Originally from San Diego, Jenni discovered eventing thanks to the Bedford Hunt Pony Club in Virginia. After working in both newspapers and magazines, she joined the EN team in 2012. She travels extensively covering the U.S. Eventing Team and has reported at the Olympic Games, World Equestrian Games, Pan American Games, Badminton, Burghley, Kentucky, Luhmühlen and Pau. As for her favorite event, it’s a toss-up between Aachen and Boekelo. When she isn’t on the road, she’s busy competing her heart horse, Imperial Striker, better known as Derry.
The FEI announced yesterday it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Eventing Officials Club, which boasts more than 1,000 members worldwide. Since its founding in 1998, the independent organization has given a voice to FEI judges, technical delegates, stewards, course designers and organizers at the international level of the sport.
“The International Eventing Officials Club has been a vital link between the FEI and eventing officials for 15 years,” Ingmar De Vos, FEI Secretary General, said in a press release. “During this time, the number of eventing competitions at all levels has grown rapidly — last year alone, there were over 560 competitions globally, which since 2004 represents a massive 77 percent growth in this sport.
It’s exciting to see the FEI strengthen its partnership with eventing officials, but the most critical part of this announcement has to be that eventing has expanded 77 percent globally in the last decade. That’s an incredible growth rate, and it’s very encouraging to see the FEI recognize how important it is to continue developing the sport at the international level.
“This Memorandum of Understanding with the FEI is testament to the continued worldwide popularity of eventing and the magnitude of the growth of this sport as it continues beyond its traditional heartlands and into new territories,” IEOC Charman Andy Griffiths said in the press release.“These are exciting times for eventing, and we are all very much looking forward to continuing our work with the FEI, the National Federations and Eventing Organisers this year and beyond to help build a solid future for our sport.”
The IEOC is free for eventing officials to join. The website is currently under construction at www.ieoc.info, but officials interested in more information can contact the organization by emailing [email protected]. Click here to read the full press release on the FEI website.
Here’s your Daily Dose of Adorable, EN! Reader Seema Sonnad sent in this super cute YouTube video of a chinchilla named Minakata eating a horse cookie. This chinchilla is very, VERY determined to devour every last bit of the treat. Love it!
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Angela Grzywinski, who owns and operates Tempus Eventing in Fort Worth, Texas, set a goal to compete her Thoroughbred mare Novelle in a Mini Prix. She got that chance last month and ended up winning! Many thanks to Angela for writing about her experience in Hunter/Jumper Land.
My awesome group of supporters after the win. Photo used with permission from www.DonStine.com.
From Angela:
Every year, I ask my students to sit down and write out their goals for the upcoming year. My two biggest goals in 2012 got put on hold with stone bruises and life happening, but in 2013 and the beginning of 2014, I finally accomplished what I set out to do. I wanted to become ICP Level 3 certified, and I wanted to compete my mare Novelle in a Mini Prix. Novelle is a 12-year-old 15.3-hand (I always call her 16 because it sounds better, but let’s face it, I call myself 5’4″ and that’s not the truth either) Thoroughbred mare.
I have owned her for eight years, and she’s my best partner. We have been working on the move up to the Advanced level and are aiming for Red Hills CIC3* in March. Novelle has always naturally excelled in the show jumping and has currently gone 15 rounds at the Intermediate and Advanced level without a jumping penalty in that phase. So, naturally, I wanted to cash in on her talent and try something a little different.
We were originally entered in a Mini Prix in the fall of 2012, but an untimely stone bruise put that on hold. I ride with Mike Huber and clinic as much as I can with show jumping legend Greg Best, and they both kept supporting my idea of challenging myself to get to one. I believe that cross-training eventers is vital, as the best at our sport are ones who could be competitive in the straight dressage ring as well as tackle the jumpers. So when the timing for the Blue Ribbon Winter Show in Waco presented itself, I eagerly entered myself and five of my junior students ranging in levels from moving up to Training to moving up to Intermediate. What better way to hone the show jumping phase then jumping all week?
The show offered classes from 2’9″ to 4’6″ and everything in between. My Mini Prix was scheduled on Friday afternoon at 1.25 meters. I had hoped that Mike would be able to come down and coach me, as he’s always been my biggest supporter and knows me and Novelle so well, but he was preparing to relocate his entire barn to Florida for the winter season. He enlisted the help of the Zone 7 NAJYRC coach and amazing jumper rider Matt Cyphert to help me.
We arrived late Tuesday night with six horses. My students didn’t join me until later in the week, so I had the opportunity to compete their horses early in the week as well. During the week, I competed Novelle in two 1.20-meter classes and came second to Matt both times. That guy is a beast. He shaved every second off every turn that he could and got the most out of every horse he sat on.
My $5,000 class came on Friday afternoon. With Matt and Mike’s help (poor guy still had to give me advice from three hours away), I decided to jump Novelle in a small class in the morning, as she had decided this whole jump off thing was way fun and drifting left so badly I was afraid we we going to wipe out a rail with my left leg. The idea to jump her small and slow was a good one.
Matt and I walked the course and talked strategy about the jump off, and I was on board with all his ideas and very excited. The course didn’t seem as huge as I had imagined, so I was just plain excited to tackle it. Many of my students and their families made it down to watch, and my sister was able to come, which meant so much to me.
In the order of go, I was first. I know many people have negative feelings about this; I personally love laying down something that others have to chase. I do my best and let the others do what they will. Novelle jumped amazingly well and straight in the first round — thank goodness — and we were on to the jump off. I went as fast and turned as hard as I could and just hoped it would be enough at the end of the class. Approximately half of the class made it to the jump off, and in most cases, the quality of the jumping was sacrificed by people trying to go fast.
And then in walked Matt. He was riding his own Lochinvar, who was also entered (and subsequently won) the $10,000 class the next night. Matt made the first round look like a 3-foot class. I was suddenly very nervous. As Matt had done in all of the classes, he started out smoking around the jump off. By the time he approached the last jump, he was 4 seconds up on my time. He wasn’t just going to beat me, he was going to slaughter me. Unfortunately, the last rail came down for him, and Novelle was the winner. I was bummed for him, as he was by far the better round. But I was so excited to not only have completed one of my goals but to have won!
We spent the evening celebrating, and after the big class, Novelle was done for the weekend and spent the next two days resting and remembering that dressage is still a necessary part of her repertoire. By this time, my girls had all arrived and were able to fill their plates with as many rounds as they wanted. I also entered two of my girls in the $3,000 1.15-meter High Children’s/ Adult classic. Alyssa Phillips and Bliss III were second, and Bailey Snyder and Wingman were fourth.
Attending our first “A” show was an amazing experience, and it taught me many things:
Hunter/ jumper professionals are a very nice group of people and are genuinely interested in what we do.
The organization of these shows is flawless, and while it might seem strange not to have a “ride time,” once you get the hang of the system, it is easy to get prepped and in the ring in a relaxed manner.
If you want to attend an “A” show, make sure you have all your USHJA numbers for horses, riders and owners.
Make the ring steward and the show secretary your friends. Bribery with Starbucks and alcohol will go far. Trust me — you need these people!
You will get strange looks for mucking your own stall and tacking your own horse.
If you have a problem memorizing courses in a short period of time, a jumper show will be great practice. Most people don’t even walk the courses; they just scope them out (purple, red, rollback, liverpool, etc.)
Warm up areas are terrifying — end of story. The jumps are not flagged, and if you don’t have a ground person, good luck trying to get a fence jumped.
