I received a text a couple of hours ago that plaintively asked, “is it normal to feel hungover after watching eventing?” And the answer, of course, is yes: even if there isn’t any booze involved, I just know you all had your emotional bandwidth absolutely sapped over the course of this extraordinarily influential day. Honestly, if someone so much as whispers the word ‘frangible’ in my vicinity right now, I’m just going to start sobbing.
But with the last iota of my sanity, I want to look back on today’s action — through the eyes of those involved on site, on horseback, and at home.
Boyd Martin’s debutant On Cue ended up being one of the surprise heroes of the day, moving up to overnight second after coming home just two seconds over the optimum time:
The extraordinary Harry Meade provided one of the stories of the day, coming back from a serious accident and head injury in October to ride the best he’s ever ridden, aboard a new ride nonetheless. They recorded one of just four clear rounds inside the time — and were the first to do it:
One of the other clears inside the time went to Australia’s Kevin McNab and Scuderia 1918 Don Quidam, who jumped around the track as though they’d designed it themselves:
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then we might have hit the jackpot with this gallery.
There’s magic all around the Kentucky Horse Park on one of the last Saturdays in April each year, and we are delighted to share a bit of that magic with you with this photo gallery from one of the most jam-packed cross country days in recent memory.
Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class. Photo by Shelby Allen.
The cross country gods certainly make sure they made up for lost time today, as a very dramatic cross country shuffled both the CCI5* and the CCI4*-S leaderboards. As the day ends, the top four in each division look completely different than they did yesterday. It will be Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class, who sat fifth after dressage, to take over the top spot on the CCI5* board, stopping the clock two seconds over the time for a two-phase score of 27.3. Tamie Smith and EnVogue lead the CCI4*-S on a score of 35.0. More on the 4* shortly.
Ballaghmor Class has never finished outside the top five in five-star competition, and his performance this afternoon in the rain puts him well into position to ensure that streak continues tomorrow. After Oliver picked up 6.4 time penalties with his first ride, Cooley Master Class, he carved off some more seconds with “Thomas”, though a hairy moment at the Rolex Grand Slam and some slipping around cost some extra seconds. It was a round that we’ve come to anticipate from this pair, though, and their combined experience served them well to move them ahead of the rest of the field – though Oliver won’t have much room to breathe.
The Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI5* presented by Mars Equestrian reported a shift in the lead after today’s challenging cross-country run. It’s Great Britian’s Oliver Townend on Ballaghmor Class who will head into the final show jumping phase in the first-place position with only .8 penalties added to their dressage score. Boyd Martin (USA) and On Cue currently sit in second place, while Tim Price (NZL) holds onto the top three with Xavier Faer.Thank you to the USEF Network for the video coverage.
Truth be told, Oliver came home a bit crestfallen at his rides today – he would’ve preferred more stylish, more smooth rides, but having lost a shoe early on with both Ballaghmor Class and Cooley Master Class (who added 6.4 time to drop into eighth place on a 30.5) forced him to modify his plans to just keep the horses feeling confident and on their feet.
“For me today was the toughest cross country course for a long long time at the five-star level,” Oliver said. “It’s right up there with the very toughest in the world…It’s my job to have the horses prepared and to be as prepared myself as possible…I cant see the Olympics being tougher than this. Even from a technicality pint of view I thought that’s as tough as you can get.”
“(I’m) still very emotional about how amazing they both are in terms of they both literally gave me their heart and soul today,” he reflected. “Cooley Master Class didn’t have a smooth trip at all, but every time I gave him a squeeze he put his head down and did what he could.”
Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class. Photo by Sally Spickard.
With his shoes in tact, Oliver says Ballaghmor Class would likely have come home well inside the time, but the slipping caused by the loss prompted Oliver to do what he could to protect, finding straight lines to “go like a bat out of hell” wherever he could but otherwise just focusing on keeping his feet. It would prove to be enough for the lead, but he’d perhaps like to get those rides back to smooth them out.
“The amount of gear changes the (Ballaghmor Class) has done around there in comparison to most of the others and to still be close to the time for me makes him as special as he is,” Oliver continued. “I feel a bit sad for him because I’d love to be stylish and ride around as I want to ride, but it was rough and tumble and start and stop and just try and keep his feet.”
Boyd Martin and On Cue. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Hot on the leader’s tail is the top-placed U.S. rider, Boyd Martin with Christine Turner’s On Cue (Cabri D’Elle – On High, by Primitive Rising). This 15-year-old Anglo-European mare has a massive task today in her five-star debut but she ends the day as Boyd’s lone remaining ride after he parted ways with both Long Island T and Tsetserleg. She would also pick up just two seconds of time in a supremely impressive round that threw any and all predictions any of us made out the window (honestly, it’s rather fun when that happens) and will go into Sunday’s finale in second on a score of 27.8.
“I think riding this event for over a decade, this is one of the hardest cross country courses that I’ve seen designed here,” Boyd commented. “It’s a whole different ballgame if you go out there trying to make the time or if you’re just trying to get around.”
Not having the best of days with his other two rides and electing to scratch Luke 140 from the CCI4*-S after a rough tumble with Tsetserleg TSF (Luke is aimed at the CCI4*-L at Jersey Fresh next month as it is), Boyd’s still thrilled with the debut efforts of On Cue.
A solid #LRK3DE cross-country round for Boyd Martin and On Cue, the closest of the American contingent to go double clear. They’ll carry a score of 28.2 into tomorrow’s show jumping final 🇺🇸Thank you to USEF Network for the videos!
“She’s a lovely horse…got an awesome gallop, good jumper and this year she’s given me a great feeling in the prep events,” he said. “One thing I’ve learned watching guys like Tim (Price) and Oliver (Townend) is if you want to win you’ve got to have a crack at it – you cant save them, you cant take an option. In my opinion I’d rather fail trying to win it than just tippy-toeing away.”
This plan “sort of worked one time today but didn’t work the other two,” Boyd said with a wry laugh. “But that’s the sport and there’s no shame in going for it. The big ones like this, if I want to win this one day you got to throw caution to the wind and it’ll be what it’ll be.”
In fact you have to go down to eighth place to find a rail in hand, meaning tomorrow’s show jumping will certainly be an all-out nail biter.
Derek di Grazia’s track caused its fair share of problems (which might be an understatement), and the optimum time of 11 minutes on the nose proved difficult for all but three pairs in the field to manage. All four riders producing double clear efforts were overseas entries: Tim Price and Xavier Faer (28.2), Harry Meade and Superstition (29.6), and Kevin McNab and Scuderia 1918 Don Quidam (30.3 – 6th).
Tim Price and Xavier Faer. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Third placed overnight will be New Zealand’s Tim Price and Xavier Faer (Catherston Liberator – Faerie Dazzler, by Catherston Dazzler), who finished third here in 2019 and betters his two-phase score by 2.7 penalties. Xavier Faer, who is owned by his breeder Trisha Rickards as well as Tim and Nigella Hall, will stay on his dressage mark of 28.3 thanks to his double clear effort today and will be eager to put the show jumping pressure on the top two tomorrow. He’s a consistent show jumper with no rails predicted by Maggie Deatrick in EN’s Ultimate Form Guide, while Ballaghmor Class and On Cue each have slightly more rails on their record and each have one rail predicted tomorrow.
A fun note on Xavier Faer: he is related to Jonelle Price’s superstar Faerie Dianimo on the dam side – both horses were bred by Trisha Rickards.
Harry Meade and Superstition. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Perhaps the best story of the day has been Great Britain’s Harry Meade, who some may not have known before today has suffered a rash of fairly horrific injuries in recent years, among other troubles. Last fall, he suffered a head injury in a fall at Thorseby that left him contending with a severe concussion and resulting neural fatigue.
The incredible resilience and dedication of Harry has brought him back to the five-star level this weekend, and today’s double clear effort aboard the 12-year-old British Sport Horse Superstition (Satisfaction FRH – Cordalame) is the absolute icing on the cake.
Superstition, owned by Harry as well as Mandy Gray makes his five-star debut this weekend, but he’s got a couple of wins at the four-star level to his name and now builds on that experience with a gutsy performance all around the testing track. They’ll remain on their dressage mark of 29.6 to move from equal 17th (if that doesn’t show you the caliber of competition this weekend, I don’t know what will) into fourth tonight.
“He’s a game little horse and it’s his first five-star,” Harry said after his ride. “The theme of the course was big, bold, attacking, jumping, plenty of really decent jumps into water. He’s not had a great run out since we’ve had all our events canceled in England and the two he’s had he jumped really stickily into the water. So I just thought I’ve got to fill him with confidence and really just pump him up and he got jumping really well and felt super. The further he went, the more he grew in confidence and went out a boy and came home a man. Up on his minutes the whole way, he’s never gone this distance, never done a five-star.”
Harry says he could probably have gotten in 30 seconds under, but he elected to take the longer route at the Mighty Moguls at 26 and brought him home six seconds under the time. He calls Superstition a “worrier, very much an internalizer,” so he’s focused on keeping the gelding breathing and letting go in his warm-ups, aiming to keep his heart rate low so he goes out of the box with a fresh mind. The system clearly works, and Harry’s got himself a newly minted five-star horse on his string this weekend.
Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deniro Z. Photo by Shelby Allen.
“What a phenomenal horse, isn’t he?” Liz Halliday-Sharp reflected after her ride aboard Ocala Horse Properties’ Deniro Z, who finishes the day as the second highest-placed U.S. horse, moving from eighth into fifth with 2.8 time penalties added and a two-phase score of 30.2. “He just keeps getting better and he fought for me the whole way. He was just 100% with me and I’m just over the moon with him.”
Knowing Deniro Z (Zapatero – Zonne-Trend, by French Buffett xx) as a big, bold and forward horse, Liz’s plans for the day didn’t change in the face of the oncoming rain. “That’s what this track wanted,” she said. “My plan was to make all the distances no matter what. I think this course rewards you just going in and attacking it.” Liz was looking for a strong finish from the 13-year-old KWPN gelding – “that’s kind of what we want is for them to come back a stronger five-star horse and I think he’s shown that so I’m thrilled.”
Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Dressage leader Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous jumped a clear round but unfortunately picked up 71 seconds of time, electing to get home safe. Tamie Smith and Mai Baum, second-placed after dressage, had an unfortunate frangible pin activated at the Park Question coffin at 24, but, as Tamie said after, “he doesn’t know he had a frangible pin” – she’s all out thrilled with “Lexus'” efforts in his long-awaited five-star debut.
Thanks to the difficulty of the time – and the track, in general – those who jumped clear were rewarded with large jumps up the board. Notable among these move-ups are Jonelle Price and Grovine de Reve, who shot up from 20th into equal sixth place with Kevin McNab and Scuderia 1918 Don Quidam, who move up from 21st. Jonelle also earns the Biggest Mover award for jumping a whopping 34 places from 46th into 12th with the superstar Classic Moet, who remains on her dressage score of 35.2. Runner-ups for the Biggest Mover award goes to – drumroll – not one, but two of our all-star Rookies this weekend: our own Ema Klugman and Bendigo (61 to 31) and Emily Hamel and Corvett (56 to 26), who each had incredibly stellar debuts at the level and have a whole lot to be celebrating tonight.
Ema Klugman and Bendigo. Photo by Shelby Allen.
In terms of completion and clear ratings, this course, with 61 total starters in the CCI5*, saw 45 pairs complete (73.8%), 40 of which were clear (65.6%). The four riders making the time made up 6.6% of the starters. Several high-profile pairs sadly came to grief at various points around the track, including early ninth-placed William Fox Pitt and Oratorio II.
A total of seven pairs were given a Mandatory Retirement for a horse fall; no serious injuries to horses or riders have been reported in either division: Karl Slezak and Fernhill Wishes, Mike Pendleton and Steady Eddie, William Fox Pitt and Oratorio, Zoe Crawford and K.E.C. Zara, Valerie Vizcarrondo Pride and Favian, and Jennie Brannigan and Stella Artois, and Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg. This is a big increase in the horse fall rate – we’ve had a total of seven horse falls at Kentucky since 2015. 11.5% of the starters were given Mandatory Retirements, six riders (9.8%) were eliminated for Rider Fall, one pair (1.6%) retired on course, and two (3.3%) were given a Technical Elimination for missing an element. You can view a few more stats from the day in our At A Glance here.
In terms of the horse falls, we saw three of them come at the Mighty Moguls, two logs on a related distance at fence 26. Tim Price and Boyd Martin commented in the press conference that the ground really fell away after the second log – and riders had to aim for a corner to the right on landing. Mike Pendleton, William Fox Pitt and Boyd Martin all had their falls here. Valerie Vizcarrondo Pride fell at fence 13, the Park Gates, which were clipped but the MIM clip was not activated in the fall. Zoe and K.E.C. Zara fell at the Triple Scoop at fence 22. Karl Slezak and Fernhill Wishes missed their spot to the second hedge of Pete’s Hollow at 17 and very nearly had a rotational fall. Jennie Brannigan and Stella Artois seemed to peck on landing after jumping into the Rolex Grand Slam Challenge at fence 19.
Tamie Smith and En Vogue. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Tamie Smith Leads CCI4*-S
To say that the CCI4*-S rode more like a CCI5*-S or the CCI4*-S Olympics – take your pick – would be accurate considering the results of the cross country, which ran after the five-star this afternoon. The division was originally slated to run cross country first but was changed in light of the weather forecast.
Which means that the four-star riders got a good brunt of the weather, and a tricky and technical track didn’t help matters. The last out of the box, and after a not so successful run aboard her first ride, Danito, Tamie Smith laid down a round aboard Ruth Bley’s EnVogue that she said felt almost easy. Despite some time added (no one managed the optimum time of 6 minutes, 46 seconds), Tamie will take a leading score of 35.0 into tomorrow’s show jumping.
“It definitely rode very tough and big,” Tamie said. “On EnVogue, it was a blast. I was originally entered in the (five-star) and I decided to drop her down and do another four-star long instead. Obviously she just zipped around and was awesome and I was a little bit like, gosh I wish I would have kept her in (the five-star)! But he slow was is always the fast way.”
It was a big ask for EnVogue (Earl – Laurena, by Lauries Crusader), who also ran in the mud at Tryon last fall – and it’s that run that Tamie credits with helping the 16-year-old Hanoverian mare grow into herself and find some more confidence.
Alyssa Phillps and Oskar. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Tamie won’t have a rail in hand over second placed Alyssa Phillips and Oskar (Coriando – Nicole, by Marlo), who were one pair who actually looked to be having a bit of fun out there and were rewarded with a rocket jump all the way from 15th into second on a score of 37.9 and the fastest round of the day with 5.6 time penalties accumulated. Colleen Loach and Vermont, who were second after dressage, remain in the top three with a score of 41.8. Doug Payne and Starr Witness (42.1) as well as Liz Halliday-Sharp and the young talent Cooley Moonshine (42.5), equal third after dressage, also turned in excellent rounds with time to remain inside the top five.
Colleen Loach and Vermont. Photo by Shelby Allen.
“I’m so happy to be done with it!” Alyssa said after her ride. “He fought really hard for me. It’s the hardest course I personally have ridden. (Oskar) is not all that experienced at the level. He’s gone around a couple four-stars but this is the toughest he’s ever seen. He really fought for me at all those combinations. It wasn’t easy, it rode super hard. Jennie Brannigan, my trainer, gave me some words of wisdom out of the start box so I just rode aggressively and I didn’t pull.”
“You know your horse,” Jennie told Alyssa as she warmed up. Just keep kicking, she advised. “I couldn’t do it without her,” Alyssa said.
