A field of 42 took on Argentinian Jose Ortelli’s 4.5 km cross-county test on Saturday morning at the Pan Am Games in Lima, facing 26 obstacles and 35 jumping efforts on a twisty course. When the dust settled on the battlefield, Canada had slipped from second to third place behind a very determined Brazilian squad, while great rounds from the Americans helped them retain first place by a widening margin with two of their riders – Lynn Symansky and Boyd Martin – logging the only double-clear efforts of the day and sitting first and second on the leaderboard.
Following the same order as the previous day’s dressage, Canadian Karl Slezak was second in the order of go aboard Fernhill Wishes. The pair looked strong at the first water, taking the direct route and showing the crowd how it should be done. They ran into trouble later in the course, however, when the horse slipped a bit at the far side of the big hill at #23 and failed to make the turn to the fence, incurring 20 penalties and 11.2 time penalties and landing in 13th place individually with a score of 58.9.
Slezak said, “It was riding well; he was a bit spooky at the beginning, as it was the first time he has seen crowds and was trying to figure out his lanes. There’s a lot to do at the beginning. I was a little bit down on the clock; going up to the mound at 23 I thought he jumped around it nicely but he almost slipped and I couldn’t make that turn. It was a bummer. Then he was back on it and he felt great to the end; he felt like he had lots of running still.”
Dana Cooke and Mississippi had a more eventful trip, with 40 jumping and 37.6 time penalties. She explained, “It was tough, honestly. I was having a super round and I came around to that fort at 14ABCD, Machu Picchu. I knew we had to push to get up there in a three and we kind of got there in a three and a half. So we scrambled over the house, got ourselves together and we jumped the next one but she just didn’t see the D so we ended up having a glance-off at D. We came back around and jumped the option fine. She was being super – everything was awesome – then we got to the corners at the top of the hill [fence 16]; we planned to do the right-hand corner as I thought it was a nicer line and I had a good shot to it. I went to leave the ground and she jumped left of the flags.” Cooke had to wait for the jump crew to get everything sorted out at the elaborately decorated fence because “everything was everywhere” but she jumped it cleanly on the second attempt. “So we got home, but it was definitely not the day that we were hoping for.” She is currently sitting in 23rd place.
Colleen Loach and FE Golden Eye also had a refusal, this one at the ‘Pescadores’ water jump which featured old fishing boats on the jump in and out. “Unfortunately my stick broke between [fences] one and two and then he got a little backed off by the crowds and the twisty course,” said Loach of the seven-year-old gelding. “So he got a little behind my leg and I had nothing to get him out in front of it again. He was a little sticky through the first water and I think that caught up with us at the second water. We were just a bit slow because we took some options. He was very good; he just got a little bit green out there. He’s young and it was a good experience for him.” The pair are sitting 20th.
Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti had the best trip of the Canadians, crossing the finish line with just 9.6 time penalties. “Yeah, Rottie baby!” said a delighted Phoenix after her ride. “That was his best cross-country ever! I am so incredibly proud of that horse. He was smooth, he stayed rideable and confident the whole way around.”
Regarding strategy she said, “I spoke to David [O’Connor] before I went out and the way the course has been riding today, it’s so challenging and everything that could happen has happened, he said just be smart out there and if he’s feeling unrideable, do the long ways because we have to have a clear round for the team. I got out there and he was just so relaxed and so at home that I thought ‘we’re doing it!’ What an unbelievable day.”
When asked if the 17-year-old gelding might be aimed at the Olympics should the team qualify here, Phoenix laughed, “Everyone asks me how old he is and I say he’s nine, and he’ll be eight next year. So who knows? As long as he wants to keep going we’ll keep going with him. He just loves this job so much and I love riding him. Right now he’s getting a lot of treats at the barn.”
The pair currently sit in 5th place individually with 37.0 pp. As the day wrapped up it was the US team in first place with 91.2 pp; Brazil is in second place with 117.7 pp, although they are down to three members when their lead-off rider, Ruy Fonseca, had a rotational fall with Ballypatrick SRS at the first water and sustained some upper body injuries. The horse was not injured. Canada is a distant third with 183.7 pp going into Sunday’s show jumping.
RESULTS
Team Standings
1. USA – 91.2
Lynn Symansky, RF Cool Play 29.2
Tamra Smith, Mai Baum 76.8
Doug Payne, Starr Witness 36.4
Boyd Martin, Tsetserleg 25.6
2. Brazil – 117.7
Ruy Fonseca, Ballypatrick Srs (Elim)
Rafael Mamprin Losano, Fuiloda G 37.4
Marcelo Tosi, Starbucks 45.4
Carlos Parro, Quaikin Qurious 34.9
3. Canada – 183.7
Karl Slezak, Fernhill Wishes 58.9
Dana Cooke, Mississippi 110.4
Colleen Loach, Fe Golden Eye 87.8
Jessica Phoenix, Pavarotti 37.0
4. Mexico 224.6
5. Argentina 244.5
6. Peru 268.1
Eliminated: Chile, Guatemala, Uruguay, Colombia
Individual Standings
1. Boyd Martin, Tsetserleg (USA) 25.6
2. Lynn Symansky, Rf Cool Play (USA) 29.2
3. Carlos Parro, Quaikin Qurious (BRA) 34.9
4. Doug Payne, Starr Witness (USA) 36.4
5. Jessica Phoenix, Pavarotti (CAN) 37.0
6. Rafael Mamprin Losano, Fuiloda G (BRA) 37.4
7. Marcelo Tosi, Starbucks (BRA) 45.4
8. Guillermo German de Campo M., Quelite (MEX) 48.0
9. Carlos Lobos Muñoz, Ranco (CHI) 49.4
10. Jose Enrique Mercado Suarez, Tehuacan (MEX) 52.2
13. Karl Slezak, Fernhill Wishes (CAN) 58.9
20. Colleen Loach, FE Golden Eye (CAN) 87.8
23. Dana Cooke, Mississippi (CAN) 110.4
For complete results click here.
