BROMONT, Canada--Lauren Nicholson on Larcot Z won the Bromont CCI4*L, and Boyd Martin finished first and second on Kelbeinn and Fetiche Des Rouges in the CCI3*L on Sunday, June 8.
Lauren Nicholson on Larcot Z (Photo by Cealy Tetley)Nicholson had the only clean show jumping round on a challenging course set by Brody Robertson to finish the weekend on a score of 41.9.
“It's funny – I've been trying to win a four-long for a very long time,” Nicholson said. “This is actually my first. I've been second at a lot of things. And honestly, after yesterday, I'd a little bit resigned myself that, if it went well, I'd be a bridesmaid again. I was like, 'Probably gonna be second again!’”
“I've always preferred producing my own horses, because I do always feel it's really hard to pick up other people's rides,” Nichols said. “Even when we get a new horse, even if you get on great and have some great results, it really takes two years before you feel like you know them and they feel like yours. And that's if you get on really well. I always feel like if I get a horse that's already been started, it's my responsibility to take my time and tick each box so I make sure there's not a missing piece before I get to the level.”
New Zealand’s Hayley Frielick moved up into second place on Sportsfield Lumiere, having just one rail down in stadium jumping to finish on a score of 48.2.
Sophia Middlebrook on Prontissimo was third, finishing on a score of 57.5.
NICHOLSON placed first in dressage on 27.1, dropped to fourth after cross country with no jumping faults but 14.8 time faults, and then, with her clean show jumping round, rose to first again with a total of 41.9.
Boyd Martin on Kolbeinn (Photo by ealy Tetley)Frielick placed 10 in dressage on 36.2, added eight time faults cross country to rise to fifth and had four faults in jumping to finish on 48.2, and Middlebrook was 11th in dressage on 36.3, added 16.8 time cross country to rise to seventh, and then had a rail and .4 time faults jumping to finish on 57.5.
Jessica Phoenix on Freedom GS won the CCI4*S, finishing on 48.7.
She placed second in dressage on 31.9, moved to first after cross country with 12.8 time faults, and then, despite one rail down in jumping, she completed the win on a score of 48.7.
Phoenix is traveling to Germany next month to compete at CHIO Aachen, and said that this win will prepare her well for a first trip to compete at the prestigious equestrian festival.
“I was so proud of Freeedom in show jumping,” Phoenix said. “Bromont is such a huge fitness test. There is nothing like Bromont anywhere in the world. So for her to come in and just show all of her heart and jump as well as she did was amazing. I just got a little close to the liverpool and was maybe a touch flat, but the rest of the course, she just was a superstar. I was so proud.”
“A huge shout out to our Canadian Eventing High Performance Group for having the vision to send us to Aachen,” Phoenix said. “And a huge thank you to our entire community for the fundraising efforts that they've put in into getting us this grant because it's just fantastic that we have the opportunity prior to the World Championships for our entire team management to get there and just see the lay of the land, see how it runs, get confident and comfortable with everything. It's something we're really looking forward to and really thankful for our entire community for the opportunity.”
World #5 Boyd Martin placed first and second in the CCI3*L, winning on Kolbeinn on 24.7, and finishing second on Fetiche Des Rouges on 30.3.
Martin brought these two horses to compete in the CCI2*L at Bromont in 2024, finishing first and second as well.
Fetiche Des Rouges was the winner, while Kolbeinn finished second.
Martin went straight from horse to plane after his ride.
