Classic Eventing Nation

EN’s coverage of the Maryland 5 Star is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products. KPP is our go-to for all things nutritional when it comes to supporting our horses and their healthier selves. Managing horses is a challenge, but KPP makes it simple — and they treat you like a horse owner, not just a customer. You can learn more about KPP by clicking here.

Your newest 5* winner! Photo by Abby Powell.

Boyd Martin won his first then-4* event in 2003, when he was still living in Australia. It was his very first start at the level at the green age of 24, and he took home the title in the Australian 5* with True Blue Toozac. In the intervening 18 years, he started a total of 42 times at the 5* level, sometimes coming tantalizing close to the top of the podium but never quite managing to catch it — until today.

It came down to the final wire, and Boyd entered the main grandstand as the third last to jump today at the Maryland 5 Star with Christine Turner’s On Cue. They needed a clear round to maintain pressure on top-ranked Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class as well as Tim Price and Xavier Faer. And deliver they did, producing a double clear effort despite a couple of rubs — On Cue putting in her absolute best effort after the grueling endurance effort of yesterday — to finish their second 5* together on a score of 25.0. After both Tim and Oliver each had one pole down, the gasps echoed through the grandstands and in the warm-up, where Boyd waited with his team, the screams, shouts, crying, and hugs began — and the U.S. collected its first 5* winner since 2008 (Phillip Dutton and Connaught won Kentucky in 2008).

Photo by Abby Powell.

Boyd began riding under the American flag in 2009 after moving from Australia in 2007. Since then, he’s collected numerous accolades as one of the top-ranked riders in the country, but as the sport so often goes he found himself battered and broken more often than atop the podium. He’s had numerous special horses, and the 15-year-old On Cue (Cabri d’Elle – On High, by Primitive Rising) entered this season flying mostly under the radar, living in her stablemate and Boyd’s Tokyo Olympic partner Tsetserleg TSF. But it would be this Anglo European mare, who was bred in England by Alyse Clancey, to step up to become the USEF CCI5* National Champion earlier this year at Kentucky as the top-placed U.S. horse. Now, she gets her full due, joining the ranks of 5*-winning mares such as Paulank Brokaugh, Vanir Kamira, and Classic Moet. On Cue has been under the watchful eye of Boyd’s longtime groom, Stephanie Simpson, who also traveled to Tokyo with the crew and is one of the many irreplaceable grooms who’ve worked very hard to care for their charges, day in and day out, to get to this point.

“I obviously knew Tim when he was in New Zealand and competed against him when he was sleeping on a mattress in the back of his trailer at shows,” Boyd said, laughing at the memory of that first 4* in Australia. “and, you know (it’s) wonderful to see that you work hard, you try hard and dig deep and make something of your life. Thinking back to Australia, it was a great country to get started in. I still sort of think of myself as an Australian person, that sort of work ethic and horsemanship from there and then obviously to come to America, and I fell in love with this country with great culture, great people and great events…It’s good, it’s not the be all and end all, but it’s a moment in time you’re grateful for, and we’ve come a long way since 2003.”

Boyd Martin and On Cue. Photo by Abby Powell.

It won’t be the weekend of Oliver’s second 5* win of the year (though, hey, he’s still got some horses entered at Pau in two weeks’ time, so it’s early days still), but one pole down with Angela Hislop’s Cooley Master Class (Ramiro B – The Swallow, by Master Imp) would still be enough to finish second on the weekend. The pair ends their weekend on a finishing score of 25.1 (perhaps Oliver will be re-reading his dressage marks to figure out where he could’ve gotten rid of that .1!). While the result is no doubt not what the British Olympian would have wanted, but at the end of the day he recognized the efforts of Boyd and the honor of competing next to the likes of Boyd and Tim for many years.

“We’re very happy with the way our horse jumped, and we’re actually very happy for Boyd as well,” Oliver commented. “Some days are meant to be your days and some days aren’t meant to be your day. And (right hand woman Karyn Shuter) said, ‘you know, we’ve seen (Boyd) scrape himself up off the floor so many times of so many times — we’ve all scraped ourselves off the floor, that’s not meaning that he falls off all the time! — but he’s taken some knocks. This was tough, and to be again sat, both with Boyd, and Tim for me, is a privilege because the riders that I actually have a huge amount of respect for. They’re both working boys, we’re all very normal lads. And for all three of us to be in the position that we’re in is a huge privilege. It does just show that normal people — and we all three are definitely normal people — if you work hard, you can make it to the pinnacle of this sport. That’s the message I want to get out to any kid that’s thinking ‘I can’t do it because I’m not from a wealthy background’, I think we’re all selling the sport now that is actually possible, and I’m very proud of Boyd for continuing on.”

Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class. Photo by Abby Powell.

New Zealand Olympian Tim Price with Trisha Rickards’ Xavier Faer (Catherston Liberator – Faerie Dazzler, by Catherston Dazzler) also lowered a pole but still remain within the top three in the 15-year-old British gelding’s eighth 5* event. Both Tim and Jonelle Price were eager to come over for this inaugural Maryland 5 Star primarily for the big cross country that each rider felt would suit their respective horses. Tim and “Hugo” will end their weekend with just the one pole added to their penalty mark and a final score of 28.3 — the picture of consistency as their finishing score at Kentucky this spring was a 28.2.

“Like I said yesterday with just being so grateful to have another competition of this level that truly is earning the five-star status, I’m really excited to see what comes in the future here,” Tim commented. “(I) brought a horse myself that I felt was going to be very capable of cross country. This is a place we can really fall out of a competition or stay in the competition, so I felt with the course designed by a man like Ian Stark, and from the reputation I’d heard this place has with the undulation in the ground it brings a good cross country course. Today was actually not as spotless, there was lots of crashing and bashing for me as well, it felt, and having to second down it’s not a great beginning to round. But Xavier Faer is a very simple horse, he just sees a fence, I’ve got to get in there in the right way with the right energy and we get away with it most of the time…But I’m very pleased with the result, and just to be out here again with these boys, I couldn’t be more proud of all of us really.”

Xavier Faer says, “Is that applause for meeee??” Photo by Abby Powell.

Jennie Brannigan told us earlier this week that her weekend in The Netherlands at Boekelo, where she finished in the top 15 with FE Lifestyle, gave her a boost of confidence heading into Maryland with the stunning Stella Artois (Satisfaction – I—Comtess, by Contender), who is owned by the Stella Artois Syndicate, and today they finally got their first 5* finish under their belts as a pair. Jennie and Stella had a tough run of luck, encountering eliminations at each of their first two attempts at the level. But we always knew the talent was there — “Toddie” won her first CCI4*-L at Rebecca Farm in 2019 as well as in the top 10 in the CCI4*-L at Tryon last fall. This weekend, she proved she’s every bit of a 5* horse, and despite some time added in the jumping phases she moved up the board after starting in seventh position and ending in fourth.

Jennie Brannigan and Stella Artois. Photo by Abby Powell.

Aachen winner Will Coleman and The Conair Syndicate’s Tight Lines (Turgeon – Merindole, by Tel Quel) earned their best 5* finish together this weekend, steadily making climbs up the leaderboard to eventually complete the top five on a final score of 32.2. This pair is the only other to finish the weekend on their dressage mark, and Will noted yesterday that he thought the grueling cross country would suit the 14-year-old Thoroughbred gelding — and it certainly seemed that rang true as Tight Lines looked fresh at the finish line.

Will Coleman and Tight Lines. Photo by Abby Powell.

It’s been a process of getting to know what works best for “Phish”, who like many Thoroughbreds can experience some tension, particularly in the first phase. “He’s like a lot of Thoroughbreds,” Will said earlier this week, explaining his warm-up process for the dressage. “He carries a lot of excess energy, and sort of positive tension from just trying really hard…I think he just does better when he comes out and you kind of give him those first few minutes to move around and be a bit natural and not go right to material or training or making him feel like he has to come out and bust a gut right away. We’ve definitely learned a lot from Phish, on just kind of how to meet a horse in the middle.”

Will also finished his second ride, Team Rebecca LLC’s DonDante, inside the top 15.

