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Perspective

By on Dec 7, 2010 5:28 pm -

Yesterday the eventing community was shocked by news of Colin Davidson’s death.  Heck, even the Horse and Hound wrote about it this morning.  As we struggle to look for positives out of the tragedy, two things come to mind.  First, Colin has raised a lot of awareness about the importance of being an organ donor.  I’m an organ donor and please thoughtfully consider being one if you are not.  Second, Colin’s death helps us put our own lives into perspective.  I received the following email from an eventer yesterday.  Like most eventers, it’s a little rough around the edges but contains a lot of wisdom:

“We all have our problems.  Some of us think our current ones are pretty big, then an amazing person like Colin is just gone.  I am just focusing on all the people who’s lives he is saving and improving through his organ donation.  I am an organ donor and I hope there is nothing left of me to bury and every part of me goes to help somebody.”

I don’t know about you, but Colin’s death has made me do a lot of thinking in the past 24 hours.  It’s all about perspective and sometimes it takes a tragedy to remind us how we need to cherish and make the best of the situations in our life.   As we turn our attention to the USEA Convention later this week, I know that Colin will be on everyone’s mind.  Go eventing.a

William Micklem: should XC be the centerpiece of eventing?

By on Dec 7, 2010 1:11 pm -

To set the stage, three weeks ago Coren linked to a blog entry from Robert Dover in which the mega dressage queen king complained about the horse fatalities in eventing.  At the time, the point that I made here on Eventing Nation and that many readers made on EN, the COTH forum, and Robert’s blog entry is that Robert should worry about problems in his own sport and that event horses unquestionably love eventing more than anything.  You can read Robert’s blog here.

Today, eventing legend William Micklem wrote an article for the Chronicle of the Horse responding to Robert’s blog.  In the beginning of the article William essentially expands on the point that eventers take great care of our horses and event horses love their job.  [The Chronicle Article]

Later in the article, William makes three points about how we might change eventing.  William’s first point, which he strangely calls “drive for show, putt for dough,” is quite surprising:

From Wlliam: “I know that the cross-country has historically been the centerpiece of eventing and is supposed to exert the greatest influence, but we need to face facts and accept this is no longer the case.”

…and…

“By accepting that there is nothing wrong with the leading competitors all being clear inside the time on cross-country, it changes the mindset of course designers and encourages a slightly less challenging course at each level.”

I think everyone realizes that eventing is a three phase game and that having good dressage and show jumping phases are now critical to winning–just ask the US WEG team–but I’m surprised that someone like William would say that we should accept that cross-country is no longer the centerpiece of eventing.  William follows his comments up with the disclaimer that “I am NOT suggesting a major reduction in the level of difficulty at each level…” but that sounds like that is exactly what he is suggesting.  It’s a little bit like a politician saying we need to increase spending on education and defense and then promising not to raise taxes.  Cross-country either is a major influence on competition results or it isn’t, and course designers should either design courses that way or they shouldn’t.  And if they shouldn’t, then we should all go out and buy a bunch of Totilas babies and teach them to show jump.  Heck, Windfall and Ringwood Cockatoo would have won 7 Olympics.  I have a ton or respect for William and he is one of the most respected horsemen in our sport, but I never heard him make that kind of a point when he was writing for Barnmice.com.  

That said, William’s last two points make a ton of sense: what William calles “holistic training”–being sure to train thoroughly at all three phases, and “fifth leg training”–teaching the horse to stay balanced itself on the cross country.  Both of these should be advocated at eventing barns everywhere and are stressed at 90% of the top eventing coaches I have known. 

As Larry King says: Eventing Nation, your reaction please.

Farewell Colin Davidson

By on Dec 6, 2010 4:24 pm -

Eventing lost a good rider and a good man today, and I lost a friend.  Colin, who was injured in a one-car accident last night, was an organ donor and after his condition deteriorated overnight he was placed on life support until matches could be found.  Earlier this afternoon he was removed from life support and passed in peace.  The circumstances regarding the accident are still unclear.

Colin was surrounded today by his eventing friends, including EN’s Coren Morgan, Lainey Ashker, and others, and all of Eventing Nation stands by Colin tonight.  When tragedy strikes in our sport, it is always a time of intense grief but today is also a time of great strength for our sport as all of the Central Virginia and US eventing community is supporting Colin, his family, and friends with thoughts and prayers.  Tonight we are reminded how important it is to embrace the all too tenuous grasp on life that we hold.  Now, more than ever, go eventing. 

Peter Atkins and Henny Helmet-Cam Videos

By on Dec 6, 2010 4:02 pm -

As we await news of Henny’s fate I thought it would be good to look back at the helmet-cam videos that introduced us all to Peter and Henny’s remarkable partnership.  Peter was certainly not the first rider to use a helmet-cam, but his obvious love and encouragement of Henny instantly captured our hearts.  And the videos are just completely awesome.

Eventing Nation posted the first 2010 Henny video shortly after it was released and I can say difinitevely that, while I loved the video, I could not have expected that Peter’s helmet cams would reach international fame. 

Ladies and gentleman…Red Hill 2010

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We received an overwhelmingly positive response to the Red Hills video and it quickly hit Facebook and the forums.  Next up was The Fork, where I excitedly waited for the Youtube video after seeing Peter wearing the helmet cam on cross-country.  With considerably fewer trees than the Red Hills course, The Fork provides an entirely different but equally awesome helmet cam experience.
 

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After the Fork, it was time for Peter and Henny to step their game up at Rolex 2010.  They did just that, and, although the XC was relatively straightforward for a CCI4*, they surged up the leader board.  As an aside, every time I mention that Rolex 2010 was straightforward for a 4*, I get at least one hissy email from a Rolex rider, but nonetheless…
 

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And then, a few months later, Peter and Henny returned to Kentucky to compete for Australia at the World Equestrian Games.  Once again, they rose to the occasion and dominated the toughest course of their career.  With 115,000 views, this video is as popular as horse videos get without Pat Parelli getting physical.
 

