Classic Eventing Nation

Will Coleman and Chin Tonic HS. By Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Will Coleman and Chin Tonic HS sailed to a win in the Tryon International 3-Day Event CCI3*-L Division, holding the lead all the way for a final score of 25.70 with the 2012 Holsteiner gelding (Chin Champ x Quinar) owned by Hyperion Stud LLC.. In second, Boyd Martin piloted Contessa, the 2009 Holsteiner mare (Contender x Esteban) owned by Club Contessa, to a score of 25.90, adding nothing to their score all weekend, while Leslie Law improved from fourth place third with Lady Chatterley, the 2011 Holsteiner mare (Connor 48 x Mytens XX) owned by Lesley Grant-Law and Jackie and Steve Brown, walking away with a score of 27.80. Ending on fourth after a tiebreaker with Law, Ariel Grald and Caballe, the 2012 Holsteiner mare (Cliostro x Lansing) owned by Anna Elridge, also ended on a score of 27.80.

Coleman was piloting Chin Tonic HS through his first 3*-L this weekend and noted that he was still quite fresh after cross-country yesterday: “The show jumping went well, and my horse jumped great. He was looking around a bit when the wind started blowing and things like the flowers and fillers were moving. He still felt pretty fresh after yesterday!”

Though they led from start to finish, Coleman was most excited about the educational experience his up-and-coming star gained by competing in a big environment, albeit sans spectators. “There’s always a tremendous atmosphere here at Tryon. They get a taste of what the big time will be like – and is like. I thought that the cross-country course was solid. It wasn’t overly difficult, yet it was still a great education for him,” he reported. “It was his first three-star long, and it was an almost nine-minute course. There’s no question that it was a huge experience for him and I think it’ll serve him very well going forward.”

Coleman concluded, “I’m thankful for this weekend and that we’re still able to compete during this time. I’m also very thankful to Hyperion Stud and Vicky Castregen and the whole team. I’ve got a wonderful group of people helping me. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am. I’m very lucky!”

Boyd Martin and Contessa. Photo by
Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Holding onto second for the entirety of the weekend with Contessa, Martin called the mare “just a fantastic jumper, who’s all class and quality. She’s full of energy after yesterday’s cross-country, and put in a great round of jumping.”

Though Martin has mostly been working with Contessa at home thus far, he reported that he has high hopes for his mount: “I think this weekend she not only performed well and got a great result, but she got a great education of things to come. The stadium feeling in the dressage and show jumping is definitely a lot of pressure and atmosphere, and the cross-country course is obviously a real test and sign of a horse for the future.”

Leslie Law and Lady Chatterley. Photo by
Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Rounding out the podium, Law and Lady Chatterley finished on their dressage score, which Law called a “very good test for her,” and ended up being a great learning experience for both his three-star mounts, he shared. “We’ve been quite fortunate that once the events got started again, we were able to put a program together and stick with it in the second half of the season.”

Like many of his peers, Law emphasized the dedication of the TIEC staff to making the event happen, both before the date and once the course was damaged just before the start of competition. “I think everybody that’s involved here at Tryon obviously have gone above and beyond, first to get it off the floor, and get it to happen. Probably the bigger challenge, though, was all the rain when we got here and all that had to be done. And that [credit] goes to the management here at Tryon and the staff. [Technical Delegate] Andy Bowles and [Course Designer] Mark Phillips… I think what they did was incredible,” Law continued. “They might not have been able to do it without the hands that are available here, but for Mark Phillips and Andy Bowles to put something together which looked impossible and pull it off, I think hats off to those two and everyone who supported and helped them.

“The ground on the day [of competition] was good ground,” Law continued. “We had to look after our horses for a little bit on that short stretch coming back across the road, but as long as you rode sensibly, it was good ground. Obviously, I’ve been doing this for quite some time now, and it is not long ago that we consistently were running in a lot worse ground than this, even at places like Badminton,” he noted.

Law concluded, “I’m really thankful to everyone who put this event on, and hopefully we see it here again and again; that would be a nice thing. It is a great venue, the facilities are fantastic, the rings are fantastic and the cross-country course is top class. Mark Phillips, I think, is like red wine, he just gets better and better. The courses were super, they really were.”

MARS Tryon International: Website, Final Scores, Coverage

CCI3*-L Final Top 10: 

Coverage of Tryon International this weekend is brought to you by Strides for Equality Equestrians (SEE). Diversity and inclusion in all equestrian sports are important, and we’ll be bringing you tidbits on what this new organization hopes to accomplish.

Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Chris Barnard’s show jumping track was a tricky final test for the Buckeye Nutrition CCI4*L riders at the MARS Tryon International Three-Day Event, and it was Boyd Martin aboard Christine Turner’s Tsetserleg who would emerge as the winner at the conclusion of competition.

