August 1st 2011
For those of you who didn’t see or hear about our Nation’s Cup class at Hickstead, it was a very exciting class! Team USA did very well and the final results came right down to the end.
I was the last to go in the rotation for the USA. In the first round, Via and I had a slight mistake to the water and Via had a foot in, giving us four faults. After the second round, I knew if Via and I were clear, Team USA had a good shot at being at least 3rd. Via was jumping wonderfully and we ended the second round with a clear! The French and German teams also ended with the same number of faults and we found ourselves in a three-way tie for first.
Because of the tie, the French, German and our team all picked one rider for a shortened jump off course. I was selected for Team USA and going first with two very capable horses coming in behind us, I knew we had to be fast. Via was very much on her game and was very quick to the jumps. Unfortunately, we had the back rail down on an oxer and that left us with a third place finish at the end of the day. Via and I did have the fastest time of the three in the jump off.
In Nation’s Cup standings the USA is still in the next to last position after Hickstead, but the points we got there have moved us closer to making a change in standings hopefully this week at Dublin.
Prima had a great weekend at Hickstead as well and came in 2nd in a big class. We were third to go in the class and I think we just got beat in the last line. Prima was actually the fastest horse in the class at the halfway point in the course, but there was the possibility of doing seven strides in the final line, but being early in the class it was the better choice for Prima and I to do the eight stride. Piet Raymakers Jr was able to get the seven and make up time to win.
We are now in Dublin and will show this week with Via Volo, Cortes C, Zhivago and Prima. Team USA is ready for another solid Nation’s Cup class and hopefully we’ll be able to move our team up a few notches in the standings!
-Beezie
7/28/2011
We have finished up at Spruce Meadows. Our last week went well, with Coral Reef Via Volo winning the 1.60m on Thursday night and Danny Boy with a great third in the 1.50m. We moved Cortes C up to the 1.50m and he is doing really well. Cortes was 3rd in the 1.50m on Wednesday, Danny Boy was a respectable 10th in the Queen Elizabeth Cup and Zhivago won the 1.40m final.
Our big horses had to head to Aachen on Saturday, so we were unable to compete in the Derby, which was a little disappointing. It does make us all miss Judgement to see the Derby where he loved to compete.
I am now over in Europe where we will be competing for the rest of the summer with Via Volo, Danny Boy, Cortes, Prima, Zhivago, Capri and Amadora. We are headed to Aachen, Chantilly, Zuidwolde, Hickstead, Dublin, Valkenswaard, Roggel and maybe Rotterdam.
Back home we will also be sending our assistant rider, Callie Schott, to Vermont and the Hampton Classic with Wrigley and maybe a few others.
-Beezie
