The 2022 MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill presented by Brown Advisory came to an exciting conclusion with Sunday’s show jumping phase. Combinations rode over solid tracks designed by Ken Krome (USA) to determine the final placings in the CCI3*-L and CCI5*-L divisions. Elisa Wallace and Renkum Corsair rose to the occasion to win the 2022 USEF CCI3*-L Eventing National Championship for the USEF Combined Training Trophy, while Tim Price (NZL) and Coup de Coeur Dudevin were victorious in the CCI5*-L.

Photo – Tim Rice (Shannon Brinkman Photo)

Price (NZL) and Coup de Coeur Dudevin had masterful performances in the horse’s CCI5*-L debut. After earning a dressage score of 27.4 and a double-clear cross-country round, world number one Price and Jean-Louis Stauffer’s 2012 Selle Français gelding took their time to jump clear over Sunday’s show jumping track. They finished with no jumping faults and eight-tenths of a time fault to hold on to their lead and secure the win on a score of 28.2.

There was Pressure

“There was pressure, but you need to stay focused on the job. To go into the ring and build up the rhythm before the start is what I think is the most important part with a new horse. Then, try to give them a good ride is the same for all of us. Good distances, stick to the plan, if you have got to execute plan B then do it quickly and do it well. I had to do that a couple of times,” said Price. “I was dealing with his length of stride and trying to manage the fences, but he really turned himself inside out for me in a lot of places. He impressed me; he tried really hard. I’m pretty excited about this horse.”

Tamie Smith (Murrieta, Calif.) and Danito achieved a great result with a second-place finish in the horse’s first CCI5*-L. Smith, one of the U.S. team silver medalists at the FEI Eventing World Championships, and Ruth Bley’s 2009 Hanoverian gelding earned a dressage score of 29.4 and a double-clear cross-country round in the first two phases. On Sunday, the pair tallied four-tenths of a time fault in the show jumping phase to finish on a score of 29.8.

Smith had a tough start to the year with a broken ankle and Danito’s broken wither from a barn accident, but she persevered in working toward the goals she hoped to achieve for herself, her horses, and her team.

Don’ Take no for an Answer

“I could see my dreams just fading away, that I wasn’t going to be in contention for the World Championship. I just wouldn’t take no for an answer,” said Smith on her setbacks. “So, to have the fall to end up the way it did from Pratoni on has been really special. I have a couple promising four-star horses who won at Morven last weekend, so it is just exciting. As everyone knows, it is very easy to be at the top, but so quickly you can fall. You have to cherish the moments. I have a huge, wonderful support team. I know that they are all ecstatic for this accomplishment.”

Oliver Townend (GBR) and As Is finished in third on their dressage score of 29.9. Like Price and Smith, Townend navigated his mount around the horse’s first CCI5*-L. Townend and John Peace’s 2011 Spanish Sport Horse climbed from 10th into a third thanks to their consistency throughout each of the phases. 

Competition Information

Results

For more information, visit www.maryland5star.us.

The CCI3*-L and CCI5*-L streams are available on-demand to USEF members on USEF Network.