Corner I
By Judy Wardrope The Fair Hill Four
n this column we will look at last October’s Fair Hill International winners of each of the four divisions: CCI 3*, CCI 2*, YEH 5-year-olds and YEH
4-year-olds. [For purposes of continuity in this article, photo #4 has been reversed so that the horse appears to be facing the same direction as the others.]
Horse #1 – Chatwin CCI 3*
10-year old German Warmblood gelding He led throughout and finished on his dressage
score of 27.30. Lumbosacral gap (LS) – The gap is just in front of the high point of the croup, which appears to be fairly close to being bisected by a line drawn from the top of one hip to the top of the other. In other words, it’s within top athletic limits. Rear triangle – He is equal on the ilium side (point
of hip to point of buttock) and femur side (point of buttock to stifle protrusion) and slightly longer from point of hip to stifle protrusion. This is typical of an eventer that does well cross-country and in stadium. Stifle placement – The stifle protrusion can be
seen to be well below sheath level for a greater range of motion in stride and in scope. Pillar of support – The top of the line extended
through the naturally occurring groove in the forearm emerges well in front of the withers for lightness of the forehand and into the rear quarter of the hoof for soundness. Humerus – He shows average rise from elbow to
point of shoulder, which neither adds nor subtracts to lightness of the forehand. If his point of shoulder where higher, he would be a bit faster with his knees over fences and have a bit more knee action on the flat. However, he is built to show extension of the forehand.
Base of neck – His base of neck is well above his
point of shoulder, which is another factor for lightness of the forehand.
Horse # 2 – On Cue CCI2* 12-year-old Selle Français mare She was second after dressage with 23.7 points,
but moved into first after the second phase and finished on her dressage score. Lumbosacral gap (LS) – Her gap appears to be slightly rearward of a line drawn from top of hip
66 January/February 2019
to top of hip, but her stance may cause an optical illusion. The near hip is further forward than the off hind hip, meaning the line would run slightly diagonally in the photo and place it closer to bisecting the gap, or within the athletic range. Rear triangle – Her rear triangle is similar to that of Horse #1, typical for an eventer. Stifle placement – Even though she is stepped
forward with the near hind which positions the stifle differently than when stepped back, it is clear that the protrusion would be well below sheath level if she were male. She is built to have a long stride and lots of scope. Pillar of support – The top emerges well in front of the withers for lightness, and just into the rear quarter of the hoof. If she was in the same stance as the previous horse, the bottom would be slight more forward into the rear quarter of the hoof. Humerus – She has more rise from elbow to point of shoulder, making her naturally a touch lighter on the forehand and a bit quicker with her knees. Base of neck – Her base of neck is well above
her point of shoulder for lightness of the forehand. Compared to the first horse, her base is lower, but her point of shoulder is higher, which means they have similar lightness of the forehand, but for slightly different reasons.
Horse #3 – MB MaiStein YEH 5-year-old Oldenburg gelding Final score: 88.29 based on Conformation (10%),
Dressage (20%), Stadium Jumping (15%), Cross Country (30%), overall Jumping (15%) and General Impression (10%). Lumbosacral gap (LS) – The LS placement does not appear to be as strong as in the first two horses, although it is difficult to see exactly where the top of the hip is on his dark coat. Rear triangle – The rear triangle is even on all
three sides, which will make him less inclined to be comfortable jumping from an open stride as he progresses through the levels. He will likely prefer to slow, coil and then jump. Stifle placement – His stifle protrusion is not as
far below the sheath as in the previous two horses, meaning his stride will not be as long and he will not have as much natural scope.
Conformation
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