Will Faudree and Pawlow. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Good morning from Rolex! We’ve just seen the first group go here on the first day of dressage, and Will Faudree and Pawlow are leading the way so far on a score of 49.8, the only pair to crack the 40s so far. The test was extremely smooth, with Will sneaking in beautiful changes you practically missed if you blinked. It was perhaps a touch quiet, but that’s a trend we’ve seen across the board this morning, particularly in the canter work. No one has really pushed for a “wow” moment yet, so I’m waiting to see some real moments of brilliance.
Marilyn Little and RF Demeter. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Marilyn Little and RF Demeter probably went for it more than anyone else in the canter work, and she was rewarded with a score of 51.3. That’s right on par with what they scored at Pau (51.2), and though I’m sure she would have liked to dip into the 40s, that score should still put them in a very competitive place. William Fox-Pitt and Seacookie TSF are following them in third place on 51.5, definitely a lower score then we typically see from them. The test was going beautifully until the second to last change when Cookie stumbled through the movement and broke to trot, which unfortunately threw off their rhythm.
William Fox-Pitt and Seacookie TSF. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Phillip Dutton and Trading Aces are in fourth place in the early going on 52.5, and I thought Phillip rode him a bit conservatively. That said, all the changes were clean, and this horse can be tricky with those, which probably contributed to his decision to keep the lid on in the canter work. Boyd Martin watched ringside and seemed happy with the test. Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti round out the top five on 54.7. The final pair to go before the break, they were on track for a very good score until the changes, when Rotti was a bit naughty.
Phillip Dutton and Trading Aces. Photo by Jenni Autry.
We just had a quick 20-minute break this morning, so I’ll be back with much more during the lunch break, including more photos. In the meantime, be sure to follow along with John’s open thread here and hop on the live blog, where John, AJ and Leslie are providing commentary. And you never know who will swing by here at Rolex to offer their own analysis, so you don’t want to miss it. Rick and Elisa Wallace are currently providing commentary in the live blog. Go Rolex!
