Photo by Bonobo Pics via the Rocking Horse Stables Facebook page.
The first Advanced horse trials of the season are always fun to watch as they give us a glimpse into which pairs are coming out of winter with guns blazing. For 2021, those fixtures are Rocking Horse II Advanced, which took place over the weekend in Altoona, Florida, and Pine Top Advanced, which happens later this week in Thompson, Georgia.
Two Advanced divisions ran at Rocking Horse with 33 pairs contesting Advanced Test A and 15 in Advanced Test B. Friday was a very wet and soggy day but the weather redeemed itself on Saturday, which dawned bright and beautiful. Everyone was taking it a bit easy on the cross country; no one came in under time and a handful of horses opting to make their weekend a combined test. Stübben NA graciously donated prize money for the divisions.
Kimmy Cecere and Landmark’s Monaco won Advanced Test A, climbing from 5th after dressage into the lead across the jumping phases. Kimmy and the 14-year-old ISH/Thoroughbred stallion (Formula One x Glamour), owned by Ms. Jacqueline Mars, turned in the fastest cross country round in the division with 5.2 time faults. Buck Davidson and Victor B Z held the lead through show jumping and had 11.2 cross country time faults to finish 2nd; Karl Slezak and Fernhill Wishes started and finished in 3rd.
Buck Davidson and newly-minted Advanced horse Sorocaima. Photo by JJ Sillman.
Buck finished another two horses, Carlevo and Erroll Gobey, 1st and 3rd in Advanced Test B. A fourth horse ridden by Buck, Sorocaima, stepped up to his first Advanced. Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous led through show jumping on their dressage score of 23.1 and 12.8 cross country time penalties slid them into 2nd.
View complete Rocking Horse results here.
Advanced Test A Top 10:
Advanced Test B Top 10:
Next up is Pine Top, where Advanced A and B divisions will run as a two-day format — you can view entry status and ride times at the website here. EN’s Shelby Allen will be heading up to Pine Top for cross country, so stay tuned for more from Georgia this weekend.
Go Eventing.
