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Jenni Autry
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Jenni Autry

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About Jenni Autry

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.

Latest Articles Written

Sunday Video: Compare Michael and Kenki’s Dressage Tests

By on Apr 21, 2013 1:00 pm -

This awesome video shows side-by-side footage of Michael Jung and Kenki Sato’s dressage tests in the CIC2* at Radolfzell in Germany last week. Kenki scored a 32.6 with Chippieh for the lead — both judges put him in first place — while Michael and FischerRocana FST scored a 36.5 to sit in fourth place. The scoring breakdown for each movement can be viewed here for Kenki’s test and here for Michael’s test. Would you have scored the tests differently? This side-by-side comparison gives an idea of just how tough it is to be a dressage judge. Many thanks to Mario Ceresoli for producing the video and An Eventful Life for finding this on YouTube.

Sunday Links from ERS-Eventing.com

By on Apr 21, 2013 12:01 am -

The view from The Outside Chance at Badminton. Photo courtesy of Freddie Tulloch.

It’s officially Rolex Week! Samantha Clark was at the Kentucky Horse Park yesterday to report on all the activity; you’ll see those posts later today. Rolex and Badminton running on consecutive weekends means you loyal readers will be experiencing sensory overload for the next two weeks. I am incredibly lucky to be covering both events, and I sincerely hope the weather in England is as lovely as in the photo above. Freddie Tulloch sent me this snapshot of The Outside Chance, one of the bars at Badminton that features a jumbo screen to watch all the action. If you’re lucky enough to be attending Badminton, be sure to stop by and have a drink at The Outside Chance. Until then, go Rolex.

Events This Weekend:

Fair Hill International HT: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Holly Hill Spring HT: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Longleaf Pine HT: [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

River Glen Spring HT: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Redland Hunt PC HT: [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Your Sunday Links:

FEI Approves Second British Frangible Pin

Oliver Townend will be Trailblazer at Badminton

Wet Conditions at South Island Three-Day Event

Arabian Dressage Horse Breaks USDF Records

London 2012 Equestrian Manager Joins FEI

Enter to Win the New Dubarry Longford Boots

SmartPakers Show Off Their Boston Spirit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEsp240EKfE
Behold — the trailer for Creepy Dance Party 2013 

ERS-Eventing.com provides riders with an interactive online portal that showcases product information, demonstrations, tutorials and reviews from fellow competitors and top international riders.

Kristin Schmolze to Syndicate Ballylaffin Bracken

By on Apr 19, 2013 11:00 am -

Kristin Schmolze and Ballylaffin Bracken at Red Hills. Photo by Samantha Clark.

Mere days before Ballylaffin Bracken’s CCI4* debut at Rolex, Kristin Schmolze is unveiling an exciting syndicate plan for the horse that will give shareholders the opportunity to be a part of Rox’s career at the highest level of the sport. Additionally, shareholders will help Kristin choose a new young horse to bring into the syndicate at no extra charge to them. It’s a creative new idea she developed in partnership with the Event Owners Task Force and Mark Hart that she hopes will encourage new eventing enthusiasts to become involved in the sport on an ownership level.

“I can offer him at a very reduced price per share, so people aren’t paying anywhere near what would be considered open-market value, making it much more affordable for an Advanced horse,” Kristin said. “We’re also bundling this together with purchasing a new up-and-coming horse. By buying into the syndicate, owners will also get a 10 percent share in the new horse at no extra cost. So you’re paying a lower price for an Advanced horse and getting a new horse. The idea is that it’s a unique way for people to be involved with an Advanced horse and a young horse — so seeing the sport from two different levels — and be a part of the event world for a fraction of the price of your average syndicate.”

Kristin imported Ballylaffin Bracken, a 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, from Tipperary, Ireland, as a 4 year old. Sired by the renowned Zangersheide stallion Ricardo Z and out of the Irish Sport Horse mare Ballylaffin Florence, “Rox” has steadily proven that he is a serious upper-level competitor. An alternate horse for the 2011 Pan American Games team, Kristin and Rox also received a USEF grant to compete in the Galway Downs CCI3* that year, where the pair placed eighth. Rox most recently finished 23rd at the Red Hills CIC3* and fourth in his division of Advanced at Pine Top in February. Last fall, the pair placed 15th at the Fair Hill CCI3*. The horse is currently owned by Kristin and Janet Geiler.

“He’s actually the first horse that I have brought all the way up through the levels,” Kristin said. “I know he’s completely capable of competing at the CCI4* level, and I’m really excited to see how he blossoms at this level. Once he stepped up to Advanced last season, I could really see his true talents. It’s always been easy for him, and he’s athletic, but before it seemed like he would just go through the motions. When he stepped up to Advanced, there was something else that came out in this horse, and suddenly he was super game. He became very competitive, and he would light up going to shows. He would turn into a completely different horse. I’m not sure he was being challenged enough until now. It took going Advanced for this horse to truly begin devouring the sport.”

While Kristin is very excited for Rox’s CCI4* debut next week at Rolex, she’s also equally excited to bring a young horse into the syndicate, a process she hopes will be equally thrilling and engaging to the new shareholders. “I haven’t started looking around much for a new horse yet because I thought it would be really fun for the shareholders to be involved in the process,” Kristin said. “If I start to make trips to Europe or look in the U.S., I would love to have them come along on the shopping trip. Normally shareholders are involved in the competition aspect, but I want to take it a step further and offer people the chance to be involved from the very beginning.”

As for what’s next for Rox, Kristin plans to get through Rolex and sit down with David O’Connor to develop a competition plan for the rest of the year. “I’m very much leaning toward Normandy, and this is the first step because he needs to do his first four star,” Kristin said. “Of course, I would love to see him do Rio too.” In the meantime, Kristin will work to bring together a group of syndicate owners who are equally passionate about the horse and this sport. “When you put a syndicate together, it becomes a deeply rooted team that really becomes more like a family,” Kristin said. “You’re connected on so many levels, and it’s wonderful to find people who care that deeply.” For more information on the syndicate, contact Kristin at [email protected] or 973-768-4174.

Friday News & Notes from FLAIR Nasal Strips

By on Apr 19, 2013 12:01 am -

EN guest blogger James Alliston had some trailer trouble yesterday on the first leg of his drive from California to Kentucky for Rolex. Photo courtesy of James' Facebook page.

Horses set to compete at Rolex have slowly begun arriving at the Kentucky Horse Park over the past few days. Hawley Bennett-Awad and Gin & Juice flew in from California on Tuesday, the seven horses flying over from England landed at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport Wednesday night and James Alliston left California yesterday with his three mounts in tow. Samantha Clark assured me that she will be making regular trips over to the grounds between now and the start of the competition to bring us coverage on the final few days before the festivities officially begin. We have an incredible week of Rolex coverage lined up — get excited!

