Phillip Dutton and Azure. Photo by Abby Powell.

It’s the Boyd Martin and Phillip Dutton show following a wonderful day of cross country at the MARS Bromont CCI after an exceptional showcase of riding and sport. Between the two Olympians, they lead all FEI divisions here save, of course, the Under-25 CCI2*-L.

After the conclusion of competition on Saturday, Phillip Dutton leads the CCI4*-L on the 11-year-old Irish mare Azure (Omar – Cavalier Roselier, by Cavalier Royale), contesting her second CCI4*-L this weekend and today adding just one second of time over the optimum of 10 minutes to bump up into the lead. This quick turn of foot was rewarded with a whopping 14-place leap up in the standings, and a two-phase score of 36.8 gives Phillip a rail and some time in hand for tomorrow’s show jumping.

“We’re sort of getting into a partnership,” Phillip said of Azure, who is owned by Anne, Caroline, and Michael Moran. “Obviously the dressage, we’ve got a long way to go there, so we’re going to go back to the drawing board because I definitely was making progress in the spring but I’m a little bit disappointed with what we did here in the dressage. So we’ve got a bit of work to do there. But she knows me pretty well now on the cross country and I trust her as so I’m able to shave off time on the approach to the jumps as well. So we’re forming a partnership, a good partnership, and hopefully it’s gonna grow from here.”

Phillip Dutton and Azure. Photo by Abby Powell.

Despite a couple of greener moments on course, Phillip was able to use his experience to navigate Derek di Grazia’s up-to-standard test and the undulating, tiring terrain. “The terrain is kind of undulating, so there’s never any just flat area,” he explained. “You’re constantly a little bit up and down all the time, which you know, takes probably fifteen percent off your speed when you’re really trying to go fast. Certainly on that old steeplechase track you could really put the foot down there, but on a lot of the other parts the horse was still managing the gallop rather than just going for it.”

After today’s big effort, tomorrow is still a question mark for Azure. She does have a handful of rails since moving up to this level, so Phillip will once again call on his experience getting a horse that’s made a sincere effort the day before around Marc Donovan’s show jumping track come Sunday. The rail he has in hand may come in to play, but a strong showing here will cement Azure as one of Phillip’s stars on the rise.

Arielle Aharoni and Dutch Times. Photo by Abby Powell.

Also making major moves up in the standings after a brilliant cross country trip today are Arielle Aharoni with Christina Aharoni’s Dutch Times (Goodtimes – Alino Queen, by Michellino). This pair moved up six places, from eighth into second, adding 8.4 time penalties to their dressage score for a two-phase mark of 41.3. Arielle and “Dutch” finished tenth here in the same division last year, and they’re no strangers to this venue as this is their third trip here as a pair.

Arielle has taken her time gaining mileage and experience with her 15-year-old partner. In fact, this weekend would be their seventh 4*-L competition together. That patience has paid off — in 2022, Arielle and Dutch began to accumulate more consistent results in FEI competition. She now finds herself well-placed to finish on the podium — or better — this weekend. Arielle credits the amount of trust and comfort she and Dutch have built in each other with their ability to compete on the clock today — something they haven’t historically been able to do.

“He came out of the box hot, like he was ready to rumble and I just let him go,” she elaborated. “And I’m not one to usually even come close to time. Usually we’re like, you know, 30 seconds over a minute over. But this year, I was like, ‘I’m so comfortable with this horse. I know he’s confident with all the combinations he’s ever seen. I’m going to try to be a little faster this year.’ And you know what? I’ve been a little bit faster this year, and it’s working out for me!”

Arielle Aharoni and Dutch Times. Photo by Abby Powell.

With all of this experience under her and her horse’s belt, Arielle is now firmly eyeing a 5* move-up in the near future. This goal informed her plan as she walked around Derek’s track, which carries a bit of a reputation as being a five-star preparer or a “mini Kentucky”. Speaking to the angled rails to a big, looming corner at fence 9AB, which was given an option after rider rep Hannah Sue Hollberg and other competitors brought their concerns about the question up to the Ground Jury and designer. Seven pairs would end up opting for the direct route here, including Arielle.

“Actually, it rode perfectly fine, but I think I sat there for thirty minutes looking at it,” she said of the combination. “I was like, ‘do I take the option? Or do I just go for it?’ But my goal is Kentucky five-star, so if I want to do that, I should be able to take all the straight routes and you know, not think about worrying.”

