by Nancy Jaffer | May 9, 2024
While the riders trying to make the U.S. eventing, show jumping and dressage teams for this summer’s Paris Olympics are getting a lot of attention, the Perrigo U.S. Para Dressage Team also is making an impact, as its riders won the Mannheim, Germany 3-star Para Nations Cup this week.
Polished performances from Kate Shoemaker and Rebecca Hart led the squad for “our largest-ever team score and an average individual percentage of 75.35,” Chef d’Equipe Michel Assouline said.
He warned, however, “We can’t rest on our laurels and don’t want to peak too early either. Careful planning is going into this ahead of our next international in Hagen, Germany next month.”
The U.S. team’s total was 452.199 to Germany’s 443.62 while Austria was third on 433.69. Riding on the U.S. team were Beatrice de Lavalette with Sixth Sense, Rebecca with Floratina, Fiona Howard aboard Diamond Dune and Kate with Vianne, a relatively new mount for her.
Front row: Rebecca Hart, Beatrice de Lavallette and Fiona Howard. Back row: Chef d’equipe Michel Assouline and Kate Shoemaker (Photo by Stefan Lafrentz)
Rebecca and Kate led with exciting scores in both the FEI Para Grand Prix Test A and FEI Para Grand Prix Test B team tests, marking their second consecutive international competition with numbers above 75 percent.
Rebecca was undefeated with Rowan O’Riley and Chloe Gasiorowski’s Floratina, winning both Grade III classes. She was marked at 75.11 percent in Grand Prix Test A and 75 percent in Grand Prix Test B. In her freestyle, Rebecca earned some marks above 80 percent with a final total of 78.84 percent.
Kate and Vianne, owned by NorCordia USA, were first in both Grade IV team classes, earning 76.57 percent in the FEI Para Grand Prix Test A to achieve a personal best, and 75.54 percent in the FEI Para Grand Prix Test B. Their freestyle was marked at 73.58.
Fiona, who first rode for the U.S. in para-dressage in 2022, won in Grade II. She was competing on Diamond Dunes, owned by Dressage Family LLC and Hof Kasselmann, in the FEI Para Grand Prix Test A on Saturday. They were marked at 75.11 percent before finishing with 74.778 percent in the FEI Para Grand Prix Test B, putting Fiona second there. In individual competition, Fiona finished third in the FEI Para Grand Prix Freestyle Grade II
Also competing in Grade II, Beatrice rode her 2022 FEI Para Dressage World Championship partner Sixth Sense, to a 65.40 percent on the first day of competition, and 69.94 percent in the FEI Para Grand Prix Test B for the team. On the mount owned by Elizabeth and Nicolas de Lavalette, she also earned fifth place with her high score of the weekend, a 72.878, in the freestyle.
The FEI Para Dressage World Rankings, which do not include Mannheim, list Kate as number one. Rebecca is fifth on the list and Fiona tenth.
For results, click here, but go to the bottom of the page for the para scoring.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 30, 2024
The cross-country course designer for this summer’s Paris Olympics will fill the same role next year for the MARS Maryland 5-star at Fair Hill.
Pierre Le Goupil will succeed retiring course designer Ian Stark in 2025 and stay at least until 2027. Ian was the inaugural designer for the competition, which debuted in 2022.
Pierre Le Goupil. (Shannon Brinkman Photo)
“I am delighted to design for the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill starting in 2025, and I am filled with gratitude towards the organizing committee for their trust,” said Pierre.
“It’s a fabulous opportunity for me, and it’s also a great honor to succeed Ian Stark, who in less than three years, has greatly contributed to the event’s reputation.”
The new designer, who is 61 and a former eventer himself, has also been lead course designer for last year’s Pan American Games in Chile and the 2023 FEI European Championships in Haras du Pin, France.
“We’re thrilled that Pierre has agreed to be our cross country course designer starting in 2025 for the MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill presented by Brown Advisory building upon the incredible foundation that Ian Stark has created through this year,” said Jeff Newman, president and CEO of the Maryland 5-star committee.
