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
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 28, 2024
Oliver Townend had to come from behind to win the Defender Kentucky 5-star three-day event, but the world’s number one eventer simply did all he could do by riding a perfect show jumping round Sunday on Cooley Rosalent, then waited for the leaders to make mistakes. They did.
Going into the final phase of the event, the top three in the standings were from Britain, with Oliver in third place by a margin of less than a 4-fault knockdown.
After Oliver finished his tour of the course, he just had to wait and watch to see what the others would do.
Oliver and Cooley Rosalent clear the final fence in show jumping. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
World Champion Yasmin Ingham, who had been standing second on Banzai du Loir, dropped to third along with a rail from an oxer midway through the course designed by Steve Stephens. She finished on 35.6 penalties. Then Olympic medalist Tom McEwen and JL Dublin looked on track to keep the number one spot until the penultimate fence, a Liverpool, where Dubs touched a pole and it fell. That put Tom second with 33.8 penalties and gave the title to Oliver for the fourth time.
Tom McEwen and JL Dublin. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
“I’m still in shock,” he said at the awards ceremony, where he received the silver trophy from Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.
The rider earned that prize (and $123,000) at his hundredth 5-star event, an amazing statistic. He is tied with German superstar Michael Jung in the number of Kentuckies that he has won; only the legendary Bruce Davidson did better, with six victories during his heyday at the Kentucky Horse Park.
At first, it seemed that things might not turn out in favor of Oliver.
“I was fairly upset with myself after the dressage,” he said. Mistakes there left him tied for eighth place, and he wasn’t confident of finding a way to claim his usual Kentucky victory.
“I thought it would be a bit depressing going home on that plane having not won,” he mentioned.
“Then I sort of gave myself a kick into gear and thought, `She’s a very good horse.’
“I knew she’s an incredible galloper (her sire jumped 1.60 meters and her dam won the Scottish Midlands Grand National) so there’s no excuse on being too slow.” (Interestingly, Rosalent’s older full brother, Jewelent, was ridden to twenty-ninth place in the Cosequin Lexington 4-star earlier in the day by Phillip Dutton, who was making his fiftieth appearance at Kentucky.)
Oliver explained his strategy for a pleasant plane ride home by saying, “I had a very clear picture in my mind of what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it. If it was going to be my week, what will be will be. Just do my job and try and look after her for the future and also try and be as competitive as possible.”
Oliver and Cooley Rosalent enter the arena while he was still in shock over his victory. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
The mare was just one second over the optimum time on cross-country, putting her in that competitive position in show jumping, depending on what Oliver’s rivals did.
Only Oliver and a German Kentucky first-timer, Malin Hansen-Hotopp, fourth on Carlitos Quidditch K, were able to go double-clear in the show jumping. Malin won the James Wofford “On the Rise” award for the best finish by a first time 5-star competitor. Four other riders kept all the rails in place, but wound up collecting time penalties.
The double clear really was an achievement for Cooley Rosalent, who finished the week on a score of 31.8 penalties.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the horse,” said Oliver, noting “she was always special from the word go.”
“We’ve had her since she was four years old,” he said of the 10-year-old Irish-bred gray (his lucky color), a prospect he bought himself, then sold quickly to Diana and Paul Ridgeon. Paul just celebrated his 92d birthday and owned event horses for 45 years, but this was his first victory at the 5-star level.
After winning Great Britain’s Burghley 5-star last September with a former Kentucky victor, Ballaghmor Class, Oliver is now in line to take the $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam if he can win Badminton next month. Only two riders, Pippa Funnell and Michael Jung, have been able to meet that challenge, but Oliver will give it a try on his third attempt.
“The first time, I nearly killed myself trying to win it. The second time I was second at Badminton,” he recalled ruefully.
Tom was philosophical about losing the title when he was so close to getting it.
“Today is one of those things and I’m sure I’ll beat myself up about it, but he’s crazy special,” he said of the horse who is nicknamed Dubs.