In total, 18 of the original 40 pairs were eliminated or opted to retire. Just 14 pairs came home clear of jumping penalties, making this one of the toughest CCI4*-S tracks we’ve seen in recent memory. Weather certainly played a factor, but the intensity of the track made for a stiffer challenge than what might have been seen elsewhere at the level. As the day progressed, it became clear that just a clear round would be sufficient to hold a placing or move up, and most pairs prioritized getting home over going fast.
We’ll see both the CCI4*-S and the CCI5* horses trot up tomorrow bright and early at 8 a.m. EST. Show jumping will then commence at 10:45 a.m. with the CCI4*-S jumping first in reverse order of standing. We’ll then start the CCI5* show jumping at 1:30 p.m. EST with the first group, followed by the top 20 beginning at 3 p.m., all in reverse order of standing.
Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg in 2019. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
Okay, folks, hands up if you’ve had butterflies since approximately 6 p.m. EST yesterday, couldn’t sleep for most of the night, and have been a frantic little weirdo all morning preparing for the #BestWeekendAllYear. I know it can’t just be me! Thoroughly overadrenalised European correspondent Tilly Berendt here in ‘the studio’ (my sofa) to experience the highs and lows of the day to come with you all in real time. We’re about twenty minutes away from go-time at the moment – Jonelle Price will be the first out of the start box at 8.30 a.m. EST — so let’s use this time wisely to brush up on where we are and what we’re going to be looking ahead at today.
Here’s the leaderboard as it stands up to twentieth place after dressage:
If you want to follow along in true eventing nerd fashion, please take a moment to download a copy of EN’s Ultimate Form Guide to LRK3DE, available as a digital download for just $5 and absolutely full of incredible information, data analysis, graphs on strengths and weaknesses, and much more. It’ll be a super companion for you today, and 20% of each sale goes to charity, so you’ll getting some sweet, sweet juju in your karma bank as well.
1.08 p.m. EST: Here’s the top twenty after cross-country — but consider this provisional, as we expect Tamie to fight that 11 penalties, which would put her in second place by half a penalty if it’s removed.
1.03 p.m. EST: “He’s very, very special — we lost a shoe at fence 7, and it’s slippy out there. He’s shown how class he is, because I’ve gone like a bat out of hell on the straights and at the likes of the Hollow, I was so slow because he was slipping and sliding. I’ve had to use my brains but every time I’ve said go he’s put his head down and gone as fast as i’ve ever gone on cross-country. It’s very special,” says Oliver Townend of Ballaghmor Class, who leads going into tomorrow’s competition.
Ballaghmor Class and Oliver Townend lead the way going into tomorrow’s final horse inspection. Photo by Shelby Allen.
12.58 p.m. EST: 44 seconds over the time for Buck and Carlevo, who haven’t got a flag penalty on the live leaderboard at the moment.
12.56 p.m. EST: Buck’s having to work hard out there — those reins look slippery and he and Carlevo are well down on the clock by now.
12.55 p.m. EST: Clear and thirteen seconds over for Lauren and Bug!
12.53 p.m. EST: Lauren Nicholson and Vermiculus are storming around — what a good little Bug! Buck looks like he’s missed the flag coming out of the Head of the Lake — and so Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class will be our leaders going into tomorrow’s competition.
12.52 p.m. EST: Boyd is up and looks okay, but sore and broken-hearted. Buck and Carlevo are the only pair who can go ahead of Oliver now, but they’re not looking fast enough.
12.49 p.m. EST: IT’S ALL OVER FOR BOYD AND TSETSERLEG. They hit the deck at 26B, the final combination, when the gelding leaves a leg — that’s a seriously nasty looking fall for the rider, who’s already hit the ground once today. This changes EVERYTHING.
12.47 p.m. EST: The 20 has been removed from the leaderboard and Oliver comes home two seconds over the time — a remarkable effort, really. They finish on 27.3 for provisional third. Boyd can still stay ahead if he’s less than four seconds over the time.
12.45 p.m. EST: Ballaghmor Class has never been out of the top five in five five-stars, so if he is awarded the 20, it’s one of the most important moments of the day. He’ll be battling the time now, too. Boyd and Tsetserleg are looking super so far.
Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class. Photo by Shelby Allen.
12.42 p.m. EST: THIS IS A HUGE MOMENT. Oliver Townend picks up a provisional 20 penalties for what could be a run-out and could be a long route at the water at 19. He jumps in too big and kind of makes it over the second element, but he looks well outside the flag.
12.40 p.m. EST: WOW. Three for three for Jonelle — and just one second over on Grovine de Reve. Now we’ve got some big rounds on the go — Ballaghmor Class is super and relaxed through the Head of the Lake, and Tsetserleg and Boyd Martin have left the start box.
12.33 p.m. EST: Jonelle Price out on course now with her final ride, Grovine de Reve, who was 12th at Pau last year. She’s followed by a slightly feral-looking Off The Record with Will Coleman aboard. Oliver Townend coming up next with Ballaghmor Class — a huge round to watch.
12.31 p.m. EST: Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deniro Z finish clear with 2.8 time penalties! Really, really great performance from them — they’re going from strength to strength on their Tokyo campaign.
12.30 p.m. EST: A 20 for Clayton and FE Stormtrooper at 12 and then their day ends early as he takes a tumble at 17.
12.27 p.m. EST: Bit of a scrappy round so far for Clayton Fredericks and FE Stormtrooper — a horse who’s delightfully known as Stoner Stu.
12.25 p.m. EST: Liz and Niro looking solid out there — that Burghley trip in 2019 taught this horse a tonne. Great work through the Hollow from them.
Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deniro Z. Photo by Shelby Allen.
12.24 p.m. EST: Poor Jennie — that was a rough fall. They’re both up quickly but they hit that first element hard.
12.23 p.m. EST: Jennie Brannigan’s day ends early with Stella Artois — they fall at the Rolex Grand Slam Water where we just saw Doug pick up penalties.
12.22 p.m. EST: Liz Halliday-Sharp on course now with Deniro Z, who’s provisionally fourth at the moment.
12.20 p.m. EST: Oof, Doug Payne and Quantum Leap pick up a 20 at the Rolex Grand Slam water at 19ABCD.
12.19 p.m. EST: 6 time penalties plus that 11 for Tamie — we’ll have to wait and see if that 11 sticks around.
12.16 p.m. EST: BOLLOCKS. Tamie and Mai Baum will lose their overnight lead — they hit a frangible at 24A for 11 penalties. They’ll be able to try to fight it, though — he hit it behind and you’re only meant to be awarded the penalties if the pin would have prevented a fall.
Will Faudree and Mama’s Magic Way. Photo by Shelby Allen.
12.13 p.m. EST: WOW — Tamie somehow makes the Hollow look like the easiest thing ever. INCREDIBLE. Will Faudree and Mama’s Magic Way finish clear and eleven seconds over the time. What a great round for this inexperienced horse!
12.12 p.m. EST: Big jump into the Head of the Lake — Tamie is riding so boldly and it’s producing a super picture for this pair.
Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. Photo by Shelby Allen.
12.10 p.m. EST: Tamie and Mai Baum looking great so far after a sticky first jump — they’re clear halfway around.
12.09 p.m. EST: Tim Price and Xavier Faer also make the time! Six seconds inside, just like Harry Meade. Will Faudree and Mama’s Magic Way also on course and looking good.
Tim Price and Xavier Faer. Photo by Shelby Allen.
12.09 p.m. EST: Current leaders Tamie Smith and Mai Baum are out on course now! EEEEEEEEK
12.07 p.m. EST: Phillip Dutton and Z finish in 11:11 for 5.2 time penalties.
12.06 p.m. EST: 14.8 time penalties after those two long routes drops Anna Siemer from 10th to provisional 27th. They should climb from that before the day is over.
12.05 p.m. EST: Tim Price makes the Head of the Lake look really simple on his last ride, Xavier Faer — this horse was third here in 2019 and really knows his way around here.
12.03 p.m. EST: Another long route for Anna, whose round is looking really great — so this must be a footing issue. The rain really is coming down hard, so it’s not a silly idea at all to preserve her horse for the future.
