It was a picture-perfect day of dressage at the MARS EQUESTRIAN Bromont CCI Three-Day Event at the Bromont Olympic Equestrian Park in the rolling hills of Bromont, Quebec.
Buck Davidson (USA) riding Carlevo, a 12-year-old bay Holsteiner gelding (Caresino x Ramatuelle) owned by Carlevo LLC, took the lead in the CCI4*-L, the highest level of the weekend, with a penalty score of 27.90 following the end of dressage.
Speaking about the ride on Carlevo today, Davidson said, "He is very, very consistent. He feels great. I am really happy with both horses."
Davidson has recently come back from a fall at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event where he broke his collarbone for the fourth time. Speaking about his injury, Buck said, "Collarbones are funny, all of a sudden they just feel better."
Watch Buck Davidson and Carlevo's winning dressage test, courtesy of David Frechette:
Colleen Rutledge (USA) riding her own Covert Rights, a 13-year-old bay Thoroughbred cross gelding (BFF Incognito x Let's Get it Right) rounded out the final day of dressage, finishing the CCI3*-S in first on a score of 27.60. Rutledge was “incredibly please about his dressage today” when asked about the ride on Covert Rights.
Looking ahead to cross-country day tomorrow, Rutledge thought, “It’s a good course. It’s got a lot of questions. It’s a Derek course,” speaking of Derek di Grazia, course designer for Bromont CCI, Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics course, among others.
Saturday's exciting cross-country begins with the highest level, the CCI4*-L, at 8:30 a.m. and the action does not even slow down until after the last horse and rider combination in the CCI3*-S at about 5:00 p.m.
Entrance to the event is free for spectators and show jumping on Sunday will be live streamed through our Facebook page.
Ride times results are available at BromontCCI.com.
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.
Bromont CCI, which has featured top competition for three decades, will be welcoming some of the best horse-and-rider combinations from all over North America in CCI4*-L, CCI3*-L, CCI2*-L, CCI3*-S, CCI2*-L-U25, and CCI3*-L-U25 divisions. Bromont stands alone as the only venue in Canada which offers a CCI4*-L level competition.
MARS EQUESTRIAN™, a sponsorship division within MARS INCORPORATED, is the link between the iconic brand and the equestrian community. For generations, MARS has celebrated a rich equestrian heritage, and through purposeful partnerships, MARS EQUESTRIAN is committed to the sport and building an enduring legacy. From world-class competitions across all equestrian disciplines to stewarding the power of horses on society and sustainability, MARS EQUESTRIAN is dedicated to the purpose of improving the lives of horses, pets, and the people who love them. MARS EQUESTRIAN is proud to support the Bromont CCI Three-Day Event.
It was a somewhat uneventful morning in the final horse inspection for both the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S and Defender Kentucky CCI5*-L, which is always a great testament to the exemplary horse care that these top athletes receive and the horsemanship exhibited by their riders.
And just like that, it's the final day of the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event and it's a full one in terms of the schedule. Before moving on to the final phase, competitors in both the CCI4*-S and CCI5*-L divisions will have to undergo the final horse inspection at High Hope Lane which will kick off with four-star competitors at 8 a.m. EST and be followed immediately by the five-star contingency.
When Will Coleman, the overnight leader in the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S division at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, walked Derek di Grazia’s cross-country track, he knew time was going to play a major factor in how the results would shake out upon the completion of the second phase.
“I really love riding the horses,” said Michael Jung. “I do it every day— riding the horses, training the horses, going to many, many competitions. I am really into the sport and with horses. I know it can go wrong all the time. So I try to go out, do my best, take care of the horse; if it went wrong, OK. It can happen, now you just be prepared for the next day.”