Ariel Grald and Forrest Gump 124 on their way to their fifth-place finish in the CCI4*-L at Bromont last year. Photo by Abby Powell.
Bienvenue à Bromont!
We’re in for a treat of a few days eventing, so pony up, check your girth and hang on for the ride!
With 2* and 3*-L classes, both of which include U25 sections, as well as 4*-L and 4*-S, and the MARS Bromont Rising U25 scholarship program, it’s all happening at Bromont!
There’s an impressive line-up of Olympic, World Championship and Pan-Am Games riders on the entries list, including local lass Colleen Loach (the highest placed of the Canadians in the World Rankings and Canadian team member since 2015), and fellow Canadian Jessica Phoenix (five-time Pan-Am medalist). The USA are out in force too (albeit via Australia in a couple of cases), with Phillip Dutton (who’s been an Olympian since 1996, and every four years since) and Boyd Martin (5* winner and ice-bath lover), along with Ariel Grald (World No. 25) and Hannah Sue Hollberg (team gold and individual silver Pan-Am medalist). Entries from (kind of) further afield include Sweden’s Jennie Jarnstrom Dennis (who’s based in, arguably the much sunnier than Sweden, Ocala, FL) and Australia’s Ryan Wood (who’s based in Aiken, SC).
It all trots off today (Wednesday) with the Horse Inspection at 3pm EDT / 2pm CDT / 12pm PDT. Then we have two days of dressage (Thursday and Friday) with the first horses up the center line at 8am EDT / 7am CDT / 5am PDT. Saturday – of course – is cross country day, when competitors will get the chance to take on the Derek di Grazia (assisted by Jay Hambly) track. The galloping gets going at 8am EDT / 7am CDT / 5am PDT.
Sunday’s Horse Inspection also begins at 8am EDT / 7am CDT / 5am PDT, followed by the show jumping at 10am EDT / 9am CDT / 7am PDT.
And then we’ll have our Bromont winners!
There is no live stream this weekend, but EN will be on the ground assisting the media team all weekend to bring you all the content you can handle.
In addition, keep an eye out for EN’s form guide of all the horses and riders in the 4*-S and 4*-L – coming later today!
MARS Bromont CCI (Lac Brome, Quebec, Canada) [Website] [Schedule] [Entries] [Volunteer] [Live Scoring] [EN’s Coverage]
And that’s not all! EN will have boots on the ground for Bramham International Horse Trials in the UK too, where Tilly will be bringing us all the ins and outs of the show. You can follow along with the live stream on H&C+ (subscription required).
Bramham International Horse Trials (Wetherby, West Yorkshire, UK) [Website] [Schedule] [Volunteer] [Ride Times / Live Scoring] [EN’s Coverage] [Live Stream]
Keep it locked onto EN and follow @goeventing for all the news from Bromont and Bramham.
Go eventing!
U.S. Weekend Preview
Apple Knoll Farm H.T. (Millis, MA) [Website] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
Cobblestone Farms H.T. I (Chelsea, MI) [Website] [Entries / Ride Times / Scoring]
Golden Spike H.T. (Ogden, UT) [Website] [Volunteer] [Entries / Ride Times / Scoring]
Middleburg H.T. (The Plains, VA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
Plantation Field H.T. (Coatesville, PA) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer]
Queeny Park H.T. (Saint Louis, MI) [Website] [Volunteer] [Entries / Ride Times / Scoring]
River Glen June H.T. (New Market, TN) [Website] [Entries / Ride Times / Scoring]
Wednesday News and Reading
#SuperGroom Jackie Potts talks making friends with the horses in her care, listening to her gut, and improving horsemanship globally and universally. In the first of a new series dedicated to horsemanship, the EEF (European Equestrian Federation) spoke to Jackie Potts – long-time groom for William Fox-Pitt, founding member of the International Grooms Association, and eventing groom extraordinaire, for her take on horsemanship and what that means in her profession. [Happy Horses Every Time]
Modern Pentathlon hits the headlines, again. Olympic and World Champion Great Britain’s Joe Choong says he’ll retire from Modern Pentathlon after Paris due to the changes being made to the sport and the ways in which the changes have been put in place. He believes that there are many others with the same attitude, saying, “I think there will be a mass walkout from the sport”. [Read All About It] And in further MP news, Pentathlon United, the independent representative body for the sport, has accused UIPM (International Modern Pentathlon Union) of putting politics before Olympic inclusion. The Olympic fate of MP is due to be decided in October, but being up against baseball and softball – and the 2028 Olympics being held in LA – the sport is on shaky ground. [The Inside Scoop]
Meet the racehorse trainer turned matchmaker who’s basically running Tinder for OTTBs. Suzy Barkley has done it all – dressage, eventing, racing, training, she’s even coached show jumper Jessica Springsteen – and now she uses all of that experience to match OTTBs with their right person. But Suzy goes far further than the first date – “We pride ourselves on finding a forever home with a perfect match. We go in and rehome them again if it doesn’t work out. That’s where we stand apart from others doing this”. [Long-term Relationships]
A story of fate – and a music video. A car accident forced the sale of a two-year-old Andalusian to fall through, but five years later the gelding found his way back to his original purchaser, and into a music video. [Mr Right]
Meanwhile… We have horses in houses, huge horses meeting teensy ones, and a horse at a country concert. [Puppies, and Kittens and Ponies, Inside!] [20 Hands and 2 Feet] [Neighing in Nashville]
Sponsor Corner
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Check it out here.
Video Break
In celebration of Pride Month, today we’re taking a look at the fabulous, first and only Gay Polo League.
Founded in 2006 by Chip McKenny, the GPL is an international polo league which raises funds for LGBTQ+ organizations such as SAGE – Sexuality and Gender Empowerment – which advocates for LGBTQ+ people, their families and friends; onePulse Foundation, whose mission is “To create and support a memorial that opens hearts, a museum that opens minds, educational programs that open eyes and legacy scholarships that open doors”, inspired by those affected by the Pulse nightclub tragedy of June 12th, 2016; and Compass Youth Program, which provides a practical and emotional support for members of the LGBTQ+ community.
The Gay Polo League prides themselves on their “joie-de-vivre”, but admit they’re “dead serious when it comes to competition and making a difference”. Their battle cry is “The slightest difference makes all the difference” and they strongly advocate the “value of diversity and inclusion”. In case you’re wondering, no, you don’t have to identify as LGBTQ+ to join in the fun of the GPL – it’s totally inclusive, and not at all exclusive.
Find out more about the Gay Polo League here.
But what makes someone wake up one day and think, ‘I know, I’ll start a gay polo league?’ – Chip McKenny explains…