Looking to tomorrow, Arielle is feeling cautiously confident about her chances to hold or improve her position. “I have full confidence in his show jumping, I just have to pray that I do all the riding right because he is going to be fabulous.”

Hannah Sue Hollberg and Capitol HIM. Photo by Abby Powell.

An elated Hannah Sue Hollberg caught up with me after her ride aboard Christa Schmidt’s Capitol H I M (Con Air – O-Heraldika, by Heraldik xx), which was good enough to move her up nine places into third place overnight on a score of 42.4. This 16-year-old Holsteiner gelding was originally purchased for Christa to ride, but due to his sharpness and also a tendency to be horse shy, Hannah Sue took the reins and with Christa’s support began campaigning him up the levels. He began his international eventing career in 2019 with Hannah Sue and first made the step up to the 4* level in 2021.

Today, Hannah Sue says she learned that she can go quick across the country with “Chito”. In fact, it was actually discovered by Hannah Sue’s vet last year that the gelding had Cushing’s disease — despite being asymptomatic, she followed a hunch and was proven to be correct. As a result of the treatment, Hannah Sue says she can feel a world of a difference in how Chito feels and performs now.

“It’s given him back his athleticism,” she reflected. “Now he can gallop like he used to be able to and he dragged me all the way around today. Every time I asked him to speed up he did. I had a really good feeling about [today], and he’s such a good cross country horse and you know, he’s all heart. If I can just steer him and do the right thing, he tries so hard no matter what.”

Hannah Sue has worked hard on her own technique in order to better set Chito up for success to go quick. Admitting she sometimes struggles with her hands and holding back too much, she was proud of her ability to get a little out of her comfort zone today to put the pedal down. “I was trying to be as fast as I could. So the beginning of the course was a little bit more uncomfortable than I like! But it was a good feeling — that’s kind of how you have to be, you know, to be fast and it worked out really well. I just had to let go of control a bit and be more trusting and he was just so awesome.”

Hannah Sue Hollberg and Capitol HIM. Photo by Abby Powell.

“I wanted to challenge myself a little,” she said when asked why she’d chosen Bromont as the Long format to aim for with Chito. “This is like the hardest four-star Long I’ve ever walked. So I definitely came to the right place.” Hannah Sue did put in for the U.S. team heading to Chile this fall for the Pan American Games, but should she not be selected to the team she says she feels Chito is ready to aim for the Maryland 5 Star in October, which would be a second try at the 5* level for this pair (they went to Kentucky in 2022 but parted ways on cross country).

Derek di Grazia’s track rode quite well today, despite its steep challenge. Issues were a bit scattered throughout, but the 9AB combination would have caused the most difficulty with four pairs encountering difficulty here and having to go around to the option. Dressage leader Colleen Loach dropped out of her position, but delivered a clear cross country with FE Golden Eye, adding 12.4 time penalties to sit in fourth overnight. Second- and third-placed Lillian Heard Wood ran into some trouble with both Chilly and Dassett Olympus on course, but finished well with both and was feeling understandably disappointed but generally positive about her horses at the end of the day.

Derek was pleased with how his tracks rode today, reiterating his philosophy that the course should be, above all, fair to the horses. “I always try to believe that it’s fair and and that it is something that is very possible to do,” he commented. “Especially at the level, realistically, you believe that horses that are at the four-star level are trained to a certain level of proficiency and that they should be able to handle what you put out there. But the biggest thing is really is to make sure it’s fair, that they really are able to understand what what the question is and then be able to go ahead and execute.”

The designer in residence here has already put his thinking cap on for what he wants to put in place for the upcoming “Little Bromont” and FEI Nations Cup in August, which will feature a CCI4*-S track.

Boyd Martin and On Cue. Photo by Abby Powell.

Boyd Martin Takes Charge of CCI4*-S and CCI3*-L, Retains Lead on CCI2*-L

Boyd Martin has five rides this weekend across three divisions and had a very good day in the office: he’s leading each of those three divisions.

He and five-star winning mare On Cue easily retained their lead in the CCI4*-S by delivering the fastest round of the division and adding 12.8 penalties to their dressage score. They’ll head into tomorrow’s show jumping with a score of 41.8 and will have plenty of breathing room ahead of Phillip Dutton and Z. The Aachen-bound pair had a steady round, picking up 20 time faults and slotting them into second place after dressage runners-up Colleen Loach and Vermont retired on course.