A jumper show is a marathon, not a sprint. If you have a bad round, add another class. If you have two bad rounds, maybe try again the next day. The horses get very tired, so don’t do too much in one day.
Make sure to take extra care with icing, bandaging and poulticing legs. These horses are jumping lots and standing in stalls for more days than they do for horse trials.
Do try and give your horse one day of not jumping during the five-day show. It will make for a fresher, happier horse.
Hooping, hollering and coaching from the sidelines is not only allowed, it’s kind of the norm. Sure makes keeping my mouth shut at horse trials a little harder.
Last but not least, I’d like to thank the people who made this dream come true: My students and their families for supporting my crazy idea to haul a bunch of eventers to the show, my coach Mike Huber for always being my coach (20 years and counting!), Matt Cyphert for the great game day help, Greg Best for inspiring me at the age of 6 in 1988 with his silver medal performance, my vets Dr. Skeet Gibson and Dr. Reese Hand and farrier Eric McConnell for keeping Novelle in top shape (these guys showed up Sunday night after the show to get Novelle ready to leave for Florida the following morning), Tegan for being the best helper I could have for the week, my sponsors Majyk Equipe and Point Two air jackets, and my family. Seeing my non-horsey sister cry when I won was truly special.
So find a local jumper show and give it a try; I guarantee you will learn a ton and have a blast.
Taking a spin on Alyssa Phillips’ Bliss III. Photo used with permission from www.DonStine.com.
Alyssa’s determination at the last fence. Photo used with permission from www.DonStine.com.
Riding Bailey Snyder’s horse Wingman. Photo used with permission from www.DonStine.com.
Happy after the win. Photo used with permission from www.DonStine.com.
Tina Cook and Miners Frolic at Badminton last year. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Tina Cook announced this morning she is retiring her longtime partner Miners Frolic due to concerns about his heart, Horse & Hound reports. The 16-year-old gelding, known as Henry around the barn, experienced a heart fibrillation after a ride last week, and the owners and a veterinary heart expert agreed it best to retire him. A huge favorite among British eventing fans, Henry and Tina won three Olympic medals, team and individual gold at the 2009 Europeans, and team gold at the 2010 WEG. Go Henry!
Tina Cook has told H&H that she has retired Miners Frolic after a problem with his heart.
The 16-year-old, better known as Henry, won 3 Olympic medals, team and individual gold at the 2009 European Championships and helped to secure team gold at the 2010 World Equestrian Games.
Henry suffered a heart fibrillation after a hack last week. After further consultation with veterinary heart expert Celia Marr and his owners, Nick and Valda Embiricos and Sarah Pelham, the decision was taken to retire him.
“He’s felt great and I was quite excited about the year ahead,” Tina told H&H.
“I had thought the World Equestrian Games [in August] might be his swansong — he looks amazing and feels as good as he’s ever done. But it’s not to be.
Have you seen the latest Evention episode yet? The theme is #horseworldproblems, and Jimmie and Dom totally nailed it. What other #horseworldproblems would you add to the list? And in more exciting news from Evention, you’ll soon be able to download an app that will notify you each time a new episode is released. #fabulous
John Meriwether, Area VII Adult Rider Coordinator, sent in a report on Peter Gray’s clinic at Aspen Farms in Yelm, Wash., last month. Peter worked with riders from the Beginner Novice through Intermediate levels and even donned Seahawks gear to show his support for the Pacific Northwest. Many thanks to John for writing, and thanks for reading!
The Preliminary/Intermediate group, from left: Cynthia Bayles, Patience O’Neal, Peter Gray, Maggie Rikard, Lorilee Hanson, Sophie Click.
From John:
Area VII Adult Riders lured Peter Gray away from his winter headquarters in Florida last month to teach a clinic at Aspen Farms in Yelm Wash., and got him to speak at our Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet as a bonus. Peter was a trooper standing up through countless photo ops with our area honorees, though his Florida tan contrasted sharply with us Pacific Northwest natives who only dimly remember what sunshine looks or feels like.
Among the messages he delivered, one that resonated was the need to ride at your level — to spend the time to develop yourself and horse there and not be overly concerned with moving up. The lessons learned at Beginner Novice are lessons that are refined and built on at subsequent levels. While this is nothing new nor earth shattering, it was a good reminder that riding success is about the basics.
Day 1: Dressage/Gymnastics
Each group from Beginner Novice to Preliminary/Intermediate started with the same simple introductions, including downward transition from trot to walk while posting to keep the back soft and through; using flexion on the straights and bend in the corners, which lead into some leg yield and shoulder-in; and a slow trot to keep the horses relaxed and soft.
Peter made good use of cavaletti on an arc to engage the hocks in walk and trot, stressing the need to come in slowly and ride the line that is appropriate for your length of stride and gait. This transitioned seamlessly to low gymnastic work with lots of changes of bend and direction. He emphasized rebalancing with soft hands and then softening more before the fence to let the horse use itself.
Peter’s skill in reading horse and rider capabilities dictated the progressing complexity of the exercises without needing to raise jumps. Even though this is a time of year when many Area VII horses are in lighter work, the horses finished the first day relaxed and confident. The riders had plenty to chew on overnight.
With a microphone, Peter delivered his messages in a quiet, soothing voice that made necessary corrections of egregious errors palatable. He also engaged the auditors and had them reciting his mantra — “Strong Legs, Light Seat, Soft Hands” — for the riders.
That evening, co-organizer Laurie Williams invited everyone to her lovely home to watch the Seattle Seahawks beat the San Francisco 49ers for a spot in the Super Bowl. Every good clinician knows his audience, and Peter showed up each day in a Seahawks hat and scarf.
Day 2: Cross Country
The next morning when we returned for day 2 of the clinic, it was evident most riders had also digested the previous day’s lessons. We moved from Aspen’s large covered arena into a larger outdoor arena, where farm owner Jonathan Elliott had set a mix of stadium jumps and portable cross country jumps. With one entire side of the arena made up of banks, Aspen is a wonderful event clinic venue, even during the wet months when we keep off the cross-country courses.
We progressed from gymnastics to galloping between fences, balancing back before fences and maintaining rhythm while using different seats. Shifting from two-point/galloping position back to three-point jumping position while maintaining Strong Legs, Light Seat, Soft Hands, we worked on sitting up into drops and the liverpool. Even the Beginner Novice group worked the liverpool and the banks in gymnastic combinations as they effectively learned how to employ the different seats.
Peter proved to be the consummate clinician. Everything he taught was a step in a methodical progressio,n and the logic is easily seen. As a clinic organizer, I knew the clinic was a success when riders and auditors asked about the next clinic after the first day. We hope to make repeat clinics with Peter a regular part of our Area VII Adult Rider clinic calendar.
The Novice group, from left: Lea Wilson, Catherine Geissler, Bridget Brewer, Lou Leslie, Peter Gray and Michelle Grimmer.
The Training group, from left: Audrey Henson, John Meriwether, Harper Click, Peter Gray, Janet Kurtz, Cynthia Bayles, Louise Reuhlbac.
The Beginner Novice group, from left: Gail Magnusen, Michelle Grimmer, Maggie Rikard, Peter Gray, Carin Agrin, Sarah MacKenzie, Anne Lobeck.
EN loves photos shot between the ears! If you happen to be out for a hack, are riding in some obscure place or just take some cool photos aboard your mount, send them to [email protected] with a quick blurb about the photo’s story. This week’s View comes to us from Christy Edwards in St. Lucia.
