders alike the chance to get their eye in and enjoy the feeling of bowling over big jumps. In fact, the first two fences are shared between the four- and five-star, while the third fence sees each class jump basically the same table, just alongside one another.

Fence 2: another run and jump fence, but with a wide bottom spread to give horses some air.

I mean, look, I’m not going to mess around, here: they’re simple efforts for competitors of this level, but they’re not small. I climbed under fence two, just out of curiosity, and found enough space under there to comfortably sleep around four people — six, if they’re very cozy and have discussed boundaries at length — and while that’s handy to know ahead of Saturday night’s party, it’s also a sure sign that a fence needs to be ridden with respect. People have absolutely fallen off in the first three fences at this level before, and it would be a serious downer to do so just because you decided to freewheel to a straightforward jump.

Fence 3 – the left-handed table is the 5* one.

At the third fence, after a decent enough gallop stretch, we get the first differentiation between the classes — but it’s so minimal that it basically doesn’t count.

Fence 4 – a collapsible table, reflecting Luhmühlen’s deep commitment to safety first.

Then, it’s on to fence four — a wide table that’s designed to collapse if it’s hit with significant force. We’ve seen this relatively new bit of technology in use in Kentucky and Badminton so far this year, and it’s no surprise that we’re seeing it in Germany — this is a country that’s particularly hot on safety and welfare, because they’ve dealt with the social license issue for a lot longer than the rest of us. The German public has a largely negative view of eventing, and events like Luhmühlen work hard to showcase what the sport can be — and their main priority? Keeping horses from falling, always. And if a not inconsiderable investment in a collapsible table can go some way towards helping them with that goal? You bet they’re going to click ‘Add to Cart’ immediately.

Fence 5ABC – the first combination on course – has a fair and forgiving stride pattern to reflect its early appearance.

With the first four fences behind them, riders will hopefully have spent their time settling their horse into a rhythm and making micro-checks on the rideability. Now, they’ll get to make a rather more macro-check on it, because at fence 5ABC, we meet the first combination on course. It’s not a tough one — the first element is a beefy enough brush-topped oxer, which is followed by two tall, brush-topped skinnies on a curving right-handed line, but the distance between A and B is broad enough that there’s space to make a proper turn and line up those skinny B and C elements, which then come up on an easy three strides. It shouldn’t cause any issues, but it should absolutely be used to ensure that the power steering works, because they’ll need it before too long.

Fence 6 – another wide table to give a great feeling.

Then, there’s another wide table — this course has lots of those, and lots of sweet, chunky wood carvings, too — as we enter into the twistiest and initially most confusing part of the course. This segment is a bit of a roller-coaster ride of turns, and if I’m perfectly honest with you, at like, four distinct spots in this field, I just nearly gave up on the generally accepted sequence of numbers. It’s confusing out there, man.

Luhmühlen 2023: the movie.

Anyway, eventually I entered the deepest dungeons of my mind palace, remembered how to count, and found my way through the next batch of fences and circles, and if I can do it, so can the riders in this year’s field. I think.

Fence 7AB features an interesting bit of terrain in a man-made quarry with a steep entry and exit.

Let’s twist again, baby: the next spin of the washing machine takes us to fence 7AB, which is a pair of narrow houses — but the most interesting thing about them is the terrain they’re set on. Luhmühlen is historically a flat course, but here and there, we encounter some natural, and some manmade, bits of undulating ground — and this, a dugout quarry, is an example of the latter. They’ll pop the first, land on a sharp downhill into the quarry, and then straight up to the B element. This walks as a five stride line, but the addition of the undulation means that the stride pattern could be very different: some horses will bound up or down slopes, while others will tiptoe them, and so riders will need to keep their eyes up, their legs on, and ride the line and the rhythm rather than being beholden to the number they have in mind. If they do that, and maintain the balance throughout, this shouldn’t cause them any issues.

Fence 8 gives riders options: they can jump to the left or right of the central decorations.

Then, they get another table to jump, with a left- or right-handed option — but the left-handed one looks the best here, as they’ll be able to economise their line, stick to the left-handed rope, and get themselves set up to ride a smart, outside shoulder turn off the rope and into the next combination on the best possible line.

Fence 9AB is an accuracy test, but one that should sharpen up, rather than catch out, 5* competitors.

That line will take them over fence 9AB, a double of brush-topped corners, both of which are left-handed. Depending on how much of a bend they want to put in their line here, we’ll see a couple of different stride patterns as they skim their way through. Then, they’ll head to their next big circle, which comprises the next two fences. Are you dizzy yet?

Fence 10 is a Luhmühlen classic: a serious ditch and brush that we’re used to seeing late in the course.

This big loop on the course takes them over another Luhmühlen classique: a wide, imposing ditch and brush that actually looks pretty friendly if you keep your eyes well up on the approach. The one hitch? As they land, they’ll see a glimpse of home, the finish line, and the collecting ring — so riders will need to ensure they keep the focus and the motivation up so they can spin back to the woods and to the next combination.

