Course designer Leopoldo Palacios built a little bit more of a test today for Round 2 of the USEF Olympic Selection trials, and just six horses jumped clear rounds. Three of those were clean rounds from Round 1 as well. As they wait for Round 3 at 8 p.m. tonight, Beezie Madden on Authentic, Norman Dello Joio on Glasgow and McLain Ward on Sapphire sit at the top of the leader board with no faults. Madden’s second mount, DeSilvio, lies fourth with just one time fault in this afternoon’s round. 

Margie Engle, who jumped such an impressive clean round yesterday with Hidden Creek’s Perin, withdrew today before the class, hoping that her performance yesterday would be enough to convince the selection committee to grant her a spot on the team. No official decision has been made about that yet, though.

Madden was thrilled with the performances of her two young horses.  Both 9, they showed well under the pressure. “If you had told me at this time last year that I would be sitting here with two clean rounds on these two horses, I don’t know if I would have believed you,” she said. “But they’re both fantastic. Authentic is just one of those horses who tries to win every time in the ring. He’s been such a game horse, and he’s been so good every since we got him at age 6.”

Madden’s 2002 World Equestrian Games mount, Judgement, improved today after having 8 faults yesterday. They picked up just a single time fault this afternoon. “I think he’s bothered by the lights shining on the water. He’s done a lot for me over the years, so I can’t say that I’m disappointed. He’s obviously an unbelievable talent, but in some places he’s just not as confident,” said Madden.

Ward’s Sapphire is another 9-year-old phenomenon who belies her young age. “She feels great. Like Beezie’s horse, she’s a little bit green, and last night was a hard test for her under the lights. But she’s been great, and we’ll just try to keep doing what we’re doing,” said Ward. Ward also guided Quickstar II Z to a clean round today, putting them tied for sixth with 4 faults from last night’s round.

Ward decided not to start Goldika, his mount at the FEI World Cup Final last month, in the trials. “I entered her, but I never really intended to bring her. She had some nice results in Florida, but they were inconsistent, and I don’t feel that’s a Nations Cup horse.  You need a horse who’s solid every day, and I believe these two are that,” he said.

Glasgow, 13, is the veteran in the top three horses. Dello Joio and the Dutch Warmblood claimed top prize in the $200,000 Budweiser American Invitational (Fla.) in early April, and Dello Joio just ensured that Glasgow was on the top of his form before traveling to California for the trials. “I’m happy the horse is jumping well.  I think that if we go [to Athens] and all the stars line up, he could be a potential medal-winner,” said Dello Joio.

Sitting just behind Madden and DeSilvio (fourth with just 1 time fault) is Bronfman with Irco Sun. They picked up just 1 time fault over Round 1 last night, and added just 2 more time penalties this afternoon.  Bronfman has been training and showing in Europe for the past few years and traveled back to the U.S. this winter to show in Florida and prepare for the trials.

Peter Wylde and Fein Cera, who had an unfortunate 4 faults at the first fence yesterday, jumped a clean round today to leave them lying tied for sixth. Alison Firestone, clean yesterday with Casanova, had a rail at the A element of the vertical-to-vertical one-stride combination after the open water today.

Lutopia and Molly Ashe toppled the top plank of the third fence, a vertical, today to put them in the tie for sixth with 4 faults. “She was a little uppity today, and she went right a little bit taking off and just toed it,” Ashe said. Richard Spooner and Robinson also added just 4 faults today to last night’s clear, putting them in that tie for sixth. Also there is Nicole Simpson, who jumped the first clean round of this afternoon aboard El Campeon’s So Long.

Five 8-faulters lie tied for 12^th, but all the riders agree that there’s a lot of jumping left to do. They all praised Palacios’ courses, however. “The first night was a nice welcoming class. It was very tall, but horses came here to jump, and riders looked prepared and they handled it easily. Today was a different story; it was a real test. Obviously there was some great jumping, but it started to separate things a bit,” said Ward.

Tonight, the field jumps the same course as this afternoon, but under the lights. Then, they travel north to San Juan Capistrano for the three rounds there next weekend, May 22-23.