For the first of three days for the Heart of the Carolinas Three-Day Event, taking place at Southern Eights Farm in Chesterfield, SC, April 29 – May 1, three divisions were featured: Beginner-Novice, Novice, and Training. In the Dressage, Jim Baker and Wings are leading the way in Beginner-Novice with a score of 42.3. Anne Lane Maunder and Penny Lane are leading in Novice on a score of 29.3 and Sarah Morton and Conference Call head up the Training level riders with a score of 29.6.
Sarah Morton and Conference Call
“I felt like I had a really good test,” commented Sarah after her ride. “I was a little mad with myself because I forgot a halt but even with the atmosphere out there he put his head down and went to work and stayed right there.”
Conference Call, an 8-year-old American Thoroughbred, is owned by Diane Lemmon, who is also his farrier. “She bought him as a two-year-old off the track,” explained Sarah. “I got the opportunity to break him. She and I have both competed with him and I was lucky to get him this weekend.
“He is still a little green but he’s got a really good head on his shoulders. When he is relaxed he is floating on air. He’s got a beautiful huge stride but it is very adjustable. It’s taken a while to get it together because he is so big but when he relaxes he is very eye catching.”
When asked about her plan for the rest of the weekend, especially the Cross Country, Sarah was quick to comment, “I plan to keep flippin kickin. He’s not as brave as I would like yet but hopefully we’ll get a good run this weekend. We did a Steeplechase school today and that helped and hopefully that will carry him for the Cross Country.”
Anne Lane Maunder and Penny Lane
Anne, originally from England, now lives in Tryon, NC. Penny Lane is a 15-year-old, chestnut, Holsteiner mare owned by Alice Vaughan.
“I am thrilled but very surprised,” remarked Anne. “She was super in the Dressage. I was not so super but she was. She never lets me down. She can dump me in the warm-up but she will never let me down when it matters and she will not even trot for anyone else. When I put my students on she won’t even move. The two redheads have an understanding.”
In order to maintain her lead Anne plans to “close my eyes, kick and pray, which is my usual strategy. My biggest fear is that I might get lost on Roads & Tracks.”
This isn’t the first time Anne is at Southern Eighths. “I came here last fall for a clinic with Becky Holder and I think it is absolutely super,” she remarked. “What Brad (Turley, owner of Southern Eighths) is doing for this sport is super. The sport is changing and he is helping it get back to where it used to be.”
Anne chuckled when she thought about the “used to be.” Now in her 50s, she’s been riding since she was five years old and her first event was when she was 8 years old which was 50 years ago, but she still has fond memories of those earlier years.
Jim Baker and Wings
Jim Baker and Wings are leading in the Beginner-Novice with a score of 41.5. Despite the fact that they are the sole competitors in that division, it’s clear that Wings has got what it takes to have a future in Eventing, but for this event Jim is watching him with care.
“He lost a shoe and so I’m a little concerned about the rest of the weekend but I’ve changed his care program to adapt to that.”
Wings is just 7 years old and an Irish Thoroughbred, who was pastured until he was five and never handled. “He’s only been under saddle for a year,” explained Jim. “All of this is very new to him. He’s got an amazing head about him and an amazing attitude so if I don’t screw it up we’ll do fine. After a year now working with him we are just now bonding.”
Jim’s first priority is his horse’s soundness, which means he’ll take both his height and his feet into consideration. “He is over 18 hands. He has a huge stride. He could trot phase A and be fast. So the strategy on A and C is to mix the gaits – walk, trot and canter – so you use all the muscle groups; a strategy of picking and choosing so I don’t overuse or over exert his energy. A and C are the phases where you want to conserve energy.”
Heart of the Carolinas is being run in the Long Format, which means the Endurance phase will include both Roads & Tracks and Steeplechase in addition to the Cross Country. At the Beginner-Novice level they won’t be jumping any fences, but the Novice and Training level riders will. Instead they will be galloping a figure-8.
“The Steeplechase as a figure 8 is tough on a young horse because they have to change leads four times,” explained Jim. “Young horses don’t always know how to change leads plus the curves are tighter so that slows them down. So that takes more effort than the actual Steeplechase where they gallop around twice in the same direction and jump a total of four fences.”
Jim, Sarah, and Anne, along with the other competitors, are all looking forward to an incredible Cross Country day. They are all in awe of the Southern Eighths facilities which will give them a true challenge at each of their respective levels.
Heart of the Carolinas also owes a special thanks to Nikon for sponsoring the Nikon Photo Circle where each rider had their photos taken with their horse and will receive an 8×10 of that photo. Nikon also sponsored the Nikon Scavenger Hunt where teams went out in search of Nikon labeled areas. They were provided with Nikon cameras to go take pictures of themselves in those areas and were given prizes based on the order of their return and the most creative photos. Everyone went home a winner.
In addition, Pennfield is sponsoring Saturday morning breakfast and Dover is providing Gift Certificates to the top three riders in each division ($100, $50, $25) and $10 Gift Certificates to everyone who finishes the course. Sidelines is giving a one-year subscription to every competitor. Finally, Nikon has provided a Nikon D3100 Camera Kit for the rider with the lowest overall score. That’s become the hot ticket item of the show that everyone is vying for.
RESULTS
BEGINNER-NOVICE
1-Wings, James Baker, 42.3
NOVICE
1-Penny Lane, Anne Lane-Maunder, 29.3
2-Orkney HP, Lisa Gerdon, 35
3-Emily Bug, Jeannette Ford, 39.3
4-A Splash of Henry, Briana Timmerman, 42.6
TRAINING
1-Conference Call, Sarah Morton, 29.6
2-EZ, Becky Brown, 32.9
3-Cor de Chasse, Jennifer Davis, 34.6
4-Lily B, Risa Moon, 35.4
5-AFW Ami Fidele, Linda Dahlgren, 39.5
CONTACT: Press Link/Diana De Rosa – 516-848-4867 – dderosa1@optonline.net