Over a track full of related distances that saw 39% of the field jump clear, Boyd used the experience on his two previous rides in the division to navigate a clear round with the 13-year-old Trakehner gelding, who carried his statistical highest probability of a clear round. This pair added 1.6 time penalties on Capt. Mark Phillips’ cross country yesterday and now finish their weekend on a score of 28.1. This is the fourth international win for “Thomas”, who was the USEF National Champion at Kentucky last year as well as the individual and team gold medalist at the 2018 Pan American Games.

“Thomas went in and jumped like a champion,” Boyd said in a press release. “The show jumping has been his weak phase over the years, and we’ve worked pretty hard at it. It’s very satisfying to get a good round out of him under pressure.”

Liz Halliday Sharp and Deniro Z. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

It was a heartbreaker for the leader of the first two phases Liz Halliday-Sharp. After an otherwise lovely round, she and Deniro Z lowered the final vertical to drop down into fifth place.

“There’s a lot of pressure coming into the lead, and I suppose I got lucky being in that position a lot this year, which is handy. I felt prepared, I felt the warm-up was right, and (Deniro Z) was jumping out of his skin,” she said. “He hasn’t touched a pole all year, but I’m thrilled with Deniro. He’s an incredible horse, and he felt fresh as if he had done nothing yesterday. He tried his guts out, so it’s heartbreaking, of course for (owners The Deniro Syndicate and Ocala Horse Properties) and myself, but I’m thrilled with my horse. I really think he is every part of world class, world game horse, so we just have to take this one and move on.”

Phillip Dutton and Z. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Phillip Dutton and Z also showed their growing experience together, putting together three strong performances this weekend to take second overall on a final score of 28.8.

Owned by Tom Tierney, Simon Roosevelt, Suzanne Lacy, Annie Jones and Caroline Moran, the 12-year-old Zangersheide gelding was purchased from Portugal’s Duarte Seabra in 2015. Phillip traveled to Portugal to try the rather unassuming bay gelding who was often a little insecure in his skin but “on cross country, he’d jump a house.”

“He tends to get a little wound up in the ring, but we spent a lot of time doing jumper shows and figuring out ways to kind of settle him down,” Phill said. “I thought he was spectacular today.”

Working on relaxation has been key for this horse. Last year at Kentucky, Phillip warmed up in a different, quieter arena prior to cross country. That work and willingness to keep at it paid off this weekend, as Z turned in one of the more rideable and relaxed rounds of his career.

“I’ve been working a lot on keeping Z relaxed and supple so he doesn’t get tense and set against me in the ring and it’s very rewarding because today is about the best round he’s ever jumped,” Phillip wrote on his social media. “It was a pretty grueling day yesterday, what with the conditions and going at the end of the day which always makes it harder to come out that third day and jump as well as he did.”

Woods Baughman celebrates after a clear round with C’est La View 135. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

If you’re looking for a fresh face to peg your sights on for the future, look no further than 24-year-old Woods Baughman, who made it onto the podium with C’est La Vie 135 on a finishing score of 29.1. It’s a partnership that began in 2019, and despite their short time together this pair has already collected some impressive finishes, including a win in the CCI3*L championship at Fair Hill International last fall.

“The horse is amazing,” Woods commented. “He just comes out in all three phases and I can really trust him. I just point him and he never lets me down. Start to finish, he just came out swinging and really hung on to it.”

Woods admitted that he had some nerves this morning (“I skipped breakfast!”), but he put those butterflies to good use in the ring. “I know if I just let (C’est La Vie 135) do his thing, stay out of his way, and keep my position, he’ll pull it out,” he said.

Doug Payne and Vandiver. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Doug Payne’s experience in the show jumping ring paid off in spades today as he turned in three double clear rounds on three very different rides (Vandiver, Quantum Leap, Starr Witness). The highest placed of the three is the veteran Vandiver, owned by Doug and Jess Payne as well as Debi Crowley, who at 16 years young has proven himself a staunch competitor time and time again. This weekend mark’s “Quinn’s” 36th FEI completion, and today’s finishing score of 29.2 was enough for fourth overall. Ever the speedster, Doug will be kicking himself for picking up a second of time yesterday that would eventually keep him off the podium, but it was nonetheless a weekend of success on all counts for the Payne team.

The top finishes of Tsetserleg and Vandiver are also notable on account of their shared sire, Windfall, the Trakehner stallion who reached the top levels with Ingrid Klimke and, later in the U.S., Darren Chiacchia.

Sydney Conley Elliott and QC Diamantaire. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Sydney Conley Elliot and QC Diamantaire are another definitive pair to watch after yet another consistent performance across three phases. Just the fourth pair to end the weekend on their dressage score, this pair will finish in sixth place on a score of 30.6. The 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Carol Stephens has been carefully produced throughout his international career by Sydney, who says the next step may be to aim for a five-star next year, pandemic pending. They also improve on their CCI4*L debut at Fair Hill last year, carving nearly 10 points off of their finishing score this weekend.

Other notable rides today include Lynn Symansky and the 12-year-old RF Cool Play, owned by The Donner Syndicate. This Pan Am pair kept their cool throughout the weekend and in particular turned in a lovely, flowing round around Chris Barnard’s intense track to finish just outside of the top 10 on a score of 36.6.

