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Eventing Competition Coverage: September 2010 Archives

USEF Boekelo CCI3* Grants

By John on September 27, 2010 10:18 AM, Filed Under
Wiki Commons

In some non-WEG news, four US riders are scheduled to travel to the Boekelo CCI3* in the Netherlands from October 14th to the 17th with funding from a USEF training grant.  The Boekelo funding was announced earlier this year as part of the USEF's developing riders efforts.

Will Faudree and Andromaque
Doug Payne and Running Order
Sinead Halpin and Manoir dr Carneville
Tiana Coudray and Ringwood Magister

The horses are scheduled to leave the US on the 9th.  The USEF will cover travel expenses and other incentives based on the final placings.  Of course, we will have inside coverage of the Boekelo trip, but, due to WEG mania, this will probably be the last that we will write about Boekelo until after the Games, unless there is a last minute change to the list of horses being sent.  Read more about Sinead's travel plans on her blog.  Hopefully the Boekelo trip will go better for the US than Blenheim, where none of the horses who shipped to Blenheim from the US finished without a stop.  Go eventing.
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AEC combined test results

By John on September 13, 2010 5:05 AM, Filed Under
You do not want to miss a second on Eventing Nation over the next couple of days.  For our one or two readers who haven't noticed Eventign Nation's pattern, we usually do a morning, lunchtime, and afternoon/evening post each day and breaking news as it happens.  Rest assured--there will be breaking news in the next couple of days as both the US and Canadian teams get named.  I also have a bunch of analysis, inside info, and ridiculous commentary to get to on Monday and Tuesday.  Don't worry selectors--I have already done all the work for you.  But, before we ruffle everyone's feathers, I thought I'd start the week off with a nice and easy AEC follow-up post.  

One of the complications posed to the selectors at the AECs is that different riders had different strategies on the cross-country and some horses didn't even run cross-country.  So looking at the full competition results as a measure of performance is pretty useless without a contextual understanding.  The only two phases at the AECs where every rider put their full effort into getting the best score possible are the dressage and show jumping.  Therefore, as one exercise to analyze the selection trials results, I have composed a combined test leaderboard.  This combined test leaderboard is the only full effort head-to-head competition that the entire short list has had against each other--ever.  Obviously, this only represents the dressage and show jumping performance at one event, so it should be very much taken as one tiny piece of the entire selection puzzle.  

1. Allison Springer and Arthur  35.7  +4  =  39.7
2. Phillip Dutton and The Foreman  41.5  +0  =  41.5
3. Phillip Dutton and Woodburn  42.3  +0  =  42.3
4. Phillip and Connaught  42.8  +0  =  42.8
5. Karen and Mandiba  42.8  +0  =  42.8
6. Boyd and Remington  43.8  +0  =  43.8
7. Stephen Bradley and Brandenburg's Joshua  43.8  +0  =  43.8
8. Will Faudree and Pawlow  44.0  +0  =  44.0
9. Kim Severson and Tipperary Liadhnan  44.5  +0  =  44.5
10. Phillip and TruLuck  45.3  +0  =  45.3
11. Becky Holder and Courageous Comet  41.5  +4  =  45.5
12. Buck and My Boy Bobby  46.8  +0  = 46.8
13. Buck and Ballynoecastle RM  47.5  +4  =  51.5
14. Boyd and Neville  48.5  48.5  +4  =  52.5
15. Amy Tryon and Leyland  46.8  +8  =  54.8
16. Holly Hudspeth and Last Monarch  55.2  +0  =  55.2
17. Buck and Titanium  57.0  +5  =  62.0

1. Hawley Bennet-Awad and Gin & Guice  46.0  +4  = 50.0
2. Selena O'Hanlon and Colombo  48.8  +7  =  55.8
3. Steph Rhodes-Bosch and Port Authority  53.3  +4  =  57.3
4. Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master  56.5  +2  =  58.5
5. Jessica Phoenix and Exponential  59.7  +0  =  59.7
6. Ian Roberts and Napalm  59.7  +1  =  60.1
7. Diana Burnett and Manny  50.7  +15  =  65.7
8. Kyle Carter and Madison Park 64.0  +6  =  70.0

So, now that we have figured out whose going to be on the WEG teams, let's all take a coffee break, right?  Hardly.  But these rankings do bear some interesting findings.  For example, The Foreman beat Woodburn by 0.8 points; is that enough to help justify taking the older horse with more mileage?  Probably not.  Remington beat Neville by 9 points; is that enough to take the horse who has only been to one 4* over the horse who has proven himself at several?  Perhaps.  The highest placed Canadian scored three points higher than the 12th placed US rider; is this a concern?  Maybe, but of course looking at the combined test doesn't consider the XC, which is where the Canadians really moved up at Rolex.  

My main point is that comparing pairs of riders and horses in eventing is extremely hard because there are an almost infinite number of factors to consider.  We'll give it our best shot here on Eventing Nation over these next couple of days, but I certainly wouldn't want to be one of the selectors right now.
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As a complete aside, I'd like to give a big thanks to the Chattahoochee Hills, the USEA, and all the volunteers for putting on a great event at the AECs.  I don't consider myself a member of the media, but Emily and Josh at the USEA were kind enough to make the seating, electrical plugins, and free Gatorade at the media center available to me throughout the weekend.


Kat's COTH recap explains that Phillip jumped double clear on all 5 of his horses


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AEC's-Haley-and-Eliza.jpg
Another way to have fun at the AEC's....dirtbiking on the Land Rover Course! In this picture is Harley (competing in Junior Training) and Eliza (competing in Training Horse).  Thanks for sending us the photo Eliza--we always love getting fun photos from our readers at events.  Go eventing.
8

Blenheim Results

By John on September 12, 2010 10:50 PM, Filed Under
I hope everyone has enjoyed our late night Blenheim updates nearly as much as I have enjoyed finishing them.  William Fox-Pitt jumped a clean round on Sunday to win the Blenheim CCI3* with Parklane Hawk.  Like Saturday, show jumping brought the Americans competing at Blenheim mixed results.


Will Coleman had a tense moment in the show jumping when Nevada Bay slipped but kept things together and jumped one of the first double-clears of the day.  Sharon White had two rails and a time penalty with Rafferty's Rules.  Madeline Blackman did not show jump Gordonstown.  UK based Julian Stiller and Salsa had four jumping penalties and finished as the highest placed US pair in 34th.  A lot of money was spent to send the US horses over for Blenheim, and I doubt anyone is satisfied with two stops and a withdraw but the process of investing in young talent is going to involve ups and downs.



Julian is based in the UK and trains with Mark Todd

Go eventing.
5

Show Jumping Recap

By John on September 12, 2010 1:24 PM, Filed Under
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It's Katie Prudent's team on Sundays

(1) The fact that Becky and Comet won the AECs and the US World Equestrian Games selection trials is certainly impressive, but the win needs to be put in context.  Ten horses were within a rail of Comet's dressage score and of those ten, eight show jumped double-clear and all of them could have made the time on the cross-country if they had tried to do so.  My point is that the selection trials results would have been a lot different if the entire US short list had gone all out for the win.

