Will Coleman wasn’t necessarily expecting to win the Bromont CCI***. It was his fairly green horse’s first three-star, he hadn’t competed in a few months, he was sitting third going into show jumping, and only two pairs had managed a clean round of the 19 that had jumped before him.

But when Coleman left all the rails in their cups and the two pairs ahead of him, Kim Severson and Tipperary Liadhnan and Jessica Phoenix and Exponential, both dropped rails, Coleman moved up to the win today, June 13, in Bromont, Que., on 59.0 penalties.  

“I’m thrilled for the horse and his owner, Nanki Doubleday,” said Coleman, Gordonsville, Va. “She’s been one of my biggest supporters since I started doing this professionally. She was my first owner. We’ve had hard luck with horses for whatever reason, and she has stuck with it. For her to have this victory is so wonderful. I know I can ride better than I did this weekend, and I fully expect to, but a win’s a win. I’d rather be lucky than good, so we’re thrilled.”

Canadian rider Rebecca Howard, coming back from the several broken ribs, two clavicle fractures and punctured lung she incurred in a fall from another horse at Pine Top Horse Trials (Ga.) this spring, also jumped a double-clear round with Riddle Master and moved from fourth to second on 59.4 penalties.

“The horse was fantastic. He jumped great. I didn’t ride very well,” Howard said with a laugh. “But you couldn’t have asked for him to try any harder, so I was thrilled with that.”

Howard wasn’t the only one coming back from an injury—Coleman, 27, fractured his collarbone in a fall from a preliminary mount at The Fork Horse Trials (N.C.) in early April and has only been back in the saddle a short while.

“I thought the horse could do well here, but he’s still a little bit green, and I’ve had some inconsistencies and have been out of it for the last couple months,” Coleman said. “It wasn’t the greatest lead-up to his first three-star, but the horse really came through for me this weekend remarkably well.”

The show jumping course proved consequential, and the placings shifted after only three pairs made it around double-clear. The leaders from dressage and cross-country, Tipperary Liadhnan and Kim Severson, pulled three rails in show jumping to finish fourth on 61.8 penalties. Second-placed Jessica Phoenix and Exponential’s one rail cost them the finish on that placing, and they instead took home third. Jil Walton and My Sedona put in a clean trip to move up from 13^th to sixth, and Buck Davidson and Mar De Amor’s single rail boosted them from 10^th to fifth.

Though Coleman’s potential 2010 Alltech World Equestrian Games mount Twizzel appears to be out of contention due to injury, Coleman doesn’t anticipate his younger mount stepping up to that level just yet and hopes to take him to Europe for another three-star in the fall.

“We were always thinking a little bit down the road with him anyways,” Coleman said of Nevada Bay. “I didn’t really ever consider applying [for the WEG team], and I still think he has some development to do. But if, for whatever reason, it came down to it, and he looked ready, maybe it would be something we would consider. But for the time being, we’re going to be happy with this, see how the horse comes out of it and make a plan for the fall.”

Axel Rose Keeps The Lead In CCI**

Though it wasn’t a perfect go, Kelli McMullen Temple and Axel Rose finished first in the CCI** division today on 53.0 penalties. The pair had two rails in hand, and they used both of them on their way to the win.

Will Faudree and his up-and-coming mare Andromaque jumped one of the three double-clear rounds in the division to maintain second on 54.6 penalties. A double-clear trip bumped Nate Chambers and Rolling Stone II up from fifth to third, while six rails dropped formerly third-placed Laura VanderVliet and Mighty Mangaroo to 13^th.

Martin Makes It Happen In CCI*

Boyd Martin, West Grove, Pa., went into show jumping in first place, and he finished there too after putting in one of only five double-clear rounds in the CCI* division on Minotaure Du Passoir.

“It was a tough, twisty course,” Martin said. “It was big, and there was a fair bit of atmosphere. You had to ride each jump and try to leave it up.”

