A-boat to get their feet wet at the first water (sorry). Photo by Tilly Berendt.
There’s an international flair at the top of the leaderboard as we head into cross country day over at the German mid-season 5*, with three of the six nations represented taking up the podium placings following the dressage phase.
1️⃣ 🇬🇧 Sitting pretty in pole position and hoping to stay there is Emily King with her old pal Valmy Biats on a score of 27. They’re a bit of a will-they-won’t-they combination, with 4th and 5th placings at Badminton to their name but plenty of top-level disappointment too. They’re plenty capable of finally answering their 5* podium door knocking this weekend. Watch this space…
2️⃣ 🇺🇸 The US have come to play in Europe with Hallie Coon and new-ish ride Kapriccio (taken over from Zimbabwe’s Julia Norman at the beginning of last season) proving hot to trot between the white boards with a score of 27.8 – in cross country terms that’s just 2 seconds behind the lead. The gelding’s a 5* debutant but has proved reliable across the country thus far, and quick too – he’s also a good shout for a clear round tomorrow. Exciting times.
3️⃣ 🇳🇿 The Kiwis are in it to win it at Luhmühlen, currently taking up half of the top 10 spots, with James Avery and 5* rookie Dallas 13 the best of the bunch, currently rounding out the rolling podium on a score of 29.6. The 12-year-old (Dallas, not James) may be making his step up to the big time, but he’s gained plenty of mileage at 4* over the last three seasons and certainly looks capable of putting in a solid performance today. Stay tuned to see how things play out in the Kiwi camp.
You’ll find the full scoreboard right here.
If you want to read all about how the scores happened over the last two days, here’s everything you need to know, and more:
▶️ Tilly’s got her boots on the German ground to bring you her classic reports from each phase of competition – catch up with Day One here and Day Two here.
▶️ To follow the form, you’re in need of EN’s epic form guide, which you’ll find just here.
▶️ For absolutely everything about the competition this week, including schedules, reports, how to keep up with what’s going on and allsorts more, be sure to bookmark our Ultimate Guide.
We’re due to kick off at 10am local time (CEST), that’s 4am EST.
First, though, a little ‘refresher’ on the no. 1 rule of following EN’s classic live blog: refresh, refresh, refresh – and all will be revealed.
If you’re catching up with this later and are the type to like things in order, scroll ⬇️ and read ⬆️. If going backwards is more your jam, have at it.
Eyes on, ENers, and let’s go eventing!
Longines Luhmühlen: [Website] [Tickets] [FEI Schedule] [Entries] [Ride Times/Scoring] [CrossCountry App XC Map] [H&C+ Live Stream] [CCI5* Form Guide] [Ultimate Guide] [EN’s Coverage]
________________________________________________________________________________
4:25am
NEW COMBINATION ON COURSE: 🇩🇪 Katharina Meyer and Aspen T
Dressage Score: 41.4
Place: 19
This horse looks super keen and powerful, very impressive. He has a huge jump over the first fence in the main arena but is clever with his feet to make the distances work through the B and C elements. Katharina is having to set this strong horse up before the fences, which will be taking up precious seconds, but his jump is fabulous. They’re super brave off the Irish Bank at 16.
Stephen and Hagonda have had a broken device penalty at 10A, the corner combination on the mound. We see them come through the Messmer water in a really lovely balance, smooth and sleek through there. They’re showing as having picked up a 20 at 14C but have carried on.
Meanwhile Sian and Corrowgar Je Taime Max have crossed the finish, carrying 20 jumping penalties and 30.4 time, but a 5* completion which is always an achievement.
________________________________________________________________________________
4:20am
NEW COMBINATION ON COURSE: 🇬🇧 Stephen Heal and Hagonda
Dressage Score: 33.6
Place: 9
Hagonda makes a great job through the first water at 4 and 5ABC, totally balanced and looking very confident, which is good to see.
