Winter 2023-2024 Issue

EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN Winter 2023/2024 Page 23 Austin O’Connor (IRL) secured the first CCI5*-L victory by an Irish rider in 58 years, jumping up from fourth place at the start of Sunday, October 22nd’s show jumping finale to the win with longtime partner Colorado Blue at the 2023 MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill presented by Brown Advisory. The three-time Olympian sealed the deal to break the longstanding Irish drought with a mistake-free show jumping round, jumping clear and finishing on a final total score of 34.9. Five-time British Olympic veteran William Fox-Pitt (GBR) and Grafennacht finished in second place on a final score of 35.3, while World No. 1 Oliver Townend (GBR) and Cooley Rosalent, who at 9 years is one of a mere handful of horses to podium at a 5* at that young age, took third place with a 37.1 after dropping two rails during their round to add eight faults to their final score. Fox-Pitt has won 14 CCI5*, more than any other rider. Oliver Townend has won 7. Hannah Sue Hollberg (USA), was the highest-placing American, finishing fourth on a 40.0. Colorado Blue, a 2009 Great Britain Sport Horse owned by The Salty Syndicate, has been a consistent staple in O’Connor’s string, having competed in three CCI5*-L events since 2022, as well as at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, and the 2022 FEI Eventing World Championships. The pair were trailblazers around Saturday’s Ian Stark-designed cross-country track, which they navigated with efficiency and grit, tackling all the difficult com- binations, coming in just barely over the time. “He’s an unbelievable horse. He’s a proper, proper five-star event horse,” said O’Connor, and added, “He always looked a good horse, but I guess a bit like myself, with age he’s just got better. Or lucky. He’s 85% Thoroughbred—he’s all blood, he’s all class, he’s all heart, and he’ll try and try and try to the bitter end.” Rerouting from Burghley after retiring on cross-coun- try there, O’Connor made the decision to come to Maryland with “Salty” and give it his all to try and capture his first CCI5*-L victory. “Maryland (5 Star) commit- tee member, Tim Gardner, who when I was having a little bit of a down moment at Burgh- ley, put his arm around me and said, ‘You gotta bring Salty to Maryland.’ He was the man that convinced us to come here, and I believed him, and I’m delight- ed.” Mia Farley, who stood jn second place after cross country behind Townend, was the first US rider in over 10 years to make the time on their 5-star debut. In Austin O’Connor Secures First Five-Star Win For Ireland in 58 Years (Continued on page 24)