“There is no position more important in eventing than the course designer, as it’s paramount both to ensure horse and athlete safety and the entertainment of our fans globally. We’re so fortunate and honored to have two of the very best supporting Maryland as we continue to build upon our legacy as a world-class event at the highest level of the sport.”
Ian is pleased with the choice of his successor, saying, “Upon announcing my retirement, there was obviously going to be a new designer and I’m thrilled for the event that Pierre will be the new man. He has the talent, the imagination and the flair to succeed and I look forward to following his plans for the future of the course.”
by Nancy Jaffer | May 8, 2024
Oliver Townend, last month’s Kentucky 5-star winner with Cooley Rosalent, is missing out on a chance to make history this week.
With a win at the Burghley 5-star last year and then Kentucky this year, all he would have had to do was win the Badminton 5-star this weekend to collect the $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam prize. Okay, that wasn’t a given, but Ballaghmor Class, the horse nicknamed Thomas, has a record that made it seem a real possibility.
Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class were Kentucky 5-star winners in 2021. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
Only two riders in history, Pippa Funnell and Michael Jung, have been able to do it. But Oliver won’t be the third, at least this year.
“Absolutely gutted to withdraw Ballaghmor Class from this week’s MARS Badminton Horse Trials,” the British rider reported about his 17-year-old Irish sport horse.
“He had an abscess earlier in the season and consequently missed a couple of runs and gallops. This morning, he went for his final gallop and with the 11.5 mins cross-country course combined with the possible soft ground, we don’t feel he’s at his normal 5-star fitness right now.
Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class on their way to winning the Kentucky 5-star in 2021. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
“This is the first time in his career he’s missed a 5-star and with the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing being at stake (for the third time for me!) and Thomas’s record with 10 top-5 placings at 5-star, 4 of which are from Badminton including twice second place, and his three wins at Burghley and Kentucky, we really hoped he would finally get the Badminton trophy he so badly deserves.
“He’s fit and well, and knowing his huge heart. he’d give us his all, but it’s simply not in his best interest to run this week and his welfare is our top priority.
“Thomas will be rerouted to plan B, but for now, we’d like to give a huge thanks to his owners, our sponsors and our team, who are all equally gutted but support us to make this call to look after our superstar.”
Oliver had two other shots at the Grand Slam and had been itching to make the third time the charm.
“The first time, I nearly killed myself trying to win it,” he recalled about his cross-country fall at Kentucky that landed him in the hospital in 2010.
And that was after he was stranded in Britain by the Icelandic volcano fallout. Desperate to get to Kentucky for the last leg of the Grand Slam after winning Badminton and Burghley, he took a train to Paris, hoping for a connection to Madrid, where the airport was open, but encountered a train strike. He then hopped in a cab and convinced the driver to take him from France to Spain, which cost about $3,000.
His next shot at the Grand Slam also was disappointing, but less traumatic.
“The second time,” he remembered, “I was second at Badminton.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 29, 2024
This summer’s Paris Olympics was a frequent topic at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, even though the mission of the weekend involved good performances in the 5-star and 4-star competitions. After all, those divisions were a chance to qualify, as well as make an impression and demonstrate the potential of horse/rider combinations for the biggest show of all.
A case in point is 4-star winner Diabolo, who impressed by finishing on his dressage score with Will Coleman in the biggest test of his career.
Diabolo and Will Coleman. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Riders had to decide whether to compete their top horses in the 4-star or the 5-star. The Olympics’ cross-country is at 4-star level, so you can understand why so many chose that route at Kentucky. Others, including likely members of the British team, didn’t want to forego the opportunity to make their mark at a 5-star.
I had a chance to chat with U.S. Chef D’equipe Bobby Costello about how things look at this point on the Paris perspective for American efforts and he told me that while we know “the horses that are available today, it’s a long time to the Olympics, and we may lose one or two.”
