Lynn Symansky and Under Suspection. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Overnight leader Lynn Symansky is still sitting pretty in the MARS Great Meadow International CCI4*-S after a beautiful double clear show jumping performance with Mary Ann Ghadban’s Under Suspection.
Their success this weekend is something of comeuppance for the pair whose season has been fraught with disappointments, the biggest of which being a late withdrawal from Kentucky because of a girth irritation. Today the tide shifted in their favor, with a double clear round to keep their lead on a score of 25.
“It’s been a struggle this season with one unfortunate thing after another, so I’m happy to have her going in the lead on cross country on her home turf,” Lynn said. “She got to the warmup a little more quiet than normal. I went down the ramp and she ramped up a little bit. She tried her heart out. She has the tendency to be a little lower in her style, but she has her own way of jumping and you can’t fight that. She did a little celebratory bucking dance at the end.”
Doug Payne and Vandiver. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Great Meadow is a final prep for the partnership of Doug Payne and Vandiver, who are one of 11 American entries at Burghley. Doug’s goal of an efficient, clear round was easily met by the 5-year-old Trakehner (Windfall 2 x Visions of Grandeur, by Mystic Replica xx) who is owned by the rider, Jessica Payne and Debi Crowley, and they moved into second place on a score of 27.5.
“He was excellent. I went in just to have an efficient and smooth round. Obviously you hope he jumps clear, but really in the last year it’s been trying to be as smooth as I can to make it easy on him and use his body as best as possible,” Doug said.
Colleen Rutledge and Covert Rights. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Colleen Rutledge and her Covert Rights, a 13-year-old Thoroughbred Cross (BFF Incognito x Let’s Get It Right, by Covert Operations), jumped clear round taking just one second too many for third place on a score of 28.3.
“We’ve been working really hard to change both our attitudes toward show jumping. We’re taking some of the right steps,” Colleen said. “Earlier this spring we decided running at the fences wasn’t appropriate. We’d both get panicky and worried, so we went back to the drawing board a little bit.”
“We can nitpick and say that I was one second over the time,” she continued. “But it was because I spent the time rebalancing. We’re still in the process of figuring out how all of the things work, so we were both a little slower at it.”
Hannah Sue Burnett and Lukeswell. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Hannah Sue Burnett laid down a double clear effort with The Lukeswell Partnership’s Lukeswell, to move into fourth place on a score of 29.6.
Lauren Kieffer tipped one rail with Debbie Adams and Jacqueline Mars’ D.A. Duras, dropping from second to fifth on a score of 30.
Buck Davidson and Carlevo. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Buck Davidson boasted five clear rounds across the three divisions today, with Carlevo leading the way as his top-placed four-star ride. They’re in 6th on a score of 30.5. He is also 8th with Park Trader after having one pole down for a score of 32.
Like Doug, Will Coleman is also using this weekend to prepare for Bughley with Tight Lines, who is 7th after a double clear round (31.1). Mia Farley and BGS Firecracker are 9th after 1.2 time penalties for a two-phase score of 32.6, and Phillip Dutton takes 10th with Fernhill Revelation after a clear round on a score of 33.
Of the 38 starters, Chris Barnard’s track produced 12 double clear rounds (31.6%).
Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Pick Pocket. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Everything went to plan for overnight leaders Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Pick Pocket in the CCI3*-S show jumping. The pair jumped clear to remain on top of the three-star class.
“Ollie,” an 8-year-old irish Sport Horse (Chacco Blue x Bracklin Mystique, by Solitair) owned by Lee Lee Jones, Annie Jones, and Caroline Moran, oozes potential over fences, but Phillip admits his results depend on how rideable he is. Today, it seemed to click and Ollie had a picture perfect trip to remain on a score of 29.8–still the only sub-30 score in the division.
“He’s a very good jumper. He wants to jump carefully and cleanly. I actually had the benefit of taking all the horses to Kentucky and I had some good lessons with Richard Picken,” Phillip said. “He’s as good as he’s been. It’s a great arena to go into–it’s a great atmosphere for a green horse. He handled himself well actually.”
Caitlin Silliman and Ally KGO. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Caitlin Silliman and Ally KGO also had a faultless performance to stay in second place. The 8-year-old Trakehner mare (Hirtentanz 2 x Annabel Lee, by Butow), who is owned by her Q-Brook Stables, stays on her dressage score of 30.2.
Sharon White and Claus 63. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Sharon White moved from fifth to third with her own Claus 63, a three-star first timer. Though they left all the poles up, Sharon and the 7-year-old Holstiener (Catoo x Tina II, by Levisto) were one second to slow, picking up 0.4 time penalties for a two phase score of 31.9.
A double clear round carried Buck Davidson and Electric Lux, a 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse (Lux Z x Kilnamac Sue) owned by the Electric Group, from 8th into 4th place on a score of 32.2.
Looking down the leaderboard, Valerie Vizcarrondo Pride and Favian dropped to 5th after 1.6 time penalties. Boyd Martin and Bonito jumped clear to move into 6th on a score of 32.7.
The rest of our top ten also claimed double clear rounds: Kevin Keane and Sportsfield Candy are 7th (33.4), Lauren Kieffer and Landmark’s Monte Carlo are 8th (33.8), Colleen Rutledge and C Me Fly are 9th (34.1), and Clayton Fredericks and FE Always in Time are 10th (34.4).
Next up: David O’Connor’s cross country track. The CCI3*-S will begin at 9 a.m. followed by the CCI4*-S at noon. Check out our fence-by-fence preview at this link. Don’t forget you can watch it all live on EQSportsNet.
MARS Great Meadow International: Website, Entry Status, CCI4* XC Order of Go, CCI3* XC Order of Go, Ride Times, Live Scores, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram
