Luke 140 - Bruce’s Field GP - March ‘21 - all three phases

Won the four star long.

This is a newer partnership for Boyd, and this horse has just turned out to be really something special. I'm really excited to see. And it's young, you know, it's only 10. So this is going to be a really exciting horse for the United States, and hopefully it will be able to represent some teams here.

Absolutely. And it scored quite well in the dressage. All right, we're going to head down now to Frankie, who is ringside with Sarah Murphy to get some thoughts on her test.

Yeah, and, Sarah, it's just such an amazing place to get to compete here. And you are your longtime friend, giving him lots of pats when you guys wrapped up some of these partnerships like yours so developed. So talk about your ride today and your partnership with a special horse.

Sure.

Yeah. No, I've actually never been to Bruce's field, so this is a really cool time, you know, really cool place to come. And it's actually a little bit like I expected. My husband did the split rock jumping here. Just a lovely horse, Friendly, beautiful venue. But no, Rubens was super. He's a very cool little horse. Obviously knows his. His job very well. He's funny because he is a. He is a quiet warrior. So although all the time he looks quite secure in Seoul, he does, you know, he does like to have lots of stretching and walking about and things like that. And then I just sort of shorten the reins and go in the ring and so even though. And little bits showed out, like he spooked when he came around the corner, do the first shoulder and stuff like that, but no big deal. He stayed relaxed and really through. And I was so worried about forgetting that stretching circle that I actually did the medium canter in the wrong place, which means me a little bit mad at myself. But my horse was super, and it was probably exactly the test I wanted to do today, you know, minus the mistake I made.

Well, we saw some other riders forget that circle like you're talking about before. And Boyd having a good test, it looks like, so far, on his second ride of the day. So we'll kick it back to Holly and Jimmy in the booth.

All right, so, yeah, here we have Boyd Martin, who currently ranked second, sixth in the world for FAI rankings. And I'll tell you, if a horse could beat his other horse, I think this one could possibly do it.

It's possible. You know, it's funny, they almost kind of look a little bit alike as

well, I think was it was that four might have.

Might have just missed one last Step.

Yeah, the whole beginning of this test has been absolutely beautiful. He scored a 29.4 in his last four star long dressage test. That was out at Galway Downs in California. 29 at Lexington and another 29 at Plantation Field. So this horse has the ability to definitely get inside the twenties.

This horse looks very comfortable in this space. Looks like quite the professional.

Looks like the walk could maybe have just a bit more ground coverage.

You know, he might also be feeling that those other, you know, seen a couple other horses get a little bit lit up. So he might be playing it a little bit conservative in that walk.

Boy double gold medalist from 2019's Pan American Games. So he's no stranger to riding in a pressure situation such as this.

A little bit early, but clean.

His wife Silva here yesterday giving everybody some lessons and getting him prepped for today's test.

Everyone tuned up,

Goes into now his extended canter. That was quite lovely, wasn't it, to see the horse's balance staying up a hill. Good connection, came back really well. It. That was really nicely done. Horse just stretched out to his contact, but never changed the speed or the tempo at all. He now sets up for his three or four changes in this test. On center line.

Beautifully done and really straight. It's a big part of it too, is that they stay really straight and on the line.

Nice. As well as timing that change for right on the center line. I think boy's going to be quite pleased with this test.

I think so too. Just again, another super relaxed test. And you know what I thought was really cool about this test is you got to see from the transitions from the different movements of the horse's frame that the rhythm never changed. The horse didn't really change tempo, it just really changed its frame, which was a good lesson for everyone to watch.

