‘He’s got a heart the size of Kentucky’: mixed fortunes for early riders on Kentucky cross-country

Tamie Smith will be third or better overnight, having recorded a clear inside the time over the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country course today.

The US hopeful finished two seconds inside the 11 minute 26 second target over Derek di Grazia’s course with Alexandra Ahearn and her parents Ellen Ahearn and Eric Markell’s Mai Baum. She had to work hard in the later stages of the course, but the 17-year-old was jumping well clear of his fences all the way.

“It was definitely a fight to make that time,” said Tamie. “There was a big effort at the last water and it got a bit hairy for me. I talked to him a lot all the way home – ‘Come on buddy, you can do it’ – and right when I thought he was getting too tired, he pushed and kept fighting.

“Right at the end I think I was more tired than him telling him every stride, ‘Bigger, faster’. He’s not got a lot of thoroughbred in there, but he’s got a heart the size of Kentucky, that’s for sure.”

The only riders who can end the Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country day ahead of Tamie are Brits Yasmin Ingham (Banzai Du Loir) and Tom McEwen (JL Dublin), who were first and second after dressage.

Germany’s 2014 world champion Sandra Auffarth was the first to make the time after finishing six seconds inside the target with Viamant Du Matz. She will be eighth or better overnight.

Among those who had problems during this first section of Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country was pathfinder Buck Davidson. Errol Gobey was underpowered coming out of the ditch at the Park Question and couldn’t take on the triple brush arrowhead at part c. He then stumbled after the second element of the Equestrian Events Trifecta at fence 8abc and ran out at the corner, after which Buck pulled up.

Young German visitor Alina Dibowski retired after two early problems with Barbados 26 and Woods Baughman also called it a day with C’est La Vie 135 after a stop at the box out of the first water, the Mars Sustainability Bay (fence 4abc), having slightly left a leg jumping in.

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