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Amanda Chance
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Amanda Chance

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About Amanda Chance

Recently relocated to Ocala from Texas, Amanda has been involved in the sporthorse breeding industry for 20 years. She is the founder of Breed.Ride.Compete., a company that specializes in pedigree data services such as custom pedigree reports, breeding data for live streams and events, and sporthorse breeding consultations. Amanda is also a passionate eventer, competing with her OTTB and her second generation homebred warmblood.

Eventing Background

USEA Rider Profile Click to view profile
Area 3
Highest Level Competed Preliminary

Latest Articles Written

A Valentine’s Match: Three Chocolate-Colored U.S.-Based Stallions to Check Out

By on Feb 14, 2022 2:30 pm -

We are pleased to introduce our new breeding columnist, Amanda Chance! Amanda Chance is an amateur eventer working the corporate 9-5 also working as a bloodstock advisor for Willow Tree Warmbloods (Midland, TX/Ocala, FL). Amanda has an OTTB, Henry, that has competed to the Preliminary level, a second generation homebred warmblood by Mighty Magic named Presto, and a Thoroughbred mare named Gemma. She has written mostly on her blog BreedRideEvent, as well as for U.S. Eventing magazine. Amanda is an eventing fan, competitor, and very interested (and perhaps overly enthusiastic) about breeding event horses in the USA. She’ll be joining EN to promote U.S. breeding and take some deep dives into sporthorse lines.

We’ve all heard the saying “love comes in all shapes and sizes”, and the same can also be said of event horses. Short, tall, lean, stout, warmblood, Thoroughbred, pony, spicy, lazy, fancy, plain – you name it, someone is out there eventing it and having a blast in the process. That’s one of the things that makes our sport so fun and inclusive… everyone can ride, breed, buy, own and love whatever type of horse they prefer and still find success in our sport.

On Valentine’s Day, the holiday of love and romance (and of course chocolate, hopefully), we couldn’t think of any better way to celebrate than by showcasing three very different but equally successful breeding stallions that are currently out there competing at U.S. events. These stallions are all very different shapes, sizes, and breeding, but are also all successful eventers.

If you have a special mare looking for a baby daddy, are thinking about taking on the adventure of buying a foal or young horse, or if you just plain enjoy looking at a handsome horse, you’ve come to the right place. Love is definitely in the air here today! Any of these three boys could be your (or your mare’s) Valentine this year. Coincidence that they’re all chocolate colored? Um… no. Definitely not.

Photo by Victoria DeMore Photography.

Saketini – 2009 Thoroughbred stallion

The first chocolate to unwrap is a full Thoroughbred stallion named Saketini, by Bernardini (AP Indy x Mr Prospector) out of Mining My Business (Mining x Believe It). Despite being a race sire himself, Bernardini has also proven quite capable of siring good event horses too, having produced 4*L horses Humble Glory and Global Victory. Saketini is yet another successful event horse in the family, having competed so far through the I/P level with owner/rider AJ Dyer. While Saketini is obviously easy on they eyes, according to Dyer the best part about him is his easy going nature and rideability.

“Personality-wise, he’s very kind and smart, dignified and classy. He loves going to horse shows, schooling, anywhere. He seems to like being a show horse and leaving stallion responsibilities at home, which makes him a joy to compete. Under saddle he’s very rideable and straightforward. He’s careful over fences, and really easy to adjust to any distance. Beyond ‘work’ he is a lovely horse to hack out, he loves trail riding and won’t flinch at traffic. He’s quiet and trustworthy, making him a good guest horse. I’ve even ponied his yearling sons off him, prepping them for FEH Championships.”. Having a full blood stallion like Saketini, with a great thoroughbred type and good sporthorse bloodlines – especially one that is proven in sport himself – make him a fantastic asset for U.S. eventing breeders.

Photo by Liz Crawley Photography.

Coud’Poker Tartifume – 2012 Connemara stallion

Next up we’ve got a fun-size chocolate, because we all know that sometimes the best things come in the smallest packages. Coud’Poker Tartifume, better known as Cooper, is a Connemara stallion by Westside Mirah II out of Quitus de la Loue (by Dexter Leam Pondi) that was originally bred in France. Both his sire and damsire were known for producing excellent pony jumpers successful through the 1.30m level.

Cooper definitely inherited those jumping genes, and despite being relatively pint-sized at 14.2, Cooper is an absolute powerhouse on the cross country course, having competed through the Preliminary level with owner/rider Donna Miller and eating up courses that are definitely bigger than he is.

To go along with his sportscar exterior, Donna says, “Cooper is a very kind, big-hearted pony. He always tries his hardest and is very confident in himself. He is so easy that he tends to be the babysitter for our other horses and has been known to make long trips just to keep others company. Cooper’s favorite thing is to follow you around his stall until you let him put his head in your chest so you can scratch and rub his face, head, and ears. Once he has you there, it is very hard to leave or finish what you went in there for!”. Big time athleticism in a smaller package, topped off with a stellar temperament make Cooper a perfect choice for breeding event horses for all types of riders.

Photo courtesy of Alex Green-Kerby.

Isselhook’s First Sight TSF – 2014 Trakehner stallion

Last but not least to round out our little variety pack we’ve got the German chocolate, er… Trakehner, Isselhook’s First Sight TSF (by Lissow out of Funflinden, by Hibiskus) better known as Goody in the barn. Born and raised in Germany, Goody was the 5yr old Bundeschampion and then went on to finish in the top 10 at the Eventing World Championships at Le Lion D’Angers as a six year old with Sophie Leube.

Goody was imported to the U.S. in 2020 and is now owned by Janine Hill and ridden by Alex Green-Kerby, so far competing through the 3* level. I guess you could say that their partnership has gotten off to a pretty good start, as Goody was also named the 2021 USEA Stallion of the Year.

