Competitive Weekend for Windurra at 2013 Plantation Field International

Boyd and Trading Aces. Allie Conrad Photo

 This year’s Plantation Field International horse trials was easily the greatest we’ve had yet. We were blessed with record crowds, perfect weather and a very exciting competition. In the three-star I feel like Trading Aces put in a good performance. With our focus on preparing for the trip to Holland to compete at Boekelo, he felt strong in all three phases and finished 6th in a competitive field of rock star horses.

The cross-country course footing was spectacular, thanks to the weather and the hard work Jamie Hicks did throughout the year spreading mushroom compost on the track. By the time I went the organizers had pulled out the technical aspect of the water jump as it was proving problematic for the first half of the field. I think it was a good decision just because there were too many falls at the one fence, and obviously we’re using this event as a preparation for our fall three-days, so a confident round was of utmost importance.

Boyd and Trading Aces through the Ruins. Allie Conrad Photo

"Oscar" and I were ten seconds over the time, which was my plan due to the fact that he had a hard run at Richland a couple weeks ago. I think he’s in fantastic condition and right where I want him physically, three weeks out from Boekelo. We’re going to give him a thorough looking over today and see how he’s bounced back, in regards to taking him to Dressage at Devon later this week.

Receiving the Two-Star Trophy. L-R: Cuyler Walker, Mrs. Betty Moran, Boyd Martin. Lisa Thomas Photo

The 2* was a competitive field with over 70 horses participating; my new ride Pancho Villa put in a spectacular performance. I’m still figuring this horse out and he was good enough to win the class, mainly due to the fact we had a good lead after dressage and show jumping which allowed me to be cautious and gain a few time faults on cross-country.




Video: Pancho Stadium



Video: Boyd and Pancho Villa XC CIC2*

Steady Eddie, owned by Pierre Colin & Denise Lahey and George & Gretchen Wintersteen, ended up fourth in the two-star after a sensational cross-country; I think this is a pure 4* horse and he is starting to feel seasoned at the two-star. I’m looking forward to moving him up to advanced next year.

Boyd and Steady Eddie. Lisa Thomas Photo

New Cadet, owned by Anne Hennessey, is a lot greener than Pancho and Eddie at the two-star and I believe he’s a really good horse for the future, but I think it’ll take another 12 months before we really get our dressage and show jumping up to scratch.

In the one-star I rode Denise Lahey and Pierre Colin’s SBF Cortez, a 6-year-old starting his career in the sport.. He jumped well and put in a great round cross-country but was a little bit green and distracted in the dressage. I was still impressed with the little chestnut gelding and I think he’s a good horse for the future.

 Caitlin had an up and down weekend: with Catch a Star she’s definitely made improvements with her show jumping. Unfortunately she was one of the early to go on cross-country and had an unlucky fall at the water. I thought Remi put in a good performance, which will lead them to a competitive start at Fair Hill in a couple of weeks. Caitlin also did a fantastic job riding Craig and Gloria Callan’s mare Welcome Shadow around the prelim horse trials.

Swedish eventers Sara Algottson-Ostholt rode Ballyneety and Niklas Lindbäck borrowed Brewster for the event. It was an absolute pleasure watching the Swedes work away with these young green horses the past couple of days. They gave them fantastic rides around the event. A big thanks to Katie and Cuyler Walker and Gretchen and George Wintersteen for allowing their horses to compete with these riders, I feel like it gave Plantation Field a true international feel.

-Boyd

Plantation Day 2 Video Interviews with Max Corcoran

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyjrDQ-WJOo&sns=em

Boyd and Oscar Standing 3rd in CIC3*, Pancho Villa Maintains Lead in CIC2* at Plantation Field

PRESS RELEASE 

UNIONVILLE, PA. - Good weather smiled on Unionville once again today as competitors in the CIC3* and CIC2* divisions enjoyed a day of show jumping. Sinead Halpin and Manoir De Carneville continued their domination of the division, jumping just one of 10 double clear rounds to hold their lead on a 37.8 heading into the cross country tomorrow.

Halpin and Manoir De Carneville have been honing their show jumping skills by working with Grand Prix show jumper Amanda Flint, who encouraged her to compete in the 1.20-meter jumpers at the Devon Horse Show for extra practice. 