Events This Weekend:

Fair Hill International HT: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

Holly Hill Spring HT: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

Longleaf Pine HT: [Website]

River Glen Spring HT: [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

Redland Hunt PC HT: [Website] [Entry Status]

Your Friday News:

The much anticipated draw for the Badminton Horse Trials took place yesterday, with Oliver Townend and Armada drawing the first spot. U.S. riders Colleen Rutledge and Shiraz drew number 65, Tiana Coudray and Ringwood Magister drew number 103, and Clark Montgomery and Universe — who are currently third on the wait list — drew number 56. Canadian Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master drew number 76. [Badminton]

Tickets are selling out quickly for Thoroughbreds For All Kentucky, an educational and appreciation event at Rolex hosted by the Retired Racehorse Training Project and New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program. Eric Dierks, Daniel Clasing and Tracey Bienemann will ride three OTTBs available for adoption through New Vocations, and Phillip Dutton will discuss what he looks for in Thoroughbreds off the track. [EventBrite]

RRTP has provided extensive background research on the Thoroughbreds competing at Rolex. While we brought you similar research from CANTER Mid-Atlantic earlier this week, this compilation from Erin Pittman is particularly good. Many thanks to RRTP for all the hard work the organization does to promote OTTBs for second careers. [RRTP]

Australian national eventing selectors have named a six-member squad to compete for the trans-Tasman trophy at the Sydney International Horse Trials next week. Craig Barrett and Sandhills Brillaire, Natalie Blundell and Algebra, Tim Boland and GV Billy Elliot, Megan Jones and Kirby Park Allofasudden, Emma Scott and Mustang, and Stuart Tinney and Pluto Mio will make up the team of four riders and two alternates. [Weekly Times]

The New York Thoroughbred Horseman’s Association recently launched Take The Lead, a new retirement program for Thoroughbreds at New York tracks. Take The Lead will partner with established aftercare programs to provide rehabilitation and retraining for Thoroughbreds to prepare them for second careers. [COTH]

SmartPak Product of the Day: Storage space is at a premium at the barn where I board, so I’ve been thinking of creative ways to stash my gear. Behold — the Portable Grooming Organizer from SmartPak, a bag with plenty of space for bottles, brushes and gadgets that can hang on my horse’s stall and zips up to keep dirt and grime away. [SmartPak]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2gqk163zbs
David O’Connor analyzes the Rolex XC course 

Rolex Horses First to Use New Chicago Import Quarantine

By on Apr 18, 2013 3:00 pm -

Chilli Morning and Seacookie TSF loaded in their crate at Stansted and preparing to fly direct to Chicago yesterday. Photo courtesy of William Fox-Pitt's Facebook page.

Seven horses bound for Rolex became the first to use a new import quarantine facility in Chicago when they flew in to O’Hare International Airport direct from England yesterday. Horses traveling to Kentucky or other midwest locations from overseas used to have a much longer, more strenuous trip, but the new import facility drastically reduces travel time. Simon Glennie and Matt Haug, the masterminds behind the new Chicago Import Quarantine, fought for 10 years to permit horses to fly in to a location other than New York, Miami or Los Angeles, the only approved import quarantine facilities in the U.S. until now.

“There was a special exception made for racehorses coming in to Chicago for the Arlington Million in August, but that was the only time horses were ever allowed to fly in to Chicago,” Simon said. “When we first started campaigning for this, I said it would take nothing short of an act of Congress to get this approved. But we ultimately received a blessing from the USDA in Chicago.” The new import quarantine barn is at Arlington Park Racetrack just 20 minutes from O’Hare and has been fully renovated to provide comfortable facilities for horses after their overseas flights.

To give you an idea of just how critical it is to have this new import quarantine facility from a horse welfare standpoint, consider the difference in travel time from England to Kentucky before horses could fly into Chicago. Horses traveling from Europe to Rolex in years past would have to van across England, ride a ferry to cross the North Sea, van into the continent to Liege near Brussels, fly to New York, van three hours to upstate New York to the quarantine facility and then take a 16-hour van trip down to Lexington.

Thanks to the new Chicago Import Quarantine, horses traveling from England can now fly British Airways direct from Stansted Airport north of London right into Chicago. The van ride from O’Hare to the import quarantine at Arlington Park is just 20 minutes, and then the horses have a much shorter six-hour van ride down to the Kentucky Horse Park. “We feel that the proximity of Chicago to Lexington as opposed to upstate New York will be a big factor for the horse industry, not just for eventers, but also for the Thoroughbred racing trade. We hope this will be beneficial for the industry across the board.”

Kudos to Simon and Matt for fighting this battle for more than a decade to allow horses to fly into Chicago year-round. It’s wonderful that some of the best event horses in the world were the first to use this new facility — William Fox-Pitt’s Chilli Morning and Seacookie TSF, Andrew Nicholson’s Quimbo and Calico Joe, Jonelle Richards’ The Deputy and Austin O’Connor’s Ringwood Mississippi. The horses are currently resting in quarantine in Chicago and will van down to Kentucky upon being released. Many thanks to Hallie Glennie for tipping us off to the new Chicago Important Quarantine, which will soon have a website live at www.ciqord.com. Go Chicago, and Go Rolex.

James Alliston: Producing Future Champions

By on Apr 18, 2013 11:00 am -

When we heard James Alliston was starting his own business, we asked him to blog about the challenges, highs and lows, and rewarding moments he encounters along the way. Today James blogs about bringing his youngsters through the levels. James is also leaving today for Kentucky with his three Rolex mounts: Tivoli, Jumbo’s Jake and Parker. Best of luck at Rolex, James!

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Rolex 2018? Photo courtesy of James Alliston.

From James:

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity juggling growing the new business and preparing for Rolex. I eventually gave in and hired a stall cleaner, which is great and enables me more time to focus on the riding and training. This freedom has allowed for regular trips over the bay to the beautiful Woodside Horse Park. This is a fantastic facility that hosts shows up to the 3* level, and I am able to meet up with students from further afield, as well as giving my local clients and horses some cross country schooling. Moving forward, I am going to put great emphasis on building a riding school to compliment my training and competition barn.

I think building a clientele at the grassroots level is important and is certainly something the hunter/jumper barns are very strong at here in California. In this way, the idea is that you always have a constant stream of new riders coming through. Obviously I am biased, but eventing is probably one of the most exciting horse sports, and introducing beginners to the sport of eventing and getting them hooked early on should be easy — such is the fun and varied nature of what we do. Moreover, I believe that the education to a new rider in dressage, show jumping, cross country, fitness and horsemanship makes for very well-rounded riders and horsemen.

Building up my horses from the grassroots level is also a focus. To go out and buy several of the finished product would be very expensive, so starting them early is the approach I am taking. Also, by bringing them along myself, I know the horse’s history very well and there aren’t the surprises — both in performance and soundness — which sometimes surface with horses with mileage. I have been very fortunate to be supported by Reveler’s Ranch breeding farm, which has a large breeding operation and has sent me a number of promising youngsters to produce. This has been very timely both financially and in terms of a source of my next generation of horses. I am fortunate enough to have multiple Advanced horses right now, but am aware that it is important to keep an eye on the future and keep producing the horses to fill their shoes.

As such, I intend to be a big supporter of the YEH program over the next few years. In England, the equivalent program with its final held at Burghley seems to be very indicative of future champions, with the likes of Primmore’s Pride and Miner’s Frolic having been successful. Whilst I don’t think the U.S. version has been as well supported, I am excited about the new grant for the 5-year-old champion to go to the 7-year-old championships at Lion D’Angers. This is a fantastic incentive that is generating a lot of interest, and my only concern is that as a Brit I am still eligible for this generous prize! Either way, it is my belief that there are some fantastic horses being bred here in the U.S., and it will be fun to see how they perform against their European contemporaries.

