NZ’s Nicholson jumps into Kentucky 3DE lead
New Zealand’s Andrew Nicholson has jumped into the Pb at the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event afterward 2 clear cross-country rounds.
He is straight off deservedly belongings onto start as well as 2nd places at the exceed of a considerably altered scoreboard alongside a debate inwards mitt over third-placed Buck Davidson (USA) alongside Ballynoe Castle RM on 45.2.
The world’s unwrap ane ranked eventer sits on his dressage scores of 38 penalization points aboard Quimbo as well as 40.8 on Calico Joe. Team-mate Jonelle Richards as well as The Deputy, inwards their start Kentucky start, are 7th afterward a clear cross province as well as 2.4 fourth dimension penalties, to sit down on 55.1.
Nicholson position inwards an splendid early on circular on a matured Calico Joe, to complete bang on the optimum time, but his surgical physical care for at the goal of the cross-country on talented 10-year-old Quimbo was a masterclass inwards accurate, sympathetic horsemanship inwards which Equus caballus as well as passenger were every bit ane throughout.
“That was likely my most exciting ride ever,” said Nicholson. “Quimbo is an unbelievable horse. For the start fourth dimension at this level, that was simply an amazing performance. When I got to viii minutes, I said ‘Let’s instruct serious’ as well as he amazed me every bit he went faster as well as faster at the end.”
Calico Joe also made the cross province aspect easy, but Nicholson says he expected that from ane of his to a greater extent than experienced mounts.
“It’s been a nifty solar daytime for the sport. The atmospheric condition conditions were ideal for riding cross country, the grounds are superb as well as the horses simply dear to gallop on it.”
Nicholson had promised he he would live riding Quimbo similar a “hardened iv star performer alongside a adventure of winning”, as well as he did simply that.
He volition accept a one-rail margin of mistake when he rides Sunday’s demonstrate jumping course. “You tin never accept also much of a cushion inwards the demonstrate jumping,” said Nicholson, who’s lost to a greater extent than events inwards the concluding stage than he’s won. “I’ll brand the most I tin of my rounds today as well as worry virtually the demonstrate jumping tomorrow.”
Dressage leader William Fox-Pitt (GBR) as well as Chilli Morning bowed out afterward the stallion, who had been jumping carefully, took a expert aspect at the rails into the start H2O complex as well as stopped. But Fox-Pitt proved an exemplary pathfinder on his start ride Seacookie TSF as well as has moved upwards 6 places to 4th alongside the German-bred gelding, simply 1.4 penalties behind Davidson.
Fox-Pitt described Chilli Morning’s leave of absence every bit “one of those things. Maybe he over-jumped the debate earlier as well as gave himself a fight of a shock. There was no quest carrying on. He’s a 13-year-old as well as wasn’t hither for the experience.”
There were 27 clear rounds from the thirty finishers, xi of whom were within the optimum fourth dimension of xi minutes 21 seconds; 7 riders were eliminated as well as 5 retired, including Mary King (GBR) on Fernhill Urco next a refusal at the brush debate coming out of the Head of the Lake (fence 20), and the USA’s Alexandra Knowles fourth afterward dressage, was eliminated for 3 refusals on Last Call afterward losing impulsion at the sunken route at debate 13, who was 4th on Last Call afterward the dressage.
Other casualties included Marilyn Little (USA), equal fifth, who was unseated when RF Demeter pecked afterward the 3rd of a complex of 3 spreads (fence 17); Becky Holder (USA), seventh, was unshipped when Can’t Fire Me crumpled on landing over the duck debate (fence 24), as well as Shandiss McDonald (CAN), ninth, slipped from the reckoning alongside twenty fourth dimension penalties on Rockfield Grant Juan.
In all, 5 from the dressage exceed 10 are straight off out of the running.
Despite the hiccup alongside Chilli Morning, Fox-Pitt declared the course of report every bit superb: “Derek di Grazia [designer] is actually stamping his grade here, giving the riders lots to mean value virtually alongside tricky distances as well as tricky lilliputian turns. He is encouraging riders to mean value on their feet, which is fantastic.”
Nicholson concurred, saying: “I’d similar to congratulate Derek. The course of report was large as well as horse-friendly. He started off past times getting us thinking positively alongside large broad fences as well as thus at that topographic point were technical ones similar the hollow at debate 6 where yous had to sit down on your backside as well as locomote a bit. He mixed it upwards well.”
Fox-Pitt said Seacookie gave him a fantastic ride. “Time is e'er really hard alongside him because he jumps really deliberately as well as he is quite a careful Equus caballus thus nosotros create waste materials a few seconds at every debate thus it was nifty to complete on the fourth dimension – that’s the start fourth dimension at a iv star as well as on these hills hither it is tiring.
“He was a superstar today as well as he is feeling on nifty cast – alongside making the optimum fourth dimension that was an added bonus every bit I was downwards on my infinitesimal markers all the agency – every bit I said he is non the quickest Equus caballus but I knew if I took a distich of expert jumps at the lastly 2 nosotros could live close, as well as OK I cutting it a fight fine but I finished bang on the time.”
