Aiken Masterclass Raises Funds to Support U.S. Eventing Team

Boyd Martin rides Rosa Cha W, Silva Martin's Grand Prix dressage mount. Photo by Cindy Lawler.

Phillip Dutton and Boyd Martin hosted their second annual Masterclass at Stable View Farm in Aiken last night at the Celebration of U.S. Eventing, which raised funds to support the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team’s trip to this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Early reports indicate that about 200 people attended the event, with more than $20,000 raised for Team USA.

While the weather didn’t fully cooperate, making for a chilly, rainy evening, that didn’t stop Aiken’s equestrian enthusiasts from packing the stands to watch Phillip and Boyd demonstrate training exercises they use for green event horses all the way through to horses competing at the highest levels of the sport.

Bobby Costello, Jan Byyny and David O’Connor were among many top names honored throughout the evening. Photo by Cindy Lawler.

Denis Glaccum, a 2009 inductee into the USEA Hall of Fame, welcomed attendees to the evening, which honored many other top names in U.S. eventing, like Bobby Costello, David O’Connor, Jan Byyny, Will Coleman, Beth Perkins and Mara DePuy. Then Phillip and Boyd kicked the night into high gear with their demonstrations.

Phillip rode Icabad Crane, a popular off-track Thoroughbred owned by Graham and Anita Motion of Herringswell Stables that is currently competing at the Preliminary and one-star level. He also rode Mr. Candyman, a 9-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Annie Jones, Bridget Colman, Caroline Moran and Tom Tierney, that finished fourth in his first CCI3* at Galway Downs last fall.

Phillip Dutton and Mr. Candyman. Photo by Cindy Lawler.

“I think it was a good experience for everyone that came to the event. Icabad is getting pretty seasoned with doing these demonstrations now. It’s not the easiest on the horses because you need a sensible horse with the crowd being up close to you,” Phillip said. “It’s a lot of atmosphere, but Icabad handled it well. He showed off his adjustability and his accuracy to the fences. Mr. Candyman demonstrated jumping exercises to improve his technique and his adjustability, and he also went really well.”

Boyd started out with a dressage demonstration on Rosa Cha W, Silva Martin’s Grand Prix dressage partner. He then demonstrated gymnastic exercises Santos, a 7-year-old Thoroughbred gelding owned by Gloria Callen and Ron and Densey Juvonen that is currently competing at the Preliminary and one-star level.

Boyd Martin and Crackerjack demonstrate indoor cross country exercises. Photo by Cindy Lawler.

Lastly, Boyd showed the crowd several indoor jumping exercises on Lucy Boynton Lie’s Crackerjack, a 13-year-old Thoroughbred gelding that completed his first CCI4* at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event last year. The Land Rover parked in the ring made for a vibrant background behind the corner jump used in the exercise.

Boyd’s right-hand man Mike Pendleton also reprised his air jacket demonstration that he first performed last summer at Eventing with the Stars, jumping off a horse while wearing a Charles Owen AyrVest to show how an air vest activates. Duncan, a young horse currently in training with Boyd, handled the air canister deployment like a pro.

After the Masterclass, the VIP party kicked off in the barn where Boyd’s team is based for the winter. “It was a unique experience socializing in front of the horses while they were having their dinner,” Boyd said. “The who’s who of equestrian sport in Aiken turned up to donate funds to the USET Foundation. It was a fun night, and thankfully no horses were released by drunk patrons.”

Boyd Martin and Will Coleman emcee the live auction. Photo by Cindy Lawler.

Will Coleman joined Boyd as emcee of the live auction, and the riders also acted as celebrity bartenders during the night. We’ll update this report with more information on how much was raised during the auction once those details are released, so keep checking back to EN.

“Thank you to the organizers of the event and especially to Stable View,” Boyd said. “Barry Ollif is creating a premier training facility and competition site in Aiken, and it’s really raising the level of facilities in the area. I think he’s setting the bar very high, and we’re hoping other events and competition sites will follow his lead.”