Eventing Nation’s coverage of the 2021 USEA American Eventing Championships is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products. We want to share the joy of eventing this week, so we invite you to nominate an AEC rider for our “Kentucky Performance of the Week” contest, happening now in partnership with Kentucky Performance Products. Learn more here.
We’re getting toward the end of #AEC2021, but we’ve still got loads of cross country to watch today as the Beginner Novice pairs take to Derek di Grazia’s track, which winds through many areas that the five-star track also touches. It’s a huge dream for a lot of riders to make it to American Eventing Championships, and as I’m fresh off doing five-star updates from Bicton I thought I’d pop on and do a little bit of Beginner Novice for you!
You can tune in to the free live stream here to follow along, and scores for the BN Rider division can be found here. Let’s get this party started!
2:19 p.m. ET: Well it’s been fun, everyone but I sadly have to leave you here! I hope you’ve enjoyed hanging out with me watching cross country today — stay tuned for the full reports from Bicton and AEC coming later today! Go eventing!
2:18 p.m. ET: Mardi Gras Magic and Amanda Steffen through the finish!
GIF via RNS Video Media.
2:15 p.m. ET: Another paint! I am loving this showcase of breeds in this division!
GIF via RNS Video Media.
2:11 p.m. ET: Now here’s a special one! We’ve loved following Crissa Gillette and EPA Wildfire, who came to the U.S. via the Goresbridge Go for Gold sale!
GIF via RNS Video Media.
2:09 p.m. ET: Jess Wymbs (who is helping us out on Instagram this weekend!) has a conversation with Weight of the World over the ditch and makes it over! Good girl:
GIF via RNS Video Media.
2:08 p.m. ET: Another Haflinger through the Head of the Lake!
GIF via RNS Video Media.
2:06 p.m. ET: So many more smiles on faces during this division — a good reminder of how much FUN we can have out there!
GIF via RNS Video Media.
2:03 p.m. ET: Now we’ve got a battle of the palominos on our hands! Also, please join me in starting an N’pressive fan club:
GIF via RNS Video Media.
2:02 p.m. ET: It’s all about those finish flag reactions, isn’t it?
GIF via RNS Video Media.
2:00 p.m. ET: Just a little stroll into the Head of the Lake for Amber Vannoy and HSH RiverSong:
GIF via RNS Video Media.
1:55 p.m. ET: Another look at some of the terrain here — again, a lot to have to pay attention to. Especially with no dedicated galloping lanes, the tracks tend to cross themselves here so the horses need to be in tune with their rider and stay in balance at the same time. Here’s a look at Nancy White and Wild Eyed And Wicked:
GIF via RNS Video Media.
1:54 p.m. ET: Oh no! Valerie looks to have missed a fence and has been pulled up. Bummer! Meanwhile, Morgan Cooper is whooping it up as she tackles the jumps after the head of the lake — she’s having a blast!
1:52 p.m. ET: Here’s a look at the first portion of the BN track, which has a bit of terrain as well as plenty to look at — this track winds through the infield and winds through some of the treeline here, so there is plenty to do and pay attention to! Here’s Valerie Johnson and Henson:
GIF via RNS Video Media.
1:48 p.m. ET: Uh oh! Christine Hryzak and FMF S.O.L. have a look at fence 3 but are clear on their second attempt.
1:46 p.m. ET: Ah, event horses. Will jump a house but will then spook at a leaf on the ground.
GIF via RNS Video Media.
1:45 p.m. ET: And here’s Quin Swiney with Riddle Me This:
GIF via RNS Video Media.
1:43 p.m. ET: And we’re back with the Beginner Novice cross country, and it’s a battle of the paints! Here’s Deena Zaitounh and See My Tuxedo:
GIF via RNS Video Media.
1:22 p.m. ET: This is adorable, we’ve got Dorothy and John Crowell on commentary today! A little husband and wife action behind the mic!
1:17 p.m. ET: While we check in on Novice Master show jumping, have you entered our Kentucky Performance of the Week contest from Kentucky Performance Products? It’s easy! Visit the Instagram post below to enter:
1:13 p.m. ET: Amanda and Lawman looking strong over the Fiesta fence at 12:
GIF via RNS Video Media.
1:12 p.m. ET: Here’s a look at that related distance after the Head of the Lake, as demonstrated by Stephanie Bristol and Ballenger.
GIF via RNS Video Media.
1:10 p.m. ET: Amanda Rudolph and Lawman are next out of the box, coming forward on a score of 33.4.
GIF via RNS Video Media.
1:09 p.m. ET: This is definitely a championship-caliber track designed by Derek di Grazia to really give riders some education on using the terrain and paying attention to how the undulation will affect their way of going. The fences may not be as big or as technical as higher levels, but the foundational skills that are being taught are the same.
1:08 p.m. ET: I love an eventing Saddlebred! Here’s Kimberly Moore and CH Good Deal – an experienced pair here with lots of miles at this level under their belt. A little peek at the ditch at 11 but they’re all clear:
GIF via RNS Video Media.
1:05 p.m. ET: Here’s a look at Jamie Merrill and Addi on their way home:
GIF via RNS Video Media
1:04 p.m. ET: And we’re back! We’re getting underway with the Beginner Novice Rider division and I’m here to hang out with you while we follow along on the USEA/RNS Video Media live stream!
12:26 p.m ET: Well, seeing how we’re still on a live stream break I am going to take this opportunity to get some food and coffee to refuel after my 3 a.m. alarm this morning — I’ll pick back up with some more live updates from Beginner Novice a bit later on, so check back this afternoon!
12:15 p.m. ET: Honestly, this is the type of content we need more of:
11:58 a.m. ET: You can see what the riders in this division are tackling below and in more detail here. The optimum time is 5 minutes, 35 seconds with 18 jumping efforts. Apologies as I seem to have started these live updates right as the live stream went on break, but I’ll pick them back up as soon as it’s back!
Screenshot via CrossCountryApp.
11:53 a.m. ET: Right out of rhythm for Nicole Taylor and Indigo:
GIF via RNS Video Media.
11:51 a.m. ET: Actually a bit of a tricky question here at the water, as the horses have a lot to look at and a long way to trot through the water before coming out and making a right turn to a nice-sized related distance before turning around to head back towards home. Here’s Max O’Krepki and Sully:
GIF via RNS Video Media.
11:48 a.m. ET: A look at the Head of the Lake question as Charmaine Van der Merwe and Allaboutpaches navigate..
GIF via RNS Video Media.
11:47 a.m. ET Jodie Potts and Cat’s Confetti over the last!
GIF via RNS Video Media.
11:46 a.m. ET: I love that the lower level tracks get to go through the iconic Head of the Lake complex! Honestly, that’s the dream right there. Can we bring AEC back to Kentucky, please?
Eventing Nation’s coverage of the 2021 USEA American Eventing Championships is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products. We want to share the joy of eventing this week, so we invite you to nominate an AEC rider for our “Kentucky Performance of the Week” contest, happening now in partnership with Kentucky Performance Products. Learn more here.
Penny Welsch and Mr. Poppers. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
Do you know what I like about the American Eventing Championships? What puts a tiny joyful tear in my eye and a happy little spring in my step? It’s not the sight of Olympians dousing another another in champagne on a podium — a waste of good bubbles, IMO. It’s not someone posing with a giant cardboard check worth more than my annual salary, or the professionals for whom the AEC is just another day at the office.
What sets my heart aloft are the stories, the REAL stories, of the AEC adult amateurs and junior riders that make up the heart and soul of our sport. Like that of our AEC Beginner Novice Master Amateur division dressage leaders, Penny Welsch and Mr. Poppers, who lead the massive 51-horse field on a score of 25.1.
Penny, of Ocala, FL, says, “It’s been almost 40 years since I evented. I never thought I’d ever step foot on this ground with a horse. You know, I just evented as a teenager, you know, and not big time then either. It was the small stuff up in New Jersey. So this is a dream come true.”
Penny Welsh and Mr. Poppers. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
Hey, I know Penny! And I bet a bunch of you reading this do, too. Her vendor, I Love My Horse Eventing & Dressage Boutique, is a staple at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event and many Area 3 events and has been a much-valued supporter of EN. She sells a hand-picked selection of breeches, show attire and outerwear plus tack, stable supplies and gifts. The boutique is at the AEC this week, so please go visit it or shop its website here.
I bet you know Mr. Poppins, too. After a tragic riding accident that claimed his owner Christine Brown’s life in 2013, her husband Stuart had to make decisions on what to do with Christine’s horses, namely Mr. Poppers, a now 13-year-old Canadian Sport Horse gelding. “Stuart asked if I’d be willing to take ‘Sam’ into my barn,” Buck Davidson told EN a few years back. “I was honored that a man of his stature would have one of his horses in my barn, and we took Sam in and began working with him.” Buck’s wife Andrea competed Sam through Training, winning many events and finishing 10th at the last AEC in 2019.
Penny, a student of Andrea’s, began leasing Sam from Stuart in February. Within three events, they had qualified for the AEC having earned one red and two yellow ribbons.
“Sam’s pretty famous,” she says. “People know Sam. When I’m walking around the Park, you know, between having this store and having Mr. Poppers, people are always talking to me.”
Renee Senter, Overland Park, Kan., is the second-placed rider aboard Regina, the 14-year-old Holsteiner (Regulus x Nellina), on a score of 27.
Renee Senter and Regina. Photo by Tanner Messer for Shannon Brinkman Photography.
Renee Senter and Regina. Photo by Tanner Messer for Shannon Brinkman Photography. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
Just behind on 27.8 is Amy Winnen, Rochester, N.Y., and Galatea HU, a 15-year-old Rheinland Pfalz-Saar (Galant Du Serein x Rohmanie), on a score of 27.8.
Amy Winnen and Galatea HU. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
Beginner Novice cross country begins on Saturday at 8 a.m. Best of luck and HAVE FUN to all!
Captain Mark Phillips, British Eventing CEO Helen West and Bicton organiser Andrew Fell peer over the first element of question 19, the Burghley Brushes. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
We’re less than an hour away from the start of the inaugural Chedington Bicton Arena CCI5* cross-country, and the venue is abuzz with excitement for what’s to come. The consensus? While some of the single fences — those beefy tables and logs that look so frightening at this level — are generally smaller, the terrain is hillier and tougher than any five-star course in the world, and with its mix of strong stamina challenges and twisty tracks that criss-cross a relatively small swathe of land, it’s going to be an all-round test of horses’ and riders’ skills. Oh, and that optimum time of 11: 16? It’s going to be very, very tricky to catch.
Pippa Funnell after her leading test on Billy Walk On. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Pippa Funnell (overnight leader on Billy Walk On, 8th on Majas Hope): The course is tough — every bit a five-star, and obviously made tougher by the factor of the terrain. This horse came here in the spring, and anyone who remembers what a Bedford TK was like, he’s a bit like that — as soon as he gets to a hill he slows down and then he goes roaring off down the hill. He’s not a real Thoroughbred in the way that he gallops, but he got the trip in the spring and he’s scopey.
We all have huge respect for Mark. He always builds a decent course that tests horses and riders, but he always builds fair tests in that horses can read the questions, so it’s just up to us to ride them in a way that they can read them. It’s every bit a five-star course, for sure, and we’re incredibly lucky that Bicton has stepped in to put on a five-star here. I, for one, have got a nice team of horses at the moment and it’s been incredibly sad not to [be able to get them out] at this level — and for me, personally, everyone’s aware of my age, and I’m not sure it’s the best thing for me to have two years without a five-star! I’ll wait and see if I’ve still got the mojo, and the guts, and the bravery, but I’ve got two very good jumping horses and hopefully I’ll have fun.
Piggy March chats through her test. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Piggy March (2nd overnight on Vanir Kamira): I think — I hope! — she’ll love the hills, because she’s designed to put her nose down and gallop flat-out up and down. For her, little things like at 6, where you’ve got these big oxers and it’s on an open, big stride through there, and then you gallop downhill, still fresh, to a really tricky thing [as you come downhill into the arena] where I’ll just have to get her back. She’s brave, and she’s galloped all the way up to there, and she might just be thinking very forward. She gets very on her forehand.
Every time I ride her, I’m interested in starting out, because I’m always surprised that she’s got to five-star and feels so good, when at a one-day she doesn’t. So I’m just sort of hoping that she gets here and feels the occasion, gallops and gets into a rhythm and shows her scope at the jumps, rather than get unsettled with her head low and quite hurdle-y. There are plenty of places that I think will be quite tricky if she’s hurdle-y and a bit quick and not really waiting, so I just hope she’s back to what she was two years ago.
It’s definitely got a different feel to Badminton or Burghley. You walk it with a lot of respect, because there’s plenty of places you could be a problem easily. With Badminton and Burghley, you learn the terrain and how to get them into the rhythm, and you sort of know what to expect of how they feel, but here is very different. It’s very intense for the first five minutes, and the terrain is a lot quicker, sharper, and feistier. Badminton and Burghley aren’t so intense at the beginning, so she settles into a rhythm — so that might be interesting for me tomorrow.
On friend Pippa’s round to come: We were last on a team together at the European Championships at Luhmühlen, and Pipsy was first out. She was like, ‘I’m going to be too slow!’ So I was like, ‘I’m going to shove a sparkler up your [redacted] and light it, and you’ll have eleven minutes and eight seconds to get to the end before it goes off.’ She got home inside the time — so I’ve got two sparklers ready!
