WILL COLEMAN AND NEVADA BAY TAKE TOP SPOT AT BROMONT INTERNATIONAL CCI***;

CANADIANS REBECCA HOWARD AND JESSICA PHOENIX FINISH SECOND AND THIRD

BROMONT, QUE.  – Will Coleman, of Gordonsville, Virginia galloped to victory Sunday after a fault-free stadium jumping round in the CCI*** at the Bromont International Three Day Event at the Bromont Olympic Horse Park.

After riding one of only three clear rounds in the final phase of the competition, Coleman, 26, and Nevada Bay, an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood cross owned by Nanky Doubleday, moved into first place from third with 59 points. Less than a half point separated Coleman from second place finisher, and top-placed Canadian, Rebecca Howard of Salmon Arm, B.C. Howard, 31, and Canadian Sport Horse Riddle Master, owned by Blithe Hill Nurseries, also had a clear show jumping round to finish with 59.4 points. In third was Jessica Phoenix, 27, of Uxbridge, Ontario with her Thoroughbred gelding Exponential with 61.6 points, after dropping one rail in stadium. It was a strong showing for Canada, in a field dominated by American riders.

Coleman was delighted with his horse, especially since Bromont marked Nevada Bay’s first three-star competition.

“He’s been pretty special all weekend,” said Coleman. “Most of the credit has to go to my horse. He’s world class and obviously his owner and I are thrilled to have him. He is a real galloping, jumping machine.

”The cross country course was extremely tough and in terms of difficulty, there was no question it was a three star that asked plenty of questions.”

Going into the final day of competition, American Kim Severson and Tipperary Liadnan had been sitting in first place with 49.8 points, but knocked down three jumps to fall to fourth place.

Top Canadian Howard said the stadium course “was a tough track, with a lot of related distances. You needed to be quick on your feet and make decisions.” She also found the cross country course to “be beautiful with a lot of big questions all the way through. You needed a fit horse.”

She and Phoenix are hoping that their Bromont results will boost their chances at landing a spot on the Canadian Team heading to the World Equestrian Games in the fall. Bromont marked Phoenix’s return to competition since giving birth to son Jacob in late March.

In the CCI**,  veteran Canadian Team member Kelli McMullen-Temple finished in first spot with Axel Rose despite eight faults in stadium. The pair maintained the lead they established during dressage throughout the competition and finished with 53 points.  In second was American Will Faudree and Andromaque and third was U. S. rider Nate Chambers with Rolling Stone II.

American Boyd Martin took the one-star division with 47.5 points with Minotaure du Passior, while young Thai rider Nina Ligon finished second. Ligon also was the top CCI* Young Rider; top Canadian was Samantha Galway in eighth (and second place Young Rider).

Now in its 24th year, Bromont ranks as one of the top events of its type in North America and is the only Canadian three-day event recognized and sanctioned by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI). It is the only top-level event in the world to be run on an Olympic site; the Bromont Olympic Horse Park is currently undergoing a $1.4 million improvement to establish it as a world-class equestrian facility.

For  more information,  contact Tom Todaro at  tomtodaro@FilotechElectrodes.com.