BROMONT, Canada--Allison Springer on No May Moon won the Bromont CCI4*-L, climbing from third after dressage, to second after an incredibly challenging cross-country day, and finally with one of just three clean rounds in show jumping to win on 46.1 penalties on Sunday, June 9 at the Bromont Horse Trials.
Allison Springer on No May Moon(Photo by Cealy Telley)Despite her many years competing, this was Springer's first 4*-L win,
Canada’s Waylon Roberts on OKE Ruby R, leading after cross country, had a rail down for four faults to finish second on a score of 50.0.
Boyd Martin on Miss Lulu Herself posted one of the two clean rounds Sunday to finish third on a score of 50.7.
Interestingly, the top three horses in the 4*-L were the only three mares in the class.
Martin also finished both first and second in the 2* division.
"I think it's like anything, you get experience by potentially not doing it right in the past," Allison said. "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 Springer.
"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 said. “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 on Hot Bobo won the CCI4*-S
Of the six divisions offered over the course of the weekend, Slezak was the only Canadian winner.
Second after dressage, he moved up to lead following Saturday’s cross-country and held on by going clean in Sunday’s show jumping to finish on a score of 44.0 penalties.
Hannah Sue Hollberg on Capital HIM and Arial Grald on Isla de Coco retained their second and third placings from Saturday, finishing on scores of 51.5 and 51.8 respectively.
Slezak's goal at Bromon was to make an impression on the Canadian Olympic selectors.
"To be honest, I try to take the pressure off,” he said. “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.”
Three-time American Olympian and world number two-ranked eventing rider Boyd Martin was first and second from wire-to-wire in the CCI2*-L.
His two “horses for the future” Fetiche Des Rouges and Kolbeinn were exceptional in the show jumping arena Sunday, with Fetiche Des Rouges going clean to finish on 21.2 penalties, and Kolbeinn adding just 1.2 time penalties to finish on 22.9.
Emily Bradford on LJS Lana Traveler finished third, on a final score of 26.6.
The CCIU25 divisions were American sweeps, with Katie Lichten first and second in the 3* with Romans Code Red and HTS Jensen R respectively, and Maddie Hale on Cinzano 87 was third.
In the 2* Erin Farrell on Atavious won on 41.8 penalties, the lowest U25 score of the weekend.