William Fox-Pitt after his test with Oratorio. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
William Fox-Pitt (6th overnight on Oratorio II): I think Mark has done a brilliant job. I like the route, but I don’t like the downhill first minute that much because [Oratorio] is quite a keen horse, and I think I’d rather be going uphill. But apart from that downhill first minute, I think the lie of the land is much better this way around [than at June’s four-star] — there’s a little bit less camber. [Helen West] has really thought about the camber, which is a big issue in Bicton park, snd she’s really worked out where the better camber is for the horses.
The distances are encouraging us to go forward all the way, but with accuracy questions — corners, arrowheads, turning, downhill — but all on that forward stride. I think the water [at 22ABCD] that caused so much trouble in the spring is quite late; maybe it’ll ride softer than the one in the spring, because we don’t have the two angled brushes coming out, but the skinny will come up quick. You have to land in ready — you can’t land tired, because there’s no time to recover, so that’s interesting. I’m not as scared about the coffin as I thought I was going to be, but I could be wrong. I think he’s been kind to given us tree wings — I’m sure he hasn’t lost his nerve, but I wasn’t expecting those. I hope, as they come in, that it’ll just look like a parallel fence to a ditch. Optically, horses don’t judge things — in that last minute, they won’t judge things like that, and with the trees to hold you in, the bounce [distances] are just there. I’m a little worried, maybe, about the [frangible] pin going in; you can never trust a pin, so you’ve got to come in quietly enough, and yet you want to be riding forward enough to come out. It’s quite a combination — it’s a downhill approach, a tricky approach, which is interesting. But I’m not as daunted by it as I thought I was going to be. Lucinda [Green] was quite outspoken about it, but Mary [King] was very relaxed, and you don’t quite know who to listen to! You have to draw your own opinion.
[I hope the yellow MIM at the corner won’t affect my approach], but I mean, it’s just so sad — you watched several horses have that clip in the Olympics when they’d hardly have knocked [it if it were a] showjump. Michael Jung had a tiny peck on landing, but did it save him a fall? Of course it didn’t. I don’t love MIMs; sometimes they can be too relaxed, sometimes they can be too tight. I don’t know that that’s always a good thing. Pins were introduced to save lives, not to give you 11 penalties [and influence the competition] — and now they’re becoming a big factor in eventing. They’ve already cost someone potentially the Olympic gold, and for me, that’s the worst thing that could have happened in our sport. I’m a big advocate of pins only counting if you have them in front — if you have them with a back leg and manage to stand up, well good on you, that’s eventing. But if you have it in front, maybe that’s saved your life, and you should be penalised. But can a fence judge decide whether it was a front or back leg? That’s quite a lot of pressure. I know the FEI eventing committee are quite black and white, and they want there to be fewer decisions [to be made], but you know, we’ve got a lot of people who can make decisions, so I don’t see what’s wrong with having people on the job. But that’s just my opinion, and I know it’s a factor in eventing that we’re all concerned about — and you do hope that on the upside, it might save a life.
Gemma Tattersall (9th overnight on Chilli Knight): It’s definitely longer [than the CCI4*-L in June], and I would say he’s made even more of the hills this time, which I think is going to be the main factor. There are some serious combinations: the one in the arena [9AB] is serious, and you’re going to have to have serious control to come down this bank, which is really steep — [my boyfriend] Gary actually rolled down it yesterday like some sort of idiot! I think the water at 22ABCD is tough, and the corner before the water [at 20AB] is a proper five-star question — that’s a big old oxer on a really tricky line to that corner, and it certainly invites a run-out. It may not be Burghley, but there’s enough to do!
Oliver Townend (10th overnight on MHS King Joules and 14th on Tregilder): I can’t take my hat off enough to the team. It’s a proper five-star; it’s an incredibly fantastic job that’s been put together. I was slightly blown away by the presentation, and the ground is A1 — I know they’re planning to do more work in places, but for me, it’s very, very safe ground. If I had to run around last night, I’d have been happy to run any horse on that ground; it’s good to firm in places, but it’s very good ground with good grass cover. The presentation of the fences is fantastic, and it is constant — it’s a proper five-star, with narrow after narrow and corner after corner. He’s encouraging you to go on long distances to accuracy questions, which, when they get a little tired seven or eight minutes in, that’s where the problems start occurring.
The camber’s tough. There’s a lot of sharp inclines that probably won’t be as seeable on the TV — it’s going to be a proper stamina test, and the wiley old course designer has used the camber in a lot of special places where the fences look pretty straightforward, but then the camber will throw you about a bit.
Felicity Collins (overnight 16th on RSH Contend Or): It’s massively different [to my first five-star at Pau]. I sort of thought I was getting the easy way out, coming here, because I was always like, ‘I never want to do Burghley, it’s too big!’ But then I came here and was like, ‘great, Mark’s brought half the Burghley jumps and basically built another Burghley!’ And with the terrain, as well, it’s big enough. I learned [here in June] that the course walks very different than it rides, so I won’t be taking anything for granted out there. There’s some sneaky accuracy questions as well. I’m very glad I came here in the spring, because now I know the terrain, and if I hadn’t I’d have come here and had a massive shock.
The feeling I got in June was that he was super fit and I was being tanked with through the finish flags. Admittedly I didn’t ride super fast, because I’d have a silly 20 early on, but I went all the straight routes and just didn’t have my foot massively on the gas. But he felt really good, and that gave me confidence more than anything that I was doing the right thing. It sounds strange, but now I know to do less — the bigger the course, and the longer the course, I need to conserve his energy by not fighting him, and let the course back him off a bit instead. Hopefully he won’t come out of the start box like a Tasmanian devil, because it’s hard not to pull when he wants to go flat-out!
Richard Jones (overnight 19th on Alfies Clover): It’s a really good track — it’s definitely not Burghley, just dimensionally, but given the undulations here it makes Burghley look fairly flat, which it’s definitely not. I think he’s built a very sensible track with some proper five-star questions, but the let-up fences are a bit easier.
The combination in the arena is a very serious question — you’ve got to jump the little cabin and then come down the hill in some kind of control, and then turn hard and jump the double of corners. For me, that’s a standout fence. Personally — and it’ll probably ride fine — I hate the pair of stumps at 21AB. I think the second one is bloody awful, but the guys who rode it in the spring tell me it should jump well. I’ll take their word for it!
All the way around, you do struggle for the flat ground — and that’ll be a big test even for my horse, who’s a good galloper.
Francis Whittington laughs with stewards after his test. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Francis Whittington (overnight 22nd on DHI Purple Rain): I think there’s not a person here who’s not nervous of all the hills. They’re quite daunting. I think it’s an amazing track, a very exciting track, and I think there’s a nice flow to it. But there’s questions, like the one coming down the bank into the main arena with the corner to corner — that’s an extreme question. And there’s a lot of those out there.
I saw Mark and said, ‘Jesus, Mark, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen something like [the double bounce question at the coffin]’ — it’s rather old-fashioned. Have I been doing it that long?! Yes, I have…! The terrain here, too, is proper cross-country terrain. That’s what it used to be — not all these flat tracks.
The look of eagles: Padraig sternly surveys the ring. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Padraig McCarthy (overnight 23rd on HHS Noble Call): The terrain here is always a huge question, so I don’t imagine we’ll see many inside the time. You have to set out keeping in mind that it’s very intense, and you’re getting the heart rate up very early, and the questions keep coming. So you have to ride with your head and your feel and make sure you have enough horse coming home. You need a horse here that’s got a good engine and good balance. Coming down into the arena requires the horse to be really controlled and really balanced and really focused with you, and then there’s plenty of places where they have to stretch and go on a forward distance.
Malin celebrates after her test, which puts her in 26th place overnight. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Malin Josefsson (overnight 26th on Golden Midnight): I really hope he will enjoy it a lot. The bigger it is, the better it is for him, because then he works a bit more with the fences — otherwise he just wants to run. I’m a bit afraid of the downhill thing, because he can get too strong, but normally he’s always brilliant and thinking very clever, and he’s fast when he’s thinking even if things are coming up quickly.
I wanted to do a five-star with him, because we’ve been struggling so long to get to the Olympics, and for that we didn’t need to bring him out to five-star — last year, he just competed once because he did dressage instead. But then they didn’t need him for [the Olympics or] the Euros, so I said ‘I want to go to Bicton instead’.
David Doel (overnight 18th on Galileo Nieuwmoed and 30th on Ferro Point): It’s certainly going to be a test. It’s not the biggest five-star track, but the undulations where the fences have been placed are really going to test the horses. There are a lot of galloping stretches and some really intense moments, so it’s going to be fun — it’s going to be a little bit like a rollercoaster going up and down and up and down the hills. I’m excited for it!
Good morning and welcome to cross country day in beautiful Devon, near the southeastern corners of England! With all the hustle of the AECs happening this week, it might be easy to forget that the sole British five-star — and the first five-star event in the UK since 2019 — is full steam ahead this weekend. Luckily, we’ve got Tilly Berendt on the ground to help bring the event to us, and we’re also treated to a wonderful live stream from H&C+ and Elite Eventing.
The 34-strong horse and rider field contesting the Chedington Equestrian Bicton Park CCI5* will tackle a formidable test that Captain Mark Phillips has set on a track that will also feature in a load of terrain. You can take an in-depth look at the track in Tilly’s preview here, and here’s a flyover to get a sense of what these riders will be seeing today:
An overview of the track — more details here (including commentary on the track from Lucinda Green!):
Order of go for today:
Riders will be sent out at about six minute intervals, which means we should get to see a good amount of each rider’s full round. The optimum time for the track is 11 minutes, 16 seconds with 44 total jumping efforts.
11:09 a.m. ET: And that’s a wrap on cross country from Bicton! Tilly will be along later on with photos and a full report. In the meantime, take a scroll through these updates to catch up — and be sure to snag your weekend pass from H&C+ and Elite Eventing to watch all of the action back (replays are generally up within 24 hours), as well as the thrilling finale coming your way tomorrow! You can also catch up on scores and fence analysis here.
11:05 a.m. ET: A few stats from cross country:
19 of the 31 starters finished for a 61% completion rate
13 of the 19 finishers jumped free of jump penalties
2 riders jumped clear inside the time: Gemma Tattersall and Chilli Knight and Piggy French and Vanir Kamira
1 rider jumped inside the time but with 11 penalties: Oliver Townend and Tregilder
4 riders had the frangible pin at the Ariat Challenge down. No other pins were activated
1 horse fell: Richard Skelt’s Credo III – he was immediately on his feet
8 pairs chose to retire on course and 4 were eliminated
11:02 a.m. ET: And here’s a look at your provisional top 10 as we look ahead to the finale tomorrow. Less than one rail separates the top three, and just 19 will go through to the final horse inspection in the morning:
11:00 a.m. ET: Pippa Funnell admits that she considered this being a final event for her if she didn’t enjoy herself, but we’re happy to report she’s reconsidered that option after two brilliant rides today. “Elated. Absolutely delighted with him,” she says after coming home on Billy Walk On. “I knew he’s not the fastest in the world so I just knew I had to get into such a good rhythm and keep plugging away. It’s such a bonus living where I live in Surrey Hills – I knew from the first horse that he was plenty fit enough. It was really nice to know that when the horses are fit you can keep asking the questions. Honestly, it was the best ride I’ve ever had on him. For once I didn’t feel like an old girl getting all protective. I really really enjoyed it. After two yers not doing a five-star I kept thinking it might be my time if I didn’t enjoy it to call it…For the horse ro gallop and go the way he did was for me very very special.”
10:57 a.m. ET: And despite the pin, Oliver still manages to be just the third to make the time today, which should keep him inside the top 10 overnight. Bummer about the pin. Also, a shot of the big uphill climb that comes before the final fence — hard to tell from the live stream but it’s QUITE a pull.
GIF via H&C+.
GIF via H&C+.
10:55 a.m. ET: Oliver gives Tregilder a pat on the neck as he jumps through the Fisher German Mounds at 23. He’s doing a brilliant job navigating the final questions on a tiring horse.
10:54 a.m. ET: Oliver has safely navigated the Burghley Brushes that caught him out on his first ride and now comes to the final water with Tregilder, who has tired but is still responding and very good on the clock.
10:53 a.m. ET: Oliver and Tregilder take the frangible pin at the Ariat Challenge:
GIF via H&C+.
10:51 a.m. ET: Pippa picks up some time and that will mean Piggy and Vanir Kamira will be your overnight leaders! Pippa picks up about 12 seconds of time and will be in third overnight with not one pole separating the top of the leaderboard.
GIF via H&C+.
10:50 a.m. ET: Pippa’s not quite going to make that optimum time with Billy Walk On, who is tiring a bit but still jumping and responding well. She’s likely to still be well within contention if she can just get home clear, though.
10:49 a.m. ET: Oliver has a great ride and shows his experience as he navigates the Topspec Brushes with Tregilder.
GIF via H&C+.
10:47 a.m. ET: A beautiful and empathetic ride from Pippa through the tricky Burghley Brushes, as she allows Billy Walk On to have the time he needs to see and read the question while still encouraging him to stay straight and forward.
10:46 a.m ET: Pippa is about 15 seconds down on her time as she comes closer to home.
10:46 a.m. ET: And away goes Oliver Townend and Tregilder, the last of the day! Tregilder makes his five-star cross country debut today.