No one knows whether Peter will get to keep the ride on Henny, but, in an age of questionable horsemanship and nostalgia over the bygone days of eventing greatness, I think so many people want to see Peter and Henny stay together because the helmet-cam videos reveal eventing at its best: a true, giving, and unshakable partnership between horse and rider.  Go eventing.

Top eventer Colin Davidson involved in car wreck

By on Dec 6, 2010 12:50 pm -

Afternoon update: Colin was removed from life support earlier this afternoon after recovery was deemed impossible and when suitable organ recipients were found because Colin was an organ donor.  More later.

Colin Davidson, a member of the USEF 2010 developing rider list and a competitor at Rolex 2010 with his horse Draco, was severely injured Sunday evening when his truck collided with a tree and rolled down an embankment near his apartment north of Charlottesville, VA.  A local CBS Charlottesville news report explains that it was a single vehicle accident and that Colin was transported to UVa medical center.  No other details are available about the crash, but the last official report lists Colin in critical condition.

Colin is a good personal friend and we have enjoyed competing on the golf course just as much as at events.  I have always been impressed with Colin’s intelligence and he is just as capable of carrying on a conversation about James Joyce as he is about show jumping.  It’s time to gather together and do some serious praying Eventing Nation.

Sponsor Spotlight: Omega Alpha

By on Dec 5, 2010 10:00 pm -

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Greetings Eventing Nation, I hope you had a great weekend.  I spent my entire Sunday excitedly planning every outfit for each day at the USEA Convention (which starts Thursday), including my eventing boxers and my boots with the fur for the Saturday gala.  Because, as you all know, I never procrastinate…right.  I want to give a big thanks to Annie for holding down the fort today and Coren will be along shortly with Monday’s news and notes.  But first I have our inaugural ‘sponsor spotlight post,’ where each Sunday night we will give a shameless plug to one of our many wonderful sponsors.  Like most theme posts on EN, the ‘sponsor spotlights’ will probably mysteriously disappear sometime randomly in the future when we get bored of writing them.  But now, let’s chat about our friends at Omega Alpha.

Omega Alpha has been a great supporter of Eventing Nation for a long time and they were one of our original 5 advertisers.  As we all know, they are a supplement company in North America that makes human, equine, and pet supplements with a special emphasis on scientific research.  Omega Alpha works closely with vets and they were originally recommended to me by one of the best vets in eventing who praised their product quality, customer support, and emphasis on research.  Since then, I have heard great things about Omega Alpha products from professionals and OA contest winners here on EN, and I have seen the positive results of their supplements on my own horses.  Two crowd favorite supplements seem to be:

Gastra-FX: Everyone read Leah Lang-Cluscic’s guest blog a few days ago which explained that Gastra-FX helped her horse BJ start eating well again as he was recovering from ulcers.  Gastra-FX generally helps to settle the horse’s stomach and can help make them more rideable if they have digestive issues, especially in the dressage phase.  In general, between keeping our horses in a stall for half the day, all the traveling, and the necessary diet to build muscle, we put our event horses through a pretty unnatural routine.  Gastra-FX is a great way to keep our horses’ digestive tracks healthy.

Chill: As we all know, our event horses, especially our wonderful OTTBs, can get a little excited at times–particularly when the fitness ramps up for three-days.  I try to do everything possible in training to avoid having to use a supplement to help calm my horses, but, when I encounter an especially overzealous youngster, I have found that Chill is a good tool to relax them.

For more information on these and Omega Alpha’s many other supplements, visit their website:

www.omegaalphaequine.com

Getting your horse on a good supplement routine is a very important goal and the winter is a great time to try some new supplements because we don’t have competitions breathing down our necks every other week.  Thanks to Omega Alpha for their ongoing support of Eventing Nation, and, as always, thank you for supporting our sponsors.  Go eventing. 

Sally Cousins — Walking the Cross-Country

By on Dec 4, 2010 8:26 pm -
Sally Cousins is a well known rider and coach here in the US and Sally has been a good friend of Eventing Nation from our early days.  To learn more about Sally, check out her website.  Sally will be guest writing a series of short posts on various eventing topics for Eventing Nation over the next few weeks.  This is the third of her posts and it covers the walking and preparation for cross-country.  Our East coast readers are used to seeing Sally at one-day events with 49 horses and most of them typically finish in the top 2.  Sally’s experience provides great advice for planning and preparedness for riders from the beginners to the pros.  Thanks for writing this Sally and thank you for reading.
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From Sally:
When I get ready to walk the cross country course, I try to keep in mind what my goals are for that event. If the horse is green at the level or just moving up, I would likely be pleased with a confident ride.  If I need a clear round for qualification purposes, I  might play it a little “safe” even if that means I might not place well.  If I have had some troubles in my training recently, it might cause me to change my plan and possibly take an option. 
Before I walk the course, I always remember to get a course map.  This saves a lot of wandering around and also helps with additional information about mandatory flags, black flag options, or simply how many jumps there are.  Before I ride the cross country I always check the speed and time on the course.  Sometimes that is included on the map other times I find out at the secretary’s stand. 
        
