Allison Springer and No May Moon. Photo by Sally Spickard.

It’s not every day you see a Connemara/Thoroughbred pinging around the upper levels of eventing, though of course there have been plenty of examples of this sturdy and athletic cross within our sport. This weekend, Allison Springer showed us all just what a spicy, athletic, “dirt bike crossed with a mountain goat” can do: win at the CCI4*-L level, and at one of the toughest events in North America, to boot.

Nancy Winter, the breeder and owner of the newly-crowned MARS Bromont CCI4*-L champion, No May Moon (Catherston Dazzler – Ebony Moon, by Mystic Replica) was actually short-listed for the 1984 Olympics with a Connemara herself. She’s spent the bulk of her breeding career now influencing the Connemara lines with more and more sporthorse prowess — and No May Moon was one of two horses into which Nancy infused some prime genetics for eventing, along with full brother Crystal Crescent Moon.

“Their mother Ebony Moon was by Mystic Replica, so a good Thoroughbred blood mare, and then we bred her to Catherston Dazzler, who is now deceased, but he was an English Warmblood who’s produced a number of top event horses,” Allison told The Chronicle of the Horse last year. “They’re known to be incredibly athletic, good jumpers, maybe a little on the hot side, but I think it was a really nice blend.”

Allison Springer and No May Moon. Photo by Sally Spickard.

But getting to this point hasn’t been a quick process for Allison, who’s always garnered respect within the sport for her tact in producing horses and working with “quirky” individuals. “Mayzie” is no exception to this, a bit of a later bloomer as Allison describes her, and one whose future at the top levels wasn’t entirely clear until much further into her eventing career.

“She’s little, but she’s really, really well bred,” Allison said. “She’s bred to jump and she’s bred to run, and that’s exactly what she does. It’s just been really getting her mind and getting her to understand the job and focus. She’s such an athlete but I really feel like now, in her final bit of time at the three-star level and then now at the Advanced level, she knows this job.”

As I wrote yesterday, Allison described the process of producing the mare to this point, opting not to push her into Young Event Horse competition as a 5-year-old and instead choosing to give her time to settle in her brain and mature. Once she moved up to the Intermediate and three-star level, Allison kept her there for two full seasons.

“I think that it’s like anything — you get experience by potentially not doing it right in the past,” Allison mused. “You know, I’ve had a couple of careful horses that were great at the three-star level and started out great Advanced but were a little careful, so I sort of learned from that and I just really wanted [No May Moon] to tell me every step of the way. We as riders get excited and we have our goals, but you have to know and the people around you, they get excited for the goals too and sometimes you just have to pause and figure out what’s best. And Nancy is just an incredible horsewoman anyway, so she gets it — she gets the process. I’ve certainly had people in the past that just want to show up the party no matter what and have a result, but she really understands producing the horse so I’m so incredibly happy for Nancy and so grateful to her because these are this is definitely dreams coming true for her as well. So hopefully this mare will take her some more places.”

Allison Springer and No May Moon. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Believe it or not, this win is Allison’s first one at the CCI4*-L level or old CCI3* level. She’d won twice at the former CIC3* (now know as a CCI4*-S) before with her beloved former partner, the late Arthur, but the closest she’d come to date was a third place finish at Fair Hill in 2014 with Copycat Chloe.

She came into the ring, in second place after cross country behind Canada’s Waylon Roberts, to tackle Marc Donovan’s show jumping track knowing that it had exerted its fair share of influence to that point. Just two pairs had jumped double clear so far: Shannon Lilley and Eindhoven Garette and Boyd Martin and Miss Lulu Herself.

The efforts of a 10+ minute gallop at a Long format can certainly take some energy from even the fittest of horses, which is one thing that makes the sport of eventing just so exciting and intense, as well as a test of preparation. It can also make for poles down on Sundays, but Allison needn’t have worried. No May Moon jumped with springs in her feet, not giving a single pole a rub and securing at least second place with a finishing score of 46.1.

Waylon Roberts and OKE Ruby R. Photo by Sally Spickard.

