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.
Cambalda looks very proud of himself after a clean round with a handful of time at Boekelo. Photo via Jackie Imholte's Facebook page.
Cross-country day dealt a mixed hand for the U.S. Nations Cup team at Boekelo. Phillip Dutton popped off when Atlas hung a leg going into the coffin; both horse and rider were uninjured. Loughan Glen pulled a shoe at fence 10 in the first water and jumped well all the way around to 22, where he slipped out with his right front and missed the line to the corner, leading to an unfortunate runout. Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda and Jon Holling and Downtown Harrison both kicked around to finish without any jump penalties, while both pairs picked up time. While not counting for the Nations Cup team score, Clark Montgomery and Universe jumped a clear round with time and are currently the highest-placed U.S. pair, sitting in 33rd place. Michael Jung and Halunke FBW maintain a six-point lead over Andrew Nicholson and Quimbo.
EN’s Got Talent is Eventing Nation’s newest series. We hear all the time about horses at the top of the sport, but what about the next generation of equine talent? This series 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].
Elisa Wallace and Corteo in stadium at Poplar Place. Photo by Aly Ratazzi of Rather Be Riding Photography.
Elisa Wallace’s journey to finding Corteo, a 5-year-old Dutch gelding owned by Rosemarie Spillane, started out of necessity. Long-listed with both of her Advanced horses for the 2007 Pan Ams and 2008 Olympics, untimely injuries to both horses left Elisa sidelined for the last five years. “We’ve always been looking for a prospect that can go back to the top,” Elisa said. “I came across an ad on Equine Now and I actually knew the trainer, Dean Graham. I read the horse’s bloodlines and wondered why he was still available.”
That horse was Corteo, known around the barn as Tate, whose sire Verdi helped the Dutch Olympic team to a show jumping silver medal in London over the summer. But at 15.2 hands and sporting a stubby tail, Corteo was being overlooked. “The breeder, Seafire Sporthorses, was focusing him toward show jumping, but the hunter/jumper crowd would pass him over because he was under 16.2 and his tail was short,” Elisa said. “I saw the quality and thought he should be long gone by now. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how amazing he is.”
Elisa and Corteo at his first schooling show at Wilson Farms in July. Photo by Aly Ratazzi of Rather Be Riding Photography.
Elisa vetted Tate the same day she tried him, bringing him home in March. “He was a real green bean and didn’t really know anything,” Elisa said. “You could get on his back and that was about all he knew.” But Corteo learned quickly, answering all of Elisa’s questions and showing he had a good brain to compliment his stunning looks. “He tries really hard to do what you’re asking him to do,” Elisa said. “Sometimes that can be a little tough — when they are trying so hard that they get in their own way. That just means being patient and making sure he understands the questions.”
While Corteo is still very green, there’s no question he has the makings of an upper-level event horse. With scope to burn — thanks to his superstar father — Corteo’s jump is an eventer’s dream; but Elisa plans to bring him along slowly. “He just turned 5 in August, so he’s a late bloomer,” Elisa said. “It’s easy with the young ones to kick them up when they’re so willing and talented, but I really want to make sure I take my time and let him mature.” So far, Elisa has been extremely pleased with Corteo’s progress. “The first time I took him schooling on cross country was a blast; he loved it,” Elisa said. “It’s great to have that same feeling from bringing along my past Advanced horses — that it’s super easy and they jump huge over it just because they think it’s fun.”
Corteo definitely had a blast last month at Poplar Place — the second event of his career — where he finished seventh in his novice division. Taking what Elisa affectionately refers to as “Superman jumps,” Corteo’s stadium round caught the attention of both Leslie Law and Becky Holder; Becky in particular was enamored with him. “Becky came up to me after the round and said, ‘That’s a legit horse. I’ve been looking for young horses all over the U.S. and Europe and I haven’t seen one that nice.’ She really thought he was special,” Elisa said.
Next week on EN’s Got Talent: We’ll look more in depth at how Elisa is tackling training with Corteo, including how she handles babies who still have their wolf teeth. “The flatwork is his toughest thing right now because he still had wolf teeth when I got him, so he became very defensive against the bit,” Elisa said. “The dressage judges nail me because he gets behind the vertical. It’s so much easier to bring their head down than to have one who doesn’t want to connect once they’ve learned to disappear behind the vertical.”
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Phillip Dutton and Atlas. Photo by Samantha Clark.
