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.

Imagine you’re leaving the ring after laying down the kind of dressage test that sets a new U.S. record for best score. Do you celebrate? Take a moment to bask in how all your hard work has led to this moment? If you’re Phillip Dutton, you hop off, reflect on how the test could still be improved, and then get ready to ride your next horse. All in a day’s work, of course. Dutton and Carlchen, owned by Caroline Moran, set a new U.S. Eventing Association advanced dressage record on Feb. 26, with a score of 15.0 in the advanced, test B, division at the Pine Top Advanced Horse Trials in Thomson, Georgia.

It’s been a great honor and pleasure to spend six weeks in training with Dutton eventing at their winter hideaway in Wellington, Florida. Close to the Wellington Environmental Preserve with an abundance of hacking opportunities (and alligators — oh my!), the horses all enjoyed a rigorous — and sunny! — month of cross-training in the Turf Tour hosted by The Ridge at Wellington. I’d like to extend a personal thank you to Phillip, Olivia and Evie, as well as Emma Ford and the entire team at Dutton Eventing for taking me under their wing. And to the incomparable Scott Hassler for teaching Hendrix and I how to “slalom and dance.” Having just turned 40, as an adult amateur in the sport, it was the opportunity of a lifetime to learn under all of your care, belief and guidance.

The year 2020 will certainly go down as a memorable one, mainly because of the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences. At a time like this, it’s important to keep a perspective of our sport’s importance in everyday life. I was raised and taught that when I was competing or playing a sport to give it everything I had — total focus, concentration and commitment—but once it was over to remember that it is just a sport or just a game. So as sad as it was to have a lot of the major events canceled, it pales in comparison to other tragedies that we’ve witnessed this year—over 375,000 U.S. deaths related to COVID-19 at the time of writing; ICU beds are near capacity in many hospitals; food lines increasingly long; mass unemployment and many businesses lost; the list goes on and on. Taking a break from competing was not a big sacrifice compared to what a lot of people in this country and around the world were going through.