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Jenni Autry
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Jenni Autry

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About Jenni Autry

Originally from San Diego, Jenni discovered eventing thanks to the Bedford Hunt Pony Club in Virginia. After working in both newspapers and magazines, she joined the EN team in 2012. She travels extensively covering the U.S. Eventing Team and has reported at the Olympic Games, World Equestrian Games, Pan American Games, Badminton, Burghley, Kentucky, Luhmühlen and Pau. As for her favorite event, it’s a toss-up between Aachen and Boekelo. When she isn’t on the road, she’s busy competing her heart horse, Imperial Striker, better known as Derry.

Latest Articles Written

Eventers Use Color to Show National Pride, Personality

By on May 30, 2014 9:00 am -
Leo von Schmeling und Johnny Boy 2 at Warendorf. Photo by Julia Rau.

Leo von Schmeling und Johnny Boy 2 at Warendorf. Photo by Julia Rau.

Color has always played a unique role in eventing. Whether you’re more minimalist in your color choices or go all out on cross country, color is the best way to show your personality, and at international competitions, it’s a perfect way to show national pride. Inspired by the photos we posted yesterday of Margit Appelt, photographer extraordinaire and good friend of EN Julia Rau sent in some “colorful impressions” from events over in Europe.

Margit Appelt and Ice on Fire at Punchestown in 2008. Photo by Julia Rau.

Margit Appelt and Ice on Fire at Punchestown in 2003. Photo by Julia Rau.

“Margit Appelt really does outstanding things,” Julia said. “I remember her trotting up her horse Ice on Fire in the Europeans in Punchestown in 2003 in a classic Austrian dirndl complete with woolen stockings. Other riders choose their national colours or even — like Michael Jung started doing but only recently, maybe under the influence of his girlfriend Faye Fuellgraebe — use colourful stirrups or browbands inlaid with crystals.”

Ladina Ammann and Muscot at Marbach this year. Photo by Julia Rau

Ladina Ammann and Muscot at Marbach this year. Photo by Julia Rau

There’s almost always a story behind the colors we choose. What’s yours, EN? Leave us a photo of your colors and tell us why you chose them in the comments below. You can also post to our Facebook page, tweet @eventingnation and tag us on Instagram at @goeventing. Eventers are an eclectic, colorful bunch; that’s something to celebrate.

Thursday Video: Steeplechase Ponies Steal the Show at Devon

By on May 29, 2014 12:00 pm -

If you loved the video of this year’s Shetland Grand National at Badminton, you have to watch the Shetland Pony Steeplechase from the Devon Horse Show. The races, new for 2014, are a stop on the Washington International Horse Show Shetland Pony Steeplechase Championship Series.

Held in the Dixon Oval, spectators were treated to a wild ride, especially when a particularly naughty pony named Leo the Magnificent dumped his rider and still tried to win the race!

Watch the video above for footage of the race, and click here to see the full 20-minute video of the entire exhibition courtesy of WIHS.

Margit Appelt Embodies Insanity in the Middle

By on May 29, 2014 9:00 am -
Margit Appelt and Space Jet at Saumur. Photo by Genevieve Capeillere. Margit Appelt and Space Jet at Saumur. Photo by Genevieve Capeillere.

We have a new poster child for Insanity in the Middle. This is Margit Appelt, and the horse without a shred of dignity left is Space Jet. Margit, who hails from Austria, rocked this yellow and black ensemble in the Saumur CCI3* last weekend. A quick Google search shows Margit busts this out on all her cross-country runs. Here’s a video of the outfit in action at Jaroszówka CIC2* last month. 

Rick Wallace rocks the lightning pants in 1989. Photo via Facebook.

Rick Wallace rocks the lightning pants in 1989. Photo via Facebook.

Margit’s wardrobe choice reminds me of a young Rick Wallace, who wore lightning pants on cross country back in 1989. Briggs Surratt resurrected the lightning pants this spring at Red Hills when he pulled them out of storage and wore them on cross country. You heard it here first, EN. White breeches are out. Retro is IN!

Briggs Surratt rocks the 1989 lightning bolt pants. Photo via Facebook.

Briggs Surratt rocks the 1989 lightning bolt pants at Red Hills. Photo via Facebook.

Margit and Space Jet sadly did not make it around Saumur, but at least the yellow pants with black stars brought joy to countless people. Margit, we don’t know if you’re color blind or crazy, but today we salute you for showing us what it means to embody insanity in the middle.

Thanks to Genevieve Capeillere, we have a whole sequence of photos:

Go Margit.

Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: Sinead Halpin and Forrest Nymph

By on May 28, 2014 3:00 pm -

Beth Davidson sent in this footage of her super pony Forrest Nymph rocking around the Open Intermediate cross country at Virginia Horse Trials with Sinead Halpin in the irons. This was Farrah’s second Intermediate, and she finished 10th in the division right, behind her stablemate On Cue. Many thanks to Beth for sending in the video. If you’re not familiar with Farrah’s story, read all about her here, and watch video of her first Intermediate at MCTA here. Go Farrah!

