Rainy Friday afternoon Poplar Place Update

Jessica Phoenix on Extraordinaire in the CIC*

Jessie models how to wear a rain jacket for dressage and still look presentable – some other riders didn’t pull the look off quite so well – bright colours, flapping hoods, logos – not so much.  Still others chose vanity over trying to stay vaguely dry and didn’t bother with one at all. Granted Jessie could model a bin liner and look stunning, and yes, I know it shouldn’t make a difference, but it is part of presentation, and I think it does perhaps a tiny bit. 

1. Seeing Port Authority come back, and in such a convincing fashion with Steph Rhodes-Bosch. Of course the true test will be tomorrow, but in some ways hopefully Steph has already hurdled the worst hump, the enormous disappointment, the long slow re-hab and now she has lovely Ollie back, and looking simply stunning. I managed to chat to Hawley briefly after her test who said Canadian Team Coach David O’Connor has been urging her and Steph to really ride forward in the tests and that was definitely evident this afternoon. Steph came into the ring meaning business, there wasn’t one single tentative stride and Ollie is moving like a demon. He fluffed one canter change, and if there’s anyone harder on Steph than Steph they should be slapped so I know she’ll be analysing and going over her test in minute detail, but I hope she’ll also give herself and her horse a massive pat on the back, and an extra one from me! 

2. Watching Hawley Bennet-Awad and Gin’n’Juice do their test – they have such a great partnership, and although the only indication of any tension was Ginny’s slight shortening of the neck, especially in canter you could only tell how well they’d both held it together at the end walking out when Hawley dropped her reins and Ginny motored out on the verge of jogging and looked ready to explode!  I think EN John will like this picture in particular because his benchmark for a good shot is if he can catch the horse with all it’s legs off the ground, quite a low bar! Let’s hope David O’Connor also likes it as I know he’s rather more fussy about his photos!  I spoke to Hawley later on, and after she’d finished answering my questions about her horses, she wanted to make sure I realised how amazing her girls, Natalia Gurmankin and Tessa Beckett are. I’ll hopefully be able to bring you much more from them soon, but in a nutshell – Natalia, Tessa and her mother all made the mammoth drive from the West Coast to Poplar over three days last week. Natalia on Hail and Tessa on Sound Prospect are both riding their own OTTB’s in the Advanced, and lie in 4th and 5th places overnight after dressage – pretty impressive! All the live scores are here

3.  Fresh off winning the Jockey Club TIP award at Red Hills, Lara Borson-Knight and Shooby Do slip into second place in Intermediate Rider after dressage behind Ellie McPhail. Ellie and boyfriend Nate Chambers might be up for the cutest couple award – I caught them holding hands walking the cross country although they stopped when they saw me coming – Love’s young dream! After The Fork they’ll relocate to their new base in Ohio, and then Nate will cover all the bases there while Ellie spends a couple of months back in Virginia training with the O’Connors in the lead up to Bromont. 

4.  Missy Ransehousen and Critical Decision move into the lead. Although I think Missy will agree with me if I say this wasn’t their best test there were still enough good moments, and BG is so correct in his foundation that the few bobbles didn’t matter. Missy is great to watch ride a test too, as were so many of these top riders today; certainly no-one had an easy time of it, but the professionals especially seem to ride the test regardless, still try and squeeze the most out of each movement, use their corners, take their time, react to the horse, adjust, be proactive, still really ride the test in the arena, rather than be overcome by the situation and let it happen to you. MIssy sits so quietly and still, and as huge as BG is, in his excitement he seemed to grow an extra couple of hands, and yet as small as Missy is she is as strong as an ox too, and has a long-standing partnership with him and was able to bring out the best in him. 

5.  Heather Gillette rode a really beautiful test on Our Questionnaire, without her face mask, although I saw her riding with it back on later. I bumped into her a few times during the course of the day and each time I walked away smiling with that nice feeling you get – she’s good people! Go Heather! 

Lily and Cody Sturgess’ lovely mare Imperial Melody

6.  The highlights and the lowlights – having my kids with me! Great for me, hell for them! 

A massive thank you to Nicole P
arkin, who rides the lovely
Lexus who I covet, currently 7th in the Advanced and Shotgun Express doing his first Intermediate this weekend. Nicole is one of those lucky people who always finds four leaf clovers; she found two just today and she very kindly gave them to my kids, who have wasted many hours of their short lives already stroking the grass with their hands searching for them while I watch events/talk to riders etc to no avail. Lily and Harry were thrilled, literally gobsmacked, they didn’t know what to say, so on behalf of them, thank you Nicole! Please God, I hope you have good rounds this weekend, or I’ll be convinced they stole your luck and never forgive myself!

Speaking of which – kids, luck, random musings…! 

The EN Renegade – one day, John, one day!