1. Mary King and King's Temptress (GBR) +0 47.7
2. Mary King and Fernhil Urco (GBR) +0 49.7
3. Sinead Halpin and Manoir de Carneville +0 53.1
4. William Fox-Pitt and Neuf des Coeurs (GBR) +0 54.0
5. Clayton Fredericks and Be My Guest (AUS) +4 57.0
6. Oliver Townend and Sonas Rovatio (GBR) +0 58.2
7. Jessica Phoenix and Exponential (CAN) +0 60.0
8. Hannah Burnett and St. Barths +8 61.3
9. Boyd Martin and Remington +0 61.4
10. Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master (CAN) +0 68.5
I'd say my guesses were pretty good, with 3 of my 5 picks in the top ten!
I got to spend most of my weekend watching the live feed (thanks USEF network) and only missed the first 9-10 riders go XC on Saturday. The course was really well designed this year with plenty of questions throughout. No one jump seemed to be causing problems but there were a few spots where if the horse was getting tired or the rider lost focus gave a few repeat run out or sticky occurrences. Even a few seasoned riders seemed to have trouble at the hollow which appeared to demand precise riding of all three elements.
Tiana Coudray seemed to ride Finian so boldy around the course. He's such a big, impressive horse that makes the jumps look quite small. It seemed as though her youth and inexperience at the 4* level got the better of her at the farmyard complex, and as Finian twisted over the large table, jumping left, he landed on the other side unaware of the incline, losing his footing and stumbled. My heart broke as Tiana popped out of the tack and was thrown clear. She'll have so many more runs at Rolex and other big events I'm sure that she felt the whole trip was worthwhile and educational. She's one to watch, she made that very clear.
It was awesome to watch Ollie guide his "green" horse around the course. I was watching the rides with someone who knows very little about riding (much less eventing) and it was interesting for him to see the little differences between horses and riders. I commented on Ollie's ability to ride ANYTHING...and in the moments that his horse bobbled or got nervous he kept quiet and confident and the horse went around beautifully, getting stronger with each jump. I must admit I am a sucker for the British style of riding...it may be a little less pretty, but it really seems to allow the horse to make good decisions lets the rider stay out of the way.
Boyd's ride was impressive, but was certainly expected from him and his beautiful mount Remi. I would have liked to see them climb the leader board a little more but it wasn't to be.
R-Star and Kristi Nunnink started off quite strong and looked lovely bouncing around the course. The double corners started giving quite a few pairs problems along the way with Kelly Sult and Hollywood crumbling the second element earlier in the day (side note: that horse looked EXHAUSTED half way through the course and like his heart wasn't in it that day -- after the crash there I worried he wouldn't make it around). It seemed as though Rosie didn't read the first corner well at all and had quite a dramatic crash on top of it. They both flung the ground with a bit of a thud, R-Star getting up a little dazed and Kristi laying on the ground. It was heart-wrenching to see and Rolex would scorn them once again. I think some riders feel a bit jinxed by the Kentucky Horse Park and perhaps this pair is one of them. I simply love this mare and Kristi really deserved a top finish. Luckily they were both ok (I think Kristi broke her collarbone).
And that leaves Mary from my predicted list. What else can be said about her at this point? She rode Fernhill Urco around his first four star track like he's been doing it for years. He gained confidence with each jump, and never let him get overwhelmed when he had a less than perfect jump. A perfect example was when she let him come back to a trot at the water. He got a bit of a wiggly jump over the vertical in and she brought him back, let him regain composure and hopped over the B element and the second duck like it was no big deal. What a fantastic horse woman. I was showing my friend how much further behind the motion she stays over jumps and explained how helpful that can be with younger, less experienced horses. It was also quite interesting to see how Mary and the other veteran out there really supported their horses on the landing of some of these fences. KHP's rolling hills caught some riders and horses off guard and a few horses really struggled with the landings.
*The thoroughbreds running Saturday certainly showed their endurance around the hilly course and it was clear that some horses coming out of the start box too fresh got fatigued early on. Nearly every Tb coming through the finish flags was still full of running.
**If I could ride any horse that I saw go round Saturday it would without a doubt be Olivia Loiacano's Subway. That thoroughbred made the course look like a complete blast and what a fantastic gallop!!!
I held my breath while each rider negotiated the showjumping Sunday and I was ultimately really pleased with the results. I definitely teared up watching Sinead's round and the look on her face when she went through the finish flags was priceless. Again, I think her skill on XC and poise in the showjumping phase are directly related to her investment of time and energy under William Fox-Pitt in England. I wish more of our young riders could spend a few years over there. It's clear the Brits know what they are doing and we would be remiss in not trying to learn from them.
No comments:
Post a Comment