Will Simpson traveled across the country from California to contest the Olympic selection trials, and his journey may be only beginning as he topped the $100,000 Zada Enterprises LLC Masters Cup, the second of five rounds in at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, Fla.
Now Simpson has put himself in contention with the talented Carlsson Vom Dach, owned by El Campeon Farm, as they posted the fastest double-clear jump-off performance over an incredibly challenging course set by Christa Heibach of Aachen, Germany. With their 12 faults from Thursday, Simpson stands tied for 12th.
Close on Simpson’s heels was Jeffery Welles and the scopey Armani. They too jumped double clear for second place. But when today’s score is combined with his clear round during the first trial on Thursday, Welles leads the standings with a perfect performance.
Kimmel Yeagar Equine and Triton Ventures’ Armani, 13, (by Guidam), who was sidelined last year after leg surgery, has returned stronger than ever said Welles. Making the Olympic team is now closer than ever for Welles, Brewster, N.Y., and would fulfill a lifetime dream.
“It would mean everything,” he said. “I’ve been close before, for the Olympics in Barcelona, and I was the alternate for the 2006 World Equestrian Games [in Aachen, Germany].”
Nicole Shahinian Simpson, Wellington, Fla., has also been on fire lately. She guided SRF Dragonfly to one of just three clear rounds in the starting field of 67. After a rail at first fence in the jump-off, Nicki chose to withdraw and save her flashy chestnut for the remaining three trials next week. They are tied for sixth in the trials with 8 total faults.
Aboard Vicomte D, Nicki was just a few ticks of the clock away from a perfect score. Their 1 time fault however, combined with their 4 faults on Thursday, puts them fifth in the standings.
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The buzz at the in-gate was loud after riders got a peek at today’s course. “The talk in the schooling area was that the course was brutal, so that’s all I had to go on,” said Will, who has been in Florida just the past two weeks. “I thought there were only going to be a few clear rounds.” Forty-two riders started today vying for team selection.
Indeed, Heibach wheeled a tight time allowed, which became an issue for many riders. In addition to Nicki and Vicomte D, a single time fault kept Kate Levy and Vend Du Nord and Cedric and Laura Kraut from joining the jump-off. Nevertheless, Kraut and the bouncy Cedric, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood, have kept all the rails in the cups over the first two rounds and are second in the standings. In addition, Kraut and the veteran Anthem, clear in the first trial, had just 4 faults today and stand tied for third overall.
Faults were clustered in three areas—a difficult bending line to the open water; a triple bar to a tight double combination; and a challenging triple combination of triple bar-oxer-vertical late in the course at 12ABC. The latter tested endurance as well as scope. But even if riders mastered the first 12 tests, the final two fences, a huge plank vertical at 13 and a wide oxer at 14, weren’t to be counted out.
“You really had to thread the needle. You had to be just right to those bending lines,” said Will.
Will, based in Thousand Oaks, Calif., was thrilled with the performance of his 12-year-old German-bred (by Cassini I out of a Thoroughbred) whom he’s ridden for just under a year. He found the gelding in Germany and, although it took about three months for him to discover the extent of the talent he was sitting on, he now has complete confidence in the horse.
“There’s some bird in there somewhere,” he said laughing. “In the combination I thought when we jumped 12B, in the back of my mind, that we were going to have the back rail, but he found some wings.”
Will blamed himself for the faults incurred in the first trial, held Thursday night under the lights. “I didn’t have him ready enough for 9:30 at night in the cold,” he said. “It was a miscalculation on my part.”
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When asked what it would mean to make the Olympic team, Will said, “It would be a lifelong body of work with a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It would be the thrill of a lifetime.”
Unfortunately, a few Olympic dreams may have been dashed today.
Peter Wylde, who traveled to the United States from his home base in Europe to vie for a team spot, met disappointment on both of his mounts. He was eliminated at the triple combination aboard Campino 103 and Irco Sun.
Danielle Torano and Vancouver D’Auvrey, clear on Thursday, collected 20 faults today. Likewise, Charlie Jayne, 21, aboard Thomas Edison, the only Thoroughbred in the field, collected 12 faults, including a heartbreaking rail at the first fence.
A handful of riders with clear rounds on Thursday earned 8 faults today, including Thursday’s class winners Casadora and Lauren Hough. Their two rails and a time fault now leave them tied for eighth in the standings. Brianne Goutal on Onira, who had a hoof in the water and a rail, are currently tied for sixth.
Beezie Madden, who earned a bye with Authentic for the trials (as did McLain Ward aboard Sapphire), had just one mistake with the Dutch Warmblood stallion Judgement, who jumped strongly today. They remain tied for third in the selection trials standings with 4 total faults.
Top 12 after Trials 1 and 2
1. Armani/Jeffery Welles—0-0/Total 0
2. Cedric/Laura Kraut—0-1/Total 1
3T.Anthem/Laura Kraut—0-4/Total 4
3T.Judgement/Beezie Madden—0-4/Total 4
5.Vicomte D/Nicole Shahinian-Simpson—4-1/Total 5
6T. Onira/Brianne Goutal—0-8/Total 8
6T. SRF Dragonfly/Nicole Shahinian Simpson—8-0/Total 8
8T. Casadora/Lauren Hough—0-9/Total 9
8T. VDL Oranta/Chris Kappler—4-5/Total 9
8T. Roxana 112/Anne Kursinski—4-5/Total 9
8T. Vent Du Nord/Kate Levy—8-1/Total 9
12T. Curius/Georgina Bloomberg—4-8/Total 12
12T. Thomas Edison/Charlie Jayne—0-12/Total 12
12T. Vegas/Christine McCrea—8-4/Total 12
12T. Carlsson Vom Dach/Will Simpson—12-0/Total 12
