View Classifieds
Articles Written 53
Article Views 54,353

Diana Gilbertson

Achievements

About Diana Gilbertson

Latest Articles Written

The Debrief: The Art of Single-Tasking with Sam Watson

By on Feb 6, 2024 10:01 am -

Welcome to The Debrief, where we’ll recap the experience of a rider following a big result or otherwise memorable competition.

In this instalment of  The Debrief, we spoke to Irish Team stalwart, Sam Watson — a seasoned 5* competitor who is also one half of the brains behind EquiRatings – about his return to Burghley last autumn, after a twelve-year hiatus. Sam also gave us an insight into how he juggles family life with riding and statistical wizardry – turns out that team work really does make the dream work!

Who was your ride at Burghley last year? How long have you had him, and what was he like as a young horse?

SAP Talisman (Puissance x Ali Row, by Ali-Royal), or Podge as we call him at home. My wife, Sparks, and I own him – I bought him as a four year old off the breeder, Rosemary Ponsonby. I had had a lot of Puissance horses, so I was interested in him from that point of view.

I hardly rode him when I went to see him, because he was an early four year old – he was just broken in the January of that year — so he was basically three turning four.  He was a bit wild, even then, so I just saw someone else riding him, and thought, ‘he’ll do!’

I bought him home and on the first day, we let him loose in the school to see what he’d be like, and he just ran and ran and ran around the school… and then he ran clean into the mirror which no horse has ever done before or since, and we were like ‘Oh my god, what have we bought?! Some kind of lunatic!’ So we kind of knew he was a bit of a lunatic from day one, but we’ve progressed from there! He was fine, though the mirror was not ok.

GIF via Burghley TV.

Once he calmed down enough for you to ride him, how was he – did he take a while to mature and progress, or was it immediately obvious how talented he was?

He’s a real athlete. It’s like in humans: he’s a responder to training, physically, and he’s quite strong in his body, so you can work him a lot, because again, he’s an athlete. But having said that, he’s much closer to a racehorse than he is a sports horse. He jumps a bit quick and a bit flat, and with his movement, we needed to spend a bit more time on that, and he needs to be a bit more supple — he’s probably more strong than supple – so no, he’s taken a lot of training.

He’s trainable at home, and actually, because of his personality, in both his jumping and in his dressage, he does produce really good work at home. But then you’ve just got to try and do it in public where he definitely feels the atmosphere.

For the cross country though, from day one, that was always a pleasure. It was just like, ‘Oh my gosh, this horse has this.’ I always said from day one that he’d go to Burghley and actually, what sums him up quite well was that I told Laura Collett – he’d be a good friend of mine – right from day one, ‘this little horse is a Burghley horse.’ She looked at him jumping and was like, ‘really?!’ because, obviously there’s two aspects to Burghley. There’s the stamina test and then there’s the very large fences. From the very large fences point of view, he doesn’t scream big, scopey jumper. But I always felt the power that he had in him, and with power comes a bit of scope, as well. So then Laura texts me after Burghley, and she was like, ‘I didn’t instantly believe you when you said this was a Burghley horse, but I definitely believe you now!’ So he felt like a Burghley horse a long time before he looked like a Burghley horse.

So is that why you chose Burghley – one of, if not the toughest track – as his first 5*?

It was the challenge of it.  Every horse has to come off the bridle at Burghley, or every horse gets tired at Burghley. That would have been my experience of it. I had Bushman, and he did two World Championships, three European Championships, four Badmintons, so he was a real out and out 5* horse – he did muddy ones and stuff like that. But the one place that he got tired was Burghley. I took him to Burghley once, and we had 20 penalties very late on, just because he was empty. Three fences from home, in the main arena, we ended up having 20 penalties, because of that. Hs fuel gauge had never really emptied in his career – except at Burghley.

But from day one with Podge, I said to Sparks, “this horse has just never been tired” — and actually, in fairness, he never got tired at Burghley, and he didn’t come off the bridle. He’s just exceptional from that point of view. He is an exception. I have other horses coming through who I think will go Burghley, but I don’t think that they will find it as easy as he does. He’s just mentally, as well as physically, relentless.

 Can we do it again? We will see.

You said earlier that he is closer to a racehorse than a sport horse. Do you think that helped him to tackle the challenge of Burghley so effortlessly?

What’s interesting is – and this is more macro than just the horse – but the event horse isn’t meant to come off the bridle cross country. There are two things to cross country; you’ve got to jump the fences, and then obviously you have got to make the time, but if you fall over the finish line bang on the optimum time and all out of energy, like, ‘that’s it, we survived it’ – that was never the vision for the event horse, or for cross country. It might be for racing, when there’s nothing but the finish line in a race, but in eventing, we have the trot up the next day and we have show jumping the next day, too. That’s why we have technical, skilful cross-country fences as well. I love to see designers asking questions later on in the course, because the horses shouldn’t be tired, they shouldn’t be all out. They should be on the bridle the whole way; we’re meant to go around the cross country course making it look relatively easy. So it was kind of nice to do that around Burghley, because that is my philosophy, and then to have a horse who went around it, and was clearly enjoying it, and was clearly able to stay going at that pace and not get tired, and stay alert – that was good fun, and that is what it is all about.

Sam Watson and SAP Talisman, Burghley 2023. Photo by Tilly Berendt

It’s a while since you were last at Burghley – it was 2012 that you were last there. How did it feel to be back on that hallowed turf?

I walked the course on the Wednesday, and I came back in like a little schoolboy who had been to the sweet shop for the first time in a long time. I was delighted when I walked it, because it was just relentless. Even the last couple of 5*’s that I did, like Badminton, were fine – they are 5* so they’re big, of course. Some of the Championships that I have done recently, too – and I’ve done eleven so I’ve done plenty, and they’re not easy. they’re championships after all, but they weren’t as testing as this.

A lot of the major things that I’ve done recently, like Pratoni and Tokyo, Luhmühlen — the Europeans and the 5* — I walk them, and I know there’s questions out there, but you just walk it and you go, ‘Ok, that’s what I’ve got to do.’ I walked Burghley and there were things like the double of skinnies before the Trout Hatchery, and I was looking at them thinking, ‘I didn’t know you could build them that big and that long.’ These are fences I would never jump at home, that’s the thing. Whereas with most Championship courses you go to you’re like, ‘well, I’ve built exercises like that in the arena, or in the field at home,’ but I think you go to Burghley and you’re basically saying, ‘I should be prepared for this, given the preparation I’ve done, but I haven’t jumped it’ – I don’t jump things like this at home, and certainly don’t do it consecutively over 11 minutes over this type of terrain. That’s exciting because you’re trusting your preparation that you and your horse are ready for it, but you would never practice that at home.

That’s what the excitement is; I get to go out there on Saturday and do something. It’s like going on a fairground ride that you just don’t ever get the opportunity to go on and you know those opportunities to go on that ride just only come round – well for me, once every 10 years! So I was like a little kid, I just couldn’t wait.

I thought it was a brilliantly designed course. The ground is so well prepared, and I had a horse who I knew wouldn’t get tired. So I was like, ‘I can’t wait to give this a go and test myself.’ As an athlete you want to be tested; you want to show your skills. The only slight concern that gets you thinking with Talisman is that he’s very small; he’s only 16 hands, and he’s hardly that, so he’s quite short-striding. There’s been quite a few times, like in the Europeans and the World Championships, where, in a lot of places, he would do an extra stride compared to other horses, particularly on bending lines. But I know that, so I would maybe ride a little bit of a wider line [in those instances]. There were a few places at Burghley where I thought ‘Ok, he could struggle with that distance there, or I might have to go a little wider there and put in an extra stride, because he’ll struggle to get there on the first distance,’ but he’s so clever that you trust him to have the footwork right.

But what was so great about the actual performance itself was he took all the first distances – he didn’t add a stride anywhere, not across the whole course. He was just so on it, and we were in a good flow – all the straight routes, on all the first distances, and it was spot on, really good fun.

What were your specific aims for Burghley?

Well, I mean, with the way that the sport has gone, I thought if he performed how I thought he could perform, he would be in the top 10 – that was the area I thought he could get to.

That was going to comprise of a mid-30’s test – that’s good for him – and getting under that time. That’s going to be his strength — getting on, or very close to that optimum time. Then the show jumping has been a struggle with him in the past, but he’s jumped a couple of double clear rounds at 4*-S, which is always easier. He had two down in Saumur and so, being realistic, I knew we could have two down, but that’s a sub-45 finishing score, and if you can get your finishing score below 45 and as close to 40, if not dipping under 40, that’s going to get you in the top 10 at Burghley these days. It’s probably still going to get you in the top 10 at Badminton as well.

So it was disappointing to have more than two down in the show jumping, and to slip out of the top 10 [Sam finished up in 13th place] – even if he had had one less show jump down, he’d probably have been pretty close to that top 10. But we’re working on that; we’ve been show jumping a lot in the autumn. With him, it’s tension. He just has so much energy, and he was still so tense when he went into that arena. You’d expect a lot of horses to relax a fair bit. But I think with a bit more preparation and a few more outings before Badminton, we will be going [to Badminton] with similar plans, probably even a slightly lower dressage – I think he can go a bit more towards 33 in the first phase. And again, hopefully not too many time penalties. I think ideally, to get under that 40 barrier at a 5* we probably hit a 32 dressage and then – if it goes well – you might only have one fence down, who knows?! That’s the thing about the show jumping – as much as a few show jumps can fall, you can get the odd clear round, too. So you’ve got to put yourself into the right position going into that final phase, and then, who knows?

As one half of EquiRatings, it goes without saying that you have a very analytical brain, and you are constantly analysing your performance. Did you wait until after the weekend to start and dissect your performance, or did that start straight after each phase?

You’re never going to have the feedback as good as when you’re right there in the moment. So for example, I know I have a lot of work to do in the cross country phase, which not everyone is able to see. But I need to have him a little bit more responsive – I wasted a little bit of time having to just keep the handbrake on a little bit of the time – and how he turns right and left, things like that. So I write it down, a lot of the time, because otherwise you can lose it, especially when cameras are there and people want to talk to you. They want to hear you praise the horse, because the horse enjoys it; that’s what the public want to hear, they don’t want to hear the technical analysis of what you feel you could do better, but that’s immediately where my brain goes. So even in the good phases, I’m analysing it.