Ken Krome, who is a renowned Grand Prix show jumping designer, designed his first three-day eventing show jumping today — and the track certainly did its duty to test the riders. Seven riders out of 35 starters collected double clear efforts: Ashlynn Meucheul (Emporium), Zoe Crawford (K.E.C. Zara), Will Faudree (Pfun), Astier Nicolas (Babylon de Gamma), Doug Payne (Quantum Leap), Will Coleman (Tight Lines), and Boyd Martin (On Cue). Three riders produced rounds clear of jumping penalties, but picked up time penalties against the tight time allowed of 81 seconds. The ring here feels much closer than the imposing Rolex Stadium in Kentucky, creating a bit more of a “fishbowl” atmosphere for the horses — Doug Payne remarked that the ring felt perhaps a bit tight, but that the atmosphere was “exceptional” and that he enjoyed riding Ken’s track.

Rails down were scattered throughout the track — fence 5 and fence 12b proved to be the most influential, with fence 5, an oxer coming across the center of the ring on a snaking bending line, coming down seven times and 12b, the second element of the triple, coming down six times. You can view the full fence-by-fence report here.

We’ve somehow already reached the end of an incredible weekend at the Maryland 5 Star. We’ve worked with the organizing crew here for many months to create the digital program, and through it all we’ve been witness to the immense efforts they’ve made to put this event on. It’s easy to forget that every other 5* is so well-established, with decades of experience, history and tradition behind them. The indication we got from this first go-round was that this event has every marker of being a top-class event — and a popular spectator event, as the event welcomed over 20,000 of them this weekend — and we truly cannot wait to return next year.

That wraps up our reporting from Maryland, but we’ve still got more content yet to come! We’ll be adding more photos to our site and social media over the coming days, so keep an eye out for more still to come. Most importantly, thank you all for following along with us. We were thrilled to welcome 50+ fans to our course walk with Ema Klugman and RideIQ (something we hope to do much more of in the future!), and all throughout the weekend we interacted with so many excited people — it reminds us why we do this job and of how much we love this sport. So, from all of us at EN to you: thank you, and Go Eventing.

And as our last hurrah, allow us to leave you with some additional photos, as well as this special moment we managed to capture as Boyd learned he’d won:

 

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EN’s coverage of the Maryland 5 Star is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products. KPP is our go-to for all things nutritional when it comes to supporting our horses and their healthier selves. Managing horses is a challenge, but KPP makes it simple — and they treat you like a horse owner, not just a customer. You can learn more about KPP by clicking here.

Kurt Martin and D.A. Lifetime. Photo by Abby Powell.

Kurt Martin and the beautiful gray Holsteiner mare D.A. Lifetime seized hold of the USEF National CCI3*-L Championship at the Maryland 5 Star early and never looked back. After the conclusion of show jumping this morning, Kurt and “Clarence” ended their weekend on their dressage mark, adding no penalties around an influential Ken Krone-designed track to seal the deal on the championship win.

The 9-year-old mare by Lingh and out of Timeless, who is owned by and bears the initials of Debbie Adams and her Debbie Adams Select Sport Horses moniker, has been on an upward trajectory that began when the mare first started her eventing career in Kurt’s program back in 2018. After spending the majority of the abbreviated 2020 season at the Preliminary and CCI2* level, Kurt and D.A. Lifetime moved up to the Intermediate level and finished out their season with a first CCI3*-L completion at Virginia Horse Trials last October. Now, this win comes as their third in 2021, also marking their lowest finishing score since the mare was competing at the Modified level.

Kurt remembers taking the mare to the Florida Horse Park for a lower level event soon after she came to the U.S., describing how she’d buck and spook and overall just show her exuberance. A definitive “one person horse”, Clarence has been a horse Kurt has had to thoughtfully produce (isn’t the saying, “ask a mare”?). But thanks to help from both Debbie Adams and James Burtwell on the flat, Kurt says the mare has really shown her talent as her strength increases.

Kurt describes “Clarence” as very enthusiastic and keen (but a total puppy in the barn), noting yesterday after cross country that the course and terrain was probably good to help tamper that energy — but that the jumps still didn’t really “hold” her, indicating she still had more power, scope and bravery to burn. While he very much sees five-star potential in this mare, he’s committed to the process of tactful production. After all, he knew this was a very special horse for the future from the moment he sat on her, describing the shopping trip to Germany that he went on with Debbie Adams (who in her own right has an excellent eye for top horses, having sourced horses such as D.A. Duras. Debbie Adams also served as a judge for the Young Event Horse competition this week and serves as a USEF judge and ICP instructor) and Tony Rosati that led them to D.A. Lifetime. “It’s all about the stepping stones and having a really good horse and producing it, and that’s what we have here,” Kurt described. “We have to continue to train the balance, but she wants it as much or more as any other horse I’ve ever ridden.”