Andrea Baxter and Indy 500. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Traveling to the East coast on the wings of the “Big Becky” Rebecca Broussard International Developing Rider Grant, Andrea Baxter and her own Indy 500 nearly finished on their dressage score, just lowering one rail to end their weekend in the top 15 on a career-best 39.4. This is another pair who have experienced the world together, now completing 37 FEI-level events.

Six of the CCI4*L rookies got their first completion today:

• Woods Baughman and C’est La Vie 135
• Kaelen Speck – Sweet Rebellion
• Missy Miller – Quinn
• Ashlynn Meuchel and Emporium
• Megan Sykes – Classic’s Mojah

How did the numbers play out today? 18 of the 46 starters jumped a clear round, though one pair – Zoe Crawford and K.E.C. Zara – picked up just one second of time. This clear rating of 39% is a tad higher than our initial prediction of 29.4%, which is always the direction in which we’re pleased to see the statistics trend.

Looking to the CCI4*S division, it’s Jenny Caras and Trendy Fernhill who will take home the blue after finishing the weekend on a score of 47.8. This division ran cross country today to finish off, and all pairs came home with time penalties. This was the first CCI4*S start for the 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Elyse Eisenberg who stepped up the Advanced level for the first time earlier this year.

Liz Halliday-Sharp does take home a win in the CCI2*L aboard Cooley HHS Calmaria, a 7-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare new to Liz’s international string this year. This pair ends their weekend on their dressage score of 28.3 in an impressive long-format debut.

Liz says the win aboard Cooley HHS Calmaria was “a nice surprise”. She and the mare began their partnership in June, and Liz is confident she’s got a real talent for the future. “She definitely did the best dressage that she’s done, which has been our trickiest phase, and she was so perfect on cross country and exceptional today,” Liz said. “I think there is a lot more to come from her and she’ll be a horse that everyone’s looking up to.”

And finally in the FEI divisions at Tryon, it was Will Coleman and Chin Tonic HS who took home the wire-to-wire win in the CCI3*L on a final score of 25.7. The 8-year-old Holsteiner owned by Hyperion Stud has now collected three FEI wins in five attempts and leaves no question after an impressive CCI3*L debut.

“My horse jumped great,” Will commented. “He still felt pretty fresh after yesterday. He’s a quality horse and he jumped a great round. This is his first three-star long and he’s just an eight-year-old. There’s always a tremendous atmosphere here at Tryon. They get a taste of what the big time will be like. There’s no question that it was a huge experience for him and I think it’ll serve him very well.”

As challenging as remote event coverage can be, we must give a proper shout to the organizing and media team at Tryon International. Our job has been made seamless thanks to the excellent communication, live stream availability, and accurate scheduling, and our hats are off to this team for a job well done. Tryon stepped up to create a new event on a calendar that was decimated due to the coronavirus pandemic, giving the country’s top horses and riders one big event to aim for at the end of the season. It is no small feat to pull off an event of this caliber, and the Tryon team did so exceptionally this weekend.

Leslie Law, who capped off a successful weekend with a top-15 finish in the CCI4*L aboard Voltaire de Tre as well as a third place finish in the CCI3*L (he also completed with two other horses, QC First Class in the CCI4*L and Typically Fernhill in the CCI3*L) aboard Lady Chatterly, had high praise for the team on the ground this weekend.

“I think everybody that’s involved here at Tryon obviously have gone above and beyond first to get it off the floor and get it to happen,” Leslie said. “Probably the bigger challenge was the all the rain when we got here and so much had to be done. And that goes down to the management here at Tryon and the staff and a huge part of it. Andy Bowles and Mark Phillips…I think what they did was incredible. They might not have been able to do it without the hands that are available here but for Mark Philips and Andy Bowles to put something together which looked impossible and pull it off I think hats off to those two and everyone who supported and helped them.”

And last but most certainly not least, a mixed panel of horse industry thought leaders gathered yesterday to discuss the topics of diversity and race within equestrian sport as part of the 2nd Annual Tom Bass Seminar on Diversity in Horse Sports. We strongly encourage you to rewatch the recorded sessions here and learn from the experiences of the individuals speaking. I know I learned a lot from participating, and we at EN are honored to be a part of some important conversations on diversity within our community.

This weekend’s MARS Tryon International coverage has been brought to you in collaboration with Strides for Equality Equestrians (SEE), a new visible allyship and mentorship initiative that just launched this past week. You can learn more about SEE and join to receive your ally pin here.

As we wrap up another thrilling weekend of eventing, the last big event of the very odd 2020 season, we leave you with one more album from the inimitable Shannon Brinkman. Thanks for tuning in. Go Eventing!

Woods Baughman and C’est La Vie 135. Photo by Abby Powell.