To be honest, there’s still plenty of things to do, but a lot went to plan in the dressage. He’s not easy in that phase, and it’s about doing the best with what you’ve got. So I wouldn’t be changing loads there – with that experience, and another six months of training under his belt, that should all improve.

While some people might go and look at the performance on paper and say that ‘you’ve got work to do in the dressage because he only did a mid-30s test, but you’re brilliant across country’, that’s not how I would think – I know I have lots of work to do in the cross country between now and Badminton.

So yes, I would be self-critical, and I’d be doing it phase by phase. Quite soon after each phase, I go and sit in the lorry, and before I even get changed, I’m writing it down.

Businessman, Family man, Irish Team Stalwart, Sam Watson. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Do you continue to look back and analyse your performance in the weeks after the event, too, or do you just take what you have learned from that moment?

I should watch more videos. But I think it’s more outcomes versus process. You’re not as in control of the outcomes as you might think. So it’s not that he had four fences down in the show jumping because you’re doing certain things [in training], it’s how he went into the show jumping that needs to improve. Same with the cross country – how he went  in the cross country needs to improve, even though the score sheet was pretty good. There’s things to improve in both phases, because of underlying things. So I am trying to pre-empt stuff, and a lot of that is field based, but you can learn a lot from the video as well. But at the same time, you’ve got to move on from that. Take the show jumping at Burghley for example – that was sore, to drop down the leaderboard like that on the last day. That’s not enjoyable, so you’ve got to analyse it, accept it, understand it, make a plan to learn from it and then move on.

Don’t let it take away from the rest of the stuff as well. Do it, park it, but then go and be happy – go to supper with your wife and kids and your mum (who owns the horse as well), and celebrate what a great little horse you have for what he did. You have still got to enjoy the fact that you actually just completed Burghley. Everyone wants to win Burghley, but you’ve still got to look for the wins as well, and enjoy them, too, not always be over-analysing things, too much.

What was your overall feeling coming out of that weekend?

The honest feeling, driving out, because it didn’t finish on as good a note, was disappointment, and the frustration is there, because that’s the last thing that has happened. But I’m old enough and experienced enough to know that that was a temporary feeling. I could still see the achievement of it as well, I just couldn’t feel it yet. It takes a few days to feel satisfied with the week, and pleased with what went well.

 That’s the honest answer: I knew there were a lot of positives to take from it, it just takes a little bit of time to allow yourself to feel that. That’s being realistic as well – I’m not one to pretend to be happy, when I’m not feeling it. But then I’m quite level with my emotions: I try not to be too hard on myself, but I also try not to let myself get too carried away, either, even when I am driving out on the back of a big win. I don’t have to work at that – it’s just how I am quite naturally.

You’re not just a 5* rider, you head up the ever-expanding EquiRatings team too, along with your business partner Diarm Byrne, and you and your wife also have two young sons. How do you combine all of that?

Well really, it’s because I have great people around me. Sparks is incredible with the work she puts in – she’s just phenomenal. Her solution when we had kids was that she would get up earlier, and she’s never stopped since. She has two hours of work done before any male member of the Watson household wakes up. It’s incredible. So for me, mentally, I don’t need to worry that I need to go out and feel all of the horses’ legs, and things like that. Things that you would normally manage as the person with principal responsibility in the yard, but I have to delegate, because I can’t do everything.

It’s the same with EquiRatings; Diarm, from a management point of view, but everyone within the team as well, is great. It takes a while to delegate, too – it’s not just as easy as asking people to do stuff! You have to trust people; it takes good people to have the confidence to delegate things as well.

But then, even with the boys it’s about quality, and actually single-tasking. Even though I’m running a business, trying to be an international rider, and trying to look after a family as well, there is multitasking going on, but I’m not multitasking all of the time. Time with the kids is not time looking at your phone doing emails.

I can’t be too hard on myself, as a rider. My goals have to be to be the best that I can be with the horsepower that I have, and the time I have to put into it as well. I can’t be looking at Tim Price, or Tom McEwen and people like that, and beating myself up if I’m not riding as many horses as them, or being able to do things like go to as many shows as them because I’m running a business as well.  I’m not judging myself on how I compete compared to other people. I’m just constantly trying to improve what I do and enjoy it. I mean, someone asked me if I went on holiday last year, and my first response was ‘yeah, I went to Burghley!’ But we  did actually go to Spain with the kids for a week as well.

 They – EquiRatings and the horses – complement each other well. But I guess the most important thing is to have a good team around you, and the other thing is to single task. Whichever job I am doing, or whatever task I am doing, I just have to focus on that and be committed to it.

EquiRatings founders Diarm Byrne and Sam Watson. Photo courtesy of EquiRatings/IBYE.

Do you ever manage to just switch off and have ‘downtime?’

My brain is constantly going. I don’t really stop in the conventional sense.  So when I’m on holiday with the kids, there’s probably still four hours in the day when I’ll work with the laptop, but then it’s not while I’m meant to be building sandcastles; it’s when the kids are having a break or a nap.

Often I don’t have a break, but I will have a change in routine. There was a phase in December when I wasn’t riding as many horses, but the horses I was riding were racehorses, not event horses, and that’s different for me. It’s not in the dressage saddle , it’s not canter poles and stuff like that. But again, I enjoy that, so I wouldn’t want to not do it, and stop and stand still. I always like to be doing something I enjoy, like my running and stuff like that.  If I’m having a break from eventing, it’s because the event horses are having a break, but I still want to be in the saddle doing something.

I have got better though – when I go to Burghley or a championship, I kind of shut down from EquiRatings. I check in and chat with the team but I’m not working per se – I don’t really have tasks to be doing, like a report on the Friday afternoon or things like that. So, I guess I do get little breaks from it all at various times, although I don’t really ever switch everything off for a week. Maybe I should; maybe one day I will, but at the moment I don’t really feel the need for that.

There are some horses like that as well – you give them a break, and they don’t actually switch off, and then when you do bring them back in, they’re a bit disgruntled. They’re better just gently ticking over – that’s maybe the best phrase for it!

Finally….what’s next, for both EquiRatings and Podge?

He’ll go to Badminton. Then we will see thereafter – the obvious one for him is Burghley, but you never know, if you put in a very good performance, you never know… we’ll see what happens. Fingers crossed.

As for EquiRatings, we’re chipping away. We’ve started doing a lot more with the horse sales side of it. In the run up to Paris we’ve been approached by people to buy horses, and then word got out gradually that that’s what we were doing, so we’re doing more and more of that. Obviously, we have a pretty extensive view of all the horses in the sport, and now we have a full time person ringing riders and owners and enquiring about prices, so then you’re able just to make an informed decision. Otherwise, it’s very hard – I think people find it difficult to value a horse, and so that’s something that we can do, because we can evaluate a horse based on their level of performance, and then we’re able to start putting prices against all that. Then you [the buyer] can decide if that horse is for you, and is it a good fit, and things like that.

A lot of professional riders take the view that if the horse can perform well in the sport, then as a rider I should be able to adapt, and figure out how to ride the horse, rather than trying to find the horse that fits the rider. But not everyone thinks that way.

Other than that, we’re doing a lot in the US as well: we do a lot of work with the USEF, so we’ll be covering more events, more shows, more content. We’re getting more content out all the time. It’s an exciting time!

P.S If you like the sound of EquiRatings, they’re hiring! Check out the job description, and the link to the application here: https://news.equiratings.com/stories/join-the-equiratings-team. Good Luck!

The Debrief: Helen Bates Reflects on a 5* Debut

By on Jan 18, 2024 1:32 pm -

Welcome to The Debrief, where we’ll recap the experience of a rider following a big result or otherwise memorable competition.

This week, with the dawn of the 2024 eventing season drawing ever closer, we looked back to Pau, where Helen Bates and her long time partner, Carpe Diem (or Diego, as he’s known at home), made their 5* debut. It was a sparkling start to their top-level career: they delivered a classy double clear that landed them in the top 25, a result that Helen had scarcely dared to dream possible. She sat down to tell us a little more about Diego and their journey together, and to talk us through the ‘fever dream’ of their week together in France…

Helen Bates and Carpe Diem, Pau 2023.  Photo by Laura Dupuy. 

How long have you had Diego, and can you tell us a little about your journey together?

He came over from Holland for the Brightwells Auction — he would have been four. We’d looked at the catalogue, and I’d really liked him, and went to sit on him, as there’s two trial riding days before the auction.

He then tried to put me on the floor twice, he was so sharp! But I loved him, and I was based with Mark and Tanya Kyle at the time, so they said they would help me with him.

I spent the next six months just trying to ride a 20 metre circle on him… hence his nickname, Demon!

Helen Bates and Carpe Diem, Pau 2023. Photo by Laura Dupuy.

You’ve come a long way since then. What made you choose Pau as your first 5*?

That’s a good question. I asked Kevin McNab, my trainer, about Pau – my thoughts at the time were either Pau or Boekelo because I don’t know how many opportunities I am going to have to have a horse like Diego, who I trust so implicitly. In all honesty, neither of those courses would be that well suited to him – he’s known for being quite strong, so twisty wouldn’t be ideal! But as I said to Kevin, it had to be in the autumn – but Burghley is a bit much. It’s quite tough on horses physically, and I didn’t want to throw him in at the deep end for his first 5*, because he has had an old injury, so it had to be one of those two. So Kevin said, “Maryland! It would suit him really well.” Unfortunately, I don’t have that sort of budget, so that was never going to happen!

Anyway, after some more discussions with him, and a few other riders, I came to the conclusion that I’ve got a horse that’s sound and happy, so we may as well take the chance; it’ll be a learning experience for us both, and hopefully we’ll have a nice time out there.

Helen and Carpe Diem, Pau 2023. Photo by Dix Sept Photographie.

Pau is often (erroneously!) thought to be a ‘softer’ 5*, though this year certainly proved that this is not the case! What were your first thoughts on walking the cross country course?

Yes, I have heard that thrown about in the past – I think that’s quite a common thing for people to think. I’ve never been, though I have spent years watching it on the TV, so my first thought was how claustrophobic it felt – everything was so much closer than what it seemed when I had watched it on TV. When I walked it the first time with Bella Innes-Kerr, who I travelled over there with, it felt like there was no let up, anywhere! Everyone says it’s flat, too, and maybe it was, until they built like, 100 artificial mounds!