It was then Waylon Roberts’ turn with John and Michelle Koppin’s OKE Ruby R (Namelus R – B. Termie R 6, by Germus R). Waylon did not have a pole in hand to secure the victory, and halfway around the track, it looked like we would be crowning our first Canadian 4*-L champion at Bromont in 10 years. But it wasn’t to be: OKE Ruby R lightly touched the pole on an oxer, and Allison’s victory came to fruition.

But to talk to Waylon afterward, you’d not know he’d just lost out on a big win. For him, the win wasn’t going to be the only mark of success on what has been a stellar weekend for him and the rangy 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare. He told me he’s done much work on his own headspace over the last year, which led to him feeling calm and not as under pressure as one might otherwise feel this morning.

“This is the best headspace I’ve been in in my entire life,” he told me. “I’ve done a lot of work on that in the last year, just getting help with getting me feeling better and that has made me a better horseman, a better competitor, and I think a better person to be around. So I didn’t feel any pressure today. Obviously I wanted to go in and do well. We all want to win, but I really went in thinking I wanted to do well by her. And she felt super, she jumped one of the best rounds that I think she’s ever jumped, and she just did that after running for 10 and a half minutes yesterday, so I couldn’t be happier. We’ve come a long way in three years with her. It’s been a little bit of a rocky road at times, as it is with any horse. But she’s trending in the right direction for right now. She’s the best horse I’ve ever had at this level.”

OKE Ruby R was also awarded Best Conditioned Horse by the Ground Jury, wrapping up her weekend on a final score of 50.0. Waylon hopes to aim her at the Morven Park CCI4*-L in the fall and is hopeful that “Ruby” will end up being a five-star horse for him and the Koppins.

Boyd Martin and Miss Lulu Herself. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Coming third in the 4*-L are Boyd Martin with Bonnie Stedt’s Miss Lulu Herself (Stolzenfels – Noisette, by Nobre XX), another mare to complete the trifecta of ladies on the podium. Thanks to a double clear show jumping effort that we’ve nearly come to expect from Boyd at this level, Lulu moved from fourth into third place on a final score of 50.7.

Boyd has also taken his time producing the chestnut Hanoverian mare, who’s come to this event as her third CCI4*-L. This is her best result at the level, and Boyd’s feeling like he’s perhaps got another 5* horse in the making.

“She’s been a very, very careful jumper, and I just find with those super careful jumpers it just takes a little bit longer to produce them just because the cross country, if you rush them they can be a bit unsure,” Boyd said. “Confidence is key with Lulu, and I was just absolutely thrilled with her performance this weekend.”

Boyd’s eyeing a potential 5* move-up for Lulu, but will prioritize taking her to one with a bit less terrain for her first go, similar to his approach with Fedarman B, who went to Luhmühlen for his debut. She’ll likely do one more 4*-L before he takes that next step.

Boyd also went wire-to-wire in the CCI2*-L with Fetiche des Rouges and Kolbeinn in second place.

Karl Slezak and Hot Bobo. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Karl Slezak raised the Canadian flag for the CCI4*-S win this weekend, defending the lead he took over after cross country with a double clear show jumping effort aboard Hot Bobo (Arkansas VDL – Taneys Leader xx, by Supreme Leader xx). This pair finished their weekend with a score of 44.0, and Karl’s keeping his fingers crossed that he’s done enough to convince the Canadian selection panel to give him a spot on the team heading to Paris.

But, as he says realistically, “what will be, will be.” This result, yes, was intended to impress the selectors, but Karl’s also looking beyond this summer to the future of a very special mare. “Today we’re on top of the world and very excited,” he said. “She feels great. She’s jumping really well. And I feel like I’m back in the game, so definitely excited about her going forward. Fingers crossed about Paris. But if nothing else, I know she’s back on top going into the fall.”

Karl is followed by Hannah Sue Hollberg and Christa Schmidt’s Capitol H I M, who defended their second place on the podium and finished on a score of 51.5 with one pole down today. Ariel Grald rode Annie Eldridge’s Isla de Coco through, surely, some pretty intense pain as she did a good number on her face falling from Diara on cross country yesterday. But she’s one tough cookie, as all of these riders are, and she put in a stellar effort with the absolute stunner of a mare, adding two seconds of time on show jumping and finishing on a score of 51.8 in third place.