(2) Whoever decided to have show jumping legend Katie Prudent help the US team with their show jumping deserves a gold medal just for that decision.  Katie has transformed the look of the US eventers in the show jumping and clear rounds are starting to become the expected result.  The riders I spoke with really respect her no-nonsense approach and said they are starting to feel like show jumpers on Sunday rather than eventers.  My favorite thing about Katie is that she watched every short lister in every phase this weekend.  Katie watched the dressage all day on Friday and was out on the XC course watching on Saturday--and she had some pretty strong opinions about the cross-country rides.  Not that Katie would want the job, but I nominate Katie to be the US eventing team's next coach--applications are being accepted now, after all.

(3) The crown jewel of Katie's work with the team has been the complete resurrection of Tipperary Liadhnan's show jumping.   After a stop in the Rolex show jumping and 4 rails at Bromont, everyone sighed with regret that the horse's fabulous dressage and cross-country wouldn't have a chance to make the WEG squad.  But Kim has worked with Katie literally every week through the summer, taking lessons on multiple horses.  In August we reported that Kim and Paddy had a successful jumper show with Katie in Kentucky.  At Richland the pair pulled just one rail and I wrote that Paddy was finally working with Kim and helping her out when necessary.  Kim knew that the show jumping at the AECs would make or break her WEG hopes and she used the tools that Katie has given her to jump a double clear.  

I tried to not cluck for Paddy too loudly behind the camera, but I couldn't help myself


(4) Speaking of clutch performances, I knew Karen would ride great after yesterday's mishap and she did not disappoint with a double-clear.  Mandiba jumped bigger than I have ever seen him and that gives Mandiba three straight big time clean rounds dating back to his win at Rebecca Farm.

(5) Along with hackamores, bonnets are all the rage these days amongst top eventers.  Arthur, Woodburn, Ballynoecastle, and several other advanced horses all competed in bonnets.  The idea is that bonnets muffle external sound and help keep the horses focused.  Hackamores have been trendy for a while, but I noticed Phillip switched back to a bit on Woodburn after trying a hackamore at Richland.

(6) Nate Chambers and Rolling Stone had two rails to drop from second to third, but Nate should be pleased with the improvement from his last couple of competitions.  Nate rode his round using a 'bicycle grip,' which means he held the reins in the palms of his hands with all 4 fingers wrapped around them and the ends connected to the bit coming out the front and covered by his thumbs.   The bicycle grip is a great training tool because it makes you use your reins in a correct opening and leading technique, but you sacrifice some control with the hands.

(7) The Saturday heat and humidity really stressed some of the horses and there were multiple colics Saturday night, most due to dehydration.  All the horses are fine, but it's something to keep in mind as the training for the WEGs continues over the next couple of weeks.


(8) I was completely shocked at how well Remington jumped for Boyd.  I have been writing this whole year about how Remington is all-effort, but Boyd has been working as hard as anyone this summer and Remington looked downright athletic today and cleared the show jumps with ease.  This spring, there's no way I ever would have imagined that the team might select Remington over Neville Bardos, but I'm not so sure anymore.  

(9) The time was a factor in the show jumping, with over 15 horses having time penalties.  Several of the riders, mostly Canadians, took a tight angle over the 9th fence and cut inside of another fence on their way to the triple bar.  The later riders had fewer time penalties as the word got around to ride forward through between the fences.  

(10) The US and Canadian teams will make their selections in the next two days.  The US squad will stay at Chattahoochee Hills and the Canadians will head down to the OCET training facility in Ocala, Florida until they leave for Kentucky.

(11) The show jumping felt a little strange because the short listed horses that withdrew on Saturday morning or retired early on course jumped before and after the horses that were still competing--so Becky finished and then five more jumped.  I'm not sure if we should read anything into the order of the withdrawn horses, but Neville, Bobby, and Woodburn were the last to jump for their riders.  Of course, we will have much more wild and ridiculous speculation about the teams over the next 24 hours.  Go eventing.
6

Becky Holder and Courageous Comet win

By John on September 12, 2010 11:28 AM, Filed Under
beckyholder_aecs.jpg
Carl Bouckaert congratulates Becky on her win

Becky Holder and Courageous Comet pulled one rail in the show jumping but still won the advanced division of the AECs by 9 points.  The biggest news of the day with respect to WEG selection is that Kim Severson and Tipperary Liadhnan jumped a double clear show jumping round.  Much more including more videos soon in our SJ recap post.


1. Becky and Courageous Comet +4  45.5
2. Will Faudree and Pawlow +0  50.8
3. Nate Chambers and Rolling Stone +8  56.0
4. Kim Severson and Tipperary Liadhnan +0  56.1
5. Stephen Bradley and Brandenburg's Joshua +0  57.8




10

Show Jumping Sunday

By John on September 12, 2010 8:06 AM, Filed Under
Link: Live AEC scores--Advanced starts at 8:45am ET


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Today is maybe the most important day of the selection trials for the US team hopefuls.  All eyes will be on Tipperary Liadhnan and Courageous Comet in particular, but a 2+ rail performance by anyone will be a big cause for concern.  The Canadians have a really strong squad of show jumpers and Kyle Carter will be looking to put in a good round after having a bit malfunction at Richland.

The internet speeds at Chattahoochee are just slow enough to prevent a live blog and I want to avoid a repeat of the infamous Fair Hill live blog moment: "And now Phillip is entering the arena" [followed by 2 minutes of silence as I tried to reconnect to the internet].  We will have results and video minutes after the final ride.  Go eventing.
5

Blenheim XC

By John on September 11, 2010 9:26 PM, Filed Under
That photo was taken of Laura Collett at the Blenheim high jump competition.  I'm not sure why anyone would bother running XC after jumping like that, but the cross-country went on at Blenheim nonetheless.  In the CCI3*, William Fox-Pitt jumped a double clear to take a slight lead over Ruth Edge and Carnival Prince.  

Links: Blenheim XC results, ECOGOLD's blog, British newspaper

The Yanks had a bad day, with Will Coleman and Sharon White picking up a stop each.  I really like Nevada Bay and Rafferty's Rules and there's no doubt we will see both of those horses rebounding soon.   The highest placed US rider is Julian Stiller in 41st place with Salsa.  Madeline Blackman and Gordonstown had a solid round with 16.4 time penalties.


I wonder what happens if you gallop across the water outside of the fences.

Thanks to CM for sending the link to Laura's photo.
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AEC Links: USEF Press Release, Beginner Novice photos, Kat's COTH recap reminds us that David fell at the final selection trials for the 2000 Olympics
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7 horses galloped Saturday morning at the AECs

By John on September 11, 2010 8:03 PM, Filed Under
aecgallops.jpg

But I thought you said there were only going to be 6 horses galloping this morning?  That was the plan as I heard it up until Friday night, but the decision was made to also exempt TruLuck from the XC.  This decision made the list of gallopers 7 horses long--Truluck, Woodburn, The Foreman, Bobby, Ballynoecastle, Neville, and Remington.  

I got up early to watch the gallops at dawn and--sure enough--7 horses ran up that hill.  Phillip led a group of his three up the hill, then Buck followed with his two, and then Boyd rode Remington and Neville each himself.  I recorded all of the gallops in the video below, but I missed Boyd's gallop on Neville because I was chatting with someone and didn't get my camera turned on in time.


Recall that all the US short listers went to Richland except for Connaught and Truluck.  The Foreman and Woodburn went to Richland were inspected on Monday after Richland and then the decision was made to exempt them from the XC at the AECs.  The point is that unlike the six other horses that galloped this morning, Truluck has not been recently examined by team vets following an event where he ran XC.  Another consideration is that Truluck has not competed since he placed 3rd at Rebecca Farm in July.  All that being said, I have no doubt that Phillip and Truluck would run clean and fast at the WEGs, and the other thing to think about is that it's big bad Woodburn all the way right now.

As you would expect, there are some riders who aren't happy that some short listed horses didn't have to run XC on Saturday and others did.  Such concerns are of course to be expected, but I can sympathize with the sentiment regarding horses that are proven on XC.  That being said, it's a moot point now and the key is to get everyone show jumping well tomorrow.  The advanced show jumping starts at 8:45am ET Sunday.  Go eventing.


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What just happened?

By John on September 11, 2010 1:37 PM, Filed Under
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An early morning photo of the stakes marking off the aggravated/treated footing

The competition here at the AECs and the complexity of the WEG team selection decisions provide so many exciting story lines on Saturday afternoon that I barely know where to start.  Let's begin at the top of the advanced division.

(1) The word from early this morning was that Becky had every intention to go out and make the time on Comet and we all know a clean, fast round around an advanced horse trials is no sweat for Comet.  Becky looked superb the entire way around and certainly makes a good impression to the selectors by taking a big lead in the selection trials.

(2) The dressage leaders, Allison Springer and Arthur had a sticky moment early in their round (see the video) but they got things going and looked very solid throughout the rest of the course.  31 time penalties dropped the pair to 15th place, but I applaud Allison for looking after Arthur.

(3) Hawley Bennet (CAN) with Gin and Juice and Amy Tryon with Leyland skipped the back loop of the course.  Amy pulled up after the water and Hawley finished the shortened course that I described yesterday.  The fence judges were all notified this morning that riders might be modifying their course and the process went smoothly.  Hawley and "Ginny" had a surprising stop at #4B, a skinny after the mound.  The sun was playing a factor at #4B and I still think they will make the Canadian team because of Ginny's 9th at Rolex.

(4) There was a lot of discussion about the XC course footing leading up to Saturday, but David was out with the aggravator again Saturday morning and the teams wisely put markers down to help the riders stay on the treated footing.  From what I have heard, the Canadian team was more specific about telling each rider what they wanted them to do, while the US team left the decision more up to the riders.  Most of the US and Canadian riders decided to run the full course but took their time doing so.


(5) Karen's stop with Mandiba at fence #2 was absolutely shocking because we have come to expect perfection from Karen lately.  Number two was a pretty simple galloping fence but Karen seemed indecisive about the distance and Mandiba didn't help her out.  Karen always rides at her very best when she is angry and she rode the rest of the course beautifully.  Word is that the selector's were not terribly upset and today by no means takes Mandiba out of contention for the WEGs.

(6) Much to the XC spectators' amusement, several PRO riders helped Giles the announcer with the announcing for the advanced division.  Boyd and Doug worked for about an hour and you can imagine the ridiculousness that ensued.  They were relieved by Jon Holling and Leslie Law who brought a more serious tone to the day, and then Nate Chambers wrapped things up.  Boyd mentioned that Nate will be doing free autograph signings and dance lessons tonight at the competitors' party, so I'm sure that's exciting news for some of our female readers.  

(7) Mary Bess Sigman had a tough fall at the log corner at #18B.  I saw frame by frame photos of the fall--Guinness X stood off the fence a good distance and put his legs down in the middle of the corner.  Fortunately the back rail was frangible and deployed.  Guinness rolled over Mary but they both were fine and walked away.  The response time of the medical and veterinary personnel was exquisite, but perhaps too good as Jennifer Simmons and JB's Star had a glance off at #15B as about 7 cars including an ambulance were overtaking them rushing to where Guinness fell.  


(8) Amy Tryon's stirrup fell off a few fences into her ride with Coal Creek.  It's not like we need any more evidence of Amy's toughness, but she rode about 10 more fences with one stirrup before deciding to pull up.

(9) The selectors are paying attention to more than just WEG selection this weekend.  Sinead Halpin and Manoir de Careville had an excellent ride with just 2.8 time penalties to move up from 22nd to 4th.  Laine Ashker looked great as well with Anthony Patch.  Both Laine and Sinead seem like very strong candidates for grants to go to the Boekelo CCI3* in Holland later this year.  The US will help fund 4 riders to go to Boekelo.

(10) The word in the barns all week had been that the advanced XC course looked pretty small and straightforward, but 8 out of 38 starters had problems, including two short listers.  Will prophetically told me yesterday that you have to be really careful not to take for granted these courses that riders might label as simple.  Will had two beautiful rides today and once again finds himself near the top of the leader board with Pawlow.  Whatever happens with the selections, Pawlow has answered every question that has been put in front of him.  You can say the same for Last Monarch, who looked in top form today as well.

(11) One of the most influential jumps on the course was #18B, which caused Erika Treis Pterson and Mary Bess Sigman to fall.  The drop at #12A had really soft footing in front of the ground line and caused sticky drops down all day.  The great Chattahoochee crew did all they could to repair the sand at #12A, but Snooza Alarm was eliminated at that fence.  The skinny over the mound at #4B caught Jennifer Wooten - DaFoe with Nabouco De Lessey in addition to Gin and Juice.  The turning skinny combination at #15 caused several problems as well.  The advanced division started at 8:30am to preserve the horses from the afternoon heat, but several  of the early riders told me that there were some real issues with shadows and glare from the rising sun.  The second half or riders had fewer jumping issues than the first half.  

(12) Several riders who won't get a lot of attention from the media because they are not team hopefuls rode really well today.  Sinead, Nate, and Laine obviously come to mind, and I would add Holly Payne with Madeline and Jennifer Wooten-DaFoe on The Good Witch to that list.  Escipion Mendivil and Azteca of Mexico looked better than I have ever seen them in their final run before the WEGs.  Robert Costello also had a great ride on Dustin IV.

There are lots of divisions in action today at the AECs, and be sure to check out their scores as well.  We will have much more later today, including a report on the horses that galloped this morning.  Go Cats.
9

Becky Holder and Courageous Comet make the time

By John on September 11, 2010 11:17 AM, Filed Under
beckyholder.jpg

Becky and Comet galloped around the AEC track clean and fast to jump into the lead by 7 points.  The big news of the day is that Mandiba had a stop at the second fence, a stone-topped table.  Hawley Bennet-Awad with Gin and Juice and Amy with Leyland were eliminated for intentionally shortening their course.  Everyone who had issues or fell walked off the course safely.  We will have much more including video soon.

Link: AEC XC scores

1. Becky Holder and Courageous Comet +0  41.5
2. Nate Chambers and Roling Stone II +0  48.0
3. Will Faudree and Pawlow +6.8  50.8
4. Sinead Halpin and Manoir de Carneville +2.8  55.3
5. Kim Severson and Tipperary Liadhnan +11.6  56.1
6. Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch +7.2  56.2
7. Stephen Bradley and Brandenburg's Joshua +14  57.8

Go wolverines.  
4

Cross-Country Saturday at the AECs

By John on September 11, 2010 6:55 AM, Filed Under
Link: Live XC scores--Advanced starts at 8:30am ET

The courses at Chattahoochee Hills are beautifully built and I'm looking forward to a great day of XC action.  I mentioned the footing at Chattahoochee yesterday and everyone here has certainly done everything possible to make the ground as good as possible for the horses, and the footing is much improved from a few days ago thanks to the aggravator.  As of 7:00am Saturday morning, it sounds like at most, if not all, of the US short listed horses (other than those galloping this morning) will run the full course, some going for the time, and most of the Canadians will run the full course as well.  Whatever each rider decides to do, a lot of thought has been put into that decision and all that's left to do is to execute that plan.  One way or another, it's going to be interesting to see how today plays out.

A big EN thank you to all of the volunteers for making XC possible at the AECs and good luck to all the competitors.  Hannah Burnett is riding in the advanced on St. Barths and was kind enough to send some pictures and a preview of the cross-country for your reading pleasure.
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From Hannah: 

Hey Eventing Nation! The XC here at Chattahoochee looks very nice & inviting overall--most likely to give the short listers a good confident ride before the WEG in a few short weeks. The first few jumps are big gallopy fences, #4ab is a roll top and then 6 forward strides up and down a mound to a skinny wedge. 

skinnyaec.jpg


5 & 6 are big tables on an angled forward 2 stride together. A couple more fences precede #12ab: big drop down & a really forward 4 strides to a toothbrush downhill. #14 is a collapsable table (which I've never seen in person & its cool!) #15ab are two big skinnies on a left bending 4 stride. A brush fence and roll top are before a vertical on an angled 2 strides to a wide open left-handed corner. The coffin is #20abc with a solid upright, one stride ditch, 2 strides over a skinny on a slight left bend.

aecxcjump1.jpg
The coffin at #20


A few galloping tables come before the water jump at # 24abc: a drop, 5 strides brush type fence, slightly left 3 strides to a skinny & gallop out of the water. 

aecsxc2.jpg
The only water complex -- #24 


The last combination is #25abc with a bank up, bounce over a rail and down a mound 6 strides to a right handed corner.

aecsxc3.jpg
On top of the bank complex at #25B, looking down at #25C

aecsxc4.jpg
The other courses have some serious questions, including the prelim double corners.

Thanks so much to everyone here at Chatt Hills for running a lovely event, and mostly to Carl Bouchaert & the awesome title sponsor for the AECs this year--Land Rover. Good luck to everyone!
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Josh Walker's great video from Friday at the AECs
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6 US horses competing at Blenheim CCI3*

By John on September 10, 2010 10:40 PM, Filed Under
We are giving the American Eventing Championships a lot of attention for obvious reasons, but the Blenheim CCI3* is being contested this weekend in England, with 6 US pairs in action at Blenheim.  Will Coleman and Nevada Bay lead the way for the Yanks after the dressage on Friday.  As we have been writing for a while now, Julian Stiller and Aimee Chambers are US riders based in the UK.


19T. Will Coleman and Nevada Bay  50.6
25T. Sharon White and Rafferty's Rules  52.4
33. Aimee Chambers and After Eight  54.0
40. Julian Stiller and Chapel Amble  55.2
79. Madeline Blackman and Gordonstown  65.2
82. Julian Stiller and Salsa  66.0

Ecogold is taking some great videos this weekend:

Sharon White and Rafferty's Rules:

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Time for some late night links:


Peter Atkins took Henny for a gallop with his helmet cam

3D3W has taken a ton of pictures at the AECs

Boyd's blog tells the story of his day at the AECs


1

Friday Night Reader from the AECs

By John on September 10, 2010 6:00 PM, Filed Under
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Carl Bouckaert deserves a huge Eventing Nation 'thank you' for building such a fantastic eventing facility at Chattahoochee Hills and hosting such a fabulous event.  Carl is competing this weekend in the advanced on Raphael for Belgium.
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Probably the biggest issue on everyone's mind here at the AECs is the footing.  The Georgia ground is clay based and very dry.  David O'Connor and Mark Phillips took matters into their own hands Thurday night and used an aggravator (similar to an aerator) to loosen up the clay, but only so much can by done to dry ground and the footing is still noticeably firm.  All the horses here have certainly ran on worse ground before, but the short listed riders in particular are certainly thinking about the ground.


On top of this, the advanced course is relatively small and looks considerably more straightforward than the Richland course that nearly all of the short listed horses ran just two weeks ago.  So, as I'm sure you can already imagine, the logic from the riders goes something like: if we just ran around Richland, why should we have to run our horses on an easier course with bad footing two weeks before the WEGs?  From an information theory perspective, I'm not convinced that the selectors would learn enough by watching the horses on cross-country to justify running a full course.  On the other hand, it makes sense to give the horses some stress on Saturday to get a more realistic evaluation of how they jog and show jump.  The US team has already addressed similar concerns by having Woodburn, The Foreman, Bobby, Ballynoecastle, Remington, and Neville gallop on Saturday morning instead of running XC.


I have heard some chatter amongst the teams about coming up with a revised cross-country course for the potential WEG horses.  Looking at the advanced map below, one option might be to go from fence #8 directly to the water at #24, or to go from fence #12 directly to #21 and then pull up after the water or finish the course.  Obviously, this would eliminate all of the team horses from the competition, but it would save the horses a lot of pounding.  This shortened course possibility is still very much just a possibility, but it makes a lot of sense to me.


aecmap.jpg

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Now a few notes from the dressage:


(1) The US team did really really well on Friday.  15 US short listers finished inside the top 17 and all of the top 10 horses going into the XC are on the US short list.  Mark Phillips and the entire US team support staff should get a lot of credit for bringing in Oded Shimoni to help with the dressage coaching, and, as I have been saying for a while, the US team is looking really good on the flat right now.



