Canadians Solid in CCI4* Action at Tryon

In what was the first-ever Tryon International Spring Three-Day Event, five Canadians earned top-10 finishes on the grounds of the Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, North Carolina from May 12-15, 2022.

Four different nations were represented in the CCI 4*-L with riders competing from the United States, Great Britain, New Zealand and Canada. Representing the maple leaf, two-time Olympian Colleen Loach and Vermont (Van Helsing x Heraldik XX), a 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Peter Barry, finished on the podium in second place behind USA’s Boyd Martin and Federman B.

Loach, who hails from Dunham, QC, and ‘Monty’ who’s she’s had since he was four, began the three-day event in third place. With a 29.3 in the dressage phase, they then moved up one spot to second with a superb time of 10:05 in cross-country and finished in that position after jumping double clear in stadium on the final day.

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Loach was very pleased with their performance, having gone into the event with the hopes of a podium finish to support her bid for a spot at Patroni this fall. “I was aiming to be top three,” she said. “We knew we had the ability to be competitive in the dressage and if we jumped clear, we’d be right up there.” Loach added, “I wasn’t sure if he was fit enough to make the time but he felt strong at the end.”

Fellow Canadian Holly Jacks-Smither and her own Candy King (Grafenstolz x Moothyeb), a 12-year-old British Sport Horse, finished in eighth place among the 20 athlete/horse combinations that completed the three-day event in the CCI 4*- L. The Hillsburgh, ON native Jacks-Smither and Candy King began the weekend with a 31.4 in the dressage phase and tied for seventh, then stopped the clock on cross-country at 10:19 and had only one penalty during the stadium round.

Jamie Kellock and Summer Bay on the cross-country course. (Shannon Brinkman)

In the CCI 4*-S, Jamie Kellock of Cedar Valley, ON, riding Summer Bay, her own Irish Sport Horse, a 13-year-old gelding, finished in second place among 15 entries behind USA’s Jacob Fletcher and Fabian. Kellock finished the dressage phase with a 41.2 and tied for 12th, but the pair that have been together since 2018 climbed the standings after stadium, with two penalties to eighth place. The duo finished very strongly, posting the fastest White Oak cross-country round of the day and ending with a final three-round score of 45.2.

“Summer Bay was great all weekend but the highlight for me was XC” said Kellock. “The course was challenging and the questions came up quickly but everything rode really well and it was a ton of fun.”

Also in the CCI 4*-S, Hanna Bundy of Toronto, ON, and Lovely Assistant (Colonel John x Silver Ghost), an 11-year-old Thoroughbred mare owned by Juliana Hansen, finished three places behind Kellock in fifth.

Results of the Tryon International Spring Three-Day Event here.