Clayton Fredericks admitted that he’d been more nervous than usual on Sunday morning at the Rolex Kentucky CCI****.

“I don’t know why; I just felt anxious today,” he said.

But show jumping seems to be an especially rewarding phase for the 39-year-old, Australian rider, who is based with his British wife, Lucinda, in Wiltshire, Great Britain. He inherited first place at the 2005 FEI Eventing World Cup Final (Sweden) with a clear show jumping round, and at the 2006 World Equestrian Games (Germany), he jumped his way to the silver medal with a clear round.

In Lexington, Ky., April 26-29, he continued his trend as he and Ben Along Time added yet another title earned by clean jumping on the final day over Richard Jeffery’s tightly wheeled course.

“David O’Connor just said to me that I should change his name to Once In A Lifetime,” said Fredericks as he accepted the Rolex watch for his victory.

Fortunately, the nerves Fredericks felt on Sunday morning quickly dissipated after he mounted “Ben.”

“He felt brilliant,” Fredericks said. “I jumped very few fences before I went in. I think [Australian coach] Wayne Roycroft was questioning the fact that I hadn’t jumped a lot, but he’s willing to trust me.”

Fredericks, who entered show jumping in third place, jumped just the round he needed to pressure the remaining two riders, leaving up all of the rails and incurring 1 time penalty.

Sadly, Heidi White Carty and Northern Spy, who had been in second place, dropped a rail and incurred 7 time penalties. But the worst moment of the day came when overnight leader Kristin Bachman pulled a rail at fence 8, then skipped fence 9 before jumping fence 10, resulting in elimination.

It couldn’t have been a more unfitting end to the weekend for Bachman, 35, who’d demonstrated all weekend that her partnership with Gryffindor was on par with the best, with a sixth-placed dressage test (48.2) and a double-clear cross-country round.

Fredericks’ win kept the title from his former teammate Phillip Dutton, who has been a five-time bridesmaid at Kentucky. Dutton rescinded his Australian citizenship at the beginning of the year in order
to ride for the U.S. team, so he earned his first U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation Pinnacle trophy as the top-placed U.S. rider. 

“I’m very happy to be the highest-placed American, but I would like to have won,” said Dutton, who finished second on Bruce Duchossois’ Connaught and 10th on Annie Jones’ and Shannon Stimson’s
Truluck. “I’ve had some mixed emotions this weekend, seeing all the Aussies, but I’m grateful to the help I’ve received from the U.S. [team coaches].”

The other Australians competing at Kentucky were Wendy Schaeffer, with whom Dutton rode on the 1996 Olympic gold-medal team, as well as Ryan Wood and Heath Ryan. Schaeffer finished sixth with Koyuna Sun Magic, while Wood had to scratch before cross-country, and Ryan, who has competed at the WEG in both dressage and eventing, was eliminated for a fall on cross-country with Flame.

Australian Andrew Hoy won the 2006 renewal of Rolex Kentucky, and Australians are always a force to be reckoned with at major championships.

“Australia doesn’t have a huge population, and it’s a rugged place,” explained Fredericks. “If you want to survive, you’ve got to be a real go-getter. We all love our country, but sometimes to get on in the world, you’ve got to get out in the big time.”

The Big Time
Fredericks began his riding career on ponies borrowed by his mother. He moved to England in 1994 and first competed internationally at the 1995 European Championships (Italy) aboard Bundaberg.

But it was a while before he could make his next international appearance. His setbacks included an injury to Bundaberg just before the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and the loss of his next mount, Boundalong, in a road accident.

His long journey to a team appearance and consistency at the top of the sport inspired him to name Ben, whom he bought as an unbroken 4-year-old from Irish dealer Donal Barnwell. “Been a long time” is also a rock music reference, fitting since Fredericks is the lead singer in a band called “Snatch.”

“I thought, ‘By the time I get this horse to the top, it will have been a long time,’ ” he said. “It’s taken a long time, but I think you appreciate it more that way. If suddenly you’re on the team as a young person maybe you don’t appreciate how hard it is to get there. I just feel I’ve got the tools to do it now.”

Fredericks considers himself lucky to have the Irish-bred gelding by Cavalier Royale. “He has a fantastic temperament and that star quality. He tries his guts out. I think I stole him [from Barnwell],” added Fredericks with a smile.

“I get a lot of stick at home about how emotional I get over [Ben Along Time],” said Fredericks after winning the World Cup. “He’s definitely my favorite.”

The weekend following his Rolex Kentucky win, Fredericks competed two horses at the Badminton CCI****, the second leg of the Rolex Grand Slam. If Fredericks were to win Badminton, he’d be in line for a $250,000 bonus if he could also pull off a win at Burghley CCI**** (England) this fall. Last year his wife Lucinda won Burghley, aboard a 15.3-hand mare.

Ben’s owners, Peta and Edwin McAuley, live in Hong Kong, so the 2008 Olympics are a high priority for Fredericks. But he also said he’d highly recommend Rolex Kentucky to other foreigners.

