LEXINGTON, Ky.--Germany’s Michael Jung on FischerChipmunk FRH not only remained first after Saturday’s cross-country on Saturday, April 26 at the Kentucky Three-Day Event, but he also extended his lead to 11.8 despite his 2.4 time penalties.

Michael Jung on FischerChipmunk FRH (Photo by Sarah Miller for MacMillan Photography) World #10 Boyd Martin on Commando 3 is second on 32.8, with World #4 Harry Meade of Great Britain on Et Hop Du Matz third on 34.

That 11.8 gap is the widest lead anyone has ever had going into the final phase of a CCI5*-L.

Jung, World #12, reigning Olympic champion and four-time Kentucky champion, went early in the day on the 17-year-old Hanoverian gelding.

“I had a great day and a super ride with FischerChipmunk,” Jung said. “He’s an amazing horse, super to ride in the dressage, very calm, but on cross-country, he’s full of energy. He went very well, galloping with a big stride. He’s very honest, and I can really trust him. We get better and better together. We’re still learning, but we have a great partnership."

“He felt a bit tired in some places today, so I gave him a bit of time,” he said. “I knew I was a bit behind on time, but he was galloping well to the end of the course, so I knew he was really fit to make it. I’m really happy about today.”

 

MARTIN on Commando 3 added 6.8 time penalties to his overnight dressage score, but his placing didn’t change.

Boyd Martin on Commando 3 (Photo by Sara Miller for MacMillan Photography)Martin rode three horses in the 5*, and in addition to his second place, he stands seventh on Fedarman B on 40.2 and ninth on Luke 140 on 44.7.

He also holds the top three spots in the CCI5*-L Eventing National Championship as the highest-placed American entries.

“It was a bloody tiring day, but I had a good, strong day,” Martin said. “Bruno (Fedarman B) was good … he got a little tired around the course, and then I went out a little cautious on Luke. So, I said, ‘Toughen up Boydo,’ and I went pretty quick on Conner (Commando). He’s a young horse, and it was a challenging course, and the ground was a bit tiring, but I’m very pleased for today.”

Meade was the only rider to make the time over the Derek di Grazia-designed track, and he did it on two horses: third-placed Et Hop Du Matz on 34.2 and fourth-placed Grafennacht on 35.2.

“I guess I was confident they were fit, and I thought I’d get out there and see how they felt,” Meade said of his double-clean performances.

“I know him really well and always hoped he’d be a good 5* horse,” he said of Et Hop Du Matz. “He’s very adjustable. He’s got a long stride but can shorten as well. He gave me a peach of a ride, and I’m really happy with him; it was nicely uneventful.”

Grafennacht was recently the 5* mount of fellow Brit William Fox-Pitt; when Fox-Pitt retired from upper-level riding, the mare moved to Meade’s barn.

“The mare, I don’t really know very well,” Meade said. “We’ve really only had this spring to get to know each other. I thought I’d just learn as much as I could on the way around, but she’s really cool.”

Harry Meade on Et Hop Du Matz (Photo by Jen Emig for MacMillan Photography)World #1 Tom McEwen of Great Britain had entered cross-country in third place;  but although clean he had 10.8 time penalties on Brookfield Quality to drop to fifth.

Of the 34 entries slated to start on Saturday, 26 completed the course, 15 of whom finished with no jumping penalties.

Three were eliminated on course, four retired on course, and one withdrew before the start.

The ones that finished cross-country will have a final horse inspection Sunday morning to ensure they are all fit to continue.

The show jumping test to determine their final placings will take place Sunday afternoon.

Will Coleman on Off The Record stayed on top in the Lexington CCI4*-S

Coleman was clean jumping and added only 7.2 time penalties to finish on 29.0.

Will Coleman on Off The Record (Photo by Allen MacMillan)Phillip Dutton also stayed in second and third with Possante on 33.5 and Denim on 37.2, respectively.

No one made the time in the CCI4*-S, where Coleman and his veteran campaigner were the quickest of the day.

The general consensus was that if Coleman and “Timmy” couldn’t make it, it was doubtful anyone was going to.

“I thought the time was tight when I walked,” Coleman said. “I wasn’t sure anybody was going to get it, the way the course was set out. It was a fantastic track, but very challenging with the roping and how the questions were strung together. It made it hard to get the time allowed. It’s not surprising to me that nobody got that close.”

Dutton had time penalties on both horses, but it wasn’t enough to shift their placings.

“I’m a bit relieved; it was a lot of hard work,” Dutton said. “I knew it was a strong track. Then with the conditions and crowds on top of that, it takes a bit of practice to go quick at this level. I was trying to take a crack at it, but I didn’t go as fast as I was hoping to. They were good and should come out better than they started.”

Phillip Dutton on Possnte (Photo by Allen MacMillan)Canada’s Jessica Phoenix and Freedom GS moved up with only eight time penalties to take over fourth place with a score of 38.0.

Allison Springer on No May Moon came home second-quickest of the day, and she stands fifth on a score of 40.4.

“Freedom was pure class out there; she is such a fun horse to ride cross-country,” Phoenix said. “She loves to gallop and is so attentive to the questions and looks for the flags. I knew the time was tough to make, but she was so fast and efficient, it was pure joy to ride her.”

Of the 52 starters over Saturday’s cross-country course, 27 came home with no jumping faults, 11 completed with jumping penalties, four were eliminated on course, and six retired on course.

An additional four withdrew before the start.

The trickiest fence of the day proved to be Fence 4AB, the “Mighty Moguls,” with eight pairs coming to grief there.

In addition, Fence 12AB, the “EEI Opposing Corners,” caused its share of challenges, including multiple reviews of knocked flags, though most penalties were eventually removed.

Coleman heads into show jumping with a rail in hand, but he can’t afford any other penalties with Dutton breathing down his neck.

The final phase of the CCI4*-S takes place Sunday morning following the final horse inspection.