Fourteen nations competed in eventing at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, with 11 of them fielding a team. The fact that eight of those countries completed a team means the eventing scene throughout Central America, South America and the Caribbean is not only rapidly expanding, but also becoming much more competitive.

While we regularly cover U.S. and Canadian riders on EN, there are a number of other competitors from different countries who are equally deserving of recognition — and many of them have fascinating stories! With that in mind, here’s a look at eight riders to keep on your radar at the conclusion of the Pan American Games.

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Carlos Lobos and Ranco. Photo by Cindy Lawler.

1. Carlos Lobos, 34, of Chile (5th place)

You might remember Carlos’s name from the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, where he finished in 10th place individually aboard Ranco, the same horse he rode this year in Toronto. The 12-year-old Chilean-bred gelding owned by Ejercito de Chile (the Chilean Army) has served as Carlos’s top mount since 2011. Since then, they’ve emerged as the stars of the Chilean eventing team, twice winning both the Quillota CCI2* and CIC2* events in their home country.

You always knew where Carlos was on the cross country course this past Saturday at Will O’ Wind Farm based on which way the Chilean fans were running, followed by the chants of “CARLOOOOOS!” He finished in fifth place on his dressage score of 45.3, the only rider from a country aside from team medalists U.S., Brazil and Canada to finish in the top 10.

Carlos Paro and Calcourt Landline. Photo by Cindy Lawler.

2. Carlos Paro, 36, of Brazil (team silver, 6th place)

Carlos has the honor of being the highest-placed finisher of any Brazilian eventer at an Olympic Games, placing 21st at Sydney in 2000. Like fellow teammate Ruy Fonseca, Carlos is also based in England and is a regular fixture at UK events. He’s completed Badminton and Burghley, as well as competed at two World Equestrian Games in 1998 and 2006.

Since winning a team bronze medal at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio, Carlos has been bringing a number of promising young horses through the levels, including his Toronto mount Calcourt Landline, Fiona Edwards’ 9-year-old Ango-European gelding. Carlos and “Sam” finished 11th at the Saumur CCI3* this year and are gunning for next year’s Brazilian Olympic team.

Marcio Carvalho Jorge and Lissy Mac Wayer. Photo by Cindy Lawler.

 3. Marcio Carvalho Jorge, 40, of Brazil (team silver, 7th place)

Marcio is your ultimate adult amateur. He works as an anesthesiologist back home in Brazil and also competes about 10 horses. He spent part of his season based with Mark Todd last year in the UK in the lead up to major events like Badminton, which he completed with his homebred mare Josephine MCJ.

He also represented Brazil at the 2012 London Olympics with Josephine MCJ, as well as the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, where they finished ninth individually and won a team bronze medal. Marcio has said he may postpone his career as a doctor in order to pursue eventing full time, especially with the Olympics coming to his home country next year.

His Pan Ams mount this year, Lissy Mac Wayer (pronounced Lizzie McGuire!), was previously campaigned by Thomas Carlile, Mark Todd and Lucinda Fredericks, and Marcio got the ride on the 12-year-old Westphalian mare in 2013. Marcio and Lissy finished 20th at Bramham CCI3* last year and won the Barretos CIC3* this year in Brazil.

Daniela Moguel and Cecelia. Photo by Cindy Lawler.

4. Daniela Moguel, 33, of Mexico (12th place)

Mexican team coach Karen O’Connor calls Daniela a “rockstar,” and it’s easy to see why when you watch her tackle a cross country course. She’s gutsy and accurate in the tack, and she completed the Pan Ams as the highest-placed rider on the budding Mexican team, which Karen took over coaching in January of this year.

Daniela finished ninth individually in the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games in Puerto Rico and competed in her first Pan American Games this year aboard Cecelia, a 12-year-old Thoroughbred mare owned by Aurelio Quinzaños and Luis Miguel Alons that previously campaigned through the three-star level with Leslie Chelstrom.

With Karen at the helm of the Mexican team, it will be exciting to see what’s next for Daniela and her teammates. Karen told EN that the team’s plan for the rest of the year is a bit up in the air right now, as the main focus has been on getting to the Pan American Games. We hope we’ll see more of talented Team Mexico soon!

Nicolas Wettstein and Onzieme Framoni. Photo by Cindy Lawler.

5. Nicolas Wettstein, 34, of Ecuador (13th place)

Born in Switzerland but with three different passports to his name, Nicolas represented Switzerland for 10 years before switching to ride for Ecuador in 2011. His mother, Monique Deyme, competed internationally in eventing in the 1980s and now runs the family’s Framoni Stud in France, which breeds the horses Nicolas competes.

Based in Switzerland, he competes all across Europe with his two top mounts. He’s completed Luhmühlen and Badminton with family homebred Nadeville Merze, the Selle Francais gelding with whom he represented Ecuador at WEG last year. He also completed Pau in 2011 with Onzieme Framoni, his mount for this year’s Pan Ams and another Selle Francais gelding from his family’s breeding program.

Carlos Narvaez and Que Loco. Photo by Cindy Lawler.

6. Carlos Narvaez, 35, of Ecuador (14th place)

Carlos is the only member of the Ecuadorian team actually based in Ecuador. (Third teammate Ronald Zabala Goetschel is based in West Grove, Pennsylvania, and trains with Phillip Dutton.) With limited access to events in his home country, Carlos only competed at the CCI2* level three times prior to this year’s Pan Ams. One of those times was at the 2011 Pan Ams in Guadalajara, where he finished 19th individually with Que Loco.

He and Que Loco, an 11-year-old Chilean-bred gelding owned by Norton Narvarez Ordonez and Alejandro Iuna, won the CCI2* at Riobamba in Ecuador this year to qualify for Toronto. They finished the Pan Ams on a final score of 60.8, which bests their score from the 2011 Pan Ams by nearly 30 points and their best career CCI2* score by 11 points.

Elena Alvarez Ceballos and Nounours du Moulin. Photo by Cindy Lawler.

7. Elena Ceballos, 45, of Venezuela (16th place)

Elena qualified two horses for the Pan American Games and ultimately rode her longtime partner Nonours du Moulin, a 14-year-old Selle Francais gelding owned by Isabel Ceballos and Javier Jeri Leigh. She also rode “Frenchie” at the 2011 Pan Ams in Guadalajara, where they finished fifth individually.

She lives in Florida for part of the year training with Kyle Carter, who coached the Venezuelan team at the Pan Ams this year. She also spends part of the year back home in Venezuela, where she has a string of show jumpers. She was one of just a handful of riders (from countries other than team medalists U.S., Brazil and Canada) to finish on her dressage score at the Pan Ams.

Francisco Calvelo and Noir de la Muralla. Photo by Cindy Lawler.

8. Francisco Calvelo, 18, of Uruguay (21st place)

Just 18 years old, Francisco found himself sitting on an unhappy horse in dressage when his mount Noir de la Muralla, an 8-year-old Uruguyan-bred gelding owned by Raul Calvelo, wanted nothing to do with the buzzing atmosphere at the Caledon Pan Am Equestrian Park. But he went on to finish on his dressage score to complete the event as the highest-placed rider for Uruguay.

He also competes in pure show jumping and spent a winter showing in Wellington in 2014, and he competed on the South American team at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing,  China, where he won a team silver medal. Having accomplished so much at such a young age, Francisco is definitely a rider to watch for the future.

Members of the U.S., Canadian, Brazilian and Mexican teams graciously took a few moments to chat about their initial reactions to what was surely a weekend no one will soon forget at the Pan American Games.

Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Marilyn Little

“Nothing really compares to a day like this. It’s my first major games and this day is indescribable. It’s a very exciting for all of us. (RF Scandalous) was everything that I hoped she would be and that we know she can be. She’s a very, very special horse. She shows up for work and she loves all three days. She truly wants to be great at it. She was exceptional this weekend and I’m so proud of her.”

“David (O’Connor) has had a huge role in (RF Scandalous) getting ready — just channeling it all into the right direction so that she becomes a competitor and not just a great horse. She’s a wonderful partner. I can’t wait to see where the next few years go.”

“We came here with several goals in mind. Obviously, one was to qualify for Rio and also to represent our country to the best of our ability. I couldn’t ask for a better team. It was a wonderful experience. There was a wonderful sense of camaraderie, and I’m glad we could all do this together. At the moment I’m just really enjoying this day, and I’m really happy.”

“You think of all of the people and all of the horses behind you who made it possible. There’s a million people and a million horses and a wonderful team who has made it possible. I’m grateful for the opportunity, and I’m grateful to all of the people who made it possible — this is a team sport.”

On the pressure of being last to show jump today after Phillip Dutton had one rail down: “I tried to put (going last and Phillip’s rail) out of my mind. I enjoy going last, I enjoy the pressure.”

On what’s next for Raylyn Farms and Phoebe and Michael Manders’ RF Scandalous: “I’m really excited to move her up to the three-star level. I am looking to move her up, she is certainly ready for that. She’s had some three-star type courses, one of which was the Pan Am Prep Trials at Great Meadow, and she’s ready to move up in the fall.”