10:46 a.m. ET: Pippa and Billy Walk On make quick work of the Cliffhanger.
GIF via H&C+.
10:38 a.m. ET: Here comes Billy Walk On! Will he and Pippa keep their lead? They’ve got a bit of time in hand — but not much. Four seconds, to be precise. We’re down to a thrilling finish as it’ll just be Pippa and Oliver to wind us down. Padraig has withdrawn Leonidas II.
10:36 a.m. ET: Ferro Point is a bit all over this second stump at 21 but they’re through and headed toward the finish. What a bummer though, the horse just seemed to bottom out at the final water, prompting him to retire as she trotted out of the water. What a shame. As I corrected myself earlier, David did retire his first horse at this question earlier as well, so he’ll be revisiting his fitness plan after this no doubt. But we’ve been so impressed with this rider and we know he’ll be back with a vengeance.
10:32 a.m. ET: Ah, man. Halltown Harry didn’t quite lock on to this first of the Fisher German Mounds at 23, and Georgie elects to call it a day. This one was looking a bit winded at the final water and had lost that shoe earlier on, so just not quite the day Georgie was hoping for but such a brilliant effort from this horse.
GIF via H&C+.
10:31 a.m. ET: Watch how chilly David sits while Ferro Point dances beneath him, unsure of the line she’s on but trusting in her rider to keep straight on:
GIF via H&C+.
10:29 a.m. ET: We’ve just glimpsed our overnight leaders, Pippa Funnell and the incredibly handsome Billy Walk On, making their final prep in warm-up. We’ll see them in just a few minutes.
10:28 a.m. ET: You can purchase your weekend pass to watch all of the action (on replay and live) from Bicton — and don’t forget, proceeds from the purchase will go to supplement the prize pot and support the development of the sport.
10:28 a.m. ET: David Doel is away and will be looking for some redemption after ending the day early on his first ride as the first ones to go this morning.
10:26 a.m. ET: Halltown Harley loses a shoe dropping off the Cliffhanger at 14.
10:26 a.m. ET: We’ll next see David Doel out on his second ride, Ferro Point.
10:23 a.m. ET: Georgie gets a bit close to the brush out of the Dewpond at 5 and is clear on now to the Oxers to Triple Bar question. She uses all of her gumption to lengthen Halltown Harry’s stride to get the distance between Oxers done and he responds beautifully. It’s perhaps one of the most crucial skills for an event horse to have: responsiveness to the aids. Hesitate for even a millisecond and it could cost you a lot. Practice this at home, everyone!
10:22 a.m. ET: Sadly not the finish Izzy was hoping for as she raises her hand to end her day on Fonbherna Lancer, who just looks to have lost a bit of confidence. Probably better to pull up and save the juice for a re-route in this case.
10:22 a.m. ET: Just a few left to see as we now will have Georgie Spence and Halltown Harley out of the start box.
10:21 a.m. ET: damn! Izzy Taylor just loses her steering a bit as Fonbherna Lancer has a bold drop down the Cliffhanger and they drive by the arrowhead at the bottom of the hill. This will drop them well down with 20 penalties added.
10:20 a.m. ET: How nice is it to have spectators again??
GIF via H&C+.
10:18 a.m. ET: What a keen jumper Fonbherna Lancer is as Izzy navigates the Oxers and Triple Bars. She also caught the direct line to the Topspec Brushes after this.
GIF via H&C+.
10:17 a.m. ET: Sadly Sarah Dowley’s day will come to an end after another issue at the Arena Rails at 15. Just not the day today, but they’ll be back for another go no doubt!
10:16 a.m. ET: Now out of the box is Izzy Taylor with the five-star debutant Fonbherna Lancer. Sam Griffiths finishes just about a minute over to get Gurtera Cher around her first five-star.
10:14 a.m. ET: Sam Griffiths chooses to go long at the final water instead of have a silly issue with a more tired, less responsive horse.
10:13 a.m. ET: Sarah has a tough time at the big white Oxers here and has a drive-by at the Triple Bar as a result, dropping her stick in the process. Not a lot of control on some of these pairs in the early going as the terrain entices the stronger horses to bull through.
GIF via H&C+.
10:11 a.m. ET: The Burghley Brushes are riding quite well as the day goes on and chatter gets back to the barn on the best approach. Of course, this was one of the most buzzed about questions on the track so there’s been plenty of walking of lines done at this one!
10:10 a.m. ET: We’re now joined by first-timers Sarah Dowley and Rubix Kube, riding for Ireland.
10:04 a.m. ET: Joseph Murphy nurses Gorsehill Pearl home and we also see Australia’s Sam Griffiths and Gurtera Cher out on the track. Another comment Piggy made in her post-ride interview was the cleverness of Capt. Mark Phillips’ design and the kindness of the final few fences to get the horses home. We are seeing some horses looking tired as they finish, but not devastatingly so. All in all it seems to be a very tough test, but not one that’s altogether unfair or dangerous.
10:03 a.m. ET: Piggy calls this track the toughest five-star terrain she’s ever ridden. “Like I‘ve just flown to be honest!” she says of how it feels to finish. “I say it every time, but she’s just heart guts and she just puts her snout down on the floor and off she goes truffle snuffling about! I always feel like I’m sat quite at the back of her, but she just sees the flags and says come on I’ve got this. That was probably made for her. She’s an older horse, naturally a galloper. For that type of horse today that can really benefit when they need the blood and guts to keep getting up the hill.”
10:02 a.m. ET: “I’m super proud of her, I really didn’t know what to expect going into today, she’s a first time five-star horse and she’s a little mare and so gutsy but a little bit of a worrier,” Ros Canter says of Pencos Crown Jewel. “She came out of the start box a little bit frightened of the people…My steering wasn’t quite on point the whole way around but she just tries and tries and tries. Shes just the most game thing I’ve ever sat on.”
9:59 a.m. ET: 11 minutes, 9 seconds for Piggy, leaving her on her dressage mark of 25.5 and leaving her in the current lead! She will be no worse than second. In some less fortunate news, Will Rawlin has pulled up VIP Vinnie after just two fences on his first five-star, it looks a bit like the horse has gone a bit lame.
9:58 a.m. ET: And she is HOME! Piggy absolutely took us to school and I’ve still got goosebumps after that round with Vanir Kamira. Her score shows her with some time, but I’m not sure that’s totally correct so stay tuned.
GIF via H&C+.
9:55 a.m. ET: Joseph lives dangerously at the Chedington Oxers to Triple Box at 6 but gets away with it and also makes the direct line to the Topspec Brushes work:
GIF via H&C+.
9:53 a.m. ET: We’re now joined by Irish rider Joseph Murphy and Gorsehill Pearl on course. Piggy makes the Burghley Brushes look like a gymnastic exercise at home, because that’s how she rolls. #whenpiggyflies
9:51 a.m. ET: Ros Canter will go into second for now with the second quickest of the day, collecting 8 time penalties for a two-day score of 35.1. Meanwhile, Piggy and Vanir Kamira get lucky and leave the pin up at the Ariat Challenge despite a good rub on the hind end:
GIF via H&C+.
9:50 a.m. ET: Be sure to tune in for these last few as we’re getting down to what should be a very thrilling finish here at Bicton! The replay will also be available from all phases, including post-cross country press conference, for 90 days after the event finishes. Click here to get your pass!
9:49 a.m. ET: Ros is still having an absolutely top round as she’s straight through the Burghley Brushes. Piggy meanwhile takes the direct line to the Topspec Brushes with the very experienced and catty Vanir Kamira:
GIF via H&C+.
9:46 a.m. ET: We’re now joined by reigning Badminton 2019 champions Piggy French and Vanir Kamira, who also enjoyed a strong finish at the Bicton CCI4*-L earlier this year. Here’s a shot of Ros having a lovely go through the Ariat Challenge, which Chris Burton says he thought was almost too tough a question when a similar version appeared on the track earlier this year. But, as he says, “when it’s done well it’s nice to watch”.
GIF via H&C+.
9:45 a.m. ET: Ros isn’t hanging about as she goes for it down the Cliffhanger:
GIF via H&C+.
9:43 a.m. ET: Ros also chooses to go for a circle on the way to the Topspec Brushes with Pencos Crown Jewel.
9:42 a.m. ET: Angus Smales and ESI Pheonix are home!
GIF via H&C+.
9:40 a.m. ET: And away now is our reigning World Champion Ros Canter, who rides Pencos Crown Jewel — who is making his five-star debut — on a score of 27.1. She’ll go to the lead if she can manage a clear round inside the time.
9:38 a.m. ET: We’ve just got 11 to see to round out the day, including our overnight leaders Pippa Funnell and Billy Walk On who will be second last to go.
9:36 a.m. ET: Ah, bummer. Mr Farenheit III just trips a bit on landing off the first big white Oxers at fence 6, and Simon has put his hand up to call it a day. He must have felt something not quite right and chose not to push the issue today.
9:34 a.m. ET: Spencer and Nicole Brown are now joined in the booth by Chris Burton as we see Simon Grieve and Mr Farenheit III go out of the box.
9:31 a.m. ET: Like many before him, Angus elects to take the longer, circuitous route to the direct route at the Topspec Brushes. This question comes quite early on the course, so if you’re on a keen, strong horse you’re probably better off planning to take a circle since you have the space to do so here. Better than having a silly drive-by this early on.
9:27 a.m. ET: Richard Jones and Alfies Clover are home with 8.8 time for a 41.8 and that’s good for second at the moment. Those clear rounds with a small amount of time are going to be very influential today I think. We now see Angus Smales and ESI Pheonix out of the box.
9:23 a.m. ET: Yikes, Richard Skelt and Credo III look to have nearly a full rotational fall over the Empire Picnic Table at fence 3 — both horse and rider are quickly up on their feet, thank goodness.
9:22 a.m. ET: Now on course will be Richard Skelt and Credo III. As a reminder, we’re about halfway through and have seen just the one go clear inside the time: Gemma Tattersall and Chilli Knight.
9:21 a.m. ET: Felicity Collins on finishing her first five-star cross country: “Amazing. Sorry I’m such a mess! I was fine a minute ago! I’m just so chuffed with him. I’m just relieved he’s back and hes safe and he’s sound. We looked out for each other out there. I was a bit of a grandma and went slowly. He just gave me everything and I’m so thrilled. I’ll probably sleep in the stable tonight!”
9:19 a.m. ET: Malin sadly will have to end her day after another issue on course, this time at I believe the Oxer to Corner question at 18. We’re now joined by Richard Jones and Alfie’s Clover, who have a lovely trip down the bank and through the Topspec Brushes:
GIF via H&C+.
9:17 a.m. ET: Bummer, Malin’s horse takes a hard peek at the ditch at the Ariat Challenge and nearly pitches her off the right side. She doesn’t quite make that bounce step to the final element but they’re through on their second attempt. Meanwhile, Felicity Collins finishes with a fist pump!
9:14 a.m. ET: Felicity calls out for the long route as she jumps into the final water with tons of power — RSH Contend OR is still very keen to kick on!
9:13 a.m. ET: Malin loses the left shoulder of Golden Midnight on the way down the bank and pays the price in the form of a runout:
GIF via H&C+.
9:11 a.m. ET: Harry Mutch and HD Bronze are home, and we now welcome Sweden’s Malin Josefsson and Golden Midnight on a score of 35.4.
9:09 a.m. ET: RSH Contend OR is quite bold jumping off the Clinton Devon Estates Cliffhanger at 14 but they’re through it:
GIF via H&C+.
9:08 a.m. ET:
9:06 a.m. ET: HD Bronze gets an emphatic “good boy!” from Harry as they navigate the Burghley Brushes. Meanwhile, Felicity is brilliantly through the Chedington Oxers to Triple Bar question.
9:03 a.m. ET: Our next out will be the youngest rider in the field, 23-year-old Felicity Collins and RSH Contend OR. Peep her bright pink FLAIR strip!
9:02 a.m. ET: Don’t forget to grab your weekend pass from H&C+ to watch — replays should also be available from each phase the next day! This course is well worth watching, trust me!
9:00 a.m. ET: I apologize for not being better with updating you on scores, but my scoring site is not working at the moment so I’m just grabbing tidbits when they announce scores on the live stream.
8:59 a.m. ET: “Honestly just the biggest relief and elation, the horse was just unbelievable,” an exuberant Gemma Tattersall says. “For me he’s now become one of the best cross country horses in the world, he’s just proved himself over and over again. It’s incredible — hes only a little horse, at home you’d never know he has a big stride because he just ponies along and when he goes out on cross country he turns into a lion.” She and Chilli Knight will be on a 27.9 heading into tomorrow and have the lead at the moment. Now on course are Harry Mutch and HD Bronze.
8:57 a.m. ET: Unfortunately it looks like Mike has called it a day, and William will also end his day early after that unfortunate nosebleed on Oratorio. I’m not sure if he had a nosebleed or if he somehow hit himself on a fence — I am going to guess a nosebleed.
8:55 a.m. ET: Ah, Mike has another issue, this time at the HTSG Wilma and Crumble Stumps, just a duck out the right door. Meanwhile, unfortunately it looks like Oratorio has some blood coming from his nose and will likely be pulled up now. But check out this tactful ride down the bank, William allowing him to come forward without yanking:
8:54 a.m. ET: Now on course are William Fox-Pitt and Oratorio II. Check out how bold El Mundo is through the Burghley Brushes, taking a stride out on this distance:
GIF via H&C+.
