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Posted
8/4/10
HSBC
FEI World Cup™ Begins at Rebecca Farm
Karen O'Connor, Phillip Dutton, and Mara Dean Top
the
Leader Board after Dressage
KALISPELL
,
MONT.
— Once the rattling wind and rain of
last evening abated and a new day of placid skies lifted over Rebecca Farm west
of here, it was time for the 28 HSBC FEI World Cup™ competitors to test their
own calm and patience in the dressage event -- and three Olympians rose to the
top. Dressage is designed to test obedience and the harmony between horse and
rider.
Karen O'Connor and Mandiba, owned by Joan
Goswell, performed an accurate and relaxed test to take the lead with a score of
44.2, while Phillip Dutton and Truluck, owned by Rebecca Broussard and Ann
Jones, landed in a close second with 45.8. Rounding out the top three was Mara
Dean and High Patriot, scoring 47.4.
"Mandiba has really matured, has become
very confirmed in the flatwork, and a lot of fun to ride," said O'Connor.
"I was feeling the fruition of a lot of years of work. And it was becoming
easier than it ever has - and that is a very fun moment."
Karen O'Connor was once ranked the number one
lady rider in the world and has held the U.S. Female Equestrian athlete of the
year title ten different times. She won the team silver medal at the 1996
Atlanta Olympics, the team bronze at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and was a member
of the 2008 Olympic team in
Beijing
.
Dutton said that he was pleased with Truluck. "When you come to a
place like Rebecca Farm where there is a bit of atmosphere, it is a good
stepping stone for him. There are ways to improve, but I really feel that he's
getting better and I'm getting better."
Dutton is a native Australian now riding for
the U.S. Dutton represented
Australia
on two Olympic gold medal-winning teams. A resident if the
U.S.
since 1992, he became a citizen in 2006 and has represented the
U.S.
since 2007 in Pan American and Olympic games.
"High Patriot got a little wound up
watching the cross country, but we went into the ring and did the work,"
said Dean, who also commented that her horse has been very fresh and loving the
cooler
Montana
weather. "He has matured so much since
Kentucky
. His canter work has really improved."
Dean is a consistent four-star level rider who
competed as an individual in the Olympic Games in
Atlanta
and has represented the
U.S.
in the Pan American games.
All of the riders were complimentary of Rebecca
Farm. "This is comparable to what you would see in
Europe
and the best of the east coast," continued Dean. "It's also amazing
to go into town and everyone knows who we are."
"This is the world stage, but it feels
like a community event," agreed O'Connor, noting that even waitresses at
local restaurants would ask for their bib numbers so they could watch for them
on the course. "There have been a lot of key people who have made this
happen. Sarah Broussard Kelly really went to bat for us to help the riders from
the East Coast fly here this year."
On Tuesday, O'Connor was one of the nine riders
who arrived at
Glacier
Park
International
Airport
with 18 horses, marking the first time since 1962 that competitors from the
East Coast have flown to an event in the West.
"This is one of the greatest venues I have
seen," said Dutton, who also arrived on the airplane, bringing along three
horses, all of whom he rode today. "To find a facility like this in the
middle of summer is unheard of. The Event is run in a really professional way
and is really good for the horses. The next step will be for the European riders
to come here."
Looking to the cross country stage tomorrow,
the riders spoke about the course designed by Captain Mark Phillips, one of the
leading designers in the world for equestrian courses. Cross country is designed
to test endurance with horses running long distances at high rates of speed. It
also tests courage, boldness, confidence, and stamina of both horse and rider.
Phillips redesigned the nine cross country
courses that include three water complexes and 150 different jumps. One special
feature this summer is the "key hole" jump at the water complex, where
horses in the Advanced and three-star divisions jump through a hole of brush
hanging from a frame.
"The keyhole is always quite a spectacular
thing because the horse and rider burst through," said Phillips. "It
also creates an element of uncertainty, which will make this a bit more
difficult. If the horse is not quite certain enough or lands a little short
through the keyhole, then it has to think how to solve the rest of the
puzzle."
The sport of Eventing is an equestrian
triathlon. The horse and rider compete as a partnership in all aspects of
horsemanship to complete three tests of dressage, cross country, and show
jumping as a team, with their cumulative performance determining their final
standing.
Day 2 of the HSBC FEI World Cup™ at Rebecca
Farm begins tomorrow, July 24 when the cross country phase happens all day from
7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. for all FEI Levels and National Horse Trial Levels. World
Cup riders will compete on the course from 11 a.m. to 12:40 p.m. The Show
Jumping phase happens on Sunday for all levels from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The major sponsor of the CIC3*W is HSBC which
is headquartered in
London
and is one of the largest banking and financial services organizations in the
world. The Event operates under the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI)
rules and the rules of the United States Equestrian Federation.
For more information, visit www.rebeccafarm.org. For live results, visit http://eventingscores.com.
For an aerial fly-through of the cross country course, visit http://vimeo.com/13564102
or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c29yJOTRnKg.
The fly through was completed on July 21 by remote-controlled helicopter powered
by Jeff and Adele Scholl of GravityShots.com.
Top 10 results after Dressage:
Karen O'Connor, Mandiba, 44.2
Phillip Dutton, Truluck, 45.8
Mara Dean, High Patriot, 47.4
Tiana Coudray, Ringwood Magister, 49.2
Hawley Bennett-Awad, Gin N' Juice, 49.6
Buck Davidson, My Boy Bobby, 51.2
Kristi Nunnink, R-Star, 51.6
Beth Temkin, Jude's Law, 51.8
Sara Mittleider, El Primero, 53.2
Phillip Dutton, Inmidair, 54.6
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