For me cross country riding is about risk management.  For example, if I cut this corner I may save 3 seconds, but I could risk a run out.  This is where it is important to evaluate you and your horse’s strengths and weaknesses.  If my horse tends to run out to the left, I would not trim a right turn, but instead I would make a larger turn so I could protect the horse from possibly popping the left shoulder and running out.  
Most horses tend to run out one way.  It is really unfortunate to find yourself riding an ambidextrous horse.  As a rule of thumb, if I have a combination, skinny, or corner, I will give myself four straight strides in the approach.  That gives you enough time if the horse starts to waver to do something about straightening him again.  I also keep in mind how long it takes for me to get the horse from the gallop to the canter speed and balance I will need for the jump.  The harder the horse pulls, the longer it takes to rebalance or slow them down.  Each time we touch the reins, a second is lost in time.  The fastest horses on course are not necessarily the fastest gallopers, but the ones that are easy to set up.  
For the galloping types of jumps, I evaluate when I need to set up by looking at the “face” of the jump.  Some galloping jumps have a good ground line and a sloping face–that type of jump would require less organization than an upright face .  The more vertical the jump the more balanced you would have to be.  If there is a coffin or a combination, that would require even more time spent achieving the canter necessary for the question. It is always better to set up too soon than to find out the horse has become “hard of hearing” and is ignoring repeated requests to organize. As a rule of thumb, the further I get into the course the stronger the aids need to be.  That is why rider fitness is so important–as the horses get tired we need to be able to be stronger if needed. 
If I have a jump without height (ditch , a bank down or into water) I will often trot a green horse.  Sometimes the greener horse is distracted and only sees the jump at the last minute and quickly stops.  I am not a big fan of becoming a human projectile if I can help it!
    
When walking the course, I also think about how much of the course is in the woods, since weaving  through trees and narrow paths can really make the time hard to make. Also, I consider the number of jumps on the course and how many minutes I have to complete it.  At the upper levels, 23 jumps in 6:30 usually gives enough time between the jumps to make up time lost in the woods or setting up for combinations.  23 jumps in 5:30 means in order to get the time you will need to be quick in the turns and efficient setting up.  At the end of the day a few time faults can really change the placings.  
     
When I am on course, I  may find that my horse isn’t going the way I hoped.  I might then change my ride, slow down, or maybe take an option.   When I walk I find out where the options are on any of the jumps in case I end up having to take them.  Even on a good horse mistakes happen and knowing the way out can make the difference of finishing or not.  If the course is really not going well, I will just pull the horse up.  There is no point in taking unnecessary risks.  Good coaching and experience can help us make smart decisions.  

Flair Introduction

By on Dec 3, 2010 10:01 pm -

One of my favorite types of companies to partner with on Eventing Nation are companies with a great product that a lot of people have heard of but don’t know a lot about.  In this case, I am, of course, talking about FLAIR® Nasal Strips, who has just joined EN as a sponsor.  You can find the FLAIR banner in the sidebar in rotation with the tall Point-Two banner.
I’ll admit that before we started chatting with FLAIR about sponsorship on Eventing Nation, I only used FLAIR Strips a couple of times and the same goes for my horses.  I assumed that they were not meant for my lower level horse and I figured my upper level horse never had issues with making the time or recovering at three-days so why mess with something that wasn’t broken?  After a few conversations with FLAIR’s owner Jim, who is a vet, and after reading nearly a dozen research studies about Nasal Strips, I quickly realized that I had a pretty nearsighted view of horse respiratory health.  Here are a few things I learned: 
1) The FLAIR Nasal Strip is one of the most researched drug-free products in the equestrian world.  It would take a week’s worth of posts on Eventing Nation to go through all of the research studies, but the point is that whether we are talking about VO2 thresholds, Broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (say that 5 times fast), tracheal pressure, airflow, or heart rate, the results are the same: FLAIR Strips make it easier for the horse to breathe.  

2) Top riders all over the world use FLAIR Strips.  One of the things I spoke with Jim about was the brilliance of making the FLAIR Strips available in white–it made them visible on bay horses and I suddenly noticed that a lot more horses used FLAIR Strips than I had previously thought.  Although the word is that black might be coming back, as well as maybe clear Strips so stay tuned for that. 

3) FLAIR Nasal Strips are important for horses at every level…well, almost every level.  If a horse is breathing hard when it crosses the finish line, then it could benefit from having its collapsing nasal airways supported by a FLAIR Strip.  Sometimes I feel like novice and training horses can work harder than prelim and intermediate horses depending on the differences in relative fitness.  My prelim warmblood usually finished cross-country breathing heavier than my intermediate thoroughbred–both are going to start using FLAIR Strips all the time.    


4) As a company, FLAIR’s stated number one priority is horse health.  Improving performance is a big goal, but nothing is more important than horse health.  Studies have shows that most horses who exercise at more than a canter bleed in the their lungs and that FLAIR Strips help reduce that bleeding.  We’re talking about both lower and upper level horses. While FLAIR Strips are less common in stadium jumping, when we consider lung bleeding and the unique link horses have between breathing and stride at the fast canter, there are benefits here too. 
We’ll be talking about the science of FLAIR Nasal Strips more over the next few weeks and I might even try to write about one of the research studies if I can find a way to make it entertaining.  Many of us are already looking ahead to the spring eventing season and I, for one, am excited to get out and use FLAIR Strips–heck, I might even try one on an early canter set.  It’s a pleasure to welcome FLAIR into Eventing Nation.  Go eventing.

Abbie: The Horse He Rode In On

By on Dec 3, 2010 6:35 pm -
Abbie’s first article for EN, the now famous “Trend Alert” received a great deal of support from our readers, and I enjoyed it so much that Abbie will hopefully be a regular part of EN.  I’ll let her introduce herself more in her next post, which she will post, but for one last time I get introduce her post by saying thanks for writing this Abbie and thank you for reading.
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Did I say horse race? I meant camel…details, details.  

From Abbie:

If you are reading this website, then it’s safe to say that you have at one time or another Googled the term “horse quotations” (if you haven’t, go do it. Right. Now.).  Once you get past the clichéd phrases that are generally printed on posters with Arabians and rainbows and displayed in pediatric dentists’ offices, you will find that great thinkers have summed up nearly every feeling you can direct towards a horse.  Winston Churchill once said my personal favorite: “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.”  Churchill has been my favorite historical figure since I first stumbled across a listing of his famous quotations; no one else comes close in combining overarching virtue with Groucho Marx logic. His wit shared with his love for horses clinched my admiration forever. 