From Christy Edwards: “Just arrived home from our vacation in St. Lucia, where we got to take a spectacular ride through the countryside to the east coast of the island. Best part was a swim in the Atlantic with my horse Sion, who even seemed to enjoy it! Made me miss my horses and so happy to be home, but will never forget the experience!”
And here are the other photos shot between the ears we received this week from around the world:
From Amy Spink: “Just a normal day on the canals in Wellington, Fla. Marcia Kulak let me out of the barn to hack Chops.”
From Ruth Sudduth: “The Chilean horses horses are agile with great lateral work, all good when there are sheer drops off to the side! Pretty cool business trip to Patagonia!”
From Jessica Brown: “The view from snowy North Carolina! The ears belong to my Holsteiner gelding, Quincy, who is currently transitioning from the hunter ring into the eventing world. My son is riding his wonder pony, Henrietta, a Morgan/QH cross. Go snow days with no school! Go riding! and Go evening!
From Jenny Ferro: “The picture is from our latest trail ride at McIver State Park, in Estacada, Ore. It was an incredibly perfect and unusually warm and sunny January day in Oregon. I love this shot because it shows the beauty of the Pacific Northwest and also has the incredible snowy Mt. Hood in the background.”
From Lori Tankel: “The view from my Tucker. The sandhill cranes have been very vocal and active around the farm here in Apopka, Fla. The high on this day was 53, and I don’t think the birds like that!”
From Robin Kelly: “Out riding today in Pilaries Canyon, 10 miles outside of Aztec, N.M.”
Abigail Lufkin is a former CCI4* eventer who is now a sports psychology consultant and clinical social worker based in the Los Angeles area. You may remember seeing Abigail ride around Rolex on horses such as Lighter Than Air, Cameo or Jacob Two Two. She was a member of the 1999 Pan Am Team and was shortlisted for the 1992, 2000 and 2004 Olympics. We’re pleased to bring you a series of articles from Abigail about adapting your mental game to promote success in eventing. Have a question or topic for Abigail? Please submit it to [email protected] with subject “Ask Abigail” and be sure to check out her site at www.abigaillufkin.com.
What can you do on days when this is the closest you’ll get to riding? Photo via Lynsey Ekema.
From Abigail:
The main thing I remember about training in England in the winter months was that it got light at 8:30 a.m. and dark at 3:30 p.m. Well that and the fact that I had never felt as cold in my whole life, nor had I ever had such a strong desire to stay in front of the fireplace, watch “Eastenders” and eat packets of chocolate digestive biscuits.
I wish I had known then about mental practice. As I have said before, our minds cannot distinguish between something that our body “really” does and something that we vividly imagine. An extraordinary study demonstrating the power of imagery used four groups of people and looked at their ability to make basketball free throw shots. Each group was assessed for their base line number of shots. Then, for the period of the study, the groups were divided as follows:
Group 1 neither physically nor mentally practiced shooting a ball.
Group 2 physically practiced free throws for 1.5 hours a day.
Group 3 imagined shooting free throws for .5 hours a day (no physical contact with a basketball).
Group 4 first physically and then mentally practiced shooting free throws for 15 minutes a day.
Not surprisingly, the study found that the folks who practiced both physically and mentally improved the most. However unexpectedly, the group who only used imagery improved the second most, improving more than the people who actually practiced with a basketball. If we apply this to riding, it would mean that our ability to see a stride while galloping across country has the potential to improve MORE in our heated living room in New York than it would if we were galloping around the sands of Florida.
Keys to Mental Practice — AKA “a more productive activity for your couch”:
Do be very specific about the skill on which you are focusing.
Do find video footage of yourself or someone you admire doing the skill.
Do watch this short segment multiple times.
Do use music to enhance the process.
Do begin with a short time. I recommend six minutes. You can do anything for six minutes.
Do spend the first two minutes relaxing. Focus on your breath, particularly on a long, slow exhale. Or repeat the mantra “my body feels relaxed and calm.”
Do experiment with your imagery style. Some people are very visual and will see the picture clearly. Others are more auditory and may set the skill to music. Still others are very tactile and focus on the feel of their seat in the saddle or the feel of the reins in their hands.
Do pick a time of day that you will do it. This greatly increases the success rate (think of brushing your teeth).
Don’t take the voices seriously that say, “I am not good at this,” or “This doesn’t work for me.”
Do commit to the six minutes.
As the famous saying goes, “It works if you work it.” And when else in your life can your “work” be done from the couch in your heated living room?
Julie Howard is an adult re-rider in her 50s who hails from New Hampshire and competes her off-track Thoroughbred mare Sweetie in Area I events. She’s also hilariously insightful, and this post is a must-read. Many thanks to Julie for writing, and thanks for reading!
Julie Howard and her Thoroughbred mare Sweetie. Photo via Joan Davis/Flatlandsfoto.
From Julie:
I’ve been reading blog posts on EN from eager, ambitious young riders who show an astonishing wisdom at an early age, begotten, I suppose, from all those lonely nights shoveling manure and sweeping the barn, with perhaps a few falls, bumps and bruises added for good measure. When I read these posts, I think, “I wish I had been that eager young rider and stayed with it.” But instead, like so many aspiring high school seniors in the late ’70s and early ’80s, I headed into the world chasing “Working Girl” (the movie, not the profession) success. There was no room for a horse in my vision of my future.
So, like so many of you, my life took a turn away from the four-legged world. Ivy league college, law school, marriage, children, big house, great job. Life was a whirlwind of trying to get it all done and be everything everyone needed. I was that woman everyone talked about in the ’80s who could and did have it all. I was “successful.”
Fast forward. I’ll spare you the details, but the inevitable crash wasn’t pretty. I gained my bit of wisdom not from falling off a horse, but falling off my white picket fence life. I struggled to make sense of it and to keep moving forward. It was very difficult, as these things typically are. I got caught up in staying busy, working and keeping up with my young teenaged kids. It worked, to an extent. But it seemed I was marking time waiting for my real life to start.
At that time, my daughter’s best friend took riding lessons at a local barn. I’d watch her at shows and think, “I used to do that. I wasn’t terrible. I loved it.” I’d shyly mention I used to ride, and the moment would pass. One day, we went to watch a local event (UNH Horse Trials) and, watching all the gorgeous horses pass by, I yearned to be any of the girls riding those horses. I wanted to tell everyone, “Hey, I used to do that! I wish I could do it still!” Then I’d sigh and go back to reality. Monday morning, I’d snap back to work and my life, nose to the grindstone.
One day after a particularly grueling stint that was my life day after day, I said to my friend, “I’m going to do something for ME for once.” Her daughter, who I had been watching at shows, came around the corner in her riding togs. BAM. The idea was born. I talked my friend into taking a riding lesson with me. If we both did it, and I failed, I could just say, “Oh, wasn’t that fun! What a hoot!” blame my age and move on. A fun experience.
That first lesson was memorable mostly because I rediscovered I could post and sort of remembered what aids were. At the end of the lesson, I dismounted triumphantly and promptly fell, my legs fatigued and screaming, “Excuse us, but what was THAT?! You know you are 48, right?!” There was no “Wasn’t that fun! What a hoot! … Yeah, I’m too old” moment. Instead, I was hooked again. I found myself buying boots on eBay and scouting out tack shops I never knew existed in my area for consignment deals so I would look the part on a budget even if my riding was less than polished. I was having a ball.
