More education supporting the USEA Groom’s Program is on top this week in Ocala, Fl. Here’s what’s on tap:

Aiken, SC

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Tuesday February 18 – 6:30 p.m. at Bruce’s Field
Dr. Kate Echeverria will discuss management considerations for horses with EMS, IR, or Cushing’s.
RSVP/more information here.

Keep an eye on the @worldclassgrooming and @useventinggroomsprogram socials for information on upcoming seminars.

U.S. Weekend Events

Rocking Horse Winter II (FL): [Website] [Scores]

Ram Tap H.T. (CA): [Website] [Scores]

Jumping Branch Farm H.T. (SC): [Website] [Scores]

News & Reading

☀️ West coast roving photographer Tina Fitch has been awarded the Official Photographer designation for this year’s USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC), presented by Nutrena Feeds. This year’s AEC will take place in Temecula, CA at Galway Downs, the proposed host site of all equestrian disciplines at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The competition is scheduled for August 26-31. Finalizations on plans to return the AEC back to Kentucky Horse Park in 2026 are underway.

👀 Spoga Horse, a B2B equestrian fair in Cologne, Germany held each winter, is a big item on our bucket list here at EN. Each year, new innovations in technology and equipment are unveiled, making it akin to a CES (an annual tech trade show held in Las Vegas) for horse people. Here are the award winners for Best Innovations this year.

🇩🇪 Ingrid Klimke and Equistro’s Siena Juest Do It emerged victorious in the weekend’s indoor eventing competition in Neumünster, a first stop for the German multi-talent as she heads toward some dressage shows to open the season. Read more about her speedy two-phase win here.

Video Break

Watch a full episode of the H&C+ series Cobs Can Go Eventing:

You can save 15% off an annual H&C+ membership using code EVENTINGNATION15.

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It’s racehorse training season at British Olympic medalist Laura Collett’s year! Each year, Laura brings in a handful of young racehorses to cross-train them over fences. Check out the progression video above for some of the work Laura does with these youngsters.

U.S. Weekend Events

Rocking Horse Winter II (FL): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Ram Tap H.T. (CA): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring] [Volunteer]

Jumping Branch Farm H.T. (SC): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Links & Reading

Can’t Keep a Good Horse Down: Ava Vojnovic and LH Clean Slate’s Comeback

When The Honeymoon Ends: The Reality Of Buying The Darn Farm

Days End Farm Horse Rescue: Empowering Youth to Make a Difference

The Future of Dressage: A Call for Positive Change

Video Break

Don’t miss the debut of The Go Eventing Podcast in just over one week!

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We mentioned this a bit earlier this week in our News & Notes, but today on Valentine’s Day we invite you to pick up a copy of Kareem Rosser’s second book, When You’re Ready, which tells the story of his love for Lee Lee Jones. After Lee Lee’s life changed forever in a riding accident, so did that of those who love her. Kareem’s story will definitely bring a few tears to your eyes, so be sure to accompany your reading with some tissues, and today let’s celebrate the power of love.

❤️ Pick up your copy of When You’re Ready here, and stay tuned for a review and an interview with Kareem, coming to EN soon.

U.S. Weekend Events

Rocking Horse Winter II (FL): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Ram Tap H.T. (CA): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring] [Volunteer]

Jumping Branch Farm H.T. (SC): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

News & Reading

📖 Tik Maynard’s thirst for adventure and curiosity for learning has led him all over the world in search of the best horsemen and women. In 2024, he undertook a new challenge, competing at The Road to the Horse in Kentucky for the first time, though he’d spent many years prior following the colt-starting competition and training with those who’d competed before. Read about the memorable weekend at The Road to the Horse in Horse Illustrated here.

❤️ It’s time for a proper Valentine’s Day quiz with the latest episode of the USEA podcast! For this year’s Valentine’s episode, host Nicole Brown pitted U.S. eventing power couple Jacob and Cornelia Fletcher against Australia’s beloved Shane and Niki Rose for another fun-filled episode. Listen to it here.

🐴 The type and length of turnout a horse receives during rehab from an injury is critical when it comes to long-term healing, Dr. Larry Bramlage says in a new interview with Paulick Report. While this article is pointed toward racing, the nuts and bolts of it can be applied to the broader equestrian sporting world. Read it here.

