Shiraz in the CIC3*, via Samantha
Samantha has been one scene at the Plantation CIC3* and horse trials all day. Be sure to follow the action live with Samantha’s tweets, which always include awesome photos. You can follow the official Plantation Twitter feed here. Samantha will be along later with a full CIC3* recap, and until then here is a quick look at how things went in the advanced division.
Plantation very well might be able to boast the best field from top to bottom of any event remaining on the US 2012 calendar because it stretches from CIC3* down to preliminary and because some of the horses entered in the upper level divisions are targeting overseas events like Pau (Shiraz) and Boekelo (Cambalda, Atlas, Loughan Glen, and Downtown Harrison).
Clark Montgomery and Boekelo-bound Loughan Glenn predictably lead the way in the advanced through the dressage and show jumping. Clark heads into the cross-country with a 4.2 point lead on 24.8. Phillip and Atlas are second on a 29.0 after a fantastic dressage test and a rail in the show jumping. Buck is 3rd and 4th with Mar De Amor and Park Trader respectively. Jon Holling is beating his Boekelo bound horse, Downtown Harrison (8T) aboard DHI Zatopek B, in 7th. The good news for Jon is that Will added just 4 penalties in the show jumping today as yet another sign that they are completely back on track. Cambalda is competing in the CIC3*.
As usual, the show jumping was difficult for the advanced with just 4 double-clears out of 22 jumpers. The CIC3* riders will have definitely paid attention to how the course rode for the advanced. I’m assuming that, as usual, the Plantation show jumping ran on the tough grass course. I think I pulled 5 rails on that intermediate course in my last trip to Plantation–no fun.
Stay tuned for much more from Samantha throughout the weekend. Somehow I got conned into competing in a 20 mile team adventure race on Saturday involving running, mountain biking, and canoeing. This is unfortunate because I don’t really run, bike, or canoe. My plan is to find and hijack a horse–there’s no way the organizers have thought to ban that. Go eventing.