Arden Wildasin and Sunday Times. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Before I wrap up, I wanted to give a shout to Arden Wildsasin, who finished fourth in the 4*-L with Sunday Times and won the 3*-L with Billy Beaufort, a very new ride that she’s only had since the beginning of this year. Arden leapt – literally – from 13th into first place following cross country yesterday, and delivered a double clear under leader’s pressure to seal the victory.

Arden is an amateur rider who does much of the work at home and with her horses herself, enlisting the help of coach Heidi White a couple years ago so that she could firm up her foundational skills. That effort has really paid off this year, and she’s excited for the future with all of the horses she brought to Bromont this weekend. But for her, similarly to Waylon in the 4*, it wasn’t so much about the prospect of a (surprising even to her) win, it was about how she was setting herself up and how she was riding.

“It was actually my first time kind of being in the lead,” she laughed. “So I had to take that out of the equation because you ride the horse that you’re on that day, no matter where you were placed. Because in a sense, it’s about yourself and that partnership. Yeah, there is a leaderboard at the end of the week, but it’s not, ‘where am I in that leaderboard?’ Yeah, I knew I was sitting in first. But again, that’s not helping my riding. What’s helping my riding is [asking myself], ‘what’s underneath me? Where are my shoulders? Where’s the hind end? What distance am I seeing?’ And just believing and having that confidence of riding, day in, day out, riding what’s underneath you and in a sense, blocking out what’s there is something that everything you learn from. So it’s the partnership again. It’s not about placing — it’s within yourself to be better.”

Arden Wildasin and Sunday Times. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Even disregarding the results on the board, Arden’s got herself well-horsed for the future. Her mother, Sarah, actually has a hand in selecting horses that have quality potential for Arden, and the Wildasin family on a whole are stellar supporters of the sport. As a demonstration of this, they donated Arden’s prize monies back to Bromont as a show of support.

“We just want to do what we can support Bromont,” Jim Wildsasin said. “I think Bromont is one of – I can’t imagine the eventing calendar without Bromont, so anything we can do at any time to help them, is something we’re not going to hesitate to do. It’s nice to see results come because Arden’s just been working and getting better and it’s started. We love the community, we know everybody and we’re always rooting for everybody. We love Bromont, period, end of story.”

And with that, another year at the incredible MARS Bromont CCI comes to a close. If you haven’t been here before, I highly encourage you to add it to your list. Prepare well, because the standards are high here, but you will leave with a greater sense of education and partnership with your horse if you cross your t’s and dot your i’s. I hope to see you back here next year, and until then and as always – Go Eventing.

MARS Bromont CCI (Quebec, CA) [Website] [Scores] [Live Stream Replays]

Waylon Roberts and OKE Ruby R. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Derek di Grazia’s cross country did as it intended today, exerting an influence across all divisions here at MARS Bromont CCI. As a result, nearly all divisions save the CCI2*-L now have new leaders installed ahead of show jumping on Sunday.

OKE Ruby R (Namelus R – B. Termie R 6, by Germus R) is a name that’s been on our radar since the Conceal Grand-Prix Eventing Showcase in Aiken back in early March of this year. It was there in Aiken that the 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare really got on our map here at EN, delivering the sole clear cross country round inside the time with a quick turn of foot despite her relative inexperience at the Advanced and 4* level.

Coming into this weekend, which was to be “Ruby’s” first CCI4*-L, Canada’s Waylon Roberts remained pragmatic about his expectations, knowing he would prioritize the development of John and Michelle Koppin’s mare for the future. Heading into show jumping in the lead, on a course that exerted enough influence that would open the door for him to leap from 8th after dressage, is the cherry on top.

“Absolutely not!” Waylon said when I asked him if he thought he might be standing at the top of the pile this afternoon. “Once I saw I was in first, I was like, “Oh, well that’s kind of fun!’. But really, for me she’s a horse for the future. It’s a long term thing for me with that horse, I’d like to think. So I’m looking forward to tomorrow, and then the next four-Long we’ll do, and hopefully one of these days we’ll hit a five-star.”

Waylon and Ruby have been partnered since the 2021 season, when she’d had experience through the 2* level. “She takes on everything you teach her,” he described. “You never have to remind her — once you’ve taught her something, she’s got it, and over the last three years, we’ve really been building a relationship together and I feel like I can read her pretty well.”

