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.
Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch at Millbrook. Photo by Jenni Autry.
British Eventing has confirmed that the organization will keep a new rule that bans “fixed peaks,” or brims, on helmets in cross country at all BE sanctioned events, meaning skull caps are now required on cross country at all levels in Great Britain.
The BE Sport Committee met to further discuss the requirement after BE members pushed back against the rule following its introduction in the 2015 BE Members’ Handbook; the committee ultimately decided to stick with it.
“The safety of its members is of paramount importance to British Eventing, and this rule has been introduced to enable BE members to compete in the best personal protective equipment available,” Chris Farr, BE Sport Operations Manager, said in a statement.
BE further clarified the rule in the statement:
Only jockey skulls will be permitted on cross country. Whilst a jockey skull is a commonly understood description for a type of peakless protective helmet, for the purposes of clarification, a jockey skull typically has:
• No peak, peak type extensions or noticeable protuberances above the eyes (or to the front) and has an even, elliptical or rounded shape.
• A smooth or slightly abrasive surface.
• A removable cover containing the peak, should one be required (such as a hat silk).
• This rule does not affect FEI competition.
There’s been speculation from eventers across the globe that other national governing bodies may follow BE’s lead — as many did after the organization decided to ban helmet cams last fall.
We have reached out to British Eventing on whether the Sport Committee used any sort of scientific or safety study to make this decision. In the meantime, what do you think, EN?
How would you feel if you were required to wear a skull cap on cross country at all recognized events? Do you think this is another safety measure the sport should take? Or would you rather stick with your usual helmet?
Stable View Farm is still buzzing with excitement after the conclusion of William Fox-Pitt’s first clinic in Aiken. We had beautiful weather for the second day of the clinic, when riders took to the cross country course. Check out the full day two photo gallery below — which features images of the Preliminary, Intermediate ad Advanced groups — and click here to see the day one gallery.
Curran Simpson's Woodstock Bennett looking very handsome in the Aiken sunshine with Ryan Wood in the irons. Photo by Jenni Autry.
That’s a wrap on William Fox-Pitt’s clinic here in Aiken, where we had brilliant sunshine and much warmer temperatures for cross country day at Stable View Farm. The horses seemed to be more settled today — it certainly helped that yesterday’s blustery winds weren’t an issue! — and the riders really rose to the occasion to tackle William’s exercises.
Each group started out with a warmup before schooling banks and ditches. Then they all moved across the field to the water complex, which is surrounded by trakehners and chevrons. All the horses and riders stepped up to the plate across the board, with some horses successfully being introduced to ditches for the first time. Every horse ended the lesson better than they started.
The most challenging aspect of for each group seemed to come when horses and riders schooled the small up bank out of water, with many of the horses stumbling or chipping in. William had the riders slow down significantly on the approach to the up bank to counteract this problem, saying it’s important to never hurry horses through water, as they need to “find their step” to ensure a balanced jump out.
This trakehner jumped beautifully for the most part. Photo by Jenni Autry.
And sure enough, the riders had a much smoother trip through when they took his advice, establishing a steadier rhythm instead of letting their stride get longer through the water. Horses with a more compressed, cattier stride didn’t struggle with this nearly as much, and it was good for the bigger, rangier horses to rock back and balance.
William also had a number of riders shorten their reins throughout the day, especially on greener horses; he said shortening the reins is something just about every rider should be doing more often on cross country. He challenged Boyd Martin to shorten his reins with SBF Cortez in the Advanced group — “just to see what happens” — and while it didn’t lead to a noticeable difference for Cortez, it definitely helped a number of the other riders.
Once again, William had all of the groups do a substantial portion of the lesson in trot over smaller fences, which he said he does regularly at home, especially with his older horses to help keep them sharp and “entertained.” He also had them focus on approaching the fences in a slower trot — no fast-paced trotting with a quickie canter stride before the jump.
After more than 300 auditors came out to see William’s clinic in Vancouver earlier in the week, the group of about 100 auditors here in Aiken seemed noticeably smaller. But Grace Vance, Stable View’s new COO, said they purposefully limited the number of auditors to around 100 to allow for a more intimate atmosphere.
William Fox-Pitt imparts his wisdom. Photo by Jenni Autry.
And that strategy paid off really nicely, allowing everyone to get a good view of the action both yesterday and today, as well as sit near the speaker to hear all of the wisdom William imparted during the clinic. The whole Stable View team has been wonderful and welcoming over the past two days; we have to send a huge thank you for the hospitality and hard work.
And, yes, #EventingJesus continues to gain momentum since the Twitter hashtag launched during yesterday’s lessons, with @EventingConsult coming up with this masterpiece today as his latest artistic contribution to EN:
It looks like our work here is done. Many thanks to Stable View, the riders, auditors and, most importantly, William for making this a clinic we’ll never forget. Check out more one-liners from William below, and keep scrolling for all of our coverage of the clinic so far. We’ll have a full day two gallery coming your way shortly, so stay tuned.
WFP One-Liners
“What does funky mean?”
“If you leave him to his own devices, he gets a bit syrupy.”
“He’s not allowed to trot around like a yak. He needs to trot around like a horse.”
“Look at those short reins … He wants to be teacher’s pet!
“Very often the last thing we do is shorten our reins. It needs to be higher on our list of priorities”
“You must not hurry them through water. You have got to give them time to find their step.”
Welcome to cross country day of the William Fox-Pitt clinic here in Aiken, South Carolina! The weather is already looking much improved from yesterday, and everyone is looking forward to an educational day as William imparts his wisdom.
Stay tuned for a full report later in the day, and, in the meantime, you can check out this photo gallery from yesterday’s Training, Intermediate and Advanced groups. Also, click here to read EN’s Q&A with William and here to read the full day one report.
And don’t forgot to follow along with our live updates on Twitter @eventingnation.
Go Eventing.
Photo by Jenni Autry
Photo by Jenni Autry
Photo by Jenni Autry
Photo by Jenni Autry
Photo by Jenni Autry
Photo by Jenni Autry
Photo by Jenni Autry
Photo by Jenni Autry
Photo by Jenni Autry
Photo by Jenni Autry
Photo by Jenni Autry
Photo by Jenni Autry
Photo by Jenni Autry
Photo by Jenni Autry
Photo by Jenni Autry
Photo by Jenni Autry
Photo by Jenni Autry
Photo by Jenni Autry
Photo by Jenni Autry
Photo by Jenni Autry
Photo by Jenni Autry
Photo by Jenni Autry
Photo by Jenni Autry
Photo by Jenni Autry
William Fox-Pitt teaches in Aiken. Photo by Jenni Autry.
We’ve just wrapped up a chilly, blustery afternoon on the first day of William Fox-Pitt’s clinic at Stable View Farm in Aiken, South Carolina, where #EventingJesus brought the basics back to the 30 horse and rider combinations who entered his kingdom.
