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Friday, April 16, The Second Day of Dressage

"The last shall be first and the first last..." certainly held true in the Dressage Phase Friday at the Foxhall Cup CCI***, where Mark Weissbecker, the overnight leader with Swayne on 49.6, dropped to 6th place as five competitors who rode on the second day surpassed his score.

David O'Connor, the reigning Olympic Individual Gold Medalist from Sydney 2000, is in the "cat bird seat" with Jennifer Taxay's black New Zealand Thoroughbred Outlawed, on a score of 41.8. (David and Outlawed are pictured at the right.)

David talked about Outlawed, "He's got a lot of natural talent in his movement. He's getting more and more mature. Not so many outside forces bother him. He was inconsistent (about his flying changes) at Fair Hill (last fall). Then he got real consistent with them in February."

Regarding the Cross Country course David said, "It's a go for it day. The alternate routes really do take a long time. They (the horses) really need to be focused. You can get overawed by the corners - just treat them like oxers except you have to jump 'right there!'" As to the time factor, David continued, "He's got a big gallop and he's not a puller. I think he can be quite quick. He could get mentally tired with that many accuracy questions."

Buck Davidson, riding Jan Smith and Carl and Sandra Segal's Idalgo, is in second place with a score of 43.8. Idalgo is an eight year old bay Selle Francais gelding that Buck has had for 8 months. (Buck and Idalgo are pictured at the left.) Buck said "He was losing his focus outside (in the warm up) I was worried that I had over worked him. 20 minutes before his test he felt ready. Then he was a bit flat; but, when he came in (the arena) he was great. He did Radnor last year and won the Young Horse Prize."

Kim Severson and He's Got Rhythm are in the third position with a score of 44.4. Kim spoke about the course for Saturday, particularly the skinnys in the water, "I don't love them. I am concerned about them. That is a big jump in - You've got to land and be organized. You've got to be quick to say 'OK! Let's keep going!' You have to have a fairly honest horse there; but, you have to have an honest horse on the whole course."

About He's Got Rhythm, Kim commented, "He's opinionated - he's a red head! We've butted heads, he and I." Nonetheless, Kim admitted, "Yes, he was the best," in the Dressage, of her three rides. "He's usually pretty consistent. To date he's been good on the ring." (Kim and He's Got Rhythm are pictured at the right.)

Denise Rath, of Great Falls, VA, is in fourth place with Just a Diplomat. "I bought him in England. He's by Welton Crackerjack. I got him at the end of 2001. He did Radnor in 2002. There's a lot to do out there (on the Cross Country Course) He's fairly inexperienced at the Advanced level. Today was the easy day."

Darren Chiacchia stands 5th with Kate Luce's San Salvador. Darren's comments about Saturday's course were as follows: "5 and 6ab are tricky (- a fish creel, to a drop, to a left hand jump up, to another fish creel); the skinny to the skinny in the water - I don't think 4 1/2 is going to work; the corner after the water - you have to get back a regular quality of canter, horses tend to scoot out of the water; the next fence (a jump back into water) you can't go launching off the top, you have to stay with them and leave half way down the bank."

There really is a lot to do out there and the questions come thick and fast in the first part of the course.

It is interesting, if somewhat ominous, to note (though encouraging for the lower placed competitors) that none of the horses in the first four places after Dressage completed the Cross Country at North Georgia. In the CIC***, Outlawed fell with David in the Cod Dock Complex, after tripping on landing over the oxer; Idalgo had a run out and got nervous so Buck retired him; He's Got Rhythm had a stop in the big water at the step up and Kim retired him; and Just A Diplomat stopped out at the skinny before the Advanced water.

North Georgia was a Captain Mark Phillips designed course which had heavy emphasis on accuracy questions. Foxhall is a Captain Mark Phillips designed course with heavy emphasis on accuracy questions. Stay tuned!

The Top 12 after Dressage are as follows:

1. David O'Connor, Outlawed - 41.8
2. Buck Davidson, Idalgo - 43.8
3. Kim Severson, He's Got Rhythm, 44.4
4. Denise Rath, Just A Diplomat - 46.4
5. Darren Chiacchia, San Salvador - 49.0
6. Mark Weissbecker, Swayne - 49.6
7. Michael Pollard, SS Jett -50.0
8T. Darren Chiacchia, Southbound - 51.0
8T. Tiffani Loudon, Above N' Beyond - 51.0
10. Sally Cousins, The Mistress II - 52.0
11. Kim Severson, Maguire - 52.2
12. Kim Severson, Upper Register - 54.8

 

 

 

 

Thursday, April 15, The First Day of Dressage

Twenty-two horses did their Dressage Tests at the Foxhall Cup CCI***, at Douglasville, GA, Thursday.

