Phillip Dutton and Carlchen in the CCI4*-S Photo courtesy Brant Gamma Photography
Phillip Dutton leads the CCI4*-S and CCI3*-S at the Cloud 11~Gavilan North LLC Carolina International CCI and Horse Trial, presented by Lumbee River EMC and he is joined at the top of the event’s leader board by his daughter, Olivia, leading the CCI3*-S
Phillip sits in the top spot in both divisions with Carlchen leading the Setters’ Run Farm CCI4*-S and Quasi Cool holding the top spot in the Attwood Equestrian Services CCI3*-S. Both horses are owned by Caroline Moran
Carlchen, a horse produced in Australia by Stuart Tinney, recently set a record-breaking Advanced score of 15 at Pine Top Horse Trials and leads the CCI4*-S class here on a score of 22.60
This is Phillip and Carlchen’s first CCI4* together and he is also piloting the leader of the CCI3*-S at this level for the first time. The 10-year-old German bred Quasi Cool, who has been produced to 2* level by Dirk Schrade, leads on a score of 23.90
“I’ve had Carlchen for a year and a half. This is our third or fourth competition together and he is a very special horse. I think he has some big things ahead of him in the next three or four years. He went well and the exciting thing is there are some more points to get. He is really fun to ride so you get in the test and really enjoy it,” said Phillip
“Quasi Cool is an up and coming horse that I am really excited about. I think in a year’s time he will be at the 4* level. While it is his first 3*, he has been at this level for 8 months and he is ready for this.”
Adding to the family’s celebration, Phillip’s daughter Olivia leads the Breezeway Sporthorse and Diagnostic Clinic and Friendship Mobile Veterinary Imaging and Sports Medicine CCI2*-S after dressage riding Kevin Keane, Susie Sutch, and Stephanie Speakman’s Iniesta, an 8-year-old KWPN gelding.
“He was really good today. There is always room for a bit of improvement, but it is just a matter of me warming him up correctly. I was really happy with him,” Olivia said.
Carolina International is also hosting Training through Advanced level horse trial divisions, which get underway on Friday with dressage. After the cancellation of last year’s event due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Carolina Horse Park has rolled out even more improvements to the cross country track and is debuting new complexes including Normandy Banks for all FEI levels in 2021
All three FEI divisions will show jump tomorrow and the cross country finale will conclude the international competition on Saturday.
Olivia Dutton and Iniesta Photo courtesy Brant Gamma Photography
