US Equestrian has announced the athlete-and-horse combinations selected to represent the Defender U.S. Eventing Team at CHIO Aachen in the FEI Eventing Nations Cup CCIO4*-S. The team will be led by Chef d’Equipe Leslie Law and Team Leader Christina Vaughn, and is set to include Boyd Martin, Phillip Dutton, Caroline Pamukcu, and Will Coleman.
Boyd Martin – who recently became the first USA athlete to reach the top of the Eventing world rankings in 21 years – and Phillip Dutton are both Australian born and previously represented Australia.
Boyd spent eight years with Heath and Rozzie Ryan’s in Lochinvar from the age of 17. He competed in his first five-star event at Adelaide, when he was 19 years old on a horse named The Flying Doctor. He then won the event in 2003 on the thoroughbred, True Blue Toozac. Boyd was also long-listed for the Australian Olympic team in 2000, 2004 and 2008. Boyd and wife Silva first went to the US in 2006 to compete and ultimately they moved there, with Boyd representing the USA from 2009. He’s since gone on to become a four-time Olympian for America.
Boyd, Phillip and the US team will join several countries in the Nations Cup competition at Aachen, including Australia. The Australian team of four was announced last week.
U.S. Eventing Team at CHIO Aachen
The following combinations have been selected to represent the Defender U.S. Eventing Team and are listed in alphabetical order:
Will Coleman (Ocala, Fla.) and Off The Record, a 2009 Irish Sport Horse gelding (VDL Arkansas x Drumagoland Bay) owned by the Off the Record Syndicate and cared for by Erin Jarboe
Phillip Dutton (West Grove, Pa.) and Possante, a 2013 KWPN gelding (Namelus R x Otangelo) owned by The Possante Group and cared for by Erin Deyo
Direct Reserve: Denim, a 2015 Hanoverian gelding (Dinken x Celia II), owned by Caroline Moran
Boyd Martin (Cochranville, Pa.) and Commando 3, a 2013 Holsteiner gelding (Connor x R-Adelgunde) owned by Yankee Creek Ranch and cared for by Stephanie Simpson
Caroline Pamukcu (Springstown, Pa.) and HSH Blake, a 2015 Irish Sport Horse gelding (Tolan R x Doughiska Lass) owned by Pamukcu, Sherrie Martin, and Mollie Hoff and cared for by Chloe Teahan
The following combination has been selected to represent the U.S. as an individual combination at CHIO Aachen World Equestrian Festival:
James Alliston (San Ramon, Calif.) and Karma, a 2014 Oldenburg mare (Escudo II x Travita*) owned by Alliston Equestrian and Ric Plummer, and cared for by Sophie Tice
The following combinations have been selected as alternates and are listed in alphabetical order:
Jenny Caras (Buckhead, Ga.) and Sommersby, a 2012 Holsteiner (Sargeant Pepper x d’Mademoiselle) gelding, owned by Jenny Caras and Jerry Hollis
Bruce “Buck” Davidson, Jr. (Unionville, Pa.) and Cooley Candyman, a 2013 Irish Sport Horse gelding (Sligo Candy Boy x Dashing Hill) owned by Cassandra Segal
Boyd Martin (Cochranville, Pa.) and Cooley Nutcracker, a 2014 Irish Sport Horse gelding (Tolant R x Ballyshan Cleopatra) owned by The Nutcracker Syndicate
Cassie Sanger (Wilmington, Del.) and Redfield Fyre, her own 2013 KWPN gelding (Canabis Z x Tiona)
Source: US Equestrian Communications / edited by EQ Life
