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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

12 Days of Christmas: Total Saddle Fit Synthetic Shoulder Relief Girth

By on Dec 12, 2016 9:30 am -
Enter to win a Total Saddle Fit Synthetic Shoulder Relief Girth!

Enter to win a Total Saddle Fit Synthetic Shoulder Relief Girth!

Welcome to EN’s 12 Days of Christmas! It’s a giveaway extravaganza that will give EN readers the chance to win awesome prizes from our amazing sponsors for the next 12 days. Today we’re kicking things off by giving away a Synthetic Shoulder Relief Girth, the latest in Total Saddle Fit’s revolutionary line of products.

The Synthetic Shoulder Relief Girth is ideal for horses that don’t tolerate leather or fleece but still need the saddle fit and shoulder freedom benefits the girth provides. The Shoulder Relief Girth redirects the saddle’s billet line to give your horse’s shoulders more freedom from the saddle, better comfort and increased elbow clearance.

We also love these features of the Synthetic Shoulder Relief Girth:

  • Antimicrobial and easy-to-clean material
  • Padded and reinforced girth body
  • Double elastic on both ends for horse comfort
  • Stainless steel buckles and hardware
  • Most budget-friendly Shoulder Relief Girth available

This girth is also backed by Total Saddle Fit’s 30-day, 110% money-back guarantee! If you’ve been thinking about whether to try the Shoulder Relief Girth, now is the time! The synthetic girth retails at $89.95 and is available to purchase here. Now here’s your chance to win one! Enter to win using the Rafflecopter widget below. Entries will close at midnight EST tonight. Good luck! Go Eventing.

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Cross Country Training with Phillip Dutton + His Jumping Exercises

By on Dec 9, 2016 4:00 pm -
Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Cubalawn at Aachen. Photo by Jenni Autry. Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Cubalawn at Aachen. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Phillip Dutton, Derek di Grazia, David O’Connor and Leslie Law all spoke about cross country training to the USEF High Performance riders today at the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention in Fort Lauderdale, and in my mind it was easily one of the best High Performance sessions in recent years.

To have these four strategic cross country minds come together and talk shop was a real treat, and my notes from the session total more than 3,000 words. With that in mind, I’ll be bringing you a report on today’s High Performance session in two parts. As Phillip Dutton spoke the longest, he’s first up.

Keep in mind that Phillip made these comments in the context of speaking to the High Performance riders, but you can glean many nuggets of wisdom from his comments whether you ride at Beginner Novice or Advanced level.

Keep scrolling to the end to see diagrams of some of Phillip’s favorite cross country jumping exercises you can set up in your own arena at home, and stay tuned for much more from the #USEAConvention.

#USEAConvention: Website, Schedule, EN’s Coverage, Instagram, Twitter

Holding on the Jump

Phillip said one of the things he was told early on in his career is that “a horse should never have a refusal in his whole entire life” if he is taught to always go forward and stay locked on the jump.

“Whatever I ask my horse to do, I have to make sure he can do it, that I’m asking him in the right away, and that he stays confident. The horse has to understand he’s got to go. You can make it difficult, but I’m never making it so difficult that I’m asking the horse to run out. I’m always teaching him to go,” he said.

“Horses want to jump cleanly, so put the emphasis back on the horse. Use their instincts. They want to figure it out. The answer is not a bigger bit. Training your horse to hold on a jump is crucial.”

Phillip said the goal for riders needs to be that “even on the biggest, strongest pulling horse, you can still drop the reins and he’s going to go,” and winter is an excellent time to work on this. “At the moment with my horses coming back into work, I do a lot of trotting jumps. The horse can’t leave a stride out trotting jumps. Go back to basics and make the horse understand that they hold on the jump.”

Phillip also emphasized that riders and horses both must learn to go around cross country at a slower speed first before going fast and pushing for time. “We don’t want horses jumping around just because their adrenaline is up. You want to teach them to go around with poise and concentration. It’s not about always going flat out; pick and choose when you go fast. The horse and you have to be able to go around the course controlled and slow before you can go fast.”

Rider Position

Phillip said he is constantly working on his own cross country position, and he said he rides in a certain position for the critical reason that it gives him a higher probability of staying in the saddle should things go awry on course.

“You don’t generally fall off backwards. Most of the time gravity is pushing you forward, so I try to stay a little bit back all the time. You have to be prepared for the unexpected. If you’re in a braced, cautious position, you have a better chance to stay on and also stay effective. In a combination, if you get put out of position you have less of a chance of getting through it. Being in a more defensive position is better. A forward position looks good in the pictures, but it doesn’t always help you on cross country.”

Phillip also said that he thinks riders need to practice more when it comes to galloping fences out of stride, which he estimates generally makes up about 60 to 70 percent of the jumps on courses.

“What I’ll be doing this winter is coming down to jumps on an open stride and picking that up easily,” he said. “That shouldn’t be something where you need to use your hand at the jump. Getting good at riding to a jump without pulling back is crucial, and it’s all practice.”

Course Walking & Speed

When walking a cross country course, Phillip said it’s important for riders to understand what the course designer is trying to achieve. “Most of the time if you can ride the course how they’re trying to get you to, it will ride better. Knowing what the course designer is trying to do is always a good thing,” he said.

“It’s important to be able to walk a course and know what the striding is in meters or yards. Know if it’s a yard short or a yard long or two yards long. Get a tape measure and figure out what your own striding is when you walk the course. Understand yards and put some time into it.”

Phillip also said it’s important for riders to walk the course with someone “who speaks the same language and knows how you ride.”

When looking for places to make up time on course, Phillip said quickly accelerating away from the jump on the landing side can make up valuable time. “In the spring if you don’t push your horse for time at some of the events, you can still work on your craft by practicing getting away from the jumps quickly.”

The next step to making up time is on the approach to the jumps, Phillip said. “It’s much harder to save time on the approach to jumps because then you add risk to the jump, so that’s the last part you want to be working on to save time. As you get better and better and your horse becomes more experienced, you can work on a faster approach. Practice at home giving yourself less time to set up for a fence.”

The final piece of the time puzzle is speed, Phillip said. “If you’ve got a good galloping horse, we all utilize that speed. But to become a great cross country rider, if you can utilize those other areas first you will be a better rider for it.”

Bits

Phillip said his goal for his own horses is to be able to school cross country at home in a snaffle. “If you teach the horse to be able to jump cross country in a snaffle, the bit you’ll use in competition will be more helpful. If you keep using bigger bits, the horse will just keep getting stronger.”

While Phillip favors snaffles, he did note that other bits are helpful for rebalancing certain horses. “Some horses tend to be a bit downhill, and bits to elevate them are helpful. Others that are a bit above can keep them rounder on the approach to the jump. The less you can do with your bits in your training will help you. You’ll get more effect in your competition.”

Studs

“Nothing is worse for a horse’s confidence than when he’s slipping. The downside of studs is they can make the horse more prone to injuries and the horses can cut themselves, so you need a balance to have enough to keep them from slipping so they don’t lose confidence,” he said.

“We don’t get a lot of experience riding in heavier conditions in the U.S., but if it does get wetter, rather than saying, ‘It’s too wet so we should withdraw,’ everyone should embrace that. Practice what it feels like when they’re slipping. Once you go to Europe it becomes a lot more standard to compete in those conditions.”

With front studs, Phillip said to use the same size studs on both sides of the horse’s front feet so the foot can land evenly on the ground after jumping.

Mental Approach

Phillip said he personally uses a different mental approach for cross country than he does in dressage or show jumping. “Before I go out cross country, I want to feel as if I’m really sharp and ready to react. You can walk the course as much as you want, but it doesn’t always go to plan, so you have to be able to react. Having yourself mentally quick and sharp is very crucial,” he said.

“How you go about that is different for everyone. There’s no one right or wrong away, but working on that is important. You can have all the talent in the world, but if you don’t actually operate on the day then that’s no good at all. Be mentally prepared and ready to go.”

He also emphasized that the practice riders do at home should help build their confidence and mentally prepare them to compete. “Going out there and believing in yourself and having faith that it will work out, there’s a mental side to that put also a practiced side,” he said.

“Surrounding yourself with the right kind of people is important as well. With grooms, you want someone who is part of your team — someone who is going to be there helping you mentally be the best on the day.”

Training Exercises

Winter is an excellent time to set up cross country training exercises in your arena to get ready for the new season, Phillip said. “It’s better footing and in a controlled area, and you can adjust the jumps a lot more. There’s a lot that you can do to improve your cross country riding and your horse and your training in the arena.”

Keep scrolling for two adjustability exercises and two general jumping exercises. Then go forth and set these exercises up in your own arena! Happy Practicing. Go Eventing.

xc-3

Exercise #1

xc-2

Exercise #2

xc-4

Exercise #3

xc-1

Exercise #4

David O’Connor: ‘The Program Has a Way Forward’

By on Dec 8, 2016 5:30 pm -
David O'Connor speaks to the High Performance riders at the USEA Convention in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld. David O'Connor speaks to the High Performance riders at the USEA Convention in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

David O’Connor spoke to the U.S. High Performance riders this afternoon at the USEA Convention in Fort Lauderdale following yesterday’s announcement that he will remain Eventing Technical Advisor through 2018, though with less of a focus on hands-on coaching.

The change in his role came following a three-month review process of the USEF Eventing High Performance program after the U.S. did not complete a team at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

“In the review of this — coming after such an emotional letdown, an honest letdown — going through that becomes soul-searching. It becomes heart-rending, and the review process becomes very important.”