“I know on his day, he will wipe the floors clean. It’s exciting coming up to an Olympic year to have put ourselves in a great position.”
Yasmin felt her rail was just an unlucky rub during an otherwise excellent performance by Banzai.
“These things happen for a reason,” she believes, “and I know we’ll come out stronger next time. I’m delighted with him; it’s exciting to be on the podium at a 5-star and it’s a very important year.”
Yes, it could well be that Oliver, Yasmin and Tom will comprise the British team at the Paris Olympics.
Joe Eberhardt, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover North America, toasts a great 5-star with Lauren Nicholson, Tom McEwen, Oliver Townend and Yasmin Ingham. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
The U.S. national championship went for the third time to Lauren Nicholson, the top American, fifth on the 18-year-old Vermiculus. The horse is owned by Jacqueline Mars, which is particularly nice because the event is presented by MARS Equestrian.
Top U.S. rider Lauren Nicholson on Vermiculus. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
“We came feeling a touch rusty,” said Lauren, explaining the horse “hasn’t had a proper big outing” since 2022.
She was pleased that she was “able to deliver what he deserved to get on the day.”
After cross-country, the highest-placed U.S. rider was Mia Farley on Phelps, standing fifth with one of only two double-clear trips in the second phase.
Mia had many rooters among fans in the packed Rolex Arena, because Phelps is a Kentucky-bred thoroughbred who was sold for a dollar. But the fairytale didn’t have a storybook ending in the 5-star. Phelps demonstrated that show jumping is his weakness in the Maryland 5-star last year, and this time, the problem was evident immediately. He dropped a rail at the first fence, then toppled three more before he finished his round. Mia wound up an unlucky thirteenth.
Click here for Defender 5-star results
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 4, 2024
Custom Made, ridden by David O’Connor to a history-making eventing individual Olympic gold medal in 2000, wasburied in the Kentucky Horse Park’s Memorial Walk of Champions.
The 17.1-hand Irish sport horse also is being honored with induction posthumously into the park’s Hall of Champions. Custom Made, better known as Tailor, was retired at the park during the event in 2004. He lived at Jacqueline Mars’ Stonehall Farm in The Plains, Va., until his death in 2019 at the age of 34, with David at his side.
“Tailor was the horse of a lifetime,” said David.
“The most powerful horse I have ever sat on and a true gentleman of every sort. He was a great combination of athlete, legend, and friend.”
The park’s president, Lee Carter, noted, “The sport of eventing is an integral part of the Kentucky Horse Park story, and this should be recognized in our Hall of Champions. Custom Made is arguably the most decorated horse to compete at the park, having won the Kentucky Three-Day Event (1995), Badminton Horse Trials (1997) and Olympic gold. While Custom Made is no longer with us, we are thankful to David O’Connor for allowing future generations the chance to learn the history of this amazing horse.”
Tailor (Bassompierre x Purple Heather) was foaled in Ireland in 1985. He was imported to the U.S. by Joseph Zada to be a mount for O’Connor. In the first year of their partnership, they won the 1995 Kentucky Three-Day Event.
The following year, Tailor and O’Connor finished third in the Badminton Horse Trials and placed fifth individually in the Atlanta Olympic Games. They returned to Badminton in 1997 to secure the win, making Tailor the second American horse ever to be victorious in the prestigious competition.
Their historic achievement of individual gold came at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. It was the first eventing gold medal for the U.S. in 25 years. They continued a successful career together including victory in the gelding’s final competition at the 2002 Fair Hill International Three-Day CCI4*-L. He was inducted into the United States Eventing Association Hall of Fame in 2009.
Tailor lived out his life at Jacqueline Mars’ Stonehall Farm in The Plains, Virginia. He died in October 2019 at the age of 34 with O’Connor by his side, ending a celebrated chapter in U.S. eventing history.
“Tailor was the horse of a lifetime,” said O’Connor.