Kurt Martin and D.A. Lifetime. Photo by Abby Powell.

“We ran her last year at Virginia Horse Trials, in a three-star long when she was a little underprepared and a little bit green,” Kurt described. “And it was a really eye opening experience for us because we realized what horse we had. Then for the last year we trained that horse, so I know when to get on that horse, I know when to ask that horse to stay, and I know when I can’t and, you know, you work together. I don’t force that horse to do anything. We work together and it’s a mare and I’ve had another good mare [Anna Bella].”

Coming into Ken Krome’s twisting show jumping track in the new main arena surrounded by grandstands, Kurt wasn’t sure how D.A. Lifetime would respond. “I truly believed if we put our best foot forward, we could win,” he said. “She’s been second and first in her last two FEI, so it came down to the show jumping. I just believed in the horse — I knew that she wanted to do it and it’s almost, I’ll be honest with you, harder to ride such a nice horse because you don’t want to make a mistake for the horse. And that’s how I felt about it. I believed in her, and I was confident but when I went into the show jumping I just looked up and took a deep breath in every single fence, and what was going to be was going to be. And she did that for me and tried very hard — and that’s what a partnership is. That’s why I do love a mare for that. She’s dug in for me.”

A fun fact: D.A. Lifetime got her barn name, “Clarence”, after the Bruce Springsteen song, Jungle Land, came on while the group was driving to the airport in Germany following their horse shopping trip. They’d just decided to take the mare back to the U.S. with them, and as they sped down the Autobahn, sax player Clarence Fleming became the inspiration for the new addition’s nickname.

Hannah Sue Burnett and Carsonstown. Photo by Abby Powell.

While eight riders produced double clear show jumping efforts this morning, the rails fell throughout the division and prompted a shuffle in the remainder of the top three. In the end, it’s Hannah Sue Burnett with Christa Schmidt’s Carsonstown (Loughere Cappuchino – Nonavic Spyridonna, by Limmerick) who would move up from fourth to finish in second place on a score of 28.1 in the gelding’s CCI3*-L debut. This is another 9-year-old, with whom Hannah Sue has been partnered since he was brought over from Ireland in 2019.

Oliver Townend and Ulises. Photo by Abby Powell.

Winding up third with a catch-ride on Juli Hutchings Sebring’s Ulises is Great Britain’s Oliver Townend, who campaigned the 14-year-old Spanish gelding by Fines through the Advanced/4* level previously. Juli reached out to Oliver to gauge his interest in taking the ride for the weekend, and he eagerly agreed to reunite with his old friend. He visited Juli’s Appleton Equestrian earlier this week (Juli is based just around the corner here in Elkton) to reacquaint with Ulises — and they certainly took little time to get to know each other again as they became just the second pair in the division to end the weekend on their dressage mark of 29.4. Thanks to their clear jumping efforts, Oliver and Ulises were able to gradually move up after starting in 10th place following dressage. Oliver and Ulises also won Best Turned Out Horse & Rider for the CCI3*-L division.

You can review full final scores from the CCI3*-L here. We’re just about set to kick off the 5* finale at 1 p.m. EST, so stay tuned for more from the final day at Maryland 5 Star!

Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill: Website, Ultimate Guide, Digital Program, Tickets, Schedule,  Live Scores, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, Daily Digest Email Sign-up, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

EN’s coverage of the Maryland 5 Star is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products. KPP is our go-to for all things nutritional when it comes to supporting our horses and their healthier selves. Managing horses is a challenge, but KPP makes it simple — and they treat you like a horse owner, not just a customer. You can learn more about KPP by clicking here.

Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class. Photo by Kate Samuels.

There’s a collective feeling of breath being held on the morning of the second horse inspection at a five-star event — especially after running a brand new cross country track —  but as it turned out we needn’t have worried. All 35 horses that presented to the CCI5* ground jury of Angela Tucker (GBR), Martin Plewa (GER) and Mark Weissbecker (USA) this morning were accepted and will move on to show jumping.