Sponsor Corner: Stable View

Raise your hand if you feel this should be an ongoing series from our friends at Stable View!

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Click here to follow Stable View on Instagram for news, happenings, and plenty of ridiculousness.

Video Break

Ever wanted to learn the secrets of equine photography? Tune in for this episode of Ride iQ’s Ask an Expert:

Hawley Bennett Awad and Jollybo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Here’s another “where are they now?” for you this fine Thursday morning! We’ve been following the “pocket rocket” partner of Canadian Olympian Hawley Bennett-Awad, Jollybo, as she embarks on her newest adventure as the eventing partner of Grand Prix dressage rider Lauren Chumley.

“She’s just a really cool horse,” Lauren said in an interview with The Chronicle of the Horse. “She’s just got such a good vibe to her, and I just I love old FEI horses; they’re just so smart.”

You can read the full story on what Jollybo is getting up to here.

U.S. Weekend Preview

Rocking Horse Winter II (FL): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Ram Tap H.T. (CA): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring] [Volunteer]

Jumping Branch Farm H.T. (SC): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Volunteer]

News & Reading

🐴 Pro show jumpers Georgina Bloomberg and Jimmy Doyle are back for a second part of their gymnastics for jumping tutorial! Check it out here.

🌟 It’s been awhile since we’ve seen PNW-based Jordán Linstedt-Granquist at the 5* level, but she’s carried on producing young horses in the intervening years since the era of her beloved former partners, Tullibard’s Hawkwind and RevitaVet Capato. The USEA caught up with Jordán here.

😵‍💫 Struggling to remember your courses? Don’t worry, we are too. Lucky for us, Practical Horseman has some tips and tricks for remembering where the heck you’re going here.

Video Break

Go eventing with Wyeth the Mustang and Elisa Wallace!

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Great news from the recently-founded Full Moon Farm Eventing Foundation (FMFEF)! The organization, established by the Fulton family, will be awarding an annual grant through the USEA Foundation to a deserving recipient at the USEA’s Annual Convention and Awards Ceremony (held this year in New Orleans, LA). The grant will be distributed in an effort to offer aid and foster diversity, equity and inclusion within our sport. The grant may be used in a variety of ways to increase good horsemanship, assist in funding a learning opportunity, or further one’s personal growth in the horse world in a way that may not have been financially obtainable prior to the grant.

“It all started with a pride flag that we had flown on our flag pole,” Karen Fulton told EN when we wrote about the FMFEF last year. “Our boarders purchased it for us a few years ago, and while we’re conscious of any endorsements of political candidates at our business, Grace and Woodge encouraged us to hang up the flag on our pole. Flags can be powerful things, and once we did, it was amazing [to me] the number of people that noticed it – in a positive way. It got us thinking, the inclusivity that our barn has always practiced should be formalized.”

In order to support this grant, the Full Moon Farm Eventing Foundation will be dedicating its fundraising efforts to a goal set of $25,000 raised in 2025. You can help get the ball rolling with your donation and learn more about FMFEF here.

U.S. Weekend Preview

Rocking Horse Winter II (FL): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Ram Tap H.T. (CA): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring] [Volunteer]

Jumping Branch Farm H.T. (SC): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Volunteer]

News & Reading

🇫🇷 The 2023 host site of the FEI European Eventing Championships and the 2014 World Equestrian Games will no longer host its major international fixture, Le Grand Complet at Haras du Pin, due to ongoing dispute over financial matters between the venue and the event organizer. This follows up on news from early on in 2024. “The end of this beautiful journey allows the members of the [organisers] Ustica office to thank the private partners who have followed them in this epic event in the service of our sport,” a statement released by Le Grand Complet reads. Horse & Hound reports more here.

💰 The USEA Foundation announced this week that it has added a new Organizer’s Relief and Competition Assistance (ORCA) Fund as well as updated the Frangible Technology Fund for 2025. Thanks to a kickstarting anonymous seed donation of $20,000, the ORCA Fund (which was established in 2024) is set to provide grants to event organizers who have experienced a disaster or catastrophe that has impacted their ability to run their competition. The Foundation has also stipulated that eligibility will be given to events that donate $1 per stater at their largest event for a period of two years, which covers them for five years of grant eligibility. Grants of up to $5,000 can be distributed for disaster-related impacts such as repairs and equipment. The deadline for grants in 2025 is October 15. You can read up on the plans for this fund here.

