Sinead Halpin and Manoir De Carneville (Jenni Autry)
While Halpin said Saturday she didn't intend to go for time Sunday and planned to be about 10 seconds over the optimum time of six minutes and 42 seconds, an overnight rain in Unionville left the footing ideal for a quick rider, and she found that a faster pace came easily.
"He's really fit right now, and I haven't galloped him recently, so it didn't seem like we were going that fast," Halpin said. "He was galloping really well, and I never felt like I had to put my foot down. We kept a steady pace, and he felt great the whole way around."
Halpin and Manoir De Carneville next head to the Fair Hill International CCI3* in Elkton, Md., and she said Tremaine Cooper's CIC3* course served as an ideal preparation for the horse's first CIC event in nearly a year.
"I definitely had some moments on course - particularly at the angled brushes - that didn't feel very smooth," Halpin said. "It was good to work through those and work on cutting some turns as opposed to taking the easy routes.
Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda also put in a double clear round to hold second place, finishing on their dressage score of 46.2. Erin Sylvester and No Boundaries round out the top three, as they were also one of the eight pairs to deliver a double-clear trip today.
As the top 10 pairs ran the CIC3* course in reverse order of finish, they did not jump fences 15AB at the water complex, as those elements were removed from the course after multiple horses and riders fell at the fence. Interestingly, the same fences were used in yesterday's Advanced division, and it rode very well for those riders.
Denis Glaccum, director of the horse trials, said the ground jury could not determine exactly why so many problems were piling up at the water complex, but they made the decision to remove the fences in order to protect the horses and riders.
"The CIC*, CIC2* and CIC3* courses had problems scattered throughout, and the courses were meant to be up to a certain standard of difficulty," Glaccum said. "Anyone who designs courses knows sometimes a fence can cause a problem and no one ever really knows why."
The CIC2* and CIC* divisions ran cross country earlier in the day, and Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa sealed the deal in the two-star with a clear trip and 7.2 time penalties, winning on a score of 42.8. Kurt Martin and Anna Bella jumped clear with 1.2 time penalties. Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue D'Argouges rounded out the top three.
In the CIC*, Courtney Cooper and R Star finished on their dressage score of 36.2 to clinch the win, while Ryan Wood and Woodstock Bennett also jumped double clear to finish in second place. Amy Ruth Borun and Casarino moved up one spot to finish in third place with a clear trip and 0.4 time penalties.
Following the CIC* cross country, spectators enjoyed the PRO Bareback Puissance in the main arena. Presented by Sports Medicine Associates of Chester County, Kevin Keane DVM and Heather Finn VMD, the Puissance pitted Tik Maynard, Willie McCarthy and Elizabeth Stewart against each other for a shot at $2,000 in prize money.
Willie McCarthy and I Bella, a talented mare owned by Tim and Nina Gardner and campaigned by Jennie Brannigan, took home top honors after Stewart's horse refused and Maynard's horse knocked down a block on the nearly 6-foot-high wall.