Who doesn’t love a coloured horse? It always shakes up the run of more humdrum bays and chestnuts when one hits the top level of horse sport and when the mare in question also has a fantastically fun name, the joy is doubled. The skewbald mare Fluorescent Adolescent – also the name of a song by the Arctic Monkeys – is ridden by Canada’s Jessica Phoenix and will be heading to Mars Maryland 5 Star for her five-star debut next week (17-20 October).
“One of my students Makayla Rydzik competed ‘Lacey’ up to three-star and did young riders with her,” says Jessica. “Then she was starting to move into real world things and she just didn’t have time to compete at that level anymore, so she said: ‘This horse is so amazing – is there any way you want to keep going with her?’ And I said: ‘Absolutely, I’d love to’.”
The now 16-year-old mare was bred by Jessica’s first eventing coach Kelly Plitz and her husband Ian Roberts, Canadian Olympians who are based at Dreamcrest Farm in Ontario. She was named, and trained and competed from a four-year-old up to the current two-star level, by another Canadian rider, Hannah Rankin.
Fluorescent Adolescent is by the coloured stallion Gaudy, a son of Fidermark NRW (by Florestan I), out of a mare called Amelia (by Ali Baba) who Kelly and Ian both competed up to current three-star level.
“I always thought Lacey was striking and a beautiful horse – the first horse I evented was actually a coloured horse and she stands out anywhere she goes,” says Jessica.
“Her colouring definitely matches her personality – she is a really competitive mare and always just had so much vibrance in all three phases. She is larger than life, like a queen, and super smart.”
Fluorescent Adolescent stepped up to four-star in 2023 and has spent the past two years gaining experience at that level, as well as showjumping up to 1.35m level. This year her results have included sixth in the CCI4*-S at Bromont.
The pair have also completed the tough CCI4*-S at Kentucky Three-Day Event twice with jumping clears across country, performances which Jessica says were important in showing her the mare could be a five-star horse.
“I remember the first time she was just so focused – laser focused – it didn’t matter she had never seen crowds that big, she didn’t mind about the beautiful presentation of the fences which makes everything look bigger,” she says.
“She left the start box with her game face on and I thought then she’d be a candidate for the five-star level. The biggest thing was getting her stronger in her own body for flatwork. She certainly has the desire to want to do it, but would lack a bit of strength in her step at combinations. Now she feels strong in herself and confident in her body, so it felt like a good time to step up. I can’t wait to see what she makes of five-star level.”
Goals for Maryland with Fluorescent Adolescent
Asked about her aims for the week, Jessica says: “I want her to have a really great experience. I feel like the first time you take a horse round a five-star you go one jump at a time. That said, she runs cross-country one way and that’s forward, so when you leave the start box on Lacey all she’s wanting you do to is show her the flags – sometimes it feels like she can count herself. I want to give her a confident run round her first five-star and knowing her, she’ll be close to the time.
“I have taken her round a bunch of tracks and never found one she suits more than another. She lives for cross-country. But the footing and preparation at Maryland, the fact they are such open, galloping tracks gives horses such a good run. Generally they can see the questions in front of them and there aren’t things that are tricky and catch them off guard. It should be a good five-star for her to go out and get forward and confident at the level.”
Jessica also rides Jim Phillips’ and her own experienced Wabbit at Maryland, where he was 19th in 2022. The ex-racehorse was 11th at Burghley Horse Trials last year and 30th at Badminton Horse Trials this spring.
“He feels amazing and I’m so excited for him to be at Maryland,” she says.
Luckily Jessica says she is fit and has “the best crew I could ask for to be on top of things in the barn” as the Maryland 5 Star field is small, so she is likely have a fairly tight turnaround between horses on cross-country day.
“I’m blessed to be able to ride a lot of horses. It’s nothing for us to do six horses at a one-day, so doing two at a five-star shouldn’t be physically a massive effort at this point in the season,” she says.
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You may also be interested in:
Meet Burghley’s oldest rider making his five-star debut with his precious skewbald horse: ‘I was going to quit eventing’
Brits, five-star winners, and an eye-catching skewbald among Maryland 5 Star entries
7 things owners of coloured horses and ponies can relate to
‘It was like learning to ride again, but I never lost faith’: Bubby Upton on her ongoing recovery from serious injury
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