Michael Jung and fischerRocana
Michael Jung is a circumspect man. He may be the world’s best eventing rider but he knows how fortunes can change in an instant
Last year at Les Etoiles de Pau, Michael’s mare fisherRocana faulted on the two verticals at Fence 10 and 12 in the show jumping, handing the win to a French man for the second year in a row. That French man was Maxime Livio and he is currently lying second behind Michael at Rolex Kentucky on his Pau 4* winner Qalao des Mers
The cross country at Rolex Kentucky took its toll today with eight eliminations and seven riders retiring on course. 16 other combinations incurred jumping faults while only five produced double clear rounds with even the great Mr Jung incurring 1.6 time penalties
The hot humid conditions were not ideal for Michael’s mare which he felt at times on course
"I think that's cross-country," said Michael "You never know what will happen. You walk the course and make a plan, but then I felt in the warm up today that Rocana was not feeling perfect with the weather. It made me nervous before the start, but on course she was galloping well and jumping powerfully."
"That is the most important thing in eventing - that you know each other and trust each other and can find your way out of difficult situations. I am very happy that we both came out happy and healthy."
Zara Tindall and High Kingdom
While the Irish bred Loughan Glen, leader after the dressage ridden by Clark Montgomery, couldn’t hang on the top spot with two run outs, it was a happier story for other Irish bred horses.
Ireland’s Tim Bourke made the biggest move of the day, from 41st to ninth thanks to a double clear round on the Irish Sport Horse Luckaun Quality while and Zara Tindall’s ride on another Irish Sport Horse, High Kingdom got the British fans going.
At the World Equestrian Games in 2014, Zara said that she was very happy to be sitting on this horse on those wet conditions and today the 12 year old bay gelding by Master Imp once again found his perfect rhythm on Derek De Grazia’s course. Zara was one of the five to come home under time, moving her from 16th after dressage into third place on 46.6 with Zara admitting that she had been ‘doing a rain dance’ prior to the event and her dancing paid off.
"I had a great ride," she said. "I was pretty happy after my dressage and to get through to my cross-country was already better than two years ago! I was happy for the rain last night, the ground was incredible. He loves this phase - he gallops great, he's easy to turn, he's very good at all the combinations and we did what we planned the whole way around. He kept galloping well in the heat, you are always worried and he coped really well. He finished really good too, so hopefully it will be easier for him tomorrow”
High Kingdom hasn’t had a lot of starts at international level in the past few years but at Belton in April he had just one rail down while in Normandy in 2014 they jumped a clear round under pressure – can they do it again tomorrow?
Maxime Livio and Qalao des Mers
Second placed Maxime Livio also had nothing but praise for his horse and his partnership. "I am super happy with my horse, who had a super round"
"He started like he starts every time-fast and strong. I tried not to fight too much at the beginning, but he never wanted to get quiet. But he did exactly what I wanted everywhere. With all (the terrain and crowds) on that course sometimes you can have a plan and not realize that plan. It happened for me (on the fish in the Head of the Lake). My last stride was too short, but it was my only bobble on the course. The horse is well, I'm very happy, the ground was superb for me and the weather was a good thing today."
Maxime Livio and Qalao des Mers
Phillip Dutton had two rides around the course today and thought the ground held up well; he finished the day in sixth place on Mr Medicott and 11th on I’m Sew Ready and he talked to Sam Clark about his rides and being born with the ‘grit’ to handle cross country
In fourth place is the US rider Matthew Brown on Super Socks BCF (47.8), while another US rider, Erin Sylvester aboard Mettraise, who thanks to her perfect round finishing on the optimum time, receives a two-year lease on a 2017 Land Rover Discovery Sport as the Land Rover Best Ride of the Day.
Matthew Brown on Super Socks BCF (above) and Boyd Martin on Steady Eddie (below)
It wasn’t the best day for Antipodeans with 40 penalties for both Tim Price and Ringwood Sky Boy (more to come from Tim soon) and Australia’s Ryan Wood while Boyd Martin’s Steady Eddie's slipped over after the Normandy Bank. However it wasn’t all badnews with Boyd’s other ride on Crackerjack moving him up from equal 23rd into 10th place
With just 5.9 penalties between Michael Jung and Maxime Livio it will be an exciting finish tomorrow.
But first there is the second horse inspection .............