Of course everyone was curious to see how Cooley Master Class and Oliver Townend, who maintained their lead in the division after a double clear cross country round yesterday, would fare this morning; particularly after having sadly been spun at this point in the competition at Kentucky in April.

Andrea Baxter’s Indy 500 was the only horse to be asked to jog twice, but then was immediately accepted without being held.

Unfortunately, one horse in the three-star division did not pass inspection: Alina Patterson’s Flashback was sent to the holding box and then was not accepted upon representation. Mia Farley and Phelps were also sent to the hold box but were then accepted without without being asked to represent.

CCI3* show jumping commenced a moment ago, at 10:00 a.m. EST, and a new 2021 USEF CCI3*-L National Champion will be crowned. The exciting conclusion of the five-star division will begin at 1:00 p.m. and will cap off this inaugural Maryland 5 Star.

Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill: Website, Ultimate Guide, Digital Program, Tickets, Schedule, Live Scores, Volunteer, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, Daily Digest Email Sign-up, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

EN’s coverage of the Maryland 5 Star is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products. KPP is our go-to for all things nutritional when it comes to supporting our horses and their healthier selves. Managing horses is a challenge, but KPP makes it simple — and they treat you like a horse owner, not just a customer. You can learn more about KPP by clicking here.

Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class. Photo by Kate Samuels.

Despite the fact that collectively the riders here at the Maryland 5 Star probably got about five hours of sleep thinking about the big, burly cross course that awaited them today, we quickly learned there was much to love about this brand-new track with no precedent at the Maryland 5 Star. In spite of those nerves, one of the biggest traits designer Ian Stark is known — and respected — for is the fact that even though he might scare the riders into a sleepless night or two, he is always fair to the horses.

This is what we saw today as the very first Maryland 5 Star cross country course was finally unveiled, beginning with the CCI3*-L this morning and concluding, nearly beating the downpour, with the CCI5* in the afternoon. The course rode exceptionally well, presenting a challenge but for the most part allowing all horses to get home with good wind. Outside of the top three, we saw some shuffling which we’ll get to shortly, but for now we will see Oliver Townend and Angela Hislop’s Cooley Master Class (Ramiro B – The Swallow, by Master Imp) remain on their dressage mark of 21.1 after turning in a fast clear inside the time. Tim Price and Xavier Faer (24.3) also keep their position overnight after a double clear, as will Boyd Martin and On Cue (25.0).

Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class. Photo by Abby Powell.

We waited nervously for the first rider to come home this afternoon after Buck Davidson and Carlevo fell at fence 10A. It would fall to Will Coleman and Team Rebecca LLC’s DonDante, second out of the box, then to make it through the finish flags as the first pair to officially complete Ian Stark’s track, and while the 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Team Rebecca LLC ran out of gas toward the end, Will showed his horsemanship to nurse him home.

“It felt like a lot of work,” Will said at the vet box. “The terrain challenges you in a number of ways, makes the fitness part of it that much more intense…I was thankful that (DonDante) stayed with me and was honest, but it was hard work, no question. As hard a five-star as I’ve done, start to finish.

Will Coleman and DonDante. Photo by Abby Powell.

Oliver Townend may find himself in a leading position quite often, but he says he always feels the pressure. Looking ahead to tomorrow, he’ll not have a pole in hand ahead of Tim Price and Xavier Fear. But for today, he’s very happy with the 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Ramiro B — The Swallow, by Master Imp) owned by Angela Hislop.

“He’s really shown today how good he is because this is not a track that’s built for Cooley Master Class,” Oliver said after his ride. “But he’s been with me since he was four years old and he has a lot of trust in me and allows me to do my job so that he can do his. He gives me his brain in the start box and wherever I point and kick, even if he’s a little careful or not sure, he throws himself between the flags for me.”

“It’s an amazing venue and the organizers for me couldn’t have done a better job at the first attempt at the five star,” Oliver continued. “Ian was my hero as a kid, and it’s about time he had a five-star. He’s one of the best designers in the world. Yet again, despite us all scratching our heads and not liking the idea of his track before going out, he’s shown that he’s very, very fair.”

Tim Price and Xavier Faer. Photo by Abby Powell.

