Phillip Dutton and Possante. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
We’ve got two days of dressage under our belts in The B&D Builders CCI4*-L at The Event at TerraNova (Myakka City, FL), and Phillip Dutton and the Possante Groups’s Possante will be the phase one leaders after earning a 26.8 from the Ground Jury of Valerie Pride (USA), Robyn Fisher (USA), and Christina Klingspor (SWE).
Phillip’s taken an unplanned route to TerraNova this fall after a tack malfunction led to an early end to what would have been their final competition of the season at the US Equestrian Open Final in October (Morven Park – Leesburg, VA). Phillip then brought “Impy” to the MARS Maryland 5 Star to perform the test ride after he earned a higher-than-usual mark at Morven Park; the extra practice in atmosphere wouldn’t hurt, and Friday their score trended back down into the territory Phillip knows the 12-year-old KWPN gelding can become more comfortable in.
“We had a few moments that weren’t perfect by any means, but he still scored very well,” Phillip said in a post-ride interview. “When we first entered the arena, he was a little wary of the judges’ boxes and tightened up a bit. Then, in the trot half-passes — usually one of his strengths — I must have surprised him, and he dragged behind and didn’t do them as well. But he walked beautifully and cantered really well.”
You can hear more from Phillip below:
Sydney Elliott and Carol Stephens’ QC Diamantaire are in second ahead of cross country with a score of 29.3. It’s been a quieter couple of seasons for Sydney (who underwent surgery to repair deterioration in her navicular joint last year and spent a few months out of the saddle) and “Q”, making this their first Long format since the 2023 Pan American Games.
Lynn Symansky is in third after dressage with Alice Lawaetz’s and Linda Graves’ Bounce 6 (31.0). TerraNova is the target Lynn’s been eyeing for the year with the 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding, who wasn’t quite ready yet for the additional terrain challenge of Morven Park at this stage.
The CCI4*-L cross-country phase begins on Saturday (November 15) at 11:30 a.m. EST, followed by the show jumping phase on Sunday (November 16) starting at around 12:00 p.m. EST. You’ll be able to watch live here and on ClipMyHorse.TV / USEF Network.
Phillip Dutton and Possante. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
Will Coleman and the Diabolo Group’s Diabolo are officially back at the 4* level after a light lead-up to this end-season goal. They’ll be the overnight leaders after two phases in the CCI4*-S on a score of 26.9. The 15-year-old Holsteiner gelding had a setback at the end of the year last season, and Will’s not been hurried in bringing him back out. He’s mentioned he would love to take this horse to Kentucky in the spring, but this important stepping stone will give him information on what he’ll need to take into the off-season’s work list.
Fahrenheit Addict, Will’s second ride in this division, is right behind his stablemate in second on a score of 31.4.
Will Coleman and Fahrenheit Addict. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
“I’m really happy with both my horses,” Will said. “Diabolo’s coming back after a long break, and there are definitely things we need to keep working on to get him back to peak form. This was his first four-star in over a year, so we were excited to bring him here and see where he stands in all three phases. He was a little fresh today — he’s got a lot of blood — but he tried hard, and I’m so lucky to have him. I think the world of that horse.”
“He’s normally a great cross-country horse, but there’s a lot of jumping to do out there,” Will said of tomorrow’s efforts. “The most important thing is to give him a good, confidence-building ride to finish the season on a positive note.”
Sweden’s Jennie Jarnstrom-Dennis and Flower Girl are in third in the 4*-S, taking a score of 35.4 into cross country, which will begin for this division at approximately 1:10 p.m., shortly following the 4*-L.
You can view the full cross country courses for all divisions on CrossCountry App here. Let’s hear a bit from course designer Alec Lochore (also the incoming Olympic designer for LA28!):
The Event at TerraNova marks the conclusion of the 2025 FEI eventing season in the United States. This event also serves as the second qualifier out of only 20 in total for the 2026 USEF Eventing Open Series.
The Event at TerraNova (FL): [Website] [Entries/Times] [Scores] [Live Stream] [CrossCountry App XC Maps] [Volunteer]
