Was it Rolex, the Derby, or Badminton?

By John on , Filed Under Eventing Nation, Ridiculous Commentary and , , ,

Friends, I have spent so much time writing about Rolex, the Derby, and Badminton, over the past two weeks that the three competitions have merged together into one blurry memory of horses running really fast.  Can you identify which event each of these pictures and videos come from?

#1...

Oh my old Kentucky home.  There may not have been enough drunken Kentuckians bored out of their minds at Rolex to start such mayhem, but there very well might be enough at the WEGs.  You know that line of porta potties by the general admissions gate?  Your move Eventing Nation.
#2... 

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Is he smiling or grimacing in pain?  Hi, I'm a photographer--don't mind me while I take a picture of your wife adjusting your waders...at least I hope that's your wife.  Is that a Mitsubishi in the background?
#3...
Sweeping: you're doing it wrong.  This horse was just trying to help out around the barns because he was scratched after the dressage.  No worries though, his rider went on to finish second.
#4...

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He probably would have been one of the several riders at Rolex who forgot their dressage test, but he will take the inside whether there is room or not and he will beat you.
#5...
You can feel the painful physical experience of riding without the joy of companionship with a horse--yours for just a few thousand pounds.
9 Comments

Fan post: your thoughts from Rolex and Badminton

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

DSCN5378.JPG

courtesy of HC
In the past couple of weeks we have had major stories broken in the comment section of our posts a couple of times, such as William's travel complications and the horse fatality at Badminton, and we have had phenomenal, thought provoking comments on many of our articles.  While I consider any article that doesn't get at least 10 comments to be somewhat of a failure, Eventing Nation is quickly becoming a community of hundreds of informed contributors working together. 
What is your most important thought from the spring 4* season?
Today, I turn Eventing Nation completely over to our readers.  You can make this about frangible pins, about the development of riders in the US, about the difference in course design between Rolex and Badminton, about the Grand Slam, or about ANYTHING.
There's no pressure Eventing Nation, just don't do this
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In our One Shining Moment post last week, I promised to tell the story of why I pointlessly ran around the Rolex XC course with a video camera if we received enough comments.  Here it is: 

On Wednesday afternoon, I realized that the Rolex website had not published their virtual XC course walk yet and there were thousands of eventing fans at home who didn't know what the course looked like.  I decided to video the course and upload it onto Eventing Nation.  Unfortunately it was 6PM and I only had one hour before I had to be at the Rolex cocktail party.  If you know me, you know that once this challenge was presented there was no way I could back down.  

So I grabbed my video camera and started to run the course.  At fence 3, I was soaked by those innovative but menacing sprinklers.  By fence 10, I had received funny looks from both Mark and Oliver as I was running past them soaking wet, holding a video camera, and laughing.  What else could I do but laugh?  At the coffin, I met David who told me (as only David can) that I needed to run faster to simulate course speed--after all, the horses did it in 11 minutes.  So I ran faster.  

I crossed the finish line 37 minutes after starting.  I feel this was a pretty good time for a 4 mile run holding a camera in front of me and stopping at all the jumps to video them entirely.  And did I mention I was wearing jeans?

Now why didn't this video make it onto Eventing Nation?  Unfortunately, when we reviewed the footage, we saw that the camera shook up and down so much when I was running that the resulting video looked like a cross between the Blair Witch Project and a video that NASA shows Astronaut trainees to make them throw up.  On top of that, Rolex had put their course preview online by late Wednesday night.  Overall, it was an exhausting, pointless experience, but I did learn that the run up the gradual hill to the Quarry in the back really takes it out of you, just like all the riders say.

If we get enough comments to today's post then I won't go on vacation to Siberia and forget my computer.

26 Comments

Paul Taps Into That Winning Feeling

By Leslie on , Filed Under Eventing Competition Coverage, Eventing Nation and ,
"This means everything to me. Every second of this year has been focused on this moment."

Paul Tapner's win at Badminton aboard Inonothing combined with a stellar performance and 10th place finish on Stormhill Michael is a monumental step forward in his career.  

