Jenni Autry
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Jenni Autry

Achievements

About Jenni Autry

Originally from San Diego, Jenni discovered eventing thanks to the Bedford Hunt Pony Club in Virginia. After working in both newspapers and magazines, she joined the EN team in 2012. She travels extensively covering the U.S. Eventing Team and has reported at the Olympic Games, World Equestrian Games, Pan American Games, Badminton, Burghley, Kentucky, Luhmühlen and Pau. As for her favorite event, it’s a toss-up between Aachen and Boekelo. When she isn’t on the road, she’s busy competing her heart horse, Imperial Striker, better known as Derry.

Latest Articles Written

Luhmühlen CCI5*-L Entries Go Live with Two American Pairs

Tim Lips and Bayro. Photo by Jenni Autry.

A total of 47 pairs are entered to compete in the Longines Luhmühlen CCI5*-L in Germany on June 13-16, including two American combinations.

Allie Knowles is entered with Sound Prospect LLC’s 17-year-old Thoroughbred Sound Prospect, who will be heading to Ireland first to contest the CCI4*-S at Tattersalls as his final prep run. Frankie Thieriot Stutes is also entered to make her CCI5*-L debut with The Chatwin Group’s 11-year-old Oldenburg Chatwin.

The majority of the German contingent will contest the Meßmer Trophy CCI4*-S instead of the CCI5*-L, as they typically do in a championship year. Luhmühlen will also host the 2019 FEI European Championships on Aug. 28-Sept. 1. Two-time Luhmühlen winner Andreas Dibowski will lead the German charge to reclaim the CCI5*-L title with FRH Butts Avedon.

The last six runnings of Luhmühlen have seen wins split equally between Germany and New Zealand. Tim Price joins Andreas as the only other past Luhmühlen winner in this year’s CCI5*-L field and will look to defend the title with Ascona M. Mark Todd is also entered with Kiltubrid Rhapsody.

Japan continues to show their strength on the world stage with three entries in the CCI5*-L, including Kazuma Tomoto with Brookpark Vikenti, who finished fifth at Boekelo last year.

Reigning Dutch National Champions Tim Lips and Bayro missed out on the Luhmühlen win last year due to a flag penalty on cross country and will return to Germany this year seeking redemption.

FEI World #7 Sam Watson has two rides entered for Ireland in Imperial Sky and Tullabeg Flamenco, who won the Ballindenisk CCI4*-S this spring.

Great Britain last won Luhmühlen in 2010 and will look for strong performances from Sarah Bullimore and Reve du Rouet, who finished fourth at Burghley last year, along with this year’s Belton winners Tom McEwen and Figaro van het Broekxhof. Tina Cook and Calvino II are also entered.

Other notable entries include Sam Griffiths and Paulank Brockagh for Australia.

Click here to view the full entry list.

Monday News & Notes from Fleeceworks

Fylicia Barr celebrates with her team after taking the Jersey Fresh CCI4*-L win. Photo courtesy of Diana Rowland.

Galloway Sunrise didn’t just clinch her first international victory at Jersey Fresh yesterday; she took the first win of her entire career. It was a fairytale outcome — if a soggy one — in Fylicia Barr’s journey with the mare. Fylicia and her mother, Shannon, found “Sunny” as a feral yearling listed for $500 on Craigslist. The rest is history. There are many special partnerships in our sport, but Craigslist to CCI4*-L winner — that is one hell of a rags-to-riches story. Cheers to Fylicia, Sunny and everyone who helped them get there.

National Holiday: National Apple Pie Day

Major Events:

Jersey Fresh: WebsiteFinal ScoresEN’s Coverage

Chatsworth ERM: WebsiteFinal Scores, EN’s Coverage

U.S. Weekend Action:

Spokane Sport Horse Farm H.T. [Final Scores]

Texas Rose Horse Park H.T. [Final Scores]

Galway Downs H.T. [Final Scores]

Winona H.T. [Final Scores]

Plantation Field H.T. [Final Scores]

WindRidge Farm H.T. [Final Scores]

Mill Creek Pony Club H.T. [Final Scores]

Woodland Stallion Station H.T. [Final Scores]

Your Monday News & Notes:

Alex Tett is on a quest to represent Zimbabwe at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, and she checked a big box by completing her first CCI4*-S with Hawk’s Cay at Jersey Fresh. [Chasing the Dream: Alex Tett Aims to Represent Zimbabwe in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics]

Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH are building what will likely be a formidable partnership as we look ahead to Tokyo. One rail down in the CCI4*-S at Marbach over the weekend saw them lose by a slim 0.1-penalty margin to Andreas Dibowski and FRH Corrida in a field of more than 70 horses. [Marbach CCI4*-S Results]

Irish Olympic event rider Clare Abbott shares exercises on how you can use cavaletti to improve your horse’s canter and balance in the latest edition of #SundaySchool from our friends at Horse & Hound. [#SundaySchool: using cavaletti to improve the horse’s canter and balance]

Just try to watch this without smiling. Tiny jumper rider Tabitha Kyle, the 11-year-old daughter of Irish Olympic eventer Mark Kyle, has been turning heads aboard 17.2-hand Grennanstown Sarco Lux Hill. She delivered standout rounds at the Chepstow Spring International CSI2* earlier this month, and this one is a must-watch. [What happens when you team up a petite 11-year-old rider with a 17.2hh-plus ‘beast’ of a horse?]

Live Now: Watch the Chatsworth Event Rider Masters Live Stream

The first leg of the 2019 Event Rider Masters season is officially underway! Cross country airs live at 10:15 a.m. EST today at the Dodson & Horrell Chatsworth International Horse Trials in beautiful Derbyshire, England.

EN’s Tilly Berendt is on the grounds to bring you full reports. Keep it locked on EN for everything you need to know from Chatsworth. Go Eventing.

Chatsworth ERM: WebsiteStart TimesLive Scores, EN’s CoverageEN’s InstagramEN’s Twitter

Jersey Fresh XC Updates: $500 Craigslist Wonder Mare Takes 4*-L Lead

Fylicia Barr and Galloway Sunrise. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Good morning from a dry, sunny cross country day at the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event here in Allentown, New Jersey. The action kicks off at 8:30 a.m. EST with the CCI3*-L, followed by the CCI4*-L at 9:50 a.m, the CCI4*-S at 11:25 a.m and the CCI3*-S at 1:20 p.m.

There is no live stream, but EN will be running live updates on this page until my broken arm needs a break. (10 more days to go until I ditch the sling!) Click here for start times.

Capt. Mark Phillips is the course designer for the four-star courses, with Morgan Rowsell as the course designer for the three-star courses.

EN wishes safe cross country trips to all. Go Eventing.

#JFI3DE: WebsiteEntry StatusScheduleLive ScoresEN’s CoverageEN’s InstagramEN’s Twitter

CCI3*-L

8:30: We are underway! Phillip Dutton and Sea of Clouds are our pathfinders. This horse is an OTTB and finished in the top 10 in his first 3*-L at Fair Hill last fall.

8:38: Phillip Dutton blazes home 20 seconds inside the time. We have good footing and fast ground today, so we should see plenty of speedy rounds.

8:42: Lynn Symansky and SpectraVet Tempranillo are home clear and bang on the optimum time. She will also be the second to last rider to go in this division with dressage leader RF Cool Play.

8:45: Will Faudree pilots Caeleste to a clear round and 15 seconds inside the time. The clock is definitely very beatable for the CCI3*-L course.

8:47: Starr Witness completes cross country with Doug Payne all clear and 10 seconds inside.

8:49: Arden Wildasin and Apogee cross the finish clear and 37 seconds inside the time — the fastest so far.

8:51: Alex Baugh fell from Mr. Candyman at fence 18, the open rails. She is up and OK, as is the horse. We will have a hold while the fence is being repaired.

8:55: Both Michael Walton and Heather Jane Morris have been held on course while the frangible pin is repaired at fence 18.

9:05: We are still under a hold for fence repair at #18.

9:11: We are now back underway.

9:13: Michael Walton and Brave New World complete clear with 1.2 time penalties. His time will be verified following the hold.

9:16: Heather and Jos UFO De Quidam complete clear and inside the time. Her official time is also being verified due to the hold.

9:20: Jacob Fletcher has been pulled up due to jumping the wrong fence with 501 Mischief Managed. That is unfortunately technical elimination.

9:26: Andi Lawrence and Cooley Northern Most complete clear and 1 second inside the time.

9:30: Jane Papke and Norman complete clear with 11.6 time penalties.

9:32: Nilson Moreira da Silva and Rock Phantom are home clear and 1 second inside the time.

9:36: Michael Walton and SBT Barolo complete the horse’s first 3*-L clear with 9.6 time penalties. That keeps Doug Payne and Starr Witness in the provisional lead.

9:37: Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Pick Pocket have fallen at fence 20. Both horse and rider are up and ok.

