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Luhmuhlen jog: so far so good

By on Jun 16, 2010 3:31 pm -
I just received an email from Allison that Arthur, Wonderfull Will, and The Good Witch all passed the first inspection at the Luhmuhlen CCI4* in Germany, meaning that all three US pairs at Luhmuhlen move on to the dressage.  Allison told me that Arthur was very professional in the jog which can only be bad news for all the other competitors.  For all the latest on Arthur at Luhmulen, be sure to check out Allison’s blog.  Allison mentions in her blog that she has been training with Bettina Hoy, who is one of the best dressage riders in eventing, over the last couple of days to polish up Arthurs dressage.
Ollie and Carousel Quest were held but passed on reinspection, and quite a few horses were asked to re-jog, which was the case at the first inspection at Bromont.  Wednesday jogs are about the Ground Jury getting to know what each horse looks like before the exertion of XC.  Christian Landolt was on the Bromont Ground Jury and is also a member of the Ground Jury at Luhmuhlen.
Go eventing.

Breaking News: horses are faster than humans

By on Jun 15, 2010 4:55 pm -
The annual Man vs. Horse race was held this weekend in the Welsh countryside.  Sly Dai, ridden by Llinos Mair Jones, won by completing the 22 mile track in 2:07:04.  Second, and the first man home, was Haggai Chepkwony, aged 40, a Kenyan living in Clifton, Bristol, in 2:17:27.  44 horses and 253 individual runners took part in the annual race.  
This goes without saying, but the race started as a bar-room argument over whether humans or horses were better over a long distance.  Gordon Green, founder of the race, said: “I have always said that over long distances people can beat horses and it is something I would definitely like to prove…The longer the distance the better the chance a human runner has.”  The race has been doubled in length for next year.
 A human, named Huw Lobb, won the race in 2004, although he got a 15 minute head start.

Chad Johnson Ocho-Cinco, a wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals beat a horse in a sprint a couple of years ago, but he also had a significant head start.  Click here to see that race (0:38)
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In other news of the weird, a woman in Bedford County VA was stopped at a DUI checkpoint and found to have a goat locked in the trunk of her Mercedes sedan.  The woman said she had purchased the goat just a few minutes earlier to give to the four other passengers in her car, who are from Kenya but reside in Lynchburg.  Reportedly (and this is classic) the woman told deputies she is from the United Kingdom and transporting goats in this manner was acceptable there.  The woman was charged with one count of animal cruelty.  Go Lakers.  

Tuesday discussion: Making better XC riders from Omega Alpha

By on Jun 15, 2010 1:50 pm -
At Bromont, I spent some time talking with riders about the WEGs.  One theme that kept coming up is the poor state of XC riding.  The reality is that right now the US only has 3-5 riders that we can count on every time for clean 4* XC rounds, and two of those riders were imported from Australia.  If you want to be really scared, close your eyes and imagine the US team without Phillip and Boyd–we would lose 5 of our top 10 horses and we would barely be able to field a 6 horse WEG roster.
This isn’t just an issue at the upper levels–veterans talk often about a general decline in XC riding at all levels, and we all to turn away in fear from time to time when we watch at local events.  Eventing has changes a lot for the good over the years, but I wonder if we have thus far missed the opportunity to improve cross-country riding.  With that said, let’s discuss:
What can be done to produce better XC riders at all eventing levels?

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Bromont Omega Alpha challenge: congratulations to Annie for winning our Bromont challenge!  Annie guessed Will Coleman and Nevada Bay would win on a score of 56.0 (they won with a 59.0).  Annie is a big fan of EN, and I gave her a shout-out during our coverage of The Fork.  I hope you enjoy your new supplements from Omega Alpha Annie, or rather I hope your horse enjoys them.
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More prizes: In continuation of Omega Alpha’s confident belief that eventers who try their products will become repeat customers, we will give 500ml bottles of Chill, Sinew-X, and Respi-Free to the best comment on this Tuesday discussion thread, as determined by the Brickland Farm puppy, Theo.  Be sure to include your email address in the form when you submit your comment or else your comment will not be eligible.  I will announce the winner as a comment in this post around noon Wednesday.

Welcome Point-Two

By on Jun 15, 2010 12:40 pm -

I’d like to extend a special welcome to Point-Two as Eventing Nation’s latest sponsor.  Point-Two was one of the first companies to contact us about advertising on Eventing Nation and they have consistently expressed a desire to give back to our readers and positively influence our sport.  That’s what we are all about here on EN, and we are proud to be partnering with Point-Two.  We will have Point-Two vests as prizes for contests on EN over the coming months, and we will release the details of the first contest soon.  For more information on the Point-Two vest click the hand-dandy banner.  Go eventing.

Carrie Meehan and Blue Devil: Chapter 7 – We did it!

By on Jun 15, 2010 5:33 am -

Our one-star guest blogger did Eventing Nation proud this weekend at Bromont.  Carrie Meehan and Blue Devil finished the weekend with a clean XC round and a great experience for their first one-star together.  This is our last Bromont post until the next one–but, in all seriousness we will start focusing on Germany over the next couple of days.  Thanks for writing this Carrie and thank you for reading.

Link: Carrie’s previous posts

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From Carrie:

I am actually really sad knowing this is my last blog post because it’s become a bit of a habit this season.  But I must say that I’m slightly relieved in many ways because this past week was most likely the most exhausting, yet amazing, week of my entire life.  We’re back in Virginia now and I think Duke is as pleased as I am to be home.

                Duke was a superstar this week and never fails to step up to the plate for me. Dressage wasn’t our best, but I think a lot of it was my nerves and just not being able to relax and give Duke the best ride possible. Oh well, that will come with experience!  I walked my XC course a total of 6 times, which means in total, I walked about 13 miles just for cross-country, not to mention all of the walking around the park everyday!  The course looked great, nothing too tricky considering it was a one star.  I was totally relaxed once Duke and I started our warm up, which is very rare for me because I’m usually a nervous wreck before cross-country, haha. We had a great warm up, headed to the start box, and Emily had to lead us in because Duke was being his usual excited self.  The course rode fantastic and we seemed to be totally in sync.  The footing was like a sponge so it was a bit chewed up by the time we got out.  Duke must have sunk in 6 inches taking off for jump number 2.  I didn’t push him for time because I knew he was doing the best he could with the squishy footing, so we had to settle for a couple time penalties.  Though, I don’t think I’ve ever been so thrilled with a cross-country run, and we seem to be getting better every time we go out.