On her path from show jumping to eventing: “I had a pretty good imagination (in thinking I would be here)! In my wildest dreams, yes, I wanted to be here. When I started doing this, I wanted to get here. Six years ago, I would never have imagined that I would be sitting here. I have no idea where I’ll be in six years, but this is a very important day, and I will carry this day with me for the rest of my life.”

“Just as you have eventing horses, show jumping horses and dressage horses, at the end of the day a good horse is a good horse, and a great sport is a great sport. The feeling is very different in the preparation, but the result and your goal is the same. You train just as hard; it’s a culmination of all of the work, and regardless of whether I’ve been in show jumping or eventing, the horses work just as hard for you. The feeling is the same.”

Boyd Martin won his very first medal today. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Boyd Martin

“I’ve been in this for the last 20 years, and I’ve never got a medal. This is my first medal, and we had to fight for it pretty hard, but I’ve got to say it’s a very rewarding feeling because I’ve been trying for this for a very long time, and I’ve finally got it.”

“I think deep down I knew we would qualify for Rio just because of our world rankings, but whenever you get picked for an American team, you have to come up with your absolute personal best. I think America’s been in the dark a little bit the last couple of outings, so I’m proud to be a part of a winning team.”

“It’s comforting for me because we’ve got David O’Connor, who’s a wonderful coach and manager, and Phillip (Dutton), who I like to call the Eventing Messiah. David thinks about these sort of things 12 months of the year, and Phillip’s my mentor and coach and walks the course with me at the horse trials. It’s an easy day for me because it’s just another day at the horse show.”

“I think Team USA has the best support system with (USEF Eventing Managing Director) Joanie Morris, (veterinarian) Susan Jones, (farrier) Steve Teichman and (David O’Connor) as the coach. And then Phillip as the Eventing Jesus is the captain of the team, so it’s pretty easy to be a member of the team.”

On The Pancho Villa Syndicate’s Pancho Villa’s show jumping performance: “I’m on a very good jumper (with) Pancho Villa. He felt fresh this morning, and he warmed up good and jumped around pretty well. He’s a three-star horse, so I thought he should jump clear.”

Boyd Martin has dubbed Phillip Dutton the “Eventing Messiah.” Has a nice ring to it. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Phillip Dutton

“Obviously, we wanted to come here to win, and that’s what happened. It’s been a bit of a tough road for American eventing, and I think that everybody stuck to the principles of trying to get better and trying to improve the sport and get better horses and for the riders to ride better. I would like to think it’s all starting to pay off. This is one small step to where we want to go, but I think it’s really exciting.”

“It’s a credit to David (O’Connor) and to everyone else who has put their time in and for the riders that have really supported it and tried to grow the sport to try to get us back to the top of the world. David has pulled together a great support crew, and there’s a lot of good horses and riders still at home. I think it’s an exciting time for the sport. It’s fair to say we’re all a bit behind the Europeans, but also we’re catching up.”

On pulling a rail as the first out for the U.S. today with Tom Tierney and Annie Jones’ Fernhill Fugitive: “I think he was a little quiet in the air. I came down (to the second fence) in an easy six, and he didn’t hit it very hard, but it did come down, unfortunately. It was fortunate we didn’t need that (final score), but the rest of his round was good.”

Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Lauren Kieffer

“It was great (to be on the podium for the first time) — hopefully I can keep doing it. I’ve been mentally preparing for this for awhile. It’s obviously been a dream for a long time, so I was just happy to pull it off and be up there. With Boyd and Phillip, it’s a great balance of newbies and experience. It was an honor to be up there.”

“(Meadowbrook’s Scarlett) finished on her dressage score. She put in the right test on Friday and couldn’t have been any better yesterday and couldn’t have been any better today. She was pretty excited and though that everyone was here to see her!”

On the next step for Marie Le Menestrel’s Meadowbrook’s Scarlett: “She’s going to get a nice vacation. She loves vacation, so she’ll get her shoes pulled off and hang out in the field for a month. She’s young, so I don’t want to overrun her, but she was also fired up today, so it didn’t seem like it took a lot out of her.”

On having an abundance of mares in her barn: “There’s a lot of estrogen in my barn! (Mares) have got a whole lot of fight in them when it comes down to it. They very much think for themselves and that can come to your advantage. They can kind of stay ahead of the game for you.”

U.S. Chef d’Equipe David O’Connor

“We wanted to change some things when we started — attitude and the belief, the belief from the riders, from the public and from the eventing community as a whole. To have these guys perform the way they did this weekend — it was great camaraderie. Everybody from the staff behind the scenes — grooms, vets and farriers — really showed an exceptional effort and it shows that a system like this is best built on belief and a huge respect for each other.”

On going forward to Rio: “I think our system is getting some momentum and getting some belief, and hopefully that will roll on to future candidates. We were here to do a couple of things. We were coming here to really let these guys prove what they can do. We all know they can do it; we’ve seen great performances. It was a joy to watch that.”

Jessica Phoenix. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Jessica Phoenix

“For Pavarotti to go in and have the round that he did in front of our hometown crowd was amazing, and walking away with any medal was awesome. He’s a horse of a lifetime; he’s such a competitor in all three phases. He definitely knows what day is which phase, and he comes to compete every day. I’m thankful to have the ride on him.”

“I’m so thankful that I could be here on this team at the Toronto Pan Am Games. To do this in front of your hometown crowd is incredible. It’s been amazing to come and showcase our sport here and have the fans that we have and have this team of people. We’re really looking forward to (Rio).”

On bringing Don Good’s Pavarotti, who has four-star experience, to Toronto: “I think having Pavarotti at the (World Equestrian Games) last year and bringing him to the Pan American Games was the best thing we could have done for him. It just brought him to a level of relaxation. Even walking out of the arena in the dressage phase, he was just hanging out. I think it’s been a really good weekend for him, and I think it will set him up well for next year.”

On her injury at Jersey Fresh and the recovery process: “I’m really sound! I feel really well.”

Waylon Roberts and Bill Owen. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Waylon Roberts

“I’ve come home to this venue and to this Pan Am Games, and it’s a wonderful feeling to have this support and this crowd. I think we’ve done Canada proud today.”

Daniela Moguel and Cecelia. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Daniela Moguel of Mexico, 12th place

“Cross country was wonderful. I have a super nice mare, a great coach, and I’m starting to get there. I’m very happy and very proud of my team. I just feel great; it was a beautiful finish.”

“(The hard work) was endless. Of course, there’s a lot of people behind this — a lot of time, a lot of money, a lot of effort and a lot of things that you have to put aside and just keep going. I just want to say thank you to everybody that I’m able to be here.”

“(Karen O’Connor) is the best coach in the world. There’s no one better. We can trust her with anything. She has all the experience, all the knowledge — what more could we ask for?”

Daniela Moguel and Karen O’Connor. Photo via EN’s Instagram.

Team Mexico Coach Karen O’Connor

“I think that it’s been a wonderful weekend for them. Of course, (Daniela) is very high in the standings, and her whole country is behind her. Our other two riders rode beautifully, and they have had their personal bests at this level. We made mistakes yesterday, and we are learning from those mistakes.”

“You know, there is a very fine line between winning and not winning, and you’re going to see that this afternoon (in show jumping). It’s slivers of moments. As Al Pacino said, the moments are all around you. The inches are everywhere, and you just have to minimize the inches. For sure we are on a great program. I hope that it has a tremendous amount of longevity so that they will be become very competitive on the world stage very very soon.”

Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti win individual silver, Marilyn Little wins individual gold, and Ruy Fonseca wins individual bronze. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Ruy Fonseca (BRA)

“I had a very good round. After Rolex Kentucky, we had a bit of a downside in (show jumping). He got a little bit scared, and he just improved. The whole season this year, this is his second rail down. I’ve jumped about 10 competitions, and I had only two rails for the first six months, which is pretty good.”

“It was a shame to have the last fence down, but this is a beautiful sport. I need to see the video to see what I could have done better, but it’s not the time to say to myself what I could have done better. I’m very happy with the individual medal, and we’re really looking forward to Rio next year.”

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Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous win individual gold! Photo by Jenni Autry.

Hello from the Caledon Pan Am Equestrian Park here in Palgrave, Ontario! We’re about 30 minutes from the 1 p.m. start of show jumping here at the Pan American Games, and I’ll be keeping you up to date in this open thread and on Twitter @eventingnation. Keep refreshing this page to stay up-to-date on your favorite riders.

The U.S. holds the team lead after cross country on 133.0, followed by Brazil in second on 136.7 and Canada in third on 159.0. Just one rider from those countries, Waylon Roberts and Bill Owen, will jump in the first group. Then there will be a 15-minute break to drag the ring before we get into the top 16 in the individual standings.

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2:59: The storms have mostly blown over now, and the awards ceremony will be starting soon. Stay tuned for much more!

2:46: Unbelievable finish here at the Pan Am Games! Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous win gold, Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti win silver, and Ruy Fonseca and Tom Bombadill Too win bronze. Team USA wins gold, Brazil wins silver, and Canada wins bronze.

2:45: The last rail falls for Ruy Fonseca! Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous win INDIVIDUAL GOLD FOR TEAM USA!

2:42: Overnight leaders Ruy Fonseca and Tom Bombadill Too are in the ring now. More claps of thunder! This might be a very damp awards ceremony.

2:41: Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous jump clear to guarantee the team gold medal for Team USA! Marilyn and Kitty will finish no lower than second place individually.

2:40: Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous enter the ring just as we hear an ominous rumbling of thunder. Severe storms are predicted for 3 p.m.

2:38: Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti jump clear to huge cheers from the crowd!

2:35: Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa jump clear! Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive are set to be the drop score, so Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous can’t afford a single rail to keep Team USA in the lead.

2:32: Carlos Lobos and Ranco pull off a super save at the in and out at 10AB and finish clear to huge cheers from the crowd. A great round for Chile!

2:30: Clear for Carlos Paro and Calcourt Landline of Brazil. The U.S. has two left to jump, while overnight leaders Ruy Fonseca and Tom Bombadill Too will be the final pair to go for Brazil.

2:28: Carlos Paro and Calcourt Landline are starting now for Brazil. Carlos said this horse is an extremely good show jumper.

2:27: Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett jump clear for Team USA! Mama and Papa Kieffs and super groom Shannon Kinsley look over the moon in the kiss and cry!

2:23: Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive just had the second fence down to put pressure on Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett to jump a clear round.

2:20: Qorry Blue d’Argouges wasn’t touching any poles today! He jumped beautifully with Colleen Loach to deliver Canada’s first clear round of the afternoon. This Canadian crowd is going wild! A stellar championships debut for her.

2:19: Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue d’Argouges, in 10th after cross country, are entering the ring now for Canada! Just 13 penalty points separate the top 10, so ever rail is going to be extremely costly.

2:18: Marcio Carvalho Jorge and Lissy Mac Wayer deliver the second clear round of the afternoon for Brazil. Remember there are just 3.7 penalties separating second-placed Brazil and overnight leaders Team USA.

2:14: Ronald Zabala Goetschel and Master Boy have three rails down for Ecuador, which now gives a 23-penalty berth between their team and Canada. That makes the chances that Canada will stand atop the team medal podium this afternoon that much more likely.

2:11: Daniela Moguel and Cecilia come in a little too hot to 10AB and take a rail at B to finish on 57.7. Still a really fantastic showing for Team Mexico.

2:08: Henrique Plombon and Land Quenote deliver a beautiful clear round for Brazil to keep the pressure on Team USA. Brazil is just 3.7 penalties behind the U.S., so one rail will make all the difference.

2:05: Carlos Narvarez and Que Loco of Ecuador pull one rail, which now gives Canada 11.1 penalties of breathing room in the team competition. Canada is holding bronze position on 163.0, while Ecuador is in fourth on 174.1.

2:03: California-based Lauren Billys and Castle Larchfield Purdy have three rails come down to finish on 77.3.

2:01: Nicolas Wettstein and Onzieme Framoni of Ecuador leave all the poles in the cups! Ecuador is in fourth place in the team standings just 7.1 penalties behind Canada now after factoring in Waylon Roberts and Bill Owen’s rail.

2: We’re back underway here at the Pan Am Games with the top 16. Nicolas Wettstein and Onzieme Framoni are the first in the ring in this group. Currently on a score of 60.5.

1:44: We’re on a 15-minute break now to drag the ring. The top 16 will jump at 2 p.m.

1:43: The last comes down for Waylon Roberts and Bill Owen, but the crowd still shows him a lot of love.

1:41: And the crowd goes wild for Waylon Roberts and Bill Owen as they enter the ring for Canada!

1:39: Elena Ceballos Alvarez and Nounour de Moulin, the remaining members of the Venezuelan team, jumped a lovely clear. Big cheers from coach Kyle Carter! This horse is a super jumper.

1:37: Sergio Iturriaga and Versalles of Chile pull 10B and 11 for a total of two rails down.

1:35: The time allowed has been adjusted to 80.5 seconds; it was previously 74 seconds.

1:32: 18-year-old Sofia Baussan Augspuer and Durango, the sole competitors left for El Salvador, sadly have a refusal at fence 10A. The crowd gave them some encouragement, and they cleared the final line for a total of 12 penalties.

1:29: Luciana Claudio Brunello and Erevan of Argentina pull the first rail but leave the rest of the poles in the cups.

1:27: Francisco Calvelo and Noir de la Muralla of Uruguay have a firecracker of a clear round. This horse looks ready to go around Wayne Copping’s cross country course again!

1:26: Poles come tumbling for Jhonatan Rodriguez and Nilo of Colombia. We’re seeing some tired horses down the last line, which is an in and out at 10AB and then down the long side away from the in-gate to an oxer. Scroll down to the bottom of this post to see photos of each fence.

1:24: This will be the ONLY round of show jumping today, so both team and individual medals will be determined within the next hour here in Toronto. #nailbiter

1:21: Jose Mercado and Romana of Mexico also jump clear! What a storybook ending for both Guillermo and Jose. Their third teammate, Daniela Moguel, will jump in the next group.

1:18: Guillermo de Campo and Quelite of Mexico jumped a beautiful clear round. Just a rub at the last. Really nicely ridden. Viva Mexico!

1:16: Francisco Juan Gallo and Remonta Nunhil of Argentina have a hairy moment at fence 10B and then pull the final fence at 11 for a total of two rails down.

1:14: Santiago Medina Negrette and Ritmical EJC, the individual bronze medalists from last year’s Central American & Caribbean Games, also jump a smooth, clear round for Colombia. The course is riding very well so far.

1:12: A lovely clear round for Edison Quintana Valerio and SVR Capoeira II for Uruguay. That’s the third double clear round so far.

1:10: The live scores seem to be updating pretty reliably at this point, so click here to keep track of those.

1:08: Two rails down and 1 time penalty for Rodrigo Abella Lemme and SVR Arbitro of Uruguay.

1:07: Two rails down for Guillermo Garin and Ubago of Chile. The chinchillas were beginning to think the poles were glued in the cups.

1:04: Juan Carlos Tafur and Quinto have a few Jesus-take-the-wheel moments but deliver a clear round!

12:59: We’re underway! Sarka Kolackova and Sir Royal, the sole combination still competing for Guatemala, just delivered a beautiful clear round as the first in the ring.

12:34: Karen O’Connor, coach of the Mexican eventing team, just stopped by to chat and said she is THRILLED with how her riders performed yesterday on cross country. They came into the competition with a three-rider team, and all three completed the course to put them in sixth place in the team standings going into show jumping.

Daniela Moguel and Cecilia jumped double clear and are sitting in 12th place individually, with Jose Mercado and Romana and Guillermo de Campo and Quelite in 23rd and 25th, respectively. Someone asked me why I’m not wearing red, white and blue today. True confessions: My shirt is green, the same color that’s on the Mexican flag. Viva Mexico!

12:30: Here’s a look at the show jumping course, which is quite twisty and turny. Click and keep scrolling to view each photo full size. Unfortunately, we don’t have a course map.

One of the best parts about a major competition like the Pan American Games is that all the riders stop by the mixed zone after their rides to chat with the journalists. It gives us a chance to talk to them after they’ve experienced the exhilaration of cross country (and ask them to take a photo with the most famous chinchilla in Toronto). Here are some soundbites from today’s action at Will O’ Wind Farm. If you missed the full report on what went down, click here.

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Jessica Phoenix (3rd place for Canada)

“Coming to the last fence and having everyone on the lines and then the cheers after was just amazing. It’s completely overwhelming, and I’m so happy that I could be on this team in Toronto and with all of our teammates.”

“We walked around (the course) four times. It rode really, really well and forward and straight, and it was a great course for Pavarotti. He was so amazing today. He just got his neck out and got into an awesome gallop, and I’m just so thankful that Don Good owns him and I have the ride on him.”

“Our main focus is on our team medal. That’s really important to us, and after that we want to produce clean show jumping rounds tomorrow. When you’re on a team, your first priority is your team all day long. Individual medals come at the end of it, but the first priority is always your team.”

On Kathryn Robinson and Let It Bee’s fall: “In a team competition, it’s very rare that everyone has a perfect day. You have to be a professional about it, and we came here as a team and we’ll leave as a team regardless of how everyone does. You get focused and you do your job and when you leave the start box, you have a job to do.”

On competing after her injury at Jersey Fresh: “I have an incredible support system around me with our family, friends, our staff at the barn and all of our coaches, and I think it’s just overwhelming in those times when everyone rallies around you, and it just makes you feel like how could you not? Just before Bromont I got back on a horse.”

Boyd Martin (4th place for U.S.)

“To be quite honest, I decided (the hold) was an advantage. My horse freshened up, I got to take a couple breaths and he jumped the 17th fence like it was the first one. You can’t plan for these kind of things, but it did work in my favor. He flung a shoe early on. He was slipping around a bit; the grass was a bit slippery, but he stayed on his feet. I didn’t have to take too many wild chances.”