9:40: Will Faudree and FRH Ramona picked up a runout at the corner at 22B. He then picked up another runout at the stone table at fence 24. They completed with 40 jumping penalties.

9:44: Lynn Symansky and RF Cool Play are home clear and inside the time to hold the overnight lead.

9:47: Doug Payne and Cascor are home clear and inside the time by 5 seconds as our last pair in the 3*-L.

CCI4*-L

10: We have a 15-minute delay in the start of the 4*-L.

10:13: Kim Liddell and Eye of the Storm and Erin Pullen and Tag have both withdrawn prior to the start of cross country.

10:15: We are underway with Allison Springer and Sapphire Blue B as pathfinders for the 4*-L.

10:17: Allison Springer and Sapphire Blue B pick up a runout at the brush in the water at fence 8, the Jersey Shore.

10:25: Allison and Sapphire Blue B complete with 20 jumping penalties and 20.8 time penalties.

10:29: Caroline Martin and Danger Mouse are home clear with 17.6 time penalties.

10:30: Hannah Sue Burnett has fallen from Lukeswell at the Jersey Shore at fence 8C, the second of the brushes, when he slammed on the brakes. She is up and ok and even fished the flag out of the water to put it back in place.

10:32: Nilson Moreira da Silva and Magnum’s Martini complete with a clear round and 6.8 time penalties — the fastest so far.

10:33: Fylicia Barr and Galloway Sunrise have been held at the first stopping point while the brush at the Jersey Shore is repaired.

10:34: Fylicia has been restarted.

10:42: Fylicia Barr and Galloway Sunrise are home clear and the first pair to catch the time in the 4*-L — 5 seconds inside the time!

10:48: Nilson has now been given 15 penalties for missing a flag at the second brush, 8C, at the Jersey Shore.

10:51: Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Singapore fell at at 8C in the Jersey Shore. They are up and ok.

10:53: Clayton Fredericks and FE Stormtrooper picked up 20 penalties at 18B, the corner in the back water, and elected to retire.

10:55: We have a delay at the start for fence repair for 8C.

11:00: Doug Payne and Quantum Leap complete clear with 4.4 time penalties.

11:01: Arden Wildasin and Il Vici have now been started. We are running about 30 minutes behind due to fence repairs.

11:11: Arden Wildasin and Il Vici are home clear and 30 seconds inside the time — the second pair to beat the clock in this division.

11:16: Meghan O’Donoghue and Palm Crescent complete clear and 1 second over the time.

11:20: Anna Loschiavo and Spartacus Q picked up a runout at fence 15, the corner in the back field. Clear on second attempt. She completed with 20 time penalties.

11:21: Jacob Fletcher and Van Gough are home clear with 12.0 time penalties.

11:24: Overnight leaders Emily Beshear and Olney Uncle Sam unfortunately locked up 20 jumping penalties at 18, the back water.

11:29: Emily Beshear completes with 29 jumping and 9.2 time penalties.

11:31: Nilson Moreira da Silva and Cash complete clear with 6.4 time penalties.

11:32: Boyd Martin and Contestor pick up a runout at 18B, the corner. They completed with 14.0 time penalties.

11:33: Allison Springer and Business Ben unfortunately picked up a runout at 8C at the Jersey Shore.

11:36: Your top three in the 4*-L after cross country: Fylicia Barr and Galloway Sunrise, Arden Wildasin and Il Vici, and Doug Payne and Quantum Leap. Go $500 Craigslist wonder mare!

11:41: Allison Springer and Business Ben complete with 20 jumping and 27.6 time penalties.

Lynn Symansky & RF Cool Play Slay Jersey Fresh CCI3*-L Leaderboard

Lynn Symansky and RF Cool Play. Photo by Amy Flemming Waters Photography.

Lynn Symansky sailed to the top of the Jersey Fresh CCI3*-L leaderboard today on a score of 27.3 aboard RF Cool Play, a 10-year-old German Sport Horse (Condors Champion x Roxana, by Radscha) owned by The Donner Syndicate.

“He’s a very fancy horse — almost to an extreme sometimes — so I’ve been trying to get him taking me a bit more in the ring. He struggles with the tension in that it makes him move a little too much,” Lynn said. “He’s a very sensitive horse and sometimes holds his breath. The last year we’ve been working on getting him to breathe and relax and show off his fancy movement.”

While “Coolio” has been successfully campaigning at the Advanced level and finished third in the CCI4*-L here at Jersey Fresh last year, he missed completing a long format last fall to secure his qualifier for the Pan American Games, which run at a the CCI3*-L level.

“He’s a horse I like to have a lot of base fitness, and I didn’t think there was that much to be gained from running the same thing as last year,” Lynn said. “Some people get caught up in goals and having to prove everything in a selection year, and I’m going with my gut and thinking about the long run and the future with him, but also ticking the boxes of getting his qualifier.”

As for Lynn’s thoughts on Capt. Mark Phillips’ cross country course: “I thought the three-star was soft last year, and Mark has definitely asked more questions. The beginning is a little small to get them coming out, and then it gets bigger and bigger, but I think that’s good to build the horse’s confidence at the level. I think he’s done a good job to make the course more flowing on this piece of property.”

Robin Walker and SBT Barolo, a 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Loughehoe Guy X Tentore Flight, by Carrols Flight) he owns with Roger Schramm and Alston Kerr, scored 29.5 for second place in the horse’s debut at the level.

While it didn’t quite catch their personal best of 25.5 from Fair Hill last month, Robin said it was one of the horse’s best performances to date in a phase that has “been quietly uphill. … He’s got quite an opinion, and he doesn’t mind telling you when he doesn’t like things, and you can’t really tell him either.”

Robin has patiently built a partnership with the quirky gelding, whom he purchased as a 3-year-old at the Goresbridge Go For Gold Sale in Ireland and has produced through the levels. Tomorrow will be their biggest test to date as “Barry” takes on the longest course of his career.

“At this level you usually find you can answer the question or you can’t,” Robin said. “You’ve either done enough homework or you haven’t. He’s had enough preparation. I’m going to go out quicker than I would normally go. He’ll tell me if he’s enjoying it or not.”

Doug Payne and Starr Witness round out the top three in the CCI3*-L on a score of 30.1. The 8-year-old Dutch mare (Chello II x Carmen, by Veneur) Doug owns with Laurie McRee and Catherine Winter, won The Fork at Tryon CCI3*-S last month and is making her second career CCI3*-L start at Jersey Fresh.

“She was probably as consistent and steady and mistake-free as she’s been. She’s starting to turn the corner. There’s still another two years remaining I think (to reach her full potential in dressage). It’s going to be very exciting going forward,” Doug said. “She’s insanely talented. The hardest part is keeping her totally focused on the task at hand.”

Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Pick Pocket. Photo by Amy Flemming Waters Photography.

Looking to the rest of the CCI3*-L leaderboard, Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Pick Pocket, an 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse (Chacco Blue X Bracklin Mystique, by Solitair) owned by Lee Lee Jones, Annie Jones and Caroline Moran, scored 30.8 for fourth place in his debut at the level.

We have a tie for fifth place on 31.7 between Will Faudree and Caeleste, a 9-year-old Holsteiner mare (Contender X Happygolucky, by Lucky Lionell) owned by Jennifer Mosing and Sterling Silver Stables, and Alex Baugh and Mr. Candyman, a 12-year-old Holsteiner (Canto X Montara, by Corofino I) owned by Altorac Farm.

Click here to view final scores in the CCI3*-L at the conclusion of dressage. The final 10 horses in the CCI3*-S also did their tests this morning, with the top three from yesterday remaining unchanged. Click here to view comments from the CCI3*-S leaders after their tests.

Cross country starts at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow with the CCI3*-L, followed by the CCI4*-L at 9:50 a.m. There is no live stream, but EN will be running live updates. Click here for cross country start times.

The short-format divisions will conclude tomorrow, with show jumping over Chris Barnard’s course starting at 8 a.m. with the CCI4*-S, followed by the CCI3*-S at 9:48 a.m. The CCI4*-S will then go cross country at 11:25 a.m., followed by the CCI3*-S at 1:20 p.m.

Many thanks in advance to all the volunteers for their hard work on what is going to be a very busy day tomorrow! The forecast is calling for cool, overcast conditions — perfect cross country weather for the horses. EN wishes safe rides to all. Go Eventing.

#JFI3DE: WebsiteEntry StatusScheduleLive ScoresEN’s CoverageEN’s InstagramEN’s Twitter

Jersey Fresh Day Two: Emily Beshear Pilots Olney Uncle Sam to CCI4*-L Lead

Emily Beshear and Olney Uncle Sam. Photo by Amy Flemming-Waters Photography.