It wasn’t clear to me until the cross-country how excited I truly was to have a long day of live-streaming ahead of me, filled with the size and type of field you normally only see at Kentucky. The ultimate goal of U.S. eventing needs to be to fill every 4*-L and 5*-L in North America with as big and quality fields as this one; hopefully the population of Advanced riders in this country are busy expanding their strings and working on maintaining their top campaigners for many years.

CROSS COUNTRY DAY ANALYSIS

The cross-country phase was certainly influential yesterday, but ultimately the biggest concerns regarding the footing in the end seemed unfounded; the grounds crew at Tryon made a herculean effort to get the turf as good as possible, and primarily succeeded.

Ultimately, 69 pairs started the course and 73.9% finished, a touch lower than the five-year world-wide completion average of 76.8% for this particular division. 62.3% of the field finished clear with no jumping penalties, a touch above the clear rate at 4*-L and 13.0% finished inside the time, which is almost exactly equivalent to the worldwide average of 13.4%. These averages indicate that the distribution of penalties across the field is consistent with a typical 4*-L.

The fastest time of the day was ultimately put in by Ariel Grald and Leamore Master Plan, who came home 18 seconds under optimum time. Nine pairs ultimately made the time, although one pair was also assessed a flag penalty that remains at the end of the day.

As always there are a few horses expected to be influential on the final day who ended up well down the running order today, if not completely out of the event. C’est La Vie 135, QC Diamantaire, and Carlevo are all unexpectedly well-placed yesterday after strongly exceeding their pace expectations. Leamore Master Plan also took advantage of his newly found flow to also jump up into the top ten and be in a better position to capitalize today.

THE COURSE

Chris Barnard has been the stadium course designer at this venue since its inception, and will continue to be the designer for this weekend. As a frequent designer for venues all up and down the East Coast, most riders will be very familiar with his style of courses. This venue also has a large number of rings to choose from for the stadium round, and therefore even though a pair may have jumped at this venue before, they may not have done so in the same ring.

It should hardly be surprising to hear that in this particular field, we have a high number of extremely good jumpers, with 29.4% of the remaining pairs expected to jump clear. More surprisingly is the fact that in the remaining top ten, only four pairs are expected to jump clear. This leaves significant room for improvement for any pairs who put in clean rounds today.

SHOW JUMPING SPECIALISTS

Buck Davidson and Carlevo. Photo by Shelby Allen.

It’s nice to see an experienced horse like Carlevo put his best foot forward and deliver a personal best speed rating for the 4*-L level yesterday; as consistent as he’s been at the level, the speed has always been the thing that has caught him up. Now he and Buck Davidson can look forward to the stadium phase, where this horse is particularly strong; in five completions at the 4*-L level, Carlevo has had only one rail.

Will Coleman and Dondante. Photo by Abby Powell.

DonDante has been quietly developing under the tutelage of Will Coleman for the past two years, and for the second year in a row he shows his jumping prowess is particularly valuable in the long format. Sitting just outside the top ten, this pair is extremely likely to put in a clear round; they’ve jumped clear in seven of eight of the horse’s A/4* starts, including his only 4*-L completion. A clear round will very quickly put pressure on those directly above, should they want to maintain their top ten rank.

Boyd Martin and On Cue. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Boyd Martin will be well poised to move up on some of his other horses but On Cue is more apt to maintain her placing rather than move up. In seven A/4* rounds, this mare has had one rail at five of them, jumping clear only at her first start at the level back in 2018. In her only 4*-L completion, she incurred one rail at Bromont in 2019. On Cue is a good bet to match her current average and maintain a top ten placing.

Will Faudree and Mama’s Magic Way. Photo by Abby Powell.

The young horse Mama’s Magic Way is green for the level but that didn’t seem to bother him yesterday as he cruised to the first clear round inside the time under Will Faudree. Although this horse has yet to see a stadium round as the final phase at the A/4* level, he’s jumped three of his four rounds clear. The only occasion on which he dropped rails was an unusual morning at Great Meadows, when the pair jumped around the stadium course in a blanket fog with surprisingly low visibility.

Jennie Brannigan and Stella Artois. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

In her first year at the level in 2017, Stella Artois showed promise in the stadium phase but lacked consistency, with three rails at her first 4*-L completion and a clear round at her second. After Jennie Brannigan brought her back in 2019, the improvement in consistency was apparent; in six A/4* rounds she’s jumped clear in all but one, incurring only one rail total. That includes adding another two clear 4*-L rounds in 2019 at Rebecca and Boekelo, something that she should be able to replicate today. A clear round should move this pair up massively, putting them well in contention for a top five placing.

Sydney Elliot and QC Diamantaire. Photo by Abby Powell.

In their only start at the 4*-L level, Sydney Conley-Elliott climbed with QC Diamantaire up to the fourth place position last fall at Fair Hill 4*-L. They are in a position to do so again, but will need to make sure that this one-or-none horse is none today. In two runs when stadium was last, he jumped clear only once and his record is almost perfectly split between clean rounds and one-rail rounds with one two-rail round thrown in early in the horse’s career. A rail is more likely than not, but these two have pulled off the round they needed under pressure once, and could possibly do so again.