“My fella’s pretty seasoned now. There’s plenty of Thoroughbred in him, so I knew he’d make the trip, and he felt great all the way. I was a little bit nervous about some of the turning questions; he’s not the best turner, but he was real honest, and I was real happy with him.”

“David (O’Connor) is looking a little bit more happy than the last team I was on. In Normandy it looked like he was about to neck himself, and we’ve still got a big day tomorrow, so we don’t want to start punching the air just yet, but all the guys were just cool under pressure and rode beautiful.”

“This sport’s not meant to be easy. The highs are highs and lows are low. I much prefer the highs, to be quite honest, but the lows drive you and make you push forward to days like this.”

Ruy Fonseca (overnight leader for Brazil)

“You always need to respect the course when you have an experienced horse, so I took care until fence number 6. I was even behind on the time, but I knew that I could recover, and (Tom Bombadill Too) just had a fantastic round and felt really good. I think the course designer did a fantastic job to balance the experienced combinations and to those more less experienced. It’s fantastic for the sport, and it’s been great to be here.”

“I did over prepare him to come over here because we knew it would be hot. He arrived well and has been good. It’s not only about this show. (Brazil) will be building up for Rio next year. I always think day by day. I don’t know about tomorrow, and I don’t want to make expectations about it. I hope that we can all have sound horses, and all the other nations as well, and that we can all finish in good spirits.”

“(The Brazilian team members came) through the same Pony Club and are all from the same area. We never realized that one day we were going to be on the team. We all live about half an hour from each other in Brazil, but we grew up all together.”

“We are kind of a smaller nation; we want to be good. That’s why we went to get Mark Todd (as a coach) like any good team in the world. We try to copy the American, the Canadian, the New Zealand system.”

Lauren Kieffer (tied for 7th for U.S.)

“(Meadowbrook’s Scarlett) is only 8, and she’s certainly never been around a crowd like this — what a class mare. She really didn’t notice the crowds at all. We had a great plan going out. Obviously Phillip going first gives you some great feedback. I rode it like we planned, and it worked all the way around.”

“David (O’Connor) said I wasn’t allowed to say she was perfect until she went.”

“The hills take a bit out of them, and the first loop especially is very undulating, so it took a bit of steam off them. She’s a good, tough mare, so hopefully she comes out feeling great tomorrow.”

Marilyn Little (2nd place for U.S.)

“It was so much fun. It was a really great course to ride around, and she came out of the start box absolutely on fire — maybe a little too on fire. I tried to show her she was going to get everything she was looking for. I expected to see the same level of enthusiasm at the eighth minute, and she was great.”

“She rode through the combinations fantastic. The waters were technical, and we saw a lot of different choices made throughout the day so I wasn’t entirely sure what I was going to do. I trusted the fact that she’s a very adjustable horse — even though she’s green she’s on her feet and she knows what she’s doing.”

“I think she loved (the crowd). She really pricks her ears and digs in. The only other CCI2* she did was very flat, so this was new for her with all this terrain. She’s a very strong horse physically. She finished well, and we were quite far ahead on the time and we really got to cruise home.”

“She landed in this country a year ago this week and after four or five months she’s been completely on board and has never looked back. I trust her and I’m crazy about her.”

Phillip Dutton (tied for 7th for U.S.)

“Being the first out, you’re not quite sure how fast you’ll have to ride, so I was pushing (Fernhill Fugitive) along. He’s not a racehorse, but he kept a good, even speed all the way. I was pleased. We had a lot of time to walk (the course) yesterday and this morning, so it was all pretty much as expected. A horse has to be thinking forward all the time, and most of it was on good distances. There were no big surprises for me.”

“I think (the course) is pretty appropriate for the competition. I think it’s enough for the really good experienced horses and riders, and there’s plenty of long ways around for someone who’s just getting introduced to this level.”

“I think it’s great footing, and it’s a good endurance test with the terrain. I think you don’t have to build a super difficult course because of the terrain. I think it’s a great legacy course for Canada and America.”

Colleen Loach (9th place for Canada)

“It feels amazing (to finish double clear) — such a relief. My horse is awesome. I couldn’t ask for better from him. He never felt like he wanted to stop. He’s not one who’s going to pull you along. He kind of goes at his own rhythm, but he kept it the whole way around.”

“(The crowd) was amazing. I think the horse enjoyed it; it kind of gave him more energy. (The course) rode pretty much like it walked — no surprises out there. It was great. I have a good show jumper. I feel pretty confident (about tomorrow).”

“It’s amazing to see the support of the local people and have that behind you.”

Carlos Paro (6th place for Brazil)

“It felt great. Some of the distances didn’t work as expected, but (Calcourt Landline) took on the course in a good way. He’s very honest. “He’s very trustworthy, and he just trusted me. I was a little bit worried about the time to start with ,so I started a bit quicker than I normally would because of the undulations and the turns.”

“A two-star is a two-star. It’s pretty much the same everywhere. The heat took a bit out of him. Being an English horse, he’s not used to this humidity. He’s recovered well.”

“He’s a very good jumper, and I’m pretty confident that he’ll do a nice round and put some pressure on.”

Lauren Billys (15th place for Puerto Rico)

“(Castle Larchfield Purdy) doesn’t have much Thoroughbred blood, he’s mostly warmblood, so I kicked most of the way around the course. I got him a little ahead, and I think that’s where I got him a little tired earlier, but I heard right before I went out that only three had made the time, so I thought, ‘Well, I gotta get up there, too.’ I got close.”

“Last time (I competed) at the Pan Ams, I lawn darted into a tree, so I am really thankful to go through the finish flags this time. It was good to bury that hatchet and be done with that. But riding at an event like this is unlike anything you could prepare for, even going to big CCIs, because there’s a lot of elements of this competition that people don’t realize. To be here is magical, but to ride and get around clean is even better.”

“There’s two rounds of show jumping tomorrow. I went to jumper shows and did two or three rounds in a day to practice that. My warmup has to be perfect. I have to be smart from the moment I get on and make sure that every ounce of energy is well thought out.”

Waylon Roberts (17th place for Canada)

“I wanted to be consistent, and I had really high expectations for (Bill Owen), especially on dressage. He’s usually very good. Yesterday was a surprise. He was a little bit tense, and the judges really marked them down. I was disappointed, but I’m helping the team with going out first, and I think we put in a really good double clear.”

“All the combinations are challenging, and it’s a different experience riding with a crowd. It’s great, though, and it shows the sport is growing. He looks great now. He’s super fit, and the program he’s been on has been really good. The Canadian team’s done a really good job keeping us on the program.”

Sofia Baussan Augspuer (20th place for El Salvador)

“My country doesn’t have a lot of equestrian, and it’s a huge struggle for us because we don’t have places to train, so it’s a huge accomplishment for us to be here. It’s amazing. The course was amazing; everything was perfect.”

“I enjoyed it so much. There’s no words. I thought about every stride. I had so much fun. I’d love to do it again. (Durango is) really good (in show jumping). I just have to let him rest the whole night. I’m not worried about tomorrow.”

“I’m 18 years old. I’m just so happy to be here, and I enjoyed every single moment.”

Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa. Photo by Jenni Autry.

The U.S. team came into the 2015 Pan American Games here in Toronto with a mission to both win team gold and qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and they’re two-thirds of the way to accomplishing those goals after a foot perfect day of cross country for the red, white and blue.

The U.S. team of Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive, Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett, Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous, and Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa all delivered double clear rounds over Wayne Copping’s track to hold the lead in the team standings on 133.0.

Marilyn and RF Scandalous lead the way for Team USA, sitting in silver medal position in the individual standings on 42.1, followed by Boyd and Pancho Villa in fourth on 44.3. Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive and Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett are tied for seventh place on 48.4.

Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Canada started the day in silver medal position, just 0.7 penalties behind Team USA after dressage. Canadian fans waited on pins and needles after Waylon Roberts and Bill Owen, the trailblazers for Team Canada, were announced as finishing clear, then announced as having 20 jumping penalties, then finally announced as double clear.

Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue d’Argouges then delivered a second double clear round for the Canadian team in their championship debut. Kathryn Robinson and Let It Bee, who sat in second place after dressage on 39.8, were set to pressure overnight leaders Ruy Fonseca and Tom Bombadill Too until they fell at fence two — a gutting end to their trip over from the UK to represent their country.

The pressure was then on defending individual gold medalists Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti to deliver a double clear round to keep Canada in contention for a team medal. The Canadian fans cheered (screamed is a more accurate term) for them the entire way around the course, and it’s hard to describe the scene that unfolded as they galloped to the finish.

Jessica Phoenix hugs her son Jacob after her clear cross country trip. Photo by Jenni Autry.

A swarm of elated Canadian fans ran down the hill to the final fence and screamed as Jessica and Pavarotti cleared the jump and crossed the timers double clear. A Canadian fan explained to me after that it just meant so much to them to have Jessica recover from her injury at Jersey Fresh in May in time to compete on home soil in these Pan American Games.

