John Williams and Sweepea Dean Lead CCI*** (Shannon Brinkman)
John Williams’ faith in Sweepea Dean was finally rewarded with a breakout performance for the Olympic veteran with the 10-year-old Thoroughbred gelding. Their test showcased good lateral work and accurate riding, so their score of 42.6 put them into a clear lead at the end of the first day.
“He was born in Canada, probably in worse weather than this,” said Williams (Southern Pines, NC). “So the colder and windier – the better for him. He’s out of a Thoroughbred mare but the little bit of Draught in him shines through. He keeps getting put on the back burner, I get too busy working. So he is doing as well as he is without me riding him.”
From the same breeder as Williams’ Olympic and World Championship mount, Carrick, Sweepea Dean is a barn favorite thanks to his willing nature and sweet disposition. He is a favorite of John’s wife, Ellen, who does much of the work with him when John is traveling working as a cross-country course designer.
“I’m happy with where he is,” said Williams. “He really hasn’t done much.”
A new name found her way to the top of the leaderboard after day one, when Erika Treis Petersen put in a very professional performance to go into second place at the halfway point of the dressage on a score of 45.4 with Under the Influence. The classy chestnut gelding was straight, accurate and obedient for Treis Petersen making the trip from Holland, MI worth it for the pair’s first CCI***.
Rounding out the top three in the USEF National CCI*** Championships is Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch. The beautiful 10-year-old Thoroughbred gelding tried very hard in his first CCI*** dressage test and Asker was delighted with the result and score of 46.0.
“’Alex’ finds it tough to keep his head down,” said Ashker (Crozier, VA). “So the rain is great for getting him to keep his head down. I have spent all of my lesson money on flat lessons with Kim (Severson) and going to dressage shows… I’m really pleased with his work today. I’m definitely happy to be back here and he is such an awesome horse.”
In the CCI** Championship, Leslie Law for Great Britain was first in the ring and his score of 45.3 held throughout the day with Hugo Fast.
“I probably had the best of the conditions,” said Law who lives in Bluemont, VA. “So I was fortunate with that, I was quite pleased. It is hard to go out there as number one and get a good mark. He was very good, it is his first CCI**. He’s a nice horse, we brought him over from England at Christmas and he has come a long way in the time we’ve had him.”
Kristin Schmolze wasn’t giving Law much breathing room. The Califon, NJ rider delivered a great afternoon performance with Ballylaffin Bracken, a nine-year-old Irish import Schmolze has produced herself.
“I’m very pleased,” said Schmolze about leading the USEF National CCI** Championship. “It is his first two-star and the rain and cold definitely helped him. He is a little lazy and laid-back so it helped spark him up just enough – which was nice, so I’m very pleased.”
In some of the worst of the weather, the elegant bay gelding floated across the top of the dressage ring and paid little mind to the horrific conditions. Their score of 48.1 meant they slipped into second place.
Jennie Brannigan, an up-and-coming star for the US at age 21, and Cambala put in a polished effort on a score of 48.3. Brannigan (West Grove, PA), hot off a win at the 2009 Adequan American Eventing Championships, and the seven-year-old Irish-bred gelding looked to continue his streak at Fair Hill with a great test in his first CCI**.
“I’m really happy with him,” said Brannigan. “He was going very well at the Intermediate level until his last event, so it has been sort of a scattering to get here. He’s a lovely horse, but I think it is his fifth Intermediate. I got him from Kelli (Temple), he had gone Prelim with her, I got Cooper from her too, and I hope that lightning strikes twice. He’s a good citizen in the arena, he can be silly walking back to the barn.”
Brannigan bought Cambala from Temple last year and found herself tied with the Canadian Olympian after the first day of dressage. Veelion delivered on Temple’s reputation for producing consistently polished dressage tests.
“I’m happy with him,” said Temple. “He can be very spooky, but he kept a very cool head. I made a few rider errors, but I’m tied with Jennie on what used to be my horse, so I’m in good company.”
Schmolze rides Cavaldi (second in the CCI*** in 2003) tomorrow and Brannigan also has Cooper in the CCI***, the 2008 North American Young Riders Champions go Friday morning. Temple has another CCI** horse, Valentine, and Law has been very busy in the Spalding Labs/USEA Young Event Horse Championships.
Law is sitting first and second in the Four-Year-Old Division of the Spalding Labs/USEA Young Event Horse Championships with Kalamata and Dresden Hit. He is also second behind Kim Severson and Mighty Himself in the Five-Year-Old Championships with Armana.
The competition gets underway tomorrow morning at 9 am with the second half of the dressage, and the jumping section of the Young Event Horse Championships. For more information and times, please visit: http://www.usef.org/_IFrames/breedsDisciplines/discipline/alleventing/fairHill.aspx.
ENDS
Please contact Joanie Morris at [email protected] with questions.