As U.S. Eventing Technical Advisor, David will remain the chef d’equipe of the team at international competitions, but his role will now shift to managing the personalized coaching programs of the High Performance listed riders rather than directly coaching each listed rider.

The idea, David explained, is to give the riders the power to manage their own coaching and develop close relationships with their personalized coaches, who can in turn communicate with David to ensure the next major goal for the High Performance program is met: to continue improving in all three phases.

“(Rio) was a huge disappointment to the country and to us that put so much time and effort into it. That day didn’t work out, but I don’t believe the program is broken. I think the program is actually working and the program has a way forward,” David said. “We’re developing an international presence and in a place that around the world, including the Olympic Games, we have players in the top five fairly consistently.”

The next step, David said, is for the riders to “academically look at their program” and “set target markers for what is achievable” to improve their scores, consistency and overall performance in dressage, cross country and show jumping.

“What is your percentage of jumping clear rounds on cross country for CCI and CIC? How many clear show jumping rounds do you jump at CIC and CCI? … If you’re on a 49 average score for dressage, can you get that down to a 47 or 46 in a short time? Then set a long-term target to get that below 45,” David said.

“How are you doing to do that? Who do you have that helps you? Who do you have that on an everyday basis is coaching you? If you’re a 75 percent clear cross country-jumping rider, can you get that to 80 percent? What are you going to do to be able to help improve that? Tell me that plan. Let’s agree on that plan.”

David said he expects USEF High Performance Training Lists to be released in the next month, and listed riders will have access to funding to pay for the coaches in their personalized training programs. (The winter/spring lists have not yet been released due to the three-month long review process following Rio.)

The overall process of how the riders on the Training Lists are selected and removed will also be made more clear and transparent going forward, David said. “That way the owners understand it and the public understands it. It will also be made clear how someone comes off the list. That will be more clear as we go on.”

USEF Eventing High Performance Sessions will also look a bit different under this program shift to focus on personalized coaching and will no longer be mandatory for listed riders because not all riders will be working directly with David.

Riders can still choose to work with David in their individual coaching programs, and, for example, a training session could be scheduled if multiple listed riders working with him are in the same geographic location. Additionally, if multiple listed riders train with Richard Picken or Silvio Mazzoni in show jumping, for example, a training session with those coaches could be scheduled, and David would be on site to observe.

David also addressed the new Olympic and World Equestrian Games formats during the High Performance Riders session. (Cross country is downgrading to a three-star level for both, starting with the 2018 WEG at Tryon International Equestrian Center in North Carolina and the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Click here and here to read more.)

“WEG is only 20 months away on a property we’ve never been on before. It’s a home-field advantage because of the fans and the enthusiasm, but it isn’t a true home-field advantage because we haven’t run over that property over and over again like we had at Kentucky. Twenty months away is right around the corner,” David said.

“I want you to forget that WEG has been changed to a three-star. It’s still a 10-minute course. Usually on a three-star course there are 40 jumping efforts; at four-star there are 45. It’s going to have the same intensity. … It’s going to feel like a four-star and ride like a four-star. It’s going to be everything you ever thought a World Championships would be.”

While Derek di Grazia was named the course designer for the 2018 WEG when the Games were still at Bromont, the course designer is now in question due to the location change. The FEI confirmed to EN last month that the 2018 WEG course designer has not yet been determined. (Capt. Mark Phillips designed the American Eventing Championships course at Tryon this year and is also designing the course for The Fork at the venue next spring.)

Finally, David addressed sending riders overseas to compete. “We made a huge investment over the last four years on a strategic plan and taking riders overseas. … I can see the targets being strict for getting funding to go to Europe,” he said. “If you have ambition, don’t wait for the government to send you. If you have ambition, make that happen.”

Stay tuned for much more from the #USEAConvention. Go Eventing.

#USEAConvention: Website, Schedule, EN’s Coverage, Instagram, Twitter

5 Things You Don’t Want to Miss at the USEA Convention

By on Dec 8, 2016 12:00 pm -
Welcome to Fort Lauderdale! Photo by Daniel Dudek/Creative Commons. Welcome to Fort Lauderdale! Photo by Daniel Dudek/Creative Commons.

It’s that time of year again! Eventers from all across the country are heading to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to attend the 2016 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention this weekend at the Diplomat Resort & Spa. For those of us who live in parts of the U.S. where winter has arrived, the USEA Convention presents a wonderful opportunity to get out of the cold for a few days and enjoy the sunshine.

Beyond an excuse for a warm-weather getaway, the Convention also presents a time for USEA members from all backgrounds — professionals, amateurs, officials, organizers and beyond — to come together and discuss critical issues facing the sport at a national level.

This year’s USEA Convention schedule is packed with open forums and educational sessions you don’t want to miss. Be sure to check out the entire schedule to plan your Convention itinerary, and we’ve highlighted five must-do things below. See you in Fort Lauderdale, EN!

USEA Annual Meeting of Members and Luncheon 
Saturday noon-2 p.m. Great Hall 3
The one and only William Fox-Pitt will deliver the keynote address at this year’s luncheon. The Annual Meeting is also an exciting time as we thank outgoing Board of Governors members and welcome new faces. The following are joining the Board of Governors this year: Max Corcoran, Janis Linnan, Jennifer Miller, Darin Mollett, Morgan Rowsell, Alice Sarno and Jerry Schurink.

Rio Olympic Games Recap with Phillip Dutton
Saturday, Dec. 10, 2-3 p.m. Great Hall 2
This is your chance to hear the first-hand account of our individual bronze medalist Phillip Dutton at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games! (You can definitely expect to hear a play-by-play of Phillip and Mighty Nice’s incredible save at the corner combination on cross country.)

Town Hall and Summit Recap
Saturday 3-4 p.m. Great Hall 2
Following the Eventing 2016-2026 USEA Summit at the 2015 USEA Convention, town hall meetings were then held in every area of the country this year to discuss key issues facing the sport. USEA CEO Rob Burk and USEA President Diane Pitts will present the findings from the town hall meetings, show members how they can track the progress of recommendations that were made, and discuss how member input will be used to better the sport going forward.

USEA Year-End Awards Dinner
6:30-9:30 p.m. Great Hall 3
Jimmy Wofford will once again emcee the USEA Year-End Awards Ceremony, which is always a highlight of the USEA Convention. We’re also in for an extra special treat this year, as The Fork at Tryon International Equestrian Center is sponsoring a South Beach After Glow Party following the awards dinner starting at 9:30 p.m.

EquiRatings with Sam Watson and Diarm Byrne
Saturday 10:30-11:30 a.m. Room 314
By now you’ve heard of the Irish stats chaps who are changing the face of equine sports data analysis. EquiRatings co-founders Sam Watson and Diarm Byrne have traveled all the way from Ireland to lead a session on how data science can lead to a better and safer sport. If you love following EquiRatings on Twitter, you’re going to love this session!

USEA Convention Links: Website, Schedule, EN’s Coverage, Instagram, Twitter

Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: Side Saddle Insanity in the Middle

By on Dec 7, 2016 5:00 pm -

Take a virtual trip to the Lisronagh Point-To-Point in Co Tipperary, Ireland for the first ever ladies side saddle race to be run in the country! Thirteen ladies strapped on safety vests for the mile and a quarter race on horses of all breeds and sizes. You’ll meet some of the riders in the video, plus watch Amelia Turner chat about her victory with Money Bags.

If you can’t get enough of the Lisronagh Point-to-Point, David Maloney filmed more footage from the races you can watch on YouTube here. It was a dry, overcast and cold day in Ireland with ground described as “yielding” — perfect for a brisk day at the races!

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Not sure which horse supplement best meets your horse’s needs? We are here to help.  Contact us at 859-873-2974 or visit our website at KPPusa.com.

David O’Connor to Serve as U.S. Eventing Technical Advisor Through 2018

By on Dec 7, 2016 12:40 pm -
David O'Connor at Badminton 2016. Photo by Shannon Brinkman. David O'Connor at Badminton 2016. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

The USEF just announced that David O’Connor will serve as the Eventing Technical Advisor for the U.S. Eventing Team for the next two years with a focus on the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon, North Carolina.

“Following the post-Rio Review, the role of the Technical Advisor has been adjusted to focus more on management of the programs and the athlete’s personal programs and goals rather than hands-on coaching,” the USEF said in a press release.

David will work alongside Joanie Morris, the USEF Managing Director of Eventing, “in the development and implementation of eventing plans, pathway, program and systems that will help grow programs for developing and elite athletes.”

“I think this is a great opportunity to continue strengthening the U.S. Eventing Team and the sport overall,” David said. “I will work closely with the Eventing Managing Director, the Eventing Sport Committee, personal coaches and athletes to communicate targets and strategies for continual athlete improvement and to develop a sustainable system in all three phases to deliver medals.”

The USEF added that David will continue working to implement his “pipeline program,” which he introduced in 2012 to “more effectively identify and develop talented youth while also developing programs for the riders at the top end of the sport.”

“David has brought continuity and commitment to U.S. Eventing for years,” USEF President Chrystine Tauber said. “From his gold medal and his position as President of the USEF, to his continued focus on growing development programs, David is well positioned to move the sport of eventing forward.

“As an athlete, chef d’equipe and technical advisor, David has been fully committed to the process of making the USA a leader in the eventing world.”

[David O’Connor to Serve as U.S. Eventing Technical Advisor]

Andrea Davidson Publishes Children’s Book + Win a Signed Copy!