A lot of the galloping stretches were on straight ground, but every other fence was either on a mound or on a turn. I can’t even think of a fence on a flat bit of ground – because there wasn’t one! The skinnies looked very skinny, too, and the turns very tight – turning wouldn’t be our strong point, so I was getting quite stressed. But at the same time, I’m confident in Diego; I knew that if I could get him to see the question, he would jump it, and I have total faith in that. I just needed to get him to the point where he knew what he was doing.

When you came to ride the course, did it mostly go according to the plan you had before you set out?

I think so…! I had my game plan, and a backup plan, because I think you need to. There were still a couple of things which surprised me, that Kevin had warned me about, which was interesting. It was actually very interesting riding round the course after I had walked it. For example, I thought at the first drop combination I could have gone on three rather than four, but actually the four came up really nice. I also ended up doing five strides at the first water rather than four. I think I’d been planning so hard to be on the four stride line, I’d ended up almost going too wide, and ended up adding a stride. It still rode ok, but Kevin had warned me that that can happen at Pau!

I actually ended up riding my first ever long route on Diego, as far as I can remember. But we just felt like it was the safer option; I didn’t know how he would jump into the third water [on the racecourse]  with all the crowds gathered round, so we went long there. Overall though, he gave me such an amazing ride. Easy doesn’t sound like the right word, but I was just so chuffed with him – he just kept going and jumping all the way home!

Helen Bates and Carpe Diem, Pau 2023. Photo by Digital Equine Photography.

What was your overall goal for Pau?

One of the main aims was just to get the experience; to go and ride around a track that was unlike anything I had seen before. That, and just to be grateful for being there.

But at the same time, I knew he was capable of a double clear; he’s the most insanely talented jumper, but also so brave, so on a jumping basis he’s got everything you need and I knew he definitely could do that.

So overall, my aim started with jumping clear cross country, then it would have been finishing in the top 50%, because that’s then a qualifier for Badminton — and then it would be jumping double clear, and he managed to do all three!

Did you focus on anything in particular in the build up to Pau?

I did a lot of work on his fitness – I knew that, if anything, I wanted him to be over-prepared rather than under-prepared. I knew that physically, he would cope better with the test of doing a lot of turning and a lot of jumping and galloping over the biggest track he’s ever done if he was fitter than he ever had been. But at the same time, it’s so hard to tell if you’ve done enough until you get there and do it. I wanted to know that he would still have something in the tank when he got home [off the cross country] and he did, so that’s certainly the area I focussed on the most.

But I didn’t want to change too much else. He’s capable of such a good test, and some of his work in the warm up was really lovely, he just lost his mind a bit at the big screens! As far as his jumping goes, we actually spent two days at Kevin’s working through a few exercises with the jumping and with the cross country, just to try and make sure that I had the manoeuvrability to be able to take on a track like that.

How would you describe your feelings after cross country, in three words.

Oh my god. That’s three, isn’t it?! Ha! Exhilarating…incredible. Proud.

He’s always been amazing, and I’ve always told everyone how amazing I think he is but to go around a track like that the way that he did, I feel like he really made a bit of a name for himself. Just the way that he went around boldly. I ended up having a few people afterwards — idols of mine! — saying ‘well done’ and what a good round we’d had. That’s basically down to the horse I’m sat on — he’s incredible.

Now that it has sunk in, how does it feel to get such a great result – top 25 — in your first 5*?

It still hasn’t properly sunk in – it feels like a bit of a fever dream! But I am still incredibly proud of Diego. Being able to watch back some of it as well was really useful, just to see how hard he tried. He’s a legend, but I think I’m just happy that he’s finished well, he’s pulled up sound and he’s feeling really well in himself — like I say, he’s always the priority. So the fact that he’s finished it well is such a relief – and it’s exciting to think of next year, too!

Helen Bates and Carpe Diem, Pau 2023. Photo by Tim Wilkinson.

What is next for you and Diego?

The absolute dream would be Badminton in the spring, but there are a lot of things that have to fall into place. But it’s great to know that we’ve qualified, and that’s certainly what we will be working towards.

Ultimately, I’m just grateful for everything that we’ve achieved so far, and whatever it is that comes next.

The Debrief: Cosby Green on France, Team Price, and What’s Next

By on Nov 24, 2023 9:30 am -

Welcome to The Debrief, where we’ll recap the experience of a rider following a big result or otherwise memorable competition.

Cosby Green has had quite the year. She made the move to the UK back in March, basing with Tim and Jonelle Price at Chedington Equestrian Centre for the season. That in itself was a dream come true, and the season ended in similar fashion, with a top 20 finish in her first 5* at Pau, with Copper Beach, aka “Sean”. We caught up with her to hear everything about that fairy tale weekend in France, as well as her plans for the off season – and what the future may hold, too.

Cosby Green and Copper Beach. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

What was your number one goal for the weekend at your first five-star?
So, I would say my number one goal — though I certainly wouldn’t quite say the expectation, but thankfully I was sat on an experienced horse — was to do my best in all three phases and have a really good cross-country round.

I wanted to get round, because it was absolutely possible, and I knew we could do it, and then besides from that, I was really hoping for a top 25% finish. I was just short of that, which is a shame, but I would say results-wise, I was hoping for that. I kind of came in knowing that we could do it, and wanting to prove to the rest of the world that we could do it, too.

What was it like to go to your first 5* with ‘Team Price?’
Oh my gosh, at every event they’re like my home away from home, and they take care of me! Just that support system is so influential, and having that at every show is amazing — and especially at a 5*. That comfort and support is amazing, and it gives me so much confidence, learning from people who are so cool, calm, and collected. It was really influential to be surrounded by that at my first 5*. As I approached it, I just tried to be the way they are in everything they do; they’re such good role models and a great team to be around.

Cosby Green and Copper Beach. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

What did you practice the most in the weeks leading up to the event?
I think the whole picture, really. From when I first got here [in the UK] Jonelle had been talking about Pau, and that being our end goal, so everything we did was with that in mind. That was a little different for me; they definitely see the one-day events as good practice runs, so that was a shift in mindset for me, and they did the same for the short-format events too.

Every single competition I did, it was like, how is this going to better my performance at Pau? How is this going to affect his fitness? Everything was just planned so far out, so everything was set up to peak at Pau, ever since I arrived in March. That process was really, really cool to see and experience, and that’s always been it since I got here, so I wasn’t too overwhelmed because it’s something we have been preparing for the whole year.

Describe your feelings after finishing cross country in three words.
Relief. Emotional. Proud.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Maxime David (@mximd)

What did you do afterwards, did you have time to relax and take it all in?
I was actually super excited – my boyfriend who I’ve been apart from this whole year, he pulled off a surprise and showed up for two days. He showed up cross country morning, two hours before and I was so excited to see him, but at the same time, I knew I had to stay focused on the task at hand. But then I crossed the finish line, and it really resonated with me that he actually flew across the world to come see me. After that, I was an emotional wreck!

My whole family was there too, so we got a nice dinner, and we went out for a drink and  Allie Knowles – who was my coach back in the US — was there competing, too, so we all had a nice drink and a nice evening and tried to celebrate. We knew that it was a case of ‘who knows what tomorrow [show jumping day] holds.’ But we tried to do a nice little celebration, and it was just really special to be in France with the people that I care about. 

Cosby Green and Copper Beach. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

What about after the event as a whole – did you spend any time rewatching your ride? Did you have a debrief with Tim and Jonelle?
Yeah, so I talked to Jonelle a little afterwards, about how we’re going to plan better for the next 5*. She was like, “You’ve got it under your belt, you did what you needed to do.” I know my horse is never going to be first after dressage, and show jumping is always a little bit difficult. But she was still like, “well done,” and then right on to the next time – “ride him in the morning of show jumping and cross country; make sure you half-halt a little more.”

That is very much my mentality as well – let’s learn to see what we can do better next time and make the improvement and make the change happen. Enjoy the holidays is how we left it though!

But I love watching the round back, and how much my horse tried for me. I was just so happy, more than anything, at just how amazing my horse came through it; he just loves it. I think to me, more than anything, that meant the world to me, and maybe the happiest and the most proud. Yes, the riding was great, but the fact that my horse is just an absolute legend, and the fact that he came through and is just ready for more, that meant the most to me.

What is the number one thing you learned about yourself that weekend? What did you learn about your horse?
Yes…that I want to do it again! It’s so special. This is what I want to do, and I want to plan my life to be as successful as I can in this sport and be with people that make it special and enjoy the special horses and the moments and to remember that that’s kind of what we chase after and are hoping for — that feeling of the 5* and accomplishing something that when you walk it for the first time, you don’t even understand how the horses can do it! Then you go and do it and it’s just such an amazing feeling. And I learned that, you know, maybe I’m not too bad at this horse thing! It’s nice to be able to put 5* next to my name and it makes me feel proud, and that I’m good enough.

As for my horse…. I learned that he knows when to turn it on! And that he is a little bit fresher – because he’s generally the most quiet horse – but then he just gets a little fresh at these big shows. I think I just learned that he loves it and continues to do so: he truly made it feel like a walk in the park. He’s just a really cool guy!

Cosby Green and Copper Beach. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

What would you say has been the biggest thing you’ve overcome en route to having the result you did this weekend?
We had a pretty sweet build up to the event. We really worked hard at the show jumping, so it’s a shame that I couldn’t have ridden that better for a clear round. That would be the biggest struggle. The dressage has gotten better though; we’re chipping away at those points!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Cosby Green (@ccgequestrian)

If you could talk to your younger self, what advice would you give her?
I think I would tell myself to never stop loving it and never stop loving the horses.

I’ve been such a horse nerd my whole life and when in doubt, just to lean in on that — the love of the horse. Sometimes you come across people that maybe aren’t meant for you, and may [stray from the path] to the top, but just have faith in the reason why you got into this in the first place. That has always held my faith together.

Cosby Green and Copper Beach. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

How do you plan to spend your off season? What do you like to do when you’re not riding and competing all the time?
Since my return to the US, I’m really trying to start to launch my brand and my business and kind of prepare for things when I come back home. I guess I’m kind of focussing more on the ‘admin’ side of being an athlete. I’ve learned so much from them [Tim and Jonelle], and I have a couple of ideas, so I’ve really started to think about structuring that.

Then, while I’m here in America, I’m trying to meet with as many people as I can, ride as many different horses and just catch up and maintain relationships with people, as well as to think about what’s coming next after the season — how can I best prepare for that?

