Team Canada for the gold! Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

We went to sleep last night feeling fairly secure in the U.S. team’s position ahead of show jumping at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. But, as we all know, this is sport and this is horses, and with that combination anything is always possible.

Following a dramatic conclusion to eventing competition today in the show jumping, we now see a majorly shuffled leaderboard, though one thing remained the same: Caroline Pamukcu won individual gold, earning this in her senior team debut aboard the exciting 8-year-old HSH Blake (Tolan R – Doughiska Lass, by Kannan).

In the team competition, it was Canada’s day to shine, validating the country’s hard work, improved organization and high performance leadership structure with three clear rounds to secure a come-from-behind gold medal. It’s Canada’s first team gold in eventing at the Pan Ams since 1991, and this win also stamps the country’s ticket to the Paris Olympics in 2024.

Team Canada wins gold, USA wins silver, Brazil wins bronze in Santiago. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Big Changes at the Top

Let’s go back to the start of the day. The U.S. team came into today with a cumulative score of 86.2, with 3 rails and some time in hand over silver-placed Brazil. Canada was also well in the hunt, less than a rail off of Brazil’s score.

The rails were flying early, and it took us until Brazil’s Ruy Fonseca and Ballypatrick SRS‘s (Pacino – Ballypatrick Romance, by Clover Hill) turn to see a pair leave all the fences up. One second of time would prevent a double clear. That honor would go to Colleen Loach and FE Golden Eye (Goldfever – Cascade, by Contendro), who in their spare time like to jump in the grand prix ring. That practice paid off, as Colleen and “Goldie” were the sole double clear of the entire day. This effort moved Colleen up into sixth in the final standings and put the pressure on Brazil. While Brazil did produce two clear rounds, a combination of time penalties and poles down for Rafael Losano and Carlos Parro would drop the team into bronze overall.

Additional clear rounds from Mike Winter and eventual individual bronze medalist Lindsay Traisnel sealed the deal for Canada to at least earn its Olympic spot, and two rails down for Karl Slezak and Hot Bobo would not endanger their finish.

Sharon White and Claus 63. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

As the reverse starting order ticked down and the first U.S. riders entered the buzzy main stadium, there were about seven rails in play. No one expected what came next.

Sydney Elliott and Carol Stephens’ QC Diamantaire (Diarado – Lantana, by Sandro Hit) entered as the first of the U.S. to see, lowering two rails and adding 3 seconds of time. With one score to drop (the Pan Ams are run on the older Olympic system of four riders to a team, with one drop score), the pressure mounted but wasn’t quite boiling yet.

Sharon White, in individual bronze after cross country, was the next to jump with her own Claus 63 (Catoo – Tina II, by Levisto). This pair lowered a shocking four rails, including a heartbreaker at the final fence, and added one second of time, dropping out of individual contention but still leaving the team gold intact. Liz Halliday was next in with Ocala Horse Properties’ and Deborah Palmer’s Miks Master C (Mighty Magic – Qui Lumba CBF, by Quite Easy), going for individual silver. This round was also something of a shock, as Liz and “Mikki” had three rails down. And with that, the U.S.’ seven-rail padding was erased, sending Caroline Pamukcu into the arena with ten times the pressure than she’d started the day with riding on her shoulders.

That pressure may have seeped through one tiny bit, as Caroline and HSH Blake miscommunicated at an oxer off a turn, swimming through it and adding 4 penalties. Without any further rails in hand, that rail gave Canada the team win, but Caroline did have those penalties in hand to keep her individual gold. Punching the air after clearing the last, Caroline capped off a stellar senior team debut and subsequently was the last woman standing for the U.S. on the individual podium.

So with all that dust settled, we have Canada in team gold, the U.S. in silver, and Brazil in bronze. Shuffled, the individual podium was Caroline Pamukcu (HSH Blake), Brazil’s Marcio Carvalho Jorge (Castle Howard Casanova), and Canada’s Lindsay Traisnel (Bacyrouge).

Colleen Loach and FE Golden Eye. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Canada Shows Up

For the Canadians, this weekend’s performance comes after a huge amount of reorganization of leadership and structure that began before the World Championships in 2022. Installing a High Performance Advisory Group tasked with laying out not just a “let’s get to this Championship” plan but a “let’s establish a multi-year pathway” plan, Canadian eventing now enjoys some fruits of its labor.

Rebecca Howard, a member of the last Olympic team Canada fielded in Rio de Janeiro (2016), is one of the newer leadership members, taking on the chef d’equipe role and immediately establishing herself as a shrewd leader with extensive experience in these high-pressure situations.

“It was unexpected, to be honest,” she said in a post-ceremony interview. “I mean, the way the guys performed wasn’t unexpected, but the actual outcome to be standing at the top of the podium was an extra bonus. Really the message of the week was really just for the guys to go and do what they do. It’s nothing extraordinary. It’s just literally doing what they’ve done all year. The way they’re performing was going to produce a good result, and that’s exactly exactly what happened. They went in there and performed the way they can, which we believed in them and knew they could do, and then also, luck fell our way. And that even added a better result than we were expecting. We’re absolutely obviously thrilled. The number one goal was was the first qualification. And we got a bonus on top of that.”

Karl Slezak and Hot Bobo. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

“I hope so!” she said when asked if eventing in Canada was in its RED ERA [she wasn’t actually asked that, but had I been there, that’s how I would have phrased it]. “I mean, we’ve got a super group of people involved that really wants what’s best for Canadian eventing and I think spirits are high and momentum I hope we can continue to build on. I’m sure there’ll be, you know, peaks and valleys to come, and that’s the way these things go. But we just keep plugging away and with a super group of people and great group of riders and horses.”

[You can read more about Canada’s new structure in this article Amanda Chance wrote earlier this year.]

After missing out on the Tokyo Olympics team competition, sending individuals instead, Canada can now firmly set its sights on Paris. Two Olympic berths were to be given out at Santiago this year, meaning the two top-placed teams not already qualified would stamp their tickets.

“This is the culmination of a year and a half, two years of complete high performance restructuring,” Mike Winter, who produced a clear round with El Mundo (Numero Uno – Calvaro’s Bria Z, by Calvaro Z) as the second Canadian in the ring. “It goes so much more — we executed today, but that foundation, what we’re surrounded by is so important.”

“I think what we’ve done is we’ve tried to align training pathways culture, mentality, and competitive execution,” Mike continued. “And Rebecca Howard [is] there to enable all our training pathways, whether it be with our own individual coaches, or her as our primary coach. It’s just been a really positive environment, and it’s allowed us all to do our best and be able to perform to our best. And I think that’s so key — it’s so key. It’s not one thing that sort of magical or exceptional, that does it — it’s all the sort of small things that come together, and everybody is so dedicated to that process.”

Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Debriefing the Day for Team USA

This obviously wasn’t the result the U.S. team wanted — I doubt anyone would’ve pegged Liz or Sharon to have the rails they did. Is it reason to panic? Absolutely not.

For starters, all pairs on this team are well-proven in this phase. Liz and Miks Master C have had two rails down, at one of their first FEI competitions together last year, but have otherwise had single-rail or clear rounds on their international record. The same for Sharon and Claus — they had two rails down at the 4* level during Claus’ first season at the level in 2021 and have just 5 rails in total across 12 other starts at 4*L/S.

“I think there’s probably a lot of ‘if only’s’ going on right now in our own heads,” Sharon White said. “So, so close. But you know, we fought hard to the bitter end and today was obviously a little bit disappointing, but I think all of us are so proud of Caroline, and they’ll all have learned so much. It means everyone’s already planning how we’re going to fight hard to get it done better next time.”

“I think I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was a bit gutted right now — I think we all are,” Liz Halliday said. “It’s certainly not the result we came here to do. Sometimes that’s how things go with horses. So we have to take it on the chin and stand up and be proud of what we did achieve already. And just looking at ways that we can keep fighting hard to be better, because I believe that the USA has really strong riders and horses right now. We’re just going to keep pushing.”

“It’s definitely bittersweet,” Sydney Elliott said. “I think for me, I was very proud of our weekend. Being alongside these ladies — it was a great experience.”

At the end of the day, this is sports and in that realm exist a myriad of variables and “what ifs”. Was it the pressure? Was it first timer-itis? Was it the fact that most riders agreed that yesterday’s 3*-L-spec cross country didn’t quite back their horses off enough, resulting in a lack of rideability today, or were the horses more tired than typical today? We won’t definitively know, but chef d’equipe Bobby Costello did observe what could have been more fatigue than usual from some of the horses.