Ariel Grald and Leamore Master Plan. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Ariel Grald has used 2020 to her horse’s best advantages, showing vast improvement in both the dressage and in the cross-country pace. Stadium has been a more secure strength for Leamore Master Plan, and these two could easily put in a clear round to put pressure on the later riders. In seven A/4* starts when stadium was the final phase, they’ve jumped clear in five of them, including both of their 4*-L completions in 2018.

Doug Payne and Vandiver. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

While primarily an eventer, Doug Payne does spend a considerable amount of time in the jumper ring as well which has paid off in spades with Vandiver. This horse’s record in this phase has transformed under Doug, jumping clear in 67.8% of their 28 completed rounds together. They’ve only once ever had more than one rail as a pair, back in 2017 at the Blenheim 4*-L. Out of five long format stadium rounds at the 4/5*-L, Vandiver has three clears and have also jumped clear in three of four A/4*-S when stadium is last. This pair will have no more than one rail today, and have a good shot at having a clear round; they’ll be in good position to capitalize on any mistakes from the riders placed above them.

Woods Baughman and C’est La Vie 135. Photo by Abby Powell.

C’est La Vie 135 and Woods Baughman have performed above and beyond their experience all weekend and are in a strong position to maintain a top ten placing. Their stadium record at the level isn’t squeaky clean; in two A/4* starts in 2019 they accumulated a total of three rails while their two 2020 A/4* starts in 2020 were both clear. They clinched the Fair Hill 3*-L title on the back of a clear stadium round last fall and haven’t had a rail in six starts at various levels in 2020. This pair could certainly put in a clear round and end up as the highest placed 4*-L rookie here this weekend but even a single rail should keep them in the top ten.

Phillip Dutton and Z. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Phillip Dutton has one of the best stadium horses of his career in Z; he has only ever had three rails in his career out of twenty-five 4* rounds, including three clear 4*-L rounds. He’s also jumped clean in two of three 5* rounds, including a clear here at this venue during the World Equestrian Games in 2018. He’s also jumped clear in his last consecutive eight A/4* rounds, three of which were in 2020. While it’s not impossible for this horse to have a rail, it’s highly improbable.

Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg (USA). Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Boyd Martin‘s second horse in the top ten is the famous Tsetserleg, who also happens to be the horse with the most potential to put in a clear round for Boyd. This horse has not had more than one rail in his entire career at the A/4* level, including three clears in five rounds when cross-country is the final phase. Despite a notorious three rails at this venue in the 2018 WEG, Tsetserleg has also jumped clear here in the spring of 2019, as well as famously jumping clear to preserve his second place at the 5* in Kentucky last year. A clear will rocket him up to put pressure on those at the very top, but even a rail should keep them in the contest for a top five placing.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deniro Z. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

The hottest rider on the circuit this year is Liz Halliday-Sharp, who has won each of the three fall 4*-S on the East Coast, two of them with this horse Deniro Z. One thing that might surprise a lot of readers is that this pair has not yet jumped a clear round in the stadium when cross-country is before stadium; in five rounds under the phase order, they have twice had one rail, twice had two rails, and once had three. However, the pair has jumped four clear rounds out of four 2020 starts, so Liz Halliday-Sharp will be looking to translate that recent success to the long format this weekend.

PREDICTIONS – FINAL

Division Winner: I have to continue to call out Z as the biggest possibility of winning; his stadium record is considerably more solid on the final day than the two horses ahead of him. It will ultimately be a nail biter, where even the seconds matter; the top six are all separated by less than a rail.

MARS Tryon International: Website, Schedule, Order of Go, Ride Times, Live Scores, Live Stream, Coverage

We recapped Tryon International 3-Day Event CCI4*-L cross country here (and you can review the play-by-play here); now, we look to USEF for a roundup of the best of the rest of the international divisions.

Will Coleman and Chin Tonic HS. Photo by
Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Will Coleman and Chin Tonic HS Coast to Continued CCI 3*-L Lead

Will Coleman (USA) and Chin Tonic HS cleared the White Oak Course to hold their CCI 3*-L lead, and he called Chin Tonic’s run “the best of the day for me” despite challenging his first 3*-L with the 2012 Holsteiner gelding (Chin Champ x Quinar) owned by Hyperion Stud LLC. The duo sits on a score of 25.70 heading into the final phase. The remainder of the podium also remains unchanged: with a score of 25.90, Boyd Martin (USA) and Contessa, the 2009 Holsteiner mare (Contender x Esteban) owned by Club Contessa, hold second, while third place currently rests with Jonathan Holling (USA) and Prophet, the 2012 Trakehner gelding (Tatendrang x Pennant) owned in partnership with Chuck McGrath, on a score of 26.90.

“This was his first 3*-L. He’s just an eight-year-old, but he’s a really magic horse. You know, the light was a bit funny [by the afternoon] – he came out of the box a little looky and he felt almost green, but he’s just so honest and got better and better as he went. I was thrilled with him; his conditioning felt great, and he really jumped the jumps all very easily.