8:53 a.m. ET: Mike Winter unfortunately runs into trouble at the Cliffhanger drop, just losing a bit of control again on the downhill:
GIF via H&C+.
8:51 a.m. ET: Andddd I’m crying. Gemma is the FIRST to make the time (and could well be one of the only ones to do so) with Chilli Knight. Check out mama Tattersall celebrating:
GIF via H&C+.
8:49 a.m. ET: Mike Winter has exactly zero brake coming down the bank to the Topspec Brushes and has to take virtually the whole arena to turn around. Comin’ in hot to the direct route:
GIF via H&C+.
8:47 a.m. ET: Gemma is not too far off the time and has plenty of engine left as she comes through the Burghley Brushes at 19.
GIF via H&C+.
8:47 a.m. ET: Mike Winter and El Mundo, coming forward on a 29.6 in 12th place, are now on course! Go Canada!
8:41 a.m. ET: We’re getting a glimpse of Gemma and Chilli Knight, making their way around:
GIF via H&C+.
8:40 a.m. ET: “We’ve had a really bad prep – I had a fall six, seven weeks ago and hurt my shoulder,” Sammi Birch says after her round. “I probably started out a bit steady but to be fair he was just mega. It’s the first time I’ve actually been able to kick him and ride him at the fences. I’ve always know he was a five-star horse, I just need to be able to start out a bit quicker.”
8:40 a.m. ET: Bummer — the rail at the Ariat Challenge goes again, this time for Tim and Ringwood Sky Boy. That’s 11 penalties for this pair then.
GIF via H&C+.
8:38 a.m. ET: Wow, what a ride from Francis as DHI Purple Rain has a hard jump into the final water. Watch this masterclass in staying positive — and riding a truly genuine horse:
GIF via H&C+.
8:36 a.m. ET: The most experienced horse, making an incredible 18th CCI5* start, is now on course: THE Ringwood Sky Boy!
8:34 a.m. ET: I believe we should be seeing Tim Price and Ringwood Sky Boy soon, as well as Canada’s Mike Winter and El Mundo.
8:32 a.m. ET: Sammi makes a last-minute adjustment to Finduss PFB at fence 21:
GIF via H&C+.
8:31 a.m. ET: Francis looks like he knew he wasn’t going to make this tight turn to the Topspec Brushes and heads straight into a circle to make the turn work:
GIF via H&C+.
8:29 a.m. ET: I hope you’re all tuning in for this brilliant live stream, and we’re now joined on commentary by Alex Bragg, who was slated to be here with King of the Mill but had to withdraw his entry earlier this week.
8:28 a.m. ET: Michael Owen and Bradeley Law are home about a minute over the optimum time. Francis Whittington and DHI Purple Rain are our next on course in 18th place after dressage.
8:26 a.m. ET: Now coming forward is one of my favorite storylines of the week: Gemma Tattersall with her homebred Chilli Knight, a son of Chilli Morning who she’s had since birth.
8:25 a.m. ET: Australia’s Sammi Birch and Finds PFB are brilliant through the Chedington Oxers and Triple Bar question at 6:
GIF via H&C+.
8:22 a.m. ET: Michael and Bradeley Law have the pin fully down at the Ariat Challenge at 16, bummer. Louisa Lockwood is home safe with just the 20 penalties and about a minute of time, but what a debut for this horse!
8:22 a.m. ET: Michael Owen and Bradeley Law hesitate at the drop off the Cliffhanger question but they didn’t take a step back so they’re ok for now:
GIF via H&C+.
8:20 a.m. ET: Louisa is safely through the final water at 22 and has just four fences left.
8:19 a.m. ET: Michael Owen opts for the long route at the Topspec Brushes. Commentator Spencer Sturmey has dubbed this “Burghley at Bicton”.
8:18 a.m. ET: Louisa is having a brilliant round now and is very positive through the straight line Burghley Brushes:
GIF via H&C+.
8:17 a.m. ET: Coming soon out of the box will be New Zealand’s Tim Price and Ringwood Sky Boy, who at 17 is the oldest horse in the field. We’re also seeing Michael Owen and Bradeley Law, a very experienced pair, out on course now.
8:16 a.m. ET: “It’s tough. It’s really tough, I mean it certainly rides probably tougher than it walked,” Pippa says, explaining that she lost a bit of control and ended up over the spectator rope and costing herself 15 or 20 seconds. “You really have to concentrate on it.”
8:12 a.m. ET: Louisa and Diamond Ructions get a bit close to the third element of the Chedington Oxers and Triple Bar at 6 but are safe. They then run into some trouble on the direct line at the Topspec Brushes, ducking out to the right on the second brush corner.
8:11 a.m. ET: James is beautifully through the Burghley Brushes, while Pippa has finished and Louisa Lockwood and Diamond Ructions are our newest starters and making their way through the first minute.
8:10 a.m. ET: The pinned upright rail at the Ariat Challenge goes for James and Mr. Sneezy, just to one side but should nonetheless be 11 penalties.
GIF via H&C+.
8:07 a.m. ET: “It felt bigger than it maybe walked but that’s the nature of Bicton Park,” Padraig says after his ride, noting that some might have underestimated the questions here! “A lot of tight turning and twisting…my horse is green, it’s his first 5*, he started eventing at seven so im extremely proud of him.”
8:06 a.m. ET: Out now on course will be New Zealand’s James Avery and Mr. Sneezy.
8:06 a.m. ET: Pippa gets it done at the last brush of the Burghley Brushes but shows every ounce of her experience to make it work:
GIF via H&C+.
8:03 a.m. ET: And they’ve done it! Padraig and HHS Noble Call finish the track and become our first to complete! They’re 21 seconds over, but a clear here may prove to be hugely valuable regardless of time today, the way things are going.
Try not to get choked up, eh?
GIF via H&C+.
8:02 a.m. ET: Nearly home for Padraig and HHS Noble Call, who has tired a bit but is getting a masterful ride from his jockey.
8:00 a.m. ET: Pippa is another to lose her brakes and steering a bit heading down the bank to the Topspec Brushes but she recovered well to make the direct line work. Meanwhile, a look at Padraig at the HTSG Wilma & Crumble Stumps at 21:
GIF via H&C+.
8:00 a.m. ET: Way to go! Padraig and HHS Noble Call are brilliantly through the Burghley Brushes question that caught out Oliver.
7:58 a.m. ET: Pats from Padraig as they head for fence 18:
GIF via H&C+.
7:56 a.m. ET: We’ll now see Pippa Funnell with her first ride, Majas Hope.
7:55 a.m. ET: Padraig and HHS Noble Call are neatly down the steep back heading to the Topspec Brushes at 9 — this is another 10-year-old making its five-star debut today. Will they become our first completion of the day?
7:53 a.m. ET: No! Oliver pitches off the left shoulder of MHS King Joules at the straight brush question with four brushes set in a line on varied distances. Oliver’s right up on his feet, but he won’t be happy about that unlucky ending.
GIF via H&C+.
7:52 a.m. ET: Next away are Ireland’s Padraig McCarthy and HHN Noble Call, on a 34.9 in 23rd position.
7:51 a.m. ET: Oliver sees a big one at the main arena at the Burghley Table to Arena Rails question at fence 15.
GIF via H&C+.
7:50 a.m. ET: Oliver loses just a bit of control down this very steep back on the way to the Topspec Brush Corners, but he’s able to regroup to make it through the question on the direct line.
GIF via H&C+.
7:48 a.m. ET: Really positive riding from Oliver so far, which is no easy task in this first minute on a strong horse as the course is considerably downhill for this first bit.
7:46 a.m. ET: We now welcome forward Tokyo gold medalist Oliver Townend and MHS King Joules, coming forward on a 28.1 in 10th place after dressage.
7:43 a.m. ET: Oliver Townend and his first one, the very experienced MHS King Joules, will take their crack at the track next.
7:41 a.m. ET: No! David and Galileo take a tumble in the final water. They’re both ok, and David’s taking the time to cool off his horse economically in the water now. What a bummer – and what a horseman. CORRECTION: I actually don’t know that David fell here – I had walked away for a second and missed it so I’m putting this correction here as I’ve just heard on the stream that he retired on course.
GIF via H&C+.
7:37 a.m. ET: Bummer — half of the MIM clip at the Ariat Challenge at 16 goes but the horse just skips through here:
GIF via H&C+.
7:36 a.m. ET: Brilliantly dropping down the Clinton Devon Estates Cliffhanger for David, who’s riding really positively here:
GIF via H&C+.
7:34 a.m. ET: David opts for the long route at 9AB, the Topspec Brushes, which come after a steep bank reminiscent of the Spruce Meadows bank. I’ll catch that question on GIF on our next rider.
7:32 a.m. ET: David tackles the first combination at the first water, a pair of off-set brushes:
GIF via H&C+.
7:30 a.m. ET: And we’re away! David and Galileo Nieuwmoed are away and safely over fence one, the Chedington Flowerbed! David comes forward on a score of 32.2 in 18th after dressage.
7:27 a.m. ET: We’re just a few minutes away from the start, and it will be David Doel with his first ride, Galilelo Nieuwmoed making his CCI5* debut. David is an impressive one on his own, having produced FIVE horses to contest five-stars this year alone. He’s got two rides this weekend, and this one has the tough task of being the trailblazer but he really impressed us in the dressage yesterday with his real efforts. Want to learn more about the field this weekend? Click here to check out Tilly’s Bicton Form Guide.
Eventing Nation’s coverage of the 2021 USEA American Eventing Championships is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products. We want to share the joy of eventing this week, so we invite you to nominate an AEC rider for our “Kentucky Performance of the Week” contest, happening now in partnership with Kentucky Performance Products. Learn more here.
Friday was another busy-bee day at the USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds, with Advanced, Modified and Training champions being crowned, Novice cross country underway, and Beginner Novice dressage on the books. Here’s a recap of the action!
The podium celebrations in the $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final. KTB Creative Group Photo.
$60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final
Boyd Martin came to the 2021 USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds looking to defend his 2019 $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final title and while he succeeded at the goal it wasn’t with the same mount. However, Martin’s victory lands him in the history books as the first rider to win the AEC Advanced class two times on two different horses.
After leading the dressage with Long Island T, Martin fell from him on the cross-country. He then returned and jumped a clear cross-country round with On Cue – déjà vu from the 2021 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event. Martin started off his week in eighth place with Christine Turner’s 16-year-old Selle Francais (Cabri de Elle x On High) mare but moved up to fourth after adding only 6.4 time penalties to his dressage score of 27.3.
Boyd Martin and On Cue. KTB Creative Group Photo.
Bobby Murphy’s show jumping course under the lights in front of a packed Rolex Stadium proved very influential to the top of the standings and when Buck Davidson lowered a pole on both his second and third-placed mounts and the overnight leader, Fylicia Barr, dropped two rails, it opened the door for Martin and On Cue to take the win and a check for $30,000.
“To be honest, coming into the show jumping phase tonight I didn’t think I was going to win,” Martin said. “There were plenty of good horses and riders ahead of me and it is a very high-pressure event.”
Boyd Martin and On Cue. KTB Creative Group Photo.
The mare is one that Martin is no stranger to riding the victory gallop with, having come in the top-placed American horse at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day event earlier this year.
“I am just thrilled with On Cue, she is everything you dream of in a horse— she’s a mover, she’s a galloper, she’s sensitive, she’s elegant, she’s bright, and I’m just blessed to have her, she’s been on fire this year,” he said.
“I think the AEC this year has been incredible,” he continued. “It is an awesome venue, and the competition was stiff with several good competitors jumping clear just before me, but it is a brilliant event and I can’t thank the USEA enough for putting it on.”
Doug Payne and Quantum Leap. KTB Creative Group Photo.
Doug Payne and Quantum Leap made a steady climb up the leaderboard throughout the competition starting in 14th and ending in the reserve position.
“He’s a special horse,” Payne commented of his 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Quite Capitol x Report to Sloopy) who he has produced since he was a yearling through the USEA Young Event Horse program. “I think he is an incredible athlete and I’m beyond excited for the future. I’ve got to echo Boyd [Martin]’s in that I think this venue is one of the best in the country, and for the future of this sport.”
Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Quicksilver. KTB Creative Group Photo.
Following a successful finish in the Bates USEA Preliminary Horse division the day before, Liz Halliday-Sharp and another Cooley Farm sourced mount, Cooley Quicksilver, rode for ribbons as the final of the top three finishers.
“He just keeps getting better,” Halliday-Sharp emphasized of the now 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse (Womanizer x Kylemore Crystal) gelding. “He loves a big atmosphere and I think I also got a little excited about the crowd; when I finished tonight, I got a bit excited like ‘wow we have a crowd again’.”
Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Quicksilver. KTB Creative Group Photo.
“This is actually my first AEC event as I have been in England for so many years,” finished Halliday-Sharp. “It has been so much fun, and to be able to have it here at Kentucky Horse Park has been an incredible opportunity for all of the horses and riders to get into these iconic rings.”
While Davidson’s rails dropped him off the podium he still finished in fourth with Jak My Style, a 16-year-old Thoroughbred owned by Kathleen Cuca, and fifth with the Carlevo LLC’s Carlevo, a 14-year-old Holsteiner (Caresino x Ramatuelle).