“The most powerful horse I have ever sat on and a true gentleman of every sort. He was a great combination of athlete, legend, and friend.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 27, 2024
Elisabeth Halliday, who had shared top billing after dressage in the Cosequin Lexington 4-star at the Kentucky Horse Park, found herself alone at the top of the chart with Miks Master C after a trip over the testing cross-country course on Saturday.
Mickey, third in the 5-star last year, had only 3.2 time penalties over a route that saw five eliminations and eight retirements.
Noting Mick “is a pretty keen horse on cross-country,” Elisabeth pointed out, “he’s a very good jumper and very careful. Although he was strong between the fences, he was very thoughtful and very organized in all the combinations. I was very thrilled with him.”
Elisabeth Halliday and Miks Master C. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Liz was busy in the 4-star, riding two other horses, Cooley Quicksilver, who is seventh and Shanroe Cooley, eighth.
The lone double-clear of the day over Derek di Grazia’s route came from Will Coleman and his rising star Diabolo, just 0.7 penalties back of Elisabeth’s 29.2-penalty mark.
Going into cross-country day, Elisabeth’s score was the same as that of Lucienne Bellissimo on DYRI, so they were tied. But Lucienne had problems at the five-part combination that was fence six—along with 20 other competitors and on her other horse, Tremanton, as well. She sank to thirty-first on 20 penalties for a refusal and 25.6 time penalties with DYRI.
I asked Will why so many riders had trouble at the combination. I don’t remember one cross-country obstacle getting quite that many victims, at least recently.
“It was a clever question, because it didn’t walk intimidating at all,” Will replied.
“I thought the `in’ to the coffin was pretty close to 5-star (difficulty). A lot of the horses just looked they didn’t quite know where to look. There is a lot going on there, it’s early in the course. Most people that had trouble, it looks like to me they didn’t get their horse back in what you’d say was a proper coffin canter. If you jump in either too fast or too out of balance…it can be harder for them to recover over the ditch.”
Will, like Elisabeth, said he was thrilled with his mount.
“I do have a lot of belief in the horse. We are still sort of getting to know each other. I think he’s got the qualities of being a winning horse. He’s not quite there yet. It’s kind of what we’re working towards. This was a step in that direction. I thought it was a good track and he actually enjoyed the whole experience; you know, the people and that Kentucky atmosphere.”
Will Coleman and Diabolo. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Boyd Martin finished third with Commando 3 (30.1) and just ahead of Will’s other horse, the veteran Off the Record (30.9). In fifth place, Pan American Games individual gold medalist Caroline Pamukcu on HSH Blake has 32.5 penalties, tying for fifth with Boyd on Federman B. So it’s a close race, with less than a rail’s difference among that group.
“I think we’re all on very good show jumpers, the top four or five horses are very good show jumpers and good show jumping riders,” said Boyd.
click here for 4-star results
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 27, 2024
The odds might seem to be against the U.S. repeating its 2023 victory in the 5-star Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event.
Last year, Tamie Smith on Mai Baum became the first American to win the competition since 2008. This year, the top U.S. rider after cross-country is Mia Farley, but there is something standing between her and the trophy—what could well be the British team for the Paris Olympics. They are occupying first through third places before Sunday’s show jumping finale. And right behind them is Monica Spencer of New Zealand.
Mia is fifth with Phelps, the thoroughbred that her trainer, David O’Connor, bought for a dollar (which he still owes the seller, I believe). She has 33.8 penalties, to 28.6 for the leader, Tom McEwen on JL Dublin. That means Tom can topple a rail and still finish ahead of Mia (but not his compatriots, World Champion Yasmin Ingham, second on 31.6 penalties with Banzai du Loir and world number one Oliver Townend, third with 31.8 on Cooley Rosalent in his landmark one hundredth 5-star). Tom also does not have one-rail edge over Monica, fourth on 31.9 with Artist.