Boyd can’t help but sing the praises of Christine Turner’s mare, and while he rode steadily and not necessarily for the fastest time he was still rather impressed by her easy effort.

“She’s just got back in the swing of things and it was a monstrous four-star short course and she went around on a loose rein,” Boyd said. “She would be one of my all time favorite horses ever to ride. She gallops like the wind, she’s smart, she’s careful, she’s brave, she’s easy to turn, she sees a fence in a split second. I just love her to bits.”

Boyd Martin and Chiraz. Photo by Abby Powell.

After CCI3*L division leaders Lauren Nicholson and Larcot Z, a newer ride in her string, collected a few time faults and left the door open for a new division leader today, Boyd and Sandra Olsen’s Chiraz galloped right though. The pair, who was sitting second after dressage, delivered a clear round three seconds inside the time to take over the lead heading into show jumping with a score of 29.6.

“We’ve only been together for a short period of time and I really didn’t know what to expect,” Boyd said of the 10-year-old Holsteiner. “He put in a fantastic round across the country and we had a couple of iffy fences, but he kept kept fighting for me.”

Boyd’s remaining three mounts this weekend were entries in the CCI2*-L division and all of them ended the day near (or at) the top of the leaderboard.

“All three of my [two-star] horses felt green, but that’s exactly why I brought them to Bromont. It’s always a tough, challenging cross country course and I feel like the horses finished with a good education. ‘Morris’, ‘Barney’, and ‘Charm’ all ripped around in a competitive time and they were green in spots, but I felt like they really stood up to the task.”

Boyd Martin and Astis Charming. Photo by Abby Powell.

Asti’s Charming, a ten-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Sterling Equestrian, retains the lead in the division and remains on his dressage score of 23.0.

“Hats off to Charm,” Boyd said. He dug deep and he was definitely feeling some inexperienced moments, but he showed plenty of grit and and ended up doing the time quite easily.”

Mo Chroi (“Morris”) also ran clear and inside the time and moves from sixth place to third. Barney Rubble crossed the flags just one second over time and climbs from eleventh to sixth heading into show jumping.

Noah Stanlaske and DHI Showman. Photo by Abby Powell.

Noah Stanlaske Best of the U25CCI2*-L

It was a lot of hard work that got Noah Stanlaske to the point he is today: leading the U25CCI2*-L division at MARS Bromont CCI. Noah took the reins on DHI Showman after the gelding was first campaigned by coach Buck Davidson (Noah also works with Shannon Lilley, who’s been here helping him this week). Having ridden a Thoroughbred from his first Beginner Novice on, transitioning to a big warmblood was a big change for Noah.

“You know, I came out here wanting to be competitive. And I think I achieved that today,” Noah said. “I was a little nervous, like listening going last of the day I heard where everything went wrong. I also heard where things went well and where I could learn how to maybe kick a bit more, where to really push for the time. It was hard to make and there was a point where I didn’t think I was going to make [the time], so it was just exciting to get across the finish line.”

When asked what has really grown in the time Noah and “Elvis” have been together, he answered, “I think our bond, really. Him seeing me taking care of him. Him supporting me. He’s a horse that needs a person — he loves his attention, he loves his cookies, he loves his hugs. You can just go and hug him for ten minutes straight — he gives you the heavy breath and the puppy eyes. Our bond is really I think what’s made him help support me and me support him.”

Noah will go into tomorrow’s show jumping finale on a score of 29.2, and won’t have much breathing room ahead of second-placed Sara Schulman on a score of 29.6.

Maya Clarkson and Maks Mojo C. Photo by Abby Powell.

MARS Bromont Rising Participants Shine on Cross Country Day

It was a banner day for the future of the sport as the young riders receiving the MARS Bromont Rising grants showcased their skills and talent on cross country. Second placed in the 3*-L overnight will be one such recipient, Maya Clarkson. A clear cross country inside the time was rewarded with a move up from ninth into second on a score of 32.5.

“It was so much fun. My horse was super,” Maya said. “The course was amazing. I thought that it asked a lot of really good questions is definitely it was kind of my first three long. So it was like the hardest course that either of us have ever seen. And I thought that he answered every single question like, by a mile. He was so good. I couldn’t have been happier with him.”

This was a 3*-L debut for Maya, who has been campaigning internationally with Maks Mojo C — who shares a sire (Mighty Magic) with Miks Master C and Mama’s Magic Way, to name a couple — since 2022. She said the insights gleaned from the Bromont Rising program made for some additional tools for her arsenal in a new venue.

