Leesburg, Virginia – In their first CCI4*-L as a partnership, Boyd and Commando 3 finished atop the leaderboard in the Morven Park CCI4*-L, one of the top events in the country and one of the nation’s most difficult CCI4* events. The pair finished on a total score of 29.4.
Commando 3, owned by Yankee Creek Ranch, wowed in all three phases in his first 4*-L with Boyd in the irons, producing a lovely dressage test and earning a 26.2 to sit in first. They then rocked around the challenging track, to finish with just 3.2 time faults. Conner handled the course like a seasoned-pro with plenty of gas left in the tank after crossing through the finish.
On Sunday, the pair left all of the jumps in the cups during the show jumping phase, collecting a win and leading by nearly ten penalties to the next closest finisher. Their completion of the CCI4*-L has given Boyd the reassurance that Conner is a championship horse for the future, with their sights set on a potential gear up for selection next year ahead of the 2024 Paris. Olympic Games.
“It just sort of confirms my belief that he’s just so strong in all phases,” said Martin of his win. “He’s unbelievably elegant on the flat, he gallops like a racehorse cross-country, and he’s sharp and careful and scopey for the show jumping, and he trots up good. It’s very hard to find all those elements and characteristics. It’s a needle in a haystack, so I just really feel a privilege to ride him. He’s an easy ride. He could be a little bit sharp when he’s fresh, but once he settles down, he’s not a complicated horse. I pushed him along a bit yesterday, and he felt fresh as a daisy and pranced out of the stable this morning and came out and show jumped very well.”