“I thought the courses rode well,” Coleman continued. “The cross-country course here is not just about how the lines walk or how the jumps present themselves. The terrain itself is one of the biggest challenges – it’s all the little dips and nuances. Mark set a really nice track, but those little intricacies are really what make it kind of hard. I think that’s why the time is so hard to get, but my horses performed great, and I’m very lucky to have them. And, I have a great team behind me led by my wife.”

Coleman admitted that while he and his team are happy to have an Olympic qualifier to attend, he laughed that he “never want[s] to be eventing in November again! Obviously, it was amazing for Tryon to host this. There was really no opportunity otherwise [for qualification], so we’re all hugely appreciative of that. It’s just a very long year for the horses, and really difficult for a lot of us because with COVID, you never really knew where your target is.”

Coleman elaborated that he had originally aimed his horses to peak for Morven Park’s national championship and qualifier divisions, “so six weeks later with an event horse is a very big deal. So for me, I felt like my horses, and maybe my team in general, were all a bit weary by the time we got here and we’re just glad that hopefully we can finish the weekend strong and get the year behind us.”

Sara Kozumplik Murphy and Otta B Quality. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Sara Kozumplik Murphy and Otta B Quality Hold Guardian Horse Bedding CCI 2*-L Division Lead

Sara Kozumplik Murphy and Otta B Quality, the 2013 Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Edith Rameika, maintained their hold on the Guardian Horse Bedding CCI 2*-L Division after their double-clear Cross-Country round, carrying forward their score of 25.20. Dani Sussman (USA) and Jos Bravio, the self-owned 2011 Argentinian Warmblood gelding (Jos Fapillon x Remonta Guinea), improved from fourth to second and sit on a score of 27.30 after a clear cross-country round, with third belonging to Tik Maynard and Galileo, the 2011 Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Richard Maynard, who added 2.00 penalties for time to hold a score of 28.10.

“The course rode super well,” Murphy shared. “The footing was really good, and they worked so hard on it. Otter went out at 8:20am, so I went out and walked [the course] as soon as it was light out, and I was really happy with the ground. I was curious as to how it was going to ride going down the hill and things like that, but it was all lovely,” she reported. “There was a good balance going down there. As I said yesterday, the course was really appropriate for the level. It was all exceptionally well built with good designing. You had all of the questions that you needed, but it was appropriate for the level, so it encouraged the young horses or younger riders with older horses.”

For Murphy, she knew in advance that her young jumper tends to have more hang time in the air, and chose to be cognisant of her time as much as possible on course. “ I knew I was going to have to go a little bit more on these courses that are a bit winding. He’s a good jumper so he has quite a bit of airtime, so I just wanted to make sure that we weren’t going to give points away because all of our dressage scores were so close. He cruised across the ground, and still had plenty of play left at the end. He’s very proud of himself!”

“Otter” has jumped up to 1.20m at the venue this summer, so the 1.15m height shouldn’t be a problem, Murphy shared, but she’s interested to see how he will take to jumping in the stadium following the cross-country phase:

“He’s a very nice quality horse and good show jumper, so I just need to make sure I ride properly. At the two-star level they jump 1.15m on the final day, and it’s always different after riding a horse it’s on cross-country versus the horse trials, where we do the show jumping before. Since he’s a young horse, we haven’t done it a lot, so we’ll have to play it by ear, but he’s fit, happy, and jogged really well just now,” she concluded. “I’ll still have to ride properly and not be silly!”

Jenny Caras and Trendy Fernhill. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Jenny Caras and Trendy Fernhill Keep Their CCI 4*-S Lead After Two Phases

Jenny Caras (USA) and Trendy Fernhill, the 2011 Irish Sport Horse gelding (Ars Vivendi x Cruising) owned by Elyse Eisenberg, jumped clear to maintain their lead on a score of 27.00. Lillian Heard (USA) and CharmKing, the 2011 Holsteiner gelding (Cassito x Heraldik XX) owned by CharmKing LLC, still hold a score of 27.40 to keep second place, with Will Faudree (USA) and Caeleste, the 2007 Holsteiner mare (Contender x Lucky Lionell) owned by Jennifer Mosing and Sterling Silver Stables, sitting on a score of 30.60 for third. The division will contest cross-country beginning at 10:00am EST on Sunday to round out the weekend. While live streaming will be unavailable, live scores can be found at www.Tryon.com/eventing.

Schedule Update:

Due to weather, CCI 4*-S and HT divisions will run cross-country on Sunday, November 15. Live streaming for Sunday will include all show jumping divisions in Tryon stadium. To learn more about the revised schedule, click here.

MARS Tryon International: Website, Entry Status, Schedule, Order of Go, Ride Times, Live Scores, Live Stream, Coverage

CCI4*-S Top 10 After Show Jumping:

CCI3*-L Top 10 After Cross Country:

CCI2*-L Top 10 After Cross Country:

Coverage of Tryon International this weekend is brought to you by Strides for Equality Equestrians (SEE). Diversity and inclusion in all equestrian sports are important, and we’ll be bringing you tidbits on what this new organization hopes to accomplish.

