The Novice divisions completed their AECs for this year today, with some shuffling up the leaderboard and some shuffling down. The Beginner Novice and Starter levels completed the cross-country phase today and go on their division finals tomorrow.
The big news in the Starter divisions is that one Maryland rider and one Maryland-bred horse are sitting in first place after their respective cross-country rides. Another Maryland-bred horse is sitting in second place, one rail away from first.
CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS
Novice Amateur Master
Arlo Bello and his rider Sarah Crocker (Marshall, Virginia) came into the final phase today in ninth place, but had an unfortunate rail in stadium to end the competition in 10th place on a final score of 38.3.
Novice Amateur
Dayna Blumel of Davidsonville and her Thoroughbred Brave Sand Rider rode their competition this week in the points equivalent of Base 10. They started in 40th place after dressage, moved up to 30th place after cross-country, and moved up another ten points in stadium to finish their competition in 21st place on a score of 39.1
Novice Rider
Amy Gaynor of Derwood and her grade Appendix QH Studly Dudley came into the final day in 10th place on a score of 31.6, but sadly incurred 8 jumping penalties in the show jumping arena. They ended their competition in 26th place on a score of 41.2.
Fan favorite Silver Bop and his rider Kara Googins (Arlington, Virginia) came into the final phase on his dressage score of 33.2 and came out of the final phase on his dressage score of 33.2. He put in a double clear in cross country yesterday and another double clear in stadium today, to end in 13th place.
Liz Espinosa of Beltsville and Benediction came out of the cross-country phase with no jumping penalties but 2.8 time faults. The situation today was the reverse; they picked up 8 jumping penalties but no time faults. They ended in 30th place on a final score of 43.6.
Mallory Gaines from Chester and Land Rush had a solid dressage test on Thursday with a score of 31.6, but they were a little less solid in the jumping phases. The incurred 20 penalties for their refusal on the cross-country course yesterday and 8 jumping faults and 0.8 time faults in stadium today. They ended in 41st place on a final score 60.7.
Novice Junior
Kelsey Klein of Owings Mill and her Clydesdale Simply Starbucks were sixth after dressage on a score of 31.6. They went double clear on cross-country yesterday which kept them in sixth place. Today they incurred only four jumping penalties and ended in 9th place on a score of 35.6.
STANDINGS AFTER CROSS COUNTRY
Jr Beginner Novice (Under 14)
Rhetorical Question G and Arabella Armstong started their competition in second place on a competitive dressage score of 28.6, only .5 points off the lead which was held by Finnegan’s Irish Dream. Rhetorical Question G and Armstong produced a double clear round on cross country to keep their score of 28.6. Finnegan’s Irish Dream also, however, incurred no cross-country penalties and so kept his 28.1 dressage score as well as his spot on the leaderboard. Not only that, but the 14 horse-and-rider pairs behind them also produced double clear rounds on cross county, the first three of which are less than one rail away from the top spot. It will be down to the bitter end tomorrow for these young riders.
BW Sir Samuel and Alexa Sestokes from Sparks Glencoe came into cross country on a dressage score of 42.0. The reasonable expectation was that the pair would incur no cross-country penalties because they have incurred no cross-country penalties in their last three starts. Unfortunately, past was not prologue for them today. Sir Samuel and Sestokes had an uncharacteristic refusal on the course and picked up 20 penalty points. They are sitting in 21st place going into stadium.
Beginner Novice Rider
Ashley Beheler of Sykesville and her homebred Jubilee also picked 20 penalty points for an uncharacteristic refusal. This pushed them dramatically down the leaderboard, from seventh place to 37th place. That is the impact just one error on cross country can have on a final score. The good news is that they are just one rail away from the pair in front of them, so they have a good chance of climbing up a rung or two by the end of the day tomorrow.
Full Mooner Gina Franz of Owings Mill and her Thoroughbred gelding Jack in the Box did exactly as we hoped they would do today. They went “full Thoroughbred” to come off cross country with neither jumping penalties nor time penalties, pulling themselves up from 29th place to 25th place. There is no reason the pair can’t go “full Thoroughbred” tomorrow either, so we look to see them finish on their dressage score.
Beginner Novice Junior
Ella Riley from Ellicott City and Master of Illusion added no jumping or time penalties to their dressage score of 37.2 today. Two of the riders who had better dressage scores failed to complete cross county, and six others picked up 20 penalties points. That allowed Riley and Master of Illusion to move up 8 notches on the leaderboard to 21st after cross country.
Beginner Novice Horse
Five year-old Thoroughbred Latin Jet and his rider Mary Clare Owdziej (Ann Arbor, Michigan) had a competitive dressage score of 31.3 coming into cross county but sadly incurred 20 jumping penalties for a refusal, pushing them down to 19th place on a score of 51.3.
Starter Amateur
Laura Wilson of Forest Hill and her Mustang One Ear Wonder came into cross-country in a very respectable third place on a score of 28.4. The rider who came out of dressage in first place, however, incurred 20 jumping penalties on course, and the rider who came out of dressage in second place picked up 16.8 time penalties. Thanks perhaps to One Ear Wonder’s previous life on the run and Wilson’s tactful training techniques, the pair went double clear to take over the lead. But they cannot afford any jumping or time penalties tomorrow. Will Wilson and the wonderful One Ear Wonder have the will to win and the sang-froid to survive at the top? Will they be our second Team Maryland champion this year?
Wilson and One Ear Wonder at the Nutrena water obstacle on Saturday. Photo credit: US Eventing.
Junior Starter
Another potential division Champion, Accordingly, taught his young rider Shelton Repetto how to ride in a championship yesterday by taking her to first place after dressage, and he taught her today by keeping her there after cross-country. They go into stadium on a 25.8 but no rails to spare. Accordingly has one last lesson to teach for the weekend. If Repetto is a good pupil, then we will accord Accordingly and his acolyte all the accolades.
Accordingly and Shelton Repetto bopping around the cross country course. Photo credit: US Eventing.
Sydney Santos of Derwood and Sweet Frijoles came into cross country on a strong score of 30.1 but uncharacteristically pulled twenty for a refusal. That brought them down from fourth to 27th The course caught a lot of other entries too, four of whom were eliminated for jumping faults, one of whom was eliminated on a technicality, and one of whom retired.
Starter Rider
Full Mooner Katrine Davis of Hanover and Paint Misbehavin’ were in first place with 3.5 penalties to spare coming into cross country. The two sadly parted ways on course, so their championship win will have to wait for next summer.
START TIMES FOR DAY 6
Show jumping for Beginner Novice begins tomorrow morning at 7:30. The Starter divisions begin at 4:45 p.m.