Eventually, after leasing a couple wonderful horses and meeting wonderfully encouraging instructors, I dared to take one of the horses to a local event. Aged rider was my name, pre-elementary was my game. I already had the black suit coat from an old business suit — just add a white shirt and a stock tie — voila: Enter “eventer.” I had kept my Pony Club stock pin for who knows what reason, but I dug it out. I even invited my parents.
I bathed, braided, cleaned and clipped my mount, scrubbed my tack as if I was going to a Pony Club inspection. I couldn’t sleep. Would I remember my dressage test? Would my horse halt? Would I look as foolish as I felt? Would I fall off?
No. I didn’t do any of that. Instead, I placed (third out of three counts, right?!). It had gone by too quickly — a walk-trot test takes about the same amount of time it takes to sneeze, I discovered — and I wanted MORE. I set a goal: I wanted to ride in the UNH Horse Trials, that event I had watched enviously as an adult and an event I had ridden in as a teenager. I didn’t know how or when I was going to get there, but if you don’t shoot for the stars, you’ll never get to the moon …
On a whim (a story for another day), I ended up adopting a then 4-year-old OTTB mare named “Isn’t She Sweet” (“Sweetie”). That was two years ago, and this past summer, Sweetie and I entered sanctioned events — her for the first time, me for the first time in 33 years. It was terrifying, exhilarating, embarrassing and, at times, I thought, completely foolish. I still mostly think I’m completely foolish. But, now in my 50s, I DON’T CARE ABOUT LOOKING FOOLISH.
It’s liberating to be a “woman of a certain age.” You don’t have to impress anyone. You realize no one is really looking. If on the off chance anyone you care about is looking, they are just happy you’re up and taking nourishment. When we finally competed at the UNH Horse Trials last summer, I smiled (somewhat crazily I suppose) at everyone I saw from the back of my gorgeous bay mare. I WAS that person I envied years before. The competition wasn’t the important thing. I was just plain happy to be there, to be living my dream. Every time I get on Sweetie, I remind myself, “You are just plain happy to be here.” It changes the experience, and I am much less likely to worry about the result. (True confessions — I do worry about the result despite my best efforts to quell that competitive me inside.)
But this experience, this adventure, of being a horse owner, my own trainer (with excellent professional guidance of course), and my own horse boss is an experience filled with huge highs and lows. The highs of completing an event, of going clean, of finishing in one piece so I can continue to go to work — to fund my eventing of course. The lows of fear and self-doubt are particularly numerous now that I’m in my 50s. Owning a horse is so different when mommy and daddy aren’t there to fall back on. I am responsible for it all. Not to mention I have to drive the dang horse trailer alone. I feel like putting a bumper sticker on the trailer a la the “Partridge Family”: Careful — nervous mother driving.”
As an adult rider (a “master” rider, oh Lord), I worry. Constantly. I worry about injury, my joints, my strength, my hearing, my eyesight (can/should I wear eyeglasses on cross-country?), my memory for dressage tests and stadium courses. I also worry about what I can’t see or feel — my insides and the health of my innards. I worry about my family, my children’s reactions to my newfound passion and my bank account (especially my bank account, but we won’t go there right now).
I way, way, way overthink horse care. The flakes of hay that as a kid I used to throw so carelessly to my horses and ponies I now examine for mildew, dust and any mysterious foreign matter that I should know about but don’t. I read ceaselessly all the magazines advising “feed this, don’t feed that.” When my horse sneezes, I immediately contemplate switching her feed yet again or adding some supplement that will result in the perfect combination of health, weight, coat, hooves, muscles, respiration and a horsey calm mental state that will allow me to stop worrying.
I read books and listen to CDs about horse behavior, horsemanship and “reading the horse’s body language.” I’ve studied books on dressage, hand carriage, leg position, balance, posture, head position and shoulder position. I devour Denny Emerson’s posts on Facebook and constantly take to heart what he says (especially don’t let that lower leg drift, people!). I’ve tried my darndest to ensure my position looks like that of the masters, and I beat myself up if it doesn’t. I want to do it absolutely correctly now that I’ve finally rediscovered this horse thing. I do what I’ve been trained to do by college and law school: research, study, examine, analyze. I drive myself crazy and then crazy again.
What does it all mean? It means I’m LOVING LIFE. I have dear friends now of all ages. I stay active and strong. I get to give back by volunteering at horse gatherings. I travel (to events and to watch at Fair Hill International, but that counts, right?). I have interests and passion. I laugh, a lot. I get to scare myself silly galloping cross country on Sweetie and flying over jumps. Best of all, though, I have the most wonderful soft horsey nose to kiss after a long day in the office. Walking into the barn, smelling that smell, is the best therapy I know for what ails ya.
What got me thinking about all this, my journey into where I am now, was something that happened tonight. I was helping out at the barn where I board Sweetie, sweeping the aisle before graining. It’s a huge barn, some 60+ horses in total. The aisle is long. It was freezing cold, I couldn’t feel my fingers or toes, and the sweeping job seemed endless and discouraging. I mentally cursed every horse owner in the place. Why did they leave a brush there? Why can’t they pick up their blanket straps? Why can’t they put their tack away? Why can’t they pick up every scrid of manure? “Why?” turned into mental whining, and darned if I wasn’t feeling sorry for myself.
Wait, I said to my critical self. Three years ago, you had no horse, yet you were sweeping a barn for nothing in your precious spare time just so you could be around horses. As you swept, you were looking at every horse owner in the place with envy. You prayed fervently — I wish, oh how I wish, I had a horse myself. How can they do it? How do they have the time? What is it about them that they can do it? Will it ever be possible that … I … might do it? There seemed to be no way.
Yet here I was, a horse owner. Freezing, achy, tired and whiny, but a horse owner. I gripped the broom and forced myself to be in the moment. Feel the broom. Hear the broom. Feel your muscles pushing and pulling the broom. Focus on that square-foot spot. Clean that and move on. Take a deep breath and smell that horsey smell. You would have given your eye teeth three years ago to be where you are now. Appreciate it. Love it. Be grateful. Look down the aisle to see your very own horse watching you and nickering when you look up. Your real life has started. You are happy, so happy, just to be here. And I was.
When Hannah Bennett posted on Facebook that she was geeking out over researching European sport horse bloodlines, I asked her to write about the topic for EN. She agreed — yay! Hannah worked for the USEA through last year, so chances are you’ve seen her behind a camera at events, and she still designs Eventing USA magazine. Many thanks to Hannah for writing, and thanks for reading!
Hannah Bennett. Photo via Flashpoint Photography.
From Hannah:
I’ve ridden horses all my life. I started riding like so many of us do — at a week-long day camp at the local eventing barn, and despite my mother’s persistent warnings about horses being dirty, I fell in love. I started taking lessons, bouncing around from barn to barn as I tried my hand at many different disciplines, learning more and more about these mesmerizing animals as I went along. I rode consistently throughout high school and college, but when the time came to get my own horse, it just never quite worked out, due to either poor timing or lack of finances.
I made it work, falling in love with my fair share of lease horses, catch rides and donated IHSA school horses, but I never actually had the opportunity to have my own horse that I could ride consistently and develop a long-term relationship with.I tried very hard, for a year and a half, to buy one after I graduated from college, but after three failed vettings and several thousand dollars down the drain, I was forced to give up.
So, here I am, years later, just as horse crazy as I was when I first started out, but still horseless. In addition to being annoying, frustrating and a major hindrance of progress, constantly needing to ride someone else’s horse makes for a lot of awkward lag time between situations. During these times, I have to grit my teeth and dredge through weeks, sometimes months, when I don’t get to do a lot of riding. Scratch that … I don’t get to do ANY riding.
But, something I try very hard to avoid is stewing over, complaining about and otherwise making myself miserable by constantly dwelling on what I don’t have (considering that I have been given so very much in the grand scheme of things). So, instead of whining, crying, complaining — or my personal favorite — eating my feelings, I channeled my energies in a more productive direction.
Everyone is always writing about their game plan for the off-season and taking advantage of down time to learn new skills, fix holes in training programs and improve upon experience garnered the previous season. So I decided to view my time between rides as a kind of off-season where I dedicated the time I would’ve spent riding to learning all I could about something horse-related. Naturally, I did what any 21st-century millennial would do — I turned my attention to the Internet, and more specifically, using it to research and learn about European sport horse breeding.
Why I Got Started
There are several reasons I decided to research sport horse bloodlines, but my main inspiration came from one of my most favorite catch rides. This spring, after leasing an event horse for six months and burning through most of my savings, I had to make the tough decision to end my lease early and focus on getting my finances in order. I was pretty devastated, because I had set some pretty major goals for the year, and they were all instantly out of the picture.
I still wanted desperately to ride, so, on a whim, I posted a quick ad on a horse-related classifieds website about being available to hack horses if anyone had extras that needed to be ridden. The response I got was pretty unbelievable. One of the first e-mails I received was from a girl about a half hour away who needed help keeping her … get this … Grand Prix show jumper exercised. I read the email a few times over, double checking that I had actually read it correctly, picked my jaw up off of the floor, and immediately replied that I was interested and available.
Long story short, I ended up getting to ride, occasionally jump and even lesson on her horse, Corland, which was an invaluable, somewhat surreal experience (Sitting on a horse that thinks the 4’3” gymnastic you’re taking him through is “small” is … well … I don’t really have the words), and I cannot thank the owner and her family enough for their unbelievable generosity.
But, in addition to riding a pretty unreal horse, I got to experience something that I hadn’t anticipated. Early in the summer, she imported a second horse from Germany, a young Holsteiner gelding with international-level potential. When the horse arrived, he was not yet 5 years old, and within a month, he had flown across the world, gone through quarantine in New York and stood on a trailer for several hours before finally arriving in Northern Virginia.
After a day or two, we decided to take the horses down the road to a park with a larger arena to jump a few fences. I watched in awe as the young horse jumped over flowers, roll tops and brick walls without blinking. He had only been jumped a handful of times in Germany and had had enough changes of scenery in the past month to last him quite a while, and yet he still marched politely into the ring, did his job, jumped his fences and didn’t waste a second snorting, spooking or even glancing at any of the lurking monsters.
Lars and Corland this summer. Photo by Danielle Quinn.
I decided right then and there that I wanted one (surprise, surprise). Not only was this horse stunningly beautiful, well put together and obviously talented, but he had a mind that completely blew me away. As the summer wore on, riding the experienced horse and watching the younger one continue to learn and progress, I was floored at how unbelievably business-like, level-headed, talented and kind these horses were.
Especially the young one, who had been through a lot of upheaval and had hardly been under saddle for more than a few months. He was calm, professional and thoughtful about everything he faced. This was not at all the kind of young horse I was used to (more of the bucking, spinning, refusing variety), and it made it seem possible to envision myself having a young horse and training it, with copious amounts of assistance, without ruining it.
How I Got Started
The biggest dream of my life began to take shape this summer as I started to toy with the idea of importing a horse. I told the owner of the two horses about it, and her first piece of advice was to research the bloodlines of the horses I was interested in so that I could know what kind of traits to expect.
So, I sat down at my computer to start my research, and as I gazed at my blank Safari window, I realized that I didn’t have the first clue where to start. I couldn’t exactly Google “German sport horse breeding for dummies.” I knew absolutely nothing about breeding, let alone breeding in a foreign country halfway across the world. I didn’t even know what questions to ask. I poked around a bit on my own online, to no avail, and quickly became frustrated.
Then, something happened that I thought was totally unrelated, but ended up being the perfect springboard into the deep, vast ocean of breeding research. My best friend from home bought a horse … a Holsteiner. He didn’t really have his own name, as the people who imported him had been calling him by his father’s name, Quality, so I made it my personal project to give him a great show name (remember, I can’t ride, so I had nothing better to do!). To get some ideas, I asked her to send me his lineage, so she texted me a photo of his passport.
My best friend’s new horse, Corbin, by Quality and out of Venecia. Photo via Jordan Coy.
VOILA. I had my springboard. I had never thought of it before, but what better way to start learning about bloodlines than to learn everything you can about a horse you have somewhat of a connection to? It seems obvious looking back, but when there are mountains of information, deciding what first step to take can be really confusing. I decided that my first step turned out to be researching just one horse I was interested in.
So, with the photo at the ready, I returned to my blank Safari window and typed in “Quality sire” in my Google search bar. I was directed to the national Holsteiner site where I found photos and some information, as well as the farm where he was standing at stud. I googled the farm and found more photos and videos of the sire, and again, was blown away by his talent and versatility.
The Sires
I continued to Google each one of the ancestors of my friend’s horse, and I ended up learning about some of the most famous, landmark stallions of the Holsteiner breed, namely Quidam de Revel, Jalisco B, Landgraf I and Cor de la Bryere.
Quidam de Revel is actually a Selle Francais, but he was introduced into the Holsteiner line in an effort to improve the breed, which I have found a lot of during my research, and speaks to the intentionality of those invested in the breed and their proactive approach to refining the Holsteiner lines. Quidam de Revel, who won team bronze and was fourth individually at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 under Herve Godignon, is by Jalisco B, who has sired multiple Olympic and World Championship medalists. For several years, Quidam de Revel was the world’s most expensive stallion.
Jalisco B won the Grand Prix of Paris in 1983 and was on the selection list for the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Before he had the chance to compete at the Games, he was injured on the Spanish circuit and later competed for Portugal at the Seoul Olympics in 1988. He was large, moved with great elasticity, had a very long stride and was naturally quite powerful. He had four half brothers but was considered to be the best of the five of his generation.
Landgraf I, one of the “founding fathers” of the Holsteiner breed, was not initially widely accepted as a stallion in Germany, as he was a son of a Thoroughbred — Ladykiller XX. At that time, sons of Thoroughbreds were still regarded with suspicion, but after he demonstrated his ability to clear 6’6” with ease, international riders started to buy his offspring.
Cor de la Bryere is often noted as one of the most influential sires in modern warmblood breeding, second only to Landgraf I. Cor de la Bryere was also a Selle Francais. The Holsteiner Verband had noticed the success that French blood had in the Oldenburg breed to upgrade their stock and wished to introduce it into their own horses. An inspection committee travelled to France to evaluate a different horse and happened to find Cor de la Bryere while they were there. The Verband purchased and imported the 3 year old to Schleswig Holstein, Germany, in 1971. That same year, he was the champion of his 100 Day Test.
Making Connections
After learning about the stallions that made up the lineage of my friend’s horse, I was officially on a roll. I had a starting point, and I was absorbing gobs of information as fast as I could get my hands on it. My next thought was to do the same thing with the horses I rode this summer. I quickly texted the owner and got their information, and I was off again, down the information rabbit hole (I’m getting excited again just thinking about it!).
