Rough Waters at Rolex put Holder in the Lead…...Amber Heintzberger Reports from Lexington, Kentucky
Equestrian News Release

Lexington, KY – April 29, 2006 – It is often argued that eventing is becoming too dressage-oriented, but cross-country was a major factor at this year’s Rolex Kentucky CCI**** presented by Farnam. Overnight leader Darren Chiacchia and Timothy Holekamp’s Windfall II had a veritable meltdown on course when the stallion stopped at Uncle Frani’s Birch, ran out at the Head of the Lake, and finally retired after a stop at the third element of the Banks and Splash late in the course.

The now infamous Head of the Lake became a swimming hole for both renowned British eventer William Fox-Pitt and reigning Rolex champion Kim Severson today. Both riders fell after the jump into the water, a narrow vertical flanked by carved wooden fish, and took a thorough dunking in the water element of the jump. Severson was placed second on Royal Venture after dressage but retired from the course after her fall. Fox-Pitt’s fall was with Coup de Couer and he later retired his second ride, Mr. Dumbledore, just before the water complex. Luckily the horses and riders were unharmed.

First day’s dressage leader, who started cross-country in third place, Mara Dean and Nicki Henley’s Rolex quest came to an end at the Ditch and Palisade, the fourteenth fence on course, when the gelding stopped at the ditch and Dean fell into the palisade. Again both horse and rider walked away from the incident.

All this drama opened the door for Becky Holder and Courageous Comet to move up from fourth place and take the lead with their bold and tactfully ridden double clear round (43.7). British rider Polly Stockton on Tom Quigley also rode a double clear and moved into second place (48.2).

Holder later said, “I feel like Cinderella at the ball. I just keep waiting for the coach to turn into a pumpkin!” Since she has a rail in hand, she has a little room for error tomorrow. But naturally with the selector for the World Equestrian Games watching, she’ll try her best to leave the rails in the cups tomorrow.

Stockton commented today’s cross-country, “The course walked easier than in other years, but after watching the other riders it became apparent that it was more difficult.” Stockton is trying to qualify for British team going to the World Equestrian Games.

Amy Tryon on Woodstock was the first to finish within the time, which proved a deciding factor. They moved into fifth place (51.1) and she later withdrew her other horse, Poggio II before cross-country. New Zealander Donna Smith learned a hard lesson about time penalties when 17.6 of them dropped her from sixth place to seventeenth.

Heidi White said that she knew from the start that she was going to have to keep Northern Spy moving quickly to make the time on cross-country today when her coach Phillip Dutton, as well as his Australian compatriot Andrew Hoy, both early to ride, had time penalties. White was one of only eleven people to ride the course clear and within the time, moving up from tenth place to third on her dressage score of 49.4. Only eleven horses were clear and within the optimum time.

Jessica Heidemann and French Twist (50.6) also moved up considerably from eleventh place to fourth after going clean and fast around the course, but a couple of the biggest jumps in placings came from Nathalie Bouckaert Pollard on Westfarthing, who went from twentieth place to seventh and Karen O’Connor on Upstage, leaping from twenty-ninth to tenth place.

Six riders withdrew before cross-country today, including Bruce Davidson, Leslie Law and Stephen Bradley, who was placed fourth on From (he did ride Brandenburg’s Joshua and currently is ranked 12th); another three were eliminated and ten retired on course. It was a rough day for the Canadians, with Penny Rowland, Mike Winter and Garry Roque all retiring. Ian Roberts on Napalm (72.8) was one of the few clear double rounds of the day, and currently stands in 21st place.

After all was said and done, course designer Mike Etherington-Smith said, “The course this year was a bit bigger and a traditional type course. I thought it was a shade easy, so it was very interesting to hear the riders’ response.” He explained that because this year was a selection trial for the World Equestrian Games, “I wanted to make them finish with confidence and a good feel. Those who got around today did a fantastic job.”

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PHOTO CREDIT: Becky Holder and Courageous Comet took the lead at the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** today© 2006 Amber Heintzberger