Boyd Martin’s groom, Stephanie Simpson, shares a moment with On Cue. KTB Creative Group Photo.
Advanced photo gallery from Shannon Brinkman:
Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
Julie Wolfert and Namibia receiving the Modified Trophy in Remembrance of Ashley Stout. KTB Creative Group Photo.
Vetoquinol USEA Modified Championship
The inaugural Vetoquinol USEA Modified Championship at the USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds decorated its first champions Friday morning with professional Julie Wolfert leading the pack aboard Namibia.
The Bucyrus, Kansas native guided her 5-year-old Thoroughbred gelding (Tizway x Kitty Tracks) to top placings throughout the entire three-day competition and never gave up their first-place score. After earning a 25.2 in the starting dressage phase, the two were tidy and timely over both cross-country and show jumping phases to finish with only their first score.
Julie Wolfert and Namibia. KTB Creative Group Photo.
“One out of 1- times will this horse usually go completely clear in the show jumping so I am thrilled today was that one,” Wolfert laughed. “He really stepped up to the plate today and despite the fact that he did get a little influenced by the environment, I felt like he was listening well and almost grew wings out there!”
She was also the first recipient of the Modified Trophy in Remembrance of Ashley Stout. The trophy honors the memory of the late junior rider Ashley Stout who passed away tragically in a cross-country schooling accident in 2019 alongside her partner, Avant Garde. Ashley won the Junior Beginner Novice 14 and Under Championship in 2017 and had plans to move up to the new Modified level the year of the accident.
“I feel really honored to be the first to receive such a meaningful award,” Wolfert stated. “I want to give a big hug and shout out to that family and tell them how sorry I am for their loss but their way of honoring her is just beautiful and a lot of horses and riders are going to benefit from this new level.”
Namibia, who raced under the name Katchup Tiz and won $6,165 on the track, was the winner of the TIP award with his finish of 25.2 while Finntastic took the reserve of the TIP for the division.
Martin Douzant and Beall Spring Seahawk in the awards ceremony. KTB Creative Group Photo.
Reserve ribbon honors were received by Martin Douzant and Beall Spring Seahawk as they added nothing to their dressage score for a finish on 28.5. Douzant has built a long-standing partnership with Thora Pollak of Beall Spring Farm in Maryland and has successfully campaigned many of their home-bred Swedish Warmbloods. Just the previous day, Douzant was again in the winner’s circle with another Beall Spring Farm offspring, Olympus.
“These horses exemplify what we are looking to produce in our program,” Douzant explained. “We have a great relationship with the farm to help start and develop all of their young horses and it has been a long, trustful relationship.”
Both his top mount from the Preliminary Horse division and Beall Spring Seahawk have been under the tutelage of Douzant since the young age of 2 years old.
“Both myself and Thora [Pollak] are very excited to have two horses doing so well at this level,” he confirmed. “We are grateful to have such quality horses as wonderful representations of the bloodlines and the farm.”
Heidi Grimm Powell and Finntastic. KTB Creative Group Photo.
Amateur competitor Heidi Grimm Powell made her mark against the professionals as she and her 12-year-old Thoroughbred gelding (A.P. Prime x Faith Tested Raye) Finntastic leapt from sixth to third place to round out the top three. Powell was also the recipient of the Highest Placed Adult Amateur award for the division.
“Finn is just amazing and has come so far even though he had a bit of a rough start,” Powell gushed. “He has had so much heart right from the start but was very insecure and I am lucky enough to have had some fantastic trainers and coaches to help me bring out the best in him.
“I am just so happy to have been able to take this journey with him because this has been a new experience for me as well,” she added. “This is the highest level I have reached as well, and being able to be up here at the very to[ with these two professionals is very humbling, I am so pleased.”
The Highest Placed Young Rider award went to the fourth place winner Caroline Dannemiller aboard Fernhill Dreaming.
Training Rider: Equine Veterinarian and amateur competitor Katie Sisk steadily rose up the ranks over the course of the Training Rider division to overtake the previous leader on the final day of competition. Sisk navigated her homebred mare Long Legs Lenore around the stadium course flawlessly to wrap up with a 30.7.
The victory is one uniquely special for Sisk who bred, delivered, and developed the 5-year-old Hanoverian mare (Rapture R x Demonet’s Darling) herself at her home base of Carthage, Missouri.
“I am so incredibly proud of her, she is amazing,” Sisk gushed. “We were able to qualify for this at the very last minute and this was only her fourth Training event but we have had so much amazing help from my coach Julie Wolfert.”
“This is my hobby but I try to dedicate as much time to it as I can,” she continued. “I wake up most mornings at 5:00 a.m. to ride before I have to go to my appointments and I am just so proud that all of the hard work has paid off today.”
Training Amateur: Lisa Niccolai was the first to don a champion ribbon as competitors in all divisions of the Training sections took to the Rolex Stadium for their final phase. Niccolai piloted the 7-year-old Zweibrucker gelding (Kharacter C x Tessa) KC’s Celtic Kharacter around Derek di Grazia’s cross-country course without fault to advance from second to first place on the second day of competition. The young horse then rose to the occasion to cross clean and efficiently through the timers of the show jumping phase for the win on 27.6.
“Honestly, we almost did not come this weekend because of some issues at home and then the hurricane, so I am beyond thrilled that we did in fact stick to our plans,” Niccolai emphasized.
“I’m speechless,” she continued. “I came with the goal of just finishing our event, and there have been a number of times as we’ve been walking around the property that I just couldn’t even believe we were here. So even more so for us to win at this point of our career, it is just an amazing experience I will always treasure.”
Training Horse: The top three combinations in the Training Horse division Lauren Lambert, Lauren Nicholson, and Lynn Symansky, all produced incredibly consistent results over the course of their three-day event to keep their individual podium positions from start to finish. Lambert had the peak dressage ride, finishing on a score of 24.3 in the opening phase with Elizabeth Rader’s Biscotti. Flawless performances across cross-country left the pair on their opening score for the champion ribbon.
“Things have really clicked for him over the past few months and he is beginning to feel more comfortable in his own skin,” Lambert described of the 9-year-old Rheinland Pfalz-Saar gelding (Benidetto x Hey Nurse). “He has only been competing in eventing for about a year, and before that he was showing in the jumpers which is where Mike Huber found him, so we thought it would be ideal for him to start seeing new venues.”
Lambert credits owner Rader with much of the gelding’s experience as she is an integral part of his weekly training.
“Elizabeth is actually the one who rides him during the week and takes lessons on him and I am on the ground teaching,” Lambert explained. “However, she does not have any desire to show so I am fortunate enough to get the ride on him and AEC has been a goal for us since the beginning of the year.”
Junior Training: The trip all the way from Fallbrook, California was well worth the effort for Shelby Murray who proved unbeatable in the Junior Training division. From the start, Murray led the chase for the championship title with Laurel Ritter’s 9-year-old Oldenburg mare (Rotspon x Chatari) Reverie GWF producing a respectable dressage score of 22.0 and only added 0.4 time penalties overall for a finishing score of 22.4.
The win was Murray’s sixth of the year. “She was just truly awesome,” Murray gushed. “She was extremely bold cross-country and very confident in show jumping as well. She put on her game face and did everything I asked so I couldn’t be happier with her.”
The pair trekked across the country the previous week and debuted only their second time on grass turf. “We competed in Montana last month and that was both of our’s first time riding on the grass, but if anything I think she rides a bit better on it,” Murray explained. “I couldn’t ask for a better horse, our partnership has blossomed so much over the past year.”
Beginner Novice Gets Underway
Beginner Novice competition at the 2021 USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds got underway Friday morning with six divisions taking over the numerous dressage rings set up across the Kentucky Horse Park. Competitors of all ages from across the country put their best foot forward for the judges, with one Beginner Novice competitor receiving a score of 18.5 which is officially the lowest score of the 2021 AEC.
Jane Musselman and Engapore. USEA/ Meagan DeLisle Photo.
Novice competitors donned their safety vests and sported their favorite colors as the sun rose over the cross-country track Friday morning. With the first of six divisions kicking off at 8:00 a.m., the famous head of the lake saw rider after rider through later in the afternoon. While there was some shuffling of placings, the overnight leaders from dressage in each division held onto the coveted top spot upon the conclusion of their cross-country tests.
Novice Rider
Jane Musselman and Bentley’s Best. USEA/ Meagan DeLisle photo.
A clear cross-country ride inside the time was just the ticket for Jane Musselman. She’s still in the top placing of the competitive 53-entry USEA Novice Rider Championship aboard Bentley’s Best.
Hauling in from Louisville, Ky., Musselman competes often at the Kentucky Horse Park, but this week is a different ball game. “It’s great to always to be able to show at the Horse Park, but you know it’s a totally different experience [during AEC]. Everything is just bigger and grander and all the competition and it’s pretty special,” she said.
The 14-year-old Trakehner gelding boasts an impressive 24.2 going into the final phase.
Less than two points behind the overnight leaders, Nancy Z. Wilson, of Flat Rock, N.C., and Lagerfeld, a 10-year-old German Sport Horse (Last Man Standing x Bonja), went penalty-free today to stay on 25.6 points.
Madeline Bletzacker, Galena, Ohio, stepped into third place with Drummer Boy on a score of 26.6. Her 13-year-old Hanoverian (Don Principe x Winterzauber) added nothing to his score on Friday.
Novice Master Amateur
Jane Musselman and Engapore. USEA/ Meagan DeLisle photo.
Jane Musselman is two-for-two. She’s leading two championship divisions for the second day in a row. Her Engapore tops the USEA Novice Master Amateur Championship.
The 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Engapore (Singapore x Orize) stands ahead of the pack on a dressage score that carries no additional penalties of 26.
“[Bentley’s Best] is very strong. He likes to run, actually both of them are pretty, pretty much the same cross country — very bold and they like to go fast so I have to be very mindful of the time at this level.,” Mussleman said.
Darlene Walters, Franklin, Ind., and Concord Dawn, a 12-year-old Thoroughbred (Smart Guy x Della Street) stepped up one position to hold second overnight on a score of 26.6. Making the trek from Santa Fe, N.M., Jennifer Achilles rounds out the top three on 26.8 penalties aboard Excel Star Lance, an 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse by Lancelot who was sourced by Courtney Cooper.
Junior Novice
Mia Brown and Duke HW. USEA/ Meagan DeLisle Photo
California native Mia Brown is now in a two-day lead of the Junior Novice Championship on the impressive score of 22.3. Partnered with Duke HW, her 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Delatio x Stella Girl), Brown, she finished double clear thanks to a tack change in warm-up.
“This was only my second time riding him on the grass, and the first time using studs in warm-up. He actually felt stickier than he usually does because we were both getting used to the amount of grip the studs give us. So I ended up putting on a small pair of spurs, and I think it really helps both of us just get a little quicker off the ground,” she said. “He came like super forward to everything. I was a little worried about the terrain, but it ended up helping us a lot because it made him sit down on his hind end, so I put my leg on and it was super bold to all the fences.”
They have a rail in hand heading into Saturday’s finale.
Ava Stevens and Two Against The World, a 13-year-old Thoroughbred gelding (Reputed Testamony x Black Orchid), sit in second place. Past AEC Champions, these Indianapolis, Ind. natives are on their dressage score of 27.6.
Partnered with her own Peter Pan, Cincinnati, Ohio’s Zoe Hagedorn is third. She and the 6-year-old Holsteiner (Connor x Wanda PP) are also sub-30 with a score of 28.2.
Junior Novice 15 & Under
Margaret Frost and Euro Star. USEA/ Meagan DeLisle photo.
Margaret Frost, a 15-year-old from Newnan, Ga., galloped easily around the Kentucky Horse Park to remain in control of the USEA Junior Novice 15 & Under Championship.
“Don’t take anything for granted,” was coach Julie Richards’ advice before Frost went on course, and that’s exactly what she did to go clean with Euro Star, her 12-year-old Warmblood gelding (Qredo Van De Kempenhoeve x Panama).
“[The Head of the Lake] I felt was just super fun. I mean, he was a little spooky going in but he just fared everything so well,” Frost said. “He just listened to me perfectly. He was just on his game. And he didn’t look at anything.”
Laura Voorheis and Sally Smedley maintained the top three as well, holding on to second and third place, respectively. Voorheis is on a score of 30.7 with Herbst, a 17-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Aldato x Miss Beckett). Smedley is partnered with Golden Ticket CR, a 13-year-old German Sport Horse (Danny Gold x Stutbuch 1), on 31.2 points.
Novice Horse
Adalee Ladwig and Argenta MSF. USEA/ Meagan DeLisle photo.
Lexington, Ky. resident Adalee Ladwig swelled with pride after completing the USEA Novice Horse Championship cross country with Argenta MSF, a horse she produced herself.
The 8-year-old Hanoverian mare (Jesper x Callie) went double clear to keep her dressage score of 27.
“It’s pretty much a dream come true,” Ladwig said. “I love eventing so much, and be able to do it with a horse that you brought up yourself. It’s so rewarding.”
Hailing from Poway, Calif., Chloe Smyth and Michelle Donaldson’s 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Breitling x unknown) Byzantine SC made easy work of the Novice cross-country track to remain on 28.3 penalty points. Team Holling LLC’s Fernhill Copain, a 5-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Corico Z x De Zazoe VH ST Anneke) also stays in third place with Jonathan Holling, Ocala, Fla., in the irons. Their dressage result of 28.8 carries on to the final phase.
