BROMONT, QC – June 9, 2024 – America’s Allison Springer has been a constant presence on the international eventing circuit for decades, as a rider, trainer, coach and trailblazer. She was the first competitor to don an approved riding helmet instead of a top hat in the dressage phase of an eventing competition at Kentucky (and she had to ask permission to do it!) She has multiple four-star short wins to her credit, but until today, she had yet to add CCI4*-L winner to her resume.
Springer rode Nancy Winter’s No May Moon to the win in the MARS Bromont CCI4*-L persistently and consistently climbing from third after dressage, to second after an incredibly challenging cross-country day, and finally with one of just three double-clean rounds in the show jumping they emerged victorious on a combined final score of 46.1 penalties. Canada’s Waylon Roberts and OKE Ruby R had an unfortunate rail down to lose the win, but were able to hold it to four faults to finish second on a score of 50.0. America’s Boyd Martin and Miss Lulu Herself posted one of the second double-clean rounds Sunday to finish in third on a score of 50.7. Interestingly, the top three horses in the 4*-L were the only three mares in the class.
“I think it’s like anything — you get experience by potentially not doing it right in the past,” Allison laughed. “I’ve had a couple of careful horses that were great at the three-star level and started out great Advanced but were a little too careful, so I learned from that and I just really wanted ‘Mayzie’ to tell me every step of the way.”
A Connemara/Thoroughbred cross, owned and bred by Nancy Winter, No May Moon is “little, but really, really well bred,” said Allison.
“She’s bred to jump and she’s bred to run, and that’s exactly what she does. It’s just been really getting her mind and getting her to understand the job and focus. She’s such an athlete but I really feel like now, in her final bit of time at the three-star level and now at the Advanced level, she knows this job.
“This is truly an international event,” she continued. “Galloping on that ground is incredible and just being at this venue — everyone’s so nice and I love to eat and the food’s so good here! It’s just it’s just a wonderful place to be.”
Canada’s Karl Slezak takes the CCI4*-S
Of the six divisions offered over the course of the weekend, ‘O-Canada’ played just once on Sunday: for Karl Slezak and his own Hot Bobo, who took the win in the CCI4*-S division. Sitting second after their dressage test, they moved up to the lead following Saturday’s cross-country and were able to hold on by posting a double-clean in Sunday’s show jumping to finish on a final score of 44.0 penalties. America’s Hannah Sue Hollberg and Capital HIM, as well as Arial Grald with Isla de Coco retained their second and third placings from Saturday, finishing on scores of 51.5 and 51.8 penalties respectively.
Slezak, whose goal this weekend was to make an impression on the Canadian Olympic selectors can safely say he succeeded in that department.
“To be honest, I try to take the pressure off,” he commented. “What will be, will be. I’m confident going into the ring on her — she’s such a good jumper. You’re never gonna have a bad day — a rail here and there might happen. But today she was fantastic.
“She feels great. She’s jumping really well. And I feel like I’m back in the game, so definitely excited about her going forward. Fingers crossed about Paris, but if nothing else, I know she’s back on top going into the fall.”
Love of good food seems to be a common theme for those who make a regular appearance at the Bromont events, and Slezak was no different.
“It’s a long drive [up from Ocala, Florida where he is based] for sure — the drive up is miserable, but as soon as you drive up the road and you just look at the cross country, it’s just unbelievable. It’s one of my favourite events to come to. The town is so amazing. The food, the vendors and the restaurants are all so good. And the venue here is just amazing. They do such a great job, they try so hard to make it the best for everybody. And I recommend anybody to come up.
“It’s very different than a lot of the events we have in Area 3 in the southern states. And so it’s great for Bobo to come up here and have a different go. Lots of hills, lots of terrain, definitely just big fences. It’s very different in a lot of ways, but it’s so great for their education.”
Boyd Martin Holds on for a 1-2 Finish in the CCI2*-L
Three-time American Olympian and world number two-ranked eventing rider Boyd Martin was the leader (and runner up) from wire-to-wire this weekend. His two “horses for the future” Fetiche Des Rouges and Kolbeinn were exceptional in the show jumping arena Sunday, with Fetiche Des Rouges laying down a double clear to finish on 21.2 penalties, and Kolbeinn adding just 1.2 time penalties to finish on 22.9. Emily Bradford and LJS Lana Traveler also performed well, with a lovely double-clean to finish in third, on a final score of 26.6.
CCIU252*-L and CCIU253*-L and the Laframboise Family Legacy Awards
The CCIU25 divisions were American sweeps, with Katie Lichten capturing the top two spots in the 3* with Romans Code Red and HTS Jensen R respectively. Maddie Hale and Cinzano 87 picked up third.
In the 2* Erin Farrell and Atavious took top honours, finishing on a final score of 41.8 penalties, enough to give them bragging rights to the lowest U25 score of the weekend. This also earned them the inaugural Laframboise Family Legacy Award, a special award established this spring in memory of Mary Anne and Guy Laframboise, whose Farm of the Mountain training centre served eventers and equestrian sport in Canada for nearly 50 years.
For the next three years, the Laframboise Family Legacy Awards will be given out to the highest placed U25 rider from any division at the MARS Bromont CCI, and to the highest placed U18 Canadian rider at Petit/Little Bromont the following weekend.
They also established an individual award of excellence to be presented annually at the MARS Bromont CCI to someone who has made a significant life commitment to enriching the sport of eventing — this weekend’s first recipient was a most fitting Sue Ockendon, Event Director at Bromont and long-time friend of Mary Anne and the Laframboise family.
Wildasin Family Gives Back to Bromont
Arden Wildasin had a great weekend at Bromont, with a win and a 15th in the CCI3*-L with Billy Beaufort and Tokyo Drift; a fourth place in the CCI4*-L with Sunday Times; and a ninth place in the CCI2*-L with Dance Monkey 7.
The Wildasin family have long been patrons and supporters of eventing in North America and of Bromont, and following Arden’s successes today, in an incredible gesture, they donated all of her prize winnings back to the event.
“We just want to do what we can to support Bromont,” remarked Arden’s dad, Jim Wildasin, when asked what prompted the decision. “I can’t imagine the eventing calendar without Bromont, so anything we can do at any time to help them, is something we’re not going to hesitate to do. We love the [eventing] community, we know everybody and we’re always rooting for everybody. We love Bromont, period, end of story.”
IMAGES © Cealy Tetley Photo
