Well Eventing Nation, I know it’s technically March right now, but here are the complete results from February’s Power Ranking, featuring the top Canadian riders along with the Americans. You voted, the panelists voted, I did the math (and double checked as numbers really have never been my strong suit) so I present to you the complete results list. The addition of the Canadians adds a new dimension, but the standings are starting to shift a little bit as the horses come to form and start competing. One thing remains unchanged, however: Neville’s complete and total dominance at the top of the ranking. Everyone else is going to have to work very hard to top those two.
I was a little surprised that Mystery Whisper (or any of Phillip’s horses really) didn’t get more of the public votes, I thought he would have been right up there with Boyd and Sinead. The panelist votes brought him up some, but he still ranked much lower than expected.
I also thought it was interesting that Rebecca Howard and Will Coleman didn’t rank higher. If you look at their records over the past two years, Rebecca has been close to flawless, and when Will is having a good day and luck is on his side with Twizzel, he is very hard to beat. I guess their final placement does make some sense however, as both horses were lightly used in 2011 and haven’t run recently until just last weekend.
I’m really curious (if you voted) what factors you considered to judge each pair? Did you put more emphasis on judging the horse or the rider, or was it equal? How much did the early winter competition results matter to you in your decision? It’s interesting to hear the different thought processes involved, and certainly will keep getting more interesting as we get further along into the spring season.
1. Boyd Martin and Neville Bardos- 172 points
2. Sinead Halpin and Manoir de Carneville- 155 points
3. Becky Holder and Courageous Comet- 102 points
4. Karen O’Connor and Mr. Medicott- 98 points
5. Jessica Phoenix and Exponential- 90 points
5t. Becky Holder and Can’t Fire Me – 88 points
5t. Phillip Dutton and Mystery Whisper- 88 points
7. Buck Davidson and Ballynoecastle RM- 87 points
8. Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen- 76 points
9. Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice- 71 points
10. Hawley Bennett and Gin and Juice – 70 points
11. Phillip Dutton and Ben- 65 points
12. Boyd Martin and Otis Barbotiere- 63 points
13. Hannah Burnett and Harbour Pilot- 59 points
14. Will Coleman and Twizzel- 52 points
15. Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master- 49 points
16. Will Faudree and Pawlow- 46 points
17. Colleen Rutledge and Shiraz- 41 points
18. Jan Bynny and Inmidair- 34 points
19. Stephanie Rhodes-Bosch and Port Authority- 22 points
20. Julian Stiller and Chapel Amble- 15 points
Congrats to all those who made the ranking list.