Novice Amateur
Cecilia Emilsson and Blazing Angel. USEA/ Meagan DeLisle photo.
Sitting in first after dressage isn’t an unusual scenario for Cecilia Emilsson and Blazing Angel, her own 8-year-old Thoroughbred mare (Firecard x Angliana). The duo have gone into the second phase of competition in the lead at several events in the past, but with the second-place pair just one point behind her, Emilsson was feeling the pressure before her warm-up began.
“My nerves have been wracked the entire day. She felt absolutely phenomenal in the warm-up so I felt confident, but also a little terrified to mess up. It felt really good. There was a lot of pressure! She is a really good girl and is really brave!”
After a successful warm-up, Emilsson felt confident in the start box and had a plan in place – a plan that was almost spoiled when Emilsson’s watch froze at the three-minute mark while on course. “I looked down at my watch and thought to myself, ‘why is my watch stopped at minute three?’ I knew that I was fast, so I really tried to pace myself coming in, but I wasn’t sure when I crossed the finish if I ended too fast.”
Emilsson’s trainer Julie Penshorn of Sunborn Stables in Chisago City, Minnesota, laughed as she recalled the time glitch, “She was going really fast! She was probably running at 440mpm, she was close to Training speed! Thankfully, she really slowed down!”
Emilsson and the Blazing Angel will go into show jumping sitting on a two-phase score of 21.1. The remainder of the top three in the Novice Amateur division remain unchanged after cross-country with Kai Bradley aboard Diamonds Forever, her own 9-year-old Hanoverian mare (Donar Weiss GGF x Whizzo) sitting in second on a 22.5 and Samantha Schwartz and Rumble Fish, her 15-year-old Quarter Horse gelding (Pure Pauli x Miss Diamond B Okie) rounding out the top three on a 28.1.
Novice show jumping gets underway at 7:30 a.m tomorrow.
Erin Buckner and Picassi. Xpress Foto Photo.
Beginner Novice competition at the 2021 USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds got underway Friday morning with six divisions taking over the numerous dressage rings set up across the Kentucky Horse Park. Competitors of all ages from across the country put their best foot forward for the judges, with one Beginner Novice competitor receiving a score of 18.5 which is officially the lowest score of the 2021 AEC.
Junior Beginner Novice
Erin Buckner of Buckhead, Georgia, and her 17-year-old gelding, Picassi (Paparazzo x Lady Lily) put forward an impressive display to score an 18.5 for the early lead in the Junior Beginner Novice and earn the only score in the teens in the AEC this year.
“He just loves dressage, I think that is by far his favorite phase,” Buckner detailed. “He perked up immediately and was so bright but relaxed at the same time; he just did great.”
When asked about his low-penalty score, Buckner simply stated she thought the gelding’s attitude was the winning ticket.
“I think his whole demeanor was really the key, he just went in there wanting to work and wanting to please.
“We originally bought him for my sister but when she stopped riding I took over the ride,” she continued. “We started over some very small stuff like tadpole jumps and have just been taking our time moving up.”
Scarlett Peinado of Aubrey, Texas and the 11-year-old American Warmblood mare (Carrington x unknown) 50 Shades of Envy followed suit with a score of 21.6. Elkhorn, Wisconsin resident Abigail Haydam and the 7-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Noteworthy x What A Tattle Tale) C-Note added on 0.7 faults to round out the top three lineup.
Beginner Novice Horse
Kristine Burgess and Marisol. Xpress Foto Photo
Hugo, Montana’s Kristine Burgess displayed fancy footwork with her 5-year-old Trakehner mare Marisol to emerge victorious in the dressage phase of the Beginner Novice Horse division with a score of 25.5.
“We actually purchased her as a mount for my mom but because she is only 5 I have been putting some riding and training on her for now,” Burgess said. “We weren’t necessarily looking for another horse but the minute I saw her I sent the link to my mom anyways because she reminded me so much of the mare she already had that she absolutely adored.”
“We basically ended up buying her off a video,” Burgess laughed, “but she has already exceeded our expectations. She takes on every challenge and wants to figure it out and do the right thing.”
Laura Kosiorek-Smith of Hanoverton, Ohio and Crissteen Miller’s 7-year-old Canadian Warmblood mare (Schwarzenegger x Garcia) Star Quality CSF took to second place after dressage with a penalty of 28.00. Kalie Beckers and her own 6-year-old American Warmblood mare, Calla BGF (Carush x unknown) put their best foot forward to finish with 28.3
Junior Beginner Novice 14 & Under
Laura Voorheis and Hillcrest Hop. Xpress Foto Photo.
All the way from New York, New York, Laura Voorheis put forward her best fancy footwork with Hillcrest Hop, her 7-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Dilshaan x Queen Judy) for a first-place score of 27.1
“He is definitely my youngest horse at the moment but it has been so fun to watch him develop since buying him in December,” she commented. “He’s always been a bit feisty but he was phenomenal in the test today. His canter work has gotten a lot stronger over the past few months so I think that was one of our best movements today.”
Crestwood, Kentucky’s Larkyn Hendren showed some things really do get better with age as she waltzed into second place with her 20-year-old Arabian mare, Sandy with 29.0. Carolyn Wheeler’s 14-year-old Sport Horse mare Karisma and Maisy Sullivan added only 0.9 penalties to Hendren’s score to finish third.
Beginner Novice Amateur
Cami Pease and Vibrant. Xpress Foto Photo.
Cami Pease, Washington, D.C., leads the way for the USEA Beginner Novice Amateur Championship. She earned a respectable 24.8 with Vibrant, her 21-year-old Belgian Warmblood (Orlando x Fatima Van De Heffenk). These two are no strangers to the top of the leaderboard, they won the Beginner Novice Amateur Championship in 2018, and they’ll rely heavily on that experience in the coming jumping phases.
Emily Nichols, Greenfield, Ind., piloted Galway Girl, her 9-year-old Thoroughbred (Trifecta Scott x Blues Muse) into second place on a score of 26.3. Third place belongs to The Plains, Va.’s Sophie Ann Stremple on a dressage result of 27.3 with Dolly, the 15-year-old Hanoverian mare owned by Shannon Davis.
Beginner Novice Rider
Susan Goodman and Cinna.
It’s been 23 years since Susan Goodman, Wickenburg, Ariz., competed at the Kentucky Horse Park, and she made her return a memorable one, leading the USEA Beginner Novice Rider Championship after dressage on a 26.8.
“We did the long format, [now CCI2*-L] three-day event here in 1998. So I did get to ride around here and do the roads and tracks and steeplechase, and that was very fun,” Goodman said. “That was kind of my bucket list thing. And then I really, several years ago, I lost my older horse that I had ridden for a long time, and thought, ‘I’m done. I’m not gonna ride anymore.’ And then these girls came up with this boy for me.”
The 9-year-old draft gelding, who was picked out by one of Goodman’s daughter’s students, turned out to be the perfect fit for Goodman, who at 73 is the second oldest competitor this weekend.
“I’ve had a lot of fun on him. I’ve just, I’ve just taken it real slow. And I haven’t evented for a long time, but I’m now in my 70s and so I just have this new-to-me horse, and we’re just having fun,” she said.
Second place in the division belongs to Purcellville, Va.’s Leigh Wood and Dollar Mountain, her own 16-year-old Thoroughbred gelding (Forestry x Formal Tango) on a 27.1 and Katherine Rutherford of White Heath, Ill. with Amazingly Lucky, her own 13-year-old Paint gelding sit in third on a 27.8.
Beginner Novice Master Amateur
Penny Welsch and Mr. Poppers. Xpress Foto Photo.
The 2021 AEC is also somewhat of a renaissance for Penny Welsch, who leads the USEA Beginner Novice Amateur Championship after dressage on a score of 25.1 with Stuart Brown’s Mr. Poppers, a 13-year-old Canadian Sport Horse gelding.
“It’s been almost 40 years since I evented,” Welsch, from Ocala, Fla., said. “ I never thought I’d ever step foot on this ground with a horse. You know, I just evented as a teenager, you know, and not big time then either. It was the small stuff up in New Jersey. So this is a dream come true.”
Renee Senter, Overland Park, Kan., is the second-placed rider aboard Regina, the 14-year-old Holsteiner (Regulus x Nellina), on a score of 27. Just behind on 27.8 is Amy Winnen, Rochester, N.Y., and Galatea HU, a 15-year-old Rheinland Pfalz-Saar (Galant Du Serein x Rohmanie), on a score of 27.8.
Now that dressage is over for the Beginner Novice riders they are on to cross-country tomorrow at 8:00 a.m.
And this is what has made the AECs at the Kentucky Horse Park so special … Marilyn Payne has been to Kentucky as a judge, but now she can say that she has dropped into the Head of the Lake herself! Congratulations to Marilyn and her mount Sf Double Entendre, who finished on their dressage score for fifth place in the Training Horse Championship.
And don’t forget … it’s cross country day at Chedington Bicton Park CCI5*! Here’s how to watch.
We are a 24/7 all-request show here at EN and recently got a tip about a viral YouTube channel called Friesian Horses that features near-daily videos from a breeding farm in Friesland, The Netherlands, from which the Friesian horse breed originated. There are lots and lots of baby Friesian videos, as it is a breeding facility, as well as deep dives into the lives of individual horses at the farm.
The channel’s most viewed video (7.5+ million views) follows the story of a mare, Queen👑Unie, who gives birth to a stillborn then takes on an orphan foal. It’s heartbreaking and heartwarming, all bundled into one 12-minute stretch.
Friesians are astonishingly versatile animals, and they’ve made their way into the sporthorse (and even pop culture) world in a big way these past few years. Check out this video of a Grand Prix dressage Friesian!
A few special Friesians have even been spotted out eventing. Are you the proud rider of one? Let us know by posting a pic in the Facebook comments!
Oliver Townend and MHS King Joules are second in the ring, watched over by an enthusiastic crowd. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
It’s been an incredible first day of sport at the Chedington Bicton Arena Five-Star, as we’ve recapped in great detail in our dressage report — but for every story that makes it into the headlines, there are a million more playing out behind the scenes. We’ll be bringing you some more of them over the next couple of days, but in the meantime, immerse yourself in all the action — and all the emotions — with some of our favourite images from today’s competition.
Oliver gives the in-ring camera crew a thumbs up after his test with MHS King Joules, which sees him go into cross-country in tenth place. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Padraig McCarthy and the gleaming HHS Noble Call get to work, and will go into cross-country in 24th place. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Canada’s Mike Winter delivers his first five-star test since 2009, riding his ‘horse of a lifetime’ El Mundo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Mike finishes his dressage test on the remarkable gelding, who he nursed back to health after the horse broke his leg as a five-year-old. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Mike Winter’s groom gives El Mundo a kiss after his test, which earned a 29.6 for 13th place. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
One of our favourite bits of Mike’s test? His custom Black Lives Matter stirrups. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Sweden’s Malin Josefsson heads into the ring with Golden Midnight… Photo by Tilly Berendt.
…and celebrates after her test, which puts her in 27th place overnight. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Louisa Lockwood and Diamond Ructions post a 31.5 for 16th place. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
William Fox-Pitt laughs after getting lost on his way back out of the arena after his test with Oratorio II. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Simon Grieve and the diminutive Mr Fahrenheit III perform the horse’s CCI5* debut test, scoring a 36.3 for overnight 28th. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Ireland’s Joseph Murphy returns to England for another five-star run, this time aboard Gorsehill Pearl, the kind-hearted mare his young daughter Daisy enjoys pony rides on at home. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
New Zealand’s James Avery and Mr Sneezy get their second five-star off to a great start, posting a 28.7 and taking 12th place provisionally. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Point those toes: James Avery and Mr Sneezy in action. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
James Avery, groom Frankie Murrell and Mr Sneezy head to the stables after a great test. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Izzy Taylor and Fonbherna Lancer strut their stuff amid the rolling hills of Devon and take overnight fourth place. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
It takes a village: Izzy Taylor and her team get to work looking after Fonbherna Lancer after their test. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
24-year-old Harry Mutch pilots HD Bronze to a 35.3, which puts them into 26th place. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Gemma Tattersall’s head girl Charlotte Overton and ‘yes man’ Chilli Knight wait for Gemma to finish media duties in the mixed zone after their test. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Felicity Collins, the youngest rider in the field at just 23, navigates the first phase with her self-produced RSH Contend OR, earning a 31.9 for 17th place at this early stage. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Big hugs for ‘Mickey’ after a job well done with Felicity Collins. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Angus Smales’s ESI Phoenix looks ready for the fun bit on dressage day… Photo by Tilly Berendt.
…but keeps it under control to post a five-star personal best for Angus of 29.9, putting the pair in 15th place. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Will Rawlin — one of just two first-timers in the field — heads towards the ring for his test with VIP Vinnie… Photo by Tilly Berendt.
…and return to the chute, having put a 25.6 on the board for third place going into cross-country. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
“We call him Loopy Louis!” Australia’s Sammi Birch sits through a couple of excitable bucks to complete Finduss PFB’s five-star debut test, scoring a 39 for overnight 32nd. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Sammi Birch and press officer Kate Green had down to the media zone. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Sam Griffiths debuts 16-year-old Gurtera Cher, posting a 34 for equal 21st. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Five-year-old Archie Smales waits while dad Angus chats to the TV crews. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Team GB vet Liz Brown chats to Ros Canter and her daughter Ziggy… Photo by Tilly Berendt.
