There are two ways Sinead could have responded to being questionably and heartbreakingly left off of the US Olympic team. She could have gotten frustrated, grumbled, given up, and headed home to prepare for next season (and she would have been pretty darn justified in doing so). Or she could head to Burghley and take the overnight lead into the show jumping. Sinead chose to do the later. She jumped the Burghley cross-country on Saturday aboard Manoir De Carneville clear and seven seconds under the optimum time. For the first time in recent memory and in an era when US eventing has struggled to even complete overseas events, the the stars and stripes fly atop the Burghley leader board on Saturday night. You can argue whether it is fair or worthwhile to ask whether Sinead and Tate should have made the Olympic team, but there’s no doubt in my mind that after today the answer to the hypothetical question is a resounding and obvious YES.
Sinead will head into the show jumping with a rail in hand, 5.5 points ahead of Andrew Nicholson and Avebury. Second placed after the dressage, Andrew Nicholson and Avebury picked up just 0.8 time penalties to give Andrew a collective 2 seconds total over the optimum on two rides today.
Allison Springer and Arthur, Tate’s stable mate from Maizey Manor, continued the excellent day for the United States by coming home clear with ears pricked and adding just 9.2 time penalties to their dressage score and finishing Saturday in 7th. Allison and Arthur advanced their string of great 2011 performances today and they are poised for another top four-star finish.
Erin Sylvester and No Boundaries finished the course, picking up 20 jumping penalties at the Rolex combination and 27.2 time. Kristi Nunnink and R-Star jumped clear with 30.4 time penalties to head into the show jumping on a score of 79.9 in 32nd. Will Faudree fell from Andromaque at the Dairy Mound steps. Both horse and rider were reportedly standing up quickly and alright. Kate Hicks and Belmont completed the course provisionally clear with 52.4 time penalties.
Only three four pairs — Sinead and Tate, Andrew Nicholson and Avebury, and Mark Todd with Major Milestone, and Oli Townend with Armada — finished clear and inside the time. New Zealand has 4 riders in the top 10, the USA has 2, Great Britain has 2, Australia has one, and Ireland has one. 9 pairs finished with a stop, 9 were eliminated, and 16 retired.
Sinead’s performance will be the headliner from today, but perhaps the fact that four out of six US starters came home clear at Burghley is just as big of a story. Whether today is a mere coincidence or a sign that brighter skies are already shining over US eventing, I couldn’t be prouder of our horses and riders representing the USA at Burghley today.
Sinead and Tate are 3 for 3 clear rounds at CCI4*’s, including Rolex ’11 and Burghley ’11, where they finished 15th after 4.8 time on the cross-country and two rails in the show jumping. Tate continued his perfect career of clean FEI cross-country rides today. Go Sinead and Tate and go USA!
