Marilyn Payne navigating the Training bank complex
Thursday afternoon at Chatahoochee Hills featured training cross-country as well as beginner novice and novice dressage. I’m a big believer that the beginner novice, novice, and training levels are the most competitive levels at the AECs. Those levels have, on average, more competitors in each division. Take for example the 54 pair Beginner Novice Rider championship. Additionally, a higher percentage of pairs in those divisions jump double-clear on the cross-country, which puts more pressure on the dressage and show jumping. For example, 24 of 36 starters in the Training Horse division jumped double-clear today.
The Training Junior riders get the EN-marathon-division-award for riding well past 6pm and after the competitors party started. Part of me feels like competitor parties shouldn’t start until all of the riders have finished competing. Savannah Kilpatrick and Walla Walla Bing Bang moved up from second into the lead when overnight leader Annie Read took a tumble from Dante’s Diva. The next three places remained unchanged with double-clears all around.
I apologize to the intermediate riders for not getting any video of their cross-country. Danielle Dichting is one of the proud riders competing in multiple divisions this weekend, with Tops in the Advanced and The Graduate leading the Intermediate. They finished the XC with 1.2 time penalties. Buck Davidson and Sharon Will’s lovely No More Rocks moved up from 4th to second on a double-clear. Jessica Schultz and Lock N’ Load round out the top 3. I’ll try to make it up to the Intermediate division with lots of coverage tomorrow.
Turning our attention to the Friday dressage, Logan Elliott took the Novice Amateur lead on her own Cady O’ Daly Michael with an impressive 21.5. Heather Morris and Barnabus lead the Novice Horse championship heading into the cross-country on Saturday. Alex Cole and Pure Revenge are winning the Novice Junior division on 27.5–don’t cross this pair!
Carrie Meehan and Cavalier, whose name might have something to do with the fact that Carrie is a former University of Virginia Cavalier, are tied for the Beginner Novice Horse lead with Lauren Weil and Commit. Carrie is also tied for 4th aboard Up In Flames. Letha Calvin and Look Cody Look are winning the Beginner Novice Amateur championships. Christina Dayton-Wall and Hot Shot Sham are in second, just ahead of Sher Schwartz with Jamocean and Gwen Patterson with Late Arrival, who are tied for the lead. Allyn Tice lead the Beginner Novice Junior with Elphin Fintan on a 27.1.
From the Beginner Novice Horse division:
The prelim, advanced, intermediate, and training divisions show jump Saturday morning starting at 8:30am local in that order. The beginner novice and novice divisions head out to the cross-country. Thank you to Chatahoochee Hills, the organizers, and all of the volunteers for making today a wonderful day of competition at the American Eventing Championships. Go eventing.
