After more than a week of rain, sunny skies and puffy white clouds made for a pleasant ambiance at the Jersey Fresh CCI and CIC, but many riders found John Williams’ cross-country courses a bit less friendly than the weather today, May 9.
While the leaderboard endured a dramatic shuffling all day, Michael Pollard and Icarus made the CCI*** course look easy, coming home with just 2.4 time penalties to put them on top with a mark of 46.4.
“It was a difficult course with the rain [over the past week] and heavy ground,” said Pollard, Chatsworth, Ga. “[Icarus] doesn’t get tired, but he was even struggling at the end. He never backed off the rein, but he didn’t have as much gallop. It was definitely a day to get it done instead of trying to have a beautiful round.”
Pollard, who usually only has a short warm-up on the horse, was delayed for about 30 minutes at the start box during one of three emergency holds on course in the division (Hawley Bennett and Christian Eagles both had falls and were taken off the course in ambulances but later released with only minor injuries; Phillip Dutton’s Bailey Wick fell at Fence 20).
“Normally at a three-star, you’re feeling you have to hold them together during the last minute on course,” he said. “But here, after Fence 20, the horses became tired. You were nursing them through the last three minutes. The only way you could be close to the time was to see the distance from the stride you were on rather than setting them up.”
Jan Byyny, Purcellville, Va, was back in Waterfront’s tack, and they also posted a clean trip with only 8.8 time penalties for a two-day total of 50.8. She was also affected by a hold in the start box and felt that Waterfront became very anxious to get out on the course.
“He was a little bit tricky in the beginning,” Byyny said. “I took it easy with him, and it rode how it walked. The organizers really, really tried to make a huge effort to pick the best footing and surface for us that they could.”
The overnight leaders from the dressage, Leslie Law and Fleeceworks Mystere du Val, had a clean jumping trip but racked up 12 time penalties, dropping them into third (51.0). After incurring a runout with his first horse, the usually-brave Private Heart, Law knew he’d have to ride an especially forward round on the somewhat-cautious Mystere du Val. They took the long route at the final water to avoid the corner that had spoiled Private Heart’s round.
“I was very pleased with the horse today,” he said, adding that he knew the long route was the safer bet. “I felt like he would have to come down to that water and be full of it, and I knew by the time I jumped through the coffin that he’d have to jump the long route. I made up my mind [well before I got there].”
For many CCI*** riders, problems occurred only in the final few minutes of the course. Four riders had trouble at the final water complex, particularly the corner that was placed in the water. Two fell there—Holly Hepp on Last Monarch and Wendy Southam on Ruba Z, and Andrea Leatherman on Mensa fell at the preceding fence, the drop into the water itself. Colin Davidson on Draco had two stops at the corner, then retired.
The first pass through the water also proved difficult for Stephanie Rhodes-Bosch on Port Authority, Ronald Zabala on Che Kairo and Amy Mulhern on Ghost Of Figgy: they all added 20 penalties to their scores at that particular combination.
At the end of the day, only 13 pairs jumped clean around the track, and no one made the time.
Holder Grabs The CCI** Lead
The CCI** field was also fraught with difficulties, and the top placings shifted dramatically as the five horses leading after dressage all dropped in the standings. Becky Holder, previously in sixth place, slipped into the lead with a quick round aboard Rejuvenate. They incurred just 1.2 time faults and now stand on a mark of 53.1.
“I was really nervous about the footing, and while it did get a bit sticky and holding by the end of the day, my horses were really fantastic,” said Holder, who is also in second place in the CIC*** with Courageous Comet. “I intended to be slow [on Rejuvenate], but he ended up being a lot faster than I thought he was going to be. I didn’t know what I would have at the 9 minute marker, but he really settled into a rhythm. I asked him if he wanted to let up after the last water, and he kind of was like, ‘What are you doing? Let’s keep going!’ ”
Ann Bower, Holder’s friend, barn owner and veterinarian, bred and owns the 11-year-old gelding, and the two riders have shared the horse as he’s moved up the levels. This year, however, Holder will get to spend some time truly testing the horse, and he rose to the occasion today.
Three other young, inexperienced horses matured on today’s course as well. Emily Beshear’s green Here’s To You moved into second place with just 7.6 time faults (59.3), and Boyd Martin’s homebred mare Shatzi W jumped into a tie for third with 6.8 penalties (59.8).
ADVERTISEMENT
“He’s kind of an over-exhuberant jumping horse, and he’s pretty new to the level but seems to think it’s pretty fun,” Beshear said of her 9-year-old Thoroughbred gelding. “I was concerned when I first walked [the course] that it wasn’t going to flow in the beginning, but it rode really well.”
The track wasn’t without its trouble spots, however.
“The ground was a bit sticky,” Martin admitted. “I felt Shatzi and Remington [my CCI*** horse] getting a bit tired about 3/4 of the way around. The ground really sucked them down a little bit.
“But really the hardest part was just remembering all three courses,” he added with a laugh.
Martin is now tied with young rider Kate Samuels and her 7-year-old gelding Nyls Du Terroir. They posted a double-clear round today to remain on their dressage mark of 59.8.
“By about the second water, he didn’t have as many brakes, and I expected that to happen,” said Samuels, who is contesting her first CCI** here. “But he grew up, and instead of saying, “Ugh, I’m too tired,’ he just pushed through. He’s never made time at the horse trial level, so it was amazing.”
The tacky footing and humid weather seemed to take a toll on many horses. Of the 38 pairs in the division, only three logged double-clear rounds. Samuels’ ride moved into the tie for third after being 17th after the dressage. James Alliston’s round aboard Parker II catapulted him from 26th to seventh, and Tyler Frey and Sirrahsta jumped from 32nd to ninth.
Dressage winner Gina Fiore had a runout at final water with Feral Errol. Second-placed Karen O’Connor incurred 20 faults when That’s Smart stopped at a tricky corner, and her third-placed horse, Rocket, racked up 42.8 time faults. Andrew Palmer and Stiletto, sitting fourth after the dressage, also had a stop late in the course.
ADVERTISEMENT
While refusals were generally scattered throughout the course, the bogey fences became apparent early on. Fence 25 ABC, the Old Roller Coaster Coffin, rode particularly poorly for tired horses and riders, and multiple falls and close calls occurred at the challenging complex set late in the course. Ashley Kehoe fell from Magic Man there, as did Kerry Blackmer from Case Closed II. Chris Hitchcock/Paladin, Jessica Phoenix/Exuberant, Kristen Bond/Speak Of The Devil and Andrew Palmer/Stiletto all incurred stops there.
Fence 16AB, the Camel Back, also spoiled many hopes, as did the Puzzled Corner at 19, which followed a tricky skinny fence built into a combined driving hazard.
Two horses did not start the CCI** cross-country. Pippa Moon withdrew Ribbo on Friday evening, and Will Faudree scratched McGlade this morning after the horse cut an eyelid in his stall overnight, requiring stitches.
Martin Makes His Move
Martin, West Grove, Pa., was a busy man at the Horse Park of New Jersey, piloting four horses in three divisions. All of them are now in the top 10 after cross-country.
Martin’s mount Belmont II, owned by Kate Ditchey, now leads the CIC*** division with a 62.1, and Rock On Rose, who is owned by Bruce Davidson, Sr., moved into fifth place.
“Bruce needed a rider to get his horses going, and I got the call, which is a fantastic honor,” he said. “It’s been good and terrifying. He was chasing me around on a golf cart all the way. But I got to wear his back protector and helmet cover from [the World Championships, which Bruce won in] 1978, so it’s been great fun.”
Olympic veterans Holder and Courageous Comet moved up into second place with a 67.4 after a solid trip across the country. A pulled muscle in the gelding’s hind end prevented the pair from contesting the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** two weeks ago, but Comet seemed to be back on track.
“When they added this division, it was a great chance to finish the season with a good run with him,” said Holder, Mendota Heights, Minn. “I want to protect him and save him, but I don’t want him to get rusty either.”
Ringwood Magister and Tiana Coudray, Ojai, Calif., also moved up a spot and sit in third place with a 69.1.
Only 10 riders had a clean jumping effort, and problems were scattered throughout the course. The water proved to be menacing once again, with Jennie Brannigan on Cooper, Maya Studenmund on Business Class and Andrea Leatherman on Revere Road all having stops at Fence 13AB, the Boat Houses. Melissa Wright on Never Summer retired there.
Tomorrow’s horse inspection begins at 9 a.m.