William used very similar exercises for each group, starting with the Novice riders in the morning and ending with the Advanced group this afternoon. Riders started out each session chatting about their horses with William and then flatted for a bit so he could watch them and make any adjustments to their position or pace.
Then the groups progressed to jumping, with each group starting out going through the same grid; William added another element to the grid after each pass from the group. The grid — a crossrail, one stride to a bounce, one stride to a bounce, one stride to an oxer — rode very well all day for the most part across the board, even when he had everyone go through while holding the reins in one hand.
The challenge came when William introduced his spiral exercise after the grid, which Dom Schramm has graciously drawn for us in a very helpful diagram below. While the exercise looks simple on paper, it caught riders out all day long, with the spiral causing thrills and spills, refusals and falls. And William upped the ante even more by having the riders also tackle the spiral with the reins in one hand.
The spiral exercise. Drawing by Dom Schramm.
The riders then moved on to a series of bending lines and rollback turns over individual verticals and oxers placed around the arena, with the technicality gradually increasing to prepare them for the questions they will face when they head to the cross country course tomorrow.
Though the temperatures barely climbed out of the 40s all day, William was his typical cheery, charming self, chatting with the group of about 100 auditors who were huddled under anything they could find in their trucks to combat the chill — horse blankets, towels, polo wraps.
And yes, #EventingJesus has taken on a life of its own today. @EventingConsult, a very good friend of EN, created this brilliant work of art in Photoshop:
If you missed our Q&A with William from earlier in the day, click here to find out which rider he’d love to go train with if he had the chance, which World Equestrian Games champion he’d like to take a spin on and which event he loves to compete at — hint, it’s here on U.S. soil!
Check out the list of WFP one-liners from today’s lessons below, and be sure to follow EN on Twitter at @eventingnation for much more from #EventingJesus as we look ahead to day two here in Aiken.
Go William, and Go Eventing.
WFP One-Liners
“Don’t be scared to ask him. He might not want to be asked, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it.”
“Stop being so prickly and precious and just ride him.”
“That was a bit of a hand-brake turn.”
“The earlier a horse learns to look at his fence, the better.”
“Give him confidence through your position and confidence through your legs.”
“Just because we’re jumping doesn’t mean all the flatwork goes out the window.”
“Ride him to the fence like you mean it.”
“You’re all very brave. You can take the rein back in times of crisis. This isn’t the gospel.”
“That’s one way to do it … If it had gone wrong, I would have given you a barking, but it didn’t.”
“In eventing, there’s no use getting stuck in our ways … Nothing ever goes to plan anyways.”
William Fox-Pitt teaches in Aiken. Photo by Jenni Autry.
EN is on the grounds at the William Fox-Pitt clinic here at beautiful Stable View Farm in Aiken, South Carolina, and William was kind enough to take some time during the lunch break to chat with the journalists. Here’s a quick Q&A with five burning questions, and stay tuned for much more as we bring you photos, diagrams of jumping exercises and plenty of WFPisms over the next two days.
I’m live tweeting ringside, so be sure to follow along at @eventingnation, and you can also follow Stable View’s live blog at this link. Many thanks to the Stable View team for all their hospitality thus far!
EN: If you could drop everything and go train with another rider for an extended period of time, who would it be?
WFP: “Over the years, I’ve been very lucky to have been trained by all sorts of people, from Mark Todd to Chris Bartle. But if I could go be based with an event rider, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em — it would have to be Michael Jung. From another discipline, it would be Carl Hester.”
EN: You compete all over the world, but which event is your favorite?
WFP: “I love coming to Kentucky. I think it’s a very special event. As a Brit, you are really lucky to be able to come to Kentucky. As a rule, you need to have two horses for Badminton before you’re allowed to come. I’m very fortunate to have had the horses to be able to come. I think the horse park is a brilliant venue. It’s a fantastic atmosphere.
“It might also be that Kentucky comes early in the year, so you’re always a little bit surprised because you come from the field in England — from a few jumps around the field and a dressage arena you can hardly spot in the mud. Then you get to Kentucky and think, ‘Blimy, this is like another sport.’
“The impact of Kentucky is very exciting. I love the cross country. It’s a proper course with good going and undulations in the terrain. It’s very well presented.”
EN: If you could take a spin on any top horse, which one would you choose?
WFP: “I’d love to ride Opgun Louvo. I think he’s a very cool horse — I’d need roller skates on him. There’s a young up and coming horse in England called Ceylor L A N, Kitty King’s young horse. I think he’s quite a special animal. I’m very happy with my own horses too. I think they’re a good lot.”
EN: You have ridden many great horses in your career. Which one would you consider to be the greatest of them all?
WFP: “Tamarillo — without a doubt. The greatest and the most frustrating, which often is the case. He was an incredible athlete.”
EN: Who is a rider you looked up to early in your career?
WFP: “To begin with, it would have been Lucinda Green and Ginny Elliot. Lucinda was someone who was very friendly, although she was a complete heroine. She always took the time to say ‘good luck’ or ‘well done.’ As serious and busy as she was, she was just very good at making us young riders feel that we also had a right to be there.”
Nina Fout and Walkabout at Jersey Fresh 2013. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Plantation Field announced today that Nina Fout, who rode 3 Magic Beans to a team bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, has been selected for its new Course Designer Development Program, in which she’ll work alongside Mike Etherington-Smith to design the CIC* and CIC2* courses for the fall horse trials.
“I have to thank Plantation Field Equestrian Events for the incredible opportunity to work with Mike E-S. He’s a brilliant course designer, and the venue is a wonderful setting to showcase good design,” Nina said in a press release.
Nina’s ‘S’ license allows her to design courses at the Advanced level, and she has already designed at Middleburg, CDCTA, Kelly’s Ford, Gordonsdale and Morningside, with her ultimate goal to design at the FEI level. It’s a goal that’s not that far off thanks to Plantation’s program, as she will eventually graduate to designing the CIC* and CIC2* courses on her own.
Preparations are already underway for the fall horse trials at Plantation Field. Photo courtesy of Boyd Martin.
Boyd Martin said the program’s selection committee — which includes himself along with Mike, Phillip Dutton, Mary Coldren and Denis Glaccum — received six applications for the program, with the committee ultimately deciding to choose Nina as the very first participant to work with Mike.
“Nina has ridden at the Olympic level and has a wonderful creative mind for course design,” Boyd said. “We all felt her working with Mike E-S could boost her career towards being one of America’s next great four-star course designers.”
Mike said he anticipates beginning work on the courses very soon. “Nina has already done quite a lot of designing, and I am looking forward to working with her on the courses for the September event and hopefully being able to share some of what I have been lucky enough to learn over the years,” he said.
Mushroom compost ready to be spread on the galloping tracks. Photo courtesy of Boyd Martin.
With Nina and Mike teaming up to design the one-star and two-star courses and Mike returning to design the three-star course, the stage is set for Plantation Field International to once again prove why it’s the Best. Event. Ever.
“The committee is already working hard toward making Plantation Field one of the best CICs this year,” Boyd said. “Katie Walker came home from the Wellington Eventing Showcase planning to outdo Mark Bellissimo.”