Emily Beshear piloted Jennifer Ward’s Olney Uncle Sam to the lead today in the CCI4*-L at the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event. While many riders struggled with exuberant, tense horses in dressage, “Sam,”an 11-year-old Trakehner (Sonset Seiger X Aerial, by Starman) bred in Maryland by Ami Howard of Olney Farm, looked right at home to score 32.9 in his debut at the level.

“He tends to be a bit of a lazy horse, so I’ve been working on some different routines for warm-up on dressage day to get him tuned up enough but for him to not decide it’s too much effort,” Emily said. “I think I’m close to getting the balance right. He went out for a lot of hand-grazing this morning and then he went out for a little lunge just to stretch out, and then he went in the ring and felt like he could show off some of the movements.”

Sam won the Advanced at Millbrook Horse Trials last year and finished the 2018 season as the Dutta Corp/USEF CCI3*-L Reserve Champion, but he has struggled with consistent cross country performances at the four-star level.

“With the length of the course, I think here it’s hard to know how the horses will handle all the twists and turns and ups and downs for that length of a duration. All the questions are very fair, but there are a lot of questions out there,” Emily said.

“Sam is a very honest horse on cross country, but he’s a bit of an overachiever in that sometimes he tries to guess what I want, as opposed to hear what I want, so sometimes I can have a runout when we’re not on the same page. When he’s on, he’s superb, so hopefully that will be tomorrow.”

Jacob Fletcher and Van Gough. Photo by Amy Flemming-Waters Photography.

Emily doesn’t have a single second in hand on cross country, as Jacob Fletcher sits just 0.1 penalties behind her on 33.0 with Van Gough, another horse making his CCI4*-L debut at Jersey Fresh.

“It’s definitely the best test he’s done,” Jacob said. He’s getting dangerously close to doing a good test. He got a bit uppity as he was going around the ring. I think the horses can see a lot above them when they get in the ring, and they can get a bit looky.”

“Van,” an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Wivollet Vanbeek x Woodland’s Flight, by Laughton’s Flight) owned by Fletcher Farms, is coming off a big win in the CCI4*-S at Chattahoochee Hills last month, but this will be the first time he’s tested over a 10-minute track.

“He hasn’t done a long (format four-star) before, so I’m just a little nervous as to when the tank will start running out. I don’t know when that might be,” Jacob said. “There are a few tough questions, so it’s just wait and see.”

Allison Springer and Business Ben. Photo by Amy Flemming-Waters Photography.

Allison Springer sits third on 33.7 with Business Ben, another horse tackling a CCI4*-L cross country course for the first time tomorrow. If his sassy dressage test can serve as any indicator, “Ben,” a 9-year-old unraced Thoroughbred (Artie Schiller X Min Elreeh, by Danzig) owned by The Business Ben Partnership, is feeling up to the challenge.

“He felt kind of full of it,” Allison said. “At the end of the trot work, he wasn’t as fluid and nice as usual. … He actually bucked in the last canter. I just laughed! He wasn’t trying to be naughty or resistant; he’s just exuberant.”

As for Allison’s thoughts on Capt. Mark Phillips’ course: “I think Mark has done a tremendous job trying to re-route the track here, but it is still windy … and the waters are really tough.”

Fylicia Barr and Galloway Sunrise. Photo by Amy Flemming-Waters Photography.

Looking to the rest of the CCI4*-L leaderboard, Fylicia Barr and her mother Shannon Barr’s Galloway Sunrise, a 10-year-old American Warmblood mare they bought off Craigslist for $500 as a yearling, scored 34.4 for fourth place. These two are looking to complete their second CCI4*-L, having ticked the box at the Dutta Corp Fair Hill International last fall.

Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Singapore round out the top five on 35.3. The 10-year-old KWPN (Singapore x Reidellia, by Animo) owed by Annie Jones, Tom Tierney, and Dave and Patricia Vos, is also making his CCI4*-L debut at Jersey Fresh.

Click here to view full scores in the CCI4*-L after dressage. You can view videos from today’s dressage action on The Horsepesterer’s YouTube Channel. Many thanks to Amy Flemming-Waters for providing beautiful photos from dressage today.

Just 8 seconds separate the entire top 10 in the CCI4*-L, so going as close to the optimum time of 10 minutes, 17 seconds as possible tomorrow will prove paramount. Cross country starts at 8:30 a.m. with the CCI3*-L, followed by the CCI4*-L at 9:50 a.m. There is no live stream, but EN will be running live updates. Click here for cross country start times.

#JFI3DE: WebsiteEntry StatusScheduleLive ScoresEN’s CoverageEN’s InstagramEN’s Twitter

ERA of NA on Flag Penalty Rule: ‘Specific Ground Rules and Guidelines Needed’

Fence 11A – Rolex Grand Slam Challenge – at Kentucky, where Will Coleman and Tight Lines were assessed 15 penalties for missing a flag. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

The Event Riders Association of North America (ERA of NA) released a statement this afternoon suggesting that “more discussion on the interpretation of the 15 Penalty Flag Rule among all FEI officials, organizers and competitors is required.”

The new FEI rule, Art. 549.2, altered the definition of what is considered a runout and changed the penalties for missing a flag to 15. A run-out, missing a flag and clear jumping effort are now defined as follows:

a) Run-Out: A Horse is considered to have run out (20 penalties) if, having been presented at an element or obstacle on the course, it avoids it in such a way that the body of the Horse (head, neck, shoulders and pelvis – legs are not included) fail to pass between the extremities of the element or obstacle as originally flagged. Continuing on course without representing will incur elimination.

b) Missing a flag: A Horse is considered to have missed a flag (15 penalties) if the Horse jumps the dimension of the obstacle and the majority of the Horse’s body (as defined above) passes through the flags. This means that some part of the body is not inside the flags (e.g. one shoulder, or one shoulder and part of one hip).

c) The Horse will have successfully negotiated the fence, if the body of the Horse (as defined above) has passed the fence as originally flagged (i.e. the body but not all the legs are inside the flag is considered clear).”

The FEI Eventing Committee released a clarification on how the rule is meant to be interpreted ahead of the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, and “agreed that the following considerations must be taken into account when judging the run-out/flag situation on Cross Country:

  1. The Fence Judge is responsible for taking a decision as to a penalty to be awarded to the combination
  2. Knocking down a flag will not entail an automatic penalty
  3. The Ground Jury will only review any specific requests for clarification made by a Fence Judge or an Athlete after the penalty has been awarded
  4. Video reviews should be done immediately by the TD and/or GJ if there is a doubt, not left until after the XC so scores can be published and updated during competition
  5. When reviewing a video, it must be easy to decide if the horse is inside the flags, if it is necessary to review several times, the decision should be made in favour of the rider.
  6. As always if there is a doubt give the benefit of the doubt to the competitor.
  7. 15 penalties on Cross Country will maintain the MER on Cross Country

 

A meeting to further clarify the rule for officials and riders was held prior to cross country at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials, which ERA of NA said “has bettered the interpretation of this rule, yet as a Rider’s Organization, letting our voices be further heard is a priority to ensuring the fair and consistent management of our sport on all fronts.”

Click here to read the full statement, which emphasizes “the mission and responsibility of the ERA of NA is to identify challenges within the sport and to advocate for the best solutions on behalf of all competitors. As such, we recommend the establishment of specific ground rules and guidelines so that all FEI officials are able to consistently and dependably interpret and implement this new rule.

“As an organization, we stand ready to participate and collaborate in the development of these standards. The USEF, USEA, British Eventing, other National Governing Bodies and ERA (International, UK, and NA) must work with the FEI to establish a standardized, uniform policy whereupon competitors, owners and spectators need not question the consistency of its application.

“Additionally, in order to ensure the most effective use of  this rule, the Ground Jury must be completely transparent in its interpretation. For educational purposes, the timely access to all deciding factors in determining the assessment of 15 penalties is paramount, thereby ensuring all competitors are fully aware of the grounds on which this rule is applied.”

What do you think, EN? Weigh in with your thoughts in the comments below.

[ERA of NA Statement Regarding FEI 2019 Eventing Rule Article 549.2 – Run Out – Missing a Flag]

Jersey Fresh: Lauren Kieffer & Boyd Martin Top Day One Dressage Leaderboards

Lauren Kieffer and D.A. Duras. Photo by Alison Green Photography.

The first day of dressage kicked off under chilly, overcast conditions at the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event in Allentown, New Jersey. At the conclusion of the first phase for the CCI4*-S, Lauren Kieffer and D.A. Duras prevailed to top the leaderboard on 31.1.

D.A. Duras, an 11-year-old KWPN gelding (Numero Uno X Medoc, by Quattro) owned by Jacqueline Mars and Debbie Adams, last contested an international at Red Hills last year and has had time off ever since recovering from a minor injury. He quietly returned to competing in an Open Intermediate section at Ocala last month.

