Bromont CCI3* – Canadian Leads after Day 1 of Dressage
EN ANGLAIS SEULEMENT
BROMONT, QC, June 9, 2016 — Competition began this morning at the 2016 Jaguar Land Rover Bromont CCI3* Three-Day Event, the Todd Sandler Challenge, taking place June 9-12 in the rolling hills of Bromont Olympic Equestrian Park in Bromont, Quebec. The Bromont Organizing Committee is proud to welcome Jaguar Land Rover back for the third year as title sponsor of the 2016 event.
CCI2* – Peter Barry and Long Island T on Top
Quebec rider Peter Barry of Dunham topped the field in the dressage phase in the CIC2* division on a cold and windy Thursday at the Jaguar Land Rover Three-Day Event. His score of 42.5 penalty points aboard Long Island T was less than two points ahead of nearest rival Mara Dupuy of Round Hill, VA (44.4pp) riding Conga Brazzaville C, who sits in second place ahead of fellow American Boyd Martin of Cochraneville, PA, riding Tsetserleg (49.5pp).
When asked if this excellent result was what he had expected, Barry laughed and said, « It was what I was hoping for. It was a little bit cool and rainy and the ring always has a lot of atmosphere. I wanted to ride a forward test, and when it’s like this it’s a bit more difficult because they are already a little bit ‘up.’ It worked out really well and I’m very happy. Now we have to keep it up, » he said, referring to the cross-country challenge ahead of the pair on Saturday.
« The [cross-country jumps] are a little bit changed this year. It’s a very nice course; it’s a very fair course. It’s big, it’s impressive, and I think it will take some forward riding. I like Derek’s [course designer Derek di Grazia] courses; they’re good for horses and riders. »
Barry bought the 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding Long Island T (barn name Ludwig) as a four-year-old. « I found him in a riding school. I think he was too naughty [for that job]. At the beginning he was used to doing what he wanted. Now we are a really great team and get along well with each other. »
Barry will take part in what will likely be an emotional special ceremony on Sunday afternoon when he retires his advanced-level event horse, Kilrodan Abbott (« Eddie »). Together, he and Eddie have travelled the world, competing at major international events including the 2012 London Olympics and 2014 World Equestrian Games as part of the Canadian Eventing Team. Barry explained, « Eddie is 17 years old. He has done a lot of four-stars and has been everywhere. This spring I was preparing for Rolex and I felt he just didn’t want to do it anymore. He owes me nothing. I am very grateful to have him in my life. »
Second place finisher in the CCI2*, Mara Dupuy rode the nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood Congo Brazzaville C, an English import that came into her barn as a six-year-old. « He’s my favourite horse, I love him to pieces, » she said, eagerly looking forward to cross-country day. « This is a Congo rock-around – he’s super brave, so as long as I ride accurately and don’t make any silly mistakes, he should eat it up. »
CCI1* – Tie at the Top of Large Field
The hotly-contested CCI1* ended with a rare tie for first place between Sara Kozumplik Murphy of Berryville, VA, with L’Alezane, and Erin Sylvester of Kennett Square, PA, riding Mister Optimistic, who both logged scores of 42.20 pp. The riders were coincidentally (or prophetically, perhaps) first and second into the dressage ring at the start of the day.
Murphy’s tall 11-year-old chestnut mare, whose name is French for ‘The Chestnut’, is known as ‘Large Marge’ in the barn. The pair have only been together a short time, but seem to be clicking nicely. « She’s good at all three phases; I just need to get to know her a little bit, » said Murphy. When asked if waiting all day to see if some other combination would better their score was a bit nerve-wracking, she replied « I honestly thought Sebastian [her other horse in the CCI1*] would beat them. » But those hopes were dashed when an uncharacteristic spook at something outside the ring marred their test.
Like all the competitors, Murphy is a fan of the Bromont cross-country courses. « I love the course; I think it’s extremely well-built. The ground is the best I’ve ever seen at Bromont. I like coming here because it tends to be wetter and I really hate running on the road [hard ground]. Now it’s perfect, and it’s going to be sunny on Saturday for the spectators, so I’m delighted. »
Dominic Schramm of Australia rode Bolytair B to third place in the CCI1*, a horse that had recently recovered from a serious medical condition. « He had colic surgery on the first of February. We’ve been really lucky; we’ve got the whole team – the vets, the guys getting his feed right – and he’s really come back as good as I could have hoped, » said Schramm. He commented on being one of several Australian eventers currently living and training in the U.S. « There’s a lot of opportunity over here to be able to create a better business. It’s a great lifestyle you can create in North America. »
Top Canadian in the CCI1* is Annick Niemuller of Goodwood, ON, who rounded out the top five placings with FE Black Jack and FE Akari.
