October 2021 Issue

Page 22 October 2021 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN Boyd Martin (Unionville, Pa.) with On Cue, the 2006 Selle Francais mare he co-owns with Christine, Thomas, and Tommie Turner, turned in a double clear jumping round to finish at the top of the podium in the USEF Advanced Horse Trials National Championship. The United States Eventing Association American Eventing Championships, held at the Ken- tucky Horse Park, is the annual championship for every level of the Olympic equestrian sport of eventing, from Beginner Novice to Advanced, in America. It was held August 31-September 5, 2021. “I was thrilled with On Cue,” said Martin. “She’s just every- thing you dream of in a horse. She’s a mover, she’s a galloper, she’s sensitive, she’s careful, she’s brave, and I’m just blessed to have her.” Earlier this year, the pair were crowned champions in the Land Rover/USEF CCI5*-L Eventing National Championship presented by MARS Equestrian at the same venue in On Cue’s debut at the CCI5*-L level. Mar- tin has had the ride on On Cue since 2017, and together they’ve hit their stride in 2021. When I got her, she hadn’t done anything in two years, and initially Christine sent her to me just to get sold,” said Martin. “She wasn’t strong. She had lost a lot of fitness, so our first couple of years we did pretty good but it was a bit hit or miss. Something just clicked at the beginning of this year. I don’t know if she was stronger of if we really jelled as a partnership, but she’s been on fire this year… She’s feeling young and enthusias- tic and she’s training well.” On Cue is one of two horses Martin rode in the Advanced division at this year’s AECs, and after dressage, he was in the lead on his other mount, Long Island T, a 2006 Oldenburg/Thoroughbred gelding owned by the Long Island T Syndicate. But a rider fall on the cross-country course took Long Island T out of the running. “It seems to be my habit. I fall off the first horse, limp to the barn, then hop on On Cue and go around like a rocket,” said Martin. “[Long Island T] honestly gave me the round of my life, and at the third to last jump, I got him to a horrible distance, and I just popped off him. That was a bit of a rough one, but On Cue is such a special cross-country horse that it didn’t faze me. I was really confident that she’d jump around well. She’s all class and I’m very grateful that Christine Tuner has placed her with me. She’s every- thing I could look for in a horse.” Martin credits Peter Wyl- de, jumping coach for the U.S. Eventing Team, with helping improve On Cue’s performance in the final phase. “On Cue was a reserve horse for the Olympics, so she flew to Martin and On Cue Win the USEF Advanced Horse Trials National Championship (Continued on page 37)