Top Ten Contender Held in MARS Maryland 5* Final Horse Inspection

Overnight leaders Tim Price and Coup de Coeur Dudevin. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Phew. Is there anything more bum-clenchingly tense than a final horse inspection? Even here at the MARS Maryland 5 Star p/b Brown Advisory, in which horses have enjoyed exceptionally good going and looked to finish brilliantly yesterday, this morning’s proceedings weren’t without dramatics.

Hannah Sue Hollberg and Harbour Pilot: the sole hold of the morning, but accepted on re-presentation. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Just 21 of yesterday’s 22 finishers presented to the the Ground Jury of Christian Landolt (SUI), Gretchen Butts (USA), Judy Hancock (GBR), following the overnight withdrawal of Canada’s Lisa Marie Fergusson and Honor Me. Three horses warranted a second look during the course of the morning, though just one was sent to the holding box for further investigation and a second inspection: that was Hannah Sue Hollberg‘s nineteen-year-old Harbour Pilot, who sits eighth overnight on 31.8 in what will be the final event of their long, storied partnership.

Tamie Smith and Danito. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Fortunately, we’re delighted to report that they were subsequently accepted into the competition, as were Jennie Brannigan‘s FE Lifestyle (6th on 31.5 and presented for his rider by Great Britain’s Harry Meade, who snuck a curtsey to the ground jury in there!) and Tamie Smith‘s Danito (2nd on 29.4), who were both asked to trot a second time.

Harry Meade tips a curtsey to the ground jury before presenting Jennie Brannigan’s FE Lifestyle. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Our compact, classy field of 21 heads into the showjumping finale, designed by Ken Krome, from 2.00 p.m. Eastern time (7.00 p.m. BST/11.00 a.m. Pacific). Last year, we saw an influential final phase here, and the stage is certainly set for one again: there’s less than a rail between the top five, and less than two between the top twelve. To add to the excitement, each of our top three — leaders Tim Price‘s Coup de Coeur Dudevin, second-placed Tamie Smith‘s Danito, and third-placed Oliver Townend‘s As Is — are first-time five-star horses, none of whom will have tackled a challenge like this before.

It’ll be a real nail-biter, folks, but us EN-ers have always found special ways to cope with the nerves. We’re thrilled to announce that dressage leader Woods Baughman took us up on our hoedown challenge, and you’ll get to see the results — in all their arrhythmic glory — very soon. If we committed career suicide this morning, at least we went down swinging.

Here’s a refresher of the top ten after cross-country, with the full scores available here. Go Eventing!

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