Ludwig Svennerstal and El Kazir SP. Photo by Radka Preislerova.
After an influential cross country day, Swedish rider Ludwig Svennerstål and El Kazir SP lead the The Irish Field CCI3* at Tattersalls International Horse Trials & Country Fair in Co Meath, Ireland.
Ludwig and the 14-year-old Belgian Warmblood (Capriano X Katella, by Blanc Rivage xx) owned by Jonathan and Jane Clarke sat second after dressage on a personal best of 25.5. They added nothing to that today finishing bang on the optimum time of 10 minutes 6 seconds.
A win in this division would be Ludwig’s first at this level, and significant accomplishment as he is seeking to qualify for WEG this weekend.
Will Coleman and OBOS O’Reilly. Photo by Radka Preislerova.
The only U.S. representatives this weekend, Will Coleman and OBOS O’Reilly jetted into second place after a foot perfect trip around Ian Stark’s track.
The 15-year-old Irish Sport Horse (OBOS Quality X Omard Clover Queen, by Clover Hill) looked fighting fit across the Co Meath hunt country. They came in an easy 10 seconds under the clock to stay on their dressage score of 28.4, which was a corrected result after their score was originally reported as 29 yesterday.
“Oboe felt like he was back to being his old self. He felt great today. A little wild, a little unridable at times, but unstoppable,” he said.
Will and the Four Star Eventing Group’s Oboe rerouted to Tattersalls after early trouble on cross country at Badminton last month. They later found that Oboe was struggling with a respiratory issue that compromised his performace.
“We were fairly convinced that something wasn’t right with the horse at Badminton. He was coughing all week there, and just seemed dull. Some investigating shortly thereafter showed that he was suffering from some inflammation in his upper airway. This was creating some congestion and restriction in his larynx and causing him to displace his soft palate,” Will explained. “Huge thanks to Richard and Georgina Sheane who organized all the appointments and got him in to see the best people. Bit of recuperation at Cooley Farm seems to have sorted him out.”
Following in third is “Busy” Izzy Taylor with Tom Strong’s Call Me Maggie May. Sixth after dressage, Izzy and the 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood (Hamar x Marijke, by Hemmingway) cruised around the three-star track with no penalties added for a two-phase result of 28.5.
Ryan Wood and Woodstock Bennett. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Riding for Australia — though we’ve claimed him as an honorary American — Ryan Wood and Woodstock Bennett were two of the biggest leaderboard climbers moving from 23rd to 13th after sailing around cross country. They picked up just two time penalties to sit on 37 penalty points.
“I’m thrilled with our first run across the pond for both of us. Bennett was amazing. He’s such a great cross country horse. He didn’t miss a beat and the footing was perfect! We are all very happy,” Ryan said.
This is the 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse’s (Shannondale Sarco X Ponail Belle, by Beau Royale) first apperance back at the CCI3* level since 2016. It’s also this duo’s overseas debut at Tattersalls.
“My experience here has been amazing,” he continued. “The Irish have been very welcoming and know how to put on a great event for horses, riders, owners and spectators. There’s a bar at every corner!”
Of the 42 starters, 32 earned a clear round (76%), with 11 of those rides inside the time. Of the few who came to grief there was none more disappointing than dressage leaders Alex Hua Tian and Don Geniro, who had an early stop at the fifth fence before retiring at fence 17.
Click here to see CCI3* scores after cross country. The competition concludes tomorrow with show jumping beginning at 3:45 p.m. (10:45 a.m. EST).
The CIC3* division is currently show jumping, so stay tuned for more from Tattersalls!
Tattersalls Links: Website, Schedule, Start Times & Results, Live Streaming
