Mystery Whisper
Shortlisted for the Olympic team with Phillip Dutton, Mystery Whisper, a 2000 Australian warmblood, arrived in the US only in late 2011, quickly proved himself. Mystery Whisper won from gate to wire at Jersey Fresh in May with Dutton for his third FEI victory in a row.
The pair won the dressage handily with a score of 32.6 and then cruised around the CCI3* cross country course to pick up just 1.2 time faults. Whisper made light work of the cross country course which proved challenging all day long. He sealed the win with one rail down—the only rail down in 2012--over a very difficult show jumping course that yielded only two clear rounds.
Previously the pair had won the Red Hills CCI3* in Florida and The Fork CCI3* in North Carolina.
The win secured Phillip and Whisper’s qualification (as a team) for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
“It was a big relief to get Whisper qualified for the Olympics. He did it very easily and put in a great effort in all three phases,” said Phillip.
Whisper skipped Bromont to continue to train at home in West Grove, PA.
Mighty Nice
Mighty Nice, only 8 years old, is looking to build on the form that garnered him 12th place at the Fidelity International Blenheim Palace CCI3* last fall. He received a Land Rover Competition and Training Grant from the United States Equestrian Federation for that trip - and a performance bonus grant based on his strong finish.
The bay Irish Sporthorse gelding also finished third in the 2011 Bromont CCI*** and fifth in the Jersey Fresh CCI*** in 2011. He is owned by Bruce Duchossois
Phillip Dutton
Phillip Dutton represented Australia in three Olympics and four World Championships before acquiring U.S. citizenship in 2006. He moved to West Grove, PA in 1991. Dutton won Team Gold medals at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics and represented Australia at the Athens Olympics in 2004.
Dutton has been runner-up at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event six times, was second, fourth and fifth in 2005, and was also second at Burghley CCI4* with The Foreman in 2005. With Connaught, he represented Australia at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games as an Individual after placing fourth at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event earlier that year. The pair returned to Kentucky in 2007 where they were second and the highest placed American combination. They finally won Rolex in 2008, his first CCI4* victory. Connaught went on the represent the U.S. at the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong.
Dutton and Truluck won individual silver and team gold for the U.S. at the 2007 Pan American Games. At the 2010 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, Dutton claimed his third USEF CCI4* National Championship on Woodburn, finishing in second place. Dutton represented the U.S. at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian with Woodburn.
Dutton and Evie run a very busy training and teaching business at True Prospect Farm, and Dutton’s list of students is a “Who’s Who” of the stars of the sport.