United States Eventing Association

Canadians Rise To The Top At Bromont CIC

A cool morning saw some changes in the leaderboard at the Bromont CIC Three-Day Event. CIC3* jumping saw a good mix of results on this large show jumping course designed by Marc Donovan.

The leader going in to the class, Marilyn Little (USA) on RF Scandalous added one rail and two time penalties putting the combination just behind the faultless round of Boyd Martin (USA) and Long Island T.

Cochranville, Pa. based Boyd Martin, obviously please with his show jumping, said, “His show jumping is a work in progress still, but every event we go to I feel like we’re a bit more in sync with each other. He’s got a really good jump in him. The biggest thing is confidence and relaxation. We’ve been working hard at his show jumping. We went down to Kentucky and jumped the 1.30-meter classes in the big ring. My jump coach Richard Picken has been relentless in improving him, and he’s finding more jump and more scope."

Jessica Phoenix and Bentley’s Best. Cealey Tetley Photo.

In the CIC2*, the leader Jessica Phoenix moved down as well as up the results when her own mount Pavarotti dropped a rail in the show jumping which moved Phoenix riding Bentley’s Best into the top position.

When asked about Bentley’s Best, Phoenix said, "He's done so much (at the three-star level) but he’s still so playful. He’s playful in dressage and he's playful in show jumping, and I want to keep him at two-star level until he's more workmanlike. He feels really solid at the two-star level and really competitive at the level."

Bentley’s Best is an athletic grey 11-year-old Trakehner gelding owned by The Bentley's Best Group. Phoenix has her sights set on the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru for this horse.

Looking ahead to the Derek di Grazia designed cross-country tomorrow, Phoenix said, "All three courses are serious courses. I was thinking that the three-star would be more of an easy run in the lead up to the FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG), but there's a lot to do out there, and it's big. The two-star has a ton to do, and the one-star feels like if you do that, well, then you're ready to move up to Intermediate."

Katie Lloyd and Cadence. Cealey Tetley Photo.

The ever-changing leaderboard saw 23-year-old Guelph, Ontario resident Katie Lloyd (CAN) and her own Canadian bred (Holsteiner x Canadian Sport Horse) mare Cadence rose to the top in the CIC* U25 division on a score of 33.2. Lloyd has been riding her for six years but this is the first one-star for the horse.

Speaking about her round today, Lloyd said, “My mare is fabulous, she is a great jumper but a really spooky horse. My sole thought going in to the ring was don’t let her gallop away, just keep her relaxed, calm, between my legs, and hopefully make it over the fences.”

Colleen Loach and Foreign Quality. Cealey Tetley Photo.

The rails were flying in the CIC1* today. Local favorite, Colleen Loach on Foreign Quality (Badger) were one of only a few combinations to finish the day with no penalties. Loach and the 7-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Peter Barry go into the final day of the Bromont CIC in the lead on a score of 25.9. Badger was originally imported from Ireland at the age of four by Tim Bourke (IRL).

When asked about the horse, Loach said, “I did his first Intermediate at GMHA and he was really good there. I'm going to wait to do a two-star until the spring. He didn't have a lot of confidence when I first started riding him, so I think it's important to keep his confidence level up. Now he's starting to really trust me and go forward. He's not a very forward-thinking horse, and I'm trying to build his trust. He's one of the most talented horses I've ever ridden.”

Phoenixville, Pa. based Amanda Beale Clement and BE Kilgoric Felix (Felix) added nothing to maintain their lead in the the Training Young Rider division following show jumping on a score of 26.9. Felix is a recently imported 5-year-old owned by Megan Wilson.

“It’s a great course, a great place to be. We brought him [Felix] up here hoping he would see what it is like in the big leagues.” said Beale Clement when asked about her decision to bring the horse to Bromont.

Open Training, which finished up the day at Bromont, saw Lauren Kieffer (USA) and Get Gaudi add nothing to their score of 22.1, an impressive 10.4 penalties ahead of second-placed Catherine Henderson on Oldcourt Grafen Dance.

Cross-country, which begins Sunday morning at 8:00 a.m., should mix things up a bit on the leaderboard but it is expected to be perfect day for eventing in rural Quebec.

Bromont CIC takes place near the charming village of Bromont, which is 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, which hosted the equestrian events of the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, has in recent years undergone massive upgrades and is considered one of the best in North America.

The Bromont CIC 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.