Oliver Townend holds second at the conclusion of the Mars Maryland 5 Star dressage, with fellow Brit Bubby Upton just behind him in third after her test on Cola. Tamie Smith holds the lead on Mai Baum for the USA.
Oliver and Ballaghmor Class – the 17-year-old three-time five-star winner owned by Karyn Shuter, Val Ryan and Angela Hislop – put in a thoroughly professional test today, hitting the high marks throughout.
The highlights of the Maryland 5 Star dressage test for Oliver Townend included the extended canter and final centreline, with both movements earning eights across the board from judges Christina Klingspor (Sweden), Valerie Pride (USA) and Xavier Le Sauce (France).
He was awarded one outlier mark of four, from Xavier at B, for his rein-back where Ballaghmor Class seemed to sort of crouch at the end of the movement and perhaps kicked the white board. The other two judges gave a seven for this movement.
Oliver has finished on the podium on all three occasions that this event has run – he was second in 2021 on Cooley Master Class, then third on As Is in 2022 and third on Cooley Rosalent last year. He returns after a tricky season for Ballaghmor Class, who missed out on Badminton and the Olympics after a deep-rooted hoof abscess in the spring.
“It’s a special venue and for Cecil County and Maryland to put on a five-star is something always be grateful for,” said Oliver. “Anyone that puts on such a standard of event with such great prize money deserves to see Ballaghmor Class here.”
The rider choked up when asked to pay tribute to his super partner, who must be nearing the end of his career at 17 years old, although his rider doesn’t think retirement is imminent.
“He’s naturally a fit horse and he enjoys his job immensely – sometimes it’s keeping the excitement working for you rather than against you,” he said. “He’s an incredibly tough, incredibly sound horse and has been throughout his whole career.
“With his enthusiasm for his job, I don’t know what we’re going to do with him when his job as an event horse is finished because I can’t see him doing too many other jobs. So we’ll keep him going as long as he’s able because he isn’t going to be a happy hacker for somebody to go round the roads and I can’t see him in hunting field or doing anything under this level.
“He pretty much keeps himself going the way he is, he’s naturally a top-class event horse and we’ve been hugely privileged to have him as part of our team for so long.”
Et Hop Du Matz makes five-star debut
Also for Britain, Harry Meade is now ninth on Away Cruising, who did his test yesterday, and 12th on his second ride, five-star debutant Et Hop Du Matz, owned by Mandy Gray.
“He’s a young horse and I’ve always said he’s a bit behind and to give him plenty of time as he’s a very tall, weak, gangly spider of a horse, but having gone that softly softly approach, actually he’s been very uncomplicated and he’s at his first five-star at 10 so he’s not behind, but he still has lots of improvement to come,” said Harry.
“The flying changes are a work in progress and we had mistakes in two which are costly. But overall I’m thrilled – he went like he was working at home not in the main arena on Friday afternoon at a five-star and the main thing was he took a positive experience away from here. He’s doing all the right work, I’m still pleased with his mark and there will be more to come so I hope he’ll be a really good horse.”
David Doel, who performed his test yesterday on Galileo Nieuwmoed, holds 16th going into tomorrow’s cross-country.
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