Results matching “kieffer”

Millbrook Thursday Dressage Recap

By Annie Yeager on August 5, 2010 10:32 PM, Filed Under Eventing Competition Coverage

Friday we will use the cameras

The weather today was very accommodating for the lunchtime wet t-shirt contest. Well I should say that we had some wet t-shirts here around lunchtime, whether there was a contest or not. The day started off hot and humid, but mid-afternoon, right as the first Advanced horses were starting, the skies opened and we got poured on. For as much as it rained, I was surprised they didn't put a hold on the rings.

Millbrook links: Live Scores, Entries/Ride Times, Weather

The riding was really quality Thursday, and it showed all throughout the levels. The scores were pretty low, but since I was competing I like to think it was because of good riding, not that the judges we're in an extra good mood. The younger riders really shined in the large Advanced A section that rode on Thursday. Nate Chambers and Rolling Stone II are leading Advanced A with 32.2, and Lauren Kieffer and Ultra Tim are second with a 35. That is pretty impressive considering they were competing against some of the horses and riders that are shortlisted to go to the WEG's this September.

Speaking of Short-listed horses, Neville Bardos is in 4th in Advanced A with a 37.2, My Boy Bobby is in a tie for 8th with a 39.7, and Last Monarch is in 13th with a 42.5. Will Faudree and Pawlow are leading OI-A with a 30.8 and Boyd Martin and Remington XXV are a close second in that division with a 32.4.

I think the general consensus is that all the cross country courses look fair and ask the right questions. And the footing will have gotten much needed help from the rain we had today.

Stay tuned and go eventing.

Young Riders Tips from Lauren Kieffer

By John on July 28, 2010 9:06 AM, Filed Under Lauren Kieffer

It seems like a millennia ago now, but Lauren and I were teammates on the Area 8 YR team in '05 and '06. The team in '06 was stacked--we had one Rolex horse, Bru McGuire, two future Rolex horses in Lauren Kieffer's Snooze Alarm and Hannah Burnett's Keep the Faith, and my horse was a XC machine. To make a long story short, everyone on our team had high hopes, but by the time I started on course we already had two throw-out scores. I'm glad that Holly, our coach, didn't tell me because I doubt I would have gotten around clean if I had known that we were out of the team competition. Looking back, I was never that rider who was fanatically excited about Young Riders. I always looked at Young Riders as just another three-day, but I did really enjoy being a part of a great team and having my score matter for more than just the individual result.

As an aside, I still tell the story about Bru McGuire being the only horse I have ever seen trot over the drop into the Head of the Lake at Rolex. I was back in the vet box watching the live feed and all of the riders started to freak out, but, honestly, it never seemed like a bad strategy to me. There's no way that horse was going to stop and it prevented him from running at the log. But I digress.

Young Riders '10 starts today at the Kentucky Horse Park, where a new set of memories will be made by a new group of talented young riders. Please be sure to check out our new question of the week, which is about Young Riders. Links: CH-Y** entries, CH-J* entries, NAYRC Blog

Lauren was kind enough to take a trip down memory lane and send in a few words of advice for this year's Yong Riders. Thanks for writing this Lauren and thank you for reading.

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Lauren at YR '07

O Young Rider's Championships, where to begin... well I guess technically that's not what it is called, it's the NAJYRC..LNOPQYRST. It's been adding letters for as long as I have done it. I competed at the NAJYRC three years in a row, '05, '06, and '07, and it was basically an epic fail, but I don't regret a minute of it and took away a huge amount of life experience. The whole process is a great experience for Young Rider's whether you are just doing it for the fun of it or whether you want to go on to be a professional. Some of my closest friends were made during the camps, training sessions, and competitions, and we are still close today. Here are a few tips I can pass down to you going to your first NAJYRC or looking to go in the future.

1. Plan ahead. I have known way too many people who decided they wanted to do NAJYRC but didn't do their research into qualifications and in the end couldn't go. Or just counted on doing it at the last minute and missed out because of a silly runout at one of their qualifying runs. If considering going to Young Riders at all in the future make a schedule and go over it with your area's Chef d'equipe or Coach, even if you don't know them yet that is what they are here for, just shoot them an email ask their opinion.

2. Use your area's camps and training session to your full advantage. Even if you are several years from being ready for Young Rider's go watch and get to know and understand the process.

3. Talk to your area's Chefs and Coach. For a lot of us from smaller areas the NAJYRC is really our first experience with jogs, qualifications, CICs, and CCIs. Take advantage of your Coach's professional experience and ask questions, nothing is worse then going into it all without a clue, trust me, I was clueless my first year and it just makes it that much more confusing, they are there to help you.

4. Be a team player. Stick together and help each other out.

5. Last but not least, Enjoy it! I have so many memories from NAJYRC and very few of them are from the actual competition, of course that could just be me wanting to forget haha. It's most of our first experience with being on a team and you would be amazed how close you can become by the end of the week with people that were merely acquaintances at the beginning. Of course maybe in my teams case it was more of a bond formed by a vow of secrecy to never confess to all the pranks we pulled....

Mothers are the heart of eventing

By John on May 9, 2010 10:49 AM, Filed Under Eventing Guest Writers

My mom has been standing beside me from my very fist lesson, to my first fall, to my first three-day, and every positive aspect of my life has happened because of her support--as an eventer and as a person. Mother's Day is an opportunity to appreciate our moms, reflect on their dedication, and hopefully learn how to share their unconditional love with others. As part of that reflection, we asked a few riders to tell us about what their moms have meant to them.

Holly Hudspeth

It was the eve of my 9th birthday, and all I wanted in the whole wide world was a horse. I asked my mom that night if I could possibly get one and keep it at Pat Jenson's Stables where I took lessons. Pat's moto for her barn was, "Where east meets west and learning is fun." Forget the learning part, I wanted a horse, and wanted to haul ass. (I would quit today if I had to teach me) I knew I was the fastest rider out there, I just needed some hooves. After my mom said no, I pitched one of my typical fits, thinking I would never have a horse of my own. When we went to the barn the next day for my b-day lesson, a school horse I rode every week was there with balloons and a painting. The painting was that of Duke's face and above it said, "Take good care of me and be kind, and your love will be returned, Duke." I went bananas! I will never forget that feeling as long as I live, and thank my mom for making it all possibe. She of course had NO IDEA what was to come!!!

Jonathan Holling

Photo courtesy of the USEA

My mom was definitely the horse person in our family. When I was little she used to "pony" me on of all things, my pony, from her Quarter horse. It was a lot of fun to ride around the neighborhood in my western saddle and cowboy boots feeling like a real daredevil. Never mind the lunge line attached to my pony! At some point in her life my mom has filled every role that an event rider needs. She has been an owner, a groom, an alarm clock, a kick in pants, a groom again, an employer, and an owner again. I can't imagine that I would be even remotely close to the rider or trainer I am today without her.

Lauren Kieffer

If I were my mother I would have tied me up in a closet when I was 13, but not only did she let me live but she has spent most of her weekends since then going all over the country to help me at events. And she isn't one of those moms that just cheered you on and made dinner, she was in the barn tacking up and taking out braids and still had time to be my shoulder to cry on during the tough times and my loudest cheerer during the good. She's the best mom in my book.

