Rolex Kentucky Update: Sinead Halpin finishes 10th in the Western Hemisphere’s only 4-star event

The show jumping phase today at Rolex Kentucky was marked by heavy rain alternating with sun and sprinkles, but the riders paid it no heed and focused on the tough course Richard Jeffery put together in the Rolex Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park.

None of the top 18 riders–not even winner Michael Jung of Germany on Fischerrocana FST–were double-clear, and only two in that group had no jumping faults. They were Lauren Kieffer, the top-placing American who was second with Veronica on one time penalty, and Hannah Sue Burnett, 15th on Harbour Pilot with two time penalties.

Sinead Halpin of Branchburg, whose best finish at Rolex in the past was third place, finished 10th on Manoir de Carneville after dropping two rails. She had been 11th after cross-country, but there was so much trouble among the riders ahead of her in the standings that she moved up.

Holly Payne Caravella of Gladstone wound up 38th with Santino after dropping three rails, but her real heartbreak of the day came when the ground jury rejected her other horse, Never Outfoxed, who had been ranked 19th after only 2.8 penalties on cross-country. The president of the ground jury told her the horse had a weakness behind and shouldn’t go forward to the jumping, a decision from which there is no appeal and which obviously upset and bewildered Holly and her supporters.

Holly said veterinarians who checked the horse at the barn found him to be fine. She added he always has had a slightly unusual way of going behind, but of course, he passed the initial horse inspection before the competition began.

Dr. Thomas Daniel, a veterinarian who was helping Holly this weekend, said he had asked eight veterinarians and a number of horsemen what they thought about Foxy’s condition when they saw him go.

“Not a one of them could see what the ground jury saw,” he said.

For a recap of the rest of the weekend, check today’s earlier column.