Video: Check out Kim's preview of the advanced water, Boyd's favorite NFL team, and Steph Rhodes-Bosch's post dressage thoughts.  Apologies for the announcers, who did a great job today but talked over our interviewees occasionally.



(2) After winning at Richland, anyone would have expected to see Allison Springer and Arthur around the top of the leaderboard after the AECs dressage, but they went ridiculously low on Friday.  Imagine riding against the entire US and Canadian short lists and beating everyone in the dressage by 6 points!  Arthur has been consistent in the jumping since Rolex, but the big question now is how the selectors will weigh the potential upside against a less than stellar record at four-stars.


(3) The Canadian team had a decent day on the flat, with Hawley Bennet-Awad and Gin & Juice leading the way in 12th place.  Port Authority and Colombo both took a slight step back from their great performances at Richland.  It's great to see Rebecca Howard's Riddle Master back in action after withdrawing from Richland due to an abscess.  Diana Burnett with Manny and Ian Roberts on Napam round out the top six placed Canadian short listers.  The Canadians usually make their move on Saturday, and the amount that they can move up on Saturday will all depend on the difficulty of the Chattahoochee Hills XC course.



Please also enjoy a tour of the AECs as I wander aimlessly around Chattahoochee Hills:



(4) Someone told me that there is an SUV driving around the AECs with "insanity in the middle" written on the back window.  Anyone who gets a picture of the SUV with their cell phone and emails it to me wins some huge EN Karma.


(5) 51 horses finished the dressage and as of right now, 45 are scheduled to start the XC.  Go eventing.

14

Arthur, The Foreman, and Comet top 3 at AECs

By John on September 10, 2010 5:28 PM, Filed Under
aeccrowd.jpg

After a long afternoon of watching dressage under the hot Georgia sun, nothing changed at the top of the AEC advanced leader board and Allison Springer takes a big lead going into the cross-country on Saturday.  Phillip delivered great test after great test all day and has three horses in the top 6.  Aside from Allison's, most of the top tests had a slight bobble--either a late change behind or some fidgeting in the walk.


1. Allison Springer and Arthur  35.7
2. Phillip Dutton and The Foreman  41.5
3. Becky Holder and Courageous Comet  42.0
4. Phillip Dutton and Wooburn  42.3
5T. Karen O'Connor and Mandiba
5T. Phillip Dutton and Connaught  42.8
7T. Stephen Bradley and Brandenburg's Joshua  43.8
7T. Boyd Martin and Remington  43.8
9. Will Faudree and Pawlow  44.0
10. Kim Severson and Tipperary Liadhnan

The US team should be really happy with 15 short listed horses in the top 17 after the dressage.  We will have much more to come from Chattahoochee, including more worst videos ever in a few minutes.  Go eventing.

0

VIDEO: Phillip Dutton and Woodburn Dressage

By John on September 10, 2010 2:34 PM, Filed Under
Check out Woodburn's dressage test, which scored an impressive 42.3.  I provide the ridiculous commentary.


Much more from the AECs later.  Go eventing.
3

Allison and Arthur Dominate Friday Morning at the AECs

By John on September 10, 2010 11:30 AM, Filed Under
pawloweventing.jpg
Pawlow getting a well deserved loosened flash from his groom Nat after scoring a 44.0


Friday morning scores:
1. Allison Springer and Arthur  35.7
2. Phillip Dutton and Wooburn  42.3
3. Phillip Dutton and Connaught  42.8
4T. Stephen Bradley and Brandenburg's Joshua  43.8
4T. Boyd Martin and Remington  43.8
6. Will Faudree and Pawlow  44.0

(1) One thing to remember when we are looking at these scores is that the advanced AEC division is riding the FEI CCI4* test B, and the tests are being scored accordingly.  So, Allison and Arthur scored 35.7 riding a three-day test, and they bettered their score at Rolex by 7 points.  All the other divisions are doing the national USEF B tests.

(2) 17 US short listers are set to start at the AECs and the US riders, vets and team coaches need to get a lot of credit for keeping the US short list sound over these past few weeks.  Inevitably, these last two weeks before the WEGs are incredibly tense but it is definitely a 'so-far so-good' for the US team on the soundess front--knock on wood.

(3) The weather in Georgia this weekend is very warm with highs in the 90's and humidity around 40%.

(4) With 702 competitors, the word is that the AECs are the largest horse trials in history although I have no idea how one would verify that statistic.  Let's just say it is really really big here.  The Chattahoochee Hills venue is about a kagillion acres but the stabling and dressage arenas are all very close together, giving the AECs the feel of a big hunter/jumper show.
aecsscoreboard.jpg
"We're going to need a bigger scoreboard" --10 points to name the movie

(5) Brandenburg's Joshua apparently got loose this morning and galloped around the dressage area for a while during Carl's ride.  Just another day of eventing.

(6) Of course we will have much more ridiculousness from Chattahoochee Hills later today and throughout the weekend, including my much-awaited NFL Super Bowl picks.  Let's just say I'm not buying into the Jets.

----
In addition to providing our own Eventing Nation coverage, we will be sure to link to all the great AEC coverage on other sites this weekend so that our readers can get the best of all worlds.

Tursday USEA recap video

The USEA Blog has bunches of great photos up now from Thursday

3D3W has a ton of fun photos from around the AECs that go well beyond the competition arenas

Go eventing.
3

Opening day of competition at the AECs and Blenheim

By John on September 9, 2010 4:20 PM, Filed Under
The beginner novice through training divisions at the AECs started their competition on Thursday, and some of the training and novice divisions even do cross-country on Thursday.  Not surprisingly, almost all of the leading scores are in the 20's.


The AECs are the pride of the USEA and the great USEA crew will be taking literally thousands of photos over the weekend.  I have heard that the mission is to photograph every single rider and I don't doubt that they will succeed.  Click here for Wednesday's photos.  


Boyd had a run-in with the law on his way to Georgia.  Fortunately it was only an animal health inspector checking Boyd's Coggins, and the Coggins for Boyd's horses, which were all in order apparently.  I want to give a shout out to the member of the Boyd Martin Eventing crew whose first move after being pulled over by the cops was to pull out the cell phone and take a picture--a true member of Eventing Nation.  
----

Meanwhile, in England, the Blenheim CCI3* dressage started on Thursday.  The only US rider to compete today was British-based Julian Stiller, who scored a 66 on Salsa.  All the other US riders do dressage on Friday.  I realized that I forgot to mention earlier this week that Will Coleman and Nevada Bay are competing at Blenheim for the US along with Sharon White on Rafferty's Rules, Madeline Blackman on Gordonstown, and UK based riders Julian Stiller and Aimee Chambers.  Nevada Bay is one of my favorite young advanced horses and to make my omission up to Will, he is featured in both of the videos below.


As always, Will's groom did a great job of turning out both Nevada Bay and Will.

