Germany’s Julia Krajewski has taken pole position at the end of dressage in the CCI3* at the SsangYong Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials.
Riding Chipmunk FRH, the 28-year-old scored 33.4, which gives her a 2.3 penalties lead over Britain’s Pippa Funnell and MGH Grafton Street.
Krajewski said: “I normally don’t get nervous before dressage, but when you’re right at the end you have time to think about it. This is the highlight of Chipmunk’s season – he was my reserve horse for the Europeans, so he was fittened up for that, and we thought Blenheim would be a good alternative.
“He wants to please and he’s very genuine – if he understands something, he’ll do it.”
There are two American in the top-10 with Kim Severson leading the way in third on a 37.8 aboard Cooley Cross Border. Hannah Sue Burnett and RF Demeter sit in sixth on a score of 39.7.
In all, seven riders scored in the 30s, demonstrating the high standard of dressage on display this year.
There are five other U.S. riders competing in the CCI3*
=16th - Doug Payne and Vandiver, 46.6
=24th - Elisabeth Halliday-Sharp and Carpe Diem IV, 47.1
28th - Tiana Coudray and Under the Clocks, 48.2
41st - Lauren Kieffer and Landmarks Monte Carlo, 50.5
81st - Andrea Baxter and Indy 500, 63.1
See the full CCI3* results here
The international theme was continued in the CIC3* for 8- and 9-year-old horses. After the first day of dressage for this prestigious class, Japan’s Kazuma Tomoto is in first place aboard Brookpark Vikenti with a mark of 40.7.
Kazuma, who has been based with one of Britain’s most successful riders, William Fox-Pitt, for the past three months, admitted that he was “very surprised” to find himself in the lead. A former show jumper who is only in his second season of eventing, but who aims to compete at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, he said: “He was a bit tense today in the warm-up but settled down in the arena.
“The cross-country course looks big and tricky – William [Fox-Pitt] said it was easy, but not to me!”
Second is Australian Christopher Burton, who picked up a mark of 42.6 with Cooley Lands. And Oliver Townend, winner of Burghley two weeks ago and a member of Britain’s gold medal-winning team at the recent European Championships, is third on Ridere Dorcha with 43.4.
For the U.S., Elisabeth Halliday-Sharp sits in fifth currently with Deniro Z on a 44.4.
See the full CIC3* for 8- and 9-year-olds here
The competition continues tomorrow with the second day of dressage in the CIC3* for 8- and 9-year-old horses, and the dressage phase of the Event Rider Masters competition.
Temecula, Calif.—March 30— "World class." That's what Galway Downs Spring International dressage judges Helen Brettell and Robyn Fisher said in unison of the two rides that put Tamie Smith in the one and two spots in the CCI4*-S after dressage.
Myakka City, Fla.—March 30—In the third year of hosting FEI three-day events and recognized horse trials, TerraNova Equestrian Center welcomes an eventing date to their busy spring competition schedule. Riders from all walks of life, Olympians to young eventers, flocked to TerraNova to experience the previous two fall three-day events. The addition of the spring date gives riders an opportunity to run an FEI event and horse trials before heading home after the winter season.
The United States Eventing Association, Inc. (USEA) is delighted to announce the renewed partnership with SmartPak as the “Official Feeding Supplement of the USEA” for 2023. SmartPak will also continue their support of various USEA programs as a “Gold Sponsor of the USEA American Eventing Championships,” “Contributing Sponsor of the Adult Team Championships at the AEC,” “Bronze Sponsor of the Classic Series” and “Contributing Sponsor of the Young Event Horse Series.” The “SmartPak USEA Stallion of the Year” and “SmartPak USEA Pony of the Year” leaderboards will also allow the company to assist in recognizing the top placing stallion and pony of the Association at the USEA Annual Meeting and Convention in St. Louis, Missouri this December 6-10. SmartPak will provide ample prizes and awards for the programs and championships that they support.
From horse trials in her home state of California where she prepared herself and her horses to take on the best in the nation and around the world to five-star events overseas where she represented the United States on some of eventing’s biggest stages, Tamie Smith had a remarkable season and finished 2022 as the Bates USEA Lady Rider of the Year for the second year in a row.