With the final leg of the FEI Nations Cup Eventing Series slated for this weekend at the Boekelo CCIO3*, it’s time to take a look back on the inaugural season of the FEI’s first-ever team eventing series. The Nations Cup took place on a trial basis this year and is set to play a major role in the future of eventing, particularly in giving valuable team experience to horses and riders who may one day represent their countries at the Olympics and World Equestrian Games. Boekelo marks the first leg of the Nations Cup in which the U.S. is fielding a team: Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda, Phillip Dutton and Atlas, Jon Holling and Downtown Harrison, and Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen.
About the Nations Cup: The Nations Cup runs under FEI eventing rules at the CICO3* and CCIO3* levels and is open to all nations fielding one team of three or four riders at each leg. Riders accumulate points under a special system created for the series. This year saw the six-leg Nations Cup series travel to Fontainebleau, France, March 22-25; Houghton Hall, Great Britain, May 24-27; Strzegom, Poland, June 1-3; Aachen, Germany, July 3-8; and Montelibretti, Italy, Sept. 21-23. The series will conclude with the sixth leg this weekend in Boekelo, Netherlands, Oct. 11-14.
Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda at Richland. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Fontainebleau: Michael Jung led Germany to victory in the first leg of the Nations Cup series at the Fontainebleau CICO3* in March. Riding three horses — all of which finished inside the top four in the individual results — Fontainebleau proved to be strong foreshadowing for Michael’s dominant performance at the Olympics just a few short months later. Michael won on a 39.4 with Leopin, placed 2nd on a 41.2 with his Olympic partner La Biosthetique-Sam and finished his stellar performance with a 50 on Weidezaunprofi’s River Of Joy. Clayton Fredericks placed third individually on Bendigo and Elaine Pen rounded out the top five on Vira. After the first leg of the Nations Cup, Germany led the series, with the Netherlands in second and France in third.
Houghton Hall: Great Britain also set the stage for a spectacular performance before its home crowd in London with a win in the second leg of the Nations Cup at the Houghton Hall CICO3* in May. After Great Britain placed last at Fontainebleau, the Brits came back with a vengeance, led by Piggy French and Jakarta’s dominant first-place performance. Sarah Cohen and Treason placed third individually, with Francis Whittington and Sir Percival III finishing in seventh. Great Britain’s impressive performance catapulted the team from last place to equal third with Spain in the Nations Cup standings. Germany maintained its lead in the series, with France moving up once spot to second place.
Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen at Barbury. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Strzegom: Germany dominated once again in the third leg of the Nations Cup, with Sandra Auffarth winning the individual competition at the Strzegom CICO3* in June to lead her team to victory. She led from the start on Opgun Louvo — with whom she won individual Olympic bronze in London — finishing on her stellar 36.7 dressage score. Felix Vogg and Maverick McNamara were the only other pair to break the sub-40 mark in dressage, finishing in second overall on a 38.1. Andreas Dibowski of Germany picked up .8 time penalties on cross country to finish in third place with FRH Butts Avedon. Switzerland took second as a team at Strzegom, with Sweden finishing in third. After Strzegom, Germany maintained the lead in the Nations Cup standings, with Spain sitting in second and the Netherlands holding third place.
Aachen: Germany, Germany, Germany. We get it. The German team once again brought their A-game mere weeks before the Olympics in the fourth leg of the Nations Cup Series at the Aachen CICO3* in July. While Christopher Burton and Under Discussion won individually, the rest of the Australian team struggled, leaving room for Germany to slip by. Sandra Auffarth and Opgun Louvo finished fourth, with Dirk Schrade and Hop and Skip in seventh and Michael Jung and Leopin in eighth. Great Britain finished second as a team, with Sweden finishing third. After four legs of the Nations Cup series, Germany maintained a large lead over second-place Netherlands in the standings, with Great Britain and France in equal place for third.
Jon Holling and Downtown Harrison at the Fork. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Montelibretti: After Germany took the previous two legs of the Nations Cup, the leaderboard saw a new face on top when Spain clinched a win at the Montelibretti CICO3* in September. The Spanish riders took second, fifth, sixth and eighth in the individual standings, led by Maria Pinedo and Windsor H in second. Stefano Brecciaroli and Apollo V finished an impressive 31 penalties ahead of Pinedo to win the competition, boosting Italy to a second-place finish as a team. Switzerland rounded out the top three in the team standings at Montelibretti. After the fifth and most recent leg of the Nations Cup, Germany maintained its place at the top of the series standings, with Spain moving into second and the Netherlands dropping to third place.