By on Dec 7, 2016 9:00 am -
Aubrey Davidson proudly displays her mom's new book. Photo courtesy of Andrea Davidson. Aubrey Davidson proudly displays her mom's new book. Photo courtesy of Andrea Davidson.

Andrea Davidson can add published author to her many list of accolades thanks to releasing her very own children’s book, Brinelda and the Blue Pony. This special story is one Andrea’s father Nelson told her as a little girl. Now Andrea is passing the story of the blue pony on to her daughter Aubrey and future generations of horse-crazy kids.

Here’s a snippet of what the story is all about: “More than anything in the world, Brinelda wished she could ride the magical blue pony on the town carousel. But the blue pony had a wish of his own. Could a single selfless act grant them both their wishes?”

Enter to win a copy of Andrea Davidson's book!

Enter to win a copy of Andrea Davidson’s book!

We won’t spoil the story, but it’s one we guarantee will enchant people of all ages, and we’re excited to be giving away a signed copy just in time for Christmas! Enter to win a copy of Brinelda and the Blue Pony signed by Andrea Davidson using the Rafflecopter widget below. Entries will close at midnight EST on Monday, Dec. 12.

If you want to order a copy now as a present for someone special, softcover orders for Christmas delivery must be placed by tomorrow, Dec. 8, at this link. Softcover books are $20.99, with hardcover books priced at $29.99. The book will also soon be available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Want a signed copy of your own? You can email Andrea directly to order one of the 50 softcover signed copies available before Christmas at [email protected]. Orders must be placed by Dec. 13; the price of $25 includes shipping.

Merry Christmas! Go Blue Ponies.

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Fab Freebie: The Royal Equine Custom Ear Bonnet

By on Dec 5, 2016 9:30 am -
Enter to win a custom ear bonnet! Photo courtesy of The Royal Equine. Enter to win a custom ear bonnet! Photo courtesy of The Royal Equine.

‘Tis the season for spoiling our human and equine friends alike with Christmas presents, and your horse can look show-ring ready for 2017 in a custom ear bonnet thanks to this week’s Fab Freebie giveaway from The Royal Equine.

Caitlin Bertelsen launched The Royal Equine last year and makes each custom ear bonnet in Washington state. “Our affordable bonnets are made in all shapes, colors and sizes to fit any horse — because every horse needs a little bit of sparkle,” she said.

Check out The Royal Equine’s custom designs on Instagram and Etsy. Choose from black, brown, gray, white, hunter, navy and burgundy for the bonnet, ear and cord colors, and Caitlin also takes additional color requests. Custom ear bonnets start at $70, with one row of clear crystals for $75 or two rows for $80. Order your own bonnet here.

Enter to win one a custom ear bonnet for your horse using the Rafflecopter widget below. Entries will remain open through midnight EST on Friday. Good luck! Go Small Businesses.

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Five U.S. Venues Bidding for New CCI4* + What You Need to Know

By on Dec 2, 2016 4:30 pm -

Photo by Lorraine Jackson

Which venue will join the Kentucky Horse Park as the second in the U.S. to host a CCI4*? Photo by Lorraine Jackson.

EN has confirmed that five total U.S. venues are bidding to host a new fall CCI4* in the U.S. If the FEI approves the new CCI4*, it will join Rolex Kentucky as the second four-star in the U.S. and become the seventh in the world, along with Badminton and Burghley in England, Luhmühlen in Germany, Pau in France and Adelaide in Australia.

The U.S. venues bidding for the fall CCI4* are (in alphabetical order):

In order to protect the privacy of the five venues that submitted bids, the USEF will not be officially announcing the venues or any details of the bids. USEF Managing Director of Eventing Joanie Morris kindly clarified details about the bid process to EN, so read on about how the decision is being made.

  • The CCI4* bid process began earlier this year “to meet an identified need and opportunity to have a second four-star in the U.S. and an additional four-star outside Europe.”
  • The USEF approached organizers at venues that have hosted three-star competitions — or were scheduled to host a three-star — to submit bids to express an interest to run a CCI4*.
  • A USEF Task Force has been formed to consider the bids in line with the USEF’s Major Events Strategy.
  • Task Force members have visited all five of the venues that submitted bids, and the Task Force will meet before Christmas in to discuss which venue to choose. The Task Force’s recommendation must then be approved by the USEF Board of Directors before going on to the FEI for final approval.
  • A decision on where the new four-star will be held is expected to come in January 2017.
  • The inaugural running of the new CCI4* will be in the fall of 2018 or 2019. “With the change of the date and location of the World Equestrian Games, the pressure on the fall calendar in the U.S. in 2018 may mean that the best option for a new CCI4* will be to make its debut in 2019,” Joanie said. “This is one of the things the Task Force will consider while reviewing all of the bids.”

Wherever the new CCI4* is ultimately held, this will be a very exciting development for U.S. eventing and the sport as a whole. Which venue would you like to see host the new CCI4*, EN? Cast your vote in the poll below, and let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Go Eventing.

10 Questions with Rio Olympic Medalist Astier Nicolas

By on Dec 1, 2016 9:00 am -
Astier Nicolas and FE Ophelia. Photo by Jenni Autry. Astier Nicolas and FE Ophelia. Photo by Jenni Autry.

U.S. eventing fans were treated to an unexpected surprise when 27-year-old Astier Nicolas, who won team gold and individual silver medals for France at the Rio Olympic Games, traveled to Florida to compete at the Ocala Jockey Club International Three-Day Event.

Clayton Fredericks invited Astier to ride FE Ophelia, a 9-year-old Zweibrucker mare, in the CCI*. Astier and FE Ophelia added one show jumping rail to their dressage score to finish ninth in the 70-horse division on 51.2.

Astier kindly sat down with EN in Ocala to chat about what he’s been up to since Rio, share his impressions of eventing in the U.S. and give a sneak peek of what’s next for his Rio mount Piaf de b’Neville.

EN: Have you visited the U.S. before?

Astier: “Yes, once before on a family trip more than 20 years ago. We visited my brother, who was studying in Chicago, and then came down to Florida.” (And, yes, they did go to Disney World!)

EN: What do you think about the venue at the Ocala Jockey Club? 

Astier: “I’ve been here all week long, and it is amazing. This is a great venue; I’m amazed. I came here during November in Europe, so it’s great to be here in the USA with sunshine. There’s a lot of room here and there’s some great galloping courses. The event looks like a success. I hear everybody praising it.”

EN: Do you think the Ocala Jockey Club could host a CCI4*?

Astier: “There’s room for it and potential for it. A few adjustments and there you go.”

EN: Do you catch-ride a lot of horses?

Astier: “That’s the first time I’ve done that, though after the Olympics I had many horses come in (for training), and particularly I had horses to fix and they came just a few days before the event.”

EN: Are your horses on vacation right now?

Astier: “They do a little bit less when I am away, but my top horse has just come back from holiday last week. I am based in Tourville-en-auge near Caen, which is a very handy cross over to Great Britain. It’s not exactly the eventing place in France, but coming here and seeing the distance you all drive …”

EN: What are your plans for Piaf de b’Neville in 2017?

Astier: “I’d like to come to Lexington with my top horse. I had heard only nice things about Lexington, and it’s the only four-star besides Adelaide which I haven’t done. I’m really excited about this idea, so we’re finalizing the project with the French federation. The organization wants to help us with coming over as well, so if everything goes to plan we should make it.”

EN: What other top horses do you have coming up the levels?

Astier: “I have this one good horse, but that’s what I have. I’ve got babies, but I don’t have any other major horses. It was a good year because success followed me, and I tried to fill the gap in my string. There’s still some gaps, and I can only rely on him for the Europeans and the Worlds.”

EN: Have you bought any horses here in the U.S.?

Astier: “No. I looked at a few horses during the competition, but I didn’t do what I did sitting with my pen and paper at Le Lion watching every one of them. I more enjoyed Florida, and I did my horse shopping before. I am more shopping for Tokyo than for the Worlds. I’d love to go to the Worlds with Piaf de b’Neville, but you don’t know. By Tokyo he’ll be 15. He’s got some good mileage.”

EN: What else have you been up to while in Florida?

Astier: “Just chilling and enjoying my time here observing American eventing. It’s relaxing, and it’s good after the hectic season I had. It was very, very busy at the end of the season for me. This was a good rest.”

EN: How is U.S. eventing different than eventing in France?

Astier: “It’s full of big trucks! That’s what grabs my attention. Lorries are quieter.”

Many thanks to Astier for chatting with EN! You can learn more about Astier Nicolas Eventing on his website here and follow him on Facebook here. Vive la France!

Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: Ocala Jockey Club Rewind

By on Nov 30, 2016 6:00 pm -

We are loving this video Taggert VinZant of Bold Horse Media produced documenting Kylie Cahoon’s journey in the CCI* at the Ocala Jockey Club International Three-Day Event. Poseidon, a 10-year-old Hanoverian/Paint gelding owned by Taggert, finished his first CCI* with a double clear cross country round.

We love the behind-the-scenes look in this video; it truly captures the heart of eventing! Click here to relive all of EN’s coverage of #OJCInternational. Go Eventing.

The horse that matters to you matters to us®. 

You can count on Kentucky Performance Products to provide affordable, high-quality, research-proven products that carry a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Not sure which horse supplement best meets your horse’s needs? We are here to help.  Contact us at 859-873-2974 or visit our website at KPPusa.com. 