Patricia at Ecogold was kind enough to walk the Blenheim course with her video camera.  While the footage is choppy, our female readers will at least enjoy watching Will walk around from behind.


Go eventing.
7

Need to Know Wednesday

By John on September 8, 2010 1:52 PM, Filed Under

The big news in the US this week is of course the AECs and WEG selection trials for the US and Canadian teams taking place at Chattahoochee Hills in GA.  The competition itself starts tomorrow with the prelim through advanced divisions starting on Friday.  If you have some time to kill at work, check out the world's longest entry list.  

We reported last week that Neville Bardos, Remington, Balynoecastle RM, My Boy Bobby, The Foreman, and Woodburn will not be required to run XC on Saturday.  Word is that these horses will have a gallop on Saturday morning to simulate some stress for the selectors.  I have heard that the US team will be drug testing all potential US WEG horses at the AECs and that they are not to compete on anything whatsoever, independent of competition rules.  The question of course is how to compare horses that have different levels of exercise over the weekend, but that's why they pay the selectors the big bucks.

Phillip's blog explains that Kheops did not make the trip to the AECs.  

Also, Omega Alpha is looking for help for a few hours working their booths at the AECs.  If you're interested in getting some great supplements and cool swag and you plan to be at the AECs, send Patti and email at pattihanco@aol.com.  If not, stop by the OA booths anyhow to learn about their great products.

The Blenheim jog was held on Wednesday and I have gotten word that all of the US horses passed the first inspection.  Sharon White on Rafferty's Rules, Will Coleman and Nevada Bay, Madeline Blackman on Gordonstown, and UK based riders Julian Stiller and Aimee Chambers will be representing the USA this weekend at Blenheim amidst a very strong international field.  Link: Blenheim CCI3* entries

64 year old British retired school teacher Robin Donaldson is paralyzed from the neck down after a fall on the BE100 level course at Beckwithshaw Horse Trials.  The jumps in the BE100 class are 100cm or approximately 3ft tall.  Mr. Donaldson was an experienced rider who rode at Burghley in the 80's.  Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.

2

American Eventing Championships Preview

By Leslie on September 7, 2010 9:16 AM, Filed Under
aec logo.jpg



Land Rover/USEA American Eventing Championship
September 9-12 at Chattahoochee Hills in Fairburn, Georgia
Benefiting the Equestrian Aid Foundation and Animal Shelter Rescue






The Land Rover/USEA American Eventing Championships are this week!  With over 700 entries submitted, this could be the biggest horse trials in the world with riders from every corner of North America attending.  The shopping will be jaw dropping, with over 50 vendors in the market village.  The $25,000 Merial Advanced Division will serve as the final mandatory outing for the United States and Canadian short listers before the World Equestrian Games.  Even if you can't make it to the event, you can follow it online!  The media coverage is going to be extensive this year. Keep up with current scores with Live Scoring, and check out Eventing Nation and the USEA website for photos, interviews, video and more!  Competitors will be able to view their competition photos on the grounds, too.  Shannon Brinkman, Brant Gamma and Hoofclix will be photographing the event while RNS will be armed with video cameras.

A lot of preparation is required before any event, especially one as big as the AEC (did we mention the 700 horses?)  We've squeezed a ton of important information into this review, so get out your checklist and keep your eyes peeled.  More importantly, you should get excited, because this event is going to be amazing!  Go Eventing!

Make sure the all the paperwork is complete and scout the competition!  Here's the AEC Entry Status.  Ride Times will also be available by September 1.  Just in case you need to brush up on a rule or two, no one will judge you for peeking.

The Omnibus Listing has information about hotel accomodations, riving Directions, Division specifications.   Click here to order shavings.

There is no charge for general admission or a parking fee, but due to a high volume of traffic, day vehicles will not be allowed in stabling....so you might consider renting a golf cart to get around the Chattahoochee HIlls showgrounds.  
 Maybe think about splitting the cost with a friend...
  
 

RV/Camper Sites are open Tuesday, September 7 to Monday, September 13. 
 RV/Camper Site Order Form  Deadline to apply is September 1.  If you don't have an RV, and love the outdoors, feel free to camp out with no hook-up.  It's free!

We've all made sacrifices for our horses, but you won't regret participating in the USEA Ride Share Program.  Give or hitch a ride to the AEC and not only will you save some cash, but you'll get to meet fellow eventers!

Purchase a Patron's Pass or Covered Ringside Seating and get the best views of the event.  
 
The Patron's Tent overlooks the Grand Prix ring, and will be fully catered by City Catering Atlanta from breakfast through lunch, provide snacks and beverages, and be the perfect place to relax and watch dressage and show jumping.  Tables for eight people may be reserved for large parties.  Purchase tickets for individual days or the whole weekend!  
 
Covered Ringside Seating provides a place to watch dressage and show jumping in the shade.  Beverages will be available for purchase.  C
 
ompetitor's party tickets are not included in either the Patron's Tent or Covered Rindside Seating packages.  Click to 
 
order additional competitor's party tickets. ***Update*** The event is no longer selling Patron's tickets through fax or email, however Covered Seating may be purchased in the show office throughout the event.

The 
 
Pooch Paddock is providing a
 
 fully mobile doggie day care service created for horse show dogs, a great option for people who want to bring there dogs but won't be able to watch them while riding. Contact Alison Kratish, CEO (Canine Entertainment Officer) for more information or to make a reservation.  (917) 664-3435 /PoochPaddock@gmail.com  Your pup must be up to date on shots to participate.  All dogs not visiting the Pooch Paddock must be kept on leashes!

A big thanks to all the USEA AEC and Chattahoochee Hills Sponsors.  Without their generosity, the show would not go on.

2010 Land Rover/USEA AEC Sponsors 
Title Sponsor: Land Rover - will be offering a special ride-and-drive program allowing guests the opportunity to test drive Land Rover's current model year vehicles on purpose-built off-road courses
Legacy Sponsor: Nutrena, Bit of Britain
Advanced Class Title Sponsor: Merial
USEA Gold Cup Sponsor: Adequan
Platinum Level Sponsors: Charles Owen, Broadstone Equine Insurance
Division Level Sponsor: VTO Saddlery
Class Sponsor: Shai Steiner Animals in Primary
Gold Level Sponsor: Omega Alpha, Centaur Fencing, Point-Two, Saratoga Horseworks, The Chronicle of the Horse, Spalding Labs, SSG Gloves, Auburn Labs, Succeed, FITS, Back on Track, Fleeceworks, Finish Line, Dubarry, Equithrive, Flair, Mackinnon Ice Horse
Bronze Level Sponsor: SmartPak Equine, Stackhouse Saddlry, Equinature