Other than that, my old trainer Allie Knowles is also back in Lexington, and we’ve been talking about doing a party or a celebration. It’s not happened yet — it was going to happen right when we got back, but we were both tired from the time change. But hopefully we can do something with our friends — do a celebration here in a couple of weeks, a kind of ‘We did it!’ So that’s coming — it’s just not happened yet!

But it’s been pretty normal, just a lot of family time.  I’m so excited for my parents — they’ve been so supportive, and they were there to watch, and I’ve just been able to rehash the weekend with them and live it over and they had just as much fun as I did. They’re just as involved and into it and so I’d say it’s been a lot of celebrating with my parents more than anything!

Cosby Green and Copper Beach. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Looking forward to the future, what are your plans? Are you going back to Europe for another season…or longer?!
So, I’m coming back to the UK in December, to get the horses back in work again, then home for Christmas, then back to the UK in January for next season.

I can only stay there for about two years. My visa is only good for two years, so I don’t foresee myself trying to stay longer than that. This year went better than expected, and the horses are ready to take on a full other season. So, it’s hard to leave just yet, I’m not quite ready!

But the plan is definitely to start up my own program and barn in the US, and I’m starting to think about that because I was supposed to be home by now with all the horses and it was only supposed to be a nine-month stint. But here I am!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Cosby Green (@ccgequestrian)

‘A Proper Good Boy’: Holly Richardson Reflects on a Sparkling Burghley Debut

By on Oct 16, 2023 1:30 pm -

 

 

Holly Richardson and Bally Louis gallop past the stunning Burghley House on their 5* debut. Photo by kind permission of Holly Richardson.

As the sun sets for another year – ok, six months — on the UK eventing season, riders up and down the country will finally have a chance to catch their breath and reflect upon the season. For Holly Richardson, 2023 will undoubtedly stand out as one of the memorable seasons of her career, as it was this year that she and her long term partner, Bally Louis, made their 5* debut, finishing in 22nd place at Burghley – quite the result for their first crack at the level.

Holly has had the ride on thirteen year old Louis – who has no recorded breeding — since 2019, and they have progressed through the levels together, making their weekend at Burghley even more special. Louis, who is owned by Julie and Andrew Wingfield, was originally bought for their daughter, Sarah, and Holly was given the ride after Sarah gave up eventing. Louis still spends his holidays with Julie, who helps bring him back into work by taking him on ‘chatter hacks,’ with her friends and their horses, before he goes back to Holly to begin his training for the season ahead — a testament to the horse’s affable character, as Holly explains, speaking fondly of her long term partner; “He’s very easy to do everything with, though he can get hot and tense when he is very fit, and spooky – but he would never do anything naughty; he’s not got a bad bone in him. I don’t think he’s ever bucked or anything in his life, a proper good boy!”

When asked to reflect on her Burghley experience, 29 year old Holly, who also has a postgraduate degree in Equine Sports Science from Hartpury, said it had yet to sink in. Hardly surprising: like most hardcore eventers, she had an incredibly quick turnaround, taking three horses to Cornbury Horse Trials just days after she and Louis returned to her base in Richmond, North Yorkshire. It seems that her overarching sentiment, in those weeks after the event at least, was one of disbelief, a feeling that began as soon as they drove through the Burghley gates for the first time on Tuesday evening.

This is probably a common feeling amongst those competing here for the first time, set as it in in the parkland of the Cecil family home, with the palatial 16th century Burghley House providing the most beautiful of backdrop (if you’ve never seen it – ahem, where have you been!? – google it, we beseech you. House. Of. Dreams). Even as a spectator, it takes your breath way, but as Holly reveals, to compete there adds another element – “It was just so surreal as soon as you drove through the gates. You immediately knew you were at a big event – everything from getting your lanyards, to getting to sit in the riders’ lounge, which was just the next level up – you could just tell it was a big one.” Quite a fascinating insight for us mere mortals who can only dream of getting to experience that side of things. It didn’t stop there – the pinch me moments just kept on coming:

“We had a ride in the morning [on Wednesday] and then we got taken over to the main house for a rider’s briefing, which was just amazing – to go in the main was pretty cool! Then we had a photo in front of the main house with all of the riders, which was again, surreal – it’s at that point that you think, ok this is big stuff!”

“The next level up!” Holly and her team in front of Burghley House. Photo by kind permission of Holly Richardson

No time to dwell on it though, as they had the trot up to prepare for, and Holly – unlike most of the riders at Burghley that weekend – had no official groom with her, other than Louis’ devoted owners and various friends who had volunteered their help, though they weren’t due to arrive until later in the week. Perhaps not a bad thing to be so busy at your first 5*, no time for nerves!

Even so, the reality of the daunting task that lay ahead began to sink in after she walked Derek di Grazia’s cross country course for the first time: “I just remember thinking, this is really big, and as I walked it seemed to just get bigger and bigger and bigger. I thought, surely it will start to let up at some point, but it just got bigger,” she remembers. “There was nowhere where they were kind to you, they were just biiiig fences. But I knew that I wouldn’t want to be sat on any other horse, I know how he can jump, and I know he’s got scope, and he’s so brave – I know I can trust him.” The perfect partner for your first trip around a 5* then, but even so, some of the fences seemed “unjumpable – like, why would a horse even want to jump this?!” Enter Chris Bartle – her long term trainer and mentor – and any doubts she may have had were soon swept aside; “he just makes it feel like you’re in his cross country field at home, so it seemed much more jumpable by the time I had walked it [with Chris] – I just had to take into account the terrain, and the hills,” she explains, with a wisdom defying her inexperience at this level.

Holly and Louis tackling Derek di Grazia’s tack in style. Photo by kind permission of Holly Richardson

 

 

Before they tackled the cross country however, they had to get through the first phase, and surprisingly, it was this that provided the most drama of the week. An earlier than expected dressage time – Thursday afternoon, instead of Friday morning – almost saw the careful plans that Holly and her dressage coach, Melissa Chapman, come unstuck. “I thought I would probably have a Friday dressage time, because I was number 38, so we’d worked out probably a Friday morning dressage,” remembers Holly. “Then we got the times, and I was last in on Thursday. I had planned for my coach, Mel, to come down and help me in the warm up on Friday, only then it turned out I was on Thursday!” Given that the dressage is, by Holly’s own admission, Louis’ weakest phase – “he tends to try too hard and gets quite tense as a result” – the help of her long term trainer was something that Holly was banking on to get the best out of him at their biggest competition to date.

Bally Louis keeps his head to deliver a solid dressage performance. Phot by kind permission of Holly Richardson

 

Luckily, their Burghley debut meant as much to Melissa as it did to the rest of Team Louis, and she did indeed come to the rescue, cancelling the eight lessons she had scheduled for Thursday so that she could make it in time to help Holly and Louis. Even then, Louis was struggling to cope, despite Holly’s attempts to settle him; “He was quite hot, working down at the stables, and already I was thinking oh no, he’s not going to like it; he’s going to find that big arena a lot,” she recalls. Remarkably however, Louis proved her wrong – and made Melissa’s eleventh hour arrival all the more worthwhile – by keeping his cool, even when faced with the crowd’s congratulatory cheers for Tim Price and Vitali, who had just laid down an incredible first phase score of 18.7. A hard act to follow, but Holly’s own steed would go to succeed her expectations too – albeit for very different reasons – by remaining responsive and willing throughout their test. As is so often the case at such prestigious events, it was if Bally Louis knew what a momentous occasion this was, leaving his nerves behind him to rise to the challenge, and allowing Holly to hold his hand throughout the biggest test – dressage or otherwise – of their respective careers, to deliver a performance that only hours earlier, his rider was worried would be beyond him.

“When I got on to go in for the test, he actually felt really calm, and I thought oh, ok, he’s got this, and then he went in and he was unbelievably calm, just amazing,” she says in almost disbelief. “He just stayed with me and did everything I asked of him, I couldn’t believe it, actually!” Holly was even more surprised at how emotional she got after the test too: met by Louis’ ever supportive owner, Julie, who was herself in tears, Holly also found herself welling up – not something she is accustomed to, but surely a few tears at your first 5* – especially when it has got off to such a good start, are to be expected! Plus, as Holly points out “it’s such a nice feeling when they try their best for you” as those of us who have been lucky enough to experience this harmony will agree, no matter the circumstance.

A few bubbles to celebrate after dressage! Photo by kind permission of Holly Richardson

However, the biggest challenge was yet to come: that ominous cross country track. Luckily for Holly though, another walk of the course found her instep with none other than but the recently crowned European Champion, and winner of the other big ‘B’ (Badminton, that is, for those of you who have been living under a rock), Ros Canter. A timely reminder, if ever one was needed, of the incredible community that exists within Eventing, even between competitiors, as well as the way that even those who compete within the highest echelons of the sport don’t deem themselves too highly to help those in the earlier stages of their careers. It is also good to hear that even Holly, herself a professional event rider, and thus much accustomed to rubbing shoulders with ‘celebrities’ like Ros, can get a little starstruck, remarking that to walk the course with such a legend was indeed, “pretty cool!”

Another early morning course walk on Saturday allowed Holly to run back over the plan that she had made in the 3 days previously, before taking Louis out for a quick ride and jump before the cross country arrived. As is often the case with a seasoned event horse, he knew what was to come, something Holly felt even that early on: “He was really hot at that point, he was ready to go. I couldn’t make him stand still – he definitely knew what was coming!” Did Holly watch any of the cross country action before her round? Not a chance! “I literally went back to the lorry and hid! I couldn’t hear any commentary, my friend just talked to me about random stuff – nothing important – she was really good [at distracting Holly] and I didn’t even think about the cross country. I wasn’t even nervous, I was just really calm and relaxed.” Her unflappable nature is certainly a strong point – as has been well documented by even the most experienced of competitors, nerves are almost unavoidable on cross country morning, and something that many top riders have had to learn to manage effectively, but it seems that this is not something that Holly has to deal with. Lucky for some!