            Churchill grew up riding while attending school at Brighton; eventually he enrolled in the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst as a cavalry cadet.  He didn’t qualify for the more prestigious infantry, and even turned down a later invitation so that he could continue to ride.  At Sandhurst horses were his greatest joy.  In My Early Life, his autobiography, Churchill wrote, “ I and the group in which I moved spent all our money on hiring horses” (Sound familiar? Who needs food anyway?).  He placed second in the competition for the cavalry prize, a contest that tested random skills like jumping without stirrups and reins and galloping fences in the open.  Based on the description, it’s safe to say that Churchill would have loved Eventing.  Jumping without reins? So pony club.  Try going through a coffin combination without stirrups AND reins; Eventers could definitely give the cavalry a run for its money.  

            While the cavalry taught Churchill his skills, it was racing that had his heart. He tried his hand at steeplechase, much to the dismay of his mother.  After telling her about a near miss when his mount refused a fence, he grew wiser and entered his next race under a fake name.   While stationed in India he kept a racing pony (yes, I did say racing pony) named Lily, who unfortunately never excelled.  This led to a string of other ponies, forays into polo, and more races.  Wearing brown and pink silks (imagine that one running around Burghley… would Devoucoux make a pink saddle?) Churchill rode a number of horses until realizing that racing wasn’t an appropriate occupation for an aspiring officer. 

            You know the rest.  Churchill rose within the government, saved the world a couple times, said some important things, met some important people, and wrote his own place in history.  And then, at age 75 (!) he bought his first real racehorse, Colonist II.  Colonist became a popular figure and the most famous of Churchill’s horses, winning 13 out of 24 races and placing in five more.  In the ensuing 15 years, Churchill owned 36 racehorses and 12 broodmares.  He rarely missed a race, did not give them up until age 90, a year before his death.  It’s safe to say he redefined the “end of life.”  I can only hope to own 1 horse during my twilight years, let alone 48.   If anyone knows his secret let me know.  I’ll leave you with another quotation from My Early Life, as I believe sometimes we all need to remember it on the bad days.  No hour is ever lost.

“Don’t give your son money; as far as you can afford it, give him horses. No one ever came to grief through riding horses. No hour of life is lost that is spent in the saddle. Young men have often been ruined through owning horses or through backing horses, but never through riding horses.”

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Note: All information for this post comes from Katherine Thomas’s article “Racing to Victory: Winston Churchill and the Lure of the Turf” found in the journal Finest Hour, Vol. 1 No. 102, pg 26-30.  Also referenced was Fred Glueckstein’s article “Winston Churchill and The Colonist II” from Finest Hour, Vol 1 No. 125, pg 28-32. I also want to thank the editor of Finest Hour Mr. Richard Langworth for his help directing my research. The final quotation from My Early Life can also be found within his own biography of Churchill, Churchill by Himself: The Life, Times and Opinions of Winston Churchill.  For more information visit www.winstonchurchill.org

Leah Lang-Gluscic, chapter 7

By on Dec 3, 2010 6:12 pm -

As you know, Leah has quit an investment banking job in exchange for a life as an aspiring eventing professional and has kindly offered to share the ups and downs of her experience with Eventing Nation. Last time we heard about the downs, but today things seem to be looking up for Leah and her horses. Thanks for writing this Leah, and thank for reading.

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Link: www.llgeventing.com.  All of the information for the farm is available on the site, and I encourage anyone to reach out or even stop by the farm.  Right now, I have got a pretty decent set up in the indoor with a nice course and plenty of room for flatwork.  All winter, I am also going to work on building portable cross country jumps so that come spring, I will have the start of a cross country training facility ready to go.  I also have plenty of space for boarders or horses on training board, so anyone who would like to take advantage of these facilities full-time, just let me know!  It would be great to have a few more horses and horse people around the farm.  As always thanks for reading!

‘King’ Lebron’s Friday News and Notes

By on Dec 3, 2010 12:50 am -

How would you like to be Lebron James?  I have never seen such a dramatic fall from popularity to public vitriol that Lebron has experienced since he decided to take his “talents to South Beach,” as the now infamous phrase goes.  Teaming up with D-Wade and Bosch seemed like a sure way to win an NBA championship, but now the Heat are just 12-8 and they are playing like a team with 3 good forwards and no point guard or center–which is a big problem in basketball.  Perhaps more importantly, hating Lebron has spread from Cleveland and has become something of a national pastime for sports fans everywhere.  Nike, which is one of the best marketing companies in the world, even tried to revive Lebron’s image with the “what should I do?” commercial, but their efforts just led to a series of mocking responses like this, this, and this video. 

On Thursday night, Lebron took his talents back to Cleveland and helped the Heat rout his former team by scoring 38 points in three quarters.  Cleveland fans booed every time Lebron touched the ball and I can’t help but wonder if Lebron is starting to regret his decision.  It seems like a common theme in all sports, whether we are talking about an NBA superstar or an eventer considering a horse or coaching change, that the grass never turns out to be quite as green on the other side as we expected.  Now for some eventing notes: 

—Rolex will be selling tailgating spots along the cross-country course in 2011.  Tailgating has always struck me as a great way to let sports fans combine their love of watching sports with their love of consuming several hundred pounds of booze and food.  Prices range from $275 to $325 per spot which means that the break-even point for buying a spot is somewhere around 150 to 200 beers.  As I always like to say–what could go wrong?

–In some of the strangest horse news that I have ever seen, two long-distance riders who were planning to ride around the world had to cancel their journey because their horses were abused while awaiting the beginning of the journey in France.  Apparently the horses were sent to a trainer in France who had been recommended through friend while the riders, CuChullaine and Basha O´Reilly, made their final preparations at their home in the US.  Just before starting the journey the O’Reillys discovered that the horses had been starved and physically abused.  That would be like a US rider shipping their 4* horse to England and showing up a week before Burghley to find out that their horse had been starved.  How could two experienced horse people be so wrong about who they trust with their horses and how could they not check on their horses even once during the entire time they were being starved?  According to the report, no one has ever ridden around the world in a horse, which makes sense if you think about it.  Like I said, it’s a really weird story.

