‘He’s a machine’ – super thoroughbred retains his lead on dramatic Maryland 5 Star cross-country day

Monica Spencer holds her lead at the conclusion of the Mars Maryland 5 Star cross-country, after a dramatic couple of hours of five-star action today (Saturday, 18 October).

The New Zealand rider and her experienced thoroughbred Artist put in one of just four clear rounds inside the time over the track, designed for the first time this year by Pierre Le Goupil, to retain their dressage lead.

Monica Spencer had a confident ride through all the direct routes over the Maryland 5 Star cross-country course, but took her time at Pierre’s Puzzle and the French Horn (fences 16abc and 17), swinging out after the ditch to put in three proper strides to the first hanging shoulder brush, sited up a bank, and then also setting up well for the last element. She could well afford this though, as she finished 24 seconds inside the 11min optimum time.

“‘Max’ was amazing. I know last time here the track caught me out with how long the end took, so I made sure I stayed up on my minutes and it turned out I stayed up. He’s a machine,” said Monica, who had 15.2 time-faults when seventh here in 2023 and said she was not willing to give up her rail in hand going into tomorrow by having time-faults this year.

Asked what was tough about the track, she said: “There were lot of committed distances but also some ones needing ride-ability too, so just having a polite boy like Max really paid off out there.”

Four horses made the time today and three of them were thoroughbreds – Artist, Phelps (ridden by the USA’s Mia Farley, now third) and Humble Glory (ridden by Australia’s Sophia Hill, now seventh).

Artist was bred as a racehorse, by Guillotine xx, by Windsor Park Stud, but turned out to be too slow ever to grace the racecourse. Thoroughbred rehoming operation EventStars took the horse on and sold him to a rider called Polly MacDonald as a three-year-old. Monica saw him at his first show as a four-year-old and asked Polly if she would sell him.

Monica said: “We love our thoroughbreds – Mia and I were saying Max and Phelps are doing it for all those average brown thoroughbreds out there, so it’s nice they can find a second career [after racing].

“I love that I can let him go on the straights and then I still have so much time to set up for the jumps. I don’t have to feel rushed because I know I can make up time, so it allows me to be more accurate and I have so much love and respect for Max.”

Switzerland’s Felix Vogg has moved up from third after dressage to second, having finished eight seconds inside the target with Cartania, surviving the mare twisting as she flew over the Cascade Canoe out of the water at fence 13a.

“I’m really happy. I know she’s capable of doing it and that’s her best phase – there’s nothing too big for her, it’s only about me getting her to the perfect spot to jump the fence,” said Felix, who said he was particularly proud of Cartania because she was the only non-thoroughbred to make the time today.

“She doesn’t have a lot of blood, 45% I think, but it’s about her fitness and the fact she’s a mare makes it easier. Often they don’t stop, they keep fighting for you.

“I am living in a new place this year and I was a bit worried at the beginning of year about whether she was fit enough to go to Badminton – it turned out she was way too fit. Then this autumn she was ready for Burghley and they have to be fit for that.”

Cartania was re-routed to Maryland because Felix suffered an injury in a fall from another horse before Burghley. He kept Cartania going on the lunge for her dressage training and girlfriend Lea Siegl, who was recently fifth at the European Championships for Austria, gave her fitness and jumping work.

‘You couldn’t set a clear plan’

Another renowned strong cross-country horse, David O’Connor’s Phelps, rose from ninth to third with a clear inside the time, despite taking two long routes.

“I am so lucky to go out there and have a horse I trust as much as I trust him,” said rider Mia Farley, who is now best of the home side competitors.

“The course walked how it rode, which was that sometimes we couldn’t set a very clear plan for some combinations. Even in the arena, I jumped in and felt he didn’t read corner very well and then I kind of fought with him to the log so I opted out and went the long route at the final element there, so it was a case of acting off feel today.”

Jennie Brannigan set the standard early on with a clear nine seconds over the time on the Gardners’ FE Lifestyle and now sits fourth.

Time-faults have resulted in slips down the leaderboard for other top dressage finishers – 11.2 penalties demoted Caroline Pamukcu and her third ride, HSH Blake, from second to sixth and eight penalties leave Boyd Martin (Commando 3) in fifth, down from equal fourth after the first phase.

Australia’s Sophie Hill rose from 20th after dressage to seventh with Humble Glory after her clear in the time.

The top seven competitors were the only ones to record jumping clears today over Pierre Le Goupil’s track, with plenty of problems on course. Britain’s sole contender Alex Bragg was among those who pulled up. 

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