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North Americans Out In Full Force at Tattersalls + Live Stream

By on May 28, 2014 11:20 am -

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Between the Devon Horse Show live stream on USEF Network and now the Tattersalls live stream on Irish Horse TV, no one in the horse world is going to accomplish anything for the next four days. Tattersalls International Horse Trials, held in Co. Meath, Ireland, kicked off today with the CCI* dressage. There’s a lot going on, with a CCI3*, CIC3* and CCI2* divisions running in addition to the CCI*, so just wave the white flag and set up camp in front of your computer.

You’ll especially want to watch the Tattersalls live stream to cheer on our North Americans. Canadian Kathryn Robinson is riding Let It Bee in the CCI3*. American Jules Stiller is riding Chwupdiwup and Cash Advance in the CCI2* alongside fellow American Katherine Coleman and Courage Under Fire. American and Area V Young Rider Jacob Fletcher has three horses in the CCI*: Bacardi W, Willunga and Van Gough, as well as Atlantic Domino in the CCI2*U25. American Ann Taylor has two horses in the CCI*: Striker IV and Lyrical.

Dressage is underway now in the CCI*, and Jacob Fletcher is currently in 13th place with Bacardi W on a score of 49.2; he’s just about to go in now with Willunga. Ann Taylor is sitting just outside the top 20 with Striker IV on a score of 52.3. There are 100 horses in the massive CCI* division, and Jacob and Ann will ride their tests on their other mounts tomorrow. Check out the live stream below!

Update: Shout out to Jacob Fletcher for wearing a helmet on a day when there were a number of top hats. Oliver Townend also wore a helmet. Jacob and Wallunga had a relaxed test for a score of 51.3; he was all smiles coming out of the arena. #mindyourmelon

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Tattersalls Links: [Website] [Live Scores] [Live Steam] [Schedule]

Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

Canada’s Eventing No Boundaries Program Kicks Off at Mustang Powder

By on May 27, 2014 6:00 pm -
Mustang Powder served as the first targeted event for Equine Canada's new Eventing No Boundaries program. Photo by Jeff Bosch Mustang Powder served as the first targeted event for Equine Canada's new Eventing No Boundaries program. Photo by Jeff Bosch

We announced Canada’s new talent spotting initiative Eventing No Boundaries last month, and the program is just beginning its rollout, with the Mustang Powder Horse Trials serving as the first targeted event. Sandra Donnelly and Lynne Larsen were on site at Chase Creek acting as talent spotters alongside Ozzie Sawicki, the program’s primary facilitator.

“We are in the initial stages of rollout, with the formal announcement of the program goals and expectations expected shortly,” Lynne said. “It was a successful weekend for our first Canadian show, with Ozzie being kept busy all weekend in discussion with many of the competitors, coaches and parents with questions, thoughts and good input from all.”

The program format will continue to be adjusted at events this year, which have not yet been announced, with the official launch coming in 2015. The Canadian Eventing Athlete Development Committee at Equine Canada hopes this new initiative will succeed in finding and developing talent from the pool of riders currently competing for Canada.

Stay tuned to Equine Canada’s website for more information on Eventing No Boundaries as it becomes available, and we’ll also keep spreading the word on this new talent spotting program. Go Canadian Eventing!

Update: Lynne Larsen has confirmed that there is no age limit for the Eventing No Boundaries program. “At this stage in the game, we are just looking at raw talent,” she said. Bromont is also a targeted event under the rollout format, and there will be an information and education session for all Canadian riders at the event. Ozzie Sawicki will also be available to answer questions.

From Horse Nation: California Chrome’s Lucky Typo

By on May 27, 2014 4:30 pm -
Photo via @CalChrome on Twitter Photo via @CalChrome on Twitter

This story originally appeared on Horse Nation, written by Kristen Kovatch.

Thoroughbred racing has always spawned track superstitions, but California Chrome’s connections are turning theirs into a benefit for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

The racing industry is famous for its superstitions ranging from the laughable to the bizarre–don’t put any brooms on the trailer when shipping a horse, hang garlic in your barn aisle but don’t eat peanuts, a horse with a gray streak in his tail is lucky. The origins of a lot of these superstitions have been lost to history and time, but the belief remains.

Art Sherman, trainer of Triple Crown-contender California Chrome, is no different. So when Churchill Downs accidentally misspelled California Chrome as “Califorina Chrome” on the colt’s saddlecloth, who then went on to win the Kentucky Derby, Sherman decided the misspelling was good luck. While Churchill Downs quickly presented Sherman with corrected saddlecloths, the horse wore the misspelled cloth for his workouts and a new superstition was born.

Not to “curse” the colt, Pimlico copied Churchill’s typo purposely and supplied him with a pair of saddlecloths including both correct and incorrect spellings. Belmont Park has followed suit, and if track superstitions have any truth to them at all then California Chrome is ready to make history.

This time, however, Art Sherman and his son Alan, partnering with California Chrome’s jockey Victor Espinoza, plan to sign and then auction off the misspelled Belmont saddle cloth with the proceeds donated to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. This facility is devoted entirely to the research and curing of pediatric diseases. Alan Sherman stated that St. Jude’s is always his charity of choice.

