Recently in Eventing History Category

Sometimes I get called upon by not-so-tech-savvy friends for assistance in completing tasks that usually wind up being simple and mundane, yet forgivably misunderstood by said victim of modern technology.  I lucked out recently, when a friend asked me to copy old VHS tapes onto shiny new DVDs.  The very first tape on the top of the stack just so happened to be a recording of the 1989 World Cup featuring the legendary Canadian showjumping combination, Ian Millar and Big Ben.

Once again we step into Marty's Delorean and fire up the flux capacitor, this time with the date set to USCTA NEWS December 1990 (Editor, Fifi Coles).  Read, reminisce, and enjoy!
Once again, ALL CREDIT due towards the wonderful folks at USCTA who first produced this article.  Any errors or typos are probably due to my re-typing skills, and are not the fault of the original writer or editor.   



Stephen Bradley shed his up-and-coming event rider label and stepped squarely into the spotlight by winning the Radnor Hunt CCI* and National Intermediate Championships, October 11-14, in Malvern, PA.  Bradley, 28, and Sassy Reason, a promising nine-year-old Thoroughbred owned by Ann Mills of Atlanta, Georgia, bested a field of 50, including his long-time coach and mentor Bruce Davidson, who finished second aboard Mr. and Mrs. Elkins Wetherill's Regent Lion. 

 

Mills bought the 16.2 hand bay Thoroughbred off the track and competed him through the Preliminary level before giving the reins to Bradley last spring.  The new partnership found immediate success that culminated in a preliminary-level win at the Essex Three-Day Event in May, where Davidson and Regent Lion, ironically, finished second.  Bradley and Sassy Reason moved to the Intermediate level this Fall, finishing second at both the Pleasant Hollow and Loudon Horse Trials.

 

At Radnor, the pair's best dressage test to date left them lying second to Real Pip and Torrance Watkins.  But dressage played only a minor role in the year's Radnor, where cross-country shuffled the scoreboard and proved the pinnacle test of the weekend.

 

To upgrade the existing CCA course to one-star CCI standard, course designer Jimmy Wofford added several new questions, almost all of them technical in nature.  The Network Coffin (fence 19ABCD), and corner options at 13 and 14 claimed many victims, with slick footing and hot, humid weather conditions adding to the problems.  Perhaps the course's technical nature broke up the horse's rhythm, resulting in fatigue; perhaps the weather was just too hot; perhaps the deep going took its toll.  Whatever the cause, time faults were the order of the day and only nine horses jumped without penalties.  Yet the top finishers jumped around with apparent ease, albeit slowly, proving that in a Three-Day Event, generalizations about the courses and conditions can be shaken askew by one bold, feisty horse like Sassy Reason, who looked ready to run around again at the course's end.

 

Torrance and Real Pip retired at the coffin, while Stephen moved into the lead, but the next few placings showed dramatic changes from Friday's standings.  Bruce Davidson and Regent Lion, a 6-year-old half-brother to Pirate Lion, the Bronze Medal winner at Stockholm, rose to second after finishing 15^th in dressage, and Californian Valerie Williams and R.H. Davis Co. Handsome Reward moved to third after finishing 24^th in dressage.  In fourth place, after a strong cross-country round, was Dorothy Trapp and Molokai, who had been 37^th after dressage.

 

Sunday's demanding show jumping course tested the remaining competitors, with few clear rounds up to the top four.  Anything could still happen, and Molokai looked headed for a clean score before hitting a big oxer at the course's end.  Then Handsome Reward, Regent Lion, and Sassy Reason jumped three textbook clear rounds to the delight of the spectators and vast applause, with Sassy Reason looking particularly fit, keen, and happy.

 

Stephen's impressive win bodes well for the future, when his partnership with Sassy Reason will move on to greater challenges next spring.  Meantime, Regent Lion added prestige to his reserve finish by winning the Prix de Veterinaire trophy for the best conditioned horse.