On the Frangible Technology Fund front, the USEA Foundation announced that it would now supply grants to be used for the construction of frangible cross-country fences.
Grant amounts, ranging from $1,000-$2,000, range based on the highest level hosted by the applying venue. Funds can be used for the purchase of materials to construct frangible fences. Read more about both of these updates here.

👩‍⚖️ A new update has come up in the ongoing case against Canadian show jumper Eric Lamaze. The international Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled against him in a case initiated by the Fédération Equestre International in 2022, and determined that he will be suspended until 2031. This adds four years on top of his existing suspension through 2027, the result of a string of accusations of fraud and violation of human anti-doping regulations. The Chronicle of the Horse reports in full on this story here.

Video Break

Get to know German Olympic gold medalist Julia Krajewski, who stopped by The Jon & Rick Show studio in Ocala during a recent visit:

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Another blast from the past at Burghley leads things off this morning. It’s important to know the history and origins of our sport, as they have indelibly shaped the eventing we know today. Enjoy this look back at the very first running of the Burghley Horse Trials (then referenced as the Burghley Three-Day Event) in 1961.

We particularly enjoyed this look at the dressage test from this era of eventing. Want to compare with this test’s modern counterpart? See the four versions of the FEI CCI5* dressage test here.

What do you think you would score on this Burghley test?

Events Opening Today

The Event at TerraNova (FL); Galway Downs International (CA); Bouckaert Equestrian H.T. (GA); Jumping Branch Farm Spring H.T. (SC); Morven Park Spring H.T. (VA)

Events Closing Today

Full Gallop Farm March Wednesday H.T. (SC); Rocking Horse Winter III H.T. (FL); Twin Rivers Winter H.T. (CA)

News & Reading

❓ Every few years, American Horse Publications (an nonprofit association for equine-related publishing media, businesses, media professionals, colleges, and students) distributes a survey assessing participation trends and management practices within the equine industry in the U.S. If you currently own or manage at least one horse, are 18 years of age or over, and live in the United States, you are eligible to complete the survey. The survey takes about 15-20 minutes to complete, and you can find it here.

💪 In 2024, Intercollegiate Rider of the Year awards were given to top collegiate riders across all recognized levels. Take a moment to meet these rising stars here.

🦠 In January, the EU began experiencing its first outbreak of foot and mouth disease since 2011 after the disease was found in a herd of water buffalo in Germany. To curb the threat of spread, British Equestrian has announced safeguards for horses coming from Germany, which can be found here. The US Department of Agriculture, at the time of writing, has equine imports listed as requiring foot and mouth disease protocols. More on this can be found on the USDA’s website here.

📝 The Cool Ridings team got the opportunity to train with British 5* rider Ben Hobday, and participant Kai Warner shared his takeaways and experience in a new blog.

Video Break

A Black History Month spotlight on Joe Lewis, brought to you by the Full Moon Farm Eventing Foundation:

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Karim Florent Laghouag and Dream de Vieve. Photo via Jumping International de Bordeaux media.

Paris Olympic medalist Karim Florent Laghouag took home a win on home turf at this weekend’s Jumping International de Bordeaux Devoucoux Indoor Derby — a show that’s certainly gone onto our bucket list!

Tackling a hybrid course designed by Rio Olympic, World Championships, and Les 5 Étoiles de Pau course designer Pierre Michelet, Karim and Dream de Vieve (owned by Philippe Lemoine and Guy Bessat), secured the win with the quickest fault-free time on the clock, besting fellow Frenchman Fabrice Saintemarie and Cesar de Roy by nearly 2 seconds. You can view the full results from the competition here. You can also view the replay from this and other events from Bordeaux on ClipMyHorse.TV here (subscription required) or watch the full replay from the Devoucoux Indoor Derby below:

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U.S. Weekend Results

Ocala Winter I (FL): [Website] [Scores]

Pine Top Intermediate H.T. (GA): [Website] [Scores]

News & Reading

🐴 Let’s learn more about the FEI’s newest Director of Eventing, Frédérique Reffet Plantier. Succeeding former Director of Eventing Catrin Norinder earlier this year, Frédérique took the mic for the first time in front of stakeholders at the FEI Eventing Open Forum earlier this month. You can watch a full replay from the Forum here (and stay tuned for a discussion of it on the first episode of The Go Eventing Podcast, coming February 25!). Read more about Frédérique in this profile on the FEI’s website.