“We took a long time to bring him back, probably more than was necessary, but it worked in our favor because it gave him more time to mature. He’s been very workmanlike,” Lauren said. “He was great in the ring today. It was cold and windy and blustery, but he stayed rideable, and it was a test where I could really push on him through it.”

Lauren is taking it one event at a time with D.A. Duras and is tentatively aiming him for the CCI4*-L at Bromont next month. With that in mind, she is looking to give him a solid prep run over Capt. Mark Phillips’ track on Saturday.

“The course is pretty technical, and there are a lot of fences. The short-format course has 29 numbered fences, and the long format has 30 fences and a lot less time to do. it. Mark has done a great job; the footing is good,” Lauren said. “He’s a rideable horse and likes to be quick anyways. We won’t put the hammer down since it’s his second run back, but we won’t be going slow either.”

Allie Knowles and Princess B. Photo by Alison Green Photography.

Allie Knowles sits second in the CCI4*-S with Nancy Elberty’s homebred Princess B, a 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare (Calvados X Rheabria Z, by Rex Z), on a score of 32.7 — a 2.4-mark improvement on their debut at the level at Chattahoochee Hills last month.

Boyd Martin sits third on 33.0 with his homebred Ray Price, a 10-year-old Thoroughbred/Dutch gelding (Raise A Stanza X Fair Fiona, by Salute) owned by the Ray Price W Syndicate. “Ray” was originally entered to make his CCI5*-L debut at the Land Rover Kentucky Three Day Event last month, but Boyd opted to aim for the CCI4*-L at Bromont instead.

Boyd Martin and Ray Price. Photo by Alison Green Photography.

“He’s been at the level for a year now. He’s a sensitive horse and has taken a little bit longer to develop than some of my others. He can get a little bit nervous and on edge in the ring,” Boyd said. “Today was a good day. He took a deep breath and relaxed in an arena that can cause a lot of horses to be tense. If the ground is good, I’ll open him up and give him a good spin around on Saturday.”

Will Coleman sits fourth on 33.5 with The Off The Record Syndicate’s Off The Record, with Allie Knowles also sitting fifth on 34.4 with Katherine O’Brien’s Morswood. Both horses are entered to compete in the Tattersalls CCI4*-L in Ireland later this month.

Boyd Martin and Luke 140. Photo by Alison Green Photography.

Looking to the CCI3*-S, Boyd Martin and his newest ride Luke 140 lead the 56-strong field after the first day of dressage, scoring 25.5 in the horse’s first international on U.S. soil. There are still 10 more horses to see in this division tomorrow morning.

“Luke,” an 8-year-old Holsteiner (Landos X Omega VI, by Limbus) owned by The Luke 140 Syndicate, was produced by Sweden’s Malin Petersen with strong results in Europe before being imported to the U.S. in February. He finished second in the Varsseveld CCI3*-L in the Netherlands last year on a final score of 38.5.

“I found Luke right at the top of Germany up near Denmark in January in the freezing cold,” Boyd said. “I’m very grateful I’ve had support and borrowed the money to syndicate him. At the moment, the horse has exceeded my expectations. We’ve only done two events since he arrived — one Training and one Prelim — and this is his first FEI competition with me. He’s a little horse under 16 hands, but he has a proper engine and a brilliant gallop, and he’s a good mover.”

As for his thoughts on Capt. Mark Phillips’ course, Boyd said, “It’s not overly big, which is important for this parcel of property since it’s such a twisty, turning course at this venue. It’s technical, with a lot of narrows and corners. It will take some efficient riding to get the time.”

With that in mind and considering it’s his first international with Luke, Boyd said his plan will be a strategically steady run with the future in mind. “We’re still developing a partnership, so it’s my intention to take it slow and steady on cross country and pick up some time penalties,” Boyd said.

“The plan is to keep him in short formats for most of the year, and perhaps move him up to Advanced horse trials before aiming for a long format towards the end of the year at Fair Hill. My aim is to produce him the right way for the future, and he is joining an exciting group of horses I have with potential to compete at a future Olympics or World Equestrian Games.”

(Luke is ineligible to be considered for this year’s U.S. Pan American Games team, as his purchase was finalized after March 1, the cut-off date to submit an application. Click here to review the selection procedures for the U.S. Pan American Games team.)

Colleen Loach and Vermont. Photo by Alison Green Photography.

Looking to the rest of the CCI3*-S leaderboard, Colleen Loach and Peter Barry’s Vermont, a 7-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Van Helloing X Hauptstutbuch Hollywood, by Heraldik xx), scored 27.6 to sit in second for Canada. These two are coming off a win in the Fair Hill CCI2*-S last month, where they finished on their dressage score of 28.3.

Alexa Gartenberg and her own Louis M, a 14-year-old Rheinlander gelding (Lissabon X Angelique M, by Abanos), round out the top three on 28.4. King Louis, as EquiRatings has dubbed him thanks to his prowess in dressage, is no stranger to Jersey Fresh, having won the CCI3*-L in 2017 with his previous jockey, Cornelia Dorr.

Alexa Gartenberg and Louis M. Photo by Alison Green Photography.

Clayton Fredericks and his own FE Coldplay sit fourth in the CCI3*-S on 29.8 — the only other score in the 20s all day across both divisions. With just 5% of today’s competitors going sub-30 in cold, windy, spooky conditions, tomorrow’s warmer forecast should prove a welcome change.

The remainder of the CCI3*-S horses will do their dressage starting at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow morning, followed by the CCI3*-L at 10 a.m. and the CCI4*-L at 10:15 a.m. Click here to view dressage start times.

There is no live stream from Jersey Fresh, but The Horsepesterer, better known as David Frechette, will be uploading videos to his YouTube Channel. Many thanks to Alison Green, official event photographer, for providing EN with beautiful photos from the last two days. Shelby Allen and yours truly arrive on the grounds tomorrow. See you then! Go Eventing.

#JFI3DE: WebsiteEntry StatusScheduleLive ScoresEN’s CoverageEN’s InstagramEN’s Twitter

MARS EQUESTRIAN Announced as Great Meadow International Title Sponsor

Will Coleman and Off The Record, winners of the 2018 Great Meadow International CCI4*-S. Photo by Jenni Autry.

MARS EQUESTRIAN has been announced as the new title sponsor for Great Meadow International (GMI), which will host a CCI4*-S, CCI3*-S and CCI2*-S on Aug. 22-25 in The Plains, Virginia. David O’Connor, founder of event organizer Five Rings Eventing, said the vision of MARS EQUESTRIAN aligns perfectly with GMI’s mission.

“Dedicated to sustainability, MARS EQUESTRIAN is the right fit as the title sponsor for the Great Meadow International,” David said. “The sport of eventing, and all equestrian pursuits, depends on the preservation of open space, and in that common bond, MARS EQUESTRIAN is a most welcome partner for this historic horse community.”

Dr. Bridgett McIntosh, director of MARS EQUESTRIAN, said the company is thrilled to be on board as title sponsor for GMI. “Offering multiple levels of competition in a community-focused event, with pet-friendly activities for fans, creates the ideal intersection for MARS, Incorporated’s diverse portfolio of brands. Ultimately, the partnership with GMI is central to our purpose to improve the lives of horses, pets, and the people who love them.”

Great Meadow International is rolling out a revamped event this year with a focus on providing the best possible experience for spectators. The event is now dog-friendly, and leashed dogs are welcome to enjoy amenities like the VIP — “Very Important Pooch” — cooling tent, plus treat samples and swag. A variety of dog demonstrations and “canine-friendly programming” will also take place throughout the weekend.

“Great Meadow is truly a special place in the heart of Northern Virginia horse country,” David said. “In a few short years, the Great Meadow Foundation has created an amazing venue that has contributed to the sport on multiple levels. We are pleased to partner with MARS EQUESTRIAN to continue to expand what was started by the generous donors who are dedicated to open space and equestrian sport in this area and beyond. We are especially excited to broaden the reach of this event to be more inclusive of our community members, businesses, and organizations who share our love of open space, animal well-being, and the Piedmont.”

 

Tickets to GMI are available here. All general admission tickets to GMI include general parking and admission to the venue and Meadow Market vendor village, featuring live entertainment, a beer garden, tasty offerings from top local food trucks and family friendly games.

Reserved ringside boxes, tailgates and tables in the VIP tent are also available.

[MARS EQUESTRIAN™ – New Title Sponsor of Great Meadow International]

All Accepted at Jersey Fresh International First Horse Inspection

Lynn Symansky and SpectraVET Tempranillo. Photo by Alison Green/Jersey Fresh.

All pairs were accepted in both the CCI4*-L and CCI3*-L at the first horse inspection held this afternoon at the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event. Both divisions are serving as selection trials for the U.S. Pan American Games team, so all eyes will be on the action this weekend in Allentown, New Jersey.