Boekelo: That brings us to Boekelo, the sixth and final leg of the inaugural Nations Cup series, and the first leg in which the U.S. will get in on the action. While Germany has already soundly secured first place in the Nations Cup standings with 41 points, the next seven nations on the leaderboard — Spain, 28; Netherlands, 23; France, 20; Great Britain, 20; Sweden, 16; Australia, 15; New Zealand, 14 — all have the potential to finish on the podium. This hotly contested race to the wire will make for a very exciting finish in the first-ever FEI Nations Cup Eventing Series. While our U.S. team won’t be battling for a spot on the leaderboard, this is an excellent opportunity for Team USA. Go Phillip, Jennie, Clark and Jon!
Mary King and Apache Sauce at Burghley last year. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Our hearts are heavy this morning as the eventing world reels from the loss of Apache Sauce, Mary King’s indomitable partner for many years, who was put down after suffering an injury at Weston Park CCI2*. Apache Sauce, owned by Gillian Jonas, completed 10 four-star events clear on cross-country in his career with Mary, who decided to retire him in May after the 16-year-old gelding seemed hesitant at drop fences and when galloping downhill. Apache Sauce had been competing with Mary’s daughter, Emily, since his retirement. The pair completed five events together with clear cross-country trips and finished in the top 10 three times. Eventing Nation sends our deepest condolences to all those connected to Apache Sauce.
Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen at Barbury. Photo by Samantha Clark.
After handling the disappointment of not making the Olympic team with impressive poise and grace, Clark Montgomery is ready to take his glass-half-full mentality overseas to Boekelo. Loughan Glen, Holly Becker and Kathryn Kraft’s 9-year-old Irish Sporthorse gelding, is at the top of his game — coming off a win in the Advanced at Plantation Field — and Clark is looking to make a statement that he’ll be one to watch as U.S. Eventing looks to reclaim its rightful place on the international stage.
“Glen has had a pretty standard preparation for Boekelo,” Clark said. “He started being a little fussy for me in dressage this year, so I’ve been working on getting his flatwork back to where it should be. He’s definitely had good tests throughout the spring, but he just felt a bit tighter than he usually has. The goal was really to get him soft again. I’ve been getting great work from him right now at home. If I can get that exact work in dressage — if not a touch better with the energy from the atmosphere — then I will be very happy with where that puts me.” Winning Plantation showed Clark that Glen is back on track: “He feels like he’s ready to rock and roll at Boekelo.”
Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen in the Advanced at the Fork this spring. Photo by Samantha Clark.
In addition to polishing his dressage, Clark has also focused heavily on Glen’s fitness work in preparation for Boekelo. After a disappointing Rolex this spring, where the pair retired on cross country after a fall, Clark completely overhauled Glen’s fitness program. “He ran all the way to the finish at Plantation, so that was a great indicator that his fitness is where it needs to be,” Clark said. “I’ve been using hills for gallops, which has helped tremendously. I definitely would like him to have enough gas to go double clear on cross country, barring any deep mud that might slow us up.”
While Clark knows Boekelo is a very competitive three-star, he’s confident Glen has the potential for a top-five finish. “He’s a very clean show jumper. If I get the work I’ve been getting at home in dressage and we jump double clear in cross country and show jumping, I think that will put us in about fifth place,” Clark said. “I think I would be disappointed if I’m out of the top 10; I’m really shooting for top five.”
Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen preparing for Barbury this summer. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Boekelo marks the first event in which Clark will represent the U.S. internationally in a team competition, making this a meaningful occasion for him. “You certainly do have pressure to perform well for the team,” Clark said. “It gets your foot in the door and you get to gain that international experience without having to be on the Olympic stage. When you end up in the running for the World Equestrian Games and the Olympics, selectors can see that you’ve already been under that pressure.”
U.S. Eventing hasn’t placed a heavy emphasis on the Nations Cup this year, but Clark believes the series offers an excellent opportunity to expose up-and-coming riders and horses to competing at an international level. “You get the U.S. helmet covers, saddle pads and all the team gear, so in that way it feels like you are truly representing your country. It’s great lower-level experience before you’re called up to the Olympics or the World Equestrian Games.”
Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen jump clear at Barbary. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Clark made it clear he doesn’t see more pressure than normal on the Nations Cup team after the disappointing Olympic showing from Team USA, but he knows “the pressure is on for the years to come,” Clark said. “David (O’Connor) is planning for teams to be going to more than just Boekelo for the Nations Cup in the future. If we can be competitive in this series and get riders going all around Europe, then it’s allowing us to gain experience. That’s going to be invaluable going forward.”
In addition to Clark and Loughan Glen, the Nations Cup team for Boekelo consists of Jennie Brannigan on Nina Gardner’s Cambalda, Phillip Dutton on Tom Tierney’s Atlas and Jon Holling on Constance Ann Holling’s Downtown Harrison. With such a talented team of horses and riders headed to Holland, Clark is optimistic for an impressive showing. “As a team, we have a great group going,” Clark said. “Jon and Jennie have looked fantastic this year, and Phillip goes without saying. Each one of us want to do well and we’re all on very good horses.”
EN’s Got Talent is Eventing Nation’s newest series. We hear all the time about horses at the top of the sport, but what about the next generation of equine talent? This series 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].
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Colleen Rutledge and Covert Rights during jogs for the CIC2* at Richland. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Last week we met Covert Rights, Colleen Rutledge’s talented homebred gelding she believes could be her next superstar. Colleen and Covert Rights are coming off fifth- and ninth-place finishes in competitive CIC2* fields at Richland and Plantation Field, respectively. While Colleen spoke last week about Covert Right’s easy-going attitude and natural talent for eventing, she also made it clear that bringing him through the levels hasn’t been without its challenges.
“One of the biggest issues we’ve faced is he can be very relaxed about show jumping because he’s so laid back,” Colleen said. “He tries his heart out, but we were a little worried that he might not be the cleanest jumper because he finds it easy. We’ve had to work very hard on getting him to understand that his job is to jump clean.” Thankfully, cross country hasn’t presented as many training questions for Covert Rights. “His only stop on cross country happened when I came around to a corner at Maryland and put him on way too sharp of an angle. He just said, ‘I don’t know how to jump this.’ It was totally my fault; I couldn’t blame him in the slightest.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lynZMY2Iscs Colleen and Covert Rights’ dressage test in the CIC2* at Plantation Field
Colleen did find she had to teach the big crossbred gelding to gallop properly, as he didn’t understand initially how to maintain the right pace in the open. “We taught him like Thoroughbreds are taught to gallop,” Colleen said. “We put him in a group, kicked him on and told him to ‘go get ’em.'” Colleen still uses the ‘go get ’em’ verbal queue when riding Covert Rights on cross country, especially when coming out of the starting box. “It’s now become a running joke, but it works,” Colleen said. “It was a cue to help him learn to get faster. I used it at Plantation and he moved up and gave me what I wanted.”
Covert Rights has vastly exceeded Colleen’s expectations thus far. At his first CIC2* in Richland, Colleen found herself a bit worried if he had enough experience to tackle the challenge; but, as usual, Covert Rights rose to the occasion. “He totally had it and said, ‘It’s not a big deal, mom.’ He loved that there were bigger crowds there watching him. He’s just the most fun, even when he’s bouncing around like an orangutan because he’s so fit.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxSukWp8MH0 Colleen and Covert Rights’ CIC2* show jumping round at Plantation Field
CR had an “orangutan moment” in dressage at Plantation Field, where he squealed throughout his dressage test. “But you have to temper that with the fact that he’s 6 and it’s the fittest he’s even been in his entire life,” Colleen said. “I now know I need to have a different plan for him in dressage; he needs a more intensive warmup. I have to make sure he uses his extra energy for good rather than evil.” That said, Colleen is very happy with CR’s flatwork, and noted that he always gives 110 percent. “He’s got some of the best natural rhythm I’ve ever sat on,” Colleen said. “The first time Linda Zang watched him go she said I could do straight dressage on him.”
As far as future goals for Covert Rights, Colleen is looking to how he runs at Fair Hill this fall before deciding how to proceed. “If he goes around Fair Hill and handles it well, we’re thinking about moving him up to Advanced in the spring,” Colleen said. “With the way he ran at Richland, I sat there and thought ‘this is my next Advanced horse.’ This is a horse that I really do think will go all the way. Time will tell.”