                Sunday and jog number two came faster than I expected, but we finally saw some blue skies and sunshine as opposed to all the rain!  Duke jogged great and I remembered to jog past the judges this time as opposed to the first jog out (haha, whoops!).  The stadium course looked awesome as well, along with all the awesome decorations and props to make it look complete. I was a little apprehensive about the crowds sitting on the hills surrounding the arena because Duke has a tendency to be a bit spooky about things like that.  He warmed up great, but when we got into the arena he gets quite a bit more ‘up’.  It’s a little hard to switch gears so fast because he’s a totally different horse in the ring than in warm-up.  We had a great round, no big mistakes, just two rails and a couple time penalties when all was said and done.  I must say I did tear up a bit after the last jump.  So many emotions just came to the surface.  All the time spent getting here, all the lessons, conditioning, hard work, the relief of crossing through those finish flags knowing we had done it, and being so thankful for Duke and all he has done for me. He is no doubt the most amazing horse I have ever known and I’m actually getting emotional writing this and thinking about how lucky I am to have a horse like him.  There should be more Dukes in this world.

                As for the future, I can’t say for sure where Duke and I are headed.  I would love to move up to Intermediate when/if Emily thinks we’re ready.  I think it would be a good challenge for us after such a successful year.  Plus, Duke seems to be somewhat bored with Prelim, and it’s feeling a bit easy for both of us now.  But regardless, we don’t plan on stopping anytime soon because there is always room for improvement.  The future is full of possibilities and is looking bright!

                So I will finish this post thanking everyone who helped Duke and I get where we are today, we could not have done it alone.   First off I want to thank Emily and Jeff Beshear for being like a second set of parents to me, for making Duke into the amazing horse he is today, and for giving me the chance to ride and learn on him.  My parents for always supporting me and doing whatever it takes so I can chase my dreams, and always being my #1 fans.  Thank you to all of the organizers and volunteers at the horse trials leading up to Bromont, we wouldn’t have made it here without all of the amazing events.  Also, I say a thousand thank you’s to everyone at Bromont for putting on such a wonderful event.  Every bit of this past week was fantastic and I had such an amazing experience.  Thank you to all of the people who followed Duke and I this season on Eventing Nation, your support means more to me than I can say, really.  Thank you, John, for giving us the opportunity to be a part of Eventing Nation, I feel so lucky to have been able to do this.  And last but not least, as stupid as this may be, Duke deserves a big thank you.  He is one in a million and I can finally say…. WE DID IT!!!

Signing off,

Carrie and Duke

Ecogold’s Bromont Recap

By on Jun 14, 2010 4:54 pm -
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My last few moments in Canada on Sunday

Well friends, after a long night of driving I’m fighting the good fight to stay awake all day so I can fall asleep early tonight.  As a random aside, I was driving on I-78 at around 2:30am last night and I passed a tan Ford pickup pulling a two horse bumper-pull.  The pickup and trailer were decked out in USEA and Rolex bumber stickers and I thought to myself that is the Eventing Nation.  Now, here are a few final notes from Bromont.

(1) On Monday morning, US Team vets looked at Tipperary Liadhnan, Nevada Bay, Special Blend (Casey McKissock), and JB’s Star (Jennifer Simmons).  Like the post-Jersey exams, these inspections are used to look at developing horses as well as potential Team horses for this year.
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(2) As we reported on Saturday, CCI3* rider Martha McDowell was transported to the hospital after falling at fence 8B, a skinny out of the first coffin.  Thankfully, Martha was released from the hospital Saturday afternoon and she was seen out and about the event on Sunday.  I spoke with an event official who explained that the horse over-jumped the hanging log on a mound at #7, got too deep to the ditch at #8A, the horse hollowed, didn’t see #8B, and fell over that jump.  Martha was wearing all of her safety gear, including a Point-Two vest, which deployed during the fall.  Martha walked away from the nasty incident with just a couple of black eyes.  As an aside, the Point-Two vests were out in force at Bromont, and I would guess that 80% of the CCI3* competitors were riding in them.  It’s great to see that Martha was fine, and a lot of credit needs to go to everyone involved with the event for a safe weekend.  
(3) Rebecca Howard and Jessica Phoenix added themselves to the Canadian WEG discussion with 2nd and 3rd place finishes at Bromont.  Comparing 3* to 4* performances is a tricky business, but Canada finished 5 horses (Port Authority, Colombo, Gin & Juice, Amistad, and Madison Park) in the top 13 at Rolex.  With inevitable challenges leading up to a 4*, Rebecca and Jessica are part of the selection mix.  If you put a gun to my head right now, I would say what I said a couple of weeks ago: I think one Canadian horse from Bromont will compete in Kentucky.  We will have much more on the Canadian WEG situation later this week.
(4) Speaking of great Canadian riders, Juliet Graham was kind enough to speak with me Sunday afternoon.  Juliet rode Sumatra in the 1976 Olympics at the Bromont equestrian center (pictured below), and they helped team Canada win the World Championships in Lexington in 1978.  Back then eventing was more important than golf.
  The wind interrupts the audio a bit, just turn up the volume to hear Juliet


(5) The two 2* horses that tied up in the vet box after XC on Saturday show jumped on Sunday.  This is less than ideal from a veterinary perspective but seemed to work for them.

(6) In an interview with the COTH, Will Coleman addressed Nevada Bay’s WEG status: 

“I didn’t really ever consider applying [for the WEG team], and I still think he has some development to do. But if, for whatever reason, it came down to it, and he looked ready, maybe it would be something we would consider.”

