Nathalie Bouckaert-Pollard enjoyed her biggest three-day win at the Fair Hill CCI***, Oct. 15. She didn’t look affected by the occasion as she entered the arena in Fair Hill, Md., and guided West Farthing to a controlled round, pulling just one rail at the green oxer at fence 10, before a right turn to the liverpool. Fortunately, Will Faudree had given her a rail to spare, as he and Antigua, lying in second place, pulled the first oxer of the triple, but managed to keep second place.
For Bouckaert-Pollard, 25, the win put the memories of show jumping at Rolex Kentucky in 2004 behind her—mostly. She’d entered that show jumping round in the lead, only to have a stop at the first fence. “I think every single time I show jump that will be in the back of my mind,” she said. “But I do feel I’ve established more of a rhythm.”
When she heard the rail fall, Bouckaert-Pollard said she got nervous all over again. “But before the liverpool, I made myself take a deep breath and relax,” she said.
Then, when she landed, she didn’t know what to think of earning her biggest title since winning the North American Young Riders Championships in 1997 and 1998. “It was very surreal,” she said. “I finished the triple and kind of landed and didn’t know what to think.”
Faudree claimed he was “really pissed with myself” because he knew exactly why he had his rail. “That’s a step in itself—in the past I haven’t known why the rails came down. Antigua is an amazing horse and bails me out over and over,” he said modestly.
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He said both of the rails he’s had this season have been oxers as the first element of a triple. “I’m not trusting myself to keep riding up to them,” he said.
Phillip Dutton, who trains Faudree, moved into third place aboard Hannigan with just 1 time penalty in show jumping, ahead of Robyn Fisher and Le Samurai, who finished fourth with two rails down—at the vertical at fence 2 and the second oxer of the triple. Dutton also moved Connaught up from seventh to fifth with just one rail down, also at an oxer in the triple combination.
Robert Costello moved Wild Delight up from 10th to sixth with one of the day’s seven double clears. Mara Dean, winner of the event’s Sportsmanship Award, produced clear rounds on both Good Stuff (ninth) and Nicki Henley (27th). Bruce Davidson and Jam advanced from 18th to 12th with a double clear. Mogie Bearden-Muller/Select, Julia Wendell/Redmond, and Wendy Lewis/Galway Blazer produced the other fault-free rounds.
The only horse not to pass this morning’s horse inspection was Lauren Whitlock’s Kipling, although Leigh Mesher did not present My Beau, and Lellie Ward and Ashley Minion withdrew their mounts Riverdance and Taylor Made after being held.
Kristen Bond, who rode Blackout, earned the Amanda Warrington trophy for the highest finish (68.1) for a rider in her first three-star. Julia Steinberg was the top amateur finisher (70.8) aboard Mr. Big. Robyn Fisher earned the top U.S. owner-rider title, aboard her own Le Samurai. Mikki Kapaun, of Berthoud, Colo., earned the Markham trophy as the highest young rider to finish, in 38th place (127.0) on Allstar.