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Next week on EN’s Got Talent: We’ll meet Elisa Wallace’s newest prospect, Corteo, owned by Rosemarie Spillane. This 5-year-old gelding is sired by Verdi, who helped the Dutch Olympic show jumping team to a silver medal in London. Rick Wallace tipped me on this up-and-coming youngster, who apparently acquired quite a fan club — including Becky Holder and Leslie Law — at Poplar Place last month. “You will gasp when you see him jump,” Rick said. Check out this video of Corteo’s stadium round at Poplar; I think you’ll agree. Thanks for the tip, Rick!
Caroline Martin wins the bareback puissance at Plantation Field last weekend. Photo courtesy of Uptown Eventing.
I don’t know about you, but I’m still pretty impressed by Caroline Martin clearing 5’11” to win the bareback puissance at Plantation Field last weekend. Well done, Caroline. Plantation Field reported that more than 500 people attended the first ever Mechanical Bull Riding Contest, in which the Young Riders bested all other teams — including our Olympians: Phillip Dutton, Boyd Martin, Karen O’Connor and Will Coleman. Let’s step it up next time, Olympic team!
EN’s Got Talent is Eventing Nation’s newest series. We hear all the time about horses at the top of the sport, but what about the next generation of equine talent? This series 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].
Colleen Rutledge and Covert Rights during jogs for the CIC2* at Richland. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Every event rider dreams of breeding a talented prospect to bring through the levels. Colleen Rutledge made that dream a reality with Covert Rights, her 6-year-old homebred who recently finished ninth in the CIC2* at Plantation Field. “His mom, Let’s Get It Right, was my first Advanced horse, but our history goes back even further than that,” Colleen said.
“She was the first horse I ever broke; she belonged to someone else I was working for at the time. She was your stereotypical chestnut Thoroughbred mare — hardheaded and very opinionated — but she and I had a great connection. She ended up getting sold away and I later bought her back.”
Colleen and “Delia” only ran one Advanced together before an injury forced the mare into early retirement. Delia turned out to be a perfect match for Lisa Reid’s BFF Incognito, a Thoroughbred/Clydesdale cross stallion who evented through Preliminary level and stands at Black Fox Farm. “I thought they would make a fantastic baby,” Colleen said.
And along came Covert Rights, or “CR,” as he’s known around the barn. “I loved him from the moment he hit the ground,” Colleen said. “He was so personable from day one — sweet and lovable. His personality has never really changed. He’s always been in your pocket.”
Much to her dismay, Colleen’s snuggly foal quickly grew into a 16.2-hand youngster, a height she hoped he would never reach. “He was supposed to be a very small horse,” Colleen said.
“His mom is 16 hands, and because he was her first foal I thought I was golden and I would get a 16-hand horse. I know his dad has some size behind him, but I still was convinced I would get a nice 16-hand horse. Then he hit 16.2 and all my friends said I would have to sell him because he was too big for me to ride.” Luckily, Colleen didn’t take her friends’ advice.
While Colleen normally breaks all her babies herself, she sent Covert Rights, then a 4-year-old, away for a friend to start, as she was facing some medical issues with her children at the time. Her friend called two weeks later and said CR was ready, noting he had really been broke by the third day.
“He’s just so easy going,” Colleen said.” That worried me a little in the beginning because I wanted him as an event horse. I worried he might not have enough oomph. Thankfully, his mom tends to show up on cross-country day.” Covert Rights’ maturity and talent as a 4-year-old led to a fifth-place finish in the 2010 USEA Young Event Horse East Coast Championships.
Colleen said she always told herself she would never push one of her babies too fast, but Covert Rights proved to be a natural candidate to move quickly through the levels. He competed at his first Beginner Novice event after only 60 days under saddle. “He just went around like it wasn’t a big deal,” Colleen said.
“He did a Novice shortly after that. He was just saying, ‘OK, we can do more.’ He would give you that feeling. At his first Training, it was like he was saying, ‘Oh, these got bigger. This is more fun!’ I was waiting for him to say, ‘I don’t understand this question,’ but instead, he said, ‘I’ve got this.'”
Next week on EN’s Got Talent:While Covert Rights has fulfilled Colleen’s expectations and then some, bringing him through the levels hasn’t been without its challenges. We’ll talk about some of those training questions Colleen faced with CR next week, including how she taught the big crossbred gelding to gallop properly for cross country.
“We taught him like Thoroughbreds are taught to gallop,” Colleen said. “We put him in a group, kicked him on and told him to ‘go get ’em.'”
Karen O'Connor and Mandiba lead going into show jumping at Plantation Field.
We couldn’t have asked for a nicer weekend for one of the fall’s biggest U.S. events. Plantation Field posted several pictures on its Facebook page of spectators enjoying the great weather while tailgating during cross country yesterday. Today will prove to be an exciting finish in the CIC3*, with Karen O’Connor and Mandiba adding just 1.2 time penalties on cross country to hold a slim lead over Will Faudree and Pawlow. The Advanced division wrapped up yesterday, with Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen picking up 3.2 time penalties on cross country to win handily on a 28. The CIC Show Jumping starts at 9:30 a.m. this morning, with the CIC3* show jumping set to begin at 1:30 p.m.
EN’s Got Talent is Eventing Nation’s newest series. We hear all the time about horses at the top of the sport, but what about the next generation of equine talent? This series 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].
Doug Payne and Lysander on their way to winning the Training Horse division at this year’s American Eventing Championships.
We met Lysander, Doug Payne and Kristin Michaloski’s 5-year-old Oldenburg/Thoroughbred gelding, in last week’s installment of EN’s Got Talent. Since I started interviewing Doug for this series, he and Lysander won the Training Horse division at the American Eventing Championships. That’s the goal of this column: to scout out the top up-and-coming horses in the sport. Let’s jump right back in to addressing some of the training questions Doug has faced while bringing Big Leo through the levels.
One of Doug’s major challenges with 18-hand Lysander has been teaching him to compress: “It’s critical that a big horse like that can shorten because you’re going to get caught in tight distances all the time. The longer distances will ride normal, normal distances will ride snug and short distances will be very short. I’ve been working hard to teach him to adjust his stride while maintaining energy.”
Lengthening and shortening exercises, gymnastics and ground-pole work have all helped Lysander tremendously with his flatwork, Doug said. Doug also made an effort to expose Lysander to numerous schooling jumper shows, as well as events, at the beginning of his career.
“I think that’s a huge benefit in the beginning — if you can get the horse out into the world. It’s difficult for people financially to take them to these bigger events with travel and stabling expenses, but it’s a huge benefit to go when you’re able, so you can be in the circuit and let the horse become accustomed to it. I would rather attend fewer events of better quality than more events of lesser. Then when you hit preliminary and get to a one-star, it’s not a big deal to be competing against a huge division in lots of atmosphere.”
Doug and Lysander made the jump to preliminary at the Stuart Horse Trials in July. The pair sat in second after dressage on a 32.2, picked up 6.8 time penalties and pulled three rails to finish in eighth on a 51. Lysander went preliminary again at the Horse Park of New Jersey Horse Trials in late July, sitting in first after dressage with a 26.5. A run out on cross country and rails in show jumping pushed Doug and Lysander down the leaderboard.
“One of the biggest challenges with him is he can get long and strung out. The run out at New Jersey was a green mistake, and one that was all my fault. There was a 90-degree turn in the woods that opened into a field to a narrow. I saw a longer stride and rode for it and he never saw it. With a more experienced horse it wouldn’t have been an issue, but at his stage I should have known better,” Doug said.
“That said, for the next couple of weeks I set up a similar question in the ring and jumped it at every angle I could think of. It’s so important to do that now since you’re going to see many corners at the upper levels. You need to ride it almost on a loose rein and they should lock onto it.”
Doug emphasized the importance of exposing young horses to “forward-thinking, open cross-country courses. Try to avoid smaller, trappier courses. The horses don’t come off learning as much as if they run on bigger, more open courses.” Doug loves courses like Pine Top, Southern Pines, the Fork, Maryland Horse Trials, Virginia Horse Trials, Millbrook, Stuart, New Jersey, Richland and Plantation Field — to name a few — for introducing young horses to more open courses.
Doug knows that training a young horse is a process, a fact he understood all too well while running preliminary with Lysander at Richland in August, where the pair pulled two rails in show jumping to finish sixth.
“It’s all about getting more exposure. They were spooky fences, and rails are going to happen. You can’t beat yourself up over it. Learn from each mistake, and keep in mind that young horses are going to need time to develop. It’s not about winning; blue ribbons will certainly come as a result of a good training process. Be patient.”
When it comes to bringing a young horse through the levels, both good and bad days will abound. Considering Lysander’s recent win at the AECs, I think we can assume most days in the future will be good.
