Reddick, Fla.—Nov. 25   

Doug Payne admitted he hates to lose, and he’s put himself in a pretty good position for a win following today’s influential show jumping at the Ocala Jockey Club International CIC***.

As one of nine double-clear rounds over Richard Jeffery’s course, Payne and Vandiver moved from a tie for third after dressage into the lead heading into tomorrow’s cross-country.

Payne has been paired with the 12-year-old Trakehner gelding (Windfall—Visions Of Grandeur, Mystic Replica XX), that he co-owns with Debi Crowley, for 18 months.

They completed the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** this spring and the Dutta Corp. Fair Hill International CCI*** (Md.) in 2015, so Payne was looking for a new challenge where he could work on “Quinn’s” show jumping and dressage.

Doug Payne and Vandiver. Photo by Lindsay Berreth.

“I didn’t think there was a huge reason to go back and do the exact same event. His weakest link in the last six months is probably on the flat, and he’s had a lot of clears in show jumping, but he’s had a number that he maybe had a clear but rubbed a whole bunch, so we took a whole lot of time in the summer and into the fall doing some straight show jumping and working on the flat, and I figured given the opportunity to run a good quality horse trials with a great course, it’s going to be more beneficial for him in the end,” he said. “Clayton [Fredericks] told me it would be a great, open galloping course, and it was one of those things where it made a whole lot of sense to do this and target Kentucky for the spring.”

Payne’s been renting Phillip Dutton’s Aiken, S.C., winter base this summer and has taken advantage of its grass field, so doing dressage and show jumping on Ocala’s field today didn’t phase Quinn.

“I was very, very happy [with his dressage.] Quinn is just getting better and better. I thought he was exceptionally good—probably the most rideable he’s been yet. Halfway through the test I was thinking, ‘Well now I can actually start to go for it a bit more.’ I can’t wait to see what comes in the future, because this is a big step forward,” he said. “[Show jumping] was a challenge, without a doubt. I think it was certainly a solid test, and I was happy with my two [Payne is also in 10th with Lysander.] It was certainly built big enough for sure.”

Jonathan Holling and Downtown Harrison. Photo by Lindsay Berreth.

Ocala-based rider Jonathan Holling was thrilled with Downtown Harrison today, and their clear show jumping round moved them into second from eighth after dressage.

“Will” won the Poplar Place CIC*** (Ga.) in September, but at the Stable View Advanced Horse trials (S.C.) in October he stopped jumping suddenly in the show jumping warm up, and Holling withdrew him.

He dropped the 12-year-old Trakehner/Throughbred gelding (Il Sixtino—Senorita Sue, Sliver Buck) down to preliminary and intermediate at his next two events and went back to the drawing board at home.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been as nervous going into a show jump round as I was today. I was really pleased with him. The last time I jumped around a four-foot course I withdrew in the warm up because he just decided he didn’t want to jump. It’s been five or six weeks of trying to regroup and figure that out and going to work with Leslie [Law] and home, and going through our progression, so this was our first big test to see if we’d sorted that out. He felt great in the warm up,” he said. “On the one hand, he’s my horse and my parents’ horse, so there’s no pressure except the pressure I put on myself, so I was thrilled with him.”

Sara Kozumplik Murphy made her FEI debut with new ride Rubens D’Ysieux a positive one, jumping a clear round to move into third place from ninth after dressage.

Kozumplik Murphy took over the ride on the 11-year-old Selle Français gelding (Balougran—Orenda D’Ysieux, Mr. Blue) from her friend Mikki Kuchta, who decided to stop riding at the upper levels this summer.

“I had a great day on somebody else’s horse, because I can’t really take all the credit for it. He’s a really nice horse,” said Kozumplik Murphy. This was the pair’s fourth start together.

“I’m not like Phillip [Dutton] or Boyd [Martin] or one of those guys—I’m not a catch ride type of person, but I really love this horse. I’ve been privy to all the information—my friend was his previous rider and didn’t want to ride at that level anymore. I stalked him on YouTube, and I’ve been show jumping with him. He’s a wicked cross-country horse, and she’s trained him beautifully on the flat. When I get on I feel like I’m going to have my riding school lesson, it’s so cool. That’s really fun for me. I feel like I’m learning a lot,” she said.

Sara Kozumplik Murphy and Rubens D’Ysieux. Photo by Lindsay Berreth.

All three riders praised the event, although only Holling and Kozumplik Murphy had walked Mike Etherington-Smith’s cross-country track by the press conference.

“I certainly haven’t been to every venue in the world, but I’ve been around awhile, and I can’t think of any place that’s more beautiful than this place. There’s a lot of beautiful venues in the world, but this one would rival any of them, and I think we’re really lucky to be here. It’s amazing that it’s 30 minutes from home,” said Holling.

 “We obviously have a lot to do tomorrow—it’s a big track, but I think it’s one of the nicest CIC*** tracks that I’ve seen. Obviously it can only be so long, but I think it’s the most galloping, big, proper track I’ve seen at a CIC. Mike ES did an amazing job, and the Nygaards are amazing for letting us be in their backyard.”

“It’s going to be quite a thing for me. I’m a good cross-country rider, but on my own horses. I don’t know this horse very well, and so I can be a bit of a coward that way,” admitted Kozumplik Murphy. “I’m obviously not going to pansy about, you have to go out and ride, but there’s a couple of places where I might be a bit slower than these boys. I expect both of them to do well on their horses. I agree it’s a big, galloping course, and I’m certainly going to go out there and give it a go, but I also don’t think it’s fair to be too demanding of a horse that doesn’t know me too well.”

As for Payne, “I really don’t like losing! So we’ll see,” he said before he left to go walk the course.

Click here for lots of photos.

Click here for full results.

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Curious about the new Ocala Jockey Club International? We’re on site to bring you coverage of the CCI*, CCI** and CIC*** and lots of photos! Check out a full report in the Dec. 12 print edition of the Chronicle.