…before Ziggy spots her friend Max March and dashes over to say hi. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
However, in a turn of events most of us can relate to, Max pretends he doesn’t know Ziggy and everyone has to try to style out an uncomfortable social situation. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Ros Canter emerges from the thick trees of the chute to head into the ring with debutante Pencos Crown Jewel. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Afterwards, they exit to raucous applause, despite ‘Jasmine’s’ inherent suspicion of people. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Richard Skelt pilots long-time partner Credo III — or Pedro — to 36.4 and 29th place. Richard picked up Pedro for a bargain price as a youngster because of his sharpness, which Richard kept well under control today. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Pippa Funnell beams after a super test with Majas Hope, who sits in the top ten going into dressage and has become a consistent performer in dressage, which has historically been his weakest phase. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Georgie Spence and Halltown Harley on their way to a 35.2 and 25th place. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Francis Whittington and DHI Purple Rain show some of what’s to come from the flashy gelding. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Francis laughs with the stewards after his test on ‘Prince’, which put him in 23rd overnight. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
“Okay, now tell them that if they send £25,000 in unmarked bills, we’ll release you unharmed”: Bruce Haskell interrogates — erm, interviews — Francis Whittington. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Piggy March’s husband, Tom, holds Vanir Kamira after her test while head girl Amy Phillips tends to the mare. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
“She’s got a heart that’s bigger than a lion’s,” beams Piggy, chatting through her test with the media. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Tim Price gives Ringwood Sky Boy a pat after his test, which put the pair into fifth place overnight. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Who could resist this face? 18-year-old Ringwood Sky Boy is the oldest horse in the field and makes his 17th five-star start this week. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
The look of eagles: Padraig McCarthy’s Leonidas II, formerly the ride of Mark Todd, eyes up the arena before his test. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
The look of eagles, part two: Padraig sternly surveys the ring. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
A 28.5 puts Padraig and Leonidas in eleventh going into cross-country. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
David Doel grins as he heads out of the arena with the inexperienced Ferro Point, who sits 31st heading into cross-country. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Ferro Point isn’t impressed about the post-test bit check, but acquiesces. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Pippa Funnell gives Billy Walk On a pat after a super test. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
More pats for Billy Walk On… Photo by Tilly Berendt.
…and unbridled joy for Pip, as she realises she’s taken the lead on an unassailable 23.9. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Oliver Townend closes out the day’s proceedings with debutant Tregilder, posting a 29.7 for 14th. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Pippa Funnell takes hold of the lead in Britain’s first five-star since Burghley 2019, which she won with MGH Grafton Street. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
It’s been two achingly long years since we last had a CCI5* in the UK, and Britain’s conglomerate of eventers have felt every last minute of that wait. All, perhaps, except Pippa Funnell who, as the winner of Burghley 2019, has been Britain’s de facto five-star champion.
Okay, okay, maybe she’s been missing it too: “at my age, you don’t want to wait too long — I don’t know how brave I am these days,” she joked through the afternoon as the field of 32 came forward for their first-phase efforts. She certainly didn’t drop the ball in defending her title, either, though this week’s effort comes at Devon’s one-time-only Chedington Bicton International CCI5*, which acts as a replacement for Burghley this year. After delivering a top-ten test on her first horse, the stalwart Majas Hope, she came back into the ring at the end of the day and threw down a 23.9 with the lanky 12-year-old Billy Walk On.
“It’s not often I’m delighted, but I was delighted with the way he went,” says Pippa, who opted to scale back both horses’ flatwork in the lead-up to the event — a decision that paid dividends.
“He’s a very, very big horse, and I have to be careful I don’t overdo the work, so he’s done lots and lots of fitness work, which they’ll obviously need for this sort of track,” she explains. “But over the last week, I’ve been careful not to do too much dressage — and not just for the horse’s benefit. With [first ride] Majas Hope, I’ve found a much better system for him, and that is never to put a dressage saddle on [at home]. And I thought, ‘well, if it works for him!’ And actually, I’m much happier not doing sitting trot in a dressage saddle, so both horses have been in jumping saddles all week and the only sitting trot [I’ve done] is in the dressage test.”
“Yesterday he was quite fresh and tricky, so I did quite a lot with him yesterday and again this morning. And thenI held my nerve and really just kept him walking, because when he came out this afternoon he felt really on it and with me, so I thought, ‘I’m not going to do too much — it’s got to be [in the ring], not outside.”
That meant that when he entered the capacious main arena, he was able to make the most of his considerable movement to deliver a very nearly foot-perfect test.
“He was fabulous in his brain, and it’s all credit to the team here: it was a wonderful arena to ride in, lovely to ride on the grass, and actually, it was a lovely atmosphere. He was lovely to ride, and I’m pleased I did him justice. He’s always consistent, and has been pretty consistent in his tests. I tend to have one little blip in his tests, and it’s normally in a change or something. He’s getting stronger; he’s a really big, long horse and quite a lot to keep together.”
Pippa Funnell’s score comes in and confirms her dressage lead. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
The last time Pippa found herself in this position, she went on to win Burghley — and though she’s perennially modest about her ability to deliver a fast and fierce clear round, it’s clear that she’ll be a formidable force to be reckoned with over tomorrow’s tough track.
“We all know what the sport’s like — I’ve got two horses that I feel I’ve got very fit, and I’m very much hoping they’re going to go well, but I know I’ve got speedier people and younger people snapping at my heels. My job is to give my horses as good, as safe and as fast a trip as is possible. Who knows what the results will be at the end of it, but when I get out there, I’m pretty sure I’ll be wanting it and competitive, and if I don’t, then I have to get my act together!”
And just as she was at Burghley, she finds herself just ahead of her great friend and longtime competitor Piggy March: “It’s very good news to get in front of Piggy, because she’s always at her best,” she laughs.
Piggy March and her 2019 Badminton winner Vanir Kamira sit in second going into cross-country. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Piggy, for her part, took Britain’s other CCI5* back in 2019, winning Badminton with the tough and super-consistent Vanir Kamira. They posted a 25.5, which is her second-best score at the level — she posted a 25 at Badminton back in 2018, and regularly scores competitively despite not necessarily being built for this phase.
“[Dressage trainer] Ian Woodhead always tells me — because I’m like, ‘it’s not good enough, it’s not good enough!’ — that honestly, it looks fine. I know with her that the ‘clear round’ is the most important thing. I have to have her mind in the right place,” says Piggy. To make that happen, head girl Amy Phillips “just loose lunges her forever. We just try to sort of bore her, because she is what she is.”
“I joke the night before, saying ‘I’m going to make her into Valegro tomorrow!’, but she doesn’t find it easy and she’s a definite mare. There’s that fine line of it being okay or not. If she’s happy and she smiles, her movements are up two marks anyway, even if the movements are the same, because her expression can change her whole outlook.”
Piggy has long been waiting for another chance to run ‘Tillybean’ at this level, where she’s able to shine.
“She was fourteen when she last ran at Burghley. She’s dreadful at one-days; she’s like, ‘what’s the point of being here?’ and she gives no feel. You can’t just pick her up and go into a dressage test; this actually took the last month of trying to get her back into shape mentally and physically so that I can just get on her ten minutes before, pick her up and put the pressure on, and have her believe and trust and go and do her best. So the one-days are quite painful, so she’s not been running very much, and I was just hoping that she would come back into shape.”
Though there’s something admittedly surreal about a five-star in a new place, Tilly — like many of her fellow four-legged compatriots — is wholly aware of what she’s here to do.
“She’s used to Badminton and Burghley and she knows the places well, so she knows when she walks to the arena [that she’s at a five-star]. This is different, but even things like going on the grass — I hadn’t done that all week because she has delicate feet, so we have to stay wherever we can that’s as soft and pleasant as possible to keep her happy. And so I think she thought, ‘this is something new; this is an occasion!'”
That innate perception of an occasion — and the desire to rise to it — is what makes the mare such a success at the upper echelons of the sport, says Piggy.
“You wouldn’t pick her out [as an obvious superstar] like a Ballaghmor Class, that’s like, boom, but my god, her heart is just… you know, she’s a pain in the butt all the time, but that heart is what a good mare is all about.”
Will Rawlin and VIP Vinnie sit third after dressage in their five-star debut. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Making your CCI5* is always a thrilling, nerve-wracking prospect — but for 27-year-old Will Rawlin and his self-produced VIP Vinnie, their debut has been nothing short of magical so far. They sit third going into tomorrow’s cross-country after delivering a 25.6, even despite two early errors in the trot work which saw Vinnie break into canter.
“Being behind Pippa and Piggy is amazing,” says Will. “I’m super proud of him, because he just pulled it out of the bag. I made an absolute howler of a mistake in the first medium, and I was like, ‘ah, shit, we’ve really messed this up.’ But then I thought, ‘okay, right, just relax. That’s one movement done, and there’s plenty more to come’. So we knuckled down and he really gave it his all — but there’s so much more to come from him.”
27-year-old Will, who led the dressage at Blenheim on Vinnie in 2019 and finished third in the CCI4*-L for under-25s at Bramham that year, knows his horse as well as he knows himself by now — quirks and all.
“He’s quite arrogant, and he knows he’s good and has an opinion. When Michael, my groom, was getting him ready and doing quarter markers, Vinnie was absolutely having none of it and wouldn’t stand still — he’s very opinionated and he knows he’s special, so he likes to tell everyone he is.”
Now, on the eve of the biggest challenge of their lives and in an enviable position to tackle it from, Will is remaining positive — but pragmatic — about what’s to come.
“I’m excited and ready to get stuck in, but equally, it’s my first five-star,” he says. “I do want to be competitive but my main aim is to get my first completion and get that under my belt with a good ride.”
Izzy Taylor pilots five-star debutant Fonbherna Lancer to overnight fourth heading into tomorrow’s cross-country. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
The road to five-star hasn’t necessarily been straightforward for the talented 11-year-old Fonbherna Lancer. He was originally produced by New Zealand’s Neil Spratt, who gave the gelding his FEI debut back in 2018, and from then on out, Izzy had the ride, producing him to four-star and campaigning him at Boekelo in 2019. After that, though, owners The Lancer Stud moved the horse to Piggy March’s string, and she competed him successfully through 2020 and early 2021, notching up top-five finishes in CCI4*-S classes at Burnham Market and Little Downham. The plan had originally been to aim him for his CCI5* debut at Burghley this autumn, but when the cancellation announcement was released earlier this spring, his owners decided to reroute him to Luhmühlen. But Piggy wasn’t yet qualified to run a five-star with him, as she’d withdrawn before cross-country in their one CCI4*-L entry because of concerns about the ground, and so the horse was moved back to Izzy five weeks before the event. Then, of course, those pesky travel restrictions came into place, and Izzy was also temporarily sidelined with a broken collarbone, so Luhmühlen didn’t happen for them — and now, he makes his five-star debut in the originally intended week at Burghley’s replacement event.
Today, though, they made the best of their unique situation, earning themselves 25.7 for overnight fourth place.
“We made mistakes, quietly, all over the place,” says Izzy. “He’s such a beautiful horse in his brain and his movement and everything. I just get annoyed with myself because he’s so beautiful and a little mistake feels like a massive one on him, whereas on a more average horse you wouldn’t even notice it. I hope with some more cementing of our partnership, he’ll learn to enjoy the atmosphere in the future and be a real show off. We haven’t really done very much, so we’ll have to have a bit of trust tomorrow.”
Tim Price and 2018 Burghley winner Ringwood Sky Boy hold fifth place after dressage in the horse’s seventeenth CCI5*. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
There are warhorses, and then there’s eighteen-year-old Ringwood Sky Boy, who makes his seventeenth (yes, really) CCI5* start this week with New Zealand’s Tim Price. Initially bought as a cheap resale project with a penchant for bolting, ‘Oz’ couldn’t be shifted and has since become a part of the furniture at the Price family’s Wiltshire farm, where Tim has put in the time and effort to help his 2018 Burghley winner thrive in his work. Today, that resulted in a competitive 26.7, good enough for fifth place overnight, which puts them in a strong position to climb from tomorrow.
“I’m just super proud of him, because he’s not a dressage horse. Over the years, he’s learned to work with it and to try and enjoy it a little bit — and he almost stood still three times, so that’s good,” says Tim with a laugh. “It’s not a given with him, because his anxiety sits quite close to the surface. But he’s a senior man now, and I think he’s learned to deal with who he is. He really does try, and that’s the thing with him — what used to just be exertion and effort in just one dynamic, which was just to throw himself to the other side of the jump whether it was a big five-star fence or a showjump that he wasn’t supposed to touch, he’s been able to refine that desire to please into being the whole package for doing this sort of job. I’m super proud of him, and he’s a credit to himself, really.”
William Fox-Pitt celebrates a 27 aboard Oratorio, which sees them in sixth place overnight. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
William Fox-Pitt returns with Oratorio II for the horse’s second CCI5* of 2021, after a competitive run at Kentucky this spring ended with a surprise fall at the tail end of the course — but Oratorio, who’s a son of William’s Pau winner Oslo and a previous Blenheim CCI4*-L runner-up, looks fit and well as his redemption arc yawns ahead of him. Though their test was, perhaps, rather on the conservative side today, it was correct and pleasant, earning them 27 and overnight sixth place.