The coffin at fence 11ABC is always responsible for a few penalties here – whether that’s due to a MIM activation at the rail at A, or a run-out at C.

Focus really will be the name of the game when they get to the coffin at 11ABC, which always appears here in one way or another, and always sees a few faulters — whether that’s because they activate the MIMclip on the rail at the A element, or because they duck out to the side of that skinny C. The stride between the ditch and the C element feels long, so they’ll want to keep that coffin canter in place to clear the first element cleanly, but then ride positively so their horse lands sufficiently far out from the ditch. If they land too close, they’ll find it a stretch to get to their spot for the C — and it wouldn’t be at all beyond the realm of possibility for a horse to spot that the much easier route would be to slip out the side door.

Fence 12.

After that fiddly little number, our competitors will enjoy a bit of a galloping stretch en route to the back field — which they can use to make up for lost time and to build positivity, which is something they’ll need in abundance very soon. When they get to the end of the stretch, they’ll be rewarded with an airy oxer at 12, which will get them up in the air and feeling great ahead of the first water.

Fence 13ABCD is the first water complex – seen here sans water, which will be topped up before Saturday – and it’s one of the toughest questions on course.

And hoo, boy, what a water it is. The first element of the direct route is a brush-topped hanging log with a forward ground line, so horses are likely to jump out and over and land well clear — but because this is a drop into water, and their first time seeing water, no less, you’ll always see a couple suck back a bit and land very close to the fence. If they do, they’ll find themselves up against it a bit: the stride pattern here is fiendishly exact, and there’s not a lot of space to put in a serious bend to add a stride, though those who plan ahead and adjust quickly will be able to manage it. If they land far out and on their line, they can make that long three — or, if they jump to the right hand side of the fence, they can make a short-ish four happen. Then, it’s out onto dry land and over a straightforward table.

For those who choose to take the alternative at the first water, their A element is no less imposing.

The alternative route has much easier stride patterns — although they’ll pay the penalty by losing plenty of time on the clock. The first element is also no easier: it’s a big old brush, which doesn’t offer a glimpse of the water to come, so a horse that tends towards being a touch backwards at water might be put off. Then, they’ll skim through the water, up onto dry land, and over a skinny, before swinging left, jumping another skinny on dry land, and then turning back to the table that’s also the final element of the direct route.

One important thing to note here is that the direct and long routes can only be mixed and matched in certain ways, because the direct first element is an AB, while the long route is just an A. Once they’ve committed to their first element, they’ll need to ensure they don’t accidentally double up their letters, or miss any, if they change course midway. This will arguably be one of the most influential complexes on the course.

Fence 14 will offer some relief after a tough water complex.

Then, it’s one final loop in this field and over another straightforward table at 14, before they head on out and over to the next field to the step complex.

The first element of 15ABC is a sizeable table…

Into the woods we go! Fence 15ABC is almost the same across both classes, except for the A element: while both classes will jump a table at A, the five-star one is set further back from the B element, a big step up with a ditch in front, which adds some space for readjusting, but does make the line trickier. They’ll want to hang right as they head to the bank, which will give them three straightforward enough strides to the angled brush at C — but again, we’re seeing variable terrain here, which means that you can’t always expect the stride pattern you want. From the bank to the C is quite uphill, but that C element should be forgiving enough.

…and the second, a stiff step up with a ditch in front, shouldn’t be underestimated. The C will come up fast.

Here’s a closer look at the line from the bank to the C element, with its slew of options where take-off points are concerned. And once they land? Good luck to them — every single one of us on site this week has gotten lost in the long wooded stretch between this fence and the next — the longest gallop on course, and one that’s currently roped with three different paths. I’ve sampled two of them so far and in both cases, was fairly certain I was about to be eaten by wolves or wild boars or, I don’t know, malevolent German witches or something.

Your reward for not getting lost in the woods? A beefy trakehner at 16 to take you into one of the busiest parts of the course: the Meßmer Water.

If they can survive the witches, though, our competitors will be able to make good use of this stretch to take stock of how their horses feel at the halfway point, and to try to make up some time — though these wooded areas are one of the things that make Luhmühlen tricky. The tightly-packed skinny trees make it feel as though you’re going extraordinarily fast, but it’s all an optical illusion, so they’ll want to ensure that they’re keeping a close eye on the clock and any landmarks they’ve picked out along the way so they don’t get lulled into a false sense of speed when they’re actually just hacking through the woods.

Then, the woods will open up and they’ll come to one of the most crowded spectator hotspots on course: the Meßmer Water. First, they’ll jump a trakehner at 16 to get them up in the air as they greet the hubbub, before they come to the first element of this busy water complex.

There’s a very slow long route here, but the direct route begins with an achingly skinny arrowhead at 17A…

That first element at 17A is a very skinny arrowhead on dry land. They’ll enjoy a stride on grass before cantering into the water and then out onto an island in the center, atop which is a small log fence.

….followed by a pop over a log on the island at 17B, and finally, another skinny in the water at 17C.

Then, it’s down the mound, back into the water, and over another skinny at 17C — this one actually in the water. We’ve seen skinnies in the water here cause issues before, but that’s when this complex has come up much earlier on — this late in the course, they should be well focused on the task at hand. If riders are concerned, though, they do have a long route that’s made up of three totally different fences, but it’ll require them to do big loops around the water complex that’ll add lots of time and cost valuable energy.

Then, they’ll jump another big table on the way to the arena fences.

Then, they’ll hang a right and head down towards the beating heart of the venue, first jumping another big table at 18…

Fence 19 is a single right-handed corner – a breather compared to the 4* version of this question, which has two corners on a line.

…and then over a right-handed corner at 19, which is the second of a double used in the four-star class, and has trees planted on the approach that’ll dictate the line they take on the approach.

Then it’s into the arena and hang a right, all the way around to 20a, a wide, brush-topped oxer…

A big roar of encouragement will await them as they cut into the main arena, turn right, and then gallop all the way down the long side, before turning left and jumping 20A, a seriously big, brush-topped oxer that’s a country mile away from its B and C elements, just visible on the left-hand side of the photo.

Which is a reasonably distance and a 90-degree turn from 20B and C, a double of angled brushes with water trays beneath them.

That distance means there’s time to prepare, and the 90 degree turn will help them to ensure the balance and straightness they’ll need for the B and C elements, a tricky double of angled, brush-topped hanging logs with water trays underneath them, on a two-stride line. There’s ample opportunity to run out to the right here, so they’ll need to commit to their line and ride positively and genuinely through these fences.

Finally, they’ll jump THAT bird at 21 – but he’s not caused issues since he left his watery perch of 2019.

Then, they’ll turn left at the short side of the arena and pop over the colourful bird at 21, which will still strike fear into the hearts of everyone who saw it wreak havoc when it lived in the water complex at the 2019 European Championships. The good news is that it hasn’t caused any issues since it’s been an arena fence, and it is quite pretty, all things considered.

There’s a rail-fronted hedge to pop at 22 – another mainstay here at Luhmühlen.

Once they come out of the arena, they’re just a few fences from home — but there’s still enough to do between here and the finish that they can’t fall victim to complacency. First, they’ll pop the hedge and rail at 22, which is always a part of the course here, before heading out into the middle field on their way to the final water.

Then, it’s on to the upright gate and angled log combo at 23AB.

We’ve seen a double of gates used in this field before, but this year, it’s a slightly friendlier fence: at 23AB, they’ll pop a MIMclipped gate atop a mound, then cruise down to an angled stump at the B element. That walks as a four-stride line, but again, we’ve got a bit of terrain here that could complicate that calculation a bit, depending on the ride they get over the A element.

Next, we’ll head into the dappled light of the final water complex, the Longines Waßer. There’s a rolltop to start, followed by two angled brushes in the water – and then a short, steep uphill climb.

After galloping across the length of the field, they’ll nip back under the shade of the trees and into the Longines Water at 24ABC, which, on a sunny day, can have an interesting interplay between light and dark that can require extra sympathetic riding. The first element is a simple rolltop on dry land, and then they’ll head into the drink and over a double of offset angled hedges — one in the pond itself, and the other on dry land.

Finally, they’ll gallop up the steepest hill on the course, and though it’s not a long one, they’ll want to make sure they’ve left enough petrol in the tank to cruise on up it. Then, they’ll be able to catch their breath with another good gallop through the calm of the woods, before emerging in the final field for the last couple of fences.

They’ll enjoy another straightforward table after that big climb and long gallop…

First, it’s another straightforward table at 25…

…and a rolltop at 26, too, to get them focused before the final combo on course.

…and then down to a rolltop on a very slight downhill approach and landing, which is a set-up fence for the final combination.

That comes at 27AB, and it’ll look pretty familiar to anyone who went to Pratoni.

That final combination is 27AB, a double of timber oxers on a curving left-handed line, which gives riders some options as far as the stride pattern, and the amount of bend in the line, goes. They’ll be able to make that call depending on how much they’ve got left to work with at this point — and as these fences are MIMclipped, they’ll be wise to allow for an extra stride to straighten up on the approach to the second if they think their horse might jump low, or uneven, and potentially activate the safety device.

Will Coleman and Chin Tonic HS jump the final fence at Luhmühlen in 2022. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

And then it’s everyone’s favourite fence: the last one. They’ll still want to give it plenty of respect — it’s a five-star fence, after all, and it would be a crying shame to have a miss here just because you can taste the finish. Eyes up, legs on, balance, and go — and then you’re home clear.

Tomorrow’s cross-country will begin with the CCI5* at 9.15 a.m. local time (8.15 a.m. BST/3.15 a.m. EST), and full times for the class — holds notwithstanding — can be found here. Then, it’s on to the CCI4*-S, incorporating the German National Championships, from 12.55 local (11.55 a.m. BST/6.55 a.m. EST) — after that, as the Germans say, we make party. Join us on EN for live updates throughout the CCI5*, and for details on how to follow along on the live stream, click here. Until then: Go Eventing!

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