One year after arriving in Britain from Australia, Paul Tapner won the Bramham CCI*** in 2000 on Highpoint and decided to remain in the UK permanently.  He is based at Wickstead Equestrian Centre, a livery and riding school.  Paul's wife Georgina helps him run Tapner Eventing, and they have two kids; Joshua (6) and Madison (3).

Paul says he nearly gave up on Mannie, who was known as Spinhead.  His persistence and dedication paid off.  Inonothing has an incredible international record finishing 7th at Burghley, 12th at Gatcombe CIC***W, and 7th at Luhmehlen CCI**** just last year.  Now both horse and rider can add a Badminton win to their bios.  I really hope we see this incredible team in Kentucky this fall!

The wet weather never phased Paul and his horses.  According to Equestrian Australia, after winning, Paul said, "I love the rain.  That's why I'm in this country."

Fun Facts about Paul from Equestrian New South Wales


    • Paul has a Bachelor's Degree of Applied Science in Agriculture
    • He has ridden since age 7 and picked this sport because of an "inexplicable desire to ride"
    • He has an Australian sports medal for exceptional services to the pony club movement
    • Paul says: Go hard or go home, and remember to have fun!

Paul Tapner and Inonothing jump the last fence at Badminton.  Crossing the finish line after cross-country is always such an awesome feeling, and Paul is sharing it with hundreds of fans!  He is obviously excited, and he looks relieved too!


I hope Tapner got those cold beers he mentioned; he certainly deserves them.

3 Comments

Badminton show jumping videos

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

1) Paul and Inonothing FTW!


2) Mary King and Imperial Cavalier dropped from 2nd to 4th with a rail


4) XC Bonus: Daisy Berkeley and Spring Along


4 Comments

Mitsubishi Monday afternoon Badminton notes

By John on , Filed Under Eventing Competition Coverage, Eventing Nation and , , , , , ,
Paul Tapner's life is a lot different now that he's a four-star champion than it was just a few hours ago.  Sometimes I wonder about how almost cruel it is that a few centimeters of jump height or a split second decision by a horse at the Normandy Bank can change lives so much for better and worse.  Here are a few links to the best Badminton coverage as evening begins to fall in England.
Monday afternoon audio interviews: Paul Tapner, Andreas Dibowski (2nd), Mary King, Hugh Thomas

--The Horse an Country recap explains that Inonothing has an inspirational story.

Of Inonothing, Paul said: "He wasn't a Badminton horse when I first sat on him; I was asked to ride the horse as he had unique behavioural problems; he was a hunter and known with the Old Bucks Hunt as 'the mad horse.' His nickname is Spinhead, when he gets spooked he spins around. I'm sure it's entertaining for people who aren't riding him," he laughed. 

After one particularly hair competition Paul was on the verge of calling the owners, Jenny and Claus Waaler, and admitting defeat with the horse, but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to make the call telling them that the partnership was over. "From then on, he's just got better and better."


Video: Mark Todd after show jumping -- Mark Todd finished in 18th and was the 4th placed NZL rider--*fingers crossed we see him in KY*
21 Comments

Paul Tapner and Inonothing win Badminton 2010!

By John on , Filed Under Eventing Competition Coverage, Eventing Nation and , , , ,
1. INONOTHING Paul Tapner (AUS) +0 44.9
2. EURORIDINGS BUTTS LEON Andreas Dibowski (GER) +0 49.5 
3. SPRING ALONG Daisy Berkeley +0 50.4 
4. IMPERIAL CAVALIER Mary King +4  51.2
5. LENAMORE Caroline Powell (NZL) +0 51.4 
6. COMANCHE James Robinson 43.5 +4 52.3

Monday morning audio interviews: Zara Phillips, Mark Todd, William
Quick take: 

--Paul and Inonothing are the 3rd Australian pair to win Badminton in the last 4 years.

--Great Britain finished 5 pairs in the top 10, Australia 3, Germany 1, and New Zealand 1.