Holly and Louis clear the infamous Cottesmore Leap. Photo by kind permission of Holly Richardson

 

Maybe the lack of nerves can also be attributed to her unfailing belief in her partner that day – a lean, mean, cross country machine, who made nothing of Ian Stark’s notoriously challenging CCI4*-L at Bramham earlier in the Summer, where he finished 22nd. Since the early days of his career, he has shown incredible ability and bravery across country – “Ever since I did my first Novice on him, he has been unbelievable, he’s just flown up the levels and I’ve never come across anything that has phased him yet. Everything I ask him to do, he just keeps saying yes, and keeps jumping. We have had a few mistakes along the way, but it’s usually because I have made an error and fallen off him or something – he’s never actually done anything wrong,” explains Holly, self-deprecatingly. Unnecessarily so, it must be said, given that she has produced him to this level herself and as we all know, teamwork makes the dream work. This proved to be the case once again at Burghley. Her initial reaction to her clear round? Simply that, “It was really good.” Yet this does not really do it justice for theirs was one of the classiest rounds of the day, belying of their inexperience at the level.

Holly and Louis celebrate a clear round at their first Burghley. Photo by kind permission of Holly Richardson

 

As rider after rider encountered problems, and the leader board changed almost none stop throughout the day, Holly and Louis almost made the course look easy, taking the direct routes and making mincemeat of even the toughest of the combinations. Even Holly was surprised with how easy Louis made it feel: “He just flew round, I couldn’t believe it! He just really surprised me – I mean, he’s an amazing horse, and I knew he could do it, and I knew he was brave enough, but it’s a different level, isn’t it?” She’s not wrong there: Burghley is often ranked as the world’s toughest 5*, with the already challenging cross country course made even more so by the extraordinarily undulating terrain, making the time particularly hard to achieve, even if you do survive the infamous Burghley challenges – challenges such as the Leaf Pit, the ginormous Cottesmore Leap, the Trout Hatchery – the list goes on. It was at one such challenge, Defender Valley – which course builder Derek di Grazia had riders jump through not once, but twice – that Holly was given a further boost by shouts of encouragement from Louis’ feverishly excited support team, as she recalls, laughing:“You can hear it on the TV – it’s quite funny – they all scream ‘Go on Louis!’ and from then I was like, right we’ve got this!”

Even so, the further around the course they went, jumping fence after fence without issue, Holly found herself increasingly amazed by how well it was going, comforting herself that even if it did all go wrong before they crossed the finish, it wouldn’t matter because they’d already achieved a fair amount. “Every fence I jumped, I kept thinking, oh well, we’ve ridden that, it doesn’t matter if it ends now because we’ve jumped the Leaf Pit – I can say I’ve jumped the Leaf Pit – and then he jumped the Trout Hatchery and I thought the same – that’s brilliant, he’s jumped that, it’s fine, and then he just kept going and going! Before I knew it, I was flying up to the last fence, and I thought right! Don’t mess it up now,” offering a generous – and hilarious – insight into the mind of a 5* event rider!

“Before I knew it, I was flying up to the last fence, and I thought right! Don’t mess it up now!” GIF via Burghley TV.

Met at the finish by Julie and Andrew, somehow Holly managed not to cry, despite the rest of her support team being overwhelmed with emotion. “I was just amazed that he had done it!” Swept off to speak to the media – another new experience – Louis was taken care of by the veritable army of supporters that had come down to cheer him on (who needs one groom when you can have several?!), Holly was understandably exhausted by the Saturday evening. As for her incredible horse, he took no time to recover: “We trotted him up that evening, and he just bounced out, he had a bit of grass, and lots of apples and carrots, and he was really happy with himself – and he was again on Sunday morning.”

Louis tried hard on the final day too, adding 2 rails to finish in 22nd place. Photo by kind permission of Holly Richardson

 

Again, Holly was thrilled with Louis’ performance in the show jumping, too. Very few riders managed to pull off a clear round – just 6 out of the 32 combinations that came forward on the final day left all of the rails in their cups – and Louis was no different, bringing 2 rails down, to finish on a score of 70.9, having incurred 26 time penalties the day before, too. For Holly though, ever pragmatic and positive, it was still a very good performance from her horse. “He had a couple [of poles] down, but he jumped fab, so I couldn’t really ask for any more of him on that last day,” she says, fondly. Plus, as she points out, the final phase – like the first – can be worked on and improved upon, whereas a naturally brave cross country horse is hard to come by, and Louis certainly proved himself to be a pro in that respect; “Show jumping wouldn’t be his best phase anyway, so a couple down is fine – we can work on that – but we have definitely got our cross country horse.” It is not a slip of the tongue that sees Holly refer to Louis as ‘our’ cross country horse but instead is tribute to the fact that Holly is surrounded by a mass of supporters – not least of all Louis’ owners – something that she is evidently very aware of, and indeed grateful for. As the old adage goes, ‘it takes a village,’ to get a horse to this level, and this is all the more apparent by Holly’s memories of the event, which are peppered with mentions of the various people that helped to make the Burghley dream a reality.

It is a reality that Holly – and her band of merry men (and women) – will be able to relive time and again, too, as Julie made sure to buy many a photograph of her fearless horse and his rider enroute to that coveted top 25 placing in their 5* debut – as well as the video. The initial screening of that video had yet to take place, though plans were already in place for Holly, Julie and the various other people that make up Team Louis to gather round and relive that momentous week together – along with the all important Champagne of course! That, along with the photographic evidence of their fairy tale weekend, will surely provide a glimmer of light in the long, dark winter to come – along with the promise and excitement of what lies ahead for this formidable duo next season, too – not least of all a trip around another, rather prestigious, British 5* (hint, it also begins with B,) in the Spring. If every thing goes according to plan, that is.

For now though, Louis is back at home with Julie, enjoying a very well earned break – though the same cannot be said for Holly, who still had the latter end of the season to complete with her younger horses, at least one of which could perhaps be her next 5* horse. Still, the memory of what Holly refers to, in her usual, understated way as “a pretty good week” will leave her flying high for some time yet, as well it should, for she and Louis not only showed the power of what hard work, grit and determination can achieve, but also, more than ever, what horse and rider can achieve when they have such an unbreakable faith in one another, and a bond that can make even the wildest of dreams come true. Here at Eventing Nation we cannot wait to see what lies ahead for this dynamic duo next season, and until then…Go Eventing!

5* First-Timers of Badminton: A Tick of the Bucket List for Georgia Bartlett

By on May 4, 2023 12:00 pm -

Photo courtesy of Millstreet International Horse Trials.

When Georgia Bartlett walks through the hallowed arches of Badminton for the first time, she will literally be living the dream.

“It has always been my dream to compete there, more so than any other event!” Georgia told me when I spoke to her back in March. “I’ve been going there since I was tiny — it’s only an hour and a half from our yard in Newbury, so I guess you could say it was my local event, too.”

Eventing is most definitely in this talented young rider’s blood: her grandmother was a selector for the FEI Pony Event Team, and her parents actually met whilst training for the Junior Europeans. Her mother, Katie, would go on to become National Junior Event Champion in 1987 and her aunt Charlotte represented Great Britain that same year as part of the FEI Pony Event team in Saumur. She made the team again the following year, this time winning both team silver and individual bronze. Charlotte was also part of the gold medal winning team at the Junior Europeans 1991 and then went on to compete at Burghley. No pressure on Georgia, then!

Luckily, the 22-year-old is already proving to be a chip off the old block, and has a wealth of experience far beyond her years. Her first taste of success was with Craydon Reuben, with whom she won the Stonar Schools National Eventing Championships at the tender of nine. Munro Highlander then gave Georgia entry to the world of British Eventing. Together they won the Pony Club Eventing Championships in 2015, before Georgia’s upper trajectory continued with Monarch of the Glen, enjoying huge successes in Pony Trials. The pair were placed in every single one that they contested in spring 2016.

Despite these undeniable highs, Georgia is no stranger to the devastating lows of our beloved sport, too, when an injury saw Monarch of the Glen side lined later that same year. However, it is testament to Georgia’s focus and determination that was not put off by such a setback. Instead, and with the help of her ever supportive mother, Katie, she began searching for her first horse, with the aim of competing on Junior eventing teams.

Enter Spano de Nazca, Georgia’s Badminton 2023 ride, and the horse she describes as “my best friend.” Their origin story reads like a Hollywood meet-cute, only instead of locking eyes across a crowded room, she clapped eyes on him across the warm-up at Nunney Horse Trials, where French rider Louis Seychal – then a working pupil for none other than Andrew Nicholson — was preparing to take him to around the CIC-2*. Katie wasted no time in approaching the horse’s owners, and asked if they would consider selling them to her. The rest, as they say is history.

Nono has now been part of the Bartlett family for seven years, and the 11-year-old Anglo Arab has taken Georgia all the way up the levels, from BE100 to this, their first CCI5* at Badminton.

“We have a very special relationship – he owes me absolutely nothing – but to be going to our first Badminton together is very exciting. To have a horse ready to go [to Badminton] is really special but for it to be the one that has taken me all the way up the levels makes it even more so.”

Not only have this partnership gained an immeasurable amount of experience at all levels in their time together, they have also notched up an incredibly good record along the way — unsurprising, perhaps, given Georgia’s form in her younger days.

In 2017 – their first season together, it must be noted — they were National Regional Champions, came second in their first ever Intermediate at the notoriously beefy Bicton and were if that weren’t enough, they were then part of the silver medal winning Junior Nations Cup Team in Waregem. Their purple patch continued in much the same way the following season, this time representing Team GB at the Junior Europeans in Fontainebleau, winning another silver medal, and coming a very respectable 11th individually. Shortly after their return, they won the Open Intermediate Under 21 section at Wellington.

The years that followed have seen this remarkable form continue, with various top 10 placings at 3*-S in 2019, yet another team silver at the Junior Europeans that same year, and a second place in their first ever Advanced to round off their season.

Even the dreaded COVID didn’t put a stop to their success: despite the almost non-existent 2020 season, they still managed to step up to 4* and add yet more top ten placings to their ever-growing tally. Similarly, a broken arm for Georgia and a minor injury for Nono earlier in the year did not hold them back for long in 2021. Georgia still achieved her goal for the season: to compete in the under-25 CCI4*-L at Blenheim. Not only that, but a classy double clear over the toughest track they had faced saw them finish a very credible 11th. 2022 was no different, culminating in a third place finish in the 4*-L at Millstreet.

With those successes in the books, a first trip to Badminton seemed to fall at the most opportune possible moment. Unfortunately, the Great British weather has meant that their run up to the big B has been far from ideal, as is the case for so many UK based competitors. Rain, snow, hail… you name it, we’ve had it, and as a result, most of this year’s spring events have been a write-off. Amongst them were Cirencester and Oasby, both of which Georgia had entered with Nono.

