Competition began this morning at the 2016 Jaguar Land Rover Bromont CCI3* Three-Day Event, the Todd Sandler Challenge, taking place June 9-12 in the rolling hills of Bromont Olympic Equestrian Park in Bromont, Quebec. The Bromont Organizing Committee is proud to welcome Jaguar Land Rover back for the third year as title sponsor of the 2016 event.
Quebec rider Peter Barry of Dunham topped the field in the dressage phase in the CIC2* division on a cold and windy Thursday at the Jaguar Land Rover Three-Day Event. His score of 42.5 penalty points aboard Long Island T was less than two points ahead of nearest rival Mara Dupuy of Round Hill, VA (44.4pp) riding Conga Brazzaville C, who sits in second place ahead of fellow American Boyd Martin of Cochraneville, PA, riding Tsetserleg (49.5pp).
When asked if this excellent result was what he had expected, Barry laughed and said, “It was what I was hoping for. It was a little bit cool and rainy and the ring always has a lot of atmosphere. I wanted to ride a forward test, and when it’s like this it’s a bit more difficult because they are already a little bit ‘up.’ It worked out really well and I’m very happy. Now we have to keep it up,” he said, referring to the cross-country challenge ahead of the pair on Saturday.
“The [cross-country jumps] are a little bit changed this year. It’s a very nice course; it’s a very fair course. It’s big, it’s impressive, and I think it will take some forward riding. I like Derek’s [course designer Derek di Grazia] courses; they’re good for horses and riders.”
Barry bought the 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding Long Island T (barn name Ludwig) as a four-year-old. “I found him in a riding school. I think he was too naughty [for that job]. At the beginning he was used to doing what he wanted. Now we are a really great team and get along well with each other.”
Barry will take part in what will likely be an emotional special ceremony on Sunday afternoon when he retires his advanced-level event horse, Kilrodan Abbott (“Eddie”). Together, he and Eddie have travelled the world, competing at major international events including the 2012 London Olympics and 2014 World Equestrian Games as part of the Canadian Eventing Team. Barry explained, “Eddie is 17 years old. He has done a lot of four-stars and has been everywhere. This spring I was preparing for Rolex and I felt he just didn’t want to do it anymore. He owes me nothing. I am very grateful to have him in my life.”
Second place finisher in the CCI2*, Mara Dupuy rode the nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood Congo Brazzaville C, an English import that came into her barn as a six-year-old. “He’s my favourite horse, I love him to pieces,” she said, eagerly looking forward to cross-country day. “This is a Congo rock-around – he’s super brave, so as long as I ride accurately and don’t make any silly mistakes, he should eat it up.”
CCI1* – Tie at the Top of Large Field
The hotly-contested CCI1* ended with a rare tie for first place between Sara Kozumplik Murphy of Berryville, VA, with L’Alezane, and Erin Sylvester of Kennett Square, PA, riding Mister Optimistic, who both logged scores of 42.20 pp. The riders were coincidentally (or prophetically, perhaps) first and second into the dressage ring at the start of the day.
Murphy’s tall 11-year-old chestnut mare, whose name is French for ‘The Chestnut’, is known as ‘Large Marge’ in the barn. The pair have only been together a short time, but seem to be clicking nicely. “She’s good at all three phases; I just need to get to know her a little bit,” said Murphy. When asked if waiting all day to see if some other combination would better their score was a bit nerve-wracking, she replied “I honestly thought Sebastian [her other horse in the CCI1*] would beat them.” But those hopes were dashed when an uncharacteristic spook at something outside the ring marred their test.
Like all the competitors, Murphy is a fan of the Bromont cross-country courses. “I love the course; I think it’s extremely well-built. The ground is the best I’ve ever seen at Bromont. I like coming here because it tends to be wetter and I really hate running on the road [hard ground]. Now it’s perfect, and it’s going to be sunny on Saturday for the spectators, so I’m delighted.”
Dominic Schramm of Australia rode Bolytair B to third place in the CCI1*, a horse that had recently recovered from a serious medical condition. “He had colic surgery on the first of February. We’ve been really lucky; we’ve got the whole team – the vets, the guys getting his feed right – and he’s really come back as good as I could have hoped,” said Schramm.
He commented on being one of several Australian eventers currently living and training in the U.S. “There’s a lot of opportunity over here to be able to create a better business. It’s a great lifestyle you can create in North America.”
Top Canadian in the CCI1* is Annick Niemuller of Goodwood, ON, who rounded out the top five placings with FE Black Jack and FE Akari.
Dressage continues Friday, June 10, with the CCI3* and CIC3* divisions.
Results following Dressage:
Place/Rider/Horse/Country/Score
CCI2*
1. Peter Barry, Long Island T (CAN) 42.5
2. Mara Dupuy, Congo Brazzaville C (USA) 44.4
3. Boyd Martin, Tsetserleg (USA) 49.5
4. William Ward, Grando (USA) 50.2
5. Jan Byyny, Urrem (USA) 50.8
CCI1*
1. Sara Kozumplik Murphy, L’Alezane (USA) 42.20
1. Erin Sylvester, Mister Optimistic (USA) 42.20
3. Dominic Schramm, Bolytair B (AUS) 42.90
4. Annick Niemuller, FE Black Jack (CAN) 43.40
5. Annick Niemuller, FE Akari (CAN) 44.3
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