With that in mind, preparations at the grounds are well underway, and footing expert and local farmer Jamie Hicks has been busy spreading layers of mushroom compost on the galloping tracks.
“Jamie is obsessed with how to get the most ideal galloping lanes for the event, and he’s taken charge with working on the fertilizing, compost spreading, mowing and seeding,” Boyd said. “We feel like this year’s event will really showcase his hard work.”
Jacob Fletcher and Atlantic Domino winning Best Dressed/Best Turned Out at Blenheim. Photo by Samantha Clark for PRO.
Arkansas native Jacob Fletcher has been back home for a few months now after spending a year abroad as a student for Australians Kevin McNab and Emma Dougall at their yard in Surrey, England.
While he’d always wanted to spend time abroad, Jacob, 20, said it wasn’t until his upper-level horse The Prof died from lung cancer just before Bromont in 2013 that he actually decided to seriously consider going.
A horse shopping trip to England that summer with Susie Pragnall, whom Jacob affectionately calls his “fairy godmother,” sealed the deal. When they tried a horse at Kevin’s yard, Susie pitched the idea of Jacob staying there, and the rest of the details fell into place.
Jacob rode with Kevin and Emma for several weeks that summer and again in the fall, arranging to return for the full year in 2014. Then the news broke that Kevin and Jock Paget’s horses had tested positive for the banned substance Reserpine at Burghley.
Silver linings in England
“He texted me the next day and asked if my plans had changed, and I said, ‘Not on my end.’ It was a perfect time for me to go because Kevin had more time than usual. It was a silver lining,” Jacob said.
Though the investigation quickly revealed Reserpine-contaminated bottles of LesstressE as the cause of the positive tests, it took nearly 10 months to go through the FEI Tribunal process before Jock and Kevin’s names could be cleared.
So with Kevin’s time freed up considerably during his suspension, Jacob immersed himself into the eventing mecca that is England, and — like so many Americans before him who have crossed the pond — found that all the advantages he’d heard about were even better than he could have imagined.
“There are so many things you can touch on, like the fact that there are more competitions, and you don’t have to drive as far. There are so many more courses available to you, so you can really personalize every horse’s schedule,” Jacob said.
“Also, just riding with Kevin and Emma in the ring every day was extremely educational, and competing and watching other people — studying their position and trying to emulate that is so important.”
Jacob and Domino at Blenheim. Photo by Samantha Clark for PRO.
Back home in the U.S.
Now that he’s back home in Arkansas, Jacob is trying hard to maintain that quality in his riding, which isn’t easy when his longtime trainer Mike Huber lives six hours away and the closest CCI event is 18 hours away in Ocala.
“I send videos to Kevin and Mike all the time,” Jacob said. “I have people film me when I’m riding, and I’ll play it back even when I’m still on the horse. That’s how I’m keeping the quality of my riding over the winter.”
He’s also hard at work finishing his business degree at the University of Arkansas, taking classes Monday through Thursday, as well as working a few days each week at his father’s car dealership. And, of course, he’s also been busy legging up his horses for the start of their 2015 season.
His top horse, Atlantic Domino, a 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Jacob bought from Mark and Tanya Kyle, successfully progressed from Novice (the equivalent of Preliminary level in the U.S.) all the way to the CCI3* level last season in England.
“He did the CCI2* at Tattersalls really well, and he went around beautifully at the CIC3* at Camphire,” Jacob said. “While some pilot errors on my part might not show it on paper, he really had a very strong season.”
Domino was meant to end his 2014 season at Blenheim Palace CCI3*, where he and Jacob scored 54.2 in dressage to sit in 45th place in the star-studded field before going into cross country. They were having a cracking clear round until Jacob was held for 25 minutes before the main water complex.
“I tried to go straight into it after the hold, and he’s such a careful, good jumper that it just wasn’t going to happen,” Jacob said. “He picked up his front feet and, trying to be careful, he trotted a step with his back feet. His back feet went into the ditch, and he landed on the fence and rotated in.”
Thankfully, both Jacob and Domino walked away from the fall unharmed. “Kevin and I were still really happy with him,” Jacob said. “Kevin thought we looked safe and like we should be out there up until that point.”
Jacob and Domino at Blenheim. Photo by Samantha Clark for PRO.
Time to get to work
Now Jacob said it’s time to get to work to show what Domino can do. Though he originally worried whether Domino could be a proper four-star horse being only about 50 percent Thoroughbred, seeing how well he handled the sloppy going at Ballindenisk on an 11-minute CCI3* course solidified in his mind that he has what it takes.
“His plan for this spring is Red Hills CIC3*, and then we’ll crack on to the CIC3* at Chattahoochee Hills before heading to the Rebecca Farm CCI3*, which is his big goal for the year,” Jacob said.
And Domino is just one of the many talented horses in his barn right now. Fly Away Ferro, an 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Jacob has had for two years, completed his first CCI* at Weston Park last year and will start his season at the Red Hills CIC* before aiming for the CCI2* at Rebecca Farm.
“He’s super talented, but he’s definitely not the easiest horse,” Jacob said. “After I got to England, Kevin jumped him for a full month and a half, and I only rode him on the flat, which was hugely beneficial.”
Willunga, an 8-year-old Dutch/Irish gelding he bought from Nicky Roncoroni last year, did his first CIC2* at Camphire in July. Jacob gave him the rest of the season off, as he didn’t want to push for a big year-end event with the horse just being 7, so he’s excited to get him out this spring and summer, with a CCI2* as the end goal for this year.
Jacob also has Van Gough, a 7-year-old Dutch/Irish gelding that won the CIC* at Firle in August; he also successfully completed his first CCI* at Tattersalls. “He’ll also aim for Red Hills CIC*,” Jacob said. “After that, I’m not sure I want to do a CCI2* in his 7-year-old year, so his plans are still up in the air.”
Legging up in Florida
All four horses came home from England to Jasper Springs Ranch in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where Samantha Morris — who groomed for Jacob last year in England and followed him to the States — keeps things running smoothly.
The horses made the long haul to Florida last week with Mike, with Jacob staying behind so he can keep up with his class schedule. “The horses will stay in Florida through Red Hills, and I’ll be flying back and forth,” Jacob said.
“I figure that if they’re competing every weekend, they’ll have Tuesday off, Mike will flat them on Wednesday, and I’ll be there in time to ride them on Thursday. Then I’ll ride them Thursday through Monday. I’ll miss one day of flatwork, which stresses me out a bit, but I can live with it.”
After Red Hills, the horses will come home to Arkansas, and Jacob will aim for several Area V events, as well as the three-star at Chattahoochee Hills. He’s looking into spending the summer at Roebke’s Run in St. Hector, Minnesota, where he’d stay through Rebecca Farm.
He’ll also be participating in the Eventing 25 training sessions with Leslie Law in his second year participating in the USEF Developing Rider program, all while keeping his eye on his ultimate goal of making it to a CCI4*.