“[Bromont Rising] was really helpful in regards to how to ride the specific tracks and the terrain,” she said. “I’ve never been here before and the ground is different, so that was really helpful knowing how the horses might react to certain parts of the ground and where to stay away from.”

Sara Schulman and Cooley Chromatic. Photo by Abby Powell.

Highest-placed of the Bromont Rising riders in the U25CCI2*-L is Sara Schulman, who delivered an impressive round on her own Cooley Chromatic to sit second overnight on a score of 29.6. Partnered together since the seven-year-old gelding was four, Sara says it’s been a real pleasure to strengthen her partnership with her horse to get to this point.

“I’ve had him since the beginning of his career, which has been a really nice partnership to build off of,” Sara said. “When I got him, he was 16 hands and now he’s 17.1, so I’ve had to adapt with that as he’s grown. But having a partnership of three and a half years is a really nice thing to have going on to a new course and new terrain and the biggest test of his career. Sometimes you don’t know quite how younger ones are going to react to the terrain questions or the twisting courses, and he ate it up. I took a little bit of extra time to set him up because he was a bit eager to be running out of the box, but I’m excited that he was so excited to be running around.”

Speaking to the benefits of the Bromont Rising program, Sara thought for a moment when asked what her biggest takeaway has been. “I think one big takeaway that is important for all of us to go with is that we’re the future of the sport and we sort of have to take responsibility in that,” she reflected. “So shedding a positive light on the sport and creating education especially [where there] were so many spectators out on course, which was awesome. And there were quite a few people who came up and I explained a little bit more about my horse and a bit about the sport. So I think just spreading that education and awareness to positive vibe for our sport is really important.”

Sara Schulman and Cooley Chromatic. Photo by Abby Powell.

One of the coaches here this weekend, Germany Olympian Bettina Hoy, was equally impressed with the outcome of the weekend so far (though we do still have one more day of competition!). The young riders she’s been helping worked hard all week to soak up the knowledge they were gaining from the teachings of Bettina, dressage judge Cara Whitham, and course designer Derek di Grazia. For Bettina, the chance to share some of the knowledge she’s acquired over her career is a chance to give back and help further the sport.

“Overall, I’m actually very impressed by everyone, the fact that they really soaked it up every piece of information they could get, they really soaked it up, they worked very hard,” Bettina said. “And I could see them try to put into place, especially in the dressage on the cross country, I think, you know, at an event, I don’t think you can change that much. You can give some information, what to look for, especially here, as I said before, they would have felt the horses getting a little bit tired. Knowing how to deal with that knowing and having a debrief to what can you do better? How can you get your horse maybe a little bit fitter, if they felt there was getting tired. But I was impressed by the way they rode — they were very positive. They’re good kids. And I think, you know, some of them will certainly make it up to the top. And it’s fantastic of Ms. Mars to sponsor this, because I think it makes a huge difference to the kids.”

“I was very lucky and having had amazing coaches, all the way along. Foremost, my dad. But then I could tap into a lot of special coaching and trainers as well. And I’m just foremost really, really thankful that I can give something back into the sport and if what I have to say or what I can pass on, if that makes the sport safer, more enjoyable, keeping horse and rider happy and healthy. That’s my biggest reward.”

And with that, my time in Quebec comes to a very sad close. I head off entirely too early tomorrow to make a baby shower on the other coast, so I’ll leave the Sunday reporting to Abby Powell and our intern for the weekend, Poppy van Mahltzan. All divisions will jog at 8 AM tomorrow morning, and the competition will resume 9:30 AM starting with CCI2*-L show jumping.

Stay tuned for much more from the conclusion of what’s been a very wonderful weekend in Bromont. Go Eventing!

MARS Bromont CCI: [Website] [Schedule] [Entries] [Volunteer] [Live Scoring] [EN’s Form Guide] [EN’s Coverage]

Photo by Sally Spickard.

If you ask just about any top rider why they choose to come to Bromont each year, the answer is always similar: because it’s a true cross country test that sets horses up well with added experience for the next level to come. It’s not an event you’d want to bring just any horse to — you’d want to bring a horse that is either ready for a bigger test or who needs some exposure to a more challenging track.