The Price crew is making good on their latest trip to the U.S., with Tim and Trisha Rickards’ Xavier Faer (Catherston Liberator – Faerie Dazzler, by Catherston Dazzler) remaining on his dressage mark to hang on to second, though this pair also does not have a rail in hand tomorrow. Xavier Faer was runner-up at Kentucky earlier this year, and he pulled up full of run at the end today to look like he’ll return for a good crack at the show jumping tomorrow.

“You’ve got to enjoy it whilst it’s there for you with a horse like him and the partnership we’ve got,” Tim said of “Hugo”, who is doing his seventh five-star this weekend. “He’s great fun. He’s a great traveler which made the time getable for me.”

With their cross country finishes today, both Tim Price becomes the first rider to complete cross country at all seven five-stars in the world, having made many runs around the various other events scattering the globe, including the most difficult to reach (thankfully, he hails from the Southern Hemisphere so were at one point closer to the Australian Three-Day!). Editor’s Note: This fact was corrected due to an error.

Jonelle Price and Classic Moet. Photo by Abby Powell.

Boyd Martin found himself with just the one ride this weekend, plus another in the CCI3*-L, with Christine Turner’s On Cue (Cabri d’Elle – On High, by Primitive Rising), and the 15-year-old Anglo-European mare once again proved her mettle as she turned in a first double clear (though she came close in Kentucky, picking up just two seconds of time) at the level.

“She’s brilliant,” Boyd said after his ride. “I love this horse. She’s an older horse, but this year, I mean, what a champion.”

Boyd Martin and On Cue. Photo by Abby Powell.

“I think this cross country course is fantastic,” Boyd elaborated in the press conference. “It had everything — the technical questions — and it was a real test of endurance. The top class of horses made the trip look good…obviously, you want to bring a real good athlete to the five-star, and I think this event’s going to evolve in years to come to be the greatest five-star in the world.”

In fact, the top five at the end of phase two all turned in double clear efforts. The time proved to be the most consequential factor of the day, with jump penalties spread out throughout. These efforts were rewarded with a reshuffling of the remaining top 10, starting with Lauren Nicholson and Landmark’s Monte Carlo (Formula One – Glamour), who came home three seconds under time to remain on a score of 28.5 and move from sixth into fourth. Lauren will actually have both of her rides inside the top 10 overnight as Vermiculus (Sazeram – Wake Me Gently), the first of her two to leave the start box, also turned in a double clear two seconds under optimum. Both Landmark’s Monte Carlo and Vermiculus are owned by Ms. Jacqueline Mars.

Lauren Nicholson and Landmark’s Monte Carlo. Photo by Abby Powell.

“It’s a proper five-star for sure,” Lauren commented after her ride with Vermiculus. “It’s a really interesting feeling to go out on a track like that with no information really. Even when you’ve done Burghley or Badminton the first time, you can go watch years and years of videos and get some idea of what you’re instincts are going to be like or how the horses are going to read certain areas or landmark fences. But it was definitely very interesting to go out on this track. There was a lot of hype about the terrain and going in the first five, you don’t get any information.”

Lauren Nicholson and Vermiculus. Photo by Abby Powell.

Lauren explained that her strategy was to try to go after the time from the beginning — a bold choice given the terrain that awaited, but she ascertained that it would be the better to start quick than try to make up time later. This move paid off, and it’s one she says she credits to trusting her horse’s fitness — particularly Vermiculus with his Arabian blood — and that she’d properly prepared them. That prep work and that trust paid off in spades today. Vermiculus remains on his dressage mark of 30.7 to sit in eighth heading into show jumping.

Harry Meade and Superstition. Photo by Kate Samuels.

Britain’s Harry Meade also enjoyed a nice romp up the board, moving from 10th into fifth thanks to another fast double clear. Superstition, a 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Satisfaction FRH, hasn’t run much between this weekend and Kentucky, a strategy Harry says is to help the gelding work through his nervous tendencies. This selective, conservative approach paid off well today, leaving Harry to muse that he felt the horse even had more to give (challenge issued, Ian?).

