Phillip Dutton announced today that his longtime five-star partner Z has been retired from upper level competition after incurring an injury at the Pau CCI5*-L (France) in October.
The pair completed the cross-country, but Dutton withdrew the 15-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Asca Z x Bellabouche) before show jumping.
“Z sustained some injuries on the cross country at the CCI5* Les Etoiles de Pau last month, and his rehab and recovery will be extensive,” said Dutton in a Facebook post. “At 15 years old, it would not be in Z’s best interest to try to bring him back to the level of fitness and training needed for the international level. He will get all the medical attention and rehab that he needs to set him up for the next, easier chapter in his life.”
A group of owners purchased Z for Dutton as a 6-year-old on the advice of Carol Gee of Fernhill Sport Horses. He’s now owned by Ann Jones, Suzanne Lacey, Caroline Moran, Thomas Tierney, Dave and Patricia Vos, and Dutton’s wife Evie Dutton.
Francisco Seabra of Portugal started Z in his first international competitions, but after his death in a cross-country accident in Spain in 2015 on another horse, his brother, Duarte Seabra, took over the ride and campaigned him in a few international events and show jumping competitions. When Duarte turned his focus to international show jumping, he decided to sell Z.
Phillip, West Grove, Pennsylvania, competed Z at his first CCI5*-L at Land Rover Kentucky in 2018 where they finished fourth. They went on to represent the U.S at the FEI World Equestrian Games at Tryon in North Carolina that fall where they finished 13th individually.
The following spring, they returned to Kentucky to finish seventh, won the Stable View CCI4*-S (Aiken, South Carolina) in September, and finished seventh at the Dutta Corp Fair Hill International (Elkton, Maryland) in October.
In 2020 the pair had a light year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the highlight being a second-place finish at the Tryon International CCI4*-L (Mill Spring, North Carolina) in November.
An eighth-place finish at in 2021 helped Dutton and Z earn a spot on the U.S. team for the Tokyo Olympic Games where they finished 21st individually and in sixth place with the team.
They headed to Badminton (England) in 2022 where they finished 26, then went on to the MARS Maryland 5 Star (Elkton, Maryland) where they were fourth.
This spring they were fifth at Kentucky, then went on to win team silver and finish in individual sixth at the Aachen CCIO4*-S (Germany). They won their final prep run before Pau at the Stable View CCI4*-S in September.
“Z is an incredible athlete who always gave his all. Sometimes he gave too much, as many of you witnessed us before the start box!” said Dutton. “I will never have a horse with a bigger heart.”
What’s a Hunter Pace? The Sherwood Forest Equestrian Center's Hunter Pace is a cross-country-style course around Sherwood Forest over various natural obstacles/terrain. The course ends with a final treat for riders to take in stunning views of Mt. Hood with a loop through the old Far Hill Farms field. The beginning of the course will first start with a warm-up loop around show jumping obstacles in the outdoor ring at Sherwood Forest and then riders will continue directly onto the course. Sign up as a solo rider, pair, or team.
Claire Allen remembers when she was 11 years old, having just made the switch from the hunter/jumper ring to three-day eventing. She told her new eventing trainer that her goal was to one day compete in the United States Equestrian Federation’s Eventing Young Rider Championships.
As he was finishing tacking up his horse in preparation to navigate the cross-country course at the 2024 Twin Rivers Summer Horse Trials, James Alliston expressed concern about navigating the 101 Freeway. That’s because as soon as he crossed the finish line aboard Intermediate level winner Addyson (Ampere x Nickerbocker) at 10:38 a.m. on Saturday—his fifth cross-country round of the morning with three at Preliminary and two at Intermediate—the West Coast-based five-star rider had to drive 185 miles on the 101 Freeway from Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, California, to San Francisco International Airport to catch a 4:35 p.m. flight to Frankfurt, Germany.
There is so much more to proper grooming than keeping your horse picture-perfect for the horse inspection. Good grooming practices are critical to proper horse management, no matter if you are planning for your next FEI appearance or your Starter level debut. To help you maximize your knowledge of grooming practices, we opened up the opportunity for USEA members to submit any questions they might have on our Instagram and Facebook stories. In this week's episode, Host Nicole Brown sits down with three of the highest-regarded grooms in this industry, Max Corcoran, Emma Ford, and Stephanie Simpson, and asks them all of your questions and more to help you perfect the art of grooming.