12.01 p.m. EST: Interesting — Anna chooses to go long at 21AB, which will give her plenty of time penalties. Perhaps it’s getting slick out there now.
11.59 a.m. EST: Lisa Marie Fergusson and Honor Me finish 58 seconds over the time — that’s 23.2 time penalties to add.
11.58 a.m. EST: Dom Schramm and Boly finish 12 seconds over the time — super stuff!
11.56 a.m. EST: Phillip Dutton and Z on course now. Anna is absolute class at the Head of the Lake — shades of Rocana about this mare.
11.55 a.m. EST: Sorry, I’m still laughing over Jesse Campbell telling Frankie Thieriot-Stutes that he was ‘shitting himself’ about cross-country.
11.54 a.m. EST: This course is reminding me of Pierre Michelet’s Pau — it’s obviously less twisty and turny, but the striding patterns read in a really similar way. If you think you need to shorten and add, you almost certainly need to kick on for the long one instead — bolder strides and a bit of ‘allez’ are being rewarded.
11.53 a.m. EST: Germany’s Anna Siemer and FRH Butt’s Avondale on course now to try to add zilch to their incredible first-phase score of 28.1.
11.51 a.m. EST: CRIKEY. Dom Schramm does one stride in that tricky 2.5 stride line at the Hollow. He gets away with it but I bet he’s clenching his bum a bit harder than usual right now.
11.50 a.m. EST: Lisa Marie Fergusson and Honor Me out on course for Canada right now and looking fierce.
11.49 a.m. EST: Dom Schramm through the Head of the Lake with Bolytair B. It’s a bit scrappy out there but they’re getting it done!
11.47 a.m. EST: Six seconds within the time for Harry, and I am SOBBING.
11.46 a.m. EST: HARRY MEADE DOES IT! He’s the first rider to make the time after attacking every inch of this course. What an extraordinary round and an extraordinary result — we’ve seen just a couple of national level runs for him since that accident in October, which saw him pick up a bad head injury that’s required a huge amount of rehabilitation.
Harry Meade and Superstition. Photo by Shelby Allen.
11.44 a.m. EST: WHAT a round from Jesse Campbell and Diachello — Jesse rode exceptionally well out there, as he tends to, and they pick up just 9.6 time penalties. It’s a great moment: he’s been overlooked a bit as a ‘slow’ horse, but actually, it’s all been tactics from Jesse, who’s a rider I rate really highly. This run — the horse’s first at the level — has proven exactly what Jesse has been saying about the gelding.
11.43 a.m. EST: Harry Meade is really forward in the Hollow and it works perfectly.
11.42 a.m. EST: Oh no! Allison hits the deck at the first water — that’s just fence four. What a bummer for her.
11.40 a.m. EST: Allison Springer starts with rookie horse Business Ben — meanwhile, Harry is seriously gung-ho at the Head of the Lake. Clear — what a cool horse.
11.38 a.m. EST: Leslie completes 45 seconds over the time — Jesse and Diachello still looking brilliant out there. Now Harry Meade and Superstition are out there, chasing redemption after a horrendous accident in October.
11.36 a.m. EST: Leslie and Voltaire de Tre are having to work hard out there, but they’re making it happen. It’s seriously coming down out there now and Leslie rides in glasses — this cannot be easy.
11.35 a.m. EST: New Zealand’s Jesse Campbell and Diachello looking super quick and classy at the Normandy Bank — this pair is winning a tonne of fans this weekend!
11.34 a.m. EST: Clear and just eight time penalties for Ema and Bendigo! I’m not crying, you’re crying.
11.33 a.m. EST: Bit hairy out of the Head of the Lake for Leslie Law — but they’re through and clear. We’d say with a couple of grey hairs, but…. (sorry, Leslie)
11.32 a.m. EST: Clear through 24C for Ema and Bendigo — and Leslie Law and Voltaire de Tre are looking solid so far. Caroline Martin and Islandwood Captain Jack complete 46 seconds over the time.
Daniel Clasing and MW Gangster’s Game. Photo by Sally Spickard.
11.29 a.m. EST: A great clear round from Dan Clasing and MW Gangster’s Game, though they’re slow — they add 26 time penalties.
11.27 a.m. EST: Ema looking great so far through 14C — as Karen O’Connor says, “she’s excellent at everything she endeavours.”
11.26 a.m. EST: Caroline Martin looking classy and clear through 20.
11.25 a.m. EST: Our own Ema Klugman is on course with Bendigo! Clear to 9C so far! GO ON GIRL!
Ema Klugman and Bendigo. Photo by Sally Spickard.
11.24 a.m. EST: A tale of two approaches at the Hollow for Dan — he looks for the long one to the table but gets handed a very deep, uncomfortable distance. They get over it and then make a great showing over the two angled hedges. Class.
11.23 a.m. EST: Dan plays fast and loose with the flag rule but looks to be okay. Caroline Martin now out with Islandwood Captain Jack. Aaaaand the rain has started!
Caroline Martin and Islandwood Captain Jack. Photo by Sally Spickard.
11.21 a.m. EST: Dan Clasing and MW Gangster’s Game are looking super — what a dark horse pair they’re proving to be! Sydney and QC Diamantaire finish with just 8.8 time penalties.
11.16 a.m. EST: Oh no! Valerie and Favian are down at the upright gates at 13. They don’t break either — although they do have MIMs clips fitted. It’s a nasty fall but both look to be up quickly.
11.15 a.m. EST: A great ride through the Hollow for Sydney and QC — she’s learned from her mistakes at the Lake and adjusted visibly for that combination. Daniel Clasing and MW Gangster’s Game are our latest starters; they were a surprise success in the ring yesterday and sit =12th currently.
11.14 a.m. EST: Valerie Vizcarrondo Pride and Favian are our next rookies out on course — it’s been a good day for first-timers so far!
11.12 a.m. EST: QC Diamantaire has a huge stride — and that’s not always the easiest thing to manage, as we see when they get into some trouble at the Head of the Lake. They’re clear, but that horse deserves a halo — he bails them both out by finding his way over the highest part of the final element. What a horse.
11.11 a.m. EST: Make a wish!
11.09 a.m. EST: Sydney Elliott and QC Diamantaire looking great up to 9C so far!
11.07 a.m. EST: What a shame – Hannah Sue Burnett picks up a run-out and then gets a technical elimination for missing an element.
11.04 a.m. EST: We’ve got a withdrawal — Hawley Bennett-Awad won’t run Jollybo today.
11.03 a.m. EST: Colleen Loach now on course for Canada with Qorry Blue d’Argouges. They look bold and solid through the first water.
11.01 a.m. EST: Hannah Sue and Harbour Pilot have a great ride through the Head of the Lake — he’s looking very rideable today.
11.00 a.m. EST: Kevin McNab and Scuderia 1918 Don Quidam are now the fastest of the day! One second over — I’m doubly glad I put them up as my winners in the predictions this week now! This is one of the coolest horses on the scene right now in my humble opinion — what a little star.
Kevin McNab and Scuderia 1918 Don Quidam. Photo by Sally Spickard.
10.58 a.m. EST: Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot looking good so far — Kevin McNab and Scuderia 1918 Don Quidam also solid so far for Australia.
10.56 a.m. EST: Wow, one of the rounds of the day so far from Boyd Martin’s 5* debutant On Cue – they add 1.2 time penalties to match Classic Moet for the fastest round of the day!
Boyd Martin and On Cue. Photo by Sally Spickard.
10.55 a.m. EST: “He dirty dogged it,” says Karen O’Connor of the errant bogey, who slams on the brakes before the first water. Buck opts to retire, wisely.
10.54 a.m. EST: Buck Davidson out on course again now with Erroll Gobey, a horse who always makes me think of errant bogeys. God, it’s a relief that I don’t have to say any of this stuff out loud.
