Dutton Defends Lead with The Foreman in the USEF National CCI*** Championship

Schmitt, Groves, Wright and Poulin Lead National Driving Championships at Dansko Fair Hill International

By Joanie Morris, USEF

Elkton, MD – The weather blew through the Mid-Atlantic region on Friday night and cross country/marathon day at the USEF National Championships at the Dansko Fair Hill International boasted perfect conditions and terrain.

Phillip Dutton, the overnight leader in the CCI*** Championships had to wait until the very end of the day to maintain his lead with Ann Jones’ The Foreman and put on a cross country clinic with the 11-year-old Thoroughbred gelding. The Foreman, who won the event in 2004, has had a somewhat quiet year struggling to overcome a minor injury to a splint, but Dutton from West Grove, PA is happy to have the veteran back on good form.

“He started out and he wasn’t quite as forward as I am used to with him,” said Dutton, who won two Olympic Gold medals. “He hasn’t run in quite awhile but as the course went on he got more confident. I was down on the clock for most of the course but I was able make up probably about 8 to ten seconds over the last part of the course. It’s nice to have Thoroughbred horse that can do that. I think he needed the run.”

Dutton and The Foreman have one rail in hand over student Boyd Martin, finishing the cross country portion on their dressage score of 42.4. Dutton is third with Acorn Hill Farm’s Woodburn, who also was clear and under time, one of only six on the day, on 50.9.

“I have a lot of respect for Woodburn,” said Dutton about the 11-year-old New Zealand Thoroughbred. “He galloped really well and did the course pretty easily. He was maybe a little bit aggressive at the jumps which is something I’ll have to be working on. Overall I am really pleased with him. Hopefully they will trot up well and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

Going every other with Dutton was his student/assistant Martin. Third out on course, Martin and his own 10-year-old Australian Thoroughbred gelding Ying Yang Yo romped around the track picking up .4 of a time fault to finish on a two day score of 46.5.

“He hasn’t done a big course like that in awhile,” said Martin about Ying Yang Yo. “He felt quite comfortable out there. The only hairy moment was at the first narrow (fence 5) and he was a bit spooky. Other than that he was a champion. He got bit tired at the end and I had to look after him a bit and back off a little bit and unfortunately he picked up a time penalty.” 

Martin also sits in fourth with another Australian Thoroughbred, Neville Bardos. With the less experienced 8-year-old chestnut gelding, Martin added nothing to his dressage score and moved from 11th after the first phase to fourth after cross country. 

“He was a little bit rank early on but after that he flew round,” said Martin. “He’s a very fast horse. He’s starting to feel more mature cross country and he’s definitely a galloping machine and he comfortably made the time. I never felt like I was pushing him or riding him hard through the course”

Dutton’s Gold Medal teammate from this summer’s Pan American Games, veteran Karen O’Connor, jumped up from 15th after the dressage to fifth with Joan Goswell’s Irish Thoroughbred Mandiba on the strength of a double clear cross country round. She also lies seventh with Hugh Knows. Young Rider Cayla Kityama splits O’Connor’s pair.

“He has been such a special horse to me and my whole team because he came from Ireland as an unbroken 4-year-old and was bred by a very, very close friend of ours in Ireland,” said O’Connor about Mandiba after he completed the cross country at his first three-star. “So it’s been a very special day for him. He stepped up to the plate, he’s only eight years old and he got tired at the end of the course, I don’t think he’s ever been tired before but when I asked him he kicked right in and finished inside the time and I’m just over the moon with how well he jumped.”

O’Connor started riding 11-year-old Hugh Knows in February, and this is the Irish breds first CCI*** as well. O’Connor broke her collarbone in September and missed a couple of events as a result.

“I don’t know him at this level and he’s only done two advanced for me but he really is a horse that is going to shine over the bigger courses,” said O’Connor. “He has a huge engine and an enormous gallop and tons of scope and as long I learn to stay out of his way I think he has a really great future ahead of him. And by staying out of his way I mean to not ride him like he is smaller than he is, he’s a nice big horse.”

O’Connor jumped around on four horses, she picked up run outs on Allstar and Upstage but feels fortunate to have a very strong group of horses in her string.

“How fun for me that I have such a range of horses,” she said. “I feel good about tomorrow. I look forward to seeing how they are. They are good showjumpers so I will keep my fingers crossed that they are not tired and jump the jumps and keep the rails in the cups. I’m optimistic.”