Jennifer Brannigan of Kennett Square, PA topped the podium in the CCI4*-L held during the 2022 MARS Bromont CCI on Nina Gardner’s homebred 12-year-old Thoroughbred gelding Twilightslastgleam (National Anthem x Royal child). Two rails in the show jumping made for a bit of a nail-biting finish, but despite the additions to their score, the pair finished just 1.4 penalties ahead of the field on a 42.2.
Referring to Twilightslastgleam and their win Brannigan said, “I am just proud of yesterday and how hard the horse always tries. I cannot ask for more.” Speaking about herself, she went on to say, "as I get older it is not always about being perfect. It is about enjoying when it goes your way.”
The top Canadian rider was Maidstone, Ontario’s Lindsay Traisnel riding Bacyrouge (Mylord Carthago x Lelia), an 11-year-old Selle Francais gelding owned by Patricia Pearce. The pair posted a final score of 43.6 for second place.
Talking about her mount Bacyrouge, Traisnel said, “We got him as a 4-year-old as a resale project and kind of sold everything else instead. This was while we were living in France. He did his first four-star last year at Bromont and was awesome. We love Bromont!”
The CCI4*-S saw Valerie Pride and her own 14-year-old Oldenburg gelding Favian (French Kiss x Risiko) added just one rail and a bit of time to retain their cross-country lead for the win. This is not Pride's first trip to Bromont, she has attended the event as both a rider and judge over the past few years.
For the win in the 3* it was Olympian, Boyd Martin, Unionville, PA, who added nothing to finish on a score of 31.9 riding Miss Lulu Herself (Stolzenfels x Noisette), a 9-year-old Hanoverian mare owned by Bonnie Stedt.
Lexington, Kentucky and Ocala, Florida-based U.S. team member, Liz Halliday-Sharp brought her A-game to Bromont to win the CCI2*-L with Laurie Cameron's 10-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding Miks Master C (Mighty Magic x Qui Lumba CBF). This is Halliday-Sharp's last stop in North America before she jets off to compete at Luhmühlen, Germany, a selection trial for the US team ahead of the FEI World Championships happening in Pratoni, Italy.
17-year-old Cassie Sanger of Lakeville, CT was the first to top the podium on Sunday morning. Adding nothing to their cross-country score, Cassie and Simon Roosevelt's 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Fernhill Zoro (Verdi x Oronia Z) won the CCI2*-L U25 on a score of 30.6.
When asked about her first experience at Bromont Sanger said “it is gorgeous. For show jumping and dressage there is definitely a lot of atmosphere. The cross-country was definitely tough and to the level, so I was paying attention the whole way around.”
The MARS Bromont CCI was held in the charming village of Bromont, Quebec, within easy driving distance of Montreal, Quebec, and Burlington, Vermont. This scenic area offers great dining, shopping, entertainment, and golf options. The Bromont Olympic Equestrian Park hosted the equestrian events of the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games.
This year saw a triumphant return to competition for the event following a few years of COVID-19 restrictions and welcoming the return of both spectators and vendors. Next on the calendar will be the Little Bromont Horse Trials happening next weekend which will feature national-level competition.
The Bromont CCI Three Day Event is made possible in part through a contribution from the Government of Canada. The Bromont organizing committee also wishes to thank the Gouvernement du Québec, Ministère de l'Éducation et de l'Enseignement Supérieur, and the City of Bromont for their support of this year’s event.
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At last fall's Full Moon Farm Horse Trials, 16-year-old Miriam Keefer guided her horse, Micky, over the final cross-country jump with quiet determination and a flash of joy. It was her first recognized event at the Novice level, and she placed second out of 16 competitors—qualifying her for both the USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds and a long-format three-day event.
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