There’s a new queen reigning over the Red Hills CIC***, and her name is Isabella II.
Phillip Dutton rode the bay Oldenburg mare, owned by Susie Beale and Jodi Dady, into the lead by the narrowest of margins today, March 11, in Tallahassee, Fla. They topped the 26-horse division on a score of 43.9, besting regular dressage leaders like Karen O’Connor’s Mandiba (second on 44.1 penalties) and Allison Springer’s Arthur (third, 45.3). Although the flashy mare’s dressage scores have been dropping of late, she’s never led the pack after the first phase in a competition of this caliber.
Dutton, of West Grove, Pa., is aiming her for the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** in April. The pair’s only hiccup so far this spring happened at their intermediate outing at Pine Top (Ga.) in February, where Dutton missed a fence on cross-country and “was kindly asked to prematurely leave the course,” he joked on his Rolex Featured Rider blog.
To avoid a rerun of that incident, he’ll be concentrating extra-hard tomorrow on Red Hills’ traditionally twisty, turny courses, which snake through the Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park north of the city center. He’ll have four separate Hugh Lachore-designed tracks to memorize, as he’s also riding three horses in the CIC** (Mighty Nice, currently fourth; Ularinka, 13th; and Walkabout, 26th) and one in the advanced (William Penn, currently fourth). He also has three intermediate horses running.
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In the two-star, Dutton will be trying to catch leader Julie Richards, who took the lead today aboard Ben with a score of 44.7. Becky Holder and Can’t Fire Me (47.1) trotted into second, followed by Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot (47.3).
Jessica Phoenix, the final rider to go in the advanced division, set the leading score of 25.9 with Exploring. Will Coleman sits second with Twizzel on a 26.6.
Check back tomorrow for a comprehensive report from cross-country, complete with a full photo gallery of all the action. In the meantime, visit EventEntries for full provisional results.