That relationship proved to be a boon today, as all over the course problems were springing up. There were three falls on course (all horses and riders are reported to be fine this evening), two eliminations on refusals, and one retirement in the 16-horse 4*-L field, and no pairs came close to the optimum time of 10 minutes.

Waylon Roberts and OKE Ruby R. Photo by Sally Spickard.

“I haven’t been at a four-Long for a few years now,” Waylon reflected. “And this was Ruby’s first time at the [Long] level, so it was hard to know what to expect. I definitely was looking to have a good educational round for her. And her best way of going is forward and covering ground. So if she’s making time or doing well on the clock, it’s not because I’m trying, it’s like that’s sort of where she likes to be. So the plan was to really set off; the minute markers at Bromont are very familiar to me so I sort of knew where I needed to be. [So it was] just try to keep those jumps in front of her and keep jumping. I was really pleased with how she came along.”

Waylon will take a score of 46.0 into show jumping tomorrow, and he’s got some recent show jumping success (a double clear in the 4*-S at Kentucky) with this mare that could see him take the victory. This being the mare’s first 4*-L could, of course, have an effect on her energy tomorrow, but she has shown she can jump clear at this height.

Allison Springer and No May Moon. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Allison Springer moved up one spot — the only of the original top three remaining in place — to second with Nancy Winter’s homebred Connemara-Thoroughbred mare, No May Moon (Catherston Dazzler – Ebony Moon, by Mystic Replica).

“She was fantastic!” Allison said back in the barns this afternoon. “It was so much fun. She’s so fierce and she just went out galloping and she’s easy to steer, she goes when you say go, and she’s just super clever. I was just over the moon with her.”

This is also a first 4*-L for the 10-year-old, who prepped for this event via Stable View, Fair Hill, and Tryon over the spring season. Initially, Allison had intended to use Carolina International’s notoriously tough cross country as a stepping stone, but a pesky Technical Elimination kept the pair from completing the event. Instead, Allison routed to Stable View, who brought in British designer Helen West as successor to Capt. Mark Phillips this year, resulting in a very tricky new course to tackle.

“So her first Advanced was Stable View, and that was insane,” Allison emphasized. “I mean, it was so hard — I hadn’t been that nervous to go cross country in a long time. You had people going to five-stars that were thinking it was a bit much, but she was amazing. And then she went to Fair Hill in the tough footing there that was really heavy footing, and then she did the four-Short at Tryon. Way back then, I was kind of thinking ‘maybe I should do an ‘easy’ four-Long, and then she was just so amazing just from the get go at Advanced.”

Allison Springer and No May Moon. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Here Allison credits time and trusting the process for where she is today with this mare, who was far from easy to produce as a young horse — to the point where Allison wasn’t entirely sure she would be more than a Prelim horse, if they got that far. Once she got to the 3* level, Allison spent two solid years there, building and developing.

Now, she’s starting to reap the rewards. “I think it’s just because I’ve taken so much time through every level with her. We spent so much time at the three-star level, so when she moved up to Advanced she understands it, which is great. So I mean, I never thought I’d take her Prelim, I never thought I’d go Intermediate, and I was just so excited to take her Advanced. She’s really good.”

“She was so fractious and spooky and difficult as a young horse,” Allison continued, noting that she never would have been able to do something like Young Event Horse competition with this particular horse. “So it really took a long time to bring her up. But then she knows her job, and she loves this job, so it’s really exciting. I’m just really, really proud of her.”

For her part, Nancy Winter, who’s bred Connemara crosses for much of her career and sends many of them to Allison, enjoys the process of seeing her horses grow up, in whatever job suits them the best. “It’s been a really enjoyable thing to watch this mare come up,” she commented. “And there’s no one I trust more than Allison to put them on the right path.”

Allison likens No May Moon to a Thoroughbred and also a mountain goat, happy to cruise around in heavy going. “Touch wood, even in bad going I haven’t really felt her slip or lose confidence, so I would imagine that’s the Connemara side because she’s part dirt bike, part mountain goat — it’s ridiculous.”