In addition to being a superb and very promising young event horse, Goody has also made himself a reputation for his kind temperament and quiet demeanor, trailering and competing side by side with mares with no fuss. While most of the horses in his pedigree have been known largely for their aptitude in dressage, Goody has certainly displayed plenty of talent for eventing, and according to Alex has heart to spare on the cross country course. His Trakehner lines are particularly hard to come by, which makes it even more exciting to have him available for breeding here in the U.S..

I think it’s safe to say that love does indeed come in all shapes and sizes, especially when you love event horses. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Where Do We Go From Here?

By on May 17, 2016 9:30 am -

The eventing community continues to reel after the loss of Philippa Humphreys at Jersey Fresh. EN guest writer Amanda Chance asks some of the poignant questions we're all thinking, including: What can I do to help? EN is asking all eventers to donate to the USEA's Collapsible Fence Study, which seeks to explore and develop other technologies to expand the type of fences that can be made collapsible to reduce the occurrence of rotational falls. Click here to donate.

Phillipa Humphreys and Rich N Famous at the Jersey Fresh first horse inspection on Wednesday, May 11. Photo by Jenni Autry. Phillipa Humphreys and Rich N Famous at the Jersey Fresh first horse inspection on Wednesday, May 11. Photo by Jenni Autry.

On Saturday evening after Jersey Fresh, I was chatting with a few different people about the tragic accidents that had occurred that day. Everyone I talked to had opinions, which varied both in intensity and subject matter, but when they asked me for my own thoughts I really struggled to put them into words.

It’s easy to know how I FEEL about it; I’m completely devastated and heartbroken for the family and friends of Philippa Humphreys and for the owners and connections of Ouija (Inoui Van Bost). But feelings are one thing and thoughts are another.

My honest answer at the time was a very dejected “I just don’t know.” Two lives were lost on the same cross country course in one day; one equine, one human. That’s as bad as it gets, truly the darkest kind of day for any sport. But at the same time, it’s my sport, the sport I live and eat and breathe. Your knee jerk reaction is to defend it to its critics, but this day was pretty indefensible. I spent the whole weekend mulling it over.

I believe that having horses and riders die on course on a regular basis is totally unacceptable. I can’t comfortably stand beside the people saying “at least she died doing what she loved.” While I don’t disagree with the sentiment, to me the words feel a bit empty and somehow seem to lessen the enormity of exactly what was lost.

Don’t get me wrong, if it’s my time, I’d rather go out doing something I love. But that doesn’t mean I want to die at a competition in a rotational fall that could also kill my horse and would undoubtedly leave permanent scars on the psyche of everyone unlucky enough to witness it. On the other hand, I also can’t join in with the people that are lambasting eventing in general, saying that it’s too dangerous and the sport — especially the cross country — needs to end.

I truly love and believe in the sport of eventing. Call me an optimist, but I think there is a middle ground here. There is a way to keep the sport intact and true to its roots, and still make it safer. I don’t know what that is, obviously none of us do yet, but I have 100 percent faith that it exists. I also have 100 percent faith that we can find it.

Note that I said “safer” and not “safe.” This sport will never be safe. No horse sport will ever be safe. There is an inherent risk involved any time we choose to be around or throw a leg over the back of a very large animal with a mind of its own. There is simply no way to prevent every single accident, and that’s something we have to recognize. But we certainly can make improvements to minimize the occurrence of them and the severity of them when they do occur.

I have seen a lot of comments on Facebook and horse forums saying that the “powers that be” in eventing, specifically the USEA, have continually turned a blind eye to the fatalities. Setting aside the fact that Jersey Fresh was an FEI event, I still don’t think that’s a fair statement. Studies, reports, and data-gathering have been happening for years. Most recently, the USEA has been raising funds to renew the Collapsible Fence Study.

The first question is “Has any of it made any difference?” In some ways no, obviously people and horses are still dying. In some ways yes, we’ve seen frangible pins help prevent countless possibly serious accidents. The next question is “Are we doing enough?” Personally, I don’t think so. But I also recognize the fact that a lot of it comes down to funding, and the fact that studies take time. So do solutions. Changes take even longer.

This is a multi-faceted problem; finding the answer is going to be incredibly difficult and ongoing. In order to fix the problem, first we have to understand what’s happening. No small task when every single fall has a completely different set of circumstances surrounding it and completely different things that possibly could have been done to create a different outcome. I don’t think there is only one answer; I think there are several. We just have to find them and put it all together.

That brings me to the next line of thought: What can I do to help? I’m not a scientist, I’m not an engineer, I’m not an upper-level rider, I’m not a course designer. I personally can’t fix this problem. But I do know one thing: change requires money, and I’m 100 percent capable of controlling where mine goes.

Really want to help the sport of eventing? Let’s support the organizations, the events, the venues, the officials, the course designers, and the course builders that are dedicated to making everything safer for horses and riders. Let’s give constructive feedback to our governing bodies. DONATE TO THE STUDIES. If we really want to save our sport and help make it safer, let’s figure out what we can do to help, educate ourselves and put our money where our mouths are.

There are a lot of people out there screaming that something has to be done. Unfortunately, that’s all most of them are doing — screaming. If all the people screaming and arguing on social media were willing to donate even just $20 to a safety study, how much better off would we be? How much more could we accomplish?

To those who look at the tragedies of this weekend, or really this whole year so far, and say “never eventing” — I get it. Once the fear of something overcomes your love for it, it’s no longer the right thing for you. This isn’t the right sport for everyone. Horse sports are already risky and this is perhaps the riskiest one. But I still love it, my horse still loves it, and I’m not ready to give up on it. For everyone out there who feels the same way, I ask you — what are we going to do about it?

Click here to read more on Amanda’s blog.