One clear disadvantage here in the U.S. is the increased cost of producing horses through the levels as compared to Europe. Here the entry fees are higher, and there are more travel and gas bills to get your youngsters exposed. In England, most shows you do in one day, whereas here in California this is unheard of and you have to pay stabling for three nights on top of your entry. You end up racking up quite a bill to get the babies out and about. As such, I try to take mine to a lot of schooling shows and cheaper alternatives to give them mileage as much as I can to keep the costs down whilst still giving them competition experience.

I know this is not a problem that is exclusive to eventing, as it is even moreso in the hunter/jumpers where the show fees and registration fees make it almost non-cost effective to produce your own horses as opposed to buying the finished article from abroad. I depart for Kentucky today, so the babies are in the very capable hands of my girls at home, and I have high hopes that some of them will be on the trailer making the trip in the years to come.

EN’s Got Talent: Kim Severson and Cooley Cross Border

By on Apr 18, 2013 9:00 am -

We hear all the time about horses at the top of the sport, but what about the next generation of equine talent? EN’s Got Talent introduces the future superstars of the sport, interviewing riders about how they’re tackling training with these youngsters. Have you spotted a spectacular young horse at an event you think should be highlighted in this column? Tip me at [email protected].

Kim Severson and Cooley Cross Border. Photo by David Mullinix.

Cooley Cross Border might be the most well known young event horse in the country, and it’s easy to see why. A quick perusal of his USEA profile shows that this horse, a 6-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, has won 10 of his 17 recognized starts since beginning his eventing career last spring.

He concluded his 5-year-old season last year with a four-event winning steak at training level — which included a win at the Area II Training Level Championships — and a victory in the Young Event Horse 5-Year-Old East Coast Championships. Overachiever, much?

I caught up with Kim Severson, who owns the horse with her mom Jackie, this week to talk about what makes Cross so special and why she thinks he will be a horse to watch for the future. Incidentally, she just returned on a horse-shopping trip to Ireland to meet with Richard Sheane, the mastermind behind the Cooley name and the broker who sold the horse to Kim.

“When I first saw Cross in Ireland, he was 4 and barely broke,” Kim said “Right away, he just drew my eye to him. I liked the way he was really intent on listening to the rider. I looked at another horse at the same time that was extremely nice — we called him ‘the Badminton horse’ — but there was something about Cross that I preferred.”

Kim Severson and Cooley Crossborder. Photo by David Mullinix.

Kim imported Cross in July 2011 from Sheane, who sourced the horse from breeder Johnny Duffy, who owns the dam Who’s Diaz, an Irish Sport Horse mare by the Dutch stallion Osilvis. John Kearney owns the sire Diamond Roller, an Irish Sport Horse stallion.

“Since the get go, he’s been very easy to train and straight forward for the most part,” Kim said. “Richard long lines them everywhere as babies, so he’d had exposure to cross-country courses already. That experience, in addition to his attitude and conformation, makes him who he is. You just kind of know when you see him — this is the real deal. You can’t help but notice him.”

Of course, training this future superstar hasn’t been without its challenges, and Cross’s nemesis has been accepting the contact. “He’s had issues with that from the very beginning, and, honestly, I’m still working through it,” Kim said.

“I’ve become a fan of the Micklem bridle. I believe it’s a very useful bridle for a horse that overtakes the contact or won’t accept it at all, and Cross does both. With that bridle, I’ve had a lot of luck teaching him how to accept the contact because it uses nose pressure too and doesn’t just come from the mouth.”

After a solid season at novice and training level last year, Cross moved up to preliminary at the beginning of this season. “I intended to move him up at Pine Top because it’s a beautiful place to move up,” Kim said. “But I ended up moving up at Paradise instead, which is a strong course for a young horse.

“But he was brilliant (and won the division). In a lot of ways, I want to move him up to intermediate. He’s ready in a lot of ways, but I will not do that. He’s ready mentally, but he’s not ready physically. He needs six more months of preliminary. With that in mind, we’ll be aiming for the one-star at Virginia next month to get him a run on a longer course.”

Next week on EN’s Got Talent: We’ll learn more about Kim’s plans for Cross for the rest of the year, as well as how far she thinks this horse can take her in the future. In addition, I have the full scoop on what Kim envisions for Cross’s syndication, which is now posted on the Experience Eventing website.

“I’ve been out of competing heavily for the last couple years, and I’m really excited about this horse,” Kim said. “He’s an extraordinarily nice horse, and it’s a super opportunity for me and the States if I can make it work. We need more horses like this; that has to happen for the U.S. Here’s a horse of the quality that we need that hopefully can go on and perform at the highest level for us.”

Lauren Kieffer: Savoring a Victory and Looking Ahead

By on Apr 16, 2013 11:00 am -
Lauren Kieffer, who won the Ocala Horse Properties CCI2* with Veronica this past weekend, was kind enough to send us a blog about the exciting horses she has in her program right now. She also offers excellent insight on the need for a strong U.S. sport-horse breeding program. Follow Lauren Kieffer Eventing on Facebook and Twitter and visit her website at www.laurenkieffer.com. Take it away, Lauren.
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Lauren Kieffer and Veronica won the Ocala Horse Properties CCI2*. Courtesy of Palmer Photo.

From Lauren:
What a whirlwind the last six weeks have been! We have hit up EVERY Rocking Horse HT, Red Hills, Poplar, The Fork and Ocala Horse Properties, and I am currently procrastinating packing for the drive back to Virginia. The obvious highlights are the Ramsays’ Czechmate winning the CIC** at The Fork and Team Rebecca’s Veronica winning the CCI** at Ocala Horse Properties, but I am just as pleased with how well every horse in the barn has performed this spring.
Landmark’s Legendary Romance, Landmark’s Ginger Rogers, Landmark’s Monaco, Meadowbrook’s Scarlett and Vermiculus have all made the successful move up to Preliminary level this spring with top placings. Landmark’s Monte Carlo continues to impress; RF Cosima finished 2nd and 4th in the OI at Rocking Horse and CIC** at Poplar, and we will make our move up to Advanced later this spring. I am also so pleased to have Shannon O’Roark’s Lucky Devil back in action at The Fork, where he finished 4th in the CIC**.
One of the exciting things about this group of horses is that almost all of them are American-bred horses, most being from Ms. Mars’ breeding program. It has been said before, but I will say it again; this is a big part of what the U.S. needs to become a dominant force in equestrian sport again. We have to be able to produce our own horses. We have a lot of really top class mares competing in the U.S. now, and I can’t wait to see (and hopefully ride!) what they produce in the future. The great thing is that with embryo transfer we don’t have to wait until these mares retire to start breeding them, and I think we will start seeing a big jump in the quantity and quality of our homebred horses sooner rather than later.
Another step we need to take is not only getting more sponsorship, but appreciating the sponsorship we get. At the Rider’s Meeting at Ocala, Peter Gray made a point of trying to get us riders to show up to the sponsored parties and to send the sponsors a thank-you email at the very least. It’s sad he had to do that. We are all guilty of complaining about the lack of sponsorship, prize money, etc., at events, yet we put very little effort into appreciating the ones we get. A lot of these sponsors just want a little recognition for the support they give, and if we want more sponsorship, we need to make sure we hold up our end of the deal instead of expecting the organizers to go around and ask for us. A lot of people have put in A LOT of effort to get the events more sponsorship and money, and we need to make sure we do our part to keep them interested.
OK, time for me to stop procrastinating and go pack! I can’t thank everyone enough for all of the support. I have the most incredible team of people in the barn, an amazing group of horses with even greater owners and top class sponsors. Once we get back north, we will take a bit of a breather and then be rolling again with MCTA, Jersey Fresh, VHT and Bromont. Keep up with us and our sponsors at Lauren Kieffer Eventing on Facebook and Twitter and laurenkieffer.com!