The more experienced horse, Corland, is by Corrado I and out of Hillary XVI, who is by Landgraf I. Corland’s sire, Corrado I, is by Cor de la Bryere. Cor de la Bryere is also the great-grandfather of my friend’s horse by Quality, who has since been named Corbin, and Landgraf I is Corbin’s grandfather as well. By some incredible stroke of luck, the first two horses I decided to research shared several common ancestors, which made it that much easier to commit their pedigrees and characteristics to memory.
The new younger gelding, Lars, is by Lord Pezi and out of Lanett, who is by Landcapitol. Lord Pezi is by Lacros, who is by Landgraf I, the great-grandfather of my friend’s new horse, Corbin, as well as Corland’s grandfather. Lars’s father, Landcapitol, is by Lanadel, who is also by Landgraf I. Yet again, there were several connections between the first three horses I researched, all of whom were important to me.
These sires seem to, right off the bat, have a distinct knack for siring offspring that perform well in the jumper ring. But, upon further research, I found that all three of the horses also share common ancestors with Chippieh, Kenki Sato’s mount that scored a 42 on the flat at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Chippieh is by Carnaby, who is by Caribo, by Calypso II, by Cor de la Bryere. Chippieh’s dam, Copenhagen, is by Caretino, by Caletto II, by Cor de la Bryere and is out of Nabella, who was by Landgraf I.
I have to say, the ability to look up pedigrees for horses I know and love and recognize the names of was extremely rewarding. However, the unbelievable, exciting, addicting part was seeing the same names across several pedigrees. In a weird way, it made me feel like my continuous string of seemingly unrelated leases, catch rides and horses I’ve simply met along the way were all connected to each other.
Somehow, connecting all of them made me feel that I wasn’t simply bouncing around between situations like a leaf in the wind, but that I was moving forward on my journey as a rider and a horse person. In my mind, I felt that if the horses were connected, and they were all teaching me things, then I’m still making some sort of progress. Even though the progress isn’t measurable — like moving up a level or scoring a personal best in the dressage ring — I’m still learning. I’m taking each lesson with me as I move forward, and I will be able to apply them when I someday begin my journey with my own horse.
When Dreams Become Realities
I don’t profess to know everything about breeding, or sport horses or anything in general for that matter, but I am trying very hard to learn. I’m a firm believer that we’re all given different experiences for a reason, and those experiences lead to dreams, and with some hard work, those dreams can lead to realities. It can be intimidating to dream such a big dream, but the bigger the dream, the bigger the reality.
So, in an attempt to do my dream justice, I’m going to do everything in my power to put together the funds to import my own horse in the next year or two, but more importantly, I am vowing to do my due diligence to know as much as I can so I can make the best possible decision when the time comes to actually pick out the horse. I have no idea what size, color or type he or she will be, but the most important thing is that the horse will be all mine, and I can’t wait to give it a pat and a carrot and welcome it home to the States.
Hannah Bennett, a professional graphic designer and photographer, is based in Vienna, Va. She is the full-time graphic designer for the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America and designs the USEA’s monthly publication, Eventing USA, in addition to ongoing freelance design, website and photography projects. Her website can be viewed at www.Hannah-Bennett.com.
Jonelle Richards and Flintstar at Bramham in 2012. Photo by Samantha Clark.
There’s something really exciting about talking to a young up-and-coming rider who has the drive and passion to succeed. Calvin Ramsay chatted with me last night about his new horse Flintstar, who arrived in Louisiana 13 days ago from Tim Price and Jonelle Richards’ yard in Wiltshire, England. Purchased by his parents Court and Kylie Ramsay, 16-year-old Calvin is hoping Flintstar will help him land a spot on the 2014 Area V Young Rider CCI2* team.
“I went to England over Thanksgiving break to take show jumping lessons with Bumble Thomas,” Calvin said. “I had been passively looking for a higher-level horse, so I went half expecting to look at a horse while I was there. I ended up riding Flintstar, and I fell in love with him. He was so awesome to ride.”
Flintstar, a 14-year-old New Zealand Thoroughbred gelding by Zabalu out of Croftlea Firequeen, most notably competed on the bronze medal-winning New Zealand eventing team at the 2012 London Olympics. He’s enjoyed numerous top placings with Jonelle in the irons, including placing eighth at the Luhmuhlen CCI4* last year. He’s also completed Burghley twice, placing 27th in 2011 and 22nd last year.
Calvin Ramsay and Hoodwink at the 2013 NAJYRC CCI*. Photo courtesy of ivegotyourpicture.com.
Calvin and Flint are still getting to know each other, and he plans for their first event together to be running Preliminary at the Rocking Horse Winter II Horse Trials over Valentine’s Day weekend. “Depending on how we do there, the plan is to go to Red Hills to do the one star,” Calvin said. “And if one thing leads to another, we’ll try to qualify for the two-star Young Rider team.”
No stranger to the NAJYRC, Calvin competed on the Area V CCI* team last year with Hoodwink, adding just time on cross country to his dressage score to finish in fourth place on 55.8. He also won the very competitive Junior Novice division at the 2011 American Eventing Championships with Landmark’s Miss Liberty.
Flint has been a lot of fun to have around the barn, Calvin said, and he’s a very different type of horse than he’s used to. “He’s much more keen to the fences just because of everything he’s done in his career,” Calvin said. “I’m just so lucky to have him. If it wasn’t for my parents who funded my trip to England in the first place and then bought the horse, none of this could have happened.”
Jonelle said she wishes the Ramsay family all the best with Flintstar. “Flintstar has been instrumental in getting my career off the ground, and I hope he will do the same for Calvin,” she said. “I look forward to competing alongside them at Rolex in a few years!” Best of luck to Calvin and Flint as they build their partnership together.
It's pretty awesome to see Kyle Carter and Madison Park on the short list! Photo by Jenni Autry.
Equine Canada just announced the names on the 2014 Canadian National Eventing Team. The short list was released back on Dec. 9, and the Canadian Eventing High Performance Committee made several changes before releasing the final list. Congrats to all the horses and riders who made the 2014 team list. Go Canada!
From Equine Canada:
Canadian Eventing Committee is pleased to announce the 2014 Canadian National Eventing Team. The Canadian Eventing High Performance Committee approved the list which recognizes performance results achieved at 2, 3 and 4 star CCI competitions and CIC 3 star competitions from January 1, 2013 to November 4, 2013.
Riders are listed in alphabetical order.
SHORT LIST
The 2014 Short List is comprised of horse/rider combinations which, have proven through their results at CCI/CCIO/CH 3 star and 4 star competitions within the time period designated under general regulations, they are successfully representing Canada in international competition as individuals and/or team members.
LONG LIST
The 2014 Long List is comprised of horse/rider combinations which, have proven by their results at CCI/CH/CCIO 2* and/ or CIC 3* competitions within the time period designated under general regulations, with the potential to become short listed team members.
The eventing community continues to mourn the loss of Biko today. William Micklem, who sourced Biko as a 3-year-old in Northern Ireland, sent in this lovely tribute to the horse, who passed away peacefully yesterday at 30. Thank you to William for writing and sharing his memories of one of the greatest horses in U.S. eventing history.
Karen O’Connor and Biko. Photo by Kit Houghton courtesy of William Micklem.
