Lexington, Ky.—April 24
Phillip Dutto and Denim surged to an early lead in the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S today with a 2-point cushion over their nearest competition. Their score of 25.6 penalties puts them comfortably in front of the current second-placed pair Molly Duda and Disco Traveler (27.7) and third-placed Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake (27.9).
“It’s great to be here. Just let’s not get too carried away. It’s Day 1, so I’m not too excited yet; there’s a long, long way to go in this competition,” Dutton said. “I couldn’t be more proud of Denim. He’s 10 years old now and is really experienced. He’s been to Boekelo [the Netherlands] and Blenheim [England] and also Le Lion [(France) for the young horse championships]. He’s done a lot in his short career, but he’s still regarded in the family as still a bit of a baby, so he’s stepped up. He’s a great competitor.”
Dutch rider Merel Blom-Hulsman developed the Holsteiner (Dinken—Celia II, Ibisco), owned by Ann Jones, Ann Lapides, Carolien Moran and Neill Sites, up to the two-star level. Dutton got the ride when the gelding was coming 7 and brought him to the four-star level in 2023. In their time together Dutton has come to believe Denim to be a future team horse.
“He’s a real athlete,” Dutton said. “[He’s] not the [most] physically strong horse; he’s still developing. I think in another couple of years, he’ll be much more seasoned. He’s not the biggest horse, and so I think he has to try pretty hard in all phases because he doesn’t have the strength. Certainly in dressage, I have to judge the warm-up pretty well so that I’ve got him nice and supple and on the aids, but then not do too much with him.
“Really excited about his future,” Dutton added, “and the best is still to come.”
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With a slew of tough four-star completions under Denim’s belt, Dutton could’ve entered him in the five-star this weekend, but he said it was important to weigh whether it was the right time to do what Dutton described as a “bloody hard five-star.”
“I don’t want to break his heart,” Dutton said. “So I think picking a five-star that would be a little bit easier and less challenging on Saturday would be ideal for him. Like I mentioned before, he’s not born with oodles of endurance and strength, and that kind of stuff. So we’re going to build that into him. And having said that, he’s been running really well and galloping well.”
Second-placed Duda made the trip from California with “Disco,” a 15-year-old Oldenburg (Donatelli—Cadence). This is their second time competing in the four-star here, though last year their weekend ended early when Duda fell off at the coffin complex that caused trouble for many competitors.
“Last year, I think coming here was kind of a big step,” she said. “It was a little ambitious. I felt like I was thrown a bit in the deep end. I had only done one four-star at the time, but I was selected [for] a European tour, and I was excited to go, and I was feeling confident—and maybe a little too confident. I came here, and I was very humbled.”
That said, she felt that Disco didn’t miss a beat after their parting ways, and he had strong performances in Europe, before their 2024 season ended with a win at the Galway International CCI4*-L (California).
“Disco is an incredible horse,” Duda said. “He’s just one in a million, and he’s my heart horse, and nothing ever rattles him.”
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Third-placed Pamukcu is enjoying her week with “Blake,” who she rode at last year’s Paris Olympics.
After the Games, the 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse (Tolan R.—Doughiska Lass, Kannan) had his shoes pulled for two months before he started walking again. Pamukcu, who had a baby in January, did that fitness work with him until she needed to stop riding, then her coach Sharon White did a couple flat rides and jump schools with the gelding until Pamukcu was ready to get back in the tack.
“Blake was fabulous today. I couldn’t be prouder of him,” Pamukcu said. “I definitely have to say he’s been a little bit on the back burner this year. He’s taking it easy after the Olympics last year, and with me having the baby I just thought, we’ll just enjoy ourselves this year, and then hopefully have our eyes towards Aachen [(Germany) for the 2026 world championships].”
The Chronicle is on-site at the Kentucky Horse Park with two reporters to bring you everything you need to know at coth.com, so you don’t have to miss a minute of the action. You can find all of our coverage from the week here. You can also follow along on Instagram and Facebook. Be sure to read our May 23 issue for more in-depth coverage and analysis of the event.