Jessica and Pavarotti now sit in bronze medal position on 42.1, with Colleen and Qorry Blue d’Argouges in ninth on 51.8 and Waylon and Bill Owen in 17th on 65.1. Losing Kathryn’s dressage score dropped the team to third place in the team standings on 159.0; Canada no longer has a drop score heading into tomorrow.

It was a day to remember for the Brazilian team, which also delivered four double clear rounds to have all their horses and riders — Ruy Fonseca and Tom Bombadill Too, Carlos Paro and Calcourt Landline, Jorge Marcio Carvalho and Lissy Mac Wayer, and Henrique Plombon and Land Quenotte — sitting inside the top 13.

Ruy Fonseca sneaks a peek at his watch as he clears the last fence with Tom Bombadill Too. Photo by Jenni Autry.

That effort moved them up to silver medal position in the team standings on 136.7, just 3.7 penalty points behind Team USA. It’s going to be a nail-biter of a show jumping finale tomorrow with scores so tightly bunched at the top of the leaderboard, and individual leader Ruy Fonseca doesn’t have much breathing room either, with just 1.4 penalties separating him from Marilyn Little.

Looking to the rest of the team leaderboard, Ecuador had a stellar day and will be putting pressure on Canada tomorrow, as their team is now sitting in fourth place in the team standings, just 11.1 penalties behind. The three-man team of Ronald Zabala Goetschel and Master Boy, Carlos Narvaez and Que Loco, and Nicolas Wettstein and Onzieme Framoni all delivered double clear rounds and are sitting inside the top 16.

Eighteen riders delivered double clear rounds today. In addition to those already named, we saw stellar rides from Carlos Lobos and Ranco of Chile (5th), Daniela Moguel and Cecelia of Mexico (12th), Elena Ceballos and Nounour du Moulin of Venezuala (18th), and Francisco Calvelo and Noir de la Muralla of Uruguay (22nd). Lauren Billys and Castle Larchfield Purdy jumped clear with just 0.8 time penalties for Puerto Rico to sit in 15th place.

Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Nine riders were eliminated on course through both refusals and falls. The only hold on course came at the very end of the day when Marcelo Javier Rawson and Larthago fell at the second water complex. The horse, a gray, had lacerations on his stomach, and officials transported him off the course in the horse ambulance as a precaution. Officials confirmed that both Marcelo and Larthago are OK.

The sheer scope of national pride on display today as family, friends, fans and supporters of these 42 riders cheered them on was an emotional sight to behold. Many of these riders are competing in their first event in North America, much less their first major championships, and all of the competitors I spoke to from countries we don’t normally see told me how much the experience meant to them.

Quotes from all the U.S. and Canadian team riders, overnight leader Ruy Fonseca, and many more of the riders are coming your way next. In the meantime, relive all the action from cross country day in EN’s live updates. Live scores are not currently updated online, but you can click here to see a crappy iPhone photo of individual scores and here to see a photo of team scores.

Be sure to head over to EN’s Instagram to see more photos from the day (keep scrolling down for the full gallery), and thanks to all of the amazing EN readers who came up to say hello and snap a photo with the most famous chinchilla in Toronto. It’s been a great day here at the #PanAmGames. Thank you to all the officials, volunteers, owners, coaches, riders and supporters who made it possible. Stay tuned for much more.

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Fence 11: Owl Hole Brush. Photo by Jenni Autry.

The Caledon Pan Am Equestrian Park is buzzing with the news that the Toronto area is set to see record heat tomorrow, which seems hard to believe considering what a cold day it’s been today. But temperatures are forecasted to hit the low 90s, with the heat index boosting the real-feel temperature up to 100 degrees.

Cross country starts at 11 a.m. tomorrow, with horses set to be on course until 2 p.m. (click here for ride times), so the riders who have a spot earlier in the order of go will almost certainly have the advantage of tackling the track in cooler temperatures. Regardless, it’s going to be a scorcher of a day.

Wayne Copping’s cross country course definitely has a championship feel to it, with the terrain expected to play an influential role and a number of technical questions ready to keep horses and riders on their toes. (Click here to view a fence-by-fence preview.) Here’s what the U.S. and Canadian team riders are thinking about the course on the eve of cross country:

Phillip Dutton: “Being earlier in the day will suit my horse rather than running in the heat. There’s no live feed TV tomorrow, so it will be an advantage to the team having someone to go out first and then relay back face-to-face what it’s like. It’s quite a flowing course with difficult questions spaced throughout. I think the pressure will be on to make the time and make sure you’re accurate to the jumps. “

Colleen Loach: “Everything looks very doable. For sure you have to be on your game. It’s very nicely presented and kind for the horses. Unfortunately, we can’t control the weather, but my horse is pretty fit (to handle the heat).”

Lauren Kieffer: “She’s a good cross country horse. The course looks beautiful. The ground is beautiful. They did an amazing job. I think it will be a beautiful course to ride around. The technicality stays up the whole way through, so you can’t get sleepy anywhere. The last combination will be tough if your horse is tired.”

Marilyn Little: “There’s plenty to do out there. I don’t think this is going to be a dressage competition. It is a two-star, but we all know that you can make a two-star incredibly difficult. There’s a lot of terrain. The water jumps are beautifully presented, but they are substantial. If you have a ditchy horse, you might not be getting so much sleep tonight. Kitty is quite a courageous and brave horse, but it has my full and undivided attention.”

Boyd Martin: “It’s a good course. It’s not that big for the horses we’re on, but there’s a lot of little traps out there where I think you could have a silly mistake. I think you’ve got to concentrate the whole way around and not go into it with the mindset that it’s just a two-star, because it is a championship course, and I think it’s going to take a lot out of your horse. There are a lot of bumps and twists and turns, which are tiring.”

The U.S. holds the lead in the team standings after dressage on a score of 130.0, followed by Canada in second on 130.7 and Brazil in third on 136.7. Ruy Fonseca and Tom Bombadill Too lead the individual standings for Brazil on 38.9, with Kathryn Robinson and Let It Bee in second for Canada on 39.8 and Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous sitting in third as the highest-placed U.S. pair on 40.3.

Click here to view the final dressage report and here to view the lunchtime report. You can relive all the action from the day and see photos of all the U.S. and Canadian riders by clicking here to scroll through my open thread. It’s a busy weekend on EN with NAJYRC running concurrently, so be sure to click here to read all of Samantha Clark’s coverage from Lexington. Go Eventing.

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Ruy Fonseca and Tom Bombadill Too. Photo by Jenni Autry.

With the dust settled on dressage day at the Pan American Games here in Caledon, Ontario, the U.S. holds the lead in the team standings on a score of 130.0, followed by Canada in second on 130.7 and Brazil in third on 136.7. Ruy Fonseca and Tom Bombadill Too lead the individual standings for Brazil on 38.9, with Kathryn Robinson and Let It Bee in second for Canada on 39.8 and Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous sitting in third as the highest-placed U.S. pair on 40.3.

British-based Ruy and “Tommy,” a 15-year-old Holsteiner gelding he owns with Renata Costa, have a habit of rising to the occasion when it really counts. They delivered the best dressage test of their career last year at the World Equestrian Games in Normandy, and today they bested their score from the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara by 12 points.

“He was quite relaxed, and I think I had a nice fluid test without rushing,” Ruy said. “With these tests and having a more experienced horse, they anticipate a few things, and it’s more of how do you present the test and try to be elegant and flowing? I don’t think it’s a test that you can show as much of a difference on the paces, but you need to be accurate.”

Kathryn Robinson and Let It Bee. Photo by Jenni Autry.

The buzzing atmosphere in the stadium at Caledon Pan Am Equestrian Park proved to be the undoing for many horses today, but Tommy was totally unfazed. If anything, Ruy said, an atmosphere like the one the horse saw today peps him up. “To be honest, I think he grows. He feels a bit plain outside, and when he goes inside, he livens up a bit.”

Kathryn Robinson made a big statement in her Canadian team debut aboard Let It Bee, her 14-year-old Westphalian gelding with whom she was named to last year’s WEG team only to be removed due to a paperwork snafu. She said dressage hasn’t always been the strongest phase for Bee — more affectionately known as Bibbles — but hard work over a long period of time has paid off.

“He used to get quite tense in there, which is why I walked in (the stadium), and when the crowd started to clap, I just stayed in walk,” she said. “He also sticks out his tongue. I always worry about that when he gets tense. Now, with experience and time and just getting out and doing it, our partnership has grown stronger.”

Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Marilyn Little is leading the way for Team USA after dressage with RF Scandalous, a 10-year-old Oldenburg mare owned by Raylyn Farms and Phoebe and Michael Manders. Between the chilly rain and the eye-popping atmosphere, it certainly wasn’t “Kitty’s” favorite type of day, but she held it together beautifully on an afternoon when it really mattered.

“She’s really sensitive and a very high energy horse, and it was quite an electric atmosphere in there, so I was thrilled that she was as attentive as she was, and she put in a great effort,” Marilyn said. “I’ve been working really hard on the centerlines and the halts. On a day like this when there’s a lot of pressure, you don’t want to go for it too much.”