Whether your believe that racetrack superstition will be on the colt’s side or that California Chrome makes his own luck, we can all agree that benefiting charity can do nothing but good work. Go California Chrome!

P.S. On a related note, the California Chrome vs. Opossum craziness continues — it appears that Belmont has made the critter some honorary saddlecloths (with alternate spellings as well!):

These guys do look race-ready:

But this Tweet says it best:

Truth.

Tuesday Video from SpectraVet: Show Jumping at Saumur

By on May 27, 2014 3:00 pm -

Doug Payne uploaded video from his show jumping round at Saumur CCI3*, where he pulled one rail with Crown Talisman to finish in sixth place on a final score of 54.2. Of the rail, Doug wrote on his blog: “Unfortunately, there was a skinny jump at the far end of the arena that did fall. He twisted just a bit in the air; watching the video afterwards I might have been able to get him square to it earlier for a better jump. He finished up very strong, clear the remainder of the course.” Many thanks to Doug for sharing the video.

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U.S. WEG Picture Unclear with Three Selection Trials Left

By on May 27, 2014 1:30 pm -
Sinead Halpin and Manoir de Carneville at Rolex. Photo by Jenni Autry. Sinead Halpin and Manoir de Carneville at Rolex. Photo by Jenni Autry.

With three selection trials left to go, the WEG picture for Team USA is anything but clear, and there’s a lot riding on Bromont, Bramham and Luhmühlen as pairs look to earn a ticket to Normandy. Which riders have already put themselves on the map this season? And which still need a good go to be considered for the team? Let’s break it down.

Nothing Left to Prove:

Sinead Halpin and Manoir de Carneville: Pack your bags, Tate. A fourth-place finish at Rolex and a proven record in Europe means their spot on the team is all but certain. Kudos to Sinead for showing that patience is a virtue when it comes to making a championship team.

Buck Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM: Buck and Reggie can do no wrong this season and have been incredibly strong with every outing. A third-place finish at Rolex shows they are on a hot streak in a year that counts big time.

Marilyn Little and RF Demeter: The show jumping record leaves some doubt as to whether they can jump clear on a day that really matters, but Demi’s four-star dressage scores are improving with every outing, and she’s a lock to go clear on cross country.

Lauren Kieffer and Veronica: The mare has just one four-star under her belt, but she made it a memorable one by placing second at Rolex on a very internationally competitive score of 46.7. Lauren and Troll are unproven in Europe, but you can’t argue with their performance in Lexington.

Trading Aces: The horse has proven himself over and over this year, most recently finishing eighth at Rolex with Phillip Dutton in the irons. But Boyd Martin hasn’t competed the horse since March, which makes the situation a bit muddled. Technically the selectors could name either Boyd or Phillip to the long list with the horse. Now things are getting interesting.

Kim Severson and Fernhill Fearless: Sparky did everything right in his four-star debut at Rolex, and he’s now been successfully vetted twice in consideration for the WEG team. With Kim in the irons, this pair is right in the hunt for Normandy.

Jan Byyny and Inmidair: They’ve kept the hot streak alive since winning Fair Hill CCI3* last fall, and a seventh place finish at Rolex shows Jan means business. The only mark against them is they’re unproven together in Europe.

Doug Payne and Crown Talisman: Saumur counted as a selection trial, and it would be unwise to discount Doug and Tali’s sixth-place finish there. While the horse is unproven at the four-star level, remember it ultimately comes down to which horses are sound at the end of July. They’re definitely in the hunt.

Need a Good Go:

Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice: Phillip announced earlier today that he’s withdrawn Mr. Medicott from WEG consideration to give the old tendon injury time to heal up properly. That leaves Mighty Nice as his sole ride for WEG, Trading Aces not withstanding. Happy just finished second in the Virginia CIC2* as his final prep run for Luhmühlen.

Boyd Martin and Otis Barbotiere: Boyd and Otis have already been named to one championship team at the London Olympics, but the horse hasn’t competed at the four-star level since then, making Luhmühlen do or die. Otis also isn’t qualified for WEG due to not competing last year, so Germany is all important.

Boyd Martin and Shamwari 4: Shammie is also not qualified for WEG due to just coming into Boyd’s program at the beginning of this year. They’re partnership is still pretty unconfirmed due to Boyd cracking his leg in half at a very inopportune time, but a solid showing at Luhmühlen could change everything. No pressure, Boyd.

Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen: Clark and Glen showed just how good they can be with a knockout 33.3 dressage score at Badminton. But the grueling course there did nothing to help answer the questions about Glen’s fitness, so they’re looking to settle the score once and for all at Luhmühlen.

Clark Montgomery and Universe: Clark is re-routing Buzz to Bramham CIC3* after retiring at Badminton, and this event is also considered a selection trial. Considering Buzz’s proven track record at four-stars in the past, they’re one good finish away from being right in the mix.

Lynn Symansky and Donner: After a stellar season last year, Lynn has had nothing but bad luck so far this spring, and she needs a good go in the CIC3* at Bromont to be in serious consideration for the team. Unfortunately, she’ll be riding with a very sore leg after Donner stepped on her when they parted ways at Jersey Fresh.

