Tiana and Finian
Tiana and her exquisite gray gelding Ringwood Magister put together a beautiful test this morning to take the dressage lead with only 10 more pairs to compete this afternoon. Ringwood Magister looked very fresh when Tiana started circling the arena before their test, but he settled in nicely. Tiana managed Finian’s energy to perfection and she asked for just the right amount. The incredible thing is that as he learns to relax in this type of atmosphere there is a lot more that Tiana will be able to ask for at future competitions. “Finian” has an incredible presence in the arena–he’s a wonderful horse to watch perform and seems to love the big time stage.
Friday Morning Score Board:
1. Tiana Coudray and Ringwood Magister 40.8
2. Allison Springer and Arthur 42.3
3. Mary King and King’s Temptress 47.7
4. Will Coleman and Twizzel 48.2
5. Kim Severson and Tipperary Liadhnan 48.5
6. Boyd Martin and Remington 49.0
7. Clayton Fredericks and Be My Guest 50.2
–Surprisingly, only one rider from the morning jumped into the top 6. Tiana and Allison are well out ahead of the pack. Looking at the afternoon pairs, there are a few with good shots to take the lead.
—Mark Todd and Grass Valley had a nice test but they are well back in 13th a 51.8. With the soggy footing there’s no doubt that this won’t be a dressage competition but I am a bit nervous about my pick to win at this point. Fellow Kiwi Joe Meyer is tied with Mark in 13th.
[Friday Morning Dressage Photos]
–Looking at the scoreboard, there are the top two with a big lead, and then the 3rd through 20th pairs are separated by just 8 points.
–Clayton Fredericks and Be My Guest moved into 7th with a 50.2. The mare was 3rd at Burghley last year and most notably has the floppiest ears and lower lip I have ever seen on a horse. Relaxation is a vast understatement.
–R-Star was the second impressive gray of the morning and although she didn’t have the most accurate test, her movements and presentation was lovely to move into 10th. R-Star has come a long way from last year and has a lot more upside.
–Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master had perhaps the best trot work of the weekend but lost things a bit in the canter. They are still in great shape as the highest placed Canadians so far.
–Karen O’Connor and Quintus had the tough task of following Tiana and Finian. Quin keeps improving and as his performances keep getting closer to his talent, his scores will keep improving. The ceiling is very high for this horse.
–Sitting next to Silva and listening to her commentary on the live blog was a great experience. Silva had some incredibly insightful observations and I learned a lot just listening to her.
That’s all for now. Check back soon for much more from a partly cloudy and brisk Rolex. Go eventing.
