Pine Top XC Recap

By John on , Filed Under Eventing Competition Coverage, Eventing Nation and , , , , , , ,
This write-up is being posted so late because advanced division finished XC at 5:00 this evening.  The weather in Georgia this afternoon was mild; the sun was warm and the wind was cold.
Pine Top (GA): Homepage, Times/Scores, Weather

(1) From what I heard, the advanced division was moved to late in the afternoon because of concerns about morning shadows on some of the jumps.  There are two sides to every story, and I have not heard the organizer's perspective, but many of the riders said that the afternoon shadows and setting sun caused issues on the course anyhow.  
ashleyadamsvaunted.jpg
Ashley Adams and Vaunted in the shadows
(2) If you watched the live scores throughout the day, I'm sure you noticed a lot of issues.  According to the scoring, there were 12 rider falls, and I know of 4 horse falls, and 3 trips to the hospital for riders.  I'm not sure if that count is exact, but there were a lot of issues, especially in the prelim and advanced.  

--Jan  Bynny took a spill in the prelim before I arrived and got a ride to the hospital.  The word around the barns is a broken wrist, some ribs, and a concussion.  Note: when I say 'word around the barns' I think we all know what I mean, but don't take it as hard fact. 
(3) Rebecca Howard and Roquefort flipped over a pretty vertical gate fence about 70 feet from where I was sitting with everyone else.  Roquefort walked away, and Rebecca was put into an ambulance.  Again, the 'word around the barns' is a couple of broken ribs, collar bone, and a punctured lung.  When you're standing by something like that, your first reaction is to run over and help, and then when you see enough people are already there, all you want to do is sit down.  Fortunately, Jan and Rebecca are both super athletes and should make a speedy recovery.
(4) Karen had a fall in the prelim, suffered a mild concussion, and decided not to run her later horses, including Mandiba.  Karen is one of the toughest people in eventing, and I know she will be back on Mandiba well in time to accomplish their Spring goals.
(5) Ok, my apologies for all that bad news, this was obviously an uncharacteristically rough XC day, but the good news is that, to my knowledge, all the horses were fine.
(6) Boyd and Remington XXV had an extremely impressive trip around the advanced because they were held twice for long periods due to rider falls and still delivered a great round.  Ashley Adams was also held for a long time and handled it great.
(7) Of the four A-listed horses at the event, Will and Twizzel looked polished around the intermediate, Boyd and Neville took it easy around the intermediate (I think we all know Boyd can make the time with Neville whenever he wants), Woodburn looked calm, cool, and collected around the advanced, and Tru Luck withdrew.  
(8) For the B-listed horses, a few withdrew due to rider injuries, and the only B-list starters were Will Faudree and Sinead Halpin.
(9) Of the A and B listers, I guess I was most impressed with how focused and listening Woodburn looked.  When Woodburn pays attention to Phillip, nothing will stop them on the XC.  
duttonwoodburn.jpg
Woodburn
(10) Steph Rhodes-Bosch and Port Authority were the only advanced pair at Pine Top to finish the weekend on their dressage score, and had the best looking Canadian XC round, in my opinion.  Michele Mueller also had a great weekend for the Canadians, winning her division.
(11) One rider's nervous mom sent me an email asking for an update on her daughter, which I was happy to provide.  I only mention this to point out that if anyone (especially a nervous mom) has special requests for updates at events that you know I am covering, please shoot me an email and I will do whatever I can to oblige.  I always feel like parents have the toughest time at feeling the nerves, far tougher than riders.  My kids are going to play soccer.
(12) While I am thinking about live coverage, it reminds me that we have gotten multiple requests to bring back the live blogs.  Please know that we have every intention of doing so, but we just didn't want to wear out the format over the winter.  Also, an afternoon of live blogging leaves me exhausted, whereas sitting around watching XC and chatting with everyone is my idea of a good time.
(13) Several big name horses from the past few years had a good weekend.  The Foreman beat his stable-mate and A-listed Woodburn.  Courageous Comet won in the advanced, and Tipperary Liadhnan won in the intermediate, and Norther Spy coasted around the intermediate.
duttontheforeman.jpg
(14) Course designer John Williams posted two clean rounds in the advanced on Carrick and Sweepea Dean.
(15) If you send me a text that says "haha, we just beat you guys in overtime," yes, I will reply with something like "super, what's your GDP eh?"
(16) The Pine Top announcer (I wish I knew who it was) did a great job keeping things fun/interesting, and, most of all, thanked the volunteers multiple times.
-Update: Chris was kind enough to post that the announcer was Nicho Meredith on our FB wall.-
(17) As we have mentioned EN guest writer Holly Hudspeth sat out the weekend due to an injured wrist, but Boyd did a fantastic job catch-riding Cold Harbor and Stewie, making an incredibly hard task look easy.
(18) The inflatable safety vests seem to be catching on faster than I would have expected due to their expense.  I probably saw 40 of the inflatable vests, and maybe 20% of the advanced riders were using them.
(19) Fleceworks Mystere Du Val continued his winning ways, posting the lowest advanced score of the weekend.
(20) As a brief note, Amy Tryon and Leyland were entered at Twin Rivers, according to StartBox as of Thursday night, but they were not shown in the competition scores, probably meaning that they withdrew prior to the competition.
Until our N&N sometime Monday morning, go eventing.
2 Comments

