Competition at Kentucky kicked off on Thursday with the first half of both the CCI4*-S and CCI5*-L fields putting their best foot (or shall we say hoof?) forward in front of their respective dressage judges and today the remaining competitors will wrap up the first phase of competition in the Rolex Arena.
As a quick recap, Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Nutcracker currently lead the CCI4*-S on a score of 24.1, while in the five-star it's Great Britain's Tom McEwen and JL Dublin who set the standard for the rest of the field to contest today with a score of 22.6.
Elisa Wallace and her 13-year-old Anglo European gelding Renkum Corsair (Renkum Chapot x Renkum Colitas) will be the first of the 25 contestants to enter the Rolex Arena this morning at 8:00 a.m EST. The final four-star pair to compete will be Lauren LoPiccolo and her 15-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Diego (Vingino x Twilight) who will trot down the centerline at 11:24 a.m.
The first of 18 five-star pairs we will see this afternoon will be Emily Hamel riding Corvett, a 16-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Corrido x Tina XII). Hamel will ride at 1:00 p.m. with Will Coleman and Chin Tonic, an 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Chin Champ x Wildera), rounding out the five-star dressage tests at 4:03 p.m.
Didn’t get to watch the livestream yesterday or attend in person? Catch up on Thursday’s dressage coverage here.
Here’s what you need to know to follow along today:
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Are you following along with the action from home this weekend? Or maybe you're competing at an event and need information fast. Either way, we’ve got you covered! Check out the USEA’s Weekend Quick Links for links to information including the prize list, ride times, live scores, and more for all the events running this weekend.
After not running in 2020 and 2021, the MARS Bromont CCI Three-Day Event returned to the Bromont Olympic Equestrian Center in Quebec, Canada, in 2022. America's Jennie Saville (née Brannigan) and Twilightslastgleam won the CCI4*-L, as the chestnut Thoroughbred gelding (National Anthem x Royal Child) bred and owned by Nina Gardner moved up from eighth after dressage into the lead after cross-country with the fastest round on wet ground over the tracks designed by Derek di Grazia. Canada's Lindsay Traisnel and Bacyrouge, a bay Selle Français gelding (Mylord Carthago x Lelia) owned by Patricia Pearce, finished second, and they are among four from the top-10 in the CCI4*-L in 2022 that return in 2023.
Hannah Sue Hollberg of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, was on a winning streak at the Essex Horse Trials on Sunday, claiming victory in both the $10,000 Open Intermediate and Open Preliminary divisions with two horses that are fairly new to her. Some difficulty on cross-country did not stop her mount Hachi from claiming victory in the Open Intermediate with a score of 101.6, while Open Preliminary partner Rockster finished on his dressage score of 27.3.
The great football coach Vince Lombardi said, “We win our games in practice.” With the goal of having the most effective practices possible for horses, their riders, and their coaches, Cathy Wieschhoff explains some signs that can indicate when horse and rider should repeat an exercise, switch it up, or be done with that activity. Wieschhoff brings perspective as a five-star rider that has competed at the Kentucky Three-Day Event and Burghley Horse Trials, a USEF “R” Course Designer for eventing cross-country and show jumping, a former Area VIII chair and member of the USEA Board of Governors, and a Level V USEA ECP Certified Coach based out of Carriage Station Farm in Lexington, Kentucky.