Doug Payne

Photo: Michelle Dunn

Well at the moment I feel as if I'm ahead of the game, being that I gave the Happy M-Day call last weekend. Better early than late :) But in all seriousness I do owe nearly all of what I have today to my mother's influence. Hopefully as time passes I to can approach life with such fair and just view of it all. Funny being that I thought growing up I'd continue to ride for a lifetime, but I didn't think their was even the slightest chance it'd be in a professional capacity. We were never forced to ride or to take lessons etc, it was just what you did...my sister and I. My mom was always teaching and I'm sure 95% of what we learned was by watching and replicating. With her guidance my career has progressed...with a long way still to go she's still an integral part. I was just at her place riding my ** test the Tuesday before jersey. When in doubt she's always the one I'd call...I'm sure that won't soon change and I'm lucky that she's always at the other end of the line.

Steph Rhodes-Bosch

Photo: Ryleyanne Vaughn

It is a fact that I would not be where I am today without my mother. Her and I have spent thousands of hours together on the road to lessons and horse shows all over the US and Canada. She is not a horse person. Or, I guess she wasn't one 17 years ago when she caved and put her 5 year old daughter in riding lessons. Since then she has been the woman in charge in the barn at all my FEI competitions and through the many many years of whatever level it is at which that kids event their 13 hand ponies. Her motherly love has made her take on so many different challenges so that I had a better opportunity to get what I wanted. I am grateful every day that my mom has taken on the sport and lifestyle I chose with determination and enthusiasm of a true eventer. Love you mom.

Laine Ashker

Photo courtesy of the USEA

What gives my life purpose is crossing the finish line knowing my mom is there bursting with excitement and pride no matter the result. Even the most miniscule achievement can hold colassal weight when Valerie D. Ashker is in my corner, or standing outside the startbox...I love you mom!

Lauren Kieffer and Snooze Alarm: Rolex Recap

By John on April 27, 2010 8:54 PM, Filed Under Lauren Kieffer

In her latest entry, our guest writer Lauren Kieffer describes the event that turned her into an official four-star rider. I was so proud of Lauren throughout the entire weekend at Rolex. Lauren's XC was one of the highest quality rides on Saturday and that's coming from people much higher up on the food chain than myself. One day you are going to look back and think to yourself: that girl that's standing on the podium -- I read about her first 4* on Eventing Nation.

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Well my little Arab jumped around "The Three Day That Shall Not Be Named". I guess we can call it Rolex now. Rolex was a great experience all around. I think the hardest part is how anti-climatic it is when it's finally over and enjoying it without picking apart every mistake. The whole week started on a high when I won the Dubarry boots for best dressed at the first jog. I considered going home while I was ahead, I was afraid my luck may have peaked too early in the week! There was a lot of laughter in the barns about winning best dressed considering I am rarely seen in anything but my trusty camo hat and Carhartt, but I busted it out for the jog, I wanted those boots badddd.

We did our dressage Thursday afternoon and Snooze was pretty lit by the atmosphere, it was a great feeling trotting into that grandstand arena though. He wanted to be pretty fresh and we had some less than stellar moments but he also had some really good moments such as his extensions and changes. The great part about doing our dressage on Thursday was having all day Friday to think about my cross country. I got up and had a great jump school in the morning and then took another walk around my course. The more I walked it the less nervous I got and the more I was looking forward to it.

I was pretty excited when Cathy Weischoff asked me to ride in the Mounted Games at noon and it was a risky but fun distraction. My trusty steed was a tiny pony named Chip. We took a warm up lap around the arena and he seemed pretty rideable so Cathy and I had a little race, and let me tell you, Chip may be small but he is a strong little bugger and I may have mauled down a group of Pony Clubbers in an attempt to stop. I was on team Gummi Bears who were great sports in explaining the games to me and darn it if these kids can't ride. The Gummi Bears did end up winning the prestigious Prince Phillip Cup at the end of the weekend. I like to think Chip and I played a small part in their success, or maybe it was more like they won despite us....

Saturday morning rolled around, luckily I got a good night's sleep because for some reason I get sleepy whenever I'm nervous. I got up and took a last walk around the course and then I went back to my stall and took a nap till I needed to hop on. The best part about getting on is that once you are sitting on your horse the nerves go away and you focus on your job. We had a great warm up, he was fresh but rideable so we headed to the start box, we walked around it a couple times, 10-here it is-9-8-the biggest countdown of my life so far-7-6-now or never-5-4-HOLD. You can't be serious. Well ok I can wait another minute, the countdown starts again 10-9-8-7-do you mean it this time?-6-5-don't mess with me-4-3-2-1-GO! OK! And we were finally off! Snooze went right into a rhythm from the start and was right on everything. He just kept jumping bigger and better the whole way around and finished the course a very brave and happy pony. It was such a great feel jumping through the Duck Pond, the first real question and thinking "We've got this." And galloping down to the Head of the Lake and seeing the crowd, and nothing beats crossing the finish line with all of your friends and family cheering.

Snooze's Arab blood was evident in the D box when his low heart rate amazed the vets and he recovered quickly and was mostly concerned about how much grass he could shove into his mouth. It was nice going so early and after some fluids and a few icings we just let him rest and recover. He came out on Sunday morning feeling great and was a gentleman at the jog.

And finally it was time for show jumping, my low point of the weekend. He warmed up really well and I was feeling really confident going in, but unfortunately it didn't go as planned. #2 to #3 were two oxers on a pretty forward 7 strides, I was on the fence about whether to do it in 7 or 8 strides because he doesn't have a big stride but I had watched several people go and they all did the 7 and I made the rookie error of doing what everyone else does instead of doing the right thing for my horse. I didn't get the 7 done and we crashed into the 3rd fence. Let me tell you, it was about the longest five seconds of my life watching that fence fall down, but I refused to let myself get flustered so I gave him a pat, waited for the ground crew to get that entire freakin jump set back up while trying to ignore the thousands of people staring at me and my little Arab, and then carried on with the course which he jumped brilliantly, not touching a rail.

I felt like I had let Snooze and his fans down but on the other hand I can promise you that I will not make the same mistake twice and I have come out of the weekend more motivated than ever.

Snooze is now in Virginia living his fat kid dreams for the next month and now I am in Florida jumping back into reality riding and packing to turn around and go to Virginia on Thursday. We haven't made a concrete plan for the fall yet but who knows, maybe the Maggot will be leaving on a jet plane....

XC Recap: WFP Maintains Lead at Kentucky

By John on April 24, 2010 3:39 PM, Filed Under Rolex Kentucky 2010

Full Leaderboard

XC Photo Gallery from John Walker and Leslie Mintz of the USEA

(1) William Fox-Pitt and Cool Mountain finished clean and well inside the time to maintain their lead going into Sunday at Rolex. Cool Mountain was visibly tiring toward the end of the course, but William used his considerable experience and a very steady galloping position to help Cool Mountain home.

Audio interview with William

(2) Kim had her typical fabulous double-clear Rolex XC ride on Tipperary Liadhnan. "Paddy" isn't the fastest horse, but Kim was the most efficient rider on course today and they jumped up from 4th to sit in 2nd. The really tough work for this pair is tomorrow.

(3) You can say the same for Becky and Comet, who blasted around the course easily within the time and are in 3rd on a 45.2. Nothing looked hard for Comet around the XC.

(4) The Rolex organizers eliminated the lunch break and accelerated the afternoon starts to beat the weather which was predicted for Saturday afternoon. The plan worked perfectly and riders competed on excellent footing and under clear skies for most of the day. The wind and rain is just starting to pick up here at the KHP and the WEG show jumping test event scheduled for tonight has been canceled due to predicted storms.

