Lisa Marie Fergusson of Langley, BC clinched a third-place finish in the CCI 3* division at the Galway Downs International Three-Day Event, held Nov. 2-5, 2017 in Temecula, CA.
Fergusson and her 11-year-old Welsh Sport Horse gelding, Honor Me, sired by Brynarian Brenin, finished the dressage phase on Nov. 3 in seventh place with a score of 60.0 penalties. Due to the duo’s reputation for incredible speed, they were expected to shine in the cross-country leg of the event, and their performance the next day did not disappoint. Fergusson and Honor Me, fondly called ‘Tali’, finished the course double-clear, allowing them to rise up the rankings to third place.
“He’s a really solid, reliable cross-country horse,” Fergusson explained about Tali. “He can be fast and adapt to pretty much any course designer’s style; get the job done and jump sound the next day. He is just a gift to sit on for those two phases. He’s not a horse that you need to worry about if the footing’s a little hard, or a little soft, or if it’s muddy. He doesn’t care, he just loves his job.”
Fergusson closed the event with another double-clear performance, this time in the show jumping round on Nov. 5. The result came as no surprise, as she has not knocked down a single rail in her entire CCI 3* career with Tali. Their foot-perfect jumping phases allowed the pair to finish on their dressage score of 60.0 – a notable achievement, especially at the CCI 3* level.
“This is a great marker of success in the sport and testament to Fergusson’s expertise in the cross-country and show jumping phases,” said Robert Stevenson, Chair of Equestrian Canada’s Eventing High Performance Advisory Group.
The Galway International Three-Day Event holds special meaning for Fergusson, as it was where she made both her FEI and CCI 3* debut. 2017 marked her fifth appearance, and she first competed with Tali at the 2015 edition, placing seventh in the CIC 3*-W division.
“I love it at Galway,” said Fergusson. “The footing is great, and the people are amazing. I just loved (course designer) Eric Winter’s cross-country course; he used the minimal terrain that they have in California to ask some really good questions.”
Several other Canadian riders joined Fergusson on the leaderboard at Galway Downs. In the CIC 2* division, 2017 Adequan/FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships (NAJYRC) individual gold medalist, Tosca Holmes-Smith of Chase, BC finished seventh on her NAJYC mount, Fiat (Cats at Home x With Approval), a 13-year-old Thoroughbred gelding owned by Ali Holmes-Smith. The duo were in 14th place after the dressage phase, but laid down a faultless cross-country performance and added just two rails in show jumping for a final score of 66.9 penalties and seventh place. Kerry Groot of Summerland, BC followed in 10th place on her eight-year-old Oldenburg gelding, Borasco (Bravo x First Class) with a final score of 69.3 penalties.
In the CCI 1* division, Leah Breakey of Carstairs, AB was sixth on her horse, Master Class, an eight-year-old Canadian Warmblood gelding (Cree x Winlord 80 XX). Their impressive results mimicked Fergusson’s with double-clear efforts in cross-country and show jumping allowing the duo to finish on their dressage score of 48.9 penalties.
For more information and full results from the 2017 Galway Downs International Three-Day Event, visit www.galwaydowns.net.
Galway Downs International Three-Day Event – Top 10 Canadian Results
CCI 3*
Placing / Rider / Horse / Owner / Final Score
3rd / Lisa Marie Fergusson / Honor Me / Lisa Marie Fergusson / 60.0
CCI 2*
Placing / Rider / Horse / Owner / Final Score
7th / Tosca Holmes-Smith / Fiat / Ali Holmes-Smith / 66.9
10th / Kerry Groot / Borasco / Kerry Groot / 69.3
CCI 1*
Placing / Rider / Horse / Owner / Final Score
6th / Leah Breakey / Master Class / Leah Breakey / 48.9
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