Phillip Dutton and Mr. Medicott. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Good morning from day 2 of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event! We’ve already seen a leaderboard shakeup in the first group to go, with Jan Byyny and Inmidair and Phillip Dutton and Mr. Medicott scoring 49.5 to tie for equal first place with Michael Pollard and Mensa G. Jan and JR have had a wonderful six months, winning the Fair Hill CCI3* last fall and coming out very strong this spring. The horse missed his scheduled final prep run at The Fork due to a sore hoof, but he didn’t put a foot wrong today, staying relaxed and focused for a lovely performance.
Jan Byyny and Inmidair. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Mr. Medicott also had a super test despite looking very feisty in warmup. The test got better and better as it went, with the outstanding moments coming in the canter work. That’s about the happiest I’ve ever seen Phillip after a dressage test, and he gave Cave a huge pat after finishing before waving to the crowd and hugging all his syndicate members back at the in gate. Phillip and Cave are definitely a threat to win this weekend, and while we’ll almost certainly see that score of 49.5 bested by the time the dust settles at the end of the day, this performance will put them within striking distance.
Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot. Photo by Jenni Autry.
We also saw Brazilian Ruy Fonseca and Tom Bombadill Too in this first group. This horse is a unique mover, and the judges liked what they saw for a score of 53.3, which puts them in 12th place. Harbour Pilot made his Rolex debut with Hannah Sue Burnett in the irons, and aside from a few bobbles in the changes, this was a good performance for the horse’s first four-star test; they scored 55.7 for 18th place. Lillian Heard and Share Option made their Rolex debut as the very first pair this morning, and they handled the pressure well for the first ever performance in such a big atmosphere for a score of 59.0 for 22nd place.
Ruy Fonseca and Tom Bombadill Too. Photo by Jenni Autry.
It absolutely poured early this morning here in Lexington before clearing up for the start of the first group. Then the wind picked up again — blowing Bobby Meyerhoff’s top hat right off his head during his test with Dunlavin’s Token — and then the rain started coming during Phillip’s test. It’s pouring again now, and the radar shows there’s another band of storms passing over us. The second group, which starts at 11:20 a.m. with Kaitlin Spurlock and Expedience, will be going swimming for sure. Remember to follow along with John’s open thread and the EN live blog, and stay tuned for much more from Rolex.