“It was a great course,” Harry said. “My horse had his ears pricked the whole way…He had much more to give, and when you’re at a five-star you want to be able to demonstrate that, but it’s still always good to come home happy…This guy hasn’t run for twelve weeks to the date. That was a deliberate plan; he’s had one cross country school. He’s an unorthodox horse, he gets a bit stressed for the occasion so it’s about keeping it easy. I jumped a couple of fences this morning, hacked up here (to the cross country warm-up), jumped two fences in the collecting ring and went out. To me, it’s just about keeping his heart rate resting before he starts, and trying to travel with economic speed so it’s not blowing their brains and their adrenaline getting up too much. Five-star eventing isn’t a sprint — it’s not like short formats. It’s about getting them into a rhythm and breathe and relax.”

Andrea Baxter and Indy 500. Photo by Abby Powell.

While several riders turned in double clear efforts, it would be California rider Andrea Baxter with her incredible little mare, the 16-year-old Indy 500 (Cromwell – Tens of Thousands, by Spend A Buck), who would be the quickest of the day. Their time of 10:43 would reward them with a rocket up the board from 39th into the top 20 still on her dressage mark of 37.2. This is the seventh 5* this pair has started, and like a fine wine #InternationalIndy continues to get better and better. Andrea told us at the finish that she thought she was about 30 seconds down on her clock at fence 24. “I knew I had a Thoroughbred with a lot of gas in the tank, so I just put the pedal down all the way to the end and came in a little faster than I needed to,” Andrea laughed. “But it was really only that last bit that I had to sprint.”

“She’s such a warhorse,” Andrea said. Indy 500 came to Andrea a bit inauspiciously, and she always describes their early days as Indy “picking” her and proving herself as a horse worth keeping around. “She picked me in the beginning and she has earned her keep. She’s been the best horse ever.”

 

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We also saw our two debut riders finish the track this afternoon, along with a handful of “rookies” giving the 5* level a second go after running into trouble at Kentucky. In all, we were thrilled to welcome debutants Emma Lomangino (Master Frisky) and Ashlynn Muechel (Emporium), as well as Mike Pendleton (Steady Eddie), Valerie Vizcarrondo Pride (Favian), Zoe Crawford (K.E.C. Zara), and Karl Slezak (Fernhill Wishes) through the finish flags to finish their first cross country course at the level. It’s a huge amount of effort that goes into getting a horse and rider to this level, and all of the aforementioned riders are primarily one-horse riders without a big string to gain mileage on. We hope you are all proud and happy tonight — and we know for sure that Emma Lomangino is, as demonstrated by her and Master Frisky’s post-ride interview (and we’re also pleased to welcome Master Frisky back to the 5* level for the first time since 2015!):

 

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Problems were tossed a bit throughout the course, and while no one fence would really emerge as a bogey, fence 11 — a left-handed brush corner that came on the end of an S-shaped line on a downhill — caught out four riders with runouts. The track accumulated a completion rate of 83%, with 11 starters (26%) going clear inside the time and 26 (62%) starters going clear without jump penalties.

Three horses fell: Buck Davidson and Carlevo hit the deck rather hard at fence 10A, but both were up on their feet afterward. Buck went on to ride Jak My Style but later withdrew his third ride, Erroll Gobey. Caroline Martin and Islandwood Captain Jack fell at fence 20, the second of the sharply angled cabins that followed the big Fair Hill drop. Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Singapore also fell at the Groundhog Garden Gate at fence 24, and while the MIM clip was activated the fall was quite scary. Colleen Rutlege (Covert Rights), Holly Jacks-Smither (Candy King) and Fylicia Barr (Galloway Sunrise) unfortunately fell off. Ema Klugman pulled up Bendigo heartbreakingly close to home at the final water — one of the most difficult (but at the same time, easiest) decisions a horsewoman can make so near the end. Ema reported that Bendigo ran out of steam a bit at the last hill, and she decided to let him call it a day. We’re relieved to report that no injuries have been reported to any riders at the time of publication, and all horses were confirmed to be ok.

You can review the full leaderboard for the CCI5* here.

Kurt Martin and D.A. Lifetime Keep CCI3*L Lead

Kurt Martin and D.A. Lifetime. Photo by Abby Powell.

The USEF National CCI3*-L Championship competitors ran their cross country earlier today, giving the day a brilliant start as Ian Stark’s track here also rode exceptionally well for this division. The 3*L would be a test for horses aiming to move up to the Advanced level in the near future, as third-placed Caroline Martin noted, and this test certainly stood up to that challenge. In the end, Kurt Martin with Debbie Adam’s D.A. Lifetime will retain their lead after a quick clear, remaining on their dressage score of 23.5.

