When? The first horse inspection is on Thursday, July 16 and dressage will be held July 17. Cross-country follows on July 18 and the final horse inspection and show jumping will be on July 19. Team and individual medals will be awarded following show jumping.

Where? The horse inspections, dressage and show jumping will take place at the OLG Caledon Pan Am Equestrian Park in Caledon, Ontario. The cross-country will beheld at Will O’Wind Farm, a 30-minute drive from the Caledon Equestrian Park. It will be referred to as the Pan Am Cross-Country Centre during the Games.

What’s At Stake? The U.S. team will be hoping to gain an Olympic qualification with a good finish at the Pan Ams. Because of French rider Maxime Livio’s disqualification from the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games after a positive dope test and the French team’s subsequent disqualification, Canada earned an Olympic qualification.

Now that they’re qualified, the United States won’t have to win the Pan Ams, but must place either second or third behind other qualified nations like Canada or Brazil, who automatically gets an Olympic team slot because they’re the host country for 2016. If that doesn’t happen, the only other way to qualify for Rio is through individual FEI rankings, which isn’t ideal.

The U.S. Chef’s Words: In the Chronicle’s Pan American Games Preview Issue, U.S. chef d’equipe David O’Connor wrote an informative preview of the competition that included his quote: “It’s not like you’ll be able to show up, and they’ll hand you a medal. You’ll have to earn every aspect, and the guys are going to have to bring their A-game to it from the first day, which is what the competition should be.”

In 2011, Lynn Symansky made her U.S. team debut on Donner, and they went on to serve on the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games team as well. Photo by Mollie Bailey

The favorites: The U.S. and Canada should be battling it out for the top two spots on the podium. Three of our team horses have competed to the advanced level, while the other, Marilyn Little’s RF Scandalous, has been undefeated in five two-star starts this season.

While we have two new team riders, all four have competed to the four-star level. Canada will be sending two former Pan Am riders in Waylon Roberts and Jessica Phoenix, who’s returning with her 2011 Pan Am Games (Mexico) individual gold medal mount Pavarotti. All four of Canada’s team horses have competed to the advanced level.

Brazil could sneak in for a medal with chef d’equipe Mark Todd at the helm and several team riders who have World Games experience.

Don’t count out Mexico either, as Karen O’Connor has taken on coaching duties this year and strengthened their team riders in just a few short months. They looked up to par in the dressage and show jumping at the Land Rover Great Meadow CIC*** and Pan Am Preparatory Trials in Virginia last month and with some experience over that tougher course, they’re well-prepared for the Pan Ams.

The best 2015 finishes for U.S. combinations:

Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Fugitive: 6th at Cloud 11-Gavilan North LLC Carolina International CIC*** (N.C.), 5th at The Fork CIC*** (N.C.), 9th at Rolex Kentucky CCI****.

Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett: 9th at Cloud 11-Gavilan North LLC Carolina International CIC*** (N.C.), 2nd at Jersey Fresh CCI*** (N.J.), 1st at Pan Am Prep Trial (Va.).

Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous: 1st at Pine Top CIC** (Ga.), 1st at Red Hills CIC** (Fla.), 1st at Cloud 11-Gavilan North LLC Carolina International CIC** (N.C.), 1st at Ocala CCI** (Fla.). 

Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa: 2nd at The Fork advanced (N.C.), 2nd at Fair Hill CIC*** (Md.), 3rd at Jersey Fresh CCI*** (N.J.). 

The best 2015 finishes for Canadian combinations: 

Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue D’Argouges: 6th at Jersey Fresh CCI** (N.J.), 2nd at Jaguar Land Rover Bromont CIC** (Quebec).

Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti: 6th at The Fork CIC** (N.C.).

Waylon Roberts and Bill Owen: 1st at Fair Hill CIC** (Md.), 7th at Jersey Fresh CCI** (N.J.), 1st at Jaguar Land Rover Bromont CIC** (Quebec).

Kathryn Robinson and Let It Bee: 23rd at Somerly Park CIC** (England), 21st at Belton CIC*** (England).

In 2011, Canadian rider Jessica Phoenix jumped to individual gold on Pavarotti, and they’re back this year to defend their title on home turf. Photo by Mollie Bailey

The new U.S. team members: This will be the first international championship for Little and Kieffer. Martin and Dutton are veterans of multiple World Games and Olympics and will anchor the team.

The new format: This will be the second time the Pan Am eventing competition has been held as a CCI** in an effort to include more nations where eventing is still developing.

In 2011, the competition included five riders to a team. This year it will be four. “That is a totally different competition,” said chef d’equipe David O’Connor. “Having five run and three to count is just like, throw everybody out there. Four makes it a different competition—one horse steps on a shoe, and one person makes a mistake, and you’re out. I actually think that the four is a lot more pressure and the way it should be, personally. I never liked the five. I thought it was a free-for-all.”

The five-rider U.S. team in 2011 earned gold. Photo by Mollie Bailey

The other teams: In addition to the United States and Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Uruguay and Venezuela will field teams. El Salvador and Puerto Rico will send individuals.

Will there be live streaming? We don’t think so?! As far as we can tell, live streaming of the Pan American Games is being handled by CBC Sports and according to their live-streaming schedule, the only equestrian discipline scheduled to be streamed online is the show jumping on July 21, 23 and 25. 

So how will you follow the action? The Chronicle has two reporters on-site in Caledon to bring you all the results, photos, behind-the-scenes details and fun from the Pan Ams. Make sure to follow us on Facebook and check in at www.coth.com for insightful stories and fantastic photos.