Shawna Harding and Come On III

Harding, who has had Come On III since he was five, said 17.2-hand horse was still learning to deal with the show environment. The big horse is used to having much more space than the small stalls allow. “He doesn’t like small spaces and the stabling here isn’t ideal for him,” she said. At home in Aiken, South Carolina, Come On III is used to having access to his big field. “He has a five-acre paddock and he just loves to run and eat grass and hang out under his tree. So, turnout for him is very, very important,” said Harding, who had two Fourth Level wins in Raleigh with her new ride, Mozart (Haarlem out of Glare), a 13-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding owned by Beth Daniels.

Despite his elegance in the show ring, Harding said Come On III can be a bit clumsy. “He’s a bull in a China shop,” she said. “He lives in bell boots because he steps on himself constantly. He has a very distinct personality. He trailers okay but he’s a very nervous horse. So he doesn’t get tied in the trailer because he pulls back. He just has little quirks.”

Still, Harding loves everything about the horse calling him “fabulous” and her “handsome man.” But like many males – and females too – he likes lots of attention. And he certainly gets it from Harding. “He tries so hard for me. We have a very special bond. This is the first horse I’ve owned personally since I was in high school. So, it’s been a long time since I’ve had my own horse to ride. We have a very special connection. He knows the sound of my truck. He knows the sound of my footsteps when I come up to the stall.”

Despite their super showing in the Prix St. Georges, Harding notes that Come On III is still very young and doesn’t have much experience in the show ring, as seen in Saturday’s Intermediaire I. In that competition, the eight-year-old gelding finished at the end of the group. Harding said he warmed up super and cantered into the ring relaxed but then he seemed to spot something in the stands that spooked him. He spun away and remained tense throughout the ride. “His trot work and extended canter were great but he couldn't get settled at anytime on the short side. It was very bad luck, but he is young and although very upset still tried to do what I asked in the more forward work “

No doubt as he gains more experience in the show ring, Come On III will be a solid competitor. Harding will be busy schooling him at home in preparation for the Developing Horse Championships for 7- to 9-Year-Old horses in Lexington.