Monday News & Notes from Success Equestrian

My view of Saratoga’s Travers Stakes (above), and, via NYRA, the dead-heat wire (below).

With technology today, races are won or lost by as little as a half-inch, according to ESPN. But between Golden Ticket’s inside drive and Alpha’s ill-timed head-bob, the margin of victory in Saturday’s Travers Stakes was less. At the finish announcer Tom Durkin exasperatedly called it “too close,” and for a couple of minutes we–the sun-, booze-, adrenaline-fueled crowd–stood restless on the rail, a group of women beside me piqued that their longshot bet on 33-1 Golden Ticket was now precariously up in the air. And then, in a red-hued flash of the board, it was confirmed: DEAD HEAT. Alpha, 2-1, would split the $1 Million Stakes $400K/$400K with Golden Ticket, paying $4.10 and $26.80 respectively, cuing instant frenzy. One of the women removed a single stiletto and flung it triumphantly above her head, catching it amusingly, though I think accidentally, in her half-full cocktail. And I wondered, having been lucky enough to witness exciting displays in both the Preakness and Travers Stakes this year, whether I shouldn’t throw a shoe, too.

The Alpha/Golden Ticket Dead Heat isn’t the first in the Travers’ 143-year history; a tie between Attila and Acrobat was decided in a run-off, with Attila emerging victorious. [DRF]

This Weekend in Eventing USA…

Continuing the exciting-wins trend, Becky Holder dominated the Richland Park CIC3*, finishing one-two on Can’t Fire Me and Courgeous Comet, respectively; Boyd and Crackerjack won the CIC2*. Scroll down for lots of fabulous coverage from John and Samantha. [Results]

Your upper level division winners combined, Horse — Rider — Event (Location) – Score:

Advanced

1. Kristen Bond — Are You Ready — Richland Park (Mich.) — 32.00
2. Michael Pollard — Schoensgreen Hanni — Richland Park (Mich.) — 33.50

Intermediate

1. Sydney Conley Elliott — Pancho Villa — Richland Park (Mich.) — 28.0
2. William Coleman — Vancover — Richland Park (Mich.) — 32.4
3T. Natasha Keill — Naughty By Nature — Richland Park (Mich.) — 40.0
3T. Karen O’Neal — Markus — Caber Farm (Wash.) — 40.0

Preliminary

1. Robin Walker – Florenz — Richland Park (Mich.) — 26.1
2. Anna Collier — Gleaming Road — Caber Farm (Wash.) — 28.8
3. Doug Payne — Royal Tribute — Richland Park (Mich.) — 28.9
4. Victoria Jessop — Desert Mystery — Richland Park (Mich.) – 32.3
5. Frankie Thieriot — Uphoria — Shepherd Ranch (Calif.) — 32.5
6. Rachel Jurgens — Ziggy — Caber Farm (Wash.) — 33.0
7. Erin McPherson — McFly — Caber Farm (Wash.) — 33.5
8. Dick Bayly — Sifton — Richland Park (Mich.) — 34.0
9. Dick Bayly — Lauderdale — Richland Park (Mich.) — 35.7
10. Erin Jones — Edmund — Powder Basin (Wyo.) — 36.0
11. Elinor MacPhail — Goodnight Moon — Richland Park (Mich.) — 36.6
12. Barbara Allen — My Main Man — Genessee Valley (N.Y.) — 46.2
13. Christian Eagles — Bugatti — Powder Basin (Wyo.) — 46.9

Full Results: [Caber Farm] [Difficult Run] [Genessee Valley] [Powder Basin] [Richland Park] [Shepherd Ranch] [Valinor Farm]

Events Opening Tomorrow:  The Maryland H.T. at Loch Moy Farm (MD, A-2); Greenwood Farm Inc. Fall H.T. (TX, A-5); The Ethel Walker School (CT, A-1); Grass Ridge H.T. (AZ, A-10); Radnor Hunt H.T. (PA, A-2); Course Brook Farm Fall Horse Trials (MA, A-1); Pine Top October HT (GA, A-3); Fall Horse Trials at the Ark (NC, A-2); Middle Tennessee Pony Club Horse Trials (TN, A-3).

Looks like Michael Jung has another winner on his hands in Halunke FBW, with whom he topped the Haras Du Pin CIC3* World Cup over the weekend. Or is it just starting to look like Jung, like Mark Todd, “could ride a broom and make galloping noises with his tongue – and still win…”? Burghley competitors can rejoice, and spectators lament, that MJ’s name doesn’t appear on the entry list. [Haras du Pin PDF Results]

Countdown to Burghley: 3 Days. [Burghley Entry & Wait Lists] [Burghley Website]

“Keeper’s Cottage (20) is very much related to Cottesmore Leap (21) – the largest eventing fence in the world. It is unchanged from last year but the feint of heart would be well advised not to step and look into the bottom of the ditch! Many riders still won’t walk up to this fence. There is, as ever, an alternative for those that think this is too much.” [Burghley Course Map, Notes & Fence Photos] [Cross-Country Preview Video]

The London Paralympics open Wednesday, with equestrian competition starting Thursday. Team GBR’s Lee Pearson, winner of nine gold medals in the past three Paralympics, hopes to up his count by an additional three this year. Twelve gold medals would make him history’s most decorated Paralympian. [Telegraph] [Paralympic Equestrian Schedule] [Telegraph’s Paralympics Equestrian Guide]

Considering advancing microchip and ID technology, is identification still a justifiable purpose for warmblood branding? [Jurga Report]

After witnessing the standard of riding, owners who lent London Olympic pentathlon horses are unsure whether they’d lend again. [Horse & Hound]

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