No May Moon has jumped a clear show jumping following a Long format cross country at the 3* level, including clear rounds at Virginia Horse Center as well as Tryon. Just .1 penalties separate Allison from leading rider Waylon Roberts, so it’s still very much anyone’s game in terms of who will emerge victorious.

Arden Wildasin and Sunday Times. Photo by Sally Spickard.

And don’t count out Arden Wildasin, who delivered a stellar trip today with the 17-year-old Sunday Times (Cult Hero – Lackaghbeg Crest, by Sea Crest) to jump their way from 10th into third place overnight on a score of 48.1 and very much in play to take the win tomorrow.

Arden has had “Mr. Mumble” (yes, he’s nicknamed after the Happy Feet penguin) since he was 5, and now in his 17th year she feels a lot of pride for the work she has put in producing the Irish gelding. But a little over two years ago, Arden felt a gut instinct that she needed more help with the foundations of her riding, enlisting the assistance of Heidi White to fill in those gaps. “It was like I knew steps D and E, but I needed to know steps A, B and C and I was missing those,” she described. “I know I can ride, but my foundation was missing.”

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That hard work has paid off for Arden and her trusty, speedy partner (the pair also were the quickest turn of foot in the division, and despite not making the optimum slid home with 10.4 time penalties). She’s staying realistic about tomorrow’s test. “He’s definitely, as you all know, fast on cross country,” she said. “So it doesn’t sometimes help us in show jumping. But we’ve learned again, staying out to the turns getting that jump well, and he can produce a clean round. I’ve never written him after a long, so I don’t know what to expect. He was feeling very full of himself. So let’s hope that tomorrow he’s feels that way and jumps around and unbelievable.”

Arden also jumped her way to the lead of the CCI3*-L on a newer ride, Billy Beaufort, rocketing up from a starting position of 13th place on a score of 35.2 after two phases.

Boyd Martin and Miss Lulu Herself. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Looking to the rest of the 4*-L leaderboard, 1 rail separates the top three. Boyd Martin and Bonnie Stedt’s Miss Lulu Herself picked up a bit too much time to defend their early second place and will now be fourth ahead of show jumping, followed by Lauren Nicholson on Brandye Randermann’s I’ll Have Another in fifth place.

Dressage leaders Lucienne Bellissimo and Dyri unfortunately parted ways at the C element of the coffin complex (the Fairway Question), and though Lucienne knocked her head in the fall she reports she is not injured significantly and that she and Dyri will be back to fight another day.

Lauren Nicholson and I’ll Have Another. Photo by Sally Spickard.

We really feel for Alex MacLeod, who after a stellar round lost their balance at the last fence and sent Alex tumbling off to the right; despite her best efforts, she sadly could not hang on to cross the finish line and will thus end her weekend early. Chin up, Alex, I’ve launched a petition to retroactively move the finish line back by about one foot. She should nonetheless be very proud of Newmarket Jack‘s efforts today, as he looked brilliant the whole way around and will be wondering why he doesn’t get to show jump tomorrow!

Alexa Thompson and Just To Be Clear fell at fence 21, but are also reported to be uninjured.

Karl Slezak and Hot Bobo. Photo by Sally Spickard.

We continue our Canadian dominance with the CCI4*-S, which saw Pan Ams team gold medalists Karl Slezak and Hot Bobo (Arkansas VDL – Taneys Leader xx, by Supreme Leader xx) take over the lead after overnight leaders Jessica Phoenix and Watson GS parted ways (they are both reported to be fine, and Jessie returned to ride the rest of her horses later in the day). Karl and Hot Bobo will take a score of 44.0 into tomorrow’s finale.

Karl is feeling the relief of having the clear round under his belt, having had a bit of a rocky spring with the 11-year-old Irish mare. Earlier this week, he observed to me that the mare nearly found the job so “easy” that he himself had trouble mentally switching on when it mattered.

“In the beginning, she just was super spooky,” he said. “Every time we took her to cross country schooling, it’s like she’d never seen a cross country fence. Even still, if she has a long break, it’s like she’s never seen one. But then she has a few runs, and she just keeps getting better and better. And now it’s a very different ride for me. She just cruises around. And I almost feel like, ‘what do I do?’ So I’ve been caught sleeping a couple times. And I think now I’ve kind of learned that I’ve got to stay on top of it, even though it feels good. I’ve got to stay on top of it the whole way around.”