“It’s kind of like being on vacation, terrified!” Lillian Heard Wood, overnight second in the CCI4*-L division here at the MARS Bromont CCI in Quebec, remarked on Friday. Lillian names Bromont as her favorite three-day of all time, and she does her best to bring horses that are ready to be here as often as she can. “I think the cross country’s epic,” she elaborated. “It’s what it’s supposed to be. It kind of looks like, you know, a Badminton, like a Burghley, or a Kentucky — like it has that feel to it. So if you want to know if your horse can get there, that’s why you come here.”

Indeed it does, and we’ve got Kentucky and Burghley designer-in-residence Derek di Grazia here to lay his craft on the undulating terrain at the Bromont Olympic Equestrian Park. The 10 minute track, which features 27 numbered obstacles and 40 total jumping efforts, is not short on challenges and will require a brave and bold ride the whole way around to finish strong. True to Derek style, he’s made prime use of the ground here, strategically placing fences in places that will require riders to really think about the big picture rather than just the fence immediately in front of them.

“Bromont’s its own course, and quite different from many,” Derek said of the venue. “I think when riders know they’re coming to Bromont, they know that there’s going to be ups and downs and actually quite some pulls on the course, so the horses have to be fit. But it also lends to having some great opportunities for setting jumps here, and creating different sorts of questions for the course.”

Photo by Sally Spickard.

“As each property is very unique and they have their own sets of pluses and minuses, I think that it’s great to have really interesting terrain to work with. It’s all got to work within the course, and also the footing has to be decent for the horses and riders for the day. So there are a variety of factors that go into creating it and having it all come together just right for the day.”

Truly safe cross country riding requires not just bravery and athleticism, but also thinking on the part of both horse and rider. This is the skill Derek wants to cultivate in the riders that tackle his courses. He wants them to understand what each question is asking, and how the course fits together as a whole. You must not be married to a specific number of strides, instead you must keep your leg on and your eyes up and focus on riding the horse underneath you as the ground changes along the way.

“I think that the track is relatively the same [as last year] — it sort of goes the same direction — however, most of the combinations are all new,” Derek described. “They’ve actually built quite a few new jumps for this year’s course at all levels, so it should give the riders a fresh look and, I would think, some new things to contemplate on the cross country.”

One such question comes up at fence 4 on the track. The first three fences are inviting, beginning with the Hemlock Roll at fence 1. There is good galloping space between each of the first 4 fences so that riders can focus on getting their horses out in front of their leg before the going gets intense. At fence 4, though, they’ll have their first test of “can you ride a horse that’s finding its footwork?”, as the approach to the narrow table will require galloping down a steep camber into the water and back out and over the fence. This fence is unlikely to cause real problems, but should provide good intel for riders as to how to respond to their horses’ tackling of the undulations.

A steep uphill climb and a sweeping left-hand turn to the Fairway Question coffin complex at fence 7ABC presents the next major challenge, and riders will need to make sure they’ve got a good line through this obstacle as the way through is not straight as an arrow. The prospect of the delicious galloping lane that immediately follows this question will encourage riders to keep kicking to get to the other side.

Photo by Sally Spickard.

Coming at 9AB is an Angled Rails to Corner question, which caused quite a stir as riders began to walk the track earlier this week. After some discussion with Derek and the Ground Jury, it was decided to add an option to this line, which features a very steep angled, yellow MIM-pinned rail to a right-handed corner. To help find the line, the ground line at the rail has been set to the left of center, but adding an option (which allows riders to jump the rails straight on and then circle back to the right to hop a small skinny) will provide some insurance should any competitors feel they cannot navigate this question safely.

The track also features a keyhole to a large down bank, slightly reminiscent of the big ol’ drop into space featured on the Tokyo Olympic track, at fence 15ABC, the Owl Hole Drop and Corner.

Photo by Sally Spickard.

Photo by Sally Spickard.

Two fences are placed in the arena this year: a single, galloping table, followed by two tables on a bending related distance. After that, the riders will tackle the far loop of the track, which will take them into the big water at fence 19ABC, the Trackside Pond, that features a big, angled log to jump into the water followed by two offset chevrons.

The back third of the course will be primarily about ensuring horses are fit and able to get home safely. Derek continues to ask riders to test their turning skills with a handful of combinations en route to the finish, including an interesting question at fence 25 that will have riders jumping a log and hopping down over the hacking path to turn over a small speed bump.

It’s a bit difficult to really see here, but the ground ahead of fence 26 is far from flat! Photo by Sally Spickard.