Both Will Coleman’s Chin Tonic and Tamie Smith’s 2023 Kentucky 5-star winner Mai Baum, who had been entered in the 4-star, did not compete due to physical issues. Each will be evaluated when their riders get home and come up with a plan for how they progress.
But Bobby advised, “Both of those are still such unknowns no one should get too excited or too worried today. So we can’t freak out because we actually still have really, really good depth. I think we have to stay positive.”
At the same time, he cautioned, “You have to keep building on it. Who knows what the next couple of months will bring?
“It is still so competitive for that Olympic team,” Bobby noted, saying “One good phase isn’t enough to get someone on the team.”
Following final selection trials at the Badminton 5-star and Tryon, N.C., the selectors will choose horses to be examined by USEF veterinarians, then use that report during the selection process.
Candidates will participate in the mandatory outing at Stable View Horse Trials next month to demonstrate continued competitive form and soundness. Three weeks later, the selected group will go to Pennsylvania for a mandatory gallop and veterinary evaluation before heading to the team training camp in France. They go to Versailles, the Olympic venue, July 24. Competition begins July 27.
by Nancy Jaffer | May 5, 2024
The late Debbie Haimowitz will be remembered May 13 in a celebration of her life at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone, N.J. Everyone who knew her is invited to attend, and asked to bring their best stories about her.
The open house runs from 1-8 p.m., with speakers beginning at 4 p.m. An RSVP is required by May 7. Call Jonna Gaston at 845-893-2364 or email her at jonnagaston@gmail.com.
Deb Haimowitz
Debbie, who died of cancer in February, was “an extraordinary person whose determination to teach us surpassed even our own expectations, a human who wouldn’t let the student quit until they felt or understood even a mere second, a moment, of a concept,” Jonna commented.
“Deb’s perseverance both on and off a horse was exceptional in a patient, kind and feeling manner, she continued to coax you to another level you didn’t know was possible.”
by Nancy Jaffer | May 3, 2024
Saturday’s Kentucky Derby had a stellar line-up, with the likes of $2.3 million yearling purchase Sierra Leone, erratic but brilliant Fierceness and undefeated Japanese star Forever Young, not to mention 17 other contenders. It’s the one day of the year when even people who normally don’t care about horse racing actually do care about horse racing.
But the question was, would the 150th anniversary of the iconic race go down in history as one of the 10 Best Kentucky Derbies?
That’s the title of a new book from the staff and correspondents of The Blood Horse recounting the most memorable runs for the roses. This iconic race, replete with mint juleps and tradition, has many stories to tell.
And yes, you can add another chapter to this volume, and consider changing the name to the 11 Best Kentucky Derbies.
Not only was there a three-way, almost-too-close-to-call at first sight photo finish, but the winning trainer and jockey achieved a memorable double. The day before taking the Derby with Mystik Dan, conditioner Kenny McPeek and rider Brian Hernandez won the Kentucky Oaks with Thorpedo Anna.
In the Derby, Dan nosed out Sierra Leone and Forever Young in a memorable stretch duel. It’s one that won’t soon be forgotten.
What a finish–Sierra Leone, Forever Young and Mystik Dan.
While you’re in the mood to consider Derbies past and present, this book about the best of those races offers not only cherished memories, but also little-known facts abut the most famous Derby winners. Even those of us who really follow racing will discover untold tales and relish reminders of greatness while leafing through its pages.
You can probably guess that the number one story is “The Legend of Big Red” — who else but Secretariat 51 years ago, at the first stop on his way to Triple Crown glory. (That’s our cover photo).
Before the race, he had been syndicated for more than $6 million. Think what that would be in today’s currency. He had a following, he was a star, he rewrote the record book and is probably the one most people think of when they hear the word “racehorse.” He is best known, of course, for clinching that Triple Crown, a feat many thought might never be accomplished again, because it hadn’t happened since 1948 when Citation swept the Derby, Preakness and Belmont trio.
The immortal Secretariat in full gallop forever.
His great rival, Sham, is part of Sec’s story, and deserves deference for his heartbreaking try against the magnificent champion, so let’s not forget him.