 

Valerie Williams, 29, who trains and teaches out of her Deckerlynne Farm in Lincoln, CA, overcame many personal and competitive obstacles to finish behind Stephen Bradley and Bruce Davidson.  She and her partner of three years, the 9-year-old Thoroughbred R.H> Davis Co. Handsome Reward, have competed successfully on the west coast, earning Horse of the Year honors for Area VI in 1989 at the Intermediate level.  But their long trek to Radnor last year proved disappointing, as Handsome Reward tied up in the vet box and had to be withdrawn.  This year, Valerie traveled east six weeks before Radnor to train with Jimmy Wofford and Torrance Watkins.  Her perseverance paid off, as the pair posted the fastest cross-country time of the day, with 10.8 penalties.

 

 

PRELIMINARY

 

25-year-old John Williams of Honeoye Falls, NY found himself in the Radnor winner's enclosure for the second time as he accepted honors for Preliminary Division B.  He spent some time there two years ago when he won the CCA aboard Gold Rush.  This time his partner was an 8-year-old Thoroughbred, Bailey, in his first Three-Day Event, whom John purchased with the money he earned from selling Gold Rush two years before.

 

Ritch Temple designed a lovely straightforward and inviting Preliminary course for Radnor, but the humidity took its toll and time faults were considerable.  Not so for Bailey, however, who blasted around 25 seconds under the optimum time, clinching the first-place spot after finishing fourth in dressage.  A clear show jumping round on Sunday gave him the win over Josh Walther and Off the Cuff.

 

In Preliminary Division A, Mike Plumb and Abigail Lufkin's 7-year-old English-bred, Lighter Than Air, didn't give anyone a chance to catch them, holding their lead from dressage day through the weekend.  Plumb and Lighter Than Air had won a Preliminary division at Ledyard the weekend before Radnor, and had also placed second in the Eastern DeBroke National Preliminary Championships at Millbrook.

 

Heidi Stuart Vahue and her young Dutch Warmblood, Enskadey, finished right behind, just as they had at the Eastern DeBroke, where they finished third.  "I just can't seem to catch that Mike Plumb!" laughed Vahue, who deservedly seemed pleased with her mount's promising finish in his first Three-Day Event.

 

The Division C win by Kip Holloway of Manakin-Sabot, VA, ought to give every adult amateur event rider something to cheer about.  Formerly competing up to the Intermediate level, Holloway took time off from the sport to raise her young daughter, work her full-time job in the insurance industry, and support her husband in vet school  She bought Castleton as a completely unbroken three-year-old five years ago and has brought him to Preliminary level, returning to an active competition schedule this year.  Castleton finished ninth after dressage before Kip piloted him to a clear and fast cross-country round, leaving them in third; a clean stadium round gave them the win.  Holloway's grooms for the Event included her mother-in-law and her husband, while her two-year-old daughter lent valuable moral support throughout the weekend.

Countdown to 2010 FEI WEG, Kentucky, USA: 217 Days

While cleaning out the garage, I stumbled upon some older USCTA NEWS magazines.  (For our younger readers, "USCTA" stands for United States Combined Training Association, and is the original name of our USEA.)  I can get lost for hours in the old black-and-white pages, with pictures of horses long-forgotten and riders before their marriages (or divorces).  It is neat to look back on old events, some still running, others gone forever.  Most of all, it highlights the evolution of our sport... how it has changed, in fence building, course design, riding style, all the way down to fashion trends.  And this is just from "recent" times, most of my eclectic collection is from the 90s decade.  Today I will bring you an article from the February 1992 edition of USCTA News, reporting on the Pan American Championships.  I hope you enjoy this blast from the past as much as I did!

The following article was written by Fifi Coles.  It is published in its entirety; any grammatical mistakes or typos are entirely the result of my re-typing skills.  I have bolded rider/horse names for interest, and occasionally added comments. 


