November 16, 2024—After more than a rough start to cross-country competition aboard two of her other mounts earlier in the day, Jessica Phoenix (CAN) and her colorful piebald 16-year-old Canadian Sport Horse mare Fluorescent Adolescent sailed through Alec Lochore’s CCI4*-L course to top the leaderboard at The Event at TerraNova on a score of 39.1 and finishing well under the optimum time going into show jumping on Sunday.

Phoenix, the pathfinder for today’s CCI4*-L cross country aboard Thoroughbred gelding Wabbit, had a tough go at the coffin drop-down to the ditch combination (6ABC), with a refusal at 6A and then an unplanned dismount at 6C. This was after a fall off her three-star long mount at the same fence earlier in the morning.

The Trouble Fence

Phoenix was hardly alone in encountering trouble at the coffin drop-down; the tricky combination was met with a number of refusals throughout both the CCI3*-L and the CCI4*-L. When it comes to difficult coffin combinations, Phoenix said there’s only one way to approach them.

“It’s a fence you can’t come into with a lot of speed,” she said. “You need a lot of power with the horse ahead of your leg to get that deep distance. Then you just have to support your horse and trust that they read it right for their footwork to get you through it.”

Her third attempt at the coffin proved to be the charm aboard her second CCI4*-L mount Aeronautics. This gave Phoenix the opportunity to perfect her approach with Fluorescent Adolescent, who was last in order of go for cross country on Saturday.

Phoenix says the plucky mare is like her mirror image on cross country. “At the start box, it’s game on and she’s all in. ‘Lacey’ is a fierce competitor and when she goes out on cross country, she’s just like, ‘Stay out of my way.’ She just needs me to stay behind and support her,” the top Canadian eventer said. “She really flourished on cross country today. I think she loves the freedom of it and loves the ability to gallop across the ground.”

Fluorescent Adolescent’s Dressage Test

While cross country is Lacey’s strongest phase in eventing, Phoenix noted that dressage is often more challenging for the her, but she was equally thrilled with Lacey’s performance in the dressage ring on Friday.

“I was so proud of her test test this weekend. Even though we didn’t score as well as I’d hoped, she went in and did every single movement and maintained beautiful carriage. I was just proud of the maturity she showed,” Phoenix said. “It really speaks to her nature. She is constantly trying, truly wants to understand what you’re teaching her and always gives 110 percent.”

In a sea of chestnuts, bays and grays, the flashy brown and chrome Fluorescent Adolescent always stands out in the competition field and is undoubtedly a fan favorite. “She is such a social horse for a mare and loves interacting with people. And she loves cameras,” Phoenix laughed. “She will prick her ears forward and pose!”

Phoenix is laser focused on the CCI4*-L show-jumping phase on Sunday at TerraNova but admits her sights are set on getting Lacey back into five-star competition. “She has so much scope in her step and so much heart, I think she’s really an amazing five-star candidate,” she said. “And every event she does, she just builds up more strength and confidence in herself.”

Cornelia Fletcher and Daytona Beach 8 Sail Into Second

Cornelia Fletcher (USA) and the 14-year-old Oldenburg mare Daytona Beach 8, who’ve been partners for the past six years, finished in second place in the CCI4*-L cross country on a score of 41.4. This was Fletcher’s first big event back in the saddle after having her daughter last June.

“I was hoping to go out there and have a good round to get back in the swing of things, so I was really happy with her. This was above our expectations,” she said. “Daytona is an amazing horse, and we just had a lot of fun out there together today.”

Fletcher, however, admitted that she did lose a little sleep over the menacing coffin jump on the course today, as it’s an obstacle that has caught the mare out before. “But I learned from that mistake and leading up to this event, I practiced coffins at every opportunity I had, so I just really trusted in my training there. And I think we were both more confident and prepared for a coffin question like the one we saw today.”

Fletcher believes having a solid program and trusting in her training have greatly contributed to her success, as well as having a incredible support team, especially as she juggles new motherhood with upper-level eventing training.

“It’s been about as hard as I thought it would be,” she laughed. “But we have such an amazing support system. My mother-in-law comes to a lot of shows to help watch my daughter for us and my husband has been dad extraordinaire this week. This definitely wouldn’t be possible without all the amazing support. They don’t lie when they say it takes a village.”

Brooke Burchianti and Cooley Space Grey Cruise into Third

On a score of 44.8, Brooke Burchianti (USA) and the 11-year-old gray KWPN stallion Cooley Space Grey took third following Saturday’s cross-country competition on TerraNova’s sprawling track. Burchianti laughed that after getting popped over the second fence on course and nearly falling off, she didn’t expect to end up in the top three, at least early on course.

“Things definitely started to get better after that. But he is super honest and is such an incredibly careful jumper,” she said. “He’s the kind of horse who’s a little hard to get into it and isn’t always in front of your leg at first. But the longer he’s on course, the more his engine gets going.”

While many riders needed to balance and check their mounts going into the coffin, Burchianti said that isn’t “Astro’s” style. “He’s just so careful that my plan was literally to just keep going at it. I knew he was going to look at it and he did, but he was still super genuine going down and over the ditch. I probably jumped it more forward than everyone else, but it worked for us.”

For now, Burchianti is focused on the show-jumping phase on Sunday, but hopes to continue competing in the sport with Astro. “Right now, I just want to make sure he’s happy and healthy and then we’ll decide if he wants to move up a level or continue where we are,” she said. “He doesn’t owe me anything. He’s just an incredible guy.”

Additional Results

Mia Farley (USA) and American Holsteiner Invictus, who were the overnight leaders following dressage competition, ended up in eighth place on a score of 71.1 with a refusal at 22B. Olivia Dutton (USA) and Sea of Clouds were in second after dressage, but a refusal at Fence 9 left the pair in seventh place on a score of 70.03 going into show jumping on Sunday.

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Thanks to Dechra US Equine for our coverage of The Event at TerraNova. It includes rider interviews, competition reports, horse spotlights, photos, videos and more!