Next week on EN’s Got Talent: We’ll meet Covert Rights, Colleen Rutledge’s 6-year-old homebred gelding who recently finished fifth in his first two-star at Richland. Wendy Woodall sent me a tip about this exciting horse: “I know everyone always talks about Colleen’s horse Shiraz, but I think people need to look out for this horse of hers. He is probably going to be her next four-star horse.” Thanks for the tip, Wendy!
Denny Emerson and Epic Win tackle the steeplechase phase at Bromont, via Denny's Facebook
It’s a quiet weekend in Eventing Nation after last weekend’s excitement with the American Eventing Championships. I’ll leave you with a poignant question Denny Emerson posted yesterday on his Facebook page. If you aren’t following him on Facebook, you should be. Denny said, “If there’s no open land where an event kid lives, no fox hunting, no point to points, no steeplechase any more in eventing, what are the chances the kid will grow up familiar with the sensation of being at ease on the back of a galloping horse?”
EN’s Got Talent is Eventing Nation’s newest series. We hear all the time about horses at the top of the sport, but what about the next generation of equine talent? This series 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].
Doug Payne and Lysander at Stuart Horse Trials in their first run at Preliminary level. Photo by Summer Crosby.
Doug Payne is no stranger to bringing a talented young horse through the ranks. His former ride Running Order stars in this excellent video that highlights bringing the former Irish racehorse from the lower levels all the way to this year’s Rolex CCI4*. Doug is looking to achieve that same success with Lysander, a 5-year-old Oldenburg/Thoroughbred gelding who won the Training Horse division at the American Eventing Championships last weekend.
At 18 hands, Lysander’s nickname — Big Leo — is a fitting tribute to his impressive build. Doug chatted about the early days with Lysander shortly after Richland, where the two finished sixth in their preliminary division.
Doug and Lysander at Stuart Horse Trials. Photo by Chandler Willet.
“He was bred by Elizabeth Callahan on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. My mother and Sandy Fritzsche bought him as a yearling as an investment,” Doug said. “I ended up buying him as a 3-year-old, going half-in with Kristin Michaloski. My sister started him; at the time of purchase he was doing walk, trot, canter and cross rails.” Doug dealt with some ups and downs with Lysander in the beginning, namely when Big Leo injured the plantar ligament that wraps around the back of his hock after a rather exuberant stall-kicking episode.
“Luckily, it should not cause a long-term issues. It just meant we had to keep him on an extended period of stall rest. Being that he was so big and talented, I didn’t want to rush his recovery. We took more time than was probably necessary to make sure he was 100 percent.”
Doug and Lysander were able to start their competitive partnership last February at the Paradise Farm Winter Horse Trials, two months after Big Leo learned to jump. They placed 14th in a very competitive beginner novice division, finishing on their dressage score of 36.5. Doug moved Lysander up to Novice at Fair Hill last May, finishing sixth with a 31.7 dressage score and rails in show jumping.
Several months later at Millbrook, Doug and Lysander finished seventh, with a 26 in dressage and a rail down in show jumping. “He’s a very impressive horse and a big horse at 18 hands,” Doug said. “He’s more coordinated and nimble than you’d ever expect for a horse his size. He’s a very talented horse, but with his height he was just tripping over the fences at Novice.”
While Doug’s long legs mask Lysander’s huge height, the 18-hand gelding’s size has been both a blessing and a curse. “He’s a very good jumper — brave and not one to get anxious or nervous,” Doug said. “Due to his size he can be a little bit of a bully. He’s getting better — and doesn’t have a malicious bone in his body — but because he’s so big he can push his weight around.” Lysander’s size also makes riding a dressage test in a 20X40-meter ring rather interesting — “You get about three strides down the long side,” Doug said.
Next week in EN’s Got Talent: Doug talks about his favorite cross-country courses to help youngsters learn the ropes. “I think it’s very important that you find events that have forward-thinking, open cross-country courses,” Doug said. “Try to avoid smaller, trappier courses. The horses don’t come off learning as much as if they run on bigger, more open courses.”
Our friends at Dubarry keep it classy at the AECs. Don't forgot to stop by their booth today if you haven't already!
Becky Holder and Courageous Comet concluded their decade-long partnership with a fairytale ending yesterday, winning the Advanced division at the American Eventing Championships at Chattahoochee Hills. Comet, 16, earns a well-deserved retirement after an incredible career that took the off-the-track Thoroughbred all over the world. Becky and Comet represented the U.S. at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Kentucky. Their impressive resume includes third- and second-place finishes at Rolex in 2010 and 2008, respectively. Comet and Becky also won the Advanced division at the AECs in 2010. Go Comet.