Kentucky 5-star leader Tom McEwen of Britain on JL Dublin at the Head of the Lake. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
But Mia already has achieved a distinction. She was one of only two riders to go double clear today over Derek di Grazia’s beautiful but demanding course within the 11-minute, 14-second optimum time. (Germany’s Christoph Waller on D’Accord FRH was the other, now standing sixth with 34 penalties.) But even beyond that, this was the second time Mia had gone double-clear in a 5-star, and she’s only been in two, having debuted at the level in the 2023 Maryland event.
How rare is that record? No less an authority than EquiRatings said that of the more than 1,000 horses who completed a 5-star over the last 15 years, only 37 have managed a double-clear in their first two 5-star outings.
Mia knocked two flags during her trip around the course, and while flag issues can stick a rider with a 15-penalty burden, a review of the videotape revealed no violation.
Knocked flags were no problem for Mia Farley and Phelps. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Phelps dropped two places in the Maryland standings due to knockdowns in the show jumping there. Mia thinks this time could be different.
“We’ve been working hard at it this year. Show jumping is his weaker phase, but we’ll see tomorrow,” she explained. “No matter what, I’ll try to be happy with today and hope his training at home comes through.”
There were 37,953 fans at the Kentucky Horse Park on cross-country day (to read about the 4-star, click here or go to the second feature on the main page) and many of them seemed to be cheering on Phelps, a son of famed stallion Tiznow. After all Phelps is a Kentucky-bred. Kentuckians love thoroughbreds (don’t forget the state is the home of the Kentucky Derby).
Mia appreciates a thoroughbred’s attributes, noting that previously she rode a warmblood who was apt to start running out of gas at the end of cross-country.
With thoroughbreds, bred both for speed and endurance, “at the end of the course, if you ask them to go, they have it.”
That means a rider has a lot of options
At the very least, Mia is well-situated to be the top U.S. competitor, which would give her the national championship title
Tom, the rider who EquiRatings projected to be the likely winner, said “Realistically for me, the question was before me what I know the horse can do. That’s what we try to deliver on the day.”
He cautiously took two long routes that resulted in 4 time penalties, but he had enough margin from the score of Dubs’ lovely dressage test to keep his standing at the top of the results.
The issue gets more complicated because he’s trying to prove his worth for the Olympic team. Ditto Yasmin and Oliver. The Olympics allows only three riders on a team, though an alternate can come on board in certain circumstances during the competition.
Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Oliver was asked if the 10-year-old Rosalent would be his choice for an Olympic mount, as opposed to one of his other horses.
“I’d like to think she’s definitely in the mix,” Oliver responded.
“She’s been to Maryland and here. She’s proved that she copes with the crowd, she’s proved that she copes with quick tracks. She’s definitely on an upwards trajectory in terms of the way she’s finding the competitions. Fingers crossed, it’s not my decision on this, but I’d very much like to get there on any horse,” said Oliver, who is going to Badminton on another horse.
Oliver Townend and Cooley Rosalent. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
There were two horse falls during the 5-star. Canada’s Lisa Marie Ferguson took a tumble when the 18-year-old Honor Me went down, and Philip Dutton hit the turf after a tired Quasi Cool was asked to leave a bit too long to the last fence and chipped in. Both horse and rider were fine, and Azure was sent to his stall for rest and fluids.
Boyd Martin retired On Cue (eleventh after dressage) partway through the course, feeling that she wasn’t herself and didn’t like the ground.
Click here for the 5-star results
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 26, 2024
Brits, Brits everywhere at the top of the leaderboard in both the 4-star Short and 5-star three-day events at the Kentucky Horse Park, where the dressage phase wrapped up on Friday.
In the Defender 5-star, a lovely, fluid test from Tom McEwen and JL Dublin was marked at 24.6 penalties, overtaking another British rider, World Champion Yasmin Ingham with Banzai du Loir, who led on 26 penalties after the first day of competition. That made the British contingent 1-2 in the featured division.
