Lea Adams-Blackmore and Frostbite. Photo by Sally Spickard.
If you followed along with all the action from the MARS Bromont CCI Horse Trials, then you’re probably familiar with the Bromont Rising Program. The MARS Bromont U25 Rising Program, first introduced in 2019, awards young riders grants to offset the expenses associated with competing at either MARS Bromont or Galway Downs International in the fall, along with access to mentorship from world-class equestrian thought leaders. World Equestrian Brands rider Lea Adams-Blackmore is one lucky rider who has been awarded a place in the program not once, but twice.
Both years, Lea has competed aboard her horse, Frostbite. This year she competed in the CCI3*-L, a step up from last year’s ride in the CCI2*-L. She and the 10-year old Dutch Warmblood gelding (VDL Zirocco Blue – Zanna, by Corland) have risen through the eventing ranks together after she imported him from Ireland when he was just four years old.
Lea and “Frosty” arrived at the venue on Monday and started working with three-time German Olympian Bettina Hoy on Wednesday morning. From there on out, Bettina was coaching the young riders every step of the way, through all three phases of the event. Riders also attended a private workshop with Cara Whitham to get the judge’s perspective on dressage.
[You can read more about the MARS Bromont Rising experience in Canada here]
Even though Frosty is an experienced 3* horse, Lea knew the terrain at Bromont would prove challenging. “My goal was to just go and not be dead set on having the best result ever, but I thought it would be a good test for him.”
While the weekend would end up cut short after Lea and Frosty were ultimately eliminated on cross country after some trouble late on course, she still has moments she expressed pride in. For one, she’d been concerned that her nerves might interfere with her horse’s focus, but she was pleased to find that Frosty handled the challenges quite well. “I was really proud that he went into the dressage ring in that big atmosphere and just kept his cool and didn’t get tense,” she said. “Sometimes he just gets a little bit distracted by the environment, but he was really focused.”
“On cross country, up until that last combination, he was just unreal. I honestly couldn’t have been happier with him,” Lea said of the early end to her cross country round with Frosty. “The last fence was just like a little stump on top of a mound and he tried so hard, but I think I got a little distracted and we both got a little disheartened.”
Despite the premature ending, Lea has a mature perspective on her run at Bromont and came away with lessons on both life and eventing from Bettina Hoy, proving that horses — and great coaches — always have something to teach us, whether we come in number one or dead last. Perhaps we learn even more from the run-outs and refusals (we’ve all been there!) compared to the rides that bring home blue ribbons.
Lesson #1: Focus on Fun
Lea Adams Blackmore and Frostbite enjoy a post-ride snack. Photo by Cealy Tetley Photography.
Frosty is a nice mover and has always done well in dressage, bringing in scores in the low 30s. Bettina’s task for Lea in the dressage phase was simple: make it look fun. “She was like, ‘Make it look easy, show him off. Sit up and make it look like you’re having the time of your life and easily floating around. The judge should think it’s all just super easy and fun,’” Lea said. “The minute you look like it’s laborious and you’re nervous, it becomes a struggle.”
Even at the topmost levels of the sport, it’s important to remember that we were all once pony-obsessed little kids who spent the entire day at the fair in line for the pony rides. “You know, this is all supposed to be fun,” Lea said. “There shouldn’t be this big, stressful, sort of feeling right before you go into the arena. It should just be easy, just let it be easy and keep it simple.”
Riders in the U25 program also did a workshop with Canadian FEI judge Cara Whitham. Lea’s biggest takeaway from this session was to make every hoofbeat count, from the moment your horse steps foot anywhere even near the ring. “The time before you go into the arena is super important because that’s where the judges put you in a category,” Lea said. “They’re going to score you a certain way based on that first impression.”
Lesson #2: Every Piece of Terrain Matters
Lea Adams-Blackmore and Frostbite. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
As eventers, we tend to talk about the terrain as it relates to the fences. But how often do you pay attention to every single dip and mound on those galloping stretches? According to Bettina Hoy, every piece of terrain matters, particularly at Bromont where there’s lots of it.
The terrain was a significant challenge for Lea and Frosty: “There is so much terrain at Bromont. You don’t really think about it until you’re at minute six or seven and all of a sudden the horse underneath you is definitely not the horse you started out with,” she explained.
Bettina encouraged Lea to think about the terrain in a new way. As the U25 riders walked the course with the three-time Olympian, she pointed out every piece of undulating ground the riders would have to consider. Whether or not it related to a fence, Bettina was adamant about noting each little dip and mound and encouraged the riders to do the same.
“I feel like that is real cross country riding in a way, thinking about all of those little pieces of terrain and letting them become part of your plan because it’s all related, whether or not it’s near a fence,” Lea said.
Each small mound or divot or hill changes your horse’s balance and impacts their quickly fading energy. Lea came away from the course walk with the knowledge that to truly master cross country, you have to look at the course as a whole, including the terrain, instead of as individual questions.
Lesson #3: Be Your Horse’s Cheerleader
Lea Adams-Blackmore and Frostbite. Photo by Cealy Tetley Photography.
Hard ground and lack of rain in Lea’s home state of West Virginia made it hard to build Frosty’s fitness prior to the event. She also had to balance his fitness with his focus in dressage as, like most athletic horses, if he gets too fit he loses focus. These factors combined meant that Frosty was having a little bit of a harder time at the end of the course than expected.
“Being a bit more of a warm-blooded horse, Frosty is a little bit harder to get the fitness on. Bettina told me after we were eliminated that ‘You’re gonna have to work a little bit harder at the end of the course’ and to have that in mind next time I go out,” said Lea. “It was a good lesson to make sure you’re cheering your horse on through those last couple of combinations, or even if the last couple of fences look simple or like they should be simple. Just don’t underestimate them.”
As responsible riders, Lea says that we need to be there for our horses when they’ve been there for us. “Help your horse out because they’re trying so hard and they aren’t going make a mistake because they are being bad.”
Eventing is a sport that tests the partnership between horse and rider. Lea says that she walked away from the event understanding more about how to be a better cheerleader for Frosty. “You have to be like their little cheerleader and tell them, ‘You’ve got this buddy.’ So yeah, so just being a little bit more proactive and putting him in a better position towards the end of the course and really letting him know that I believe in him.”
Lesson #4: There’s Always Something to Learn
Photo by Abby Powell.
After being eliminated on cross country, Lea was taking some time to think back on her ride and figure out where she went wrong. Bettina came over with some great advice that could apply to anyone who has ever made a mistake while riding (so… all of us!). “Bettina talked to me after cross country and said, ‘You are going to make mistakes on [Frosty] and he’s such a good genuine horse. He’s going to forgive you every time, and you’re going to be smarter for the next time you go out,’” Lea said.
Instead of focusing on what went wrong, Bettina encouraged Lea to think of all the experience and education she and Frosty got from attempting Bromont. Their original goal was never to go out and win. Their goal was to push the threshold of what he could do just a little bit more to further his education.
“It was a good test for him and I think the questions he saw are going to be super helpful later on,” said Lea. “Bettina helped me understand that if you’re not winning, you’re learning every single time you go out. Maybe it doesn’t go the way you plan, but there’s always something to be taken away from it.”
“And it’s not a big deal when something doesn’t go to plan. It’s horses,” Lea added. “That’s just sometimes how it goes. But every single time there’s something to be taken away from that. So just learn the lesson, put the learning experience in the back of your mind, and then get ready to move on to what’s next.”
Looking forward, Lea is hoping to eventually step up to the Advanced level with Frosty, and overall looks at her run at Bromont, and particularly being part of the MARS Bromont Rising Program, as overwhelmingly positive. “It was the time of my life, up until it wasn’t,” Lea said, laughing. “But overall, it was an awesome experience.”
There is still time to apply for the fall round of MARS Bromont Rising, which will award grants for competition at the late-October Galway Downs International in Temecula, CA. Click here to learn more and fill out a MARS Bromont Rising application if you’re eligible (or, share it with someone who is!). Applications are due September 1.
This article was sponsored by World Equestrian Brands, your source for trusted brands like Vespucci, Amerigo, and Sergio Grasso. Lea’s favorite World Equestrian Brands’ product has to be her Amerigo dressage saddle. “I think my dressage saddle has become my new favorite thing in the entire world. I got it last summer and it has been my most prized possession,” Lea said. “It’s a Vega that’s custom fit for Frosty. It just puts me in such a better position and that’s made his job so much easier.”
Click here to shop World Equestrian Brands products.