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Bonjour Canada!
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Finally, I’d like to introduce Ecogold as Eventing Nation’s latest sponsor.  I met Patricia and her father, John, at Bromont this weekend.  They completely sold me on their company’s products.  If you don’t know, Ecogold makes saddle pads and boots (see the handy-dandy banner) that are based on the latest and greatest technology.  The most impressive thing for me was feeling the unique foam in the saddle pads–it was very cushiony yet very strong.  Top riders such as Phillip, Karen, Boyd, Buck, and Oli, (riders who can ride in whatever saddle pads and boots they want), ride in Ecogold.  They have a video of taking an axe to one of their XC boots which we will put up on EN sometime, when we don’t have 17 million other videos up.
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Your turn: how was your event this weekend?

By on Jun 14, 2010 12:37 pm -

It’s becoming a Monday tradition to share about your weekend on Eventing Nation.  I spent all weekend at about Bromont, but there were a lot of other events around the world. Take a relaxing moment to tell us about the event you went to or just about a fun time you had with your horse.

Please tell us how your eventing went this weekend
Perhaps you went to Seneca in Maryland…

My first thought: Karen’s new ride, Quintus 54, has some serious hops
Or perhaps you were at the Melbourne International Three-Day in Australia…

Camilla, an EN reader, was kind enough to send us this description of the event: Melbourne is Australia’s longest running 3DE (more than 50 years, I think) and is held on the grounds of a historic house at Werribee. This makes for some lovely Badminton style photos as riders jump through the epic rose garden. There is an open range zoo next door, and the cross country also runs through what is quaintly termed the “camel paddock” which some horses seem to take aoccasional exception to. It’s better with the short formal, though, as in the old days, phases A and C apparently ran up close to rhino enclosures and paddocks full other such horse-friendly beasts.  Of note too is the fact that Melbourne is probably the final “test” for both Australian and New Zealand home-based riders pre-WEG. Four Kiwis travelled to Melbourne to vie for selection

Sonja Johnson (AUS) won the CCI3* on Ringwould Jaguar, finishing on her dressage score of 45.0.  Sonja, who won team silver in Beijing, was the only rider to make the time on XC, and she did it with her other horse, Parkiarrup Illicit Liason, as well.  Stuart Tinney (AUS) finished with two horses in the top four.  Link: full Melbourne results

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Colorado Horse Park CCI*, CCI** and HT: Scores

Coppers Meadows HT (CA): Scores

Aspen Farms HT (WA): Scores

Seneca Valley Pony Club HT (MD): Homepage

Valinor Farm HT (MA): Scores
Spring Run (KY): Event Website
Derbyshire (MI): Homepage
Queeny Park HT (MO): Scores

Will Coleman and Nevada Bay win Bromont CCI3*

By on Jun 13, 2010 4:15 pm -

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Will Coleman and Nevada Bay jumping for the win
(1) Will Coleman and Nevada Bay jumped a double-clear to win the Bromont CCI3*.  Will was placed third going into the show jumping, but Jessica Phoenix and Kim Severson both had rails.  Jessica pulled one rail by getting a little deep in a combination.  Kim pulled three rails, in what was a much improved round from two months ago at Rolex, where they had a stop.  

1. Will Coleman and Nevada Bay +0 = 59.0

2. Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master +0 = 59.4

3. Jessica Phoenix and Exponential +4= 61.6

4.  Kim Severson and Tipperay Liadhnan +12 = 61.8

5. Buck and Mar de Amor +4 = 71.0

6. Jil Walton and My Sedona +0 = 73.8

7. Ashley Kehoe and Mazetto +9 = 75.2

8. John Williams and Sweepea Dean +12 = 75.8

9. Jennifer Simmons and JB’s Star +8 = 79.6

10. Mikki Kuchta and Balmoral Tim Tram +16 = 80.2

Link: Final Bromont CCI3* results

     
Monday update: the reason that all the link results are all photos (.jpeg) is that scores were not posted online until late Sunday.  The best I could do was taking a picture of the results page and uploading it.  Pretty simple, but it worked.  
Full official results are now available in Excel format at the Bromont website
(2) Since Bromont was Nevada Bay’s first CCI3*, Will took his time around the XC, but he made up for the difference with superior dressage and show jumping phases.  Will and Nevada Bay had the best combined test score (46.6) by over 8 points (Paddy: 55.4).
(3) With Canadians Rebecca Howard and Jessica Phoenix finishing second and third respectively, Canadian eventing defended it’s home turf well this weekend.  Canada only started 5 competitors in the CCI3* and two of them finished in the top 3.  With fantastic Rolex performances from multiple riders, Canadian selectors have the luxury of needing to make some tough choices this fall.
(4) Will Coleman has has a tough spring up until Brmont by breaking his collar bone and then having to withdraw Twizzel from Luhmuhlen.  The Bromont win shows that Will has developed a good string of horses that is deep enough to weather the inevitable setbacks of eventing.
(5) There were only 3 double-clears in the CCI3* show jumping–Nevada Bay, Rebecca Howard with Riddle Master, and Jil Walton and My Sedona.  
(6) Jessica Phoenix and Exponential had the lowest 3* weekend jumping total, adding just the one rail to their dressage score.  Rebecca Howard and Riddle master added 4.8 during the weekend.
(7) The US started the weekend with 4 WEG applicants at Bromont.  Only Sweepea Dean and Tipperary Liadhnan finished the weekend, and both had three rails today.  Tomorrow morning the US team vets will likely look at Paddy, Sweepea Dean, and several developing horses. 
(8) Sweepea Dean won the best conditioned horse award.
(9) Thank you to all the volunteers, organizers, and everyone else in Canada who made our time at Bromont a lovely experience!  You can add me to the list of US eventers returning from Bromont who can’t wait to come back next year.
 
We will be driving back home through the night aboard Bromont One.  I don’t think I will blog during this drive, but we will have more from Bromont and a new week of ridiculousness on Eventing Nation starting bright and early tomorrow.
Now, more than ever, go eventing.

Kelli Temple and Axel Rose win Bromont CCI2*

By on Jun 13, 2010 2:34 pm -
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Kelli and Axel Rose leaving the arena after their winning ride.

