Lexington, Ky.—April 30
It’s the final day of the Rolex Kentucky CCI****, and we’ll soon know if Michael Jung and fischerRocana will take another Rolex home to Germany! Thirty-nine horses will jump today, and there will be a short drag break after Buck Davidson and Petite Flower, 23rd to go.
Follow all the excitement here with our live blog! Live scores available here, or you can check out all the Chronicle’s Rolex coverage.
Your 2017 Rolex Kentucky CCI**** Top 10
- Michael Jung on fischerRocana FST
- Maxime Livio on Qalao des Mers
- Zara Tindall on High Kingdom
- Phillip Dutton on Mr. Medicott
- Hannah Sue Burnett on Under Suspection
- Matthew Brown on Super Socks BCF
- Boyd Martin on Crackerjack
- Phillip Dutton on Fernhill Fugitive
- Kurt Martin on Delux Z
- Phillip Dutton on I’m Sew Ready
3:10 p.m. But does Michael even feel pressure? Rocana looks fresh coming into the ring. She jumps the first three great… Clear the first half the course, not really looking in doubt, but we’ll see.
Clear through the double combination. He has a rub at the liverpool, but it stays up. She has B of the triple combination down with a HARD rub but jumps out great. HE’S THE WINNER! Michael Jung’s done it again.
3:06 p.m. And now our second-placed rider, Maxime Livio on Qalao des Mers for France. Horse looks fresh even in this heat and humidity. A couple of light rubs throughout the course, but no rails fall! No time either. A double-clear round, and he’ll finish on 44.6 to end no lower than second. That’s going to put the pressure on Michael. He has one rail in hand.
3:04 p.m. Now we’re into the top three with Zara Tindall on High Kingdom for Great Britain. Zara does a trot change !! right before the double, but her horse is jumping great and not even touching anything. She’s CLEAR! She can finish no lower than third.
3:01 p.m. Matt Brown has the first rail down on Super Socks BCF. That will hold him in his place of fourth for now, but he can’t have any more rails… Clear at the liverpool! Just the one rail! Ah but he’s going to have some time too… He’s finished on 56.8 penalties. That’ll drop him two places into sixth, but a great showing for him!
2:57 p.m. Hannah Sue Burnett in the ring now on Under Suspection. It’s this horse’s first four-star, and she jumped beautifully yesterday. Ah she has the rail at fence 3 though, and they’ll drop behind Phillip. He’ll finish no lower than fifth. Just the one rail for her! No time. She’ll finish no lower than sixth.
2:55 p.m. Next up: Phillip Dutton on his third ride of the day, Mr. Medicott. Phillip has the chance here to put all three in the top 10. The 18-year-old Mr. Medicott is currently in sixth. He’s jumping phenomenally…
And he’s CLEAR on the jumping. And just 1 time penalty. How high up will he finish, we’ll soon know.
2:53 p.m. Now it’s Tim Bourke for Ireland in the ring. He made that AMAZING move up the leaderboard yesterday on cross-country, going up from 41st to ninth. And now he’s in eighth thanks to Doug Payne and Vandiver not passing the jog this morning. Ah they take the first rail down though, and then the rail at fence 3. Then a rail at the double combination, and they jump THROUGH the liverpool fence but carry on and clear the triple combination well. That final score of 80.2 will bump them down considerably.
2:50 p.m. We’re officially into the top 10 now with Boyd Martin on Crackerjack, who’s ninth before this show jumping phase. They take down the rail at fence 8. He finishes with those 4 faults, and he’ll stay in the top 10!
2:48 p.m. Selena O’Hanlon and Foxwood High are up next for Canada. This big rangy horse had a very good day yesterday, and he’s currently sitting 11th. They have two rails down and some time, which will drop them down as well.
2:45 p.m. Erin Sylvester and Mettraise finish on a score of 79.9, which will drop them five places, after having four rails down and 3 time penalties in this horse’s first four-star.
2:43 p.m. And now we have Canada’s Hawley Bennett-Awad for Canada on her new mount Jollybo. They’re starting this phase in 13th place. Jollybo still looks FULL of running today. They take down fence 10a. Just the 4 faults for them! They finish on 77.2 penalties.
2:40 p.m. Holly Payne Caravella and Foxwood High are going to finish on a score of 88.0 after taking down five rails, which will move them down six places at the moment.
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2:38 p.m. And Kurt Martin and Delux Z become only our second double-clear of the day! He’s had a great weekend, and that should move him up several places.
2:34 p.m. Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti in the ring now! They’re favorites for Canada. They have just the B of the triple combination down, but that should move them up for sure!
2:28 p.m. Lillian Heard is now on her second horse of the day, LCC Barnaby. They take down the very last rail! They finish on 78.3 penalties.
2:25 p.m. Madeline Backus, our highest-placed rookie after cross-country, is in the ring now. Her horse still looks pretty fresh after yesterday. They have the rail down at 11, the Liverpool. Then also add some time penalties too, but she looks thrilled! She’ll drop down to 21st for now.
2:23 p.m. And now we have Phillip Dutton his second mount of three, Fernhill Fugitive, so he’s going out of order again. Getting some rubs around the course but staying clear…until 10a, and they have that rail. Ah they also take down B of the triple, and they finish with 8 jumping and 1 time penalty. Not sure what’ll that do to his placing until more of the field goes.