Interested in e-facts about equine nutrition and horse health information?  Click here to sign up for KPP’s nutritional minute: http://eepurl.com/cMPw.

Tuesday News & Notes from Cavalor

By on Nov 29, 2016 12:01 am -
Leslie Law and Fernhill Divergent. Photo by Jenni Autry. Leslie Law and Fernhill Divergent. Photo by Jenni Autry.

One of my favorite things about covering events for EN is keeping an eye out for exciting, young, up-and-coming horses. Leslie Law and Fernhill Divergent, a 6-year-old KWPN gelding (Affelay X Zakilly, by Odermus) owned by Julie Richards and Carol Gee, certainly turned heads during Sunday’s CCI* show jumping at the inaugural Ocala Jockey Club International Three-Day Event. This one has scope for days!

Leslie temporarily has the ride on Fernhill Divergent while Julie mends following her fall at the Dutta Corp Fair Hill International CCI3* in October, and Leslie gave the horse an excellent ride in his one-star debut to finish in second place on their dressage score of 44.6. We’re wishing a very speedy recovery to Julie and look forward to seeing her back in the tack aboard this lovely young horse.

Events Opening This Week:

 Stable View Aiken Opener Horse Trials (SC, A-3)  Three Lakes January Horse Trials at Caudle Ranch (FL, A-3)

Tuesday News & Notes:

Richard Waygood has been announced as the new performance manager for the British eventing team, replacing outgoing manager Yogi Breisner. British Eventing announced Chris Bartle as the new performance coach last week, which points to a new coaching structure for Team GB following the Rio Olympic Games. [New name joins Chris Bartle to lead British eventing squad]

Top Australian eventer Megan Jones has been sidelined with a serious concussion and broken ribs after her three-star horse Kirby Park Invader slipped and fell during a gallop at her base in South Australia. Megan said she is grateful “Freckles” was not injured in the fall. [Top eventer out of action with head injury]

There’s still time to register for next week’s USEA Convention & Annual Meeting, which will be held Dec. 7-11 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The schedule is packed with educational sessions and moments you don’t want to miss, like William Fox-Pitt’s keynote address. Did we mention the convention hotel is just one block from the beach? [USEA Convention Highlights You Won’t Want to Miss]

Have you been listening to the new Eventing Podcast? It’s the brainchild of EquiRatings co-founders Sam Watson and Diarm Byrne, along with the delightful Nicole Brown, who you might have heard commentate for Event Rider Masters. I’ve joined in on the podcast team as well, and our latest interview is with the USA’s own Lauren Kieffer. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and Soundcloud. [#LockerRoomTalk: Lauren Kieffer]

Tuesday Video: 

How cool is it that we had Rio team gold medalist and individual silver medalist, Astier Nicolas, competing at the Ocala Jockey Club this past weekend? He catch-rode FE Ophelia in the CCI*, and you can watch a video of his show jumping round thanks to our friendly neighborhood videographer David Frechette. Click over to YouTube for more videos from #OJCInternational.

Burnett & Halliday-Sharp Clinch Wire-to-Wire Ocala Jockey Club CCI Wins

By on Nov 27, 2016 5:00 pm -
Hannah Sue Burnett and Cooley Dream. Photo by Jenni Autry. Hannah Sue Burnett and Cooley Dream. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Hannah Sue Burnett and Liz Halliday-Sharp both sealed the deal on wire-to-wire CCI wins today at the inaugural Ocala Jockey Club International Three-Day Event to take home a serious chunk of the hefty $100,000 prize purse.

Hannah and Cooley Dream, an 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Cooley Dream LLC, led the CCI2* after Thanksgiving Day’s dressage on 43.9, then added 2.8 time penalties on cross country and jumped a double clear show jumping round today to take the win on a final score of 46.7.

“I’ve been riding with Silvio Mazzoni for a couple years now, and this last year I’ve really been focusing on the show jumping. It’s my favorite phase, and I’m lucky enough to ride some really good jumpers in Under Suspection and now Cooley Dream, and it’s fun to go in and be confident,” Hannah said.

“I just have to keep that in check a little bit and not get lackadaisical in the ring. ‘Cooley’ was really over-careful in warm-up today, so I was worried that I wasn’t riding forward enough, but Silvio helped me with that. Then he went in and jumped a really good round.”

Silvio takes a bit of a different approach to show jumping training, Hannah explained, which has totally overhauled how she prepares for the phase. “You have to really commit to his process and program, and he’s such a big picture type of person,” she said.

“His wife Jessie and I are good friends. It’s good team camaraderie, and I feel like we make our own little team here (in Ocala), and for me that’s really important. For me to feel competitive I need to feel supported and be supporting others, so it’s really special to have Sinead (Halpin), Lynn (Symansky) and Jennie (Brannigan) here as good team players. We all want to see each other succeed.”

Jennie Brannigan and Cool As Ice. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Jennie Brannigan and Cool As Ice. Photo by Jenni Autry.

With that team-player mentality in mind, Hannah gave Jennie Brannigan a big high five as they passed each other in the main stadium. Jennie jumped a beautiful clear round just before Hannah aboard Beth Battel’s Cool As Ice to finish second in the mare’s first CCI2* on 52.7. “Casi,” an 8-year-old Holsteiner Beth bred here in the States, finished seventh in the Plantation Field CIC2* and is definitely making her mark as an exciting up-and-coming mount for Jennie.

Boyd Martin and Santos, a 7-year-old Thoroughbred gelding owned by Craig and Gloria Callen and Ron and Densey Juvonen, were the only combination in the CCI2* field to finish on their dressage score. They jumped a beautiful clear round today to place third on 53.1.

Looking to the rest of the CCI2* field, Tiffani Loudon-Metze and Hap had one rail down in show jumping to finish fourth on 59.8, and Hillary Irwin and Kilbeggan left all the poles in the cups to round out the top five on 60.9.

Boyd Martin and Santos. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Boyd Martin and Santos. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Liz Halliday-Sharp Rebounds With CCI* Win

It’s been an emotional fall season for Liz Halliday-Sharp. Since losing her four-star partner HHS Cooley at Burgham in July, she recovered from breaking the C7 vertebrae in her neck and returned to FEI competition in September. This weekend marked her first CCI since getting back in the tack, and she rebounded in a big way to win the CCI* with Deniro Z.

One rail down in show jumping saw Liz finish on a final score of 40.7, the lowest finishing score in the competition. “Niro,” an 8-year-old KWPN gelding she owns, can be a bit “spicy,” as Liz put it, and she thinks that extra bit of pizzazz in his personality is what sets him apart as a top athlete.

“He is a great jumper and he tries so hard. He can have the odd rail because he has a unique style of jumping,” Liz said. “He’s the kind of horse where if you give him a little too much leg at the wrong time, you can flatten him a bit. I wasn’t completely straight to the Swedish oxer, so it wasn’t his fault we had the rail. He tried so hard all week, and I couldn’t be more happy with him.”

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deniro Z. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deniro Z. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Liz is also thrilled with the win because she is hoping to syndicate Niro so they can continue their partnership. “I’ve produced him from the very beginning of his career, and he’s come a really long way, so I’d love to see what’s next,” she said. Niro has already competed at the Intermediate level in England, and Liz said she is aiming to step him up to the two-star level next spring.

The win certainly softens the blow after Liz withdrew Elarona, who was in second place in the CCI* after cross country, from the holding box at this morning’s horse inspection. Thankfully, the mare is just a bit foot sore and will be totally fine.

“The Ocala area hasn’t had rain recently, and the organizers and grounds crew did everything they could to get the footing on cross country as good as it possibly could be considering the conditions. Thank you to them for their hard work. It has been an amazing event,” Liz said.

“It was really nice to have a win at the end of the year after what’s happened — having such a tough year and a few trips to the hospital and losing Cooley. I think we can all now take a breath and look forward to 2017.”

Leslie Law and Fernhill Divergent. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Leslie Law and Fernhill Divergent. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Show jumping significantly shuffled the standings in the CCI*, and Leslie Law and Fernhill Divergent moved from fourth up to second place on 44.7 thanks to jumping a clear round inside the time. Leslie temporarily has the ride on the 6-year-old KWPN gelding, owned by Julie Richards and Carol Gee, while Julie nurses a broken collarbone after falling at Fair Hill.

Jon Holling and Sportsfield Two Doors Down also jumped a clear round to move from fifth up to finish third on 45.3. The 7-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare owned by Foshay South Eventing also made her one-star debut at this event to cap what has been a fantastic weekend for Jon. He finished second yesterday in the CIC3* with Downtown Harrison, so he’s enjoying a big piece of the prize money pie.

Jon Holling and Sportsfield Two Doors Down. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Jon Holling and Sportsfield Two Doors Down. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Looking to the rest of the CCI* leaderboard, Doug Payne and Flagmount’s Mischief delivered a clear show jumping round to move from seventh to fourth on 46.9. Doug also finished a second ride inside the top 10 in Getaway, who placed sixth on 48.8. Allison Springer and Business Ben had one rail down to finish fifth on 47.5.

We have to send a special shout out to our guest, Frenchman Astier Nicolas, who catch-rode FE Ophelia to a ninth-place finish in the CCI*. Stay tuned for much more from Astier here on EN, but here’s a sneak peek: He’s hoping to bring his Rio team gold medalist and individual silver medalist partner Piaf de b’Neville to Rolex Kentucky next spring!

