UNIONVILLE, Pa.--The third phase of the Plantation Field International Horse Trials 3*. the cross country on Sept. 23, changed the overnight results dramatically, with Buck Davidson on Maya Simmons' Archie Rocks jumping from 14th to first to win the event for the second year in a row.
Davidson won this even last year with Sherrie Martin and Carl and Cassie Segal's Copper Beach.
"Now I just have to win three times in a row, right?" he joked.
Davidson of Unionville buckled down against rain and mud to add 8.4 time penalties, the second fastest time of the day, with the 10-year-old Thoroughbred to finish on a score of 46.1.
"I was first to go (with Erroll Gobey who finished 15th) in the class, and it felt very good," said Davidson. "But Archie's a little thoroughbred. I had to pick and choose different tracks and give him best line. I was a bit mad when I finished because he went too quick the first couple, then kind of stumbled, and I had to add a couple strides here and there. I thought, 'If I lose this thing because of that, I'm going to be really mad.' I didn't think I would win, but I knew I would be up with a chance."
ARIEL GRALD moved from fifth into second on Anne W. Eldridge’s Leamore Master Plan.
She and the 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse had 14.4 time penalties for a final result of 48.5.
"I'm lucky that my horse is a good Irish boy, and the mud doesn't bother him," said Grald. "He's a very strong cross country horse, and I have to just let him settle into it. He fought for everything and really took care of himself, and took care of me.”
Fylicia Barr made the incredible jump from 27th to finish third after producing the fastest round of the dayon Galloway Sunrise, a horse who she found on Craigslist and has brought up the levels herself.
She and the 10-year-old American Warmblood came through the finish 16 seconds over the time for a three-phase score of 49.9.
“When I saw the rain I wasn’t that worried. she’s a horse that’s very naturally balanced and the footing doesn’t really bother her,” said Barr. “Cross country has always been her favorite. Her ears are pricked the whole time, and she’s just hunting the flags, so that’s a really great feeling as a rider to sit on a horse with that much heart and that much competitive drive.”
The overnight leaders, Phillip Dutton on Sportsfield Candy,Will Faudree on Pfun and Mara DuPuy on Congo Brazzaville C, dropped to fourth, fifth and sixth on 49.7, 50.3 and 54.9 respectively.
Mike Pendelton earned the first International win of his career Sunday at Plantation Field on Carlsburg in the CIC* A division.
Stephen Blauner and Boyd Martin’s 6-year-old Irish Sport Horse jumped clear across Chris Barnard’s show jumping to finish on his dressage score of 28.2.
“It’s really awesome that Boyd is letting me kind of take him through the levels the last two years that he’s been competing,” Pendelton said. “He’s willing. He wants to please. He’s a careful horse, and he always wants to show jump clean even if I make a mistake, so he’ll be an exciting horse for the future.”
Ryan Wood was second with Ruby, a 9-year-old Oldenburg owned by Summit Sporthorses, on a score of 29.4, and Boyd Martin finished third on a score of 30.2 on Barry, a 9-year-old Thoroughbred owned by the rider and Windurra USA.
Caroline Martin topped the CIC* B with her Cristano Z, a 9-year-old Zangersheide.
She had a clear show jump round to finish on a score of 26.8.
Janelle Phaneuf was second on 29.5 points with Strattonstown Lewis, an 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse owned by Christa Schmidt,and third place went to Lindsay Beer and El Paso, a 16-year-old Trakehner owned by Penny Beer, on 30.7.
Jack Fisher won the Real Rider competition, in which riders from disciplines other than eventing compete on horses they've never ridden before.
Fisher, a top steeplechase trainer who has led both the Trainer, Races Won and Trainer, Money Won lists for a number of years, rode Quite a Journey.
Katelyn Jackson on Santa's Playboy was second and Penelope Miller on Disco Elvis was third.