DeAnna Burke, Davinci, and Safety Chinch at Plantation Field International CCI*-B
Today was the second day of competition here at Plantation Field International, with the CIC*-B taking over ring two at 10:30 this morning. Division B is home to 37 horse and rider combinations. The field spanned the score range from lower 30s to upper 60s with all the horses seemingly unphased by the atmosphere on top of the hill on a sunny and warm September day here in Unionville, PA.
At the conclusion of the dressage portion of competition, DeAnna Burke sits in the pole position. The pair put in a great dressage test early in the class, scoring 34.6. Davinci, a 7-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, made his second career appearance today at Plantation Field that left Deanna all smiles.
“Davinci has been slow to mature and is normally very spooky in the dressage arena, but I’ve been working all summer with Mara Depuy to gain the tools to keep his attention,” Diana said. “All the work really paid off today; he was very pleasant and wanted to work hard making it all possible.” Looking to the cross country tomorrow: “I think the course looks great, but my plan is to ride a little conservative with the hard ground and trying to avoid a repeat of last year. He is young and inexperienced, so the most important part is to have a good go tomorrow.”
Holding the number 2 spot going into the cross country phase is Elinor MacPhail and RF Panamera. This happy pair put in a great dressage round finishing on a 38.4. Both Ellie and Pax rode an extremely steady and consistent test leaving little left to be desired. After having two years off due to injury, RF Panamera has come back very nicely, “but she is still a touch green” Ellie says.
Elinor MacPhail and RF Panamera with Safety Chinch at Plantation Fields International CIC*-B. Photo by David Taylor
“The nice thing about her (RF Panamera) is she is pretty quiet. That kind of atmosphere usually perks her up just enough. I had a little more horse than I thought I would in the beginning, but she settled right in as we got into the trot work a bit,” Ellie Said. “Heading into tomorrow, Plantation has done a great job with the one-star course with great questions set up for these horses. The height is very friendly but is a good step up.”
Plantation Field International has grown each year and seems to be putting the final touches on a world class event. “I haven’t been here for two years, and the changes they have made are amazing,” Ellie says. “The Purina rider tent is super; anytime you are thirsty or hungry you know that they will take good care of all of us.”
Jorgen Olijslager rode in the middle of the day holding on to a top stop with a 40.4. Northern Quest Lady’s Man, a 7-year-old Irish Sport Horse, has brought up through the YEH by Jorgen hiself and now he is getting comfortable at the FEI level.
“Since he was a young horse, Lady’s Man has had a calm and collected demeanor. He went thought the Young Event Horse series as a 4 and 5 year old, giving him a great introduction to the eventing scene,” Jorgen says. “He never really gets nervous about being in a big ring, so I’ve been really lucky not having to deal with his nerves in that type of situation.”
Jorgen Olijslager and Northern Quest Lady’s Man at Plantation Fields Internationl CIC* Photo by David Taylor
Jorgen had just got back from taking his first look at tomorrow’s cross country course walking with mentor Doug Payne when we spoke. “It looks like a good course that is a bit different from last year. They have set us up some good combinations and some great galloping lanes as well,” said Jorgen. “Since we were here last year, he (Lady’s Man) has dome a lot of maturing. I’m coming into this year with a good expectaion of what my horse can do and what he is capable of.”
Also in the field is Icabad Crane, who is competing in his first FEI competition ridden by Phillip Dutton. Icabad was the winner of the 2014 Retired Racehorse Project’s Thoroughbred Makeover. With Phillip at the helm, the pair finished 4th after dressage on a 41.1. Icabad will make his CCI debut next month at Hagyard Mid South in Lexington, Kentucky.
Stay tuned tomorrow as we bring you cross country coverage from the Plantation Field Internation CIC*
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Plantation Field International CIC*-B
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