United States Eventing Association

Aiken, S.C.—April 3—The first day of the Stable View Spring International started off with a little bit of fog but quickly turned into a beautiful day. The 2/3/4* FEI divisions kicked off the day with the first riders going down the center line at 8:20 a.m.

In the CCI4*-S ring, Boyd Martin and Lucienne Bellissimo took turns battling it out for first place with each of their two mounts continuing to outscore the other. For the first half of the day they took up four of the five top spots. However, at the conclusion of the CCI4*-S dressage Bellissimo and Dyri were in first on a 27.7. Martin and Commando 3 were in second on a 28.5. Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Connor were in third on a 29.3 with Katie Lichten and Hickstead Musterd in fourth on a 29.5, and Martin and Cooley Nutcracker rounding out the top five on a 29.8.

At the conclusion of dressage, only a rail separated the top 10 before combinations took their turns jumping over Chris Barnard’s show jumping track. Only 34% of horse and riders managed a double-clear. Forty-five percent of combinations kept all the rails up but were a touch too slow to make the optimum time of 77 seconds. The three leaders after dressage were three of the double-clear rounds and managed to keep their placings headed into cross-country. There was still plenty of shifting of the leaderboard with Alexandra Knowles and Montpellier Scais moving into fourth on a 29.8, and Elisa Wallace and Lissavorra Quality slipping into fifth on a 31.8.

When asked about her rides, Bellissimo shared that she is: “Really happy with both horses today. Dyri was really relaxed in the dressage; his changes felt as good as I’ve had them, so it’s nice when that harmony comes out in the arena. Kitsch Couture HPK was much improved. I believe she’ll start creeping into the 20s later this season. Dyri tried 100% for me in the show jumping. I felt Chris built a slightly more academic track than previous years, and I liked that it made you choose the ride. Great to be in the lead, tomorrow is another day, and we’ll give it our best shot.”

When asked about his rides, Martin noted, “I had two top horses here, Commando 3 and Cooley Nutcracker, and this is sort of their final event leading into Kentucky.”

Regarding Helen West’s cross-country track he shared, “It looks good. I think it’s a good, fair test to prepare the horses for Kentucky. It’s got some of the questions that we are going to be faced with, with a pretty serious coffin and plenty of brush. It looks like a nice and guiding course too, which should leave the horses nice and confident for April.”

West shared that this event is often used as a stepping stone to Kentucky specifically for the CCI4*-S combinations. “With that in mind, I’ve incorporated elements riders may encounter there. You’ll see more use of brush fences, and the questions are designed to help," she said.

On the four-star track there are a few especially influential questions. Combination 5ABC is an early, influential question featuring a MIM Oxer to a MIM Oxer, followed by an acute left-hand brush corner on a related distance, ridden downhill on a bending line. West noted, “It’s an early question that requires accuracy and sets the tone for the rest of the course.”

Another question that should be influential is the GGT Water Complex which consists of a bold brush drop into water, followed by a bending five strides to two offset brush shoulders on a one-stride distance. West shared, “The unpredictability of the landing makes this a true test. Riders must react quickly to find the correct line on a fairly acute angle.”

The final combination that West spotlighted was the Easter Academy Alp located in front of the Pavilion. This jump will be sure to have many spectators tomorrow watching horse and riders navigate this technical question that includes a MIM rail over a mound to a ditch, followed by a direct three strides to a narrow MIM triple bar, and four strides to a left-hand corner. “It’s a combination that keeps riders thinking all the way to the finish," West said.

The CCI2*-S and CCI1*-S divisions wrapped up dressage today. In the CCI2*-S, Knowles and Tip Top Quality are leading on a 24.0. In the CCI1*-S Zoe Crawford and Sportsfield Olympic Bay are leading on a 28.5.

For the complete leaderboard standings check out the live scores here.