I have another score to update you on. Nielsen da Silva and Rock Phantom scoring a 34.6. That will slide them into a tie for ninth with Sharon White on riding Cooley on show. So we are still waiting for Sarah Murphy's score to come up. As we will now be looking for. Currently, Luke140 and Boyd Martin are tied with their stable mates Long island tee for seventh place on a 28.3 after the dressage. Joining me in the booth today for expert commentating will be Sydney Solomon, four star rider here based in Aiken the Winter. Welcome and thank you for joining me. Thank you. Happy to be here. So this is quite a big, impressive track, isn't it? Yeah, there's a lot to look at out there. Between the cross country jumps and all the sponsor banners and everything, there's a lot. I think it's very important to note, Sydney, that Last year only 4 out of 29 horses had a double clear across this same typical show jump track, Michelle Valencourt's track. That's less than 14%. So as you can see, today's show jumping will be very influential. Wow. Boyd and Luke one four zero. Nicely over two as they go right handed now to fence two. Nicely done in the forward six as they come right handed now for the first combination of the course. One stride at four ab five strides back to five. That's very airy vertical here. Right in the turn. Sets up for the triple combination. The oxer to oxer to vertical, the two to the one and then it'll be a steady six down to the Liverpool. Luke140 is really jumping well, isn't he? Yeah. Making it look easy. They are clear so far. There you have that massive triple bar right out of the turn and then right hand to this very tall and very airy skinny white vertical. Another steady four on the out to 11 and then left handed to the final jump at 12. Beautiful way to start, way to start the day. That was a great round.

Yeah.

The speed today is 375 meters a minute with a optimum time of seven or time allowed of 79 seconds with with Boyd's Liz and Tammy you have three riders each with two horses and all those horses are in the top six. That is competitive.

Show us that solid there in all three phases.

That's right. All right. And they are off.

Boyd's off to one and just great little jumping horse. Not a real big horse but he's light on his feet and you can see just does it, does it easily.

This horse was very impressive in the show jumping yesterday, really was.

And he's actually quite, you know, green at the advanced level.

Wow. Great shot at two there for Boyd and Luke.140 as they make their way now left handed to fence three, the Aiken.

And that's a bit what we've seen this in Holly. The ones that are making the time or getting close to the time, they just set out and they're, they're, they're, they're on from the beginning. Really stood off that jumping out of stride

again. These last few riders are going to try to all definitely get inside the time. Boy. Now left handed to the Aiken Tennis Club sponsored by Willie Hartnett. We can see him in our view here as he's cantering away from our booth. Right handed to 5 Aiken train depot. Sponsored by Susie Hasla. Makes nothing of that skinny angled squirrel

there, Susie, of course, for people not from Macon, one of the most successful real estate brokers here in town and helped a lot of horse people acquire their dream property.

Definitely want to thank all of our sponsors here today. We could not have done it without them.

Okay, Boyd inside the Chevron. Very tight turn.

So here we come to this one. Makes nothing of that. Nicely done in the five out over that massive corner. She accelerates across the arena to the back shebang in the battle of a wow. Good footwork by this horse. Away from 11, the Battle of Aiken Cannon sponsored by the retired racehorse project. Now right handed into back into the start, starting ring. Then 12St. Mary's Church. Good shot. Good cross country weather here today, Kev, isn't it?

It's absolutely beautiful. There's no heat and humidity, you know, for the spectators, a little bit on the cool side, but the horses are loving it. And they're all finishing really fresh, aren't they?

They are. They look fantastic. Boyd and Luke 140 now right handed down the steeplechase track to fence 17 at John Deere. Table sponsored by Blanchard Equipment.

It looks like Boyd's really opened him up here on the back side of the course. Trying to make up a little bit of time and he's in pretty good shape. He's gonna have to keep moving to get it, but he'll be close.

He is.

Just depends what he does here in the last five.

Like I said, tied with Long Island Tee. This horse is so Boyd's gonna have to get closest to the optimum time will break that tie.

Good reaction time on part of boy horse was a little bit unclear what to do jumping off the bank.

What great trust he has in his rider is they Boyd showed him the

way and then they got very nicely to the angle. Brushes quite severely angled. Can't appreciate on the screen. He's gonna be real close.

Good over the liftmaster.

