Amy Tryon hoped Leyland would come out of the weekend of the Jersey Fresh three-star as a better and more educated horse. She did that and more when a clear show jumping round solidified their victory over Buck Davidson on Ballynoecastle RM and Canada’s Jessica Phoenix on Exploring.

“I was pleasantly surprised. I don’t think you ever go into these things and think you’re going to win, especially with the young horses,” said Tryon.

Coming into show jumping, her win was by no means a sure thing. Tryon did have a rail in hand because second-placed Sara Dierks had two down with Somerset II and third-placed Mike Winter also took a rail with Wonderful Will over Sally Ike’s demanding track.

“I just wanted to try and be smooth with him, because he has a tremendous amount of ability,” said Tryon. But she noted that the 8-year-old Thoroughbred still has some very green moments, and three weeks ago he was having some difficulty with triple combinations at the Ocala advanced two-phase (Fla.). 

“They surprise you pleasantly sometimes, and when they do it’s incredible,” said Tryon. “He doesn’t know what he can’t do, and he might be green, but he has a great mind.”

Tryon, Duvall, Wash., spent part of the winter in Ocala with the O’Connors and moved back to The Plains, Va., with them for the spring season.

Davidson also faced the three-star on a green 8-year-old advanced horse, and he couldn’t have been prouder of “Reggie’s” result.

“Cross-country was probably the best ride of my life,” he said. “I started off quietly yesterday and just built. He ran up the last hill and he finished just as fresh as can be. He only did two events this spring to get ready for this.”
 
Davidson and Tryon both commented that their horses couldn’t do their best dressage test because of the pouring rain and wind, but Jersey Fresh ended up being anything but a dressage show. Tryon moved up from ninth place to win, while Davidson came from 12th and Phoenix from 23rd.

Double-clean show jumping rounds were possible, but of the 29 rides only seven added no penalties.  Hawley Bennett suffered a disappointing round with Splendorofthesun when he took seven rails down, including every rail in the triple.

Winter rode three horses in the three-star, and he made the most exciting save of the division when Manhattan IV jumped him out of the tack at the Swedish oxer, and he landed up on the horse’s neck. Winter was able to scramble back into the tack, and while he did have to take the refusal for a circle while he regrouped, he was able to finish in good form. Jose Ortelli’s horse, JOS Aquiles, was held at the jog and withdrawn.

Maya Black suffered a hairy moment on her course in the two-star as well when Kejsarinna thought they should go left instead of right, but despite losing her stirrup, Black was able to get organized for the triple combination and finish with just one rail down to win her first CCI** over Carol Kozlowski on Take Time and Phillip Dutton on Risk Taker, who took each dropped a rail of their own.

“I feel like the rail was definitely caused by me,” said Black. The 20-year-old “A” Pony Clubber from Whidbey Island, Wash., thought she would have been better off jumping through the triple without the stirrup, instead of interrupting her horse’s balance to get it back.

“My Pony Club instructors will definitely laugh at me,” she said. Black currently works with Jan Byyny in Purcellville, Va., but took lessons with Ruth Moore in Washington. Moore was also Tryon’s instructor.

Black also got some useful advice from Kozlowski, who, along with many other professionals in the barn, has adopted Black while she’s away from home. Initially, Black approached Kozlowski about working for her, but the Geneseo, N.Y., resident told her to go further south so she wouldn’t spend all her time in the indoor arena.

“I was so happy she was the last one in the ring!” said Kozlowski of Black. “I don’t come to these competitions to be competitive, I come to ride well and to test the training I’ve put into my horses. If the dice roll in my favor, that’s fabulous.”

Kozlowski said that Take Time, a 15-year-old Connemara-Thoroughbred cross owned by Lynn Blades, had been forced to step up his game when her three-star mount, Mr. Snuffleuffagus, was injured.

“When all my good horses kept getting hurt, he kept going to the top of the roster,” she said. This is Take Time’s third two-star.

Only two riders managed a double-clear round in the two-star, Wendy Lewis on Catalyst and Maya Studenmund on Business Class. They placed eighth and ninth respectively.