Tom McEwen and JL Dublin. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
There is a tie at the top of the Cosequin Lexington 4-star between the USA’s Liz Halliday on Miks Master C, who was third in the Kentucky 5-star last year, and U.S.-based British rider Lucienne Bellissimo on DYRI (yes, she’s the wife of Mark Bellissimo, a Wellington, Fla., developer who is used to making headlines of his own). Both women were marked at 26 penalties.
But the Brit one might expect to be at the head of the 5-star rankings instead stands equal eighth. That’s three-time Kentucky winner and world number one Oliver Townend with the promising Cooley Rosalent, who started out with a mistake—going from the halt into the canter instead of the trot—which didn’t endear her to the judges, one would guess. Oliver is tied with 22-year-old German soldier Calvin Bockmann on The Phantom of the Opera with 31.4 penalties.
Analyzing his test, Oliver said, “I thought the exceptional bits were very good, and the mistakes were the mistakes.
“I felt the good bits weren’t rewarded really and the mistakes were whacked obviously, which is correct. But when you sit there and watch it and see late changes being awarded 7’s and 7.5’s, I think something needs to happen.” Then he hastily added, “That isn’t any sort of description to do with my test.”
He noted the fans (15,127 came to the park today) “were very noisy when we went in and then it went very quiet and then someone dropped a tin or something in (during) the walk, It did feel like things were unfolding against us. At the same time,” he said of his nine-year-old mare, “she’ll come on from that experience and it’s definitely not going to be a dressage competition.”
Oliver Townend tips his hat to the pony clubber managing the entrance to the arena. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
As he always does, Tom gave credit for much of “Dubs’” training to the 13-year-old gelding’s former rider, Nicola Wilson, who was badly injured in a fall and passed the ride on to him. Tom inherited the horse and added his own touches to what is a formidable package.
“For sure it’s all down to Nicola; she’s done all the work for me,” he said. “I’m really lucky and fortunate to have a 5-star horse after all the hard work and training has been put in, and I get to play and tinker around with the movements to get the scores. But it takes hours of work no one ever sees so you can perform on a stage like this.”
He was second at Kentucky last year to Tamie Smith and Mai Baum, who became the first American winners since 2008. Mai Baum was going to compete in the 4-star at Kentucky in preparation for the Olympic selection process, but he was injured and remained in California. Tamie said he’s getting better and she will assess him after she heads home next week.
In the 4-star, Lucienne said she was “absolutely thrilled” with her horse, who she characterized as “one of those geldings who is a little bit introverted. Every time I go up the center line, he just loses a little bit of his confidence. And today was the first time he really started to let me in. He finished in a confident fashion, so that was fantastic.”
Lucienne, who also stands thirty-first with Tremanton, said, “I very much hope to be back here for the 5 star next year with the same two horses.”
A problem with his final lead change brought down the score for Miks Master C, known as Mickey, but Elisabeth said he “remembers the 5-star, and he is keen and ready to go, but he’s so professional now and a horse with so much power. He was a bit excitable today, so I just tried to keep him calm in the warmup.”
In the 5-star, Elisabeth and Cooley Nutcracker share the status of being the highest-placed American so far with Lauren Nicholson and the veteran Vermiculus. They each are third on 30.6 penalties.
While the Irish sporthorse Cooley Nutcracker is only 10 years old, Vermiculus, a fiery Anglo-Arab, has been there, done that at age 17. He first competed in the Kentucky 5-star as a 10-year-old.
When Lauren heard her score, she said, “I was shocked at where we were,” but noted some of the brilliant horses left the door open when they had a few not-so-brilliant moments.
The fact that Vermiculus did so well after a layoff last year made me wonder if Lauren, an Olympic veteran, is considering trying for the Paris Games this summer.
Lauren Nicholson and Vermiculus. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
“I’ve thought about the Olympics every day of my life since I was six years old,” she revealed, adding she’d be lying if she said it didn’t cross her mind daily.