Tiana Coudray and Ringwood Magister: Certainly one of our more experienced combinations, Tiana expected to make her case for the WEG team at Badminton. And in a way she did, ending the weekend as one of the pairs just lucky enough to finish the course. But that likely wasn’t the outcome the selectors wanted to see. Finn is not on the entry list for Bramham.

What other horses and riders would you put on the list for WEG consideration? Weigh in with a comment below.

Update: Allison Springer and Arthur are not currently qualified for WEG, as they did not compete at any of the selection trials last year and did not receive a qualifying score at Rolex due to a runout on cross country. Arthur is not entered in any of the three remaining selection trials, though Bromont entries close today, May 27.

Mr. Medicott Out of Consideration for World Equestrian Games

By on May 27, 2014 12:11 pm -
Phillip Dutton and Mr. Medicott at Rolex. Photo by Jenni Autry. Phillip Dutton and Mr. Medicott at Rolex. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Phillip Dutton has announced on his Facebook page that he is officially withdrawing Mr. Medicott from consideration for the World Equestrian Games team. Cave aggravated an old tendon injury on cross country at Rolex and was withdrawn before the final horse inspection after sitting in third place overnight. The statement reads:

Thank you for all the kind messages of support we have continued to receive about the Mr. Medicott Syndicate’s Mr. Medicott. After consulting with our vet team and speaking with his owners, we have decided that it’s in Cave’s best interest to pull him out of consideration for the World Equestrian Games team. I couldn’t be more happy with how his leg is healing, and we know that getting the tendon strong again before bringing him back into proper work will ensure his soundness longterm. He is continuing to enjoy being in light work during this period of rehabilitation, and I’m grateful to the owners for their support as we work to get Cave back to doing what he loves.

We knew it would be a long shot for the horse to come back in time to compete at Normandy, but it’s still a blow nonetheless to officially lose such an experienced horse from the list of contenders. Phillip has ridden at every Olympics and World Championships since 1994, and he still has Mighty Nice, who will compete at Luhmühlen, in contention for WEG.

Jen McFall: Putting on My Mom Hat

By on May 27, 2014 10:30 am -

Jen McFall played a different role at Woodside this weekend; since she wasn’t riding, she got to be the head cheerleader for her daughter, Taylor, and she found herself learning a pretty valuable lesson along the way. Many thanks to Jen for writing and to Athletux for partnering with EN to bring us great blogs from their riders.

Team Taylor! Photo courtesy of Jen McFall.

Team Taylor! Photo courtesy of Jen McFall.

From Jen:

Life is a series of role-playing. During the months leading up to my first four-star appearance at Rolex this year, I was playing the role of driven athlete and obsessive caregiver to my partner, High Times. So this weekend at The Woodside Spring Horse Trials, with High Times not competing and my Preliminary horse being ridden by my husband, Earl, I gratefully hung up that hat and got to be the cheerleader and general mascot to my daughter, husband and other members of our barn.

As a mother who also competes and loves the sport of eventing, watching my daughter, Taylor, at an event gives me a remarkable feeling of joy that we share the same passion and pride in her ability. I secretly hope she never discovers affection for another sport, though I tell her she is free to pursue any athletic endeavor she prefers.

I’m pretty sure she is hooked, considering she is an avid artist and profusely draws horses and ponies, plays at wild pony enactments with her friends, and consistently picks a pair of paddock boots over normal day footwear for any and all occasions. Still, I humor her dad and act like I support the idea of her doing something other than my favorite pastime, if she so chooses.

Being a professional in the sport has its downfalls when you are also the mother. Our philosophy with Taylor has always been to teach her to be independent and self-reliant. Horse care is wonderful for that. She has to muck out her own stall; care for and keep track of her own equipment; and also groom, braid and present her pony for competition.

When she is desperately looking for her show pants and realizes she left them at home in the wash, the professional in me wants to buy her a new pair at the show so that she looks like a winner. Instead, I tell her to adapt and overcome, and so she wears the dirty pants that are three sizes too big with a flash noseband as a belt to hold them on.

When her pony is being tough, the rider in me wants to get on and clean his clock so that she will score higher in the dressage. But instead, I tell her that learning to compete under less than perfect conditions is much more important than getting ribbons. Is it the professional or the mother in me that wants her to win? I’m not sure. But I do know that if things are handed to you, it is hard to appreciate them. So Taylor is definitely not getting any special treatment being the trainer’s daughter.

And then there is the joy of loving and riding a pony versus competing and trying to win with a pony. Certainly, these lines should be blurred when you are just a little girl starting out in recognized events. When is it too early to be obsessed with winning? When is okay to be disappointed in your pony for not being a top performer in competition? These are tough questions for me to answer, and I am so grateful that Taylor spends more time on her pony bareback than worrying about winning her next show.