10.53 a.m. EST: Oliver and Cooley Master Class come home clear but sixteen seconds over the optimum time — that’s 6.4 time penalties and pushes them down to provisional 20th, though they won’t finish that low down the leaderboard. A major surprise here, though.
10.51 a.m. EST: Oliver having to work very hard at the coffin, where Cooley Master Class jumps very hollow — but they’re looking more fluid now.
10.49 a.m EST: Boyd makes it through the Head of the Lake in fine style this time around!
10.48 a.m. EST: Wow! Clear and just 2.2 time penalties for Will Coleman and Tight Lines — a real redemption after that pesky flag penalty in 2019. Boyd Martin going well with On Cue.
10.46 a.m. EST: Ooof. Cooley Master Class stumbles badly coming out of the Head of the Lake and Oliver lifts him over the final element. They’re clear but this isn’t looking like this horse at his best at all.
10.45 a.m. EST: Hmm. Cooley Master Class just doesn’t look like he’s firing on all cylinders. This is looking like hard work.
Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class. Photo by Sally Spickard.
10.44 a.m. EST: 1.2 time penalties for Jonelle and Classic Moet — that’s the benchmark then, set by our fastest pair in the field.
10.43 a.m. EST: The reigning champions, Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class, are on course now!
10.42 a.m. EST: “That was a big test out there — there was a lot of jumping to do and a lot of ad-libbing because it certainly didn’t go to plan,” says Marilyn Little. “I took my foot off the gas pedal thinking, there’s a lot of big efforts out there and maybe she needs to catch her breath. Hindsight is 20/20, maybe she didn’t need to catch her breath, but the horse needs to come first.”
10.40 a.m. EST: Will Coleman and Tight Lines looking good now — hopefully the impending hold won’t ruin their rhythm.
10.39 a.m. EST: Classic Moet and Jonelle held just before the footbridge while repairs are done.
Classic Moet and Jonelle Price. Photo by Sally Spickard.
10.37 a.m. EST: There’s going to be some serious rebuilding needed on the triple bar.
10.36 a.m. EST: Will Coleman’s Tight Lines looking a bit sticky into the first water but in and away.
10.35 a.m. EST: No! A fall for Zoe and Zara at the triple bar at 22. Classic Moet going great guns and looking super through the Hollow.
Zoe Crawford and KEC Zara. Photo by Sally Spickard.
10.33 a.m. EST: A 20 for Zoe Crawford and KEC Zara at 12A but going well after that.
10. 32 a.m. EST: Jonelle Price and Classic Moet now on course — this is one of the fastest combinations in the world, so it’ll be fascinating to see how she does with the time. No one’s made it yet; Tim Price and Bango are the closest.
10.30 a.m. EST: A technical elimination for Nilson Moreira da Silva and Magnum’s Martini, who have had a couple of problems and ultimately get pulled up for missing a fence.
10.27 a.m. EST: 7.2 time penalties for Meghan O’Donoghue and Palm Crescent, who cross the finish with huge smiles on their faces.
Emily Libbee and Jakobi. Photo by Sally Spickard.
10.26 a.m. EST: Emilee Libby and Jakobi looking great out there — what a nifty jumper this Californian horse is!
10.24 a.m. EST: 28.8 time penalties pushes our dressage leaders down to provisional 47th place. That’s a pretty hard pill for her to swallow, I would think. One minute and twelve seconds over the time. Lots to like in the round, though. Now Tamie Smith holds top spot before her round.
Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous. Photo by Sally Spickard.
10.23 a.m. EST: Emilee Libby and Jakobi out on course now, as is Nilson and Magnum’s Martini. Marilyn coming to the end of the course and those time penalties have pushed them right out of contention.
10.21 a.m. EST: Ooooooh, this is going to be tricky — this could be a flag for Marilyn at the final part of the coffin. It looks pretty far out of the line to me.
10.20 a.m. EST: Marilyn does a Doug and cuts through the bushes en route to the footbridge — that’s not going to win her enough time back though. Looking like she could be about a minute down, which would basically double her
score.
10.17 a.m. EST: Rookies Fylicia Barr and Galloway Sunrise got home clear with 23.2 time penalties! Joe Meyer picks up a 20 at 17B and adds 16.8 time. Marilyn and Kitty going well but looking slow here.
Fylicia Barr and Galloway Sunrise. Photo by Sally Spickard.
10.15 a.m. EST: Good through the Head of the Lake for Marilyn and Kitty, but they’re looking conservative speed-wise here. She’ll need to find a sixth gear soon.
10.14 a.m. EST: Looking good so far for Marilyn and Kitty, despite a twisting jump over one of the big tables out there.
10.12 a.m. EST: Our overnight leaders Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous are on course now — they’ll have to get as close to the time as possible, as there’s just a tenth of a penalty between her and Tamie Smith. This’ll be tough for them — this isn’t one of the quickest pairs in the field.
10.11 a.m. EST: Just 7.2 time for Sharon and Cooley On Show — a super round!
Sharon White and Cooley On Show. Photo by Sally Spickard.
10.08 a.m. EST: Fylicia Barr and Galloway Sunrise are our next rookies out on course — but we won’t see much of them, as Marilyn Little is about to start.
10.07 a.m. EST: Sharon White and Cooley On Show are looking very committed and gutsy out there so far — this course looks easy for them. Johnny Royale and Joe Meyer make a brave effort out of the Head of the Lake — it’s scrappy, but it pays off.
10.01 a.m. EST: Bugger. Mike Pendleton hits the deck at the Moguls at 26 — the same place we saw William Fox-Pitt go down. Sharon White and Cooley On Show on the go now.
9.59 a.m. EST: Kurt Martin and DeLux Z finish with 26 time penalties and that pesky 20 jumping penalties.
9.57 a.m. EST: Mike Pendleton and Steady Eddie are looking great — you’d think they’d been competing together for years.
Mike Pendleton and Steady Eddie at the Head of the Lake. Photo by Sally Spickard.
9.56 a.m. EST: Oh no! Now Lillian Heard is eliminated at 7c, the Frog Pond. That’s a real surprise from this experienced partnership.
9.54 a.m. EST: Aaaaaargh this is SO unfortunate — Kurt and DeLux Z pick up a 20 at fence 23 after the horse just seems not to see it.
9.53 a.m. EST: Bango crosses the line at 11:03 — that’s just 1.6 time penalties!
9.51 a.m. EST: Bango still looking full of running with one minute to go. No word on Kurt Martin, who hasn’t been shown at all — it’s achingly frustrating that the stream continues to switch away from the Head of the Lake, opting to show horses just on galloping stretches instead.
9.49 a.m. EST: Lauren and Paramount Importance home with 20.8 time. The flag penalties have been removed for Jennie Brannigan and FE Lifestyle, so they just have 10.4 time now.
9.46 a.m. EST: Wow! Tim rides the Hollow as a serpentine and makes it happen. Great effort and seriously excellent riding to find space where there really is none. Thank god Bango has settled at this point in the course — that wouldn’t have worked a couple of minutes ago.
9.45 a.m. EST: Kurt Martin and DeLux Z look super through the first water. This horse is one of the best two-phase jumping horses in the field.
9.44 a.m. EST: Some head shaking from Bango — Tim pushes him up into sixth gear in response. ‘You want to go, old boy? We can go.’
9.42 a.m. EST: Tim and Bango absolutely fly through the Frog Pond. This is a seriously keen horse — occasionally too keen, but he looks like he’s on form today.
9.41 a.m. EST: Lauren Nicholson and Paramount Importance look solid through the Head of the Lake.
9.40 a.m. EST: Time for another Price — this time it’s Tim and Bango.
9.39 a.m. EST: Wizzerd looking as though the low fuel light is flickering on — Matt is riding him really sympathetically and giving him as much time and space as he needs. They jump the last and look good coming over the finish.
9.38 a.m. EST: Matt Flynn and Wizzerd are clear so far — not quick, but Wizzerd is trying his heart out and Matt’s doing a sterling job helping him out.
