PrintThough the bottom of the leaderboard shifted in the Jersey Fresh CCI*** after cross-country today, May 8, the top didn’t change—Ringwood Magister and Tiana Coudray kept their lead in the division by adding only 4.8 time penalties to their dressage score. Coudray, 22, will head into show jumping with 41.6 penalties.
“This is my third go at a three-star,” said Coudray, who withdrew from her first CCI*** as a precaution when her horse incurred a slight injury and scratched from her second due to weather. “I’m pretty happy. I would like things to have been perfect, and they never are. I just didn’t feel like I rode as well as I wanted to. I’m always after that perfect go.”
The CCI*** and CCI** horses had a long gallop up a steep hill about two-thirds of the way into the course, which designer John Williams included for the first time this year. Coudray, Carmel Valley, Calif., was pleased with Ringwood Magister’s fitness level and said though he felt a bit tired in the middle of the course, he bounced back to finish strongly.
“He handled it really well,” she said of her Irish Sport Horse. “He’s certainly not bred to go galloping up a hill like they put out there for us. But he found a second wind, and then a third, and then a fourth."
In second place after dressage, Alexandra Slusher opted to retire Last Call after two stops heading into the second water complex. Third-placed Kristi Nunnink also elected to pull up after a refusal at the fence 8, The Cannon. That left Colin Davidson, 28, sitting second after his double-clear cross-country round on 56.2 penalties. Davidson, Charlottesville, Va., and Draco started the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** two weeks ago but pulled up after a stop on course and re-routed to Jersey Fresh.
“I’m very happy with the decision I made at Rolex to come here and give it a good go,” he said. “I was also really happy with his conditioning. It was a long course, and it was the first time I made time on him at a three-star.”
Cambalda Comes Into The Lead In CCI**
Jennie Brannigan, 22, and Cambalda jumped up to first place after their double-clear cross-country round in the CCI**. Dressage leaders James Alliston and Jumbo’s Jake had a stop at fence 5, the Pheasant Feeders, and dropped down to 11th. Brannigan, West Grove, Pa., was prepared to go slowly on course if her horse needed.
“I tend to be a bit of competitive person, but I wasn’t necessarily going to go out and run for time,” Brannigan said. “He was really quite good, and I actually slowed up on some of those minute markers. He’s a really good galloping horse, and it’s quite easy for him to make the time; he’s very easy on himself across the ground.”
Doug Payne and Happy Valley moved from a tie for third into second in the CCI** after their double-clear cross-country go. Payne was pleased with this year’s revised course.
“It’s a lot less windy than it was in years past,” he said. “The horse was great today. I can’t really complain at all; he’s had a great spring.”
Jersey Fresh is 19-year-old Joelle Baskerville’s first CCI**, and her mare Malibu’s first as well. The pair picked up only 1.2 time penalties and jumped from fifth to third after cross-country. Baskerville moved from Alberta, Canada, in December of last year to work for Sharon White in Summit Point, W.V., and hopes to stay in the United States until the North American Junior And Young Rider Championships (Ky.) this summer.
