Harry Meade has made a strong start in the Mars Maryland 5 Star dressage, scoring 31.2 with Away Cruising to sit in fourth overnight.
The 17-year-old grey, who belongs to Jane Dear and Charlotte and Peter Opperman, put in a fluent, consistent test which was only marred by the occasional loss of rhythm.
The British rider said he was aware of losing rhythm in the trot as a potential flaw with this horse: “I thought he put in a solid test – sometimes that loss of rhythm can come from asking too much, so I thought I’d just go in there and try to nail some solid marks and not make the mistake of trying too hard.
“In the canterwork after the first medium canter, he just switched legs behind as he came back, but he got all his changes. I was pleased with him, it was a good, solid test – not his best ever, but one to be pleased with and hopefully sets him up for a good week here.”
Harry added that he knows how to ride the movements correctly for this veteran five-star campaigner so he doesn’t overcomplicate his build-up.
“It’s more about the preparation and overall picture, so rather than where each brush stroke goes, you have to remember what the subject you’re trying to paint is,” said Harry. “Part of that is softness over his back, so I didn’t do any movements outside. We went on the side of the hill doing trot and canter to limber him up, to get him really soft over his back, and then trusted that all the years with the movements would work.”
He also said Away Cruising is a lazier horse rather than a fresh one, so he did minimal work with him yesterday, just bringing him into the arena familiarisation.
“Character-wise, he is a real trier, loves his job, loves the crowds,” he said. “He’s very secure in own skin, very happy, and has never really had a bad experience in his life. He’s living his best life, he’s a real optimist.”
Harry joked that he has come to Maryland because he couldn’t run five horses at Burghley, but added that he loves this US event, having ridden in the first two editions in 2021 and 2022 with Superstition. He mentioned the welcome given to visitors and his enjoyment of riding Ian Stark’s tracks, saying, “We have a shared philosophy of what eventing and cross-country should be.
“The track is one I’m looking forward to getting my teeth stuck into. This is what makes me do the sport, what makes me want to keep going and going. For me, it’s all about the five-stars and I’ve always been very focused on the end goal and what we’re trying to achieve. For me it’s nothing on the way, it’s producing happy, fit, sound, confident horses that can cope when the conditions are the toughest.”
Harry Meade starts on his second ride, Et Hop Du Matz, in the Maryland 5 Star dressage tomorrow at 3.27pm local time (8.27pm British time).
David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed at Maryland 5 Star 2024. Credit: Amy Dragoo
Fellow Brit David Doel completed his test at Maryland today too, with his own, Mary Fox and Gillian Jonas’s 13-year-old Galileo Nieuwmoed, who was second at Burghley Horse Trials last year and has a strong five-star record. The pair scored 34.5 for eighth overnight.
The pair started out well with 7.5s across the board for their first centreline and showed some good work, but their marks dropped down a touch due to a slight lack of connection. In the canter, they had issues in the two flying changes going from the left to right lead, with fours from every judge for the final change particularly expensive.
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