Off to Pine Top

By John on , Filed Under Eventing Competition Coverage, Eventing Nation and ,

I have no idea why, but I am heading over to Pine Top to watch the intermediate and advanced XC, instead of staying home and watching the rematch of the decade.  Advanced wraps up around 5 and, until my report later this eventing, check out live scores below.  
Pine Top (GA): Homepage, Times/Scores, Weather
Twin Rivers (CA): Homepage, Times/Scores, Weather

Texas Rose (TX): Homepage, Live Scores, Weather

1 Comment

The Sunday Jog-Up: Tips from a Groom

By Visionaire on , Filed Under Eventing Nation, Sunday Jog-Up and , ,

RadnorJog3-1.jpg 

Do you ever stare in awe at the sleek shiny horses, the glistening brass, perfect braids, and dazzling white marks at a CCI trot up?  Do you ever wonder how they get that way?  (LOTS of hard work is the correct answer!)  Each Sunday morning we will bring you a little insider info on how the big-time grooms manage an upper level event horse.  Feel free to email or comment with specific grooming questions if you have a topic in mind!

Previous entries:    Odds & Ends

What About Tack? Part I , Part II

Shining, Shimmering, Splendid

A Close Shave

                          Get those white legs white!

                          Hoofcare

 

Safety First

This week's entry was inspired by my close call on Wednesday, in which a normally-placid, well-behaved yearling colt suddenly spun, reared, and Hi-Ho Silver'ed on top of me.  He grazed my skull, protected only by a ball cap; his hoof came down hard on the brim of the ball cap which smashed my nose.  Serious swelling, bruising, and two black eyes were the result, but the situation could have been so much worse.  I'm not sure how I avoided a concussion, or broken nose.  It was one of those things that happened in an instant, no time to react, and no way to prevent.  I was leading him in from his paddock, two hands on the lead rope, paying full attention to him, and yet it still happened.  Bruises will always remind you that these animals are big, do dumb things without warning, and they can hurt you.

Yeah yeah, we all know the standard safety rules when handling horses.  But, especially as we work with them daily, we tend to get a little too relaxed and careless at times.  You may get away with it 99 times, but it only takes once to do serious damage to you or your horse.  Silly little things, like leading with your hand on the halter instead of using a shank, or leaving your horse standing untied "just for a second" could save you a few extra minutes...or you could waste another 20 minutes chasing your loose horse around the property and praying he doesn't injure himself.  (Speaking of loose horses...always think about this possibility: keep the stable area neat, keep feed room doors shut securely, keep gates latched, and minimize the risk of danger even when the unexpected occurs.)

I'm not trying to be hypocritical here-- certainly, I've done dumb things.  And then I've suffered the consequences for it, too.  Which has taught me to play by the rules, unless I'm willing to take a very calculated risk in a special situation. 

There are countless ways to get hurt around horses; almost all my hospital-worthy injuries were not the result of a riding accident, but rather on the ground.  I've been stepped on, bitten, plowed into, head-butted, and kicked-- even while pulling out a newborn foal, he struck me with a slimy front hoof and sliced open my eyebrow, needing seven stitches.  And it's not that I'm careless or accident-prone; I've just worked with a whole lot of horses (many young ones) and they do dumb things.  But, as horse people, it's our responsibility to learn from these instances to improve our own safety. 

Being prey animals, we all know horses have a strong flight instinct and are prone to startle.  Most of the time, just the sound of your voice can alert them and prevent an overreaction; touching or rubbing them further desensitizes, and is especially helpful before you throw a blanket on or some other physical invasion of space.  I've learned the hard way to keep a hand on the knee or cannon while applying hoof dressing-- getting knocked in the forehead hurts!  Similarly, be careful when working on the horse's legs during fly season...stomps and belly-kicks can occur at any time.  Keeping a hand on the horse is a good rule to follow whenever you're working on him: it gives you early warning when the horse is about to move, and lets him know where you are.

Following the Pony Club Way, I prefer to use leather-crowned halters and tie with twine, in the classic quick-release knot.  Seeing a hard-tied horse struggle can be gut-wrenching.  Most of the time, it's better to deal with a loose horse than possibly a dead one.  I understand the argument for tying horses fast, so that they don't learn to break away...but it makes me uncomfortable and is not my method of choice.  If you have a difficult horse, Blocker Tie Rings are a godsend.  They allow the rope to slide with measured resistance, and go slack when the horse stands still (unlike a bungee, which keeps pulling).  Speaking of bungees, if you've ever seen a horse break one (and have it slap back in stringy pieces, creating more havoc), you probably won't use them anymore.  There is no one right way to tie a horse; but the better trained he is, the more successful you will be.  I hate leaving them unattended, especially when tied to the trailer at shows-- that is just begging for trouble.  And it seems like many of these unattended horses are left alone with a low-hanging haynet, asking the horse to get its foot caught.  If you must use a haynet, hang it HIGH!  And if you plan to leave your horse back at the trailer for a while, put him inside and secure him safely. 

When leading, insist that the horse stay at your shoulder.  Bad leading is a huge pet-peeve of mine (I warned you there were many!).  A horse that lags can be startled into jumping on top of you; a horse that drags is out of control.  Use whatever tools you need to enforce proper leading behavior: a dressage whip for laggers, possibly a chain for draggers.  I will "test" a horse by stopping suddenly while leading; I expect the horse to halt promptly.  If he doesn't, I shank him and make him back up several steps.  Relax, walk forward, and stop again.  If horse listens, praise.  If he dribbles forward, shank and back up again.  I may do halt transitions a hundred times on the way to the barn, whatever it takes to make the horse respect me.  I expect the horse to walk calmly on light contact, at whatever pace I choose.

Along the lines of respect, biting and kicking is absolutely never ever tolerated.  These crimes are classified as "threats against person" and are treated as a capital offense.  John Lyons advises to "kill for three seconds" after a horse attempts to bite.  What this means, is your reaction must be IMMEDIATE and effective-- go wild as a banshee, but only for three seconds (really, how much damage can you do with your bare hands in 3 sec? Avoiding the eyes, of course).  Hit, slap, punch, scream, growl, whatever you can muster in those three seconds.  More than likely the horse will be extremely surprised and (hopefully) a little scared of you.  Then go back to normal and pretend it never happened.  I don't particularly like being "physical" with a horse, but sometimes you have to back up your warnings with action to earn respect.  Life isn't all sugar cubes and horse cookies. 

Pay more attention to your horse, don't cut corners, and many accidents can be avoided.  "But Rowdy never does [insert behavior here]..." is not a valid excuse for neglecting safety protocol when you knew better.  Your horse is always looking out for himself; not always looking out for you.  It's your job to look out for both of you.  Awareness of your surroundings, a little preparation and good communication goes a long way.  Still, things will go wrong...they are horses, after all.  Which is why, at major three-days, it is quite common to see horses hand-grazing in Woof boots: a horse can knock himself doing a silly "I-feel-good" leap, and possibly cause a competition-threatening injury to a lower limb. As the saying goes, it's always better to be safe than sorry.      