“First and foremost, we’re thrilled for Caroline, and all of her owners and her support group,” Bobby said at the outset of his post interview. “She was great this weekend. So that is first and foremost.

“I think everybody was a little bit surprised that a couple of horses jumped seemingly a little bit more tired today,” he continued. “I thought the riders rode well, but the horses just weren’t their usual buoyant, you know, jumping out of their skin [selves]…we think that they’re maybe a little bit more tired. But, you know, it’s hard to, in the moment, look back — I think we all have to just think about it for a couple of days and I think with that comes a little bit of clarity what we can do going forward.”

For me, outcomes like this — especially when the final margin of loss was .1 penalty — are more of an opportunity for learning and empathy than disappointment and blame. Am I an eternal optimist? Of course — you have to be, in this sport. It’s also imperative to remember that no matter what preparation and mental fortitude one has, this is a sport involving horses, who give us what they can every day and who can’t always be predicted.

Bobby remains pragmatic.

“The last few of these competitions have been very exciting, come down to the very last, you know, tenth of a point or hundredth of a point. And sometimes you’re on the right side of that, and sometimes you’re not.

“It’s good to be disappointed with silver because that means that you just want to be better. And we’re all good friends with the Canadians and so we’re super happy, genuinely happy for those guys. They deserved it — they absolutely deserved it. And it was great to see Brazil up on the both the team and individual podium. So I think for the sport and the growth of the sport, it was a good weekend. And we’ll just have to, as a team, go away and come back even stronger.”

Marcio Carvalho Jorge and Castle Howard Casanova. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Brazil Stamps a Ticket to Paris

Brazil also earns their way to Paris with a strong team performance this weekend. They’ll also need to do some work in the show jumping phase with a total of six rails down, but now the focus moves to the next stop on the championship tour.

Ruy Fonseca, four times a medalist at the Pan American Games and a two-time Olympian, piloted Ballypatrick SRS to a smooth clear, the first clear of the day, with some time to add to his overall finishing score. Two rails from fellow Pan Ams medalist and Olympian Rafael Mamprin Losano and Withington (Wolkenderry – Unnamed mare, by Loughahoe Guy xx) as well as four down from Olympian and Pan Ams double gold medalist Carlos Parro and Safira (Spring’s Spirit – Hidden Sapphire, by Uptons Deli Circus) added some unnecessary penalties to the team score, but a healthy amount of penalties in hand and stylish clear from Marcio Carvalho Jorge and Castle Howard Romeo (Womanizer – K Cavalier Belle, by Cavalier Royale) secured the final result.

It’s an exciting time for Brazil, whose riders benefit from the expertise of British Olympian William Fox-Pitt. All four riders were on horses aged 12 of younger, showcasing the talent that is poised to peak and have a strong showing at the upcoming Olympics. As with many countries that lack expansive competition and training opportunities, these Brazilian riders (and a large number of other competitors from this Pan Ams field) do not live and train in their home country. They’ve relocated, primarily to the UK and Europe, with some spending time in the U.S. as well, to pursue their competitive aspirations. This type of commitment is almost required in order to gain competitive edge, and it’s a true display of drive for excellence and love of the sport that will always have our respect.

Individual medalists: Caroline Pamukcu (USA – HSH Blake), Marcio Carvalho Jorge (BRA – Castle Howard Casanova), Lindsay Traisnel (CAN – Bacyrouge). Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Individual Medalists Highlight Rising Talent

Caroline Pamukcu has been vocal about her intentions this year from the outset: she wanted a chance to represent the U.S. on a senior team. After winning silver as a team in Strzegom’s FEI Nations Cup event (June) and second as an individual, Caroline hoped she’d done enough to get some notice for the Pan American Games. HSH Blake was the most obvious choice, having strong results starting with the YEH Young Event Horse program (he won the 2020 East Coast Championships as a 5-year-old) and continuing with the receipt of the Holekamp/Turner Le Lion Grant to compete as a 6-year-old at Le Lion d’Angers. Caroline and Blake, who is owned by Caroline, her mother Sherrie, and Luann McElduff, finished 10th at Le Lion.

“I just have to say I’m really, really grateful for this opportunity,” she said. “I’m really grateful for having such great teammates, [they] take me under their wing and just support me and just again, the opportunity to come here and just show off our country and represent what the U.S. [has] and what we’re building. There’s a pipeline in our country at the moment. That’s exciting for us. There’s so many horses at home — there’s really [a lot of] depth in our string at the moment between young horses, older horses, older riders and younger riders.”

“I get a little bit eager sometimes and you know, that was definitely showing my age there!” Caroline said ruefully of her near-miss in the show jumping. “But I’m grateful for a great horse who saved me. I just saw one, and I sent it — I drank way too much Red Bull! I feel awful, if I didn’t have that silly rail, it cost us the gold. But, you know, I promise I won’t make such a silly mistake again. I can’t wait ’til I’m like 50 and I’m like, ‘do you remember that? I swung and missed so hard, I almost fell off — it was amazing!'”

Individual silver medalist Marcio Carvalho Jorge and Castle Howard Casanova, owned in partnership with Arabella and Hugo Mackenzie Smith and Annabel Vere Nicoll, are another pair that frequent the show jumping circuit, competing up through the CSI4* level on this year’s Sunshine Tour in Spain to get their season started. Marcio bases in the UK full-time, and now this long journey becomes even sweeter as this medal is Marcio’s first individual podium finish. He’s a multi-Olympian and also represented Brazil at the World Championships last year.

“This is a really special horse, he’s a really good jumper and really smart as well and I hope he will be ready to be competitive in Paris next year,” Marcio said in the mixed zone after his round.

Lindsay Traisnel and Bacyrouge. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Lindsay Traisnel was asked repeatedly if she expected to end up on the individual podium this week. If you’ve watched her prepare Bacyrouge for this event, you wouldn’t be surprised to see this result. Lindsay flies a bit under the radar, not having a ton of horses at the top levels and also basing herself in Europe for multiple years before moving back to Canada in 2017.

“Dreamy”, as Bacyrouge is known at home, was originally put into Lindsay’s program while she was based with Lucy (Wiegersma) McCarthy, intended to be a resale project. He quickly showed that he intended to stay, was taken off the market and is now owned by Lindsay and her parents. Lindsay started competing Bacyrouge in FEI competition after moving back to North America (2017), steadily making progress though the levels until stepping up to 4* at Bromont in 2021. They’ve since finished second and third in the 4*-L at Bromont, arguably one of the toughest 4*s in the U.S. and Canada, en route to this first team selection.

“I would say it’s a little unexpected that I have an amazing horse and a great team,” Lindsay said following the medal ceremony. “So it was really just riding him well, and I knew he was dependable and would do the job.”

Individual celebrations almost seem a bit of an aferthought given the “all hands on deck” team mentality, particularly when an Olympic spot is on the line. “The focus was the team this week and I’m just so excited,” Lindsay said. “We got our Paris qualification and I’m so happy to be part of this group.”

With that, a thrilling week of eventing concludes in Santiago as the final equestrian showdown — show jumping — of the Games gets underway next. There will be plenty in play for the U.S. jumping team, as this is their final chance to qualify for the Olympics next year.

I know I, for one, had some major FOMO watching these Pan Ams from afar. The sell-out crowds in Chile showcased just how impactful this sport can be, and I truly enjoyed being a witness to a stellar week of sport. Safe travels to all on their respective journeys home, and Go Eventing.

Catch up on EN’s coverage of the Pan American Games, presented by Ocala Horse Properties, here. We also recommend following @usefeventing on Instagram and Facebook as well as @canadianeventingteam for more content from on the ground, as well as roving photographer Shannon Brinkman here. To follow along with more from the jumping competition at Pan Ams, follow @usajumping on Instagram.

#Santiago2023: [Website] [Eventing Timing & Scoring] [Final Individual Results] [Final Team Results] [Live Stream. Replays] [EN’s Coverage]

Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

The U.S. contingent maintained their hard charge this week at the 19th Pan American Games, sending forward four first-time championship team riders and delivering four clear cross country rounds on Saturday to hold their gold medal position after two phases.