—Wild mustangs are being offered for adoption this weekend at the University of Tennesse at Martin.  The mustangs are part of the Bureau of Land Management’s relocation efforts.  It’s a sad story that so many horses need homes, but I am sure that anyone who is willing to invest a little time and effort into domesticating a mustang will gain a great pet and friend in the process.

Noon update: as a couple of commenters have pointed out, ‘pet’ was a poor choice of words if it implies that Mustangs cannot be given second careers in sport horse disciplines–they can and many have found successful careers as event horses.  Check out the BLM’s website for nationwide and online adoption information.

—All semen collection centers are not created equal.  Sometimes there are just too many possible jokes.

–Fear not Eventing Nation, I promise that those two awful empty gray squares at the top of EN will be filled with pictures as soon as I get them from our corresponding writers.  Do you like the having the pictures at the top with the Cavalor banner?  The alternative that I considered for that space was posting links to two or three of the biggest stories from the preceding few days on EN for quick access.  We have a couple more tiny changes planned for the site today, including a slight reorganization of the sidebar.

—Eventing Radio this week features Lucinda Green

—I’m feeling lucky

It’s going to be an action packed day on EN today.   In fact, I’m not sure how we are going to fit everything in, but we will succeed with skill, vigilance, and a little luck.  See you soon…

Cavalor!

By on Dec 2, 2010 8:22 pm -

I am very excited to welcome Cavalor as the latest member of the Eventing Nation family of sponsors.  Cavalor, of course, is a feed and supplement company with some of the best product lines on the planet.  We’ll write more about the science of why Cavalor is awesome over the coming days, but pretty much all you need to do is pick up some Cavalor grain and smell it.  You can instantly tell from feel, sight, and smell that Cavalor higher quality than anything your horse has ever eaten.
Cavalor uses only the highest quality cereals to make their feed and the company’s production process is only slightly less technologically sophisticated than building the space shuttle.  They use a patented process called Presco to give their grain 95% digestibility and a myriad of other great qualities.  The premium quality ingredients and production process leads to an incredibly high final product.  While Cavalor is in the higher price range of feeds, my view on the matter is that if we ask our horses to perform like premium athletes we should give them premium nutrition. 

While we were chatting with Cavalor about sponsorship I ordered a bag of feed, tried it, and now I’m a Cavalor regular…well, my horses are.  Top eventers, dressage horses, and show jumpers all over the world use Cavalor–over 50% of WEG 2010 horses are Cavalor horses.  The Cavalor website has a ton of information so check it out:

www.Cavalor.com

One last thing that I want to mention about Cavalor is that they are very excited about a new product called FreeBute Pro.  FreeBute pro is an all natural non-testing paste that serves as an anti-inflammatory.  It’s great for competitions and treatment because it is not as erosive to the stomach as bute. 

Eventers Michael and Nathalie Pollard have recently joined Cavalor’s leadership and ownership team.  Michael and Nathalie are personal friends of mine and good friends of Eventing Nation, and Cavalor will benefit from the addition of such great horse people.  Cavalor is a smart, ethical, innovative, and growing company and we are very glad to have them joining Eventing Nation.  Go eventing.

Michael Jung and Sam named to German training list

By on Dec 2, 2010 1:19 pm -

The German website Buschreiter.de is reporting that Michael and La Biothetique Sam have been named to the German ‘Championship squad,’ which, much like the USEF training list, is a list of the top German pairs for access to team coaching and competition resources.  Buschreiter.de says that being named to the list gives a “clear signal” and “every indication” that Michael will be keeping the ride on his WEG champion, and suggests that Sabine Kreuter has sold her 60% ownership of Sam to a German buyer(s).  However, the report makes it clear that there has been no official announcement about a sale and that people close to the situation are neither confirming or denying anything right now.  Impressively, Jung was named to the Champions squad with two other horses–Leopin and River of Joy.  [Buschreiter.de] via Google Translate, courtesy of LD.

Go Sam.

Beth Collier’s 2011 Calendar Thursday News and Notes

By on Dec 2, 2010 1:13 am -

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Happy Thursday Eventing Nation!  Today’s News and Notes introduction is about Beth Collier’s beautiful 2011 calendars.  Beth has been a reader, emailer, and good friend to Eventing Nation from our beginning so we are happy to help her spread the word.  Beth enjoys traveling to international events as a photographer, and she combines her photos into a calendar each year that is a must-have item for many eventing insiders.  Beth has only printed 150 calendars for 2011 and they are only available through Eventing Nation and Beth’s website.  I have a horse calendar from 2001 hanging above my bed so I’m hoping for one of Beth’s calendars for Christmas.

Click www.BethCollier.com">here for a preview of all 12 months–I pity June–and go to www.BethCollier.com to order the calendars.  Now for some eventing news and notes:

–The USEF has sent out a press release reminding you to get your applications in for the Eventing Chef ‘Equippe/Technical Advisor job by January 31st.  Raise your hand if you have sent in an application.  Should I send in an application?

–There is a quiet rumor circulating in Europe that a German group has purchased Sabine Kreuters’ portion of La Biosthetique Sam and that Michael Jung will be keeping the ride.  This definitely falls under the category of ‘rumor,’ but if it is indeed true we will surely hear more about it soon.  Stay tuned.

–Karen Robinson at the Canadian Straight Up blog included Eventing Nation in her Christmas wish list.  I have to say that this is the first time a “John clone” has ever been on anyone’s wish list.  We appreciate the kind words from Karen and I love the idea of a Christmas wish list post–we’ll have to write one for EN soon.  I’m pretty sure it will involve bringing the convention back to VA next year.