"I made a big deal of Devon and tried to treat it like it was that one round that was really important," Halpin said. "I worked on short, inside turns at Devon, and I had the same strategy today when I made the inside turn to the triple combination."

Halpin has a generous margin of nearly nine penalty points heading into Tremaine Cooper's CIC3* cross-country course, and she plans to use a little bit of that cushion on her trip tomorrow. While she wants to win, she's also waiting to see how much rain falls on Unionville overnight.

"The plan is to be competitive but responsible," Halpin said. "My goal is to try to take more inside tracks and inside lines and test the boundary a little of how sharp I'm willing to cut turns and angles on some jumps that invite decision making."

Local favorites Jennie Brannigan and Nina Gardner's Cambalda also jumped double clear in the show jumping to hold second place overnight on a score of 46.2. Brannigan said the horse jumps better when he's fresh, and the new CIC format of holding show jumping before cross country suited them today.

"I had a very definite plan going in, and I stuck to it," Brannigan said. "Marc is one of the best show jumping course designers in the country. His courses make you think and challenge horses and riders while still being fair. Every track I ride from him is top notch."

Boyd Martin and Trading Aces dropped one rail to move up to third place in the CIC3*, and Martin agreed that Donovan's technical, flowing tracks are ideal for shaking up the leader board. While Martin jumped double clear over Donovan's course at Richland, a tricky red plank fence caught him out today.

"I'm planning to go for it a little bit in the cross country, as I think the terrain here is a little more forgiving than Richland," Martin said. "I plan to protect my horse on the sharp turns and downhill stretches and open him up for the uphill gallops to work on his condition."

Martin also enjoys the lead in the CIC2* with Pancho Villa, who jumped double clear in the show jumping today to maintain his healthy margin of nearly eight penalty points over Kurt Martin and Anna Bella, who moved up to second today with a clear round.

"I think he's got serious quality in the dressage, which is one of the main factors behind why I selected him because that's been my weaker phase," Martin said. "I'm giving myself a two-year window to figure him out and see how far I can take him."

The national divisions concluded today, with Lauren Kieffer and Veronica jumping double clear in both show jumping and cross country to clinch the win. Allison Springer and Copycat Chloe took second place, while Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot finished in third place.

Katie Walker, landowner for the event along with her husband Cuyler, has been thrilled so far with the support the event continues to receive from riders and the local community alike. Now in its sixth year, the Plantation Field Horse Trials has solidified its place as a leading CIC event on the fall calendar.

"The event is really coming into its own," Walker said. "Our goal is to continue improving the quality of the event across the board, from the social events and parties to the facilities and grounds for competitors. To see the way the riders have come to support the event just leaves me speechless."

While the Unionville area has always been a horse community, Cuyler said it's been very encouraging to see how the local community has come to embrace eventing in recent years. If the number of spectators filling the grounds this weekend serves as any indicator, the popularity only continues to grow.

"The local interest in the sport has grown to the point where the horse trials are really a destination event for the community," Walker said. "The more the quality of the event has improved, the more the local community has come out to support us. The horse trials have really become a highlight of the fall in this area." 

In addition to an exciting day of cross country tomorrow, the PRO Bareback Puissance is sure to delight spectators. Tik Maynard, William McCarthy, Priscilla Godsoe and Elizabeth Stewart will compete in the Puissance, which is presented by Sports Medicine Associates of Chester County, Kevin Keane DVM and Heather Finn DVM. 

Full results, a schedule and ride times for the weekend are available at www.plantationfieldhorsetrials.com. Be sure to "like" Plantation Field on Facebook and follow the event on Twitter @PlantationField.

Boyd and Silva Featured in Purina-Sponsored Video Interview for Dressage Today

With a big shout-out to Amy Dragoo for making a special trip to the farm with her video camera!

Video: Trading Aces at Plantation Field

Thanks to Jenni Autry of Eventingnation.com for this video of Trading Aces (Oscar) at Plantation Field today. Oscar is currently 5th in the CIC3*, with stablemate Pancho Villa leading the 2* division. All the horses are off to a great start and we are looking forward to updating everyone after the national divisions do cross-country and the international horses show jump tomorrow.