It’s been a wonderful weekend here at the Ocala Jockey Club, and we are so grateful to all of you who tuned in to our coverage over this holiday weekend. If you missed any of the action, you can re-watch the entire competition live thanks to EQTV at this link. Click here to catch up with all of EN’s #OJCInternational coverage. Go Eventing.

#OJCInternational: Website, Entries, Ride Times, Live Scores, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage

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Jog Report: 81 Horses Move to Show Jumping at Ocala Jockey Club

By on Nov 27, 2016 9:45 am -
Jennie Brannigan and Cool As Ice are second in the CCI2* after cross country. Photo by Jenni Autry. Jennie Brannigan and Cool As Ice are second in the CCI2* after cross country. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Eighty-one horses will move on to show jumping today in the CC divisions at the inaugural Ocala Jockey Club International Three-Day Event following this morning’s final inspection.

All 18 horses that presented in the CCI2* passed. Two combinations withdrew prior to jogging: Katherine Rivera and Royal Luftanzer, who were eighth after cross country, and Clara Cargile and White Indian, who were 14th.

Four CCI* horses were sent to the holding box, and three passed after re-presenting to the ground jury: Joe Meyer’s mount Fashion Forward (12th), Laura Szeremi and Quatar Z (26th), and Reagan Lafleur and Bella Van Bruxvoort (28th).

Liz Halliday-Sharp withdrew Elarona, who was in second place in the CCI* after cross country, from the holding box. Two combinations withdrew from the CCI* prior to show jumping: LeeAnn McQuade and Corp Trip and Courtney Swartz and My Son MJ. That gives us 63 horses going on to show jumping in the CCI*.

CCI* show jumping starts at 10:30 a.m. EST, followed by the CCI2* at 1:30 p.m. You can watch live once again thanks to EQTV at this link, and click here to catch up on all of EN’s #OJCInternational coverage so far.

#OJCInternational: Website, Entries, Ride Times, Live Scores, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage

Matt Brown & Super Socks BCF Take Ocala Jockey Club CIC3* Win + Much More

By on Nov 26, 2016 8:00 pm -
Matt Brown and Super Socks BCF. Photo by Jenni Autry. Matt Brown and Super Socks BCF. Photo by Jenni Autry.

It’s not every day that you declare one winner in a CIC3* but then end the day with a different rider accepting the big check — and taking a dunk in the pool to boot. While Jon Holling and Downtown Harrison were initially declared the winners of the inaugural Ocala Jockey Club International CIC3*, a dressage scoring discrepancy ultimately gave Matt Brown and Super Socks BCF the win.

While you might think this would be a controversial conclusion to the CIC3*, Matt and Jon both could not have been more gracious about the final outcome of the competition.

As Jon put it: “I was pumped that I had won, and then I found out that Matt had, and Matt came up to me in the barn and the first thing he said was, ‘Make sure you take your test and double check it,’ which is a huge credit to Matt for coming to me and making sure, which I did, that my score was calculated correctly. Matt wins, and that’s the sport.”

Matt and Super Socks BCF and Jon and Downtown Harrison ultimately completed the event on the same score of 46.3. Super Socks BCF was one of two horses in the division to make the optimum time of 6 minutes, 9 seconds, while Downtown Harrison accumulated 1.2 time penalties to give the win to Matt.

One could argue that Jon might have taken a different strategy setting out of the start box had he known Matt’s dressage score would ultimately be recalculated, but our top two didn’t want to dwell on that technicality tonight.

“I’ve lost before out of a technical error like that,” Matt said, “and I didn’t bring it up and I wish now that we had brought it up earlier after dressage … I’ve gotten second before when I should have won and I didn’t check the test until after I got home, so I thought ‘let’s double check the test,’ and neither one of us thought in a million years that we were going to actually find another mistake.”

But that’s ultimately what happened to flip flop our top two. Super Socks BCF, a 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by the Blossom Creek Foundation, has been hunting for redemption after a lackluster performance at Aachen CICO3* this summer, and Matt said he could not have been more thrilled with how the horse went today.

“We didn’t have a great result at Aachen and I was pretty disappointed in that, and I felt like I just needed to take some time and figure it out. I think it was my mindset going into the event that I wasn’t prepared enough. I didn’t want to jump back in and get ready for the next event, and so we took a little bit more time and went back to the drawing board,” Matt said.

“I have to give credit to Cecily, my wife, because I sort of go up and down as far as being really confident one day and the next day feeling like I can’t ride, and she really helped me sit down and talk about why I wasn’t feeling as confident as I should and come up with a plan that obviously paid off training-wise for us.”

Jon Holling and Downtown Harrison. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Jon Holling and Downtown Harrison. Photo by Jenni Autry.

It’s been a similar happy slew of emotions for Jon, who meant to take Downtown Harrison, his family’s 12-year-old Trakehner/Thoroughbred gelding, to Pau this fall before uncharacteristic stops in the show jumping warm-up at Stable View thwarted his plans.

“To be trying to get the horse to Pau earlier in the season and then not go to Pau but still come here and go home with a big check with him running around and feeling great — I’m just excited that I got my horse back and he feels like a million bucks,” Jon said.

While the course could have benefited from more rain in recent weeks, both Matt and Jon agreed that Mike Etherington-Smith’s three-star track lived up to expectations today.

“It looked to me like it was going to be a really galloping course and it was,” Jon said, “and that track was as close to feeling like you were going around a CCI while being at a CIC that I’ve ever felt, which I think is a testament to the property and to Mike E-S and to Richard (Trayford’s) vision for finding the place, and obviously to the Nygaards for letting us be here. I can’t think of any other place in America to have a big event than here.

“(Downtown Harrison) is a pretty experienced horse, and he went out there and all the questions were very understandable — big bold fair questions. I think when you’re eventing … young horses you always say, ‘Courses are supposed to teach them; they should be better when they finish.’ I’ve found at the Advanced level that doesn’t always happen …

“Maybe it’s because my horse was spectacular today, which he was, but I would say at 12 years old he went out there today and became a better horse than when he started. For an Advanced horse to do that on course? I’d love to say it’s because he’s a special horse and I gave him a decent ride, but I think the biggest credit is to the design, the fences and the property.”

Matt echoed the same positive sentiment about the track and the venue. “It’s an amazing property, and I didn’t know what to expect coming down here, and I am totally blown away with what they’ve done. … It was really nice to run around a big, galloping, fair course for the horses. I think the sport is going in the direction of very turning, tight, smaller courses, and so to be able to go out and gallop through questions felt really good.”

Matt also wanted to send a special shout out to Bob and Valerie Fish for all of their support in getting “Flaxen” to this point in this career, and to Carol Gee for spotting the horse initially. Three cheers for Flaxen!

Looking to the rest of the leaderboard, Boyd Martin and Steady Eddie, a 13-year-old Australian Thoroughbred owned by Gretchen Wintersteen, Pierre Colin and Denise Lahey, were the only other combination in the division to make the optimum time, which put them in third place on 47.2.

Doug Payne and Debi Crowley’s Vandiver, a 12-year-old Trakehner gelding and our overnight leader after show jumping, picked up 6.4 time penalties to finish in fourth place on 48.1. Joe Meyer and Clip Clop, a 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse owned by Madison and Theresa Foote, finished fifth on 52.8 thanks to a speedy cross country trip with 3.2 time penalties.

Hannah Sue Burnett and Cooley Dream. Photo by Jenn Autry.

Hannah Sue Burnett and Cooley Dream. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Hannah Sue Burnett and Cooley Dream Keep CCI2* Lead

Hannah Sue Burnett and Cooley Dream held onto their CCI2* lead after dressage thanks to a clear cross country round with 2.8 time penalties, and their score of 46.7 gives them a rail in hand over Jennie Brannigan and Cool As Ice as we look ahead to tomorrow’s show jumping finale.

But for Hannah, having “Cooley,” an 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Cooley Dream LLC, feel confident and bold over Clayton Fredericks’ cross country course is already a victory.

“We’ve backed way up after our fall at Rebecca Farm, and I’ve been trying to be really sensitive to what he needs from me encouragement-wise and also letting him have his time and be confident,” Hannah said. “It’s a fine line with an Irish horse; especially with the Cruising line. They need to know what they’re good at and feel that confidence from you but also not be pushed past it.”

Hannah said U.S. Coach David O’Connor has been instrumental in helping her develop a strategy to develop Cooley’s confidence on cross country, and that strategy paid off in spades today.

“Cooley went out today and took the bit, to the point where I was not trusting it completely because I like to be sensitive to him; that’s why I picked up some time faults. But he was so honest to the combinations and the skinnies and the corners and angles. I don’t ever have to worry about any of that, and that’s such a nice feeling. He’s so genuine.”

Jennie Brannigan and Cool As Ice, an 8-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Beth Battel, moved up to second place on 52.7 in the CCI2* with a clear round and 1.6 time penalties. Boyd Martin and Santos, a 7-year-old Thoroughbred gelding owned by Craig and Gloria Callen and Ron and Densey Juvonen, jumped one of the three clear rounds inside the time in the division to move from seventh to third on 53.1.

Kristen Merala and Tiki Tiki Tumbo also made the optimum time of 8 minutes, 30 seconds to move from 11th to fourth on 54.5. Buck Davidson and Bounce Pass delivered the only other double clear in the division to move from 13th to fifth on 54.5.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deniro Z. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deniro Z. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Liz Halliday-Sharp Dominates CCI*

Liz Halliday-Sharp continued her total dominance of the CCI* today, jumping clear and inside the time with both Deniro Z and Elarona to hold onto first and second place.

