I was soaked this afternoon, which was not surprising and something to which I’ve become accustomed after 31 years covering the Dutta Fair Hill International three-day event, where rain has never been a stranger.
But you come to expect that while writing about and photographing a sport where inclement weather is looked on as just another challenge among many. And my state of drenching was nothing compared to the sodden jackets and slick tack that the riders had to deal with. Besides, compared to the incredibly sunny skies and moderate temps we enjoyed for yesterday’s cross-country test at Maryland’s scenic and hilly Fair Hill Natural Resources area, I couldn’t complain. No one would have wanted it the other way around.
So when the skies opened, that became part of the event’s final show jumping test for both the 3- and 4-star L divisions, though no one had to enjoy it.
“I really, really dislike show jumping in the rain, said Erin Sylvester, adding, “I just tried to hold on.”
She had a good grip, winning the 4-Star on Paddy the Caddy, a performer who’s been waiting in the wings to a certain extent. He finally took a big bow on center stage, cashing in with a clean show jumping round when overnight leader Waylon Roberts toppled four rails with Lancaster to drop to eighth place.
“It’s been my goal to get this event done, and done well,” said Erin. “We’ve hit a few bumps in the road during the season, so it was great to kind of put that all behind us and have a good weekend.”
Eighth in the dressage phase Friday, Paddy moved up the standings after acing the cross-country segment yesterday with just 0.4 penalties, the fourth best performance over the route laid out by Derek di Grazia.
This afternoon, after finishing fault-free over designer Marc Donovan’s course in the big arena, Erin said of her mount, “He felt a little bit tired, but he has endless heart and tries to do the best every time he’s in the ring.” Before the awards presentation, she got a visit from USEF eventing performance manager Erik Duvander, who is always scouting talent for his team. He was enthusiastic about Paddy, saying with delight, “Look at that face” indicating that the horse’s lovely expression says it all.
And how nice that Paddy is a thoroughbred, the breed that used to dominate eventing in the era of the classic format, when the “L” that stands for long today really meant long, before warmbloods became the fashion.
The horse was bred in Ireland by owner Frank McEntee, but his time at the racetrack with trainer Graham Motion demonstrated he wouldn’t have a future in that sport. Erin, a professional based in Pennsylvania, happened to be teaching Frank’s daughter when a new career was sought for Paddy, and the two were able to establish a relationship.
And what about the horse’s weird name? Frank told me he had asked the guys at the racetrack to name him. They were Irish, hence the Paddy part, and they liked to play golf, so there you have the Caddy.
Erin trains with Phillip Dutton and Boyd Martin. The latter has been sidelined from the saddle by a broken pelvis, but he was on foot to help at Fair Hill as needed.
The top five in the 4-star all jumped fault-free, but Erin had a rail in hand with 34.3 penalties over BGS Firecracker (38.3) ridden by Mia Farley, a Californian who moved to Virginia to train with Karen and David O’Connor.
Kentucky-based Jenny Caras, had the biggest jump in the standings, going from 29th after dressage to third with 40 penalties on Fernhill Fortitude. Fourth was Sydney Elliott on QC Diamantaire (40.2) while Phillip Dutton was fifth with Fernhill Singapore (42.4).
D.A. Duras, who was third after cross-country, did not appear for the horse inspection this morning. Rider Lauren Kieffer yesterday had expressed concern about horses being stung by hard ground (the area was going through a drought until Thursday) and worried the ground jury wouldn’t be lenient at the trot-up.
Mara DuPuy, who won the dressage with Congo Brazzaville C, took a tumble near the end of the cross-country course and was eliminated.
The 4-star standings got another shakeup yesterday when four riders were assessed 15 penalties for violating the flag rule, which involves what percentage of a horse’s body must go over a narrow fence as originally flagged in order to avoid a charge of 15 penalties. In cases where there is a question, it becomes a “let’s go to the videotape” moment to reach a conclusion. Martin Plewa, president of the grounds jury for the 4-star, said the jury had a discussion with the riders last night about the decision to penalize them, but that and watching the official videotape delayed the posting of results.
The obstacle involved for all four was the B section of the Farm House Corners, where the fence could be approached off a bending line for those taking the option of going the fast, direct way.
“It’s not the ground jury’s fault. They’re following the rule, but the rule is a stupid rule and they need to change it before the Olympics or else our sport will be in the courts for months afterwards,” said Phillip Dutton, who was second with Z after cross-country and dropped to ninth with the penalty. After producing a show jumping clear, he finished seventh.
“The course designers have to look at it so it doesn’t become more of an issue If the rule isn’t changed. They need to make it so a horse can get to them (a corner fence) on a straight line.”
Derek noted, however, “there were a lot of people who took the short way who did fine.”
Phillip benefited from the old rule on the issue at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where his horse’s entire body did not pass through the flags, but things have changed since then.
“As long as it’s very clear, I don’t think the riders would mind what kind of rule it is. At the moment you can knock down a flag and not get penalized, but then you (the judges) have to decide how much of the horse was inside the flag (ie, where the flag was posted originally). Most of the crowd left yesterday and they didn’t know who was in the lead,” pointed out Phillip. He mentioned that both Singapore and Z knocked down a flag, but the former wasn’t penalized and he latter was.
In the 3-star, Woods Baughman, who had been second in dressage with his parents’ C’est La Vie 135, won on 27.6 penalties, one penalty less than Canada’s Colleen Loach on Vermont.
Smiling broadly as he cleared the last show jumping fence, the 23-year-old noted, “I could finally breathe for the first time since yesterday.”
Woods, who lives in West Virginia where he trains with Sharon White, spent a year working with Dirk Schrade in Germany. It’s no surprise, then, when he states his ambition: “I’d like to get on a team.”
The standings for the top four did not change penalty-wise from Saturday, but a tie on 29.8 penalties for third place between Caitlin Silliman (Ally KGO) and Holly Payne Caravella of Oldwick, N.J., (Charm King) was resolved with Holly dropping to fourth because Caitlin won the tie-breaker, finishing closest to the optimum time on the cross-country course (and it was only a difference of three seconds between the two.)
This was the last time the Fair Hill event will be held on the grounds off Gallaher Road. Next fall, it will be the Maryland 5-star at Fair Hill, on property a short canter away, where new arenas and grandstands are being built. The course designer will be British Olympian Ian Stark.
“I was a little sad, thinking I’m not going to go around this track again,” said Erin, echoing a sentiment expressed by many as an era ends.