From William:
He was a great horse and, with Karen, formed a truly great partnership. She deserves all the credit for fulfilling the potential of a Thoroughbred who I totally adored. My brother John first saw him in Jack Deacon’s yard in Co Wexford. Then I bought him as a rising 3-year-old and remember so well my huge excitement regarding his potential. As a young horse, I rated Biko the highest I have done for any horse for his physical abilities, as he had the paces, jump and scope that were super special. I therefore wanted a special name for him and called him Biko after Stephen Biko the South African who lost his life and became a hero in the struggle against apartheid — because of Biko’s big white face!
Even when I worked him as a 4- and 5 year-old, it was obvious that he had the scope and technique to be a real jumper, as well as the paces and gallop to be a top eventer. However, his brain was a different matter, as he took a long time to trust humans and move into the area of acceptance and partnership. He won the Thoroughbred 3-year-old class with me at Dublin show, and I sold a half share in him to Ronnie Duke, the father of one of my students, Sonya Duke. However, Sonya is fairly petite, and he quickly grew too big for her. Although he was 16.1 when I bought him as a 3-year-old, he grew to 16.3 by the time Karen got him two years later. Then two more years on from this, he was 17.3 hands! (This was not surprising, as his full brother was a racehorse with British Olympic event rider Tina Cook’s father Josh Gifford and was called Jumbeau because he was 17.2!)
After being with my brother John as a 3-year-old in Co.Carlow, Biko spent a year with me in Scotland as a 4-year-old at the newly opened Gleneagles Mark Phillips Equestrian Centre and won his first competitions, including a free jumping class. Actually, my wife Sarah was the first rider to jump him under saddle. He really trusted Sarah, but he did leave one or two others on the ground, including Mark Phillips! Then he went to Sonya Duke’s yard in Northern Ireland, where she did her normal terrific training job and started Training level horse trials before I took Karen to see him and told her he was “Olympic.”
I will always regret not keeping him for myself, which I would have done if I had full ownership of him, but there was no one who I would rather have Biko than my old student and great friend Karen, who I knew would have the gentleness and patience to build the right foundations before going into high level competitions — and so it proved. At the front of my book, “The Complete Horse Riding Manual,” there is a magnificent photograph of Biko and Karen going over a bank at speed. I look at it often and still get a huge thrill thinking of their great performances and awesome ability.
Karen O'Connor and Biko at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. AP Photo/John Bazemore
We’ve just received word from Karen O’Connor that Biko passed away today at the O’Connor’s farm in Virginia. He was 30 years old. “It was his time,” Karen said. Owned by Dick and Vita Thompson, Karen found Biko through William Micklem as a 4-year-old in Northern Ireland. “When I saw him when we were shopping, I took one look at him and knew that I had to have that horse,” Karen said.
Her instincts proved to be absolutely right, and Biko will be remembered as one of the greatest horses in U.S. eventing history, as well as a fan favorite loved by so many people who followed the sport. “I always thought of him when I watched ‘War Horse,'” Karen said. “He was such a remarkable horse.”
Biko competed on the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team and helped America win the team silver medal thanks to a clear show jumping round. He also represented the U.S. at the 1994 World Equestrian Games, where he finished in 11th place individually. Biko was named the Horse of the Century by the USEA, and he also had multiple top placings at Badminton and Rolex.
“He was the only horse I ever rode that needed extra pages in his passport because of all the places I took him internationally,” Karen said. “He was part of my life for 26 years. He was an incredible horse.”
The EN team sends our condolences to Karen and the whole O’Connor team during this very sad time. Rest in peace, Biko.
The USEA reported this afternoon that the FEI has released two new dressage tests for the CCI/CIC levels. Both CCI/CIC3* Test A and CCI/CIC2* Test B have been replaced to allow for “a better view of the changes for the E or B judges and more logical flow of movements,” according to the FEI. The tests go into effect July 1. See below for PDFs of the tests, which are also on the FEI website.
The FEI has released two new dressage tests for 2014 for the CI levels. The CI3* Test A, and CI2* Test B have been replaced, but these new tests will not be effective until July 1st, 2014, giving riders ample time to make adjustments.
From the FEI: “The Eventing Dressage Tests, CI3*A and CI2*B have been updated to include a better view of the changes for the E or B judges and more logical flow of the movements (changes have been highlighted in red).
These tests have been reviewed by Mr. Chris Bartle, Christoph Hess, Mrs. Gillian Rolton and other FEI Eventing Officials.
The Eventing Committee have agreed that the revised tests will be implemented as of July 1st, 2014.
You’re not the only one going crazy being cooped up thanks to this winter from hell. Watch this Thoroughbred filly totally lose it after having just one gallop in five days at Crocker Racing Stables in Laurel, Md. Thanks to EN reader Marjean for sending in the video.
Ryan Miller’s 2014 Olympic mask. Photo copyright Ray Bishop of Bishop Designs.
Photos of Team USA goalie Ryan Miller’s 2014 Sochi Olympic mask have reportedly sparked a movement for more intimidating helmet designs for the 2016 U.S. Olympic eventing team in Rio. Designer Ray Bishop of Bishop Designs released the hockey helmet images early this week, showing artwork of a screaming bald eagle with demon eyes and a beefy Uncle Sam showing off his USA tattoo.
Concept image of Phillip Dutton modeling the Screaming Eagle design.
“I’ve been saying for years that we need a screaming bald eagle on the front of our international helmets, because, you know, this is America,” EN founder John Thier said. The push for helmets that capture the fighting spirit of ‘Merica has reportedly been largely well received by riders. The USEF Eventing High Performance Committee could not be reached for comment, probably because they are busy voting to approve the designs.
Concept image of Lynn Symansky modeling the Uncle Sam design.
Have you ever wondered if Phillip Dutton can juggle? If Kristi Nunnink can surf? If Will Coleman can say the alphabet backwards? Or how about Buck Davidson’s favorite vacation spot? Hannah Sue Burnett’s favorite food? The name of Colleen Rutledge’s first pony? And we all know Leslie is dying to ask whether Boyd Martin wears boxers or briefs.
Here’s your chance to submit a list of questions for your favorite rider to answer in our new series Burning Questions. Just comment below (or send an email to [email protected]) with the name of your favorite rider and what you’d like to ask him or her. We’ll randomly select a winner and help you get the answers to your burning questions.
Phillip Dutton’s Red Oak Farm is buried under snow this morning. Photo via Cobie Sheehan.
A crippling blizzard has brought Aiken to its knees this morning. The Aiken Standard reported that the area received between 1 and 4 inches of snow, leaving roadways in treacherous conditions. By 7:30 a.m. EST this morning, the South Carolina Highway Patrol had responded to 1,240 incidents related to icy roads.
Intrepid EN reporter Kate Samuels was caught right in the middle of the blizzard. When I asked her how much it actually snowed in her area, she told me the grave news: “Two inches. For South Carolina, it’s unbelievable. Nobody knows how to be.” Kate put her own life in peril to bring us this photo of the hazardous road conditions:
May God have mercy on our souls.
Eventers took to Facebook early this morning to post snow photos and statuses, letting their loved ones and relatives back home know they were safe. Here’s a look at how the snow is impacting Colleen Rutledge, Boyd Martin and Phillip Dutton. We haven’t seen Facebook photos from many other riders yet, leading us to fear the worst.
Colleen Rutledge’s winter base. Photo via Brian Rutledge.