It is a bit of a circus act balancing the mother and the trainer, supporter and coach. She is so competitively natured that she will come off a fantastic round like she did at Woodside, and the first thing out of her mouth will be to ask, “What was bad?” What?! Let’s talk about what was good first! I admire that she wants to do well, so it is a struggle not to criticize her ride even though she asks me how to improve. Usually, the mother in me that simply wants to be her cheerleader and biggest fan wins out, so I tell her she was great no matter what.

This weekend at Woodside, I was full of admiration for my daughter. From start to finish, she did everything on her own, from bathing and grooming her pony, cleaning her tack, to braiding and getting herself dressed for competition. And she did it with a smile, or even a song. Because I entered late coming home from Rolex, Taylor was in the Open Beginner Novice division. Dressage is not her strongest phase, and after her test, she was 22nd out of 25 adults.

Nonetheless, she forged on and never gave in to feeling inadequate. Instead, she continued to compete and with two double clear jumping rounds on her fantastic pony; she moved all the way up to 12th. I’m pretty sure there is a lesson in there for me in the way she handled herself. I had better think about that before my next competition at Copper Meadows!

Colorado Horse Park to Honor Claire Davis at Horse Trials

By on May 26, 2014 4:30 pm -
Claire's ribbons. Photo via Colorado Horse Park Facebook page. Claire's ribbons. Photo via Colorado Horse Park Facebook page.

The Colorado Horse Park is hosting 450 competitors next weekend as a horse trials, hunter/jumper show and dressage show take place simultaneously on the grounds, and all the competitors will unite by wearing a blue and purple ribbon in honor of Claire Davis, the 17-year-old equestrian who passed away Dec. 21, 2013, following injuries she received in the Arapahoe High School shooting.

Volunteers from the High Plains Dressage Society made the ribbons, which will be given out in each welcome packet, along with a bookmark and poem written by Claire’s parents:

Train well in all things with love and kindness
Life’s arena is large with many tests
Celebrate both your victories and losses as stepping stones

All competitors at the Colorado Horse Park are encouraged to wear their ribbon throughout the competition in memory of Claire, and a photographer will be snapping photos of the ribbons in action to create a commemorative collage for her family. Claire competed regularly at this venue, and we know all the eventers will honor Claire’s memory by wearing the ribbons this weekend.

Snap photos of you or your horse wearing the ribbon and email them to tips@eventingnation, post them on our Facebook page, tweet them to @eventingnation or share them on Instagram @goeventing. We’ll retweet and share the photos in memory of one of our own we lost far too soon.

Go Claire.

Woodside Show Jumping Highlights Video + Photo Gallery

By on May 26, 2014 1:30 pm -
Matthew Brown and BCF Belicoso. Photo by Natalie Kuhny. Matthew Brown and BCF Belicoso. Photo by Natalie Kuhny.

We’ve been following along with all the action at the Spring Event at Woodside thanks to Frankie Thieriot and Ride On Video, who put together this great show jumping highlights video from the Preliminary Challenge. David Adamo and Henry won the Prelim Challenge Horse division, and JoAnna Saunders and Ansel Adams won the Prelim Challenge Rider division. Check out the video below and read EN’s full recap of the Preliminary Challenge here.

Natalie Kuhny, who rode her own Case Closed II in the Prelim Challenge rider division, was kind enough to send in a great photo gallery of all the action from Woodside. Many thanks to Natalie for taking the time to email us the photos. Remember to send your own event reports and photos from this past weekend to [email protected]. Go eventing!

[Woodside Final Scores]

Remembering Sgt. Reckless on Memorial Day

By on May 26, 2014 12:00 pm -
Sgt. Reckless in the Korean War. Screenshot via video from www.sgtreckless.com. Sgt. Reckless in the Korean War. Screenshot via video from www.sgtreckless.com.

We honor and remember war heroes of all varieties on Memorial Day, and in the horse community, Sgt. Reckless stands out as the greatest of equine war heroes. Reckless joined the Marines during the Korean War, when Lt. Eric Pedersen bought her from a young Korean boy for $250 so she could carry ammunition during battles. She dedicated herself to her job so fiercely that the Marines quickly accepted her as one of their own.

During the five-day Battle of Outpost Vegas in March 1953 — largely considered the most intense in Marine Corps history — Reckless made 51 trips, many of them by herself, from the ammunition supply point to the firing sites. In all, the little mare carried 386 rounds of ammunition — 9,000 pounds or almost five tons — walking 35 miles through enemy fire that came at a rate of 500 rounds per minute.

Reckless also carried wounded soldiers down the mountain to safety, and she served as a shield for the Marines, who threw their own flak jackets over the mare to protect her. She was wounded twice in battle and received a Purple Heart for each of her injuries. Her military decorations also include the Good Conduct Medal, Presidential Unit Citation with star, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, Navy Unit Commendation and Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, all of which she wore proudly on her red and gold blanket.

She was twice promoted to Marine Staff Sergeant during her service to the Corps, first by Col. Richard Rothwell in 1957. Her second promotion came in 1959 by Gen. Randolph McCall Pate himself, the commandant of the entire Marine Corps. Sgt. Reckless will always be remembered as a true American war hero, and she deserves just as much recognition as any other hero on this Memorial Day.

