Boyd Martin and Luke 140. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
A familiar face was back in action (and winning form) this weekend at The Fork at Tryon (NC): Boyd Martin finally got his five-star partner, Luke 140, back to the four-star level with a CCI4*-S/US Equestrian Open Qualifier win. Luke 140 underwent colic surgery in the offseason, and this weekend’s efforts culminated the long road anyone who’s gone through the colic surgery gauntlet will understand well.
Boyd and Luke 140, who is owned by the Luke 140 Syndicate, finished up with a wire-to-wire win, adding 13.6 time penalties on Clayton Fredericks’ cross country track Sunday to end up on a score of 40.3. This step back up to the four-star level comes on the heels of two light Modified and Intermediate runs earlier in the summer. Assuming all things continue to go to plan, we’ll be likely to see Luke back out at the five-star level soon.
Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Double Sixteen. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
Burghley podium finisher Caroline Pamukcu continued her hot streak, taking second in the CCI4*-S at Tryon with HSH Double Sixteen, a “Jack Russell” of a Thoroughbred gelding who made Sunday’s cross country look like child’s play. This pair finished just behind Boyd and Luke on a 40.4. Canada also hit the podium at Tryon, with Waylon Roberts piloting Carol Riley’s Chevalier to third place on a score of 44.2.
Waylon Roberts and Chevalier. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
Here’s a look at the final CCI4*-S top 10 at Tryon:
[Full results]
Looking to the US Equestrian Open, which has just a handful of qualifiers left on its sophomore season, Tamie Smith is still in command of the leaderboard. Each rider’s top five results are accounted into these rankings, making the riders eligible to win a portion of a $50,000 cash bonus at the end of the season. That’s in addition to the $200,000 on offer for the Final CCI4*-L at Morven Park (October 8-11 – Leesburg, VA). Here is a look at the eventing leaderboard as it currently stands:
No word yet on whether Tamie Smith plans to come east (which, we’d give her a real break if she chose not to, considering she spent most of the year away from her southern California home base) to contest the final, but she could find herself in possession of a cash bonus either way if that points lead holds up.
U.S. Events Opening Entries Today
The Eventing Championships at Galway Downs (CA); Virginia Horse Center Eventing Fall (VA); Rocking Horse Fall H.T. (FL); Texas Rose Horse Park H.T. (TX)
U.S. Events Closing Entries Today
The Maryland H.T. at Loch Moy Farm (MD); Woodside Fall International (CA); Apple Knoll Farm H.T. (MS); WindRidge Farm Fall H.T. (NC); Ocala Fall H.T. (FL); Pine Hill Fall H.T. (TX); Middle Tennessee Pony Club H.T. (TN)
Links & Reading
Sponsor Corner: Kentucky Performance Products
Owners of “easy keepers” – listen up! Starch content is one thing to really pay attention to when it comes to what you’re feeding and supplementing your horses with. Kentucky Performance Products is here to help with a handy infographic and more information here on managing starch content in your horse’s diet.
Training Tip of the Day
Why is hacking such a big part of our culture? It’s not just for the relaxation bit (though that’s equally important) — it can have a beneficial effect on your training system as a whole:
Go Eventing
Look back on 50 years of competing at the Kentucky Three-Day Event with Phillip Dutton:
