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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.

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Girl Power at Carolina: Halliday-Sharp Dominating CCI4*-S + Much More

By on Mar 22, 2019 7:39 pm -

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Liz Halliday-Sharp is dominating the CCI4*-S at Carolina International, holding the lead on 27.9 after show jumping with Fernhill By Night and moving up to second on 29.5 with Deniro Z thanks to delivering clear rounds with both horses.

Marc Donovan’s course always shakes up the leaderboard at Carolina, and 17 of the 43 pairs in the CCI4*-S jumped clear rounds inside the time to give us a 40% clear rate. Last year’s winners Doug Payne and Vandiver dropped one rail to slip from second place after dressage to fifth.

“Now I’ve been here enough that I know you have to keep moving no matter what,” Liz said of Marc’s show jumping track. “I had some help from Richard Picken in warm-up and he really knows those horses now, so he got it just right.”

After having two rails down at Millstreet last year, Liz went on a 1.30-meter show jumping crusade with Deniro Z, an 11-year-old KWPN gelding (Zapatero VDL X Zonne- Trend, by French Buffet xx) owned by The Deniro Syndicate and Ocala Horse Properties.

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

“Each track we did, he got better and I got better. I think that helped me figure out how to ride him a bit more. He’s looking for the rider to do quite a bit — he’s not a light, fluffy ride,” Liz said. “He’s also a lot stronger now, especially behind, so now I can really get him into the base of the jump.”

Liz also has her third ride, The Monster Partnership’s Cooley Quicksilver, sitting inside the top 10 in his CCI4*-S debut after he jumped a clear round today.

Looking ahead to tomorrow’s cross country, Liz can afford to be 10 seconds over the optimum time of 6 minutes, 40 seconds and still take the win with “Blackie,” a 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse (Radolin x Argentina XII, by Argentinus) owned by Deborah Halliday.

“Blackie isn’t the world’s fastest horse, but he is quick enough. I need to be super efficient with him,” Liz said. “I definitely think early on this course you have to come out of the box in sixth gear because that’s one place where it’s flat so you can get a bit of speed up.”

Hallie Coon and Celien. Photo by Brant Gamma Photography.

Hallie Coon and Celien, a 12-year-old KWPN mare (Tenerife VDL X R Quicksilver, by Hamlet) owned by Helen Coon, will be looking to capitalize on cross country tomorrow after their clear round moved them up to third place on 32.3.

“She’s been jumping out of her skin this year. We’ve been approaching show jumping with a different view and mixing it up for her. It’s my job to get her there with a bit of a gap to the fences, and it’s her job to do the rest,” Hallie said. “Mostly it’s about getting her to the fences with not a lot of momentum and getting her there with a gap so she actually has to use her scope and try.”

The general consensus from the riders is that Ian Stark’s CCI4*-S cross country course is a bit softer this year (though it is wise to never underestimate Ian!), and Hallie said she thinks it will be a good prep run for Celien as she aims for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event.

“There are good questions that will prepare the horses for Kentucky. The main factor here is always time, but I think this year it might be a little easier to get because they’ve done so much work on the ground and a lot of clearing out there. The galloping lanes are so much wider, and it’s easier to see where you’re going.”

Hallie and Celien are competing on Erik Duvander’s team as part of the USEF/USET Foundation North American Futures Team Challenge, a new program established to simulate competing in a team environment. Stay tuned for much more on the North American Futures Team Challenge.

Click here for full scores in the CCI4*-S after show jumping.

Holly Payne Caravella and CharmKing. Photo by Jenni Autry.

CharmKing Jumps to CCI3*-S Lead

Holly Payne Caravella and CharmKing, an 8-year-old Holsteiner (Cassito X O-Heraldika, by Heraldik) owned by CharmKing LLC, moved up to lead the CCI3*-S after dressage leaders Kristen Bond and I’m Sew Ready dropped one rail.

“I’m just really proud of him this weekend because he had just started to get to the point where he’s getting a little fitter and a little more worked up in the big atmosphere,” Holly said. “He knows what it’s about now, which kind of worries you when they get a little too excited about it, but he was good and rideable in the dressage and was the same in the show jumping today. He definitely felt the atmosphere, but it just made him jump better.”

As for Holly’s thoughts on Ian’s CCI3*-S course: “I think there’s plenty to do out there, but it’s very fair and it’s a good benchmark of where you are in your training. I think if you have an issue, then that’s a hole in your education that you can go home and work on. Then if you do well, you’re right on track with your education.”

Colleen Loach and FE Golden Eye, a 7-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Goldfever X Cascade, by Contendro I) she owns with Amanda Bernhard, jumped clear to move up to second on 27.0 in the horse’s CCI3*-S debut.

Will Faudree and Caeleste, a 9-year-old Holsteiner mare owned by Jennifer Mosing and Sterling Silver Stables, and Liz Halliday-Sharp and Pru Dawes’ Flash Cooley, a 7-year-old Irish Sport Horse (CSF MR Kroon X Castlefield Ruby) making his CCI2*-S debut, both jumped clear to move up to equal third on 28.9.

A total of 25 pairs jumped clear rounds inside the time on Marc Donovan’s CCI3*-S show jumping course to give us a 45% clear rate. Click here to view full scores after show jumping.

Andrew McConnon and Bossinova. Photo by Brant Gamma Photography.

Andrew McConnon Holds Lead in CCI2*-S

It’s been a busy day at Carolina International, with cross country also taking place for the CCI2*-S. Andrew McConnon and his own Bossinova, a 9-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Bonifatius x Dawina, by Der Lord), finished 5 seconds inside the optimum time of 5 minutes, 58 seconds to hold their lead on 20.3.

“I had to go pretty quick to go inside the time,” Andrew said. “The footing was fantastic and the course was presented beautifully, which allowed for the horses to really gallop. It was a great galloping track.”

Andrew and “Hugo” have a rail and time in hand for tomorrow’s show jumping, and he said he’s feeling confident as he aims to secure the first international win of his career. “He’s beautifully behaved, so I just need to ask the right questions of him.”

Waylon Roberts and Michelle Koppin’s Fortunate Rebel, a 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse, also caught the time on cross country to remain on their dressage score of 27.4 and move up to second place.

Kyle Carter and Gaillards Lancer, an 8-year-old KWPN gelding (Diarado X Urlanta, by Flemmingh) owned by Brandon and Savannah Blackstock, also jumped clear and inside the time to move up to third place on 27.5.

Ian Stark’s track definitely shook up the leaderboard, with 22 of the 62 combinations jumping clear rounds inside the time (35% of the field). Click here to view scores after cross country.

Allison Springer and Business Ben Best Advanced

Dressage also kicked off today for the National divisions, and Allison Springer and Business Ben lead the Advanced on 27.2, a personal best at the level. Allison has carefully produced Ben, a 9-year-old unraced Thoroughbred (Artie Schiller X Min Elreeh, by Danzig) owned by The Business Ben Partnership, through the levels with the future in mind. He stepped up to the Advanced level last year, and Allison said he has come out this season a more mature horse.

“He was excited in the cold wind this morning, but he’s really learning to channel that energy,” Allison said. “All of his excitement comes from a place of wanting to do the right thing and loving the job. You can’t beat that in the Thoroughbred mind.”

Allison has yet to push the clock on cross country since Ben stepped up to Advanced, and she said tomorrow she will look to give him a solid, educational round to build on later in the spring season.

“I can’t say I’m going for the time tomorrow, but I’m producing him to be more rideable,” she said. “It’s about waiting for them to mature and totally get it.”

Buck Davidson and Carlevo LLC’s Carlevo, a 12-year-old Holsteiner (Caresino X Ramatuelle, by Levernois), scored 27.5 for second place — meaning Allison doesn’t have even 1 second in hand on cross country tomorrow.

Alexa Lapp and Cambalda, a 17-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Balda Beau X Cathy’s Lady), scored 29.5 for third place. Alexa and “Ping” competed in the Advanced combined test at Rocking Horse several weeks ago and are contesting their first Advanced here at Carolina.

Click here to view full scores across all divisions.

CCI3*-S cross country will stream live tomorrow on EQTV Network from 10-11:54 a.m. EST, followed by CCI4*S cross country from 12:30-2:48 p.m. EST and Advanced cross country from 3-4:15 p.m. EST. Click here for a fence-by-fence preview of the CCI4*-S course.

Thank you to all the amazing volunteers who make Carolina such a fabulous event, and thank you for following along with EN’s coverage. Go Eventing.

Carolina International: Website, Entry Status, Ride Times, Live Scores, Start Lists, EN’s Coverage, Live Stream, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Carolina International CCI4*-S Cross Country Course Preview

By on Mar 22, 2019 11:20 am -

Fence 4ABC – The Attwood Mounds. Photo by Jenni Autry.

The Cloud 11 ~ Gavilan North Carolina International is always one of the most highly anticipated events of the U.S. spring season, and Ian Stark’s cross country course never disappoints. Time is extremely difficult to catch in the CCI4*-S, with only one pair managing it in each of the last two runnings of the event. Caroline Martin and The Apprentice beat the clock when they won in 2017, as did Doug Payne and Vandiver when they won last year.

The CCI4*-S course follows much of the same route as last year and is beautifully decorated by Janine McClain and her top notch team. The first three fences — Knowlbrook Farms Welcome to Carolina International at fence 1, The Kingfisher Park Guard House at fence 2, and CDP Stables Home of the Brave at fence 3 — settle horses and riders into a rhythm before the first combination at fence 4, The Attwood Mounds. Riders will tackle an angled hanging log at A before jumping a narrow log at B and a triple brush at C.

Fence 5, The Spindletop Farm Hurdles, is a combination of two rolltops. Then it’s on to fence 6, The Winter Book Farm Kennel, before the coffin at fence 7. Called the Breezeway and Friendship Complex, the coffin has a hanging log as the A element, one stride to the ditch and then out over a triple brush. Fence 8, the The Osphos Table, is a beautiful new table built by course builders Tyson Rementer and Levi Ryckewart.

Fence 13ABC – Cloud 11 Montrose Pool Aquarium. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Fence 9, Horsepower Technologies’ Roll Tops, is a turning question with two narrow rolltops. The cabin at fence 10, DGS Group of Southeby’s 10 International Realty Cabin, bring riders to the next combination at fence 11, Cordelia’s White Gates, which features two white gates on an uphill approach. Then it’s on the imposing Hylofit Ditch and Brush at fence 12 before the first water complex at Cloud 11 Montrose Pool Aquarium. Riders drop in over a log at A, jump a wedge in the water as B, then kick up the hill to the trakehner at C, and finally on to the open oxer at D, which was separately numbered last year.

Fence 14 is a beautifully carved narrow fence called Seminole Feed Farmyard, and leads to the next combination at fence 15, Setters’ Run. Riders will jump an open oxer as the A element, followed by a narrow brush at B. The next three fences, The MLB table at fence 16, The Pyne Family Trakehner at fence 17, and the The Emerald Valley Cordwood pile at fence 18, lead to the next water complex.

Fence 19AB – The Lumbee River Chincoteague Pegasus. Photo by Jenni Autry.

The new brush built for the The Lumbee River Chincoteague Pegasus water complex at fence 19 is quite a site to behold. The direct route takes horses and riders over the brush and into the water as the AB element, then a left-hand turn out of the water and up to a narrow hanging log as the C element. Fence 20, The Land Rover Tobacco Barn Complex, features the same open corner combination as last year, and then it’s on to the last at fence 21, Southeast Farm Finale.

The CCI4*-S is 3,800 meters with an optimum time of 6 minutes, 40 seconds. CCI3*-S cross country will stream live tomorrow, March 23, on EQTV Network from 10-11:54 a.m. EST, followed by CCI4*S cross country from 12:30-2:48 p.m. EST and Advanced cross country from 3-4:15 p.m. EST. You can view maps of all the courses here, and scroll down for a fence-by-fence preview of the CCI4*-S course. Go Eventing.

Carolina International: Website, Entry Status, Ride Times, Live Scores, Start Lists, EN’s Coverage, Live Stream, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Halliday-Sharp vs. Payne: Stage Set for Carolina CCI4*-S Showdown

By on Mar 21, 2019 9:29 pm -

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deborah Halliday’s Fernhill By Night, a 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse (Radolin x Argentina XII, by Argentinus), cruised to the dressage lead in the Carolina International CCI4*-S prior to the lunch break on 27.9 and never relinquished it.

While rainy, chilly temperatures plagued the morning session of dressage today in Raeford, North Carolina, the conditions actually suited Fernhill By Night. Last year Liz elected to only target short format events with “Blackie,” and the strategy paid off with top-10 results in all of their CCI4*-S runs in 2018.

“We’re always trying to get him really sassy for a test because he’s a really sleepy person in the ring. … We’ve been teaching him a few piaffe steps and passage — anything to make it more fun for him. … He’s 16 now and he knows his job, and as long as we get him fresh and ready he delivers a good test. It’s fun to ride him because you know he’ll bring something good to the table,” Liz said.

“His niche is never running longer than 6 1/2 minutes — that suits him just fine. I think the horse really enjoys it now. He comes to the party knowing he’s not going to get exhausted. He knows he can do it. I think he’s built on that and become a better horse. It’s nice to have figured him out that way and accepted he’s not going to do Kentucky.”

Blackie finished second in the CCI4*-S here at Carolina last year, bested only by Doug Payne and Debi Crowley’s Vandiver, who sit second after dressage on 29.0. The stage is set for a Halliday-Sharp vs. Payne showdown.

Doug Payne and Vandiver — note that Doug his holding the reins in a driving position. Photo by Jenni Autry.

“Quinn,” a 15-year-old Trakehner (Windfall II X Visions of Grandeur, by Mystic Replica xx), had a joint flush in his stifle last year after winning the CCI4*-S at Carolina and is fittingly returning to his first international competition this weekend to defend the title.

“It’s very rewarding because he’s the most genuine creature there is and wants to help you out,” Doug said. “It makes the job a whole lot of fun and fairly straightforward, especially with the jumping. On cross country he’s a seeing-eye dog.”

As for the dressage, Doug has worked with Grand Prix dressage rider Shawna Harding and U.S. Performance Director for Eventing Erik Duvander over the winter to finding better coping mechanisms for Quinn’s tension in the ring.

“He’s a horse that would get a little bit nervous,” Doug said. “We’ve tried to figure out a way to ride through the tension and take the energy and go somewhere with it rather than go hands-off and wait for something to happen.”

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

Liz Halliday-Sharp also holds third place with Deniro Z, an 11-year-old KWPN gelding (Zapatero VDL X Zonne- Trend, by French Buffet xx) owned by The Deniro Syndicate and Ocala Horse Properties, on 29.5.

“I think he’s getting better marks for the bits he does really well because he’s really pushing from behind now. He spent a bit of time with Robert Dover in Wellington, which was really amazing to have his insight — just teaching him to sit a little bit more because he’s naturally croup-high,” Liz said.

“He’s such a wonderful horse. He has such a great brain, and he loves his job and loves me — we have a great partnership. I think when all the pieces are aligned, he’s going to be unbeatable.”

Liz has been on a roll this winter — winning two Advanced divisions at Pine Top Advanced with Deniro Z and Cooley Quicksilver, who sits just outside the top 10 in his CCI4*-S debut, plus winning the $50,000 LiftMaster Grand-Prix Eventing Invitational with Fernhill By Night.

“I’ve always been quite competitive, but I think there were a few pieces that needed to get better. A lot of it has been working with the right trainers. I tried to sit down and work out the bits that weren’t right. I think my cross country riding needed to improve. I think we’ve tried to get the horses a lot stronger. I think that’s made a big difference — working them for strength and getting them to use themselves better,” Liz said.

“Those overall building blocks of their strength and knowledge has made the horses go better, but it can always be better. At each event you learn a bit more, and having Erik’s guidance has been brilliant. My longterm dressage coach James Burtwell has also been there from the beginning with guiding me in producing these horses. I just want to be the best and I’m not, so I have to keep working hard.”

Kristen Bond and I’m Sew Ready. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Kristen Bond and I’m Sew Ready Reunited

Today was a homecoming for Kristen Bond and John and Kristine Norton’s I’m Sew Ready, who were reunited for their first international competition since 2015 and lead the CCI3*-S on 25.6. Phillip Dutton campaigned the horse for the last three seasons, and now “Jackson,” a 15-year-old KWPN (Lupicor X Jarda, Elcaro) has returned to Kristen to be sold.

“We’re so happy to have him back. He’s the king. It’s pretty surreal,” Kristen said. “(The Nortons’) goal with him is to find his next home. He still has a lot to offer for sure. He’s a super horse. We want to find the right match for him.”

Kristen took Jackson to Gulfport in Mississippi to compete in jumper classes at the Gulf Coast Winter Classic in the lead-up to Carolina, and she said they plan to go back to jump again following this weekend as they look ahead to what’s next for the horse.

Holly Payne Caravella and CharmKing, an 8-year-old Holsteiner (Cassito X O-Heraldika, by Heraldik) owned by CharmKing LLC, scored 26.3 for second place in the CCI3*-S.

“He’s a funny horse. He can be really lazy but out of nowhere can do a buck or leap or something dramatic. He did do that in warm-up (today) when I thought he was quiet, but I found that if he gets it out of his system in warm-up then he’s usually a little bit better in the ring,” Holly said.

“Today was the first day I felt him go in and be a little bit nervous but still rideable. He listened to me the whole way even though I could tell the atmosphere was affecting him.”

Colleen Loach — who has a seriously nice group of young horses coming up the levels right now — sits third in the CCI3*-S on 27.0 with FE Golden Eye, a 7-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Goldfever X Cascade, by Contendro I) she owns with Amanda Bernhard.

Andrew McConnon and Bossinova. Photo by Brant Gamma Photography.

Andrew McConnon Bosses CCI2*-S

Andrew McConnon and his own Bossinova smoked the CCI2*-S on a 20.3, a personal best for the 9-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Bonifatius x Dawina, by Der Lord).

“Overall he just feels stronger and more in front of my leg,” Andrew said. “He’s always good in the contact, but he’s taking me down the centerline and in the movements, which I think is where the extra marks came from. He can be economical at times. The atmosphere and a bit more going on definitely helps him.”

Hugh Wrigley and FE Santos, his own 8-year-old Hanoverian gelding, sit second in the CCI2*-S on 26.5. Waylon Roberts and Michelle Koppin’s Fortunate Rebel, a 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse, scored 27.4 to sit in third place.

Tomorrow will be yet another action-packed day at Carolina International. Advanced dressage starts at 8 a.m. EST, with CCI3*-S show jumping starting at 9:30 a.m. EST, followed by CCI4*-S show jumping at 12:30 p.m. EST. You can watch show jumping on EQSportsNet with fabulous commentary from Nicole Brown and friends. Click here for the full schedule.

Thank you to all the fabulous volunteers and everyone working hard behind the scenes to make Carolina International one of EN’s favorite events of the year. Go Eventing.

Carolina: Website, Entry Status, Ride Times, Start Lists, Live Scores, EN’s Coverage, Live Stream, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

By the Numbers: Carolina International CCI4*-S

By on Mar 21, 2019 8:16 am -

Carolina Martin and Danger Mouse at Carolina 2017. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Now in its sixth year of running, Carolina International continues to serve as one of the most highly anticipated events of the U.S. spring season. Many pairs competing this weekend are using Carolina as a key prep run for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event and other major spring long formats.

Last year Kim Severson and Cooley Cross Border scored 20.8 to set the dressage record for the CCI4*-S; we are unlikely to see any pairs come even close to besting that this year. Sue Baxter (GBR) and Mark Weissbecker (USA) are the CCI4*-S ground jury. Mark is also serving on the Kentucky ground jury this year alongside Martin Plewa (GER) and president Christina Klingspor (SWE), who is leading the CCI3*-S ground jury this weekend.

Marc Donovan returns as the show jumping course designer and always designs a tough track on the turf. Ian Stark is now in his fourth year of designing the Carolina cross country course. Only one pair made the time in the CCI4*-S in 2016 and 2017, and we expect time to once again be influential.

Key Stats

  • In the five runnings of the CCI4*-S, Doug Payne and Vandiver are the only pair to come from outside the top 10 after dressage to win. Last year they sat in 12th after the first phase and were the only pair to make the time on cross country to steal the win.
  • Of the five pairs to win the CCI4*-S, four finished on their dressage score. Only Allison Springer and Arthur added any penalties to their dressage score and still won — 3.2 cross country time penalties in 2016.
  • Only one combination, Maya Black and Doesn’t Play Fair, has ever had a show jumping rail and still finished inside the top four in the CCI4*-S at this venue.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Dressage Divas

  • Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night have the best dressage average in the field of 27.9. Their final three runs of the 2018 season all had scores lower than that. In their five CCI4*-S runs in 2018, they never finished outside of the top 10, including finishing second in the Carolina CCI4*-S.
  • Switzerland’s Felix Vogg has a seriously exciting mare in Cayenne, who is averaging 28.0 in the first phase after two starts at the level. She scored 27.0 at Red Hills in her CCI4*-S debut earlier this month and will challenge Fernhill By Night for the lead after the first day.
  • Four other pairs in the field have a 12-month dressage average in the 20s at the level: Buck Davidson and Copper Beach, Lynn Symansky and Under Suspection, Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deniro Z, and Will Coleman and OBOS O’Reilly.

Sharon White and Cooley On Show. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Show Jumping Powerhouses

  • Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Singapore have never had a rail down at the Advanced and CCI4*-S levels.
  • Sharon White and Cooley On Show have only had one show jumping rail in the CCI4*-S format since 2016 — at this venue last year when they finished 11th.
  • Will Faudree and Pfun are a remarkably consistent show jumping combination, pulling rails only three times in their entire international combination stretching back to 2013.

Lisa Marie Fergusson and Honor Me. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Cross Country Machines

  • Doug Payne and Vandiver were the only pair to make the time in the CCI4*-S at Carolina last year, which boosted them up from fifth to take the win. They average 4.0 cross country time penalties at this level.
  • Canada’s Lisa Marie Fergusson and her 2018 World Equestrian Games mount Honor Me are an extremely speedy combination, averaging just 2.0 time penalties.
  • Will Coleman and Off the Record won the Great Meadow CCIO4*-S last year thanks to being one of the only pairs to catch the time. OBOS O’Reilly is also likely to shoot right up the leaderboard after cross country with an average of 2.4 time penalties.
  • Quality Time is an extremely exciting mare for Ireland’s Tim Bourke and makes her CCI4*-S debut at Carolina. She has never had a cross country time penalty in her international career, and she added just 0.4 penalties in her Advanced debut at Pine Top last month.
  • Caroline Martin and The Apprentice were the only pair to make the time in 2017, which gave her the first CCI4*-S win of her career. She also has another speed demon in Danger Mouse, who added just 2.8 time penalties at Red Hills earlier this month to finish third.

PREDICTED WINNER: Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Keep Your Eye On:

  • Will Coleman and Off the Record
  • Doug Payne and Vandiver
  • Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deniro Z
  • Buck Davidson and Copper Beach

Potential Spoilers:

  • Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Quicksilver
  • Tim Bourke and Quality Time
  • Caroline Martin and Danger Mouse

Carolina: Website, Entry Status, Ride Times, Live Scores, EN’s Coverage, Live Stream, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

How to Watch the 2019 Carolina International Live Stream

By on Mar 21, 2019 7:19 am -

Doug Payne and Vandiver, winners of the 2018 CCI4*-S. Photo by Shelby Allen.

The Cloud 11~Gavilan North LLC Carolina International kicks off Thursday, March 21, and you can watch all three phases of the CCI4*-S, plus the jumping phases of the CCI3*-S and Advanced cross country, thanks to EQSportsNet. With fabulous commentary from Nicole Brown and guests, you can expect a fantastic show.

The live broadcast schedule is as follows:

Thursday, March 21
CCI4-S* dressage: 9 a.m.-4:40 p.m. EST

Friday, March 22
CCI3*-S show jumping: 9:30 a.m.-11:24 a.m. EST
CCI4*-S show jumping: 12:30 p.m.-2:02 p.m. EST

Saturday, March 23
CCI3*-S cross country: 10-11:54 a.m. EST
CCI4*S cross country: 12:30-2:48 p.m. EST
Advanced cross country: 3-4:15 p.m. EST

To watch live, you must be a paid subscriber of EQSportsNet. The USEA has partnered with EQSportsNet to offer a 50% discount on subscriptions through the end of the year. Use the code EQUSEA2019 when signing up for a subscription to receive a Silver Access subscription for $5 per month, or a Gold Access subscription for $12.50 per month. Subscriptions can be canceled at anytime.

Gold Access offers all live event coverage and all on-demand content from every show, including individual clips of every entry and an archive of more than 23,000 videos on the EQSportsNet website. Silver Access offers all live event coverage, plus a full program video from select events.

How to subscribe to EQSportsNet

  1. Visit EQSports.Net and click on the SUBSCRIBE option in the top navigation or the drop-down in the top right of the page.
  2. There are two options for access to EQSportsNet.
    • Silver Access: Sign up to watch all live event coverage plus full program video from select events.
    • Gold Access: Sign up to watch all live event coverage and all video-on-demand content from every show, including individual clips of every entry and a total catalog of over 23,000 videos.
  3. Register using Facebook, Google, Yahoo or sign-up by entering your email address and a password of your choice.
    • You will be asked to make a payment using any of the secure payment methods of your choice. A confirmation message will appear on the webpage.

How to access the stream once you have subscribed

  1. Make sure you login, which can be done on the drop down on the top right of the homepage.
  2. Once you are logged in, you can access the stream by clicking the Carolina International banner on the homepage.
  3. When the stream is live, just press the play button in the video player and enjoy!

Requesting downloads of rides

If you have a Gold or Silver Access subscription and are an owner or rider of a two-star or three-star horse, you can request a link to download a copy of your rides for $5 each. Please fill out this form to request a downloadable file from your ride. (Note that CCI3*-S dressage will not be live steamed.)

If you have any questions during the sign-up process, please contact [email protected] or fill in a support request.

Carolina: Website, Entry Status, Ride Times, Start Lists, Live Scores, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Wednesday News & Notes from Attwood Equestrian Surfaces

By on Mar 20, 2019 12:01 am -

Please join the EN team in sending all the positive vibes to Tom Carlile’s European Championships mount Upsilon, who is battling the sudden onset of a severe neurological condition. Upsilon, an 11-year-old Anglo-Arabian stallion who holds the Event Rider Masters dressage record, was only just coming into his prime. While Tom said Upsilon is unlikely to ever compete again, at this point he is solely hoping to save the horse’s life. Bon courage, Upsilon!

National Holiday: First Day of Spring 🌸

Major Events This Week:

Carolina International CCI & HT: Website, Entry Status, Ride Times, Live Scores, EN’s Coverage

U.S. Events This Week:

Stable View Spring Horse Trials [Final Scores]

MDHT March Starter Trial [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Poplar Place March Horse Trials [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Full Gallop March Schooling Show II [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Southern Arizona Eventing Association HT [Website] [Ride Times/Live Scores]

Your Wednesday News & Notes:

If you’re like me and were refreshing the Badminton entries page ever since closing date, you were finally rewarded yesterday! The entry list absolutely lives up to the hype. Jonelle Price and Classic Moet are returning to defend their title, along with a slew of top contenders. [Badminton 2019 entries revealed: the defending champion, world medallists and first-timers]

The first of 10 USEA Charles Owen Technical Merit competitions for the 2019 season took place in the Training divisions at Pine Top Advanced Horse Trials last month. Campbell Jones and her own Patras VR won the Junior award, while Alison Kroviak and her own Dolce won the Adult Amateur Award. [Jones and Kroviak Prevail in Charles Owen Technical Merit at Pine Top]

Ever wanted to have your OTTB evaluated by a top event rider? Be sure to follow the OTTB Critique series presented by USEA and Athletux. This month, Sharon White shares her thoughts on Valhalla, who was originally adopted from CANTER Illinois by the late Philippa Humphreys. Ashley DeWitt, who trained with Philippa, now competes Valhalla. [OTTB Critique Presented by Athletux: Valhalla]

It is a somber time on the Sunshine Tour as show jumping groom Vicente Quinta Sanchez died in a lorry fire on Monday, March 18. He was inside the living area of the lorry when the fire started at approximately 6:30 a.m. local time. The cause of the fire is not yet known. [Show jumping groom dies in lorry fire on Sunshine Tour]

Attwood Wisdom of the Week: 

You want grass in the paddocks, not in your arena. If by chance you have let your arena go because you have been away, or buying a facility that the arena has not been taken care of and the weeds are blooming … DON’T RIP IT OUT!

Ripping out grass and weeds might harm your base and can cause serious long term damage to the health and well being of your footing. Spray the culprits with your choice of weed killer or better yet, a vinegar/dishwashing soap solution that will kill the roots.

#tuesdaytipday
You want grass in the paddocks, not in your arena. If by chance you have let your arena go because you…

Posted by Attwood Equestrian Surfaces on Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Ocala Jockey Club Seeks Partnerships or Sale to Facilitate Venue’s Growth

By on Mar 19, 2019 3:00 pm -

The view from the clubhouse at the Ocala Jockey Club. Photo by Jenni Autry.

The Ocala Jockey Club, which covers 954 acres in Reddick, Florida, is seeking partnerships to grow the facility, which is also available for sale to the right buyers.

Pavla Nygaard, who owns the farm with her husband, Erik Nygaard, confirmed to EN that this year’s event will still take place on Nov. 14-17, 2019. All normal operations will continue at the farm as Pavla and Erik look for the right partners or buyer to come on board for the facility.

The Ocala Jockey Club has become a staple in the U.S. fall calendar since the event first started running in 2016, and the venue currently hosts one of only six CCI4*-L events in North America.

Read on for a full statement from Pavla:

“I fell in love with the Ocala Jockey Club farm when I first saw it in 2005. That feeling hasn’t changed since. I still love watching horses on the track in the morning or in the fields, walking the property, thinking of design ideas for the clubhouse or the townhomes, ways to improve the November 3-Day Event or for the property to reach more people. Each of the gorgeous sunsets still takes my breath away.

“When we bought the farm, there were significant legal title issues and much of the property was run down. Slowly over time, we had cleaned up the legal issues, restored the townhome village in the back of the farm, upgraded parts of the farm and brought life back to this historic property. However, our hopes and dreams for the property are bigger than our own resources, whether that be our time, financial resources, and very dedicated but lean staff.

“Both Erik and I are thankful and grateful for the quick rise of the Ocala Jockey Club International 3-Day Event. We have committed significant resources to the building of the Event infrastructure as well as the soft costs towards its organization, marketing and maintenance, and we would like the Event and the farm to to grow and be part of the fabric of Ocala’s traditions. The eventing community and the Ocala community have grown to depend on this Event to continue, and we believe this is important to facilitate.

“In order to do so, the Event and the property deserves to look to upgrades and a larger team than we are able to commit on our own for the long term. This is why we believe that the property and the Event will have an opportunity to be stronger with either strategic partners or with a new buyer who will be able to take the property further and faster than we are able to do on our own. While the current ownership team along with our existing organizing committee and OJC team have done an incredible job on a relative shoestring budget, doing more and better requires stronger resources.

“Discussing the idea of a sale or attracting strategic partnerships may be news to the majority of the Eventing world. But the organizers that we work most closely with have been aware for over a year of our desire to put OJC in the best hands. This includes Shelley Page, Max Corcoran, Clayton Fredericks, Mike Etherington-Smith and Alec Lochore.

“We view our situation similarly to a start-up technology company that can get to a certain level with its founders working in the basement or to another level with the founders’ savings funding the company’s growth, but which cannot get to a higher level without significant venture capital investment or outright sale to a well-capitalized company with a strong team and ability to invest without a need for immediate returns.

“Erik and I wish the best for the property, as it is a historic farm that we are proud to be associated with. Whether we find strategic partners or a new owner, we want this property to retain its rustic and natural character, as it is what makes it so special and beautiful. This could come in the form of an equestrian-themed destination resort, well-being institute and boutique hotel, or similar outdoor adventure, special events and wellness development.

“Whatever the final design and ownership structure, we feel that the property deserves to be centered around large areas of continued green space for generations of equestrians and nature-lovers to come. We are fully committed to running a successful November 2019 Ocala Jockey Club International 3-Day Event, to continue building it so that it can continue successfully regardless of who may own the property going forward.

“We are also fully committed to continue searching for ways to allow the property to continue growing. Our wish to list the property is in the desire to allow the property to be more of what it deserves to be. There is no fire sale, property auction, nor broker listing. We are searching for the right individual or group that will be a perfect fit for a special property like this, and we will continue operations and growing within our means in the meantime.

“We are looking forward to everyone joining us for this year’s Ocala Jockey Club International 3-Day Event on November 14-17, 2019.”

The full ad for the Ocala Jockey Club can be viewed below. Contact Erik Nygaard at [email protected] for more information.

Badminton Entries Go Live with Four North American Pairs

By on Mar 19, 2019 8:30 am -

Selena O’Hanlon and Foxwood High will return to Badminton in 2019. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Entries have been revealed for the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials, with 90 combinations entered and a further 24 pairs on the wait list, including two American pairs. The final field will have 85 combinations after the riders with more than two horses entered make their final selections on May 1.

Selena O’Hanlon and John and Judy Rumble’s Foxwood High are the sole pair entered for Canada and will make a second consecutive appearance at the event. Jenny Caras is entered for the U.S. with The Fernhill Fortitude Syndicate’s Fernhill Fortitude.

Two American pairs are on the wait list. Tamie Smith and Kevin Baumgardner’s Wembley are #5 on the waitlist. Woodge Fulton, who recently moved to Germany to work for Dirk Schrade, and the Full Moon Farm Syndicate’s Captain Jack are #15 on the wait list.

Last year’s winners Jonelle Price and Classic Moet will return to defend their title, challenged by a strong Kiwi contingent that includes Burghley winners Tim Price and Ringwood Sky Boy, Andrew Nicholson and Swallow Springs, and Mark Todd and NZB Campino. Both Andrew and Mark are past Badminton winners.

The strong British contingent includes Burghley winners Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class, Laura Collett and Mr Bass in his highly anticipated Badminton debut; and 2018 WEG team gold medalists Tom McEwen and Toledo de Kerser and Gemma Tattersall and Arctic Soul. Past winners William Fox-Pitt and Pippa Funnell also have multiple rides entered.

The two German entries include heavy favorites Ingrid Klimke and SAP Hale Bob OLD, who won individual bronze at WEG last year and finished second at Badminton in 2015.

Australia’s entries include past Badminton winners Sam Griffiths and Paulank Brockagh, as well as Chris Burton reunited with his 2018 WEG mount Cooley Lands.

The Irish contingent includes Padraig McCarthy and Mr Chunky, the individual and team silver medalists at WEG 2018 who come forward as strong contenders to take the win.

Click here to view the full entry list and wait list.

Know Your FEI Rules: Runout Definition and Flag Penalty Changes for 2019

By on Mar 18, 2019 4:07 pm -

With the FEI competition season now in full swing throughout much of the world, it’s important to make sure you’re aware of rule changes in effect for 2019. Click here for a basic summary of all the new FEI rules.

The FEI also released a memo addressing changes to Rule 549.2 Run out – missing a flag. Under the new wording of the rule, a runout (20 penalties) occurs when the body of the horse — including the head, neck, shoulders and pelvis, but excluding the legs — does not pass between the “extremities of the element or obstacle as originally flagged.” Horses must jump over the full height of the fence as originally flagged.

The FEI provided the following example photo of what is considered a runout under the new wording of the rule. “The picture below clearly shows the body of the horse not passing the extremities of the obstacle as originally flagged,” so 20 penalties would be awarded for a runout under the new wording of the rule.

After picking up a runout as defined above, the rider must circle back around and successfully jump the obstacle. Continuing on after a runout will result in elimination.

Missing a flag now results in 15 penalties and occurs if the horse jumps the dimension of the obstacle, but some part of the body is not inside the flags, such as one shoulder, or one shoulder and part of one hip.

If the horse’s body — head, neck, shoulders and pelvis, but excluding the legs — clears the full height of the obstacle but is not fully inside the jump as originally flagged, then 15 penalties are given for missing a flag.

Note that if more than 50% of the horse’s body is outside the jump as originally flagged, this would be considered a runout instead of missing a flag. 

The FEI provided the following example photo of what would be considered missing a flag under the new wording of the rule, as the horse’s body is not fully inside the original position of the flags.

The FEI noted that in the case of missed flags, the ground jury and technical delegate have discretion to mark the rider as clear, thus “giving benefit of the doubt to the athlete.”

A jumping effort is considered clear if the body of the horse — head, neck, shoulders and pelvis, but excluding the legs — passes the fence as originally flagged. If the back and front of the horse is inside the original position of the flags, but one or more legs of the horse or rider knocks the flag, this is still considered clear.

In other words, do this:

In response to frequently asked questions regarding the new wording of the rule, the FEI clarified that:

  • Combinations can be penalized with 15 penalties multiple times on course for missing flags.
  • If a rider jumps clear between the flags but thinks he/she is outside the flags and circles back around to jump the fence again, the rider will not receive any jumping penalties or face elimination, even if the horse runs out or breaks a frangible pin on the second attempt. Only any accumulated time penalties would be added to the score.
  • Riders can no longer ask the fence judge if the horse jumped between the flags.

Clear as mud? Click here to read the FEI’s full memo on what constitutes a runout and missing a flag under the 2019 rules.

Monday News & Notes from Fleeceworks

By on Mar 18, 2019 12:01 am -

Phillip Dutton and Z, winners of The Fork CCI4*-S last year. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Entries for The Fork at Tryon CCI-S & Horse Trials close tomorrow, March 19. The event is running three FEI divisions (CCI4*-S, CCI3*-S and CCI2*-S) and USEA National levels from Beginner Novice to Advanced (including Modified!) on April 4-7 at Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, North Carolina.

The FEI divisions are offering $30,000 in prize money. The CCI4*-S at The Fork has also been designated as a key event when it comes to selection for the 2019 U.S. Pan American Games team. Click here to read more about why you should get excited about The Fork. Click here to check out the Prize List and enter.

National Holiday: National Awkward Moments Day (Who comes up with these?)

U.S. Weekend Results:

Ocala Winter II H.T. [Final Scores]

Pine Top Spring H.T. [Final Scores]

MeadowCreek Park H.T. [Final Scores]

Copper Meadows H.T. [Final Scores]

Your Monday News & Notes:

If you’re like me and think super grooms are the true heroes across all disciplines, then you’re always curious as to the items they consider essential to their craft. U.S. show jumper Andrew Kocher’s new groom, Steffi Uecker, hails from Germany and has fascinating insights to share. [What’s In My Ring Bag? 7 Items Andy Kocher’s Groom Won’t Leave The Barn Without]

Whether you attended the $50,000 Liftmaster Grand-Prix Eventing at Bruce’s Field or watched via the live stream, this piece in The Aiken Standard is absolutely worth the read. “In his remarks to the crowd of 400 excited spectators and participants attending the event, Mayor Rick Osbon said it best: horses, trees and generosity are three of the defining hallmarks of the Aiken community.” [Grand-Prix Eventing Showcase a boon to the Aiken community]

Do you have questions regarding proactively managing your horse’s soundness and handling your own mental challenges in the ring? If you can get to Wellington, Florida on March 19, the “Mindful Approach to Horse & Rider” panel is definitely something you don’t want to miss. [Equine Tech Collaborative Presents, MASTERCLASS INNOVATION SERIES: A Mindful Approach to Horse and Rider]

Hylofit, a wearable device for horse and rider that delivers real-time heart rate information, is seeking a Sales Manager to join the team. This person will play an integral part in creating and implementing Hylofit’s sales strategy and launch plan execution. The locations being considered include New England, Mid-Atlantic and California. [Hylofit Sales Manager Job Description]

Your Monday Video:

Zach Brandt competed for the first time since breaking his leg in December. Thank you to David Frechette for this video of Zach’s triumphant return, plus many more videos from Ocala Winter II H.T. Welcome back, Zach!

Fab Freebie: Alexus Breeches from SmartPak

By on Mar 12, 2019 11:00 am -

The all new Alexus Breeches from SmartPak.

EN is teaming up with SmartPak to give a pair of the new and improved Alexus Breeches to one lucky reader! If you’re a fan of SmartPak’s Piper and Hadley Breeches, the Alexus Breeches take all the features you love to the next level.

The fabric offers four-way stretch, breathability and compression, and is bonded to blend a lightweight, cooling outer layer with a soft inner layer that makes the breeches super comfortable to wear. The breeches also have rapid sweat-wicking and water-resistant qualities. You can also expect excellent shape retention and durability.

The Alexus Breeches have an ergonomic sock-bottom; a wide, low-rise waistband; front and rear pockets; a flattering Euro seat; contrasting pocket details; and silver rivets to give a bit of bling. They are available in charcoal, navy and white, with a retail price of $139.95 for the knee patch style and $149.95 for the full seat style.

Enter to win using the Rafflecopter widget below. Entries will close at midnight EST on Saturday, and we will announce the winner in News & Notes. The winner will have a choice of Alexus knee patch or full seat breeches. Good luck! Go Eventing.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Who Jumped It Best? Red Hills Cross Country Edition

By on Mar 11, 2019 1:00 pm -

It’s time to play Who Jumped It Best? Red Hills Cross Country Edition! Take a look at these photos of horses and riders jumping into the second water complex on Mike Etherington-Smith’s Advanced/CCI4*-S course at Red Hills International Horse Trials. Then vote for which pair you think presents the best overall picture in the poll at the bottom of the post.

#RedHills: Website, Final Scores, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Will Coleman and Tight Lines. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Lillian Heard and LCC Barnaby. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Jon Holling and Dushi Terma. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Boyd Martin and Kyra. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Meghan O’Donoghue and Palm Crescent. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Emma Partridge and Max Attack. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Jessica Phoenix and Bogue Sound. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Gaby Ruane and Lismakeera Brewski. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Red Hills Winners Report: Selena O’Hanlon Seals the Deal in CCI4*-S

By on Mar 10, 2019 8:26 pm -

Selena O’Hanlon and Foxwood High. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Selena O’Hanlon and John and Judy Rumble’s Foxwood High have never finished outside the top 10 in the CCI4*-S at Red Hills International Horse Trials, and today they finally took a well deserved win in dominant fashion. After poles came tumbling on Chris Barnard’s show jumping course, they could have had three rails down and still won.

“Woody,” a 16-year-old Canadian Sport Horse bred by Epstein Equestrian (Rio Bronco W X Evita II xx, by Abacus xx), tapped the last fence in the triple combination but stayed inside the time allowed of 90 seconds to take the win on a final score of 30.8.

“The big, open ring is tough for Woody because it means I have to move him on, and I worry that he gets strung out, and then I have to get him back to fit all the strides in because he’s such a big guy. I really tried to make it up in the turns and did some really tight rollbacks,” Selena said.

“The rail was completely my fault. I came around, I did the tight turn, and I waited just a little too much and took away. He jumped in great, but he had to really push on to get over the oxer, and that made him a little flat coming out. I honestly would prefer time faults over a rail because this year we have been jumping really clean, but I know we can make the time and I know we can jump clear, so now we just need to do it all together.”

Red Hills proved to be a banner weekend for Selena and Woody across the board. Yesterday they were one of only two pairs to catch the optimum time on Mike Etherington-Smith’s cross country course, becoming the only pair in the 21-year history of the event to ever make the time twice in the CCI4*-S. Selena is the only rider in history to catch the optimum time in the CCI4*-S on three different occasions.

The countdown is on for March 31, when Selena and Woody fly across the pond and begin the journey to competing at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials for a second consecutive year.

There were just four clears inside the time out of 19 show jumping rounds (21% of the field) in the CCI4*-S. Clayton Fredericks and FE Ophelia, a 12-year-old Zweibrucker mare (Ocordo X Argentina, by Argentina) owned by Diana Crawford and Hugh Wrigley, delivered one of the clears to finish second on 38.9.

Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti, her own 17-year-old Westphalian (Pavarotti van de Helle X Fidelia, by Foxiland xx), added just 0.40 penalties for finishing 1 second over the time allowed to take third on 43.7.

Click here to view final scores in the CCI4*-S.

Jessica Phoenix and Bentley’s Best. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Jessica Phoenix Bests CCI3*-S with Bentley’s Best

Jessica Phoenix defended her overnight lead with a clear round aboard Bentley’s Best to take the win in the CCI3*-S on a final score of 29.0, the only finishing score in the 20s in the division.

“Benny,” an 11-year-old Trakehner gelding (Hirtentanz X Hauptstutbuch Baronesse XIII, by Eichendorff) owned by the Bentley’s Best Group, led from start to finish, and Jessica said he was on his game all weekend.

“In dressage, he really feels like he’s finally strong enough physically and content mentally. He feels happy and playful, and it’s starting to get easy for him. He genuinely feels like he enjoys his job,” she said.

“He was so much fun to ride cross country. He nailed everything. Show jumping is always really fun for him. I had the last fence down on every single horse in the three-star, but I couldn’t be happier with how they all performed.”

 

Looking to the rest of the CCI3*-S leaderboard, 20 out of 43 combinations jumped clear show jumping rounds inside the time for a 47% clear rate.

Hannah Sue Burnett and Lukeswell, a 14-year-old Irish Sport Horse (Puissance x Gentle, by Kings Servant) owned by the Lukeswell Partnership, jumped clear to finish second on their dressage score of 31.5. Fun fact: This horse went around the 2015 Blair European Championships with his former jockey, Sam Watson, as part of the Irish team.

Caroline Martin and Sherrie Martin’s Danger Mouse, an 11-year-old KWPN gelding by Kannan, jumped clear to finish third on 31.7.

Click here to view final scores in the CCI3*-S.

Lynn Symansky and Global Cassero 3. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Lynn Symansky Delivers with New Ride in CCI2*-S

Rails went flying in CCI2*-S show jumping, with just six clears inside the time out of 38 rounds (16%) over Chris Barnard’s course. Lynn Symansky delivered under pressure as the last to go aboard KC Eventing’s Global Cassero 3 to take the wire-to-wire win on 25.2.

Lynn and “Jerry,” an 8-year-0ld Hanoverian (Conteur X Wahida, by Windauch), have been partnered together since January. Katherine Coleman thought the two would be a good match, and she was absolutely right, Lynn said.

“He made my job very easy, and he’s gotten a lot stronger over the last two months since we’ve been together. He’s been a late bloomer in his body, but he knows his job, and he’s so eager and wants to please and be careful. He’s still developing strength, but he tried his heart out.”

Jerry will move up to Intermediate following his win at Red Hills, but Lynn has a much bigger picture in mind for the horse. She is actively looking for syndicate members who might be interested in joining her with producing this horse for the future.

“He was class all weekend. I’m looking to secure him because I think he’d be a really good horse for the future as a potential team horse down the line,” Lynn said.

“I’m looking to grow a string because I have some older campaigners coming up on the last years of their careers. You always have to be looking to what’s next and not rest on your laurels, which is why I want to develop a syndicate to try to keep the ride.”

Ivie Cullen-Dean and Michael Dean’s Fernhill Full Throttle, a 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse (Cyrano X Euro Glory, by Euro Clover), jumped clear to move up from fourth to finish second on their dressage score of 29.0.

Christina Henriksen and JTH Zest, her own 8-year-old British-bred mare (Zamboucca X Maybee Baybee, by Mayhill), had one rail down to finish third on 29.6.

Click here to view final scores in the CCI2*-S.

Boyd Martin and Kyra. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Looking to the National divisions, Boyd Martin bounced back from a broken collarbone to win the Advanced with Christine Turner’s Kyra on 32.2. Click here for the full report on Boyd’s win and why he thinks the injury might have been a blessing in disguise.

Felix Vogg won the Open Intermediate wire-to-wire with Jürgen Vogg’s Archie Rocks on their dressage score of 25.9. Felix bought “Archie,” an 11-year-old Thoroughbred (Le Monde X Unbridled Diva, by Unbridled Jet), from Maya Studenmund in December after the horse’s third-place result in the Dutta Corp Fair Hill International CCI4*-L with Buck Davidson.

Jennie Brannigan and Nina and Tim Gardner’s Hopscotch, a 9-year-old Dutch Warmblood Mare (Special Memory X Vidalia), won the Open Preliminary on their dressage score of 22.7, the lowest winning score of the entire competition.

Zach Ketelboeter and his own That Hit the Spot, a 9-year-old Thoroughbred (A Spot of Greatness X If Girls Could Fly), added one rail and 0.8 time penalties to win the Preliminary Rider division on a final score of 44.9.

Thank you to all who followed along with EN’s coverage of Red Hills this weekend. This truly is a community event run by wonderful people who are delighted to welcome you back year after year. More than 600 volunteers make this event possible — thank you to every single one of them. Go Eventing.

#RedHills: Website, Final Scores, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Boyd Martin Bounces Back from Broken Collarbone to Win Red Hills Advanced

By on Mar 10, 2019 2:23 pm -

Boyd Martin and Kyra. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Boyd Martin dominated the Advanced division at Red Hills International Horse Trials, delivering a clear show jumping round with Christine Turner’s Kyra today to clinch the wire-to-wire win on 32.2. He also jumped clear with the Long Island T Syndicate’s Long Island T to finish second on 38.3, and had one rail down with Christine Turner’s On Cue to take fourth on 43.2.

Red Hills wasn’t originally scheduled as Boyd’s first Advanced run of the season, but his plans had to change when he broke his left collarbone on Feb. 2 while foxhunting with the Aiken Hounds in Hitchcock Woods.

“I was a guest to my good buddy, Mark Beecher. Everyone welcomed the Olympic rider and applauded. Then they had me ride right up front, and the last jump was about 2-feet high. I fell off, and I knew it was broken right away. As I was lying on the ground, all the ladies in the hunt were riding by saying, ‘Is that the guy we were acknowledging at the beginning of the hunt?’ It was pretty embarrassing, but it was perfect timing.”

Boyd quickly had surgery to place a plate in his collarbone, and he eased back into competing at Pine Top two weeks ago. While his season got off to a later start than usual, Boyd said he thinks the delay ultimately benefitted his horses.

“They feel fresher, sounder and sweeter. It might have been a blessing in disguise, and it’s something for me to think about next year — not eventing hard in January and February and just gently getting them out towards the end of February, and then come to (Red Hills) and get more stuck in at The Fork and Fair Hill.”

Boyd Martin wearing the protective grooming mitt on his shoulder on cross country yesterday. Photo by Jenni Autry.

When he returned to competing after his surgery, Boyd found that his body protector placed uncomfortable pressure on his shoulder. His head groom and barn manager, Stephanie Simpson, came up with the idea to cushion the area with a sheepskin grooming mitt. “It looks a bit silly, but it makes a huge difference.”

Kyra, a 12-year-old Canadian Warmblood mare (VDL Ulando H X Wellesley, by Weltstern), added just 4.4 cross country time penalties yesterday to her dressage score in taking the win, and he said her cross country form has really come on in the last year.

“She’s really been hit and miss for the couple of years I’ve been riding her, but the end of last year we really started to click. She’s a very careful horse — a sensitive red-head. I’ve changed my tactic in training at home and cross country schooling by making it easier at Preliminary level fences where she can feel really confident, rather than challenging her at big fences. Then when she gets to a show, she’s a pistol. She zipped around like it was nothing yesterday.”

As for what’s next for Kyra, Boyd said he likes the idea of aiming her for competitions like the $50,000 LiftMaster Grand-Prix Eventing, where the mare finished fourth to take a chunk of the prize money.

“She’s a great short-course horse. With showcases and short-format internationals becoming bigger, she’s a horse that specializes in that. She’s such a fabulous show jumper, and often they build the show jumping tough at the showcases, so she’s a good one to have in the barn for that.”

Stay tuned for more from the Advanced division at Red Hills, plus the winners of all the other divisions. Go Eventing.

#RedHills: Website, Schedule, Ride Times, Live Scores, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Red Hills Horse Inspection: Atlantic Domino Withdrawn from CCI4*-S

By on Mar 10, 2019 9:16 am -

Overnight CCI4*-S leaders Selena O’Hanlon and Foxwood High. Photo by Jenni Autry.

With Daylight Savings Time beginning in the wee hours of Sunday morning, the sun had just barely risen prior to the start of the final horse inspection here at Red Hills International Horse Trials in Tallahassee, Florida.

The CCI4*-S horses were presented first to the ground jury of Vanda Stewart (IRL), Jane Hamlin (USA) and Bobby Stevenson (USA). All horses that presented were accepted, sending 19 on to tackle Chris Barnard’s show jumping course.

Jacob Fletcher did not present Fletcher Farms’ Atlantic Domino, who sat in second place in the CCI4*-S after cross country and was one of only two horses to make the optimum time yesterday.

Following Atlantic Domino’s withdrawal, overnight leaders Selena O’Hanlon and Foxwood High are now the only pair remaining in the CCI4*-S with a two-phase score in the 20s, topping the leaderboard on 26.8. They can afford to have one rail down and exceed the time allowed by five seconds in show jumping and still take the CCI4*-S win.

Clark Montgomery and The Caribbean Soul Syndicate’s Caribbean Soul now sit second in the CCI4*-S on 32.9, with Hannah Sue Burnett and Jacqueline Mars’ Harbour Pilot in third on 35.2.

It’s a hectic morning here at Red Hills, with Preliminary show jumping underway while the CCI3*-S and CCI2*-S horse inspections are still underway.

Show jumping is taking place with the following division order and start times: Open Preliminary at 8:30 a.m. EST, Preliminary Rider at 9 a.m., Open Intermediate at 9:35 a.m. EST, Advanced at 10:50 a.m. EST, CCI4*-S at 12 p.m., CCI3*-S at 1:15 p.m. and CCI2*-S at 3:20 p.m.

Keep it locked on EN for the conclusion of Red Hills.

Go Eventing.

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Red Hills Cross Country: A Record-Breaking Day for Selena O’Hanlon & Foxwood High

By on Mar 9, 2019 8:31 pm -

Selena O’Hanlon and Foxwood High. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Selena O’Hanlon and John and Judy Rumble’s Foxwood High stormed to the top of the CCI4*-S leaderboard on cross country today at Red Hills International Horse Trials, delivering one of just two rounds inside the optimum time on Mike Etherington-Smith’s course here in Tallahassee, Florida. They remain on their dressage score of 26.8 overnight.

The optimum time has now been caught by five riders in the 21-year history of the CCI4*-S at Red Hills. Selena is the only rider in history to have made the time in the CCI4*-S three times. As a combination, Selena and Foxwood High are the only pair to have made the time twice; they were the fastest by 2 seconds today.

Jacob Fletcher and Atlantic Domino also caught the optimum time today to join the following club of CCI4*-S clock-beaters: Whitney Mahloch with Military Mind in 2018; Selena O’Hanlon with A Fine Romance and Foxwood High, both in 2013; Peter Atkins with Henry Jota Hampton in 2012; and Phillip Dutton with The Foreman in 2005 and Nova Top in 2004.

Going faster on cross country has been a key goal for Selena and “Woody,” a 16-year-old Canadian Sport Horse bred by Epstein Equestrian (Rio Bronco W X Evita II xx, by Abacus xx). They were five seconds inside the time, and she was easing up through the finish knowing she had made it.

“I was worried with how many combinations there were it would be tough to make the time. There were places where I had no choice and really had to bring him back to see the strides. I rode him as fast as I could safely because I thought I would be late on the clock, but I was practicing going faster and jumping the straightforward fences faster,” Selena said.

“He’s improved so much — even in the show jumping and dressage with speeding up his hind legs when he collects instead of slowing down. Now I can wait until the last two strides before a fence to prepare, and I can trust he’ll speed up his hind legs to get the distance. He’s also just so trustworthy. I’ve been his longtime partner. I tell myself if I ride the right way, he’s going to do his best for me.”

Red Hills is Woody’s final run in the States before he ships to England to gear up for his second consecutive appearance at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials. They depart March 31 and will once again be based at Mark Todd’s yard in Wiltshire, with a planned run at Burnham Market as their final outing ahead of Badminton.

“I’m excited to see Burnham Market, which is a venue I’ve never competed at, and experience competing there. I want to soak up the whole experience, “Selena said. “Now that we know we can do Badminton, hopefully we can improve on our speed.”

(Selena can be two seconds over the time allowed on Chris Barnard’s show jumping course tomorrow and still win — one step closer to fulfilling EN’s prophecy.)

Jacob Fletcher and Atlantic Domino. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Jacob Fletcher and Atlantic Domino,  a 14-year-old Irish Sport Horse (Dunlough Striker X Atlantic Amanda, by Glidawn Diamond) owned by Fletcher Farms, became the eighth pair to make the time in Red Hills CCI4*-S history and remain on their dressage score of 27.7, which moved them up to second place. These two are aiming for their first CCI5*-L at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event.

Clark Montgomery and Caribbean Soul. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Clark Montgomery and Caribbean Soul, a 12-year-old Thoroughbred (Cimarron Secret X Ogygian’s Dasire, by Ogygian) owned by the Caribbean Soul Syndicate, impressed in the mare’s CCI4*-S debut, jumping clear with just 1.2 time penalties to move up to third place on 32.9.

Overnight dressage leaders Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot, a 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Cruising X Shannon, by Catch On Fire) owned and bred by Jacqueline Mars, picked up 8.8 time penalties to slip to fourth place on 35.2.

Clayton Fredericks and FE Ophelia, a 12-year-old Zweibrucker mare (Ocordo X Argentina, by Argentina) owned by Diana Crawford and Hugh Wrigley, added 8.4 time penalties and moved up to fifth place on 38.9.

Boyd Martin and Kyra. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Boyd Martin Bests Advanced

Boyd Martin and Christine Turner’s Kyra, a 12-year-old Canadian Warmblood mare (VDL Ulando H X Wellesley, by Weltstern) were first to go in the Advanced and moved to the lead with 4.4 time penalties, which puts them on a score of 32.2 heading into show jumping tomorrow.

Whitney Mahloch and Military Mind, her own 13-year-old Thoroughbred (Military X Smart Balance, by Beau Genius), were the only pair to make the time in the Advanced division today to move up to second place on 32.7.

Boyd Martin and Long Island T, a a 13-year-old Oldenburg/Thoroughbred (Ludwig von Bayern X Haupstsbuch Highlight, by Heraldik xx) owned by the Long Island T Syndicate, led after dressage and picked up 12.8 time penalties to sit third on 38.3.

Jessica Phoenix and Bentley’s Best. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Canada in Control of CCI3*-S

Jessica Phoenix and Bentley’s Best an 11-year-old Trakehner gelding (Hirtentanz X Hauptstutbuch Baronesse XIII, by Eichendorff) owned by the Bentley’s Best Group, scooted home 1 second inside the time on David O’Connor’s CCI3*-S course to keep the lead on 25.0.

Caroline Martin and The Apprentice, a 14-year-old Irish Sport Horse (Casado x Funny Girl, by Fernblick) owned by Sherrie Martin, also caught the time to move up from 10th to second on 31.0.

Ellie O’Neal and Sally Cox’s Zick Zack, a 10-year-old Swedish Warmblood mare (Blue Hors Zack X Mercedes, by Master), added 0.40 time penalties to move up to third on 31.0.

Lynn Symansky and Global Cassero 3. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Symansky Still On Top in CCI2*-S

Lynn Symansky and Global Cassero 3, an 8-year-0ld Hanoverian (Conteur X Wahida, by Windauch) owned by KC Eventing, finished 1 second inside the time to hold the lead in the CCI2*-S.

Katherine Coleman has sourced a number of exciting horses to the States, and she imported “Jerry” last year after he won the Millstreet CCIYH2*-S with Brian Morrison. Jerry turned out to be a perfect match for Lynn, who is now actively looking for owners to join her in the journey of producing the horse to the highest levels of the sport.

“He’s not even close to what he could be,” Lynn said. “He’s still building strength, but he’s so honest. I’m excited for this horse’s future, and I think he has all the right parts. I think it’s important to keep scouting new talent for the U.S.”

While Jerry has multiple runs at the level under his belt, Lynn thought it was crucial to get to know him at the same level before moving him up to Intermediate. “It’s about getting him a bit stronger and me getting to know him. He feels more than ready to move up. Today was definitely easy for him.”

Christina Henriksen and JTH Zest, her own 8-year-old British-bred mare (Zamboucca X Maybee Baybee, by Mayhill), also caught the optimum time to remain in second place on their dressage score of 25.6.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Pur Dawes’ Duiske Abbey, a 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse better known as “Mouse,” finished nearly 20 seconds inside the time in the mare’s first CCI2*-S to move up third on 28.8.

We are relieved to report that all falls today resulted in no major injuries for either horse or rider. Click here to view full scoring across all divisions. Go Eventing.

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Red Hills Advanced/CCI4*-S Live Cross Country Updates

By on Mar 9, 2019 10:50 am -

The Shire Coffin. Photo by Shems Hamilton/Red Hills.

Welcome to cross country day at Red Hills International Horse Trials in Tallahassee, Florida! There is no live stream, but I will be running live updates for both the Advanced and CCI4*-S divisions. Keep refreshing this page for updates. The Advanced starts at 11:04 a.m. EST, followed immediately by the CCI4*-S at 12:07 p.m. EST.

Mike Etherington-Smith is the course designer for the CCI4*-S/Advanced course, with David O’Connor serving as assistant designer. The CCI4*-S course is 3,760 meters long with 35 total jumping efforts and an optimum time of 6 minutes, 36 seconds. Click here for a preview of the CCI4*-S course. The Advanced course is 3,770 meters long with 34 total jumping efforts and an optimum time of 6 minutes, 37 seconds. Click here for a preview of the Advanced course.

We wish safe trips to all. Go Eventing.

ADVANCED

11:08: We are running about four minutes behind schedule. Boyd Martin and Kyra are on course now.

11:14: Boyd Martin and Kyra completed clear with 4.4 time penalties.

11:15: Emma Partridge and Max Attack picked up a runout at the corner at 4B.

11:19: Jennie Brannigan and Twilightslastgleam completed with 14.4 time penalties in the horse’s first Advanced.

11:23: Whitney Mahloch and Military Mind are home clear and inside the time!

11:24: Emma and Max Attack completed with 20 jumping and 20.4 time penalties.

11:30: Clear with 6.0 time penalties for Jessica Phoenix and Bogue Sound.

11:32: Clear with 6.4 time penalties for Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Quicksilver.

11:36: Clear with 6.8 time penalties for Joe Meyer and Buccaneer.

11:37: Alex Green has retired Fernhill Limited Edition after picking up two runouts at the Springhouse Corners at fence 22.

11:40: Jane Papke and Norman unfortunately parted ways at some point after the second water.

11:44: Clear with 10.0 time penalties for Boyd Martin and On Cue.

11:48: Maya Black and FE Black Ice picked up a runout at 10C, the skinny wedge at the top of the Jump For Maui Jim steps. They went clear over the alternative.

11:49: Clear with 17.6 time for Meghan O’Donoghue and Palm Crescent.

11:51: Clear with 20.4 time penalties for Lillian Heard and LCC Barnaby.

11:54: Maya Black and FE Black Ice complete with 20 jumping and 11.6 time penalties.

11:56: Clear with 13.6 time penalties for Ashley Johnson and Tactical Maneuver.

11:58: Clear with 13.2 time penalties for Gabrielle Ruane and Lismakeera Brewski.

12:01: Clear with 5.2 time penalties for Jennie Brannigan and FE Lifestyle.

12:02: Ryan Wood fell from Woodstock Bennett early on course but is OK.

12:05: Will Coleman and Tight Lines are home clear with 14.0 time penalties.

12:11: Clear with 12.8 time penalties for Boyd Martin and Long Island T. That moves stablemate Kyra into the lead.

CCI4*-S

12:15: We are rolling right along with the CCI4*-S and running just a few minutes behind schedule.

12:19: Clayton Fredericks and FE Stormtrooper are on course.

12:26: Our trailblazers, Clayton and FE Stormtrooper, jumped clear with 15.6 time penalties.

12:30: Clear with 3.2 time penalties for Nilson Moreira da Silva and Magnum’s Martini.

12:32: Katherine Coleman fell from Billy Bandit at fence 20A, the first of the double corners. They are both ok.

12:36: Clear with 8.8 time penalties for overnight leaders Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot. That means the entire top 10 can all move up with fast rounds. It’s anyone’s game!

12:39: Clear with 6.0 time penalties for for Jacob Fletcher and Van Gough.

12:42: Joe Meyer and Johnny Royale completed clear with 2.4 time penalties.

12:45: Clear with 14.8 time penalties for Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti.

12:46: Clear with 6.8 time penalties for Madeline Scott and Crosby’s Gold.

12:48: A refusal at 10A for Felix Vogg and Cayenne and clear on the second attempt.

12:52: Clear with 22.8 time penalties for Caroline Martin and Cristano Z in the horse’s first CCI4*-S.

12:54: Felix Vogg and Cayenne complete with 20 jumping and 12.8 time.

12:56: Brandon McMechan and Oscar’s Wild completed clear with 7.2 time penalties.

12:59: Clear with 9.2 time penalties for Kim Liddell and Eye of the Storm.

1:04: Clear with 21.2 time penalties for Michael Nolan and SBT Good Guy.

1:06: Jon Holling and Dushi Terma completed with 14.4 time penalties and 11 jumping penalties for breaking a frangible pin jumping into the first water.

1:07: Mia Farley fell from BGS Firecracker at 20B. They are ok.

1:10: Daniela Moguel and Cecelia completed clear with 20.0 time penalties.

1:14: Selena O’Hanlon and Foxwood High complete inside the time! They are your overnight leaders.

1:18: Leslie Law and Voltaire de Tre completed with 12.0 time penalties and 11 frangible penalties for breaking a pin at the first water.

1:19: Sandra Donnelly and Belshazzar picked up a runout at 10A, the jump into the first water, and a runout at fence 13 at Goliath’s Gap, the angled brush over the ditch. (Update: They were later marked as having fallen.)

1:27: Clear with 8.4 time penalties for Clayton Fredericks and FE Ophelia.

1:29: Jacob Fletcher and Atlantic Domino also caught the time!

1:33: Clear with 22.0 time penalties for Caroline Martin and Spring Easy, the final pair on course.

1:34: All times are provisional and subject to change. Check EventEntries.com for final scores and stay tuned for the full report.

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Red Hills CCI4*-S Cross Country Course Preview

By on Mar 9, 2019 7:45 am -

Now in his fourth year of designing the CCI4*-S/Advanced cross country courses at Red Hills International Horse Trials in Tallahassee, Florida, Mike Etherington-Smith said his vision is “getting there now” … “I’m really pleased with the way everyone has got in behind it all — the way it looks and the quality of the presentation. For sure there are always other things to do, but ultimately there’s only so much real estate at this venue.”

Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park, which serves as the host site for Red Hills, is maintained year-round by the City of Tallahassee, Leon County and the Northwest Florida Water Management District. Mike and David O’Connor, who is the assistant CCI4*-S/Advanced course designer, set out on a mission in 2015 to significantly improve the footing at the venue. That goal is well on its way thanks to year-round maintenance — watering, aeration, aggravation and mowing — from the City of Tallahassee and its various affiliates.

Fence 6 on the CCI4*-S course, The Shire Coffin. Photo by Shems Hamilton/Red Hills.

Co-organizers Jane Barron and Marvin Mayer have also worked with the Tall Timbers Foundation and Friends of Our Parks to mindfully remove trees from the galloping tracks and add new lines through the trees to provide a more flowing feel to the course. “The important thing is the flow of the track and not placing too many jumps in the trees. With something like this, you can get horses a bit too suspicious if you surprise them.”

Mike reversed the direction of the CCI4*-S track in 2018 and has kept the same direction for this year, with the new tracks providing a fresh feel. “I set it up as an early season run. It’s up to height for sure, but I don’t squeeze in too much, like having two efforts in the water. That’s not what I think you want at this time of year. The riders just want to come run and jump.”

Without further ado, let’s take a tour of the CCI4*-S course. Fence 1, the Raised Garden, is an inviting flower box, followed by the Chicken Coop at fence 2, and a large hanging log at fence 3 called Loch Ness Monster. The first combination comes at fence 4ABC, Roll on Along, where Mike emphasized “they’ve got to be switched on.” The combination is set on a right bending line, starting with a narrow rolltop at A, then three strides bending right to a left-pointed corner at B, then three strides bending right to another narrow rolltop at C.

Jump for Maui Jim — the steps combination at fence 8. Photo by Shems Hamilton/Red Hills.

The Sheep Shelter at fence 5 then leads to the the coffin combination at fence 6, The Shire Coffin. Riders will jump in over an airy set of rails at A, go on one stride to the ditch at B, then one stride to a narrow angled house at C. Fence 7, the Ayavalla Oxer, is an open oxer, before the steps at fence 8ABC, Jump for Maui Jim. The direct route requires jumping up two steps to a skinny chevron at C on one stride. Mike said this is a “gimme” fence, and the direct route should ride straightforward, but he provided an option for the skinny because it would be difficult to get back to it should riders have a glance-off.

Fence 9ABC, the Summer Concession Stand, gives a breather before the first water complex at fence 10, Summer Camp Cabins. Riders will drop into the water over hanging logs at A, then turn left through the water to two angled houses set on a forward one stride as the B and C elements. “The key here is not to jump too left of the first house,” Mike said, “and jumping further to the right gives the horses a better chance to see the second house.”

Fence 11, a beefy table called Mardi Gras Picnic, leads to one of the longest galloping stretches on course. Riders will then come to the Plantation Houses at fence 12AB, two houses set on a sloping right bending line. Fence 13, Goliath’s Gap, is a narrow brush angled atop a ditch.

Fence 16BC in the Second Time Through. Photo by Shems Hamilton/Red Hills.

Riders will make two trips through the next water complex, first at fence 14AB, Nothing Stops a Fishing Trip, which requires a drop in over a log at A — which Mike lowered by three inches this week to 1.10 meters — then splashing through the water and back onto land before jumping a boat at B. Then it’s on to fence 15 in the woods, a double brush called The Rookery, before circling back to the water.

Fence 16ABC, Second Time Through, will likely emerge as the most influential combination on course. Riders will jump a skinny double brush at A set close to the water’s edge, then turn left into the water and jump a right-pointed corner at B, then proceed back onto dry land to jump a skinny triple brush as the C element. Riders will then kick on to the Cordwood Stack at fence 17, followed by an open oxer called Another Birthday at fence 18 near the main arena.

Then it’s a long galloping stretch to fence 19, a table called The Spring House, before the final combination on course at fence 20AB, The Spring House Corners. These two right-pointed corners are set on a straightforward three strides, but Mike noted that at the end of the course both horse and rider might be thinking about the finish flags as opposed to accuracy.

Fence 21, a table called What’s For Lunch, and fence 22, The Grand Finale — which all the courses across all levels use as their final fence — complete the CCI4*-S track. The course, built by Tyson Rementer and Levi Ryckewaert, is 3,760 meters long with 35 total jumping efforts and an optimum time of 6 minutes, 36 seconds. Scroll down for a fence-by-fence tour of the course from CrossCountry App with beautiful photos from Shems Hamilton, who has served as the fabulous volunteer photographer for Red Hills for many years. You can view all the Red Hills courses on CrossCountry App’s website.

In the 20-year history of Red Hills, only six horses have caught the optimum time in the CCI4*-S, so you can absolutely expect time penalties to be influential today. Less than six seconds separate the top five after dressage. CCI4*-S cross country starts at 12:08 p.m. EST. There is no live stream, but EN will be running live updates.

Click here to catch up on all of EN’s Red Hills coverage thus far. Go Eventing.

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Red Hills Dressage Day: Hannah Sue Burnett Bests CCI4*-S + Much More

By on Mar 8, 2019 5:57 pm -

Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot set the tone early in the day in the CCI4*-S at Red Hills International Horse Trials CCI4*-S here in Tallahassee, Florida, and never relinquished their lead, topping the division at the conclusion of dressage on 26.4.

In four career completions at Red Hills, Hannah and “William,” a 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse (Cruising X Shannon, by Catch On Fire) owned and bred by Jacqueline Mars, have finished no lower than seventh, including winning the CCI4*-S in 2017.

“He felt right at home in there and went right to work,” Hannah said. “I thought it was a bit of a steady test in the trot work, but it was really consistent, and the canter work was nice. I’ve been working on getting the frame up more and push him up into that, and it felt like it was quite good today.”

As for her thoughts on tackling Mike Etherington-Smith’s cross country course tomorrow: “It looks challenging enough. I think Red Hills is always a really good eye-opener for the season. It gets you on track for the bigger events later in the year. They’ve done an amazing job in the preparations. All of the fences are beautifully presented.”

Hannah’s Plan A for William’s spring season is to run at The Fork at Tryon in preparation for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, which would be the horse’s third appearance at Kentucky.

Selena O’Hanlon and Foxwood High. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Selena O’Hanlon and John and Judy Rumble’s Foxwood High, a 16-year-old Canadian Sport Horse bred by Epstein Equestrian (Rio Bronco W X Evita II), sit in second place on 26.8, one of their best dressage scores at the level. “Woody” finished fourth last year and is EN’s pick to win this weekend as he gears up for a return trip to the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials in May.

Felix Vogg and Jürgen Vogg’s Cayenne, impressed in the mare’s CCI4*-S debut, scoring 27.0 to sit in third place. The 10-year-old Swedish Warmblood mare (Careful X Baroness, by Bayron) is very green to the level, having only just stepped up at Rocking Horse Winter II H.T., but she won that event on her dressage score.

Jacob Fletcher and Atlantic Domino, a 14-year-old Irish Sport Horse (Dunlough Striker X Atlantic Amanda, by Glidawn Diamond) owned by Frank Fletcher and Fletcher Farms, cracked into the 20s for the first time at three-star level and sit fourth on 27.7. Last year, Jacob and “Domino” sat 13th after dressage and ultimately finished second in the CCI4*-S with one of the fastest cross country rounds, so this is definitely a pair to watch closely tomorrow.

Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti, her own 17-year-old Westphalian (Pavarotti van de Helle X Fidelia, by Foxiland xx), scored 28.5 to round out the top five. “Rotti” finished fifth in the CCI4*-S at Red Hills last year.

Boyd Martin and Long Island T. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Boyd Martin Dominates Advanced Dressage

Why simply lead the Advanced division when you can sweep the entire top three? Boyd Martin is dominating the 21-horse class, leading with The Long Island T Syndicate’s Long Island T on 25.5, sitting second on 27.8 with Christine Turner’s Kyra and third on 29.2 with Christine Turner’s On Cue.

Aside from a flub in the final flying change, Long Island T, a 13-year-old Oldenburg/Thoroughbred (Ludwig von Bayern X Haupstsbuch Highlight, by Heraldik xx), delivered a solid test. “He’s getting stronger and stronger, and there’s definitely a couple more marks in there,” Boyd said.

“Ludwig” is qualified for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, but Boyd said he will see how the horse comes out feeling at the major prep events this spring before deciding to aim for the horse’s CCI5*-L debut or another CCI4*-L. “At the moment he’s oozing with confidence,” Boyd said.

Jessica Phoenix and Bentley’s Best. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Canada Goes One-Two in CCI3*-S

Jessica Phoenix and Bentley’s Best scored 25.0 to lead the 53-horse CCI3*-S division on 25.0. “Benny,” an 11-year-old Trakehner gelding (Hirtentanz X Hauptstutbuch Baronesse XIII, by Eichendorff) owned by the Bentley’s Best Group, is one of Jessica’s hopefuls for the 2019 Canadian Pan American Games team.

Lesley Grant-Law and Lady Chatterley, an 8-year-old Holsteiner (Connor 48 X Jucy, by Mytens xx) she owns with Jackie and Steve Brown, broke into the 20s for the first time in the mare’s international career to sit second on 28.2. This pair finished 11th in the Ocala Jockey Club International CCI3*-L last fall.

Caroline Martin and Sherrie Martin’s Danger Mouse, an 11-year-old KWPN gelding by Kannan, sit third on 28.9. These two were named to Erik Duvander’s team for the North American Futures Team Challenge at Carolina International next month. Click here to learn more about the North American Futures Team Challenge, which is designed to complement the new U.S. Eventing Pathway Program.

Lynn Symansky Tops CCI2*-S with New Ride

Lynn Symansky and Global Cassero 3, an 8-year-0ld Hanoverian (Conteur X Wahida, by Windauch) owned by KC Eventing, snuck in as one of the final pairs to go in the 47-horse CCI2*-S division to lead on 25.2. Produced to the two-star level by Germany’s Ben Leuwer and Ireland’s Brian Morrison, “Jerry” is a new ride for Lynn, and she is currently looking for owners to join her in the journey.

Christina Henriksen, who recently returned home to the U.S. after training and competing in England for nearly four years, led the CCI2*-S for much of the day and ultimately sits second on 25.6 with JTH Zest, her own 8-year-old British-bred mare (Zamboucca X Maybee Baybee, by Mayhill).

Natasha Erschen and her own Fernhill Flutter, a 17-year-old Irish Sport Horse (Puissance X Warrior Queen, by Euphemism), cracked the 20s for the first time and sit third on a personal best score of 27.4.

More Facts You Need to Know

Looking to the other divisions, Felix Vogg and Jürgen Vogg’s Archie Rocks lead the Open Intermediate on 25.9. Felix bought “Archie,” an 11-year-old Thoroughbred (Le Monde X Unbridled Diva, by Unbridled Jet), from Maya Studenmund in December, following the horse’s third-place result in the Dutta Corp Fair Hill International CCI4*-L with Buck Davidson.

Will Coleman and Chin Tonic HS, a 7-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Hyperion Stud LLC, delivered the lowest dressage score across all divisions today to top the Open Preliminary on 19.4 — the only score of the day in the teens.

Maddie McElduff and and her own Tupelo, a 10-year-old Trakehner mare (Baron Verdi X Thabana, by Buddenbrock) bred by Timothy Holekamp, lead the Preliminary Rider division on 30.0. Fun fact: This mare is a half-sister to Boyd Martin’s 2018 World Equestrian Games mount Tsetserleg, as both horses are out of the same dam.

Cross country starts tomorrow at 8 a.m. EST in this order: CCI2*-S, Open Preliminary, Preliminary Rider, Advanced, CCI4*S, CCI3*-S. Click here to view the order of go. There is no live stream, but EN will run live updates for the CCI4*-S, which starts at 12:07 p.m. Stay tuned for a full preview of Mike Etherington-Smith’s course. Go Eventing.

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By the Numbers: Red Hills CCI4*-S

By on Mar 7, 2019 12:24 pm -

Elinor Klapp Phipps Park serves as the stunning setting for Red Hills International Horse Trials. Photo by Shems Hamilton/Red Hills.

The first U.S. CCI4*-S of the 2019 season is upon us! Red Hills International Horse Trials kicks off tomorrow in Tallahassee, Florida, and we have an exciting field coming forward for the CCI4*-S (formerly CIC3*). The ground jury is Vanda Stewart (IRL), Jane Hamlin (USA) and Bobby Stevenson (USA).

Mike Etherington-Smith is now in his fourth year of designing the CCI4*-S cross country course. The track has been modified this year to be more galloping, and portions of the course have been re-routed to improve flow. While parts of the track will still wind through the woods, the galloping lanes have been widened to provide a more open feel. Extensive work has also taken place on the footing.

Show jumping is held last for all the FEI divisions at Red Hills, with Chris Barnard returning for the third year as course designer. Who can we expect to take the CCI4*-S win come Sunday? Read on for EN’s analysis.

The stage is set for Red Hills! Photo by Shems Hamilton/Red Hills.

The Field

  • The last time a pair outside of the top two after dressage won the event was in 2011, when Allison Springer was in third on Arthur after the first phase. Riders inside the top three after dressage have gone on to win the division every time in the last decade.
  • Only four riders have ever made the optimum time on cross country with a clear round at Red Hills in its entire history: Whitney Mahloch with Military Mind in 2018; Selena O’Hanlon with A Fine Romance and Foxwood High, both in 2013; Phillip Dutton with The Foreman in 2005 and Nova Top in 2004; and Peter Atkins with Henry Jota Hampton in 2012.
  • The last horse to win the CCI4-S* while still having a rail down in show jumping was Mighty Nice, who won with Phillip Dutton in 2013. The CCI4*-S winner typically goes clear in show jumping.

Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Dressage Divas

  • Jessica Phoenix and her longtime partner Pavarotti have the best dressage average in the field of 28.7. They sat third after dressage last year in the CCI4*-S at Red Hills on 29.8. Expect them to once again be close to or at the top of the leaderboard after the first phase.
  • The striking grey mare Cayenne is a new ride for Switzerland’s Felix Vogg, having been produced to the CCI3*-S level by Finland’s Elmo Jankari. She is very green to the level and only just ran her first Advanced at Rocking Horse Winter II H.T. last month, but she won it on her dressage score of 28.9.
  • Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot are making their triumphant return to international competition at Red Hills. They won the CCI4*-S in 2017 and will make a strong case to challenge for the win again. Their dressage average of 29.2 from when they last completed a full season in 2017 would be very close to the top of the leaderboard after the first phase.
  • In seven international runs at this venue, Selena O’Hanlon and Foxwood High have never finished outside of the top 10 at any level, but an international win at Red Hills has eluded them thus far. There is a good chance that changes this weekend. Their dressage average of 29.4 would put them in striking distance from the start.

Katherine Coleman and Billy Bandit. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Cross Country Machines

  • Foxwood High is only of only six horses to catch the optimum time in the CCI4-S* at Red Hills in the 20-year history of the event. Expect Selena O’Hanlon to put the pedal down in one of this horse’s key prep runs as we look ahead to their return trip to the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials.
  • Brandon McMechan and speedy Oscar’s Wild have only picked up time penalties once in their entire international career across all levels — 2.4 in their CCI4*-S debut at Bromont last year. Look for them to push the clock in their second appearance at the level.
  • Katherine Coleman is well known as a fast cross country rider, and she’s picked up just 1.6 time penalties in both of her runs with Billy Bandit this season. He is green to the level, having only run his first CCI4*-S at the Ocala Jockey Club last fall where they incurred 20 jumping penalties, but expect him to come out looking like a different horse in his first international run of 2019.
  • Sydney Conley Elliott and Cisko A average 8.0 time penalties at the level, but they delivered several super speedy runs last season, including being one of the only pairs to catch the time in the Nations Cup at Great Meadow. They won the last time they competed in an international division at Red Hills, finishing on their dressage score to top the CCI3*-S back in 2014. Look for them to shoot right up the leaderboard after cross country.

Leslie Law and Voltaire De Tre. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Show Jumping Powerhouses

  • Selena O’Hanlon and Foxwood High had rails down in just one of their international runs last season. Last year they jumped a clear show jumping round in the CCI4*-S at Red Hills with 2.0 time penalties to finish fourth. With show jumping time penalties now changed for the 2019 season — 0.4 penalties for every second over the time allowed — pairs like this will benefit.
  • Leslie Law and Voltaire de Tre only had one rail down at international level last season, and they delivered clear show jumping rounds every time the phase came last in 2018. They also jumped clear at Red Hills in the CCI4*-S last year in the horse’s debut at the level.
  • Jacob Fletcher and Atlantic Domino didn’t have a single rail down at international level last season, including at Red Hills when they finished second in the CCI4*-S. Look for them to leave the poles in the cups once again come Sunday.
  • Cristano Z has only had two rails down in his entire career at both national and international levels with Caroline Martin — that’s 22 clear show jumping rounds out of 24 total.

PREDICTED WINNER: Selena O’Hanlon and Foxwood High

Selena O’Hanlon and Foxwood High. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Keep Your Eye On:

  • Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot
  • Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti
  • Jacob Fletcher and Atlantic Domino

Potential Spoilers:

  • Felix Vogg and Cayenne
  • Brandon McMechan and Oscar’s Wild
  • Mia Farley and BGS Firecracker

Thank you to EN’s data analyst Maggie Deatrick for extracting the data for this article.

#RedHills: Website, Schedule, Entry Status, Ride Times, Live Scores, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Watch the Ocala Horse Properties Eventing Prix Invitational Live Stream

By on Mar 5, 2019 1:30 pm -

It’s almost go time for the $20,000 Ocala Horse Properties Eventing Prix Invitational at Southern Cross Equestrian in Reddick, Florida. The action will stream live starting at 2 p.m. EST on EQTV Network and right here on EN.

A total of 35 combinations — eight teams and three individuals — will take on Chris Barnard’s 1.30-meter show jumping course. Click here to view the entry list and teams.

Check back to EN later today for a full report.

[Eventing Prix Invitational Order of Go]

Teams Named for North American Futures Team Challenge at Carolina International

By on Mar 4, 2019 6:34 pm -

Teams have been announced for the 2019 USEF/USET Foundation North American Futures Team Challenge at Carolina International on March 21-24, 2019. Established with the USET Foundation and administered by USEF, the North American Futures Team Challenge is designed to complement the Eventing High Performance Program, which recently rolled out the new U.S. Eventing Pathway Program.

Two teams of four combinations will contest an unofficial simulated team competition at both Carolina International in the CCI3*-S or CCI4*-S and at Bromont in the CCI3*-L. The teams will undergo training prior to each competition.

The following horses and riders have been named to USEF Performance Director for Eventing Erik Duvander’s team:

  • Hallie Coon and Celien
  • Sydney Conley Elliott and QC Diamantaire
  • Ariel Grald and Leamore Master Plan
  • Caroline Martin and Danger Mouse

The following horses and riders have been named to USEF Emerging Athlete Coach Leslie Law’s team:

  • Alex Baugh and Mr. Candyman
  • Cosby Green and Highly Suspicious
  • Chris Talley and Sandro’s Star
  • Madison Temkin and Dr. Hart

Click here to learn more about the North American Futures Team Challenge.

Go Eventing.

Entries Confirmed for $20,000 Ocala Horse Properties Eventing Prix Invitational

By on Mar 4, 2019 11:00 am -

2018 Eventing Prix Invitational winners Will Coleman and Gideon. Photo by Lisa Thomas/Mid-Atlantic Equestrian Services.

We are counting down to the highly anticipated $20,000 Ocala Horse Properties Eventing Prix Invitational, which will take place at 2 p.m. tomorrow, March 5, at Southern Cross Equestrian in Reddick, Florida. A total of 35 combinations — eight teams and three individuals — will take on Chris Barnard’s 1.30-meter show jumping course.

The first round will determine the team results, and the top 10 combinations — or all pairs that jump clear in the first round — will return for the second round jump-off to determine the individual standings.

Here’s a look at the teams:

Team Unstable

  • Joe Meyer and A Sportsfield Diamond, owned by The Champagne Syndicate
  • Sharon White and Cooley On Show, owned by the rider and George White
  • Sara Kozumplik Murphy and Rubens D’Yseiux, owned by Edy Rameika, Brian Murphy and The Coury Family
  • Bobby Meyerhoff and Fortuna, owned by Danica Meyerhoff

Team GBish

  • Justine Dutton and MGH Heartbeat, owned by the rider and Chris Barnard
  • Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Quicksilver, owned by The Monster Syndicate
  • Leslie Law and Voltaire de Tre, owned by Tre Book
  • Clark Montgomery and Caribbean Soul, owned by The Caribbean Soul Syndicate

The Maple Stirrups

  • Selena O’Hanlon and E’Lupicor, owned by Jen Gallas
  • Dana Cooke and her own FE Stiff Upper Lip
  • Jessica Phoenix and her own Bentley’s Best
  • Karl Slezak and Fernhill Wishes, owned by the rider and Kirk Hoppner

Buck Off Cancer

  • Jennie Brannigan and I Bella, owned by Nina and Tim Gardner
  • Hannah Sue Burnett and Lukeswell, owned by Christa Badger Schmidt, Jacqueline Mars and Sherry Nemmers
  • Lynn Symansky and Under Suspection, owned by Mary Ann Ghadban
  • Katherine Coleman and Billy Bandit, owned by KC Eventing

Team West Coast

  • Natalia Neneman and Electric Lux, owned by The Electric Lux Group
  • Tamie Smith and Cambalda, owned by Nina and Tim Gardner
  • Kristen Bond and I’m Sew Ready, owned by Kristine and John Norton
  • Allie Knowles and Ms Poppins, owned by Katherine O’Brien

Black List

  • Lauren Kieffer and Vermiculus, owned by Jacqueline Mars
  • Will Coleman and TKS Cooley, owned by The TKS Cooley Syndicate
  • Buck Davidson Errol Gobey, owned by Natalie Sander, Lisa Darden, and Carl and Cassie Segal
  • Matt Brown and Talking Point BCF, owned by Bob and Valerie Fish

The Young Guns

  • Hallie Coon and her own Cooley SOS
  • Alyssa Phillips and her own Oskar
  • Caroline Martin and her own Islandwood Captain Jack
  • Jacob Fletcher and his own Atlantic Domino

Wild Card Team

  • Kurt Martin and Captain Chacco, owned by Shanon Baker
  • Colleen Rutledge and her own C Me Fly
  • Autumn Schweiss and Global AKD Corline, owned by Julie Schweiss
  • Ashlyn Dorsey and Stakkato II, owned by Marcel Dorsey

Individuals

  • Cornelia Dorr and her own Daytona Beach 8
  • Charlotte Collier and Clifford M, owned by The Power of Pink
  • Mia Farley and her own BGS Firecracker

A $1,000 1.15-meter speed class sponsored by Doug Hannum Equine Therapy is being held today. Tomorrow’s 1.30-meter class will once again be streamed live here on EN and on EQTV Network with commentary. The course walk is from 12:30-1:30 p.m. The VIP tent opens at 1 p.m. and the action kicks off at 2 p.m.

General admission is free to the public. Brewster Walker Horse Transport is providing free beer, as well as sponsoring a $500 Grooms Award for the best turned-out horse. Food will be available for purchase from Humble Wood Fire Pizza.

Follow the Eventing Prix Invitational on Facebook for updates.