The U.S. riders will take a collective score of 86.2 and a berth of 15.3 penalties into show jumping. Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake (Tolan R – Doughiska Lass, by Kannan) move up into individual gold position, with Liz Halliday and Miks Master C in silver and Sharon White with Claus 63 in bronze.

Looking to the battle for Olympic qualification, Brazil moves up into team silver on a collective score of 101.5, without a rail’s worth of room ahead of Canada on a score of 105.2. As it stands now, those two teams will obtain Olympic qualifications if they can stay in those top two qualifying spots tomorrow.

Artful decorations adorn the cross country track. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

It was a true championship track designed by Paris designer Pierre le Goupil, exerting its influence on a field that featured both Olympic veterans as well as lesser experienced horses and riders from developing countries.

It was a well-designed challenge with plenty of long options to get pairs safely home, and though we saw 11 pairs eliminated or retiring on course it was a very safe day of cross country riding and therefore a great success. One challenge to a designer in these circumstances is to design a track that will challenge the best but allow the rest to navigate it safely. It’s not a task to be taken lightly, and we’ve seen many a designer’s course fail this test. That was not the case today, and I think Pierre will be taking a jolt of confidence forward with his plans for the Palace at Versailles next summer.

Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Riders also agreed, sharing praise for Pierre and his team of builders, though many of the more experienced pairs did encounter the unique challenge of a track whose jumps and terrain were not always enough to back off a strong 4* or 5* horse.

“Like I said before, it’s very similar to Strzegom [Poland], but it’s quite smaller,” Caroline Pamukcu noted after a flawless clear round inside the optimum time with HSH Blake, who is owned in partnership with Caroline as well as her mother, Sherrie, and Mollie Hoff. “So it’s a three-star track, but it’s four-star questions, so it was quite hard. So I made sure on the galloping tracks I moved along and then I had to a little bit set him up more than normal, because the jumps are a little bit smaller than what he’s used to jumping. So that’s what makes it a championship course. And it was very fun to ride. The ground was unbelievable. They did such a great job. Each jump is so perfectly decorated. It’s kind of what you dream of.”

“One of the things about [El Mundo], which makes him probably more of a five-star horse is he really takes it on, and to step him down to this level, the size of the jumps in the combination weren’t enough to hold him,” Canada’s Mike Winter concurred. He and El Mundo (Numero Uno – Calvaro’s Bria Z, by Calvaro Z) were the trailblazers for Canada, which is seeking its Olympic qualification this week, delivering a clear round 7.6 time penalties to sit in 10th individually. “So I had to show jump through a few combinations, which took me a lot of time.”

It’s a special week for Mike, whose family in the UK and partner in ownership, Jonathan Nelson, couldn’t be here this week but whose parents were able to come down from Canada to watch the competition.

Liz Halliday and Miks Master C. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Liz Halliday was another to find the time challenging solely as a result of having to manage a very strong and keen Miks Master C (Mighty Magic – Qui Lumba CBF, by Quite Easy), who is owned in partnership with Ocala Horse Properties and Deborah Palmer. At the final combination, a double of corners with an option to jump a bending line of upright rails, Liz opted to swing the still-strong “Mikki” for the long route, noting later that she’d had to “throw out the anchor in some places where I didn’t want to” and picking up a total of four time penalties.

“It’s disappointing, but I can’t be disappointed with the horse because he’s a wonderful horse,” Liz said. “It was a little rough and ready, but sometimes that’s just how it goes in eventing, you know, and he’s a world-class horse, he’s still the young horse. We haven’t been together all that long, so today was a learning experience in some ways for me — I wish it hadn’t happened at the Pan Am Games, but I’m still thrilled with him. And I’m thrilled for my teammates, they were just fabulous today and all of Team USA was just really world-class today.”

Liz was originally assessed 15 penalties for missing a flag at the C element of the Casino Fountain water complex (fence 5), but the penalties were quickly removed and on the live stream replay it was pretty clear that the horse’s shoulders had passed through the flags. This gives her a two-day score of 28.8 to go into individual silver.

Sharon White and Claus 63. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Sharon White was deservedly pleased with both herself as well as Claus 63 (Catoo – Tina II, by Levisto), turning in a foot-perfect cross country with 2.4 seconds of time to add to their dressage score. They will go into show jumping on a 30.6, meaning not one rail is up for grabs between the top three.

For her part, Sharon found herself in unique position as she set out on course: as she jumped into the first water complex, Mike Winter was also jumping into the same water on the tail end of the course. Riders came back through this water at fence 16 after first jumping it at fence 5. I hope they can pull the drone shot of this happening, as it was barely visible on the live stream — but it was very noticeable to Sharon:

“Jumping into the first water, I actually jumped in at the same time Mike Winter from Canada jumped in the last water. I was like, ‘we are jumping in tandem!’ I was like, ‘wow!’, I was like ‘focus Sharon!‘ So things like that. There were so many things to get distracted about.”

Sharon White and Claus 63. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

And focus she did, as once the pas de cross country was complete, she continued on her way to secure another valuable clear round for her team.

“I’m so happy. I’m so happy with my little horse. I thought he really stepped up to the plate,” she said afterward. “This is so ideal for his trajectory — having to come here and all of the the atmosphere is a lot…there are so many people here in a small space. So that is so useful for a horse and he’s been in situations like this before but not quite like this. And then there’s the pressure — they know it’s a championship. It matters a lot, so I’m just really thrilled that he stepped up to the plate, which I guess means I stepped up to the plate too, so I’m pretty thrilled with both of us.”

Sydney Elliott and QC Diamantaire. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Trailblazers for the U.S. were Sydney Elliott and Carol Stephens’ QC Diamantaire (Diarado – Lantana, by Sandro Hit), who delivered a textbook double clear as the very first to see on the course this morning and will be in seventh individually overnight (33.3). She’d be among the quickest of the day (the top award goes to Karl Slezak and Hot Bobo — more on them shortly) with a time of 7:53.

“I think that we always were concerned about the time,” Sydney said of her team orders as first to go. “So getting out there and just doing my job and seeing what routes are fastest and if we could take an option here or there and still get under time. I think it was great.”

Sydney reiterated what her teammates said about the course, speaking to the versatility that these modern courses demand. “This actually was, I think, a little bit challenging only because there’s nothing to hold these experienced horses back. And even though he is so easy, and I hardly ever have to touch the rein, it was just making sure the frangibles stay up because there are so many of them and it changes your way of thinking of how to ride cross country.”

While it’s true the U.S. has an excellent track record at these Pan American Games — to be fair, the large amount of funding and availability of events and horses helps a lot in contrast with the smaller-scale efforts of some of the South and Central American federations — it’s also true that this program hasn’t always delivered its strongest performance here. It’s a very recent memory, the times when the U.S. would struggle to complete a team or at least a cross country with all clear rounds at these major championships. This can be, of course, be reasoned away by many variables: this is intended to be a developmental step along the pathway, and there hasn’t always been as much depth as we’re currently blessed with to choose from.

Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Nonetheless, the proof is in the performance of these four women, who went out with a gold medal to defend and made good on their every intention. With much changing of leadership in recent years at US Equestrian, the program seems to have stabilized with the efforts of many and currently helmed by Bobby Costello, himself a Pan Ams champion. Also of extreme value to the U.S. is the the expertise of Chief of Sport David O’Connor as well as cross country advisor Ian Stark, both of whom are on the ground with the team this week in Santiago.

Caroline has been the most vocal champion of the eventing pathway, having been a product of it herself. HSH Blake also has risen through the development pipeline, starting out in the USEA Young Event Horse program. “The first thing is had to thank my federation for giving me a really good prep for this competition,” she said after her clear round today. “My horse and I have grown up through the Young Horse and the Young Rider program in the States. So a really big shout out to the developmental program, the [Le Lion] program — there’s so many programs and we’ve been through all of them. They recently sent us to Strzegom in Poland to the Nations Cup, so I would say that really prepped us for this track.”

We’ll plan to catch Bobby for a quick debrief after the action concludes tomorrow but I think it’s a safe enough speculation to say that there’s much to be excited about for the U.S. as we look ahead to perhaps our strongest depth of field for the 2024 Olympics.

Mike Winter and El Mundo. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Is this wheeling and dealing type of track going to be more the norm? It’s hard to say. Land is a valuable resource, and more of it is sold on to developers each year. I’m not sure of the total acreage at this venue, but the screenshot of the course below gives you an idea of how little land the course uses:

Mike Winter, always keen to find opportunity for access to the sport, shared his perspective here: “You’ve just got to decide where the sport is evolving to. Land is becoming less. If we want to do this and make it a true international sport, leave a legacy in South America, hopefully with some new jumps and footing, you’ve got to work with what you have. And not everywhere is like England with big park land or Kentucky in America. And we have to be somewhat adaptable to that and if we want the sport to be accessible and be global.”

After Mike delivered his clear round to set the tone for the Canadians, who came into the day in second overall, it was up to the rest of his teammates to deliver the goods, too. And that they did. In the end, all Canadian pairs returned home with clear rounds. Though the team would give up one position on the podium due to Brazil coming home just a bit quicker on the clock overall, it’s enough to keep the team-everyone-wants-to-join-because-they-got-Lululemon-to-sponsor-them (sorry, I know, my eyes are bleeding now too) well in the hunt for their main goal this week: Olympic qualification.

Lindsay Traisnel and Bacyrouge. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Top-placed for Canada overnight will be Lindsay Traisnel, who piloted “the best cross country horse”, Patricia Pearce’s Bacyrouge (Mylord Carthago – Lelia, by Clyde de la Combe) to a clear round inside the time to go onto a score of 32.6. They’ll move to fifth place individually and are well within striking distance of an individual podium finish to boot.

“He’s just the best cross country horse. I’m so lucky,” Lindsay said. This is her first appearance on a championship team for Canada. “I didn’t really know, to be honest. It was all happening so fast, I was having a hard time knowing my minutes — it was like an eight minute Short format kind of the way it was just twisting around. Which I mean, even for him, it’s not his ideal track, so he was just super.”

Karl Slezak and Hot Bobo. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Just behind Lindsay is Karl Slezak and Hot Bobo (Arkansas VDL – Taneys Leader xx, by Supreme Leader xx), who was purchased as a 4-year-old from the Monart Sale and promptly “tried to kill” the inspecting vet who visited after the sale. After several months of wondering what, exactly, he’d bought, Karl was happy to have his initial feeling about the athletic mare validated. “I was like, ‘What did I buy?'” he said, recalling the whirlwind weekend that ended up with the purchase of the “rearing and spinning” mare. “So we buy in November, and I don’t actually get to sit on her again between transport and we were still transitioning from Canada to Florida, so I didn’t actually sit on her again til January. So the whole time I was just fretting as to what I bought. But honestly, she’s been fantastic. She was very spooky cross country in the early stages, but just I knew she was special from from day one.”

That fiery nature served her well today, as when she jumped through the final water complex she nearly toppled over the D element. Here’s a slow-motion partial replay of the save:

GIF via ClipMyHorse.TV.

“Honestly when she clambered up and I thought we were going down!” Karl said. “Her head disappeared, I thought we were tipping over. And then somehow she got her feet out underneath her again. She’s so catty, that’s why I love her. That’s a good Thoroughbred in her.”

Drama behind them, Karl and Hot Bobo turned in a super double clear. They were briefly held on course for unconfirmed reasons — not related to a horse or rider fall, I know that much — but were sent on their way soon enough to finish the day on their dressage score of 32.7 and move into 8th overall.

Colleen Loach and FE Golden Eye. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Olympian Colleen Loach was kicking herself a bit for not, well, kicking FE Golden Eye (Goldfever – Cascade, by Contendro) more in front of her leg to get the course done quicker today. She finishes up the day with a super clear, collecting 13.2 time penalties to drop down a few placings into 11th. “I wish I could have gotten a little faster but he got a little backed off at the first water and couple of the turning questions near the beginning,” she noted. “We lost a bit of time and then we didn’t lose any more after that, but we weren’t able to make it up. I did the direct options everywhere, I think just after the turning question to the corner before that, it was hard to get them back galloping ahead of your leg, and I didn’t do a good enough job to get him out in front of me before [fence 5, the lobster drop into the water], so I ended up with a bit of a deep stride going in. He just kind of went really high and straight down.”

Colleen noted she’s been working on her speed with “Goldie”, who she owns in partnership with Peter Barry and Amanda Bernhardt, who wouldn’t be the most naturally quick-footed as it is. We do also know that clear rounds will be valuable tomorrow, and as someone who frequently practices in pure show jumping with this horse, our bets are on her to deliver what could be an impactful clear in the final phase.

Ruy Fonseca and Ballypatrick SRS. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

And how about those Brazilians? Bolstered by multiple Olympic veterans as well as the coaching of William Fox-Pitt and the leadership of chef d’equipe Julie Louisa Purgly, the Brazilian team delivered the strongest cross country performances of the day, bringing home two clear inside the time and the third just four seconds over the team. This was enough to boost their team score ahead of Canada’s, though the margin of just 3.7 penalties leaves them no room for error on Sunday if Canada produces clear rounds.

After trailblazer Ruy Fonseca picked up 19.6 time penalties with Ballypatrick SRS (Pacino – Ballypatrick Romance, by Clover Hill) , who looked to have similar trouble to some of his competitors with fences not really backing him down, the pressure was on to keep driving ahead to gain some traction on the team standings.

Marcio Carvalho Jorge and Castle Howard Casanova. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

The next away would be Carlos Parro with the 11-year-old mare Safira (Spring’s Spirit – Hidden Sapphire, by Uptons Deli Circus), who produced a clear round bang on the optimum time. He was followed by Rafael Mamprin Losano and Withington (Wolkenderry – Unnamed mare, by Loughahoe Guy xx), who also laid down a double clear to stay on their dressage score of 36.1. Anchor rider Marcio Carvalho Jorge and Castle Howard Casanova (Womanizer – K Cavalier Belle, by Cavalier Royale) came home four seconds over the optimum, sealing the charge for Brazil as Ruy’s score then became the dropped mark.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nicolas Wettstein (@wettsteinnico)

The remainder of the field was fairly smattered with learning experiences. Ecuador’s Nicolas Wettstein and Altier d’Aurois, who competed in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, are the highest placed individual pair, currently in 12th on a score of 47.6.

We’ll now look ahead to tomorrow’s conclusion of eventing at #Santiago2023. The Final Horse Inspection will take place on Sunday at 9 a.m. local time (8 a.m. EST). There will not be a live stream of the jog. Show jumping will begin later in the day around 1 pm local time / 12 pm ET. You can catch the live stream on ClipMyHorse.TV with a subscription or membership.

Follow along with EN’s coverage of the Pan American Games, presented by Ocala Horse Properties, here. We also recommend following @usefeventing on Instagram and Facebook as well as @canadianeventingteam for more content from on the ground, as well as roving photographer Shannon Brinkman here.

#Santiago2023: [Website] [Eventing Timing & Scoring] [Entries] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]

Fence 7AB. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Top of the morning to you, EN! Many of you have been up for hours already watching cross country at Pau’s CCI5* in France, and now we’re adding on to the pile as we prepare to kick off cross country at the 19th Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.

The U.S. currently holds gold position but will need to have a quick turn of foot today to hold that lead ahead of hard-charging Canada and Brazil. There are many teams hoping to nab a berth for Paris this weekend, so the competition should be fierce today.

Full start times for the cross country tomorrow will be made available here and you can in the meantime save them by clicking here. And in some exciting news, you’ll now be able to view the cross country FREE on the FEI TV channel of ClipMyHorse.TV (or, of course, using your ClipMyHorse membership if you have one). Cross country will begin at 11 a.m. local time, so 10 a.m. EST.

Take a look at the course, designed by Paris designer Pierre le Goupil, below or on CrossCountryApp (or here in our full preview):

@media screen and (max-width: 500px) { .crosscountry-embed-container { padding-bottom:150% !important; } }

Follow along with EN’s coverage of the Pan American Games, presented by Ocala Horse Properties, here. We also recommend following @usefeventing on Instagram and Facebook as well as @canadianeventingteam for more content from on the ground, as well as roving photographer Shannon Brinkman here.

#Santiago2023: [Website] [Eventing Timing & Scoring] [XC Start Times] [Entries] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]

Refresh this page regularly for the latest updates! Safe rides to all, and Go Eventing!

12:24 p.m. ET: 25 out of 34 starters completed cross country today. It looks like my math was wrong (shocking) as Brazil is going to hold onto silver position with Canada in bronze. That’s still Olympic qualification for both nations if things stay the same, but it will be a thrilling finish tomorrow. Full scores from today can be found here. I’ll be back later on with a full recap of the day! Thanks for following along.

12:22 p.m. ET: He’s done it! Karl makes the save of the day and also delivers one of the quickest of the day with Hot Bobo to move Canada back into silver medal position ahead of show jumping. Caroline Pamukcu and team USA still have a grip on both gold medal positions, and the U.S. currently holds all podium positions.

12:21 p.m. ET: Karl takes the straight route at the double corners and is heading for home. He’s on pace to go inside the time.

12:20 p.m. ET: Whew! Hot Bobo leaves a leg at the final water and Karl does great to hang on and reseat himself.

12:18 p.m. ET: Karl has been restarted. I’m guessing there was a fence that needed repair maybe.

12:16 p.m. ET: Hm, Karl is now being held on course at fence 10. Luciano Claudio Brunello and Cash des Cedres are heading for home, so I don’t think the hold is for them…

12:14 p.m. ET: Karl gives Hot Bobo a pat as they clear the first water combination.

12:13 p.m. ET: Canada’s final pair, Karl Slezak and Hot Bobo, are away and under the gun for a clear and quick one to climb back into silver position.

12:10 p.m. ET: Jaime Bittner Martinez and All Red bring home a clear with time for Chile!

12:07 p.m. ET: It’s crazy how few female riders there are in this field. Many South and Central American countries still run eventing as a military-oriented sport, and I want to say the U.S. and Canada are the only teams fielding female riders this week. I hope I’m not wrong about that, but I’m 99% sure.

12:06 p.m. ET: Luciano Claudio Brunello and Cash des Cedres opt to go long at the first water, skirting the big lobster drop.

12:05 p.m. ET: Ok, I think if my math is right, if Karl can deliver a clear inside the time, Canada will move back into silver position, currently in bronze with three riders home.

12:04 p.m. ET: Penultimate of the day will be Argentina’s Luciano Claudio Brunello and Cash des Cedres as we await the final Canadian pair, Karl Slezak and Hot Bobo.

12:02 p.m. ET: Next to see will be Lucero Desrochers S and Gama Castellon will be next to see representing Colombia. Colombia, Chile, and Uruguay are out of the team competition at this point, but clear rounds will still be valuable for experience and the future for these developing nations.

12:01 p.m. ET: Our final Chilean rider, Jaime Bittner Martinez and All Red, wearing, as expected, all red, are on course.

11:58 a.m. ET: Fernando Parroquin Delfin and Anahuac SDN pick up a disappointing 20 early on with an otherwise strong showing so far in his first Pan American Games.

11:57 a.m. ET: What a day for Brazil! Marcio ensures Brazil will hold team silver overnight, going into fourth place now with 1.6 time penalties added. It’s going to be an exciting finish!

11:54 a.m. ET: OK yes, it looks like those 15 penalties have now come off, so Liz goes into silver now on a score of 28.8. Sharon will be in individual bronze and none of those podium spot holders will be threatened as we wind down with the final few riders, unless Marcio Carvalho Jorge can deliver a double clear and kick Sharon out of bronze.

11:52 a.m. ET: Liz is going to be really close on the time as she goes long with a still-pulling Mikki at the final combination. She’s going to pick up a few time and put Caroline into gold position overnight. Liz picks up what looks like about 10 seconds of time…she’ll go onto a current score of 43.8 with that 15 penalties, but I think we’ll see those removed (or at least, I think we should see those removed from my view).

11:50 a.m. ET: Liz looks like she’s having to manage the immense power Miks Master C has, which is putting her a little down on time as she comes through the water.

11:49 a.m. ET: Final Brazilian team rider Marcio Carvalho Jorge and Castle Howard Casanova are away. I also believe Nicolas Wettstein and Altier d’Aurois are on course, but I’ve not seen them yet.

11:48 a.m. ET: Clear through the coffin at 11 for Liz and Mikki. Also clear over the Chilean Flag Trakehner.

11:47 a.m. ET: Liz is given a 15 for that flag in the water, but I think that will be removed after another look.

11:46 a.m. ET: Liz takes the left flag at the second element in the first water, but I don’t think there will be a question about clearing it.

11:45 a.m. ET: I was wrong, Lindsay finishes right on that optimum time and will go into individual bronze for right now as we see Liz Halliday, overnight leader, leave the box with Ocala Horse Properties’ and Deborah Palmer’s Miks Master C.

11:44 a.m. ET: Lindsay is going to be reallyyy close to the time – probably a handful of seconds but a really strong round here for Canada. Here’s a look at that direct line through the double corners:

11:41 a.m. ET: We’ve barely seen Marcelo Javier Rawson and Baral Villester, but they have just finished a clear round! Lindsay is through the final water, a little bit sticky but clear.

11:38 a.m. ET: Lindsay looks to have a lot of horse on her hands as she steadies Bacyrouge for the first couple of combinations. He looks to have taken a breath as she lets him open up in this short gallop stretch.

11:37 a.m. ET: Lindsay Traisnel and the sporty Bacyrouge are away! A fast clear will go a long way to pressure the Brazilians.

11:35 a.m. ET: Mauricio Bermudez and Vardags Saratoga make a nice save on course and waste some time but I believe are still working on a clear round. Our next to see will be Argentina’s Marcelo Javier Rawson and Baral Villester.

11:33 a.m. ET: As we await Lindsay Traisnel and Bacyrouge for Canada, Brazil now moves into silver medal position as a team, but Canada can still reclaim their original spot. Meanwhile, Uruguay’s Gastón Marcenal and SVR Indy have a 20 at the Irish Bank and Gastón does what he can to hang on but was sufficiently unseated and hits the ground, though he appears to be uninjured aside from some damage to the old ego.

11:30 a.m. ET: Colombia’s Mauricio Bermudez and the lovely mare Vardags Saratoga are also on course and through fence 6. Gastón Marcenal and SVR Indy are showing as eliminated. I apologize for the lack of specificity with these updates, the scores are not updating with penalties when riders are eliminated or pick up penalties on course. I do know Chile’s Guillermo Garin Heyermann is carrying 20 penalties with HSB Sidonia.

11:26 a.m. ET: The crowd comes alive again for the next Chilean rider, Guillermo Garin Heyermann and HSB Sidonia, who’s safely through the first water to rousing cheers from the onlookers.

11:24 a.m. ET: 12 more pairs to see here at the Pan American Games, where cross country has certainly exuded its influence today.

11:21 a.m. ET: Mexican rider Eduardo Rivero Fragoso and Bimori SDN are the next away. Uruguay’s Gastón Marcenal and SVR Indy are also on course and through fence 14.

11:20 a.m. ET: What a ride from Rafe! He finishes bang on the optimum just like teammate Carlos Parro. What a class round!

11:20 a.m. ET: Rafe Losano and Withington show us how to navigate an Irish Bank:

11:17 a.m. ET: That’s a double clear for Caroline and HSH Blake and they go into the lead, to be no worse than second overnight depending on how quick Liz goes. Sharon moves into individual silver for now. Liz will be the final U.S. rider out in a few more slots. Meanwhile, Brazil’s Rafe Losano is having a really nice round with Withington.

11:15 a.m. ET: Caroline and Blake navigate the HSH Blake and get a little close to the wedge at B but are safely through and have a few seconds in hand as they turn for him.

11:14 a.m. ET: Word in now that Diego Zurita and Merlin Way parted ways at fence 11.

11:13 a.m. ET: Brazilian Olympian Rafael Mamprin Losano and Withington are next to see as Caroline is clear approaching the final elements on course.

11:11 a.m. ET: Make a gold-colored wish! Caroline’s got her foot down on the gas pedal with the stunning 8-year-old HSH Blake.

11:10 a.m. ET: Ecuador’s Diego Zurita and Merlin Way are showing as eliminated on the scores, but not sure where or what happened. Caroline is strongly through the lobster water (yes that’s the official name at least in my book).

11:09 a.m. ET: Caroline is now out of the box with HSH Blake and should be one to watch to make the time look easy. Colleen is home with 13.2 time penalties to add.

11:09 a.m. ET: Safely through the Irish Bank complex for Colleen and she’s got three to go and about 30 seconds to get home. She goes direct at the double corners — both Canadians have now safely taken this option as the only ones to do so thus far.

11:07 a.m. ET: FE Golden Eye is really jumping nicely for Colleen. I love a horse in a slightly smaller package, though really I might be making that up as I generally see him next to his stablemate, Vermont, who makes Goldie look like a pony!

11:05 a.m. ET: Ecuador’s Diego Zurita and Merlin Way, riding as individuals this weekend, are away. The U.S. will take their third turn next with Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake.

11:04 a.m. ET: Colleen is clear through 9. Here’s a look at the Paso Libertadores question at 7:

11:02 a.m. ET: A big jump into the lobster water for “Goldie” and Colleen, clear so far.

11:02 a.m. ET: Scores showing Juan Carlos Tafur Eisenmeyer and Blue Moon have now been eliminated.

11:01 a.m. ET: Here we go with Colleen Loach and FE Golden Eye.

10:58 a.m. ET: Juan Benitez Gallardo rides really well to get Chaman Ginn neatly through the first water combination.

10:58 a.m. ET: Juan Carlos Tafur Eisenmeyer and Blue Moon pick up a second 20, this time at the coffin at 11.

10:57 a.m. ET: Argentina’s Juan Benitez Gallardo is the next away with Chaman Ginn, to be followed by the second Canadian pair, Colleen Loach and FE Golden Eye.

10:56 a.m. ET: Rats! Juan Carlos slids to a stop aboard Blue Moon at the A element of 7. They’re clear on the second attempt, but Blue Moon is looking a little impressed by these questions so far.

10:54 a.m. ET: Colombia’s Juan Carlos Tafur Eisenmeyer and Blue Moon are the next to see — check out this awesome story from the FEI on 70-year-old Juan Carlos here. Sadly, Chilean pair Nicolas Ibañez and Domingo have now been eliminated with a third refusal on course at the coffin.

10:53 a.m. ET: Ok here’s Luis Ariel Santiago Franco and Egipco II. Sounds like they’ve had one refusal and a pin gone as well.

10:51 a.m. ET: With lots of encouragement from the crowd, home rider Nicolas Ibañez and Domingo are clear at the first water with 2 refusals picked up.

10:50 a.m. ET: This spectator crowd is raucous! Love all the cheering — are we at Boekelo??

10:48 a.m. ET: I believe Chilean rider Nicolas Ibañez and Domingo are away. Not sure if I missed Mexico’s Luis Ariel Santiago Franco and Egipco II start or if they aren’t starting/are starting out of order.

10:45 a.m. ET: Carlos Parro finishes bang on the optimum time to remain on his dressage score of 34.9, what a round! Uruguay has also sent their second rider away, Rufino Emilio Dominigue z Midon and SVR Edecan de La Luz.

10:44 a.m. ET: Here’s a look at Sharon and Claus finishing their clear round for the U.S.:

10:43 a.m. ET: Carlos Parro is using his experience to really push for the time here. He and Safira are neatly through the Irish Bank combination towards the end.

10:41 a.m. ET: Sharon adds 2.4 time to go to the clubhouse lead. Way to smash it!

10:40 a.m. ET: Sharon opts to go long at the double corners and is nearing the end about 10 seconds down on time.

10:40 a.m. ET: Sharon White is clear with some great footwork from Claus at the Irish Bank. GET IT GIRL!

10:38 a.m. ET: Olympic veteran Carlos Parro is now away for Brazil with Safira.

10:37 a.m. ET: 8 seconds or so for Mike, not bad at all! Sharon is clear as we pick back up with her with about 3 minutes left on course.

10:36 a.m. ET: Mike is the first one to go straight at the double corners at the final combination. He’s going to pick up some time still, but he’s working on a strong clear for the Canadians.

10:35 a.m. ET: Mike Winter is a little down on his markers as he comes to the Irish Bank.

10:35 a.m. ET: Good to see Sharon has kept some orange on (vest) today – hard to see her without her signature colors!

10:34 a.m. ET: Claus peeks a little as he drops into the first water, but they’re clear here.

10:33 a.m. ET: Sharon White is away with Claus 63. Here’s a look at Mike through that first water:

10:31 a.m. ET: All clear so far for Mike and El Mundo, through the first water.

10:30 a.m. ET: We’ll next restart our team rotation, with Sharon White and Claus 63 coming forward in individual bronze position.

10:29 a.m. ET: And here we go with the very experienced El Mundo, who’s come over from the Winters’ UK base for this shot at Paris qualification.

10:28 a.m. ET: Canada’s pathfinder, Mike Winter with El Mundo, will be the next to see.

10:26 a.m. ET: Well Sydney certainly set the standard as we have just a couple other clears so far, and all with time. Mexico’s Jose Enrique Mercado Suarez and Balanca SDN finish with 20 penalties and 60+ time. Argentina’s Juan Carlos Candisano has been eliminated on refusals at the first water with Remonta Urmelia.

10:22 a.m. ET: Chile’s first rider, Nicolas Fuentes Escala and Midnight are on course, and unfortunately Colombia’s Andres Felipe Gomez Sanabria and Caroline have had a dip into the first water and will end their weekend here.

10:20 a.m. ET: Jose Enrique Mercado Suarez and Balanca SDN pick up 20 penalties at fence 11.

10:17 a.m. ET: Ruy Fonseca and Ballypatrick SRS finished clear with 19.6 time penalties.

10:15 a.m. ET: Mexico will be the next out of the box, with Jose Enrique Mercado Suarez and Balanca SDN first to see. Federico has picked up 20 penalties at the Chilean Flag Trakehner.

10:13 a.m. ET: Federico Gonzalo Daners Suarez Bidegain and Demitasse, carrying some strong results at the 3*-L level together as they make their championship debut as a pair. Fun fact, Federico piloted former Gina Miles partner SVR Ron at the 2011 Pan Ams.

10:12 a.m. ET: Ruy appears to be about 40 seconds down on the optimum time as he comes to the Irish Bank, hesitating a bit on the hop down but neatly over the B element.

10:10 a.m. ET: We’re back now with Ruy and Ballypatrick SRS, who was his partner at Pratoni last year though he did withdraw after dressage. This is another experienced pair, and they also competed together at the 2019 Pan Ams, though they’ll be looking to have a better trip around the cross country this year! Our next starter will be the first from Uruguay, Federico Gonzalo Daners Bidegain and Demitasse.

10:09 a.m. ET: Here’s a look at the buzzy Irish bank and how it rides – textbook sample from Sydney:

10:08 a.m. ET: She’s home, well inside the optimum with a time of 7:53! Made it look like a schooling round. Way to go, let’s get it ladies!

10:08 a.m. ET: Sydney opts for the slightly longer route at the final combination.

10:06 a.m. ET: Sydney’s really kicking now at about 6 minutes on course.

10:05 a.m. ET Brazil now joins us, currently in a medal position, sending Olympian Ruy Fonseca away with Ballypatrick SRS. Sydney is a bit down on her time as she reaches the back third of the track.

10:03 a.m. ET: Sydney is very experienced on the international circuit, doing Aachen twice as well as some other events in Europe (including one designed by Pierre le Goupil in France that I can’t spell without looking up), so she’s an ideal pathfinder for today. She’s landing from each fence and really traveling to test that optimum time.

10:02 a.m. ET Sydney’s quickly through the first combination and now through the first water featuring a beautiful lobster on the jump in. Lots of spectators on the ground today — love to see it!

10:01 a.m. ET Sydney and “Q” are away and out of the main and warm-up arenas.

10:00 a.m. ET: And here we go! Sydney Elliott is the pathfinder today, going out first for Team USA on Carol Stephens’ QC Diamantaire. Syd’s under instructions to try the direct routes and test the time to get a feel for just how influential it stands to be on this racetrack of a course. The pairs will be sent out of the start box in 4 minute intervals, so we’ll have about 2 horses on course at one time today.

Incoming Paris designer Pierre le Goupil has laid out a strong track for this year’s Pan American Games. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

It’s the eve of cross country at the 19th Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, and we’re all eagerly awaiting the unveiling of Pierre le Goupil’s work this weekend. As the next in line to design the Olympic course, any intelligence on Pierre’s courses — which were also used at this year’s European Championships as well as at other European Long formats — is useful, though of course the nature of the ground differs between venues.

One thing this venue and the Palace of Versailles grounds have in common is a distinct lack of major terrain, so Pierre’s gotten creative to make a twisting and turning track that should be fairly challenging on time. Remember, the cross country at the Pan American Games is set at CCI3*-L technical specifications (while dressage and show jumping are held at the 4* level), so while the fences won’t be dimensionally large (ok, well it depends on who you’re asking, honestly), the technicality will be certainly up to standard.

I’ll drop the map and fence-by-fence of the track, provided by CrossCountryApp, below — you can also view the course here.

@media screen and (max-width: 500px) { .crosscountry-embed-container { padding-bottom:150% !important; } }

The optimum time for the course is 8 minutes, 3 seconds, with a total of 36 jumping efforts and 23 numbered obstacles. Making clever use of limited space, the track doubles in on itself several times, and there aren’t a multitude of areas where it looks like the horses will get ample time to make up seconds. Setting out with a race car driver mentality (looking at you, Liz) will most likely be the name of the game, as going down on your markers early will mean a challenge later on to make them up.

You can get a good view of the questions thanks to USEF Eventing’s social team below (or here, if the embedded Instagram post doesn’t display in your browser):

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by USEF Eventing (@usefeventing)

And here’s a look at each fence in gorgeous detail — can we just talk about the lobster jump?? — provided by Shannon Brinkman Photography:

Here is some additional context on the course as printed in a press release from the USEA:

The course that starts in the main arena over the Vina del Mar Clock fence before moving into the polo field at the military base and then out across open country is the centre of everyone’s attention now. Designed by Frenchman Pierre Le Goupil and built by Jump1’s Dominic Moore from Great Britain it is colourful, clever and a whole lot of fun. The two men worked together just once before, at the FEI Eventing European Championship 2023 at Haras du Pin in France in early August.

“At the Europeans we had big rolling hills and natural timber and when we came here we wanted to do something totally different,” he explained. His build team includes Charles Mathews and John Williams who both run crews for Jump 1 in Europe, Aert Vandergoes from Maarsbergen Horse Trials in Holland, Raymond Martins who builds for Eric Winter in Argentina, Eric who has come along to help and Hannah Mathews who is in charge of flowers. Many of the fences have been beautifully painted by the Coddou family who live locally. The father of the family is a former Commander at the military base.

Full start times for the cross country tomorrow will be made available here and you can in the meantime save them by clicking here. And in some exciting news, you’ll now be able to view the cross country FREE on the FEI TV channel of ClipMyHorse.TV (or, of course, using your ClipMyHorse membership if you have one). Cross country will begin at 11 a.m. local time, so 10 a.m. EST. I’ll also be running live updates for cross country here on EN, and Cheg Darlington will be running a live blog from cross country day at the Pau CCI5* — there’s plenty left to see this weekend, so stay tuned and Go Eventing!

Follow along with EN’s coverage of the Pan American Games, presented by Ocala Horse Properties, here. We also recommend following @usefeventing on Instagram and Facebook as well as @canadianeventingteam for more content from on the ground, as well as roving photographer Shannon Brinkman here.

#Santiago2023: [Website] [Eventing Timing & Scoring] [XC Start Times] [Entries] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]

Liz Halliday and Miks Master C. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Team USA finds themselves solidly in gold medal position following dressage at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. Three U.S. riders — Liz Halliday / Ocala Horse Properties and Deborah Palmer’s Miks Master C, Caroline Pamukcu / Mollie Hoff, Sherrie Martin, rider’s HSH Blake / Sharon White / Claus 63 — currently hold all three podium positions with strong performances on the flat today.

“I feel like this is a moment I’ve waited for a long time. My coat’s been sitting in a box for two years ever since Tokyo fell apart, so I needed some wrinkle-free to get that figured out!” Liz laughed after her ride, noting that she still feels there’s a “spectacular” score yet to come from the 11-year-old U.S. bred Swedish Warmblood by Mighty Magic. A notoriously big, flashy mover, Liz has patiently put the fine-tuning on “Mikki” since taking over the ride in 2022.

Liz Halliday and Miks Master C. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

“If I’m being totally honest, I had hoped for a better score than what we had, but you have to ride the horse you have on the day and he was pretty spicy today,” she elaborated. “But still, he’s such a wonderful horse and he always offers me so much, it’s about just managing his power. I feel like we have him suddenly in a space that’s even better, and now he just needs to work in that space for another few months and really develop the strength and relaxation there and then he’s going to be on a spectacular score.”

Liz is currently in individual gold position, a spot many including EquiRatings tapped her as the favorite to grab (and potentially not let go of), on a score of 24.8. At just over 8 minutes on a relatively flat track, Pierre le Goupil’s cross country stands to be a technical test for which time will most likely play a role. Liz has done her due diligence with Miks Master C, tackling tracks of every style from the twisting flats of Grand-Prix Eventing to the open galloping of Kentucky, and should be well-prepped for the task ahead tomorrow as the anchor rider (last in the team rotation).

Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Caroline Pamukcu, hot off a victory in the USEF CCI3*-L National Championship at Maryland 5 Star last weekend, achieved a personal best with her own, Sherrie Martin’s and Mollie Hoff’s HSH Blake (Tolan R – Doughiska Lass, by Kannan), who at 8 is the youngest horse on team USA this weekend (though not the youngest in the field, as there is one 7-year-old horse competing) but simultaneously one of the most experienced in atmospheres like this. Caroline, a proud advocate of the burgeoning U.S. eventing pathway, as well as Blake are products of the development system starting with the USEA Young Event Horse program.

“He’s only 8 years old, but he does have a lot of experience — he’s done a couple championships now,” Caroline said. “The cool thing, again, about him is he went through the Young Horse program — both Blake and I have been through the whole U.S. program, so my goal is to just prove them proud and show that our system in America works. The Young Horse system, the Under-18s, the Under-25s, the Developmental Squad — all that works, so that’s what I’m here for.”

Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

This is a senior championship squad debut for all team members, and this demonstration of depth is something Caroline’s perhaps most excited about as she looks ahead, crediting the support she’s received in the form of the Holekamp/Turner YEH Le Lion Grant as well as the Wilton Fair Grant as key to her preparation with Blake. “I think right now in America we really are doing a great job. Going and doing the 4- and 5-year-olds at [Maryland 5 Star], and having that amount of atmosphere, and now finally introducing them at such a young age to be ok with this. And then to receive the [Holekamp/Turner Le Lion Grant], then he had 40,000 spectators in Lion and then he did Gatcombe because he got the Wilton Fair Grant. So this would be one of the smaller crowds, funny enough, for him, and he had that at seven. So really, kudos to our country. They’ve done everything they could to give us the best set-up — just being ready for this, so I really have to say thank you to them.”

Caroline and HSH Blake’s score of 26.8 places them into individual silver position ahead of cross country tomorrow.

Sharon White and Claus 63. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Also hitting the personal best note are Sharon White and her own Claus 63 (Catoo – Tina II, by Levisto), who earned a 28.2 to take an early lead as the second in the team rotation. Claus was a bit keyed up in the atmosphere, Sharon noted after her ride, but did well to stay in tune with his rider, with whom he’s been partnered since his 5-year-old year. The 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding was originally sourced by Germany’s Dirk Schrade, who has supplied Sharon with many top prospects through the years.

“I will say, the whole thing — he gets pretty excited about walking and cantering, so when he walked and canted I could have cried from sheer happiness!” a happy Sharon said after her test. “I’m just pretty happy with him the whole way because he was up, he was excited, yet he totally stuck with me.”

Sharon, along with fellow teammate Sydney Elliott, credited German Olympian Bettina Hoy for her assistance on the flat. For Sharon, the team effort to support not just her but all the riders here in Chile, has been nothing short of incredible. “Just so much work goes into this, on this end but the years – this hasn’t been months, this has been decades for me, and all the people who help me at home, Bettina Hoy who was in my ear warming me up — I’m just grateful for everyone.”

Sydney Elliott and QC Diamantaire. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Sydney Eliott and longtime partner QC Diamantaire are among the most experienced Pan Ams pairs this week, taking the role of trailblazer for the U.S. squad. “I’m so glad we’ve done Aachen a couple times, because that kind of prepared you for what this is,” she noted of the atmosphere and newly-built stadium at the equestrian venue in Quillota. “The halts [were the highlight]. Bettina [Hoy] and I have been working on the halts for quite some time now, so to have three pretty decent halts, I was like ‘ah, my day’s made!’”

As first out on cross country tomorrow, Sydney’s task will be to test all the direct routes and see how tight the time will be. “I think just for all of the horse and rider combinations, you can’t fall asleep out there, so I’m on a very experienced horse but having said that you’d better keep everything in line and respect it,” she noted. More on the cross country to come this evening!

Sydney and QC Diamantaire, who is owned by Sydney’s longtime supporter Carol Stephens, will take an individual score of 33.3 and 10th place into the next phase of competition.

Collectively, the U.S. team goes into cross country on a score of 79.8 (accounting for a dropped fourth score, which for now is Sydney’s) and gold medal position. The qualification pressure for the next Olympics is not hanging over these riders’ shoulders, but it would be foolish to think they’ll be going out with any other goal other than retaining that gold medal tomorrow. They will carry 13.7 penalties worth of breathing room ahead of Canada, which currently sits on a team score of 93.5.

Karl Slezak and Hot Bobo. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Canada Leads the Qualification Charge

For every other country here in Chile this week, the priority is Paris qualification. Two team berths will be distributed based on the results of these Pan American Games, and with the U.S. already qualified with a podium finish at last year’s World Championships, the next in line currently falls to the Canadians.

A revamped leadership and advisory group and an eagle-eyed Chef d’Equipe in Olympic veteran Rebecca Howard has the Canadians feeling positive about the future of eventing and development of athletes. Canada fields a four-pair team of experienced riders and competitive horses, and the newly-installed High Performance Advisory Group has received positive commendation from the riders thus far.

Mike Winter, in sixth place individually with the very special El Mundo (Numero Uno – Calvaro’s Bria Z, by Calvaro Z), who is owned by Jonathan Nelson in partnership with Mike and Emma Winter, described the revamped program, for which he is a rider representative:

“It’s a far more scientific approach towards what we’re doing, rather than hiring a coach for a cycle who’s gonna teach us all lessons,” he said. “We have heart rate monitors we’re galloping with that go back to a science lab, and they tell us about how our horses fitness is, we look at Equiratings, and how our horses are performing, what our averages are and our speed indexes. We’ve given out grant money this year for people to get European experience and compete in Europe. It’s a big shift from what we had as a model before — it’s a focus on more like a two cycle plan rather than a one year plan.”

Mike Winter and El Mundo. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Canada’s charge is led by Olympian Colleen Loach, who’s teamed up with FE Golden Eye (Goldfever – Cascade, by Contendro) for this adventure and scored a 28.6 to sit just off the podium in fourth place individually. “Goldie” is owned by Peter Berry, Amanda Bernhard, and Colleen and frequently competes in pure show jumping to complement his eventing skillset. He’s also one of the more experienced horses in the field, with top-10 finishes at the Lexington 4*-S and Bromont’s CCI4*-L on his recent record.

“He wasn’t bothered by any of the atmosphere, he really stayed focused on me,” Colleen said of her test, which from my view could have even been scored more competitively. “He’s got a lovely, uphill build and he’s very steady in the ring. He can fall a little behind the leg, which is sometimes a problem, but mainly I struggle with the changes but we got one of out two today, so we’re getting there.”

Lindsay Traisnel and Bacyrouge. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Lindsay Traisnel and Patricia Pearce’s Bacyrouge (Mylord Carthago – Lelia, by Clyde de la Combe) are also competitively placed on a score of 32.6 in seventh overnight. Karl Slezak and Lexington 4*-S winner Hot Bobo (Arkansas VDL – Taneys Leader xx, by Supreme Leader xx), are just behind Lindsay in eighth place on a score of 32.9 that would likely have gotten some more competitive scores save for a mistake in the flying change work.

Canada does not have much breathing room ahead of the next top team, Brazil, with just 6.4 penalties separating the two squads after dressage. Brazil, for their part, has also fielded a strong team with Olympic and World Championship riders led by chef d’equipe Julie Louisa Purgly.

Marcio Carvalho Jorge and Castle Howard Casanova. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Marcio Carvalho Jorge, a two-time Olympian (2012, 2016) as well as team gold medalist here at the Pan Ams in the past, is the top-placed Brazilian rider with the 10-year-old Irish stallion Castle Howard Casanova (Womanizer – K Cavalier Belle, by Cavalier Royale), who is owned by Marcio, Arabella and Hugo Mackenzie Smith, and Annabel Vere Nicoll. They’ll take a score of 29.8 and fifth place to defend into tomorrow’s cross country.

Fernando Parroquin Delfin and Anahuac SDN. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Mexico is currently in fourth position as a team and looking to achieve its first Olympic team qualification since 1984. Fernando Parroquin Delfin and Anahuac SDN (Emperor Augustus – Parkmore Crest, by Cruising) is the highest placed Mexican rider, currently in a tied for eighth position with Karl Slezak and Hot Bobo on a score of 32.9. In preparation for these Games, many Mexican riders have spent time in the U.S. competing. Notably, Fernando and Anahuac SDN finished sixth in the 3*-L at Florida Horse Park this spring.

Full team standings after dressage can be found here. The individual results can be found here.

Full start times for the cross country tomorrow will be made available here and you can in the meantime save them by clicking here. And in some exciting news, you’ll now be able to view the cross country FREE on the FEI TV channel of ClipMyHorse.TV (or, of course, using your ClipMyHorse membership if you have one). Cross country will begin at 11 a.m. local time, so 10 a.m. EST. I’ll also be running live updates for cross country here on EN, and Cheg Darlington will be running a live blog from cross country day at the Pau CCI5* — there’s plenty left to see this weekend, so stay tuned and Go Eventing!

This article will be updated with more photos, so keep checking back!

Follow along with EN’s coverage of the Pan American Games, presented by Ocala Horse Properties, here. We also recommend following @usefeventing on Instagram and Facebook as well as @canadianeventingteam for more content from on the ground, as well as roving photographer Shannon Brinkman here.

#Santiago2023: [Website] [Eventing Timing & Scoring] [XC Start Times] [Entries] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by USEF Eventing (@usefeventing)

We are through the First Horse Inspection at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, and all 34 horses and riders have passed the inspection of the Ground Jury consisting of Sandy Phillips (GBR), Robert Stevenson (USA), and Marina Sciocchetti Campello (ITA).

For the team draw, we’ll see the U.S. riders out first in rotation, and the Canadians last (9th) in the order. The full drawn order by country is:

1. USA
2. Ecuador
3. Brazil
4. Uruguay
5. Mexico
6. Chile
7. Colombia
8. Argentina
9. Canada

You can view the list of dressage start times here. All dressage will be completed tomorrow (Friday, October 27) beginning at 11 a.m. Chilean time / 10:00 a.m. EST.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @canadianeventingteam

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @canadianeventingteam

Sydney Elliott and QC Diamantaire will be the first pair down centerline and also the first out of the start box on Saturday’s cross country. Mike Winter and El Mundo will be the first for the Canadians.

You can follow the Pan Ams action live on ClipMyHorse.TV all week. I’ll drop the schedule (subject to change) below. Please note, your USEF linked account for ClipMyHorse.TV will not give you access to this stream. You’ll want to subscribe separately for this and access to on-demand footage from events like Maryland, etc.

Friday, October 27:
10:55 a.m. local / 9:55 a.m. ET / 6:55 a.m. PT: Dressage [Start Times] [Live Stream] [Timing & Scoring]

Saturday, October 28
10:55 a.m. local / 9:55 a.m. ET / 6:55 a.m. PT: Cross Country [Live Stream] [Timing & Scoring]

Sunday, October 29
12:55 p.m. local / 11:55 a.m. ET / 8:55 a.m. PT: Show Jumping + Medals [Live Stream] [Timing & Scoring]

Follow along with EN’s coverage of the Pan American Games, presented by Ocala Horse Properties, here. We also recommend following @usefeventing on Instagram and Facebook as well as @canadianeventingteam for more content from on the ground, as well as roving photographer Shannon Brinkman here.

#Santiago2023: [Website] [Eventing Timing & Scoring] [Entries] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]

Thanks to our friends at CrossCountryApp, we also have a first look at incoming Olympic designer Pieree le Goupil’s course, which will be set at CCI3*-L technical specifications. The optimum time for the track is 8 minutes, 3 seconds with a total of 35 jumping efforts. We’ll be back tomorrow with a more comprehensive course preview, so stay tuned!

This article will be updated with more photos, so keep checking back!