Tim Price and Coup De Coeur Dudevin Photos courtesy Shannon Brinkman/Maryland5Star
The World Number One eventing rider Tim Price (NZL) and Coup De Coeur Dudevin have moved into the lead following Saturday’s cross-country phase at the MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill presented by Brown Advisory.
Tim coached Jean-Louis Stauffer’s 10-year-old Selle Français gelding around the horse’s first 5 Star track to maintain their dressage score of 27.4.
Rounding out the top three are two more Olympic veterans on first-time 5 Star horses. Tamie Smith, U.S. Team Silver medalist at this summer’s FEI Eventing World Championships, moved into second place with Ruth Bley’s 13-year-old Hanoverian gelding Danito following their double-clear cross-country round, maintaining their dressage score of 29.4.
Britain’s Oliver Townend (GBR) is not far behind, having finished the course on his dressage score of 29.9 aboard John Peace’s 11-year-old Spanish gelding As Is.
The dressage leader Woods Baughman riding C’est La Vie dropped out of contention with 20 penalties at Fence 24C while France’s Astier Nicolas riding Babylon De Gamma dropped to 20th place from fourth after a run out at Fence 21 and Liz Halliday-Sharp opted to retire Cooley Quicksilver, heading into the cross country in fifth place, at 24B
Tim Price and Coup De Coeur Dudevin
Course designer Ian Stark revamped his courses after getting a better feel for the terrain at last year’s inaugural event. The CCI5*-L featured 45 total jumping efforts over a 6,555-meter track and presented many technically difficult questions to the competitors, but 13 entries were able to finish clear within the 11.5-minute optimum time.
“I was a little bit nervous and wondered if it was the right thing to bring a newer horse all the way across the world” said Tim
“There’s a lot on the line, from the owner’s investments to the work we put in ourselves. But I always believed in the horse, and today was the perfect experience for him. We had good conditions, a great course, and something I could just try to give him a good education over.
“I was just riding that balance the whole way,” he continued. “He jumped beautifully, took his own initiative through the crab water and made a better decision than me, and that’s what makes this a mark for the top. Nine minutes in, he was still able to have the presence of mind to make a good decision and to keep thinking forward. I’m very proud of him.”
"He took his own initiative through the crab water"
Tamie Smith (USA) and Danito moved up from sixth place after dressage into second place despite a disturbed preparation this year
“He had a freak accident in the barn in January, so he really didn’t have a spring season,” said Tamie “I was hoping to actually have him as a contender for the World Championships, but his first event back was in July. He was great for that event but not the fittest.
“To have him go out today and step up was great,” she added. “With these 5 Star horses, you just never know. He’s knocking on five percent of the blood, which can be a lot of work on the rider when the horse doesn’t have enough puff at the end, but he sure did. I’m super happy with him. He was a little bit green coming out, but everything on the course was right there.”
Tamie Smith and Danito
“I thought the course was fabulous,” Oliver said “With all the distances, you had to make a decision and make it happen. I couldn’t have been happier with how my horse grew in confidence. When you’ve got hopefully a good jockey and a good horse, that’s what you should see with a first-time 5 Star horse.
Mine definitely came out for the run and gained confidence as he went. By the end of it, he felt like a proper 5 Star horse. He’s a careful jumper, and I’ve been very happy with the whole thing.”
Oliver Townend and As Is
Feeling just as much pressure as the competitors in the field, course designer Ian Stark was pleased with everyone’s results at the end of the day.
“What’s made my day is that our top three are riding first-time 5 Star horses,” says Ian “Those horses are incredibly lucky to have three of the best riders in the world. They were magnificent in how they rode the young horses and helped them, and as Tim (Price) said, the young horse was able to help him. For me, that’s a highlight of why I do this; it was amazing to watch.
“I might get a little abuse for having so many inside the time today,” he added, “but for me, it was perfect footing, perfect ground, some bold and brave and great riding.
I would much rather see ten riders inside the time than five on the floor. I can live with having so many come inside the time. And it puts a little more pressure on the riders since the results are so close going into show jumping.”
New Zealand’s Hayley Frielick riding Dunedin Black Watch had one problem on course at Fence 10A but completed her first US Based CCI5* cross country while Britain’s Harry Meade produced a foot perfect round on Superstition to come finish the day on their dressage score of 37.4 to move up to 15th place
Results and Starting Orders Here