Two years before Secretariat, Canonero II also was a sensation. Who would have thought that a colt who sold for $1,200 due to a crooked front leg would have any potential at all? But he wound up in the barn of trainer Juan Arias, who grew up in the slums of Caracas and slept in horse stalls when he got his first full-time job at the track.
Canonero, named after a type of singing group, won his first race in Venezuela and came to Del Mar in the U.S., where he showed promise but bad luck meant he didn’t get sold and went back to South America. The story of how he finally got nominated to the Derby is worth reading, as well as the saga of subsequent trials and tribulations. not to mention his come-from-behind triumph.
Talk about an underdog (underhorse?) He was a real horse of the people.
The “Bad Dream Derby” demonstrated that nightmares can come true, unfortunately. You’ve heard of most of the field in the 1957 Run for the Roses: Bold Ruler, Gallant Man and Round Table. Iron Liege, however was not a household name.
But he wound up the winner when the great jockey, Willie Shoemaker, misread the finish line and stood up in the stirrups aboard Gallant Man, enabling Iron Liege to cross the finish line first. In an eerie twist, Gallant Man’s owner, Ralph Lowe, had a dream two days before the Derby in which that’s exactly what happened.
Trainer John Nerud heard the nightmare story and repeated it to the jockey the night before the Derby, emphasizing to the legendary Shoemaker that he should “Ride past the wire.” When the dream became reality, one has to wonder if the power of suggestion had something to do with the misadventure.
Bill Hartack was all smiles on the way to the winner’s circle aboard Iron Liege. (Skeeets Meadors photo)
There are plenty of other tales worth telling in this volume. It’s as good an accessory for future Derby days as the all-important hat (or that julep). There’s Regret, the first filly to win the Derby in 1915, the long-tailed Whirlaway in 1941 and Alysheba, a determined winner who astounded the crowd when he amazingly recovered from a stumble to take the trophy in 1987. And we can’t forget that longshot of longshots, 2022 winner Rich Strike.
Rich Strike
So who do you like in the 2024 Derby? Will the winner’s story become a conversation piece that morphs into another memorable addition to Derby history? Let’s hope it’s a tale worth telling, and remembering.
If you want the book, click here for a link to buy it.
by Nancy Jaffer | May 1, 2024
The historic Potomac Horse Center in Maryland, which trained generations of horsemen and women, is closing this summer. stating it was unable to renegotiate its 1993 lease.
The 60-acre property is owned by the Maryland-National Capital Parks and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), which made the renewal contingent on PHC raising $3 million to $5 million to improve the infrastructure, with no assurance that PHC would be permitted to remain on the property, Potomac’s Nancy Novograd announced in a letter explaining the closure.
She explained, “PHC simply cannot ask our clients to pay for and invest in a rapidly deteriorating infrastructure that PHC does not own,” saying the terms of the lease are unsustainable under current economic conditions.”
PHC pays M-NCPPC a monthly base rent for use of the facilities plus a percentage of PHC’s net and gross income.
Additionally, PHC pays for capital improvements, repairs and maintenance of M-NCPPC’s property. Income from the lesson program also goes to veterinary care, farrier services, hay and grain for the horses; utilities, payroll, insurance, farm equipment maintenance, fuel, and tack.
“It has become nonviable for our programs to cover the increasingly higher and higher costs of the rapidly aging infrastructure, let alone allow PHC to build up the $3 million to $5 million required by M-NCPPC toproceed with negotiations,” Nancy said.
The closing is effective July 22, but lessons will continue through June 16.
Asked for comment, Maryland-National Capital Parks and Planning Commission responded that Potomac Horse Center, “a private business, recently notified Montgomery Parks of its intent to end its lease with Montgomery Parks.
“Since its lease began in 1993, PHC has been contractually responsible for all maintenance and capital improvements at the facility. However, structural assessments performed by an outside expert in the fall of 2023 showed major life safety and structural concerns on site.