Chattahoochee Hills Sponsors: 
Title Sponsor: Hennessy Land Rover
Gold Level Sponsors: Equestrian Aid Foundation, Horse-Pro Trailers - Merhow, Jump 4 Joy/Hi-Tech Horse Jumps
Silver Level Sponsors: The Pooch Paddock, Barefoot Wine, ChattHillsHomes, Classic Equine Equipment, Flying Change Equine, Horsepower Equestrian, Idee Design, Jefferson Browne, Triple Crown Feed
Bronze Level Sponsors: EquestAmerica, Hit-Air, Revita-Vet
Jump Sponsors: Classic Equine Equipment, Supple Krunch, Three Runs Plantation

Thank you also to Carl Bouckaert, Honorary Chairman and owner of Chattahoochee Hills, for providing the gorgeous venue!  Competitors will have an outstanding staff overseeing the competition.  A few key people to know: Event Organizer and Co-Organizer are Ritch Temple and Mindy Friesen, respectively.  They will make sure the show runs smoothly.  There will be two Technical Delegates available: Ana Shavesande, (R) TX, for Advanced - Preliminary, and Sue Smithson, (R) NC, for Training - Beginner Novice.  If you need a farrier, seek out Alan Berardo.  And hopefully you won't but just in case you do need a vet, Dr. Debbie Williamson and Dr. Jason McClendon from Chief, and Dr. Rachel Burleton and Dr. Mike Sigman from Southern Crescent Equine will be on site to assist you.  And don't forget to thank the Volunteers!

Schedule: With over 700 horses to show in three phases, the competition schedule will
 be tight, but the USEA and Chatt Hills Teams have planned some special evening activities for competitors and friends (after the horses are tucked in and tended to of course).

Wednesday, September 8
3:00 p.m. Cross-country course open for inspection
4:00 p.m. The USEA and Professional Riders Organizations (PRO) are offering FREE coursewalks for Beginner Novice through Preliminary. Prelim starts at 4:00 with Julie Richards.  Training starts at 4:15, Novice at 4:30 with Cathy Wieschhoff, and BN at 4:45.  
Everybody meets at the start box!
Evening: Wine and Cheese Pary: Sponsored by the USEF's Owner's Task Force - All Welcome
Q & A on Syndication: How to Become an Owner - Presented by the Eventing Owner's Task Force

Thursday, September 9
8:00 a.m. Dressage: Training, Novice, Beginner Novice
10:00 a.m. Cross-Country: Training, Novice
Evening: Area III Reception: All Welcome

Friday, September 10
8:00 a.m. Dressage: Beginner Novice, Advanced, Intermediate, Preliminary
8:00 a.m. Cross-Country: Novice, Beginner Novice
Evening: Competitors Party: Benefit Auction for Equestrian Aid Foundation, Catered by Sean O'Keefe, live band, dancing and great food!
Each competitor receives one complimentary party ticket.  Click here to order more tickets $25 each, Tickets must be purchased by Thursday, September 9 at 6pm

Saturday, September 11
8:00 a.m. Cross-Country: Advanced, Intermediate, Preliminary
10:00 a.m. Show Jumping: Training, Novice, Beginner Novice
Evening: Twilight Cocktail Hour: Show Jumping for the top twenty-five JR Beginner Novice riders, followed by Awards Ceremony
Pizza Party: All Welcome

Sunday, September 12
9:00 a.m. Show Jumping: Preliminary Advanced, Intermediate

Prizes
Over $70,000 in prize money and $100,000 in prizes will be distributed amongst the Beginner Novice through Advanced divisions.  Ribbons will be awarded for 1st through 12th place during an awards ceremony following the show jumping phase of each division.  Trophies donated by various kind souls are up for grabs in each division.  The Neil Ayer Presidents' Trophy will be awarded to the lowest overall score of the competition.

The Advanced Division has $25,500 to be distributed among top placed riders thanks to Merial. The Advanced Division is also the designated Adequan USEA Gold Cup Division.  The year end champion wins a $10,000 check.  

The Arete Trophy, sponsored by Colleeen and Marc Hofstetter and dedicated in memory of R.G's Renegade, will be presented to the horse and rider in the Advanced Division who is closest to optimum time on cross-country.  The recipient will also receive a $250 prize.

The Mark Phillips Pony Rider Awards will be presented to the highest placed Pony Rider in the Beginner Novice, Novice and Training divisions.  Click here for Eligibility Criteria

Ovation has returned to sponsor the Ovation Cross-Country Pace Award given to the horse and rider combination in the Training Amateur division finishing closest to the optimum time.  The winner of this award gets a slew of snazzy prizes.

A huge list of other prizes will be listed in your USEA AEC Program, which you should be sure to look at for a complete list of ground rules, event staff, and competition info.

I'm so excited!  You should be too, so watch this awesome video by the USEA's Josh Walker, and we'll see you at the event!
12

Burghley Results: Caroline Powell and Lenamore Win

By John on September 5, 2010 11:59 AM, Filed Under
Caroline Powell and the 17 year-old Lenamore jumped double clear on Sunday at Burghley to take home the victory for New Zealand.  Oliver Townend had two rails down to drop from 2nd to 4th.  William Fox-Pitt moved into the second spot with Seacookie.

Link: Burghley Results

1.Caroline Powell on Lenamore (NZL) +0  38.7 
2.William Fox-Pitt on Seacookie +1  42.9 
3.Clayton Fredericks on Be My Guest II (AUS)  +0  45.8 
4.Oliver Townend on Carousel Quest +8  47.6 
5.Mary King on Apache Sauce +4  48.8 
6.William Fox-Pitt on Macchiato +0  48.8 
7.Mary King on Kings Temptress +4  49.3


My first reaction in looking at these results is that they must make the New Zealand, British, and Australian selectors sweat a little bit.  New Zealand put Caroline on their WEG team, but with Mac McDonald and they can't be feeling very good right now about leaving a Burghley champion off of the team.  At the beginning of this year, everyone figured William would go to the WEGs with Seacookie or Macchiato rather than Cool Mountain, and Cool Mountain might have been the better pick despite Seacookie's 2nd at Burghley, but today's results raise some eyebrows.  Australia understandably left Clayton off of the team with Be My Guest because Clayton hasn't been riding the horse for very long, but if Australia had a time machine I wonder if they would switch things up after today.  

The BBC is reporting that Nicola Malcom has been released from the hospital after her airlift from Burghley on Saturday following a fall at fence #19.  The article quotes Mark Phillips as saying: "My information is that the horse stood off a little too far, hit the fence with its hind legs and the impact catapulted Nicola into the air."  It happens to the best of us and the good news is that both horse and rider get to go home safely.  Maybe the best advice anyone has ever given me to prevent missing way long is wen Kim told me to never make the same mistake 3 times in a row.  Meaning if you miss a little long and then miss long again at the next jump, make damn sure you don't miss long a third time because by that point your eye is dialed back and a long distance will look normal.  

All of the rides including show jumping are viewable online for free from Burghley.tv.  I for one love the ability to select which ride to watch rather than having to sit through a bunch of people I don't want to see.  On the other hand, that tattoo bank commercial at the beginning of each video is really creepy.  