Finally, fence 26 (Red Top Cabin) may look innocuous, but take a look at the undulation in the ground approaching it. A leg-weary horse may find it difficult to stay straight and true here — and again, I wouldn’t anticipate any issues here, but if a horse is feeling the efforts by this point, you may see some scrambles over this as the horses must employ their footwork to maintain a straight approach.

The Horseshoe Brush at fence 27 will welcome riders back to the finish. Should these 4*-L riders complete this track well, they should feel more than set up to prepare for the next level of competition. This track gives off major Kentucky vibes, and it’s been dressed beautifully by the hardworking grounds crew and volunteers here this weekend. It should be an absolute showcase of sport tomorrow, and we can’t wait to see what the day holds.

There is no live stream this weekend, but we’ll be doing our best to keep you updated on both the Bromont (@bromontcci) and the EN (@goeventing) Instagram pages. Abby and I will be back with a full cross country report later this evening, so stay tuned — and Go Eventing!

You can also view the full track overview on CrossCountryApp here.

MARS Bromont CCI (Lac Brome, Quebec, Canada) [Website] [Schedule] [Entries] [Volunteer] [Live Scoring] [EN’s Form Guide] [EN’s Coverage]

Colleen Loach and FE Golden Eye. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Despite smoke billowing south from the devastating wildfires still raging throughout Canada, the air quality remained clear in the little pocket to the east of Montreal that seems to have primarily escaped the windblown plumes. We had a good amount of rain this morning — though not enough to concern anyone about it affecting the footing in anything other than a positive way — that gave way to slightly warmer temperatures and sun in the afternoon. We continue to keep those affected by the wildfires and smoke in our thoughts, and are grateful that both we and the horses here are able to breathe clean air and safely enjoy Bromont this weekend.

Nine of the 19 horses entered in the CCI4*-L competition at MARS Bromont CCI have completed their dressage tests this afternoon, and it’s Canadian Olympian Colleen Loach who has set the early gauntlet aboard her own and Amanda Bernhardt’s FE Golden Eye. The pair earned a mark of 27.6 — one of just two scores under 30 in the first half of the division — to set the standard ahead of the conclusion of dressage Friday.

This weekend stands to be among the biggest tests “Goldie” will have faced to date, though the 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Goldfever 3 is not short on experience at this level. Bromont will be his fourth start at the 4*-L level, with his best result to date being a fifth place finish in the inaugural Morven Park 4*-L in 2021. He’s also competed at Jersey Fresh (2021) and Tryon (2022). Mixed in between his eventing starts are also some rounds in the show jumping ring; most recently, Colleen and Goldie picked up a second place finish (right behind stablemate Vermont, who is here competing in the 4*-S this weekend) in the 1.35-1.4m Grand Prix here at this venue last month.

“We tried a little bit of a different warm-up strategy with Goldie today, working him a bit harder on the pre-ride,” Colleen noted after her test. The goal, with the help and input of Canadian chef d’equip Rebecca Howard, was to work on getting the big gelding a little more through in his body. “I’m not sure I would do it again. He was a little bit fussy, not quite as flowing and smooth in the contact as usual, so it’s good to know that what we were doing before worked better. But I was pretty happy with him. He was very obedient and overall had a pretty nice test — I’m being quite picky as I know he has a lot of good things in there.”

Colleen described her off-season as being focused on thoroughness and getting Goldie more in front of the leg — atmosphere doesn’t tend to rile this laid-back fellow much, so getting him to come up and into the contact presents a challenge at times. “He’s gotten a lot better — or I’ve gotten a lot better at riding him!”

In 2022, Colleen chose to run at Tryon instead of Bromont, but she earmarked this event in 2023 because she felt it would be a proper test for her horses. “I love Bromont, I love the cross country course here and it’s close to home,” she elaborated. “It’s just a really special event, the atmosphere is great and I think it’s a suitable course to Goldie.”

Lillian Heard Wood and Chilly. Photo by Cealy Tetley Photography.

Second on the other sub-30 score of the day in the 4*-L are Lillian Heard Wood with Steve Berkowitz’s Chilly (Zanjero xx – Tax Rob xx, by Artax xx), sitting on a score of 29.0 ahead of Saturday’s cross country. If you’ve ever read anything about this incredible OTTB from Oklahoma, you know this guy has one heck of a story. If you haven’t, you can click on over to our Form Guide to read what Abby Powell wrote about his history. Suffice it to say, a mysterious illness in 2020 kept Chilly down for several months, to the point where both Steve, an equine vet by trade, and the team at New Bolton in Pennsylvania were stumped on the origin of the illness. Eventually, the now-11-year-old gelding pulled out of the sickness on his own, and Lillian was able to resume her training. Now, he’s ready to contest his first 4*-L with a very capable cross country rider in the irons, and he’s put himself into exceptionally good stead after the first phase.