“Deniro hasn’t had a run since the beginning of October, so I was thrilled with how he went. He found the time very easy, and he finished very fresh. He’s such a trier, and he has such a great brain and really enjoys his job. It’s a pleasure to ride a horse like that,” Liz said.

“Elarona was magic. She felt like a world class horse today. She’s still quite green, but she’s so brave and she covered the ground really well. Both horses have had enough experience at this level, but neither one of them has ever done a CCI*, so I couldn’t have asked for a better day.”

Allison Springer and Business Ben also jumped clear and inside the time to remain in third place on 43.5. Leslie Law and Fernhill Divergent moved up one spot on the leaderboard to fourth on 44.7, with Jon Holling and Sportsfield Two Doors Down rounding out the top five on 45.3.

EN has been with you this entire holiday weekend, and we’re not going anywhere now! Tomorrow’s final horse inspection starts at 8 a.m. EST, and CCI* show jumping will be streamed live on EQTV starting at 10:30 a.m. EST, followed by CCI2* show jumping at 1:30 p.m. EST. Thanks for following along with us. Go Eventing.

OJCInternational: Website, Entries, Ride Times, Live Scores, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage

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Watch the Ocala Jockey Club International Live Stream

By on Nov 26, 2016 8:40 am -

Good morning from the final day of the inaugural Ocala Jockey Club International Three-Day Event! CCI* show jumping will be streamed live starting at 10:30 a.m. EST, followed by CCI2* show jumping at 1:30 p.m. EST

You can watch the action live thanks to EQTV right here on EN, and you can also open the live stream in a separate window at this link. Click here to catch up with all of EN’s #OJCInternational coverage so far. Go Eventing.

#OJCInternational Links: Website, Entries, Ride Times, Live Scores, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage

Ocala Jockey Club CIC3*, CCI2* & CCI* Cross Country Course Previews

By on Nov 26, 2016 7:00 am -
The final water complex. Photo by Tyson Rementer. The final water complex. Photo by Tyson Rementer.

Good morning from cross country day at the Ocala Jockey Club International Three-Day Event! Temperatures are expected to cool a bit today here in Reddick, Florida, which should give us perfect conditions for the horses and riders. Thanks to our good friends at CrossCountry App, we have full previews of the CIC3*, CCI2* and CCI* cross country courses.

Mike Etherington-Smith has designed a big, open, galloping track for the CIC3*, and Clayton Fredericks has also followed suit with the CCI2* and CCI* courses. If you think the Ocala area only has flat terrain — guess again. The rolling hills of the Ocala Jockey Club feature the second highest point in Marion County, and riders will need fit horses to chase the optimum time across all the courses.

The CIC3* course has 33 jumping efforts over 3,506 meters with an optimum time of 6 minutes, 9 seconds. The CCI2* course has 35 jumping efforts over 4,675 meters with an optimum time of 8 minutes, 30 seconds. The CCI* course has 30 jumping efforts over 4,678 meters with an optimum time of 7 minutes, 35 seconds.

Keep scrolling for fence-by-fence previews of all the courses. Course builder Tyson Rementer recorded the CIC3* preview and packed it full of commentary and videos from Mike Etherington-Smith, Katie Ruppel, Joe Meyer, Dana Cooke and John Williams. Clayton Fredericks also offers commentary on his courses in the CCI2* and CCI* previews.

You can watch cross country live all day today thanks to EQTV. The CCI* starts at 9:30 a.m. EST, followed by the CIC3* at 1:10 p.m. EST and the CCI2* at 2:45 p.m. EST. We’ll also be running live updates here on EN and tweeting @eventingnation. Click here to catch up with all of EN’s #OJCInternational coverage so far. Go Eventing.

#OJCInternational: Website, Entries, Ride Times, Live Scores, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage

 

 

Doug Payne and Vandiver Jump to Ocala Jockey Club CIC3* Lead

By on Nov 25, 2016 6:30 pm -
Doug Payne and Vandiver. Photo by Jenni Autry. Doug Payne and Vandiver. Photo by Jenni Autry.

We can always expect a proper show jumping track from Richard Jeffery, and he certainly didn’t disappoint this afternoon at the inaugural Ocala Jockey Club International Three-Day Event. Poles went flying on the CIC3* course, leading to a major shake-up and three fresh faces topping the leaderboard as we look ahead to tomorrow’s cross country.

Doug Payne and Debi Crowley’s Vandiver, who sat tied for third place on 41.7 after this morning’s dressage, jumped one of the nine clear rounds inside the time to take the overnight lead. Jon Holling and Constance Holling’s Downtown Harrison left the poles in the cups to move from eighth to second on 45.1, and Sara Kozumplik Murphy and Rubens D’Ysieux also jumped double clear to scoot from ninth to third on 45.7.

EN’s predicted winners this weekend, Doug and Vandiver are one step closer to taking home a serious chunk of prize money after a day that’s gone their way from the start. This morning the 12-year-old Trakehner gelding, better known as “Quinn,” delivered a personal best dressage test, and while he does trend towards clear show jumping rounds, it certainly wasn’t an easy afternoon. With his CIC3* first-timer Lysander also sitting inside the top 10, Doug is a very happy man tonight.

“Quinn is getting better and better in dressage, and I thought he was exceptionally good today — probably the most ridable he’s been yet,” Doug said. “About halfway through the test I was thinking ‘Wow, I actually can start to go for it a bit more.’ I can’t wait to see what comes in the future, but this is a great step forward for sure.”

Quinn finished 16th at the Dutta Corp Fair Hill International CCI3* last fall, and Doug said he didn’t see a reason to run him there again. “His weakest link in the last six months has been on the flat, and he’s had a lot of clear rounds in show jumping, but he was also rubbing rails. We took a lot of time through the summer and into the fall doing some straight show jumping and working on the flat,” Doug said.

“I figured that given the opportunity to run good quality horse trials that have a great course that it would be more beneficial for him in the end. We found out about this event, and I spoke to Clayton (Fredericks). He said it was going to be a great open galloping course, and it was one of those things that made a whole lot of sense to come here and then target Kentucky in the spring.”

Jon Holling and Downtown Harrison. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Jon Holling and Downtown Harrison. Photo by Jenni Autry.

While Jon and Downtown Harrison, a 12-year-old Trakehner/Thoroughbred gelding better known as “Will,” were originally planning to compete at Pau CCI4* last month, their fall plan changed suddenly after the horse had uncharacteristic refusals in the show jumping warm-up at Stable View’s Advanced horse trials. Jon ultimately withdrew from Stable View, and subsequently Pau, and re-routed to the Ocala Jockey Club’s event instead.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been as nervous going into a show jumping round as I was today,” Jon said. “We’ve spent the last six weeks trying to regroup and figure out what went wrong and going to work with Leslie (Law). This was our first big test to see if we had sorted it out. He’s my horse and my parent’s horse, so there’s really no pressure aside from the pressure I put on myself, which is tremendous.”

Jon, who is based about 30 minutes from the Ocala Jockey Club, echoed what we’re all thinking about the quality of the venue: “We have to say a huge thank you to Erik and Pavla Nygaard. I certainly haven’t been to every venue in the world, but I’ve been around awhile, and I have to say I can’t think of any place that is more beautiful than this place. Certainly there are some beautiful venues in the world, but this one would rival any of them.”

Sara Kozumplik Murphy and Rubens D'Ysieux. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Sara Kozumplik Murphy and Rubens D’Ysieux. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Sara Kozumplik Murphy has only had the ride on Rubens D’Ysieux for a handful of months, but they’ve quickly crafted a partnership that has them enjoying a spot in the top three at this inaugural CIC3*. Mikki Kuchta produced the 11-year-old Selle Francais gelding through the CCI3* level, and when she decided to take a step away from competing at the highest levels of the sport, Sara suddenly found herself with the opportunity to take the ride.

Since then, Sara’s longtime owner and supporter Edy Rameika has stepped in to help her buy “Ruben,” and they’re tackling their first CIC3* together as partners this weekend. “I’m not a catch ride type of person, but I really love this horse. … He’s a wicked cross country horse with a great brain, and Mikki has trained him beautifully on the flat,” she said.

“I have worked with Linda Zang for many years on the flat, and she has helped me a lot with my position and riding my horses more through. Since I came down to Florida I’ve also been working with Clayton over the past two weeks, and he has sharpened me up seriously and has made me a much better ring rider.”

Looking ahead to tomorrow, Mike Etherington-Smith’s cross country course is certainly a big ask. “We all have a lot to do tomorrow,” Jon said. “It’s a big track, but I think it’s one of the nicest CIC3* tracks I’ve seen. It’s probably the most galloping, big, proper track I’ve seen at this level.”

Sara, who is perhaps the founding member of the Mike E-S Fan Club, said she thinks the course is “magical.” But given that her partnership with Ruben is still a very new one, she plans to take a more conservative approach tomorrow.

“I’m a good cross country rider, but on my own horses, and I don’t know this horse that well. I’m going to go out and ride, but there are a couple places where I might be a little slower. I agree it’s a big, galloping course, and I’m certainly going to go out and give it a go, but I don’t think it’s fair to be too demanding of a horse I don’t know that well.”

As for whether our overnight leader Doug Payne plans to put the pedal down with Vandiver, he said: “I really don’t like losing.”