Photo caption: Pan Am Individual and Team Gold Medal winners Ruderpest and Nick Holmes-Smith--a picture of confidence--through the water complex.  Photo by Brant Gamma

While other disciplines of the Pan American Games were held in Cuba, the Three Day Event took place in Chatsworth, Georgia, fielding Teams from the U.S., Canada, Bermuda, Jamaica, and Mexico.  The Pan Ams were run as a CCI* [ed note: that's long format!!] which is comparable to Open Intermediate level.  This is to encourage up and coming upper level competitors from North, South, Central America and Canada, and give them much needed international Team experience.  As host country, the US was allowed not only four Team riders, but six Individuals, which gave ten of our young riders a first-rate taste of big time international competition.

The Canadians sailed through the event on a winning streak, sweeping both the Team and Individual competition, led by Nick Holmes-Smith, the Individual Gold medal winner.  Nick and the Canadian three-quarter-bred Ruderpest performed the best dressage test of a lifetime.  Their first place standing was particularly sweet as Ruderpest's warmup went from bad to worse, lasting almost three hours.

Riding their first string horses, the Canadian riders were given a final week long tune-up by former US Three-Day Event coach Jack Le Goff.  Some Canadians, including Nick Holmes-Smith, train with him intermittently, while the relatively inexperienced Susie Maloney, who finished the summer months under his tutelage, finished 12th as an Individual rider.

 The US Team, subject to the new objective point system selection process, found the four top placing competitors third, fifth, sixth, and seventh--riding as Individuals.  This relatively fair, yet somewhat fallible system, while giving a broader spectrum of riders a greater opportunity of competing on a US Team, can because of its criteria and lack of subjectivity, occasionally penalize the best horse/rider combinations.  Our Team strength was weakened when the powerhouse duo of Michael Godfrey and Shannon were sidelined after the mare went lame during the pre-Pan Am Training session with Lars Sederholm.

Bouckaert Farm, the outstanding site of the Pan American Championships was carved out of untouched North Georgia countryside several years ago by transplanted Belgian owner, competitor, and grand supporter of our sport, Carl Bouckaert.  Each year the facilities have expanded to include permanent stabling for 150 horses, improved warmup areas, and a top-notch cross-country course designed by Mark Phillips [ed note: not our Chef D'Equipe at this time].  Extraordinary is the elaborate sprinkler and drainage system, and miles of sodded galloping lanes orchestrated by organizer Ritch Temple.

Mark Phillips' big, galloping course was designed for bold horses and required accuracy for the fast options and narrow faced obstacles, which are now becoming one of his trademarks.  His brilliantly conceived course allowed the less-experienced horses safe, confidence-building rounds, while giving the more seasoned horses and riders a lesson in, as the British say, "kicking-on."  American riders can be inclined to take back, instead of riding forward. [ed note: has this changed in the last 15 yrs...??!]

Absent from the Pan American Championships were Chile, Brazil, and Argentina, for either financial reasons or the need for a two-star event to qualify for the upcoming Olympics.  Chile accomodated this requirement by hosting a two-star event for these countries.  Very much in evidence, however, were the Mexicans who were using North America for their qualifying competitions.  Much notice was made of the quality and boldness of their horses (all "homebreds" of the Army with one exception) as well as their improved style of riding.  Their dressage performances, though not yet competitive, reflected a more classic style as a result of their recent new dressage coach Belgian Patrick Borssen.  Their cross-country riding, though determined and brave, still lacks the benefits of a full competitive calendar.

The spirit that is ever present in our sport was exemplified by Paula Nesenkar.  After traveling from North Carolina when her horse Rocky Valley to ride in their first Three-Day event, Paula found she was unable to compete due to sudden lameness.  Not missing a beat while quickly putting aside her disappointment, she enthusiastically threw herself into volunteering, never stopping until the event was over.


Dressage as well as cross-country and show jumping was subject to unseasonably chilling temperatures (20-30 degrees), with driving winds.  Tack shops at the stabling area were depleted of winter blankets and even hoods in short order.  Horses on phases A and C wore quarter sheets, and competitors and spectators--expecting mild weather--layered themselves with every bit of clothing they brought with them.

The biting wind no doubt altered some dressage performances, as did the snapping and flapping of the international flags.  The Canadian Team at the end of the day was in the lead with Nick Holmes-Smith (Ruderpest) and Edie Tarves-Gourley (Socrates) in first and second place, followed by Bermuda, the USA, and the Mexican Teams. 

The same chilling weather for cross-country day proved more of a plus factor with most horses finishing in good order.  Instead of the usual cooling out, most horses had to be bundled up.  Mark Phillips' course brought the best horses home on top, and all others finished well with the exception of the first Mexican horse Acicante, and our Outback Red (John Williams) who had falls, the latter due to lack of condition.  Only two horses--Jamaica's Silver (Amanda Jayne Levy) and USA Hampton (Teresa Hover) were eliminated--Teresa because of failing to jump Fence #1--part of a combination, after a runout on the fast route double corner. 

Our Team started off with a bang as our most experienced rider Jane Sleeper and Take Over finished with a clear round.  Nineteen-year-old Josh Walther and Off the Cuff had a good go with the exception of a stop at the first of two bank combinations (Fence #5) caused by lack of impulsion in the brush V chute on the approach to the bank.

Hopes for our Team, however, were dashed when Hampton and Teresa Hover were eliminated, followed by Outback Red and John WIlliams' fall  I saw and exhausted Outback Red barely scramble over Fence #23 and heard John murmur, "Tired!" and knew he couldn't make it to the finish.

The Bermudians, led by seasoned international competitors Peter Gray on Anton, and M.J. Tumbridge on Bermuda's Option, turned in two excellent cross-country rounds, with Anton (perhaps because of warmblood breeding) incurring 7.6 time penalties.  With a stop for Watersmeet and Carol Ann Blackman (but still a 14th place finish after cross-country), Bermuda placed a close second behind the Canadian Team.

Our hats are off to the plucky Mexicans who finished all their horses despite a fall, and one or more stops per horse, but who nevertheless had their entire Team intact at the end of endurance.  They finished the Championships in third place.

Show-jumping day secured the Team Gold medal for the Canadians and the Individual Gold for Nick Holmes-Smith and Ruderpest, who had a one-rail leeway over Bermuda's Option and M.J. Tumbridge who held onto second place to win the Individual Silver.  The Bermuda Team went home with the Silver Team medals.


For the USA it was the Individual riders who shone and lit a pathway to future stardom.  Abigail Lufkin, well-tuned from her Radnor CCI** win on Lighter Than Air, excelled on the former Karen Stives' English-bred Flexible Flyer with whom she won the Individual Silver at the NAYRC Three-Day Event Championships in 1989.  A clear show jumpng round put them 2.8 penalties behind Bermuda's Option to win the Individual Bronze medal.

Individual rider Rebekah Smith (and her Quarter Horse Paws) did herself proud to take fifth place, as did Jill Walton (last year's DeBroke winner) with Fax in sixth slot, and Todd Trewin just behind with Sandscript for a seventh place finish.

The Scott Sisters--Mary and Georgia-- like to keep the Harry T. Peters Trophy in the family.  Last year the two sisters competed with each other with Georgia coming out on top.  This year the roles were reversed.  A clear round moved Mary Scott and Gasang into first place when Mara DePuy dropped a rail in show jumping to finish second.  Georgia Scott and Feinmaster placed 11th, but both sisters were delighted that the Peters Trophy was going home with them once again.

In Preliminary A, Bruce Davidson again distinguished himself by not only winning the division, but finishing also in fourth-- on Ralph and Flirtway-- both with their dressage scores.  Karen Lende with Enniskerry, and David O'Connor and Refuted Alimony were just behind in second and third slots.  Preliminary B winners Jeffrey Taylor and Breckinridge made a clear sweep of their division, followed by Pamela McLain and Co-Pilot.

he 2010 WEG in Lexington, KY are nearly upon us.  EN is going to do its best to bring you the latest news and information about the Games up until the opening ceremonies (and hopefully we'll be there to report live!).  This week, we bring you a brief history of the games.

In the Beginning

The idea of the World Equestrian Games was first proposed to the FEI in 1983 by HRH Prince Philip, the then-FEI President.  The original concept of WEG was to give fans of one discipline a chance to see another and decide all FEI Champions at one time and place.

1990 Stockholm, Sweden

The first WEG was held in Stockholm, Sweden in 1990.  37 countries participated, and six disciplines were involved: Jumping, Dressage, Eventing, Driving, Endurance and Vaulting.  A study conducted after the Games showed that the 1990 WEG had produced a positive impact on the Stockholm economy.  The Games also had a "tremendous influence on the development of equestrian disciplines in Sweden."

1994 Netherlands

The second WEG was initially allocated to Paris in March 1991, but the French project fell apart, and the second-place bidders from Holland took on the task.  After the tremendous success of the first World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, then FEI President, HRH Prince Philip had warned that "three years is insufficient for any Federation to put together the very large and sophisticated organisation that is needed to manage such an event."  The second WEG took place at the Hague in the Netherlands in 1994, and Prince Philip's words rang true as the event was plagued by "organisational and administrative chaos." The event ended in financial bankruptcy.  

1998 Rome, Italy

Leading up to the 1998 WEG, the future of the event was uncertain. The city of Dublin, Ireland pulled out at the last minute, leaving Rome, Italy to organize the event in just one year.  Rome took on the task of planning, organizing, and funding the Games in a seemingly impossibly short amount of time.  Rome embraced the challenge, and produced an excellent event against all odds.  42 countries participated in five disciplines in Italy;  the Endurance championships was held separately in Dubai.

2002, Jerez de Frontera, Spain

The next Games were held in Jerez de Frontera, Spain in 2002.  All six traditional disciplines were included, and Reining made an appearance for the first time.  Under heavy scrutiny, the Spain Games were well organized and hailed as a great success.  While a daunting task to organize, a successful Games again proved beneficial to the host country due to media attention and spectator attendance.

2006, Aachen Germany

The Games were held in Aachen, Germany in 2006, and for the first time, the organization broke even. Sixty-one countries took part in seven disciplines with approximately 800 athletes and 850 horses competing.

The Aachen Games were specifically influential for the Eventing community as the first four-star Championship without steeple chase. Despite torrential rainstorms, the event was a success!  The following numbers were obtained from the official FEI website:

Local economic impact at Aachen Games: $328 million; 570,000 spectators from 61 nations; 1,700 employees and volunteers; 130 judges; 76 stewards; 100 veterinarians; 965 grooms; 1,200 journalists; 300 photographers; 380 TV crewmembers; 70 hours of television coverage broadcast in 157 countries; 2,500 bales of straw; 5,000 bales of shavings; 66,635 lbs. of hay; 40,000 catered meals; 6,000 honorary guests; 100 hostesses; 300 service/kitchen staff; 270 exhibitors; 68 car and van service vehicles; 120 drivers.

2010, Lexington, KY, USA

We have all been looking forward to the 2010 WEG in Lexington, KY from September 25 to October 10.  This event will bring about a string of firsts: this is the first time the Games will leave Europe;  Para Dressage, the newest FEI discipline, will compete together with the other seven disciplines for the first time; this will also be the first time all 8 disciplines will be hosted at a single site.  The Horse Park definitely has their work cut out for them, but the benefits will be worth the effort and expense.

According to the FEI website, the 2010 Games are expected to have an economic impact of $150 million and it is anticipated that 500,000-600,000 tickets will be sold over the 16 day competition.  The location of the Games will also prompt the largest horse airlift in history for competitors traveling overseas.

Volunteers are still needed for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games!  It's not too late to be a HERO!  Visit the Volunteer Webpage for more information!