In a solar daytime of commendably positive riding on perfect footing, Will Faudree (USA) as well as Pawlow accept climbed 6 places to fifth; as well as beau American Lynn Symansky flew circular on Donner to rising thirteen places to sixth.
Buck Davidson, whose father, Bruce was ane of the most successful riders around Kentucky including winning private golden at the 1978 Blue Planet championships there, looked justifiably ecstatic at the goal of the day. He thrilled both his household unit of measurement as well as a large domicile crowd past times riding 3 committed clear rounds; he is straight off also inwards 8th house on the immature Equus caballus Mar de Amor.
Davidson also earned a exceptional prize – the Land Rover Best Ride of the Day for beingness the USA passenger finishing closest to the optimum time. Presenting sponsor Land Rover presented him alongside a two-year complimentary lease on a 2013 Range Rover Evoque. He earned the auto for his ride aboard Mar De Amor.
“The Land Rover accolade was sure inwards my caput this morning, but I had lots of other things to mean value about, thus it wasn’t actually a priority when I was riding around the course,” said Davidson. “This accolade is great, because I’d been thinking that I’d similar to accept a Land Rover similar this. I’d told my girl that, as well as she’d asked me ‘Why create yous demand to accept some other car?’ Well, straight off I accept one.”
The solar daytime brought some other landmark for Davidson – a clear as well as fast circular on Ballynoe Castle RM, 13, his mountain at the 2010 World Equestrian Games at the Kentucky Horse Park. It was at that topographic point that Ballynoe Castle had a refusal at what this yr was debate 13, the Sunken Road. That retentiveness haunted Davidson all day, fifty-fifty afterward his start 2 rounds on Park Trader as well as Mar De Amor.
Ballynoe Castle underwent air current surgery a yr ago, as well as Davidson said it’s made a tremendous divergence inwards the horse’s endurance as well as his attitude.
“It’s a shame that his entire career has been plagued past times that halt at the Sunken Road, because he’s such a nifty Equus caballus as well as everybody loves him,” said Davidson. “I simply virtually gave upwards as well as stopped afterward he was thus perfect through the Sunken Road—I was thus happy.”
Davidson, of Ocala, Florida, happily drove his novel auto away at the presentation, afterward saying, “I’m the luckiest guy inwards the Blue Planet today.”
James Alliston, a British passenger based inwards California, would live far less experienced than the likes of Nicholson as well as Fox-Pitt, but he also achieved 3 clears, as well as is inwards 9th house on the erstwhile Oliver Townend (GBR) ride Tivoli, ahead of beau West Coast passenger Kirsti Nunnink (USA) on her gallant greyness mare R-Star.
Coming into the concluding jumping phase, it looks every bit though Nicholson volition non entirely easily retain his Pb inwards the HSBC FEI Classics – thus far, entirely British riders accept won the entitle earlier – but volition develop a historic start head-to-head, alongside William Fox-Pitt, inwards the Rolex Grand Slam adjacent weekend at Badminton from May 3 to 6.
Nicholson says he “expects” Quimbo to create his job, although it is a bailiwick that sometimes challenges Calico Joe.
“To live honest I won’t live looking forrad to tomorrow’s stadium jumping alongside this one! My other ane yep on Quimbo, but this ane you’ve simply got to ride him how he is – he’s non a ability jumper thus what he needs to create is leave of absence them all upwards – it’s doesn’t affair how much pigment he has on his legs every bit long every bit he leaves them all up!
“It would live odd for Calico Joe to accept a clear round, but Quimbo is a really prissy demonstrate jumper as well as should instruct well,” he predicted.
“Calico Joe is really expert at 2 phases – his worst stage is tomorrow, but he’s done his chore thus far – I don’t ordinarily complete the cross province as well as experience every bit excited every bit I create accept alongside Quimbo – to accept a immature Equus caballus at iv star grade as well as for him to arrive experience similar he did for me out at that topographic point is quite unbelievable.”
The Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event is the Western Hemisphere’s entirely iv star 3 solar daytime event. It features the world’s best horses as well as riders vying for their part of $US250,000 inwards prize coin every bit good every bit the adventure of winning $US350,000 for anyone who tin win Kentucky, Mitsubishi Motors Badminton as well as Land Rover Burghley Four Star Events inwards succession.
Results afterward Cross Country
1 Andrew Nicholson/Quimbo (NZL) 37.7 + 0 = 37.7
2 Andrew Nicholson/Calico Joe (NZL) 40.8 + 0 = 40.8
3 Buck Davidson/Ballynoe Castle RM (USA) 45.2 + 0 = 45.2
4 William Fox-Pitt/Seacookie TSF (GBR) 46.2 + 0 = 46.2
5 Will Faudree/Pawlow (USA) 47.2 + 6.3 = 53.6
6 Lynn Symansky/Donner (USA) 54.8 + 0 = 54.8
7 Jonelle Richards/The Deputy (NZL) 52.7 + 2.4 = 55.1
8 Buck Davidson/Mar de Amor (USA) 55.2 + 0 = 55.2
ix James Alliston/Tivolo (GBR) 49.5 + 7.6 = 57.1
10 Kristi Nunnink/R-Star (USA) 55.3 + 4.4 = 59.7
Reporting: Diana Dobson, Kate Green, Marty Bauman
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