Competition continued with the final day of dressage at the 2016 Jaguar Land Rover Bromont CCI3* Three-Day Event, the Todd Sandler Challenge, taking place June 9-12 at the 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.
CCI3* – Irish Sport Horses Rule the Dressage
The first entry in the ring in the CCI3* posted a score which held up against the remaining 21 competitors in the division. Bruce (Buck) Davidson Jr. of Unionville, PA, and The Apprentice performed a relaxed and expressive dressage test which earned a score of 45.90 penalty points for first place. Fellow American Will Faudree of Southern Pines, NC, aboard Pfun scored 48.80pp to land in second spot, while Jennie Brannigan of West Grove, PA, and Catalina rounded out the top three with 49.0pp.
“I was really happy with him today,” said Buck Davidson of the 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse (ISH) gelding. “I was a little bit surprised that my score held up.”
Looking forward to tomorrow’s challenging cross-country test, Davidson will once again start first in his division, but he is not concerned about being the trailblazer: “It doesn’t really matter to me. It can be an advantage to go early – you just go with your plan and let everyone change their plan according to you.” He is particularly fond of Bromont, having competed here as a youngster, and attending events with his family for many years before that. “My dad [Bruce Davidson] came here to the Olympics in ’76 and that was the year I was born.”
“What an awesome place; what a cool venue,” he continued. “They really get the spirit of the sport here. The natural terrain is fantastic. [Course designer] Derek [di Grazia] and [course builder] Jay [Hambly] do an awesome job of putting it together. They’ve laid out another beautiful track; it flows nicely, and conditions couldn’t be better.”
Will Faudree described how the second-placed Pfun (the “P” is silent) got his name. “He had a different name when I got him. He was always Teddie in the barn – when I got him he was just fun, but there were already several horses called “Fun” in the FEI [database] so I just put a ‘P’ in front of it.”
Pfun is another of several Irish Sport Horses at this event. “I’m partial to anything that is a good jumper and has a good brain and good heart, and this horse has that,” said Faudree. “He has a very quirky side to him, and we have a great partnership. I trust this horse so much; he’s such a genuine creature.”
Faudree calls the cross-country course “designed through the horses’s eyes. I’ve never come off of one of Derek’s courses and not had a better-educated horse. That is a true testament to his course design.”
CIC3* – Canadian Jessica Phoenix Sitting Second and Third
Hannah Sue Burnett and Cooley Dream of The Plains, VA, topped the dressage leaderboard in the CIC3* division with a score of 44.30pp. Burnett has been riding the 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding for about a year. “He’s finally understanding what he’s supposed to do in the ring instead of looking around so much. He likes to show off. He’s just like a little boy,” she said, adding that ‘McDreamy’ is one of his many barn names.
Both Cooley Dream and Burnett’s top advanced horse, Harbour Pilot, are by the Irish Sport Horse stallion Cruising, a proven producer of event horses.”Cruisings are really talented, but very intelligent, and they have opinions about things,” she said.
Canadian Jessica Phoenix of Cannington, ON, had her work cut out for her, riding four horses in this division. A lovely test on the strapping grey Bentley’s Best moved her into second place. On her fourth and final mount, Pavarotti, the pair were having a near-perfect performance – right up until the moment she cantered up the centre line for her final halt/salute, leaving out several movements of the test. She realized her mistake right away and finished the test, incurring a 6-point penalty for “error of course,” but still with an excellent mark of 49.30pp.
Phoenix has ridden and trained Bentley’s Best, who is owned by Don Good, since 2013. “He’s just been an incredible horse. Every time we take him out he’s risen to the occasion. He’s really getting into the zone mentally where he thinks he is the best in the world,” she said, laughing. “He’s hilarious to be around; he has quite a sense of humour and nothing seems to phase him.”
Regarding her blip in the dressage test aboard Pavarotti, she admitted, “What an idiot! I was so happy with his test; I honestly thought it was the best performance that he’s ever done. I was just having so much fun riding him that I went down the centre line one movement too early. That was a costly mistake – two points from each judge. That’s something I will be kicking myself in the butt for, for a long time.”
The Jaguar Land Rover Bromont CCI3* features thrilling cross-country action all day Saturday and wraps up with the show jumping finale on 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.
Admission and parking are FREE; 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 secretary@BromontCCI.com.
Results following Dressage Day 2:
Place/Rider/Horse/Country/Score
CCI3*
1. Buck Davidson, The Apprentice (USA) 45.90
2. Will Faudree, Pfun (USA) 48.80
3. Jennie Brannigan, Catalina (USA) 49.00
4. Kylie Lyman, Lup the Loop (USA) 50.20
5. April Simmonds, Quebec NZPH (USA) 53.60
CIC3*
1. Hannah Sue Burnett, Cooley Dream (USA) 44.30
2. Jessica Phoenix, Bentleys Best (CAN) 45.40
3. Jessica Phoenix, Pavarotti (CAN) 49.30
4. Colleen Loach, Qorry Blue D’Argouges (CAN) 50.10
5. Caroline Martin, Effervescent (USA) 50.60
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