After watching the XC videos, Alex Hua Tian had the save of a lifetime after his horse slithered over a corner.  Speaking of rides that looked shaky from the get-go, you could see Ruth Edge's issues coming after watching just the first few fences.  I feel like Pippa got away with one at the leaf pit, where he horse really hesitated at the drop--she was originally scored 20 penalties but got them taken back after a protest.  The riders who had problems at Burghley have the chance to re-route to Pau later this year.  Caroline Powell definitely deserved the win because she had a beautiful XC ride.  Again, you can watch all of the rides yourself at Burghley.tv.  

As a final note, Mark Todd made his first Burghley run after returning from his retirement and finished on his dressage score to move up from 29th to 11th.   If you didn't think Mark Todd was the greatest eventer in history when he retired, hopefully his comeback is convincing you.  Go eventing.
5

Rider airlifted from Burghley

By John on September 4, 2010 12:54 PM, Filed Under
Scottish rider Nicola Malcom was arilifted from Burghley after falling from McFly at fence 19, the Birch Hedge, SportingLife reports.  The cross-country was held for nearly an hour as she was treated and then transported to a hospital in Coventry.  A Burghley spokeswoman said "The rider's condition is stable following a head injury suffered when the horse fell during the cross-country phase...The horse was not injured."  We will have more information as we get it and Eventing Nation's thoughts and prayers are with Nicola and her family this Saturday. 



The XC video is viewable online for free through Burghley TV.

1.Caroline Powell on Lenamore (NZL) 38.7 
2.Oliver Townend on Carousel Quest 39.6 
3.William Fox-Pitt on Seacookie 41.9 
 4.Mary King on Apache Sauce 44.8 
5.Mary King on Kings Temptress 45.3


Everything else that happened Saturday at Burghley in 7 sentences or less: Caroline Powell and the 17 year-old Lenamore galloped around Burghley with a double clear to move up from second to first going into the show jumping.  Ruth Edge and Two Thyme led after the dressage but retired on course.  Oliver Townend and Carousel Quest picked up just 0.4 time penalties and lurk less than a point behind Caroline in second.  William Fox-Pitt and Mary King both have two horses in the top 10 after the XC.  Of the 72 Burghley XC starters there were 12 double-clears and 25 rides with problems on the course. The US pair of Michael Pollard and Wonderful Will retired after picking up 20 penalties at fence #4, the Leaf Pit.  The rest of the cross-country problems were evenly distributed amongst several elements, meaning there didn't appear to be one particular bogey fence.  Read more at the Horse and Hound.

If you don't feel like watching Burghley, check out Buzzterbrown's just released full Richalnd video.

 Go eventing.
3

Burghley Saturday

By John on September 4, 2010 12:28 AM, Filed Under
Link: Burghley Live Scores--6am to 11am ET

It's crunch time across Eventing Nation and especially at Burghley.  In my book, Burghley is the toughest CCI4* course in the world, and even though the word is that Burghley course designer Mark Phillips has toned the course down a bit this year, there is sure to be movement throughout the leader board on Saturday.

The lone US pair of Michael Pollard and Wonderful Will are tied for 25th after the dressage and are scheduled to start XC at 7:56am ET. 

The XC will be viewable online for free through Burghley TV, but I don't think it will be live and I don't know how quickly they will post the video after the rides.  Of course we will have a full recap Saturday afternoon.  

Post-dressage interviews

XC Preview


There are of course lots of other events this weekend.  Here at Five Points the weather has been hot but the Carolina Horse Park is hosting a wonderful event.  US short listers Holly Hudspeth and Last Monarch are doing the combined test down here, just like Holly explained in her most recent EN blog.  Last Monarch looked fantastic and relaxed Friday in the dressage and scored a 34.  

Go eventing.
1

Two Thyme leads Burghley, Carousel Quest lurks in 3rd

By John on September 3, 2010 12:40 PM, Filed Under
Link: Burghley Dressage Scores

1. Ruth Edge and Two Thyme 38.3
2. Caroline Powell and Lenamore (NZL) 38.7
3. Oliver Townend and Carousel Quest 39.2
4. WFP and Seacookie 40.3
5. Christoffer Forsberg and Grrafman (SWE)
6. Mary King and Apache Sauce 44.8

Ruth Edge and Two Thyme took the lead at Burghley on Friday with a 38.3.  Oliver Townend and Carousel Quest scored 0.6 points better than their winning dressage score in 2009, but sit in third.  Ruth Edge and Two Thyme were placed second after dressage at Badminton earlier this year but were eliminated on the XC.  

Second placed Caroline Powell and Lenamore of New Zealand are in strong position in 2nd.  Caroline and Lenamore moved up from 33rd to 5th at Badminton by adding just 1.2 penalties to their dressage score.  Caroline said after her ride that she didn't warm Lenamore up for the dressage at all--just walked from the stables to the arena, but I would have to guess that she warmed him up some time earlier in the day.  

Fifth placed rider Christoffer Forsberg of Sweden is just 19 years old and is the youngest competitor at Burghley.  William Fox-Pitt has two horses in the top 10, and Great Britain has 6 riders in the top 10.  Go eventing.

For more info, see the Horse and Hound's Burghley coverage.
1

Mary King leads Burghley

By John on September 2, 2010 12:49 PM, Filed Under

1.Mary King on Apache Sauce 44.8 
2.William Fox-Pitt on Macchiato 46.8 
3.Laura Collett on Ginger May Killinghurst 47 
4.Pippa Funnell on Mirage D'Elle 48.2 
5.Geoff Curran on The Jump Jet 48.8 
6.James Robinson on Comanche 49

Mary King and Apache Sauce took a two point lead at Burghley on Thursday.  In an interesting moment during the test, Mary missed a movement and was asked after she finished the test to redo it starting with that movement.

"I missed a movement out and carried on to the finish and Marilyn Payne [ground jury member at E] got out of the hut and told me I'd missed the serpentine," said Mary. "I did that then re-rode the last changes and final centreline and he did them better than the first time, so maybe it worked to my advantage."

There are 5 British riders in the top 6, including William Fox-Pitt and Pippa Funnel, who is returning to Burghley for the first time since 2004.  The 21 year old Laura Collet, who won European Young Riders with the British team, is a ride to watch on XC, as the Horse and Hound reports she will be running XC in "a running gag with two mouthpieces and Kineton noseband."  

For more Burghley Thursday coverage, check out the Horse and Hound's recap, or the Burghley recap.

Go eventing.

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    Welcome to Eventing Nation, your home for the latest Three-Day Eventing news, results, and buzz. As fellow citizens of Eventing Nation, please join our Dressage, Cross-Country, and Show Jumping coverage by participating in our article discussions. At Eventing Nation, we honor the entire equestrian community and especially the horses. Our love for the horse is what brings us all together at Horse Trials and Three-Day Events. Please help grow Eventing Nation by telling your friends and making Eventing Nation your homepage.