Liz Halliday-Sharp and Miks Master C. Photo by Amber Heintzberger.
The FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ kicked off this morning in conjunction with the 2022 Bromont CCI-S Horse Trials in Quebec, Canada. After the event was postponed in both 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is with great excitement that riders representing the USA, Canada and Australia cantered down the centerline.
In addition to the Nations Cup CCIO4*-S, Bromont includes CCI3*-S, CCI3*-S U25, CCI2*-S, CCI2*-S U25, Preliminary, and Training level divisions.
Team USA took the early lead with in the Nations Cup on 92.0001, with Liz Halliday-Sharp riding Deborah Palmer and Ocala Horse Properties LLC’s 10-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding Miks Master C (Mighty Magic x Qui Luma CBF) scoring 29.2 to also lead the CCI4*-S overall. Even more impressive, she tied the exact same score with her other CCI4*-S entry, the Calmaria Partnership’s Irish Sport Horse mare Cooley HHS Calmaria (Cyrano x Chester Lass).
“The Miks Master horse is actually the first horse I’ve ever had in my life that’s already done a four-star,” she said. “I have always produced my own horses but right now I just happen to have a few that are new at the level right now. My mare is green, this is only her second time at this level but she jumped super. It was unfortunate that she had a rail but she just came down too early behind; that’s young horses figuring things out.”
Halliday-Sharp is also in the lead in the three-star with Cooley Nutcracker, who is owned by a syndicate. She said, “He was amazing today, I was thrilled with him. He’s a very sensitive ride and it’s taken a little while to get to know him. I feel like we’re a team now, he’s a sensitive horse and has tons of scope. I’m really pleased with all my horses.”
Looking forward to cross country she said, “I think it’s a proper track for the Nations Cup, actually both courses are good and strong and up to height. I think both water complexes are serious and will take some riding. What I like about Bromont, which I learned at the June event, is there’s all this terrain big bold galloping tracks and that’s going to suit all three of these horses. I think it’s the sort of course you jump around and say, I’ve got a five-star horse now – and I think all of these are five-star courses. I think you will come away knowing a lot more about your horse, which is useful. That’s why we’re here.”
Halliday-Sharp’s Nations Cup teammate Colleen Rutledge (USA) and her own homebred 16-year-old Thoroughbred cross gelding Covert Rights (Incognito x Let’s Get it Right) scored just slightly lower to stand third after dressage on 29.8, with Colleen Loach (CAN) and Vermont in 4th (31.2).
Nations Cup team member Lillian Heard (USA) and the 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Dasset Olympus (Lancelot x Cushlamochree), whom Heard co-owns with Debora Greenspan, stood 5th after dressage (33.0). Andrew McConnon had a few tense moments riding his and Caroline Martin and Jeanne Shigo’s 10-year-old Warmblood gelding Ferrie’s Cello (Chello III VDL x Karelza), who landed in a tie for 18th individually after the first phase on 40.8.
Team Canada finished dressage with 114.9 and Team Australia was third with 1076.2003, taking a 1000- point penalty for having fewer than three riders after Dom Schramm withdrew Eclaire after the dressage.
Andrew McKonnon and Ferrie’s Cello. Photo by Amber Heintzberger.
The USA maintained their lead in the show jumping, with three riders posting clear jumping rounds. After some inconsistent canter work in the dressage this morning, Andrew McConnon’s horse showed that he’s a solid team member with a foot perfect show jumping round. Colleen Loach and Covert Rights had one unfortunate rail down but because theirs was a drop score, only Lillian Heard’s 1.2 time faults were added to the total for a current score of 97.2001.
Colleen Loach and Kendal Lehari both jumped double clear rounds, and Jamie Kellock added just 0.8 time faults, so Canada currently stands on 117.1002. For Australia, Ema Klugman and Bronte Beach Z jumped clear and added 1.6 time faults, and Ryan Wood’s Cooley Flight had three down, for a total of 1089.80.
Loach, who has represented Canada numerous times in team competition including at the Tokyo Olympics, is currently second overall in the CCI4*-S with Vermont, a, 18.2h Hanoverian gelding by Van Helsing out of a Heraldik mare (32.1) and fourth with FE Golden Eye (Goldfever x Cascade) (33.1).
“I think it’s really exciting that we have the Nations Cup here in Canada,” she said. “It promotes a great atmosphere between the riders and it’s a great thing to be able to practice in a team environment. I hope it continues into the future and that we can draw more teams. Jessie and I have been on a few teams together and she’s a great teammate to have, and everybody’s been great this week, we’re having a lot of fun.”
Colleen Loach and FE Golden Eye. Photo by Amber Heintzberger.
Ema Klugman (AUS) is competing on her first Nations Cup team riding Bronte Beach Z, a Zangersheide by Verdi. She said, “Wanting to be on teams in the future, this is sort of a lower-stakes version of a team environment. We have our Australian flag up in the barn. It’s a 12-hour trip for us but Bromont is an amazing place, I don’t think you get footing better than this anywhere else this time of year. That’s huge in terms of our horses staying sound. The cross country course looks great, it’s hard enough but I think it’s appropriate for the horses that are getting their first run back for the fall. We’re excited about it.”
Competition resumes Saturday morning with the cross country phase, featuring a solid course designed by Derek di Grazia (USA), who designed the Tokyo Olympics, Burghley and Kentucky courses among other major events.
For more information, start time and results please visit https://BromontCCI.com.
FEI Eventing Nations Cup CCIO4*-S + International H.T. (Bromont, Canada): [Website] [Scoring]
CCI4*-S Top 10 After Show Jumping:
CCI3*-S Top 10 After Show Jumping:
CCI3*-S U25 Top 10 After Show Jumping:
CCI2*-S/U25 Results After Show Jumping:
