Clayton claims Kentucky CCI**** title

Clayton claimed his first four-star victory in Kentucky, less than eight months behind Lucinda’s same feat at Burghley in September.

Riding his 2005 World Cup champion, Saumur victor and silver medallist at last summer’s World Games, Ben Along Time, there was a certain expectation on Clayton’s shoulders. Clayton and Ben Alone Time at Kentucky (Photography by Mike McNally © 2007)

However with a fall on the landing at the penultimate fence at Burnham Market CIC*** just two weeks before the event, preparation for the pair was less than perfect. That said, under the care of working pupil, Emily Leslie, and competition groom, Kate Hort, Ben Along Time arrived at the American event fit and well. Drawn number 32, Clayton was to be the first rider out on the second day of dressage and, under pressure, he produced a near foot-perfect performance to take the lead at this stage with 47.4penalties.

 
Two later competitors put up great challenges however, with Amy Tryon and Le Samurai taking the lead by 0.4penalties and Britain’s Polly Stockton taking second,0.2penalties ahead on Tangleman.

Every fence and every second was to count on the strong cross-country track with 20 of the 41 competitors incurring jumping faults and only eight managing to make the optimum time.

 
Slipping on the flat on approach to a big corner perhaps cost Clayton valuable seconds but his stickability was shown and they returned home retaining their third position despite 5.6 time faults.
 
The leaderboard had changed however with Le Samurai being withdrawn and Tangleman suffering a run out, enabling Kirstin Bachman to rise from sixth after the dressage to the top spot and Heidi White Carty to claim second.

Despite the withdrawal of fourth placed Will Faudree and Antigua before the show jumping Clayton was left with little breathing space and time faults and rails down were commonplace.

Former Australian turned American, Philip Dutton rose up the order with his clear round but Clayton only had a fence in hand over him.

He didn’t need it with Ben jumping an immaculate round although the one time fault could have been costly.

Clayton running the Kentucky Cross Country (Photography by Mike McNally© 2007)Heidi’s rail put her out of the running and so all of Team Fredericks were on tenderhooks as the final competitor entered the ring.

Kirstin had a fence in hand but from the outset it looked as though she’d need it, with Griffindor rubbing the first few fences. Then one fell and Kirstin’s concentration was lost, resulting in her making an error of course, to miss out fence nine.

Although her next fence fell and she would therefore have forfeited the lead, to be technically eliminated in this final phase must have hurt.

Clayton was thus the rightful victor with Peta and Edwin McAuley’s Ben Along Time - the gelding’s generous owners applauding Clayton from the sidelines.

Screams of delight could possibly be heard across the Atlantic Ocean as the rest of Team Fredericks crowded around the computer to watch the action live over the internet at Clayton and Ben’s richly-deserved result.

The pair once again demonstrated their competitiveness, their determination to do their best in every phase and never give up.

CONGRATULATIONS BEN AND CLAYTON!