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As a rainy dressage day one drew to a close at Aspen Farms Horse Trails in Yelm, WA, Tommy Greengard and his 8-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Joshuay MBF (Foreign Affair x Fernacchy MBF), lead the CCI3*-S on a score of 27.
"We are thrilled with Josh- he came to the party!" said Greengard, who made the trip to Aspen Farms from California. "He loves coming up here and the change in the weather. It's been pretty hot at home. He was super happy to play the game and gave us everything he had today."
Greengard feels confident looking ahead to the CCI3*-S show jumping on Saturday.
"Josh is super reliable," he said. "My job is to help him get there right and to stay out of his way, and he should be good to go."
Greengard also leads the Open Preliminary division aboard the 6-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Leonardo Diterma (Gullet HBC x Gracie Terma), owned by Andrea Pfeiffer, two points ahead of Catie Cejka and Samantha Arnold's 8-year-old Rheinland Pfalz-Saar gelding Victory Gallop (W. Revenue x Vignette) in second.
"We're super proud of him," Greengard said of Leo. "He just moved up to Preliminary this spring. He has been loving the move up. He was awesome today in the rain.”
Looking to tomorrow’s show jumping, Greengard says, “He's a phenomenal show jumper. He eats it up. It's a pleasure to go into the ring with him!"
Amy Haugen and her 15-year-old Hanoverian gelding Ebenholtz (Ehrentusch x Levantine) scored 25.3 to take the lead in Preliminary Rider.
Karen O'Neal and the 8-year-old Westphalian gelding Clooney 14 (Captain Jack x Zauberfee), owned by Annika Asling, lead the CCI2*-S after dressage on a score of 26.4.
"He was very, very good," said O'Neal of Clooney. "He listened; he was super obedient; he felt amazing. Sometimes that ring can be spooky, but there was no spooking from him today. The footing held up great in the rain, and he didn't care about the water."
O'Neal also secured the overnight lead in the large Beginner Novice Horse division with Lauren Smith's 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Escapade on an impressive score of 17.4.
Stephanie Cooper and her 13-year-old Thoroughbred gelding Sketchy Past (Cahill Road x Anazeha) are leading the Open Intermediate on a score of 32.2 ahead of Anna Stein and her 15-year-old Connemara gelding Zaboomafoo (by Gunsmoke) in second.
The low score of the day was earned by Sarah Sullivan and her 5-year-old Hanoverian mare, La Copine (Londontime x Hauptstutbuch Giselle). They scored 17.2 in the Training Horse division. In Training Rider, Kaylyn Schaber and her 12-year-old Thoroughbred geldgin Devious Dal (E Dubai x Devious Dame) claimed the overnight lead on 25.6.
In Open Training, Michelle Grimmer and her 10-year-old Thoroughbred mare, In Private (Private Gold x In Suzanne's Honor), took the overnight lead on 23.9.
"She was awesome," said Grimmer. "She was completely rideable the whole time. She's starting to get more balanced and stronger. She was really soft and supple when I asked her to turn, and straight up the centerlines, and she made it all the way across the diagonal in free walk without lifting her head. I'm looking forward to show jumping tomorrow. She's starting to get more confident, so I can ride her more forward."
