Britain’s sole contender retires on Maryland 5 Star cross-country course

Britain’s sole contender Alex Bragg retired on the Mars Maryland 5 Star cross-country course today (Saturday, 18 October).

Alex and The Roe Family’s Quindiva looked to be having a super round until the 15-year-old mare refused at the big step down at the Fair Hill International Drop at fence 27a. Alex brought her back for a second attempt, but then retired when she stopped again.

Until then, Alex Bragg and Quindiva had excelled over the Maryland 5 Star cross-country track, designed for the first time this year by Pierre Le Goupil. They took the tricky direct route through the first big question, in the arena, The Chesapeake Beasts and Bay Bridge (fence 7abc) – a bending line over two corners styled as birds, with rooves overhead, either side of an angled hanging log.

Continuing on, the British pair put in copybook performances through two of the most discussed fences, the Yanmar Sunken Road (fence 11abcd) and Pierre’s Puzzle and French Horn (fences 16abc and 17), as well as tackling the Mars Sustainability Bay (fences 23abcd and 24), known as the crab water, confidently on the direct route.

But it all came unstuck three fences later when they failed to get down the big drop at fence 27 and Alex walked Quindiva off the course, their dreams of a strong finish at the US five-star over.

Alex was the 10th rider to start across country in the five-star competition today and only one has jumped clear so far, the home side’s Jennie Brannigan with Nina and Tim Gardner’s FE Lifestyle. Jennie finished nine seconds over the 11min optimum time and looks set to improve on her 10th place after dressage.

“I’m just so proud of him – I’m grateful he took care of me out there. It’s been a rough couple of weeks,” said an emotional Jennie, who had a fall when Kismet flipped over at the start box with her at Morven Park last weekend.

“The course rode beautifully, but ‘Foxy’ is a real five-star horse – I’m not sure I’ll have such a good cross-country horse again in my career.”

Boyd Martin was the best-placed of the early competitors after dressage, sitting seventh with Luke 140, but the horse didn’t really have a stride after jumping the big ditch at Pierre’s Puzzle and stopped at the following angled shoulder brush set up a bank, sending Boyd over his head.

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