Chester Weber (USA) maintained his hold on the lead through the Cones phase of FEI CAI 2* Four-in-Hand competition as part of the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018 (WEG) Dressage, Driving, and Para-Dressage Test Events at Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC), guiding his team to victory after blazing cleanly through the Richard Nicoll (USA)-designed course. The all-American podium remained unchanged from day two: Weber landed on 159.38 points after three days, while Misdee Wrigley-Miller (USA) maintained second place after driving Bravour, Beau, Bolino D, and Calipso to a score of 173.34 on a clean run, and James Fairclough (USA) finished in third with Bento V, Citens, Dapper and Zenden on a final penalty score of 180.21.
Weber spoke highly of his day-three team, consisting of Amadeus, Asjemenou, Gouveneur, and Ultra, and explained that he added Gouvenuer into the team after testing potential WEG contender, Reno, in his place for the Marathon phase. "I drove the Dressage team again, which was my plan from the beginning and they were really nice," he said. "I have a sort of inexperienced seven-year-old in the group [Gouvenuer], and I wanted to know what I had in him for a Cones leader and he actually did really well. I was really pleased with him."
As he predicted, the Cones course had the essence of designer Nicoll and suited Weber's driving style, but remained a true precision test for competing combinations.
"I thought the course was really nice. Richard [Nicoll] always tries to have a little bit of flow to the course, which was good and I thought it was fair in that way. We measure the course typically with a GPS watch, and there's some margin of error there. When I measured it was 840 meters and they were saying it was more like a 750 - it was pretty obvious to me we were going to have to go really, really fast. I worked on trying to figure out how to get the time as good as I could, but it was still a big challenge."
Speaking to the emotional connection he feels to Team USA and what representing the States in the fall would mean, Weber reflected on the shared history of his and teammate Fairclough's careers, and said, "It means a lot to me to represent the United States. Ever since I was a young guy starting Driving, I always wanted to have a blazer with a [USA] patch on it and drive on the U.S. team. I think for all of the U.S. Four in-Hand team medals, Jimmy and I have been part of those teams. I think we hope to come here in the fall and try and secure a team medal for the U.S. It would mean a lot to me."
Wrigley-Miller maintained her podium spot with a speedy round through the Cones phase and complimented the noticeable improvement in harmony for her team this week. "The team is really starting to gel and come together to work as a team and that was really what I noticed. They were all balanced together. I could really drive more forward, they felt great in my hands, and the obstacles drove so well," she emphasized. "I just feel like we've been a work in progress and we made huge strides yesterday. I was really pleased with our Marathon, but I went back and watched the videos and thought, 'I can go faster!' So, I think the horses and I have good timing going forward."
Wrigley-Miller was eager to contest the Marathon course this past weekend and had good things to report: "From what I've heard, there will not be a lot of change in the obstacles - I think they're beautifully built, and Richard [Nicoll] does such a great job of flagging them. He asks the right questions of horses and drivers. I think it's going to be really great."
While she made adjustments to the team between Dressage and Marathon, her horses remained as consistent as their results, and she used the same pairings for the final two days of competition.
"It was a good course," she said of the final phase. "It was what I've come to expect from Richard - that you drive the lines. It's Dressage training in Cones. The horses have to be supple and flexible and move forward with nice curves - it was a nice course. It had its little pieces that made us drivers think!"
Perry-Glass Victorious in FEI CDI 3* Grand Prix Special Presented by Adequan®
The FEI Grand Prix podium remained unchanged from Friday's lineup, as the FEI CDI 3* Grand Prix Special presented by Adequan®, saw Kasey Perry-Glass (USA) dance with partner Goerklintgaards Dublet to an impressive score of 75.830%, taking the victory ahead of Adrienne Lyle (USA) and Horizon who finished in second on a score of 71.660%. Belinda Trussell (CAN) rode her own Tattoo 15 to third place honors with a score of 69.319%.
Perry-Glass and the 2003 Danish Warmblood gelding (Diamond Hit x Ferro) owned by Diane Perry put in a more relaxed effort without losing the energy of Friday's winning ride. "My test, I felt, was a lot more thought out. After the Grand Prix, I was just really challenging myself to go in there and focus on what we do in the warm-up and get it in the show ring. That was my highlight. He's so talented as it is, that he does everything really well, but I think the passage tour was really good, as well as his changes."
Regarding "Dublet's" reaction to the arena after a weekend of acclimation, she continued, "He's still a spring chicken in there - he didn't lose any motivation or any kind of spark. He was actually more relaxed, but with energy. That's what all of his pre-show training was for, getting his mind really good, the aqua-tread, and all the work we do outside the arena. I feel like it's really translated to his stamina and how he holds his energy."
The pair is just coming back into competition after an eight-month break, and while the late start to competition schedule had Perry-Glass feeling uncertain before, she said the payoff was worth it, for both her horse and herself.
"With any athlete, I think you kind of need time to wind down to re-adjust and get your head right. I think for the last three years we've just been going and it was a well-needed break for us, for me too, and it just helps him come back stronger. Yeah, we're starting our shows a little bit later than everyone else, but I think that he's showing that he can be right up there with the others and I'm happy we did it. At some points we were questioning whether it was the right thing to do, to wait so long, but for us it really worked."
Lyle and Elizabeth Juliano's 2003 Oldenburg mare (Hot Line x Don Schufro) proved their consistency with another second place finish and for Lyle, Horizon's consistency is especially encouraging to see. She elaborated, "I was thrilled with her and how reliable she's getting. To have a clean test in the third Special she's ever done in her life - one of them being a national show and with her first CDI not even two months ago, for her to come into a new venue and prove that she can put in clean and consistent performances in this environment is a big deal for her. I'm very proud of her."
Lyle also had Harmony's Duval, another young horse, break into Grand Prix competition this weekend, and noted that she's thrilled to see a long-term relationship with "Duval" truly succeed. "I'm really happy with him. I've had him since before he was saddle broke and we've done everything from Training level on up with him, so it was a really fun weekend all around to have such great rides on Horizon and then be able to finally get Duval into the Grand Prix ring after years and years of work," she said.
Trussell and her own "Tattoo," a 2003 Westfalen gelding (Tuareg x Ramiro's Son), also remained consistent to place third on a score of 69.319% despite a bobble in one of the gelding's usual highlight movements, she explained.