However, by some small miracle, Stuart Buntine and the BEDE event team did manage to keep the show on the road at the Eventing Spring Carnival at Thoresby Park in March, and in doing so, gave Georgia her first run of the season – and a top five placing, to boot, in the prestigious Grantham Cup.

“I was actually considering withdrawing him, after running my other horse in the two-star, because the ground was so wet,” Georgia admits. “But I am so glad I didn’t – especially given how the ground actually was on Sunday.”

Not only was it a nice birthday present for Georgia (she turned 22 on the Sunday of the event), but Thoresby also provided a great confidence boost before her first 5*. That being said, this steadfast young rider doesn’t tend to feel the effects of nerves.

“I don’t get particularly nervous, I’m just keen to get there and enjoy the whole experience,” she says. “I don’t even have an ideal result in mind. For me, I just want to appreciate every moment of my first time there and have fun with my best friend.”

If the support team that she has accompanying her is anything to go by, then there is no doubt that she will have a riotous time – amongst Georgia’s cheerleaders are various friends, family and owners, along with her aunt, who will be joining the party on Saturday – all the way from Singapore, no less!

Leading the Bartlett support team – nay, village – will be Katie, Georgie’s biggest supporter. “I couldn’t do it without my mum. We have a very special relationship, and she’s my groom at events, as well as being a vital part of the home team, too. She is a combination of nerves and excitement ahead of this week [Badminton], and can’t wait for us to get there!”

On this occasion though, it is groom Susie Cooper who will be seeing to Nono’s every demand, upon Laura Collett’s recommendation. In fact, last year’s Badminton champion is another cog in the well-oiled Team Bartlett wheel: they have trained with her for three years now. She also helped to keep some of Georgia’s horses ticking over when she broke her arm in 2021. Georgia also trains with Adam Kemp and Caroline Moore, and of the latter, she says: “she has changed us beyond belief, having been on the journey with us right from the start. There is no doubt that she has been instrumental in our success so far.”

But there is no doubt that Georgia’s unshakeable belief in her special little horse (he’s only 15.3hh with his shoes on) and the incredible bond they share has also helped them along the way. Cited on more than one occasion as “one to watch,” Georgia’s long list of achievements belie her relative inexperience at the top levels.

Since their run at Thoresby, the final preparations have been fairly straightforward: “In the build up to the event, we have kept it pretty low key, practicing the five-star test — which is new to both of us — along with our usual show jumping and cross country training, and of course, the all important fitness work. He will have an easier couple of days before we leave, so he’s fresh and ready to go at the weekend!”

Badminton Horse Trials: [Website] [Entries] [Schedule] [Live Stream – Badminton TV] [Radio Badminton] [Tickets] [EN’s Coverage]

Cosby Green is Getting Comfortable Out of Her Comfort Zone after Overseas Move

By on Apr 6, 2023 9:30 am -

Cosby Green and Copper Beach.

There is an old adage that “change begins at the end of your comfort zone” — and 22-year-old Cosby Green is one rider testing this to the limit.

Always hugely ambitious, the Lexington native admits that she had become a little complacent in the pursuit of her dreams following her graduation from the University of Kentucky in December 2022, despite it always being her aim to experience life at a yard overseas before she had too many ties to prevent her doing so. Thank goodness for “the most supportive mum, ever,” then, who continued to remind her of this plan until she did something about it.

“Moving over to England has always been on my bucket list, however, as I got older I realised how difficult it would be to drop everything and leave,” she explains.

But: “My mom always told me to make sure I cut out time to go to England and that I needed to start making plans and arrangements. I was a little less than a month away from graduating college when I realised I should probably sort out my future. I woke up one day and decided to go to England, because there is no better time to do something than now! I wanted to go and learn how someone else did it before I set out on my own, so I still had a clean slate and open mind to go off of,” Cosby says, with wisdom beyond her years.

Photo courtesy of Cosby Green.

Following this potentially life-changing decision, Cobsy wasted no time in taking action, emailing none other than the current FEI World number 1 and 2, Tim and Jonelle Price. Despite having no previous connections to the Prices, Cosby soon found herself making plans to make the biggest move of her life, to relocate from the East Coast of America to the South Coast of England. As Cosby notes, the timing could not have been better: Team Price had just announced their move to Chedington Equestrian when she sent her email, meaning there would be plenty of space for Cosby and her horses.

So with no further ado, and with the help of those closest to her, Cosby began making preparations for her big move. She is, of course, incredibly grateful to them for helping the move go so seamlessly: “I am so fortunate that my family and the immediate team around me are so supportive, making the transition over to England possible in the first place!”

Speaking just a few weeks after she arrived on British soil earlier in March, Cosby says that when she first set eyes on her new base, she was blown away: “Chedington Equestrian is just absolutely amazing. It’s located in Dorset, which has some of the most beautiful countryside, and the facility itself has been designed with such thought and detail that it makes it very functional to work out of. Everything is of the highest standard and quality, which I believe promotes success; the training facilities have everything you could ever need and dream of!”

Cosby has her own space in Chris Burton’s yard, with her own tack room and stalls, although the Prices and the other riders who are based there all share the same training facilities, including outdoor and indoor arenas. She is particularly grateful for the latter, having realised that for all the Dorset coast may be beautiful, the weather there, at this time of year, is most definitely not!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Cosby Green (@ccgequestrian)

She is not homesick (yet), and says the Prices and everyone else at the yard have been nothing other than ‘amazing,’ already treating her as one of the team, and taking time out of their busy schedules to check in on her and make sure she is settling in well.

“Tim and Jonelle are both truly such kind people,” she enthuses. “They have already taken me under their wing, and helped me to navigate the transition. Being able to watch them ride every day feels like such a privilege as their skill, technique, and discipline are, well… the best in the world! Riding alongside so many skilled riders every day has already helped me to hold myself to a higher standard. While they are thorough and disciplined with their training, their genuinely kind and lighthearted attitudes lead to an amazing yard environment, which makes for happy horses, and that is the most important thing in my opinion.”

So far, so good, then — and this of course extends to her first impression of the infamous Price children, Otis and Abel, another vital part of the team set up: “I don’t know [them] very well yet, but anytime they pop into the yard, it’s hard not to smile – they are too cute!”

In moving to Chedington, Cosby is actually fulfilling a childhood dream, revealing that the Prices have always been her idols. Indeed, she says that Jonelle, in particular is “the person she has always wanted to be.” She continues: “she has always been an inspiration to me, and being up close watching her and all the things that she balances and excels at is truly inspiring. She makes things happen that may not seem possible otherwise. She is a force of nature, and whenever I am around her, she makes me want to be the best version of myself.” Of Tim, she says “he is so laidback, but so obviously talented,” speaking with admiration of his riding and harmony with his horses.

Taking in the epic views! Photo courtesy of Cosby Green.

“I feel so lucky that they are spending time on someone like me; a relative nobody on the world stage, unlike them,” Cosby says — but ‘nobody,’ she most definitely is not. Not only has she had countless Young Rider and intercollegiate successes including becoming the CCI3*L National Young Rider Reserve Champion 2021, Advanced Intercollegiate Champion and overall second-ranked USEF Advanced Young Adult in 2021, but she was also been named on the Emerging Athletes Eventing 25 List for 2023, too. Rising star is perhaps a better term to describe this talented and focussed young rider.

Having previously trained with Maggie Wright, who took her ‘all the way from posting trot to 3*’ and Allie Knowles, Cosby is excited to glean a new perspective from the Prices and her time at another yard, with the intention being to eventually set up her own yard back home in the States.

“I want to help to get the USA on the world stage,” she says of her long term goals, and her move to Chedington is all part of this plan — to bring new training methods to the US team, and hopefully help to establish herself as a rider on the senior teams.

Despite such ambitions – the Olympics are her ultimate goal – Cosby says it is still the day to day that motivates her most, producing horses well, and consistently. On that note, she has big plans for her own horses while she is over here: although her string may be small, it is mighty, and Cosby is actually on the look out for some younger horses to add to her team, and asks anyone with a potential superstar, to get in touch.

Headlining those that are with her at Chedington is the previous 5* ride Buck Davidson ride, Copper Beach, who she hopes to contest her first 5* with this year, and she also brings Highly Suspicious and Jos UFO de Quidam. She considers the latter, owned by Heather Jane Morris, to be one of the best horses she has ever ridden, despite his relative inexperience.

Photo courtesy of Cosby Green.

“I have been fortunate to have the ride on him for about a year now, and we have really become best friends, although it took him a bit to get him on side! Now that he is, he makes me feel unstoppable – he is such a talent, one of my favourite horses to ride, and he hasn’t even tapped into his full potential yet. He has scope and endurance and tries his heart out in everything he does, and I’m so excited to get him out and show everyone how special he is.”

Cosby’s enthusiasm has not gone unrewarded either; recently she was given the opportunity to dip her toe into the UK competition scene already thanks to a catch ride on Jo Pidduck’s Cooley Seeing Magic at Moreton .

“I had so much fun,” she beams. “The mud was daunting to me, but thankfully my steed wasn’t as fazed as I was! It was weird to be at a show without my normal people or anyone I knew, but there was the same sense of community and friendly eventing culture.”

That wasn’t the only similarity that helped to make Cosby feel at home: “I was ecstatic to see there was a crepe stand,” she laughs. “It reminded me of the crepes at the shows in Ocala, Florida so it felt like a bit of home… they were amazing quality, and a little too good!” (Is there such a thing…?!)

Sadly, Cosby’s debut run on Jos UFO de Quidam in the Intermediate at Cirencester Park at the end of March fell foul to the weather, but hopefully it won’t be too long before she leaves the start box again, in hot pursuit of her dreams.

Cosby Green is certainly one to watch and Eventing Nation will be following her progress throughout the season, so keep your eyes peeled for regular updates as she expands her horizons and begins to make her mark on the world stage.

This article is brought to you with support from World Equestrian Brands. Cosby recommends in particular the Equilibrium Tri-Zone Impact Boots — perfect for tackling all types of elements both schooling and competing. Grab your pair in your favorite color here.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Cosby Green (@ccgequestrian)

Pigs and Precision: Walk the Beefed-Up Thoresby CCI4*-S Track

By on Apr 1, 2023 7:15 pm -

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the wet and wonderful Eventing Spring Carnival at Thoresby Park, where thus far several of the national classes have been cancelled, and priority given to 3* and 4* sections, in a desperate attempt to give horses and riders a serious run before their season gets underway.