Phillip Dutton’s Red Oak Farm is buried under snow this morning. Photo via Cobie Sheehan.
Boyd Martin’s winter base. Photo via Caitlin Silliman.
Thankfully, Doug Payne’s dog Nolin thought to bring her winter coat to Aiken for perilous times such as these:
The USEF Eventing High Performance training sessions were supposed to start at 9 a.m. this morning at Stable View Farm, but they’ve been postponed due to the icy road conditions.
Stay safe, Aikenites. Godspeed as you weather the great blizzard of 2014.
Update 10 a.m. EST: Brave Aikenite Lynsey Ekema ventured into the snowy wonderland to bring us this message that she’s OK. We’re glad to see the snow hasn’t crushed the spirit of red on right, white on left, insanity in the middle.
Cathy Wieschhoff just informed us that the University of Kentucky eventing team is joining forces with the school’s dressage team to form a sledjoring team. Team members Liz Wise, Hannah Forte, Hannah Kembel, Kimmy Cecere, Sophie Ward and Aileen O’Brien have been busily preparing for their first sledjoring competition, as you’ll see in their training footage video.
When asked why the team decided to take up sledjoring, Cathy, the team’s coach, said it was out of sheer desperation for something to do. “With so much snow on the ground and temperatures so cold, they literally ran out of ways to occupy their time,” Cathy said. “They actually started polishing the D-rings on all the saddles in the tack room. Who does that?”
Kimmy’s mare Scarlett O’Hara, who competes at Preliminary level during months when the world isn’t frozen, serves as the anchor horse for the team, and she seems to be learning the ropes well in the video. You’ll also catch a glimpse of Kimmy’s dog Kaya, the official team mascot, who takes her duties very seriously, Kimmy said.
“Kaya insists on being there for every team practice,” Kimmy said. “We almost lost her during one practice when the polar vortex winds blew her across the arena. Thankfully, she had a soft landing with so much snow covering the footing — not that I remember what the footing looks like. What’s footing, again?”
The team is currently borrowing a sled from Cathy’s son, Lucas, but they’ll be selling homemade snow cones on UK’s campus while the polar vortex continues to raise the funds they need to purchase their own equipment. “We just thought with so much snow on the ground it made sense to put it to good use,” Liz Wise, team captain, said. “Oh, God. What am I saying? Get me out of here!”
Sounds like a Disney movie in the making. Step aside, Jamaican bobsled team. It’s sledjoring season. Only 50 days until spring.
The USEF Network put together this super cool side-by-side video of the top two tests in the FEI Grand Prix CDI-W during week three of the 2014 Adequan Global Dressage Festival held last week in Wellington, Fla. Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven and Divertimento, on the left of the video, won on a score of 75.00%, with Lars Peterson and Mariett, on the right in the video, finishing second with a score of 73.32%. As a heads up, the commentary on the clip refers only to to Tinne’s ride. Thanks, USEF Network!
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Brendan Quinn, a freshman at the University of South Carolina-Aiken, approached us about blogging on collegiate eventing for EN, and, as big fans of supporting the growth of collegiate eventing, we of course told him yes! Here’s Brendan’s first blog introducing you to the USC-Aiken eventing team. Go collegiate eventing!
Brendan Quinn and The Macallan at Full Gallop. Photo by Chris Quinn.
From Brendan:
As a member of the University of South Carolina-Aiken’s Equestrian Club, I serve as community service chair on the club’s executive committee, as well as a member of the Eventing Club, which is also a club sport within the school. To top it all off, I’m also in charge of community service and team competitions for the Eventing Club.
Somehow I manage to balance school, my obligations to the clubs and competing my own horse. And I’m not the only one. In all, there are 15 of us here at USC-Aiken who are on the eventing team, with all of us in different years of college and a wide range of majors. Did we start out as a team or even a club? No, in fact we started with four students — Marissa Collins, Alexa Hamilton, Jordan Abdella and Lotti Worrall — who found they had a mutual interest and love, not only for horses, but for the sport of eventing.
It didn’t take them long to form an eventing club, but they weren’t satisfied by just having a club — they wanted something more. They saw Clemson, University of Georgia and University of Kentucky all have eventing teams, and they figured we could have a team too. After all, we are in Aiken, so it would only make sense for the prominent university in Aiken to have an eventing team.
These four girls came from very different backgrounds and from all over the U.S. That was three years ago. For the past three years, they have been actively recruiting from their friends and people who they knew from competitions in the rest of the country and around Aiken. It wasn’t until this semester, though, that their goal finally came to fruition. University rules stated that a club was only allowed to become a club sport only once it had 10 members, and it wasn’t until this year that we finally had the number necessary.
As with any new organization, we’ve had our fair share of growing pains, and, at times, it hasn’t been easy. This hasn’t deterred us, though, and as the season here in Aiken kicks off, we’re preparing to make our debut as a team at one of the college team challenges in the coming months. Here at USC-Aiken, we just started back for our spring semester, and while many students are trying to find out where all their new classes are, the eventers on campus are trying to figure out what the best time is for them to ride their horse or horses and still make it to class on time.
This past weekend, several members competed at Full Gallop Farm’s January Horse Trials. Alexa Hamilton and her horse, Edisto First (Winston), ran Novice and finished ninth. Hannah Cangilla and her horse, Gentle Ben, also rode in Novice and finished eighth. Marissa Collins had her horse Carino ridden by Doug Payne at Training, and they finished in first! I rode my horse, The Macallan (Mac) in the Preliminary/Training division and finished fourth.
I’ll be writing for EN not just to discuss USC-Aiken or its team, but eventing in college as a whole. I plan on having interviews with the other eventing teams and what they have experienced, as well as rider bios and competition results. I want to encourage support for the college teams because I feel many young women (and a couple of us guys) put their eventing careers on hold while they go through college, often selling their horse and setting themselves back who knows how many years.
Who knows, if collegiate eventing gets popular enough, the NCAA may decide to include it as a recognized sport, and then you could watch young, collegiate eventers from the comfort of your living room on ESPN SportsCenter. If you haves any questions or comments on collegiate eventing, please leave them below, and I will be sure to answer them.
Brendan’s helmet cam from the Full Gallop January Horse Trials:
The USC-Aiken Eventing Team at Full Gallop. All photos by Chris Quinn:
Brendan Quinn at Full Gallop. Photo by Chris Quinn.
Doug Payne on Marissa Collins’ horse. Photo by Chris Quinn.
Doug Payne on Marissa Collins’ horse. Photo by Chris Quinn.
Hannah Cangilla at Full Gallop. Photo by Chris Quinn.
Hannah Cangilla at Full Gallop. Photo by Chris Quinn.
Alexa Hamilton at Full Gallop. Photo by Chris Quinn.
Alexa Hamilton at Full Gallop. Photo by Chris Quinn.
Am I the only one who still searches “helmet cam” on YouTube during the winter? You know — because a rider could suddenly stumble across a video he/she forgot to upload during the season? I realize I have a problem. The good news is our withdrawal can finally come to an end, as the 2014 season is underway! We already posted Peter Atkins’ helmet cam with Henny from the Open Intermediate at Rocking Horse Winter I Horse Trials, so here’s a look at the Preliminary Horse course through Team Tredstep rider Elisa Wallace’s eyes. She’s riding Corteo, a 6-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Rosemarie Spillane we’ve featured on EN’s Got Talent. Go helmet cams!
Photo by Eric Swinebroad
