When Jessie Phoenix had a shoe issue right before her dressage test on Thursday morning she went to the farrier on site to get it fixed. I was delighted to meet her earlier today, and talk to her about her chosen profession, I'm thrilled to introduce Christina Rockefeller...
Thank you so much to Christina for chatting - go Chester County Farriers and Go Eventing!
Hello Eventing Nation! Rapid Fire is a series I have long wanted to start on Eventing Nation, but I never had the gumption to actually see it through. Well, on a whim as I was taking Lainey to the airport on Sunday, she indulged me. I promise that next time I try to do a Rapid Fire interview, I'll channel my best Barbara Walters and not giggle like a school girl and tell Lainey how "fabulous", "wonderful", and "excellent" her answers are. If you like this interview, maybe we can get our other EN writers in other parts of the country to interview their favorite riders. Let us know your favorites, or any questions you suggest in the comments! Thank you again Lainey so much for being a professional and taking the time to sit down with us, and thank you for watching.
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Go eventing.
A photo of the US Team horsebox in England. Photo courtesy of an awesome Canadian. Go eventing.
It's that time in the Olympic cycle when the US mainstream media is desperately trying to make their upcoming London coverage seem relevant to a nation of NFL fans. There's no better way to accomplish this than arbitrary lists, particularly arbitrary lists related to sexiness. Fox Sports released their list of the top 99 sexiest Olympic athletes this morning and Team USA's Boyd Martin ranks 11th. The only other equestrian to make the list is Zara Phillips in 99th. And yes, that means that I clicked through the entire list--just for you, Eventing Nation. Only four US athletes placed higher than Boyd. Canadian Kayaker Adam van Koeverden finished atop the list.
[99 Sexiest Olympic Athletes, h/t tobias2]
Go Boyd.
EN's tradition of occasionally turning into Pentathlon Nation with the kind help of EN guest writer extraordinaire JER continues today with JER's latest post. I'm also very happy to report that EN sponsor Tipperary is going to be helping out the Canadian Pentathlon Olympic team this year. As always, many thanks for writing this JER and go pentathlon.
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The news is all great: Melanie and Donna are going to the Olympics!
First, let's put this achievement in perspective. The Olympic modern pentathlon competition is limited to thirty-six male and thirty-six female athletes, with a maximum of two per country per gender. Qualification is either by top placings in either designated competitions like the World Championships or Pan Am Games, or via the overall rankings at the end of the current World Cup season. Melanie McCann gained qualification last fall with her fourth-place finish at the Pan Ams. For Donna, the wait was longer. After fighting it out all season and all over the world, when the World Cup final ended on May 26, Donna knew she'd earned a ticket to London.
Canada has managed to fill its Olympic quota in women's pentathlon -- and now let's put that in perspective. While many of their competitors are funded by national lotteries or government agencies, giving athletes a comfortable income and free training and access to support services like physiotherapy and sports psychologists, Canadian pentathletes mostly go it alone. It's a huge effort to pursue one single sport this way, but a world-class pentathlete has to master five totally different disciplines. As eventers, we have a sense of what the multidisciplinary life is like, but pentathlon takes it to the extreme: you have to cobble together a training plan that involves a lot of driving around, frequent costume changes, specialized weaponry, and sometimes a horse.
On Wednesday, June 6, Pentathlon Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee made the official announcement of Donna's and Melanie's nomination to Canada's team for 2012. We mustered the pentathlon-friendly troops – yes, they do exist -- at Southlands Riding Club in Vancouver. The COC sent a representative in the form of Tricia Smith, a four-time Olympic rower with a silver medal to her name. From Pentathlon Canada, we had National Team Coach John Hawes, High Performance Director Bob Noble and Riding Coach Rick Maynard. Due to the magical maneuverings of media coordinator Diane St. Denis, local, national and even foreign press representatives turned up.
Or maybe, just maybe, everyone came for the free food provided by the COC.
But this was no occasion for cynicism, not even at its most delicious. This day was about Donna and Melanie and about making your dream come true.
Rick Maynard set up a Canadian flag-themed jump and brought along a horse, who had enough star quality to need to be convinced to pose for photos. Bob Noble packed his pistol, which was a threat to no one, human or equine, as it was outfitted with the new safety- and environmentally-friendly laser barrel that will be used at the Olympics. We set up a table and target so that everyone could give it a go. Some of the Southland riders showed a lot of promise – fingers crossed, we might have made some new converts to pentathlon.
