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First into the ring after the lunch break Kim Vinoski on her new horse, Royal Venture. The black Australian Thoroughbred, a Christmas-time purchase, showed himself a worthy successor to Vinoski's other dressage greats, by putting in a flashy and accurate test. She had a small mistake in the halt-reinback-canter, but was otherwise perfect, with some of the best flying changes of the day. Her score of 38.00 put her into second behind Bunn. Next in the ring was William Fox-Pitt on his second horse, Springleaze Macaroo-a big chestnut splashed liberally with white. The Irish-bred had a slight tendency to be short in the neck, and his flying changes were a bit dramatic, but the overall quality of the ride was such that the judges gave him the lead over Vinoski and Bunn with a 36.20. Coming in on the heels of Fox-Pitt was American Darren Chiacchia and the Galoubet son R.G. Renegade. The handsome bay had a lot of brilliance, but a times lost his focus, including skipping into the canter in his first medium trot. However, their test was good enough to garner a 36.80 from the judges, and give him second place, sandwiched between Fox-Pitt and Bunn.
Fox-Pitt is here from his native England with two horses because he has the pleasure of having four 4-star horses, and can only ride two at his homeland's 4-star, Badminton, next weekend. So, he brought two here to Kentucky to try his luck. Both of his Rolex mounts were formerly campaigned by other riders, neither of which had much luck on the Kentucky bluegrass in prior appearances. Mark Todd brought Stunning here in 2000 and had a fall in the water with him, and Katie Parker rode Springleaze Macaroo here in 2001 and had a fall with him as well. Fox-Pitt is looking to improve on both of those past performances. "I'm just hoping they both stand up," he joked. Though pleased with his dressage placing, Fox-Pitt knows there is still some room for improvement with Macaroo's flying changes. "His flying changes are definitely the weakest aspect of his dressage," admitted Fox-Pitt after his ride. "But I got some help with them since I arrived here, in fact yesterday morning they were non-existent. He likes to plunge in to the air and throw his legs around [in his changes], but he put his best foot forward today. Fox-Pitt hasn't had Macaroo very long, but feels confident they are ready for the test tomorrow. "He only came to me just before Burghley last year [in September], and he isn't a Speedy Gonzales-he's more of a hunter," he said. "But he's got a great jump, he can easily jump everything out there, and he's a lot fitter than last year." The long-distance travel award goes to young Olivia Bunn, who traveled from her university in New South Wales, Australia only two weeks ago. After a lengthy flight including stops in Sydney, San Diego and New York, she finally arrived at countryman Phillip Dutton's True Prospect Farm in Pennsylvania about 10 days ago. Though she and GV Top of the Line were the picture of poise and professionalism, she was as surprised as anybody to be so high up in the standings. "The horse hasn't performed this well before-it's a definite surprise," she said. "I always knew he had the ability, but he hadn't show in yet." Bunn gets help back home from Wayne Roycroft and Heath Ryan, and has completed three 3-stars with GV Top of the Line. She competed in the 4-star at Adelaide last fall, but the horse didn't jog up on the final day. Bunn says that this track looks a bit more imposing than the one they faced at Adelaide. "It's just a bit taller everywhere," she said. "The rider is going to have to be switched on at all times, there is no fence that doesn't take a bit of riding. "But I'm going to have a go," she said with a smile. "I'm here to try to win, I don't come out just thinking of completing." Chiacchia was also pleased with his horse's performance today, and likes his chances tomorrow, but mostly he's just pleased to be back on the big bay. "We almost lost him to colic in November," he said. "To make the turn around he has, and to be here in the best condition of his career is really extraordinary. While I was happy with my test, while I was riding it, it really came home to me how close we came to losing him not too many months ago." When questioned whether he was concerned about the horse's fitness with time off, he laughed and said, "No, he's really always written his own ticket about that. He was supposed to be hand walked for a month, that lasted three days, he was supposed to be turned out in a small space for two months, after two days he started jumping out. So, he's come back largely on his own." All three riders have a lot of respect for the course tomorrow, and have two main concerns: the predicted rain and thundershowers, and the double corners at numbers 25, 26, 27, and 28. "I think the ground can take some rain," said Fox-Pitt. "But I think at a certain point conditions will deteriorate." "There are some turns, some spots, where if it gets wet and slick will play into how you ride the jumps," said Chiacchia. Of those double corners, Fox-Pitt said, "For me, those are really the most serious things, because ultimately the long way there isn't really an alternate way. It's four big jumping efforts on a potentially tired horse. I think because of that most people will try to have a go at the corners, to save their horses a little more." Sixty-three horse will go forward to cross-country day tomorrow, with Karen O'Connor mounted on four. This is normally not allowed under FEI rules, but she has received special permission, and will be monitored by physicians throughout the day, who have the power to pull her from the competition at any time. Horsecity.com's Road To Rolex profile Jennifer Carter and Leaps and Bounds are lying 56th after Leaps and Bounds came a bit undone in her canter work, and reared during her first flying change. However, the little mare certainly looks fit and ready to run around the cross-country tomorrow.
For a link to a dressage photo gallery, click here.
To read stories from cross-country and show jumping days, click here.
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