The CCI4*-L ground jury of Sue Baxter (GBR), Jo Young (CAN) and Wayne Quarles (USA) sent two horses to the holding box: Caroline Martin’s mount Danger Mouse and Erin Pullen’s mount Tag. Both were accepted upon re-inspection.

The CCI3*-L ground jury of Bobby Stevenson (USA), Valerie Vizcarrando-Pride (USA) and Janice Conlon (USA) sent one horse to the holding box in Heather Jane Morris’ mount Jos UFO De Quidam, who was also accepted upon re-inspection.

A total of 19 horses will start in the CCI4*-L, with 17 in the CCI3*-L. The CCI4*-S, which has 31 starters, and CCI3*-S, which has 57 starters, will start first with dressage tomorrow, followed by dressage for the long format divisions on Friday. Start times for dressage are available at this link.

The schedule is a bit different this year, with the short format divisions holding both show jumping and cross country on Saturday. Sunday will feature show jumping for the long format divisions, as well as the new $2,500 Preliminary Derby presented by East Coast Equine Performance LLC.

If you’re going to the event, be sure to thank Boehringer Ingelheim for once again generously sponsoring the competitor hospitality tent, which includes a comfortable lounge and on-site gym this year. Click here for more details.

Keep it locked on EN for everything you need to know from Jersey Fresh. Go Eventing.

#JFI3DE: WebsiteEntry Status, Dressage Start TimesScheduleLive ScoresEN’s CoverageEN’s InstagramEN’s Twitter

Bromont Rising Grant Program Recipients Announced

Arielle Aharoni and Dutch Times. Photo by Jenni Autry.

The Organizing Committee of the MARS EQUESTRIAN Bromont CCI Three-Day Event just announced the grant recipients for the inaugural Bromont Rising program. The following horse and rider combinations will receive a CA$3,000 grant to offset the cost of competing at the event:

  • Ariel Aharoni and Dutch Times
  • Woods Baughman and Contendro
  • Bradley Champagne and Wallaroo W
  • Gabby Dickerson and Governor SGS
  • Renee Kalkman and Flame Eternal or Qupid
  • Ema Klugman and Bendigo or Joker’s Win
  • Ashlynn Meuchel and Emporium
  • Mike Pendleton and Steady Eddie
  • Greta Schwickert and FE Charles Owen

Emily Lehman and Martial Arts. Photo by Jenni Autry.

The following horse and rider combinations have been selected as alternates and will receive a free entry in addition to participating in the full training program:

  • Shelby Brost and Crimson
  • Emily Lehman and Martial Arts
  • Emma Lomangino and Riot Act
  • Brooke Massie and Serendipity
  • Maxine Preston and Shannondale Magnum
  • April Simmonds and Blyth’s Centurion FE

“We had an unexpectedly large number of excellent candidates from both the U.S. and Canada,” said Kerry Millikin, one of the selectors for the program alongside Peter Gray. “Peter and I were very impressed with the quality of the applicants and their earnestness. Many of these riders could only make it to Bromont with the financial assistance that this program is providing. It’s a great idea. I hope that other venues will follow Bromont’s lead here.”

Peter Gray added: “The expense involved in getting to a world-class FEI event can be staggering. I applaud the Bromont Organizing Committee for hatching this program. There is a deep pool of unrecognized talent out there, and many of these riders just need some financial help to realize their potential.”

MARS EQUESTRIAN, title sponsor of the event, is also supporting the Bromont Rising program. “We are very pleased to be part of this new program,” Geoff Galant, Vice President of MARS Equestrian, said. “It is so important to help these younger riders achieve their potential. We are proud to help these riders who are the future of this sport and the next generation of high performance competitors.”

In addition to the grant, the riders will receive two days of mounted instruction prior to the start of the event from Kerry, Peter and Doug Payne, as well as coaching during the event. Boyd Martin and Jessica Phoenix will be the featured speakers for the program, which will also include unmounted educational sessions on conformation and soundness, as well as sponsorship of riders from the owners’ perspective.

“I hope that other event organizers see the importance of offering a program like this,” Sue Ockendon, head of the Bromont Organizing Committee, said. “The willingness of so many top international riders and clinicians to so generously give their time and effort to bring along these younger riders is inspiring.”

Click here to learn more about the Bromont Rising Program. Congratulations to the grant recipients! Go Eventing.

[Bromont Announces Grant Recipients and Program Details]

Maryland Approves Planned Venue Upgrades for Fair Hill’s Future Five-Star

Artistic rendering of the imagined CCI5* cross-country water jump and temporary hospitality facilities looking toward the grandstand area. Image courtesy of the Fair Hill Foundation.

The Maryland Board of Public Works voted today to approve the Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area Equine Improvements Project, which will bring facility upgrades to the venue in preparation of hosting a CCI5*-L event starting in 2020.

A formal groundbreaking ceremony will take place during the 80th Fair Hill Races on May 24-25. Three new arenas will be installed on the in-field of the existing turf racecourse for dressage and show jumping. Ian Stark, who was named course designer for the new CCI5*-L cross country course in March, has already made his first site visit to lay out the track.

Fair Hill confirmed to EN that Ian will also design the CCI3*-L course at the venue starting in 2020, and a CCI4*-L will not run in 2020 due to the planned addition of the CCI5*-L. Derek di Grazia is still the designer for the CCI4*-L and CCI3*-L courses for the 2019 event, which will be held Oct. 16-20.

Artistic rendering showing the potential main arena, warm-up arena, irrigation pond and turf course. Image courtesy of the Fair Hill Foundation.

Fair Hill’s historic turf racecourse, built in the late 1920s and modeled after Aintree Racecourse in England, is also receiving a facelift. The course will be resurfaced, realigned and irrigated in anticipation of hosting world-class turf racing and steeplechase racing at the venue.

Jay Griswold, Vice President of the Fair Hill Foundation’s Board of Directors, said the facility improvements will help create a stronger revenue model for hosting major equestrian and recreational events at the venue

“The approval by the Board of Public Works is a very big step toward sustaining the future of Fair Hill,” Jay said. “We look forward to construction getting underway and advancing the plans for the five-star event next year. This is an exciting day for Maryland and all of our great partners who have been supporting this project from the beginning.”

Visit FairHillFoundation.org for more information about the planned venue upgrades. Go Eventing.

Vote for the Winner of EN’s 8th Annual Kentucky Top Dog Contest!

It’s time to vote for the winner of EN’s 8th Annual Kentucky Top Dog Contest, presented by World Equestrian Brands! With beautiful weather this year at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, the dogs were out in full force at the Kentucky Horse Park.

This year the lucky winner will take home a set of the all new Equilibrium Tri-Zone Impact XC Boots, courtesy of EN’s longtime sponsor World Equestrian Brands. Voting will close Friday, May 10 at noon EST.

Cast your vote for your favorite dog in the poll below. Click here to catch up on all of EN’s #LRK3DE coverage. Go Eventing!

Contestant #1 – Booker

Booker, submitted by Brooke Schaefer.

Contestant #2 – Indy

Indy, submitted by Rachael Leneweaver.

Contestant #3 – Willow

Willow, submitted by Katherine Zapala.

Contestant #4 – Sig

Sig, submitted by Jarrett Bill.

Contestant #5 – Tozer

Tozer, submitted by Jordan Fellers.

Contestant #6 – Gizmo

Gizmo, submitted by Michelle Clark.

Contestant #7 – Cassie

Cassie, submitted by Elizabeth Kantra.

Monday News & Notes from Fleeceworks

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Hard work, systems and dreams #YearOfThePig

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“She’s so ‘unspecial’ that she’s special.” Those words — made famous by Jonelle Price when she won her first five-star last year at Badminton aboard Classic Moet — rang once again in my ears when Piggy French took her first five-star win aboard another unassuming mare. Vanir Kamira, a horse Piggy described as a “pain in the ass 362 days a year,” blossomed on the world’s biggest stage to clinch an emotional 100th top level win for Great Britain.

Had you told Piggy last week she would win Badminton, she would have absolutely laughed in your face. I know this because I told her on several occasions that a top result could happen with Vanir Kamira, and she firmly rejected the notion, which is understandable when you consider Piggy’s past form at the venue. In her six previous attempts at Badminton, Piggy had only completed the storied event twice, and not since 2011. “You get so used to it not being your day, and going home, and you just keep going,” Piggy said after taking the win.

Eventing is a sport of resilience, and Piggy should inspire riders of all walks of life that the impossible can become possible, if only you keep fighting. EN’s roving reporter Tilly Berendt — who also shares a name with Vanir Kamira, better known as “Tilly” to her friends — masterfully captured the Badminton finale in her final report. Click here to catch up on all of EN’s Badminton coverage, proudly presented by Voltaire Design United Kingdom. Go Eventing.

MUST READ: When Pigs Fly: Piggy French Takes Badminton

Badminton Links: WebsiteFinal ScoresLive StreamEN’s CoverageEN’s InstagramEN’s Twitter

U.S. Weekend Action:

The Event at Skyline H.T. [Final Scores]

MCTA H.T. [Final Scores]

Poplar Place H.T. [Final Scores]

Your Monday News & Notes:

Racing enthusiasts are still struggling to grasp the outcome of the Kentucky Derby, which saw the winner disqualified for the first time in the 145-year history of the iconic race. If you’ve been looking for more analysis on why the track stewards opted to disqualify Maximum Security and give Country House the win, our friends at The Paulick Report have a round-up of must-read articles. [Columnists Sound Off On Kentucky Derby Disqualification]

Did you know Boyd Martin’s Kentucky mount Tsetserleg is also a graduate of the USEA Young Event Horse program? Read more about his road to clinching the National CCI5*-L Championship, plus meet the other YEH graduates who competed at Kentucky this year. [How Did the YEH Graduates Do at LRK3DE?]

If you haven’t been following along with the #SundaySchool series from Horse & Hound, you are seriously missing out. This week’s edition addresses how to nail the perfect counter-canter in your dressage test. (My last Preliminary test resulted in two lovely if unwelcome flying changes in the counter-canter both directions, so I’ll be reading this edition extra closely.) [#SundaySchool: how to develop and nail counter-canter]

Your Monday Video:

“Piggy, you’re crying … everyone is crying! How do you feel?”

Best of Badminton Social Media: Townend Totally Unstoppable on Day 2

Oliver Townend made history again today at Badminton by becoming the first rider to ever sit first and second after dressage at the storied event. The stage is set for a spectacular showdown on Eric Winter’s cross country course tomorrow. If you’re not already scrolling through Instagram to dull the pain of not being there in person, allow EN to assist. Here’s what went down on social media today:

Jonty Evans delighted the crowds with demonstrations during the lunch break …

Ben Hobday is a big Game of Thrones fan …

Adorable dogs were out in full force …

And that’s just the beginning! Keep scrolling for the best of social media from day two at Badminton.

#MMBHT: WebsiteDrawn OrderScheduleStart TimexLive ScoresLive StreamEN’s CoverageEN’s Course PreviewEN’s Form GuideEN’s InstagramEN’s Twitter

Best of Social Media: A Record-Breaking Day at Badminton

Badminton started off today with a resounding bang, with Oliver Townend and Cillnabradden Evo scoring 19.7 as just the fourth pair down centerline to set a new dressage record for the venue. EquiRatings thinks he can go even lower tomorrow with Ballaghmor Class, but Sam Watson also took to social media to make an interesting point.

“Arctic Soul and Star Witness will get no extra marks for going faster than the optimum time on cross-country — they’re 20 marks behind the current leader. In dressage there is no limit to the advantage — perhaps we need an optimum dressage score to balance the game?

“The trend of dressage horses competing in eventing continues. Expect more and more dressage records. Expect fewer proper cross-country horses. The points available in dressage make it far more influential than show jumping where lots of people all get the best possible score of zero. Oliver is 8 penalties clear after the morning session — the equivalent of everyone else having at least two rails down.

“Only one phase rewards extreme performance. No wonder we train it all the time. No wonder we see dressage horses going cross-country more and more. Would love to see an optimum line in dressage (70%). If more than one finishes on zero, then split them on dressage percentage. Takes the pressure of dressage judging to an extent as well. We would look for a ‘good enough’ performance like we do in the jumping phases. It would be about three good phases, not one exceptional phase with margin for error in the others.”

What do you think about Sam’s point? Let us know in the comments below, and keep scrolling for more of the best posts on social media today. As for an update on Wembley, who Tamie Smith withdrew from the holding box yesterday due to an untimely abscess, she confirmed he will be staying in England and re-routing to Bramham CCI4*-L next month.

#MMBHT: WebsiteDrawn OrderScheduleDressage TimetableLive ScoresLive StreamEN’s CoverageEN’s Course PreviewEN’s Form GuideEN’s InstagramEN’s Twitter

Ros Canter Tops FEI World Rankings, Lauren Kieffer Leads Way for USA

Ros Canter and Allstar B. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Ros Canter has overtaken the top spot on the latest FEI World Eventing Rankings with 564 points, making her the first woman since Mary King in 2012 to hold the title.

Following her individual gold victory with Allstar B at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games, Ros is taking time away from competing and is expecting her first child in July.

Tim Price moved up one spot to second with 550 points following his third-place result with Xavier Faer at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event.

Oliver Townend slipped from FEI World No. 1 down to third place with 529 points, as his additional points from finishing a second horse in the top 10 at Kentucky in 2018 have now rolled off the tally.

Piggy French and Quarrycrest Echo. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Great Britain holds five of the top six slots in the rankings, with Piggy French moving up two places to fourth on 435 points after placing fourth with Quarrycrest Echo at Kentucky. Tom McEwen slipped one spot to fifth with 398 points. Gemma Tattersall also dropped one place to sixth on 391 points.

Sam Watson moved up four places to seventh with 385 points after winning the Ballindenisk CCI4*-L with Imperial Sky last month. He became the first Irish rider in history to sit inside the top 10 of the world rankings last year after winning team silver at WEG.

Jonelle Price slipped one place to eighth with 384 points and will lose more valuable points following Badminton, as she unfortunately withdrew Classic Moet on Monday and will be unable to defend her title.

Lauren Kieffer and Paramount Importance. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Lauren Kieffer is the highest placed U.S. rider, moving up to ninth on 378 points after finishing in the top 10 with both Paramount Importance and Vermiculus at Kentucky.

Boyd Martin moved back into the top 10 with 367 points thanks to finishing second and clinching the U.S. National CCI5*-L Championship with Tsetserleg at Kentucky.

Looking to other U.S. riders in the top 50, Phillip Dutton sits 14th with 33 points, Caroline Martin sits 21st with 317 points, Liz Halliday-Sharp sits 28th with 295 points, Doug Payne sits 43rd with 253 points, and Tamie Smith rounds out the top 50 with 236 points.

Jessica Phoenix is the highest ranked Canadian rider, moving up to 88th on 182 points after finishing 15th at Kentucky with Bogue Sound.

Click here to view the full world rankings. Go Eventing.

It’s Go Time! EN’s Team Picks for Kentucky 2019

Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class, winners of the 2018 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

The Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event is upon us! With the dressage off and away this morning, the EN team is ready to make our picks for horses and riders we think will stand out in six categories: Big Winner, Top American, Top Canadian, Spoiler Alert, Top Thoroughbred and Best Mare. (EN’s data analyst Maggie Deatrick also went rogue and added two of her own categories.)

SHELBY ALLEN

Big Winner: Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg. I’m going all in for an American this year, and who better than Boyd and “Thomas.” I should add this is not data-based in any way, I just think last year’s WEG might be a powerful motivator!  

Top American: Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg

Top Canadian: Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue d’Argouges

Spoiler Alert: Sharon White and Cooley On Show

Top Thoroughbred: Will Coleman and Tight Lines

Best Mare: Hallie Coon and Celien

JENNI AUTRY

Big Winner: Piggy French and Quarrycrest Echo

Top American: Phillip Dutton and Z

Top Canadian: Waylon Roberts and Lancaster

Spoiler Alert: Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deniro Z

Top Thoroughbred: Will Coleman and Tight Lines

Best Mare: Hallie Coon and Celien

TILLY BERENDT

Big Winner: For me, there’s going to be a three-way battle for the win: we’ve got last year’s winner in the mix, the incredible Quarrycrest Echo, piloted by Piggy French, and, of course, Burghley winner Tim Price, who brings forward Xavier Faer. I know Jenni’s money is on Piggy, and I’m ALL about the #YearOfThePig, but just to mix things up a bit, I’m going to say that Tim takes it and sets himself up for a Grand Slam attempt the following week at Badminton. ‘Hugo’ might fly under the radar in comparison to some of the other Price horses, but he was third at Badminton in 2017 – and the extra prize pot the Grand Slam provides would buy baby Otis one heck of a first pony.

Top American: Deniro Z is the classiest horse Liz Halliday-Sharp has ever had at the upper levels, in my humble opinion, and both are very capable of producing the goods. This will be a second five-star for the eleven-year-old gelding – he went to Luhmühlen last year and finished eighth in a hot field. He was also fifth in Blenheim’s eight- and nine-year-old class a couple of seasons back, so he’s proven that he can take on the big boys. He beat the likes of Vassily de Lassos and Oratorio there. I’d LOVE to see these guys win it, and they could well do, but they’ll certainly be my pick for the best American finishers.

Top Canadian: Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a huge fan of feisty, pocket rocket mares, and Hawley Bennett-Awad’s Jollybo totally ticks all my boxes. She was twelfth here in 2017, and although last year’s run (and the WEG) didn’t go quite to plan, I think this horse has an even better result in her. I’m also a bit biased – she was sourced for previous rider Justine Dutton by British eventer Kate Tarrant, with whom my horse and I are based, and Jollybo is a Jumbo baby, while mine is a maternal granddaughter of the stallion. Just because I’m a professional, that doesn’t mean I need to base all my decisions on logic and stats, right?!

Spoiler Alert: Tsetserleg had a bit of an unfortunate WEG – he and Boyd Martin picked up 20 penalties across the country after they fell victim to the bogey boat. But they’ve come back this spring and conquered it, winning the Fork CCI4*-S at Tryon in the process. A (literal) dark horse win here would be a brilliant final piece of the redemption arc, and a big Boydo win would give all of us at EN a chance to share the most embarrassing photos we’ve got of him on the open threads. That would be something truly special.

Top Thoroughbred: I’m looking forward to watching Australia’s Hazel Shannon and Willingapark Clifford. They’ve already won twice at this level – in fact, they’re the only pair to take the title at Adelaide on two occasions – but this will be our first time seeing them outside of their home country. Adelaide and Kentucky are very different tracks, but this is a seriously plucky pair, and Hazel is determined to do big things. She took over the ride on Oliver Townend’s Badminton runner-up Cooley SRS over the winter.

Best Mare: My favourite mare in the field is Celien, ridden by Hallie Coon. They travelled to Pau for their first five-star last season and absolutely blossomed under the pressure, delivering an enormous PB in the dressage to sit in the top ten after the first phase. It was a strong field, too – they eclipsed the likes of Bettina Hoy and Designer 10, which is pretty staggering, all things considered. They had to relinquish their hold on a top placing on cross-country day, when they added a fair few time penalties – but they produced a classy clear round, and Hallie learned a huge amount about fitness at this level. She’s been working hard over the winter and CeCe is looking the best she ever has. My money is firmly on these two to be seriously impressive this week.

MAGGIE DEATRICK

Big Winner: I’m of the strong opinion that come Sunday morning, it’ll be down to the wire between the two Brits coming from abroad: Quarrycrest Echo and Cooley Master Class. A rail will spell a loss for either one of them but if they both jump clear, I think we’ll see Piggy French atop the podium with Oliver Townend right behind her.

Top American: Predicable, I know, but my money is on Phillip Dutton and Z. This horse’s jumping record is pretty impeccable and despite a light competition season this spring, his dressage seems to be just as on track as it was before WEG. I’m not sure he can catch the British invaders yet but sealing the deal on the USEF 5* Championship should be a good consolation prize.

Top Canadian: Colleen Loach has been chipping away in the background with Qorry Blue d’Argouges for a long time now, and the consistency these two have is a credit to their partnership. Colleen will have a chance to take a risk this year with the speed on cross-country day, as this is the pair’s first 5* where they don’t need to worry either about the team or qualifying for a team.

Spoiler Alert:  Tim Price and Xavier Faer will either be right at the top battling it out for first or they won’t factor into the top twenty. This pair is one of the fastest in the field at the CI*-L format, having made the time in three of their four clean 4/5*-L runs. The fourth time they were only four seconds over time. But they’ve only had one clean run in three 5* attempts so it’s a make or break weekend for Xavier Faer.

Top Thoroughbred: Erin Sylvester’s ride Paddy the Caddy has shown so much consistency at the CI*-L level in all three phases. The biggest question of the weekend for him will be the jogs, but if he stays injury-free this weekend then he should have no trouble achieving the mantle of top Thoroughbred.

Best Mare: Celien is the clear stand-out in the top mare category, but the biggest question mark for this horse is her fitness levels. Hallie Coon has really blossomed in the dressage and stadium phases since spending the majority of last year overseas with Celien. She did a stand-up job of nursing the mare home last fall at Pau after Celien ran low on steam in their first 5*. Now they are back for a second crack with a horse who has more of a baseline fitness for this level.

Top First-time Horse: I made up a category because I simply have to call out Islandwood Captain Jack. Caroline Martin has brought this horse up the levels over the years and his jumping form cannot be faulted. He has never had a stadium rail at A/4*, ever. With the reduced emphasis on stadium time penalties (now only 0.4 penalties per second) and reduced emphasis on dressage, there’s a great chance that this horse could rocket up the ranks and finish well inside the top ten.

Exceeds Expectations: Liz Halliday-Sharp has been on absolute fire this spring and while the numbers are telling me that she and Deniro Z achieve a top ten finish, it’s easy to make the argument that this pair could achieve much more. There are two big question marks for me for Deniro Z: his fitness to put in a fast time at the CI*-L level and his ability to leave all the rails up on the final day. At Carolina, this horse put in the fastest round of the day and made it look easy; it’s clear he is the fittest he’s ever been. If that translates to an 11 minute course and then leaves him enough gas in the tank to put in a clear round on Sunday, he could contest for a top spot against our foreign invaders.

ABBY POWELL

Big Winner: Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class obviously have a real edge here being last year’s winners, HOWEVER, I think that the motivation of the Grand Slam is going to help boost Tim Price and Xavier Faer to the top of the podium. We haven’t seen this horse’s name come up much on the world stage, but he’s actually got some quite good finishes on his record including a 3rd place finish at Badminton in 2017. That’s nothing to sniff at! Tim also spent some of the winter doing pure show jumping with this horse so that’s sure to come in handy for the final phase. Honestly though, I’m just a huge Tim Price fan and I truly love the way he rides and in particular I really love his elbows, seriously, watch them. They are SO SOFT.

Top American: I think it’s going to be a battle between Phillip and Boyd for this title and I think Boyd is going to take it this year. Not that I don’t think Z is absolutely super, but I remember watching Tsetserleg run around Kentucky last year thinking what a smooth, impressive round it was for the horse’s first five-star. Boyd has said that the horse feels more seasoned now so I’m excited to watch them this year!

Top Canadian: Toss up between Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue D’Argouges and Hawley Bennett-Awad and Jollybo for me, but I’m going to go with Jollybo because I can’t help but root for a little mare that could.

Spoiler Alert: Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class because of course.

Top Thoroughbred: I’m super intrigued by Australia’s Willingapark Clifford and Hazel Shannon, and if they don’t come out on top as a ‘spoiler alert’ then I at least am going to pick them for top Thoroughbred. This is a really experienced pair: they have two five-star wins at Adelaide along with a host of CCI4*-S wins in their native Australia.  

Best Mare: We only have four to choose from this year! I like Hallie Coon’s Celien for this title because she had a pretty fabulous showing at Pau last year.

LESLIE WYLIE

As caboose of this crazy train and a contrarian by nature, this year I’m refraining from picks and simply wishing every last horse and rider a safe, happy 2019 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event. Let’s do this thing. Go Eventing!

This post was edited to reflect my inability to distinguish between a mare and a gelding! – Shelby 

EN’s 8th Annual Kentucky Top Dog Contest, Presented by World Equestrian Brands

Dorsey, a past Top Dog contestant. Photo submitted by Robin Corr.

Keep your children on a leash and your dogs in focus! Sniffing, wagging, splashing, napping — and hopefully not chasing Buck Davidson — the pooches will be on parade at Kentucky this year.

Capture one with your camera in EN’s always popular 8th Annual Kentucky Top Dog Contest, presented by World Equestrian BrandsThis year the lucky winner will take home a set of the all new Equilibrium Tri-Zone Impact XC Boots.

Here are a few faves from past years to help you hone in on the hounds:

Bacon, 2018 Top Dog. Photo submitted by Maggie Hitron.

Indy, 2017 Top Dog Contest winner! Photo submitted by Rachael Leneweaver.

2015 Top Dog Lincoln in his Land Rover (Land Rover not included in prize).

Claire Ryner’s Macy.

Stephanie Sills’ Aiken

Kaylen Moon’s Tucker

Caitlin O’Shea’s Sophie

The winner will receive a set of the all new Equilibrium Tri-Zone Impact XC Boots in your choice of color: black, white, Azure Blue or Flame Red. This fabulous prize is valued at $275.00 and made possible thanks to EN’s longtime partner World Equestrian Brands.

Contest Details:

Send your photo to [email protected] with the subject line “Top Dog.” One entry per person.

Deadline: Sunday, April 29, 5 p.m. EST

41 Horses Accepted at Kentucky Three-Day Event First Inspection

Caroline Martin and Islandwood Captain Jack were the first pair down the jog strip. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

A total of 42 horses were presented at the first inspection on a beautiful afternoon here at the Land Rover Kentucky Three Day Event, with all but one accepted to send 41 forward to start the competition.

The ground jury of Christina Klingspor (SWE), Martin Plewa (GER) and Mark Weissbecker (USA) sent three horses to the holding box: Hallie Coon’s mount Celien, Erin Sylvester’s mount Paddy The Caddy, and Ashley Johnson’s mount Tactical Maneuver. Celien and Paddy The Caddy were accepted upon re-inspection, and Tactical Maneuver was sadly not accepted.