9.36 a.m. EST: Aaaaargh! Dani Moguel comes off at that influential final element out of the Head of the Lake – she just slows up too much coming up to the bank and then trots before the jump. Cecelia dips out to the left and Dani tumbles out the side door.
9.34 a.m. EST: OH NO! William and Oratorio are down at the Moguls after the horse leaves a leg. They’re up immediately but WHAT a shame; they were well up on the clock.
9.33 a.m. EST: 15 penalties for a flag confirmed for Jennie Brannigan and FE Lifestyle. Dani Moguel and Cecelia now on course for Mexico.
9.31 a.m. EST: Emily Hamel and Corvett make it home! What a super round — their first CCI5* and they’re back looking fit and happy and ready to keep going. Just 8.4 time penalties for them!
9.30 a.m. EST: William and Oratorio super through the Hollow, where William is brave enough to get that long two at the final element — really the only option.
9.29 a.m. EST: Matt Flynn and Wizzerd get a bit hung up jumping into the first water but they’re through without penalties — with three more waters to go, there’s no room for stickiness at these questions.
9.28 a.m. EST: Oratorio jumping more up and than out at the Head of the Lake — they make it through to the final element on three strides but look as though they jump with all four legs at once. Hopefully he settles into a rhythm soon — it doesn’t look like the most fun feeling.
9.27 a.m. EST: Oratorio looking great so far. This horse finished top ten in his 5* debut at Badminton and was second in the CCI4*-L at Blenheim — a very exciting gelding, but one who’s been extraordinarily strong across the country historically. William’s been working hard to get him to be a bit more rideable, which will help him get quicker, too.
Emily Hamel and Corvett. Photo by Sally Spickard.
99.25 a.m. EST: Ninth-placed William Fox-Pitt and Oratorio leave the start box. This is a very important round and also a poignant one — it’s great to see the former winner back here. Emily Hamel and Corvett absolutely pinging around as our first rookies on course.
9.24 a.m. EST: Cooley Quicksilver cruising home with his ears pricked. On paper, it’s a disappointing day for them — and they’re nearly a minute and a half over the time — but Liz has made sure it’s a positive, educational experience for the horse.
9.23 a.m. EST: Oh no!! The C element at the Hollow takes another victim — Karl and Fernhill Wishes finds himself there on two and a half strides and they both go down in what is almost a rotational fall. Both are up on their feet quickly.
9.22 a.m. EST: Emily Hamel and Corvett out on course as well now.
9.21 a.m. EST: WOW — speaking of huge jumps, Cooley Quicksilver practically goes into orbit over the footbridge.
9.20 a.m. EST: A drive-by for Liz and Cooley Quicksilver at the C element of the Hollow. The striding has looked odd here all day — we saw Jonelle add a trot step to make it work — and this inexperienced horse just isn’t able to make it happen. He’s been jumping great otherwise — huge and bold. He’ll learn to economise in his efforts as he gets older.
9.19 a.m. EST: Karl Slezak storming around the course now with Fernhill Wishes.
9.18 a.m. EST: An elated Doug is feeling very lucky to have had a great ride on Vandiver.
9.17 a.m. EST: Oooof — Liz and Cooley Quicksilver scrabble over the final element at the Head of the Lake, where Boyd had fallen. They miss at the bank which makes that final element seriously tricky — they survive it, but that flag may come under review.
9.16 a.m. EST: 3.2 time penalties for Doug Payne and Vandiver — our quickest round yet.
9.15 a.m. EST: Doug Payne and Vandiver are our next to finish! Time to come.
9.14 a.m. EST: Vandiver now looking a tiny bit backwards — while Jennie Brannigan takes a serious long shot at the Hollow, but gets away with it!
9.13 a.m. EST: Liz Halliday-Sharp out on course on her first ride, 5* debutant Cooley Quicksilver. It sounds like Jennie Brannigan has activated a frangible at fence 7 but they’re looking great and bold now — this is a cool horse.
9.12 a.m. EST: Doug takes a clever shortcut through some small trees that are meant to push riders to an outside line at 20 — he goes straight through and jumps the footbridge on an angle. Savvy if you have the experience to do it.
9.11 a.m. EST: Uh oh — we’ll be looking at a flag question mark for Jennie and FE Lifestyle. Leah Lang-Gluscic has pulled up on course so that AP Prime’s stifle can be checked after that corner scare.
9.09 a.m. EST: Jennie Brannigan and FE Lifestyle off and running — they’re at the first water and look good through there. Doug and Vandiver clear so far.
9.08 a.m. EST: “It’s a lot harder of a course than I thought it was,” says Buck. He says those four waters are really a tough challenge in succession — you’ve got to forget about striding and just work the whole way around.
9.06 a.m. EST: Eeeek, Leah and AP Prime have a scary moment at the corner at 14C — they miss and end up nearly banking it. Doug Payne and Vandiver on course at the moment — this pair will give us an indicator of how tough the time is. They’re experienced and generally very quick.
Buck and Jak My Style. Photo by Sally Spickard.
9.04 a.m. EST: Buck and Jak My Style are our second finishers of the day!
9.03 a.m. EST: Phillip and Singapore looking good so far at Pete’s Hollow. Clear so far at this stage. Leah Lang-Gluscic and AP Prime on course now too.
8.58 a.m. EST: Jak My Style kicks a flag out of the corner at 14C; big pats from Buck for getting the job done. They’re clear through the Hollow — widely regarded as the toughest combination on course.
8.57 a.m. EST: And we’re off again! Jak My Style goes for a long one at the Head of the Lake but gets away with it. Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Singapore also out and going great guns right now.
8.55 a.m. EST: At Luhmühlen, Germany’s five-star, they play this over the tannoy whenever any repairs need to be made:
8.53 a.m. EST: Still held. Seems as good a moment as any to give a shout-out to the hard-working course-builders, especially Tyson Rementer, who is a really big fan of my work and apparently planning to send me a really lovely care package, so that’s nice.
8.49 a.m. EST: Buck is now held on course as the Head of the Lake undergoes repairs.
8.47 a.m. EST: Buck Davidson on the go at the moment with Jak My Style.
8.46 a.m. EST: Boyd Martin is down at the Head of the Lake! Long Island T leaves a leg at the final element on dry land and Boyd goes down. He’s up already and looking okay.
8.44 a.m. EST: Jonelle and Grappa Nera finish with 7.6 time penalties provisionally. Boyd Martin and Long Island T looking good out there so far as the only pair on course.
8.43 a.m. EST: Nooooo! Will Coleman hits the deck in the Head of the Lake and starts the long walk home. DonDante just caught a front leg over that drop log on the way in, pitching Will into the drink. The horse stays on his feet, though.
8.41 a.m. EST: Will and DonDante make the Normandy bank look like a Training level question. Easy-peasy.
8.39 a.m. EST: Will said to EN’s Sally Spickard yesterday that DonDante is ‘the ugliest thing you’ve ever seen on cross-country — like a hyena chasing a cheetah.’ What a visual, Will — but we know he says it with fondness. this five-star first-timer has a super record at four-star and like Grappa Nera, he has one of the best speed ratings in the field. Still cool and clear so far.
8.38 a.m. EST: Will Coleman on course on DonDante now — good through the first water. Another debutant horse here.
8.36 a.m. EST: This is the first time we’ve ever seen a five-star without spectators, as Pau was able to allow some in last year. It’s going to be interesting to see how that affects the horses — the atmosphere and cheering of the crowd can help to get their blood up, though these debutant horses won’t ever have encountered that in their careers yet. It’ll make for very interesting viewing when those experienced horses come out. Jonelle and Grape are still looking very cool out on course — I could watch Jonelle ride cross-country all day, every day, and never stop learning.
8.35 a.m. EST: A masterclass from Jonelle on how to give a horse confidence through a combination — they’re clear through the Lake and survive a three strides to the last element that is really long for this mare. Classy riding.
