With just hours until entries close, Bromont Horse Trials is excited to announce a few of the top local and international riders entered to compete at the MARS Bromont CCI taking place June 8-11, 2023 at the Bromont Olympic Equestrian Park.
Widely considered one of the most prestigious three-day events in North America, and the only Canadian event offering the penultimate CCI4*-L and CCI4*-S divisions of eventing competition, athletes will compete for $25,000 in prize money and awards offered by the generous sponsors of the MARS Bromont Three Day Event.
Local Olympian Colleen Loach (Dunham, QC) currently the highest-ranked Canadian eventer on the FEI Longines World Rankings list (58), has been a Canadian team member since 2015. She participated in the Rio and Tokyo Olympics, the FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Tryon (2018) as well as winning bronze at two Pan-American Games in both Toronto and Lima. Loach has entered Vermont in the CCI4*-S and FE Golden Eye in the CCI4*-L.
“Bromont is one of my favourite competitions and not just because it’s my ‘hometown’ event,” says Loach. “Bromont’s charm is its low-key, top class atmosphere in a beautiful setting. The rolling terrain makes for excellent cross-country and Derek DiGrazia is my favourite course designer which definitely adds to the appeal. We are lucky to call this event our own and a big thank you must go out to the organizing committee for keeping it alive and persevering through the turmoils of the past few years.”
Fellow Canadian Teammates Jessica Phoenix of Cannington, ON (5-time Pan-Am medalist and Canadian Olympian) and Selena O’Hanlon of Kingston, ON (Canadian Olympian with multiple World Championship starts and team silver medals from the 2010 WEG in Lexington, KY and the 2011 Pan-Am Games in Guadalajara, MEX) join Loach on the current list of entries.
America’s Phillip Dutton (West Grove, PA) has competed in every Olympic Games since 1996, winning team gold with Australia in 1996 and 2000, and as a member of the U.S. team in 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020, winning individual bronze at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He has competed in seven FEI World Equestrian Games, representing the U.S. for the first time in 2006. He won team gold and individual silver at the 2007 Pan American Games and team gold at the 2015 Pan American Games.
“Bromont is always a good experience for the horses and supporters,” says Dutton. “[Bromont] has great international feel with atmosphere and top class arenas for dressage and showjumping. And it’s usually a very challenging cross-country course. I’m really looking forward to competing there this year.”
Making it truly international are entries from Australians Ryan Wood and Hugh Wrigley, as well as Sweden’s Jennie Jarnstrom-Dennis.
For the full list of current entries, click here.
For the MARS Bromont CCI 2023, the opening phase, dressage, will be held over Thursday/Friday, the exciting and spectator-friendly cross-country will take place Saturday and the event will conclude Sunday with the show jumping phase, to determine the overall winners. Daily general admission is free with parking $15/car.
CCI4*-L, CCI4*-S, CCI3*-L and CCI2*-L divisions will be offered at this year’s June event as well as U25 sections in both two and three star levels. The MARS Bromont Rising educational program will also take place the week of the event.
Renowned course designer Derek DiGrazia (CA, USA), course designer for the Tokyo Olympics and some of the biggest three-day events in the world will be back at Bromont for 2023, to design the courses set amid the challenging terrain, with the help of Canada’s Jay Hambly.
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