October 29, 2023 
USA’s Caroline Pamukcu will go down in eventing history for winning the individual gold and team bronze medals in her championship debut at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago a mere week after claiming the CCI3*-L National title in Maryland.
Phenomenal achievements, to be sure. And on horses she produced through the levels, no less.
But what’s likely to haunt her memories of Chile is the chip to the oxer at fence five in the show jumping phase that sent rails akimbo and handed the team gold to Canada.
“Honestly, I’m in shock that he saved my butt in there. He was an unbelievable horse, especially at just eight years old,” she said after the round.
“I got a little bit eager. The clock was in my head and, you know, I made a bit of a rookie mistake. But that’s the importance of having a horse that you produced all the way up the levels and know inside and out. He did not mind that one bit. He was like, Oh, this is a typical distance from this kid, just hold on. So I’m very, very grateful that he didn’t hold it against me.”
The pair kept their composure and went on to complete the course without further faults, ultimately capturing the individual gold on a score of 30.8.
Pamukcu was quick to credit her team for her success in Santiago.
“I just have to thank everyone behind me, you know, my federation, my family, my support staff, my owners. I’m so, so, so blessed with the position I’m in and it’s really kudos to them. I’m only here because of all of them,” she continued.
“I promised my parents that they would get both these medals as they’ve been backing me my whole life. I can’t believe everyone, I can’t believe they believe in me.”
Looking at her record though, it’s not hard to see why.
In 2023 alone, Pamukcu has won 11 FEI events and finished top five in 32 of 51 starts up to the 4* level, and on 10 different international horses.
Miss aside, she had a phenomenal showing at the Santiago Games, too. The pair were second after dressage, moved into first after cross country, and put in the best show jumping performance on the day for Team USA with their single rail.
Teammates Liz Halliday and Miks Master C collected 12 jumping and 1.6 time penalties to drop to seventh individually, while Sharon White and Claus 63 incurred 16 jumping and 0.4 time penalties to finish 10th. Both were in individual medal contention. Sydney Elliot and QC Diamantaire picked up eight jumping and 1.2 time penalties to finish eighth.
After dominating the first two phases, Team USA ultimately finished in silver behind Canada. Brazil took bronze. It was not exactly the fairytale ending they rode into Santiago 2023 aiming for.
“I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was a bit gutted right now,” confessed Halliday. “I think we all are. [It’s] certainly not the result we came here to do. But it is what it is. And sometimes that’s how things go with horses. So we have to take it on the chin and stand up and be proud of what we did achieve already and just look at ways that we can keep fighting hard to be better.“
Pamukcu echoed the sentiment.
“I do feel awful,” she said. “If I didn’t have that silly rail, it [wouldn’t have] cost us the gold. But, you know, I promise I won’t make such a silly mistake again, and we can all talk about it.”
At 29, the Pan Ams are just the start of her senior team career though, and it’s a promising one at that.
“I can’t wait until I’m, like, 50,” she joked. “I’ll be like, ‘Do remember that time I swung and missed so hard I almost fell off? That was pretty good.'”
Brazil’s Marcio Carvalho Jorge and Catle Howard Casanova took the individual silver medal on a score of 32.2. Canada’s Lindsay Traisnel and Bacyrouge took bronze on 34.2.
Equestrian at the Pan American Games continues with Show Jumping on Tuesday.