“My whole experience here has been fantastic, from the first moment I spoke to [organizer] Janie [Atkinson] and said I was coming, to when I rang the girls and asked how the horses had traveled, and they told me that [the organization] had rolled out the red carpet,” said Fredericks. “It means a lot to us as competitors, and I’d urge other competitions to take a leaf out of this book. I can’t see anything but success [at the World Equestrian Games to be held at the Kentucky Horse Park] in 2010.”

A Huge Course
Cross-country course designer Mike Etherington-Smith had made his jumps a bit bigger this year and hoped he’d made the time harder to achieve. He seemed to realize his objective, as anyone who jumped clear on Saturday vaulted up the leader board. (For an in-depth description of the course by Jimmy Wofford, go to www.chronofhorse.com).

“This sport is still a lot about cross-country,” said third-placed Karen O’Connor.

Time penalties almost cost Fredericks the win, since he finished 26 seconds slow for 5.6 penalties. But he managed to keep Ben on his feet after a big slip at the Brushes at fence 19AB, which would have dropped him completely out of the top placings.

“I could have gone faster at the start of the course, but my main goal was a good qualification for the Olympic Games. Sometimes you take an extra half-halt, and every one you take looking after your horse costs you an extra second. There were probably 26 I didn’t need to take,” he added with a laugh. “But my horse is very bold, and I like to give him nice jumps. I’m kicking myself a little, but I’d rather have him
home safe.”

Dutton, just the second rider to set out on course, said he could have gone faster aboard Connaught, an Irish-bred Irish Sport Horse, too. The 14-year-old has competed at Kentucky twice before, placing fourth last year and competing for Australia at the 2006 WEG, where he incurred a run-out.

“I’m pretty proud of this horse because I think I pushed him a little bit too much early in his career,” said Dutton. “I had him at this level before he was actually ready, but he’s a real trier.”

Dutton chose to be slightly more conservative at the beginning of the course since “Simon” had only run once since competing at the WEG last summer and was a last-minute entry at Kentucky.

“It’s a really big, strong-riding course, although it’s not super technical,” said Dutton, of West Grove, Pa. “The telling part is that every jump bar three or four are at the maximum height and width. Time after time, it takes it out of your horse; there’s not much forgiveness.”

With two horses in the top 10, Dutton is now poised for consideration for his first U.S. team at the Pan American Games in Brazil.

The Incredible Pony
Karen O’Connor would also like to compete in the Pan American Games, and she would bring quite the fan club with her. Despite an abundance of Olympic and World Championship veterans competing at Kentucky, no horse generated the support of the crowd like Theodore O’Connor, a 14.1-hand pony owned by Sportponies Unlimited and ridden by O’Connor.

“I recently saw his mother, and she is 13 hands,” said O’Connor with a laugh.

The 3⁄4 Thoroughbred, 1⁄8 Arab and 1⁄8 Shetland earned rampant applause where-ever he appeared, and most especially when he surpassed everyone’s expectations to finish the event in third place, with one of only two double-clear show jumping rounds.

“He’s a really special horse, and he gives everyone hope,” said O’Connor. “He has an amazing work ethic, and he has no idea he’s small. If you ever leave the ground with him over a jump, you realize he’s a giant. I’m in awe of him, and it’s a privilege to be part of that story.”

O’Connor, of The Plains, Va., said she was never worried about how the catty pony would handle the cross-country combinations, but the spread fences cost her a little sleep.

“It was a question of those big, wide, open oxers, and whether, over the distance, he had the height and stamina to get the width,” she said. “I was delighted with how scopey he was the whole time, and it was easily in his ability to get the width.”

“Teddy” didn’t seem to put a hoof wrong the whole way around the course, skipping through the combinations and jumping well up over the fences.

“Honestly, I felt like I was riding Biko again,” said O’Connor of her noted mount who earned team silver at the 1996 Olympics and was second at Rolex Kentucky that same year.

When Teddy returned to jump just as well on Sunday, not even brushing a rail, he earned the best-conditioned title and gave the crowd a real reason to cheer.

Le Samurai Incurs Serious Injury
As he galloped to the final cross-country fence at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, Le Samurai appeared to stumble, then became markedly lame, landing after the last fence almost on three legs. Amy Tryon, who had been in the lead after dressage, dismounted immediately upon crossing the finish line, but that incident has been replayed and rehashed non-stop since then and is currently under investigation by the FEI.   

“It appeared that he lost the supporting ligaments to the fetlock of his left front,” said Dr. Catherine Kohn, the FEI Veterinary Delegate. “We immediately put him in a splint and gave him a mild sedative to ride in the trailer to Hagyard-Davidson-McGee Equine Medical Institute.”

As of press time, Le Samurai, owned by Rebecca and Jerome Broussard, of Whitefish, Mont., was still at Hagyard and was stable and comfortable and eating well. Additional X-rays were being taken to determine the extent of the injury and possible treatments.