Liz Halliday-Sharp with a very fresh Deniro Z. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Jessica Phoenix was asked to jog Bogue Sound a second time before he was accepted; all other horses were accepted without issue. The jog proceeded relatively smoothly overall, though we certainly saw some fresh horses on the jog strip. Liz Halliday-Sharp’s mount Deniro Z was absolutely raring to go and sent more than a few spectators scattering as he pranced his way back to stabling.

Fashion is always on display on the Kentucky jog strip, and Chris Talley, who is making his five-star debut with Unmarked Bills, wore his suit in memory of his grandmother. The daisies embroidered on the fabric symbolized her favorite flower, and the word “Love,” so delicately stitched on the lapel, mimicked her handwriting.

Chris Talley, who is making his five-star debut with Unmarked Bills, wore a special suit in honor of his late grandmother. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Stay tuned for a full gallery of beautiful photos of every horse and rider from the one and only Shannon Brinkman, EN’s official Kentucky photographer. We will also be awarding the ever popular EN Unofficial Jog Awards.

Dressage starts at 10:30 a.m. EST on both Thursday and Friday and will stream live on USEF Network and Horse & Country TV depending on where you live in the world. Click here for a full guide on how to watch live. Click here for dressage start times.

Click here to check out a fence-by-fence preview of Derek di Grazia’s cross country course. Keep checking back for much more from Kentucky. Go Eventing.

#LRK3DE: WebsiteScheduleEntries & Drawn OrderHow to Watch LiveUSEF NetworkHorse & Country TVEN’s CoverageEN’s InstagramEN’s Twitter

First Look: Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event Course Preview

Fence 17AB – Land Rover Head of the Lake. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Here is your first look at Derek di Grazia’s cross country course for the 2019 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event! While the start and finish appear in the same usual location, the galloping lanes have been rearranged to give the course a different feel. There are 28 numbered obstacles spanning 6,452 meters with an optimum time of 11 minutes, 20 seconds.

Scroll down for a fence-by-fence preview with beautiful images from Shannon Brinkman Photography, EN’s official photographer for this year’s event. We’ll be bringing you plenty of analysis and comments from the riders as we look ahead to Saturday’s cross country day. Current weather conditions are predicting a beautiful sunny day like last year, so we are in for a real treat here in the Bluegrass State.

Stay tuned for much more from Kentucky. Go Eventing.

#LRK3DE: WebsiteScheduleEntries & Drawn OrderHow to Watch LiveUSEF NetworkHorse & Country TVEN’s CoverageEN’s InstagramEN’s Twitter

Your Shopping, Signing & Course Walk Guide to Kentucky 2019

Who will you walk the course with this year?

Kentucky … it’s the promised land for eventing enthusiasts in North America, and half the battle is deciding how to divvy up your time. We’ve compiled a list of shopping deals, autograph signings, and course walks to help you plan each day at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event. Now go forth and conquer!

[Sponsor Village Map]

[Trade Fair Map]

#LRK3DE: WebsiteScheduleEntries & Drawn OrderHow to Watch LiveUSEF NetworkHorse & Country TVEN’s CoverageEN’s InstagramEN’s Twitter

COSEQUIN

Booth #7 in Sponsor Village

  • Autograph signings at the booth after cross country
  • Snap a picture of the Cosequin logo and post it on social media with #ISpyCosequin to get a prize at the booth while supplies last.
  • The Annual Bucket Giveaway will take place at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. on Sunday.
  • Enter at the booth between 9 a.m. and noon on Thursday to win an exclusive course walk with Colleen Rutledge on Thursday afternoon.
  • Enter at the booth from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday and 9 a.m. to noon on Friday to win an exclusive course walk with Phillip Dutton on Friday afternoon.
  • Enter at the booth to win a special gift bucket. The winner will be drawn after the event and shipped to the winner.

ECOVET

  • Ecovet will be sold at State Line Tack, booth #224 in the Trade Fair.
  • Samples will be available on cross country day at tailgate spot #310.

FLAIR NASAL STRIPS

Booth #207 in the Trade Fair

  • Autograph signings with FLAIR riders (check back for details)
  • Daily giveaways for FLAIR strips at the booth

HORSEWARE

Booth #35 in Sponsor Village

  • Autograph signings with Horseware riders (check back soon for times)
  • Sign up at the booth for a $1,000 giveaway of Horseware products
  • Special deals:
    • Free pair of ice packs with any Ice-Vibe purchase
    • Free set of panels with any Sportz-Vibe purchase
    • Free Rambo saddle pad with every $150 purchase (while supplies last)
    • Free Nutrilick with every $50 purchase (while supplies last)
    • Free Amigo halter with any blanket purchase (while supplies last)

HYLOFIT

Booth # 16 in Sponsor Village
  • Three live demos with Erin Pullen:
    • Dressage test ride at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday
    • Freestyle routine at 12:50 p.m. on Friday
    • Jumping showcase before the Grand Prix on Saturday at approx 3:45 p.m.
  • Doug Payne and Clayton Fredericks will both be at the booth on Friday to discuss their conditioning regimens and how they have incorporated Hylofit into their training. Swing by the booth earlier in the week for exact times and a chance to win Hylofit swag.
  • Click here for full details on Hylofit programming during LRK3DE.

KENTUCKY PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS

Booth #184 in the Trade Fair

  • Daily giveaways with a grand prizing drawing for a year’s supply of Summer Games® Electrolyte
  • Must-see new product: InsulinWise™ — which supports normal insulin sensitivity in horses with metabolic syndrome

NUPAFEED USA

Booth #170 in the Trade Fair (with Landsafe)

  • Autograph signings with Hawley Bennett-Awad and Clayton Fredericks at Landsafe’s second location (New sponsor area on the hill – Booth #311).
  • Receive a $30 gift card with qualified purchases while supplies last
  • Nupafeed Supplements for Dogs are now available in the U.S. — check them out at the booth!

SMARTPAK

Booth #37 in the Sponsor Village

  • Free gift with purchase at the booth, plus lots of giveaways
  • Course walk with Boyd Martin on Friday, time TBD. Sign up here and choose the option to receive text messages for updates on timing. A special raffle will be held during the course walk for a Limited Edition SmartPak Yeti Cooler or Charles Owen MIPS Helmet.
  • Must-see products at the booth: your tried and true SmartPak favorites like Piper, Hadley and more!

WORLD EQUESTRIAN BRANDS

Booth #213 in the Trade Fair

  • Autograph signings with Buck Davidson, Sharon White, Hawley Bennett-Awad, Caroline Martin and Allie Knowles (check back for times)
  • Deep discounts on sale items from the outlet, such as Vespucci Voyager, Mattes pads in a variety of colors, and much more!
  • Special discounts:
    • 20% off any purchase over $250, excluding the outlet and sales items
    • Buy one get one half off if you buy a full set of Equilibrium boots
  • Must-see products at the booth:
  • Stop by the booth to answer special Kentucky trivia questions to win an Amerigo Leather Care Set

EN’s Annual Kentucky Pick ‘Em Contest, Presented by Omega Alpha

Take your best guess!

It’s Kentucky time, and you know what that means! It’s EN’s Contest Week! And it wouldn’t be EN’s Contest Week without our annual Pick ‘Em Contest brought to you by Omega Alpha. So we challenge you, dear readers, to pick the winner of the 2019 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event.

Get your calculators, Excel spreadsheets, FEI rider rankings, Magic-8 Ball, lucky T-shirt, maybe say some “Hail Mary Kings” and attempt to predict who will walk away with the win on Sunday.

Here’s how you play: Give us the name of the horse/rider combination you think will win and their overall score. As a tiebreaker, include your guess for who will finish second (score not required).

The contest entry with the correct horse/rider and closest score (and correct runner-up, if necessary) will win a prize package from Omega Alpha! The prize package is valued at $500 and includes:

  • 1 gallon of Sinew-X Plus – Muscle, Joint & Ligament Formula
  • 1 500 ml bottle of RegenerEQ – Digestion Stimulant Formula
  • 2 tubes of Chill Ultra – Promotes Focus and Calm
  • 2 Tubes of Equisel-BCAA – Recovery Formula with Branched Chain Amino Acids
  • 2 tubes of EnduraForce – Energy & Recovery Formula
  • 2 tubes of Gastra-FX Ultra – Stomach Support Formula
  • 1 500 g tub of Biotic 8 – Pre & Probiotic Digestion Formula

Please email your entries to [email protected] with “Pick ‘Em” in the title. Contest closes Thursday at 8 a.m. EST before the first dressage test. Entries are only open to readers in the U.S. and Canada.

As a bonus, you can enter to win a second prize pack at the Omega Alpha (Booth #163) in the Trade Fair. 

Here’s the entry list. Go Eventing.