Coverage of Tryon International this weekend is brought to you by Strides for Equality Equestrians (SEE). Diversity and inclusion in all equestrian sports are important, and we’ll be bringing you tidbits on what this new organization hopes to accomplish.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deniro Z. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Everyone always says it’s not going to be a dressage show and, usually, everyone is always right. That was certainly the case today as just three pairs who were in the top ten at the conclusion of dressage remain in the top ten after a great day of cross country. Time was influential over Captain Mark Phillips course today and shuffled the top of the leaderboard enough to keep things quite interesting with 8 out of the 69 starters able to catch the time. Ultimately, it was Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deniro Z  who came out on top at the end of the day and will hold the lead on a score of 26.1 as we head into the final phase tomorrow.

Liz made light work of the course with the 12-year-old KWPN gelding, who is owned by the Deniro Syndicate and Ocala Horse Properties. The pair cruised home just a few seconds over time, adding 1.6 time penalties to their dressage score.

“I am a little mad at myself that I didn’t make the time, but that’s not his fault,” said Liz. “He’s actually just been so incredibly polite this year. I nearly ‘whoa’d’ a little bit too much in front of two combinations and he just came back so fast. Honestly, I think every fence and combination rode how I planned it and the horse was phenomenal and he didn’t make it feel hard. He finished very fresh. From a standpoint of my horse going forward, I feel like it was a great day because he finished feeling like, ‘Oh, that was easy!’ I’m thrilled with him.”

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deniro Z. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Dressage leaders Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous ran into trouble early in the course and picked up a runout at the B element of fence 7AB, Bridgett’s Squirrels, and ultimately opted to retire later on course after a second runout.

Despite their lack of runs throughout the season, Liz credits her and Deniro’s excellent showing today to their partnership. “He hasn’t done a long format since Burghley last year and we haven’t run for eight weeks because Chattahoochee got canceled, which is a little bit longer than I’d like before an important four-star event, but he’s such a professional and I had a really good cross-country school before we came here,” she said. Watch their full cross country round here:

When it comes to how Deniro feels this year and how she thinks tomorrow will shake out, Liz says: “He feels ten times stronger this year and like a different horse compared to what he was before Burghley last year. I think it taught him a lot. He tried his guts out on the last day there for me. I’m hoping for a clear round tomorrow, and he’s more than capable of that. If I ride him the right way I know that’s possible. I just need to look after him tonight, put a plan in place, and then execute said plan!”

Body Martin and Tsetserleg. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Liz and Deniro won’t have too much wiggle room to hold their lead tomorrow, as Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg, who were in third after dressage on a 26.5 finished cross country in the exact same amount of time Liz and Deniro did, therefore also adding 1.6 time penalties to their dressage score. Boyd and the 13-year-old Trakehner gelding owned by Christine Turner end their day on a 28.1. Boyd will also occupy the 10th place sport overnight with On Cue, a 14-year-old Anglo-European mare also owned by Christine Turner. Their 4.8 time penalties collected on cross country bumps them down from 7th place after the dressage as they now score a 32.5.

Not very far at all behind Boyd and “Thomas” are his 2018 WEG teammates Phillip Dutton and the 12-year-old Zangersheide gelding Z, owned by Tom Tierney, Simon Roosevelt, Suzanne Lacy, Annie Jones and Caroline Moran. This pair came in two seconds under the optimum time of 10:03 and turned in one of the seven double clear rounds we saw in this division today. Their lovely round bumps them up from an equal 12th to sit 3rd over night on a score of 28.8. Phillip also sits in 22nd with OTTB Sea of Clouds, who came in one second over time and moved up from 62nd after dressage.

Woods Baughman and C’est La Vie 135. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Following these three big names currently at the top of the leaderboard is 24-year-old Woods Baughman who has taken over the fourth place spot with his family’s C’est La Vie 135, a 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding known as “Contendro” around the barn. Even with the abbreviated season this year, Woods and Contendro are continuing to have a great run after being crowned the USEF CCI3*-L National Champion at Fair Hill International last fall. This year they’re making a formidable showing in the next division up and proving that they belong there by also running double clear. Their clear run moves them up 10 places from 14th to 4th after dressage. They sit on a 29.1, just three-tenths of a point behind Phillip.

Doug Payne will sit on a score of 29.2 heading into show jumping with his long-time partner, the 16-year-old Trakehner gelding Vandiver who he and his wife Jessica Payne own alongside Debbi Crowley. Known to always chase the clock, Doug and Vandiver came in just one second over the optimum time and therefore add 0.4 time penalties to their dressage score. They would have remained equal with Phillip and Z had they too gone double clear, but they’ll sit in 5th instead which, granted, is still well within striking distance tomorrow.