The fun was short-lived, however, as a pentathlete's day never stops at one activity. After lunch, the girls had a riding lesson with Rick Maynard, followed by a run/shoot session, then two hours of fencing at night.
With only forty days till the Games begin, who has time to rest?
Scenes from Southlands Riding Club, June 6, 2012:
Melanie fires her pistol in a larger-than-life photo.
Donna evangelizes to the world media on the sport of pentathlon.
National Team coach John Hawes and High Performance Director Bob Noble school four-time Olympic rower and silver medalist Tricia Smith in the art of shooting.
An air pistol with the conventional barrel replaced by the new laser container used in pentathlon competitions.
So, can you also swim, fence and run? (She was a very good shot.)
Our awesome poster for the 2012 Canadian National Championships, designed by Texas-based artist Walter Soza. Great sport deserves great art.
Melanie and Guinness.
Call me a sissy, but I absolutely hate riding in the rain. It's not that I can't or won't ride in the rain. I just hate doing it. Few things make me say "why in the heck do we do this?" like a trot set--or worse, a long hack--in the cold rain. Thus, I can understand the elation in the below photo, which was sent in with the accompanying explination by Pam Eckelbarger of HoofPix.
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From Pam: Here's a shot of Christine Keim (right) organizer of the UNH horse trials, and side-kick secretary Liz Oertel (left) who could not contain their GLEE that it WAS NOT RAINING on XC day during the spring trials held last weekend. (Rain is often the norm for the UNH horse trials)
Go UNH.
And now, it's time to christen the new server with its first episode of Craigslist crazies. Frequently a source of entertainment, and sometimes a source of pity, surfing Craigslist is always sure to expand your horizons and lower your expectations for the progress of mankind.
Date: 2012-03-13, 12:42PM EDT
Date: 2012-03-22, 1:42PM EDT
SkyWalker is a Blue Roam TN walking horse, but he has stifle and will never be able to be riden. Im selling him cuz he can be used for breeding or a pastor buddy...he is a great horse, halter broke and will come to his name..im asking $400 obo willing to trade for a good broke racking horse or quarter. I took him to the vet and he told me all i had to do is ride him and he will get better but thats not the case at all. so if intested n serious calls only!!!!!!!!! 423 329**** call or txt
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Now this is one I just feel sorry for..poor horse. Unsafe, loose, barbed-wire fence, and an owner who seems well-meaning but a bit lacking in equine knowledge. Sadly, a common trend on the CL.
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Date: 2012-02-27, 9:17AM EST
I'm looking to sell or trade the following "Speak Animal" language cds (with booklets):
Speak cat - beginner
Speak dog - beginner, intermediate vol. 1 & 2
Speak oxen - intermediate
Speak parakeet - advanced
Each cd is 10$ or I will trade for other volumes. I'm especially interested in any of the
reptile series or Speak horse (intermediate) or Speak bear (beginner only).
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"Fluent in Parakeet and Oxen." Now that would look good on a resume... might even get you a job at EN!
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Date: 2012-02-27, 9:12PM EST
Contact me for prices, or make me an offer. I need them gone, so all reasonable offers considered. Email me or call/text 540-312-5967. I have pictures of every model. I will also trade so let me know what you have.. Lookin mostly for horse tack, motorcycle tires, handlebars, saddlebags, guns, archery stuff.. But let me know what you have cause all I can say is no. 
All are Traditional sized models:
1. Running Appaloosa Foal
2. Midnight Tango- Minature Black and White Paint
3. Boone's Little Buckeroo- Minature Buckskin
4. LTD's Red Cloud and Magic Man's Grand Slam- Set of two, black and white paint and sorrel and white paint minatures
5. Twin Palomino Foals Amber and Ashley- set of two, palomino, one standing, one laying down
6. Black Tie Affair set- set of three, all three black appaloosas, stallion, mare, and foal
7. American Saddlebred- black and white stallion
8. Family Saddlebred trio- set of three, grey stallion and mare, black foal
9. Chubasco and Charavette- set of two, chestnut and white stallion and foal with ribbon
10. Ruffian- dark brown running mare, with stand
11. Misty and Stormy- set of two, paint mare with foal
12. Chestnut Appaloosa- western pleasure stallion
13. Indian Pony- Buckskin appaloosa mare, rare edition
15. AA Omner- grey Arabian, does not stand because front hoof is slightly crooked, if a piece of cloth was glued under it he would stand
16. Party Shoes- palomino pony, white spots on rump
17. Sunday Silence- black thoroughbred stallion with blanket
18. Commander Riker- chestnut gelding
19. Afleet Alex- Bay thoroughbred
20. Blue Suede Shoes- Blue roan stallion, rearing
21. Madison Avenue- buckskin mare
22. Silky Keno- black and white paint
23. Lavrador- Buckskin Stallion
24. Majestad- Grey Stallion
25. Bluebell- Clydesdale foal
26. Buckskin American Pinto
28. Family of Deer
29. Summer Doe
30. Western Parade Saddle
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Who knew you could trade Breyer horses for "guns and archery stuff?" Let's see that deal on PawnStars...!
