Dutton Takes Hold Of Two Divisions At Carolina International – The Chronicle of the Horse
Phillip Dutton dominated both the CCI4-S and the CCI3-S to lead both divisions after dressage, while his daughter, Olivia Dutton, took the lead in the CCI2*-S Thursday at the Cloud 11~Gavilan North LLC Carolina International CCI and Horse Trial.
Phillip sits in the top spot in both divisions with Caroline Moran’s Carlchen leading the CCI4-S and Moran’s Quasi Cool holding the top spot in the CCI3-S.
Carlchen, a 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding, is fresh off producing a record-breaking advanced test at Pine Top Horse Trials (Georgia) last month, and was fantastic once again to lead the class on a score of 22.6 in their first four-star together.
“I’ve had Carlchen for a year and a half,” said Dutton. “This is our third or fourth competition together, and he is a very special horse. I think he has some big things ahead of him in the next three or four years. He went well, and the exciting thing is there are some more points to get. He is really fun to ride so you get in the test and really enjoy it.”
Not to be outdone by his stablemate, Quasi Cool, a 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding, nearly matched his score, earning a 23.9 in the CCI3*-S. This is the horse’s first CCI3*-S and his first international event with Phillip in the irons having been produced up through the CCI2* level in Germany by Dirk Schrade.
“Quasi Cool is an up and coming horse that I am really excited about,” he said. “I think in a year’s time he will be at the 4* level. While it is his first 3*, he has been at this level for 8 months, and he is ready for this.”
Olivia was thrilled with Kevin Keane, Susie Sutch, and Stephanie Speakman’s Iniesta.
“He was really good today. There is always room for a bit of improvement but it’s just a matter of me warming him up correctly. I was really happy with him,” she said.