Jennie Jarnstrom-Dennis and Flower Girl. Photo by Cealy Tetley Photography.

Completing the top three after day one are Sweden’s Jennie Jarnstrom-Dennis and Flower Girl (Futurist – Lucy, by Romino), who spent the 2022 season primarily focusing on Short format events to improve their competitiveness. They very nearly beat their FEI personal best today, earning a mark of 31.0 from the judges (Marina Sciocchetti at M, president Andrew Benne at C, and Jane Hamlin at E). Time will be a factor for this pair to retain this standing at the end of Saturday, but for now enjoy that lovely test feeling, girl!

We will see the second half of this division tomorrow, and we’re predicting Colleen will stay in the lead, but could face a strong challenge from the likes of Ariel Grald and Diara, if they can replicate some of the scores earned at the level below this, or Sara Kozumplik and Rock Phantom, who’ve been knocking on the door of a solid sub-30 mark as of late and earned a 25.9 in their final prep for this event at an Advanced/Intermediate run last month. Ariel withdrew her first ride, Forrest Gump 124, from the competition ahead of her dressage test.

Lauren Nicholson Sits Pretty on New Ride

Lauren Nicholson and Larcot Z. Photo by Cealy Tetley Photography.

It was just a few weeks ago that Lauren Nicholson, with the help of Ms. Jacqueline Mars, acquired the ride on Larcot Z. Previously owned by Reagan Lafleuer and campaigned most recently by Will Coleman, Larcot Z now adds even more depth to Lauren’s string, already with a win at the 3*-S level under his belt.

In fact, Lauren’s had her eye on this stunning 10-year-old by L’Arc de Triomphe ever since Reagan brought the gelding over for a lesson with David O’Connor when he was a five-year-old. “I tried to buy him off her then!” Lauren laughed. “And I have a little bit harassed her for years, like ‘you want to sell him yet?'” That persistence (I’ll use that word here instead of “harassment” Lauren!) paid off, as when the decision was made to put the gelding up for sale, Will called Lauren first and offered her the sale.

“Long story short, [Reagan and Will have] done a beautiful job producing the horse,” Lauren continued. “He’s such an athlete. Right now I’m really just trying to figure out his buttons and not take anything away from how well he’s been trained. And, you know, it’s a fine line of just trying to make him my own without taking anything away from him. There’s few horses that I would feel confident going to a three-Long on such a short history, but I really felt at home on him and having known his history so well, with both Reagan and Coleman, I’m super lucky.”

Their score of 28.4 edges out Boyd Martin and Sandra Holden’s Chiraz, who also delivered a test with some lovely moments to earn a 29.6. Chiraz was formerly campaigned by Nicola Wilson (GBR) and Mikki Kuchta before joining Boyd’s string, and this weekend brings their first 3*-L start together.

Michelle Koppin held the 3*-L lead for a good chunk of the day, on a score of 31.0 with her own and John Koppin’s Calcourt Valley. This pair bested the score earned in the 3*-S here at Bromont in 2022, when they finished eighth overall. This is this pair’s second start at the 3*-L level; they previously finished inside the top 25 at Maryland’s CCI3*-L championship last fall.

Mixed in with the 3*-L division and competing for their own set of ribbons are the U25 riders, many of whom are recipients of this year’s MARS Bromont Rising Grant. Best placed of that group are West Virginia-based Lea Adams-Blackmore and her own Frostbite, who are currently tied for third with Michelle on a score of 31.0. This is the second year Lea has benefitted from the MARS Bromont Rising program, and she gives a lot of credit both to her longtime coach at home, Sharon White, as well as Bettina Hoy and Cara Whitham (who are here to help coach and mentor the Bromont Rising students this weekend) for helping her crack the code with “Frosty”.

“I’ve felt like the big goal for me was to just not sacrifice, you know, getting a seven because we’re going for a nine,” Lea commented. “We just wanted to have a really consistent, pleasant test. The places where we could get those extra points, we would do our best, but I really didn’t want to make it a huge stressful thing for him. I just finally got him to the point where he goes in the ring and he is able to take a breath — we’re both able to take a breath. It’s a lot of me just not putting that pressure on him. So I was so pleased.”