❤️ Area II trainer, judge, and event organizer Jane Cory is being recognized this month on the USEA’s website with a new feature profile on her dedication to the sport of eventing. She was recently honored with the Andrew H. Popiel Trophy at the 2024 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention, which is given annually to organizers for their tireless commitment. Read more on Jane’s inspiring story of commitment here.

📖 The reviews are coming in, and Kareem Rosser’s upcoming second book, When You’re Ready, is making waves both inside and outside of our equestrian world. The story, which centers around his love for Lee Lee Jones, who experienced a traumatic brain injury in a riding accident, and the aftermath that followed, is available tomorrow at booksellers everywhere. You can find a retailer here, or pick up/request a copy from your local bookstore. Read a preview from The Washington Post here. Stay tuned for a full review to come here on EN.

Video Break

A quick masterclass on horsemanship from the one and only David O’Connor:

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Don’t miss out on our brand new social media series, Humans of Eventing! We kicked things off with the story behind a photo we took at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event last year — a happenstance meeting that led to a friendship! Just one more thing we love about our sport. Stay tuned for new editions of Humans of Eventing on our social media each Friday.

U.S. Weekend Preview

Ocala Winter I (FL): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Pine Top Intermediate H.T. (GA): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Links & Reading

Alexa Thompson: A Clear View to Eventing Success

Frangibles, tech and ‘€1m for 1000 fences’ – big ideas debated in eventing

Maddy Temkin: Bringing Young Horses Along, One Talent at a Time

You won’t believe the strange things these riders saw while out hacking!

Video Break

Some course walking tips from 5* rider Laine Ashker:

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If you’re struggling with your horse when it comes to trailering, our friends at NÖELLE FLOYD have just the ticket for you! NÖELLE FLOYD is looking for some riders to participate in an upcoming series with 4* eventer and Road to the Horse champion Tik Maynard in Ocala, FL later this month. You can submit your story for consideration here.

U.S. Weekend Preview

Ocala Winter I (FL): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Pine Top Intermediate H.T. (GA): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

News & Reading

🌟 Want to take part in the next USEA Emerging Athletes 21 training sessions? Applications are now open to join the EA21 roster! The purpose of the USEA Emerging Athletes U21 program (EA21) is to identify and provide consistent quality instruction to the next generation of elite event riders. The aim is to create a pipeline for potential team riders by identifying and developing young talent, providing them with training and development. Click here to learn more and apply.

🇧🇪 The Chronicle of the Horse reports further on the recent FEI Tribunal decision surrounding the disqualification of the Belgian team at the Paris Olympics last summer. Read more into the Tribunal decision and after effects here.

🐎 Every correct movement starts with hind-end engagement and propulsion. That’s the bread and butter of a recent Masterclass clinic with German Olympian Ingrid Klimke, who taught earlier this year at Galway Downs in Temecula, CA. Dive into the details with the queen herself here.

Video Break

It’s helmet cam season!

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We were very sorry to learn of the passing of Humble GS this week at the age of 19. Humble GS was partnered with Canadian Olympian Jessica Phoenix throughout his eventing career, which saw him compete through the 4* level over a span of six years of international eventing. Beyond his competitive career, Humble GS was also a prolific sire, operating out of the Gatlan Farms Shickedanz breeding program that has produced several horses that Jessie eventually took through the levels of eventing. He sired several 4* and Advanced eventers, including Watson GS, Obeah Dancer GS, and Freedom GS.

We’re keeping all who knew and loved Humble GS in our thoughts today. 💔

Jessica Phoenix and Humble GS. Photo by Shelby Allen.

U.S. Weekend Preview

Ocala Winter I (FL): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Pine Top Intermediate H.T. (GA): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

News & Reading

🦘 EN is THRILLED to be sending a reporter to the 5* event “down under” for the first time in 2025! You can see more about this year’s event (May 1-4), including which Paris Olympian will be serving as an ambassador and more events alongside the main competition here.

