On Tap: Preview and How to Follow the Tryon International CCI4*-L This Weekend

Ema Klugman and Slieve Callan Alpha. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

With all the hoopla that is Badminton, let’s not forget the roster of competitors ready to tackle the first 4*-L of the season in the U.S. at Tryon International, presented by Yanmar America, in Mill Spring, NC. 27 horses and riders have put in to contest the headlining CCI4*-L, but there’s also Long and Short offerings from 2* up through 4*, as well as a 1*-S competition. You can view the full list of entries by division (as well as live scoring once competition begins Thursday) here.

Looking back to the 4*-L field, there’s a serious field of contenders and some Olympic hopefuls looking to impress in this final official selection trial for U.S. athletes (Badminton is also considered a selection trial by US Equestrian). We also see some re-routes from Kentucky for some pairs or some who competed in the 4*-S who were using Kentucky as a final tune-up for this serious Long format.

So, who are the ones to watch this weekend? That’s always a loaded question, as truthfully it can generally be anyone’s weekend to score a big win, but here are some notables:

Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Caroline Pamukcu is certainly one to keep an eye on as she presents her Pan Ams individual gold medalist partner HSH Blake (Tolan R – Doughiska Lass, by Kannan), looking to build off a strong finish at Kentucky. Frankly, had “Blake” not lost a shoe on cross country at Kentucky and picked up some additional time penalties as a result, I think we could have seen Caroline hit the podium there. There’s plenty of competition here this weekend, so while she’s by no means the singular one to watch, this will certainly be a pair to keep an eye on — and I’ve been saying it all year: don’t count Caroline out for Paris just yet. Caroline also has two other young stars in this division in HSH Tolan K and HSH Double Sixteen.

Liz Halliday and Cooley Quicksilver. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Liz Halliday is another rider making a strong bid for Paris, and while what might be considered her top two prospects finished up strong weekends at Kentucky (Miks Master C and Cooley Nutcracker), you’d be remiss to even think about counting out her two 4*-L entries in Cooley Quicksilver and Shanroe Cooley. Liz’s horses are owned by a combination of Ocala Horse Properties, Deborah Palmer, The Monster Partnership, and The Nutcracker Syndicate.

Cooley Quicksilver (Womanizer – Kylemore Crystal, by Greggan Diamond) was sixth at the Kentucky 4*-S (he also won that division in 2022 en route to a top five finish at Luhmühlen the following month) and now arrives at his spring destination after a lighter year in 2023. Liz has been chuffed with “Monster” and his progression through the years — she’s had him since he was a young horse — and he stands a strong chance of taking the victory this weekend.

Shanroe Cooley (Liz Halliday). Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Stablemate Shanroe Cooley (Dallas – Shanroe Sapphire, by Condios) is a bit younger and less experienced. He’ll be seeking his first 4*-L completion at Tryon after a parting of ways cut his debut short at Galway Downs last fall. “Dallas” has seen a few slightly higher marks on the flat since stepping up to 4*, which is of course fairly normal as a horse gains the strength they need for the more demanding test, but he’s well capable of a sub-30s (he’s put down a 26.8 at this level in the past) mark on his day and Liz will be looking for a confirming weekend here in this step up.

Phillip Dutton has three strong and promising younger horses to show this weekend in Possante, Jewelent, and Denim.

Phillip Dutton and Possante. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Denim (Dinken – Celia II, by Ibisco xx) was originally slated to step up to 5* at Kentucky, but Phillip made a decision to instead focus on another 4*-L under the 9-year-old’s girth before taking that all-important next step. The 4*-L Denim, who is owned by Ann Jones, Ann Lapides, Caroline Moran, and Neill Sites, did do, however, was no slouch: Phillip traveled to the Netherlands to tackle the 4*-L at Boekelo last fall. They delivered a clear cross country round and lowered one rail in this competition. It’s reasonable to expect Phillip to go for gusto on Denim come cross country day, really testing the training he will have done in the off-season to assess the horse’s readiness for a future 5* debut.

The Possante Group’s Possante (Namelus R – Wendelien, by Otangelo) is another more recent addition to Phillip’s string, really impressing us with his presence as Phillip continues to get to know the former Emily King ride. He’s got two strong 4* runs this year so far, including a top 10 at Stable View in early April, and this will be his first start at the 4* level, which means while Phillip will ride as competitively as he can, he’ll likely prioritize more information-finding, relationship-building, and setting the horse up for what he hopes will be a lengthy career beyond this weekend.

Last but far from least of Phillip’s rides is the 12-year-old Irish gelding Jewelent (Valent – Bellaney Jewel, by Roselier), who was previously ridden by Ireland’s Claire Abbott through the 4* and partially the 5* level (he finished two phases at Badminton with Claire in 2022 before being withdrawn). The only reason Phillip and “Julian” had a 20 marring their performance at Kentucky in the 4*-S was because of an epic save Phillip made after he came unseated at the B element of fence 9. Julian made more than a few new fans for his part for how patiently he waited for his rider to monkey-crawl his way back upright — take a look:

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The Canadians also have some horses in this division as they eye their own trip to Paris. Karl Slezak has been collecting competitive results with the 12-year-old Chevalier (Cabardino N – Play For Keeps, by Dachstanz), owned by Carol Wiley. This pair did fall victim to the challenging coffin complex on the 4* course at Kentucky, but Karl should still be feeling confident ahead of this first 4*-L.

Dana Cooke and Quattro. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Also coming forward for Canada are Dana Cooke and the FE Quattro Syndicate’s Quattro (Quaterstern – Elina, by Coriograph B), who delivered an exciting 3*-S at Morven Park last fall but saw their season come to a crashing halt with a fall on cross country at Galway Downs at the end of the season. They’ve put that behind them though and have some strong runs under their belt this season so far.

This is by no means a comprehensive list of who to follow! Be sure to check in on the entry list here to pick out your favorites.

You can find the competition schedule here. The 4* divisions will split dressage over Thursday and Friday, followed by cross country on Saturday and show jumping on Sunday. There is no live stream this weekend, but we’ll be bringing you reports on completion of each phase, as well as photo galleries from official photographer Shannon Brinkman right here on EN and our social channels. You can also view course maps for the cross country here.

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