Kelli and Axel Rose pulled two rails, but they had accumulated enough of a lead with great dressage and XC performances that they still won the Bromont CCI2*.  Axel Rose is one of several superb horses that Kelli has developed, and I expect them to be winning competitions for a while.  Will and Andromaque, 2nd placed after the XC, did their best to put pressure on Kelli by jumping a beautiful clear round.  Nate Chambers and Rolling Stone II also jumped a clean round and finished in third.

1. Kelli Temple and Axel Rose +8 = 53.0
2. Will Faudree and Andromaque +0 = 54.6
3. Nate Chambers and Rolling Stone II +0 = 56.1
4. Shandiss Wewiora and Fionn McCuhal +4 = 59.4
5. Cara Kozumplik and Manolo Blahnik +4 = 60.3

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Suzanne Stevensen and Central Park jumped a double clear to win the OT Saturday morning.

Boyd and Minotaure du Passoir win Bromont CCI*

By on Jun 13, 2010 1:09 pm -

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Minotaure du Passoir getting congrats from his owner and Boyd

The top four CCI* riders were all separated by less than a rail after the XC.  Young rider Nina Ligon and Tokay (3rd after the XC) put pressure on the top two by jumping a clean round.  Buck had a tough ride with Catalina, but then Boyd jumped a double clear on “Min” for the win.  Min is a very kind horse who Boyd has been competing at prelim for a long time, and Min’s owner was Boyd’s first owner in the US.  Nina finished in second place and her coach, Kim, rides for the CCI3* win in just a few hours.
1. Boyd Martin and Min +0 = 47.5
2. Nina Ligon and Tokay +0 = 49.7
3. Boyd Martin and Charla +0 = 53.1
4. Sara Kozumplik and Delta Ditto +0 = 53.6
Boyd FTW!

Sunday morning jog notes

By on Jun 13, 2010 9:50 am -
CCI3*: Two horses have dropped out of the CCI3* field as Sarah Cousins did not present either The Robber Baron or Tsunami.  All of the other CCI3* horses passed with no holds.
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Nat VC wins Eventing Nation’s world famous Best Dressed Groom award from the Bromont Sunday morning jog.  Nat (in the green) is pictured here with her rider, Nina Ligon, and her horse, Tokay.  Unfortunately Tokay was not terribly interested in posing for the camera, but he was impeccably turned out. 
CCI* and CCI**: There was a tense moment in the CCI* when overnight leaders Boyd Martin and Min were held, but they were passed upon reinspection.  One other horse was held in the CCI* but later passed, and Laura Vello did not present C’est La Vie.  Kim Crawford and Chocco de Pomme were spun from the CCI2*.  
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Nat helping Kim with her scarf


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Kelli Temple win’s our best dressed award with Axel Rose.  Callie Judy was a close runner up, in a great looking sundress.

Jog photos are up on our fanpage, here is the link for non Facebook users.

The weather is beautiful today, and so far we have really lucked out this weekend.  The CCI* starts around 11:20 the CCI3* around 2:30 ET.  Go eventing.

War-zone, happy travels, and show jumping preview

By on Jun 12, 2010 11:20 pm -

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Paintball: Bromont was turned into a war-zone Saturday evening as several riders and event personnel (around 12 in all) went paintballing in the back fields.  Ian and Waylon do it right and were decked out  in gear that would make a soldier proud.  Count me in next year guys.
Happy travels: Amidst all of the craziness of our Bromont coverage, I want to quickly mention that the US Luhmuhlen horses are scheduled to fly to Europe Saturday night.  I spoke with Allison Springer and she explained that Arthur and Michael Pollard’s Wonderful Will are scheduled to leave JFK Airport in NY at 10PM Saturday night and arrive in Amsterdam Sunday morning.  Arthur and Will will meet up with Jennifer Wooten’s ride, The Good Witch, who has already arrived in Amsterdam.  All three horses will ship the 4.5 hour drive to Luhmuhlen together on Monday
Arthur and Wonderful Will are sharing a pallet, which is like a section of a head-to-head horse trailer and secures the horses for the flight.  The horses are loaded onto the pallets and then the pallet is loaded onto the plane using a forklift.  I spoke with Allison’s groom, Sarah, who said that the entire plane is climate controlled.  One of the complications that Sarah mentioned is picking the right blanketing balance for the potentially long wait on the tarmac but then the long flight in the cool airplane. 
Allison told me that competing in Europe leads to some interesting challenges such as the fact that it is difficult to buy ice in Europe and all the electrical plugs have different voltages than US plugs.  Apparently Haygain provided Allison with a special European converter so she could steam her hay at Luhmhlen.  Happy travels to the US horses and we look forward to a successful competition at Luhmuhlen.  
Show jumping preview:  Every single one of the top four CCI3* riders has something to prove tomorrow, and each will make a great story if they win it.  Rebecca Howard rebounding from her fall, Will recovering from the broken collar bone, Jessica coming back after having a child, and Kim finding redemption after Rolex–all are made for TV story lines.  I like each of these riders quite well, and I want them all to do well tomorrow.  Will might have a little extra EN Karma right now because he gave me some food from the camp Coleman barn aisle dinner party Saturday night.
I know, I know we have to talk about Kim’s show jumping.  The first stage to recovery is acknowledgement that there is a problem, and Kim has publicly and privately owned her challenges with confidence that far too few other riders posses.  I am 100% certain that Kim will return to her excellent show jumping sometime soon, but the question is–will that be Sunday at Bromont?  I really really hope it is.
I picked Jessica and Exponential to win Bromont two weeks ago, and I guess I have to stand by that now.  You’re probably getting sick of me telling you what a great jumper Exponential is, but if they win you will get to see them here on EN, and I know that either way Ecogold will have their show jumping video uploaded.
As for the other divisions, I have to think that Kelli Temple will win the CCI2*.  Axel Rose is a beautiful jumper and Kelli has a 9.6 point lead over Will Faudree and Andromaque.  The show jumping is much tighter in the CCI*, with three horses within one rail of Boyd and Min.  I expect Boyd to win it because Min has so much experience at this level, but all of the top 4 have a good chance.
Programming notes: We will have results and video of all the show jumping as it happens on Sunday.  We will let everyone know when the show jumping starts as soon as we get a schedule in the morning.  Video Saturday and Sunday Morning Groom tips are on a break until at least Monday and perhaps next weekend, depending on how things work out. 
 