There’s a lot riding on the performances of the Canadian riders this weekend, as the selection panel will be making their picks for the Olympics in the next few weeks. Karl and Hot Bobo certainly stand as a strong shot for the team, but they’ll need to deliver a solid result here to help put those little issues this spring to bed. The mare has jumped three double clear show jumping rounds in seven starts at the level, and while of course that’s not a perfect record, she has delivered in bigger environments such as the iconic Rolex Stadium at Kentucky. Karl does not have a rail in hand over second-placed Hannah Sue Hollberg and Capitol H I M (47.5).

“She’s been show jumping well leading up to this,” Karl noted. “I’m excited about tomorrow, she should put in a good round. And fingers crossed, the selectors are happy with it.”

Hannah Sue Hollberg and Capitol H I M. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Hannah Sue Hollberg is eyeing Burghley for Christa Schmidt’s Capitol H I M, opting to bring him here to Bromont after pulling him before cross country at Kentucky when she fell from another horse. She’ll be preceded in the show jumping ring by third-placed Ariel Grald, who rose from 7th to third with Annie Eldridge’s stunning mare, Isla de Coco.

Ariel Grald and Isla de Coco. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Ariel gets the award for toughest of the day, picking herself up after a heavy fall from Diara in the 3*-L and carrying on to pilot her other two rides around cross country. Keep an eye on Isla de Coco — she’s a real type who seems to relish the job and has a stellar FEI record to boast at 10 years old.

Division Leaders:

CCI4*-L: Waylon Roberts and OKE Ruby R (46.0)
CCI4*-S: Karl Slezak and Hot Bobo (44.0)
CCI3*-L: Arden Wildasin and Billy Beaufort (35.2)
U25 CCI3*-L: Katie Lichten and Romans Code Red (40.0)
CCI2*-L: Boyd Martin and Fetiche des Rouges (21.2)
U25 CCI2*-L: Erin Farrell and Atavious (37.4)

Tomorrow we’ll conclude an exciting weekend with the final horse inspection at 8 a.m. for all divisions, including the 4*-S. Show jumping will then commence at 9:30 a.m. with the 2* divisions, followed by the 3*-L and 4*-S/4*-L. I’ll be back tomorrow with much more to wrap up Bromont tomorrow evening. Stay tuned and Go Eventing!

MARS Bromont CCI (Quebec, CA) [Website] [Entries] [Show Jumping Times] [Scoring] [Live Stream]

The Fairway Question at Fence 8. Photo by Sally Spickard.

We come to Bromont each year well aware of the fact that this event is, as it should be, anything other than a dressage competition (if I had a dime for every time we wrote that phrase on EN, I’d probably be a lot wealthier than I currently am).

Setting foot on Derek di Grazia’s track for the CCI4* divisions feels a bit like you’re stepping onto the pitch ahead of a big match (yes, I’ve been watching Ted Lasso a lot): you’re immediately hit with the feelings of anticipation, the nerves that come along with the knowledge that you’re about to do something really hard, and more than a little desire to rise to the occasion in what could well be the biggest challenge you and your horse have faced to date.

Preparation is key if you want to come to Bromont and have a good outing. Riders who aim for the four-star here will have taken their horses, for the most part, to other events at the level with the goal of tackling an event like Bromont or Morven Park as a more intensive test of readiness for potential CCI5* horses.

But Derek has done what he does best here once again: he knows what riders are coming here to do, and he knows exactly how to test them with his special sauce of using the ground in ways a layman wouldn’t even think to look at a piece of property, while also laying out a challenge that will separate the best from the rest. He’s also designed the course so that a thinking rider will be able to properly plan their attack, giving riders every opportunity to get into a rhythm and fight their way ’round.

For this year’s CCI4*-L track, we’ll see the competitors jump five standalone fences, including one at fence 4 that comes after a short jaunt through the MARS Sustainability Way water — “almost a jump in itself,” as Derek describes the getting the feet wet early concept. By the time they reach the first combination at fence 6AB, riders will have had a chance to gallop uphill and downhill, as well as through the water, gathering information the whole way to know how their horse is settling in.

