Caroline Pamukcu Pulls Off Maryland International CCI4*-S Win
Adamstown, Md.—June 29—Caroline Pamukcu won the Maryland International CCI4*-S this weekend with high hopes to repeat her performance at CHIO Aachen (Germany) this week. She took home the blue ribbon in the division, which is sponsored by Triple Crown Feed, with She’s The One (Jaguar Mail x One to Watch), owned by Mollie Hoff and Sherrie Martin, on a score of 45.2.
“I’m super pleased with the day today,” Pamukcu said. “I’ve been working hard with my coaches. I’ve been training with Samantha St. Jacques in dressage, and then my longtime friend, coach, and mentor Anne Kursinski in the show jumping.”
Having competed in Paris at the 2024 Olympics, it’s fair to say that Pamukcu has ridden on some world-class courses. Local to Loch Moy Farm, Pamukcu got to try something new—a course on her home turf, designed by Andrew Heffernan. The optimum time proved extremely influential with the new course—no one in the four-star division finished inside the time.
With hot weather hovering over Maryland, many riders prioritized getting their horses home safely over speedy cross-country rounds. The show schedule was also adjusted to end earlier in the day to avoid the worst of the heat.
“I was really pleased with today,” Pamukcu said. “They did an amazing job with the footing. This time of year, it’s so difficult to keep galloping and keep the horses fit—especially with the rain—but Carolyn [Mackintosh, Loch Moy's owner] did a really, really good job seeding the course and getting the turf top-notch. So I would bring my top horses here every time this time of year.”
“Andy Heffernan did an amazing job with the course,” she continued. “I’ve been coming here since I was about 7 years old, and he followed a different track this year. I thought it flowed quite nicely. He asked good questions, and it was very interesting because a lot of the questions were very forward-riding, which actually suited the course.”
She’s The One was one of three horses Pamukcu brought to the event this weekend. A seasoned upper level horse, Pamukcu has had the ride on “Gemma” since 2023. Together, they’ve pulled off top-10 performances at the Morven Park CCI4*-L (Leesburg, Virginia) and in the CCI4*-L at Ireland’s Millstreet. According to Pamukcu, her packed competition schedule has only been to her benefit.
“I feel good when I’m competing a lot,” Pamukcu said. “When I won the Pan Ams, I was six weeks on the road leading up to the games. So I’m trying to get myself back in the swing of things, especially with this one [her daughter, Blake]! So it’s good for me to go into next week feeling competitive. And it’s always good to win a four-star. Hopefully I’ll go and win another one.”
Lisa Marie Fergusson and her own Trinity Thank Q finished in second place with a score of 51.4. Jennie Brannigan rounded out the top 3 on a score of 54.4 with Tim and Nina Gardner’s Connery (Conrato x Hocaponta, by Lauries Crusador).
Meanwhile in the CCI3*-S, sponsored by Land Rover West Columbia/Defender, Isabelle Bosley held onto the lead across all three phases to finish in first place with Karen Martin’s Connor (Casiro 3 x Monique, by Concetto). With a final score of 37.3, Bosley had no obstacle faults over either jumping phase, but did add some time penalties to her score. As in the CCI4*-S, no one in the field of 12 riders caught up to the time.
A naturally hot horse, Bosley said her goal for the weekend wasn’t to go for speed—but more to boost Connor’s confidence. She’s been producing the now-8-year-old Oldenburg gelding since he was just 5 years old and moved him up to the Preliminary level last year.
“He’s always phenomenal,” Bosley said. “Connor just got better and better as he went along. I think it was a really good confidence-boosting round to move forward with for the rest of the year.”
“I pinch myself every day that I got this horse,” Bosley continued. “He’s absolutely unreal. He jumps. He gallops. He’s so careful in the show jumping, and he feels like a Thoroughbred on cross country.”
In regards to why Bosley chose this particular event for Connor, she said it’s great timing for those up-and-coming horses who need an additional FEI run, but aren’t quite ready for an earlier test in the spring.
“I love this FEI for horses like him who aren’t ready for a spring long,” she said. “But then you realize—oh wait—if you look at the calendar, it’s actually kind of hard to get enough FEI runs in, especially ahead of a fall long. So this was the perfect second three-star to get him into.”
Vanessa Stevenson was closest to finishing inside the time on cross country in the division with her own FE Black Ice (Stakkato’s Highlight x Co-Co, by Compliment), a feat that moved her into second place with a score of 40.7. Laine Ashker and Lovedance (Quality Time TN x S-Nodence, by Great Pleasure), owned by Lovedance LLC, finished in third place with a score of 48.6.
Brannigan was on the podium once again in the CCI2*-S, sponsored by The Baldwin Group, but this time she was in the winning position with her own Royal Scandic (Revolution x Schatzi, by Contender). Brannigan also claimed the title of low score of the day with her final score of 29.4.
“He was just beautiful in the show jumping, and then he’s such an amazing cross country horse— bold and a great galloper,” Brannigan said of “Louie.” “He handled it really easily, which is what I was hoping it would feel like. This is the first event where everyone really noticed him. It was just really neat to have him show everyone how classy he is. He’s just the kind of horse that makes you want to keep going on the tough days.”
Like many riders, Brannigan brought some of her up-and-coming horses to the Maryland International this weekend. As such, she didn’t push for the time on the cross-country, but instead prioritized Louie’s education and confidence.
“Honestly, I didn’t even start my watch on these horses today,” she said. “I just wanted to give them good rounds.”
Brannigan was followed in the standings by Valerie Pride and her own Excel Star Je T’Aime (Je T’Aime Flamenco x Brookeville, by Touchdown) with a score of 39.4. Isabelle Bosley and Constanzehof’s Stitch (Stakkato Gold x Game of Throns, by Casall), owned by the rider and Karen Martin, finish up the top 3 in the CCI2*-S, with a score of 40.6.
Winning the CCI1*-S, sponsored by Overhead Door of Frederick, was FEI rookie Raelyn Snyder and her own American Thunder with a score of 33.6. New to the sport overall, this weekend’s win is special on many levels for Snyder and “Chief.”
“This is my first FEI ever, and I’ve only been eventing for a few years,” Snyder said. “So I really went into this show— and this ride— just aiming to have a good experience and build confidence for both myself and my horse.”
“And I mean, we did that and a lot more than I expected,” she continued. “It was absolutely incredible. Chief was perfect in stadium, he was perfect on cross-country, and the partnership we’ve developed over the past couple of years is just amazing. I couldn’t ask for a better ride.”
Chief and Snyder have a unique story. Snyder has a strong background in equestrian vaulting and runs a vaulting team out of her home state of Florida. For his part, Chief is partially blind in one eye after an incident with a nail as a young colt.
“He’s a 10-year-old off-the-track Thoroughbred,” Snyder said of her horse. “I bought him about four years ago when I first started eventing. He’s actually half-blind in one eye. He put a nail in it when he was a young colt. He can still see out of it—it’s not fully functioning, but he still has the eye. It just doesn’t work quite right.”
While there are unique pressures that go along with riding in your first FEI event, Snyder said her weekend was most importantly, fun.
“The course rode so smoothly,” Snyder said. “Everything was set up really well. It was just a flowing, confidence-building course. I was able to breathe and enjoy myself, and my horse really enjoyed himself out there, too. It was so much fun—probably the most fun I’ve had riding a horse yet.”
Alexa Hellenthal and her own Calavera finished in second place with a score of 38.8. They were followed in the standings by Mia Valdez and Perfect Storm, owned by the rider, with a score of 49.3.
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