HSBC FEI Classics
Monday, April 28, 2008
America's Philip Dutton stands top of the leaderboard in the HSBC FEI Classics series following his victory with Connaught at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day-Event in the USA today.
Lying third after dressage on a score of 41.3 the 44 year old rider improved to second place when adding just 0.4 in Saturday's cross-country phase and a clear show jumping round, one of only two in the entire competition, then clinched the final result.
Becky Holder was runner-up with Courageous Comet, two show jumping errors snatching victory from her grasp after a long-time lead, and Missy Ransehousen slotted into third with Critical Decision.
Boyd Martin was the only non-American to sneak into the top-10 line-up, the Australian steering his horse Neville Bardos to complete with a total of 69.0 penalties which saw him share ninth spot with Dutton and his second ride, Woodburn.
Holder established the early lead with a good dressage test earning a mark of 39.3 and was still out in front going into Saturday's cross-country phase where a great clear across the fixed fences further bolstered her position. The 39 year old rider was held on course due to a rider fall and accidently reset her stopwatch to zero, but her in-built instinct worked well because she returned the only clear round of the leading group while Courageous Comet lived up to his name - "he was still full of run at the end" Holder said, "and he'd just hit another gear every time I put my hands down to pat him".
Dutton's Irish-bred 15 year old, Connaught, was also enjoying his tour of familiar territory. This was the horse's fourth start at Rolex Kentucky and the rider said afterwards "sometimes I wish he didn't try quite so hard over the jumps, because it slows him down, and the galloping is really hard for him. But there's not a better horse to ride over fences. This is the fastest I've ever gone with him (in Kentucky). He just gets better and better all the time" he added.
From a starting field of 40, a total of 13 completed the cross-country track without either jumping or time faults and 12 completed with time faults only. Two riders finished despite falls, three retired after refusals including Britain's Polly Stockton with Charles Owens Tangleman and four were eliminated - three of these due to horse falls.
Amongst the latter was Laine Ashker who suffered multiple injuries in a fall at fence five with Frodo Baggins. The rider is now reported to be in stable condition. Following intensive veterinary attention Frodo Baggins was later euthanised.
Today's show jumping track took a heavy toll and was highly influential on the final result. Stephen Bradley and Brandenburg's Joshua were the only partnership other than the eventual winners to leave the course intact and this moved them up from eighth place to fourth in the final analysis, while Missy Rasenhousen rocketed up from twelfth to third when adding just four show jumping penalties to her dressage mark.
For Dutton, Connaught's victory was very special indeed. "I've had him since 2000 and I'm very proud of him" he said of his Kentucky course specialist. "He was fourth here two years ago and second last year so it is great to come back and take the win this time around".
The HSBC FEI CLASSICS series, which links the top five three-day-events in the world including Kentucky (USA), Badminton (GBR), Luhmuhlen (GER), Burghley (GBR) and Pau (FRA) offers a prize-fund of US$1 million over the next three years and US$150,000 to the winner at the end of each season when there is also prize-money down to fifth place.
Dutton is planning to bid for some of that loot after competing at the Olympic Games in Hong Kong this summer. "I'm not quite sure of my plan yet but I'd like to do Burghley and Pau if I can" he said.
HSBC's Group Head of Sponsorship, Giles Morgan, says "HSBC is delighted to become a partner of the FEI and a major sponsor of Eventing. It is a sport that provides equal opportunity for men and women - and is truly global in scale. We look forward to an exciting partnership - particularly the development of the HSBC FEI CLASSICS".
RESULT :
1. Connaught (Philip Dutton) USA - Dressage 41.3, XC 0.4, Jumping 0 = 41.7;
2, Courageous Comet (Becky Holder) USA 39.3, 0, 8 = 47.3;
3, Critical Decision (Missy Ransehousen) USA 53.5, 0, 4 = 57.3;
4, Brandenbergs Joshua (Stephen Bradley) USA 50.7, 0, 6.8 = 57.5;
5, Tipperary Liadhnan (Kim Severson) USA 54.6, 0, 8 = 62.6;
6, Theodore O'Connor (Karen O'Connor) USA 58.2, 0, 8 = 66.2;
7, The Good Witch (Jennifer Wooton) USA 56.1, 3.2, 8 = 67.3;
8, From (Stephen Bradley) USA 42.6, 5.2, 20 = 67.8;
9=, Woodburn (Philip Dutton) USA 55.0, 0, 14 = 69.0
9=, Neville Bardos (Boyd Martin) Aus 55.0, 0, 14 = 69.0.
STANDINGS AFTER FIRST LEG OF SERIES IN KENTUCKY:
1. Philip Dutton - 17 points (15 points for first place, 2 points for ninth place)
2. Becky Holder - 12
3. Missy Ransehousen - 10
4. Stephen Bradley - 11 (8 points for fourth place, 3 points for eighth place)
5. Kim Severson - 6
6. Karen O'Connor - 5
7. Jennifer Wooton - 4
8. Boyd Martin - 2