Everything I didn’t have time to write about today: I loved the moment in the CCI3* video where David was chasing after Rebecca with the dirt bike.  David does this, and trust me, as a rider you know where David is at all times.  I remember one year I was jumping the intermediate at Red Hills and David was in the middle of a crowd of maybe 200 people watching, but somehow I noticed his face out of all the others as I was galloping by.  
Food is expensive in Canada.  A bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich costs $7US and $8CA, and I ate at an Italian restaurant (where they spoke French) a couple of days ago and the entrees started around $15.  You can pay anywhere with US currency, but you always get back Canadian change.  So I have about $17 Canadian to burn tomorrow–which should buy lunch with a Gatorade.
Thanks for all the kind words about our Bromont coverage.  I know that sometimes people want scores or something that we don’t have up, but please understand that these days are pretty hectic for me from the time I wake up to bed time.  At Bromont the RV with my computer in it was 10 minutes from the XC course so I was running back between divisions to get as much posted as I could and then running back out to get video and watch the next division.  By running I mean literally running.  It’s a lot of fun, but I just don’t want people to think I am ignoring something if I don’t have it up immediately.  As always, thanks for joining us for Bromont.
Go eventing.

Kim Severson and Paddy lead Bromont CCI3* by 7.8 after XC

By on Jun 12, 2010 2:33 pm -
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Photo courtesy of Emily Beshear
1. Kim Severson and Tipperary Liadhnan +6.4 = 49.8 
2. Jessica Phoenix and Exponential +0 = 57.6
3. Will Coleman and Nevada Bay +12.4 = 59.0
4. Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master +4.8 = 59.4
5. Ashley Leith and Jet +2.8 = 62.0
6. John Williams and Sweepea Dean +9.6 = 63.8
7. Mikki Kuchta and Balmoral Tim Tram +11.2 = 64.2
8. Sarah Cousins and Tsunami +4.4 = 65.6
9. Ashley Kehoe and Mazetto +9.6 = 66.2
10. Buck Davidson and Mar de Amor +7.2 = 67.0 



Updated–now with rider captions!

(1) Kim Severson and Tipperary Liadhand jumped around clean and fast enough to keep their lead from the dressage.  It’s absolutely no surpise that Kim and Paddy got around, right now, they are one of the few US pairs that we can count on for a clean XC ride.
(2) 9 of the 29 CCI3* starters had problems on the course.  By far, the jump that caused the most issues was #5B, a corner after a table.  The line walked in 4, but it came up early on the course and just after the first water.
Fence 5A and B:
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(3) Martha McDowell fell from Gaelic Marriage at fence #8B, a skinny out of the first coffin.  Initial reports over the radio were scary but Martha soon got to her feet.  Martha was transported to a local hospital.  I spoke with the EMT who tended to Martha and he told me that she would likely be fine, but she might have an orbital fracture, which is a fracture to one of the bones around the eye.  Gaelic Marriage walked back to the barn.  Overall, it seems like today was a success from a safety standpoint.
(4) Jessica Phoenix and Exponential jumped from 12th to 2nd on the only double-clear in the CCI3*.  Exponential was a touch strong, but as I wrote yesterday, the horse is a jumping machine and made most of the course look easy.  No one else made the time but Jessica was 31 seconds under it.  Jessica also had the second fastest ride of the day, collecting just 0.8 time penalties with Exploring, but that ride included a stop, dropping Exlporing to 14th place.
(5) Canada also got a strong performance from Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master, who jumped from 9th to 4th on 4.8 time penalties.  Rebecca had one of the smoothest and overall best looking rides of the day.  Exponential and Riddle Master should be in the running for the ‘best conditioned horse’ award because they finished full of running.  
(6) Canada started the event with 5 riders in the CCI3* and two of them are in the top four after XC.  Halfway through 2010, the emergence of Canada as an eventing force is one of this year’s big stories.
(7) Will Coleman had one of the best rides of the day on Nevada Bay.  He gave Nevada Bay a very educational ride around the horse’s first CCI3* and Nevada Bay officially goes on the EN “horses of the future” list.  
(8) Only two of the US WEG applicants at Bromont finished the day.  Heidi White and Northern Spy were eliminated.  Geoff (the announcer) explained that they had a refusal at #17B, and that they jumped #17A again but not #17B.  In my XC preview post I mentioned that the #17B option was on #17A and vice versa, so my guess is that they jumped the A option on #17B and then carried on.  Buck retired Cruise Lion at the troublesome corner at #5B.
(9) The weather: I’d like to extend a personal thank you to Mother Nature for keeping us dry on Saturday.
(10) The course: Derek di Grazia deserves a lot of credit for the courses here at Bromont.  The challenge for course designers these days is to make the XC relevant (challenging) but safe.  With 30% of CCI3* riders having issues, the Bromont course was just that today.  Derek is becoming one of the names in course design.
(11) All three of the three-star riders we did video interviews with yesterday (Kim, Ashley Kehoe, Rebecca Howard) had clean rides today, and all of them are in the top 10.  EN Karma is hard at work!
The barns are busy with walking, icing, and grazing.  Depending on how I feel after dinner, we may have evening post from Bromont later, which will undoubtedly be packed with much ridiculousness.
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—-
Training XC Results:
1. Suzanne Stevenson and Central Park – 45.9
2. Jordan McDonald and Apple Cider – 47.1
3. Mathieu Mardon and Will’e Way – 47.8
4. Nidel Charfi and Rosario – 48.2
5. Babette Lenna and Little Oliver – 51.2
Go eventing.

