Halpin is the One to Watch at Rolex Kentucky

Branchurg rider is the top American in the standings at the USA's only three-day event

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Sinead Halpin's debut at the western hemisphere's most important eventing competition is going according to plan.

While some may be surprised that the 29-year-old Branchburg, N.J., rider is standing fourth after the cross-country phase on Manoir de Carneville at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event _ ahead of a two-time individual Olympic gold medalist and the world's number one eventer in 2010 _ Halpin was convinced "my horse should be fairly competitive'" in the duo's first try at a 4-star rated fixture.

"I knew coming in he was not confirmed enough at the level to put in a winning dressage test, but I wanted to be accurate...I didn't want any mistakes,'" she said yesterday about the first phase of the event on Friday, when she finished eighth of 44 starters at the Kentucky Horse Park.

"And then I wanted to go clean (cross-country) and do well and hopefully that would put him up on the leaderboard," she explained. Halpin, a trainer who works out of a Pittstown stable, had no problems at any of the 28 obstacles, and incurred only 4.4 penalties for finishing slightly over the 11-minute, 10-second optimum time.

The rider has gotten what she wanted, "so far," she cautioned, as she looked ahead warily to this afternoon's final segment, the show jumping showdown with some of the biggest names in the sport.

Great Britain's Mary King, an Olympic multi-medalist, is not only first on 47.7 penalties with her homebred Kings Temptress, she is also two points behind in second with her other horse, the distinctive Portugese gray gelding, Fernhill Urco.

Australian Olympic gold medalist Clayton Fredericks is third with 53 penalties about Be My Guest, just 0.1 penalty ahead of Halpin and her chestnut Selle Francais, known around the barn as Tate.

The pressure comes not only from the top, there also is a big threat below, with Hannah Sue Burnett and St. Barth's on 53.3 penalties, while defending champion and last year's world number one, William Fox-Pitt of Great Britain, has just 54 penalties on Neuf des Coeurs. Surprisingly, though, New Zealand's Mark Todd, the double Olympic gold medalist, who won England's 4-star Badminton event last weekend, languishes in 18th place after a refusal with Grass Valley.

Halpin credits her experience on the silver medal U.S. team at the Boekelo, Netherlands, 3-star last year for putting her at ease for Rolex, one of the sport's ultimate challenges.

While Halpin was enjoying her moment, the other New Jersey rider in the competition, Heather Gillette of Califon, had her longtime Rolex dream dashed when her mount, Our Questionnaire, just wasn't himself on cross-country.

Torrential April rains had left the course awash until a few days ago, but even though it dried up rapidly, the footing still was tricky and "suction cup-like."

Questie "wasn't in it, and I've never had him not be in it before," said Gillette, who decided to retire from the competition and try another day after having a refusal at the seventh fence and feeling her mount's lack of interest in continuing three jumps later.

"It didn't seem right to press him,'" explained an understandably disappointed Gillette, who would like to return to Rolex next year.

A New Jersey horse, Titanium, owned by Carl Segal of Pottersville and the gelding's rider, Pennsylvanian Buck Davidson, was 39th after dressage and did not start on cross-country.

ON THE RAIL -- Rolex Kentucky show jumping will be live streaming today on the USEFnetwork.com. At 2 p.m., the streaming will stop and NBC will broadcast the top riders' show jumping live, as well as highlights of dressage and cross-country.

Mother's Day rides are listed for next Sunday at Union County's Watchung Stables in Mountainside and Somerset County's Lord Stirling Stables in Basking Ridge. For Lord Stirling, registration must be received by Tuesday. Contact the stable at (908) 766-5955. To register for the Watchung ride, call (908) 789-3665.

N.J. ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE
Today: Hunter Farms Spring Classic Show, 1350 The Great Rd., Princeton; Palermo Show Stable Jumper Festival and Grand Prix, 1555A Burnt Mills Rd., Bedminster; N.J. Palomino Exhibitors' Show, Horse Park of N.J., Route 524, Allentown; N.J. Quarter Horse Association Show, Gloucester County Dream Park, 400 Route 130 South, Logan Township; Gladstone Horse Driving Trials, Pine Meadow, Hamilton Farm, Fowler Road, Gladstone; Garden State Preview Show, Sussex County Fairgrounds, Plains Road, Augusta; Rutgers Young Horse Mustang Auction, Round House, College Farm Road, Cook Campus, New Brunswick (Preview and bidder registration 11 a.m. Red Horse Barn; auction 1 p.m.); Lord Stirling Stable Family Fun Day, 256 S. Maple Ave., Basking Ridge; Suddenly Farm Dressage Show, 325 Main St., Lumberton; Good Times Farm Dressage Schooling Show, 278 Jackson Mills Rd., Freehold; Gold Clover Dressage Show, Gloucester County 4-H Fairgrounds, 275 Bridgeton Pike, Mullica Hill; Hidden Hollow Dressage Show, 1100 Old Chester Rd., Gladstone; Central Jersey Horsemen Association's English/Western/Standardbred Show, East Freehold Park, Kozloski Road, Freehold; Monmouth County Hunt Hunter Pace, East Branch Road, Allentown.
Wednesday: Garden State Show, Sussex County Fairgrounds, Plains Road, Augusta (through next Sunday); Flying Change Farm Dressage Show, 60 Sutton Rd., Lebanon; Literary Horse Lecture, George Schoch, farrier; Sussex County Main Library, 125 Morris Turnpike, Newton (7 p.m.).
Friday: Eastern Pennsylvania Reining Horse Association Show, Gloucester Couty Dream Park, 400 Route 130 South, Logan Township (through next Sunday).
Saturday: Somerset Hills Pony Club Trail Pace and Vendor Village, U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation, Fowler Road entrance, Gladstone (8 a.m.-3 p.m.); Delaware Valley Horsemen's Association Dressage Show, DVHA Showgrounds, Route 604, Sergeantsville; The Meadow Dressage Show, 640 Powell Rd., Mt. Holly; Baymar Farms Show, 38 Harbor Rd., Morganville.
Next Sunday: Suddenly Farm Dressage Show, 325 Main St., Lumberton; Monmouth County Show, East Freehold Park, Kozloski Road, Freehold;
Nancy Jaffer may be reached at nancyjaffer@att.net.