We see Sian at the Messmer water and sadly picking up 20 at the skinny brush on the island. The horse was looking round a little, losing focus as he came up the bank out of the water and it just doesn’t come up for them. Sian opts to pick her way through the longer route and continues on.
There’s total focus at the Irish Bank combination though, with the gelding already locked onto the brush at B as he came off the bank. They opt for the longer route at the Star Partner Water at 18AB and make a nice job of things. She’s having to really ride as she comes back around to the water for 20AB, encouraging the horse to keep thinking forward, but he’s answering the questions.
________________________________________________________________________________
4:16am
THIRD COMBINATION ON COURSE: 🇮🇪 Sian Coleman and Corrowgar Je Taime Max
Dressage Score: 36.8
Place: 13
We catch up with Sian as she comes to the first water at 4 and 5ABCD. The horse is looking for the flags through the combination there, listening to Sian and putting in some clever footwork to get into the perfect spot to get through the B and C elements. So far so good.
They don’t look to be going as quick as Jonelle as they come into the main arena but the distances in the combination come up perfectly for them and they’re in a super balance as they arc round and through.
We hear from Jonelle who says she thinks the time’s going to be tough to catch. She said she had to be reactive all the way round, so the ease it looked to us was deceptive, but we were watching two masters at work.
________________________________________________________________________________
4:12am
SECOND COMBINATION ON COURSE: 🇬🇧 Emma T V Thomas and The Buzz Factor
Dressage Score: 38
Place: 16
Oh dear, it’s not great news as we see Emma and The Buzz Factor for the first time having a run out at the boat going into the Longines water at 5A. She comes back round and they jump it, then go on to the skinny brush at B but there’s another run out at C. Emma puts her hand up. It’s a first 5* for this horse and Emma’s running with a broken hand, so a smart decision this time and more to come in the future for the gelding, for sure.
________________________________________________________________________________
4am
FIRST COMBINATION ON COURSE: 🇳🇿 Jonelle Price and Grappa Nera
Dressage Score: 35.5
Place: 10
Jonelle and ‘Grape’ are none to shabby trailblazers today, what with being 5* winners at Pau in 2022.
And we’re off! One of the fastest women in the world flies out of the box and gets a great shot at the first. Grape looks really keen as she gallops into the trees. We glimpse her briefly as she comes out of the woods and then back in. It’s a loooong way between 3 and the first water at 4.
They’re superb through the Longines Water complex at 4 and 5ABC, super smooth and together. Grape’s looking great!
They’re eating up the ground as they head to the main arena. They waste no time on the curving line through the rails to the two tables at 8ABC, keeping the momentum going all the way around the ring.
More easy work through the corner combination on the mound at 10ABCD, we truly are watching a world-class combination. What a treat for the rest of the field to see this course looking so smooth.
They’re super straight through the two offset houses coming out of the Messmer Water at 13AB. There’s three fences up there, 11, 12AB and 13AB and Jonelle wasted not a single smidge of a second through there.
They’re keeping up a great gallop as they get to the halfway point. Grape has a little look down the bank at 16ABCD, just checking where her feet were going, but then she locks onto the brush at B and then straight over the second brush at C. The course is riding really nicely for this pair, it’s flowing and looks to be great fun.
Grape’s really enthusiastic for the job and is traveling really well. She has to stretch for the width of the corner at 22B, others may come into that a little steadier, but Jonelle knows her gal and they really do have a wonderful relationship, which is very clear to see in this fabulous, thus far, round.
They’re coming to the end of the course now, close to the time, but not quite on it. 3 seconds over and a real masterclass of a jumping round.
________________________________________________________________________________
Longines Luhmühlen: [Website] [Tickets] [FEI Schedule] [Entries] [Ride Times/Scoring] [CrossCountry App XC Map] [H&C+ Live Stream] [CCI5* Form Guide] [Ultimate Guide] [EN’s Coverage]