“There’s a point in your career when you are obsessed to get there, and then there’s a point in your career where you only want to go there if you’re going to be competitive. Making sure all the boxes are ticked and…I’m being as competitive as possible in preparing myself and my horse. I’m not interested in going just to get the accolade. I want to go to win medals for the U.S.”
But at the moment, we’re thinking more about Saturday’s cross-country than Paris
Toward that end, the clever folks at Equiratings are offering insight about the 5-star and who might win. Here’s what they point out:
This is one of the strongest Kentucky 5* fields since 2015, since it includes the current World Champion and a European Champion, as well as the world number one..
- Oliver Townend is making his hundredth five-star start. His first was in 2004 at Burghley. (30 x Burghley, 23 x Badminton, 17 x Luhmühlen, 10 x Kentucky 3 Day, 10 x Pau, 3 x Maryland, 3 x World Championships, 2 x Bicton, 1 x Olympics). A seven-time 5-star winner is partnered with last year’s Blenheim young horse winner, Cooley Rosalent.
- Since 2010, there have been seven British winners at Kentucky
- 25 Kentucky titles have been claimed (1998 to 2023) by riders from five different nations. The score from the two most prolific nations is currently Great Britain 8 – USA 7
- The reigning World Champions Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir won CHIO Aachen in 2023. They have placed top 5 in 13 of their last 18 CCI4* runs. Prediction center gives Yasmin and Banzai a 25 percent win chance and 49 percent chance of a podium finish
- Tom McEwen entered this competition off the back of winning Kronenburg 4-star Short in March. Prediction center rates him with a 31 percnt chance of a win and 52 percent chance of podium finish at Kentucky
- Boyd Martin and On Cue – A two time 5* winning rider partnered with his Maryland 5* winning horse
- Every winner since 2010 has come from the top 5 after Dressage
- Seven out of the winners since 2010 have finished on their Dressage score
- Every Kentucky 5-star winner since 2010 has been in the top five after the first phase
- 11 of the last 13 cross-country leaders have gone on to win
- Quantum Leap (Doug Payne) – going for 4 from 4 perfect jumping clears
- Looking at statistics – only nine of the 43 starters will jump clear
- 11 of the last 13 cross country winners have gone on to win on Sunday
For the 4-star results click here
For the 5-star results, click here
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 25, 2024
Eventing World Champion Yasmin Ingham is leading the 5-star at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event with Banzai du Loir after the first day of dressage, seeking to improve on her 2022 second-place finish.
But despite a professional performance that merited a 26-penalty score, Yasmin didn’t have center stage to herself at the Kentucky Horse Park on Thursday.
Yasmin Ingham waves to her fans after her ride. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
It’s a very unusual edition of the event, with the Cosequin® Lexington 4-star Short getting nearly equal billing with the 5-star, the traditional feature that is one of only seven competitions in the world with that top rating.
Normally, you’d expect Will Coleman to be competing in the 5-star with Off the Record, his Aachen winner from 2021. But that horse is in the 4-star with Will’s newer mount, Diabolo. Halfway through the competition, which resumes on Friday, Off the Record is third with 30.1 penalties and Diabolo is second on 29.9, 0.1 behind the leader, Boyd Martin on Commando 3.
The reason for extra attention on the 4-star? The Paris Olympics are on the horizon.
“I think everybody has a little bit of a different approach,” Will mused, “both in terms of how they want to put themselves forward for selection, whether they feel like they’re going to make a stronger case for themselves doing the 5-star versus the 4-star.
“In my situation, Off the Record is an older horse. If he was going to be asked to go to Paris, I think doing the 5-star here and doing a championship in July would be a lot for him.”
While Diabolo is “working toward his first 5-star at Lumuhlen (Germany), Will’s third entry, Chin Tonic, has been withdrawn due to a carpal sheath issue.
“As always, you listen to your horse and try to make the best decision based on your horse and what’s going to make him be at his best,” commented Will.
“The selection stuff, that’s out of our hands and it’s not even worth putting too much thought in.”
