Caras (Cartersville, Ga.) is competing at Bramham as part of the Karen Stives European Developing Tour with the help of a Karen Stives Endowment Fund for High Performance Eventing Grant. She delivered a bold, forward ride over the lengthy course with her own Fernhill Fortitude. Caras and the 2004 Irish Sport Horse gelding performed well over one of the biggest tracks they have faced as a pair, collecting 7.6 time penalties. They head into Sunday’s show jumping phase in eighth place on a score of 56.5.
Jenny Caras and Fernhill Fortitude (Libby Law Photography)
“He was really good. He was really brave and fighting for it the whole time,” Caras said of her mount. “He slipped, turning back in to the first water complex, so he was honest to keep going and get it done. The course was very challenging, but he was happy to be doing it.”
Caras tried hard to manage her time out on course, explaining, “I set out in the beginning wanting to save a bit in the tank for the second half of the course with the terrain and some twisty turns. The course was pretty heavy the whole way round with even some of the galloping fences being tough, like a narrow ditch and brush. I was up on my minute markers most of the way but got behind in the last two minutes. I’m kicking myself a bit, but he finished full of running so now I know for next time.”
Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen (Libby Law Photography)
Two other U.S. combinations had strong performances at Bramham on Saturday. Clark Montgomery (Tetbury, England) led the Event Rider Masters CIC3* division with Loughan Glen, Jessica Montgomery, Kathryn Kraft, and Holly & William Becker’s 2003 Irish Sport Horse gelding, after scoring 36.5 in Friday’s dressage phase. On Saturday, the pair had a four-fault show jumping round and a double-clear cross-country round to finish second on a score of 40.5 in a star-studded field.
“The course had shown that you could make time,” Montgomery said of the cross-country phase, which served as the final phase for the division. “I didn’t necessarily think Alex [Hua Tian] would go slow but he might find it tough, but the course did show that you could make time. It was all up to Alex after I came home double-clear and he went fast enough too.”
Alex Hua Tian of China won with Don Geniroon a score of 40.1 and Jonelle Price of New Zealand finished third on a score of 42.9 with Faerie Dianimo.
In the Equi-Trek CCI3* division, Katherine Coleman (Wiltshire, England) climbed from 42nd to 14th place on the strength of a double-clear cross-country round with Longwood, her own 2002 Irish Sport Horse gelding, to sit on their dressage score of 53.9 heading into show jumping on Sunday.
Find out more about the competition and view results.
The USEF International High Performance Programs are generously supported by the USET Foundation, USOC, and USEF Sponsors and Members.