Martin Maintains Top Spot in Soggy CCI*** at 2009 Dansko Fair Hill International

USEA - Martin Maintains Top Spot in Soggy CCI*** at 2009 Dansko Fair Hill International

Updated: 2009-10-19

 

Boyd Martin & Neville Bardos

Martin & Neville

Karen O'Connor & Mandiba

O'Connor & Mandiba

Kelly Sult & Hollywood

Sult & Hollywood

Hannah Sue Burnett & St. Barths

Burnett & St. Barths

Doug Payne & Running Order

Payne & Running Order

Rebecca Howard (CAN) & Roquefort

Howard & Roquefort


 by Joanie Morris/USEF

Complete Results

Elkton, MD - Wind substituted for four days of relentless rain for the finale of the 2009 Dansko Fair Hill International but Boyd Martin was not to be blown of the top of the leaderboard. In an impressive performance with Neville Bardos, Martin had one rail down, but landed his first USEF National CCI*** Championship on the strength of the only double clear cross country round on Saturday.

“I just wanted the horse to jump pretty well,” said Martin who finished on a score of 55.0. “He was full of life in the warm up and making a good shape in the air. I wasn’t that worried about having rails down I just wanted him to jump well.”

The Australian expatriate began riding under the American flag just this year and is a welcome addition to the US program. Martin (West Grove, PA) was the Leading Foreign Rider in 2008 riding Remington XXVI – who also placed fifth this year.

“This was, for me personally, as I’ve come second a number of times in three stars in Australia and America and for me it was a great thing to win,” said Martin. “I’ve won a one star, a two star and a four star, it doesn’t mean much really but to me it did.”

Neville Bardos, owned by Windurra LLC, is a nine-year-old Australian Thoroughbred. He was bought initially by Martin to re-sell, but the chestnut gelding never ending up leaving the barn, so he made the move to the United States with Martin and his wife Silva instead. ‘Neville’ was ninth in his first CCI**** in 2008, had two minor injuries after that but returned with a vengeance for Martin, who picked up his first CCI victory in the US.

“He’s a real tough mongrel of a horse,” said Martin. “If you look at all the top horses here – they aren’t show ponies. You’d see them in a bar fight.”

The show jumping proved difficult and clear rounds were very valuable. Karen O’Connor (The Plains, VA) also had one rail down with 10-year-old Mandiba (owned by Joan Goswell) to stay in second place and take home the Leading Lady Rider title for the Beale Wright Morris trophy.

 “I really thought he jumped great,” said O’Connor, who was also fifth in the CCI** with Allstar. “But I was so worried at the eighth fence I was going to turn the wrong way like on the two star course… so I started to turn before I left the ground. He gave me a great ride, he feels really solid now. He felt solid in all three phases. Both David and Phillip did a great job helping me get to this point. It was great to end his season coming back to Fair Hill instead of ending it at Burghley. He had colicked on the Friday night before the cross country (at Burghley) and he came out of the start box and he wasn’t quite right.”

On the strength of a winning dressage mark, O’Connor was then tied with Phillip Dutton going into the jumping. She finished on a score of 59.2 and had her confidence restored after an uncharacteristic performance in September at the Burghley CCI**** and then breaking her shoulder in a motor bike accident five weeks ago.  Mandiba went to school with David O’Connor and Phillip Dutton while Karen O’Connor went into recovery.

“If you don’t take your time they will slow themselves down,” said O’Connor, explaining the improvement  in the horse, who represented the US at the Olympic Games last year.

Dutton had two down with Kheops de Quesnay to drop to fourth so Kelly Sult (Erie, PA) and 17-year-old Hollywood jumped up the placings on the strength of a double clear show jumping round to finish third. Her score of 60.0 put her in some very experienced company. The 23-year-old won multiple other honors including the top Owner Rider Trophy, the USEF Under 25 National CCI*** Championship, and the Top Young Adult title. 

“Since this last year he’s gotten a lot better,” said Sult. “The older the better, no one can believe he’s 17. His jumping has just gotten so much better. He’s got a big heart and he loves his job.”

