November 15, 2024—On a score of 27.9, Mia Farley (USA) and American Holsteiner Invictus soared to the top of the leaderboard following the second day of CCI4*-L dressage competition with a stellar test at The Event at TerraNova that kicked off early this morning at the sprawling TerraNova Equestrian Center in Myakka, City, Florida. This is the 8-year-old gelding’s first CCI4*-L competition and in preparation for the dressage phase at TerraNova, Farley has been working on improving “Sammy’s” extended trot.

“I was very happy with him today,” Farley said. “We’ve been working hard on his flatwork and dressage for a bit now, and I’m really glad that it all came together today. We really felt like we were on the same page.”

Farley backed Sammy, who’s owned and bred by Olympian and legendary eventer Karen O’Connor, at the age of 4 before he went out to pasture for the summer, and the pair started training as team when he turned 5. “Even as young as he still is, he’s always been a very simple, straightforward guy,” she said. “He’s a very fast learner, so our training was pretty quick and we were able to move up the ranks. It’s exciting. I think he has a lot of potential and will hopefully just get better and better over time.”

Focus on Consistency

At home, Farley focuses on consistency with Sammy. “He can be a little bit of a Warmblood, so we have to keep his life exciting,” she noted. “But for the most part it’s just about consistency on a day-to-day basis.”

Going into cross-country competition tomorrow, Farley feels confident, but also acknowledges that Sammy is still young and she’s honing her communication with him. “I think the course looks great. I was interested to see how they would lay out the four-star long. I came out here about a year and a half ago to do a three-star in the spring and really enjoyed it. It’s a great venue.”

This year’s course, designed by Alec Lochore who took over from former course designer Capt. Mark Phillips at the outset of this season, includes a somewhat daunting bounce to water that left Farley paying attention. “I don’t have anything against this particular bounce to water. I just don’t like them in general,” she laughed. “Especially in Sammy’s case, he gets going and then it’s sometimes hard to bring him back. So, we’ll see how tomorrow goes. We’re going to try our best to go fast, while also being safe.”

Olivia Dutton and Sea of Clouds Emerge in Second Going into Cross Country

Olivia Dutton (USA) and 13-year-old off-track Thoroughbred gelding Sea of Clouds sailed into second place following Day 2 of dressage at TerraNova’s fourth, fall three-day event with a score of 29.5. Dutton was beaming as she and “Socs” left the Lakeside Arena.

“I was super thrilled with him. I think it was probably the best test we’ve ever had together. Just the fact that we broke into the 20s really made me really happy,” she said. “He’s really become super reliable in the ring, so I can just ride and try and be as accurate as I can.”

Being full Thoroughbred, Socs doesn’t find dressage as easy as it is for many warmbloods, Dutton says, but he always puts his heart into his efforts. “The lateral work is probably the most challenging for him, especially in the half-passes, but he has great changes and can really put in an accurate test.”

Socs’ Strong Opinions

While Dutton said Socs has his endearing quirks, he also knows his job and exactly what he needs to do. He’s also regarded as quite the opinionated character around the barn. “Socs definitely has particular horses that he does and doesn’t like and has strong opinions about certain things,” she laughed. “He comes off as a tough guy but is actually a softie and pretty easy going overall. But we’ve had the time now to get to know each other and bond. I know him really well, and he knows me well. So we know what buttons to push and not push.”

After walking tomorrow’s cross-country course, Dutton noted the challenging tests in the beginning of the track. “There’s definitely enough to do. It looks tough, but I’m excited about it and think there are a lot of gallop areas to get them going,” she said. “I think the coffin will be a challenge as well as the first water jump toward the beginning of the course. If you can get that done, then you should be pretty good.”

Lauren Nicholson and Larcot Z Secure Third After Dressage Day 2

Overnight leaders Lauren Nicholson (USA) and Larcot Z ended up in third following Day 2 of dressage competition on a score of 30.4. It’s been a bit of an unusual year for her and the 11-year-old Zangersheide gelding, who’s owned by Jacqueline Mars, and was previously produced by Reagan Lafluer and Will Coleman.

The pair missed out on their spring four-star long, after “Larco” was diagnosed with tick fever and was hospitalized for a time. In their next four-star attempt, they made the journey across the pond to Boekelo in England this past October, but due to the torrential rain and mud, Nicholson and Mars ultimately decided not to run him for his safety and well-being.

“Jacqueline was quick to say don’t run him. He’s a greener horse—and is pretty special. So we decided to do our four-star long debut here at TerraNova,” she said. “I’ve been super impressed with all the changes they’ve made here. Every time I come back, it’s better and better and that’s very much appreciated. The cross-country course for tomorrow looks beautiful.”

Nicholson and Larco: Developing a Partnership

This marks Larco’s first four-star long after completing only two Advanced competitions. While the gelding has solid experience, it’s been with three different riders, and Nicholson notes that it simply takes time to develop a partnership with a new horse. “But he was produced so slowly and well by Reagan and Will, there aren’t any holes in his training. It’s purely been about us getting to know each other.”

With the holes in their competition schedule these past six months, Nicholson and Larco spent the summer and fall getting to know each other better and she now feels they have a stronger bond. “So I’m pretty confident to go out on him tomorrow and give it a crack. There’s definitely plenty to do out there, so if we do have a green moment, we have a green moment. But I’ve got a lot of confidence in him.”

In analyzing tomorrow’s cross-country course, Nicholson noted that Lochore included some proper questions in this year’s track. These include the steep coffin jump and impressive bounce rails into water but also gives riders an out in case of mistake.

“Larco is honestly quite genuine. If he makes a mistake, it’s purely out of greenness or rider error,” she said. “He’s such a funny guy. He can be very excited and then he’ll get bored easily. He can be the hottest and laziest horse all in the same ride. He’s a character—I call him Dennis the Menace. But he’s also a great talent, and I’m super excited about his future.”

Additional Results

Following the second day of CCI4*-L dressage competition, Katie Malensek (CAN) and the 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding Landjaeger are in fourth. They have a score of 31.7. They are the highest ranked Canadian pair competing in the four-star long this weekend. Malensek also took fifth place aboard 10-year-old English Warmblood gelding STX Mex on a score 32.1. 

The dressage phase of CCI4*-L at TerraNova saw 17 horse-and-rider combinations compete across two days. The CCI4*-L cross country kicks off tomorrow morning around 11 a.m. (EST).

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For more of our coverage on The Event 2024 at TerraNova, click here.

Thanks to Dechra US Equine for our coverage of The Event 2024 at TerraNova. It includes rider interviews, competition reports, horse spotlights, photos, videos and more!