Kelli Temple and Axel Rose take a huge lead in the CCI2*

By on Jun 12, 2010 12:07 pm -
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Courtney Cooper and Havasu Canyon

Updated: The scoreboard confirms our initial report that Kelli made the time and leads the CCI2*.  The five riders behind Kelli all had issues, giving her and Axel Rose a 9.6 point lead going into the show jumping.  There were 10 double clears in the CCI2* and the top 8 placings after XC all had double clears.  Valerie Vizcarrondo and Clifton Jade moved up from 19th to 11th on a strong XC ride and one of the 10 double clears.

One horse tied up in the vet box and rode back to the barns in the horse ambulance, and apparently another horse did as well, but both are fine now.

1. Kelli Temple and Axel Rose – 45.0
2. Will Faudree and Andromaque – 54.6
3. Laura VanderVliet and Mighty Mangaroo – 55.2
4. Shandiss Wewiora and Fionn McCuhal – 55.4
5. Nate Chambers and Rolling Stone II – 56.1

Video link: CCI2* XC video montage

Boyd and Minotaure du Passoir lead the CCI* after XC

By on Jun 12, 2010 11:03 am -

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Boyd and his other 1* ride, Charla

Boyd Martin went clean and fast on Minotaure de Passoir to maintain his lead from the dressage.  The rest of the CCI* rides looked pretty solid and I only heard about two people walking off of the course and both are reportedly fine.

1. Boyd and “Min” – 47.5
2. Buck and Catalina – 49.1
3. Nina Ligon and Tokay – 49.7
4. Clark Montgomery and Universe – 50.6

Bromont CCI3* cross-country preview

By on Jun 12, 2010 8:00 am -

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.  
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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.
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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.  
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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.
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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…
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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…
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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?
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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.

Eventing Nation’s Bromont Videos

By on Jun 11, 2010 10:14 pm -
Today I decided to try a few quick interviews with some of Eventing Nation’s friends at Bromont.  As with everything on EN, I’m learning as I go, and I want to really thank Kim, Sharon, Boyd, Rebecca, Geoff, Ashley, and Waylon for putting up with me.  I enjoyed the interviews and hopefully they had a little fun as well. 

Kim Severson and Sharon White together, announcer Geoff Morgan, and CCI3* rider Ashley Kehoe
Boyd Martin, Rebecca Howard, and Waylon Roberts



Finally, just some random rants and ramblings as I walk around Bromont

We look out for our friends here at Eventing Nation, so be sure to check out Sharon, Kim, Boyd, and Rebecca Howard at their websites.  

I put some photos from Friday up on Eventing Nation’s Facebook fanpage.  Click here for the photos, and here if you don’t use Facebook.  They are not good photos so as long as you don’t expect much they won’t disappoint you.
ECOGOLD has great Bromont dressage CCI3* videos: Diana Burnett, Buck Davidson and Cruise Lion

Kim and Tipperary Liadhnan rule dressage at Bromont

By on Jun 11, 2010 3:27 pm -
The top 4 of the morning leaders at the CCI3* maintained their top position after the 11 afternoon rides, meaning that Kim Severson and Tipperary Liadhnan lead Gina Fiore and Feral Errol by just under a point going into the XC.  In the afternoon, first time CCI3* pair Molly Rosin and Havara’s Charly jumped into the 5th spot.  Jessica Phoenix and Rebecca Howard of Canada both had great rides and are sitting in the top 10.
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Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master are 9th after the dressage

1. Kim Severson and Tipperary Liadhnan – 43.4
2. Gina Fiore and Feral Errol – 44.2
3. Will Colemand and Nevada Bay – 46.6
4. Heidi White and Northern Spy – 48.0
5. Molly Rosin and Havarah’s Charly – 51.6
6. Mikki Kuchta and Balmoral Tim Tram – 53.0
7. John Williams and Sweepea Dean – 54.2 
8. Jessica Phoenix and Exploring – 54.4
9. Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master – 54.6 
10. Bruce Davidson and Cruise Lion – 55.4

Link:  Full CCI3* dressage leaderboard,  or try this link


(1) Bromont is a story of redemption for several of the top-10 placed riders.  If you have been following Eventing Nation, you already know what we mean.  This is Will Coleman’s first three-day after recovering from the broken collar bone at The Fork.  Nevada Bay definitely raised some eyebrows with three great gaits.  
Rebecca Howard delivered a great ride with Riddle Master, and it’s great to see her back at a three-day after healing from the fall at Pine Top.  David helped keep Rebecca’s horses in work while she recovered and so we need to give some credit for Riddle Master’s beautiful test to the Canadian coach.     
Jessica Phoenix was on vacation for more joyous reasons–she gave birth to a baby boy earlier this spring.  It’s super to see these three great riders back at the top of their game.  Jessica and Rebecca have extra pressure this weekend as they ride for a spot on the Canadian team.
As an aside, Ronald Zabala-Goetschel (23rd in the CCI3* on Che Kairo) is also returning after a fall at The Fork.  Expect to see Ronald in Kentucky riding for Ecuador.
(2) Kim Severson’s weekend got off to a great start with a very accurate test.  After trotting away from the first halt, “Paddy” broke to the canter due to a strange guest in the judge’s box, but the rest of the test was extremely accurate.  It’s no surprise to see Kim in the lead tonight, and, as one of the toughest competitors in the field, it’s going to be a challenge for anyone to take the lead from her and Paddy. 
(3) I asked young Nicholas for his opinion on the dressage today and he said “Booyah!”  This appears to be the word of the day because as I was videoing Jessica’s first ride (on Exponential), Nicholas was playing on his Nintendo DS next to me.  Right when Jessica made her final salute Nicholas won his game and yelled “Booyah!”  The timing was perfect.  Exponential (sitting 12th) may have lost to Exploring in the dressage, but Exponential is an absolutely amazing jumper.  The horse has nearly perfect form in the air and he has absolute rocket boosters in his legs.
(4) The main difference between the good scoring tests and the great scoring tests today was accuracy.  The top 5 riders did most of the little things correctly and those little things added up to a big advantage in the final score.  It’s more fun to work on the gaits at home rather than spending time in the arena practicing movements, but now more than ever one accurate transition can be the difference between being the winner or the first loser.
—-
Training Level Results:
1. Heidi White and Valentine – 43.9
2. Suzanne Stevenson and Central Park – 45.9
2. Pascale Tremblay-Wagner and Edward – 45.9
4. Jordan McDonald and Apple Cider – 47.1
5. Mathieu Mardon and Will’o Way – 47.8
6. Nidel Charfi and Rosario – 48.2
7. Philippa Hambly and Mastermind – 48.6
8. Ian Roberts and Viper – 49.9
9. Stephanie Hodge and Pen Pal – 50.4
10. Daria Ivandaeva and Authorytet – 50.8