(Just so you know, when I talked to U.S. chef d’equipe Bobby Costello the other day, he was really optimistic about the team and seems to feel ready.)
“I wish the Olympics would be in two weeks,” he told me.
Boyd, meanwhile, wasn’t interested in speaking about his Olympic prospects.
“I’ve tried to not even think about the Olympics,” said Boyd, who has been to three Olympics already.
“You don’t get to the Olympics unless you have a great performance here. It’s all about doing a great job this week, making sure the horses perform well and they’re happy and healthy. Hopefully, one of these horses can go with the team. But at the moment, we’ve got a mission ahead of us here at Kentucky. I’ve got three good horses and they’re in good shape and we really rock.”
He will ride Fedarman B in the 4-star Friday morning and On Cue in the 5-star that afternoon.
Since Yasmin obviously is a candidate for the British Olympic team, I mentioned to her how some of the U.S. riders chose to do the 4-star and asked why she was so set on the 5-star.
Banzai du Loir takes to the air with Yasmin Ingham. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
“I feel like between myself and my team, my owners, that we chose this route, we thought it was better for the horse and the preparation for the second half of the season of what we had planned.”
Of course, the Olympics is on their radar.
“It’s been a dream of mine since I was very young. But equally there are lots of other exciting events that are in the second half of the season I would also look forward to if that didn’t happen.”
Her friend, Kirsty Chabert, stands second with Classic VI on 31 penalties, 0.1 ahead of Germany’s Malin Hansen-Hotopp on Carlitos Quidditch K (what a name!)
Kirsty said of her 15-year-old Anglo European mare “hopefully she’s a really nice bottle of red wine and just keeps maturing with age.”
Malin recalled that before she decided to buy her gray Holsteiner from a friend, he was “really grumpy, bucking all the time…was not so easy but he just did a great job when he was jumping.” That’s always a selling point for a horse purchase.
Calvin Bockmann, who rides in the uniform of the German army, led the 5-star after the first group of riders had gone, and wound up at the end of the day as a very close fourth with The Phantom of the Opera, marked at 31.4 penalties. The 22-year-old had watched Kentucky on television for years and is thrilled to be in the competition.
Calvin Bockmann and The Phantom of the Opera. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Dressage isn’t Phantom’s favorite phase, and he often “got a little nervous at some point.”
But not this time.
“That’s why I’m even more proud of him for performing so well here. The arena is not easy with the cars and the big TV camera,” said the very personable Calvin.
He considers Kentucky the type of competition “you need to go to once in your life.” Calvin was a bit starstruck when he arrived, saing it took him three days “to realize where I am.”
He added, “Being here now is quite unreal. And to be in the lead after the first few riders is like amazing.”
The highest-placed U.S. rider in the 5-star is Hannah Sue Hollberg with Capital H.I.M., sixth on 33 penalties.
“I’m excited. I love this horse very much and I love his owner (Christa Schmidt) and Ms. (Jacqueline) Mars, her mother. It’s just a really special thing for me to be here,” she said.
As she left the arena, she gave a high-five to the Pony Clubber who was manning the ring entrance.
Hannah Sue and the Pony Clubber. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
When I asked if she, like some of the other riders had considered the 4-star instead of the 5, she retorted, “No way. I don’t follow trends.”
For those who are interested, Hannah Sue is planning to return to the Essex Horse Trials in New Jersey June 1-2, where she was the big winner last year with this horse.
Cross-country course designer Derek di Grazia gave a tour of his beautifully built route on Thursday. He’s been working on it since June, and most of the riders think the difficulty quotient is quite high.
“First of all, we changed the direction of it and many of the features come up at a different time in the course and obviously all the feature have been changed, the combinations,” he explained.
Derek di Grazia on the cross-country course he designed. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
“So it certainly is much different than it was last year, or in previous years,” Derek noted.