“They’ve had time to sort of get themselves going, which I think will help a lot of people, especially because Bromont does have a lot of terrain and I think, again, it’s about getting into the rhythm galloping up and down the hills and getting comfortable with that before you really start anything,” Derek says.

That first combination, the Quebec Shelter and Chevron Brush, shouldn’t cause any major problems, unless a horse takes a huge leap over the ramped shelter jump at A, which is set with a downhill landing that could catch an overly keen horse out at the skinny chevron a few strides later.

The steeply-angled CD elements of the Fairway Question.

Competitors will then swing into the next field to the Fairhill Question at 8ABCC, a stiff coffin complex challenge that’s set on the opposite of a straight line with two steeply angled cabins awaiting on the other side of the ditch.

Derek notes that the endurance factor of this course will begin to kick in here as the horses gallop slightly uphill on the lush fairway following the coffin, which is also the lowest point of the track.

“Once they get down to the Fairway Question, from there you’re actually at a low point and then you’re climbing all the way up to the top before you go back down to the arena,” he notes. “And so to me that’s an endurance pull, but at the same time then you get a bit of a break when you go through the arena because it’s flat there, and then again what happens is once they come out of the second water, that’s where you really start to know if they’re starting to get a bit tired because they then have to go up that hill and then they have that long pull at the end.”

MARS Sustainability Bay.

Riders will be put onto a slight S-turn line at the MARS Sustainability Bay, which comes at fence 12ABC as the riders make their way to the Ecogold Horseshoe, Log and Brush downhill question before the fences in the main arena.

Because who doesn’t love a little wood-carved partial nudity?

After navigating the Antech Arena Turn (and trying to avoid distraction by the interestingly random carved wooden bust that features in the middle of the two elements here), the horses and riders will head up to the far sections of the course, including a big LeMieux Lagoon and a steep uphill pull to the Spaceship Table at 21. They then must gallop back into the far Fairway field before making their way back toward the finish flags.

It’s grueling, and with an optimum time of 10 minutes and potentially slick conditions with rain forecasted for much of the day, it’s hard to see many, if any, pairs making the historically difficult time here tomorrow.

The LeMieux Lagoon.

“Once they come out of the second water [LeMieux Lagoon at fence 20ABC], that’s where you really start to know if [the horses are] starting to get a bit tired,” Derek explains. “Because they then have to go up that hill [to the Spaceship Table at 21] and then they have that long pull at the end. That’s where, if you think you have the horse still, you might be be able to say ‘let’s go’ to try and get close to the time. Others will say ‘I can’t do that, I’m just going to get up the hill and finish the course.’ That’s where the riders have to gauge how their horse is feeling.”

The Spaceship Table that comes after a decent pull uphill.

Derek feels confident that the riders will know much more about their horses’ suitability for the next level after this run. “I just think that this event, everything about it — the terrain, the endurance factor, and then of course the course itself — lends itself to really finding out what sort of horse you really have because there is quite a bit of endurance here, it’s hard to make the time here, so I think if you have here and you have a really good outing, you can kind of start to think about going and doing a five-star.”

You can view the CCI4*-L track below or on CrossCountryApp:

And here’s the CCI4*-S track. This and all other levels can be found on CrossCountryApp.

It’s very much all to play for tomorrow, and the CCI4* divisions will kick off with the Long at 11:11 a.m. followed by the Short at 12:35 p.m. The day will begin with the CCI3*-L at 9:00 a.m. and will conclude with the CCI2*-L at 2:40 p.m. Don’t forget to tune in to the free live stream from MARS Bromont all weekend, both on the Bromont YouTube channel as well as Horse & Country.

MARS Bromont CCI (Quebec, CA) [Website] [Entries] [Dressage Times] [Scoring] [Live Stream]

Shannon Lilly and Eindhoven Garette. Photo by Cealy Tetley Photography.

With half of the headlining CCI4*-L division completing their dressage tests on Thursday at MARS Bromont CCI, the early leader has emerged in Shannon Lilley and her own Eindhoven Garrette (Iowa 960 – Rose Rouge Garette, by Manillon Rouge), who earned a mark of 33.8 from judges Peter Gray (CAN), Bea di Grazia (USA), Christian Steiner (AUT).

