Will Coleman Leads Dutta Corp/USEF CCI4*-L Eventing National Championship with Chin Tonic HS

The Dutta Corp/USEF CCI 4*-L Eventing National Championship kicked off at Tryon International Equestrian Center & Resort (TIEC) with two days of Dressage competition as part of The Dutta Corp Tryon International Three-Day Event. The week features CCI 1*-4*-L competition alongside CCI 4*-S competition and the Adequan®/USEF Eventing Youth Team Challenge East Coast Finals. In the chase for the national title, Will Coleman (USA) and Chin Tonic HS hold the lead going into Cross-Country, dancing to a score of 26.0. The remainder of the podium is also all-American at the moment: Woods Baughman (USA) and C’est La Vie, the 2008 Hanoverian gelding (Contendro I x Aarking xx) owned in partnership with James Baughman Jr. and Kim Baughman, scored a 29.4 in the sandbox for second, and Sharon White (USA) sits in third with Claus 63, her own 2012 Holsteiner gelding (Catoo x Levisto), after their 29.9-point performance in Dressage.
Coleman and the 2012 Holsteiner gelding (Chin Champ x Quinar) owned by Hyperion Stud LLC) are contesting their third-ever Advanced competition, so he’s aiming for an educational yet competitive experience. “He’s a very talented young horse,” Coleman detailed. “He’s very green for this kind of competition, but we feel that he’s ready. He showed some of his greenness in his test, but he has so much quality that he can get away with it. I feel fortunate to be where we are and recognize I’m riding a really good horse in that phase.”
Since it’s Chin Tonic’s third run at the Advanced level, Coleman is proceeding with caution but is excited to contest the Captain Mark Phillips (GBR) course design on the White Oak Cross-Country Course Saturday. “The main thing we want to think about is just giving him a good run for his future and development, but we’re here to be competitive as well,” Coleman shared. “We’re formulating a good plan for him, and then we’ll go out there tomorrow and try our best to execute it.

Tryon International Three-Day Event Dressage News |
Photo (Will Coleman and Chin Tonic HS) © Shannon Brinkman Photography