Kim and Tipperay Liadhnan lead at lunchtime with a 43.4

By on Jun 11, 2010 12:31 pm -
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CCI3* scores at lunchtime:

1. Kim Severson and Tipperary Liadhnan – 43.4
2. Gina Fiore and Feral Errol – 44.2
3. Will Colemand and Nevada Bay – 46.6
4. Heidi White and Northern Spy – 48.0
5. Mikki Kuchta and Balmoral Tim Tram – 53.0
A few super fast notes from the CCI3*:
(1) There were some solid rides this morning, but not any spectacular ones.  Call on Me impressed me with a very nice quality trot, and so did Nevada Bay.  Kim’s test was very accurate as always after an uncharacteristic bobble early.  Heidi White and Northern Spy also had a nice test but they still seem to be looking for their amazing flash from a few years ago.
(2) Several riders had errors in the CCI3*.  A couple of the problems were at the walk diagonal from M to S.  A couple riders walked to E and were whistled.  I feel comfortable saying Will Coleman was one of them because his test was so lovely that he ended up with a 46 despite the error.  If there are more errors among the three-star riders than the training riders I think the CCI3* riders should have to buy all the training riders dinner.
(3) The announcer has been playing music during the dressage.  I guess it’s a show jumping thing, and I don’t mind it, but I was wondering what everyone else thinks.  Perhaps that will be our “thumbs up or thumbs down” this week. 
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(4) Sarah Cousins was the only CCI3* rider to wear her helmet this morning, so we have already had one more rider wear their helmet at Bromont than at Rolex.
(5) I want to make sure we show some love to the Training level competitors here this weekend. While scores are not available for the training division yet, I went over to the training arena to cheer for a couple of friends and I saw some nice rides.
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Babette Lenna and Little Oliver had a lovely test
Go eventing.

Goodmorning from Bromont

By on Jun 11, 2010 9:31 am -

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Mia, Cedric, and Finley keeping an eye on things outside of camp Davidson
The CCI* and CCI** riders get to relax today and focus on walking their cross-country courses.  As a rider, I always like to be able to focus on one phase at a time so I love having the day between dressage and cross-country.  Friday is go-time for the training and CCI3* riders.  
The CCI3* competition features some excellent pairs.  Last week I picked Jessica Phoenix and Exponential to win Bromont and I will stand by that.  Will and Nevada Bay, Buck on Cruise Lion, Rebecca Howard aboard Riddle Master, and Kim with Paddy are a few other names to look out for.  Ashley Kehoe and the very experienced Mazetto are a younger pair that could surprise a few people with a strong XC ride.   

As a random aside, I had a chance to meet Mar de Amor, one of Buck’s two CCI3* rides, for the first time yesterday.  The horse is extremely chill to say the least, but has a very good natured personality.  I’ll be rooting for him this weekend.  
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Nate Chambers says “rock on Eventing Nation”
One of the bit checkers is going the extra mile to save the environment this weekend by turning her latex glove inside out after one horse and reusing it for another.  At first I was amazed, but it’s just slobber and I figure events do go through a ton of gloves switching out for every horse (so as not to spread germs).  
I should give a shout-out to NMK for making a great comment in our dressage recap from Thursday that the top 20 CCI* horses are within 10 points of the lead.  That competition will be exciting to watch.  Great point NMK–10 points for you.
Now is a good chance to extend a special Eventing Nation thank you to all the Bromont volunteers for making this a wonderful weekend.  Without you, we would all just be a bunch of crazy horse people standing around in a field.
Of course, we will have scores, video, and ridiculous commentary throughout the weekend.  I won’t worry as much about still pictures because the amazing Kat from the Chronicle has arrived.  I imagine she will be posting her photos from the event, to which we will link.  On Sunday we will continue an EN tradition and live blog the CCI3* show jumping.  Thanks for joining Eventing Nation for a fun-filled weekend at Bromont.  
——

Even though we are focused on Bromont this weekend, I don’t want to forget the seven events back in the States.  Good luck to all the competitors and remember to have fun.

Colorado Horse Park CCI*, CCI** and HT: Homepage, three-day live scores, HT live scores

Coppers Meadows HT (CA): Homepage, Times/Live Scores

Aspen Farms HT (WA): Homepage, Times/Scores

Seneca Valley Pony Club HT (MD): Homepage

Valinor Farm HT (MA): Homepage, Times/Scores
Spring Run (KY): Event Website
Derbyshire (MI): Homepage

A few weeks ago we had a discussion about the most embarrassing ways we had been eliminated.  One of my worst eliminations was at Derbyshire when I was 9 or 10 at novice.  After winning the dressage, I finished the XC within the time and was walking back to the barns when a friend informed me that I had cantered right by one of my jumps.  Some people remember exactly where they were standing when they heard President Kennedy was assassinated; I remember exactly where I was standing when I heard that I had been eliminated.  From that day forward, I have walked every single one of my courses at least twice–usually three times–and I focus hard on every walk.  I was also eliminated once that year for taking a whip into the dressage arena which was heartbreaking as well.

Queeny Park HT (MO): Homepage, Times/Scores

Lastly, I’d feel bad if I didn’t mention that the World Cup starts today.  So there, I mentioned it.
Good luck and go eventing.

Kelli Temple and Axel Rose lead Bromont CCI2*

By on Jun 10, 2010 5:24 pm -
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(1) There were only 9 CCI2* rides in the afternoon session, but they claimed all of the top 4 spots going into the XC.  Kelli Temple and Axel Rose combined great movement with technical precision to take the lead in the CCI2* on a 45.0.  Kelly is an excellent rider and her horses are always amazing, so her good score was no surprise today.  Clark Montgomery also had a great ride with Loughna Glen, who probably had the best trot of the CCI2* horses.  

