Lexington, KY - Thursday’s dressage winner Becky Holder got a run for her money early on and an assault continued on her score of 39.3 all day but no one was able to top her effort with Courageous Comet. They
Becky Holder and Courageous Comet (Mike McNally)
The third pair to go, Heidi White and Northern Spy, was the first to look like a serious threat when they cantered into the arena. The 14-year-old English Thoroughbred gelding is one of the most experienced horses in the world, this is his fifth time at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, he has jumped around Burghley, Badminton and represented the U.S. at the 2006 World Equestrian Games. This is his ninth CCI****.
“Kim (Severson) has been helping me with stuff in the ring,” said White. “Taking an extra moment in the corners and then being able to loop the reins when I come out. It was all much quieter and I was having fun. She’s got me in such a good place in my head, I know where I can fix things once I’m in there.”
‘Farley’ was relaxed and confident in his annual trip to the Shelia C. Johnson Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park. He and White were the USEF National CCI**** champions in 2006, placing second overall in that edition of this competition.
They finished the first phase on a score of 40.6.
“I was as nervous for the dressage as I have ever been in my life,” said White who lives in Aiken, SC. “I’m not sure why but I was really, really nervous. Farley is Farley, and he’s so good, so it is up to me to tell him which way to go and not mess that part up. Kim’s a perfectionist as far as accuracy goes and I think I still have a little bit of work to do there but I’m really pleased.”
The final two riders in the ring, two of the most experienced riders in the competition, rounded out the top four. Stephen Bradley and his second ride From, who is owned by Charlotte Harris, looked ready to steal the lead throughout all of the trot work. The Ground Jury rewarded him with nines during the first half of the test. Some mistakes in the canter kept them out of the top spot but it was an impressive performance from the 15-year-old Russian Thoroughbred gelding. This pair lay fourth going into the cross country. Bradley is the only rider with two horses in the top 10 after the dressage, Brandenburg’s Joshua lays in eighth.
Connaught’s feet were the last four in the arena on Friday but their wait was rewarded with the best test of the 15-year-old Irish Thoroughbred’s career. His rider Phillip Dutton is one of five to have two horses in the competition. Owned by Bruce Duchossios, ‘Simon’ has a flying change that he struggles with, but the rest of his test was mistake free and rewarded with a score of 41.3 good enough for third.
“I’m proud of my horse,” said Dutton. “It doesn’t come easy for him naturally to relax in there. That one change has always been a problem for us but overall, I’m really happy with him.”
Simon was second here last year, winning the USEF National CCI**** Championship as the highest placed American horse. It marked the first year that Dutton - who previously won two Olympic team gold medals as an Australian in 1996 and 2000 - was competing for the U.S. He went on to be part of the gold medal winning team at the 2007 Pan American Games, where he was also the individual silver medalist.
The cross country phase gets underway Saturday morning at 10 a.m. Course designer Mike Etherington-Smith has made some interesting changes to the beautifully built track including, for the first time, featuring the Head of the Lake as the first water question.
ENDS
For complete results, please see: www.rk3de.org, and for more information please contact Joanie Morris at [email protected].