Looking to the rest of the CIC3* leaderboard after show jumping, Matt Brown and Super Socks BCF jumped double clear to move from 10th to fourth on 46.4. Dressage leaders Buck Davidson and Carlevo dropped two rails to slip to fifth on 46.7. Boyd Martin and Steady Eddie are still on their dressage score of 47.2 for sixth, and Lynn Symansky and Donner had one down to slip from fifth to seventh on on 48.4.

Buck and Doug both have two rides in the top 10. Petite Flower had one rail down to drop one spot on the leaderboard from seventh to eighth on 48.6. Lysander also had one rail but moved up two spots on the leaderboard to round out the top 10 on 52.0. Joe Meyer and Clip Clop jumped clear and inside the time to move from 14th to ninth on 49.6.

In addition to the pairs already mentioned, three more in the CIC3* division jumped double clear rounds: Leslie Law and Tre’ du Kernat (13th on 54.8), Colleen Rutledge and Escot 6 (14th on 55.2), and Ronald Zabala Goetschel on Wundermaske (18th on 61.7).

Click here to catch up on more of the day’s action in the morning report. Liz Halliday-Sharp sits first and second in the CCI* after the conclusion of dressage, leading with her own Deniro Z on 36.7 and followed by her own Elarona on 41.8. Allison Springer and her own Business Ben are third on 43.5. Click here for quotes from Liz.

The CCI2* did their dressage yesterday. Hannah Sue Burnett and Cooley Dream LLC’s Cooley Dream lead on 43.9, with Boyd Martin and Christine Turner’s Kyra in second on 44.9 and Sara Kozumplik Murphy and Edy Rameika’s L’Alezane in third on 47.0. You can read quotes from Hannah, Boyd and Sara in yesterday’s report.

You can watch cross country live all day tomorrow thanks to EQTV. The CCI* starts at 9:30 a.m. EST, followed by the CIC3* at 1:10 p.m. EST and the CCI2* at 2:45 p.m. EST. We’ll also be running live updates here on EN. Click here to catch up with all of EN’s #OJCInternational coverage thus far. Go Eventing.

#OJCInternational: Website, Entries, Ride Times, Live Scores, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage

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Buck Davidson and Carlevo Lead Ocala Jockey Club CIC3* After Dressage

By on Nov 25, 2016 2:00 pm -
Buck Davidson and Carlevo. Photo by Jenni Autry. Buck Davidson and Carlevo. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Buck Davidson and Carlevo LLC’s Carlevo delivered a personal best dressage score of 38.7 as the penultimate pair to go at the inaugural Ocala Jockey Club International Three-Day Event to the lead CIC3* after the first phase. That’s just the second score in the 30s in the entire competition, but it still doesn’t give Buck much breathing room as we look ahead to this afternoon’s show jumping.

Clayton Fredericks and FE Bowman, who he owns with Amanda Bernhard and Diana Crawford, sit just 1.5 penalties behind in second place on 40.2, with Allison Springer and Arthur and Doug Payne and Debi Crowley’s Vandiver tied for third place on 41.7. Less than a rail separates the top four, and less than two rails separate the entire top 10. With $48,000 in prize money on the line, the pressure is on as horses and riders tackle Richard Jeffery’s show jumping course at 3:30 p.m. EST.

Clayton Fredericks and FE Bowman. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Clayton Fredericks and FE Bowman. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Looking to the rest of the leaderboard, Lynn Symansky and the Donner Syndicate’s Donner and Katie Ruppel and her own Houdini are tied for fifth on 44.4. Buck Davidson has a second ride in the top 10 in Caroline and Sherrie Martin’s Petite Flower, who scored 44.6 for seventh place. That gives us seven tests in the division that garnered sub-45 scores.

Jon Holling and Constance Holling’s Downtown Harrison scored 45.1 for eighth place, with Sara Kozumplik-Murphy and Edy Rameika’s Rubens D’Ysieux scoring 45.7 in their CIC3* debut together to sit in ninth place. Matt Brown and Blossom Creek Foundations’ Super Socks BCF are rounding out the top 10 in the 22-horse division on 46.4. Keep scrolling to view a photo gallery.

Allison Springer and Arthur. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Allison Springer and Arthur. Photo by Jenni Autry.

It’s been a very warm day here in Florida so far, and CIC3* show jumping will start at 3:30 p.m. EST this afternoon during the hottest part of the day. Some clouds are starting to roll in now, and the chinchillas would welcome a bit of respite from the heat! You can watch show jumping live on EQTV at this link, and then check back later this afternoon for the full report.

CCI* dressage just concluded, and no one caught Liz Halliday-Sharp’s leading 36.7 score from yesterday with her own Deniro Z, so she leads the massive 71-horse division overnight as we look ahead to cross country. Liz came the closest today to overtaking her lead, and she now also sits in second with Elarona, who she also owns, on 41.8.

Allison Springer and her own Business Ben are third on 43.5, with Kimmy Steinbuch and Ruth Bley’s Envogue in fourth on 44.5 and Leslie Law and Fernhill Divergent, owned by Julie Richards and Carol Gee, rounding out the top five on 44.7.

Doug Payne and Vandiver. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Doug Payne and Vandiver. Photo by Jenni Autry.

We also have a very special guest competing in the CCI* in France’s Astier Nicolas, individual silver medalist and team gold medalist from this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Astier is catch riding Kingfisher Park’s FE Ophelia and is tied for 10th place after dressage on 47.2.

The CCI2* competitors have a day off today. If you missed the action yesterday while stuffing your face with turkey, Hannah Sue Burnett and Cooley Dream LLC’s Cooley Dream lead on 43.9, with Boyd Martin and Christine Turner’s Kyra in second on 44.9 and Sara Kozumplik Murphy and Edy Rameika’s L’Alezane in third on 47.0. You can read quotes from Hannah, Boyd and Sara in yesterday’s report.

Astier Nicolas and FE Ophelia. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Astier Nicolas and FE Ophelia. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Click here to catch up with all of EN’s #OJCInternational coverage so far, and stay tuned for much more from CIC3* show jumping later this afternoon. If you’re looking to do some online shopping while you wait for the live stream to start again at 3:30 p.m. EST, don’t miss these Black Friday sales. Go Eventing.

#OJCInternational: Website, Entries, Ride Times, Live Scores, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage

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Burnett & Halliday-Sharp Top Thanksgiving Leaderboards at Ocala Jockey Club

By on Nov 24, 2016 6:00 pm -
Hannah Sue Burnett and Cooley Dream. Photo by Shannon Brinkman. Hannah Sue Burnett and Cooley Dream. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

It has been a picture perfect Thanksgiving here in Florida for the first day of dressage at the inaugural $100,000 Ocala Jockey Club International Three-Day Event, where the #EventingFamily has come together to celebrate the holiday amidst the unveiling of a spectacular new venue for the sport.

Richard Trayford and the Equiventures team have definitely delivered in their promise to transform Erik and Pavla Nygaard’s Thoroughbred racing facility for eventing. The rolling hills create a park-like backdrop for Mike Etherington-Smith and Clayton Fredericks’ cross country courses, and the vendor tents surrounding the main grass stadium provide a definite European feel to the atmosphere.

Twenty-two horses and riders are duking it out for $24,000 in prize money in the CCI2* division, with Hannah Sue Burnett and Cooley Dream are leading the way on 43.9 at the conclusion of dressage. The 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Cooley Dream LLC finished third in the CIC2* at Virginia Horse Trials last month as his final prep run for OJC International.

“David O’Connor has helped me so much with Cooley in the dressage. I feel like we’re finally getting to the point where I can really show him off. He’s lighter up front and really engaged, and he comes into the corners now and backs off. I had a couple mistakes in the test, but he’s so good and understands the arena so well.”

Hannah is familiar with the Ocala Jockey Club, having rented a townhouse here at the facility over the winter for the past few years, and she said it’s been incredible to watch the transformation. “I’ve never seen anything like it in the U.S. other than Rolex,” she said. “It’s cool to have it right in our backyard.”

The venue boasts the second highest point in Marion County, and it’s a rarity to see so many hills in the Ocala area. “I think people are surprised by how hilly it is,” she said. “I just came down from Virginia so my horse has been on the hills there, which is an advantage. The biggest thing with Cooley on cross country is he needs to focus. He’s a fantastic jumper and galloper, and I’m excited to get out on the course.”

Boyd Martin and Kyra. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Boyd Martin and Kyra. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Boyd Martin and Kyra were the penultimate pair to go in the CCI2* and couldn’t quite catch Hannah’s leading score, settling for second place on 44.9. A former ride of Michael Pollard, Boyd took over the ride in May on the 9-year-old Canadian Sport Horse mare owned by Christine Turner.

“I was thrilled with Kyra today,” Boyd said. “She definitely has unbelievable movement and real elegance in the ring. I thought she put in as good a test as what we had at Plantation Field,” where they scored 37.8.

Like all the riders and spectators here at the Ocala Jockey Club, Boyd has been very impressed with the quality of the venue. “It’s obviously a big commitment for the owners to bring their horses all the way down from Pennsylvania, but once we got here I knew it was a great decision. The venue is spectacular. I was expecting a flat, pancake course, and it feels like we’re in a parkland.”

There’s no question that Mike Etherington-Smith and Clayton Fredericks have designed serious courses, with Tyson Rementer and Levi Ryckewaert bringing the fences to life as the course builders. The course is beautifully presented, and we’ll be bringing you a full preview shortly.

