Lehari and Loach top Canadians at MARS Bromont CCI 2023
Considered one of the most prestigious three-day events in North America and a favourite of many international level eventers, the MARS Bromont CCI offered up its usual charm and world class eventing from June 8 – 11 in the small city in southern Quebec. Olympians and Pan Am medalists were amongst the athlete and horse combinations from the United States, Australia and Canada who contested the CCI4*-L, CCI4*-S, CCI3*-L and CCI3*-S divisions as well as the U25 sections in both two- and three-star levels. The MARS Bromont Rising educational program also took place this past week.
CCI4*-L
In the marquee event of the weekend, five of the top 10 finishers in the CCI 4*-L were sporting the maple leaf, with two-time Olympian and highest ranked Canadian eventer Colleen Loach leading the group. Loach, a native of Dunham, QC, finished the three phases in fourth place aboard FE Golden Eye (Goldfever 3 x Contendro I), a 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding she co-owns with Amanda Bernhard and Peter Barry.
Colleen Loach and FE Golden Eye
Photo Credit: Cealy Tetley
The pair started off strong, posting an impressive dressage score of 27.6, and went into cross at the top of the leaderboard. Then on Saturday, the two cleared the 27 numbered obstacles and 40 total jumping efforts set out by Derek di Gracia over the rolling terrain at Bromont Olympic Equestrian Park, coming in just 38 seconds over the ten-minute time. With 15.2 penalties added, they went into Sunday’s stadium on a score of 42.8. They jumped clear and in time over Marc Donovan’s course, but with no other shuffling of the standings, she and Goldie finished fourth.
Unlike usual upsets in the finale at the upper levels, all thirteen placings in the division remained unchanged between the second and third phases of the event. American riders took the top three positions with Phillip Dutton aboard Azure in first, Arielle Aharoni with Dutch Times in second and Hannah Sue Hollberg and Capitol HIM (USA) in third.
After placing second at the CCI Bromont in 2022, Lindsay Traisnel of Maidstone, ON, finished in fifth aboard Bacyrouge (Mylord Carthago x Clyde De La Combe), a 12-year-old Selle Français gelding owned by Patricia Pearce. Hanna Bundy of Toronto, ON, and thoroughbred Lovely Assistant owned by Juliana Hansen were sixth, and Jessica Phoenix of Cannington, ON, finished in seventh with Trakehner gelding Watson GS and ninth with Oldenburg mare Freedom GS, both owned by Charlotte Schickedanz.
CCI 3*-L
Kendal Lehari of Uxbridge, ON, lead the Canadians in the CCI 3*-L riding her own Mitchell (Giant Gizmo x Skip Away), an eight-year-old Thoroughbred gelding. The pair opened the competition on a dressage score of 31.5 then added just 1.6 in cross-country to head into show jumping third on the leaderboard. After a lovely clear round, the duo finished on a score of 33.1 holding steady to third.
Kendal Lehari and Mitchell
Photo Credit: Cealy Tetley
Dana Cooke, originally from Merritt, BC, and FE Quattro the nine-year-old German-bred gelding (Quaterstern x Coriograf B) she owns with Kingfisher Park rounded out the top five with a fifth-place finish. Fellow Canadian Waylon Roberts, currently based in West Grove, PA, finished in eighth on his dressage score of 37.8 with OKE Ruby R (Namelus R x Germus R), a 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse he co-owns with John and Michelle Koppin.
The USA’s Boyd Martin was the hat trick star of the weekend, posting wins in each of the three divisions that he entered including the 3*-L, 2*-L and the 4*-S with ten-year-old geldings Chiraz, Asti’s Charming and eight-year-old mare On Cue respectfully. These 2023 results increase his overall wins at Bromont to a grand total of twelve.
For all results and information on the MARS CCI Bromont, please click here.
Maple Leaf Well-Represented by Winter at Bramham International Horse Trials
Meanwhile in Great Britain, Canadian Eventing Team member Michael Winter who resides in the English Cotswolds challenged the CCI 4*-L division at the Bramham International Horse Trials in Wetherby, UK from June 6 – 11.
Contesting a field of 46 athlete and horse combinations from seven nations, Winter and El Mundo (Numero Uno x Calvaro F.C.), the 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding he co-owns with Emma Winter and Jonathan Nelson started the weekend on a dressage score of 33.3. With just 25 seconds over the time on cross, they added 10 to their score, then jumped clear to finish on a score of 43.3 securing 15th place.
For full results of the Bramham International Horse Trials, click here.
Mike winter et El Mundo
Source : Bob Langrish
Houtappels-Bruder and Flip drive their way to second place in CAI Bühl
The maple leaf was flying high once again at the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) CAI Bühl driving competition held from June 7 – 11 in the southern region of Germany. Canadian Kelly Houtappels-Bruder of Ariss, ON, now a resident of Steensel, NED, drove her way to second place in a field of 27 competitors representing nine nations in the CAI3* Horse Single Division.
Kelly Houtappels-Bruder and Flip
Photo Credit: Brigitte Gfeller
EC’s 2022 Equestrian of the Year, Houtappels-Bruder and her partner Flip (Fidertanz x Carprilli), a 14-year-old Oldenburg gelding she co-owns with Frank Houtappels, opened the combined driving competition with the best dressage score of the event. The pair then contested the marathon round and added 74.06. After the two events, the Canadians sat in first place with a combined total of 119.73. Concluding with 9.00 penalty points in the cones, the duo finished in second place with an overall combined score of 128.73, just 1.56 behind Germany’s Anne Unzeitig and De Niro 29 (127.17).
“Home from a great week of sport in Germany! Many thanks to Henning and Laura for all of the extra work they put in to make the competition really enjoyable for everyone,” said Houtappels-Bruder on her Instagram. She added, “Flip was in good form all week – a bit of tension in dressage led to some mistakes but we made up for it by driving a bloody good marathon Saturday. On Sunday our only goal was to up our ground tempo and make the time…we managed to come through with minimal damage!”
For full results of the CAI Bühl driving competition, please click here.
Dutch countryside hosts Moreira Laliberté and Statesman in the CDI Geesteren
Canadian Naïma Moreira Laliberté continued her European circuit with an appearance at the 47th edition of CSI Twente, a world-class equestrian event held in the town of Geesteren, 160 km east of Amsterdam, NED. Long an international show jumping event, a 3* level Dressage competition was added in 2019 on request from the Dutch federation. The presenting sponsor Interfloor has continued to support the dressage program, and offered CDI1*, CDIU25 and CDI3* competitions at 2023 CDI Geesteren from June 8-10 at the Equestrian Park Erve Maathuis.
Aboard her 2022 World Championships mount Statesman (Sandro Hit x Brentano II), a 16-year-old Hannoverian gelding owned by KML Inc., Moreira Laliberté recorded a 69.261% for sixth place in the Grand Prix out of 17 pairs from eight countries. She then finished in second place with an impressive season best score of 74.345% in the Grand Prix Freestyle to Music.
For full results, please click here.
Naïma Moreira Laliberté and Statesman
Source : Cealy Tetley
Hendrix and Crawford Continue their Building Year in the Okanagan Valley
At the Kelowna Dressage Festival in Kelowna, BC, Pan Am Games declared athlete Eiren Crawford and Hendrix (Don Romantic x Rosario) the 11-year-old Oldenburger gelding owned by Madeleine Rodgers scored 68.382 in the FEI Prix St Georges, gaining valuable feedback as they continue building together in Hendrix’s first year competing at this level. The annual show in the Okanagan saw top judging from worldclass, international and EC Senior Dressage judge Brenda Minor.
Seen here at Devonwood, Oregon, the pair of Eiren Crawford and Hendrix have been working on their partnership in the gelding’s first year competing at the FEI level.
Photo Credit: Susan J. Stickle Photography
Field of greys for the CET and Jump Canada Medals at Angelstone
Isabella Erlick of Burlington, ON had a successful Champions tournament at Angelstone in Erin, ON, from June 8-11. Erlick won the CET Medal on June 9 paired with Kilroy, the grey eight-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Kannan x Casall) owned by Isabella Erlick Holdings. The winning combination then followed that up on June 11 with a 1st place finish in the Jump Canada Medal class. Madison Cadieux-Moran of Clarence Creek, ON and her 12-year-old grey Belgian Warmblood Lewis Van de Kampel took the second-place ribbon in the CET Medal class. Rachael Reynolds of Manotick, ON, rode to a second-place finish in the JC Medal on Sunday aboard her own nine-year-old grey Zangersheide gelding Imagination Z (Levisto Alpha Z x Denver).
Keep watching weekend highlights throughout the season for the national rankings leaderboard in the CET and JC Medal classes on the road to the Royal and the National Championships in November.
Isabella Erlick and Kilroy
Photo Credit: Laurel Jarvis
The Derby King racks up wins at Champions Event
Captain Derby King Kristjan Good of Campbellville, ON, did what he does best and took the win in the $16,000 CHD Hunter Derby 3’6”/3’0” sponsored by Pommies Cider Co on June 9 at Angelstone’s Champions Tournament. In a field of 22 entries, Good came out on top with a score of 112 riding Nitecap, a 10-year-old Dutch warmblood gelding owned by Knightwood Stables. The pair also topped the 3’6 Derby and then struck again in the 3ft Canadian Hunter Derby aboard Kensington owned by Stephanie Mackie.
The EC Licenced coach also proudly celebrated as many combinations from Kristjan Good Show Stables were in the ribbons across derbies and classes at week two of Angelstone’s summer series.
For more information on results from 2023 The Champions, click here.
Kristjan Good and Nitecap
Photo Credit: Laurel Jarvis