8.34 a.m. EST: Very good at the Normany bank and now en route to the Head of the Lake. Grape has been slightly sticky at the waters — this will be a big question.
8.32 a.m. EST: Going first has both advantages and disadvantages: Jonelle won’t know of any problem spots on course, nor where the best time-saving spots are, but she also won’t have her plan influenced one way or another, so she can go out there and do it with a clear head. They look great en route to the Normany Bank.
8.31 a.m. EST: This is a quick horse and, of course, one of the the quickest riders in the world. She nearly gets unseated jumping into the water, but finds her way back into the plate and goes the direct route. Clear there!
8.30 a.m. EST: And we’re off! What a woman to get us going: it’s New Zealand’s Jonelle Price, riding debutant Grappa Nera.
8.29 a.m. EST: This little dude’s been out on course setting the pace for the day:
8.27 a.m. EST: Nearly time for the off and my butterflies have turned into pigeons. It’s the perfect time to reread the poignant Dandelions in the Park.
On Thursday I promised Will Coleman, a well-established jam band nerd, that if he finished Off The Record (one of two horses he has in the LRK3DE 5* named after My Morning Jacket songs) in the top 10 after dressage I’d write a whole story in MMJ lyrics, doubling down on a Phish bet from WEG in 2018.
Well, they landed not far off the mark in a tie for 14th on 29.1, and in a 63-horse field I’m going to call that a bet pretty-much won. Apologies in advance to 99.996% of you reading, but for the approximately <0.004% of our readership who are MMJ fans, this one goes out to you!
—–
Will Coleman and Off The Record. Photo by Shelby Allen.
In the trailer behind him were his three five-star mounts: Dondante and Off The Record, both named after MMJ songs, and Tight Lines AKA “Phish” as he’s known around the barn. Will likes music — you get the point.
“Shhhhhhh,” Off The Record hushed his over-exuberant barn mate. “The plan is not to … whatever it was you said. The plan is: defeat Z.”
Dondante and Phish simultaneously reared up a little at the mention of their arch rival and nemesis. Z was the name of MMJ’s 2005 album, topped only by their 2003 album It Still Movesand Okonokos if you want to count a live record. It was ALSO the name of Phillip Dutton’s five-star mount this weekend.
“That’s jam band name appropriation, man,” said Dondante. “Not cool. I bet Phillip Dutton’s never even been to a MMJ show. The nerve of that guy … frankly, I’m amazed.“
Will Coleman and Tight Lines (“Phish”). Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
The dressage phase went well, although Will had to work hard to keep Dondante‘s second change under wraps.
“You wanna freak out? C’mon!” Dondante squealed, envisioning that pansy Z trying to survive one night in the gen pop Bonnaroo campground. He’d probably have one beer and get lost in a port-a-potty he cackled, botching the change completely.
Will’s three horses had so much fun on cross country, by day’s end they had all but forgotten about their plan to demolish their arch rival and nemesis Z.Until … they ran into him while being hand-grazed after dinner. Awkward!!!!
“Listen,” Z said. “I’m not named after My Morning Jacket. I’m named Z because I’m this ridiculously hard-to-pronounce-much-less-spell breed called Zangersheide. Thank god they just shortened it to Z. But coincidentally I AM a big MMJ fan. They played a few tours in Europe when I was younger. That’s why I like coming to LRK3DE, actually. You know the band is from right up the road in Louisville, right?”
After what feels like a very, very long time, here we are on the morning of cross country at the Kentucky Three-Day Event. It’s hard to believe just a few months ago the event was nearly coming off the calendar. At the time, it felt like an impossible dream, but a few very special people in our sport stepped up to keep Kentucky in 2021.
On this, the best day of the year, we want to take a moment to recognize the hundreds of people who donated toward the running of the 2021 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event. To those whose names are included below, thank you. We quite literally wouldn’t be here without you. Go eventing.
Anita Annatucci / David Voss, Nina Bonnie, Supporters of Will Coleman: Wade Coleman, John Burgess, Rimora Foundation, Gilbert Thompson, Lyda White, Annie Eldridge, Supporters of Will Faudree: Kirkland and Jennifer Mosing, Sandra Anne Frazier, Gloria Callahan Gaines, Anne & Mike Hampton, Alston Kerr, Mason Lane LLC/Harrods Creek Farm, Austin & Janie Musselman, Edith Rameika, Reinberger Foundation, Stonehall Farm, Jenny Sutton
GOLD DONORS
Sharon Anthony, Holiday Banta, Dave Baugh, Andrea Baxter, Beardsley Foundation, Lynne Bjornstrom, Beatrice Cassou, LuLu Davis, Donna Donaghy, Sophie DuPont, Harold and Nanette Eichell, Kathleen Elliott Ellington, Jana Etheridge, Nina Gardner, Denis Glaccum, Charlotte Harrixs, Mark Hart, Timothy Holekamp, Kimberly Iuele, Brenda Jarrell, Kelly Langerak, Carla MacLeod, Marin Community Foundation, Dan Michaels, Pavla Nygaard, Katherine OBrien, Justin Osborne, Lynne Partridge, Molly Pellegrini, Cheryl Quick, Elizabeth Reagan, Susanne Richey, Meaghan Richmond, Patricia Ruppel, Colleen Rutledge, Katherine Scovil, Barb Skelton, Joy Van Noy, Lynne Vettel, Louise Whittet, M. Robert Willmarth, C. Dianne Young
SILVER DONORS
Ellen Ahearn, Sharyn Antico, Christine Aytug, Marissa Baderschneider, Gretchen Baumgardner, Dionne Benson, Jane Beshear, Carmen Bowles, Wende Briggs, Karen Bristing, Meaghan Burdick, Caroline Champagne, Cherie Chauvin, James Chiapetta, Amy Click, Sarah Cundith, Susan Day, Derek and Bea di Grazia, Melanie Fransen, Kristie Gill, Michele Haman, Jeffrey Haynie, Demmi Hersh, Mary Hinton, Lauren Jorgensen, Lynne Kaye, Annette Kenny, Chip Klunick, Nathan Larson, Leslie Law, Don and Anita Leschied, Kimberly Loveless, Michele McCarty, Sara Mittleider, Howard Moore, Jonelle Price, Melissa Protigal, Christine Quinn, Suzanne Quinn, Edith Rameika, Brandye Randermann, Terry Randolph, Emery Reagan, Amelia Renkert-Thomas, Shelley Ryan, Heather Scott-Molleda, Alexandra Scovil, Lynne Shamay, Margie Shoop, Jebb Simpson, Katherine Smith, Paul Sprague, Tamatha Stevens, Chris Talley, Elizabeth Thieriot, Jon Thompson, Russell Tucker, Laura VanderVliet, Laura Werner, Mike & Jan Whitehouse, Glenn Wilson
It is cross-country day! By all accounts the courses today are beefy and tight for the time, and with the rain supposed to start by noon today, we’re in for an action-packed day.
The action starts quick for the 5*, with our trail-blazer headed out of the box at 8:30 am. Click here to see the order of go with ride times and here for all the details on how to watch live. For the ultimate experience, including more data just like this, download the Eventing Nation Ultimate Form Guide to have open on your computer, phone, or tablet while viewing!
HOW TO READ
The charts below visually shows the experience of horse and rider as a pair. Each slice represents a start at Advanced, 4*, or 5*. Orange is for Advanced/4*-S, pink shows 4*-L starts, and dark blue represents 5* starts. If the slice is full color, it was a clear cross country round with jump penalties. If the slice is a bit lighter, that indicates the round had jump penalties in the form of stops, flags, or frangibles but still completed, while a very light color indicates a non-completion for any reason. That can include technical elimination, retirement, elimination from accumulation of stops, fall on the flat, or rider or horse fall.
The outer rings represent the speed rating; the closer to a full ring, the faster that pair at each level. Again, three rings for three types of starts.