“I’d love to get good and try to compete with the best of them,” Jacob said. “I feel like I need to start my year abroad now, but I know I needed to come home and work on finishing school. I can’t wait to get back.”
Want to go along for the ride with Jacob? He’s currently looking for a competition groom! Go check out the listing he posted on Sport Horse Nation.
Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night in Wellington. Photo by Kasey Mueller.
Marilyn Little had a bang-up day at Ocala Horse Properties Winter II Horse Trials, winning the Open Intermediate A and Intermediate Horse divisions. You might remember seeing RF Overdressed’s name from the first winter H.T. in Ocala, where he finished fifth in the Open Intermediate division on 38.5. He improved on that performance today, finishing on his dressage score of 28.1 to win Open Intermediate A.
So who is this new horse? Marilyn found the 8-year-old Hanoverian gelding in Germany last fall while shopping for a student. When that didn’t work out, Marilyn asked Jacqueline Mars, whose Meredyth South she is based at for the winter, if she might consider helping her secure the horse for herself.
“She was kind enough to agree to that so I could try to put together a syndicate, which we are in the process of doing,” Marilyn said. “I’m in love with the horse. He’s a wonderful horse to work with and train, an incredible character and super talented. He’s a beautiful mover and such a competitor in the dressage ring. I feel very, very lucky to have the ride on the horse.”
“Rio” competed at the two-star level in Germany before coming to the States, and Marilyn said he’ll go to the CIC2* at Pine Top later in the month; then she’ll work on his CCI qualification with the hopes of going to Ocala CCI2*.
“He’s only 8, but it’s all coming very easily to him,” Marilyn said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he did an Advanced prior to Ocala. I’ve been very lucky to have the opportunity to work with David (O’Connor) a lot with the horse and take part in the (USEF High Performance) training sessions with him, which has really helped speed up the partnership.”
Marilyn also took first and second in the Intermediate Horse division with RF West Indie and RF Quarterman, who ended their 2014 seasons with a win at the Galway Downs CCI2* and a third-place finish at the Dutta Corp Fair Hill International CCI2*, respectively.
“This was Indie’s first Intermediate of the year. She did two Prelims before this, the first one very slowly, and she was very fresh and excited to be out. She was very good today. She had a very successful year last year, but she’s come out as an 8 year old, and she’s a very different horse,” Marilyn said.
“The opportunity to be based at Mrs. Mars’ farm has done wonders for both Indie and Quarterman in terms of their development into upper-level horses.”
Marilyn is poised for a very strong season with what looks to be a very competitive strong, especially with RF Tabasco set to make a return to competition at Red Hills. “I’m really, really lucky,” she said. “Walking through the barn is like looking at a dream team.”
Holly Jacks-Smither finished second in the Open Intermediate A division with More Inspiration for team Canada on 36.1, followed by Jon Holling and Zatopek B in third on 41.8.
Liz Halliday-Sharp also had a great day in Ocala, winning the Advanced combined test with Fernhill By Night on an incredible score of 19.5. And even more incredible is the fact that the score includes “one little mistake,” plus an error because she learned the wrong test by mistake! The judge gave her three minutes to learn the right test, and she went in and delivered that. Liz said her super groom Gemma Jalinksa recorded video of the test, which will be uploaded to her Facebook page shortly.
Michael Pollard and the lovely Trakehner stallion Halimey won Open Intermediate B on 30.7, with his stablemate Ballingowan Pizazz finishing just behind in second on 30.8. HHS Cooley made his comeback after a nine-month break to finish in third place on 32, also with Liz. She said she wasn’t planning for a fast trip, put Cooley felt like he hadn’t missed a beat with “loads in the tank” at the end.
Nicole Dolitte and Tops won the Intermediate Rider division on 40.7, followed by Madeline Backus and P.S. Arianna on 42.5 and Victoria Clayton and The Secret Agent on 43.2. Click here for full scores from the Ocala Horse Properties Winter II Horse Trials, and stay tuned for Leslie Threlkeld’s full report from Pine Top Intermediate Horse Trials.
The USEA announced last week that the Board of Governors has approved a provision to allow members in western Pennsylvania to choose between Area VIII and Area II after the recent border realignment.
Many members in western Pennsylvania, which had previously been in Area VIII, were surprised to suddenly find themselves as members of Area II after an amendment to the bylaws was approved at the 2014 USEA Annual Meeting in December.
“In response to the concerns of the members living in western Pennsylvania, the Board of Governors has made a provision whereby those members may now declare which Area they would like to be assigned to for purposes of competitions, year-end awards and championships,” the USEA said in a statement.
Members in western Pennsylvania can now click this link to officially declare membership in Area II or Area VIII. The USEA database will be updated to reflect the chosen area. Western Pennsylvanians will still be eligible for 2015 year-end awards if they declare for Area VIII by March 1.
We’re curious as to how many western Pennsylvanians will stay in Area II or go back to their former home in Area VIII. Let us know how you declare your membership in the poll below. Click here for the USEA’s fact sheet on this provision for western Pennsylvanians.
Indra Rapinchuk-Souccar and Dream Girl after winning the Little Bromont CIC* in 2014. Photo by Bridgette Kuchta.
We’re heartbroken to report that Dream Girl, an 18-year-old Quarter Horse/Canadian Warmblood mare owned and ridden by Indra Rapinchuk-Souccar, died yesterday after a rotational fall on cross country at Full Gallop Farm’s February I Horse Trials in Aiken, South Carolina. Indra, 16, suffered a broken femur in the fall.
Indra and Dream Girl were competing in the Preliminary division when they fell at fence 11b, a rolled wedge following a drop bank coming into the auxiliary field. Dr. Stephanie Davis and the medical crew were at the scene immediately; the mare died shortly after from injuries sustained in the fall.
Indra was transported to the Children’s Hospital of Georgia in Augusta, Georgia, where she successfully underwent surgery last night to insert a rod and four screws into her femur and is resting comfortably today.
Indra began her partnership with “Abby” in 2011, when a friend went away to college and sold the mare for $1, with the agreement that Abby would never sell her. They started competing at Novice that year and worked their way to the one-star level under the guidance of Indra’s trainer, Mikki Kuchta.
An unexpected win at the Little Bromont CIC* last summer qualified them for the Area I CH-J* team at the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships, where they finished 27th individually with a clear cross country trip and 6 time penalties.
Indra and Abby at NAJYRC. Photo by Samantha Clark for PRO.
This story from the Daily Hampshire Gazette chronicles their partnership together and trip to Kentucky and is well worth the read. Indra and Abby were aiming for a return trip to NAJYRC this year, with Full Gallop as their first outing of the season.
“I had Abby by my side for the hardest years of my life, and she brought me so much joy and discovery,” Indra said. “From tackless gallops, to skijoring, to the Gold Cooler Jumper Series, to sunset trail rides, to NAJYRC, she was my best friend,” Indra said. “I never thought I could love a horse more, and I probably never will.”