Halpin Leads CCI3* at Plantation Field

PRESS RELEASE 

EDITORS: The following information is for immediate
release. You are invited to cover Plantation Field and should contact Jenni Autry at jenni@eventingnation.com for information and credentials.

UNIONVILLE, PA. - All three CIC divisions saw exciting conclusions to dressage on the first full day of competition at Plantation Field Horse Trials. In the CIC3*, Sinead Halpin and Manoir De Carneville set an incredibly high benchmark toward the end of the division, scoring 37.8 to hold a commanding lead. 

Halpin and Manoir De Carneville were meant to compete in Europe this fall, but a freak injury in July at Chattahoochee Hills kept Halpin grounded from riding until last month. This is just Halpin's second competition back since recovering from a broken shoulder blade and ribs and a punctured lung. 

"After Richland, I wanted to do more work on the dressage to get back to where we were last year, so I've been working with David O'Connor several days a week since then," Halpin said. "Those intense lessons have been paying off.

"I was incredibly happy with him today," Halpin continued. "There's always one or two things still to work on, but he's becoming more consistent, and it's very encouraging knowing he can do that over and over again. He knows his job."

Plantation is Manoir De Carneville's first FEI event since Burghley last year, where he placed second, cementing his place as one of the leading event horses in America. Halpin is preparing to contest the Fair Hill CCI3* next month, and she's still undecided as to what her strategy will look like on Sunday.

"Our cross-country trip will depend on the weather, as I'm waiting to see whether or not we get any rain before Sunday," Halpin said. "It's difficult to go slow on him, and rain would be great so I can run him a little bit quicker."

Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda took the early lead in the CIC3* this morning, scoring a 46.2, which ultimately tied them for second place with Phillip Dutton and Mr. Medicott. After withdrawing from Rolex at the last minute due to a freak accident and taking a tumble at Luhmuhlen, Brannigan is due for a little luck this weekend.

"Honestly, I'm the happiest I've ever been," Brannigan said. "Cambalda feels fantastic, and I thought this was one of the best tests I've ever had on him. David (O'Connor) and Phillip (Dutton) were really happy with it, and that was exciting."

Like Halpin, Brannigan is unsure as to whether she'll go for time on Sunday, and she's also hoping some wet weather will roll into Unionville in the next 48 hours. Brannigan and Cambalda, owned by Nina Gardner, are also aiming for the Fair Hill CCI3* next month.

In the CIC2*, none of the 69 other riders in the division were able to catch Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa, who took a dominant lead yesterday afternoon, scoring 35.6. Colleen Loach and Peter Barry's Qorry Blue D'Argouges came the closest, scoring 40.6 to sit in second place overnight.

Loach, who has been battling the flu all weekend, was thrilled with the test, especially since this is a very new partnership for this pair; she took over the ride from Barry in June and has been working to forge a partnership ever since.

"He did everything I asked today," Loach said. "He has a tendency to fall behind my leg in the ring, but he stayed nice and forward today. I tend to get a bit nervous in the ring and don't ride as well in competitions as I do at home. He's been good for me because he's the same at the show as he is at home."

In the CIC*, Courtney Cooper leads with her homebred R Star on a 36.2, and Alexandra Tatham and Astair to the Future are hot on their heels on a 37.5. Tatham has contested a handful of Intermediate events with the mare, and she's recently come down a level to work on their show jumping.

"She's usually competitive in the dressage because she has a very good work ethic," Tatham said. "She was much more fluid through her back today, which gave her better movements and contributed to the good marks. That's what I think set us apart."

Competition continues tomorrow with Marc Donovan's show jumping courses in the FEI divisions. A steady stream of spectators filled the grounds today to watch the exciting outcome of the CIC3* dressage, and Denis Glaccum, Director of Plantation Field, expects crowds to grow steadily as the weekend continues.

"We had a great first day today with beautiful weather," Glaccum said. "One of our objectives is to put on the highest quality event we can to give our riders exposure to an event with a bigger atmosphere. Two years ago, entries in the national divisions outnumbered the international divisions, and now we've almost doubled our international entries."

