The AECs Come To An Early End

With flood warnings in effect, portions of the nearest interstate highway closed and the promise of several more inches of precipitation over the next 48 hours, it came as no surprise to anyone at the Lamplight Equestrian Center that officials announced an early end to the American Eventing Championships today, Sept. 13.

Three beautifully-built cross-country courses went unfortunately unused, but every uncompleted division from junior novice up to advanced was able to show jump today, despite a few lightning delays and persistent heavy rain. Divisions at the preliminary level and above were scored as combined tests.

Charlee Marinovich and Rapport topped the leaderboard in the junior novice division from start to finish, taking the blue ribbon back to Minneapolis, Minn., with a score of 26.3.

Marinovich avoided the worst of the wet weather on cross-country day, making short work of the course and finishing 22 seconds under time. But Saturday’s downpour worsened just before her stadium round, and officials announced a hold three horses before Marinovich’s trip. 

“It had already been lightning for about 15 minutes, and I was all warmed up,” she recalled. “When they called the break, I went to my friend’s barn and poured the water out of my boots while we waited.”

Marinovich, 15, trains with Minnesota-based Becky Holder in the spring and summer and spends her winters riding with Darren Chiacchia in Florida. Marinovich squeezed in a last-minute lesson with Chiacchia the night before competition began.

“I was a little nervous because I hadn’t seen Darren in ages, since before his accident,” said Marinovich.  “I’d forgotten how much I missed him and how scary he is. But it was a good lesson, and it helped get me ready.”

Before Marinovich faced the soggy going at Lamplight, she had already encountered her share of problems just getting to the show. On the way down, their borrowed vehicle refused to cooperate with their trailer’s electrical system. So they had to hike an hour in the opposite direction to borrow a truck and trailer from a friend before heading to Wayne. 

Although it was Marinovich’s first trip to the AEC, Rapport finished 3rd here last year in the training horse division with Cristin Stoop in the irons. Marinovich took over the ride after the competition and has been dominating the novice ranks all year and starting the move up to training.

Elsewhere in the junior novice division, Mackenzie Kurtz and Caroline Glen struck a true tie for second, finishing on their dressage scores of 30.5. Both riders also clocked the exact same cross-country time of 4:44, just 14 seconds off the optimum. Kurtz, Sugarloaf, Pa., rode her own Harry Houdini, a 13.2-hand Welsh Pony, while Glen, Weston, Mass., competed aboard Tinian, a 21-year-old Thoroughbred gelding owned by Michael Plum.

Still Raining For Training

In the training horse division, Mara Dean kept Tracie Taylor’s Casino on track to finish the competition on their dressage score of 26.3.

Dean and Casino headed out on cross-country during the worst of yesterday’s deluge, but the bay Hanoverian stayed focused to put in his best run to date. “I don’t think I’ve ever ridden in that much rain, and he was definitely the best he’s ever been,” said Dean, Round Hill, Va.