From EventingNews.com
Following an injury sustained during training, Exploring ridden by Jessica Phoenix of Uxbridge, ON, has been withdrawn from the Team nominated to compete at the 2008 Olympic Games.
It is expected that Exploring will make a full recovery for the 2009 season. The Canadians will be announcing a replacement in the near future.
Phoenix and her 11-year-old Canadian Thoroughbred gelding have had a wonderful 2008 season before being named to the team which included a third place finish at the Jersey Fresh CCI3* in May, and a great finish in the CIC3*W at The Fork. The pair also represented the Canadian team at the Pan American Games last summer, finishing 12th.
This talented young pair has taken the eventing world by storm, and hopefully Exploring will return to his full health soon.
At the end of an eventful day of cross-country at the Defender Kentucky CCI5*-L, three British riders rose to the top of the Defender Kentucky CCI5*-L, led by dressage leaders Tom McEwen and JL Dublin.
In comparison to its little sister, the Cosequin CCI4*-S, the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI5*-L was much calmer in terms of shock factor today. There were four pairs who retired on cross-country, two riders who parted ways with their horses, and five pairs finished with jump penalties added to their score.
“He knows Kentucky,” Liz Halliday said with a chuckle when referencing how strong Miks Master C can look on cross-country. “He knows this place. He knows how to run fast here. He was waiting for that 11 and a half minutes.”
“There’s been a lot of learning around this track so far,” said commentator Frankie Thieriot Stutes as riders contested the Cosequin CCI4*-S at the 2024 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event.