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Unionville, Pa.—Sept. 23—As Tropical Storm Ophelia brought soaking rains to the region today, the Plantation Field International continued its four days of competition with CCI3*-S and CCI4*-S show jumping and cross-country for CCI1*-S, CCII2*-S, and CCI3*-S divisions.
Dressage leader Boyd Martin and Luke 140, owned by the Luke 140 Syndicate, had a rail down and dropped to ninth place, making room for Jennie Saville and FE Connory to take the lead on their dressage score of 28.7.
Saville, who recently competed at the Defender Burghley Horse Trials in England on FE Lifestyle and is riding seven horses in four divisions this weekend. “I’ve been working on the show jumping, and my coach, Erik Duvander, rode my horse while I was teaching a clinic in Aiken last week, and we changed up how we ride him," she said. "We’re not starting him out super deep; he has a short neck and likes to go with a longer neck, and we’ve also been working on me calming down.
“The course today was beautiful and the ground held up really well," she added. "I also rode a few cross-country, and it felt great. I just plan to do the same as today when I ride tomorrow. There’s no better event to ride in the rain.”
New Zealander Monica Spencer, who is prepping for the Maryland 5-Star with her horse Artist, jumped clear and inside the time to move up to second place from a tie for third. She said, “I’m thrilled with Max; he jumped super in tough conditions. Hopefully it doesn’t rain too much more, and we can have a good run tomorrow to prepare us for Maryland.”
Boyd Martin and the Annie Goodwin Syndicate’s Fedarman B were tied for third after dressage and added just .8 time faults to stand fourth after show jumping. Martin and Contessa, owned by Club Contessa, moved up from 23rd place after dressage to 12th overall with a clear show jumping round.
Ariel Grald and Diara slotted into third place with a double-clear round. Grald said that the mare is relatively green at this level, but said she’s a scopey jumper. “She can get a little quick and hot, and I was thrilled with her show jumping today."
Grald rode two horses around the CCI3*-S cross-country today and said she thinks the four-star course asks good questions. “I’m looking forward to giving it a spin,” she said. “The footing is holding up well, and how I ride tomorrow depends on the conditions. She kind of over jumps, and I’d like to give her a good run since we’re in a good placing, but I will do what’s best for her to build her confidence as we’re preparing for the CCI4*-L at Morven Park.”
The show jumping course is designed by Brody Robertson. The CCI4*-S cross-country course is designed by Derek diGrazia, and the CCI1*-S, CCI2*-S, and CCI3*-S courses are designed and built by Jeff Kibbie.
Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake claimed the win in the CCI3*-S on a final score of 25.4. She also took second place with Redfield Dexter (23.6) and third place with HSH Tolan King (26.8).
For full results, click here.
About Plantation Field
The 16th annual Plantation Field International will take place Sept. 21-24, 2023 in Unionville, Pennsylvania. Featuring CCI4*-S competition, the event is a favorite of a number of Olympic level riders including Buck Davidson, Phillip Dutton, and Boyd Martin.
Attractions include a ringside VIP tent, an extensive trade fair, and tailgating on Saturday and Sunday overlooking the CCI4*-S and CCI3*-S cross-country courses. Spectators can pack a picnic or enjoy local food trucks and quench their thirst with a stop by our beer garden. Charitable beneficiaries are the Chester County Food Bank and Cheshire Hunt Conservancy.
The event will take place rain or shine. General admission is $25 in advance and $30 at the gate. Sponsorship opportunities are available. More info & tickets on the website: www.plantationfield.com.