Five Horses Withdrawn from Rolex [Update: Now Six]

By on Apr 15, 2013 9:20 am -

Colleen Rutledge and Shiraz were 27th in The Fork CIC3* earlier this month. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Five riders have withdrawn their horses from Rolex over the last few days, bringing the new total of horses entered down to 54. Colleen Rutledge and Shiraz also officially made it off the Badminton wait list this morning, so the total will actually drop to 53 once Colleen and Luke are removed from the list. Here’s a look at the horse and rider pairs we won’t be seeing at Rolex:

Hawley Bennett-Awad and Five O’Clock Somewhere, who had a wonderful spring campaign. Check back soon for more information on why Hawley and Chunky won’t be running at Rolex.

William Fox-Pitt and Cool Mountain, who will be competing at Badminton instead.

William Fox-Pitt and Neuf Des Couers, who just won the open intermediate at Belton Park this past weekend. Presumably, the horse is just fine and William simply chose to change up the spring competition schedule.

Jock Paget and Clifton Promise, who will compete at Badminton.

Jock Paget and Clifton Lush, who will compete at Badminton.

Colleen Rutledge and Shiraz, who just got off the Badminton wait list this morning.

By my calculations, once Colleen and Luke are taken off the wait list and accounting for Mary King’s Fernhill Urco and William Fox-Pitt’s Chilli Morning — who are still entered at Badminton but will be competing at Rolex — Clark Montgomery and Universe are unofficially third on the wait list. That incredibly long sentence is to say that things are looking good for Clark and Buzz, who were seventh this past weekend at the Belton Park CIC3*.

Update at 11:25 a.m.: Robert Meyerhoff just posted to Facebook that he and Dunlavin’s Token will now also be withdrawing from Rolex due to a setback. Bobby and Dunlavin’s Token were most recently 16th in the Advanced division at The Fork.

Results from the Twin Rivers CCI2*/CCI1*

By on Apr 14, 2013 5:10 pm -

Zachary Brandt and Cavallino Cocktail in the Twin Rivers CIC3*. Photo courtesy of Natalie Kuhny.

Show jumping just finished at the Twin Rivers Spring Three-Day Event and Horse Trials, with the CCI2* division wrapping up last. Katy Groesbeck and Oz Poof of Purchase jumped double clear to move up from second place overnight to win. Barb Crabo and Over Easy and Frankie Thieriot and Uphoria also jumped double clear to both move up one spot to finish second and third, respectively. Overnight leaders Erin Kellerhouse and Cat Ballou picked up 12 jumping faults to drop down to fourth place. Jolie Wentworth and Governess led all weekend to win the CCI1* on their dressage score of 46.3. Matthew Brown took second and third place with Super Socks BCF and Che Landscape, respectively. Many thanks to Natalie Kuhny for sending in these great photos from the CIC3* and Advanced divisions, which wrapped up yesterday.

[Live Scores]

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Teresa Harcourt and Bonza Twist in the Advanced. Photo courtesy of Natalie Kuhny.

 

Andrea Baxter and Indy 500 in the CIC3*. Photo courtesy of Natalie Kuhny.

 

Brynn Littlehale and Forgotten Emblem in the CCI1*. Photo courtesy of Natalie Kuhny.

 

Kelly Pugh and Spot On in the CIC2*. Photo courtesy of Natalie Kuhny.

Results Wrapup from Ocala Horse Properties International

By on Apr 14, 2013 3:05 pm -

Jessica Phoenix and Patras VR were the overnight leaders in the CCI2*. Courtesy of Palmer Photo.

Lauren Kieffer and Veronica jumped double clear in show jumping today to win the Ocala Horse Properties CCI2*. Lauren and Veronica were tied for third place with Buck Davidson and Santa’s Keeper overnight. Buck and Santa’s Keeper also jumped double clear in show jumping, but Lauren and Veronica were one second closer to the optimum time on cross country, which gave them the win. Overnight leaders Jessica Phoenix and Patras VR had a rail and one time penalty, which dropped them down to fifth. Emily Beshear and River King also had one rail and one time penalty and finished in sixth.

Leslie Law and Tout de Suite led the CCI1* all weekend and jumped double clear today in show jumping to finish on their dressage score of 36.6 to win. Nicole Dolittle and Tops jumped double clear to take second place on a 45.3, and Dana Carlin and Domestic Dispute dropped a rail to finish in third place. Waylon Roberts and Yarrow pulled two rails in show jumping to drop down to fourth place.

[Live Scores]

Peter Gray sent us these great photos from the Abba Cocktail Party sponsored by Abba Vet Supplies and the Competitor’s Party sponsored by Ipanema Brazilian Steakhouse. It looks like both parties were a wonderful way to wrap up the Ocala Eventing Series presented by Ocala Horse Properties.

Tamra Smith: Weekend Event Report from Twin Rivers

By on Apr 14, 2013 1:00 pm -

Many thanks to Tamra Smith for sending in an excellent report and photos from the Twin Rivers Spring Three-Day Event & Horse Trials in Paso Robles. The CIC3*, Advanced, Intermediate and Advanced CT wrapped up yesterday, and the CCI2* and CCI1* will finish today. Congrats to Tamra for winning the Intermediate division aboard Normandy Soldier. Click here for live scores. Go West Coast eventing!

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MacKenna Shea and Landioso won the CIC3* at Twin Rivers. Photo by Tamra Smith.

From Tamra:

It’s Sunday morning of Twin Rivers and there is show jumping left for a few. However, the upper divisions as well as the FEI divisions finished competition yesterday. In the 3*, MacKenna Shea led the field from start to finish. Having a conservative dressage ride, she jumped clean in the show jumping and cross country. I think I can say for a lot of people we were all very happy for MacKenna, as she rode around like a true professional!

Kevin Baumgardner looked great in his first 3*; however, some bad luck at the second to the last fence on cross country would leave him having to pick himself up and look for another day to shine. Kevin had an unfortunate dismount, but not before this pair made the course look easy, and I was so excited that they would be finishing their first 3* together. A very disappointing day for them; however this is eventing and we all are very tough in this sport. Kevin is probably one of the toughest, so onward and upward for our previous USEA president.

Zach Brandt and Cavallino Cocktail were second in the CIC3*. Photo by Tamra Smith.

Zach Brandt galloped around the cross country in great form to finish 2nd. It’s so wonderful to see the partnership he and his mare have formed. He had an unlucky rail in the show jumping, but that won’t stop this pair from going east to Jersey Fresh and being in the top of the class. The West Coast has a large contingent heading east to contest the CCI3* this spring, and I’m wishing them all a successful trip.

