August 13, Gladstone, N.J.
Tina Konyot, North Stonington, Conn., increased her lead in the U.S. Selection Trials for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games by sweeping the second Grand Prix, the third of four tests in the Trials, with a 71.31 percent.
Although the No. 1 placing remained the same, the lower rankings had some changes—Todd Flettrich and Otto finished second on 69.78 percent, Pierre St. Jacques and Lucky Tiger moved up to third on 69.48 percent, and Catherine Haddad and Winyamaro stayed in fourth with a 69.14 percent. Nartan and Katherine Bateson-Chandler, who placed second in both the previous Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Special, were fifth (69.02%) today.
Though Konyot’s test wasn’t flawless—Calecto V missed a few one-tempis and some of his piaffe work wasn’t rhythmic—Konyot blamed herself for the errors today.
“He was there the best he could be,” Konyot said. “I didn’t ride the best extended trots today. Those were my weakest points. I was happy with my passage tour, but my piaffes were not their best. They were OK. They were acceptable. I just didn’t ride enough. He was quite fresh and feeling good.”
After last week’s Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special, Konyot gave a tired Calecto three days of easy work before putting him back together for this weekend’s competition. After Gladstone she plans on taking Calecto, a 12-year-old Danish Warmblood stallion (Come Back II—Bahera), home to her farm in Connecticut for a bit of breather before resuming training.
“We’ve only had one year in the Grand Prix, so we are a work in progress. We have a lot to make better, and we can make it better,” said Konyot. “I’m so happy I have tears in my eyes.”
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After taking third in the last two classes at the Trials, Flettrich, Royal Palm Beach, Fla., was thrilled to move up to second in the second Grand Prix with Otto, although he’s still standing third overall after Konyot and Bateson-Chandler. Like Konyot, Flettrich said Otto’s test had some mistakes, which he mostly blamed on his own riding.
“I’m happy for the third day to be over!” Flettrich said. “I don’t usually make mistakes in my changes, and I had a mistake in the twos. I could kick myself. I thought my pirouettes were better.”
Otto, a 14-year-old Danish Warmblood (Rambo Dve 373—Jubel), recently returned from competing in Germany and is still recuperating from the travel experience. Flettrich will also take him home after Trials.
“He needs a little time to take it easy and go in the snaffle,” Flettrich said.
After placing sixth in the first Grand Prix and sixth in the Special, St. Jacques, Anthony, Fla., and Lucky Tiger, a 15-year-old Danish Warmblood (Lucky Light—Teike) made a move up the standings after today’s test. They now stand fifth overall.
Despite the intensity of being at the Selection Trials, St. Jacques said he’s tried to keep Lucky Tiger’s routine the same as it is at home.
“It’s the same pressure. It’s been like a weeklong show,” St. Jacques said. “The horses are a little bit on edge, but they’re up for it. They know their jobs. [Lucky Tiger] is so reliable and steady, so happy. It’s just unbelievable. I’m having a blast. I was having a blast during that test.”
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Overall, it was a day of mistakes, with few riders having clean Grand Prix tests. Kathering Bateson-Chandler’s Nartan broke to canter briefly in the beginning of his first extended trot and flubbed his one tempis. Sue Blinks’ Robin Hood picked up the incorrect canter lead in one transition and also had a mistake in his one-tempi changes. Winyamaro was another horse with a one-tempi mistake. But despite all the small errors, judges were pleased with the overall quality of the field.
“I really feel that the scores would be higher if they weren’t making mistakes. There was not really one test that came out 100 percent clean with no mistakes. In the top six horses today, I can look at all of them and say I don’t see a hole in the training,” Janet Foy, FEI I-level judge said. “If they made mistakes in the ones, they nailed the twos. The only concern comes when there is a hole in the training. The riders are a little nervous and they’re trying very hard.”
Results at FoxVillage.com.
Current Standings:
- Tina Konyot/Calecto V/61.95%
- Katherine Bateson-Chandler/Nartan/60.23%
- Todd Flettrich/Otto/59.83%
- Catherine Haddad/Winyamaro/59.12%
- Pierre St. Jacques/Lucky Tiger/58.98%
- Sue Blinks/Robin Hood/58.38%
- Jan Ebeling/Rafalca/57.85%
- Adrienne Lyle/Wizard/56.85%
- Leslie Morse/Tip Top 962/56.82%
- Shawna Harding/Come On III/56.75%
- Lauren Sammis/Sagacious HF/56.71%
- Jan Ebeling/Sandrina/55.25%
- Jane Hannigan/Maksymillian/33.94%
- Elizabeth Austin/Olivier/20.41%
- Susan Jaccoma/Wadamur/17.91%
