The CCI3* Derek di Grazia course here at Bromont challenges the horses in a lot of interesting ways while keeping safety at a premium. We will see how it rides on Saturday, but the course is getting a lot of praise back in the barns. The course is big and very technical at times, but it has a nice flow.
The riders come out of the start box and have three single fences to get their horses tuned up. The third fence is a table with a downhill landing. Quite a few of the jumps on this course have a lower landing than the takeoff, and fence #3 is a good time for riders to practice releasing on takeoff to give the horse freedom to jump, but staying back with a strong upper body and lower leg to keep the horse balanced on landing.
The real fun starts at fence #4, the first water. Riders will jump the A element, which is a hanging log on top of a mound, and then ride downhill into the water, up and over another mound, and then jump out over #4B, which reminds me of the last element on the Rolex coffin–except with the option on the left. This is a lot to look at early on the course and most riders will hopefully take their time preparing for 4A.
After the first water, riders have a chance to gallop away, but it’s quickly back to work for a table and a normal 5 strides right turning over a corner at #5AB. After a ditch and rail followed by another gallop, riders negotiate the first coffin at #7ABC, which is a hanging rail downhill over a ditch and then a long one stride out over a narrow at C. These first three technical combination come very close to each other and the horses need to be really on the aids early to get the job done.
Fence #11ABC is the second water, which goes through the same pond as the first water. #11A is a vertical brush with a downhill landing in the water. Then a right turn to a duck at B, and another slight turn uphill over the brush table at C.
After a long gallop, riders prepare for, in my opinion, the hardest question on the course.
The pictures don’t do #13AB justice. #13A is a huge narrow oxer with a noticeably downhill landing. The ground continues downhill for the left handed turn to B, which is a very large brush corner. The ground fades away to the right in front of the right handed corner. Riders do have some options with the turn and striding, but if they pick the wrong option B will not forgive them. The key is to be correct at A…and then just don’t be wrong at B.
After a table at #14, fence #15A is a serious drop (nearly 6′) and then three or four strides to a brush narrow at B. I’m guessing most riders will take a hold and get the four.
The riders enter the arena for a left handed loop over #16 and #17AB. The horses will know they are close to home here and while that shouldn’t matter much to 3* horses, it’s just an extra reason to take another half halt after jumping 16. The left handed turn to #17AB is critical to getting a good line through the double corners, which are separated by two strides. The corners are big and have very large ground lines. In an interesting twist the option for #17A is on the fast-route’s #17B and vice versa.
Ok, we’re done, right? Not even close.
#18 and #19 give the horses a chance to catch their breath before the third and final water at #20AB. The final water is interesting because #20B is at a 90 degree angle to #20A, requiring a precise turn. Riders will also have to keep their horse’s focus away from multiple prelim and intermediate jumps in the water complex.
Fence #21 is a log pile with wheels, and #22 is a ditch and rail with water in the ditch. Just don’t let this be the jump that makes you wet. The combination at #23AB is the most forgiving on course and is just two brush tables on a slight right turn. After a table at #24, it’s onward to the second coffin, which has a brush vertical at #25A followed by and angled ditch and angled C…
Riders can feel the finish line just a few fences away, but they know they need to take this last combination seriously. After the coffin, #26 is a beautiful wooden bench. Fence #27 is a massive table with a set of obnoxiously large hay feeders on either side. #28 is a horseshoe jump and then the most beautiful feeling in the world…
Weather: Rain is expected for Saturday and Sunday. As always, whatever happens with the weather there’s nothing we can do about it but make the best of the situation. I remember reading in one of Jimmy’s books that he liked to wake up on Saturday and see it raining because he knew his competitors would be worried about it.
Footing: The ground is perfect as of Friday night. It’s wonderfully cushiony but firm enough to hold up under galloping and jumping. The word is that the sand/clay mix can get deep and sticky if it takes enough water so we would love to see the rain hold off as much as possible.
Brush: 14 of the elements on the CCI3* course utilize brush on top of the jumps. Course designers are using brush more and more to give the horses a margin of error over the fences. The question is how does that set the horse up for the next solid fence?
The training course is no slouch either–this is the biggest training corner I have ever seen.
Terrain: The hills at Bromont are not terribly steep, but the ground is always changing elevation. One insider I spoke with tonight said that smart riders plan for one star of fitness higher when they come to Bromont. So a CCI* competitor should think two-star fitness for Bromont.
Game-Plan: The only thing good riders are thinking about right now is what they can do to give their horse the best possible opportunity to do well on cross-country. Anything else is all just a bunch of distracting BS.
A photo gallery of all the CCI3* is available on our Facebook fanpage. Use this link for non-Facebook users.
Eventing Nation wishes everyone the best of luck on cross-country. Go eventing.