(5) 8 of the 9 Canadian starters had clean rounds on XC, 4 Canadians had double-clears, and 6 Canadians are in the top 10. David has been coaching the Canadians for a few years now, and the benefits are really showing. Leading the way for the Canadians is Steph Rhodes-Bosch (9th) who has had the lowest weekend jumping totals at several big horse trials this spring.

(6) Mandiba lost a shoe at the 4th fence and Karen showed veteran poise and guided Mandiba around the rest of the course. Losing a shoe that early on the course is significant because the horse loses the traction of the missing studs and the protection of the shoe. A lost shoe often leads to a lot of work Saturday night making that hoof feel better.

(7) Boyd did what Boyd does. His 3 horses had 5.3 time penalties among them, and they jumped a total of 45 spots on the leader board on Saturday.

(8) The USET A-list fared decently on Saturday, with Neville and Woodburn jumping around perfectly. But Leyland withdrew on Saturday morning.

(9) The B-list had an awful day. Allison and Arthur had a tough day with a stop at the rail into the coffin, R-Star crashed at The Hollow, The Good Witch crashed at the Mushroom at #3, Phillip retired Waterfront on course, Coal Creek retired on course after two stops, and Kheops withdrew yesterday. On the upside, Pawlow looked very good, and, as mentioned, Mandiba had a quality performance.

(10) Eventing Nation Karma was in full display today as Lauren Kieffer and Snooze had a textbook first 4* XC, collecting time but looking steady throughout the entire course. Stewie (Last Monarch) looked more mature than he ever has in the 4 years I have known him. Stewie listened to Holly perfectly throughout the entire course, and stayed disciplined during a brief hold on course.

(11) It's so typical that I almost didn't mention: Phillip has 2 horses in the top 5 going into Sunday.

(12) Of the 51 XC Starters, there were 10 double-clears: Cool Mountain, Tipperary Liadhnan, Comet, Woodburn, Neville, Port Authority, Colombo, Gin & Juice, Rock on Rose, and Madison Park.

(13) 30 of the 51 starters (58%) had clean rounds. For comparison, 68% (16 out of 49) starters had clean rides.

Becky Wins Rolex, Lauren and Peter Win Dubarrys

By John on April 21, 2010 10:14 PM, Filed Under Rolex Kentucky 2010

Of course, the Rolex we are talking about is the one given out in a drawing to one rider every year at the Wednesday night Rolex cocktail party, which is where I spent my evening. Equestrian Events Inc put on a great party, and, while I'm not the best at small talk, I got to catch up with old friends and meet a few new ones. As always, I heard some great stories that can't be repeated here and I told a couple of those myself.

Lauren Kieffer won the best dressed female award and Peter Atkins the best dressed male, and both took home a pair of Dubarrys for their fashion. We had trouble recognizing HJ Hampton from the front; all we usually see of him is his ears. I vote for Peter wearing a helmet cam at Sunday's jog.

Photos courtesy of Josh Walker of the USEA

Three Days Three Ways is has a review of the best turned out pairs in the jog. Maybe we will do the opposite for Sunday, and Ian Roberts is the early Vegas favorite. Ian either already has Dubarrys or didn't want any. That said, the grey Napalm was impeccably turned out.

USEA Wednesday jog photos, Chronicle jog photos

Ride Times and An Early Look At The Cross-Country Course

By John on April 21, 2010 1:38 PM, Filed Under Rolex Kentucky 2010

This is the magical bracelet that gets me back in the barns. This is my 10th consecutive Rolex, and, as always, my goals are to have fun, learn a lot, and hang out with my friends. This year will be a little different because I get to bring a few thousand members of Eventing Nation along for the ride.

Rolex ride times

Virtual course walk

I took a quick walk around the XC course with my friend Lauren Kieffer this afternoon. My main goal was to keep Lauren relaxed and to make the jumps look shorter by standing next to them. I'm 6' 3", and there's a reason nobody walks Rolex the first time with a midget little person. But, I did get a chance to see the course along the way.

(1) There's a water jump without any jumps. Seriously. The water between the trakehner and the coffin doesn't have any jumps in it, but the roped off track make the horses gallop through it.

(2) The Head of the Lake has two drops into water. There's a brush drop in going towards the main arena, 4 strides to a left corner. Then, it's out of the water, a short right handed loop and another drop over a rail into water followed by a very tricky uphill angled vertical out of the water.

(3) In general, the course is big but not overly technical. All of the combinations give the horses time to see and analyze the out elements.

(4) The distances that don't walk perfect tend to walk a little long, but I will have more about the distances when I go on a couple of course walks with coaches.

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-A lot of the horses were ridden or hacked this morning at least once and will be ridden again this evening after the jog. The main arena opens at 4:30 and most riders will take advantage of the chance to school or at least hack the horses in the main arena to give them a look at the environment and grandstands.

-Ashdale Cruise Master is better on the flat than I anticipated. I briefly watched a few of the riders on the flat, and Cruise Master stood out as having quality gaits and good focus. Oliver can definitely be in the top 5 after dressage.

Rolex Competitors Preview (part 7/7)

By John on April 18, 2010 9:58 PM, Filed Under Rolex Kentucky 2010

Check out Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7 of EN's Rolex competitor previews. So far, 15 combinations have advanced to round 2 of EN's collective Rolex pick. You will choose the last three to advance to round 2 in this preview post, and round 2 begins Monday evening. Rolex Entries List

Holly Hudspeth and Last Monarch: Holly's Website

Do we have any Family Guy fans in the house? Our fun fact about 'Stewie' is that he is named after the violent and villainous baby on FOX's hit cartoon series Family Guy. Eventing Nation has had the opportunity to keep track of Holly's path to Rolex through her EN guest blogs, which has been tremendously fun, and I expect the best is yet to come. Stewie is very energetic *understatement* young little horse, but Holly does a super job managing his emotions. Holly and Stewie have finished inside the top ten placing in 10 of their 12 advanced level competitions together. A rider fall at the Jersey CCI3* is their only issue on XC in the last 2 years and their dressage is improving each time out. I think the tension of the Rolex environment will keep Stewie from showing his best stuff, but a steady weekend will set them up well for making the team next year.

Sara Mittleider and El Primero: Sara's Homepage

Sara was the highest placed young rider at Rolex in '05, '06, and '07 and holds the record as the youngest rider ever to complete Rolex. However, Sara is older now and pressure is on to ride like the experience she has. Bred in Idaho, 'Tony' is 2/4 lifetime on 4* cross country courses, collecting a stop at Rolex '05 and retiring at Burghley in '07, but he jumped around Rolex '06 and '07 finishing 14th and 12th respectively. I expect Tony to jump around on Saturday and a finish just inside the top-10 would be a great weekend overall.

Karen O'Connor and Mandiba: OCET Homepage, Karen's Facebook

While I am not nearly the gentleman that Mr. Wofford is, I too refuse to discuss in print the rumors that surround Karen regarding her tattoo-so stop sending me emails people! If and when there is a police report involving the tattoo, we will of course publish that in its entirety. Mandiba has all the tools to carry Karen to the promised land this fall, but they need to get around this weekend. The trick this weekend is for Mandiba to be efficient enough around most of the course so that he can have time to study the technical questions, but he doesn't have to be the fastest horse on Saturday to have a very successful weekend. Karen delivers in the clutch, and this weekend won't be different: top 10 lock.

Lauren Kieffer and Snooze Alarm: Bio, Facebook, EN guest blogs

Another member of the O'Connor Event Team, Lauren is Jimmy's pick for the highest placed Rolex rookie, and for good reason. Lauren has developed as part of OCET into one of our country's brightest rising stars, and I guarantee this is the first of many Rolex appearances for Lauren. Lauren and 'Snooze,' a 15.3 Chestnut Anglo-Arabian, have grown up together and they bring a quality past performance record to Rolex with only clean XC rides since early 2009, and just 3 rails in their last 7 events. I bet that time on XC and maybe in SJ will hurt their final placing a bit, but I expect a quality weekend from Lauren and Snooze.

Michele Mueller and Amistad (CAN): Michele's Homepage

Michele and Amistad have had a tumultuous spring, with wins in the advanced at Chattahoochee and Pine Top and a 2nd at Rocking horse, but also a withdraw after a stop on XC at Poplar, and a fall at The Fork. Their most recent event was the win at Chattahoochee last weekend, and hopefully they can keep the momentum for a quality Rolex weekend.

Amy Tryon and Coal Creek: Team Tryon

Once Phillip, Buck, and Oliver withdrew a few of their horses, it left Amy with the best one-two arsenal in the field. 'Devon' is considerably less experienced than his stable mate Leyland, but his record shows that he should not be underestimated. Amy believes (very wisely in my opinion) that horse trials should be viewed as preparation for three-days, so Devon has time penalties at most of his horse trials, but he made the time when it counted at Fair Hill 2008 and won that event. I expect Devon to have a steady trip around Rolex with some time, but a sub-50 dressage test and a clean show jumping could still put them in the top 10, and certainly the top 20.

Jennifer Wooten-DaFoe and The Good Witch: Homepage

Jennifer and The Good Witch stormed onto the 4* scene a couple of years ago with an 11th at Pau in 2007, and a 7th at Rolex '08. After a fall at Rolex last year and a stop at Burghley, they still find themselves on the B-list, but they need a clean round this weekend to stay there. On the upside, this pair has a very good show jumping record and they can make the time on XC. If they get around, I like them for a top 10 finish. Yes, I understand that is probably the 15th pair I have said could finish in the top 10, but you get the idea.

Colin Davidson and Draco: Facebook

This is a tough pair to figure out, with 8 withdraws or retires in their last 13 events. They did win at Poplar Place earlier this spring, but a solid XC ride and a good completion should be their goal at Rolex.

Oliver Towend and Ashdale Cruise Master (GBR): Oliver's Website

Ashdale Cruise Master is Jimmy's pick to win Rolex. Oliver is one of the best riders in the world, he won two 4*'s last year, he is riding for more money than any eventer in history, and the pair won their last full outing before Rolex, a CIC3* at Burnham Market. What's not to like? If I had to nitpick, I would point out that Ashdale was eliminated and had a stop in his two previous four-stars, admittedly with a different rider. Oliver gives me that feeling that he will finish on his dressage score no matter what, so I like this pair to finish in the top 5, but maybe not to win.

On a personal note, I had no idea what I was getting into when I started these previews and each one probably averaged 15-20 minutes. So, we are not going to do Badminton previews, and next year they will be shorter. I will probably give my top 10, top 3, and a pick to win in the next couple of days. Go eventing.

EN's Rolex Pick: Remember that you can vote for three combinations, and the top three will advance to the next round. Please vote for the 3 pairs that you think will place highest in Kentucky.

EN Rolex Pick: First Round (part 7/7)survey software

Friday Notes and News: Rolex Previews Galore

By John on April 16, 2010 11:59 AM, Filed Under Rolex Kentucky 2010

is that music from the Batman soundtrack?

Today is one of my favorite days of the year because the great Jim Wofford's Rolex Preview comes in the mail from the COTH. Jimmy's preview of each rider is wonderful because he says so much in just a few sentences, and his insights come from decades of watching the riders and horses develop. Here are a few notes from the preview:

COTH has released a few of the previews online: Buck and Titanium, Geoff Curran, Dorothy Crowell, Will Coleman, Andrea Baxter, Peter Atkins, Laine Ashker, Holly Hudspeth, Becky Holder, Jessice Hampf, William Fox-Pitt, Michelle Mueller, Kristi Nunnink, Karen O'Connor, Bonnie Mosser, Kristin Schmolze, Jane Sleeper, Karl Slezak, Oliver Townend, Amy Tryon, Jennifer Wooten-Dafoe, Tara Ziegler

Jimmy's pick to win: Oliver Townend and Ashdale Cruise Master. Jimmy had an incredible two year streak of picking Rolex winners in '07 and '08 with Clayton Fredericks and Phillip respectively. Jimmy originally picked Carousel Quest in his preview for this year, but since Oliver scratched Carousel Quest after the COTH article went to print, Jimmy amended his prediction by picking Ashdale Cruise Master, with a strong honorable mention to Phillip and The Foreman. Going 2 for 3 with picks the past three years is an extraordinary achievement, and Jimmy has a great chance to make it 3 for 4 this year.

Jimmy puts a high priority on experience when making his predictions, and he suggests that many of the younger horses that I have predicted to do well need another year of polish. It will be very interesting to see how the athletic youngster vs savvy veteran story-line plays out at Kentucky.

Mike ES is quoted as saying that his course makes Rolex a "big four-star rather than a hard four-star." This might open things up for the better combined test horses in the field, such as Mystere Du Val.

Jimmy's 'whodat' pick for the highest placed Rolex rookie is EN's own guest blogger Lauren Kieffer and Snooze.

In an interesting moment, Jimmy basically predicts Amy and Leyland will make the WEG team by saying they will do better at the WEGs than Rolex.

If you don't subscribe to the COTH, be sure to pick up a copy of this issue at your local tack store, it's well worth the price.

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The USEA has published the Spring edition of it's online magazine, which is a Rolex preview issue. Josh and Emily have done a fantastic job developing this online magazine format for the USEA, and I love how it utilizes videos and video ads. This issue contains a Rolex preview, an interesting analysis of the bloodlines of recent Rolex winners (which points out that the past 9 Rolex winners all have mostly TB bloodlines of primarily Irish or British ancestry and only one has any warmblood ancestors), and an FEI doping article from Kent Allen. Check it out: EventingUSA 2.0

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David wrote a great article for the Chronicle, which, among other insights, explains that Buck, Will Coleman, and Boyd will lead our sport for the next 10 years, and he suggests that a healthy rivalry among competitors might be what US eventing needs to take our riders to the next level.

The Eventing Radio Show's Episode 72 is their Rolex Preview

Best of the Blogs: Alex Hua Tian, Rebecca Howard is back in the saddle, Chelan Kozak is counting down, Allison's final gallop

In a recent study, 60% of horses who were scoped were found to have stomach ulcers. Sadly, the barn lifestyle is not natural for horses for many reasons. Ulcers can lead to many behaviors for horses that are too often just considered bad behavior, especially because the diagnosis and treatment of ulcers is neither cheap nor an exact science.

The British dressage champtionships had to be rescheduled due to a Papal visit.

The FEI says horses can only be hyperflexed for 10 minutes in warmup before Stewards must intervene.

Go eventing.

Path to the "three day that shall not be named" Chapter 5

By Lauren Kieffer on April 6, 2010 2:57 PM, Filed Under Lauren Kieffer

Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4

So the three week countdown begins. It definitely took until the drive home for it to hit me that "the three day that shall not be named" is almost here. As most of you who have spent any amount of time around eventing realizes, it is always safer to be a bit of a pessimist because SOMETHING always goes wrong no matter what your plan is or how good your program is. One of the best things Karen and David have ever told me about this sport is to not let the highs get you too high because the lows are so low. So granted, a lot of things could still go wrong, but it's looking like getting there is a very good possibility.

We just got back from The Fork, which was gorgeous as always. Hannah won the Advanced, woo hoo! And even though John would never write about himself on Eventing Nation I'll do it for him and tell everyone he had a great go on his horse, Everest. Snooze was in the CIC*** and was pretty good. The dressage test has a lot of canter work and when your horse's natural canter is like a camel with hip dysplasia it doesn't bode well for the score, he was actually pretty good though and got a 54, which is a 4 point improvement from the last time he did that test. The cross country course was really nice, The Fork always seems to have a good flow and Snooze felt really confident and straight the whole way around, I was quite slow though which really always irritates you at the end of the day but we will save it for when it counts. We had one rail in the show jumping but it was mine not his and he was a lot more rideable and flowing throughout the course.

So at the end of the day, I'm feeling pretty confident. I'm sitting on a horse that after having ridden for 9 years knows me as well as I know him, and I have the best coaches, vet, farrier, friends, and family as a support team. But regardless of how confident I am, I'm still pretty sure I'm getting an ulcer. Now I will just spend the next three weeks keeping up on our fitness, practicing our test, and being as prepared as we can be. So everyone cross your fingers for us and hopefully the next time I write to you will be from Kentucky!

Lauren Kieffer and Snooze Alarm PTR: Chapter 4

By John on March 25, 2010 1:20 AM, Filed Under Lauren Kieffer

From Lauren:

Poplar Place ran a great show this weekend, the weather was super and everything was organized really well. It felt like a vacation because I sold two of my horses last week so I only had the three.

The Maggot put in one of his better dressage tests, a big improvement over Pine Top but unfortunately the score didn't reflect that. Sometimes the judges don't like my little arab so we were about midpack after the day. His trot work scored quite well but his walk and canter did not. It's a fine line with him in the walk and canter going forward without letting him look lateral, because that is how he likes to go. So going home I'm going to have to work on letting the judges see what I want them to see without crossing that line.

The Advanced cross country was a good track, they asked the right questions, although I would have liked the gallop fences to be a little bigger just so he would have held off them more. I had to waste a lot of time bringing him back just because he wasn't impressed, but I guess that is kind of a good thing. They had the burial mound on course as usual but after about the first seven horses, three had fallen, so they took it off just before I went out. The jump judges ran out and were waving their arms in front of it so I would know not to jump it which nearly got me dumped, don't they k now arabs have never seen humans before?! He also nearly took out my knee cap on the fence after the finish because he was spooking at a dressage letter. Clearly after jumping around an advanced that is the scariest thing he has ever seen, riggggghhhtttt, I think he's fit enough if he has enough energy to worry about that.

Show jumping was proof that you can't always count on the scoreboard to know if a round was good or not. He jumped clean but he was not very rideable, nothing disastrous but not much rhythm too it. The unfortunate thing with losing your young rider status is you don't get to be excited just for jumping clean. I'm working on a fake ID that says I'm 18, it's taking some work to find someone to make it, apparently there isn't a high demand for underage IDs. Fortunately they are having an unrecognized three phase show at the Florida Horse Park this weekend so he is going to a few of the lower show jumping classes for a little refresher course.

We are off to The Fork next, one of my favorite events. If that goes super well we will be headed to "the three day that shall not be named". My life has turned into a Harry Potter Movie for the poor people around me, talking about Rolex is like talking about Lord Voldemort, under absolutely no circumstances are you allowed to say the word Rolex out loud. Luckily Hannah has been through it all before so she is handling all the details and all I have to do is keep my head out of my butt and ride my horse well.

So until after The Fork, everyone enjoy the nicer weather and I'll talk to ya'll soon.

Lauren Kieffer and Snooze Alarm PTR: Chapter 3

By John on March 3, 2010 7:59 PM, Filed Under Lauren Kieffer

In our latest guest blog, Lauren writes about her performance last weekend at Pine Top. One of the characteristics that makes Lauren one of our country's brightest rising stars is her ability to objectively analyze her performance as a rider. Hearing some of the A&B listers out there talk, or reading their blogs, makes me think that they might have better results if, every once in a while, they started looking for answers rather than excuses. Thanks for writing Lauren, and thank you for reading.

Part 1, Part 2

From Lauren:

Well this weekend was one of those weekends that the first thing I wanted to do when I got home that night was hole up with my friend Jim Beam and pout, but before I got too far into my glass of bourbon and coke I needed to evaluate my weekend and get over myself because I'm pretty lucky to have made it home with a sound self and sound horses.

So the first thing I looked at was my dressage performances. They were all pretty mediocre and the biggest problem was that my horses weren't half halting well enough in the ring, so now that I'm home I need to spend a lot of time in the ring and work on my horses half halting from my seat and waiting in the corners so that when I get to the show and they are tense or excited by the atmosphere I have that tool to work with. One good thing about Snooze's test was that although I didn't have that tool when I needed it, the quality of his gaits in his lateral work was better than it was in the fall last year so I know I've gone in the right direction with that.

Next was the show jumping, Snooze was very good and overall all the horses were quite good, only having one rail between the five of them. (Note to self- look into becoming a showjumper: better hours, no riding in unsavory weather, more money.... Hmmm)

And last but not least, the cross country. Snooze was a wild man, especially to the gallop fences, although quite rideable and attentive in the combinations. I ended up with a lot of time penalties though because I had to spend a long time bringing him back after galloping because he was so strong. I'm going to have to experiment with bits over the next few weeks but I'm thinking I will switch him from his full cheek twisted snaffle to a three ring and see if he is more responsive to the added leverage.

Overall, my performance at Pine Top was pretty mediocre but things could always be worse and one of the best things you can do after a rough weekend is use it as an opportunity to look back and see what you need to work on and go home and fix things so you can come back out and give it a better try next time around.

Snooze's next event will be the Advanced at Poplar Place Horse Trials in three weeks so I have lots of time to practice and school for a better performance, although Snooze may take some convincing because I'm pretty sure he thinks his performance was perfectly fine, clearly his modifications to the dressage test deserved extra points and if I had just let him run as fast as he wanted we would have finished WELL inside of the time on cross country, but lucky for me Snooze can't talk.

Let's make sure we keep the riders that had bad falls this weekend in our thoughts and prayers for speedy recoveries and quick returns. And the Maggot and I will talk to ya'll again soon!

Lauren Kieffer and Snooze Alarm PTR: Chapter 2

By John on February 19, 2010 11:31 PM, Filed Under Eventing Guest Writers,

Lauren Kieffer

Chapter 1

So as we all know eventing is the most predictable sport and career choice anyone could decide to devote their entire life to... predictable as in that you can guarantee that no matter what your plans and schedule are they are most definitely not going to go as planned. Luckily, the blip in my plan was pretty minor, at least for this week. Snooze was suppose to have his first outing at the Florida Horse Park in the intermediate this weekend but unfortunately he pulled a muscle in his back so I couldn't put a saddle on him for a couple days, so then I did a frantic scramble to scratch him from there and enter him in the the preliminary at Rocking Horse on the Tuesday, which I never could have gotten done without the patience and understanding of the awesome event secretaries Jennifer Holling (who had to deal with me being a pretty big pain in the you know what all weekend since I was running 5 other horses) and Rick Dunkerton putting me into Rocking Horse at the last minute. I'm pretty sure event secretaries should get saint hood or knighted or maybe we should all just bring them a bottle of their favorite booze every once in awhile, because I sure know if it was me I would most definitely not answer my calls.

As for Snooze's run at Rocking Horse, he was a pretty big brat for the dressage, but what can you do but laugh when you go to trot around the dressage ring and your 3* horse stops dead and snorts like an elephant at the letter K, sure haven't ever seen a dressage ring before. But his changes were clean, even though they aren't in the preliminary test.... minor details. The judges comments probably read something like "horse a bit green and tense today, with time and experience he may have potential for the future..." He was super in the show jumping and on cross country and I pulled him up after he got his feet wet at the water because I didn't want to run him the whole track when he's suppose to compete in the advanced at Pine Top in 10 days. The next fence judge was pretty confused when I pulled up petting my horse and telling him what a good boy he was," um you know that's not the finish right?"

I most definitely have to give a shout out to Kendal Lehari who busted her hump all weekend competing her own horse and coming back to the farm and keeping Snooze going while I was at the event, and to Annie Yaeger (she's going to be soooo stoked to get two shout outs, she deserves them though), for being helper/groom at the show for Karen, Hannah, and myself all weekend. And of course Maximus Corcoran for all her help and for making sure I keep my sense of humor when Snooze tries to make a fool of me every chance he gets. And I most definitely can't leave out KOC and DOC, I couldn't do this without them, and my owners and sponsors and parents and friends and family..... We all know that it takes a huge team and a lot of support to get this done.

Snooze and I will be off to Pine Top with KOC next weekend with a trailerful and if everyone could just cross their fingers for no snow for us that would be super. Until then, stay tuned in the EN!

PTR Chapter 2

By Holly Hudspeth on February 16, 2010 10:40 AM, Filed Under Holly Hudspeth

Chapter 1

Well, like everyone else on the planet we have had terrible weather in North Carolina. So last Monday, Ashley Kriegal, Kate Fitzgerlad and I decided to go to Aiken for 5 days before Pine Top. It was the first time we were able to xc school, and Last Monarch was a total train wreck! He thinks it is so funny to run off with me after every jump, and me, not so much. I ventured over to P. Duddy's (Phillip's) for jump lessons on Stewie and a new ride, Cold Harbor. Both horses jumped great and it is always good to see everyone again. I also had a dressage lesson with Boyd's bride Silva which was AMAZING! She rode Stewie and I saw a trot on him I have never seen before. Silva had Stewie going better than I ever have, and while I felt like an idiot, I cannot wait until the next lesson! After 5 great days it was off to Pine Top.

The first show of the spring season is always a bit touch and go, and when you add 5 inches of snow, it becomes comical. I have to say Pine Top Farm did the most fantastic job with everything. I never thought the show would run as well as it did! While a bit stressful for the organizers and volunteers, it was however, one of the most beautiful Saturday mornings I have seen. Check out hoofclix.com to see what I am talking about. Anyway, Last Monarch was great. He tends to be quite a handful, especially early on in the season! But despite a few spins, leaps, and rears, he finished 2nd in the OI on his dressage score of 33.6. Because Ashley was riding (and won the prelim rider division) Kaylie O'Neal and Erin Sheets came to help out. While I tried to prepare them for dealing with the little monster at a competition, we all had a good laugh at the end of the weekend about how ridiculous Stewie is! Cold Harbor won his prelim division and is the total opposite of Stewie. I tell his owner Dana Diemer all the time he is "dreamy" compared to the wild man.

With the first show successfully completed, we are nowhome and will head back to Pine Top in 2 weeks. Both horses will move up a level, and like everyone else, I am hoping for better weather. Thanks to Chuck (my driver, chef, and cheerleader), Ashley, Kaylie, Cali, Erin, Dana, and Laura who made the weekend what is was. Will catch up in 2 weeks!

Holly Hudspeth

*John Note: If you are interested in taking a clinic with Holly, she will be at Equiventure Farm in Rougemont, NC March 5-7, see Holly's site for more info. She will also be at Showman Farm in MI March 27-28, see the Area 8 website for more info. Holly will also be teaching at the Area 8 young rider camp in June, in which Holly has worked with riders such as Lauren Kieffer, Hannah Burnett, and even yours truly, but don't hold that against Holly. Also, be sure to check out Holly's Chapter 1 for a comment appearance by Holly's Hollybell's mom.

Spring Blog Chapter 2

By Hannah Burnett on February 15, 2010 10:42 PM, Filed Under Hannah Burnett

Chapter 1

Nike and I have had a very busy couple of weeks since our last post. He has continued to get fitter and we are both working on our flatwork, which is really getting fun (hard to believe I'm saying this...) and he's really jumping great.

Last week was busy to say the least...Karen had signed us up for a ICP symposium with Lauren Huff but she got injured and couldn't teach so Lauren Kieffer and I were surprised to meet the Captain (Mark Phillips) in the arena for our jumping lesson. I was sweating a bit because I was expecting him to see me jump for the first time (officially) at our training sesh on Friday...and I wasn't feeling quite prepared mentally. Luckily, Nike's a pretty freakin' good jumper and Captain Phillips was pretty impressed with him. Lauren rode Allstar for Karen in the lesson and rocked it (on a horse she hasn't sat on in about 4 months!!)

The next day on Tuesday, we did the ICP Intermediate dressage test for Linda Zang and it wasn't really up to our potential but it was my fault because I didn't get Nike enough warm-up before the test. Still figuring out how much warm-up is enough and not too much to produce a solid test.

Wednesday I rode in the Spalding Lab's Young Event Horse competition on Ms. Mars 5 year old mare Landmark's Miss Liberty and she won! She had a very classy jumping round and the judges loved her. It's great to start the youngsters and have them rewarded for stepping up and trying so hard.

Thursday was my training session with Capt. Phillips on the flat. We did a lot of trot-canter-trot transitions and he really drilled me on my basics. Wow, wasn't expecting that at all! It was a really good lesson, even though I was pretty humbled and reminded to take things back to a simple level and make sure I don't accept mediocrity. Since the Captain had already seen us jump on Monday, we had to do another dressage lesson on Friday. We had worked out a lot of our transition issues from the day before and got to work on more upper-level movements. Mark really improved my half-halts in the canter work and counter-canter. Overall my first experience with training sessions was a very good one. Hopefully I will be picked to keep working with the High Performance Team throughout the year.

The weather for the Ocala II event started out pretty crappy on Friday (especially for Florida!) with lots of rain and temps in the low 40s. Nike was pretty fresh with this being our first outing since Fair Hill and also quite cold. Our dressage test had some good moments but overall not good enough to get a good score. I was feeling a lot of pressure to have a good test and I rode a bit negatively. On Saturday, it had stopped raining but was bitterly cold and windy, and Nike and I were literally shaking before our round. I felt so badly for him! He jumped around with one rail down. I talked to Karen and decided that Nike wasn't up for the run on Sunday so we scratched him from the cross-country and are entering him in the OI next weekend at Rocking Horse III. Huge thanks to Annie Yager for all her help last weekend--she's an amazing worker and great rider--I wouldn't have gotten through the weekend without her help. Also props to Shauna Riley for holding down the fort at home and taking great care of the horses all by herself. Awesome people make all the stress and pressure of eventing so much easier!