“Montgomery Parks requested that PHC develop a plan to fund the necessary repairs and maintain a viable equestrian operation. However, PHC instead notified Montgomery Parks of its intent to cease operations and vacate the property. In the near term, Montgomery Parks will take steps to address immediate safety issues on the site,” the statement concluded.
Potomac Horse Center was founded in the late 1950s by F.G. “Stretch” Harting. News that it will not continue was greeted with sorrow by the many friends and graduates of PHC.
In an online posting, Diana Barnes said, “Betty Howett and Colette Stevens came with Porlock Vale experience in the UK, and modeled HorseMasters after the British course of study.”
PHC “Classed-up and stepped up our equine knowledge, `American’ dressage, and style of riding, not to mention improved equine care, both physically and psychologically.”
In another post, Suzanne Crowell stated, “The horse center was particularly important to those of us who had our intro to dressage there. Other than Morven Park there was really nowhere else in the ‘70s. It was instrumental in the accelerated development of the sport in the U.S. The quality of instruction and horses for a large operation was unsurpassed. The everyday clientele were women who worked for a living to support their horse habit.
“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the job market for women expanded dramatically then, such that women could support themselves with better-paid jobs and had some money left over.”
On June 17, 2024, all assets, including school horses, are available for sale to approved homes, by appointment only. Starting immediately, prospective buyers can try the horses and see everything that is for sale. The horses and equipment needed for daily use will remain on the property through June 16.
However, individuals may immediately purchase all other assets, including surplus tack and farm equipment. PHC will accept cash or certified funds only, but no personal checks and cannot arrange payment plans.
The Potomac Horse Center main number will not be fielding sales calls or making appointments. For inquiries, those interested may call (240) 614-3834.
by Nancy Jaffer | May 4, 2024
This is the weekend it all came down to the wire for the U.S. Olympic dressage ranking list.
Qualifying scores earned at the 3-star TerraNova show near Sarasota, Fla., will help determine which eight candidates head to Europe in the coming months. Competition there will be used in selecting the three-member team for the Paris Olympics.
Several of the horses were latecomers to the quest, joining the contest with new riders just this year. Three are owned by Zen Elite Equestrian Center in Fort Lauderdale.
Endel Ots rides the most celebrated of the three Zen horses, Bohemian, guided to fourth in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics by Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour of Denmark. He capped his campaign with a victory in the Freestyle, where he was marked at 75.670 percent.
Adrienne Lyle’s rides, Helix and Lars van de Hoenderheide, are the others in the Zen trio. Lars won the Special (71.723), with another new pair, Marcus Orlob and Alice Tarjan’s Jane, second on 69.872.
Noting that Saturday was a “blistering hot day,” Adrienne commented that while Lars completed his qualifying criteria for the Olympic short list with his Special victory despite the weather, Helix “did the freestyle just as thunderstorms rolled in.” She said “he found the plants blowing in the wind to be quite scary, but still managed to pull off a podium finish and complete his qualifying criteria.”
Saying it was time for a big sigh of relief after qualifying criteria were completed, Adrienne thanked Zen’s owner, Heidi Humphries, and her own mentor, Debbie McDonald, as well as her grooms.
Kasey Perry-Glass, who had been a team regular with Doublet, now retired, was second in the freestyle on her new ride, Heartbeat W.P. (72.615). Helix, winner of the 3-star Grand Prix on Friday, was third with a score of 72.560 percent.
The Freestyle is a requirement for Olympic candidates, but it doesn’t count in their overall standings. It’s the Grand Prix and the Special, which determines the team medals at the Games. The Freestyle secures individual medals, which are considered less important than team medals in the big picture.
The U.S. Equestrian Federation next week will announce the pairings that go to Europe for observation competitions. The list is likely to include Olympic veteran Steffen Peters, who has been at the top of the rankings with his 2021 Tokyo mount, Suppenkasper. He did not come East for competitions this year, and neither did fellow Californian Anna Buffini, who is also has been near the top of the list with Fiontini.