HORSES IN THE TOP TEN
Marilyn Little (USA) and RF Scandalous
Ride time: 9:58 am
Tamie Smith (USA) and Mai Baum
Ride time: 11:58 am
Oliver Townend (GBR) and Cooley Master Class
Ride time: 10:26 am
Boyd Martin (USA) and Tsetserleg TSF
Ride time: 12:30 pm
Oliver Townend (GBR) and Ballaghmor Class
Ride time: 12:26 pm
Buck Davidson (USA) and Carlevo
Ride time: 12:38 pm
Boyd Martin (USA) and On Cue
Ride time: 10:30 am
Liz Halliday-Sharp (USA) and Deniro Z
Ride time: 12:10 pm
William Fox-Pitt (GBR) and Oratorio
Ride time: 9:14 am
Anna Siemer (GER) and FRH Butt’s Avondale
Ride time: 11:42 am
OUTSIDE THE TOP TEN – MAKING A MOVE ON SATURDAY
These horses have some strong game on the cross-country and will be looking to make up significant ground on the leaderboard thanks to their reliability and speed in the cross-country phase.
Boyd Martin (USA) and Long Island T
Ride time: 8:38 am
Will Coleman (USA) and Off the Record
Ride time: 12:22 pm
Jennie Brannigan (USA) and Stella Artois
Ride time: 12:06 pm
Jonelle Price (NZL) and Grovine de Reve
Ride time: 12:18 pm
Phillip Dutton (USA) and Z
Ride time: 11:46 am
Sydney Elliott (USA) and QC Diamantaire
Ride time: 10:54 am
Will Faudree (USA) and Mama’s Magic Way
Ride time: 11:54 am
Jonelle Price (NZL) and Classic Moet
Ride time: 10:18 am
OUTSIDE THE TOP TEN – LOOKING FOR QUALITY ROUNDS TO BUILD ON FOR SUNDAY
The horses below are expected to put in a solid cross-country round, then build on that Sunday with their solid jumping ability to contest for a position inside the top fifteen.
Buck Davidson, Ballynoecastle RM and Kathleen Blauth-Murray. Photo by Sally Spickard.
What do you say when one of the greatest horses to grace our sport passes? What comes to mind in this moment is: it’s been an honor. It’s what we would say to Ballynoe Castle RM, the longtime partner and friend of Buck Davidson and owners Carl and Cassie Segal, who passed away peacefully in his Ocala field earlier today at the age of 21.
Before he was the winningest event horse in U.S. eventing history, “Reggie” was first and foremost a beloved family member for Carl and Cassie Segal, who have been longtime supporters of Buck’s. After his retirement from competition in 2017, Reggie went to live in luxury at the Segal’s farm in New Jersey, but still traveled with the BDJ crew to Ocala for the winters. In 2019, Breyer Horses created a model of the bay gelding.
Purchased sight unseen from Ireland and Patricia Nicholson as a six-year-old by the Segals, the Irish Sport Horse gelding by Ramiro B showed up to work every day. It was Buck who would produce him up from the Preliminary level, ultimately completing 35 international competitions and 51 USEA national competitions. In 2013, Buck and Reggie were named USEF National Champions when they finished fourth in the Kentucky CCI4*. They also finished in third place, their best then CCI4* finish, in 2014. In total, Reggie completed six CCI4* competitions, including the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington.
In January 2015, the USEA announced that Reggie had surpassed Winsome Adante as the overall points leader in USEA history with a total of 1,377 points accumulated. He would go on to retire in 2017 in a ceremony at Kentucky with over 1,600 USEA points, including those earned when he spent the last year of his career partnering with his longtime groom, Kathleen Murray (he also played a large role in Kathleen’s wedding in 2014).
Team Reggie! Buck Davidson, Kathleen Murray, Cassie and Carl Segal. Photo via Kathleen Murray.
It’s the greatest horses that make the greatest stories. Among his countless accomplishments and accolades are woven even more innumerable memories, moments made even more special. I think it’s safe to say that it’s these moments that those who loved Reggie will cherish the most.
“It’s bittersweet for me to see him retire, but it’s great to see him retire on top of the sport and healthy,” Carl told me when Reggie retired. “It’s impossible to replicate — there will never be another Reggie. I think the thing that stands out to me the most is how similar Buck and Reggie are. They both work so hard and want to please. The partnership that they developed is so special. We had no idea when we bought him that he’d end up being a superstar. He and Buck are both very resilient, and that hard work really shows in the consistency of their performance and the longevity of their career together.”
Kathleen Murray and Ballynoe Castle RM. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.
“My life is owed to him,” Buck told Nancy Jaffer in 2017. “It was a great career and I’m thankful I was actually able to be the one who steered him around. It was a joy every single day.”
We know Buck will be riding with in Reggie’s honor today at Kentucky – what had to have been Reggie’s favorite place to compete. Please join us in sending our sympathies and thoughts to Buck, the Segal family, Kathleen, and all of the countless others who were privileged enough to spend time with this legend of a horse.
Here are just a handful of our favorite Reggie moments:
A fan meets Ballynoe Castle RM. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.
Kathleen Murray and Ballynoe Castle RM head into the ring. Photo via Maralee Paul on Instagram.
Kathleen Murray and Ballynoe Castle RM head down the ramp with their entourage in tow. Photo by JJ Sillman.
Super groom Kathleen Blauth-Murray rides Ballynoe Castle RM at the Jersey Fresh awards ceremony. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Buck Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Buck Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Reggie gives EN’s own Sally Spickard a boost in Ocala. Photo by Kelly Dutton.
Some quiet time with Reggie. Photo by Jenni Autry.
We’ve been waiting a long time for this day — TWO years, not the usual one — and it’s finally here: the best day of the best weekend all year. Thanks to the hard work of some determined women eventers (namely Sara Kozumplik Murphy, Lynn Symansky and Dorothy Crowell for their coordinated fundraising effots) and to all those who donated through the grassroots fundraising efforts (ALL of whom are listed here) a large contingent of horses will gallop across the bluegrass today.
I’m happy for everyone who is getting to compete this weekend, and I’m happy we all get to enjoy it from the comfort of our homes, but I think I’m the happiest for those who are getting this chance after a long road of hard work and, with all the other cancellations depleting the calendar, might not otherwise get the chance at ever coming to this event. Specifically some of the eldest horses in the field like Jonelle Price’s 18-year-old Classic Moet, a quirky courageous mare for whom this could be a last big hurrah, and time five-star first-timer Ema Klugman’s nearly 19-year-old Bendigo, for whom this could be both a first and last five-star.
Here’s wishing each and every pair safe rides today. Go Eventing.
Before the action starts, familiarize yourself with both courses here.
If you haven’t already, now is the absolute best time to go grab a copy of our Ultimate Form Guide to the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event. It’s conveniently laid out in draw order with a two-page spread full of stats and the backstory on each pair so you can follow along as each competitor leaves the start box. Yes, it costs a little actual money — but it’s only $5 and you can feel extra great about it because $1 from each purchase will go to an equestrian access program or nonprofit serving underrepresented demographics. It’s also nearly 150 pages of easy to read facts, figures and fun so trust us, you’re getting your money’s worth here.
Click here to learn more about it or here to go straight to see it on Issuu.
Saturday Video: Take a closer look at Pete’s Hollow, Fences 16 and 17AB. This will be a fun one to watch.
I don’t know about you guys, but I feel like an emotional wreck after today’s dressage. So much pressure! Such tight margins! Such extraordinary moments of joy and crushing disappointments! How on earth am I going to make it through cross-country without crying or widdling myself?! Let’s not let this moment pass us by though – it’s time to relive today’s action through the collective eyes of fans, participants, and supporters both at Kentucky and further afield.
First up to bat, William Fox-Pitt dished out some words of wisdom about his test with Oratorio yesterday:
But it was all about Tamie Smith once again — she moved into 2nd place, just a tenth of a penalty behind overnight leaders Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous:
And Matt Flynn’s Wizzerd found a four-leaf clover while grazing. Best of luck and safe rides to all competitors tomorrow — we’ll see you on the other side:
