Bold, Beautiful, Bromont: Preview Derek di Grazia’s MARS Bromont CCI4*-L Cross Country

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.

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.