With Badminton just weeks away, and Kentucky even closer, the sense of urgency is very real. These horses need to get out and prepare for the even bigger challenge that lies ahead of them, as do their riders, most of whom will be lacking match practice after less than favourable weather has led to the abandonment of several earlier fixtures.

So, fingers and toes (and eyes, or is that going too far?) crossed that we will get to see some 4* action this weekend. It’s looking promising; as I set off around Stuart Buntine’s track, the dressage was well underway, and despite the consistent rain that has been forecast, there is a quiet sense of hope that the competition will run its course, even at the expense of some of the smaller classes.

Now, about that course — all 3806 metres of it. Here’s an arial view, thanks to the CrossCountry App preview:

It’s no secret that the 4* at Thoresby is designed as a 5* prep run for most, although there was a sense that the course didn’t quite hit that brief last year, leaving some riders understandably nervous about tackling the undisputedly massive Badminton a month or so later. Time to find out if this has been rectified for 2023…grab your umbrella and let’s go!

THE TECHNICAL DETAILS:

Distance: 3806m

Optimum Time: 6.26m

Efforts: 35

Fence one: the Uvex Hat Roll.

Nothing to worry about at fence 1, the Uvex Hat Roll, which, as the name might suggest, is a very straightforward roll top, shared by all of the competitors and a nice start to everyone’s day.

Fence two: the Kinaxia Logistics Workshop.

Ditto fence two, the Kinaxia Logistics Workshop, or more specifically, a wide-ish but untroubling box, which lies on a gentle left-hand curve before a nice tootle down the hill to fence three, the Tower Equine Brush, which is — yup, you guessed it! — a fairly big, but nonetheless inviting, brush fence. Nothing at all to be worried about, much like the rest of the course thus far, but an easier start to the course is never a bad thing and gives horses old and young a chance to get into the swing of it before the course gets underway properly.

Fence three: the Tower Equine Brush.

Similarly, the simple lines of the first few fences allows riders to establish a good pace – without going too crazy –  and balance and rhythm are always key in preparation for anything that lies ahead, rather than trying to break the land speed record in an attempt to shave a few seconds off and risk losing control.

For the spicier horses, this relatively easy start to the track gives riders the chance to hopefully get them back on stride and listening before they meet anything too taxing, and likewise, with greener horses, riders can build their confidence ahead of more challenging combinations ahead.

Fence four: the Equine Bio Genie Trakehner.

The Equine Bio Genie Trakehner at number four shouldn’t interrupt that rhythm either – just remember not to look down into that ditch!

Fence five: the Sundown Bedding Brush.

As the course bears gently left towards the Sundown Bedding Brush at fence 5, which is set in the fence line and sees horses jumping straight towards the marquees and arenas, there is however, a feeling that things might be about to change. While seasoned campaigners shouldn’t have any problems jumping into the action-packed scene behind the fence, less experienced combinations may need a little more leg to prevent horses getting ‘gawky’ and losing their grip on the task in hand.

Fence six, the British Polo Gin Woodland Turn, with the A element in the foreground and the B element on the right hand side.

That task is about to get a little more serious at fence 6a and b, the British Polo Gin Woodland Turn, so it really is imperative at this point that riders have used their time wisely and got their noble steeds under control and listening, so they can land over the brush with the best possible set up before curving left handed to the A element, a post and rail on rising ground that drops away on landing, to B, a chunky skinny log on an almost direct right angle. Hence why there needs to be no back chat from horses as riders steady them and set them up for the jump and turn, as there is little room for error!

In my, inexperienced head, I decided that if (God forbid), I was to ride this, I would jump a slightly to the left, allowing for a smooth (ish) five-strided turn right to B. That’s in an ideal world of course, where your horse has read your mind and isn’t arguing the point…!

How delightful for my ego to hear none other than Piggy March also mark this out as a good route to take in her course walk for Piggy TV, which you can enjoy for free here!

However, as she says, ‘horses for courses,’ and this may not suit a boulder, scopier horse who might jump the first part quite big and lose a stride on landing, making it a tighter 4-strided turn to B; even less room for discussion between horse and rider, and even more need for upmost accuracy.

“There’s options to be had; you’ve got to make your decision as to what suits you as a rider and what suits your horse.” Wise words, as ever, from Mrs March, and applicable to life in general, not just a 4* course…!

Fence seven: the ESA Horses Owl Hole. 

Onwards then, and back up the hill to the ESA Horses Owl Hole at 7. This is fairly straightforward, but these odd-looking jumps must always be treated with respect; after all, horses do literally have to jump through a hoop, and some horses balk at the sudden change in visibility, or duck in the air while jumping to avoid making contact with the brush. Plus, such is the gap that they have to jump through, it’s skinnier than average, so both legs firmly on!

Fence eight: the Invested Cube at A and a triple brush B element on the far right.

Quickly after this comes a whole myriad of fences, amongst which lies another combination. It’s imperative then, for riders to know their line, and ideally, to let horses in on the secret too (sat nav anyone?!) but failing that, make sure they are definitely listening – it would be all too easy otherwise for any super keen beans to take control and jump the wrong fence, which although still arguably worthy of praise, would of course result in immediate elimination – not the ideal outcome!

On its own, the narrow box at the Investec Cubes here at 8AB wouldn’t be worth losing any sleep over, but this is 4*, lads, and such gifts have been left far behind. Instead, this first element is followed by a skinny triple brush, sneakily placed on a right-handed turn a mere three strides away. To my mind, the best bet here would be to angle the first element slightly, before aiming to turn in the air, and land on a good line to the B element. It’s a question, for sure, especially compared to the fences prior to this, but hopefully at this level, horses should understand what is being asked of them, and lock onto B without too many issues, though as it is a skinny, one can never forget the propensity for run outs!

Fence nine: the Oakham Veterinary Hospital Operating Table.

Hopefully there will be no need for the Oakham Veterinary Hospital Operating Table at number 9 to be used as anything more than a jump; it’s a simple table, intended to offer horses a let-up after the combinations they’ve already tackled and a nice breather before the questions that lie beyond. Still, she’s a hefty old table, and not one I’d be wanting to crash into –  so it’s all the more important to be maintain a good rhythm and balance.

Fence ten: the three-part Lycetts Turn combination.

The B element…

…and the C element.

Aaaaand before you can relax, we have some more alphabet practice, with 10ABC at the Lycetts Turn. Set right amongst the thick of the marquees and the members tent, there’s a lot for horses to take in before they even think about what’s in front of them. Remember what we said about being in control, and having your horse on side waaaay back at the beginning? Yep, you’re going to need that here; there’s no room for error, so concentrate, my loves!

10A is another table, behind which, again on a right-hand line, lies a post and rail corner, and then behind that is a matching table, which is MIM-clipped. Each individual element on its own is pretty harmless; it’s the way they have to be joined together that’s the difficult part! But in reality, the best bet would be not to overthink your line, make a decision and stick to it, riding forward with your eyes on the prize — ie., the table at C – and try to be brave. For fear of sounding like a stuck record, the need to have a horse who is listening and adjustable as you approach is increasingly pertinent: a check in pace might be advisable, allowing for a neat jump slightly left at the first element, leaving a doable four strides to the corner at B, and straight over C behind it. Or that’s my theory at least – but again, it’s much easier said than done, and I think we could see a few less-than-pretty lines and near misses here. Precision is key, and on a super fit 4* horse, gagging for a run, that isn’t always the easiest to maintain!

Fence eleven: the Ecovoltz Corners at A…

…and B.

Up the hill now to the Ecovoltz Corners at 11AB, two hunky, chunky lads, although I can’t see them causing too many problems: 4* horses are more than accustomed to this type of fence, and as long as riders focus on a positive jump over the first element, the four strides to the middle of the second corner at B should meet them pretty nicely before they gallop off down the hill, past the dreamy Thoresby Hall on the right (though I wouldn’t want to be charged with cleaning all of those windows), gradually right-handed round the  corner to the Warner Leisure Garden. This will give horses the chance to open up a little more; it’s a nice swooping line away from the hustle and bustle of the white tents and arenas, but riders will be mindful not to get too carried away as there’s a verrrry interesting line coming up.

The first element of the slalom-style question at fence twelve, the Warner Leisure Garden. 

The subsequent two elements.

Despite the bucolic name, this ain’t no leisure garden, with thee solid brush topped hanging logs set out at angles to one another, and as has been the theme so far on this course, accuracy is the name of the game, as is a decisive line and a respectful, listening pony. Luckily enough, as I came around the corner to this particular conundrum, I came upon Hector Payne (another rider who decided to save his horse for another day, following non-stop rain and less than favourable conditions), who kindly clarified things for me a little.

“It’s a very clever fence with lots of different options,” he says. “It’s designed to be jumped on a 3 and a 2 [stride pattern], but you could end up deep to B after three strides, so I would be tempted to come through the trees on a little curve to A, before adding a little curve to B so you can go on four strides, and again, a slight curve to C on three strides, so horses can see what they’re jumping with less risk of a glance-off. To go straight through on a three and a two requires a dead straight line and makes an already tricky question even trickier, but it depends what you’re sat on [which choice you’ll ultimately make.”

This view was remarkably similar to that of Wesko alumni Harry Mutch, who I caught up with earlier and who has three horses contending the 4*: “I think [my five-star horse] will probably do 3 and 2, and then the others just have to see how they’re going, because they’re less experienced. I think being chancy on the three and two is bit unnecessary, whereas I think the four and three is actually quite nice if you can just be patient — but the three and two is there. If you’re on something you know and trust, you can commit on the straight line, and the horses can actually see where they’re going.”

That’s the plan of the Burghley 2022 champ too, who intends to get stuck straight in, coming at an angle to A, before a nice three strides to B, and then another two to C, which, as she points out, is wide enough to allow for a sneaky third stride if horses “jink slightly on landing over the second element.” The main takeaway from Piggy’s analysis is much as you’d expect: the most important thing is to make a decision on your line and stick to it as best you can – don’t dither, and have confidence in your line!

Fence thirteen: the aptly named Excloosive Oxer.