Nina Ligon and Tokay, riding for Thailand, moved up one spot, from third to second, after their double-clear round, and they were also the highest placed young rider pair. Buck Davidson and Catalina, in second before show jumping, picked up 16 jumping faults to finish 10th, and Alexandra Curtiss and Checkout The Charmer, sixth before show jumping, incurred 20 jumping faults to drop to 18th.

Martin’s other CCI* ride, Charla, also jumped double clear to move up from seventh to third on 53.1 penalties.

“Charla, a very young horse, looks like she’s the real thing,” Martin said. “She turned herself inside out to jump around, and I’m really pumped about this mare. I think she’s going to be a horse for the future.”

Amy Lindgren, owner of “Min,” was thrilled with her horse’s performance, according to Martin.

“Amy was over the moon, and I think her life-long dream of winning a CCI* has been achieved,” he said. “It’s been a real satisfaction watching Amy’s passion and love for this one animal, and a great reward as a rider to watch the tears flow after a big CCI* win.”

Top 15 CCI***

1. Nevada Bay/William Coleman/USA 59.0
2. Riddle Master/Rebecca Howard/CAN 59.4
3. Exponential/Jessica Phoenix/CAN 61.6
4. Tipperary Liadhnan/Kim Severson/USA 61.8
5. Buck Davidson/Mar De Amor/USA 71.0
6. My Sedona/Jil Walton/USA 73.8
7. Mazetto/Ashley Kehoe/USA 75.2
8. Sweepea Dean/John Williams/USA 75.8
9. JB’s Star/Jennifer Simmons/USA 79.6
10. Balmoral Tim Tram/Mikki Kuchta/USA 80.2
11. Exploring/Jessica Phoenix/CAN 83.2
12. Shiraz/Colleen Rutledge/USA 88.4
13. Sir Donovan/Katie Ruppel/USA 93.8
14. Jet/Ashley Leith/USA 94.0
15. Call On Me/Callie Judy/USA 96.4

Top 15 CCI**

1. Axel Rose/Kelli McMullen Temple/CAN 53.0
2. Andromaque/Will Faudree/USA 54.6
3. Rolling Stone II/Nate Chambers/USA 56.1
4. Fionn McCuhal/Shandiss Wewiora/CAN 59.4
5. Manolo Blahnik/Sara Kozumplik/USA 60.3
6. Umi/Kassidy Kirchner/USA 61.0
7. Havasu Canyon/Courtney Cooper/USA 65.0
8. Case Closed II/Kerry Blackmer/USA 69.4
9. Clifton Jade/Valerie Vizcarrondo/USA 70.4
10. Flying Finn/Penny Rowland/CAN 70.5
11. Winning Facts/Laura Vello/USA 71.4
12. Loughan Glenn/Clark Montgomery/USA 77.3
13. Mighty Mangaroo/Laura VanderVliet/USA 79.2
14. Amazing Grace/Missy Miller/USA 79.2
15. Tactiek/Ashley MacVaugh/USA 81.9

Top 15 CCI*

1. Minotaure Du Passoir/ Boyd Martin/USA 47.5
2. Tokay/Nina Ligon/THA 49.7
3. Charla/Boyd Martin/USA 53.1
4. Universe/Clark Montgomery/USA 53.6
5. Delta Ditto/Sara Kozumplik/USA 53.6
6. Sal/Buck Davidson/USA 60.5
7. Millenium’s Kiwi/Jennifer Simmons/USA 61.1
8. Tangerine/Samantha Galway/CAN 63.4
9. Smarty Pants/Kelly List/CAN 63.8
10. Glendosa Gold/Lily O’Brien/USA 64.3
11. Catalina/Buck Davidson/USA 65.1
12. Balmoral Mighty Legend/Charlotte Collis/USA 65.3
13. Houdini/Katie Ruppel/USA 65.3
14. Tyne Be Merry/Stephanie Castonguay/CAN 67.5
15. Ichabod/Haley Armstrong-Laframboise/CAN 67.5