Michael Pollard and Cyrano Lead the Way in Wellington

Michael Pollard and Cyrano. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Michael Pollard and Cyrano. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Hello from Wellington! The sun is shining, a light breeze is blowing, and I think all of the eventers competing in the $50,000 Wellington Eventing Showcase are wondering how exactly they ended up here. If you’ve never been to the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, it’s difficult to explain how mammoth and impressive it is.

This is winter equestrian sport at its finest, with heaps of delicious food overflowing in the VIP tent, a fully stocked bar making for a lively atmosphere and just about the most perfect weather you could ask for. I keep fighting the instinct to wipe my shoes each time I step into the media center, and let’s just say that I didn’t even know such fancy portable restrooms existed until today.

And if the weather is beautiful, then the competition is even better, with some of the sport’s biggest names coming to Wellington to duke it out for $50,000 in this inaugural showcase. At the halfway point of the class, Michael Pollard and Cyrano lead the way on a score of 25.7 — and that despite picking up an error in the walk.

Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda. Photo by Jenni Autry.

If you’re wondering why Cyrano’s name sounds familiar, it’s because Carl Bouckaert rode the 14-year-old Zangersheide gelding on the Belgian eventing team at the 2012 London Olympic Games. That was his last FEI competition, and Cyrano is now up for sale, Michael told us. Whoever gets this horse is going to have quite the showman on their hands; he’s a lovely mover with a striking presence in the little white box.

Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda also put in an impressive performance to score 29.2 for second place. “Ping,” a 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Jennie’s longtime supporter Nina Gardner, looked relaxed and quiet — a bit different from when he was fighting fit in their last test on such a big stage at the Dutta Corp Fair Hill International, where they ultimately took home the big win in the CCI3*.

The jaw-dropping VIP tent at The Stadium. Photo via EN's Instagram.

The jaw-dropping VIP tent at The Stadium. Photo via EN’s Instagram.

Lauren Kieffer and Court and Kylie Ramsay’s Czechmate round out the top three on a score of 30.0. This horse, a 9-year-old Czech Warmblood gelding, continues to blossom and looks to have really come into his own in the off season; he’s going to be a lot of fun to watch this year. And a fun bit of trivia on how he got his name: “Czech” because of his breeding, and “mate” because of Kylie’s Australian heritage.

We also saw a very nice test from Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night, who scored 30.2 for fourth place. That would have cracked the 20s had “Blackie” not gotten away from Liz a bit in the extended trot, but that one bobble certainly doesn’t take away from the fact that this is a lovely test. Liz, who is typically based at her Chailey Stud in East Sussex, England, is in Ocala for the winter with her sights set on tackling her first CCI4* at Rolex in April — touch wood!

Allison Springer and Arthur round out the top five on 31.0, and they led for most of the morning with a nice test that had “only one big spook,” as Allison put it. Arthur upset himself a little when he knocked the side of the arena early in the test, but Allison handled him nicely and recovered well as the test progressed.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Selena O’Hanlon, our sole Canadian rider competing in the showcase this weekend, said she was ecstatic with Foxwood High’s test considering it’s his first outing of the season. “Woody,” a 12-year-old Canadian Sport Horse gelding owned by John and Judy Rumble, would much rather be out on Capt. Mark Phillips’ cross country course were the decision up to him.

And speaking of the cross country course, the turf is so manicured that the track looks like it’s been built on a golf course. The fences, built by Eric Bull, are beautifully presented and absolutely look like they belong in opulent Wellington. It’s a much different look for eventing than what we’re used to seeing here in the States, but I’d like to think there’s a little inner diva in all of us. Even Phillip Dutton had a blingy ear bonnet on Seams Ready in his test this morning.

A full preview of the cross country course is coming your way next, and be sure to check back in later in the day for the report on the last part of dressage here at the $50,000 Wellington Eventing Showcase. There weren’t many spectators out this morning to enjoy the beautiful weather, but perhaps we’ll see the stands here in The Stadium start to fill up this afternoon. It’s going to be an exciting conclusion to dressage as we wait to see if anyone can catch that 25.7! Go #WellyEventing.

Wellington Eventing Showcase: Live Scores, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, Twitter, Instagram

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