Beezie Madden’s two young horses have jumped to the top of the USEF Olympic Selection Trials. With just 1 time fault in tonight’s Round 3, DeSilvio took over the top spot in the standings from his barnmate, Authentic. 

Authentic had just a foot in the water to lie in a four-way tie for second with 4 faults. “He’s kind of been under-rated by a lot of people,” Madden said of DeSilvio, a 9-year-old Dutch Warmblood. “He’s not always the fastest in the jump-off, but he’s been coming along steadily and been so consistent.”

DeSilvio hasn’t had a jump down yet’just a time fault each in Rounds 2 and 3. “He’s scopey and has a big stride, and it looks like he’s just loping around, but he sometimes has a lot of inner tension,” said Madden.  “In the first two rounds, he was trying really hard, but I could feel that he was tense.  But in the third round, he felt more relaxed and comfortable out there.”

Authentic just splashed a toe in the water tonight for his 4 faults. “It was my fault. He’s been spooky about that end of the ring, and when we turned for the water, a kid came running toward him at the rail. He veered in on the turn, and even though I got him back out, I never really got going with enough pace to the water. He jumped way up over it, but I could see his toes out in front of me, reaching for the tape,” said Madden.

McLain Ward also blames himself for Sapphire’s only fault’a rail at the A element of a combination out of the corner. “I over-rode it a bit. In [Round 2 this afternoon, jumped over the same course], she looked at that combination a bit and jumped really high over it. So, I pushed her at it a little tonight when I should have just trusted her. She was spectacular, though,” Ward said.

Norman Dello Joio, who stood tied for the lead with Madden and Ward after Round 2, had to make the tough decision to withdraw Glasgow from the trails, stating that the horse didn’t feel quite right. Peter Wylde and Fein Cera continued to work their way up, recording another precise and elegant clear round tonight.  They’re tied for second with their 4 faults from Round 1.

Clare Bronfman kept adding chapters to her fairy-tale weekend by collecting just 1 time fault in Round 3 aboard Irco Sun and jumping clean on Katerina. She now heads to Rounds 4-6 tied for second on Irco Sun and tied for seventh with Katerina.

Molly Ashe and Lutopia added another 4 faults to this afternoon’s 4-fault score by toppling a block off the top of the adobe wall. With their 8, they lie in a five-way tie for seventh with Bronfman and Katerina, Lauren Hough and Clasiko, Quickstar II Z and Ward, and Alison Firestone with Casanova. Hough posted clear rounds in Round 1 and tonight in Round 3, but rails at the last two fences in Round 2 put her in the 8-fault category.

Nicole Simpson and El Campeon’s So Long had a rail and a time fault tonight, as did Richard Spooner on Robinson. They stand tied for 11^th with 9 faults so far.  Robin Sweely jumped the first clear round of the night tonight with Carlow Clover, giving her a three-round total of 13 faults and putting her in 13^th place.

Horses will travel to the Oaks in San Juan Capistrano on Monday, and jog for inspection on Wednesday afternoon, May 19. Round 4 of the trials goes on Saturday, May 22, and Rounds 5 and 6 conclude on Sunday, May 23.