After successfully manoeuvring their way through that combination, it’s a short gallop on to The Excloosive Oxer at number 13, set on the top of a reasonably steep, though short hill. It’s fairly straightforward, especially given there is an option as to which way to go here. Riders on bolder horses won’t think twice about taking the inside line straight up the hill, although that does involve quite a sharp turn over the fence at the top — though it’s a decent size, with an obvious back rail meaning horses will easily understand what they need to jump. Those wanting to give their horses a kinder approach can easily scoot behind the trees, up a gentler incline, and find themselves with more space for a straight approach up and over. Although not as direct, this shouldn’t waste too much time, and will give riders a chance to restore any confidence lost thus far over the more complicated lines. As ever, there is no right or wrong approach to this fence – it is entirely dependent on what you’re sat on.

Fence fourteen: the Agria Lifetime Equine Stables.

On again now to the Agria Lifetime Equine Stables at 14, which takes the shape of a fairly decent table set slightly downhill. Again, this shouldn’t trouble anyone, instead offering a slight breather halfway round the track. Still, it’s a 4* fence, so riders will be making sure they’re sitting up in order to get the best possible approach and give it the respect that something of this size deserves.

As the track winds away to the back fields, the hubbub of the main show field is left far behind – unless any over exuberant Shire horses have quit the day job and designed to join the athletes out on course.

Fence fifteen: the Protexin Equine Premium Stile and Chest.

Next up is the Protexin Equine Premium Stile & Chest, another combination that requires a very definite route, and a check back into a bold and bouncy. The first part is a sizeable post and rail that riders will want to approach with plenty of controllable power to allow for a clean jump over – probably slightly to the right – to be followed with a five-stride curve round to the rolltop chest at B, mindful that a matching chest lies close behind at C. As Piggy points out, it is important to get the line to B right, otherwise C becomes trickier than it needs to be. The most important thing, she suggests, is that riders approach B well enough to make sure they’ve got the right shoulder well under control to C.

I caught up with the one and only Yas Ingham at this fence too, and she tells me she’s going for five strides between A and B, too: “It seems to look like it’s going to ride on a curving five strides, so I’ll be jumping before straightening up for two strides and then making sure I can see the C flags between B, and riding a straight line out. There’s not too much to trouble them — as long as you correctly make your turn and you’re straight, they should pick up the line.”

Watching riders’ every move at this brain teaser are three not so subtle piggies, fashioned out of some pink round bales – as if horses haven’t got enough to focus on without the added distraction of giant farm animals judging them too! But still, at this stage of the course, most riders should be sat on a horse that is fully focussed on the task in hand, so hopefully these curly tailed little creatures shouldn’t knock anyone off their line.

Fence sixteen: the City Calling Recruitment Rails.

After a galloping stretch that sees the course begin to loop back to the direction of the start, horses are offered another slight let-up fence: the City Calling Recruitment Rails at 16. A repeat offender from last year’s course, this may look simple enough, but riders will be keen not to let their mounts get too strung out and long on the approach: this is a decent sized vertical, and the last thing they will want is for a tiring horse to get long into it and risk clipping the top rail. If used correctly, this straightforward jump will serve to set horses up for the remainder of the questions that lie in wait towards the end of the track, giving riders a chance to make sure they’ve still got plenty of control without throwing too much of a brain melt into the question.

Fence seventeen: the Animalintex Oxer.

Likewise at 17, the Animalintex Oxer, which lies a short gallop away. This is a sizeable brush, and horses will be jumping towards the Hawkstone Bar, which one would assume will be full of punters hoping to get a good seat at the water complex which lies just beyond it. This will give horses plenty to look at behind the fence, so riders will want to make sure they set them up will for the fairly tight right handed turn to the Hawkstone Splash at 18AB. Tempting as it may to sack off the rest of the course in favour of a cold beverage in the bar, there’s still a little way to go, and it seems a shame to call it a day when you’ve made it this far into such a challenging track!

Fence eighteen: the Hawkstone Splash.

The first play in the water involves jumping in over a skinny triple brush, before a right-handed turn back out over another skinny triple brush at B, and although the fences themselves are simple enough, this is still a decent ask, this late on in the course. Harry Mutch emphasises how important it is that horses are still very much in the zone: “Riders need to keep the horse’s attention. We’re quite late on in the course to see the water for the first time, so it might just take them by surprise, and I think you’ve just got to be aware of that.”

Fence nineteen: the Unibed Hollow.

A successful first venture through the water is followed by a quick trip back up the hill, through some reasonably sticky ground, to the Unibed Hollow at 19AB, a new combination for this year, and one that Piggy March was very complimentary about, affirming that it should ride well.

My initial thoughts were that it looks like a miniature version of The Quarry at Badminton, though a far less extreme version (unless of course, you’re a Borrower, in which case it is pretty darn scary). The angles that have dominated most of the previous combinations out on course so far are nowhere to be seen; instead, riders will be wanting to make sure they have enough power left to maintain a strong, bouncy canter in over the upright post and rails in, to land neatly enough on the other side that they make it comfortably through on a slightly curving three strides to jump out over the post and rails sitting on the top of the hill on the other side of the so-called ‘hollow,’ which is basically a big old dip with some sort of scary looking sandstone type surface. Not the most inviting thing to ask horses to jump into, but hopefully their eyes will be on the top bar of the A element, and not what lies beyond.

Fence twenty: the second pass through the Hawkstone water.

After jumping safely out of the other side, it’s a swift gallop back down the hill towards the bug puddle in front of the Hawkstone Bar, for another splish-splash through the water at 20AB. This time there’s a bit more of a test, with a big ol’ jump in over a solid looking brush topped log, and then a tight right-handed turn back out past some cleverly placed wooden barrels over another triple brush at B. There is the option to go around the back of the barrels, giving riders time to straighten their horses before presenting them to the B element, but this will waste valuable seconds, something that many riders might not have to spare at this point of the course.

The main thing for those opting to go the direct route is to make sure they get a decent jump in, leaving them room to get safely back out without an issue – with just three fences to go before home, it would be an absolute travesty to have any issue here.

But, as Harry noted, for those horses getting their first run of the season (finally!), this is a reasonable question for them: “The drop in is big enough, and we haven’t seen one at all this year, really. So just get in and then it’s a really quick turn to an acute angle out.”

 Still, experienced horses should manage it well, as long as riders are well prepared. Yas confirmed this, offering a little insight into her own plans at this fence along the way: “As I’m aiming for a spring 5*, automatically I would walk the more direct line. I think it’s definitely quite a substantial drop in so you’ll have to expect quite a big steep jump in, and obviously land, gather yourself back up again, and already look for your B element… luckily, you’ve got the barrels that do guide you on your line a little bit, so you’ve just got to be quick thinking on landing over the drop in, already thinking about B on the way out, but careful not to turn too early as well.”

Fence twenty-one: the Equilatte Coffee Table.

Phew, lots to remember! Lucky then, that riders now have a relatively straight forward run home — but the last three fences are still pretty beefy ones, especially the Equilatte Coffee Table at 21, as white as it is wide, and riders will be mindful that horses will be weary at this stage, so it is as pertinent as ever to give them the best possible approach, and not let them get too flat and long, risking a bad jump or take -off.

Fence twenty-two: the Childeric Saddles Oxer.

Ditto the penultimate fence, the Childeric Saddles Oxer. Although it may be tempting to relax a little with the finish line so close, it ain’t over til the fat lady sings, and this is still a 4* oxer that should be treated with the respect it deserves. Far better to wait until you’re over the Empire Coachbuilders Horseshoe at number 23, and safely through the finish flags that lie just beyond to finally chill out and breathe a sigh of relief. Home and dry (weather providing!) around the first 4*-S of the season….and a pretty decent one at that!

Fence twenty-three: the Empire Coachbuilders Horseshoe.

Most riders I spoke to agreed that it was a really great test for horses and riders at this level, and all were hopeful that the rain would hold off long enough to let them tackle it.

Last year’s Grantham Cup winner, Piggy reiterated this when I spoke to her briefly on Friday evening, after a day of almost constant rain: “It’s a step up from last year, a really good 4* course for horses having a run before Badminton and that sort of thing — it’s just the weather hasn’t been very kind, and that has made it very difficult for everyone. It’s put everyone in awkward positions of what situation is best for them, their horses, their owners. It’s such a shame for the place because it looks incredible… I hope it stops raining, it can dry up nicely, and we can have a good weekend of sport. The course is good, and there are a lot of very nice horses here, so it would be nice that they can all get a run.”

The weather gods must have been listening, thank goodness, as today (Saturday), saw a good old ‘drying day,’ and other riders were complimentary about the ground and the course, quietly optimistic they would get out and have a play.

Emma Thomas in particular was keen to get out and get stuck in, as she was hoping to use this weekend to get the necessary two MERs she needs ahead of a planned five-star run.

“The ground is incredible really, considering the weather and I think the track has great questions, especially in the mid-section of the course,” she says.

The World Champ also offered a similarly positive opinion, noting in particular the suitability of the track as pre-5* tune up: “There’s plenty of questions on course – it’s really good preparation for our spring five-star, the ground is drying out and I’m staying hopeful at this point, but I’m just going to see what it’s like in the morning before I start.”

 That seems to be the opinion of several of the riders that remain – sadly, the deluge of Friday saw several of the line-up deciding to save their horses for another day, rather than risk them in the mud – so let’s keep those digits crossed for no more rain overnight making sure we finally get to go eventing, and over a pretty epic 4* track at that!

Tomorrow’s schedule has been slightly rejigged to accommodate the mass withdrawals, and so we’ll now see the national Advanced class start the day’s proceedings with showjumping from 9.00 am local time (4.00 a.m. ET) and cross-country kicking off at 11.00 a.m. (6.00 a.m. ET). The CCI4*-S classes will run back to back, with the Grantham Cup feature class showjumping from 10.30 a.m. (5.30 a.m. ET) and going cross-country from 12.30 p.m. (7.30 a.m. ET), while the second section will showjumping from 11.50 a.m. (6.50 a.m. ET) and go cross-country from 2.00 p.m. (9.00 a.m. ET). Horse&Country TV will be live-streaming the whole day’s cross-country action, so tune in to watch it as it happens, and keep it locked on EN for a full report on the finale of Britain’s first four-star of the 2023 season.

The Eventing Spring Carnival at Thoresby Park: [Website] [Times] [Live Scoring] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]