April 4—Norwood, N.C.

Some riders have events that just go their way and for Jennie Brannigan, The Fork has proven to be her lucky place.

But it’s not just luck that gave Brannigan the CIC*** win this weekend.  Brannigan’s never placed worse than third in the division with Nina Gardner’s Cambalda, and things have been looking up for the 27-year-old since last year.

After being eliminated for missing a flag on cross-country at her second attempt at the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** last April (her first ended when Cambalda slipped on the pavement before the dressage in 2013), Brannigan picked herself up, regrouped, and won two fall advanced horse trials on her way to clinching the Dutta Corp. Fair Hill International CCI*** (Md.).

She’s continued that momentum this spring with a third place finish in the Red Hills CIC*** (Fla.).

Now with another blue on his bridle, “Ping” is headed to Rolex to give it another shot.

Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda won The Fork CIC***. Photo by Lindsay Berreth.

“I think Ping’s on form,” said Brannigan, Kennett Square, Pa. “He went well at the two events before Fair Hill, he went well at Fair Hill, he went well at the test event in Wellington, he went well at Red Hills on paper. He felt a little sticky there, but he keeps stepping up to the plate and hopefully he keeps stepping up to the plate at Rolex.”

Ping and Brannigan galloped home inside the time over Tremaine Cooper’s three-star track, one of eight pairs to do so.

“He galloped and was really spot on. He was on it,” said Brannigan. “Everyone was concerned about that big water [at fence 15]. Phillip [Dutton] said to do it in a six strides and I walked it in a five. I caught up with him before I rode and he said he did it in a five and thought it was a better idea. I was a little nervous about it and got there five deep, and it was good—he rode right up to it.

“He was on for everything—just wanted to fight for the flags and do it, which is a really nice feeling because sometimes he doesn’t always feel like that,” she added.

Now that she’s had such a confident prep run, Brannigan is excited to tackle Rolex and hopes for a completion with her longtime partner.

“Last year was the first time I ever left the start box at Kentucky and even though on paper it says I didn’t get around, he jumped around Rolex clean and in my heart, I know that,” she said. “At the end of the day, even though at the four-star level we’ve had some pretty weird stuff happen, I don’t think you’re going to find a horse as consistent as he is at the three-star level. He’s only ever had one 20 at the three-star level and any event in his career. He’s a player and he shows up in all three phases, pretty much all the time. So hopefully we can put some demons to rest at Rolex. I know him like the back of my hand. He’s a good friend. I’ve got to give it to him—he shows up and wants to jump clean and he’s quiet on the flat. Even though he’s not a big mover or this or that, he seems to come to play and for me, right now I’ve got a lot of horses coming back from injuries and a lot of young ones coming up and it’s great to have him be there and be what he is.”

Buck Davidson and his longtime partner Ballynoecastle RM placed second in the CIC***. Photo by Lindsay Berreth.

Buck Davidson also skipped around the three-star on a longtime partner, Carl and Cassandra Segal’s Ballynoecastle RM, or “Reggie”.

They jumped double clear to secure second place in their final prep before Rolex. Davidson has made no bones about that fact that he wants to finally win the four-star with Reggie, who’s been third and fourth there before, so he went out on course at The Fork hoping for a good fitness run.

“I was really happy with him. He did it really easily,” he said. “I’m not too worried about the jumps with him at this point. Sometimes you have to worry they’re a little bit too small, but I basically wanted to give him a nice ride and a good gallop. For me, going into Kentucky, I feel like he’s really peaking and I feel like he did [the Carolina International CIC*** (N.C)] easier than he did in previous years and he did this easier than he did in previous years, so I feel like I have the best Reggie that I’ve ever had going into Kentucky, so fingers crossed that it all stays together.”

Marilyn Little and RF Demeter moved up from 16th after dressage to third in the CIC***. Photo by Jasmine Wallace.