Go Sgt. Reckless. Check out her website for more information.

In Search of One Black Zip Up Left Tall Boot

By on May 26, 2014 10:30 am -
Lynn Symansky and Donner at Virginia Horse Trials. Photo via LSE Facebook page. Lynn Symansky and Donner at Virginia Horse Trials. Photo via LSE Facebook page.

If this Facebook post doesn’t completely embody “insanity in the middle,” I don’t know what does. After parting ways at Jersey Fresh, Lynn Symansky is scrambling to heal enough to ride Donner at Bromont during the first weekend in June.

She sustained severe muscle and soft tissue damage in her left leg when Donner stepped on her after she fell, and that means she’s “in search of one black zip up left tall boot” in a wide enough calf that will allow her to wrap up her leg to ride.

Post by Lynn Symansky.

Donner did the Advanced/Intermediate dressage at Virginia Horse Trials this past weekend before withdrawing, as Lynn wasn’t sound enough yet for the jumping phases; Phillip Dutton schooled the horse around the CCI* cross-country course for her.

She wrote a gut-wrenching blog for The Chronicle of the Horse that summarizes her situation pretty bluntly. After forgoing the first part of the spring season due to some fill in Donner’s ankle and then falling at Jersey Fresh, they need a good go at Bromont in order to be considered for the World Equestrian Games.

Lynn’s determination despite this string of bad luck she’s having is a powerful example that eventers fight back when the going gets tough. Good luck finding that one black zip up left tall boot, Lynn. Give ’em hell at Bromont.

Leader Spun at Saumur Final Horse Inspection; Doug Payne Now in 6th

By on May 25, 2014 7:53 am -
Luc Chateau's mount Propriano de l’Ebat was spun from the final horse inspection. Photo via Saumur's Facebook page. Luc Chateau's mount Propriano de l’Ebat was spun from the final horse inspection. Photo via Saumur's Facebook page.

In a surprising turn of events, overnight leader Luc Chateau’s mount Propriano de l’Ebat was spun from the final horse inspection at Saumur, moving Maxime Livio and Qalao des Mers into the lead position. Doug Payne and Crown Talisman are now in sixth place heading into show jumping, which begins at 4 p.m. local time, 10 a.m. EST.

The ground jury also spun Hanne Wind Ramsgaard’s horse Vestervangs Arami; they were in 24th place after cross country. Fabio Magni withdrew Usabella before show jumping. All other pairs passed the final horse inspection, sending 42 pairs forward to contest the show jumping.

Doug reported on his Facebook page last night that Tali trotted up beautifully following cross country. This pair has not pulled more than one rail in show jumping since Richland last year; they pulled one rail at Fair Hill last fall, Tali’s only other competition at the CCI3* level.

Show jumping will stream live on the Saumur website, with the broadcast beginning at 9:30 a.m. EST. Click here to access the live stream. Cross country highlights will run starting at 2 p.m. local time, or 8 a.m. EST. Check out the 22-minute cross country highlights video on the Saumur homepage — Doug and Tali are at the 16:20 minute marker — and photos on Uptown Eventing’s Facebook page.

[Saumur Live Scores] [Saumur Live Stream]

Score Update from Virginia Horse Trials

By on May 23, 2014 6:00 pm -
Lynn Symansky and Donner at Virginia Horse Trials. Photo via Facebook. Lynn Symansky and Donner at Virginia Horse Trials. Photo via Facebook.

It’s a busy weekend at the Virginia Horse Center, with the facility hosting a CIC2* and CCI* along with a horse trials with divisions through Advanced/Intermediate. Here’s a quick breakdown of the scores after dressage in the CCI* and the first two phases in the CIC2*, Advanced/Intermediate and Intermediate.

Kim Severson and her super young horse Cooley Cross Border are leading the CIC2* after jumping the only clear show jumping round. They sat in fifth place after dressage and hold the overnight lead on their dressage score of 47.1. Phillip Dutton and Atlas, the leaders after dressage, dropped one rail to move down a spot to second place on 47.2. His second ride in the division, Mighty Nice — who is preparing for the Luhmuhlen CCI4* next month — is right behind in third place; Happy also pulled one rail for a score of 47.7 going into cross country.

Lauren Kieffer and RF Cosima are leading the small Advanced/Intermediate division on their dressage score of 30.0 after jumping clear. Jan Byyny and Inimdair jumped the only other clear show jumping round in the division to move up from fifth after dressage to second place on a score of 36.0. Caitlin Silliman and Catch A Star round out the top three on a score of 38.4 after pulling one rail. Lynn Symansky and Donner scored 31.6 in the dressage and then withdrew as planned, as Lynn is still recovering from the leg injury she sustained at Jersey Fresh; the horse stepped on her with his studs after they parted ways at the water.

Courtney Cooper and R Star held their early lead the Open Intermediate despite pulling one rail in the show jumping for a score of 33.6 to take into cross country. Sally Cousins and Ideal Contini jumped clear to move up from eighth to equal second place on 37.4, followed by Phillip Dutton and Mansfield Mark, who also jumped clear to sit next to Sally and Taz on the leaderboard.