The 10-year-old Selle Francais gelding earned his most competitive score at the CCI4* level today, topping a previous best score at the Lexington CCI4*-S in April (34.9) and validating the effort Shannon, who is well-respected for her prowess at producing horses, has put in throughout her partnership as the horse matured and “bought in” to the partnership with his trust.

“He took a little while to develop in the beginning, the first couple of years,” Shannon remarked. She originally sourced Eindhoven Garette from JP Sheffield and Dirk Schrade in Europe and purchased him on the recommendation of longtime coach Buck Davidson. “Since then he’s sort of clicked in and he’s been amazing. He’s come a very long way in the last six, seven months, since Morven Park. He went around Morven Four-long really well, and he’s now come so far in the dressage, it’s really incredible.”

Shannon prepped for MARS Bromont, which has always been her goal for this spring season with this horse, with a trip to the Lexington CCI4*-S, which is run alongside the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI5*. Her plan was to just practice dressage in Kentucky, taking advantage of the atmospheric Rolex Stadium.

“He was super in that atmosphere and that was sort of the plan: to go and to get him in that ring and feel good about it, and he was great. Today I thought he was even better; the parts that were good were better and then there were a couple parts that need improvement, but we always need that.”

Olivia Dutton and Sea of Clouds. Photo by Cealy Tetley Photography.

Shannon looks ahead to Derek di Grazia’s cross country track, which she’ll be tackling on Saturday, feeling positively. “He looks like an overgrown pony and he’s not; he’s so athletic, he’s like riding a little sports car,” she said of her horse. “He’s quite sharp. And he’s settled a lot in his brain and in his body over the last six months, but he is sharp and very quick. He’s got a huge amount of jump and gallop, and so to be able to get him to relax and move through his back in [the dressage] has been challenging. But he’s really brave, and he’s fast and he’s quite accurate. I’m excited to do the cross country on him.”

Olivia Dutton is making her CCI4*-L debut this weekend aboard The Sea of Clouds Partnership’s Sea of Clouds, a former racehorse previously campaigned to the CCI5* level by her father and seven-time Olympian Phillip Dutton, who is here coaching her. As the first to go in the division Thursday afternoon, Dutton impressed the ground jury for a score of 34.5 to hold the lead for the majority of the day before being overtaken by Shannon.

Alexa Thompson and Just To Be Clear. Photo by Cealy Tetley Photography.

Alexa Thompson is also making her first CCI4*-L start at MARS Bromont, piloting her own Dutch Warmblood gelding, Just To Be Clear, to third place overnight on a score of 36.0 with a test that featured some lovely, relaxed movements and strong harmony.

There are still eight pairs remaining to see in this division, and those combinations will ride their dressage tests on Friday afternoon following the CCI4*-S dressage.

Several riders who received grants from the MARS Bromont Rising program, administered by the USEA Foundation, have been taking advantage of coaching from Bettina Hoy as well as educational seminars hosted by Peter Gray and Derek di Grazia. This program is a wonderful, well-rounded effort that aims to provide young riders with tools they need to succeed not just in the ring, but within the industry as a whole.

Don’t forget to tune in to the free live stream from MARS Bromont all weekend, both on the Bromont YouTube channel as well as Horse & Country.

We’ll be back tomorrow evening with much more from the conclusion of dressage, as well as a preview of what Derek has in store for the competitors on cross country, so stay tuned!

And before I go, a little humor for you in celebration of Lauren Nicholson’s birthday:

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Division Leaders after Thursday

Sara Schulman and Cooley Chromatic. Photo by Cealy Tetley Photography.

CCI3*-L: Sara Schulman and Cooley Chromatic (26.4)
U25 CCI3*-L: Katie Lichten and HTS Jensen R (29.1)
CCI2*-L: Boyd Martin and Kolbeinn (21.7)
U25 CCI2*-L: Claire Strehlow and Seabanks Theygo (30.5)

MARS Bromont CCI (Quebec, CA) [Website] [Entries] [Dressage Times] [Scoring] [Live Stream]