United States Eventing Association

Redemptive Victory for Jessica Phoenix at The Event at TerraNova

Myakka City, Fla.—March 30—At The Event at TerraNova last November, Canadian Jessica Phoenix narrowly missed winning the CCI4*-L with Fluorescent Adolescent, finishing second overall with two rails down. Today, the Olympic veteran found redemption and not only won the B&D Builders CCI4*-S with Freedom GS, but finished second once again with Fluorescent Adolescent.

Freedom GS is 13-year-old Trakehner/Oldenburg mare (Humble GS x Friedel GS) owned by Charlotte Schickedanz, and Fluorescent Adolescent is a lovely, colorful, 17-year-old Canadian Sport Horse mare (Gaudi x Amelia II) that Phoenix owns herself. The two horses moved up from ninth and 11th place, respectively.

Phoenix said, “I was really happy with all of my horses in the dressage phase, it’s definitely not been our strength. It feels like it’s steadily improving and I’m thankful for that. And in show jumping to have a clear round with Fluorescent Adolescent, after losing the four-star long in the fall with rails down, was definitely vindication. I was so thankful for the horse, that she went in and jumped a clear round. And then to go out on cross-country today and just fly around on Freedom GS, she was pure class, and Fluorescent Adolescent is such an incredible cross-country horse, it truly is her thing.”

With the conclusion of the event, Phoenix hopes that in spite of severe storms up north, she is able to make it home to Ontario this evening to celebrate her son Jacob’s 15th birthday.

Hallie Coon and her own 11-year-old Holsteiner mare Cute Girl (Coventry x Caligula), who held the lead after both dressage and show jumping, had a run-out at an angled in-and-on after a mound out on the back of the course and finished ninth overall. Phillip Dutton, who competed four horses in the four-star division, finished third overall on Possante, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Namelus R x Wendelien) owned by The Possante Group.

Out of 20 starters, eight horses did not finish the course. The course builders were kept busy repairing activated frangible fences, which did their job to prevent injuries.

The Event at TerraNova is one of 20 qualifying events for the 2024/2025 US Equestrian Open of Eventing. The series will culminate with the final, to be hosted at Morven Park International (Leesburg, Virginia). According to the USEF, the US Equestrian Open of Eventing Series will award $50,000 in prize money to the three-highest placed combinations following the conclusion of the qualifying period. $200,000 in prize money will be distributed at the US Equestrian Open of Eventing Final in 2025.

Phoenix was enthusiastic about the series. “With my five-star horses, I’ve just been building their program toward their five-star competitions, but it’s so exciting that the US Open coincides with that, because what an opportunity to compete against the best of the best in the USA and have that much prize money up for grabs at the end of it, it’s just phenomenal for the sport."

In The Estates at TerraNova and Laughlin Tanner Group at Premier Sotheby's International Realty CCI3*-S, William Coleman and Chin Tonic HS (Chin Champ x Wildera), a 13-year-old bay Holsteiner gelding owned by Hyperion Stud LLC, dominated the division of 42 entries. They started with an outstanding score of 19.0 after dressage and maintained their lead with a double-clear show jumping round. Today, they had a relaxed canter around the course and added just 4 time faults to win on a final score of 23.0.

Coleman said, “I thought the course was great, for the level that it was, it was a really nice track; [course designer] Alec [Lochore] did a really nice job. For Chin it’s two levels below the highest level at which he’s competed, and the point was to let him feel a little bit cocky and a little big in his breeches, and I think he did. I think that’s a good attitude for us to take into Kentucky, and we just kind of wanted to give him a nice school around. He was a little exuberant in places, but overall he felt good and hopefully it will set us up well for the next one.”

The sunken road near the end of the course was an influential question and Coleman said, “That was a great thing for him to practice heading into his next big event. Jumps like that are always influential, but putting it late on the course like that makes it that much harder. Like I said, Chin was a little overexcited at times, but it’s nice to see him feeling like that and I think that’s fair. Now we’re on to the next thing.”

Caroline Pamukcu placed second on HSH Talbots Hill, the 7-year-old gray Irish Sport Horse gelding (Coolkeeran x Sisceal) owned by Pamukcu, Sherrie Martin, and Gayle Davis. They moved gradually up the rankings from seventh after dressage and fourth after show jumping, and a double clear cross-country round gave them a final score of 32.9.

Zachary Brandt and Direct Advance, a 14-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Night Cruise x Herbst Jennie B) owned by the Direct Advance Syndicate, LLC, rounded out the top 3 on a final score of 34.2.

Out of 42 entries in this division, 33 horses completed the competition.

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