2:19 p.m. Lisa Marie Fergusson and Honor Me are here at their second Rolex. Honor Me looks pretty strong, and he has two rails down and some time.
2:16 p.m. And we’re back from the break! First after the break is Ellen Doughty-Hume on Sir Oberon. They have three rails down and some time, to finish on 94.5. That’ll bump them down a few places.
2:02 p.m. Buck Davidson and Petite Flower, who just picked up a glance-off at a corner yesterday, up next. It’s just one rail down for them. That was our last for that session, and we’ll now have a short drag break before starting back up in about 15 minutes.
2:00 p.m. Now we have Sally Cousins on the veteran OTTB Tsunami, an 18-year-old mare. They have four rails and 10 time penalties to finish on 116.6 penalties.
1:57 p.m. Jennifer McFall and High Times in the ring now. She has a jumping clear and just 3 time penalties! Lot of pats for “Billy.”
1:54 p.m. Will Faudree is next up on the beautiful gray Pfun. It’s a LOVELY double-clear for them, and they’ll finish on their score of 97.1 penalties!
1:50 p.m. Another Rolex first-timer, Savannah “Woodge” Fulton, on Captain Jack is going now. They have just one rail! But they’re way over the time, finishing on a score of 122.0 penalties. She looks thrilled with her Rolex completion though!
1:47 p.m. Kristin Schmolze and Ballylaffin Bracken in the ring now. They pull the rail at fence 2 and then are another pair to take down 11. The triple combination goes well for them though! They finish with some time and the two rails down.
1:44 p.m. Next up: Kelly Prather on Truly Wiley. Fun fact: This horse was bred by Bruce Davidson, who also bred Buck’s mount Petite Flower. She has three down total, including that last jump, to end on 119.6 penalties.
1:42 p.m. Phillip Dutton now, going out of order on I’m Sew Ready because Phillip has all three of his horses in the top 10! He has the rail at fence 6 and then another rail at 11, the Liverpool. They finish on a score of 69.1 penalties for the horse’s first four-star, and we’ll have to see how that changes his final placing later.
1:39 p.m. Now we have Holly Jacks-Smither riding for Canada on More Inspiration. She has a light touch on A of the double, and it falls. They finish on just the one rail! Also 1 time penalty.
1:37 p.m. Now is a Rolex rookie, Caroline Martin on Spring Easy. They pull the first rail of the triple combination and then have the very last rail down too.
1:35 p.m. Dressage winners Clark Montogmery and Loughan Glen in the ring now. They picked up two stops along the course yesterday to drop down to 32nd before this phase. They have the rail at 8, which is right by the in-gate.
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No clear rounds yet…
1:33 p.m. Now we have Aidan Keogh and Master Tredstep starting out for Ireland. He got a hard rub at 10a, but it stays up. He and the horse disagree about the distance to fence 11 and take down most of its rails, but then they finish the rest clear! So just the 4 jumping penalties to finish on 111.0 penalties.
1:31 p.m. Andrea Baxter and Indy 500, one of our West Coast pairs, in the ring now. She’s wearing a lovely bright blue coat! She has one rail down at fence 7, so they add the 4 for jumping and 1 time.
1:31 p.m. Andrea Baxter and Indy 500, one of our West Coast pairs, in the ring now. She’s wearing a lovely bright blue coat! She has one rail down at fence 7, so they add the 4 for jumping and 1 time.
1:28 p.m. Lillian Heard and Share Option starting out now. They were clear yesterday, and Lillian is actually sitting 20th with this horse, but she’s going out of order since she has two to ride today.
They finish with just one rail down, and that’ll put them on a final score of 80.0.
1:25 p.m. Will Coleman and Tight Lines in the ring now. Tight Lines looked great this morning, but Will himself was very lame! He thinks he tore a tendon in his leg on yesterday’s cross-country, and he’s not walking well. He can still ride though!
This horse doesn’t look tired at all today. They have the rail at fence 11, the Liverpool. They finish with just the one rail, and they’re the first pair to not accrue time today so far.
1:23 p.m. Katie Ruppel and Houdini are up next, and they have three rails down with 1 time penalty. They finish on 133.0 penalties.
1:20 p.m. New Zealand’s Tim Price in the ring now with Ringwood Sky Boy. They had a little bit of an unfortunate day yesterday, picking up two stops along the course.
They have the lightest of rubs in the double, and they have one rail there, and then another rail jumping into the triple combination. They finish with the two rails and 3 time penalties as well.
1:18 p.m. Now we have Ryan Wood on Fernhill Classic in the ring. They have a hard rub at the first, but it stays up! They have the rail at fence 3 though, and then another rail at fence 8 and 11. They also pull the last fence and earn 2 time penalties. They finish on 144.2 penalties.
1:15 p.m. Bobby Meyerhoff and Dunlavin’s Token are in the ring now to kick off the show jumping! They have just the first fence down, but then they earn some time too to finish on 151.9 penalties overall.
1:10 p.m. Here’s today’s course:
1:05 p.m. We’re getting ready to start here! We just saw the retirement ceremony of Reggie, aka Ballynoe Castle RM, in the main ring. Was anyone out there NOT crying?!
12:25 p.m. Before the first horse starts off the show jumping, there will be a retirement ceremony at 12:30 for Buck Davidson’s Ballynoe Castle RM. (Buck’s groom Kathleen Blauth Murray did the test ride on him Thursday, and you can read about that here.)