Sult trains mostly on her own, but she spent the winter with Bobby Costello in Southern Pines. She and Hollywood have completed the Rolex Kentucky CCI****, but this was her best CCI finish to date.

Hannah Sue Burnett made plenty of people sit up and take notice with her mature, professional performance over the weekend in the USEF National CCI** Championship, but it was the last fence in the show jumping that really caught everyone by surprise.

After a foot perfect cross country round on Saturday, Burnett continued her flawless performance with Dick Thompson’s St. Barths around a very chilly show jumping course – until the final jump. The eight-year-old Thoroughbred and Burnett missed the distance to the last and crashed through it, adding four faults to their score. Luckily Burnett managed to hang on and get through the finish flags, she had the rail in hand so she won on a final score of 55.9.

“I was worried about getting too close to the last one,” said Burnett. “I got out a little bit too far, I thought I was right there on the eight (strides) but I wasn’t.  I messed up pretty bad. It was my fault. The rails kept going in front of me and I just wanted him to get over the rails. I was looking for the finish flags and trying to stay on… I was glad he took care of me.”

Burnett could be forgiven as it was her only bad jump of the weekend, even though she didn’t realize she had the rail in hand.

“I love show jumping, it’s my favorite phase,” said Burnett. “I felt confident, he’s a very good jumper and I really enjoy it but I was really nervous and it caught up with me at the end.”

Dick Thompson received an award he donated in honor of his wife, Vita, who passed away last year. St. Barths was the last horse the Thompsons bought together. 

“It’s really special that it was devoted to his wife and he got to receive it,” said Burnett of Thompson, who has always been a steadfast supporter of the sport.

A student of David and Karen O’Connor, 23-year-old Burnett (Ocala, FL) picked up all kinds of accolades for her performance on the weekend. She was also the USEF Young Adult Champion, she won recognition for the fittest horse (she was one of only two to make the time on the cross country) and picked up the National Championship. She moved up from 16th after the first phase to win by less than four points.

The upcoming generation riders ruled in the CCI**, and 28-year-old Doug Payne (Califon, NJ) put in an impressive performance all weekend with Stone Hill Farm’s Running Order to move up to second place with one rail in the show jumping. Their performance meant they took home Reserve USEF National Championship title, finishing on a score of 59.1.

“We were tied for eighth after the dressage but coming in I was thinking if I was in the top 10 I was going to be really happy,” said Payne.  “He’s really not ready, I didn’t think he would be ready to do what he has done. He’s only done four Intermediates. I think he’ll probably do another two star.  He needs to get a lot stronger. He’s got tons of potential, I’m really excited for him.”

 The seven-year-old Running Order also took home top honors as the best Young Horse, and was awarded a trophy donated by Major General Jonathan T. Burton, the FEI Chief Steward who celebrates his 90th birthday next week.

Payne was the pathfinder on Saturday’s cross-country but the Irish Thoroughbred made light work of the track in very wet conditions. This pair won the long format CCI* at the Virginia Horse Trials in the spring.

“The environment that he was in in Ireland would have benefitted him on Saturday,” said Payne. “He’s got a great gallop.”

Rebecca Howard rounded out the top three for Canada to win the Leading Foreign Rider title. Howard won the dressage and also rides with Karen and David O’Connor, picked up 11.6 time faults on the cross country and added eight in the show jumping with Roquefort. They finished on 61.8 meaning she and Payne switched places after the jumping.

The rangy 11-year-old was strong around Sally Ike’s show jumping track, and Howard explained she had an equipment failure on Saturday that made for a little less rideablilty on Sunday.

“I’m really, really happy with my horse,” said Howard. “I’m disappointed, I don’t think I have ever had two rails on him. I had to change some equipment because yesterday my bit broke. The mouth piece and cheek piece came apart. It really rubbed his mouth, so I had to just ride in a snaffle and he got really strong. He jumped great, he was just keen.”

St. Barths, Running Order and Roquefort were all were contesting their first CCI**s.

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