This year’s Rolex Kentucky CCI**** cross-country course proved to be the ultimate test for the 71 horse and rider pairs who tackled it as rainfall throughout the day made the going tough.
Even so, a few experienced four-star pairs surprisingly didn’t complete so we decided to check in and see where they’re headed this season and what went through their minds when things went wrong.
A handful of Rolex pairs have rerouted to the CCI*** at Bromont this weekend, and you can follow along with their progress because the Chronicle’s Lindsay Berreth and Taylor Joyce will be there reporting on www.coth.com all weekend!
At Bromont this weekend are…
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| Rachel McDonough Irish Rhythm |
Selena O’Hanlon Foxwood High |
Marilyn Little RF Demeter |
Sharon White Wundermaske |
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Some Rolex re-routers who moved on to other goals are…
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Buck Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM Davidson and his longtime partner “Reggie” retired at the second element of fence 7, a table after a drop into water. Davidson went on to win the Jersey Fresh CCI***. He told us at Jersey Fresh that the mistake at Rolex was entirely his fault and that Reggie, who’s 15 this year, didn’t need to prove anything by completing the event with 20 penalties. “Kentucky was my problem,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with the horse. We had him checked out. He’s a superstar. He looks after me and always gives 110% and I just feel bad at Kentucky that I didn’t do my part for him. |
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Lauren Kieffer and Veronica Last year’s Rolex runners-up and USEF National Four-Star champions, Kieffer and Veronica completed the Pau CCI**** (France) last fall and were looking for another top placing in Kentucky this year, but they picked up a run-out at the Head of the Lake, fence 14. “Veronica has four-star experience and being one of the last of the day, the footing was a big issue, so I already had a plan and was going out to be competitive, and we were fast and everything, and I had in my head that if we had a mistake early on that I would probably pull her up and reroute, because she wasn’t really there for the experience or a qualifying score,” said Kieffer. “Since that happened at the water, I pulled up. If it was a younger horse and I was there for the experience, I would have kept going. I went out with a pretty competitive plan with her.” ADVERTISEMENTKieffer was just awarded a Land Rover competition grant to head to the Bramham CCI*** (England). |