There were a few people here at Twin Rivers making their final outing before they head to Kentucky. James Alliston had a great run in the Advanced on Jumbo’s Jake. Jordan Linstedt looked great on Tullibard’s Hawkwind before pulling up on course after the second water. Kristi Nunnick and R-Star chose to do the Advanced combined test, and we also saw Hawley Bennett-Awad riding her feisty little mare Gin & Juice. Ginny spent most of the weekend hanging out in the warm-ups with her owner Linda Paine.

Erin Kellerhouse and Cat Balou are currently leading the CCI2* Photo by Tamra Smith.

The weather was fairly decent, other than a little windy at times and a bit warm; I will take that over the freezing cold at The Fork the weekend before any day of the week! So we are off to finish the CCI divisions, as well as some cross country on some lower divisions.  Erin Kellerhouse is leading the CCI2*, with Katy Grosbeck a close second. Barb Crabo is just behind her, and Frankie Thierot and Kelly Pugh are very close behind. So today should be an exciting and suspenseful showing.

Jolie Wentworth and Matthew Brown are holding the top placings in the CCI1* with Pam Fisher mixed in between. Twin Rivers is also holding a full format N3D and T3D, and it’s been great to see the turnout of competitors who are still supporting the true roots of eventing. Wishing everyone great success today and hoping for some excellent riding! Thanks for keeping up with West Coast eventing!

Cross-Country Photos from Ocala CCI1*/2*

By on Apr 14, 2013 11:00 am -

Jessica Phoenix and Patras VR led the CCI2* overnight. Courtesy of Palmer Photo.

Sylvia Palmer has once again sent us beautiful photos from cross-country day at the Ocala Horse Properties International Horse Trials. Your top three in the CCI2* going into today’s show-jumping round are Jessica Phoenix and Patras VR in first on a 46.3, Emily Beshear and River King in second on a 47.3, and tied for third are Buck Davidson and Santa’s Keeper and Lauren Kieffer and Veronica on a 47.6. In the CCI1*, your top three are Leslie Law and Tout de Suite in first on a 36.6, Waylon Roberts and Yarrow in second on a 41.9, and tied for third are Nicole Dolittle and Tops and Dana Carlin and Domestic Dispute on a 45.3. Stay tuned for more from Ocala.

[Live Scores]

Emily Beshear and River King were second in the CCI2* overnight. Courtesy of Palmer Photo.

 

Buck Davidson and Santa's Keeper were tied for third in the CCI2* overnight. Courtesy of Palmer Photo.

 

Leslie Law and Tout de Suite were first in the CCI1* overnight. Courtesy of Palmer Photo.

 

Waylon Roberts and Yarrow were in second overnight in the CCI1*. Courtesy of Palmer Photo.

 

Nicole Dolittle and Tops were tied for third place overnight. Courtesy of Palmer Photo.

 

Dana Carlin and Domestic Dispute were tied for third place overnight in the CIC1*. Courtesy of Palmer Photo.

 

Sunday Video: A Wild Ride at Pimlico

By on Apr 14, 2013 9:00 am -

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This race yesterday at Pimlico appears to be business as usual until the leader, Spicer Cub ridden by Xavier Perez, blows the turn and bolts wide coming toward the home stretch. The jockey somehow regroups, only to have the horse bolt again and run full speed between the outside rail and the starting gate. And to top it all off, Spicer Cub straightens out to come roaring home — with the announcer yelling, “Do you believe in miracles?” — after Xavier has lost his irons, and he still nearly wins the race. A photo finish shows that Turbin and jockey Forest Boyce just edged Spicer Cub. Perhaps the horse was trying to make a detour for a cross-country course? Go racing.

Sunday Links from ERS-Eventing.com

By on Apr 14, 2013 12:01 am -

Lynn Symansky is teaching the second Area II Young Rider Advancement Program Clinic this weekend at Morningside Training Farm along with Skyeler Icke Voss. All of the YRAP attendees will participate in a fix-a-test CT today. Photo courtesy of Lynn's Facebook page.

It’s a busy weekend in Eventing Nation, with the Ocala Horse Properties International Horse Trials wrapping up today down in Florida and the inaugural Training and Novice Three-Day Events taking place at Twin Rivers in California. Lynn Symansky is enjoying a weekend off from competing after winning the CIC3* at The Fork last weekend with Donner. She’s spending the weekend at Morningside Training Farm in Virginia teaching an Area II Young Rider Advancement Program Clinic with Skyeler Icke Voss. Best of luck to the YRAP participants as they ride their fix-a-test CT today. Go eventing.

Events This Weekend:

Ocala Horse Properties CCI* & CCI2*: [Website] [Live Scores]

Twin Rivers Spring Three Day & HT: [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

FENCE HT: [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Plantation Field HT: [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Pine Hill Spring HT: [Website] [Entry Status]

St Johns HT: [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Your Sunday Links:

Rolex Kentucky Celebrates 35-Year Anniversary

Hogan and Tucker Lead at Twin Rivers T3D and N3D

DHL Sponsors Aachen’s World Equestrian Festival

U.S. Wins Dressage Nations Cup in Florida

Black Caviar Scores 25th Consecutive Race Win

Major Vet Groups Back Anti-Soring Bill

SmartPak: On Ponies and Spring Grazing

ERS-Eventing.com provides riders with an interactive online portal that showcases product information, demonstrations, tutorials and reviews from fellow competitors and top international riders.

Friday News & Notes from FLAIR Nasal Strips

By on Apr 12, 2013 12:01 am -

Meet Norman, the official mascot of the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Normandy.

It’s hard to believe that two weeks from now we’ll be kicking off Day 2 of dressage at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. The EN team is hard at work preparing to bring you top-notch coverage and a variety of exciting contests in partnership with our wonderful sponsors. As we’re planning our coverage, we want to hear from YOU. What type of coverage do you most want to see at Rolex this year? Are you hoping to see the EN homepage filled with course walks, video interviews, rider profiles, tips from grooms or something entirely different? Let us know in the comments below or leave a post on our Facebook page. Go Rolex!

Events This Weekend:

Ocala Horse Properties CCI* & CCI2*: [Website] [Live Scores]

Twin Rivers Spring Three Day & HT: [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

FENCE HT: [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Plantation Field HT: [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Pine Hill Spring HT: [Website] [Entry Status]

St Johns HT: [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Your Friday News:

Fifteen Olympians will compete at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day event this year, including London medallists Mary King, William Fox-Pitt, Andrew Nicholson, Jock Paget and Jonelle Richards. Mary and WFP have won Rolex for the last three years and are sure to bring their A-game again this year with five mounts entered between them. [USEA]

The Ocala Eventing Series culminates this weekend with the Ocala Horse Properties International Three-Day Event. Many riders will be seeking qualifying scores at this event, with 28 riders entered in the CCI2* and 56 riders entered in the CCI1*. Peter Gray told the local media that this event will be a stepping stone to the 2015 Pan American Games. [Ocala Star-Banner]

Equine Canada named Riddle Master the Omega Alpha Horse of the Month after Rebecca Howard piloted the horse to a sixth-place finish at the Fontainebleau CIC3* last month. Rebecca and Riddle Master will be competing at Badminton next month. [Equine Canada]

