The 2014 USEF National Open Horse Trial Championship got underway on Thursday afternoon at the Texas Rose Horse Park with 12 horse and rider combinations performing their dressage tests. Becky Holder and her veteran, Can't Fire Me, seized the early lead with a near flawless performance in the championship being held in conjunction with the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series Final at the Nutrena USEA American Eventing Championships presented by VTO Saddlery.
Holder has claimed the Open Horse National Title twice before and the 2008 Olympic Games and 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games veteran put herself in a good position riding Phil and Melissa Town and Tom Holder's 15-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, Can't Fire Me, into the lead on a score of 31.2.
Holder was pleased with Can't Fire Me throughout the test and felt that, with the exception of a mistake in the medium trot, they earned all the marks they set out to get.
"It certainly was the test we've been schooling and training for. It has a lot of walk work and turn on the haunches but he was great; he had two really clear walk pirouettes and two clean changes with just one bobble in the medium trot," said Holder. "He was right on the mark throughout and really let me ride him through the corners, and we didn't leave too many points on the table."
Laying less than a point behind Holder in second place were Mathew Brown (Sebastopol, Calif.) and Blossom Creek Foundation's eight-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, Super Socks BCF. The Event at Rebecca Farm CIC3* winners stood well within touch of the lead on a score of 32.5.
Reigning champions Lainey Ashker and her own 15-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, Anthony Patch, headed out onto the cross country in third place with a score of 33.4.
However Friday's cross country proved extremely influential as the leaderboard experienced a great shake-up. With the quickest trip of the day over Capt. Mark Phillips' impressive track, Lainey Ashker and Anthony Patch flew to the head of the field.
Ashker and her own 15-year-old thoroughbred gelding demonstrated their vast experience at the Advanced level to jump clear over the 26 obstacle course and collect 3.2 time faults. They will head into the show jumping in the pole position on a score of 36.6.
"I couldn't have asked him to be any more on his A-game. Having ridden this course last year I knew that time was a factor. Having said that, I threw my watch out the window and rode the horse I had underneath my saddle," said Ashker. "Al answered every question with ease and came home full of running and I couldn't be any happier with today's performance."
Matthew Brown and Blossom Creek Foundation's eight-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, Super Socks BCF, maintained their second place position from the dressage as they too jumped faultlessly. The 2014 winners of The Event at Rebecca Farm CIC3* head into the final phase less than a point behind the leaders on a score of 37.3 after collecting 4.8 time penalties on the cross country.
Jonathan Holling (Ocala, Fla.) and Team Rebecca, LLC's 10-year-old KWPN gelding Zatopek B stand third, after picking up 4.8 time penalties in a clear jumping round on Friday, on a two-day total of 39.1
The leader after dressage, Becky Holder had a fall on course and was eliminated during the cross country phase
