Riske to travel to Quebec this June to compete at MARS Bromont CCI
Jordan Riske and Liam jumping at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event at the 4*S level in Lexington, KY last weekend. Riske states, "This event is the biggest event in the country for eventing, thousands of people come from all over the world to spectate as well as compete at the event." Photo credit: USA Eventing.
by Sara Swanson
The MARS Bromont Rising U25 scholarship program announced last week that Manchester’s Jordan Riske was one of 10 riders selected to receive a $2,5000 grant which will allow her to travel to and compete in the MARS Bromont CCI, an eventing competition in Quebec, Canada, taking place June 4–7, 2026.
Riske was the only rider from Michigan selected and was selected alongside riders from Ontario, Virginia, Kentucky, Florida Massachusetts, Georgia, and Pennsylvania.
Growing up in Sharon Township, Riske has been riding horses for as long as she can remember, getting her first pony at age 2 and showing at small shows in the area. Alongside helping with her family’s horse training and boarding business Misty Meadows LLC., she started her own business called JLR Equestrian LLC in 2023, where she trains horses and riders in eventing both on her farm as well as at their own farms.
Riske explained that eventing is basically a triathlon for horses. It has three phases: dressage, cross country, and show jumping.
Dressage is the first phase. She describes dressage as almost like ballet with horses. In this you’re scored by judges on required movements.
The second phase is cross country. She states that this is the heart of eventing and why people love it so much. Cross country is out in a big huge field, you complete a course of a variety of jumps that can include solid jumps, brush jumps, ditches, banks, water jumps, and combinations of all types. Cross country has an optimum time that you need to be complete it within. If you don’t, you get penalty points added onto your dressage score. The goal is to go fast and clear all the jumps on the first try.
The last phase is show jumping, which is done in an enclosed arena either on sand or grass. In show jumping, the rails can be knocked down easily, so the goal is to complete the course within the optimum time and without knocking any rails down.
At the end of all three phases, the person with the lowest overall score wins.
As you go up through the levels, the difficulty in each phase increases along with the height and width of all the jumps. Riske stated, “One cool and interesting fact about eventing is that when you get to the upper levels like where I’m currently at, men and women of all ages compete against each other so most of the time I’m competing against Olympians who have represented their countries at different games!”
Riske has ridden and trained many horses, bringing them up through the levels of eventing. The horse she is currently competing with is her own horse, MM Irish Clover, barn name Liam, an 11 year old Irish Sport Horse. She stated, “I got him in August of 2021 right before my cancer diagnosis, so we’ve been through a lot together.” Riske has brought him up from beginner novice level to the 4*S level of eventing, which she states has taken a lot of time and dedication.
Her journey to MARS Bromont CCI began in earnest last January when Riske was selected to be a part of the United States Equestrian Federation(USEF) Eventing Development 25 Program. She was able to participate in a training camp in Ocala, Florida during which she got to ride with Olympic gold medalists Leslie Law and Phillip Dutton, She stated, “The knowledge I gained from both of them created a priceless experience."
After completing the camp, she stayed in Ocala, FL a few more months to continue training and competing. She continued to work with Law over the winter as well as her friend Kristen Rozycki and Holly Jacks a member of the Canadian World Championship eventing team. With their help she was able to move Liam up to the Advanced and 4* level this winter, an elite level of eventing.
Riske stated, “It takes a long time to develop a horse to the 4* level and then to have them be successful. Since I moved Liam up this winter I had my eyes on competing at the MARS Bromont CCI event in Quebec, Canada the first week of June…. I was fortunate enough to have received the grant, which is such an amazing opportunity and I couldn’t be more grateful.”
The opening phase, dressage, will be held over Thursday June 4/Friday June 5, the spectator-friendly cross-country will take place Saturday, June 6 and the event will conclude Sunday June 7 with the show jumping phase. The 2026 MARS Bromont CCI will offer a total of $50,000 in prize money across all FEI (international) divisions.
Riske concluded, "I wouldn’t be able to do any of this without all of the amazing people who support me each and everyday. Some of these amazing people are my parents Mike and Amy Riske, my financé Thomas, my Aunt Robyn, my cousin Jocelyn, my sponsors, all of the Misty Meadows and JLR Equestrian family, and all of my family and friends who support all my crazy endeavors, thank you!”
Congratulations, Jordan, and good luck in Quebec!
Riske with other competitors at the KY event and some of her supporters. Photo courtesy of USA Eventing.
Photo credit: Shannon Brinkman.
Photo credit: Shannon Brinkman.
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