Buck and Bobby won the CIC*** last year… who will this year’s winner be?
Can you believe its already time for the Fork? This spring, to me anyway, feels like its gone by at light speed. We spend what feels like so much time in the early winter months planning and preparing for the upcoming year, and then the exciting parts of the year come and go in a heartbeat!
The Fork is always a great competition to watch as its considered the final run for the horses aiming at either Rolex or Badminton, so it is very well attended and the horses are the most fit and prepared they have been in all their spring lead ups. The folks Jim Cogdell employs do a fantastic job with the preparations; the footing is always great, the courses well designed, and the warm up arenas always well managed.
Here’s an overview of some competitors to watch this weekend, the full Entry Status can be accessed here.
Carl Bouckaert will be traveling up to North Carolina from his home in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia, with two rides, Cyrano Z in the CIC*** and Raphael III in the OI. I’ve watched Carl ride on a few occasions, and one of the things I always notice watching him is the look he has while riding. It doesn’t really matter what phase he’s riding or the level of the horse underneath him, his deep, intently focused gaze always remains the same.
Jennie Brannigan has three rides including Cambalda in the CIC***. Jennie made a speedy recover from a broken collar bone in early March, she’s been back to riding for a few weeks since her injury, but she definitely will have a big job to do this weekend.
Hannah Burnett is, interestingly enough, entered in the Advanced division rather than the three star aboard St. Barths. We are expecting a blog from her in the next day or two, and if John pesters her enough she might even write a course preview of the Advanced track for us later in the week.
Diana Burnett is going to be busy this weekend with two in the CIC***, Manny and Shigatzi, Wild T’Mater in the Advanced, and a nice intermediate horse as well.
Tiana Coudray will be at the Fork with both her horses entered in the CIC*** division.
If Buck can successfully negotiate the driveway, he too will be in attendance this weekend. Currently he has Ballynoecastle RM and Absolute Liberty entered in the CIC***, and Titanium in the Advanced.
Everyone entered at Rolex may be breathing a sigh of relief that Phillip isn’t on the entry list, but he will still give them a run for their money this weekend up and down the levels. His three three-star horses, Isabella, William Penn, and Fernhill Eagle are relatively newer rides, at least compared to Truluck and The Foreman, both of whom are entered in the Advanced section along with Mighty Nice.
Nina Ligon will be making her three star debut this weekend on Fernhill Fearless, and she has three horses in the Intermediate as well.
Carrie Meehan, who was a guest blogger for us last year, is entered in the Preliminary aboard Blue Devil.
Kristi Nunnink is another West Coaster that has made the trek to the East early this spring to make her final preparations for Kentucky. Kristi will be riding her lovely mare, R Star, in the Advanced.
Michael Pollard, who lost his horse Dekorum a couple weeks ago under devastating circumstances, will be back at The Fork with three horses in the CIC***, Icarus, Jos Calfun, and Wonderful Will. Michael is a great horseman and a great competitor, we wish him the best this weekend.
Valerie Vizcarrondo will be riding in the Advanced this weekend on Clifton Jade. Valerie is a nice girl and writes a great blog we often link to on EN.
And that wraps it up for the Fork preview. If you are competing this weekend and didn’t get mentioned in this preview, you still have two options to get EN glory; either win your division or fall off in the water jump. Video of the latter is definitely a bonus. Joking aside, I wish all the competitors good luck, and here’s to hoping for another great Fork!
Go Eventing.
