United States Eventing Association

Team USA Leads The Pack Following First Day of The FEI Eventing Nations Cup Canada in Bromont, Quebec

Perfect weather and friendly competition kicked off the weekend at the FEI Eventing Nations Cup Canada in Bromont, Quebec at the Olympic Equestrian Park. The highly anticipated event held at this historic location may be best known to most eventers as the venue for the MARS Bromont CCI, a very popular event held in June and also organized by Sue Ockendon, but none-the-less top athletes flocked to North America for a chance at team gold.

Following the first day consisting of dressage and show jumping, Team USA stands in first place on a score of 97.2 points. Liz Halliday-Sharp’s performance with the 10-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding, Miks Master C (Mighty Magic x Qui Luma CBF) owned by Deborah Palmer and Ocala Horse Properties LLC secured the Americans with an early lead on their score of 29.2 points. Halliday-Sharp served as the ringer for Team USA during dressage day, taking the second-highest team score aboard Cooley HHS Calmaria (Cyrano 145 x Chester Lass) a 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare owned by The Calmaria Partnership with 33.2 points. Colleen Rutledge and her homebred 16-year-old Thoroughbred gelding Covert Rights (BFF Incognito x Let's Get it Right) rounded out the top three team scores on 33.8 points.

Sitting just behind in second place is Team Canada with a score of 117.1 points. Though Halliday-Sharp claimed the top position, Colleen Loach secured the second and third place spots. Loach sits in second aboard Peter Barry’s 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding, Vermont (Van Helsing x Hauptstutbuch Hollywood) who posted a 32.1 score, while her own 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding, FE Golden Eye (Goldfever x Cascade) settled into the third place position just one point behind on a score of 33.1. Melissa Boutin and her own 13-year-old Rheinland Pfalz-Saar gelding, EWSZ Jalando (Daimler D'Adriers x Calanda) capped off the Canadian Team’s total score with 33.6 points.

Team Australia, who was in the running for a solid finish, unfortunately saw the withdrawal of Dom Schramm following his dressage test leaving their Australians with a score of 1089.8 points. Ema Stephanie Klugman and Bronte Beach Z (Verdi x Dalphine) were the highest placing duo from the team as she and the 9-year-old Zangersheide mare owned by Bronte Beach Syndicate scoring a 37.5 to lead the Australians. Ryan Wood and his own 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Cooley Flight scored a 52.3, while Schramm and Horse Scout Eventing, LLC’s 11-year-old German Sport Horse mare, Eclaire (Furejev x Evita) had an unfortunate withdrawal following the conclusion of their test. With Team Australia consisting of only three horse-and-rider pairs they did not have the ability to utilize a drop score as opposed to the other four and five-member teams, leaving Schramm’s 1000 penalties to be added to the overall team score.

This weekend’s Nations Cup competition is being held in conjunction with the Bromont CCI-S and offering CCI3*-S, CCI3*-S U25, CCI2*-S, CCI2*-S U25, Preliminary, and Training level divisions.

Competition resumes Saturday morning with the cross-country phase and the U25 section of the CCI2*-S at 9:00am EST. Courses are designed primarily by FEI course builder and designer, Jay Hambly (CAN) with the CCI4* being designed by Derek di Grazia (USA), designer for the Tokyo Olympics, Burghley Horse Trials and the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event.

Spectators are welcome all days of competition and vendors will be on site to serve both competitors and spectators.

For more information, start times and results, please visit https://BromontCCI.com