👀 Did you know that SmartPak now offers liquid supplement packs? You can step up your game with these new LiquidPaks offerings. Learn more about them here.

🤔 Fitness pro Ifa Simmonds penned a new article for The Plaid Horse that muses on the concept of “switching sides” to better our stability and strength in the saddle. For most riders, mounting from the left has become a deeply ingrained habit, passed down for hundreds of years through tradition. But what if this seemingly small, historical habit is limiting us and our horses? Read more here.

🍎 The Maryland Horse Trials is set to host a free clinic on Equine Nutrition led by expert Karen Engel from Triple Crown Nutrition on on Monday, February 17, 2025 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM. This informative session will include light refreshments, and Karen will be showcasing her popular “Guts N a Bucket” presentation. You can sign up on Strider here.

Video Break

Get some insider insight from Olympic medalist Laura Collett:

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We’re dreaming of June in Bromont! This year’s MARS Bromont CCI, which features CCI2* – CCI4*-L competition and runs alongside the MARS Bromont Rising development training program) will take place June 4-8. Bromont is one of those picturesque places that reels you in and makes you dream of summer houses or 🫢 a permanent change of scenary, and it should definitely be on every eventing lover’s bucket list. Start planning your visit here.

U.S. Weekend Results

Galway Downs Kickoff H.T. (CA): [Website] [Scores]

Sporting Days Farm February II H.T. (SC): [Website] [Scores]

Three Lakes Winter I H.T. at Caudle Ranch (FL): [Website] [Scores]

News & Reading

Simplicity, but attention paid to details, reigned supreme in a clinic with world #1 Tom McEwen, which took place at Galway Downs in Southern California. Tom’s philosophy that riders need to have the ability to think on their feet and a continual reinforcement of the basics encouraged the riders who participated to step out of their comfort zones (safely, of course). When you think about it, most clinics are, essentially, a fine-tuning of basic foundation, with a dash of personal philosophy thrown in for good measure. Tom’s approach was fascinating to read about, and you can do the same here. Bonus for Tom, Galway Downs is the proposed host site of the equestrian sports at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. 👀

Consistency is key when it comes to consistent results. Delilah’s Boy, the 2024 USEA Pony of the Year, and his 13-year-old rider, Kendal Fansler, know a thing or two about this notion. “Sammy” has been a professor for his young rider, and her relationship with him has created some lifelong memories of success and places traveled to. ❤️ Read their story.

If you have an interest in broadcast, you can learn from one of the best in the business, John Kyle, during an upcoming virtual training seminar, February 10 at 2:00 p.m. GMT / 9:00 a.m. ET. Now, space for these seminars does tend to fill up quickly, so we can’t guarantee availability, but you can register here to learn more about any other opportunities coming up. 🎙️

Looking for a remote job in the equestrian media space? Equine Network (home of publications such as Practical Horseman and Dressage Today, to name just a couple in the English space) is seeking a Digital Content Creator to join its Western Sports Group. You can learn more and apply for the gig here. 📱

You can get EN in your inbox every Monday morning! We’re working on some refreshing updates to our weekly email newsletter, and you won’t want to miss it as we roll them out! Subscribe for free here. ✉️ See this week’s edition

📺 Video Break + Partner Spotlight: Horse & Country

Did you know you can now find full episodes of some of Horse & Country’s premium content on YouTube? Dive right in with the first episode of Alex Bragg’s 6-part series, available with your H&C+ membership.

Want to save a little on your annual H&C+ membership? Use code EVENTINGNATION15 to save 15% off the price of an annual membership!

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It’s getting to be that time of year where we see the emergence of sleek 5* horses after they enjoyed a winter living the yak life! Swipe through the post above to see the transformation of Ros Canter’s Paris partner, Lordships Graffalo!

U.S. Weekend Events

Galway Downs Kickoff H.T. (CA): [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Sporting Days Farm February II H.T. (SC): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Volunteer]

Three Lakes Winter I H.T. at Caudle Ranch (FL): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Links & Reading

Eulogy For A School Horse

Practical Horseman Podcast: Cornelia Fletcher

4 Ways Virtual Learning is Helping Riders Step Up Their Game

Rider disqualified from Paris Olympics as result of treating his sick dog

Video Break

Some exercise ideas for your older horse: