Sally Cousins and Ideal Contini. Photo by Jenni Autry.
That’s a wrap for Open Intermediate cross country at Pine Top! After both divisions ran, Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive won Open Intermediate 2 here at on a final score of 32.0, with Will Coleman and Conair and Jessica Phoenix and Exponential finishing in second and third place. Sally Cousins and Ideal Contini were the big winners in Open Intermediate 3, with Sinead Halpin and Manoir de Carneville and Jan Byyny and Syd Kent rounding out the top three. Here’s how all the action went down on cross country:
Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Phillip and Jack moved up from third place overnight with a clear trip and 2.8 time penalties to finish on 34.2. Will Coleman and Conair kept their second place position, adding 6.8 time penalties. Jessica Phoenix and Exponential, the overnight leaders in this division, slipped to third with 8.4 time penalties. Waylon Roberts and Yarrow moved up from sixth to finish in fourth place on their score of 42 after adding 8.4 time penalties. And Kim Severson and Cooley Cross Border round out the top five, moving up from ninth place with 6 time penalties to finish on a final score of 42.5.
Sinead Halpin and Manoir de Carneville. Photo by Jenni Autry.
The top five on the Open Intermediate 3 leaderboard all swapped places, with Sally and Taz moving up from fourth to win thanks to a clear cross-country trip from with just 2.4 time penalties for a final score of 32.0. Sinead Halpin and Manoir de Carneville had six time penalties, which dropped them into second place by just .3 points on 32.3. Jan Byyny and Syd Kent also slid one place with 6.4 time penalties to finish third on 34.6. Colleen Loach and Long Island T drop one place, also with 6.4 time penalties, and Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa round out the top five with eight time penalties for a final score of 38.4.
Will Coleman and Conair. Photo by Jenni Autry.
The course rode very smoothly for both divisions, with no one making the time. In Open Intermediate 2, Amy Ruth Borun and Casarino had the only stop on course at the coffin complex. Chelsea Martin and Bleak House retired following the water complex. Her barnmates mentioned to me the retirement was part of Chelsea’s plan all along, as the horse is still building fitness for the season. In Open Intermediate 3, Julie Richards and Beaulieu’s Cayenne had a stop at fence 15, and Jessica Phoenix and Patras VR parted ways at the second water complex. I didn’t see their fall, but they were reported as being just fine after the mishap.
I still have video to upload of the Open Intermediate cross country. For now, I’m out to snag riders for interviews. In the meantime, you can see how the first water complex rode in the CIC2* star over on this post. Go Pine Top!
[Open Intermediate 2 Final Scores] [Open Intermediate 3 Final Scores]