At the end of the day, Mark Weissbecker, of Southern Pines, NC, riding Swayne led on a score of 49.6. Mark and Swayne were the only pair to score in the 40's. (Mark and Swayne are pictured at the left.)

Mark said of Swayne, "I bought him at five, off the track. He finished fourth at the Bromont CCI**, in Canada last year (as a seven year old). He won the Dressage and was clear Cross Country and in the Stadium; but, I just didn't go fast enough. Saturday I'm going to have to put the pedal down. I can't lose two in a row."

Darreen Chiacchia, of Ocala, FL, rode Denis and Cynthia Claramunt and their daughter, Chamene Evans', bay gelding Southbound to second place, 1.4 faults behind Weissbecker and Swayne, on a score of 51.0. (Darren and Southbound are pictured below at the right.)

"I was very pleased," Darren said of Southbound's test. "He doesn't like people standing on the ground, so he was a little unsettled by the gals at the gate. He scooted and switched leads. After that he was very steady. The (lead) changes are new to him. He didn't have them a month ago. He's a young horse (9 years old) moving up. He's only done three Advanced Horse Trials and now this."

Sally Cousins, of West Grove, PA, is in 3rd place with The Mistress II, a 13 year old bay, New Zealand Thoroughbred mare., on a score of 52.0. (Sally and The Mistress II are pictured below at the left.)

Kim Severson of Keene, VA, stands fourth with Maguire, an 11 year old Irish Thoroughbred Cross gelding, on a score of 52.2; and fifth with Upper Register, a 10 year old bay thoroughbred mare, on a score of 54.8. Both horses belong to Linda Wachmeister's Plain Dealing Farm, of Scottsville, VA.

"There's a lot to him- his movement - he's got a lot," Kim said of Maguire. "If he can get through his tenseness in the ring, if I can get him to relax, and be rideable - - - . The thing I like about him is he's getting better and more rideable every time he goes in the ring. He's getting quieter and quieter - I really like that!"

Of the mare, Upper Register, Kim commented, "I was really careful about her warm up. I did too much with her at North Georgia. She stayed 'up' today."

 

 

 

 

The top 10 after the first day of Dressage are as follows:

1. Mark Weissbecker, Swayne - 49.6
2. Darren Chiacchia, Southbound - 51.0
3. Sally Cousins, The Mistress II - 52.0
4. Kim Severson, Maguire - 52.2
5. Kim Severson, Upper Register - 54.8
6. Penny Rowland (CAN), Windswept - 57.2
7. Buck Davidson, Private Treaty - 57.8
8. Corinne Ashton, Dobbin - 58.0
9. Stacey Quarles, Colormebrite - 58.2
10. Sara Davis, Mackinac - 58.6

The second day of Dressage begins Friday at 10:00 AM.

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Wednesday, April 14, The First Veterinary Inspection

Forty-seven horses trotted up before the Ground Jury (Jose Ortello (ARG), President; Karen Winn (USA); and Lise Martin (CAN)) at 2:00 PM Wednesday afternoon, at Foxhall Farm, Douglasville, GA. Of the forty-seven, 12 represented Canada; two India; one Ireland; one Great Britain, and the rest, thirty-three, the United States.

One rider, Kim Severson of Keene, VA, will ride three horses all of which are owned by Plain Dealing Farm - Upper Register, Maguire and He's Got Rhythm. (Kim is pictured at the right with Maguire.)

Seven riders will ride two horses each; Buck Davidson, of Unionville, PA, (Private Treaty and Idalgo); Imtiaz Anees (IND) (Freetown and Spring Invader); Penny Rowland (CAN) (Windswept and Roundabout)(Penny and Don Good's Roundabout are pictured below at the left); Michael Pollard, of Chatsworth, GA (Roses Merlin and S.S. Jett); Sally Cousins, of West Grove, PA, (The Mistress II and Troy); Darren Chiacchia, of Ocala, FL, (San Salvador and Southbound); and Sonya Crampton (CAN) (Shindig II and Smooth Sailing).

Two horses were sent to the holding area: Karl Slezak's (CAN) Private Ryan and Eleanor Brennan's (GBR) Bailey II. Both were passed upon re-inspection.

The Dressage will begin at 9:30 AM Thursday. Cathy Wieschhoff, of Lexington, KY, goes first riding Ocotillo.

 

 

 

(Pictured at the right are David O'Connor with Jennifer Taxay's Outlawed. Outlawed fell with David at the Cod Dock Complex at North Georgia two week ago. David will be hoping to improve on this performance at the Foxhall CCI***.)