“Maybe it was a little bit too dull to get in the low twenties, but I thought he really did his best and I was thrilled with him,” says William. “And I was really thrilled I went the right way, because I’ve never done this test before and the brain doesn’t always work these days. You never quite know when it’s going to let you down!”
Their score today is less than a penalty better than the 27.9 they posted at Kentucky, but William says that the quality of the work has improved in the interim period — an assertion that bodes well for future, bolder efforts.
“The Kentucky test was very nice, but Chris [Bartle] gave me some comments and on the videos, which was really useful, and I’ve worked on that to get a bit more expression,” he says. “He couldn’t have done much better; he gave me a really good feeling and felt very rideable. I could always probably say that I should have ridden a bit more, but I know today that some horses are feeling quite tense in there. He was actually very cool, and I’m pleased about that because it’s quite isolated out there — they’re certainly on a stage.”
Ros Canter’s five-star first-timer Pencos Crown Jewel sit seventh on 27.1. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
World champion Ros Canter comes to Bicton off the back of a highly successful trip to Scotland’s Blair Castle last week, where she won both the CCI3*-L and CCI4*-S, and her mount this week is another up-and-comer — this time, the 12-year-old British-bred mare Pencos Crown Jewel, who overcame some stage fright for a 27.1. Like Pippa before her, though, Ros’s success in the ring has come partly as a result of scaling back her flatwork enormously at home.
“I really haven’t practiced a test [with her], so I was quite nervous I was going to go the wrong way — I like to practice,” she explains. “She just likes hacking on a long rein, to put it simply. The excitement you saw here was actually nervousness; she’s actually a lazy horse, but she’s quite out of her comfort zone with people. She likes to keep herself to herself in the stable and everything, and people around her make her suspicious. We call her Miss Health and Safety at home — she’s just a suspicious person and she wants to make sure everything’s okay before she does something, so it’s just about making sure she’s all right, telling her she’s a good girl, and not telling her off. I’ve just found that hacking her on a long rein and keeping her happy and relaxed is really her way. She’s so honest that she’ll do everything you ask her to if you have her in the right frame of mind. She doesn’t need to do it every day — she just needs to be happy.”
This is ‘Jasmine’s’ second trip to Bicton this season — she finished ninth in the tough CCI4*-L earlier this summer, adding 7.6 time penalties to her 32.4 first-phase score.
“She came here in June and was very good — I was just a bit slow. But who knows, to be honest. Every time I’ve stepped up a level I’ve thought, ‘she probably won’t go another level’, and then she keeps going. So I’m very openminded about it — we’ll take it as it comes, but I know that whatever she’ll do, she’ll do her very best.”
Pippa Funnell’s first ride of the day, Majas Hope, ends the day in eighth place. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
As if leading a CCI5* isn’t enough, Pippa Funnell also sits eighth on her first ride of the day, the reliable Majas Hope. They put a 27.4 up, making this the third international test in a row that the 14-year-old gelding, who has historically been a low-30s scorer, has delivered in the 27 bracket. But the exceptional performance came after a slightly tricky morning for the rider.
“I had just changed into my whites all ready to go, and was trying to stay away from the puppy and the dogs so I could try to stay clean, and then I get the distress call from Emily, my groom,” she explains. Emily had begun studding the gelding up for his test, only to discover a problem: “I’ve got a fantastic farrier, but hey — we all make mistakes, and one of the front shoes had the holes punched in, but he hadn’t threaded them. So I couldn’t get any studs in that one front shoe. But you know, that’s the fabulous thing about our sport; everyone was so accommodating. Unfortunately, the blacksmith was stuck in traffic, but I was allowed to slip in later in the order.”
The only other option, she says, would have been to do the test sans studs in front: “and on grass, that would be like me running in one high-heel,” she says.
Pippa opted not to give Majas Hope any more work with the extra time she’d been afforded, a decision that evidently complemented her low-key approach to the final week of preparations she’s undertaken at home. But although her rejigged times allowed her to ride her test under better circumstances, it’s had a major impact on the structure of her day.
“I got up very, very early this morning to work in for a ten o’clock test,” she explains, “and then I was going to ride and then walk the course.”
Shifting her test to just before the lunch-break meant that she didn’t have enough time between horses to do her second walk, though: “so I’ve only actually seen the course once so far, because obviously [this event] is a day shorter!”
Gemma Tattersall and Chilli Knight slot into ninth. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
“Oh god, what’s wrong with me?!” laughs Gemma Tattersall, wiping a second flood of tears away after her test with Chilli Knight, which earned the pair a 27.9 for overnight ninth place. It’s not hard to see why she might be feeling a touch emotional, mind you: “I guess having produced him from the beginning,” she reasons, “and [because] he was like, ‘mummy, I’m doing my best!’ He always does his best, but he was just great. If I was being mega-critical, in the second change he was just a little bit extravagant — it wasn’t quite as perfect as the first one. But I thought he did the best trotting he’s ever done. I mean, his trot is terrible, but it was very good trotting for him! I was just really proud of him.”
Gemma Tattersall wipes a tear away after her test with Chilli Knight. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
‘Alfie’ is a son of Chilli Morning, William Fox-Pitt’s 2015 Badminton winner, who relocated to Gemma’s Sussex yard upon his retirement and was a significant part of her breeding programme. That means that Gemma hasn’t just known her eleven-year-old since he was a youngster — she’s known him since the day he was born.
“He’s a funny little horse,” she says fondly. “I wouldn’t say he’s the brightest horse in the world, but he just always tries to please, and that’s what makes him what he is — he just always tries his best. In training, in competition — he always tries to do what I’m asking him. I describe him as a typical gelding and a ‘yes man’; if I ask him to do something, he’ll give it a go. Very rarely is he difficult or in any way naughty. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him put his ears back in his life; he doesn’t know how to be nasty or horrible at all. He’s not a flamboyant jumper or anything — he makes me laugh out loud sometimes, because if he comes to a fence that’s a bit wider he just goes ‘oh, mum, I think I need to stretch my knees out further!’ Whereas other horses might [jump bigger].”
Though Alfie’s five-star debut in 2019 saw him pick up an education 20 penalties, he’s finished no worse than seventh in all three of his CCI4*-L starts and has established himself as one of the fastest, most consistent cross-country horses at the four-star level. But, as Gemma explains, eventing isn’t so cut-and-dry that she can guarantee she’ll still be in this position come tomorrow evening.
“At the end of the day, he’s a horse, not a machine, and anything can happen. Look at my falling off Arctic Soul at Burghley two years ago — he’d done something like ten five-stars and never had a problem, but I fell off. Anything really can happen.”
Oliver Townend’s stalwart MHS King Joules rounds out the top ten. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Olympic gold medallist Oliver Townend brought two horses, each at either end of the experience spectrum, to Bicton this week — but it was the 16-year-old long-time campaigner MHS King Joules who found himself in the best position at the end of the day, sitting tenth on a 28.1 despite some early spookiness in the test.
“That’s him — he’s getting more like that as he gets older, unfortuantely, which is probably not the right way around to go,” laughs Oliver. “But while he’s sound and healthy and definitely wanting to do it — perhaps too much, sometimes! — we’ll keep going with it. There’s no pressure on him — he’s an old horse now, and we all know that he’s very talented, but we also all know that he’s very tricky in all three bits. But we respect him and love him for who he is, and we work with him every day with the quirks. We’re very happy with him.”
Eventing Nation’s coverage of the 2021 USEA American Eventing Championships is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products. We want to share the joy of eventing this week, so we invite you to nominate an AEC rider for our “Kentucky Performance of the Week” contest, happening now in partnership with Kentucky Performance Products. Learn more here.
Historically, it has been a time-honored EN AEC tradition to ignore the Adequan® USEA Advanced Final, worth however many tens of thousands of dollars, completely to focus attention on that cutthroat showdown between dreamy-eyed horse girls riding ponies with names like “In My Feelings” and “Bacon Bits”: Jr. Beginner Novice 14 & Under.
This year, however, on the eve of my 40th birthday, working two jobs, and with a toddler in tow for whom my greatest hope is that he takes up literally any sport other than eventing (because, you can quote me on this, kid, “it will ruin your life”) I’m turning my attention to a different division: Beginner Novice Master Amateur. This 40 & up hobbyist crowd is the real deal, juggling jobs and families while somehow carving a space within it all for riding a horse on the regular. Every last one of the ammy-adult riders who qualified and are competing at the 2021 AEC this year is an inspiration to me, just for showing up. No matter where you end up on the scoreboard, I hope you know you are already a champion.
Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your perspective, all 51 combinations in the USEA Beginner Novice Master Amateur Championship are now officially under my intense scrutiny, and we’re starting with background checks. One of the biggest perks of being a USEA member is that you can stalk whomever you want to, and I’ve been up since 1:30 a.m. (it is now 11 a.m now) doing exactly that.
Maggie Deatrick usually crunches EN’s “By the Numbers” statistics, using some extensive FEI results database spreadsheet number-y thing she created herself — I made the mistake of clicking into it once, and for an English major who has fallen on her head a bunch of times and can barely remember her own phone number on a good day, it was vaguely traumatizing. Thus, allow me to preface that this edition of “By the Numbers” is by no means sophisticated or based in science, and there’s a good chance I will be dead wrong on all accounts. But, without further adieu or apology, and with the division already well underway, here are my predictions for the 2021 Beginner Novice Master Amateur field!
Listen, first thing you should know: Mad respect to all of you who keep your horse inside the rectangle and remember your test today. Beginner Novice dressage tests to me are just a blurry haze of 20-meter circles and I will go off course if slighted even a quarter dosage of my usual morning coffee.
Having said that, to be honest looking at your records some of you seem to be better at dressage than others, and again I say that absolutely without judgement because I am humbly in the latter camp. I’ll tell you who you are, and dare the rest of you to prove me wrong out of sheer spite. The top 12 best dressage scores you tutu-worthy sand-dancing ballerinas have ever posted:
Erica Stokes & Milky Way: 20.5 at their last outing, Champagne Run
Penny Welsch & Mr. Poppers: 21.8
Kerri Sweet & Shake The Glitter Off: 22.2 21.9. I’m actually shaving 0.3 of this pair’s PR off because I think the horse’s name, which in my mind is a reference to a Katy Perry song about a Vegas night gone sideways, is a bold choice for we women of the menopausal-ish age, and I’m for it.
Stephen Fulton & DB Cooper: 22.8
Lucy Patsko & InANewYorkMinute: 23.1
Judi Dietz & Rearcross Clover Q: 23.5
Mary Bancroft & Twain: 23.8
Holly Breaux & Wapz Hot Dan: 23.9. Fun fact, they’ve won three out of their last four starts and it’s an Appy — classic Holly stylze!
Stephanie O’Neal & MochaSpice: 24.5,
Scott Keating & Ard Daulton: 24.8
Eden Dedrick & Excel Star High Hopes: 25 at their last outing
Oh boy, here’s a fun fact to bring you down off that high of scoring a 15.5 or make you feel better after scoring a 55 in dressage: Not a single one of you has a completely ding-free cross country record, so phase two could be a pivotal one here!
Several of you do possess, however, a cross country record that is jump fault free, with just a few time penalties here and there. Let’s give ’em a shout-out:
Sandra Barclay & Bruiser
Dayna Blumel & Cabo Wabo
Lisa Boncosky & Tensas Carlos
Michele Buford & Believer
Jessica Copland & Walk the Line
Debra Davis & Nunlikem
Excel Star High Hopes/Eden Dedrick
Susan Fogarty & Truly
Meredith Hunter & Classic Imp
Brenda Hutton & WYO Dun Maid
Susan Onorato & Flight Risk,
Lucy Patsko & Lucy Patsko
Renee Senter & Regina
Karen Trout & Sashay Lu
The Full Moon Farm crew (which is actually 8 strong!) out on a hack at the Kentucky Horse Park. Photo via the Full Moon Farm FB page.
sHoW JuMpINg PoWerHoUSeS
I think it’s human nature to let your guard down when you’re winning or prematurely admit defeat when you’re not. I’m here to tell you (and hopefully not psyche you out) that Sunday, September 5 in the year of our lord 2021, is going to be a pivotal one for the USEA Beginner Novice Master Amateur Championship.
Look around you in the warm-up. Know that not one horse you see has never had a rail in USEA competition. Let that sink in. You’re a player. This is your moment. It’s not over until it’s over. Time to step up to the plate.
I do want to give a shout out here to Stephen Fulton of Full Moon Farm and his ride DB Cooper, the only combination competing who have never had a rail together, probably because DB Cooper used up all of his life’s allowance of rails in his former life as an upper level horse. No disrespect, Advanced level fences are very large, but at one of his last events at the level he accrued 32 jumping faults — that’s eight (8!) ever-lovin’ rails. Since he’s been with Stephen at a lower level, though, they’ve had a clean slate, which is either a testament to Stephen’s riding or to finding a comfier place in the eventing world for this horse — and most likely, a combination of both. Thanks to Stephen and Karen for all they do for our sport. It’s awesome to see you out enjoying it, as you so deserve.
Best of luck and all my respect to these competitors and their horses! We’ll be back later today with a dressage report as well as live cross country updates and a show jumping grand finale!