Defending individual gold medalists Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti are sitting in fourth place on 42.1, and she said after the test that she was thrilled with the 13-year-old Westphalian gelding’s performance. “Pavarotti was amazing,” she said. “It’s so incredible to be here at a home Games and have a horse perform like that,” she said. “I can honestly say he enjoys it just as much now as he did four years ago.”

Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa round out the top five on a score of 44.3, which they delivered as the last pair to go knowing they needed a score of at least 44.9 to take the team lead. No pressure, right? But Boyd and the 12-year-old Selle Francais gelding owned by the Pancho Villa Syndicate nailed it despite the fact that “Pancho” wasn’t very happy in the conditions.

“He’s a bit of a spooky horse,” Boyd said. “There were a lot of umbrellas and rain coats (in warm up) that he didn’t like the look of, so that was less than ideal, but he got in the ring and did a pretty good test. … You have to ride the horse you have in there. I felt like in the extended walk he was about to jog, so I really had to be conservative.”

At the conclusion of dressage, all four of Team USA’s riders are in the top 10: Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous in third on 40.3, Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa in fifth on 44.3, and Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive and Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett in equal eighth on 48.4. Click here to read comments from Phillip and Lauren in the lunchtime report.

Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Canada has three riders in the top 10: Kathryn Robinson and Let It Bee in second on 39.8, Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti in fourth on 42.1, and Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue d’Argouges in 10th on 51.8. Waylon Roberts and Bill Owen had a tough time in the little white box this morning when the horse was quite tense, scoring 65.1 for 33rd place. Click here to read Colleen’s comments from this morning.

Brazil has a second rider in the top 10 in Carlos Paro and Calcourt Landline, who led during the lunch break on a score of 45.6 and sit in seventh place at the end of dressage. And I have to give a huge shoutout to Carlos Lobos and Ranco of Chile, who are breaking up the U.S.-Canada-Brazil monopoly at the top of the leaderboard thanks to scoring 45.3 to sit in sixth place.

I wish I could talk about every rider at these Pan American Games. This is the biggest competition many of them have ever competed in, and it’s a huge honor for them to get this far. I tried to mention as many as I could in my live updates thread, so scroll through there to learn a bit more about the riders from other countries.

Cross country starts at 11 a.m. tomorrow, and temperatures are expected to hit the 90s — a very different day from the cold and rain we’ve had today. I’ve gathered comments on the course from the Team USA and Canada riders, so stay tuned for those quotes coming your way next. In the meantime, you can check out a fence-by-fence preview of Wayne Copping’s cross country course here.

Go Eventing.

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Our current leaders are Carlos Paro and Calcourt Landline of Brazil on 48.4. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Team USA is enjoying two spots in the top three at the halfway point of dressage here at the 2015 Pan American Games in Palgrave, Ontario, but Brazil is leading the way after Carlos Paro and Calcourt Landline scored 45.6 as the fifth combination out on this chilly, rainy day.

The Brazilian team is coming in hot to these Games with Sir Mark Todd at the helm as coach and strong group of experienced horses representing the country. Calcourt Landline, a 9-year-old Anglo-European gelding owned by Fiona Edwards, finished 11th at the Saumur CCI3* earlier this spring and delivered a lovely test today with Carlos in the irons.

That score of 45.6 gives them a bit of breathing room over Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive and Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett, who both scored 48.4 to sit in equal second place currently and give the U.S. the lead in the team standings.

Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Phillip was the first out for Team USA this morning, and the ground jury of Wayne Quarles at H, Christian Landolt at C, and Annabel Scrimgeour at B disagreed quite a bit on his score: 71.25% at H, 67.29% at C and 64.58% at B. But Phillip said after the test that he thought “Jack,” a 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Annie Jones and Tom Tierney, went well.

“Certainly one judge was a little hard on him, I think, but I was really pleased with how he went,” Phillip said. “There’s a little bit of atmosphere in there. He was obedient and couldn’t have done much better.”

Lauren said she was surprised when “Scarlett,” an 8-year-old Thoroughbred/Holsteiner mare bred and owned by Marie Le Menestrel, snuck in a lead change in the counter canter serpentine to the right — an uncharacteristic bobble for them.

Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett. Photo by Jenni Autry.

“I was thrilled with her,” Lauren said. “She’s a young horse, and she really handled the atmosphere well. I was very caught off guard by the swap in the counter canter. I actually thought she would score a little better. I thought she felt really good in her trot work, but everyone is getting scored by the same people today.”

Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue d’Argouges are sitting in fourth place on a score of 51.8 after making their championship debut, and Colleen said after the test that she was very pleased with the 11-year-old Selle Francais gelding owned by Peter Barry.

“I was really happy with him. I don’t think he could have done much better for where we are now and my nerves,” Colleen said. “It’s my first big team experience. He was super and handled the atmosphere really well.”

Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue d’Argouges. Photo by Jenni Autry.

The crowd gave a huge cheer for their Canadian rider at the the conclusion of the test. What does it feel like to have all your friends and family in attendance to support you at the biggest competition of your career? “It’s hard to explain,” Colleen said. “It’s a really nice feeling. I feel very proud to be a Canadian and representing Canada.”

Jose Luis Ortelli Jr. and Jos Cassius round out the top five for Argentina on a score of 54.3. Brazil has another rider in the top 10 in Henrique Plambon, who scored 55.4 with Land Quenotte to sit in sixth place. Lauren Billys and Castle Larchfield Purdy scored 56.3 to sit in seventh as the sole representatives of Puerto Rico.

Waylon Roberts and Bill Owen. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Waylon Roberts and Bill Owen were the first combination out for Canada this morning, and tension unfortunately crept in during the performance for a score of 65.1. It’s not an easy atmosphere out there, with wind blowing, rain falling and lots of buzz from the spectators sitting in the grandstands.

Just three riders have cracked the 40s so far, and I’m ready to see some extra fancy prancing this afternoon. Click here to follow along with EN’s live updates, here to see the live scores and here to follow @eventingnation on Twitter, where I’m tweeting during the tests for the American and Canadian riders. Go Eventing.

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Hello from the Caledon Pan Am Equestrian Park here in Palgrave, Ontario! It’s dressage day at the 2015 Pan American Games, and I’ll be bringing you live updates all day in this open thread. Scroll down to see what’s been going down.

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The ground jury is Wayne Quarles at H, Christian Landolt at C, and Annabel Scrimgeour at B. The riders are performing the new FEI 2015 2* Test B.

If you missed our coverage from yesterday, click here to check out a fence-by-fence preview of Wayne Copping’s cross country course and here to view the photo gallery from the first horse inspection.

Keep refreshing and checking back for photos and behind-the-scenes info from the #PanAmGames. Go Eventing!

U.S. ride times:

9:52 a.m.: Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive
11:42 a.m.: Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett
2:30 p.m.: Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous
3:55 p.m.: Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa

Canadian rider times:

9:22 a.m.: Waylon Roberts and Bill Owen
10:47 a.m.: Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue d’Argouges
1:35 p.m.: Kathryn Robinson and Let It Bee
3:17 p.m.: Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti

Dressage live updates:

Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa. Photo by Jenni Autry.

4:10: Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa’s score of 44.3 has been confirmed! The team standings after dressage are: 1st USA 133.0, 2nd Canada 133.7, 3rd Brazil 136.7. Stay tuned for the full report.

4:06: Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa score 44.3 to move into fifth place. If that score is confirmed, it will put the U.S. into the team lead over Canada by just .7 penalty points!

3:58: Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa are in the ring now! Canada leads the team competition on 133 and Brazil sits in second on 136.7, but Boyd has the power to send the U.S. shooting up the team leaderboard. No pressure, Boyd! Team USA is currently on a team score of 137.1.

3:52: Ronald and Master Boy score 52.8 to sit just outside the top 10 in 11th place. Marcelo Javier Rawson and Larthago are in the ring now, and we’re just minutes away from Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa’s test.

3:44: Ronald Zabala Goetschel and Master Boy are in the ring now for Ecuador, which has a three-man team here at the Pan Ams. We’re two away from Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa, the final combination for Team USA.

3:35: Brazil, Canada and the U.S. all have three riders in the top 10. All riders have gone for Canada and Brazil, and the U.S. has the opportunity to get all four riders into the top 10 with Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa still to come as the final combination of the day.

3:32: Jessica Phoenix on recovering from her injury at Jersey Fresh in time to compete at the Pan Ams: “I wouldn’t be here without the help of my family and friends,” especially her bestie Lisa Barry! Check back to EN later today for more comments from Jessie.

3:29: Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti score 42.0 to move into fourth place! #camericanpride

3:25: Massive cheers for Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti as they finish their test. We’re waiting on the score now. Poor Jorge Marcio Carvalho and Lissy Mac Wayer have to follow all that commotion!

3:18: Defending individual gold medalists Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti are next in the ring for Team Canada. The chinchillas are shivering because it’s cold in anticipation of what should be a very nice test!

Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti. Photo by Jenni Autry.

3:09: We’re back underway with the final group in dressage. Francisco Calvelo and Noir de la Muralla are about to enter the ring now. He is the youngest rider in the competition at 18 years old.

3:07: Go Chile! Carlos Lobos and Ranco scored 45.3 as the final pair to go in the last group to move into fourth place in the individual standings. Does anyone know who coaches the Chilean team? Leave a comment if you do!

3:05: In case you all were curious: Yes, it’s still raining. Yes, it’s still cold. Yes, the journalists are considering dismantling a desk in the press stand and burning it as firewood.

3:01: We’re under the final break of the day now. Defending individual gold medalists Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti will be second out for Canada, and Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa will be the final combination of the day for Team USA.

2:59: Guatemala is making a strong statement here at the Pan Ams. Sarka Kolackova and Sir Royal scored 52.9 to move into eighth place in the individual standings. The Guatemalan team now has two riders in the top 10.

2:57: That’s a whole lot of ‘Murica at the top of the leaderboard:

2:52: Team USA now leads the team competition on 137.1. USA! USA! USA!

2:47: To drive home just how influential the atmosphere is proving to be here at the Pan American Games, Marilyn Little said after her test that you can feel the base thumping out there! More comments from Marilyn coming soon.

2:40: Poor Juan Francisco Gallo said after his test that dressage is usually Remonta Nunhil’s best phase, but the horse was totally overwhelmed by the big grandstands and atmosphere. Many of these competitors and horses have never seen anything like this.

2:38: A score of 40.3 for Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous to move into third place and put Team USA back on top of the team standings!

Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous. Photo by Jenni Autry.

2:37: A relaxed, flowing, mistake-free test for Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous — that should be a very good score and has the chance to put the U.S. in the team standings over Brazil. We’re waiting on the score now.

2:30: Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous are entering the ring now.

2:23: Juan Francisco Gallo’s mount Remonta Nunhil took off down the centerline to make for an exciting start to his test! They’re in the ring now for Argentina. Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous are in next as the third combination out for Team USA.

2:21: As a reminder, the team that bests all the unqualified teams will receive a spot at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Canada qualified at last year’s World Equestrian Games in Normandy after France was disqualified, and Brazil is automatically qualified as the host nation.  The U.S. can qualify for Rio by winning OR by finishing second or third, but only if it’s to Brazil and Canada.

2:19: Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous are next in for Team USA in a few minutes. The pressure is on, as both the Brazilian and American teams currently have two riders in the top five.

2:13: Guillermo de Campo and Quelite scored 59.3 for Mexico, which puts them just outside the top 10 in 11th place. They had to do their test during a steady rain, which is never easy, and they gave a classy performance. Viva Mexico!

2: Mark Todd looks over the moon with three of his Brazilian riders in the top 10 as we head into the final two groups. Brazil currently leads the team competition. Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous are next out for Team USA in about 20 minutes.

Ruy Fonseca and Tom Bombadill Too. Photo by Jenni Autry.

1:52: And Ruy Fonseca and Tom Bombadill Too score 38.9 to take the lead! Brazil is crushing it!

1:49: The score for the previous rider is flashing up on the leaderboard during each test, and Ruy Fonseca and Tom Bombadill Too had the misfortune of starting their test just as Kathryn and Let It Bee’s leading score appeared. The crowd started cheering, but Ruy held it together!

1:44: Kathryn Robinson and Let It Bee score 39.8 to sail into the lead! Go Canada!

1:42: Nailed it! The crowd gives a big cheer for Kathryn Robinson and Let It Bee at their final salute and then roars as the horse shows off his gorgeous trot on the way out of the stadium. Should be a very good score for Team Canada!

1:34: Kathryn Robinson and Let It Bee are coming in the ring now to cheers from the crowd. It’s definitely a trying atmosphere as the Canadian crowd is cheering for their riders!

Kathryn Robinson and Let It Bee. Photo by Jenni Autry.

1:33: Carlos Villarroel just finished his test with SVR Arbitro to a loud cheer of “CARLOOOOOS!” from his fellow Uruguayan teammates. This sweet little chestnut gelding tried so hard!

1:26: Stefanie Brand and Claudius score 53.0 to move into fifth place, and then also moves the Guatemalan team into the lead in the team competition, as they have now had three riders complete their tests.

1:18: An emotional Stefanie Brand gives Claudius a big hug after their final salute for Guatemala. It’s a bummer there isn’t a live stream so you all can see these touching moments!

1:06: We’re back underway! Anne Brieke and Picaron are the first pair out after the lunch break, representing Colombia. Kathryn Robinson and Let It Bee will be the third rider out for Canada in this group. Click here for the order of go.

12:51: We finally have penalty marks on the live scores! We’ll be back underway in about 10 minutes.

12:05: We’re on a one-hour lunch break now. Here are the top seven at the lunch break:

CURRENT STANDINGS
1. Carlos Paro and Calcourt Landline (BRA), 45.6
2. Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive (USA), 48.4
2. Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett (USA), 48.4
4. Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue d’Argouges (CAN), 51.8
5. Jose Luis Ortelli Jr. and Jos Cassius (ARG), 54.3
6. Henrique Plambon and Land Quenotte (BRA), 55.4
7. Lauren Billys and Castle Larchfield Purdy (PUR), 56.3

12:02: Lauren Billys and Castle Larchfield Purdy score 56.3 as individuals for Puerto Rico (the sole combination representing the country!) to move into seventh place in the standings at the halfway point of dressage.

Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett. Photo by Jenni Autry.

11:57: A score of 48.4 for Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett to sit in equal second place with Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive. Lauren said after the test that she hoped it would score better, especially based on the quality of the trot work, but she is happy overall. Stay tuned for her comments.

11:47: A small bobble in the counter canter serpentine for Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett when the mare swapped leads, but they recovered well (and the counter canter to the right was lovely!). We’re waiting on the score now.

11:45: Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett are looking very poised in the ring. A fluid, relaxed test so far.

11:41: Lauren Kieffer and Scarlett walking confidently into the stadium here at the Caledon Pan Am Equestrian Park. This mare is famously cool, calm and collected in the little white box, which allows Lauren to ride a very accurate test. That’s the bell. They’re about to start!

11:39: If you missed it earlier this week, be sure to click here to read our profile on Marie Le Menestrel, Meadowbrook’s Scarlett’s owner and breeder. Then click here to read 5 Things You Need to Know About Meadowbrook’s Scarlett. Go American-bred eventers!

11:35: Jose Luis Ortelli Jr. and Jos Cassius are just starting their test now for Argentina. Lauren Kieffer will make her championship debut for Team USA next aboard Marie Le Menestrel’s Meadowbrook’s Scarlett. I’d like a score in the low 40s for my birthday present, please!

11:27: Nicolas Wettstein and Ozieme Framoni are next in the ring. This is the first pair out for the Ecuadorian team, which has three riders. There are 11 total teams competing at these Pan American Games.

11:20: A score of 61.1 for Jose Mercado and Romana of Mexico, which puts them into sixth place. This pair usually averages in the mid-50s, so the score is a testament to what the atmosphere is like out there: busy and distracting for the horses. The ring is surrounded by grandstands on all sides, and the flags are flapping in the wind. A light rain is still falling.

11:13: We’re back underway with Jose Mercado and Romana, the first combination out for the Mexican team coached by Karen O’Connor.

11:12: How it feels when the whole crowd is cheering after you finish your test. A huge shoutout to super groom Janie Lussier for such beautiful turnout!

Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue d’Argouges. Photo by Jenni Autry.

11:02: We’re on another short break now. Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett will go in the next group.

CURRENT STANDINGS
1. Carlos Paro and Calcourt Landline (BRA), 45.6
2. Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive (USA), 48.4
3. Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue d’Argouges (CAN), 51.8

11: Colleen Loach on what it feels like to be riding on her first championship team in her home country in front of all her family and friends: “It’s hard to explain.” Check back to EN’s lunchtime report for more comments from Colleen.

10:57: A confirmed score of 51.8 for Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue d’Argouges to move into third place behind Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive.

Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue d’Argouges. Photo by Jenni Autry.

10:53: A really lovely test for Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue d’Argouges and HUGE cheers from the crowd as she finishes. Go girl! Can someone please comment with the name of the groom for Qorry Blue d’Argouges? The horse looks immaculate!

10:47: Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue d’Argouges are next in for Team Canada! They are circling the ring now.

10:35: Here are some facts about our current leaders Carlos Paro and Calcourt Landline of Brazil (and yes, the names are spelled wrong on the scoring for both Carlos and his horse!). They finished 11th this spring in the Saumur CCI3*, so this is a very experienced combination. The horse is a 9-year-old Anglo-European gelding bred in Great Britain and owned by Fiona Edwards, by the Oldenburg stallion Landjonker and out of a Lux mare.

10:31: Big cheers for Tiziana and Luccio as they wrap up their test. The Guatemalans have a big, boisterous cheering section here at the Caledon Pan Am Equestrian Park. The fans aren’t letting these chilly, damp conditions get them down!