In other AEC news, novice and beginner novice show jumping rounds run this morning. All other divisions concluded yesterday. Here’s a roundup of AEC divisions that already crowned their champions, as well as current division leaders in novice and beginner novice:
Sinead Halpin certainly knows how to send a message. A double-clear cross-country round at Burghley, seven seconds inside the time — enough said. Meg Kep’s prayer vigil under the press table seems to have appeased the eventing gods. I wouldn’t be surprised if Meg has some company under the table at future events. With a rail in hand, Sinead will look to win her first 4* event this morning. Allison Springer and Arthur are also sitting inside the top 10 after an equally impressive cross-country round. We’ve seen a powerful indicator that U.S. eventing’s brightest days are ahead. Show jumping starts at 5 a.m. EST.
Ronald Zabala-Goetschel is an Ecuadorian businessman turned four-star event rider who keeps his upper-level horses at Phillip Dutton’s True Prospect Farm in West Grove, Pa. He also dabbles in cloning horses and designing saddles. I caught up with him this week after he returned to the States following his first Olympic Games. This is my first post as a member of the EN team. In case you missed it, Abby announced Monday that I won the second annual EN Blogger Contest. Thanks for reading!
Ronald and Master Rose scored a 53.3 on their dressage test in London. Photo credit: Lee Lee Jones
Ronald Zabala-Goetschel made history when he became the first rider from his home country of Ecuador to compete in eventing at the Olympics. But the road to the Games proved rocky. Ronald shared his dramatic countdown to London Monday while he drove to pick up Master Rose from quarantine in New York. After Ronald and “Big Boy” completed their last qualifier at the Jersey Fresh CCI3* in May, Big Boy had two weeks off before starting work again. But right after his time off, Big Boy got loose from his groom and slipped on a paved road, leaving cuts and bruises all over his body.
“He had an eight-inch cut in his arm pit,” Ronald said. “For two days he couldn’t walk. I had to cancel his flight to Europe for June 1. We took the flight on June 5 to Holland and he just spent time recovering.” The next weeks were spent caring for Big Boy’s injuries. Ronald and his team of vets drained 300 to 500 CCs of fluid and blood from Big Boy’s cut every day, a ritual he described as a nightmare. “Every day he had massage therapy and wore a magnetic blanket. He also had visits with the chiropractor, a reiki specialist and a physical therapist,” Ronald said. By the time Big Boy’s recovery was complete, Ronald only had five weeks to get him event fit for the Olympics. Unfortunately, that just wasn’t enough time, and Ronald knows Big Boy wasn’t at his best.
Master Rose enjoying his vacation in Vermont.
“He had a very hard time bending to the left as a consequence of his muscle injuries on his right hip. He was able to do a decent dressage test, even though he wasn’t feeling his best,” Ronald said. Big Boy struggled on cross country, where Ronald could feel him tiring by the fourth minute. Showing a true display of horsemanship, Ronald slowed down to save Big Boy, incurring 36 time penalties but coming home with a sound horse. “I just wanted to give him a quiet ride and complete the course. I really wanted to finish the competition with a clear cross country round, so it was OK to get those time penalties,” Ronald said. Big Boy pulled one rail in show jumping the next day — “That was my fault,” Ronald said — to finish in 43rd individually.
Now Big Boy is on vacation at a farm in Vermont, where he’ll enjoy lush pastures and sunshine for the next two and a half months. Che Mr. Wiseguy, Ronald’s partner for Rolex in 2009, is also enjoying time off in Vermont, recovering from arthritis in his neck that causes pinched nerves. Ronald, however, doesn’t get a break. The Ecuadorian entrepreneur, who only took three days off last year, will head to Argentina, Ecuador and China over the next month and a half to check up on his businesses. Ronald hopes to bring Big Boy and Wiseguy back into work starting in January. “Next year is a year we need to qualify for the WEG. I’ll be doing the Rolex CCI4* with Master Rose in April and then Jersey Fresh CCI3* with Master Hill and Brer Fox,” he said.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kADBf-g5C3E
Check out this video of Wiseguy playing with Ronald in Florida.
I’m not sure what I love more: Wiseguy saying “hi” or the Enrique Iglesias background track.
