Lauren Kieffer and Court and Kylie Ramsay’s Czechmate are your leaders in the CIC3* at Red Hills International Horse Trials after an action-packed day on Hugh Lochore’s cross-country course. They’re holding on to first place by the skin of their teeth on a score of 57.1, just .7 penalties ahead of Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deborah Halliday’s HHS Cooley.
This is Czechmate’s first attempt at the three-star level, but you wouldn’t have known it watching him today, as he looked poised and confident on course, coming home with 14.4 time penalties. Liz and HHS Cooley battled a tack malfunction from early on in the course when the horse’s breastplate snapped, and she said she slowed him down after that, also coming home with 14.4 time.
It was a welcome redemption for Liz after a miscommunication and subsequent runout at the Osprey Offsets at fence 8 stymied her run with overnight dressage leader Fernhill By Night. She retired the horse after that and confirmed she will re-route to Carolina International CIC3* in two weeks instead.
Jennie Brannigan and Tim and Nina Gardner’s Cambalda jumped up the leaderboard from eighth to fifth place on 58.4 after a clear trip with 9.2 time penalties — one of the fastest in the division. “Ping” left a leg at the D element in the Sawgrass Water, a skinny shaped like a soccer ball, and Jennie pulled off an acrobatic save that had the crowd roaring.
Marilyn Little also found redemption with her second ride of the day after falling from Team Demeter’s RF Demeter, who was sitting in fourth place overnight, at the Sawgrass Water as the first out on the CIC3* course. She came back out with RF Quarterman, who is competing in his first CIC3* this weekend, and jumped clear with 12.4 time to move up one spot to fourth place on 59.4.
Allie Knowles and her superstar OTTB Sound Prospect are having a fairytale weekend. After delivering their personal best dressage score at this level yesterday, they came out guns blazing today, romping around for a clear trip with 10.8 time penalties to round out the top five on a score of 60.8.
The rest of the leaderboard shows just how influential time proved to be. Eventing 25 rider Ellie MacPhail and her own True Dynamite and Elisa Wallace and Jill Hopcroft’s Simply Priceless moved from 19th and 20th to sixth and seventh places on scores of 64.2 and 65.3, respectively, after storming around with just 5.2 time penalties each — the fastest time of the day.
Caroline Martin and Sherrie Martin’s Quantum Solace win the Save of the Day Award after she clung to him like a monkey when “Nacho” left a leg at the soccer ball skinny in the Sawgrass Water. The crowd gasped as she pulled herself back into the tack and then erupted in cheers as she kicked on. Their 11.6 time penalties moved them from 17th to eighth place on 68.1.
Selena O’Hanlon and John and Judy Rumble’s Foxwood High played with the course, skipping around for a clear trip and 12.4 time penalties to sit in ninth place on 70.1. Caroline Martin and Pebbly Maximus round out the top 10 on 70.2 after jumping clear with 18.4 time penalties.
Three riders picked up 20 jumping penalties on course. Ellen Doughty-Hume and her own Sir Oberon were the only pair to have a runout at the the Corner Conundrum at fence 9. Jacob Fletcher and Fletcher Farms’ Atlantic Domino had a glance off at the Osprey Offsets at fence 8. Kelly Prather and the Blackfoot Mystery Syndicate’s Blackfoot Mystery also fell victim to the Osprey Offsets, picking up 20 at the B element.
Ellie MacPhail fell from her own RF Eloquence at fence 6, the brush jump leaving the main arena. Kyle Carter and Imogen DeLavis’ Conahy’s Courage fell at The Shire at fence 12; we are still awaiting official word on their condition.
It just wasn’t Buck Davidson’s day today in the CIC3*, and he retired both his rides on course. Sherry and Randy Martin’s The Apprentice left a leg a bit jumping off the island at the Sawgrass Water, and Buck called it a day after that. Carl Segal and Sherrie Martin’s Copper Beech said no at the Big Brown Owl at fence 5 in the main arena, and Buck retired him.
Lauren Kieffer is also leading the small but mighty Advanced division with Team Rebecca’s Veronica, who jumped clear with 11.6 time penalties to hold the overnight lead. Waylon Roberts and Anthony Connolly’s Kelecyn Cognac moved from ninth to second place on a score of 43 with 5.2 time penalties — the fastest time in the division.
Buck Davidson and Caroline and Sherrie Martin’s Petite Flower picked up 10 time penalties to move down one spot to third place on 43.8. Leah Lang-Gluscic and her own A.P. Prime had a cracking round and one of the fastest of the day with 8.8 time penalties — a great trip for them as they look ahead to Rolex. Jenny Caras and her own Fernhill Fortitude round out the top five on a score of 47.6 with 14.8 time penalties.
As for trouble in the Advanced division, Melissa Miller-Slusser and her own High Finance ran into trouble at both the Big Brown Owl at fence 5 and the Osprey Offsets at fence 8, leading to elimination. Kelly Prather and her own Truly Wiley also had a stop at the Big Brown Owl — there was a lot for the horses to look at around at this fence — before parting ways at the Sawgrass Water.
Stay tuned for much more from Red Hills as the CIC2* division wraps up. You can follow along with our live updates thread at this link. Go Red Hills, and Go Eventing.
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