Among the others in contention in addition to Adrienne, Endel, Marcus and Kasey include Ashley Holzer with Hansel, second in the Grand Prix and fourth in the Freestyle; Katherine Bateson-Chancler with Haute Couture, Sarah Tubman (First Apple) and Anna Marek (Fire Fly), who did not compete at TerraNova but already was qualified.
Click here for TerraNova Grand Prix results
Click here for TerraNova Grand Prix Special results
Click here for TerraNova Freestyle results
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 9, 2024
When you think about going to camp, activities like swimming, tennis and hiking usually come to mind. But there’s a different take at Centenary University.
Based in Hackettstown, N.J., with an equestrian center in nearby Long Valley, Centenary will have two equestrian camps that offer a wide range of learning opportunities this spring and summer.
Centenary University Equestrian Center. (Photo by Jenna O’Connor)
Centenary is fielding an NCAA equestrian team for the first time next season, in addition to offering students a chance to ride on an Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association squad, which includes opportunities beginning with walk-trot.
There is an emphasis on equestrian teams at Centenary, which will have a special camp for prospective candidates. (Jenna O’Connor photo)
For NCAA, candidates have to be able to perform such sophisticated movements as turn on the haunches or counter-canter. Whatever the level, being involved with a team is a big responsibility, so how does a student prepare for that?
Prospective participants will get a chance to find out if they have the necessary skill set and the desire to take part by attending an Elite Equestrian College Prep Camp May 10-11. Riding lessons on the flat and over jumps, as well as discussions with coaches Michael Dowling and Heather Clark will be offered. Riders will participate in a mock horse show to get the flavor of what NCAA and IHSA are like.
To participate, they must be high school students (or entering their freshman year in the fall) who are able to groom and tack up a horse and walk, trot and canter, as well as negotiate a 2-foot, 3-inch jumping course.
“The intent is to expose them to what would be required for one or the other (team),” said Michael. It gives the coaches a chance to assess potential team members, while offering the participating riders an opportunity to decide which of the formats they would prefer. He noted Centenary has room on a team for virtually any student who wants to be part of one, and opportunities to show at least twice in a semester.
The camp “gives them the feel of what intercollegiate riding is like and what we have to offer here,” said Heather.
While the camp is a recruiting tool for the university, students do not have to be committed to attending Centenary when they enroll. It’s expected that there will be great demand for spots in the clinic. Parents are invited to attend and participate in the meetings.
Applications must be in by April 22, and there is room for only 16 riders, so those who are interested are advised to apply early. Click here for registration information.
And for another opportunity to pick up horse-oriented knowledge, Centenary will present the Equine Science Summer Day Camp in July and August, geared to those 13 and up who have basic horse experience.
Proud grads of the Centenary camps. (Photo courtesy Centenary University)
There are two different camps under the supervision of Dr. Lynn Taylor.
Level 1, July 29-Aug. 2, will include not only the basics of safety, tack and grooming, but also delve into nutrition, health issues and therapies. This is the third year it is being held.
“All of the students, even the ones in high school who are fairly well-experienced, realize very quickly that they don’t know everything,” Lynn said.
Those who want to take Level 2, which is making its debut Aug. 5-9, must have completed Level 1 successfully in any year, or be certified in Pony Club levels H-A, C-3, B and A.
There’s no riding involved. The camp is for students interested in learning or practicing skills; some may be considering being a veterinarian or a vet tech.
The camps test participants with daily quizzes. On the Fridays, students can choose to have a hands-on evaluation. If they receive a score of 80 percent or higher, they will get a certificate of competency from Centenary’s Equine Sciences department. If they don’t want to be evaluated, they will get a certificate of completion, but Lynn said so far, everyone has chosen to be evaluated.
Although campers may know the basics of care, “they may not have an opportunity to learn how to take a temperature or monitor hydration in a reinforced way,” Lynn said. They also practice taking vitals (vital signs).
