Super thoroughbred scores new personal best for Kentucky dressage lead

Monica Spencer and the thoroughbred Artist lead after the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage, having scored a personal best of 22.3 today (24 April).

“I’m lucky with ‘Max’ – he’s a beautiful mover and he’s always been very trainable, so I enjoy riding him in the dressage,” said Monica of her long-term partner.

“I have had a few thoroughbreds over the years that have been good at dressage. I guess there’s just more of them so there’s more bad ones, too. But I am particularly lucky with the way Max moves – he’s quite an expressive horse for a thoroughbred. He likes to throw his front legs around and he did that today.”

US-based New Zealand Monica and the 15-year-old Artist have been in the top 12 at five-star five times, including leading the dressage and finishing second at Maryland 5 Star last year.

After scoring seven nines in her Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage today, Monica Spencer said: “He was wanting to give as much energy as I wanted today, so I was just keeping a little lid on it. But he was soft and loose, so the judges liked it.

“It’s a personal best at five star, so it hasn’t sunk in yet, but I’m rapt. I’m getting braver with my warm-ups – just letting him stay loose and soft and trusting that when I get in there, I can get that competition frame and I don’t need to practise, so I can keep him fresh and just go out there and push the button.”

Monica added that she gets the dressage practice out the way early in event week and then spends a lot of time in a jumping saddle.

“It’s just little and often, like twice a day, to keep him fresh in his body, not tired in those dressage muscles, so that he can go out and do his best,” she said.

Tim Price: “I attacked the test”

Monica’s compatriot Tim Price holds second, just 0.3 of a penalty behind, with his own and Joseph Alexander Giannamore’s vastly experienced Vitali, who performed one of his best tests.

Tim said: “He’s bit sparkly. I thought he’d be more relaxed here, actually, but it gave me a good reason to try and attack the test. With the experienced horses that have a lot of good balance, that converts to something they can throw a few marks at, but it’s also quite risky, because you’re asking for more.

“I don’t think I’ve ever asked for flying changes out such a big canter as I did in the last two changes. I’ve always been a bit conservative and I was like, no, he’s good at changes, come on, this might be the difference, do it. But I was really happy with him. He’s just such a craftsman, and he’s got such a great body and mind for the job.”

Asked what he has worked on with the 16-year-old Vitali recently, Tim said “body health”.

“He’s a very sound horse, touch wood, but he’s just looks really good through his body, and as they get a bit older, I think that’s really important for them, because he’s proven time and again he gives you what he’s got to give,” he said.

“It’s my job to ask the right questions and to have him in a place that he has the ability to answer the question; it’s got to be a fair question. The more he’s feeling strong and ready, then the more he can answer the question, provided I asked the right one.

“I don’t drill my horses in any way, shape or form. I don’t target one-day events. But I want them to be with me, in front of me, supple and if you go down that road for long enough, I think they just get healthier and healthier in their bodies, and like I said, they want to do everything you’re asking.”

Vitali has been in the top 10 at all his eight five-stars, and has come close to winning many times only for the showjumping to let him down.

Tim said: “I’ve been through a lot with him, a lot of disappointments, in terms of final result at big competitions, but equally, he’s an incredible horse in so many ways. I’d never give up on him. I think he’s got a big win in him at some point. Hopefully that’s going to come around sometime soon as he’s getting a bit older.

“I didn’t get him as a young horse, he was produced by a couple of other riders, and it probably took a couple of years to form a good partnership where we understood each other.

“It’s just a matter of tinkering away to try to find something that’s going to help us be truly successful at this level. That’s going to happen one day and hopefully sometime soon.”

Tom McEwen holds third for Britain with Brookfield Quality, with US riders holding the next four places courtesy of Caroline Pamukcu (HSH Blake), yesterday’s leader Will Coleman (Diabolo), Phillip Dutton (Possante) and Boyd Martin (Commando 3)

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