Fourth time’s the charm for Townend

At last!

Two thirds and a second at the first three MARS Maryland 5-star events finally added up to a victory Sunday in the fourth renewal for a doggedly determined Oliver Townend of Great Britain. As he sought to reach his goal, the former world number one never lost his focus with Ballaghmor Class over an emotional weekend.

Oliver, really, really wanted this victory, taking every opportunity to praise MARS Maryland – the world’s newest 5-star, as he explained why it was so important to have that event join the 5-stars at Burghley (twice) and Kentucky on his resume.

Over the course of the weekend, he finished second in dressage, then moved up to first after cross-country, when overnight leader Tamie Smith retired Mai Baum on course.

Ballaghmor Class, better known as Thomas, is as tough as his rider. Together, they embarked on sealing the deal with show jumping, though Oliver was well-aware he had been in first place before at that point durring Maryland, only to wind up on a lower level of the podium. But the poles on the course designed by Michel Vaillancourt didn’t dare to fall, such was the energy generated by Oliver and his flea-bitten gray (that’s a coat color, not an insult).

In a post-ride interview, Oliver sounded positively angry about those who have sold his mount short in the final phase of eventing.

“A lot of rubbish has been spoken about his show jumping over the years because he’s normally always in a grass arena going last,” Oliver said. But, he pointed out, put Thomas on a well-groomed artificial surface like the one at the Kentucky 5-star or Maryland and it’s a different story.

He had no room for error, however. His countryman, David Doel, who had been second after cross-country with a lightning trip aboard Galileo Nieuwmoed, dropped a rail at the second element of the sixth stadium obstacle, a triple combination. David would be third with 38.5 penalties, but that was still pretty special, considering he was sixteenth after dressage.

New Zealand’s Tim Price, who had won Maryland in 2022, moved up to second on 34.6 penalties after yet another in a series of clean rounds from Falco, the horse with whom he finished sixth in the Paris Olympics. This was only the second 5-star for Falco; he won his first at Pau, France, in 2021.

And then it was all up to Oliver, who wound up on 34.6 penalties after a perfect trip in front of a packed stadium, where everyone seemed to be holding their breath until they burst into a cheer as he finished, raising his hand high in triumph.

When the dream finally became reality, Oliver said, “It’s unbelievable. I’m relieved more than anything.  A lot of pressure comes with riding Ballaghmor Class, I think, because I expect to do well on him. And when you’re against these guys, it takes some winning, it’s a 5-star for a reason,” he observed, looking at Tim and David.

He and the owners, Karyn Shuter, Angela Hislop and Val Ryan, have been on “a massive journey” with the Irish-bred horse “and I couldn’t be prouder of him,” Oliver said.

“He’s a top-class horse, and I think he’s possibly from the British team situation not always been treated with the respect that he deserves because 1) he’s got me on his back and 2) he had a fence down going into the lead at Badminton and Burghley.”

This was Oliver’s ninth 5-star win, matching Lucinda Green, another Brit, and Andrew Nicholson of New Zealand, both retired from top competition. Oliver noted Andrew has been an important person in both his personal life and his career.

“He’s probably going to make a comeback now,” he chuckled.

At age 17, it’s fair to say that Thomas won’t continue competing indefinitely, but when someone asked if he would retire the horse from 5-star competition now, Oliver snapped back, “Would you?” calling it “the most ridiculous question I’ve been asked all week.”

Tim called show jumping with Falco “really good fun on him, because he’s an out-and-out jumper in his own way. The way he gets in the air is a lot of fun. He gives you the most confidence you can imagine. He makes the job very easy for me.”

For his part, David said of Galileo, “I just felt that actually, I let him down today. I didn’t quite do him the justice. The distance going down to the treble (triple combination) was a little bit quiet, just made him work a little bit too hard. He is a pretty phenomenal horse, and normally a very, very good jumping horse. Definitely sort of my mistake today and kicking myself a bit.”

He pointed out he came to Maryland for  a top five finish, so a top three was gravy.

Buck Davidson was the best-placed American rider, finishing fourth on Sorocaima, a thoroughbred ex-racehorse who started 60 times at the track. He had two fences down in the combinations, bringing his total to 47.6 penalties. Even without the 8 penalties, he wouldn’t have made the podium, but it’s great to see a thoroughbred doing well against all the warmbloods.

“He’s been amazing,” said Buck.

Here’s the back story: “A friend of mine called me and said they had a horse they wanted me to have,” Buck said.

“I tried everything I could do to not buy him, but really had no excuse not to. He goes to work every day and tries his heart out. He’s only been doing the sport for four years and this is his sixth 5-star.”

Just eight horses competed in the show jumping. They were the only ones who completed Saturday’s cross-country from a field of 21. (To read about that, click here.)

In the 3-star that ran with the 5-star, popular trainer Sharon White rose from ninth after dressage with Jaguars Duende to take the lead on cross-country after going clear. She had no penalties in the show jumping either with the 8-year-old Westphalian mare, earning the title on 29.6 penalties.

That was just one penalty better than  Sarah Shulman and Cooley Chromatic, the first horse Sarah trained herself. Veteran Will Coleman was third with a new horse, Fahrenheit Addict (31.5)

Of her mare, Sharon said, “Her mind is extraordinary; just to sit on a horse that loves the pressure and handles it…she wants to win that’s a really special thing. She showed me that again today. That’s really unique.”

For Will, it’s been a tough season. He had two horses selected for the Paris Olympics, but it turned out neither was fit to compete, so he was off the team. Then he was supposed to bring one of those horses, Diabolo, to Maryland, but he also had a problem, so Will’s only riding opportunity at the venue was in the 3-star.

Even so, he’s looking on the bright side.

“I still feel very grateful for so many things in my life,” he said.

“I’ve got a lot of really wonderful supporters, I’ve got an amazing family, got some incredible coaches. I’ve got some  nice horses, I probably need to get few more. But I’m also feeling overwhelmingly blessed. I’m looking forward to next year, because it’s another opportunity for me to improve and keep doing this.

“There’s nothing I can complain about. It’s been an up and down year, yes, in some ways, But I still have to remind myself how lucky I am.”

 

For 3-star results click here

For 5-star results, click here