Marilyn Little made a big jump up the leader board with RF Demeter, who’s also headed to Kentucky, finishing third. They were in a tie for 16th after dressage on a 50.8, a higher score than usual for them. Little explained she’s changed “Demi” into a snaffle bit from a double bridle and her test had a few accuracy mistakes as a result, but there were several above par movements. She’s hoping to have Demi settled in the bridle by Rolex time.

The pair jumped double-clear on cross-country in their final prep run.

“I was really thrilled with Demi today. She’s at a wonderful place in her career,” said Little. “She’s 13 now so she is a very wise horse and it’s such a pleasure and privilege to ride a horse like that around a course like this because she’s really on form right now and peaking at exactly the right moment and telling me she’s ready. She finished the course today looking for four more minutes.”

Cooper’s CIC*** course rode well for the 36 pairs that started. The only horse fall occurred early in the day when Caroline Martin’s Pebbly Maximus fell at the sunken road 11abcd, the Uwharrie Bank Hollow.

The gelding and Martin walked off the course fine, but the ground jury decided to take that jump out for the remainder of the three-star and advanced because they felt it wasn’t riding well. Zach Brandt fell from Cavallino Cocktail on landing from the McGuire Family Fish Pond, a roll top into the water. The mare was a little scraped up but both walked back to the barn.

Fence 8, the Land Rover Leap, a coffin, caused runouts for Holly Payne and Santino, Holly Jacks and More Inspiration and Kelly Prather and Blackfoot Mystery.

A skinny wedge at fence 17ab caused a run out for Colleen Rutledge and Covert Rights and Prather and Blackfoot Mystery.

Fence 21abc, an angled brush to a mound to an angled log dubbed the Lucky Clays Bunker, caused a run out at the C element for Tamra Smith and Twizted Syster.

The Rocky River Crossing, fence 15abc, was all the talk back at the barns but rode better than expected. Holly Payne and Santino, Mackenna Shea and Landioso, Tim Bourke and Luckaun Quality and Kurt Martin and Delux Z all picked up 20 penalties there but jumped the option to continue on.

Tamra Smith Takes Top Spots In the CIC**

When she rode Mai Baum out of the startbox on The Fork’s CIC** cross-county course, Tamra Smith knew that the time would be hard to make from riding her other entry, Fleur de Lis, around earlier in the day. Though they added 1.20 penalty points to their score, their otherwise faultless round earned them the win.

“I’m really pleased with him; he was super,” said Smith of Temecula, Calif. “I think he lost some seconds at the beginning because he kind of tends to over-jump at the beginning. He was super everywhere.”

Though she was disappointed about the rail that knocked them from third to fourth place in the show jumping on Friday, Smith was happy that Mai Baum (Loredano – Ramira, Rike) finished fast.

Mai Baum was raring to go with Tamra Smith, and they won the CIC**. Photo by Lindsay Berreth.

Smith took over the ride on the gelding from his owner, Alex Ahearn, when she decided to go to college, and they won their first advanced together in California a few weeks ago. She brought a group of horses to The Fork to prepare for the Jersey Fresh International (N.J.) and Mai Baum will contest the CCI** there.

Fleur de Lis finished third in his first CIC**. Though difficult at first, he’s proved to be worth the time that Smith has put in to training him. “We’ve just developed a great partnership and he’s really easy across the ground now,” said Smith.

This was her first time competing at The Fork. “It’s hard being out of your comfort zone,” she said “It’s been a little bit of a challenge mentally this weekend because I feel not completely comfortable, but I need to do that.”

Lillian Heard survived a near-fall at the second water complex to finish second in the CIC** with Arundel. “I think that it was probably the most magnificent save of my entire riding career!” said Heard. “He was actually amazing; the rest of the course was pretty spot-on. He jumped everything beautifully and out of stride and was happy.”

Their otherwise clean round wasn’t quite fast enough to take the lead over Smith, but Heard was overjoyed to have finished. “I never thought, coming into the weekend, that I was going to be second or even in the top five,” said Heard. “I was half off the horse in the middle of the course. I’m pretty happy!”

Lillian Heard and new ride Arundel placed second in the CIC**. Photo by Lindsay Berreth.

Click here for a photo gallery of more cross-country action.