In Level 2, they delve into alternative modalities, such as shock wave, chiropractic or massage. All students have an opportunity to do a hematocrit (a simple test that measures the percentage of red blood cells in a blood sample) and utilize Centenary’s laboratory facilities. Lectures and demonstrations fill out the camp programs.
“When I ask the kids what they are interested in, most do say being a veterinarian,” said Lynn.
“It’s a good kind of wake-up call. They really do see the level of involvement you’re going to have to have, even if you want to go to go to school for pre-vet, you really have to improve your handling skills and how things translate from the classroom to the barn.”
Click here to register for Level 1. Click on this link to register for Level 2.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 29, 2024
Will Coleman’s victory on Diabolo Sunday in the Cosequin Lexington 4-star Short started with an email from a woman in Australia who was marketing a horse.
“To be honest, I get emails like that all the time. I usually just take a glance,” Will recalled.
But his wife, Katie, thought the horse videos that came with the email were interesting and suggested Will look at them.
He ended up doing more than that, going to Australia with his father for three days to see the horse in person.
“It was pretty brutal; it’s a long way,” Will grinned.
“We had a great time. It was kind of a cool trip and ended up buying this horse. It was quite an adventure.”
But the adventure had just begun when the horse arrived at Will’s farm because Diabolo was on Southern Hemisphere time and had trouble adjusting to the reverse seasons on the other side of the world. So Will knew the 12-year-old Holsteiner had talent, but was biding his time “until he was ready to show it to the rest of the world.”
Will Coleman and Diabolo. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
And show it he did this weekend at the Kentucky Horse Park. Diabolo was the only one of 39 horses who completed the 4-star that finished on his dressage score. His 29.9-penalty mark was just 0.2 ahead of Boyd Martin and Commando 3.
Will said he was “pleasantly surprised but not totally shocked” by Diabolo’s performance, having felt that he was on the verge of being competitive at a big event.
Will Coleman enjoying his victory gallop with Diabolo. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Is he a candidate for the Paris Olympics? Yes, he’s qualified, but Will noted Olympic selection isn’t up to him. His original goal for this year with Diabolo was the Luhmuhlen, Germany, 5-star.
“We’re going to keep working toward Luhmuhlen unless something changes,” he told me.
Will also was third on his 2021 Aachen winner, the 15-year-old Off the Record, who finished on 30.9 penalties.
Boyd not only was second with Connor, as Commando is known, but he also finished fourth with Federman B after a second double-clear round.
Boyd Martin and Commando 3.(Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
“I think they’re about as good as each other,” he replied when asked which he’d prefer as an Olympic prospect.
“They’re very strong in all three phases. It’s a wonderful position to be in to have a couple of hopefuls. Like your children, you should never favor one more than the other.”
Boyd thought the show jumping course designed by Steve Stephens was a good track, though he mentioned “you had to scoot around the corners” to finish within the tight time allowed. Will also is a fan, saying Steve’s courses are “some of the best we jump. The way he uses the stadium is unique.”
The atmosphere in the Rolex Stadium is all part of the equation in seeing what horses can handle.
“There’s no question American crowds are the best anywhere in the world,” said Boyd, who speaks from experience, having competed nearly everywhere.
“They love this sport,” he said of the U.S. fans.
“They cheer you when things go well; they even cheer when things go bad. It’s almost a letdown when you go to the other 5-stars in Europe,” he said.
Fifth place went to Pan American Games individual gold medalist Caroline Pamukcu on HSH Blake. She called him the top of her string and noted that her string is different from Boyd’s and Will’s; her oldest horse is only nine. She’s planning on a European tour this summer.
Miks Master C, who was in the lead after cross-country, had a rail in Sunday’s show jumping and dropped to seventh when 4 faults were added to his 29.2 total after cross-country. Elisabeth Halliday’s mount had been third in the 5-star at Kentucky last year, but like several other Olympic candidates, she chose the 4-star rather than the 5 this year. The thinking among those that went that route was that the 5-star might be an unnecessarily big effort in the lead-up to Paris, where the cross-country course will be at 4-star level.
Click here to see the 4-star results
