by Katherine O. Rizzo with photos by Chelsea Spear and Amy Flemming Waters
At the conclusion of the second day of competition (Friday, October 15) at the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill, the top three in the CCI3* remain the same while two new names move into the top three of the CCI5*. Friday also marked the conclusion of the Young Event Horse East Coast Championships for the five-year-olds.
CCI5*
Overnight leader Oliver Townend remains in the lead of the CCI5* with Cooley Master Class. Tim Price of New Zealand moved into the second place spot riding Xavier Faer to a 24.3. U.S. Olympian Boyd Martin (PA) rounds out the top three with On Cue scoring a 25.0.
Marylander Colleen Rutledge rode Covert Rights to a 30.1 to sit in 13th place heading into tomorrow’s cross-country phase. “I’m very pleased with [Covert Rights], save a couple of wobbly moments in the walk and the middle halt,” Rutledge stated.
Fellow Marylander Ema Klugman scored a 45.9 this afternoon with Bandigo for 45th place.
Seneca Valley Pony Club graduate Lillian Heard scored a 33.0 on LLC Barnaby. The pair are in 30th place out of 45 riders in the CCI5*.
At the end of dressage phase, Valerie Pride and Favian moved down to 23rd place.
CCI3*
While the top three of the CCI3* remain the same with Kurt Martin leading, Katherine Brown in second and Caroline Martin in third, Daniel Clasing rode Maryland-bred Olney Uncle Sam to fourth place with a score of 26.0. The pair are only two and a half points away from Martin’s score.
Sydney Solomon of Oxford rode Mactan to a 32.5, which puts them in 20th out of 50 competitors.
Townend scored a 29.4 with Ulises, owned by Julie Hutchings Sebring of Elkton. This score puts Townend in 10th place going into cross-country. Heard moved down a few spots and is now in 16th with Cooley Gentleman.
YEH-5
A Hannoverian mare named Gina was crowned this year’s Young Event Horse East Coast 5-Year-Old Champion at the conclusion of the jumping/gallop test. Ridden by Chris Talley for owners Corwin Sport Horse LLC, Gina was bred by Hartwig Von Holten and had a final score of 95.2!
Caroline Martin’s Galwaybay Redfield HSH Connor, and Irish Sporthorse gelding, earned the Reserve Championship with Martin on board. Third place went to Invictus, and American Warmblood gelding bred and owned by Karen O’Connor and ridden by Mia Farley.
Savannah Fulton of Finksburg rode Lauren Axselle’s Thoroughbred Velvet Alley to seventh place on a score of 91.65. Nick Wilson bred the mare.
Saturday, October 16 is the big cross-country day kicking off with the CCI3* competition. The CCI5* will start after a short lunch break.