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Date: 2012-03-15, 11:09PM EDT
Reply to: see below [Errors when replying to ads?]
I have a great Appy mare she is between 14.3-15hhs and 9/10 years old. She was bought for my grandson who was going to make a heeler out of her and he ended up working two jobs and a girlfriend. This horse has a lot of energy and IS NOT FOR BEGINNERS. We bought her with understanding that she had been to trainer for two months (what everybody says) but grandson was working on reining and finishing her out. I'm asking $800. for her that is what I paid , however, I need a horse grade or registered no older than 15 that anyone can ride kids or beginners. Horse must have good feet, in good health and not a complete dead head. I would trade if I like it. call 256-349-2696 two pictures below make her look like a buckskin and I have no idea why her head shot looking thru gate is color of her body will take new pictures this weekend.
PLEASE READ POSTING CAREFULLLY. I WILL NOT TRADE FOR ANOTHER HORSE THAT IS READY TO DIE, NOT HEALTHY, BAD FEET OR ETC. I KNOW WHAT I HAVE NOW AND THE HORSES I'VE BEEN ASKED TO TRADE FOR DON'T REACH MY EXPECTATIONS.
I ALSO WILL NOT SELL THIS MARE TO ANYONE THAT IS A BEGINNER OR CHILD AS THEY COULD BE HURT. MARE IS FAST AND NEEDS CONTROL.
THIS IS LAST TIME I WILL OFFER THIS MARE AT THIS PRICE AS SPRING IS COMING AND WITH IT BEGINS THE TRAILS AND EVENTS SO I WILL BE GETTING HER READY. THANK YOU
Hey you–yeah you, the idiot who couldn’t spare three seconds to strap on a helmet before you got on your horse. Megan Kaiser has something she wants you to hear.
From Megan:
Just wear the blasted helmet.
I boarded for a very long time at your typical hunter lesson/local show barn. One day I was trotting around the ring and I noticed a mom had gotten her kid on her lesson pony de jour. She was fixing her stirrups but the helmet was sitting on the mounting block on not on her child’s head.
I went around once: still not on her head. Twice: still on the mounting block not doing anyone any good. Third time’s a charm: “Best to put your helmet on before the trainer sees you” I said as I went by. I figured rather than be bossy I’d go with the blame it on the trainer route. Fourth time: nope. Fifth time: nothing–how long does it take, lady, to adjust stirrups, finish up and put your kid’s helmet on. Sixth time: Come on people! Seventh time: and I can’t hold it any longer, “It really is important to wear the helmet when on–rules of all barns.”
At this point the mother turns to me and says “Oh, it’s OK. I’m her mother.”
Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t realize that you were her mother. Yes, this means, because you are there that the hand of the all mighty will come down and create a protective force field around your child if something unforeseen happens. Sorry about that–please ignore the complete stranger who seems to care more about your child’s brain than you do.
Yes, the little girl was on a saint of a lesson horse–one that I had seen save an off balanced rider so many times and who tends to not to want to move unless made to–but you don’t know: bees sting, dogs run from the bushes, lawn mowers fire, batches of chinchillas drop out of the sky.
And this mother should have known better–she knew how to adjust stirrups (rather slowly, but whatever) therefore it is a good assumption she had ridden before and should know the most basic of safety rules. But there is a reason for the phase “knowing enough to be dangerous”–I will officially now add a second half, “…but not knowing enough to be smart.” The most sky diving accidents happen with the intermediates: Beginners follow the rules like crazy, and the veterans have seen enough to know they better follow the rules like crazy.
Fine; if you don’t want to wear it and you are a grown-up (or at least supposed to be), that’s your decision–but don’t make that decision for someone else, especially a child, especially especially for your child. And let’s face it, not only is it the barn’s policy for everyone to wear one while mounted, if you are under 18 it is also a state law.
Helmets aren’t that uncomfortable or hot–and if yours is then it’s time to get a new one. They have all sorts of styles, colors, venting systems. And no you don’t look silly wearing it; you look like every other person who participates in a rather dangerous sport but is smart enough to try and protect their noggin. So, just take the half a second and put the thing on.
I let the trainer know later that day the mother might say something to her about the nosy lady that yelled at her. The trainer was very happy I did say something and said I should feel free to call out anyone at any time for not wearing one and for that matter, anyone doing anything blatantly stupid.
And this is the part where I confess a couple things: For shows back in the day I wore the helmets with the bright orange tags on the inside that indicated they were only for fashion and not safety. And that for the cattle drive I wrote about last week I did not wear a helmet. I was a total idiot. I wouldn’t even think of riding without one at home so why didn’t I wear one then? I will chalk it up to being about 10 years ago, and I was young and stupid. Now, I’m the one with helmet, phone and vest on even when it’s hottest day of the year and I’m just going for a walk around the property. I completely understand that I am being preachy but it’s such an easy thing to do–embrace your helmet.
Yesterday I was trading emails with the friend I went on the cattle drive with and we decided that we might go again in a couple years but we both will be wearing helmets and crash vests. Heck, I’ll invest in a Point Two Vest (I’ve been meaning to anyway)–it should be good for a laugh with the cowboys. But I’m OK with that. Laugh all you want–I’ll laugh with you and I’ll be around to ride another day.
For more news, commentary and ridiculousness, visit Horse Nation.
Normal people get excited about normal celebrities--the sort that grace the cover of Us Weekly. But horse-people... our crushes are a little "different."
We recently received this bit of fan mail from Kirsten Collins, who is a WEE bit obsessed with Peter Barry's four-star horse Kilrodan Abbott ("Eddie"). Like, Barry-you-might-wanna-think-about-a-restraining-order obsessed. We'll let Kirsten explain.
From Kirsten:
There is something to be said about not paying attention to
where you are walking.
I ambled a little close to the competitor's barns at Rolex
last spring. Thankfully, I wasn't busted
Hamish-and-Dave style. Instead, I happened
upon a groom hand-grazing two horses in a grassy lane. Feeling the urge to preserve the moment, I
asked to photograph them. She got a call
just as I snapped the photo, so I waved and left as she began talking into her
cell phone.
In seconds, I heard someone calling out to me. It was the same groom, and she motioned me
back, saying that she had to run back up to the barns immediately, and could I
please hold her horses for her? Inside
my head I squealed "HELL YES!" but outside I replied with a nonchalant
"Okay." She told me the horses' barn
names, handed the leads to me, and ran off.
And so I found myself on a little island of Kentucky Horse
Park paradise, hand-grazing Pacific and his stable mate Eddie. I was so excited to be hand-grazing these
horses that I whipped out the camera again and this time I videoed them and, in
a fabulous display of utter dorkiness, narrated who they were and why I was
with them. Too soon, she returned, but it
was then I learned that she was Peter Barry's groom and that Eddie was his
competition horse Kilrodan Abbott. She
told me their number and to be sure to watch them on cross country because
Eddie was really good at going XC. I
think I probably skipped when I left them, as I had already formed a profound
crush on Eddie.
Cross country day dawned with me at the back of the course
as is my usual viewing strategy. I
struck up a conversation with one of the galloping lane volunteers and in the
course of our talk she revealed that the organizers hadn't had time to get the
order of go to them and she had no idea what horses were zipping past her. Of course I immediately gave her my "go"
list, but this left me unprepared for Eddie's big run. My plan was to meet up with him in the middle
of the course and follow him through there, then run back in time to see him
finish.
I gasped when I heard Nigel calling out Peter and Eddie's
progress. I was still chattering away at
the back by the sheep shelter and I started running towards the opposite end of
the course. I managed to catch a glimpse of Peter and Eddie pounding past on
the way to the sunken road. I listened
to Nigel as I heaved my way up the hill and over the front half of the course,
peeling off sweaty layers as I ran. By
the time I made it to the finish, Eddie was just inside the vet box, with me on
the wrong side of the track. I had blown
my big chance to see him finish. Whereas
yesterday was all about being in the right place at the right time, today was
the polar opposite. It took another
eternity to jog back past two jumps and cross the galloping lane to get
anywhere near the horses.
At the vet box, standing in a bucket of ice water that
lapped at his elbows, his lead rope slack, stood Eddie, calmly and coolly
observing the scene around him and thereby securing my deep and abiding stalker
love. Nearby was Peter and his team, and
all I could do was sputter "Eddie! I'm
so proud of you!" Everyone was very nice
to the crazy breathless sweaty woman gushing at their horse, but still, they
all gently turned their backs and began ever-so-quietly inching away. I stayed by the vet box for the rest of the
day, not wanting to forget a single moment.
I was so excited about stadium that next morning
that I
handled it like anybody else would by hitting the Bit of Britain tent
and buying
a new pair of boots. I sauntered to the
warm-up arena with my new boot box pounding my right calf at my every
step, flapping
and urging me forward. I watched Peter
and Eddie pop over a few jumps and then made my way into the
grandstand. I was NOT going to miss them this time. I didn't think I
could sit still so I didn't
bother going up to my seat and tucked myself into an alcove near a
seating
entry. When Eddie cleared that last jump
my arms and my new boot box went skyrocketing.
I quietly exited when the security dudes shot a few concerned looks in
my direction.
If ever there were a pair that deserves a devoted group of stalkers
it is Peter Barry and the pride of Canada, Kilrodan Abbott. Peter is an amateur eventer and Rolex was his
and Eddie's first four star. Can you
imagine being an amateur at the four star level? (Yeah, I know... I dream about winning Rolex every
single night, too.) The beauty about Rolex
is that it gives amateur horse and rider teams the opportunity to express their
athleticism, to show the world that it is possible to balance a talent at
equestrian sport with a life that is (somewhat) normal. It gives every ammie in the world hope, and
it gives the rest of us a reason to beam with pride at their accomplishment, to
share in an incredibly wonderful moment.
Oh, and Eddie... I still love you.
Dressage Today was kind enough to share with us a blog by their senior editor, a former eventer. We appreciate the tip, and a great story to read. Thanks Dressage Today!
March 14, 2012
When
I was a teenager, I had the hardest competition years of my life. By
"hardest" I don't mean exhausting or high-pressure, but because they
taught me some of the biggest, and most difficult, lessons about
equestrian sports. I was attending high school in addition to working
every night and free weekend as a working student and training/competing
two horses for a spot on Young Rider teams -- one in dressage and the
other in eventing -- and those days taught me two very important things:
Lesson #1: Focus on the positive and you will succeed.
The hardest weekends were those where I woke up at 3 a.m. and drove 4+
hours with my eventing horse, Sampson, to an event. Though he was an
honest horse, Totilas he was not. Our day usually began with a horrible
dressage test -- no thanks to the fact that he was an OTQH with the body
of a tank and mind of a sports car, who was retired from racing because
he "got too distracted by the spectators." Despite his lack of natural
ability in the dressage ring, he taught me that it is possible to ride
through. The moment I forgot about my fifteenth-place dressage score, I
could support my horse through his stronger phases of the competition
and we regularly moved up as high as second or third place. I began to
not only accept his weaknesses, but focus on improving them. Sampson,
with his horrible dressage tests, forced me to spend extra time training
him on the flat-to relax, accept the leg and bit without racing off ...
my first true lessons in training the basics of dressage.
Lesson #2: Someone will have a better horse.
Notice how I said second place, not first, when I talked about
how well I could place with my eventing horse. Back in those days, there
was a horse and rider combination that always competed with us. They
were always in the lead after dressage and always jumped clear. Riding
around the dressage warm-up on my horse's sewing machine trot, seeing
that rider's smiling face and her gorgeous gray horse made me think
horrible thoughts. I was a teenager with little experience in the
competition ring and I was convinced that this pair was the only thing
standing between me and the Olympics. If only she would go away, I would
be overwhelmed with blue ribbons and success. Until one day, I learned
that was not what I wanted at all. Because at one particular show she
was forced to scratch because her horse came up lame. I was convinced it
was my chance to take the lead, until I learned the show was
oversubscribed and I had been placed in the Open Training division with
31 professionals. Instead of worrying about one unbeatable pair, I had
31! At that point, I gave up on my chances of winning and just made a
goal of getting through my dressage test and surviving very hard
cross-country and stadium courses. Survive I did and when I was the only
one to jump double clear, I won the class.
After years of working as hard as I could with my horse, I learned a
lesson that has carried me through my years of competition: someone will
always have a better horse, but they will push you to give 110% and
ride your horse to the best of his ability. Those unstoppable pairs will
make you unstoppable. After that year, that rider gave up riding but
other talented people replaced her-some were in the competition ring,
while others were in my college classes or other areas of my life.