Tonight's festivities include live music; a barbecue; and the Mechanical Bull Challenge, which pits teams of eventers, foxhunters, steeplechase jockeys and local riders against each other for $1,000 in prize money.

In addition to an exciting day of cross country on Sunday, the PRO Bareback Puissance is sure to delight spectators. Tik Maynard, William McCarthy, Priscilla Godsoe and Elizabeth Stewart will compete in the Puissance, which is presented by Sports Medicine Associates of Chester County, Kevin Keane DVM and Heather Finn DVM.

Full results, a schedule and ride times for the weekend are available at www.plantationfieldhorsetrials.com. Be sure to "like" Plantation Field on Facebook and follow the event on Twitter @PlantationField.

Silva Preparing for Dressage at Devon

Next weekend is Dressage at Devon, always an exciting show because it draws a lot of spectators and really top competitors, and fun because it's a local show for us.

I’m hoping to ride Trading Aces Thursday night in fourth level – it all depends on how he feels after running around the event at Plantation Field, so that we can make sure he is sound and happy, but ideally taking him to DAD is our plan.  He would be showing in the Dixon Oval, under the lights, and the whole purpose is to get him into that environment before he goes to Europe to compete at Boekelo.

Rosa Cha will do the CDI small tour: Friday is the PSG, Saturday is the I-1 and her Freestyle is on Sunday. Even  though she is so young, she’s starting to feel like a seasoned CDI horse after competing at Wellington, Lexington and Chicago this year. I’m excited for her to enter the international classes at Devon.

I’m also excited because Stately (Aesthete) is back and better than ever. It’s his first CDI and he will also be showing in the small tour. Even though he feels a bit green at this level - he won last year at 4^th level and then had some time off  - he is feeling awesome. I’m excited that he’s back in action. It’ll also be interesting to have my  top two competitors going head to head! You couldn’t have two more opposite horses: Stately is all power and Rosa is very elegant, and  it’ll be  interesting to see what happens with those two in the competition.

Zoran, owned by Bonnie Stedt, is an  8-year-old Dutch gelding, entered in 4^th level. He was competing in training level a year ago and has come a long way. Every day I ride him I’m more excited about him. He looks spectacular and has a lot of potential. Bonnie has never really seen him show before, so I’m happy for her to have the opportunity to see him at this big show.

Duvent, owned by Melinda  Walton and Larry T. Smith, won 4^th level at Devon last year and is doing 4^th level again this year. He’s a very special horse to me. He can be  a hot horse, and we’ve had some things to work through, but I’m excited to ride him at Devon again.

Melinda and Larry always breed lovely horses and I’m really happy that I get to ride them. I have three of theirs going to Devon, all three out of their mare Heidekind.

Benefactor, also owned by Melinda and Larry, and di Solitaire, owned by Anne and Mike Laver, are doing the 5-year-old class. Most everybody knows Benny is an old pro by now since he’s ranked 5^th in the country after Chicago, and could do this test in his sleep! I’m always excited to ride Benny, he’s my friend and he never lets me down. It’s an  easy trip for both Benny and Sully, and it should be a lot of fun.

I have a new horse of Melinda and Larry’s that’s a half brother to Benny, also by Donnerweiss. His name is Danka Schoene (note, that’s not German! I don’t know what language it is!) and he is very much like Benny: he’s a cool horse and easy going so he may be the first three-year-old that I’ve ridden at Devon that I haven’t been worried about. He’ll do the breed show on Tuesday. 

I hope to see many of our friends and supporters at Devon, and I'm looking forward to competing such a great group of horses! 

-Silva 

The show features the world’s largest open-breed show outside of Europe from Sept. 24 through Sept. 26, followed by the exciting performance- division taking place from Sept. 27 through Sept. 29.

IF YOU GO:

Dressage at Devon takes place at

Devon Horse Show Grounds.
23 Dorset Road, Devon, PA 19333

Sept. 24 – 29.

Reserved seating is available.

Info: www.dressageatdevon.org or
http://www.equineextremist.net/


Extra: Tommie Turvey to Perform at  2013 Dressage at Devon