Kat Netzler

The Fédération Equestre Internationale announced today, July 9, that formal warnings have been issued to the ground jury members officiating during U.S. rider Michael Morrissey’s whipping incident at the $75,000 CSI** Grand Prix in Wellington, Fla., on Feb. 27.

The members of the ground jury included: President Thomas Thomson (USA), Jose Gamarra (BOL), Ralph Alfano (USA) and Neil O'Connor (USA).

Only one horse failed the final inspection today, June 13, at the Bromont CCI in Bromont, Que.

After one jog and a re-inspection, the CCI** ground jury spun Kim Crawford’s Chocco De Pomme. The pair was in 13th place in the division.

Two other horses were sent to the holding area—CCI* leader Boyd Martin’s Minotaure Du Passoir and Haley Armstrong-Laframi’s Ichabod, who’s in 13th place in the one-star. Both horses passed upon re-inspection.

It’s not out of the ordinary to see Kim Severson’s name at the top of the dressage leaderboard, but it was a bit of a surprise to some to see her sitting atop the standings at the Bromont CCI*** in Bromont, Que., today, June 11.

Six weeks ago, Severson and Tipperary Liadhnan completed the Rolex Kentucky CCI****, but they missed out on a qualifiying score for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (Ky.) this fall. So Severson, Scottsville, Va., rerouted to Bromont for a shot at redemption.

Only one horse presented to the ground jury at the Jersey Fresh CCI and CIC this morning, May 9, will not advance to show jumping.

Three horses were held—Amy Ruth Borun’s Santa’s Playboy, Dornin North’s Lion Display and Kate Hicks’ Belmont II.

Borun chose not to re-present Santa’s Playboy, who had been in 10th place in the CCI**.
Lion Display, in seventh place in the CCI**, passed upon second inspection.

The many riders who traveled the long road from California to Allentown, N.J., for the Jersey Fresh CCI and CIC have little to regret of their transcontinental journey so far. After the dressage phase at the Horse Park of New Jersey, which began yesterday afternoon, May 6, and concluded today, the West Coast contingent is running the table.

Tiana Coudray, Ojai, Calif., and Ringwood Magister are leading the California field in the CCI***, scoring a 36.8 to top second- and third-placed Auburn, Calif., neighbors Alexandra Slusher and Kristi Nunnink by more than 16 points.

This middle-aged mother from Northern California will be taking the ride of her life on her horse of a lifetime.

Kristi Nunnink’s default facial expression is a smile.

It doesn’t matter how hard she’s working, what level she’s riding or how the horse under her is performing—her mouth curls faintly upward, unforced.

Several top horse-and-rider combinations have scratched from the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** entry list.

British phenom Oliver Townend, who’s attempting to win the last leg of the Rolex Grand Slam and capture the $350,000 prize, withdrew Carousel Quest. The horse was considered his most-likely winner, having last year won the Land Rover Burghley CCI**** (England) and placed eighth at Kentucky.

Mar De Amor was fresh and full of running today, March 28, in the final phase of the Galway Downs Horse Trials, and there was no getting in his way. The Selle Francais gelding and his owner and rider Leigh Mesher, of Redmond, Wash., won the advanced division in Temecula, Calif., from start to finish.

Tiana Coudray and Ringwood Magister added a lot of extra miles to their résumé last year, traveling from their home in Ojai, Calif., to New Jersey to Quebec to Maryland and back again, without much to show for it. Qualifying constraints, tiny injuries and terrible weather kept them from ever completing a CCI***, and the long journey out East was disappointing in too many ways to count.

From the hasty manner in which Tiana Coudray thrust her reins down onto Ringwood Magister’s neck immediately after her final dressage salute, you’d have thought they were burning right through her gloves.

But the huge grin on her face and the way she practically attacked her 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding with hugs proved otherwise—she knew she’d just ridden into first place in the Galway Downs CIC***, and she couldn’t contain her excitement.

“I’m thrilled. I’m absolutely thrilled,” said Coudray, Ojai, Calif.