1. Kelli Temple and Axel Rose – 45.0
2. Clark Montgomery and Loughna Glen – 45.7
3. Courtney Cooper and Havasu Canyon – 47.0
4. Colleen Rutledge and Dillon – 48.0
5. Courtney Cooper and Who’s A Star – 52.6
6. Boyd Martin and Haifa Bay – 53.1



Note: I know the score sheet photos don’t look very good, but as of of the time I am writing this the scores have not been posted anywhere else online.

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Courtney Cooper is 3rd with Havasu Canyon in the CCI2*

(2) Helmets at Bromont: Courtney Cooper wore her helmet in the CCI2* dressage today and so did a couple of CCI* riders, including Liza Igochine and Krystoff Carvonis.  Allison Springer’s Rolex ride seems to be inspiring other riders to choose safety over tradition.
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Nina and Tokay are 3rd in the CCI*
(3) In the CCI*, Boyd Martin and Minotaure du Passoir scored a 47.5 to lead by 1.6 points over Buck Davidson and Catalina.  Boyd has been riding “Min” at prelim for a long time now and they are due for a win.  Nina Ligon had a beautiful ride with Tokay.  Nina has a top-notch team here with Kim as her coach and Nat as Tokay’s groom.
Link: page 2">CCI1* final dressage scores page 1, page 2

(4) The clouds let loose with several hours of rain this afternoon and the XC course is quite soggy right now.  The sandy loam here at Bromont has absorbed a lot of the moisture.  The footing is soft/spongy right now and it might get deep in some of the heavy traffic areas.  
(5) Once again, I have posted more photos from today on our Facebook fanpage.  I am an awful photographer but I do the best I can and at the very least hopefully you can get a feel for the Bromont setting.  More from Bromont later.
Go eventing.

Thursday Lunch Break at Bromont

By on Jun 10, 2010 12:02 pm -
Rain has started to fall here at Bromont during the lunch break, but The Beatles are playing over the speakers and life is good.  There were a lot of quality rides this morning in both the one-star and two-star.  
CCI2* morning dressage leaders:

1. Courtney Cooper and Who’s A Star – 52.6

2. Boyd Martin and Haifa Bay On The 1st of November – 53.1

3. Will Faudree and Andromaque – 54.6

4. Laura VanderVliet and Mighty Mangaroo – 55.2

5. Nate Chambers and Rolling Stone II – 56.1

Link: Full CCI2* morning results

(1) Courtney Cooper had a great looking test with Whose A Star, and she wore her helmet in the arena.  Maybe half of the riders are wearing their helmets in their practice rides and there have been a couple wearing helmets in the competition arena.

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(2) Boyd put in a good test on Haifa Bay, who he is riding for Buck because Buck has the maximum number of horses allowed.  Why are Buck and Boyd so good?  Practice, practice, practice.
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(3) Will had a quality performance on his mare Andromaque.  “Missie” is a great looking young horse for Will, and people “in the know” really like her.  Like Pawlow, she fits Will’s style quite well and I expect a good performance from them here this weekend.  Don’t forget this horse’s name.

(4) Only the first 10 scores are currently posted for the CCI*, but in the early going Boyd Martin and Minotaure du Passoir are leading on a 47.5, just ahead of Buck and EN’s best tail winner Catalina.  I spoke with someone once whose horse has a bad tail and the rider said that they thought using a fake tail made their scores 5 points better.  Little things make a big difference.  
Of course we will have full CCI* and CCI** scores as soon as they are posted this afternoon. Go eventing.

Thursday morning Bromont reader

By on Jun 10, 2010 9:40 am -

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Competition at Bromont is getting started today with the CCI1* and CCI2* competition.  Bromont is beautifully situated situated within the green Canadian mountains, and I have been throughly impressed with the event so far.  Event officials were working hard Wednesday afternoon to complete some improvements for the competition, such as the installation of new footing in a couple of arenas, but everything is coming together beautifully.

Thursday: CCI* and CCI2* dressage
Friday: CCI3* and OT dressage

Link: Dressage ride times  

The weather today is overcast with a slight chance of showers expected throughout the afternoon.  The footing on the XC course is a little soggy from some rain overnight, but the soil is a wonderful sand and dirt mix that should drain well and hold up superbly for the XC.  Some rain is expected for the weekend.

In the riders meeting on Wednesday, the officials emphasized safety of the horse and rider.  They encouraged the riders to ask a lot of questions, especially about the new FEI doping regulations.  The issue of pulling unsafe riders off the course came up and the officials said that they didn’t want to have to pull anyone from the course but that the riders needed to be especially aware of how the many hills on the course would affect their horses.

I can see why Bromont is so well liked by the riders.  All of the important things for the horses, such as the footing, courses, and warm up areas are fantastic.  The event staff is extremely helpful and responds quickly to issues (like broken RV electrical hookups).  The officials seem well in control of everything.  Sure, the facilities are undergoing some improvements, and the barns leave a bit to be desired, but I’ll gladly drive the extra few hours to assure my horses good footing and a great course.

One thing to keep an eye on is that the application of the new doping regulations seem to be different at different competitions so far this year.  Rolex was extremely strict (stewards counted needles), but other events this year have been looser and didn’t require stewards to watch every application of medication.  I get the sense that we are moving in a positive direction, and certainly everyone is thinking more about the doping issue these days, but there are still a lot of question marks with the doping rules.

Finally, keep in mind that Sweepea Dean, Northern Spy, Tipperary Liadhnan, and Cruise Lion have all applied for the US WEG team.  All four of these horses still need qualifying scores to achieve their certificate of capability.  Right now there are only 7 riders on the short list and, with the way things go with horse soundness, if you have applied and are qualified anything can happen.

It’s a privilege to be here in Canada and to be able to tell so many wonderful readers about Bromont.  Here’s to a fun, safe, and confidence building event for all the competitors!  Much more from Bromont throughout the day.

Go eventing.