Horses are constantly teaching us to listen to them. To feel what they're feeling, whether it be that they're in pain somewhere or just not confident in some part of their work. It's so easy to miss one of the intricate details that keep our horses comfortable and self- assured. I'm so blessed to be apart of a program that has such amazing teamwork and really cares about each other's progress and success. From Dr. Ober and Randy Pawlak discussing shoeing and overall soundness to Karen and David working out the best show schedule and training and Max Corcoran keeping an eye on Nike and all my horses' physical fitness and overall wellbeing; it's hard to miss anything. I'm still learning to always spend extra time with my horse, getting to know him and take in things that aren't quite right that no one else will notice. That is the real teamwork--the core of Eventing and what makes such a cool bond between horse and rider. Anyways...I should stop rambling and get back to work. Until next time--keep checking out the sweetest site in Eventing :)

-HSB

Karen and Mandiba Impress at USET Training Session Day 1

By John on February 4, 2010 8:00 PM, Filed Under Classroom

I just had 'one of those days' with the vet, but writing this post is a welcome distraction. This morning, I watched a few of the US training sessions being held at Meredyth South. CMP was extremely focused on getting riders to use their leg. Probably 90% of the corrections he suggested involved the leg aid, and he kept saying things like: "leg to go slower," "leg until he comes rounder," "talk to the hind end with your legs to give you the feeling you want in your hands." I think a lot of riders either focus on making horses work off of the outside rein (modern) or seat (classical) and that the leg is getting a bit lost in the process, which might be why Mark put such an emphasis on it today. Everything was about the leg. CMP began every lesson by schooling a principle at the walk, mostly teaching the horse to come round from the leg and develop a solid connection. Here are a few specific thoughts from the rides I watched.

Lauren Kieffer and Ultra Tim: I arrived just at the end of Lauren's ride, but Tim looked great and Mark seemed really pleased. The pair did well at the FHI CCI**, and I bet that when Lauren does her Road to Rolex Blog for us next year, it will involve Tim.

Erika Treis Peterson says "Hi Eventing Nation"

Erika represents the 616 (Holland, MI) with her fancy 3* horse Under the Influence. When Erika started her lesson, Mark observed that her leg was kicked too far out in front. A quick adjustment to the balance of the saddle (by taking out front Mattes pad padding) moved Erika's leg back by about two inches. From personal experience, nothing helps a water-skiing leg position like raising the rear of the saddle, which is often unbalanced and causing the problem in the first place. Mark spent most of the lesson working on Under the Influence's trot work, encouraging the horses to "swing twice as much and go twice as slowly." CMP encouraged Erika to half-halt even when things were going well, as a preemptive measure, which I think is a very hard technique for a rider to implement because we are so excited when things go well that we try to just maintain. In the canter work, Mark asked Erika to canter on the spot, and then go forward in that rhythm and balance.

Karen and Mandiba are going straight to the top

Karen and Mandiba looked fantastic, and I am convinced they have flatwork that can win the WEGs. The lesson was very positive and ended with a high-five between Mark and Max. Karen seemed very confident, and, from a flatwork perspective, the pair seems in awesome shape. Mandiba was focused, relaxed, moving great, and very accurate. In the walk, Karen worked on taking long slow steps with a good connection in the rein. In terms of position, Mark encouraged Karen to stretch up rather than leaning back. Mark asked for more shoulder-in in the canter, and said that being straight was not enough angle for training. Personally, I have never really ever head a coach say "less shoulder-in" in the canter work for training purposes.

Max watches one long side for enough shoulder-in angle while Mark watches the other

Mark watching Mandiba's trot

Hannah Burnett and St. Barths walk it out

Mark worked with Hannah, the FHI CCI** winner and another one of our guest writers, on transitions, particularly the canter to trot. Several horses at the training sessions dropped behind the bit and leg in downward transitions, and Mark worked on this issue each time until it was fixed. In the canter, Mark encouraged Hannah to work Nike's feet until he became more available in the jaw.

Sara Ike using technology to help the US win

Sara Ike, of the USEF, who works behind the scenes to make everything run smoothly for the Team, was kind enough to show me a little about the cool video technology the Team is using which allows each movement to be categorized and broken down. Someday I will write a post on the issue, but my educational background in psychology tells me that visual feedback is a critical component of training. Sarah also wins the best dressed award for rocking a sweet olympic polo. That's all for now, but we will have more tomorrow from the jumping sessions. Go eventing.

Carrie Meehan and Blue Devil: Chapter 1

By John on February 2, 2010 12:41 AM, Filed Under Eventing Guest Writers

I am pleased to introduce our 5th and perhaps final guest rider/blogger for the Spring, Carrie Meehan and the fantastic Blue Devil. Carrie and "Duke" won the T3DE at Waredaca last fall, and give us the perspective of very talented rising pair in our sport. For those of you keeping score at home, our other four bloggers are the Rolex-targeting Holly Hudspeth and Lauren Kieffer, FHI Champ Hannah Burnett, and the Canadian sensation taking England by storm Lindsay Pearce. Their posts will start to space out a bit over the next few weeks, and we hope they will provide a welcome first-hand perspective, from many angles, on our great sport. Go eventing.

From Carrie:

Well the time has finally come for my first entry! So I suppose I should introduce myself and my horse. My name is Carrie Meehan, I'm 20 years old, and I live in Charlottesville, Virginia. 'Blue Devil' aka Duke and I started our partnership the summer of '09 and after a rocky start, we started to click and things just seemed to fall into place after that. Duke has been a wonderful teacher for me and it never ceases to amaze me how smart he is. He will be 16 years old this year, but you would never know it if I didn't tell you. For example, the recent snowfall in central Virginia has left many melting snow piles along the road. Duke must take the time to observe (and spook) at every one of them as we pass. I keep trying to convince him that those big Advanced level tables he's jumped with Emily are much scarier. Speaking of, Emily Beshear is my trainer and the one who has made Duke into what he is today (though I can't forget Jeff Beshear who also played a big role and took Duke through the Intermediate level). I owe so much of my success to her and all the time and encouragement she has given to me.

So these last few weeks since Christmas break have been pretty low-key. I must say 'going back to basics' has been the theme of my training schedule. Since Duke had a light program during the holiday break, we spent an entire week doing nothing but walking and trotting on the roads. Duke has a history of weak stifles, so Emily encouraged me to 'nip it in the bud' and not let it become a problem later down the road this season, especially with an older horse like Duke. Knowing this type of work will pay off in the long run makes it worth it, even though the same roads can get pretty boring after a couple days haha! Though I must say, I have also joined Duke in the conditioning process by going to a gym a couple times a week.

Once we finally got back into the arena, it was time to pick apart my position! Emily says I have a habit of sitting too far back on my seat bones and gripping with my thighs. So here comes many days of no stirrups! But I know all of this fine-tuning will make all the difference in the long run. When it comes to jumping, we have started back doing poles on the ground. Before you laugh, don't underestimate the difficulty of it, especially when you're working on nothing but the smallest of details. All of this is done in my jumping position, so that adds more difficulty. I can't feel too bad for making Duke work hard anymore because I'm working just as hard (though he doesn't seem convinced).

We started jumping this past week, and Duke definitely isn't holding back his excitement! Needless to say I think I may start lifting heavier weights at the gym. I can't wait for the ground to dry up from all this rain we've been having so we can go out trotting on the hills. I've been planning out my spring season the past couple days, and it's crazy to think my first event is in just a little over a month! Where has time gone? I'm starting to hear that clock ticking, so that means it's time to get down to business! Southern Pines will be here before we know it. But then again, knowing it's getting closer gets me amped up every time I ride. I must say, I can't wait to get back out there and compete. Not to mention, going cross-country with Duke has to be one of the most amazing feelings on Earth. He's one in a million that's for sure. Well, I think that's all for now, but until next time, happy riding!

Hannah Burnett Spring Blog: Chapter 1

By John on January 30, 2010 6:39 PM, Filed Under Eventing Guest Writers

Our week long introduction of our spring guest writers continues with Hannah Burnett's first entry. Hannah competed at Rolex in '07 on Keep the Faith, and recently won the 2009 CCI** at Fair Hill on St. Barths. Hannah was kind enough to join us for a live blog just after that victory, and we look forward to Hannah telling us all about her spring. Now, if I can only get Lauren and Hannah to stop including me in their posts...Go eventing.

From Hannah:

Hey Eventing Nation--it's Hannah Burnett again and I'm so excited to keep you up to date with my spring competitions and training! After Fair Hill last year I got the opportunity to chat with some of you on Eventing Nation's Live Blog and a lot of questions were asked about my plans for the future with St. Barths (Nike) and I'm thrilled to keep you filled in as the season progresses.
    Nike and I had a great year last year with a win at the Stuart CIC** and then finishing off the season with a bang with a win at Fair Hill International CCI**. I started riding Nike for Richard Thompson in the fall of 2008 for my boss and coach Karen O'Connor while she was at the Olympics. We got along so well that when she got back from Hong Kong, she and Mr. Thompson decided to let me keep the ride. Nike has really blown everyone's expectations out of the water and continues to impress people especially because of his past medical history. Nike had EPM severely in 2007 and no one thought he would ever make it back to being at the top level and not to mention with so much success.
    I'll fill you in a bit about myself: I am from Shelbyville, KY and I'm 23 years old. I grew up riding under the instruction of my mom, whom I call Smallzie (cause she's so little) and have always had a very supportive family. I have been working with Karen and David O'Connor for a total of around 5 years. I was a working student off and on with Lauren Kieffer for about 3 years when I was competing my horse, Keep the Faith, that took me to Rolex KY in 2007. After I spent a year in at home in KY working off all my bills from getting to Rolex, I went back to work full time for the O'Connors and have been riding and working for them for 2 years now. Lauren and I are roommates and have a lot of fun driving everyone else on the farm nuts! We keep ourselves entertained by poking fun at anyone who gives us the opportunity. That includes John, who is writing posts for this website in our house right now!!
    Right, back to business!! Nike and I are planning on running in the Intermediate division at the Florida Horse Park Feb. 13-14 and then we'll be doing Nike's Advanced debut at Pine Top later in the month. Until then, stay warm and keep checking out the coolest site in Eventing :)

Lauren Kieffer and Snooze Alarm PTR: Chapter 1

By John on January 29, 2010 1:03 PM, Filed Under Eventing Guest Writers,

Lauren Kieffer

Our Path to Rolex series continues with a good friend of mine, Lauren Kieffer. I met Lauren and Snooze when riding on the first of our two Young Rider teams together, and since then she has developed into a fantastic rider under the tutelage of David and Karen at OCET. Lauren's OCET teammate, Hannah Burnett, will also be writing about her spring for us (check back soon), and both Lauren and Hannah are two of America's rising stars. Thank you for reading.

From Lauren:

Hello Eventing Nation! I'm really excited to have been invited to keep you all up to date over the next several months as I make my first attempt at Rolex Kentucky CCI****. If I were you I wouldn't always believe all the nice things John says about Hannah and I, he's just trying to keep on our good side since we are letting him sleep on our couch, but I'll try not to disappoint all of you.

I'll start by just telling you all a little bit about my horse Snooze Alarm and what we have been up to so far. I've had Snooze AKA The Maggot for 9 years now, and just as a side note I would not recommend for anyone to buy a four year old, barely broke, redheaded, Arabian as their 13 year old kids first event horse, of course my parents can't be blamed because I did bust out the tears and a "but, but Daddy, I LOVE him!" when I got told no. We had a great time until I tried to move up to Intermediate and broke my back when I was 17 and once I recovered from that and my parents realized I was too ignorant to be scared they shipped me off to Karen and David's, which is where Snooze and I have been ever since. We've done a lot together including three NAJYRC's (Go Area VIII!), we've been named to the Developing Rider's List twice, the B-List, and have spent the last two years doing advanced horse trials, CIC***'s, and a CCI***. I have a lot to thank him for.

He had a nice vacation this winter and is rarin' to go. He's been going for long trots and flatting and had his first jump and canter last week. His work load will start getting upped over the next couple weeks and the plan right now is to do an Intermediate at the Florida Horse Park Winter II and then we'll head up to Pine Top to freeze our tails off and do the Advanced.

Friday Notes and News

By John on January 15, 2010 2:48 PM, Filed Under Eventing News and Notes

1) To my knowledge, there are no events this weekend. There are certainly no events in the US, but I am throwing out a fun invitation: if someone knows of an event, anywhere, any place, please let us know either via comment or email. I will do all I can to cover the event from here in Ocala, no matter how small or obscure the competition might be.

2) Ronald Zabala-Goetschel is certainly one of the strangest most interesting people in eventing, which, frankly, says a lot. As you know, Ronald is the eccentric eventer from Ecuador who competed his beautiful horse Che Mr. Wiseguy at Rolex '09 and is targeting the WEGs. I have met Ronald, and found him to be a very nice guy, an opinion that is reinforced by reading Amber Heintzberger's great article, published today on COTH. From multiple business ventures, to an insanely large number of super-nice horses, it seems like Ronald is living the dream. Ronald obviously has some serious funding, and has spend a lot of money trying to recreate his beloved horse, including two unsuccessful cloning attempts, and has even gone as far as making diamonds out of Mr. Wiseguy's hair. Each cloning cost around $160,000, and I can't be sure, but I think making diamonds from hair is pretty expensive.

Stories like this tend to aggravate that slightly uncomfortable feeling hidden deep within my heart about how much money we spend on this great sport of ours when people are starving and dying of curable diseases all over the World. But, Ronald blows money with style, grace, a love of horses, and a great sense of humor, which is really all anybody can ask I guess.

The only thing Ronald doesn't seem to have is a wife. According to the article, Ronald broke up with one girl because she didn't like horses, and has had trouble finding a girlfriend due to his hectic travel schedule. In the article, Ronald says: "I just got a place in Pennsylvania and would like to settle down. So, if anyone reading this article knows of a nice, smart girl in the eventing world, please let me know, and I will send her my résumé!" Ditto Ronald, ditto.

3) We have published several links to stories about the conflict over using Greenwich park as the 2012 Olympics equestrian venue, and the issue is not going away. Stories keep popping up about people protesting and suing to stop the Olympics from using the historic park. People seem concerned that part of the park will be closed for quite a while, and about the long term impact to the park. This is the thread about the issue on the Horse & Hound Forum, which is like a UK version of the Chronicle forums but less cool. The latest attempt by protestors involves using a law from 1871 to stop building on a critical location. Until both sides come together and reach a compromise, this is going to keep being bad PR for the London Olympics.

4) Holly (Hepp) Hudspeth, Lauren Kieffer, and Hannah Burnett are some of the coolest people in eventing, and you all will find out why in the next couple of weeks.

5) Best comment of the week goes to Barbara who responded to our Charismatic News and Notes by writing on our FB: "Sorry about Martha [Stewart], but very interesting about Elvis. I happen to know that Elvis' hair is alive and still growing on a teaser pony at my barn!!"

GNF coming later tonight. Go eventing.

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