That is all.
I mean, what else is there to say? Except maybe ‘Who needs the USEF and their damn training lists?’
Agree x 10.
I’m admittedly behind… are we talking about this?
http://www.usefnetwork.com/news/12106/2014/11/10/usef_names_2015_eventing_high_perfo.aspx
Agreed!
Definitely agree!
Shiraz, particularly, made that course look like Novice level. And CR’s first 4* ? On that footing ? Just stunning on both rides.
What else does she have to do, walk on water ?
AGREE. Wow. Shiraz is a machine. What an amazing horse - and CR is one for the future. Seriously, what is up with leaving her off the lists?!
She and Shiraz laid it down right outta the starting box. Turns out it was one of a few rides that didn’t find my heart in my throat!
Shiraz was amazing and absolutely did make the course look like a novice course.
It was really cool that Shiraz was first and Fernhill Fugitive was second. In the first ride, you got to see an experienced pair make it look like a walk in the park. In the second ride, you got to see an experienced rider help a less experienced horse around. These rides, along with Michael Jungs rides, were amongst the most educating rides of the days.
Why she is riding my YEH s and our 2 RRP entries…makes her own horses that alone is huge, and currently lacking any deep pocketed support…Being on a “List” doesn t necessarily validate who you r but possibly more of a Political vote.
Shiraz and CR are just the tip of deep well of young talented horses she is developing and bringing to the game. The next few years are going to be exciting.
I have far more respect for someone who makes up their own horses more or less by themselves than the ones who simply go out and buy a made horse. Congrats to Colleen and both your horses.
I predict that she will be on the list with Covert Rights. He has proven that he can excell in all three phases - and Shiraz, who is a great xc horse, has not.
[QUOTE=Winding Down;8123372]
I predict that she will be on the list with Covert Rights. He has proven that he can excell in all three phases - and Shiraz, who is a great xc horse, has not.[/QUOTE]
Re: Shiraz, a more intelligent, and therefore likely more successful, high performance program would have made him the designated team pathfinder, in the style of Team GB mainstay Opposition Buzz and his predecessor Over To You. Neither horse got much in the way of dressage scores but they’d start the day off for the team with clear XC.
The US, meanwhile, has been unable to complete a team in international competition for years. They sent two horses to WEG in 2014 that even the selectors doubted would get around – and they didn’t.
During these years of Team USA failure, Shiraz jumped clean around all the North American and European CCI****s. Those clean XCs would have given the US a much higher chance of completion but as it looks like there’s no accountability whatsoever in the HP Eventing program, I guess it really doesn’t matter, does it?
Vinacation!
Love both her rides.
COTH article has her horse’s placings reversed, but well done!
Right?? Colleen is unbelievable, her game is on point. Totally agree JER, why would Shiraz not be the pathfinder - they are pretty much guaranteed a clear round inside the time with him every time. So overlooked…so foolish.
Congrats to CR and her team.
So very thrilled for her, well deserved! Will be cheering for her tomorrow. 
[QUOTE=JER;8123385]
Re: Shiraz, a more intelligent, and therefore likely more successful, high performance program would have made him the designated team pathfinder, in the style of Team GB mainstay Opposition Buzz and his predecessor Over To You. Neither horse got much in the way of dressage scores but they’d start the day off for the team with clear XC.
The US, meanwhile, has been unable to complete a team in international competition for years. They sent two horses to WEG in 2014 that even the selectors doubted would get around – and they didn’t.
During these years of Team USA failure, Shiraz jumped clean around all the North American and European CCI****s. Those clean XCs would have given the US a much higher chance of completion but as it looks like there’s no accountability whatsoever in the HP Eventing program, I guess it really doesn’t matter, does it?[/QUOTE]
From my point of view, you can have the world’s best dressage test and/or show jumping test, but it doesn’t do you any good if you can’t get through cross country. The other two elements can definitely be improved with training. The team blew a lot of potentially good years with this horse. I hope that some day they will realize this.
Way to go, Colleen.
Colleen’s longtime mentor, Jimmy Wofford, singled her (and Elisa Wallace, who rode beautifully yesterday) out in his COTH column:
It would be wrong not to make a special acknowledgement of Shiraz and the trip that he and Rutledge produced as the icebreakers. This makes his seventh four-star, and he has yet to have a cross-country jumping fault. Rutledge, now in 14th place on him, later admitted to me that she had no idea what her time was until she crossed the finish line because she was going so fast she was afraid to move her hand on the reins. I have watched this horse throughout his career. This is the best he has ever gone, and I am thrilled for the two of them. Both Rutledge and Wallace have made the rest of the U.S. eventing scene sit up and take notice as they rode very, very heady rounds on horses that are green (Rutledge had a second clear round about her homebred Covert Rights, a four-star first timer currently in 10th) at this level.
Watching the xc yesterday, I couldn’t help but watch the tine penalties rise up, and drop behind Colleen. Many riders. And both horses pass. It gave me a secret thrill.
