At The Event at TerraNova last November, Canadian Jessica Phoenix narrowly missed winning the CCI4*-L with Fluorescent Adolescent, finishing second overall with two rails down. Today, the Olympic veteran found redemption and not only won the B&D Builders CCI4*-S with Freedom GS, but finished second once again with Fluorescent Adolescent.
Freedom GS is 13-year-old Trakehner/Oldenburg mare owned by Charlotte Schickedanz, and Fluorescent Adolescent is a lovely, colorful mare that Phoenix owns herself. The two horses moved up from ninth and eleventh place, respectively.
Phoenix also captured second place aboard Fluorescent Adolescent. (Shannon Brinkman photo)
Phoenix said, “I was really happy with all of my horses in the dressage phase, it’s definitely not been our strength. It feels like it’s steadily improving and I’m thankful for that. And in show jumping to have a clear round with Fluorescent Adolescent, after losing the four-star long in the fall with rails down, was definitely vindication. I was so thankful for the horse, that she went in and jumped a clear round. And then to go out on cross-country today and just fly around on Freedom GS, she was pure class, and Fluorescent Adolescent is such an incredible cross-country horse, it truly is her thing.”
With the conclusion of the event, Phoenix hopes that in spite of severe storms up north, she is able to make it home to Ontario this evening to celebrate her son Jacob’s 15th birthday.
Hallie Coon and Cute Girl, who held the lead after both dressage and show jumping, had a run-out at an angled in-and-on after a mound out on the back of the course and finished ninth overall. Phillip Dutton, who competed four horses in the four-star division, finished third overall on Possante, a 12-year-old KWPN gelding owned by The Possante Group, but parted company with both Quasi Cool, who had been his top-ranked horse throughout the weekend, and Jewelent.
Brooke Burchianti and Space Gray, owned by Karin Burchianti finished fourth (46.0) and Olivia Dutton and Sea of Clouds, who is syndicated, finished fifth overall. Phillip Dutton finished sixth overall with Denim, owned by Caroline Moran, Annie Jones, Ann Lapides and Neill Stipe.
Out of 20 starters, eight horses did not finish the course. The course builders were kept busy repairing activated frangible fences, which did their job to prevent injuries.
The Event at TerraNova is one of 20 qualifying events for the 2024/2025 US Equestrian Open of Eventing. The series will culminate with the final, to be hosted at Morven Park International. According to the USEF, the US Equestrian Open of Eventing Series will award $50,000 in prize money to the three-highest placed combinations following the conclusion of the qualifying period. $200,000 in prize money will be distributed at the US Equestrian Open of Eventing Final in 2025.
Phoenix was enthusiastic about the series. “With my five-star horses, I’ve just been building their program toward their five-star competitions, but it’s so exciting that the US Open coincides with that, because what an opportunity to compete against the best of the best in the USA and have that much prize money up for grabs at the end of it, it’s just phenomenal for the sport.”
In The Estates at TerraNova and Laughlin Tanner Group at Premier Sotheby’s International Realty CCI3*-S, William Coleman and Chin Tonic HS, a 13-year-old bay Holsteiner gelding owned by Hyperion Stud, dominated the division of 42 entries. They started with an outstanding score of 19.0 after dressage and maintained their lead with a double-clear show jumping round. Today, they had a relaxed canter around the course and added just four time faults to win on a final score of 23.0.
Coleman said, “I thought the course was great, for the level that it was, it was a really nice track, [course designer] Alec [Lochore] did a really nice job. For Chin it’s two levels below the highest level at which he’s competed and the point was to let him feel a little bit cocky and a little big in his breeches, and I think he did. I think that’s a good attitude for us to take into Kentucky and we just kind of wanted to give him a nice school around. He was a little exuberant in places, but overall he felt good and hopefully it will set us up well for the next one.”
The sunken road near the end of the course was an influential question and Coleman said, “That was a great thing for him to practice heading into his next big event. Jumps like that are always influential, but putting it late on the course like that makes it that much harder. Like I said, Chin was a little overexcited at times, but it’s nice to see him feeling like that and I think that’s fair. Now we’re on to the next thing.”
Caroline Pamukcu placed second on HSH Talbots Hill, a handsome, seven-year-old gray Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Sherrie Martin and Gayle Davis. They moved gradually up the rankings from seventh after dressage and fourth after show jumping, and a double clear cross-country round gave them a final score of 32.9. Zachary Brandt and Direct Advance, a 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by the Direct Advance Syndicate, LLC rounded out the top three on a final score of 34.2. Out of 42 entries in this division, 33 horses completed the competition.
(Other Canadian top-three placings included Melissa Boutin and Obeah Dancer GS, 3rd in the CCI2*-S, Susana Tezanos Moreno and French Kiss, 2nd in the Open Intermeduiate and Kyle Carter, winner of the Open Prelim with G Star Van De Klinkenberg and 2nd riding FR’s Citadel. In the Open Training, Kyle Carter placed 1st with Redfield Nola and Colleen Loach was 3rd aboard Canada Post. In the OT-B, Becky Staden won ridng Bearcat, Patricia Napier and Charleston A1 placed 3rd in the Novice Rider and Lindsay Stewart rode Mackenzie King to 3rd place in Starter.)
Final results here.
