Four
Americans with five horse competed at the Barbury Horse Trials, Marlborough, Wiltshire,
England, last weekend.
71 competitors completed. The American results were
as follows: Gina
Miles, McKinlaigh: Dressage - 46.0 (15th);
SJ - 8 faults; XC - 19.2 time faults
Placing
- 22nd (73.2) Amy
Tryon, Poggio II: Dressage - 47.7 (19T); SJ - DC; XC - 31.6 time faults
Placing
- 30th (79.3).
Karen
O'Connor, Mandiba: Dressage - 50.8 (26th); SJ - 4 faults; XC -  26.6
time faults (Karen and Mandiba are pictured at the right at Jersey
Fresh.)
Placing - 32nd (81.2) Amy
Tryon, Leyland: Dressage - 55.2 (well below 27th); SJ - 8 faults; XC - 32.0
time
Placing - 50th (95.2)
Clark
Montgomery, Up Spirit
(27th): Dressage - 51.0; SJ - DC; XC 20 jumping faults, 31.6 time
Placing
- 60th (102.8) The
really bad news is that the highest placed American after the Dressage phase was
15th (Gina Miles and McKinlaigh). It's pretty hard to be competitive starting
in 15th place after Dressage!
Another
American, not on the Olympic Short List, Elizazbeth Halliday, finished
61st riding Red Letter Day II. (Dressage - 64.2; SJ - 8 faults; XC 32.8 time XC)
*
* *
The
following Report is courtesy of the Barbury Castle Horse Trials web site:
06/07/2008
World
class shone through on the final day of The 2008 St. James's Place Barbury International
Horse Trials (Sunday 6 July) with Australian and British Olympic team members
dominating - and Australia's Lucinda Fredericks taking top honours. In
the lead from Day one, with a score of 30.8 penatlies in the dressage, Lucinda
followed up with a clear show-jumping round and only 17.2 time penalties on the
cross-country, leaving her on a final score of 48.0. Husband
Clayton (52.1) was pushed into 3rd by British Olympic team member William
Fox-Pitt who finished 2nd on Parkmore Ed (50.5), 4th on Ballincoola
(52.6) and 5th on Tamarillo (55.6). However,
all eyes were on the pink colours of Lucinda Fredericks as last to go on
the cross country course she and her feisty mare Headley Britannia had all to
play for if they were to win this prestigious event. The
little mare gave her all and in the style that won them Badminton in 2007 flew
the fences as fast as they dared to come home clear. Although others had been
faster, their excellent dressage score ensured they stayed at the top of the leaderboard
collecting the Barbury International Challenge Trophy and the £5,000 first
prize. "I went as fast as I could albeit with
handbrake on - she was going but not in an impetuous or crazy way as she sometimes
can," said Lucinda who has been selected along with third placed husband
Clayton for the Australian eventing team. "She produced a couple of
flyers but in a safe way and I had a great fun ride - and she was still pulling
at the finish." Clayton and Ben Along
Time who was lying in second place behind his wife after dressage and show jumping
collected times penalties to drop one place and finish behind William Fox-Pitt
on his Burghley winner Parkmore Ed who raided the prize fund to also finish in
fourth and fifth with Balincoola and Tamarillo. Lucinda
and Clayton admitted to working alongside each other in their quest
for Olympic selection. "We have worked alongside each other all year and
stuck to our guns - there have been some hiccups but they do help you concentrate,"
said Lucinda who knew that selection was dependent on a good showing here. "We
had to do well here and luckily we did. Having the show jumping in reverse order
- which they have not done before meant I did feel the pressure in that phase,"
said Lucinda. Clayton was thrilled with
Ben Along Time. "His dressage was rock solid and I didn't let him down in
the show jumping. He got a bit fiery during the cross country but he went fantastically
and he is fitter than he has ever been." William
Fox-Pitt is still undecided which horse to take to Hong Kong. "It is
the first time I have run the three against each other and I am still none the
wiser which to take - although sentimentally having ridden Tamarillo in Athens
(2004) I would love to ride him again as I always said he had two games in him.
The real question is how are we going to beat the Australians?" A
top class record field prodcued 84 starters in the cross country including Chris
King and Secret Weapon who came hoping to defend the title they won here last
year. The pair finished in sixth place. "There were some serioulsy good horses
here and we have not disgraced ourselves," said Chris. "Even
with all the rain we've had the ground held up superbly and we had a fantastic
event - Barbury is just a brilliant venue." *
* * * * The
Following Report is Courtesy of Joanie Morris: U.S.
Event Riders prepare for 2008 Olympics at Barbury Castle International Horse Trials
Release: July 10 2008 By Joanie Morris Lexington,
KY – Five American horses had their final preparation for the 2008 Olympic
Games at the Barbury Castle International Horse Trials in Marlborough, England
July 4-6. A star studded field of over 100 horses graced the beautiful venue despite
some less than ideal weather throughout the weekend. Olympic-bound riders from
numerous countries were spotted making their final preparations in the CIC***
at Barbury Castle. Californian Gina Miles was the highest placed
American rider with Pan American Games and World Equestrian Games veteran, McKinlaigh.
The Irish Thoroughbred gelding finished 22nd after a solid dressage test (40.6),
two rails in the show jumping and a leisurely cross country round on a course
over which no one got close to the optimum time. Veteran rider Amy Tryon
and her 2004 Olympic horse, Poggio were the highest placed Americans after the
dressage on a score of 47.7. The 16-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, owned by Mark
Hart, Amy and Greg Tryon, scored a 47.7, put in a customary double clear show
jumping round and also took their time around the cross country. Tryon’s
younger horse, Leyland, who most recently won the Jersey Fresh CCI*** in May to
earn himself a spot on the USEF Eventing Short List for the 2008 Olympic Games,
had his first experience overseas. Elizabeth Nicholson’s 8-year-old scored
55.2 in the dressage, had two down in the show jumping and 32 time faults on the
cross country. Leyland, like Poggio, is a former race horse. Another Olympic
veteran, Karen O’Connor rode another relatively inexperienced horse
at Barbury Castle. Mandiba, a 9-year-old Irish Thoroughbred gelding, owned by
Joan Goswell, was also making his first overseas outing, he finished 32nd after
scoring 50.8 in the dressage. He then had one rail down in the show jumping and
added 26.4 time faults on the cross country. Rounding out the quintet was
Clark Montgomery. The 26-year-old rider has been based in England most
of the spring with his 9-year-old Irish Thoroughbred Up Spirit. They maintained
their poise after part of the dressage ring blew over in the blustery conditions.
A run-out on the cross country course followed a beautiful clear show jumping
round. Australian Lucinda Fredericks won with the streaking Headley
Britannia after scoring 30.8 in the dressage and adding only time faults on the
cross country. British riders William Fox-Pitt was second, fourth and fifth
while Fredericks husband Clayton was third. Both the Fredericks’ have
been named to the Australian Olympic Team and Fox-Pitt has been named to the British
team. For complete results please see www.bdwp.co.uk\bar. The USEF
will name the U.S. Olympic Team in Eventing on July 15 following the Mandatory
Outing in the U.S., to be held in Norwood, NC at the Fork Stables. As per the
USEF selection procedures riders were required to either participate at Barbury
Castle or the U.S. Mandatory Outing. Nine riders and 11 horses will be taking
part in the U.S. For more information, contact Joanie Morris at jmorris@usef.org ENDS
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