--Paul Tapner also finished 9th Stormhill Michael.  We look forward to seeing you in KY Paul.

--Two 17 year-old horses, Spring Along and Lenamore, finished in the top 5.

--Nicola Wilson and Opposition Buzz jumped from 52nd after the dressage to 8th by producing the only double-doudle-clear of the weekend.  Mark Kyle of GBR moved up 52 places from 75th after dressage by adding just 0.4 jumping penalties.

--Zara Phillips and Glenbuck finished third to last in 48th place.

--There were 14 double-clear show jumping rides today, 7 of them resulted in top 10 finishes.

The last 4 rides: When Comanche and James Robinson, 4th after the XC, entered the arena, the last three rides had been double-clear, leaving Andreas Dibowski and Eruoridings Butts Leon (GER) in the lead.  James and Comanche pulled a rail and dropped several spots.  Free Easy NRW and Simone Deitermann then had 12 penalties to drop them out of contention.  Imperial Cavalier and Mary King dropped one rail, giving Paul Tapner a rail in hand.  Paul didn't need it and jumped a double-clear on Inonothing to win Badminton!
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Tina Cook's crash photos made it onto the New York Times website
William explains that Seacookie felt strange in the XC warmup
Much more in a bit... 
1 Comment

7 horses withdraw before Badminton show jumping

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

Selina Elliott and (Bodidly, 44th), Geoff Curran (Balladeer Alfred, 49th), Sian Wynne Morris (Just Appeal, 31st), and Sacha Pemble (I've Been Dun, 32nd) withdrew overnight. 

Annabel Wigley withdrew Black Drum (18th) from the holding box at the final horse inspection, as did Nicola Malcolm with Mcfly (54th) and Sara Burdess with Shiver St George (42nd).  All of the top 17 placed horses passed the jog.  50 horses move on to the show jumping.

Video: Clayton Fredericks after the jog

1 Comment

Badminton XC videos

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

For a selection of 7 XC rides from Sunday, check out Horse and Country's video page


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Paul Tapner is excited for Sunday evening Badminton notes

By John on , Filed Under Eventing Competition Coverage, Eventing Nation and ,
Final horse inspection - 3:30AM ET
Show jumping starts - 6AM ET
Top 20 show jumping starts - 9AM ET
If the expression on Paul's face doesn't tell you he's going to be tough to beat on Monday, his horse's show jumping record will.  Inonothing only has one rail in his last 8 events, a stretch that includes a double-clear at Burghley in '09.  Paul has never placed higher than 13th at Badminton in 5 tries.
However, anything can happen when the top 4 riders are separated by less that a rail.  Mary King sits in second place, but Imperial Cavalier has 16 show jumping penalties in his last 4 events, although Imperial Cavalier is 2/3 lifetime with clean rounds in four-stars.  Simone Deitermann and Free Easy NRW of Germany jumped around the Boekelo CCI3* last fall with only one time penalty to finish that event in second.  The last pair within a rail of the lead, James Robinson and Comanche have a shaky four-star show jumping record with 20 and 16 penalties in their last two four-stars.
It's going to be an exciting finish to Badminton and of course we will have the latest from Badminton on Monday.
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Running of the Runts: Shetland Pony Grand National at Badminton

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

A running of the Shetland Pony Grand National was displayed before the start of the Badminton cross-country test Sunday morning.  It takes the cake on the cuteness scale, huh?

Around 50 riders start the season racing to qualify for one of 10 slots in the Shetland Pony Grand National at the Olympia Horse Show before Christmas.  Riders must compete for a year in disciplines like jumping, eventing, and dressage before they can begin the qualifying process at Windsor in May.
Competitors must be ages 9-13 and no taller than 5'1".  Ponies must be at least 5 years old and must be registered with the Shetland Pony Stud Book Society.
The Shetland Pony Grand National isn't just an adorable race, but kids raising money for other less fortunate children.  Each year the organization picks a charity to race for.  To date, the Shetland Grand National has raised over £400,000.

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