Phillip Dutton kept the Area
II Advanced Championship all
to himself, finishing first, sec-
ond, third and sixth at the Menfelt
Horse Trials, Sept. 4-5 in
Frederick, Md.
Dutton claimed the blue ribbon aboard The Foreman, owned by Annie Jones, the red ribbon with Nina Gardner’s I’m So Brite, and the yellow ribbon with August Vetterino’s Amazing Odyssey. His sixth-placed finisher, Cayman Went, also belongs to Jones.
But Dutton’s weekend wasn’t without its pitfalls–he had a hard fall cross-country from Connaught, his fourth advanced ride, at the coffin at fence 11ABC.
“We just had a little miscommunication,” said Dutton, of West Grove, Pa. “It was one stride up to the bank [from the first log], and he tried to bounce it but didn’t make it all the way up.”
A medical crew examined Dutton and declared him fit to continue–Connaught was also not injured–and a few minutes later Dutton appeared on his final ride of the day, I’m So Brite. “That’s what we’re there for; he needed the run,” said Dutton of his final ride.
Dutton’s four mounts were the only horses in either advanced division to finish with single-digit time faults on a cross-country course that hadn’t seen rain in weeks but had been aerated.
“I think everybody was being conservative because the ground was hard,” Dutton said modestly. “I tried not to gallop too fast because I was concerned [about the ground], but I took tight lines [between fences]. I wasn’t out to break any records, but I also think a lot of the better horses had
gone to the Olympics or Burghley [England]. This time of year there are a lot of up-and-coming horses [in advanced horse trials].”
The Foreman hadn’t run since finishing 17th at the Saumur CCI*** (France) in May, and Dutton thought Capt. Mark Phillips’ courses suited his first run of the fall season, as he builds up to the Fair Hill CCI*** (Md.) in October. Dutton is also aiming Connaught and Amazing Odyssey for Fair Hill.
“The cross-country was educational,” Dutton said of Menfelt’s course. “It wasn’t that big and was quite inviting. There were a few questions that were good for horses at this stage of their preparation.”
In addition to his efficient cross-country rides, Dutton posted four of the six clean show jumping rounds from the two advanced divisions. “[The course] didn’t walk big, but there were a lot of related lines. It’s the type of course we need to learn to ride–it’s the future of show jumping in our sport,” he said.
A small, bluestone warm-up arena–and an enclosed show jumping arena–made the course harder, said Dutton. “The horses [who frequently jump on grass] maybe don’t get going forward enough [in an arena], and the warm-up was not ideal for getting horses forward.”
Four-star veterans Cayman Went and I’m So Brite will just contest horse trials this fall.

But Bonnie Mosser, winner of Menfelt’s advanced division, has big plans for the fall, as she and Jenga qualified to compete in the FEI World Cup Final in France on Oct. 22-24. Jenga won his last outing, the World Cup qualifier at Over The Walls (Mass.), his first advanced class since coming back after an injury.

“It’s a surprise he’s doing this,” said Mosser of her winning streak. “I had no idea he’d come back and be this successful. It’s kind of fun.”

Mosser, who worked for years as Dutton’s assistant trainer and now runs her own Point Above Farm in Coatesville, Pa., took a commanding lead in the dressage, as judge Brian Ross gave her the only score in the 20s in the advanced divisions.

“I was surprised at the score,” admitted Mosser. “I made a couple of mistakes. I gave a couple of points away–but not big ones–and I think Brian was being nice.”

Mosser credits monthly training sessions with Becky Langwost with improving her dressage. “He’s stronger, and his presentation is more consistent,” she said of Jenga, her 2002 Foxhall Cup CCI*** (Ga.) winner. “I can be more accurate on all my movements, and he is much more rideable–I can push for every point.”

Langwost focuses on Jenga’s correctness and throughness. “It’s difficult for an event horse to get to that stage,” Mosser said. “I don’t think he could handle that caliber of dressage every week, just pushing it. She’s making him that much more steady and slowing everything down.”

Then Jenga switched gears and skipped around the cross-country. “It felt quite easy,” said Mosser. “I don’t want to jinx myself, but it was smooth everywhere.”

Although Mosser had concerns about the firm ground, she said it was better than too wet for her horse. “It was worth the run,” she said. “It gave him confidence.”

Now Mosser is working on getting to France. The $10,000 she won at Over The Walls, combined with the $500 she won at Menfelt, have covered her expenses halfway. She’s offering a proportional share of any prize money she wins at the World Cup to anyone who contributes to her expenses.

“It’s a little incentive,” she said, “so you get something back if you give something.”

As for Jenga, Mosser loves having him at home, in her own stable. “Having him in my backyard, seeing him every day, and letting him be a horse–he’s settled in and matured over the last year and a half,” she said. “He seems happier, more confident in himself. There are a lot of hills where I live, and he’s out there every day, getting stronger.”