“I knew he could win it,” said Dutton, who lives locally in West Grove, PA. “Obviously you are never quite sure. He’s a class horse, and this field isn’t of the same experience that he is so I was hoping he could win it.”
Dutton has produced The Foreman since he came from the racetrack and “Chip” was second at two CCI***s in 2005 but has missed a lot of time over the last two years with minor injuries.
“He is really, really short on match practice so couldn’t be happier with him,” said Dutton after a performance that qualified the horse for next summer’s Olympics.
Dutton’s win was not without drama. The Foreman, who also won Fair Hill International in 2004, was sent to the holding box for reevaluation during the first horse inspection.
“I thought he trotted very well out of the holding box,” said Dutton. “Obviously the first time he took some bad steps but I would have been very surprised if they hadn’t let him come through after the way he trotted the second time. So I was surprised that it took them what felt like 20 minutes to come through.”
Dutton was also third on Woodburn. The New Zealand Thoroughbred, owned by Acorn Hill Farm was very impressive in his first attempt at a CCI***.
“He’s an incredible horse and this is maybe his third or fourth event with me,” said Dutton. “I think he has the makings on the flat and on the cross country. He was careful today and a bit aggressive which made him hard for me to ride. But I think he will really learn from this and he will have a break but I think he’s up to Kentucky next year. He gallops really well.”
Splitting Dutton’s pair was his assistant/student Boyd Martin, who arrived over the winter from Australia to set up base in at Dutton’s True Prospect Farm. Martin’s pair of Australian Thoroughbreds Ying Yang Yo (a 10-year-old) and Neville Bardos (who is 8) ended up second and fourth.
“He’s a bit long and floppy he was a bit tired as well today,” said Martin about Ying Yang Yo who had one rail down to finish on 50.5, good enough for second. “He wasn’t as fit or as excited as the other one. But back in Australia he was having three or four rails down so working with Phillip, he had one or goes clear. He’s not very old so I’m thinking with a bit more training he should be even better.”
Neville Bardos and Woodburn were the only two horses to finish on their dressage scores and Martin thinks that his horse has a big future.
“I was real happy with the way he jumped,” said Martin about the energetic chestnut. “He jumped his heart out. He didn’t even feel like he did the cross country yesterday. He’s a four-star horse for sure, he’ll do it easy. It’s just a matter of getting his flatwork.”
Martin was pleased with his horses’ weekend, and knew that beating Dutton would be a tall order.
“It’s always nice to win,” he said. “I couldn’t have gone much better myself and I think there’s no question that The Foreman was the best horse. He had a fantastic dressage, an under time cross country and was unlucky to have one down today. There is no question he was the best horse in the competition and he deserved to win. If you’re getting close to The Foreman and Phillip you are doing pretty well.”
Karen O’Connor was the second highest placed American finishing fifth behind the Dutton/Martin quartet. Hugh Knows, who was purchased during the weekend from Katherine Bruenig by Jackie Mars, O’Connor’s longtime supporter, belied expectations and jumped an immaculate show jumping round – stepping around the course. (Karen and Hugh Knows are pictured at the left.)
“I am over the moon,” said O’Connor, who is the Individual and Team Gold medalist from this summer’s Pan American Games. “He is everything I expected him to be and a hundred times more. He went through the weekend like a star. Ms. Mars is delighted.”
Sadly, O’Connor’s other ride, Mandiba – who lay fifth after the cross country – hit himself while spooking at the horse inspection and was not accepted by the Ground Jury.
Laine Ashker from Crozier, VA picked up two awards on the weekend with her New Zealand-bred gelding Frodo Baggins. She finished seventh overall and was the leading under 25 rider and was the leading owner/rider, both Championships awarded by the USEF.
“It was my first double clean show jumping round that I have had at the Advanced level with him,” said Ashker on Sunday afternoon. “I’d have clean jumping and not within the time or clean in the time but with a rail down we just put it all together today.”
I always believed in him but other people didn’t so much. He’s always been a work in progress. Ever since this year getting help from Buck (Davidson) and Kim (Severson) on the flat everyone is starting to come around and say he’s good enough on the flat. He’s always been a fabulous cross-country horse and the show jumping was the last thing to come around. I’ve been working on it so hard and doing local shows and getting myself acclimated to the ring – it worked.”
Kelly Sult, who was eighth overall, won the USET Markham Trophy for being the leading young rider. In her first CCI*** she jumped from 41st after the dressage into the top 10 with Hollywood.
For complete results please see www.fairhillinternational.com. For more information please contact Joanie Morris, High Performance Communications Manager at [email protected]/