“It’s a really special event. We really need to remember to support these events that really do prioritize the horses and the riders,” said Nicholson.
By Chelsea Spear
BROMONT, QC, August 15, 2026 – Lauren Nicholson (USA) heads into Sunday’s cross-country holding both first and second place in the Kingsleigh Equine CCI4-S following dressage and show jumping Saturday at the Bromont CCI-S Horse Trials.
Nicholson and How Easy GG moved into the lead after producing a fault-free show jumping round and adding just 1.2 time penalties to their dressage score of 29.4. They will head out on cross-country on a score of 30.6.
The nine-year-old Selle Français gelding by Upsilon, out of So Easy, is owned by C. B. Schmid and J. B. Mars.
Lauren Nicholson and How Easy GG. Photo by Eve-Lyne Ouellet Tremblay.
“It’s a really special event. We really need to remember to support these events that really do prioritize the horses and the riders,” said Nicholson. “I have three horses here, and they are all lovely horses but very, very different. The day has gone pretty good, and cross-country is looking lovely! We are having way better weather than down south in America!”
Nicholson also holds second place with Landmark Jungle’s Gold. The pair led the division following dressage on a score of 28.8 and added four jumping penalties and 3.2 time penalties in show jumping for a two-phase score of 36.0.
Canada’s Colleen Loach and Chiaro Z Excalibur sit close behind in third. The pair delivered a double-clear show jumping round to remain on their dressage score of 36.9 heading into Sunday.
Canadian combinations rose to the top of each of the remaining international divisions Saturday, with Lindsay Traisnel leading the CCI3-S, Lindsay Beer-Drury heading the CCI2-S and Lea-Claude Pelletier maintaining her lead in the CCI1-S.
Lauren Nicholson and Landmark Jungle’s Gold. Photo by Chelsea Spear Photography.
Colleen Loach and Chiaro Z Excalibur. Photo by Chelsea Spear Photography.
Traisnel Moves Into CCI3-S Lead
Canada’s Lindsay Traisnel and Bacyrouge climbed from third after dressage into the lead of the CCI3-S with a double-clear show jumping round. They remain on their dressage score of 29.2.
Maddie Hale (USA) and Cinzano 87 also jumped double clear to move from a tie for fifth into second place on 31.2.
Nicholas Beshear (USA) and Rollo sit third on 32.0, having added only 0.8 time penalties in show jumping to their dressage score of 31.2.
Lindsay Traisnel and Bacyrouge. Photo by Eve-Lyne Ouellet Tremblay. All-Canadian Top Three in CCI2-S
All-Canadian Top Three in CCI2-S
Canadian riders hold all three of the top positions in the CCI2-S heading into cross-country.
Lindsay Beer-Drury and Just A Jolly moved from second into the lead with a double-clear show jumping round, keeping their dressage score of 30.8.
Saffron Klotz and Ballingowan Clarity sit second on 32.4 after a clear jumping effort with 0.8 time penalties, while Kendal Lehari and License to Chill are third on their dressage score of 34.4 after jumping double clear.
Lindsay Beer-Drury and Just A Jolly. Photo by Eve-Lyne Ouellet Tremblay. Pelletier Maintains CCI1-S Lead
Pelletier Maintains CCI1-S Lead
Lea-Claude Pelletier (CAN) and Tugce held onto their dressage lead in the CCI1-S with a double-clear show jumping round. They remain on 30.0 heading into Sunday.
Bradley Champagne and Excel Etoile Zulu 1 and Guillaume Wilbois and Karioca are tied for second place on 32.4. Champagne and Excel Etoile Zulu 1 added 1.2 time penalties to their dressage score of 31.2, while Wilbois and Karioca moved up from fifth after producing a double-clear round to remain on their dressage score of 32.4.
Lea-Claude Pelletier and Tugce. Photo by Eve-Lyne Ouellet Tremblay.
Adding a special connection to Bromont’s history, 1976 Olympic team gold medalist Tad Coffin was on site Saturday watching today’s competitors. Coffin has returned to Bromont 50 years after competing here as a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. eventing team at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games.
With dressage and show jumping complete, the international divisions now turn their attention to Sunday’s cross-country at Bromont, where the final placings will be decided.
Tad Coffin and Rob Stevenson. Photo by Chelsea Spear Photography.
Source: Michelle Dunn Media
