Ringwood Magister and Tiana Coudray went mid-morning and currently (lunch break) sit just inside the top 20 on a score of 50.4. Tiana rode an extremely accurate test with no mistakes, but perhaps a touch conservative. I didn’t know why until I saw ‘Finn’ going sideways and just barely keeping it together on the way back to the barn but in the arena it was pure showmanship. Every now and then in the trot work his knee action would betray a little tension, but the canter work was all perfect with smooth changes and Tiana looked like she felt more comfortable to push him forward more in this gait.
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I saw almost the entire US contingent walking the xc course later in the morning and they seem in good spirits, only Boyd and Remington have their dressage still to do this afternoon.
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Trying to keep up with both the CIC*** arena and the 4* Olympic Combined Test on top of the hill has me running around like the weather – the sun is in and out, the wind is blowing a gale but thank goodness the rain has stopped, for now. I’m glad I made it to see Holstein Park Leilani and Chris Burton who currently lead the 4* Test after a flawless performance, completely unaffected by the flags or the cold. I was also really impressed with Laura Collett’s test on Rayef, and she sits a couple of marks behind him.
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Rayef and Laura will not be representing GB at the Olympics, this time, and nor will Nicola Wilson and Opposition Buzz, incredibly, but today they in the CIC*** dressage they looked a little off their game – the trot looked a bit hurried with some unsteadiness in his head and he jogged in the walk, but Nicola finished the test well with some nice canter work.
Opposition Buzz and Nicola Wilson
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Mary King finishing the second of two very respectable tests on Imperial Cavalier, scoring 49.2 in the CIC*** arena and 48 in the 4* Combined Test. Although he looked like he wanted to spook at the flapping flags, he concentrated really well once in the arena, and didn’t make any major mistakes, was slightly exuberant in the canter changes but also had some stunning moments in both the trot and the canter and I imagine Mary must be pleased with him today.
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“Can’t. Possibly. Go. Near. That. Kryptonite. Flowerpot.”
Naughty Easy Target on the other hand picked this morning as the day he could not possibly go anywhere near a flower box at A and used that as an excuse to behave like a bratty child – I have two, I know how it feels. Francis kept calm and carried on regardless, and managed to salvage a score of 52.6, AND made him look at the dreaded article on the way out! He rides his Olympic reserve horse Sir Percival later this afternoon.
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Borough Pennyz, the amazing jumper, going quite nicely on the flat too for a score of 52.4 with Vittoria Panizzon.
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Sam Watson, his fiancee “Sparkles” and Horseware Bushman after his test. They scored 55.
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I have to rush off to see more dressage now but who better to leave you with than Mark Todd. Grass Valley may not be the best mover, at all, but Mark rode every mark out of him in the 4* test, and rides Campino later in the CIC***. Thanks for visting Eventing Nation, Go Barbury and Go Eventing!
