United States Eventing Association

Sweden's Jennie Jarnstrom-Dennis Pulls Ahead After Cross-Country in The Event at TerraNova CCI4*-S

Florida-based Swedish rider Jennie Jarnstrom-Dennis galloped around clear and fastest of the day on Saturday to take the lead in the inaugural CCI4*-S, sponsored by B&D Builders, at The Event at TerraNova. Jarnstrom-Dennis and her Hanoverian mare Flower Girl (Futurist x Lucy) were fourth after dressage on 30.8. Not a single horse-and-rider combination made the optimum time; she added 10.8 time penalties to lead on 41.6.

Overnight leader Sara Kozumplik-Murphy and her syndicated Selle Francais gelding Rubens D’ysieux (Balougran x Orenda d/Ysieux) added 18.4 time penalties to drop to third place, while Leslie Law added 12.4 time and moved up to second with Lady Chatterly, a Canadian-bred Holsteiner mare (Connor 48 x Jucy) that he owns in partnership with Jackie and Steve Brown. His other horse Typically Fernhill (Dondoctro Ryal K x Castlefield Sarah), owned by Craig McCallum was second after dressage with 27.2 but dropped into fifth place with 19.6 time faults added.

Jarnstrom-Dennis said that Flower Girl competed at the CCI4*-L level at Jersey Fresh in May, but had an unlucky 20 penalties on cross country there, which prompted her to take the more conservative long route at the double corner combination late on today’s course. She knew that the mare had speed on her side and that she’s a good jumper, and the fastest round of the day put them in the lead regardless of taking the slow route.

She is also placed fourth in the Open Preliminary riding a Trakehner cross, Splash Dance (Stiletto x Sue’s Dancer xx). She said that it was nice to have a run on this horse before the four-star, to get a feel for the course. Both of her horses are U.S.-bred and she purchased them as youngsters from their breeders and developed them herself.

“I put the pedal to the metal on my first horse and was one of only two to make the time in that division,” she said. “That was awesome.”

“It’s a beautiful event,” she continued. “We came here for the test event and I’m like, goodness, what have they set up? It’s just an honor to be here; it looks like I imagined this place, it’s just never ending improvement.”

Jarnstrom-Dennis is riding for Meals on Wheels in the Charity competition. Her students, junior riders Taylor and Nicole, picked the charity for their barn to represent.

Leslie Law said of his two horses, “They both felt great. They said ‘yes’ today; this is just their second time doing the four-star. The first horse I did opt to go the long way at the corner at the end; he had the experience to perhaps process it, and probably in hindsight he would have jumped it but I’m delighted with the way he went, full of confidence. Lady Chatterly went the straight route and went really well. It’s hopefully been a positive experience for both of them.”

In regards to tomorrow’s show jumping he said, “The Typically Fernhill horse gets his adrenaline up a bit so he can be an exciting, forward ride, but he’s a good jumper; the mare can be a little spookier, but they’re two good horses and you ride them according to what they are. They’re stepping up, they’ll have to get used to jumping a bigger track but they’re both very capable.” Law is based out of Ocala.