Canadian eventing athletes put in impressive performances throughout the Jaguar Land Rover Bromont Three Day Event, which was held June 9-12 in Bromont, QC, and acted as the final North American qualifier for Canadians declared for the 2016 Rio Olympics coming up in August.
Bromont was also host to the first-ever Stuart R. Horne Canadian Eventing Championships, which was awarded in the CIC 3* division. Colleen Loach of Dunham, QC became the inaugural champion after finishing the division as the highest ranked Canadian. Riding her 2015 Pan Am Games partner, Qorry Blue D’Argouges, a 12-year-old Selle Francais gelding sired by Mr. Blue and owned by Peter Barry, Loach started out in fourth place after a dressage score of 50.10 penalties. After incurring just 2.80 time penalties on cross-country, Loach moved up to claim the second place position on 52.90 penalties – which would prove to be her final placing and score after a clean show jumping round. They were less than a single fault behind the winner, Ryan Wood of Australia, who finished with 52.00 penalties aboard Frankie.
“I am thrilled with Qorry’s performance at Bromont,” said Loach, who helped the Canadian Eventing Team take the bronze medal at the 2015 Pan Am Games. “He just keeps getting better and better in every phase. It was an honour to win the inaugural Canadian Championship, and in my hometown on top of that. I couldn’t have done it without the generosity and support of Peter and Susan Barry.”
In the CCI 3* division, Rachel McDonough of Etobicoke, ON, was the top placed Canadian. After the opening dressage phase, she was sitting in 15th place on a score of 58.30 penalties with her 17-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, Irish Rhythm, sired by Vice Chancellor. Moving forward to cross-country, they put in a double-clear effort to make a big move up to fourth place. The duo held their position after incurring just a single time fault in show jumping to finish fourth with a total of 59.30 penalties.
Additional top Canadian results included April Simmonds of Uxbridge, ON, and Waylon Roberts of Port Perry, ON, who finished in the top 10 in the CCI 3* division. Simmonds, riding Quebec NZPH (Frisbee Kerellec x La Roux), a 13-year-old warmblood gelding she co-owns with Faydon Enterprises, progressed up the leaderboard and finished strong with a clear show jumping effort to take eighth place on a score of 67.60.
Roberts finished just one spot behind in ninth place aboard Kelecyn Cognac, a 13-year-old Thoroughbred gelding owned by Anthony Connolly and L. Skye Levely. The pair finished on 68.20 penalties, with the highlight of their performance coming in cross-country, where they incurred just 3.60 time penalties. Roberts was also presented with the Horne Training Grant of $2,500 during the Bromont Three-Day Event in light of his position as the top-placed Canadian on the FEI World Athlete Ranking List for Eventing in 2015.
In the CIC 3* division, Selena O’Hanlon of Kingston, ON, captured sixth place with Foxwood High, a 13-year-old Canadian Sport Horse gelding sired by Rio Bronco W and owned by John and Judy Rumble. The pair ended with 70.30 penalties.
In addition to watching Loach succeed with his horse, Qorry Blue d’ARgouges, Barry was also able to enjoy competing in front of a hometown crowd. Riding his 10-year-old Oldenburg/Thoroughbred cross gelding, Long Island T (Ludwig von Bayern x Heraldik xx), he landed in third place in the CCI 2* division. The pair took over an early lead after dressage with their impressive score of 42.50 penalties, but dropped to third after incurring eight time faults on cross-country and four jumping faults in the show jumping phase to finish with 54.50 penalties. Roberts finished in sixth position with 62.80 penalties, this time paired with West River (Westporte x Graf Royale), an eight-year-old Canadian Warmblood mare owned by Skye Levely.
Loach’s success continued in the CCI 1* division, where she took third place with an up-and-coming mount, Liberty (Catherston Liberator x Freedom Z), a six-year-old Thoroughbred cross mare also owned by Barry. The pair went fault free in cross country and show jumping to on their dressage score of 49.40 penalties. Brandon McMechan of Toronto, ON, followed in fourth place aboard Oscar’s Wild, his seven-year-old Thoroughbred gelding. The pair had 47.10 penalties following dressage, adding another four jumping faults in stadium to end with 51.10 penalties.
“I was very proud of Liberty finishing third in her first CCI event,” said Loach. “She was bred at Peter’s Maple Hill Farm and we have brought her up the levels.”
Annick Niemuller of Goodwood, ON aboard FE Black Jack, Julie Clark of Newmarket, ON, with Fleur Foncee, and O’Hanlon riding Zephyr also all finished the CCI 1* division in the top 10, ranking sixth, eighth and ninth, respectively.
For more information and full results from the Jaguar Land Rover Bromont Three Day Event, visit www.bromontcci.com.
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