The organizing committee for the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Normandy is now recruiting volunteers to work at the competition on Aug. 23-Sept. 7, 2014. Volunteers must be at least 18 and speak French. The first 5,000 applicants will be considered for 3,000 volunteer positions, so be sure to apply early if you are interested. [COTH]

Belton Park, the final British prep event for Badminton, kicks off today in England. Clark Montgomery and Universe will be contesting the CIC3* in the hopes of having an excellent tune-up before running at Badminton. Clark and Universe are currently sixth on the wait list to get into Badminton. [Melton Times]

The Badminton cross-country course is very similar to last year, as horses and riders never had the chance to tackle the course due to the event being canceled after heavy rains flooded the grounds. Event director and course designer Hugh Thomas had intended for the course to serve as a pre-Olympic run for London competitors. [Horsetalk]

SmartPak Product of the Day: Somehow we’ve managed to skip the entire season of spring here in Pennsylvania and have gone straight to summer. Flies are already swarming around my new OTTB, who needs a fly sheet to keep nasty bugs at bay this summer. I’m going with the SmartPak Classic Fly Sheet, which has UV protection built into the fabric to protect Mia from 95 percent of harmful rays. [SmartPak]

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSjBdnsDjVA

 

Laine Ashker: Saving Pegasus’ Wings

By on Apr 11, 2013 11:00 am -

Laine Ashker mentioned in her last blog for EN that she would not be competing her beloved Anthony Patch at Rolex this year. Today she talks more about why she made that decision and discusses her plans for the rest of the year with Al. In light of EN’s recent discussion on horsemanship, I’m giving two thumbs up to Laine for making the right decision for the sake of her horse. Take it away, Laine!

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Lainey Ashker and Anthony Patch finished fifth at the Fair Hill CCI3* last year. Photo by Eclipse Photography.

From Laine:

This time of year is always an exciting one! We often find ourselves anxiously waiting for Rolex to release the order of draw and checking the local tack store’s latest issue of The Chronicle of the Horse to see what beans the legendary Jimmy Wofford has spilled about our nation’s most formidable event horses and riders. Hotel arrangements and travel plans are being finalized, and Facebook is suddenly flooded with Rolex posts as users proudly display which horse and rider pair(s) for whom they are rooting! Ah yes, my friends, our nation’s most prestigious three day event, The Rolex CCI****, is soon to be upon us.

For quite some time now I have been used to the feelings this “exciting” or rather “nerve-wracking” time yields. For it is always certain that the last two weeks leading up to the biggest event of your life will be nothing short of exciting in every sense of the word. Every lump and bump on your horse that seemed minuscule in the winter now suddenly appears to be the end of the world, not to mention the inescapable feeling of being choked for time, because random problems in your partnership have now suddenly surfaced overnight. Oh how I remember the variety of emotions these two weeks bring, and I know exactly what my dear friends who are competing this year are going through, as I breathe a long, slow, deep sigh of relief.

Anthony Patch at Rolex in 2011. Photo by Allie Conrad.

However, I would not trade that feeling for the world, and although I am beyond elated to watch my fellow competitors shine throughout the winter season, I cannot help but feel slightly left behind in the dust. My decision to not run Al at Rolex was a difficult one. How I wish I could stress about my order of draw and spend ample time wondering what day I do dressage and whether I go cross country before or after the lunch break. But as the old adage goes, “You can’t put old heads on young shoulders,” and I am now, at the ripe old age of 29, fully capable of understanding just exactly what it means.

Al is 14 years old this year. I have had the pleasure of owning him since he was a gangly 4-year-old my mother purchased for me from Paul and Lauren Tjaden. After having accrued over five two-stars, seven three-stars, three four-stars and 526 career points, we have arrived at this moment. Point simple: time to savor a once-in-a-lifetime horse. Now I know that my career won’t end when Al’s does, and I am aware that there are other probably more talented horses in the world, but never have I experienced a feeling of limitless boundaries until I sit on Al. He, quite frankly, is my Pegasus. He makes me feel like I am a champion and that there is no dressage test or jump course that we couldn’t tackle. It is us against the world, and we’re the favorites to win. That, my friends, is called a partnership.

Al hams it up for the camera in Ocala earlier this season. Photo by Laine Ashker.

Being that Al is slightly “long in the tooth,” my new plan will be quality, not quantity. I will run him less, but rest assured that when we compete, we’re going for gold. My dream would be to have him for the World Equestrian Games next year in Normandy, and being that David O’Connor is sending a large U.S. contingent to Pau this fall in order to get a sense of the course designer Pierre Michelet’s work, my focus is strictly on how to book our ticket on that plane. To prep, for Pau I hope to take Al to a summer CIC*** either in Montana or Michigan and perhaps make a trip to Texas to one-up our performance from last year’s AECs.

Who knows where this year will take us? What is certain for now is that Anthony Patch is back in action, healthier and sounder than ever (touch wood for my anxious Rolex friends) and ready to show off his effortless extended trot in a dressage ring near you. Until next time guys, sit back, take a deep breath and stare longingly at your watches. The countdown to Rolex has begun. I may be biased, but I have a good feeling that the infamous red and yellow silks are going to be quite a standout as you watch them gallop by three times on Saturday.

EN’s Got Talent: Getting Finn On Board

By on Apr 11, 2013 9:00 am -

Kyle Carter and FR's Trust Fund at Red Hills. Courtesy of www.photosbydove.net.

Last week we met Kyle Carter and FR’s Trust Fund, a 16.3-hand Dutch/Thoroughbred homebred gelding who is showing he has what it takes to be an upper-level eventer. But that doesn’t mean Finn’s quirky personality has always made the training process easy for Kyle. “Last spring he ran preliminary and his results were uninspiring, to say the least,” Kyle said. “We would have a couple phases that were good and then some that were bad. He wasn’t showing to be the horse we hoped he would be. He was going in cross country and show jumping very similarly to how he would go at home” — which meant he was spooky and difficult to ride.

But something changed at the Ocala Horse Properties Horse Trials last April, where Kyle competed Finn in preliminary. “It suddenly became a bit of a game to him, and the competition became interesting to him,” Kyle said. “At Ocala, he stopped at the liverpool in show jumping, and I came out of the ring and said to Jen, ‘I think this is it.’ I could feel him sort of switching on. She thought I was nuts because he had stopped in the show jumping, but I’m not primed to accept stuff like that. From that point forward, he was a different horse. He became business-minded and really applied himself to the competitions.” Kyle kept running Finn at preliminary last year, and he won at Chattahoochie Hills and Full Gallop. Finn capped off his season by placing 12th out of 45 starters at the American Eventing Championships.

Finn moved up to intermediate this season and has had a very strong showing, most recently placing eighth in the CIC2* at Poplar Place last month. Kyle downgraded him to the CIC1* at Red Hills because he was concerned about how Finn would handle the atmosphere, but Finn showed that he’s slowly growing up. “I wanted him to be able to get used to that environment,” Kyle said. “The course was a bit spooky and trappy, but he’s so rideable that you can come in a little weak in a combination, put your leg on and he just goes. He participates fully in the game because that’s what it is to him. He was very good in the woods and wasn’t bothered by the crowds at all.” Finn placed second out of 56 starters in the CIC1* at Red Hills.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIG-yZC71qE
Kyle Carter and FR’s Trust Fund at Ocala 

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After such a successful spring campaign, Kyle plans to aim Finn for the CCI2* at Ocala. “I think he can be very competitive there,” Kyle said. “In another year, he’ll be a full on winner. And he still hasn’t turned 7. I thought at Red Hills when he came off cross country and was completely cooled out in five minutes that this is a horse that can function at a very high level. He might not be a Parker (Madison Park), but he has that sort of ability. When he went to Poplar, he was so much more excited from the run at Red Hills that he started squealing in the warm up. He was so excited to go because it’s more interesting to him now.”

If Ocala goes well, Kyle would like to take Finn to the Fair Hill CCI2* this fall. “I won’t take him advanced this year. There’s no benefit to trying to prove he can do it. I think Fair Hill would physically help him to step up for next year. It will make him into a much better horse for advanced next spring.” Until then, Finn will continue keeping Kyle on his toes. “There’s just something about Finn,” Kyle said. “I like that it’s a challenge to get him on board.” And are you curious about the horse’s name? FR stands for Five Ring, Kyle and Jen Carter’s farm, while Trust Fund is quite literal. “He was born a year before Riley, my oldest daughter, and I gave him to her. One day when he’s sold, the money will go into a share between Riley, her sister and us. Half of it will go to them to be spent on whatever they want later in life.”

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Next week on EN’s Got Talent: We’ll meet Kim Severson and Cooley Cross Border, a very exciting 6-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding who won the Young Event Horse 5-year-old East Coast Championships last fall at Fair Hill and has managed to win just about every event he’s competed at since then. I also have a very exciting announcement about Crossy that I’ll be unveiling next week. Thanks to Liz Storandt, Kim’s groom, for contacting me about Crossy.

Photo Diary from The Fork Horse Trials

By on Apr 9, 2013 5:03 pm -

Emily Beshear and Here's To You

I took nearly 1,000 photos at The Fork last weekend, and I’ve finally been able to go through all of them to bring you my favorite 100+ images from the Advanced and CIC3* divisions. Photos from the Advanced are listed first, followed by photos from the CIC3*. To get an idea of just how heavy the rain fell on Thursday afternoon during the start of CIC3* dressage, check out the photo of Jan Byyny and Syd Kent. Thankfully, my camera dried out just fine after getting a bit waterlogged during the deluge. You’ll notice that the weather was lovely for the rest of the weekend; I even got a little sunburned during cross-country day on Sunday. Go eventing.

Clark Montgomery Settling Into Life in England

By on Apr 9, 2013 11:00 am -

Clark Montgomery and Universe at their first outing of the year at Tweseldown. Photo courtesy of www.blog.talkinghorse.net.

It’s been about six months since Clark and Jess Montgomery sold all of their possessions and moved to England to join Universe and Loughan Glen — who stayed over after Boekelo — to set up a UK base at Christian Landolt’s yard in Tetbury. I caught up with Clark last week on Skype to see how he’s settling in to life in an eventing mecca and what he has planned for this year. Clark is currently seventh on the wait list with Universe to get into Badminton next month, and when I asked him about that, he showed me that he had a printed copy of the list right on his desk where he’s crossing off each new scratch. “Everyone keeps telling me that the top 20 on the wait list generally do get in,” Clark said. “We’re just keeping our fingers and toes crossed that happens.”

With the spring weather being particularly nasty this year in England, Clark hasn’t had the ideal preparation he envisioned for Badminton. “It’s finally gotten better, but who knows here in England how long it will last,” Clark said. “We didn’t start our season until Tweseldown, which was the first weekend in March, and I hadn’t been able to really get him out at all before that.” Clark and Universe were 13th in their open intermediate division to kick off their season at Tweseldown, and most recently ran at Burnham Market, where they finished sixth in advanced. Universe’s final prep event for Badminton will be the Belton CIC3* this weekend, and then he’ll go to dressage and jumper shows to stay primed for the CCI4*.

Preparing for Badminton

“Everything is kicking along really well with his training and fitness,” Clark said. “Mostly we’ve been working on the dressage with him. He gets tight and nervous, so it’s about getting him relaxed and calm and comfortable in a show environment for his flatwork. The nice thing about England is there are so many places you can take the horses that are just down the road. You can go to dressage shows twice a week, show jump once a week and put your events in between.” If Universe performs well at Badminton and David O’Connor likes what he sees, they two will develop a plan for the horse for the rest of the year. “I don’t know if he’s a Burghley horse yet,” Clark said. “You never know how they’re going to come out of these four stars. If it all goes perfectly, I would probably prefer to aim him toward Burghley than Pau.”

Loughan Glen is currently recovering from a non-invasive “tie forward” surgery after a scope showed he was having a soft palate issue. “He felt a bit funny on the cross country at Tweseldown,” Clark said. “Everyone knows from last year that he struggled with his fitness work. After Tweseldown, I consulted with a vet and we decided to do a scope, which showed he was having a slight soft palate issue. As he got fatigued, it would billow in his airway and that would obstruct it. It wasn’t flopping, but it started billowing, and that seemed to be what was causing him to get tired at the very end of a CCI.” Glen will be recovering this month and return to competing in May. While Glen will miss Saumur, Clark is hoping the horse will be ready for a CIC in June or July and Pau in the fall.

Learning from the best

Universe and Loughan Glen are currently the only two horses in Clark’s program, but he hopes to expand as soon as possible. “I have plans to try to make it back to the States in the summer to teach some clinics and drum up some owners,” Clark said. “Our main focus is getting support from the U.S. I think people need to understand that it’s not like I abandoned everybody back home. My intention is to come over here and gain the experience and have our horses be closer to the major competitions. That’s the purpose of this move. Look what David and Karen O’Connor did. They came over and lived here for a few years and figured out what it would take to be competitive against the best in the world. Then they came home and helped raise the level of U.S. eventing based on the knowledge they received over here. That’s the direction we’re going; we want to help U.S. eventing be better.”

Clark and Jess plan to stay in England for at least four years and are very excited for what the future holds for Universe, Loughan Glen and the new horses they ultimately bring into their program. “I absolutely love being over here and love the way the horses are going,” Clark said. “I’m very excited about the prospect of the future and what’s around the corner. It’s really fun to be in such close proximity to the top professionals and so close to the major competitions. That’s the biggest thing; it costs a lot to travel to these events from the U.S. You’re looking at around $20,000 round trip for each competition. It’s great to set the business up here and not have to spend that money traveling back and forth.” Best of luck to Clark and Jess as they continue adjusting to life in England. You can stay up to date on the Badminton wait list here. Go Clark, and go eventing.

The Fork: Lynn Symansky Breaks Down Her Winning Weekend

By on Apr 7, 2013 3:54 pm -

The top three riders in the Advanced, CIC2* and CIC3* divisions just accepted their ribbons here at The Fork. I snagged Lynn Symansky, winner of the CIC3*, for a quick interview to break down her weekend with Donner. Most notably, I asked her about why she changed her initial strategy to not go for time today, which she talked about last night on her Facebook page. Instead of giving a steady ride like she had initially intended, she came home well inside the time. Watch the interview to see what changed her mind. Lynn and Donner now look ahead to Rolex. Lynn is hoping to get into the show jumping ring a bit more before Kentucky, as she said she felt a bit rusty yesterday. The good news is that her broken pinky is feeling better, although she will still have to wear the cast and tape for Rolex.