—Horse & Country is reporting that a BBC video has led to criticism of a mounted police officer for smacking his horse on video.  The horses were leading riot police against protesters and, when one horse spooked at fireworks lit by the protesters, his rider smacked his horse with a baton three times.  I’ll let you be the judge: [BBC Video]

–In our Monday News and Notes, I mentioned that the Burghley Estate was taking over ownership of the Burghley Horse Trials from British Eventing.  As more news comes out about the situation, it seems as though the loss of Burghley’s income will be a big issue for BE to overcome.  Eventing Worldwide has a report from a recent BE meeting:

“With Burghley bringing in over £380,000 for the sport in 2009, and BE operating at a projected £100,000 surplus it doesn’t take a genius to work out that could equate to a substantial loss going forward if some substitute revenue isn’t found from somewhere. Mike [Etherington-Smith] himself said that, “we find ourselves in a rather vulnerable position,” and that there had been some “interesting negotiations”.” [EWW] via LEC

–Our release of Eventing Nation’s super-secret newest sponsor was delayed a day, but we are planning the announcement for later today.  Sometimes I mention all of the hard work that goes into EN behind the scenes that isn’t writing but makes all of the writing possible–working to grow our group of sponsors is definitely an example of that work.  We will be adding a banner at the very top of the Eventing Nation page, and, like any change, I expect that some people won’t like the slightly different look, but I am hopeful that most of our readers will understand the importance of buying food for the Eventing Nation Chinchillas.  Please send all related hate-mail to [email protected].

–Speaking of the Eventing Nation Chinchillas, at the time of this post we have 87 submissions for the Nunn Finer Boyd caption contest.  I have no idea how the EN Chinchillas will be able to pick 10 finalists.  Some of the submissions are completely hilarious, most are very good, and one or two are borderline completely inappropriate, although, as is usually the case, those tend to be hilarious as well.

–Our friends at SmartPak have released the top-10 eventing products by customer review for December.  Glancing at the list, I’d say that Tipperary vests are excellent, I have never seen ‘stirrup keepers’ in action, I’d probably recommend foam plugs over the plastic Easy Plugs, but ShowSheen is an absolute must-have.  Frankly, I have never seen a top eventing barn that didn’t use ShowSheen.

—Best of the Blogs: So many things with Max Corcoran

Stay tuned throughout the day for a post by John Lechner and much more.  See you soon…

Ecogold’s Wednesday Notes

By on Dec 1, 2010 1:04 am -

One of the things on my to-do list for today is reserving my plane ticket and hotel room for the USEA convention next week.  As usual I have delayed making my travel plans until the last minute, and I am dreading spending money on the plane ticket and hotel. When I go to events without my trailer, I usually either split a hotel room with someone, sleep in another trailer trailer, or just camp out, but it looks like I’ll just have to suck it up for the convention.  
Speaking of the USEA convention, it’s probably a little late in the year to write about this, but one of my bigest pet-peeves is people who chase points for year-end awards at the last few events of the year.  Especially if your horse has already done a three-day, let it have some freaking vacation time.  I know winning an award is fun and increases the value of your horse, but if you are making that argument for yourself then you are implicitly admitting that your horse’s welfare is not your top priority.  There are many good reasons to take advantage of winter events, but chasing points is not one of them.  Ok–stepping off my soap box now.  We have a lot of news to get to so let’s jump right in:
–The big non-eventing news from Monday was that Matthias Rath was officially announced as the new rider of Moorlands Totilas.  The news that Rath would get the ride leaked over the weekend, but it was made official today during a fancy media event at Paul Schockemohle’s stallion station in Muhlen, Germany.  Pretty much everything you could want to know about the official announcement is available here from Eurodressage.  Eurodressage has owned the Totilas sale story from the very beginning.  The most interesting thing for me from the press conference is that Paul Schockemohle disclosed that he has entered into co-ownership with Matthias Rath’s stepmother, Kathrin Linsenhoff.  The ownership is non fifty-fifty.  Rath rode Totilas at the media event and several Youtube videos were posted of his ride on Monday but, strangely enough, they have all been taken offline.  
—Brian O’Connor will be making his debut as a Christmas play director in December.  Brian, who is one of Eventing Nation’s favorite announcers, was a thespian in college and will be directing “It’s A Wonderful Life: The Radio Play” in Falls Church, VA from December 10-12 and 18-19.  That means that unfortunately I don’t think we will be seeing Brian at the USEA Convention this year.
–Please think of creative, witty, and interesting emails to send to Annie for our first EN Mailbag post.  Ask not what Eventing Nation can do for you but what you can do for Eventing Nation.  Send your emails to [email protected], and please someone ask Annie why she likes to turn entire paragraphs into hyperlinks in her News and Notes posts.
—The USEA Area II annual meeting will be held on January 22nd, 2011
—You can buy authentic used WEG stall mats online.  That is, if you want to own a piece of history by buying something that a French reining horse crapped on.  People get angry when we make jokes about their products here on EN, but it’s all in good fun and, trust me, our link will sell some mats for them.
–Rescuers in Colorado have freed a horse who was stuck in a concrete pipe.  The 27 year old horse named Pepsi apparently had both hind legs suck in a large uncovered pipe.  The owner says Pepsi is doing fine.  I’ll leave you to spend the next 20 minutes trying to imagine how a horse could get both hind legs stuck down a pipe.
–In the category of “idiot news,” a Texas man was arrested on Sunday for kicking a police horse in the hindquarters.  I know you will be shocked to hear that the incident occurred outside of a Houston Texans NFL game on Sunday.  What do you want to bet that alcohol was involved?  Remember Eventing Nation, don’t drink and kick police horses.  If the horse had just kicked back we would have one less idiot on the planet; sadly, now we just have one more idiot in jail.
—Best of the Blogs: Back injections with Chelan Kozak
–Patricia at Ecogold likes to send me random videos from time to and I’ll just pass the latest batch along for your viewing pleasure: [Horse and Hound shows you how to fall], [Totilas tribute???], [Explaining eventing to non-eventers], [Kimchi just loves her scratches]
We have a busy day on Eventing Nation.  We’ll have a caption contest from Nunn Finer, more as-of-yet-undetermined ridiculousness, and hopefully introduce the first of several new sponsors who will be joining us here on EN over the next few weeks.  See you soon…
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JER – On fear and getting back on the horse

By on Nov 30, 2010 7:08 pm -

From JER:


Today’s New York Times has an article by the always interesting Gina Kolata about cycling accidents and why even dedicated athletes – herself included – will often swear off the bike forever following a serious crash.


Fell Off My Bike, and Vowed Never to Get Back On


But not all crashes have this debilitating effect. The key, says the experts, is in whether or not the faller felt in control of the circumstances surrounding the fall.


“Control makes a big difference in whether we take risks,” Dr. Loewenstein said. “With biking, you feel in control until you have an accident. Then all of a sudden you realize you are not in control. That can have a dramatic effect — you can shift abruptly from excessive daring to exaggerated caution.”


We also have a tendency to blame ourselves for what happens to us, to try to turn accidents and even random events into something we somehow deserved. This is known as the Just-World Phenomenon – the tendency for people to believe the world is fair even when they witness or experience an otherwise inexplicable unfairness or adversity.  While it sounds almost foolish in its description, the just-world effect is a surprisingly common coping mechanism



The hypothesis does let some people continue a risky sport — by deciding that a serious accident was not really random.


“You see it with rock climbers,” says Rob Coppolillo. “There will be a fatality or someone will really get hurt. There are those psychological backflips you can make yourself do. ‘It won’t happen to me.’ “


And if you have an accident and you can blame yourself for it, then you can also convince yourself that it won’t happen again.


Riding bicycles and riding horses have their obvious parallels. But by the end of the article, I was starting to feel sorry for those bicycles, reduced to twisted bits of metal and then unapologetically abandoned by their fickle owners. 


I’ve never met a dedicated horseperson who’s voluntarily sworn off riding forever after even a serious fall. Is that because, just by getting on a horse, we’ve already surrendered total control? Is our willingness – our desire, even – to get back on because we always implicitly acknowledge the partnership of human and horse with all the risks and benefits it entails?

Horses on Dirty Jobs

By on Nov 30, 2010 3:36 pm -
I don’t know about you, but I love the TV show Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Channel.  The host, Mike Rowe, takes a humorous first-hand look at some pretty disgusting but often fascinating jobs.  Tonight’s episode features Mike dealing with horses at Kentucky Equine Reseach in Versailles, Kentucky.  Mike visited KER in July for the filming of the episode and the word from Erin at KER is that some of his “jobs” included helping with feeding trial collection studies (read: horse diapers), taking fecal samples, and assisting with blood draws during exercise tests on the high-speed equine treadmill.  Click here for a preview of the episode or tune in to the Discovery Channel at 9pm EST tonight.  Go eventing.

The CHP Thanksgiving Classic

By on Nov 30, 2010 3:10 pm -

I’m always fascinated to see what different eventers do in the proverbial offseason.  Many eventers spent last weekend at Pine Top, but the Carolina Horse Park hosted their second annual Thanksgiving Classic hunter/jumper event and several eventers were in attendance. Our good friend Holly Hudspeth wrote us a quick report from the event, where Will Faudree rode her Last Monarch aka “Stewie” because Holly is expecting (due in May).  Thanks for writing this Holly and thank you for reading.
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Photo of Will Faudree and Stewie, courtesy of the awesome Meri Hyoky

From Holly:

November 28th was the 2nd annual Thanksgiving Classic held at The Carolina Horse Park. It consisted of 3 classes, the Open Hunter Classic, a 5 bar class, and a $5000 mini-prix. The weather was sunny and in the upper fifties, and everyone had a great time! CHP had a patron’s tent, ringside parking, and an option to purchase a $25 armband that entitled you to cocktails and lunch. CHP also honored it’s fantastic volunteers with their very own tent, food, and drinks. Many of us local professionals played the bartender role, and kept them filled with, beer, wine, bloody mary’s, and soda. Lunchtime also was entertained with a driving exhibition. The day started with 20 in the Hunter Classic, and then things turned exciting as the 5 bar class started with 7 entries, 4 of which were local eventers, including Bobby Costello, Will Faudree, and Susan Beebee. The last round went up to 5′! 

The final class was the mini prix, and for me, was the most exciting! My good friend Will Faudree rode Last Monarch (Stewie), and they were so fun to watch. This class had 13 entries, and 8 made the jump off. Stewie was the only event horse in the pure jumper filled field, and finished 4th. He and Will actually had the fasted time, but a fault at the last cost them the win. 

The Thanksgiving Classic is turning into an annual Thanksgiving tradition, and is sure to pick up steam! So please come join us next year, you won’t be disappointed.

A Quick Henny Update

By on Nov 30, 2010 10:25 am -
The Henny situation is unlike anything we have written about on Eventing Nation before in the sense that the eventual outcome will have nothing to do with horses at a competition–it’s about judges, lawyers, and contracts.  Unfortunately, courts move in mysterious ways to those of us whose entire legal knowledge is limited to watching Law and Order SVU.  And, while we would all like Detective Elliot Stabler to storm into the room and solve the case in 45 minutes or less, real courts usually take a frustratingly long time to reach any decision.  
The November 19th press release from Peter and his legal team explained that a hearing was scheduled for November 29th (Monday) to determine if the court order giving Peter custody of Henny and preventing Linda Martin from selling Henny would be extended.  
The word from a source close to the situation Tuesday morning is that the judge presiding over the case did not reach a decision on Monday.  By the original court order, all the involved parties are prevented from selling or transferring Henny until the judge reaches another conclusion, and the judge has not said when a decision will be reached.  
From the number of supportive emails and comments we have gotten about the case, I can safely say that Henny and Peter are one of the most popular pairs throughout Eventing Nation and everyone wants to know what will happen with the case.  All I can say is that you will be the first to know when we hear something and, until then, all we can do is hope for the best for Henny.  Go eventing.