Doug was one of three riders with three horses in this division and planned to add time to both his younger horse’s scores to give them confidence-building qualifying runs. Quantum Leap, a 9-year-old Rheinlander gelding, severed as pathfinder for the division and leapt from 43rd to 29th after cross country. His second ride, the eye-catching Starr Witness, sat 4th after a lovely dressage test yesterday, but in addition to adding 21.6 penalties of planned time, the 9-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare  who is owned by Doug, Catherine Winter, and Laurie McRee also activated a frangible device somewhere along the track adding an additional 11 penalties to their score and now sits in 41st.

Ariel Grald and Leamore Master Plan. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Another fabulous showing from what might be considered the next generation of riders came from Ariel Grald and Leamore Master Plan, the 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse owned by Annie Eldridge. This pair impressed at the Kentucky and Burghley CCI5*s last year where they made huge leaps up the leaderboard, and at Great Meadow earlier this year where they clocked the fastest round of the day. They continued to be impressive today and even clinched the fastest round title again, breezing through the finish flags in 9 minutes 45 seconds. Ariel joined Holly Hudspeth and Tim Singer in the commentary box after her round and told them that she wasn’t necessarily gunning for the fastest time, but “Simon” was feeling his oats and felt like he could go on and do a whole other course after they crossed the finish line.

Sydney Conley Elliot and QC Diamantaire earned another one of today’s double clear rounds, as they finished three seconds under time. Sydney told EN that she believes their run at Fair Hill International last fall, where they finished 4th in the CCI4*-L, set her and “Q” up with a great foundation coming into this year.

“As with everyone, this year has not gone as planned so Q hasn’t had a ton of runs this year. Going into cross country day I’m always concerned about fitness and especially with the shortened season we’ve had this year, but he finished full of running,” Sydney told EN. “He ran his little heart out and kept going even when I made a mistake. He really surprised us.”

Sydney Conley Elliot and QC Diamantaire.

Sydney and the 10-year-old Oldenberg gelding owned by Carol Stephens just barley missed hitting a coveted sub-30 mark in phase one, but their fabulous showing today means they’ll remain on their dressage score. That score of 30.6 puts them in a competitive 7th place headed into show jumping tomorrow where Sydney hopes they can turn in a clear show jumping round just like the one they finished their Fair Hill weekend with last fall. As for the future, Sydney says given how well Q ran today she doesn’t see a reason they shouldn’t aim for a five-star next year, pending the whole pandemic situation, of course.

Jennie Brannigan and Stella Artois, a 10-year-old Holsteiner X Thoroughbred owned by the Stella Artois Syndicate, were looking for a crisp trip with a smooth finish. They tackled the course superbly and finished clear of jumping penalties, but they didn’t quite make the time; coming in 5 seconds over optimum and therefore earning 2 time penalties. That puts them on a 31.2 at the end of the day and bumps them up from 15th to 8th, which is still a placing certainly well worth savoring.

Rounding out the top 10 is Will Faudree and Mama’s Magic Way a.k.a “Mason”, a horse who I often mistakenly refer to as a mare, but is in fact a 9-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Jennifer Mosing and Sterling Silver Stables. Sorry Mason, it’s nothing personal! Maggie Deatrick was correct in her prediction that Will and Mason could come out early with guns blazing and show everyone that the time was achievable, and they were indeed the first double clear trip that we saw today. That clear round means they stay on their dressage score of 31.7 and move up from 30th place to 9th.

In addition to Marilyn and “Kitty”, several pairs who had occupied the top ten spots on the leaderboard ran into trouble on course today. Tamie Smith and Danito, who had been sitting in 4th after dressage activated a frangible pin at the A element of the coffin complex at fence 15. Those 11 penalties plus 17.60 in time sees them drop out of the running and into 39th. Buck Davidson was sitting in 6th place after dressage with Carlevo, but their 5.6 time penalties were enough to drop them into equal 11th, shared with Will Coleman and Don Dante who came in just a second over time and moved up from 33rd.

Hannah Sue Burnett withdrew the 8th placed Harbour Pilot after she had retired Lukeswell on course earlier in the day. Maya Black and Miks Master C, who sat 9th after dressage, were having a cracking round until they reached the drop into the MARS Sustainability Bay, fence 19, where the horse pecked on landing and sent Maya for a splash. Several other riders took a swim at this spot as well as they became unseated after large drop. Sara Kozumplik Murphy and Rubens D’ysieux were in 10th place after dressage and were nearly home clear after a fabulous round, but caught too long of a spot to the second to last fence and took a tumble which ended their weekend early.

The biggest mover award goes to Zoe Crawford and K.E.C Zara whose double clear cross country shot them up a whopping 50 places on the leaderboard from 76th to 26th.

An exciting finish is certainly in store for tomorrow as we’ll see our next CCI4*-L National Champion crowned. The final horse inspection will take place and 8:00 AM ET and show jumping will get underway at 10:30 AM. Keep it locked right here for the most comprehensive coverage from Tryon!

MARS Tryon International: Website, Entry Status, Schedule, Order of Go, Ride Times, Live Scores, Live Stream, Coverage