United States Eventing Association

Bec Braitling Stars in CCI4*-S Shake Up at Galway Downs International

Temecula, Calif.—March 29—Spring is a time to prepare for what’s ahead and many of this week’s international horse trials contenders at Galway Downs International took full advantage of ideal opportunities to build confidence, confirm training and find out where they can push the edges of their horse’s performance.

Bec Braitling’s plan to “run quick here” with the 14-year-old British Sport Horse gelding Caravaggio II (Vagnelis-S x Courtesan) was part of a shake-up in the CCI4*-S standings. Tommy Greengard and the 2024 Holekamp/Turner Grant recipient That’s Me Z moved from sixth to second and Megan McIver and her own Igor B (Vittorio x Erica B) kept their overnight third rank.

Prepping for a return to the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event five-star next month, Braitling and Caravaggio II, who Braitling co-owns with Arnell Sporthorses, stepped up from fourth after Friday’s dressage and show jumping. It helped that the overnight leaders, Tamie Smith and Kynan, took it easy timewise over Clayton Fredericks’ widely praised cross-country course.

The California-based Australian rider was thrilled with their 30.4 dressage score, though less so with an uncharacteristic rail in show jumping. European show mileage last year accelerated Braitling’s ability to “be brave with his really big stride,” she said of their final phase performance. “He sets himself up really well and I’m learning to not mess it up!” At 6:44 minutes, they were the fastest four-star finishers, incurring 13.2 time penalties.

“I get excited when I see a course I can get a lot out of,” Brailting explained. “I loved the flow. It was really good with distances that helped me with forward riding. And plenty of places to challenge me to be brave in the turns.”

The win gives Braitling 40 qualifying point for the USEF Open of Eventing, set for Morven Park in Leesburg, Virginia in October. “It’s definitely a big goal for this year.”

“It’s safe to say that 'Z' blew everybody’s expectations away,” said Tommy Greengard of That’s Me Z, who Greengard owns with Andrea Pfeiffer. The 8-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Take a Chance On Me Z x Veneita) has been a young horse superstar and continued that trajectory in his first Advanced level outing. “I felt like he was well prepared for the level, but you never know,” said Greengard. “He finished as well as he started.”

Of the track, Greengard acknowledged that the quantity of challenging corner lines “made me a little nervous. But once he jumped the 8ab Galway Leap/Corner so well, I had a good feeling.”

Megan McIver celebrated her one-year partnership with Igor B, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding. They debuted at this show last year by winning the CCI2*-S and ended their year second in the CCI3*-L here in the fall. Recent work with former U.S. eventing coach Eric Duvander has “completely revolutionized how my horses do dressage,” McIver shared. Their 30.8 dressage effort reflected Duvander’s emphasis on “thoroughness and keeping him loose and supple” to excellent effect.

The Northern California-based professional had penciled in next month’s Kentucky pending how well things went this week. “I give serious credit to Clayton [Fredericks’] design. A four-star never feels easy, but I think all the challenges were right where they should be.”

McIver plans to hit Kentucky now, as does Tamie Smith with her overnight leader Kynan. They took their time today to finish fifth.^. “We had to keep the cat in the bag until it’s time to let him out,” said Smith.

CCI3*-S: Smith and Lillet 3 Light It Up

Smith went from cruising on Kynan in the four-star to crushing it with Molly Duda's Lillet 3 in the three-star. Greengard had just 1.6 time faults with Balladeer Kilbrickens Lad, who had risen from seventh after dressage and fourth after show jumping. Erin Kellerhouse and Bon Vivant GWF held their third-place position with 5.6 time penalties.

Three seconds under the 5:33 optimum time, Smith and Lillet 3 were the only double clear cross-country duo in this 33-horse field. “She’s amazing, so rideable and just super,” Smith raved of the 9-year-old Holsteiner mare (Livello x Princess L). “The course was tough. There were a number of combinations that were quite strong, but it was super easy for her.”

Greengard sat second overnight with Joshuay MBF, but it was Balladeer Kilbrickens Lad, owned by Patricia Culleton, who zipped into second place. The 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (A. Umonia 60 x Aubane Girl) came to Chocolate Horse Farm’s program less than a year ago with “severe confidence issues,” Greengard said. “He’s new to the upper levels and is just going from strength to strength.”

Greengard took a smooth, leisurely pace with Joshuay MBF, slipping to 11th place. “Everything went exactly to plan,” said Greengard of his two three-star rides, two of the nine horses he competed week.

Kellerhouse and her own Bon Vivant GWF were “getting our mojo back on” after a bad fall last season. In his return to the three-star level, the 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Banderas x Power Point), put in one of his best dressage tests on Friday. “He was with me the whole way. He’s comfortable with this level of work and it’s nice to go into the ring being able to ride for things, rather than just manage them.”

After double-clear show jumping, Bon Vivant was cool over a cross-country course that Kellerhouse admits gave her some pause. “There were three or four hard combinations, but he didn’t care.” Five golf carts of cheering Kellerhouse fans racing alongside their route may have helped, too. “I hear them for sure and that’s been fun!”

CCI2*-S: Smith Keeps Top Two Spots

Kareena K (Cash and Carry x Namur III) and Solaguayre Cantata (Canturo x Solaguayre Clarita) kept earning their rider Smith’s high praise. The 9-year-old Holsteiner mare owned by David, Donna, and Julianna Guarglia, and the 7-year-old Argentinian Thoroughbred mare, owned by Julianne Guariglia, finished first and second respectively staying on their dressage scores of 23.2 and 27.4.

“They were both unbelievable,” said Smith. “It was the first two-star for both and it was a strong one. They answered all the questions.”

Washington-based Anni Grandia-Dodson and Mistral (Millepoint x Ragusa), a 9-year-old German Sport Horse gelding owned by Vaughn Bay Sporthoreses, moved up from 11th to third. “It’s our first time out for the season and our first time finishing on our dressage score at this level,” she said. “Today’s course was really inviting and a great gallop for my horse to start the season. There were lots of great questions, but it wasn’t overly technical.”

CCI1*-S: Kaylawna Smith-Cook Keeps Lead

Kaylawna Smith-Cook and Coco Chanel (Cascadello I x U-lotti), a 7-year-old Holsteiner mare who Smith-Cook co-owns with Brianna Halliday, kept it flawless to finish on Friday’s 31.5 dressage effort. A new ride in the young professional’s promising string, Coco Chanel “is gorgeous and she knows it,” said Smith-Cook. The mare had some two-star experience in her native Belgium, but it was mostly the feeling she gave that sold her. “I just felt like she was my horse and that’s not a feeling I’ve had very often.”

Like her mother Tamie Smith, Smith-Cook works monthly with Australian show jumper Scott Keach. She credits him with solidifying her jumping fundamentals for the benefit of all the horses she’s bringing along. Having horses of very high quality helps, too, and Coco Chanel is in that camp.

“She has a little spook in her, and the one-star cross-country was pretty tricky today. But she handled everything just wonderfully.”

Asia Vedder and Vedder Equine LLC's 7-year-old Zangersheide gelding Litmanen Z (Levisto x Wies Avanta) finished second, with Megan McIver and her own Storm Dino (Colandro x Petal), a 6-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, were third.

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