“The technicality is there, that are different exercises for them to do. I think the time will not be easy to get. The thing that’s good for them is that the ground is quite good, so I think the ground will ride quite quick and fast. That will be a benefit. The other thing that could come into play, I think, it will be a little warmer on Saturday.”
Click here for the 5-star results
Click here for the 4-star results
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 24, 2024
It’s not everyone’s idea of a spectator event, but if you’re an eventing fan, the initial horse inspection at the Defender Kentucky competition is a “must” part of the entire experience.
Spectators line up along the rail at the Kentucky Horse Park to watch their favorites jog, and the bonus is seeing what the riders are wearing. This time, Boyd Martin—who once flaunted an outrageous red, white and blue Uncle Sam suit for the trot-up—was uncharacteristically boring in a gray sweater.
There were the usual choices of blah sportcoats among some of the other men, but no one could even dream of coming close to Will Faudree. He jogged Mama’s Magic Way while wearing a cowboy hat and pink suit worthy of Barbie’s Ken. That woke everybody up.
My favorite, however, was Germany’s Calvin Bockmann, who looked very sharp in his army uniform while presenting The Phantom of the Opera (who was a chestnut, rather than black, as I expected with that name.)
Calvin Bockmann and The Phantom of the Opera. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
The women generally try to make a statement with their clothing. The outfit I liked best was worn by Monica Spencer of New Zealand, a drapey belted light brown jacket that looked as good from the back as it did head-on, coupled with white pants and knee-high tasseled boots. The bay color scheme of her elegant horse, Artist, completed the picture.
Monica Spencer and Artist, the back view. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Jennie Brannigan also looked sharp with Twilight’s Last Gleam and FE Lifestyle. She wore a trenchcoat of sorts over a white top and a short, snappy skirt with rows of brass buttons.
Jennie Brannigan looked sharp for the horse inspection. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
All eyes were on Mia Farley and Phelps. Her outfit was low-key, but she didn’t need to be fancy to get everyone’s attention. She and David O’Connor’s clever thoroughbred were a sensation at last fall’s Maryland 5-star, especially after it was learned that he had bought the horse for $1. (Though I’ve been told he never actually anted up the dollar bill he promised to owner Joanie Morris.)
Mia Farley and Phelps. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Phelps should be a big-time contender along with world number one Oliver Townend of Britain and Cooley Rosalent. Oliver has been the champion at the Kentucky 5-star three times.
While the inspection was relatively uneventful, there was a general sharp intake of breath when Banzai du Loir, the mount of World Champion Yasmin Ingham, was sent to the holding box. He was passed by the ground jury upon his reappearance, so we’re looking forward to seeing the representative of Britain competing.
The other hold involved Doug Payne’s Quantum Leap, who also was accepted upon re-presentation.
Okay, so you’ve seen my choices for the best-dressed. Which do you think won the prize offered by Dubarry? Answer: None of the above. It went to Joe Meyer, one of the guys wearing a nice sportcoat; a muted plaid with a stylish pocket square..
Best-dressed winner high-stepping Joe Meyer with Harbin. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
As I do every year, I went over and talked to Danny Hulse from Dubarry, giving him my thoughts about the contest. He’s very good-natured about it. I objected when they made the award unisex (it used to be best-dressed man and best-dressed woman, but you can guess why that concept went south in this era.)
This time, I asked Danny why, with all these people in great outfits, someone wearing a very nice, but ordinary look won .I was told that the choice is made by a committee, members of whicch remains anonymous, I’m sure they wouldn’t want me dogging them asking why they picked as they did.
I was also told that there’s a long checklist of criteria they have to check off in making their decision. But then the real reason for the choice came out: the rider has to promise to be at the reception at Fasig Tipton where the prize is presented. And Joe was there to receive it.
I can understand why some riders aren’t able to put the reception on their schedule; they’re getting ready to do what they came here for. Competition in both the 4-star Short and the 5-star starts Thursday with dressage, which continues through Friday. The cross-country is Saturday and the event wraps in Lexington with stadium jumping on Sunday.
