United States Eventing Association

Thanks to a fast and clear round on cross-country, Switzerland's Felix Vogg will go into Sunday's final phase of competition in the Longines Luhmühlen CCI5*-L aboard Vogg Jürgen's 14-year-old Westphalian gelding Colero (Captain Fire x Bonita) on their dressage score of 29.0 points. Their double-clear round moved them up from fourth place following dressage to the leading position going into show jumping. Vogg and Colero were one of nine pairs to cross the finish flags within the time allotted

A brilliant dressage test put British rider Bubby Upton with Rachel Uptont’s 15-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Cannavaro (Oklund x Domina) in the lead in the five-star at Luhmulen on a score of 24.9. The value of Bubby Upton's dressage score became apparent at the end of the second dressage day. None of the other competitors were able to overtrump yesterday's performance. U.S. rider Lauren Nicholson is currently paving the way for the rest of the U.S. field sitting in second on a score of 26.7 with Jacqueline Mars’s 15-year-old Anglo Arabian gelding Vermiculus (Sazeram x Wake Me Gently) while New Zealand’s Tim Price rounds out the leaderboard in third aboard the 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding Vitali (Contender x Noble Lady I) who he co-owns with Alexander and Joseph Giannamore.

Five-star season is well underway and four U.S.-based pairs have turned their focus toward the CCI5*-L at the Longines Luhmühlen Horse Trials which takes place June 16-19 in Salzhausen, Germany. We caught up with each rider to get their thoughts on their decision to make the trek overseas and what they hope their horses glean from the experience.

If you want to compete with - and beat - the best, you have to push yourself. Hard. Ariel Grald’s third place at Luhmühlen on Leamore Master Plan is proof of that. Simply riding at the German CCI5* in 2021 involved a great deal of effort and determination, so to pull off the USA’s best result at a foreign five-star since Boyd Martin’s third on Shamwari 4, also at Luhmühlen, back in 2014, was a triumph for the 32-year-old.

“After the German government announced new restrictions on April 15, 2020, we have considered several options but unfortunately now have to cancel the Longines Luhmühlen Horse Trials from June 18–21, 2020”, explained event director Julia Otto.

As I sit here typing this, I have some kind of colored pen on half my legs, some kind of food product on parts of my shirt, and duct tape and string across half my living room—that is the latest trap creation my three-year-old has made. I am back in full mom mode, and after being away for two full weeks that for the horse girl in me went by in the blink of an eye, but for the mom in me felt like a lifetime, I cannot help but think about what a difference a few days make.

Tim Price (NZL) won the Longines CCI5*-L with Ascona M in a nail-biting finish. He jumped clear, but didn’t quite make the time allowed; however, he had a cushion with Alex Bragg (GBR) and Zagreb dropping a pole.

When the overnight leaders, Kazuma Tomoto and Brookpark Vikenti, retired after two refusals it gave second-placed Tim Price (NZL) the opportunity to take over the lead, which they did by adding only two time faults to now sit on a score of 27.8. Ascona M flew with her New Zealand rider through the Longines CCI5*-L cross-country at Luhmühlen and showed during the course no uncertainties.

Nobody came close to Japanese rider Kazuma Tomoto and Japan Racing Association's 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Brookpark Vikenti (Master Imp x Tullineaskey Butler's Simon) in today’s second half of the Longines CCI5*-L dressage at Luhmühlen. He kept hold of his lead on a score of 25.5 going into tomorrow’s cross-country competition.

Japanese rider Kazuma Tomoto dominated the dressage in the Longines CCI5*-L on day one of the Luhmühlen Horse Trials with Brookpark Vikenti on a score of 25.2. He is followed by Tim Price (NZL) and Ascona M in second place on a score of 25.8 and Alexander Bragg (GBR) in third with Zagreb on a 29.7.