BROMONT, Canada--Boyd Martin placed first and third in the CCI3* at Bromont on Sunday, Aug. 17.

Boyd Martin on Shawnee Cooley (Photo by Sally Spickard)Martin continued his solid weekend on cross-country, riding Shanroe Cooley to win the CCI3*-S win on a score of 29.5 after adding 3.6 time penalties as the quickest round of the division.

Martin had said his plan was to be slightly more conservative on his other, more experienced horses as they set up for their various fall destinations.

However, with “Dallas,” he planned to “let ‘er rip” a bit more to get a feel for where the 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding was in his fitness and training.

“It’s the first time I sort of opened him up a little bit, and for a big horse, he’s actually got a big step,” Martin said. “I was impressed with his galloping ability because I thought he might be slow, but he’s not. I’m very, very pleased with him.”

“Obviously, it’s one of Liz’s champion horses, and it’s just a real honor and privilege,” Martin said.

 

MARTIN has taken the ride on both Shanroe Cooley as well as Miks Master C, who was ninth in this division, while Olympic rider Liz Halliday continues her recovery from a traumatic brain injury sustained in a fall last summer.

For Martin, the intervening months have been dedicated to building a partnership with these horses, which isn’t a simple task.

“I have to say, they’re beautifully trained horses,” he said. “Me and Liz were always sort of ‘rivals’ at the competitions, but I admire her. All her horses, they know their job. Even if you’re not quite perfect to some of the accuracy fences, they fight for you and jump through the fences, which is a credit to Liz’s training.”

Martin’s first plan is to qualify Shanroe Cooley for a CCI4*-L later this fall, and is tentatively aiming for the US Equestrian Open of Eventing Final at Morven Park in October.

The FEI World #4 also claimed third place in the CCI3*-S with Luke 140, who ran more conservatively as he prepares for the MARS Maryland 5 Star and accumulated 13.2 time penalties to relinquish his overnight lead.

“He’s an older horse but a difficult horse to ride, so I wanted to put him in a slightly easier class and just work a bit on his rideability and balance,” Martin said. “Plus, the jumps are a bit smaller and a little nicer on his legs. He could do really well at Maryland if I play my cards right and all the stars align. So it’s just trying to keep him fit, sound, and dialed in to strike at Maryland 5 Star.”

Will Coleman won the CCI2*-S win on Honest Man, a 7-year-old Belgian gelding with whom Coleman has been partnered with for just about a year.

Last August, Coleman brought Honest Man to August Bromont for his first event stateside, finishing third in the CCI1*-S.

Now, Coleman feels confident that this young horse is nearing readiness to move up to the Intermediate and three-star level.

“He’s come a long way in a year,” Coleman said. “He’s still got a long way to go, but I was pretty pleased with him this weekend overall. He’s just kind of, I think, getting close to taking a step forward, maybe to the Intermediate level, and this was a great way to sort of see where we’re at.”

“The courses here are always first class," he said. "I think that’s a big reason why a lot of us like to come here—it gives us a great read on where we are, our horses for each level.”

It was a banner weekend for Canadian eventing, with home riders taking top honors at August Bromont while a recent Bromont champion also delivered on the world stage.

Just two months after winning the Bromont CCI4*-L, Lauren Nicholson on Larcot Z won the Arville CCIO4*-S in Belgium, beating a world-class field and underscoring Bromont’s role as a launchpad for future success.

That same pathway to progression was on display again at the August International, where Bromont once more proved its value as a key stop for riders preparing for fall campaigns.

In the CCI4*-S, Canada’s Lindsay Traisnel on Bacyrouge won after jumping clear on cross-country.

Adding 10 time penalties, the Pan American Games team and individual medalist (2023) won on a final score of 42.7 — using Bromont as the perfect stepping stone toward her next big goal, the Maryland 5 Star in October.

“Honestly, I just really wanted to give him a good ride,” Traisnel said. “What really motivates me is to have a really good round. I’m probably not always competitive enough, so I just love giving him a good ride and having a good round. The fact I was in the lead didn’t really change my ride today.”

Traisnel has only has one upper-level horse competing.

While many of her colleagues have a string of horses, Traisnel says she relies on her trust and partnership with her horse to keep her instincts sharp without over-running him at events.

“I just…I really trust him,” she said. “I haven’t really run a four-star since March, so I looked at some old videos, like, ‘Yeah, I do know how to do this!’ And when I start jumping him in the warm-up, he’s always great. So I remember, ‘Oh, he’s got a huge jump. We’re good!’

Canada's Kendal Lehari finished second in come-from-behind fashion on Mitchell. Lehari, making steady progress up the levels, tying with Buck Davidson in the first two phases and breaking the tie today with a quicker cross-country.

Buck Davidson on Sorocaima, an off-track Thoroughbred gelding, finished third in the CCI4*-S are on a score of 51.8.