Lea Adams Blackmore and Frostbite enjoy a post-ride snack. Photo by Cealy Tetley Photography.

Speaking to the benefits of the Bromont Rising program, Lea was quick to list off a few things she had picked up over the last few days. The grant recipients attended workshops with Cara and Bettina to break down their dressage tests and learn about the whole system that must be in place to find success in this sport.

“This is my second year and the program is amazing,” Lea explained. “The lectures, the help on the ground, the course walks…I know last year, it was a little bit different — we didn’t have Bettina here. I felt like last year and this year, it’s been great to feel like you have access to those people. My normal coach, Sharon White, couldn’t be here this week, so it was huge to have somebody that can just give you that insight and the lecture, the centerline workshop yesterday — those are the kinds of things that you’re going to be thinking about before you go in. You’re not going to completely change your test, but having those little details and riding for those extra marks are how you kind of work your way into the upper rankings if you can just focus on that. And I’m so, so excited to walk the course with [Bettina] tomorrow, and just get her take on it. It’s just been an awesome experience both years.”

Dutton, Schulman Lead Two CCI2*-L Divisions

Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Shutterfly. Photo by Cealy Tetley Photography.

The CCI2*-L is split into two divisions this weekend, one as an open division and one for the U25 riders. Phillip Dutton slotted into the lead (and gave a double fist pump when we informed him of his score) with about half of the horses finished on Thursday aboard Fernhill Shutterfly on a score of 24.5. The 9-year-old Irish gelding by Sir Shutterfly was sourced originally by Fernhill Sport Horses and Carol Gee before first being purchased by fellow eventer Julie Richards before then changing hands to Kevin Keane. He’s now owned for Phillip by Dave Vos, Caroline Moran, and John Ingram.

“He’s had a few ownership changes, but he’s an exciting horse for us to have,” Phillip said. “He’s got a great blend of that Thoroughbred feel underneath, but he’s got a pretty good brain as well. This is his first two-star Long, but he is a little bit older and he did a little bit of everything in Ireland — Pony Club, and show jumping. He’s certainly very gifted on the flat. He’s got a nice presence and movement and balance. At Tryon, he got a little spooky, so I prepared him a little bit better today, and he was right on the money and didn’t put a foot wrong.”

Speaking to why he chose Bromont for this debut, Phillip said he likes the test the horses face here as they look to move up the levels. “This is a proper test for good horses with the cross country the way it is, and he needs to get to be able to do these tough, stronger cross country courses. And this is ideal for that.”

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

Currently leading the U25 CCI2*-L following dressage, which completed Thursday for this division, are Sara Schulman and her own Cooley Chromatic. Also a MARS Bromont Rising recipient, Sara says she has benefited immensely from the help she’s received this week, in addition to that from her longtime coach, Jan Byyny. This pair’s score of 22.0 gives them a healthy breathing margin of 8.1 penalty points ahead of second-placed Emeline Gilbert and EWSZ Mozart.

“[Bromont Rising is] the first program of this type that I’ve been able to be a part of, which has been really awesome,” Sara said. “And I think the coaching, especially for dressage, with Bettina yesterday morning was incredibly helpful, especially because my main coach, Jan Byyny, was able to be there alongside. So having those two eyes working together, working for me, and as well as in the warm-up this morning was super helpful to just shape up the little finer details and create an even better test.”

Sara pointed out the detail-oriented approach that has been instilled throughout this program, noting some tips she’d taken away from the educational seminars and lessons thus far. “Using everything in the ring to your disposal,” she said when asked what one of the top tips she’d gleaned was. “So being able to use every corner as a preparation point, as well as thinking through each movement, breaking down even the transitions that go into the movement, and being able to add a bit more detail into it.”

Friday and Beyond

Competition resumes tomorrow with the remainder of the CCI3*-L and CCI2*-L competitors in the morning, followed by the conclusion of the CCI4*-L and the CCI4*-S, which does not begin until tomorrow, in the afternoon. Cross country will follow on Saturday, followed by the Second Horse Inspection and show jumping on Sunday. I’ll be back tomorrow with more from the action, as well as a cross country preview of the 4*-L, so don’t go anywhere — or if you do, go and find somewhere to order me a bunch of Nestle Aero bars as it’s wildly unfair that I cannot get them in the States and I’m currently considering changing residences solely to have access to this delightful discovery (not really, but I did think about it for at least two seconds).

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