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Kurt Martin maintains his lead in the USEF CCI3*-L Eventing National Championship with a score of 23.5. He piloted D.A. Lifetime, Debbie Adams’ 9-year-old mare (Lingh x Timeless), through a fault-free cross-country round over the new Ian Stark-designed course.
“Clarence is a lot of horse,” Martin said. “It’s more nerve-wracking to ride such a nice horse, and she gets very excited. The first few minutes at the start were really just managing her excitement and enthusiasm to get out there because she loves it so much. As we went around, she seemed to settle, and [the jumps] started to come up a bit better. I’m just so excited about the course, and she tried so hard today. I’m grateful that the owners have given me such an opportunity with such a great horse.”
Fellow American Daniel Clasing, who was in fourth after Friday’s dressage phase, has moved into second place with his own fault-free round aboard Olney Uncle Sam, a 14-year-old American Trakehner gelding (Sonset Seiger x Aeriel) owned by Jennifer Ward. “I’m thrilled to be in second,” Clasing said. “I thought the horse was really good. It maybe wasn’t the cleanest round we’ve ever had, but he’s a phenomenal horse and can do things really easily. “I thought there was a lot to do in the beginning coming down the hill,” Clasing added about the course. “Then once you got to the Sawmill Field, you had just a couple of jumps and then a long pull. It was really testing the horses’ fitness and how fast you could gallop up the hill.”
Caroline Martin remains in third place with HSH Vamonos, her and Sherrie Martin’s 8-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Andiamo VH Kapelhof Z x Quasimodelle x Kapelhof Z). The pair finished their ride with only two-time faults, resulting in a score of 27.5 going into Sunday’s show jumping phase. She has had one of the busiest weeks of all the competitors, riding in The Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse East Coast Championships Presented by Dubarry of Ireland divisions as well as the CCI3*-L and CCI5*-L. “I have to say I have a really, really, really good crew,” Martin said. “All of the girls came from our barn, and my assistant is there every moment with the horses.”
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