BROMONT, QC - May 15, 2024 - The MARS Bromont Rising U25 scholarship program, administered by the USEA Foundation, is pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s grant funding for riders aiming to compete in the MARS Bromont CCI (Quebec, Canada) taking place June 5-9. Each will receive $2,500 toward their travel and competition costs, and participate in an extensive educational component during the event.
The brainchild of Bromont organizer Sue Ockendon and the late Steve Blauner; the scholarship program was first offered in 2019 for riders competing at Bromont and at the time Ocala, and was expanded to include Galway Downs (Temecula, California) in 2022 and 2023.
Highlighting this year’s program is the return of three-time German Olympic team member Bettina Hoy, as a guest coach for 2024. Hoy will be coaching athletes on dressage days as well as providing course walks for cross-country and show jumping.
Program director, Olympian, and FEI five-star eventing judge Peter Gray also acts as a clinician at each event, including his “centerline sessions” on how to make the most of your warm-up and exactly what the judges are looking for movement by movement.
On release of the names Gray commented: “We were overwhelmed with the quality of this year’s applicants and are very excited for an amazing week of training and lecture presentations at the beautiful facility at Bromont. For many of the successful recipients this will be their first FEI competition and first time competing outside of the U.S.; it should be a memorable week! Thank you to Dr. Mark Hart, Carol Kozlowski, and Diane Pitts for joining me on the review committee to select this year’s recipients.”
The recipients for 2024 are:
For more information on the MARS Bromont Rising program visit www.bromontcci.com.
Everyone knows that eventing is rarely just “a dressage show” and that things are bound to get shaken up come cross-country day. Things not only got shaken up but frankly turned on their heads following an exciting and influential cross-country day at the MARS Bromont CCI Saturday. Of the six leaders we had at the start of the day, only one has retained their lead heading into the horse inspection and show jumping.
You’ve made it to your event, your trailer is unloaded, your tack room is set, and your horse is settled—time for a little bit of schooling the day before the competition begins! Did you know there are rules around schooling under section EV111 of the U.S. Equestrian Federation (USEF) Rules for Eventing? Brush up on your knowledge before your next event to make sure that you are compliant before your next competition!
At the end of two days of competition at the MARS Bromont CCI4*, the number two ranked eventing rider in the world, America’s Boyd Martin, sits first or second in exactly 50% of the divisions offered. And in the CCI2*-L, he’s in first and second. But it’s Great Britain’s Lucienne Bellissimo with the leggy and elegant Dyri who sits atop the coveted CCI4*-L, laying down a beautiful test to score 26.0.
Janice Binkley might have 35 years of coaching experience under her belt, but that hasn’t stopped her from working towards a new goal—becoming certified through the USEA Eventing Coaches Program (ECP). “I want to support the program,” said Binkley. “I believe in the program. I really feel like we need to be like the British Horse Society with their certification program, or like the Germans—they know how to do it right.”