Lara Anderson, Full Gallop’s organizer, said the fence involved in the accident, designed by John Williams and built by Tyson Rementer, is new on the course this year but was used without any problems at the January horse trials two weeks ago. There were no other incidents with the fence yesterday, and the rider reps did not raise any concerns about it.
“It was hard for us because we’ve run for 16 years, and we’ve never had even a major injury on course, much less something like this,” Lara said. “You don’t ever want anything like that to happen, and I’m grateful we had such an amazing crew who were there within seconds to help.”
The USEA said in a statement that a full necropsy will be performed to determine the exact cause of death.
In this sad time, our thoughts are with Indra and all who knew and loved Abby, who she said will be remembered as “the bravest little barefoot Quarter Horse.” Rest in peace, Abby.
Andrew Nicholson and Nereo at WEG. Photo by Jenni Autry.
In the latest development in the Andrew Nicholson vs. ESNZ debacle, the six-time Olympian must agree to “good behavior” before being allowed back on the High Performance squad, the New Zealand Herald reports.
We get a few more details on what exactly happened in the falling out at last year’s World Equestrian Games, when Andrew voluntarily stepped down from the squad after disagreeing with the team vet’s treatment of Nereo following cross country.
An “altercation” reportedly took place between Andrew and team vet Ollie Pynn when Andrew discovered Nereo had been left unattended while on a routine recovery IV drip, which left him worried about “error or sabotage.”
Andrew explains: “I did sort of do my nut at the vet for his treatment of my horse at the World Games. I don’t apologise for my behaviour when it comes to the well-being of my horse.” He goes on to acknowledge: “I possibly could have done it a bit smoother but that’s the way I operate. And now I’m in all sorts of trouble for it.”
Indeed, that blow up has now cost him his annual training grant of NZ $50,000, and it still remains up in the air as to whether High Performance will place him back on the squad in June when the list is reviewed. Andrew told the Herald that while he would like to return, he also would like “to feel like I’m wanted back in there as well.”
William Micklem has written extensively on the falling out between Andrew and ESNZ in his recent columns for EN, which you can read here and here. Andrew served as the key speaker at the International Eventing Forum at Hartpury College on Monday, and William said much of the break-time conversation involved ESNZ’s handling of this situation.
“What has happened is not good for our sport as a whole,” William writes, “primarily because we need to reward those who treat their horses humanely, and secondly because we need to do everything we can to support and develop our few genuine superstar riders. It is these riders who bring our sport to a wider audience, to the benefit of us all.”
What do you think, EN? Has this gone on long enough? Should Andrew have to agree to “good behavior” before being allowed back on the squad? Weigh in with your thoughts is the comments below.
Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST at Luhmühlen. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Stop the presses, EN! We’ve confirmed through our friends at buschreiter.de that Michael Jung plans to start at Rolex this year with either La Biosthetique Sam FBW or fischerRocana FST, his 2014 World Equestrian Games individual silver and team gold medalist. And if Andreas Dibowski can securing fund, he plans to bring FRH Butts Avedon.
It’s been five years since any German rider started at Rolex, with Bettina Hoy and Ringwood Cockatoo finishing 2nd in 2009 and Peter Thomsen and The Ghost of Hamish finishing 24th, and since Kentucky became a CCI4* in 1998, we’ve very rarely seen any Germans at all at our big U.S. event.
It’s fantastic timing considering the idea of bolstering the level of competition on our home turf is a hot topic right now, with new USEF Developing Rider Coach Leslie Law making it a critical point of his keynote address at the 2014 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention.
And what better way to up the ante at U.S. eventing’s Super Bowl than to have Michael Jung start with either one of his top horses? Of course, Sam, a 15-year-old Baden-Württemberg gelding, is already a highly decorated legend of the sport, having been the first horse in the history of eventing to hold simultaneous Olympic, World and European Championship titles.
We predicted that Michael could still win individual gold at WEG aboard Rocana, a 10-year-old German Sport Horse mare, after Sam was suddenly withdrawn from WEG with a hoof issue. And they very nearly pulled that off, finishing in silver position by just .3 penalty points.
Andreas Dibowski and FRH Butts Avedon at Malmö. Photo by Julia Rau.
And Andreas Dibowski and FRH Butts Avedon, a 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding, will also carry a lot of momentum into Kentucky after ending their 2014 season on a very high note, finishing in second place at Pau CCI4*. Avedon has also placed in the top 10 twice at Luhmühlen CCI4*, finishing third in 2012 and ninth in 2013.
So all that is to say that we’re in for a very exciting show in Kentucky if Michael and Andreas do in fact compete. German team chef d’equipe Hans Melzer told buschreiter.de that Michael and Andreas full intend to compete at Rolex barring “a long end of winter” in Germany, which had snow in April last year, we’re told.
Andreas is also facing funding issues, as DOKR has withdrawn all financial aid for traveling to Rolex, so he will need to find private sponsors in order to make the trip to Kentucky, saying he “has an open score to settle” after picking up two stops at the coffin during the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Lexington.
Mother Nature, if you could do us a solid and keep the snow at bay so this can actually happen, that would be super. And if you haven’t already bought your tickets to Rolex to see Michael and Andreas in action, you should probably go do that right now at this link.
Hans also confirmed that the following German squad combinations are aiming for Badminton instead of Rolex, also due to DOKR eliminating funding for Kentucky: Ingrid Klimke and Hale Bob, Bettina Hoy and Designer, Claas Hermann Romeike and Cato, and Niklas Bschorrer with Tom Tom Go and Lord Shostakovich.
Our friends at The Chronicle of the Horse have enabled video playback of the live stream of cross country at the $50,000 Wellington Eventing Showcase! Click over to COTH here and then click play on the video to relive all the action. You’ll hear Dom and Jimmie Schramm’s excellent commentary, as well as Sinead Halpin’s interviews with each rider after crossing the finish.
Skip ahead to the 2 hour, 3 minute mark to see Boyd Martin and Trading Aces’ winning trip and his now iconic fist pump as he jumps the final fence and brings home $15,000. Many thanks to COTH for providing such a fantastic live stream for all three phases. You can click here to watch the playback of dressage and here for show jumping.
Lauren Billys and Jitter Bug. Photo by Jenni Autry.
We’re excited to announce that Hannah Sue Burnett has acquired the ride on Jitter Bug, a 9-year-old Rheinland Pfalz-Saar mare previously owned and ridden by Lauren Billys. Hannah’s longtime supporter, Jacqueline Mars, purchased the mare for her to ride, Athletux announced today in a press release.
“After getting a call from Liza Horan, who I trust a great deal, telling me I should take a look at her and then seeing video of Jitter Bug, I quickly jumped on a flight to California. After riding her, I was even more enthusiastic about her talent and our potential partnership,” Hannah said.
Jitter Bug (Daimler D’ Adriers X Nesthöckerli, by Nickolson) has a strong record at the one-star level, with 2014 competition highlights include finishing third in the spring Galway Downs CIC*, third in the Rebecca Farm CCI* and seventh in the big CCI* class at Galway Downs in November.
“Lauren has done a remarkable job producing her to this point, and the fact that I will have the opportunity to share this journey with Mrs. Mars, who has made countless things possible in my career, makes it all the more exciting,” Hannah said.
Lauren also recently sold another one of her horses, Ballingowan Ginger, in order to buy a more experienced mount to help achieve her goal of representing Puerto Rico at this year’s Pan American Games and the 2016 Olympic Games.
“I am confident Hannah will do a fantastic job with Jitter Bug and look forward to seeing all of the great things they accomplish. I wish Hannah, Mrs. Mars, and of course Jitter Bug the very best in this new chapter,” Lauren said.
Jitter Bug will join Hannah at her winter base at Oakmont Equestrian Center in Reddick, Florida, and she said she plans to spend some time getting to know the mare before getting her out to compete. We’re excited to see the partnership develop and wish Hannah all the best with Jitter Bug.
Lauren Kieffer and Czechmate. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Three things stand out to me when looking at the photos from yesterday’s cross country finale at the $50,000 Wellington Eventing Showcase: (1) all the smiles on the riders’ faces, (2) pricked ears on horses that were having a blast and (3) the beautiful course with perfect going.
Even with Capt. Mark Phillips’ course just being 3 minutes and 45 seconds, it still felt like a genuine track, with several good galloping stretches and enough technicality to cause trouble for a few combinations. As Lainey Ashker pointed out, it had all of the key questions we see on longer courses: water, ditch, corners, skinnies.
Built on a big derby field, you could see half of the course from one side and the other half by crossing a pedestrian path. It made for great spectator viewing, with the crowd swarming from one side of the course to the other following each horse and rider as they made their way around.
I’ve seen some calling this showcase “arena eventing,” but a more appropriate term might be something like “compact eventing,” with the riders comparing it to the thrill of feeling like they were on a roller coaster, or as Will Coleman put it: “riding a hurricane.”
Another thing to consider when looking at the optimum time is that’s not that far off the mark for what we’re seeing from recognized courses this early in the season. Rocking Horse’s Intermediate course was just one minute longer a couple weeks ago.
Here’s a gallery of some of my favorite photos from cross country yesterday, and if you missed my blog on my final impressions from the Wellington Eventing Showcase, click here to check it out; share your own thoughts in the comments. Go #WellyEventing.
This photo of Boyd Martin and Bruce Springsteen alone is enough to believe in eventing in Wellington. But let's talk about a few more reasons ...
True confessions: I had no intention of going to the Wellington Eventing Showcase. With it being an exhibition event sporting a quickie cross country course — and with EN having a travel budget I have to carefully maximize so we can cover all the key events around the world — I didn’t see a compelling reason to go.
Not to mention I already had flights and hotels booked for a winter getaway with my husband, Josh, on the other side of the country in my hometown of San Diego. I would have to fly from San Diego to Palm Beach and cancel the last part of my trip to make it work. Hell no.
Then my phone started blowing up. With a star-studded entry list and the promise of Equestrian Sport Production rolling out the red carpet in the winter equestrian capital of the world, everyone expected EN to be there. So I did exactly what I didn’t want to do — cut my trip to San Diego in half and begrudgingly dragged my feet to Wellington.
It took me less than 24 hours on the grounds at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center to realize I had been wrong.
A venue with perfect weather for spectators, owners, riders and horses alike in January, a time when the U.S. eventing community is usually in a deep slumber? Check.
A very horsey crowd already established here that thinks cross country is awesome and terrifying at the same time and is intrigued to know more? Check.
A group of extremely experienced organizers who have a vision to bring new owners, new sponsors and new fans into the sport? Check.
But let’s back up for a minute. I fully understand the skepticism that’s been swirling around this showcase. Remember, I was the skeptic who had no plans to attend for the same reasons.
In a sport that has already made so many sacrifices to survive, it’s understandable that we all want to clench an iron-clad fist around whatever shreds of dignity we think eventing has left.
But I think it’s important to realize this is not an either-or scenario; this is both-and. Hosting a showcase event in which riders have the ability to compete for more prize money than they’re going to see all season while treating their owners to a good time is a win-win.
It absolutely does not mean we lose the “gladiator” aspect of the sport at the highest levels, as Boyd Martin put it. Instead, it allows us to create a platform to introduce eventing to the people who could become the next group of owners for Team USA.
Indeed, where would we be without people like Carl and Cassie Segal, Sherrie Martin, Katie Walker, Gloria Callen, Annie Jones, Tom Tierney, Steve Blauner, Jacqueline Mars, Nina Gardner, Jennifer Mosing, the late Bruce Duchossois and countless other people who so generously fund our top riders?
And if you think about all the things American riders have achieved with the financial support of those owners, think about how much more we could do with a whole new bunch of dedicated people who are excited about eventing because of Mark Bellissimo’s vision in Wellington.
And speaking of Mark, I had never met him before until this weekend. But anyone who can bring a Grand Prix to Central Park and eventing to Wellington — and opens his wallet to invest in a brand new facility in Tryon and improving the already wonderful Colorado Horse Park — demands our attention.
I’m not sure that anyone has ever told Mark “no” before, and I certainly wouldn’t want to be the first one to attempt that. When he says he wants to bring a second CCI4* to North America and build a world class eventing facility in North Carolina, I believe him.
It took him three years to pull off the Wellington Eventing Showcase. The changes and improvements that can take eventing in America to the next level certainly won’t happen overnight. Or maybe even in the next decade.
But the groundwork has been laid for something truly spectacular to happen. I have to agree with Marilyn Little — we saw magic happen this weekend in Wellington. And I think that’s something we can all applaud.
Wellington Eventing Showcase winners Boyd Martin and Trading Aces. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Boyd Martin’s career has taken him to top events all over the world, but he said the inaugural $50,000 Wellington Eventing Showcase is the best competition he’s ever been to. That’s a sentiment everyone who attended the showcase is likely feeling after seeing what the organizers achieved this weekend.
“The organizers have put on something I’ve never experienced before. I was just so proud to be here,” Boyd said. “The people that own the horses felt like kings in this marquee. The course was first class. The arena was arguably one of the best rings I’ve ever ridden in. It was just an unbelivable competition.”
Marilyn Little said in yesterday’s press conference that she knew this organizing team, which includes Mark Bellissimo, Jim Wolf, Michael Stone and Equestrian Sport Production, “could create magic,” and she absolutely hit the nail on the head, especially when you consider the palpable excitement this weekend has generated — not just from the riders, but people who witnessed the sport for the first time today.
Mark said he’s had the vision of bringing eventing to Wellington for the past few years, and after pulling off what can only be hailed as a raging success, he said in this afternoon’s press conference that this is just the tip of the iceberg.
“We are so fired up to take this sport to the next level and work with other organizers and work with the different organizations to make something interesting here,” Mark said. “I’m very excited about this sport and this group of people and honored to see this great group of athletes perform at such a high level in an experimental venue.”
And Mark is putting his money where his mouth is. With this weekend’s $50,000 purse already making it the second richest event in America, Mark said he’s going to double it to $100,000 next year, as well as increase the charitable giving that goes along with it.
As a way of giving back, the owners of the top three finishing horses each received $7,500, $5,000 and $2,500, respectively, to donate to the charity of their choice. Katie Walker and Gloria Callen, the two members of the Trading Aces Syndicate in attendance this weekend, elected to give their $7,500 to Millbrook Horse Trials and Plantation Field Equestrian Events.
Carl Bouckaert, who rode Cyrano on the Belgian eventing team at the 2012 London Olympics and owns the horse, will donate his $5,000 to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, which works to re-home off-track Thoroughbreds and provides sanctuary for horses not suitable for second careers.
Laine Ashker, who owns Anthony Patch, said since all her success has come from off-track Thoroughbreds, she will donate her $2,500 to the Retired Racehorse Project. Mark said this committment to philanthropy will become a tradition.
Indeed, the Wellington Eventing Showcase is taking things to the next level, and with change often comes skepticism, with the event facing questions on whether a glitzy competition with lots of prize money and a 2,000 meter cross country course built at this level have a place in a sport that so passionately believes in its roots.
Boyd agrees: “I think this style of eventing is great for the owners, spectators and sponsors, but the Olympics should be grueling, and gladiators should win. I’m all behind this thing, but I think it’s the building blocks of what could be.”
Capt. Mark Phillips, whose course was praised as appropriate for this point in the season when horses are very much still legging up, said he also believes there’s a place for this type of showcase in the sport.
“Nobody wants to change the traditional sport as we have it today, but more of these types of competitions meshed with the sport is a great way forward for the horses, the riders and the owners,” he said.
And bringing new owners and new support into the sport remains a big part of Mark Bellissimo’s vision. After just two days of having eventing in Wellington, Mark said he’s already had multiple people who own show jumping horses that compete here at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center approach him about owning eventing horses, as well as companies wanting to get involved with sponsorship.
That’s what it ultimately comes down to. We know our sport is the best one in the world. Now it’s time to show that to the people who can help secure its future.
Michael Pollard made a great point yesterday that having more events like this could start attracting European eventers here so we can bolster our level of competition in the U.S., as well as avoid always needing to travel to Europe to compete against the best in the world. Boyd Martin took that one step further and issued the following challenge:
“I want to give a shout out to Michael Jung, Andrew Nicholson, Jock Paget, Chris Burton, William Fox-Pitt and whoever else wants to come here next January. Come test yourself, boys. Come get it.”
And this is only the beginning. Mark Bellissimmo’s new Tryon facility is already slated to host a three-star in August, and he is making a considerable investment in the Colorado Horse Park to bolster eventing out west.
“I’d love to be able to host a second four-star in this country in Tryon,” Mark said. “It’s a goal of mine. We will do whatever it takes and invest whatever we can do to make that happen.”
Eventing is moving on up, ya’ll, and we’re thrilled to be along for the ride.
Boyd Martin and Trading Aces celebrate!. Photo by Jenni Autry.
With $15,000 in prize money on the line, Boyd Martin and Trading Aces romped around Capt. Mark Phillips’ cross country course as the final pair to go to win the inaugural Wellington Eventing Showcase on 24.8. And he did it in style — hailing a cab as he jumped off the final fence on course at the Asheville Landing Strip, much to the delight of the big crowd that turned out to watch the afternoon’s festivities.
“I’m so proud to be here and to win it,” Boyd said. “I thought Mark Phillips built a beautiful course. He encouraged a glance off at the corners and runouts at the narrows, which we saw, but it wasn’t a dangerous course.”
It’s a bit of redemption after the way Oscar’s season ended last year at Galway Downs, and while Boyd is savoring the prize money — and popping open another bottle of champagne with owners Katie Walker and Gloria Callen as I type this — everyone is wondering what’s next for Oscar. Boyd spoke candidly about the horse’s future in the press conference: “This may or may not be the last time I ride Trading Aces,” Boyd said.
“We bought him a couple of years ago, and I had a group of 10 people that got behind him. We’ve had some massive highs and some massive lows. It’s a gut-wrenching environment when you’ve got to figure out if he’s an Olympic horse. If this sort of thing keeps going strong, you’d keep in in the barn and whip him out for this sort of thing.”
Michael Pollard and Cyrano picked up .8 time penalties to clinch second place on a score of 26.5. “I left the start box, and I thought I better not have a run out because I have to see (owner) Carl Bouckaert afterwards,” Michael said. “He was perfect. I didn’t really know him that well, and he couldn’t have gone a whole lot better — certainly for my second event out with him and five jump schools total.”
Michael Pollard and Cyrano. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch jumped clear and inside the time to finish in third on 29.1, and she said the atmosphere — with flags flapping in the south Florida breeze — provided a great preparation in the lead up to the Rolex Kentucky CCI4*. Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda and Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night also jumped double clear to finish in fourth and fifth places on 29.2 and 30.2.
While Boyd’s cab hailing is now famous, Phillip Dutton actually did it first earlier in the day, grabbing the microphone from Sinead Halpin, who was here interviewing the riders, and asking everyone to thank the organizers for putting on such a fantastic event. Phillip jumped double clear with both Fernhill Fugitive and Seams Ready, and Julie Richards also jumped double clear with both Urlanmore Beauty and Beaulieu’s Cayenne.
While 13 of the 25 combinations jumped double clear, Capt. Mark Phillips’ cross country course did catch some pairs out, as the riders predicted in yesterday’s press conference. Marilyn Little missed one of the final fences on course and picked up a technical elimination with RF Scandalous, but the mare, who is still very green to this level, looked like a total pro up to that point.
Katie Ruppel was the only rider to retire on course when she pulled up Houdini after the ramp when she said he took a funny step. X-rays didn’t show any problems, but Katie said she will have him ultrasounded on Monday as a precaution. Clayton Fredericks was eliminated after two stops at the Rolex Splash, which came just after their glance off at the arrowhead following the ramp.
With it being so early in the season and Capt. Mark Phillips’ course being appropriately shorter as a result, no one expected cross country to seriously shake up the leaderboard — which it didn’t. The point was really to introduce the sport to an entirely new group of people and provide a world class feel for the spectators and owners, and it did that in spades.
Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch. Photo by Jenni Autry.
When only a handful of spectators turned out to watch dressage yesterday, we all hoped more would show up today to watch the eventers go cross country at Wellington for the very first time. And they came out of the woodwork, with hundreds and hundreds of people turning out to watch, with many of them saying it was the first time they’d ever seen cross country.
I chatted with a number of spectators during the afternoon, and many of them said seeing cross country made them want to try the sport for themselves. They gasped when the horses took flying leaps over big tables. They applauded and cheered when a rider came home clear inside the time. They oohed and ahhed as the horses went galloping across the derby field.
It’s a metaphorical turning of tables. When the eventers pulled into the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center earlier in the week, we were all wandering around wide eyed taking in the sights of this incredible facility. And that came full circle today when the jumper and dressage crowds got hooked on the thrill of cross country.
Let’s be clear: Should an event like this replace traditional eventing? Of course not — and no one here thinks it should. But that’s not the point of Mark Bellissimo and Equestrian Sport Production’s vision for this event. It’s meant to introduce eventing to a different crowd of people and attract potential new sponsors and owners so we can do things like finally bring prize money to the sport. If this showcase represents even a fraction of what an event like this can do for eventing, we all have a lot to be excited about for the future.
I have much more to bring you, including quotes from the press conference, a full photo gallery and more on the big picture of what the Wellington Eventing Showcase means for the future of the sport here in the U.S. Stay tuned to #WellyEventing. And many thanks to Katie Walker for this great video of Boyd’s winning moment:
Boyd Martin and Trading Aces. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Boyd Martin and Trading Aces held their overnight lead in the $50,000 Wellington Eventing Showcase thanks to delivering a clear show jumping round as the final pair to jump this morning. Running the entire show jumping order in reverse placing of standing definitely put a lot of pressure on the riders the closer we got to the top of the leaderboard, and rails proved to be very costly with a lot of prize money on the line.
Michael Pollard and Cyrano also jumped clear to remain in second place, and Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch scooted into third place with a clear round after Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous dropped one rail to move down to sixth place. Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda jumped a stylish clear round to move up one spot to fourth place, and Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night enjoyed a nice jump up the leaderboard with their clear round, moving from eighth to round out the top five.
Michael Pollard and Cyrano. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Half of the field ultimately jumped clear, giving us 13 clear rounds over Richard Jeffery’s show jumping course. Kudos to Phillip Dutton, Boyd Martin and Julie Richards, who all jumped clear rounds with their multiple rides. Buck Davidson and Petite Flower, Kurt Martin and Anna Bella, Marilyn Little and RF Demeter also jumped clear rounds.
The scores are still very tightly packed at the top of the leaderboard, with just over 5 penalties separating the top five as we look ahead to cross country. Time penalties on Capt. Mark Phillips’ track this afternoon could ultimately mean the difference between taking home a lot of prize money or nothing at all.
Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Here’s a look at the prize money breakdown: 1st place: $15,000; 2nd: $11,000; 3rd: $6,500; 4th: $4,000; 5th: $3,000; 6th: $2,500; 7th: $2,000; 8th & 9th: $1,500; 10th-12th: $1,000. Needless to say, it’s going to a very exciting finale here in Wellington.
You can follow along with all the action on the live stream link here. The first horse goes out at 1:30 p.m. EST. And don’t forget to check out the preview of the course here. Stay tuned for much more from #WellyEventing.
Titanium and Caroline Martin at Plantation Field. Photo by Jenni Autry
It’s with a very heavy heart that we’ve learned that Titanium, a 14-year-old Thoroughbred gelding owned by Caroline and Sherrie Martin, Sergio Rios and Bruce Davidson, collapsed and died at home yesterday in Ocala, Buck Davidson told us today. While the cause of death is not yet known, Buck believes the horse likely suffered an aneurysm.
“I was so lucky to have such an amazing horse that taught me so much and gave me his whole heart. I will never ever forget him and everything that he gave me,” Caroline said.
Titanium (Shuailaan x Lost Silver, Lost Code) was bred by Sandra and Hargus Sexton in Kentucky. He raced 14 times, earning $11,673 before finding his niche in eventing. As the story goes, Joanie Morris found Titanium at the Camden, South Carolina, steeplechase races. She called Buck with the recommendation and he bought him sight unseen.
Buck took Titanium to his first Novice horse trials in January 2007, and by the end of the year he had completed his first one-star. He went on to a successful three-star career, finishing 7th at the 2009 Jersey Fresh CCI3* and 11th at the 2011 Galway Downs CCI3*. They made two appearances at Rolex and were short-listed for the 2010 World Equestrian Games.
In 2012, Caroline took the reins and together she and Titanium completed seven Advanced and three-star competitions with no cross-country penalties, including a fourth place finish at Bromont in 2013. They had begun their 2015 season in Ocala, where they finished 14th in a Preliminary division.
“He loved his job so much. I have never ridden or seen a more genuine horse,” said Caroline. “He took such good care of me.”
Please join us in extending our sincerest condolences to all those who new and loved Titanium.
Welcome to Day 2 of the Wellington Eventing Showcase! By now I’m assuming every day is perfect in south Florida over the winter, so our conditions are just like yesterday: sunny skies, a light breeze and a perfectly manicured Capt. Mark Phillips cross country course waiting to be tackled this afternoon.
The course is 2,000 meters with a speed of 535 mpm and an optimum time of 3 minutes, 45 seconds. The general consensus among the riders is that’s pretty fast, and I’m not sure we’ll actually see anyone crack along quickly enough to hit the optimum time, especially when you consider all the twisting and turning required in the track:
Overhead view via CrossCountry App
Assistant course builder Mauricio Bermúdez, who built the course with Eric Bull of ETB Construction, kindly recorded a preview of the course on Cross Country App, which you can check out here. A full gallery of the photos of each fence, 18 in all, is below, and our top three after dressage — Boyd Martin, Michael Pollard and Marilyn Little — shared their thoughts on the track in yesterday afternoon’s press conference.
“The jumps out there aren’t super big, but I think they’re right big enough because of the turning and slowing down and going fast,” Boyd said. The speed of 535 mpm is about halfway between Preliminary and Intermediate speed, and Boyd said he thinks that will feel really fast, which will make mistakes like glance offs on corners and skinnies easier to make.
Marilyn Little said she thinks it feels a lot like the back loop of Capt. Phillips’ cross country course at Luhmühlen, which is also very twisty and has horses and riders turning back around to maximize the space.
“You have to understand the horses are used to feeling like they’re going somewhere,” she said. “After they loop around a few times, they start to realize they’re not going anywhere, and it can change the game mentally.”
Marilyn said she thinks Capt. Phillips has done a beautiful job of maximizing the available space to build the course on a part of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center usually used as a derby field — but the horses are definitely going to notice the difference in feel right away.
“There can be mistakes, both because it’s earlier in the year and because the horses feel like they’re on a hamster wheel. It can change in a moment’s notice, and it can equal a bigger mistake.”
Michael Pollard agreed he thinks the course is built really well and that it will ride harder than it will walk. It hardly takes any time to walk the short track, and though riders won’t be out there for very long, there’s plenty of time for mistakes to happen.
You can get a bird’s eye view of the course with this super cool drone video, and you can watch cross country live at this link starting at 1:30 p.m. EST. Show jumping starts at 10:30 a.m. EST and will be streamed live at this link. Go #WellyEventing.
Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch at Millbrook. Photo by Jenni Autry.