16 Comments

Video Saturday: Team Chasing

By Leslie on , Filed Under Eventing Nation, Videos and , ,

Earlier this week a reader mentioned team chasing, noting it's similarities to Eventing.  Generally, cross-country officials at events attempt to keep a controlled number of horses on course at evenly spaced intervals to best avoid traffic jams.  Team chasing on the other hand, involves a group of competitors galloping across country practically nose to tail.  Some rules to team chasing are similar to Eventing: a rider fall results in elimination of that rider, three refusals at one fence equals elimination, all riders must wear helmets and safety vests, and an ambulance is always on the scene.

Teams may consist of three or four horse and rider combinations, and at least three horses on the team must finish the course.  The time of the third horse to cross the finish line is recorded as the team's time.  In the event of a tie, the time of the fourth horse determines the winner.

This helmet cam captured one rider's fall near the end of a course.  I can only imagine how hard it is to gallop on by your fallen comrade and continue to concentrate on the fences.  Good thing they already had that gate part out of the way.  

Teams select groovy names and team colors to set themselves apart in competition.  Check out the Hardcore Sisters at this event!

3 Comments

The Spirit of the Model Horse

By Leslie on , Filed Under Eventing Nation, Random and ,

My obsession with all things equine began much like every other little girl with a heart for horses and ponies.  Even before I began taking lessons, my bedroom walls were covered with horse posters.  I ripped the photos out of horsey calendars, giving each horse of the month a name and background story before tacking the image onto my ceiling.  I had all the dorkiest horsey shirts that I wore to school every day, and my grandmother never forgot to tape My Little Pony (I can still sing the whole theme song).  Aside from the real thing, much of my horsey addiction was channeled into endless adventures with several shelves worth of model horses.

As we grow older and the value of mint condition models becomes apparent, they are delicately balanced out of reach or neatly sealed in the original package in an obscure box in the attic.  But when we're little, models attain the unreal achievements we imagine in infinite detail; the only limitations are those of your imagination.  

At the height of my model horse community overlord phase, I would turn horses out of the miniature eight-stall wooden barn into a comfortable enclosure in the mornings.  Some of the models were tacked up and sent out for a perilous ride amidst the curious house cats while others grazed and stood like stone staring off into the distant corners of the playroom.  At night, I would blanket each horse with his custom homemade blanket (stable colors of course), and tuck them into their stalls for the night.  There was a time that for every birthday or gift-giving holiday, I could expect to receive at least one model horse, each one treasured like an old friend.

Now that I'm all grown up with annoying bills to pay, I can't afford to collect much of anything.  But I still admire the picturesque model horses released by the masters at Breyer.  Last November, Breyer signed on as an official sponsor of the 2010 World Equestrian Games.  Earlier this month Breyer released the official model horse of the Games, Esprit (pictured at the top of the page).  Sculpted by artist Kathleen Moody, Esprit symbolizes the "common spirit" of the horses competing in each of the eight disciplines.  Breyer will release several other WEG products this year in celebration of the "courage, athleticism, and beauty of the horse at its pinnacle of achievement" including an 8-piece Stablemate Set representing horses in each discipline.  According to the Breyer website, an interactive play area for children will be created at the WEG, "incorporating equine-themed activities using Breyer's realistic model horses" and pint-sized jumps for kids!

Bits About Breyer
In 1950, the Breyer Molding Company (before it was Breyer Animal Creations) received an order for a plastic horse to decorate a mantle clock.  Public interest inspired the company to continue creating these realistic models...minus the clock of course.

Men and boys are the fastest growing group of collectors of Breyer Farm Animals and Wildlife Animals.

All Breyer horses have an air hole somewhere so the model can "breathe."  Without this hole, trapped air can cause the model to warp over time.

All Breyer horses are hand painted.

How Can Your Horse Become a Breyer Model?
Well, you've got a few different options.  You could own a horse that is the finest, ideal example of his breed and then get it noticed by people who can do something about it.  You could also own a top equine athlete in his particular discipline and then get it nominated by the USET to become a Breyer model.  If you think your horse could be a model or you might have a good idea for a product submission, please consult the FAQ page on Breyer's website for reasons why you might want to let the powers that be remain in charge of model selection.

If you happen to hang around Lexington after Champagne Run this summer, or you have a thing for model horses, be sure to check out BreyerFest, July 23-25 at the Kentucky Horse Park.

I collected all types of model horses; I wasn't limited to Breyer.  Did anyone else collect models or another type of equine paraphernalia? 
2 Comments

RTTR: Road to the Roses weekend preview

By Visionaire on , Filed Under Eventing Nation and , , ,

Compared to last Saturday, this weekend is a relative snooze.  There are two scoring races, the Sham Stakes (G3) and the Borderland Derby (entries unavailable at this time).  None of the really top Derby prospects are entered, but if you happen to have a dark horse in your stable, perhaps you can score some points.  The Thoroughbred Times has a nice Triple Crown section that details some of the best horses and where they may run next.  Keep this in mind for your power picks.   

If you haven't signed up yet, be sure to do so by Saturday at noon to earn points this weekend.  Still many more races to come!

EVENTING NATION League
Identification #  2211565550
Activation code: 976127638 
    

No Comments

Friday Notes and News

By John on , Filed Under Eventing Nation, Eventing News and Notes and , , ,
For some reason, the great response we got to the EN Census reminds me of my favorite Eventing Nation related comment ever, which was posted on a COTH thread.  LisaB said something to the effect of "I have known John for years now, but I never knew he had a sense of humor."
...which reminds me of the great Men In Black quote "No ma'm, we at the FBI do not have a sense of humor we're aware of"
...which reminds me of pretty much every first date I have ever been on
...which reminds me that I want to see The Crazies
...which reminds me to get to the news and notes.
----

Bruce Davidson and Laine Ashker post new blog entries.  When I get the time (ha), I need to write a post about the explosion of new blogs/websites in eventing over the past year.  The explosion is incredibly exciting and a perfect compliment for our aggregation format here at EN.

Good News Friday: Amigo, an endurance horse who was impaled by a tree, is scheduled to go home.  *Graphic picture warning*

The USDA canceled its national animal identification system because of angry horse people.

Galway Downs, along with everything else on the planet, is like the movie Avatar because its in 3-D.  Joking aside, that press release is actually interesting, making it one of the better pre-event press releases I have ever seen.
Megan Lewis is riding from China to London.

Check out photos of Hawley Bennett carrying the Olympic torch.

When city officials don't agree, events get canceled.

Horseless horse show is a 'huge success.'  Which is surprising, because when you take horses away from a horse show, all you have is 300 crazy people standing around in a muddy field, one super-stressed event organizer driving a golf cart in circles, and 100 dogs that should be on leashes.  Go EvEnTiNg with horses.
1 Comment

Events this Weekend

By John on , Filed Under Eventing Competition Coverage, Eventing Nation and , , , , , , , ,

The road to the World Equestrian Games really gets underway this weekend.
--5/6 A-Listed horses are competing over the next couple of days, with Neville and Twizzel in the Pine Top OI, Woodburn and Tru Luck in the Pine Top advanced, and Leyland in the Twin Rivers advanced.  
--7/14 B-Listed horses are entered this weekend, meaning that 60% of the A&B lists are competing.  Seriously, have a glance at the Pine Top entries, that event is absolutely stacked.
--Delivering a strong XC round will set the table for great Spring, but a shaky start to the season will raise a lot of questions with the selectors and will really crank up the pressure for the next events, which will only get harder.
--Canada has multiple team hopefuls including Diana Burnett on Wild T'Mater, Steph Rhodes-Bosch on Port Authority, and Rebecca Howard on Roquefort entered in the Pine Top advanced.
--Many other big name non-listed horses begin their Spring campaign this weekend, including Northern Spy, Courageous Comet, Nicki Henley, Tipperary Liadnhnan, The Foreman, Fleeceworks Mystere Du Val, UN, and Buckingham Place.
--Eventing Nation guest writer Holly Hudspeth is sitting out this weekend after losing a fight with a ladder.  Holly should be back in action next week, and Boyd gets the ride on Last Monarch this weekend and he will surely give Stewie a great trip.  
-----
Pine Top (GA): Homepage, Times/Scores, Weather
Twin Rivers (CA): Homepage, Times/Scores, Weather

Texas Rose (TX): Homepage, Live Scores, Weather


----
As I write this, we have 72 responses to our EN Census!  Thank you to everyone who has responded.  I know everyone hears 'thank you' a lot these days, such as 'thank you for tuning in to tonight's show,' or 'thank you for buying our cheeseburgers that will end your life in 30 years,' but please know that we mean thank you in a very genuine sense, as in 'thank you because reading about people who enjoy the site makes everything worth it.'  The suggestions are wonderful feedback, and trust me, we are paying attention.  For example, after I finish this post I will work on the archive categories to try to make them easier to use.  Go eventing.
No Comments

ER Episode 65: Richard Jeffery

By John on , Filed Under Eventing Nation, Random and , ,


Show jumping Course Designer, Richard Jeffery makes a return visit to the show to talk about the USEA Course Designing Program and what's in store for him this year with the Rolex KY event and World Equestrian Games. Listen in... Eventing Radio Episode 65 - Show Jumping Course Designing:

_________________________________________

Listen Now, Download or Subscribe:


Listen Now
iTunes Subscribe Subscribe to Zune

No Comments

Early EN Census Results

By Visionaire on , Filed Under Eventing Nation, Random and

First off, let me say a big huge THANK YOU to all the EN readers who have already participated in our little census exercise.  It has been really interesting reading your comments, getting a true idea of who our "nation" really is, and what you like about the site.  Please keep commenting (positive or negative!), it really helps keep us motivated and focused on what to do next. 

I have spent a portion of this evening playing with Excel, and have a rough tabulation of Census Results as of 6pm EST.  I realize this is not a FULL reflection of our audience, but it's at least somewhere to start.  So, from the preliminary responses we have received...

Most popular location:  Kentucky (5).  (This does my big blue heart proud!)   I know we have TONS more readers from the east coast area, particularly VA (Feedjit does not lie), but until those readers respond we can't count them accurately.  Tied for second: Massachussets, Michigan, and North Carolina (4).  Also shout out to our 5 Canadians and 1 Australian checking in.

Average Age:  The average age is about 33 yrs.  Breaking this down further:  about 19% Young Rider audience (16-21), 35% age 22-30yrs, 25% 30-45yrs, 21% 45-60yrs.

Eventing Experience:  Averages out to about 12 years, but ranged from nearly none to over 40 years.  Quite a diverse group! 

Average Level:  Preliminary was the most frequent response, but here again was a wide range from intro to Advanced and CCI****. 

How long have you visited the site?  Many of you have been reading since the beginning, at Fair Hill 2009.  But there are lots of new readers, who have jumped on the bandwagon within the last few months (we did receive a huge spike in traffic in early January, I think most of you know why).  I hope we can keep growing, but more importantly maintain the quality and spontaneity that keeps people coming back for more.  Speaking of what you like...

Suggestions: a huge number of responders simply said "Keep up the good work!"  We appreciate your attention to our efforts, and we'll do our best to produce more of the same.  The Training Sessions clinic reports have also gained a great response...I admit, I love them too!  Also, there were many readers that requested lower-level rider profiles and inspirational stories-- this is a GREAT suggestion and I promise we will work on it soon.  We'll keep on going with the humor, funny videos, and grooming tips, and we'll try to expand our coverage for more West Coast and International views.  I loved everyone's ideas, and we will try to incorporate them as we can. 

Thanks again for your participation.  The number of comments we've received to this point has far exceeded our expectations.  I can't stress enough how much we appreciate your feedback, and getting to know you will help us better to provide the content you crave.  Please keep responding to any and all topics you like (or don't like); send us emails, photos, stories, suggestions to make the site better.  We're just everyday eventers running this site for fun, and we don't pretend to know what we're doing...we need your help sometimes!

If you haven't added your comments to the Census, it's never too late.  I expect many more responses in over the next few days, and I'll still be compiling the results. :)

No Comments