Members of the ground jury (Anne-Mette Binder of Denmark, Christian Landolt of Switzerland and Marilyn Payne of the USA) met on April 28 to investigate the incident for alleged abuse. They reviewed written statements from the fence judges, watched the videotape and interviewed Kohn. They could not reach Tryon, because she had left the show grounds to be with Le Samurai.
 
Ground jury officials then referred the matter to the FEI Appeal Committee because the matter falls under their duties, and the Appeal Committee decided to disqualify Tryon.

“I wish to express that I am totally devastated about the injury he sustained yesterday but cannot comment further pending a review by the FEI,” said Tryon. “I’d give anything if this had not happened. I love this horse. Le Samurai is very special to me, and we share a deep bond that is beyond competition. Although we will no longer be competing together, we will always be partners. I thank everyone who has generously assisted with Le Samurai’s care and been so supportive.”

Once the FEI has collected all reports and evidence, the case will be submitted to the FEI Judicial Committee, also known as the Tribunal. It consists of Ken Lalo of Israel, Erik Elstad of Norway, Jens Adolphsen of Germany, Patrick Boelens of Belgium, Leonidas C. Georgopoulos of Greece, Helen Huggett of Great Britain and Philip O’Connor of Ireland.

According to the FEI website, the Tribunal may take any action, ranging from a warning, to a fine, to a suspension for any period of time or for life, if she is found to have violated the rules. As of press time, FEI officials could not estimate a date for any decision.

Coming Full Circle
Ian Stark announced that this year’s Rolex Kentucky CCI**** would mark his final competitive event. Stark, 53, also enjoys running marathons and flying planes, and it took a special horse to bring him back to the upper levels one last time (he hadn’t competed in a four-star since Kentucky in 2002).

“I like him too much for anyone else to have him,” said Stark of The Duchess of Devonshire’s Full Circle, whom he found nine years ago as an unbroken 4-year-old and who will not be sold. “I thought he was a four-star horse, and he’s why I came back [to this level].”

Known as “the Flying Scot,” Stark, of Borders, Scotland, competed internationally for 30 years, earning four Olympic silver medals, a World Championship silver medal, a gold European Championship medal, and the Badminton CCI**** (England) title aboard such horses as Murphy Himself, Sir Wattie and Glen Burnie. He took a round of honor before show jumping started on Sunday, and after jumping a clean round (with 1 time penalty), he celebrated by galloping around the arena to a standing ovation.

Memorable Feats At Rolex
•    Upstage, competing in his sixth consecutive Rolex Kentucky, showed his scope over the second of the double corners at fence 5AB, where he locked onto the birch rail separating the corner from the option fence. Afterward, Karen O’Connor and her friend Cathy Wieschhoff walked out to the corners to see where he’d taken off and landed.
        
“He jumped left over the first corner and locked onto the birch rail,” O’Connor said. “It was 5’3″ or 5’4″, and from where he took off to where he landed, we saw the hoof prints and measured 21 feet.”

•    Heidi White Carty and Northern Spy, competing in their eighth four-star together, were held one fence before the Head of the Lake while medics attended to Heath Ryan. But Carty didn’t spend the time stressing about one of the world’s biggest jumps—instead she asked the area stewards to bring her water to put on her horse.
         
“The stewards were phenomenal,” she said. “They told me I could back up [when I restarted] as much as I wanted. It was not my best Head of the Lake, but we got it done.”

•    Gryffindor very nearly became the first U.S.-bred horse to win at Rolex Kentucky since it became a four-star. Not only is he bred in the United States, but he also raced, and Bachman saw him at a friend’s house, “detoxing from the track” in a field.
       
“It was love at first sight,” she said. “His eye was so big and beautiful. He just wanted to be in your lap.”

•    No one finished on their dressage score this year, but Jonathan Holling, of Ocala, Fla., came close, with a double-clear cross-country round and 3 time penalties in show jumping in Direct Merger’s first four-star. “It was the easiest ride I’ve ever had on him—almost the easiest ride I’ve ever had,” said Holling, who finished eighth. “And that’s no slight on the course. It was a tough course.”

•    Lauren O’Brien, of Southern Pines, N.C., rode Dunraths Alto at Rolex Kentucky for the fourth time and had their best finish to date. “I’m notorious for going slow, so I decided I’d kick on today,” said the mother of two. She posted 4.4 time penalties and finished seventh, with one of only two clear show jumping rounds.

•    Famed British rider Mary King finished ninth with Apache Sauce in her first trip to Rolex Kentucky. They didn’t have the smoothest cross-country round, but King, 45, never gave up, to somehow finish clean and within the time. “I think this was one of the biggest four-star tracks I’d seen in a long time,” she said.

•    Young rider Hannah Sue Burnett, of Finchville, Ky., completed her first four-star in 23rd place. “When I first bought him I knew I’d be here with him someday, even though I was just a little kid [14],” she said. “So when I was coming around the turn to the last fence, I said, ‘Ben, we just did Rolex!’ ”

Beth Rasin