Sue Jellum and Rochambeau lead the big 41-horse CCI* division on a score of 47.3. Phillip Dutton and Good Enough are sitting in equal second place with Allison Thompson and Merlot 325 on scores of 48.6. In the CCI*JY, Asa Cooper and Urlanmore Beauty lead on 43.4, followed by Allie Nelson and Total Eclipse in second place on 45.6 and Margret Schaeffer and Grey Area in third place on 46.0.

[CIC2* & Horse Trials Results]

[CCI* Results]

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The View from Kentucky Presented by World Equestrian Brands

By on May 23, 2014 1:30 pm -

EN loves photos shot between the ears! If you happen to be out for a hack, are riding in some obscure place or just take some cool photos aboard your horse, send them to [email protected] with a quick blurb about the photo’s story. This week’s View comes to us from Amy Spink at the Kentucky Horse Park.

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From Amy Spink: “I will be spending the summer (and longer?) as a jumper groom. I was just at the Kentucky Horse Park with four horses. I stalked Rolex via Twitter and EN as it was happening. Now I am trying to relive it (i.e. trotting the cross country course).  If you ever want to find me at a horse show, I’ll be the jumper groom hacking in my Team Weston skull cap.”

More photos shot between the ears this week by EN readers:

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Both Doug Payne, Liz Halliday-Sharp in Top 10 at Saumur

By on May 23, 2014 9:00 am -
David O'Connor gives Liz Halliday-Sharp some final coaching before her test with Fernhill By Night. Photo used with permission from Saumur Facebook page. David O'Connor gives Liz Halliday-Sharp some final coaching before her test with Fernhill By Night. Photo used with permission from Saumur Facebook page.

With the second day of dressage at Saumur almost complete, both Doug Payne and Liz Halliday-Sharp are sitting in the top 10 in the CCI3*. Liz and Fernhill By Night went very early this morning, scoring 46.6, his personal best score in a CCI3* and a a big jump over their score of 51.8 at Boekelo last fall. I’m sure she’s thrilled with Blackie, and that score puts them in seventh place provisionally with about 10 horses left to go in the big 72-horse field.

Doug Payne and Crown Talisman went at 8:05 a.m. EST, so I was able to catch their test on the live stream. Though the camera is parked really far from the arena, I could make out that Tali looked relaxed and focused. Both halts looked beautiful; both changes looked perfect. And the score rewarded Doug and Tali for a beautiful test — 43.4, which puts them in fourth place provisionally.

Team USA! Photo used with permission from Saumur Facebook page.

Team USA! Photo used with permission from Saumur Facebook page.

Both Doug and Liz will be blogging about their tests for EN — and hopefully video will surface at some point today — so keep checking back today for much more from Saumur. Be sure to check out Uptown Eventing’s Facebook page for photos, as well as Saumur’s Facebook page. I contacted Saumur about photos of our Americans yesterday, and they were kind enough to post photos of Team USA today, so go “like” the page and show them some love. Go Saumur!

Saumur Links: [Website] [Schedule] [Live Scores] [Saumur FB] [Saumur YouTube] [Instagram]

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Andrew Hoy Leads After First Day of Dressage at Saumur

By on May 22, 2014 1:30 pm -
Andrew Hoy and Cheeky Calimbo at Saumur. © Photos Les Garennes - Ouest Image. Andrew Hoy and Cheeky Calimbo at Saumur. © Photos Les Garennes - Ouest Image.

Andrew Hoy and Cheeky Calimbo lead the way after the first day of dressage at Saumur, scoring 39.2 to give themselves a healthy margin over Chris Burton and Graf Liberty, who sit in second place on a score of 46.0. Stefano Brecciarolli and P’tit Paul de Terry round on the top three on 46.2. Just five pairs have cracked the 40s so far, with one of those scoring in the 30s.

Both Americans Doug Payne and Liz Halliday-Sharp ride their tests tomorrow with Crown Talisman and Fernhill By Night. Liz and Blackie are first up for Team USA at 10:35 a.m. local time (4:35 a.m. EST), and Doug and Tali will go toward the end of the day at 2:05 p.m. local time (8:05 a.m. EST).

There is a live stream camera set up, but it’s positioned so far away from the arena that you can’t make out much of anything. It’s still fun to check out to get an idea of the atmosphere and the weather, so be sure to tune in to this link tomorrow morning.

As we wait one more day for our Americans to get started, be sure to check in with Liz and Doug’s most recent blogs for EN. Liz included her first thoughts on Pierre Michelet’s course here, and Doug included fence photos and his course analysis here. Many thanks to Doug and Liz for keeping us in the loop back in the States.

Stay up to date on all the action by following along with the links below. Friend of EN Uptown Eventing is posting photos to Facebook each day, so be sure to “like” their page to see all the images. Click here to see Uptown Eventing’s photos from the first horse inspection and here to see course photos.

