Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice © Emily Riden

By Emily Riden

Prior to Thursday neither Penny Brennan nor Phillip Dutton had competed at Swan Lake Horse Shows, but following the conclusion of the day at the Swan Lake Fall Festival, they will both be going home with positive reviews and winning shares of the prize money.

Brennan claimed the victory in Thursday afternoon’s feature class, the $10,000 1.40m Welcome Stake, while Dutton, one of the United States’ top eventers who recently returned from taking team gold at the Pan American Games, earned the win in the $1,000 1.30m Open Jumpers on his mount Mighty Nice.

“I have never been here before,” Brennan said. “As soon as I came in with these beautiful brand new barns it was like a breath of fresh air. They’re amazing, and the rings are outstanding. The footing is beautiful. The people are friendly — and the breakfast sandwiches are good. I really, really like it.”

Brennan and her mount Sun Tzu were the final pair to compete in the Grand Prix Ring on Thursday, and they saved the best for last. Prior to Brennan and Sun Tzu, four combinations had already produced clear efforts to advance to the jump-off, including Brennan and her second mount Japan. With the option to return to jump-off immediately following their first round, Mary Lisa Leffler and Carlot had set the double clear time to beat at 39.362 seconds.

Brennan and her 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding bested that time with ease, finishing on 37.946 seconds to take the win and relegate Leffler and Carlot, owned by Rolling Acres Farm, to second place. Rounding out the top three were Michael Walton and Wodca, owned by Mia Marano. Brennan would also finish fourth with Japan with four faults and a time of 37.929 seconds.

“He’s probably the scopiest horse I’ve ever ridden in my life, more even than my World Cup horse, Big Red,” Brennan said. “He’s not quite as fast as Japan, but nobody is. I would love a shot at maybe doing the World Cup qualifiers on him. With that said, he’s my only 1.50–1.60m horse. It’s hard to travel with just the one horse to go to the World Cup qualifiers because you’re going to break them. We have to go where all the horses can show. Occasionally though, we color outside the lines, and we get to go jump something real big. He always jumps up, and he’s always amazing.”

Brennan continued, “He’s just a great, great horse. I’ve had him nearly two years. He was doing the Children’s/Adult Jumpers when I got him. I put him right in the Grand Prix as soon as I got him. In fact, the first class that I ever rode him in was a Grand Prix. My rider, Brittany Acker, has been riding him. She keeps my horses fit. I think she’s a huge, huge part of [Penny Brennan International (PBI)].”

Brennan and Sun Tzu will return to the ring at Swan Lake on Saturday for the $25,000 Swan Lake Fall Festival Grand Prix, and the PBI team will remain at Swan Lake Stables next week for the PJA Jumper Fall Show.  

Prior to Brennan and Sun Tzu’s turn in the Grand Prix Ring, it was Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice who took the top call in the $1,000 1.30m Open Jumpers.

The Olympic gold medalist in eventing and the talented CCI**** mount Mighty Nice may seem more at home at international events like the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** or Luhmühlen CCI**** than at a hunter jumper horse show, but for Dutton the Swan Lake Fall Festival presented the perfect opportunity to school both Mighty Nice and his second mount, Mr. Candyman.

“Mighty Nice hasn’t been out since Kentucky, and the other one is a new horse for me, so I’m trying to get to know him,” Dutton said.

Swan Lake Stables is just two hours from Dutton’s home base in West Grove, Pennsylvania, so he gladly made the trip for the Swan Lake Fall Festival.

“The footing is good, and it’s a really nice, low key atmosphere,” Dutton said. “[Mighty Nice] is pretty pleased to be out! He’s such a cool horse. Hopefully he’ll have a bit of luck on his side. At the big events little things have gone wrong so he hasn’t had his chance to show how good he is, so hopefully he’s on the right track now for the rest of the year.”

Dutton and Mighty Nice will head next to the Fair Hill International CCI*** in mid-October.

Open jumper competition continues Friday at the Swan Lake Fall Festival with the $2,500 Open Jumper Speed Class headlining the day. The highlight jumper event, the $25,000 Swan Lake Fall Festival Grand Prix, will kick off on Saturday afternoon.

Source: Phelps Media