“‘Clarence’ was really excited to be out and she’s a very enthusiastic lady,” Kurt said of D.A. Lifetime, a 9-year-old Holsteiner mare by Lingh who so far has improved upon her two previous CCI3*-L performances. “In the warm-up she was honestly very nervous, so I spent a little bit more time than I had planned up there and she came out of the box well. She just wants to go and go and go and she’s not scared of anything, she’s not backed down by a crowd or by fence or even me and so there was a little bit of wrestling at the beginning but she’s just very genuine lady and she gave me a good ride.”

Daniel Clasing and Olney Uncle Sam. Photo by Abby Powell.

Second in the CCI3*-L overnight will be Daniel Clasing and Jennifer Ward’s Olney Uncle Sam (Sonset Seiger – Aerial, by Starman) — who is a true Maryland horse as he was bred here in the state by the well-known Olney Farm, who made quick work of the track to move up from fourth on a score of 26.0. “We’ve been getting to know each other,” Dan said in the press conference. “We’ve had good events and we’ve had ones that didn’t work out so great, but I think we’re developing a partnership and he’s bwe’ve been getting to know each other, he’s been, you know, we’ve had good events and we’ve had ones that didn’t work out so great but I think we’re developing a partnership and he’s been getting more consistent as the season goes on.”

Caroline Martin and HSH Vamanos. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Caroline Martin, who’s probably the busiest rider here this week in terms of number of horses (and who’s always quick to thank the team behind her for helping make these busy weekends work), and she’ll slot into third place in this division with the 8-year-old HSH Vamanos (Andiamo VH Kapelhof Z – Quasimodelle Kapelhof Z , by Quasimodo Z), who was one of the first to see the track this morning. Caroline and Vamanos will take a score of 27.5 into tomorrow after picking up 2.0 time penalties. This is a special one for Caroline, as Vamonos was actually given to her as an engagement gift.

“Vamanos is quite a cool horse,” Caroline said. “I just got the ride on him in January or February. My business partner Kelly Hutchinson sourced the horse and Emily King produced him up to the two-star level. Kelly found him and gave him to me as my engagement gift so that’s kind of cute. He’s kind of a quirky guy, a little bit of a head case, we jokingly say.”

The 3* did prompt quite a few retirements, with 11 pairs retiring after trouble on course and two picking up eliminations. Elinor O’Neal and Zick Zack had a fall at the angled cabins following the drop, but Zick Zack is reported to be ok.

In total, it was a brilliant day and a brilliant showcase of our sport. The organizers of the Maryland 5 Star hail from other industries outside of the horse world, and the result of this experience led them to reach out into the community to invite more newcomers to take in the event. And what a grand show of sport we gave those newcomers today! We love a challenging cross country that does not trick its participants, and the general consensus in talking to the riders is that Ian Stark did a brilliant job designing his first five-star — though he intimated that he may already be working on some new tricks for next year!

For his part, Ian — who was decidedly nervous to see how this track would ride today — was pleased with how things went, though he admitted he felt nervous after Buck and Carlevo fell. “I’ve always said, my big fear is tricking horses,” Ian said. “And so, what really pleased me today was the horses seem to be reading the questions, even the sort of less experienced horses and riders. Yeah, they had some hiccups but in general, they were getting wrong and they weren’t losing competence and that’s important because a lot of the riders said they had sleepless nights but then so did I, so I don’t really mind!”

Just as the rain began to pour, the final horses were finishing their rounds. Thanks to a move up of start times for both divisions, we were able to see the vast majority of all pairs before high-tailing it back to the press tent (and turning up looking like drowned rats — did you think this job was glamorous? Because it’s decidedly the opposite) as the downpour started.

We will wrap up this epic weekend at Maryland with the final horse inspection tomorrow, beginning at 8 a.m. EST with the 3* horses and 8:30 a.m. EST for the 5* horses. The 3* show jumping begins at 9:30 a.m. EST, followed by the 5* finale at 1 p.m. EST. This schedule is subject to change, so we’ll let you know if any of these times shift.

In the meantime, we’re thankful to have horses and riders back in the barn safe after a fantastic day of cross country. It’s certainly been an incredible experience, and we are grateful to you for following along with us.

Go Eventing!

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