With the press conference over, ribbons handed out and horse trailers leaving the grounds, I’m officially signing off from The Fork. Thanks so much for following along with my coverage this weekend. It’s been a wild ride, and Thursday’s miserable weather for dressage is still the talk of the event days later. Kudos to all the riders, horses, grooms, parents, friends, volunteers and officials who persevered through that day. We were rewarded with beautiful weather for the rest of the event, and The Fork has truly done a fantastic job at putting on a top-notch competition. I’ll be bringing you live coverage from Rolex next and will continue to keep you posted on all the latest Kentucky news as we start the official countdown — just 16 days until the jog! Go eventing.

The Fork: Lynn Symansky Wins The Fork CIC3*

By on Apr 7, 2013 2:34 pm -

Lynn Symansky and Donner are your CIC3* winners at The Fork.

Lynn Symansky had six seconds to play with when she left the start box with Donner as the last rider on cross country in the CIC3* at The Fork. But she didn’t need any of them, coming home double clear to maintain her overnight lead and win. Lynn posted last night on her Facebook page that she would not be going for time, as she was looking to give Donner a nice, conservative run before the two compete at Rolex later this month. But Lynn tackled the course with a vengeance, looking absolutely brilliant and very ready for Kentucky. Donner seemed full of running after crossing the finish line, and I also saw him cooling out nicely in the vet box. A huge congrats to Lynn on the win and best of luck at Rolex!

Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda finished in second in the CIC3*.

Jennie Brannigan had a less than ideal start to her weekend with Cambalda, forgetting a portion of her dressage test to sit in seventh after the first day. She moved up to fourth thanks to a double clear show-jumping round yesterday and moved up two more spots today to finish second after coming home with .8 time penalties. Jennie and Cambalda will compete for the first time at Rolex later this month and have to be feeling very confident going into Kentucky after their performance here at The Fork this weekend.

Buck Davidson and Ballynoecastle RM put in a lightning fast round to finish third. Photo by Samantha Clark.

Buck Davidson withdrew Park Trader prior to the start of the CIC3* and retired on course with both No More Rocks and D.A. Adirmo after both horses had multiple stops on course. He understandably looked incredibly eager to get around this course successfully by the time he left the start box with Ballynoecastle RM, his final ride of the division. Buck and Reggie absolutely smoked the course, coming home double clear to finish in third place. This horse is going to Rolex, along with his stablemates Mar De Amor — who finished second in the Advanced — and Park Trader. Buck has to be very happy with two second places finishes in the Advanced and CIC3* here at The Fork with Rolex just a few weeks away. We’ll keep you updated on Park Trader’s status for Rolex.

Phillip Dutton and Atlas

While time played a major factor in the Advanced cross country this morning, there were plentiful double-clear rides over Tremaine Cooper’s CIC3* course. The cheese wedges once again caught out many riders in the CIC3*, including Marilyn Little and RF Smoke on the Water, who were sitting in second place coming into cross country. But the major problems on course came at the new coffin combination at 9ABC. Numerous riders had multiple runouts and chose to retire at the coffin or were eliminated. Sinead Halpin joined Brian O’Connor to offer commentary on the coffin, and said the challenge comes in because riders must maintain a very balanced, collected canter over the ditch at 9B before putting the leg on and taking two very long strides for the skinny at 9C. I recorded quite a bit of video at the coffin to show you exactly what was happening. You’ll see Caroline Martin and Quantum Solace and Peter Barry and Kilrodan Abbott both had runouts, while Ronald Zabala-Goetschel and Master Rose had a very smooth trip through.

Kaitlin Spurlock and Expedience

It’s been a fantastic weekend here at The Fork. It’s hard to believe it was only 40 degrees and rained all day on Thursday, considering it’s sunny and nearly 70 degrees today. Many thanks to the volunteers and officials for putting on a fantastic event and persevering through the nasty weather. The spectator tent by the water complex was packed with people watching the action today. The crowd really seemed to enjoy the competition and cheered the riders and horses around the final turn for home. It’s wonderful to see so many people enjoying the sport on such a beautiful day. Stay tuned for more from the press conference, as well as more coverage of the weekend from Samantha Clark.

The Fork: Live CIC3* Cross Country Updates

By on Apr 7, 2013 11:09 am -

Photo of the coffin combination courtesy of Tremaine Cooper

CIC3* cross country is under way here at The Fork. Lynn Symansky and Donner are your overnight leaders after show jumping, with Marilyn Little and RF Smoke on the Water in second and Shandiss McDonald and Rockfield Grant Juan sitting in third place. Lynn posted on Facebook last night that she is not planning to go for time, while Marilyn said in the Friday press conference that she will be going for time today. It will be an exciting finish! I’ll be posting live updates from my phone like I did for the Advanced division. Keep checking back for all the action in the CIC3* cross country here at The Fork.

[Live Results]

11:18: Marilyn Little and RF Demeter were the first double clear of the day, putting them in the lead.

11:20: Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot also come home double clear to sit in provisional second.

11:21: Susan Beebee and Wolf finish 13 seconds under and are the fastest round of the day to move into second.

11:30: Selena O’Hanlon and Bellaney Rock had a runout before the water complex.

11:32: Jan Byyny and Inmidair had three refusals at the coffin combination and were eliminated.

11:38: Daniel Clasing and Houston come home as the fifth pair inside the time.

11:39: Erin Flynn Tamplin and Three’s A Ruckus were eliminated at the coffin combination. She was also eliminated with Flagmount’s Sterling Prince.

11:40: Buck Davidson and D.A. Adirmo have one refusal at the coffin before calling it a day.

11:53: Caroline Martin and Quantum Solace had two runouts — one at the coffin combination — before calling it a day.

11:57: Peter Barry and Kilrodan Abbot also have a refusal at the out element of the coffin combination.

12: Will Faudree and Pawlow are the eighth pair inside the time.

12:08: Jessica Phoenix and Exponential come home with the fastest time so far to move into second.

12:19: Michelline Jordan and Irish Diamonds call it a day after two stops at the cheese wedges.

12:20: Rick Wallace and Ultimate Victory have to stops at the coffin and retire on course.

12:26: Selena O’Hanlon and A First Romance have two stops at the coffin and retire.

12:36: Leslie Law and Zenith ISF move into second with a handful of time.

12:38: Nicole Parkin and Lexus fell on the turn following the cheese wedges but are OK.

12:46: Buck Davidson and Ballynoecastle RM come home double clear to take the lead.

12:47: Jan Byyny has three refusals at the coffin combination and is eliminated.

12:52: Riders are now cutting back through the water complex to shave off some time.

12:55: Will Faudree and Andromaque had a stop at the cheese wedges.

12:59: Jessica Phoenix and Patras VR had two stops at the coffin and retired on course.

1:06: Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda take the lead with .8 time penalties.

1:08: Shandiss McDonald fell from Rockfield Grant Juan at the turn after the cheese wedges.

1:10: Marilyn Little and RF Smoke on the Water have a runout at the cheese wedges.

1:15: Lynn Symansky and Donner have a double clear trip to win!