United States Eventing Association

Caroline Pamukcu came to the Tryon International CCI4*-L to tick off the box with three of her 9-year-olds and to impress selectors as the Paris Olympics loom this summer. Of her three, HSH Blake has the most experience, though this is his first CCI4*-L, and he skipped around Helen West’s cross-country course today inside the optimum time of 10 minutes.

For such a young horse, HSH Blake has been all over the world and in many of the biggest arenas with Caroline Pamukcu, so cantering into the dressage ring today at the Tryon International CCI4*-L was no big deal despite the big stadium.

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.

America’s Phillip Dutton currently sits at no. 12 in the world on the FEI Eventing World Rankings list, is a veteran of seven Olympic Games and FEI World Equestrian Games (each), and is pretty darn happy that (good friend) and fellow Olympian Boyd Martin didn’t have a horse in the CCI4*-L at this year’s MARS Bromont CCI.

There’s just no way around it—America’s Boyd Martin and Phillip Dutton lead four of the five divisions running at the MARS Bromont CCI following a spectacular day of cross-country. And they would probably lead the U25 CCI2*-L if they were just a bit…younger.