“These are big, solid fences with plenty of hedge. It’s definitely a proper track across all the levels. We got the horses very fit on the hills of Pennsylvania, and my three are in peak condition. It’s one of those events where if you have a good run here you know you’re ready to step up to the next level next year,” Boyd said.

“The course is a test of accuracy and stamina with big fences. The courses are really questioning the horse’s rideability and the pilot’s adjustability. It was well worth the trip because the footing is good, and there is plenty of electricity and atmosphere in the ring. As a professional rider I am thankful these events are popping up more in the States. The bar is being raised.”

Sara Kozumplik Murphy and L’Alezane. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Sara Kozumplik Murphy and L’Alezane. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Sara Kozumplik Murphy and L’Alezane round out the top three in the CCI2* on 47.0. Previously ridden by Danny Warrington, Sara got the ride in May on the 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare owned by Edy Rameika. “Large Marge” and Sara took second place in the Bromont CCI* shortly thereafter in June, and this weekend they are tackling their first CCI2* as a pair.

“She is a fantastic mover and has a great brain. She’s very professional about her job, and Danny did such a wonderful job producing her, so I get to go in the ring and ask for more, which is a very unusual feeling. I’m usually trying to keep the lid on!” Sara said. “There were a couple mistakes, but she really doesn’t have bad days. She’s got a great attitude, and unlike most horses it’s good for her to walk past the cross country on the way to her test.”

Sara has trained with Linda Zang on the flat for many years, and she said taking lessons with Clayton Fredericks in recent weeks has also helped her immensely in dressage. “He really got after me about needing to be a better ring rider, and it really made a huge difference in only three lessons,” she said.

As for the cross country, Sara said she thinks the Ocala Jockey Club is perfectly suited to host an open, galloping   course . “I love this style of course. Clayton has done a beautiful job with the CCI2* and CCI* tracks, and I’ve always said that if Mike E-S was a religion I would be a member of it. I think he understands the horses really well. The way the first water on the CIC3* course sets you up for the last water is perfect.”

Sara has watched the venue transform over the last year and said she has been floored by the final product. “Richard drove me over here last year in October, and my first thought was it’s one of the very few places in the world that you see and think it could be a four-star venue. I still thought Richard had his work cut out for him, but I had a lot of faith in him because he was bringing in all the right people to help him. He’s done it. What a feat — and to have prize money! He’s done it all.”

Looking to the rest of the CCI2* leaderboard, Tiffani Loudon-Metze and Hap scored 47.8 for fourth place, and Katie Ruppel and Foreign Affair scored 49.7 for fifth, which gives us five sub-50 scores in the division. Boyd Martin also has a second ride in the top 10 in the division with Santos, who scored 53.1 to tie for equal seventh place with Jessica Schultz and Lock N’ Load.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deniro Z. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deniro Z. Photo by Jenni Autry.

The first part of the large CCI* division also did their dressage today, and Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deniro Z took a commanding early lead as just the second pair out on 36.7, the only score in the 30s thus far in the competition. The 8-year-old KWPN gelding Liz owns won The Fork CIC* earlier this spring and is looking to complete his first CCI* this weekend.

“I was really thrilled with my horse. He tried really hard for me. There weren’t a lot of people around for atmosphere today, but it was more atmosphere than he’s experienced, and it was hot. There were a couple little bits where I could have ridden better, but overall I was really happy with him,” Liz said.

“They’ve done a really great job to make it feel like a big international event, and I think more events should look at this as an example. I know they’ve worked hard on the ground, and it’s tough because it’s been so dry here recently. We’re appreciative to the owners and organizers for putting in the time and effort.”

Allison Springer and Business Ben scored 43.5 to sit in second place in the CCI*, with Jon Holling and Sportsfield Two Doors Down in third place on 45.3. Canadian riders are rounding out the top five, with Dana Cooke and FE Mississippi in fourth on 46.7 and Annick Niemuller and FE Black Jack in fifth on 47.0.

CCI* dressage resumes at 8:30 a.m. EST tomorrow morning. The CIC3* kicks off at 9:30 a.m. EST with dressage, followed by show jumping in the afternoon. You can watch all the action live thanks to EQTV at this link. You can view more photos from today on EN’s Instagram and the OJC International Facebook page. Happy Thanksgiving, and Go Eventing.

#OJCInternational: Website, Entries, Ride Times, Live Scores, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage

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Black Friday Roundup: Don’t Miss These Deals & Door Busters

By on Nov 24, 2016 1:15 pm -

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If you’ve been scouring the internet for Black Friday sales, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve teamed up with our amazing advertisers to compile a list of deals you don’t want to miss. Know of any awesome Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales for horse enthusiasts? Let us know in the comments below. Go Shopping!

Fleeceworks is offering 10% off Pads With Purpose in the following styles: Sheepskin, Therawool and Bamboo Quilted Square. Use coupon code PWPBF. Click here to shop.

Horseware Ireland is offering special sales on Triple Crown rugs and Alessandro Albanese clothing. Use coupon code AABLKFRI to get 15% off full price Alessandro Albanese styles through midnight on Sunday. Click here to shop. Use coupon code TCCBF20 for 20% off, plus a free gear bag with every rug purchased, through midnight on Monday. Click here to shop.

Majyk Equipe is offering 25% off all products on their website and free shipping on orders over $100 starting Black Friday and going through Cyber Monday. Use coupon code BF2516 at checkout. You’ll also get a free promotional Christmas bag with every pair of boots purchased. Click here to shop.

MOJO Future Tech is offering a buy three get one free sale on all bracelets, plus free shipping.Use coupon code MOJOGIVING at checkout. Click here to shop.

Professional’s Choice is running a Black Friday sale here. Click for deals on everything from blankets and boots to pads and girths, and shipping is free on all orders over $50. Plus, don’t forget that the Professional’s Choice #BootUp special runs through Dec. 31. You can score $10 off all pairs of Pro Performance schooling, show jumping and cross country boots, as well as any Sports Medicine boots. The coupon is automatically applied online, or you can print a coupon here to use in stores.

Total Saddle Fit is offering 75% off stirrup leathers and girth liners when you spend $100 or more. Use coupon code BLACKFRIDAY. Click here to shop.

World Equestrian Brands is kicking off the holiday season with 12 Days of Christmas starting tomorrow. Check their Facebook page for the next 12 days and score amazing deals on top brands. Click here to shop.

SmartPak is offering 15% off all purchases, plus free shipping on orders over $75. Use coupon code GIFT2016. They will also have special doorbuster deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Click here to shop. PLUS SmartPak’s 25 Deals of Christmas started this week to bring you up to 50% savings on special products all through the holidays. Click here to sign up for the 25 Deals of Christmas and receive a new deal in your inbox each day.  

 

Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: Looking Back on Area I’s Season

By on Nov 23, 2016 3:30 pm -

Did you compete, volunteer or spectate in Area I with this season? You might be featured in this video slideshow of beautiful photos from Joan Davis/Flatlandsfoto highlighting events throughout the northeast.

Every year Joan puts together a calendar to support the Area I Adult Rider Program, and the video also shows photos that will appear in the calendar. Interested in supporting the Area I Adult Rider Program? Click here to order a 2017 calendar.

Go Area I. Go Eventing.

The horse that matters to you matters to us®.  

You can count on Kentucky Performance Products to provide affordable, high-quality, research-proven products that carry a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Not sure which horse supplement best meets your horse’s needs? We are here to help.  Contact us at 859-873-2974 or visit our website at KPPusa.com. 

Interested in e-facts about equine nutrition and horse health information?  Click here to sign up for KPP’s nutritional minute: http://eepurl.com/cMPw.

 

Thanksgiving Top Dog Contest! Presented by World Equestrian Brands

By on Nov 22, 2016 1:00 pm -
Does your pup have what it takes to be EN's Thanksgiving Top Dog? Baxter does! Photo courtesy of Brittany Walker. Does your pup have what it takes to be EN's Thanksgiving Top Dog? Baxter does! Photo courtesy of Brittany Walker.

We’re just two days away from Thanksgiving, a time of year when we gather with our friends and family members of the two- and four-legged variety. EN’s Rolex Top Dog Contest is always one of our most popular of the year, and this Thanksgiving we’re teaming up with World Equestrian Brands to honor the beloved dogs in our lives with EN’s Thanksgiving Top Dog Contest!

How to enter: Submit a favorite photo of your dog to [email protected] or post a photo on social media with the hashtag #ThanksgivingTopDog. Entries are due at 11:59 p.m. EST on Thanksgiving Day. The EN staff will select our favorite photos and post them for voting on Black Friday. All photos are eligible for entry, but we especially want to see any fall and Thanksgiving-themed photos of your dog!

You could win Tri-Zone Allsports II Boots!

The prize: The lucky winner will take home a pair of Equilibrium Tri-Zone Allsports II Boots courtesy of World Equestrian Brands! These multi-purpose boots are designed to be versatile for busy horse owners. From jumping, cross country, flatwork, hacking and turnout, the AllSports II boots can do it all. The boots retail at $114 and are available in black or white and sizes small-extra large. Click here to learn more about the boots.

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FlyPups: If you’re wondering where to shop this holiday season, please consider World Equestrian Brands, where a portion of all sales benefits FlyPups. This non-profit’s mission is trifold: transporting dogs from desperate situations to no-kill shelters and forever homes, providing aid to dogs during natural disasters, and delivering trained dogs to veterans for service and companionship — all at no charge. Visit FlyPups.org to learn more about this wonderful organization.

Now go forth and take photos of your pups! Happy Thanksgiving. Go Eventing.