10:29: We’re starting to see the next cycle of team riders in the ring now. Santiago Medina Negrette and Ritmical EJC just scored 70.1 for the Colombian team, and Tiziana Billy Prem and Luccio are in the ring now for Guatemala.

10:20: In other news, it seems to be getting colder here in Palgrave. It’s my birthday today, so I’d love if Mother Nature could cut us some slack and send some of yesterday’s warm weather our way. Temperatures are currently hovering in the low 60s with a light rain falling. Tomorrow is projected to top 90 degrees — a wild swing of temperatures.

Our current leaders are Carlos Paro and Calcourt Landline of Brazil on 45.6. Photo by Jenni Autry.

10:15: Sofia Baussan Augspuer and Durango score 61.6, which ties them for third place. Carlos Parro and Caulcourt Landline still lead on 45.6 for Brazil, followed by Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive in 48.4.

10:10: We’re back underway after a quick break with Sofia Baussan Augspuer and Durango, one of the two individual riders for El Salvador. There are 13 total nations competing in eventing here at the Pan Ams.

Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive. Photo by Jenni Autry.

10: Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive scored 48.4 with a quite a spread from the judges: 71.25 at H, 67.29 at C, 64.58 at B. That puts them into second place currently. I just talked to him in the mixed zone, so stay tuned for his comments.

9:52: A score of 45.6 for Carlos Paro and Calcourt Landline will give them a huge lead for Brazil thus far. Let’s see if Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive can answer back as the first out for Team USA. They’re in the ring next!

9:45: Elena Ceballos Albarez and Nondour du Moulin just completed their test for Venezuela. The Venezuelans have a three-member team coached by good friend of EN Kyle Carter, a team silver medalist from the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Waylon Roberts and Bill Owen. Photo by Jenni Autry.

9:36: A confirmed score of 65.1 for Waylon Roberts and Bill Owen.

9:35: That’s the final salute for Carlos Paro and Caulcourt Landline, the first combination in for the Brazilian team, which is coached by Mark Todd. A really nice test to kick things off for Brazil.

9:29: A score of 65.7 for Guillermo Garin and Ubago for Chile, who were the third combination in the ring. So far no riders have broken out of the 60s threshold.

The stands are starting to fill in here at the #PanAmGames on this chilly, rainy morning. pic.twitter.com/YSRbY3Dl5a

— Eventing Nation (@eventingnation) July 17, 2015

9:28: Bill Owen is definitely feeling the chilly morning air! They’ll see some marks taken off for tension, unfortunately, but Waylon did an admirable job of keeping the lid on. A good start for Team Canada.

9:22: Waylon Roberts and Bill Owen are circling the ring now as the first pair in for Canada. He’s rocking a helmet, and both horse and rider look fantastic. Big cheers from the crowd as their names are announced!

9:21: Alvaro Del Valle and Nahual score 64.2. Live scores are here, but so far only percentages are being shown. We’ll help you do the math here on EN!

9:14: Our first score is in for Juan Carlos Tafur and Quinto: 61.6.

9:10: Alvaro Del Valle and Nahual are next in for Guatemala. Peter Gray, who won individual bronze at the 1987 Pan Ams in Indianapolis, coaches the Guatemalan team.

9: Juan Carlos Tafur and Quinto are first in the ring representing Colombia. Juan is rocking some pretty fantastic facial hair. You can see a photo of him and his horse, a stallion, in yesterday’s photo gallery from the first horse inspection.

Fence 26: Peru Celebration. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Hello from the Pan American Games! It was a bustling morning at Will O’ Wind Farm in Mono, Ontario, as riders got their first look at Wayne Copping’s cross country course. Team USA walked the course twice this morning before heading back to the Caledon Pan Am Equestrian Park, which is about 25 minutes away in Palgrave, to prepare for this afternoon’s first horse inspection.

Coach David O’Connor kindly shared his first impressions of the course: “It’s a good course — presented well with a lot of little terrain, like golf course terrain. Knowing where those humps are will be important to go around. It’s plenty difficult enough, and it builds and gets more and more technical toward the end in the last two minutes.”

The course definitely has a technical feel to it, and there is plenty of room for error with skinnies and tight corners throughout the track. As to which spots on course David thinks could catch out Team USA, he said trouble can come at any fence. “You can’t underestimate any course,” he said. “It doesn’t walk the biggest, but it walks quite technical. Keeping your head in the game and in the moment will be important.”

USA! USA! USA! Photo by Jenni Autry.

The track features 26 fences set across 4,757 meters with an optimum time of 8 minutes, 39 seconds, which David thinks is definitely doable. “But you’ll have to stay on your game the whole way around,” he said. “I think they’ve done a great job preparing the track. Hopefully we’ll get a little rain tomorrow, and that will only make it better.”

Toronto has seen beautiful warm weather and little rain for the past few days, but that’s set to change tomorrow with a 60 percent chance of thunderstorms that could make for a soggy day of dressage. Will O’ Wind Farm has an excellent gravel base that drains well even under heavy rains, so if we do see a downpour, it will only contribute to better cross country conditions for the horses and riders.

We’re about an hour away from the start of the first horse inspection here at the Caledon Pan Am Equestrian Park. The jog is closed to the public, but I’ll be live tweeting all the action on @eventingnation and will have a full report and photos up just as soon as things wrap up, so keep checking back to EN.

#PanAms: Website, Entries, Schedule & Live Scores, EN’s Coverage, Twitter, Instagram

U.S. team members Lauren Kieffer and Boyd Martin try on their new Team USA vests at training camp today. Photo via Facebook.

We’re just over one week away from the start of the eventing competition at the 17th Pan American Games in Toronto, and 6,000 athletes from 41 delegations are currently making their way to Canada to compete in 48 different sports.

The U.S. eventing team of Phillip Dutton, Lauren Kieffer, Marilyn Little and Boyd Martin will look to qualify a spot for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro by besting the other unqualified teams, as well as defend team gold, which the Americans have won for the past four installments of the Pan Ams.

The Canadian eventing team of Colleen Loach, Jessica Phoenix, Waylon Roberts and Kathryn Robinson will look to halt Team USA’s gold medal streak. Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti return in the hopes of winning individual gold for the second Pan Am Games in a row. Fun fact: Jessica is one of seven Canadian athletes that won individual gold in Guadalajara in 2011 and will now defend their titles in Toronto.

Riders from 13 countries making up 11 total teams are slated to compete in eventing, including the Brazilians, who blocked the U.S. from winning team gold at the 1995 Pan Ams in Argentina and are now coached by Mark Todd. Karen O’Connor, who won individual gold at the 2007 Pan Ams, will make her championship debut as coach of the Mexican team, and a slew of other up-and-coming eventing nations will do battle with Wayne Copping’s cross country course.

How have the U.S. and Canadian eventing teams been preparing for Toronto? Team Canada started their training camp last week on home turf with Coach Clayton Fredericks and took some time off to attend the Queen’s Plate at Woodbine Racetrack over the weekend to get in some team building time.

Team Canada attended the Queen’s Plate at Woodbine Racetrack over the weekend. Photo via Jessica Phoenix.

Team USA’s training camp started today at Morningside Training Farm in The Plains, Virginia. The riders will have lessons with Coach David O’Connor and show jumping coach Silvio Mazzoni this week before flying to Toronto early next week and getting settled in at Caledon Equestrian Park.

Definite entries for eventing will not be named until next Wednesday, July 14, which is the day before the first horse inspection. Seventy-seven combinations have been nominated to compete, but only 45 horses and riders will start the competition. Click here to see the full list of nominated entries.

The competition kicks off Thursday with the first horse inspection, with the rest of the schedule as follows:

Dressage 
First session: 9 a.m. EST, Friday, July 17
Second session: 2 p.m. EST, Friday, July 17

Cross country
11 a.m. EST, Saturday, July 18

Show jumping
First session: 1 p.m. EST, Sunday, July 19
Second session: 2:30 p.m. EST, Sunday, July 19

Danielle Santos helps U.S. traveling reserve Jennie Brannigan with the fit on her new vest. Photo via Facebook.

Tickets to watch the eventing sold out at the end of May, with equestrian tickets reportedly being sold for prices as high as $600 on scalping websites. The Pan Am committee released a new block of equestrian tickets for sale on Monday, but those seem to have quickly sold out, too. It’s possible more tickets will become available within the next week. You can keep checking this link for equestrian tickets.

The USEF’s Eventing Department does have extra tickets available for purchase and would like to get them into the hands of U.S. fans who can travel to Canada to cheer on Team USA. If you’d like to buy tickets to watch the competition, please email Joanie Morris at [email protected].

Be sure to follow the USEF Eventing High Performance Facebook page for behind-the-scenes photos from Team USA’s training camp at Morningside this week. I’ll be your boots on the ground next week, and EN’s live coverage of the Pan American Games will begin next Thursday morning.

Stay tuned for much more from the #PanAmGames, and click here to catch up on all our pre-coverage of the Games. Go Eventing.