Okay, so seven seconds over 2.80 should be the then.

He will end on a score of 31.1. Other stable mates, Long Island TE coming in on a score of 28.3. Both of these two horses for Boyd had double clears in the show jumping yesterday. After fantastic dressage rides, they are getting ready to start here momentarily. All right, Kevin. Kevin Keene is joining me back here in the booth to wrap up the day.

Well, we're down to our. We're down to our top 10.

Yep, we sure are.

This is a very exciting young horse for Boyd. It's a German bred horse, hasn't really had him all that long and he's one of the three short at Bromont and then of course win the four long out in California last fall.

Yep. Getting ready to start. Captain Mark Phillips. Cross country course here today, 22 jump efforts. Distance is 2040 meters. Speed is 535 meters a minute with an optimum time of 3 minutes and 49 seconds.

So we mentioned earlier the 535 about halfway between conventional preliminary speed and intermediate speed. But you have to realize with the 22 jumping efforts and a fairly concise course, the turns and the approaches to the jumps, it does make the time more challenging to get as you're seeing here today, Holly.

Absolutely. And Boyd currently tied for fourth like I just mentioned, which would bring home a $5,000 paycheck.

Boyd would like that.

I don't know anybody who would not like that.

We have a competitive, competitive top 10,

oh my goodness group here.

So it's going to be really exciting right to the end.

Well, with, with Boyds, Liz and Tammy, you have three riders each with two horses and all those horses are in the top. That is

show us our solid there in all three phases.

That's right. All right. And they are off.

Boyd's off to one and he's a just great little jumping horse. Not a real big horse, but he's light on his feet. You can see he just does it easily.

This horse was very impressive in the show jumping yesterday.

Really was. He's actually quite green at the advanced level.

Wow. Great shot at two there for Boyd and Luke. 140 as they make their way now left handed to fence three, the Aiken.

And that's a little bit what we've seen this in, Holly. The ones that are making the time are getting close to the time. They just set out and they're on from the beginning. They stood off that jumping out of stride.

These last few riders are going to try to all definitely get inside the time boy. Now left handed to the Aiken Tennis Club sponsored by Willie Hartnett. We can see him in our view here as he's cantering away from our booth. Right handed to five Aiken train depot sponsored by Susie Haslip. Squirrel, narrow fence, nothing of that skinny ankled squirrel there.

Excuse of course, for people not for making one of the most successful real estate brokers here in town. And a lot of horse people acquire their dream property.

Definitely want to thank all of our sponsors here today. We could not have done it without them.

Hey, boy. Inside a sh. Very tight turn.

So here we come to this one. Makes nothing of that. Nicely done in the five out over that massive corner. Wow. Good footwork by this horse. Wait. From 11, the Battle of Aitken Cannon sponsored by the retired racehorse project. Now right handed in. Back into the start, starting ring then 12. St. Mary's Church. Good shot there. Good cross country weather here today, Kev, isn't it?

Absolutely beautiful. There's no heat, humidity, you know, for the spectre, it's a little bit on the cool side, but the horses are loving it. And they're all finishing really fresh, aren't they?

They are. They look fantastic. Boyd and Luke140 now right handed down the steeplechase track to fence 17, the John Deere Tables 5, sponsored by Blanchard Equipment.

It looks like Boyd's really opened him up here on the back side of the course. Trying to make up a little bit of time and he's in pretty good shape. He's gonna have to keep moving to get it, but he. He'll be close.

He is.

It just depends what he does here.

Last time, like I said, tied with Long Island Tee, this horse is. So Boyd's gonna have to get the closest to the optimum time will break that tie.

The reaction time part of Boyd. Yeah, it was a little bit unclear what to do jumping off the bank.

What great trust he has in his

rider is a. Boyd showed him the way and then they got very nicely to the ankle. Bushers quite severely angle and a pretty appreciate it on the screen.

Real close over the learn master.

Okay, 2.80 should be then.