Trading Aces Wins His Second Car of the Year!

Phillip and Oscar are currently in 7th place after cross-country at the 2014 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event Presented by Land Rover. They jumped around clear and spot on the optimum time, winning the Land Rover Challenge for the top US rider closest to the optimum time, and claiming a two-year lease on a new Land Rover Evoque.

Phillip and Oscar on the perfect pace

Remember, Boyd and Oscar brought home a new Mercedes after winning the Red Hills CIC*** in Florida, so this is Oscar's second time winning a car this year!

Phillip Dutton and Trading Aces

 Land Rover Vice President for North America Kim McCullough quipped to Phillip, “Riding a horse named Trading Aces, I think you have to buy a lottery ticket right now!”

Phillip and Evie did a television spot accepting the keys to their swanky new ride.

  With rain earlier this week, and a gorgeous sunny day today at the Kentucky Horse Park, Phillip said, "Conditions were ideal and Oscar learned a lot today. I tried to ride him forward and aggressively and give him time to look at the jumps, and he got better and better."

 Last year Oscar "ran out of gas" on course and Boyd has been focusing on his strength and fitness since then. Phillip also said, "It’s been a year and he’s matured a lot and Boyd’s done a lot of get him fit; I think he goes up Nelson’s Hill every other day. All credit to everyone who works with him."

 Phillip is also currently ranked third on Mr. Medicott, of whom he said, "Mr. Medicott has been around the world and I just hung on and let him do his job." He said, "Both horses good jumpers so hopefully tomorrow they’ll go out and do their best." Good luck Phillip!

Photos copyright Amber Heintzberger and not to be copied or used without permission.

Video Interviews with Boyd and Phillip from Rolex Kentucky

Practical Horseman Video Interview with Boyd:
EventingNation Video Interview with Boyd:
HorseJunkies Interview with Boyd
Phillip Dutton Interview

Update on Silva's Recovery

I saw a neuro-ophtalmalogist recently because I can't keep my eyes open, and he was very positive; it’s such a rare injury they can’t really give me a time frame for how much time it’ll take, but if it’s not resolved after a year they can do surgery. But since I’ve recovered so quickly so far, they’re hoping it’ll just resolve itself.

I’m doing physio three times a week at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital.  My sister Nina is here this week to help me – I can’t drive because of my eyes,  so that’s a big help. I don’t know how long I have to go to rehab, but I definitely have to keep going for the next couple of weeks. Nina is a speech therapist, so she’s helping me with that, and she’s helping me around the house. I’m doing well but I’m on a lot of medication and get tired quickly. 

It’s annoying that I’m still not back to normal, but I just have to take it slowly. I’m going to come back better than before !I wish I could just go out and ride, but I can’t do that!

I do go out to the barn and spend time with the horses every day. The girls are keeping the horses going and I can see what they’re doing, so for being sick it’s a good situation – I can still organize what each horse does what everyday. I can’t work yet, but it’s good that I can go out and keep an eye on things and be involved.

-Silva

Silva's Thoughts on Oscar's Rolex Dressage Test

Phillip Dutton and Trading Aces are in 8th place on 52.5 after the first day of dressage at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. [Leader Board]. Silva is home in PA and watched the test on live streaming. Here are her thoughts: 

It was kind of a last-minute thing and we’re very thankful that Phillip is riding Oscar at Rolex; it’s a big ask and unbelievable that he’d take it on – Boyd was hoping to ride Oscar himself, but obviously didn’t get to because of his leg.

David O’Connor helped Phillip on the flat over the last week and I went to watch and it went really well. Phillip hasn’t ridden the horse that much and obviously doesn’t know him as well as his other horses, and Oscar gets a bit tense in the ring. I don’t think Phillip knew to expect that today; Boyd said he wasn’t tense at all in the warm-up, so it caught Phillip by surprise.

To just jump on and do the test on a horse he doesn’t know is amazing! I can’t imagine jumping on a horse I don’t know and doing a test like that! 

Oscar got tense in the walk and the marks went down there, but the flying changes can be hard on that horse, and they went well. The canter was good; Oscar can be a bit grouchy in the canter and Phillip did a great job with that. Looking at the overall scores they did all right! 

Links: 

http://www.kentucky.com/2014/04/23/3209359/rolex-kentucky-three-day-event.html

http://phillipdutton.com/2014/stepping-in-to-ride-trading-aces-at-rolex/

http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/boyd-martin-withdraws-rolex-kentucky-cci

New Cadent For Sale VIDEO

Talented Upper Level Horse For Sale

New Cadet at Fair Hill 2013. Amber Heintzberger photo, not to be copied or reproduced without permission.

New Cadet is for Sale!

 'Caddy' is a first-class event horse that is probably best suited to a more experienced rider. He is an awesome cross country horse with a lot of heart and has only received one cross country jumping fault in his whole career! He has competed successfully at the Intermediate level for the past year, and will soon be ready to move up to advanced level.

NAME: New Cadet

SEX: Gelding

COLOUR: Brown

HEIGHT: 16.2hh

DATE OF BIRTH: 4-23-05

COUNTY OF BIRTH: USA

SIRE: Private Terms

DAM: Couloir (by Nepal)

BREED: American Thoroughbred

BREEDER: Jimmy Hawkins

PLACE OF BIRTH: Lexington, KY

OWNER: Mrs Anne Hennessey, VT

Road to Rolex

GALLOP VIDEO

The reality of me snapping my leg completely in half a few weeks ago is starting to means I have to come to terms with not competing at Rolex. I’m walking again, about 2 degrees lame, but I feel I would not be strong enough to land after some of the big four-star drops, and ride the horses to my fullest ability, which they need around this sort of course.

Trading Aces is in superb condition and it would be a crime not to take advantage of all the hard work so I’ve called up Phillip Dutton who rode the horse to victory at The Fork a few weeks ago. In my mind Phillip is one of the best riders in the world and will do the best job with Oscar at Rolex.

Caitlin has been doing all of his dressage and fitness work here at home and has the horse purring like a cat on the flat. Phillip has jumped him a couple times and will take over his training completely tomorrow.

Shamwari and Otis are rerouting to Luhmuehlen and I hope to ride at Jersey Fresh in a couple weeks as their prep event. Phillip is kind enough to ride Shammie around the 3* and Otis around the Advanced this weekend at Fair Hill. I can’t tell you how much all of these horses’ owners appreciate Phillip’s hard work keeping these horses running. I hope one day Phillip breaks his leg so I can return the favor.

I’m looking forward to getting down to Kentucky Wednesday night to help Caitlin, Lillian and Erin through the competition. I’m also signed up to do a number of autograph signings, course walks and talks and maybe even a bit of commentary while I’m down there. 

-Boyd