Lion King II Tops Open Intermediate Field At The Rocking Horse III Horse Trials

Jonathan Holling picked up the lead in Open Intermediate after dressage and held it all the way through, even with time penalties on cross-country and a rail down in stadium jumping. Even though the field started closely, many riders had penalties and made Hollings' job of hanging on to his lead just a little bit easier.

On the other hand, Lion King II had the experience to win the event, and Holling expected no less of the horse that completed both the Rolex Kentucky and Burghley CCI**** events last year. He was entered in the one-day Advanced horse trials on Thursday at Rocking Horse but Hollings pulled him up on cross-country because, as he said, "He was behaving like a meathead."

That was a wakeup call for Holling, who rode the horse more aggressively than usual to keep him in line at the Intermediate event. "He was mostly rusty - he went ok," he said. "We're running in the Advanced at Pine Top next weekend and I hope it goes better."

Holling has spent the winter focusing on his dressage training with US Equestrian Team coach Mark Phillips and trainer Gunnar Ostergaard, who is based in Florida.

"The USET training sessions with Mark are good but only last a few days," he said. Gunnar, I work with every week, and the consistency is nice."

Holling explained, "On the thoroughbreds, we're all told to make them deep and relaxed. He's helped me ride him through tension by pushing through it more until the horse relaxes. It's just typical dressage stuff but it's started to pay off. Sometimes I get in the ring and I ride a little tentatively - he's gotten me to ride hard to avoid a mistake rather than just avoid it altogether."

Holling has hopes for the Olympic Games in Athens, and said that his dressage was the missing link in the equation. Now that that has improved his chances of making the team are far greater.

"The CIC will be different though," he said of the new format for this year's Olympic Games. He's a great three-day horse but I'm a bit worried about how a CIC will work. It's important to find out ahead of time, so I'm heading for the CIC at Kentucky."

Holling also rode a six-year-old known as "Walter" around the barn in his second-ever event. The off-the-track thoroughbred had a solid dressage test and jumped well for Holling. "The last time out he ran up to the fences and was shocked," he said. "This time he made a good effort."