Dressage continues Friday, June 10, with the CCI3* and CIC3* divisions.
Results following Dressage:
Place/Rider/Horse/Country/Score
CCI2*
- Peter Barry, Long Island T (CAN) 42.5
- Mara Dupuy, Congo Brazzaville C (USA) 44.4
- Boyd Martin, Tsetserleg (USA) 49.5
- William Ward, Grando (USA) 50.2
- Jan Byyny, Urrem (USA) 50.8
CCI1*
- Sara Kozumplik Murphy, L’Alezane (USA) 42.20
- Erin Sylvester, Mister Optimistic (USA) 42.20
- Dominic Schramm, Bolytair B (AUS) 42.90
- Annick Niemuller, FE Black Jack (CAN) 43.40
- Annick Niemuller, FE Akari (CAN) 44.3
AWARDS AND PRIZES
The Bromont Organizing Committee is proud to offer a variety of special awards for each level:
* The Todd Sandler Challenge, a cash prize and perpetual trophy awarded to the winner of the CCI3*;
* NEW! The $6,500 Stuart R. Horne Canadian Eventing Championships, awarded to the top four Canadians in the CIC3*;
* NEW! The $2,500 Horne Training Grant, awarded to the high-point Canadian on the 2015 FEI World Eventing Rankings list;
* The Eaman Perpetual Trophy, awarded to the winner of the CCI2*;
* The Law Family Trophy, awarded to the victor in the CCI1*;
* The Hamelin-Martineau Award, presented to the best young rider/junior in the CCI1* division;
* The $1,000 Ledger Family Award, presented to the top amateur rider in the CCI1* division.
The Jaguar Land Rover Bromont CCI3* continues through Sunday, June 12, at the Bromont Olympic Equestrian Park. Come out and enjoy this unique opportunity to watch top eventing talent looking to secure a coveted spot on their country’s eventing squad in this last selection trial before the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 5-21.
Browse through the vendor booths, take part in the Land Rover Experience including the thrilling Land Rover Dynamic Display, or take advantage of a unique opportunity to test drive Jaguars. For directions, accommodations or other visitor information, go to BromontCCI.com or contact Robert Martineau at .
FAST FACTS:
- Bromont Olympic Equestrian Park is home to the only FEI-sanctioned CCI3* in Canada.
- Jaguar Land Rover has been the generous title sponsor of the event since 2014.
- Last year’s CCI3* was won by Marilyn Little (USA) riding RF Demeter.
- Canada’s Jessica Phoenix of Cannington, ON, individual silver medalist at the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto, is riding four horses in the CIC3* – Pavarotti, Bentleys Best, A Little Romance, and Abbey GS – all of which are Olympic-qualified.
- There are 22 starters in the CCI3*, 16 in the CIC3*, 21 in the CCI2* and 41 contesting the CCI1*.
- The cross-country courses are designed by Derek di Grazia of Carmel Valley, California, who has also been chosen to set the tracks for the 2018 World Equestrian Games and the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
About Eventing
Eventing is a « triathlon » of equestrian sports, featuring three phases of competition:
DRESSAGE – a test of a horse’s gaits, suppleness, and obedience through a set of prescribed movements;
CROSS-COUNTRY – a test of courage, handiness, speed, and stamina as the horse jumps solid, natural-looking obstacles across varied terrain;
SHOW JUMPING – A test of precision, with horse and rider navigating a course of jumps containing light rails which fall with the slightest rub.
CCI Schedule:
June 9 – Dressage Day 1
June 10 – Dressage Day 2
June 11 – Cross-country
June 12 – Stadium Jumping
EventEntries.com will be providing live scoring throughout the event.
The Jaguar Land Rover Bromont CCI event is made possible in part through a contribution from the Government of Canada. The Bromont organizing committee also wishes to thank the Gouvernement du Québec, Ministère de l’Éducation, de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche, and the City of Bromont for their support of this year’s event.