Saumur Links: [Website] [Schedule] [Live Scores] [Saumur FB] [Saumur YouTube] [Instagram]

Day 1 Saumur scoresClick to enlarge

 

Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: Chase Creek Helmet Cam

By on May 21, 2014 3:00 pm -

Today’s helmet cam comes to us from Jessica Kerschbaumer, AKA AlbertaEventer, who rode in the Open Prelim division at Mustang Powder Horse Trials at Chase Creek this past weekend. “I have taken clinics at Chase Creek a few times in the past years, and it is so much and and an absolutely amazing facility with all the terrain and variety of jumps,” Jessica said. “I know I — as well as a lot of other eventers — was very excited to hear the event was finally making a comeback!

“The cross country course was definitely the most fun course I and my 13-year-old Canadian OTTB, Sunny, have ever ridden — so much terrain and things we definitely do not regularly see at events in Alberta! Despite the wet weekend, it was a great event, and I am already excited to see what Nick (Holmes-Smith) has in the works for next year.”

[Mustang Powder Final Results]

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Liz Halliday-Sharp: First Look at Pierre Michelet’s Saumur Course

By on May 21, 2014 1:30 pm -

We’re super lucky to have both Doug Payne and Liz Halliday-Sharp keeping us up to date on what’s happening at Saumur! Liz checked in with her first blog today after both Fernhill By Night and Crown Talisman passed the first horse inspection. She also got her first look at Pierre Michelet’s course; read on for her thoughts. Many thanks to Liz for writing.

Ready for the first horse inspection!

Ready for the first horse inspection!

From Liz:

After a fairly painless trip over from England, Fernhill By Night (Blackie) and my groom Gemma (Jelinska) and I made it to Saumur yesterday just before noon. The first thing that we noticed when we got here was how wet it was, which was already a real change from my last trip to the event in 2011 when it was beautiful and sunny and warm the entire week. I suppose it would be crazy to expect that again, but I have to admit that I remained ever hopeful until we arrived!

Blackie travelled well, and I took him for a nice hack in the afternoon after setting ourselves up in the horse box for the week. The sun came out eventually, and it was a nice evening in France, and we were looking forward to getting out on the course today.

So here we are on Wednesday, and the main theme of the day is RAIN. Wow, has it ever been wet today! It seems inconceivable that it will ever stop with the way it is coming down, and we feel as if we are literally swimming around in Saumur! Thankfully, Blackie’s stable has not flooded like so many around us, so we are at least enjoying that small bit of luck for now.

We started off the day with a briefing at 9:30 a.m., which included the nations draw for the jog. As we were the last to choose, we got country order number 14 by default, which gave us plenty of time to walk the course and ride before the afternoon jog. I then put on my rain coat and braved the weather with Blackie for a schooling session. Despite the rain, he was feeling great and quite happy in himself, and David (O’Connor) seemed please with the work we were putting in. After pats and treats for my boy, we got him dried off and warm again, and I set out for my first glimpse of Pierre Michelet’s course.

I have ridden quite a few of his courses over the years, including here in Saumur in 2011, and I enjoyed a great trip around the three-star that year. I know that his courses tend to be heavy on the technical side with questions coming thick and fast at the beginning and the end of the course, with an occasional “breather” in the middle. He also tends to have questions where you could either choose the bold line or the slightly more holding distance, giving the riders options, but rewarding positive and accurate riding.

So my first impressions of this course are that it holds all of the Michelet trademarks and that this is a serious three-star. Just based on my first walk around, I feel that this is one of the tougher three-star tracks that I have seen for a while — very technical right up to the end and lots of varied distances and questions for the horses. There are certainly a few things that will be tougher for a big jumping and rangy horse like Blackie that will be easier for a more adjustable and economical horse, but I think that this should be very educational for him, and I am just going to have to be very focused on how I manage his stride and his jump.

I am sure that with my second course walk tomorrow that the course will start to take shape in my head more then it has today, and all we can do now is hope for this unbelievable rain to stop. The deep sand will certainly be a challenge in places, and at the moment we will need flippers instead of studs for our horses!

This afternoon we managed to get through the jog without getting too soaked, and Blackie flicked his toes and showed off like he always does, with me sprinting as fast as I could alongside all of his 17.1 hands and huge stride.

The rain is still pelting down now as I finish this blog, mixed in with a bit of thunder and lightning for added effect. All we can do now is hope for some sun tomorrow, please, please, pretty please!

 

‘Oh Crap’ Moment of the Day Presented by Horse Nation

By on May 21, 2014 12:00 pm -
We have liftoff!

We have liftoff!

This one is too good not to share. Originally appearing on Horse Nation earlier this week, California eventer Katie Murphy sent this photo in with the following note:

“I thought I’d share this picture of me and my 7-year-old Oldenburg mare, Ceara. This is at Galway Downs in California back in January — she was pretty sure the log had trolls living under it! We managed to stay united on landing, but I sure was grateful for my grab strap!”

Or as Horse Nation calls it …

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We have a different name for it on Eventing Nation: “Oh $H!T Strap.” Have you had to grab for yours recently? Send us photos and videos of your embarrassing moments to [email protected]. We promise we’ll be laughing with you, not at you.

Just kidding. We’ll totally be laughing at you.

Go Eventing.

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