Monday Morning News and Notes

By on Nov 29, 2010 12:13 am -

The bad news is that it’s Monday.  The good news is that, if you’re anything like me, there are still plenty of leftovers…dare I say left over from Thankgiving.  So, let’s all enjoy our Turkey sandwiches today and pass the time until then with a few eventing news and notes:

—Doug Payne won the open prelim at Pine Top and Julie Richards finished two horses in the top four of that division.  Samantha Clark was on-scene and will have a full Pine Top report from later today.  [Eventing Scores]

–The Burghley Horse Trials has undergone a leadership transition with the Burghley Estate taking over full ownership of the organizing committee, which is now called (surprisingly) Burghley Horse Trials Ltd.  Richard Jewson, one of Pippa Funnell’s owners, has been appointed as Chairman of the new committee.  Elizabeth Inman will continue as current event director and I don’t expect the changes to make any major difference to eventing fans.  [British Eventing]

–The big non-eventing news from the weekend is that Matthias Rath of Germany will get the ride on Moorlands Totilas.  Apparently, Rath’s stepmom, Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff has “acquired the riding rights” to Totilas from the stallion’s new owner Paul Schockenmohle.  Matthias Rath won bronze with the German team at the WEGs this year and he is an excellent rider, but I wouldn’t be so quick to envy him.  It’s like taking over as quarterback for a team that has won 5 straight Super Bowls.  Every success will be attributed to Totilas and anything less than winning will be considered a complete failure.  [Eurodressage]
–Heading below the fold, two donkeys in Shaftesbury, England had to be rescued by firefighters when they became trapped up to the neck in a pile of manure.  Neither animal was harmed during the incident as crews used ropes and machinery to free them.  In other news, I have withdrawn my application to work for the Shaftesbury fire department.  [BBC]
–A farrier named Brent Jury won the advanced New Zealand eventing championships.  Personally, I love it when vets and farriers event because it gives them more of a practical view of our sport that only comes with time in the saddle.  [Stuff.co.nz]
–Vets in Australia are concerned that toxic tropical plants have led to over 40 horse deaths in Queensland.  The major issue seems to be that the illness seem to be showing up in the horses months after the suspect plants have gone.  [H&H]
We are back to normal on Eventing Nation this week…enjoy.

Sally Cousins — Walking the Show Jumping

By on Nov 28, 2010 6:10 pm -
Sally Cousins is a well known rider and coach here in the US and Sally has been a good friend of Eventing Nation from our early days.  To learn more about Sally, check out her website.  Sally will be guest writing a series of short posts on various eventing topics for Eventing Nation over the next few weeks.  This is the second of her posts and it covers the walking and preparation for show jumping.  Our East coast readers are used to seeing Sally at one-day events with 49 horses and most of them typically finish in the top 2.  Sally’s experience provides great advice for planning and preparedness for riders from the beginners to the pros.  Thanks for writing this Sally and thank you for reading.
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When I first walk up to the show jumping course, I first try to get a impression of the layout.  Are we on grass?  How much of a grade is there?  How filled-in do the jumps look?  Is the ring small?  All of these factors will be very important when planning my ride.  Next, I find the course map and figure out where the start and finish flags are.  I have been in a situation where the in-gate is near the start flags, which meant that I had to stop quickly when I entered so I wouldn’t go through the flags as I started my circle.  
There are many things that affect how we ride the jumps: grade, turns, direction toward or away from the ingate/trailers, and the footing.  I  also need to take into account how experienced my horse is and how big a stride he has. For example, it is easier to balance a horse going uphill but it is much harder to keep its engine going. A downhill grade means I have to balance the horse earlier and sometimes using stronger aids.  The steeper the grade the harder it is.  If the footing is on grass, slick grass is often harder to turn on and mud can be harder for the horse to jump out of.  Heavy sand can also cause the horses to labor off the ground, so the rider might have to use more leg. The tighter the turn the easier it is to organize but it is harder to keep the energy and straightness to the jump. Most horses tend to be brighter going toward the ingate or trailers.  For example, if I  have a green horse and the first fence is a roll-top oxer away from the ingate I am likely to have to ride more forward than a vertical towards the gate. If the course is really well decorated it can really help a slightly careless jumper try harder.  On the other hand, it might make a green horse be very backed off.
    I do believe that all riders can and should learn about distances. Paying attention to distances will really improve the planning and execution of the ride. It is not that hard to practice walking a 3 foot step and then learning the distances used in course design.  When I set up a combination or line I always tell my students the feet between the jumps and how that will affect the ride–mostly for perspective.  If in practice you find that a 34 foot two stride feels long, when you get to the competition you can then have a point of reference for the distance set up by the course designer.  I do realize that there are many other factors at the competition but distances are a good place to start.  For more information on distances, I recommend Linda Allen’s book 101 Jumping Exercises.  
     I also take into account several factors including which lead my horse jumps better off of, which way she/he turns better, and which turns I might be at risk for losing the horse’s shoulder. This will help me decide on which lead to jump the first fence (if  I have a  choice). If there is a combination off of my horse’s more difficult lead, I may make a slightly larger turn in the approach. If I have a long distance down a line off a tight turn, I may decide to add a stride down that line. 
  When I warm up for the show jumping, I always think about how the course walks. If it is a really tight course, I have to focus on getting the horse thinking forward because of the small area. I also might gallop into the ring to make sure I get the horse in front of my leg. Also, be careful who you watch ride in an attempt to learn how the course is riding because their horse might be very different from yours. I do pay attention if people are having trouble with the time allowed.  You can make the time easier by moving along a bit in the turns or moving forward through the finish flags. Talking to your coach or trainer about the course is very important. If for some reason you can’t talk with them, stick with your plan.
   This article might make it sound as if all my rides go according to plan, unfortunately that is not the case. I think that the most successful event riders are not necessarily the most skillful, but those that can get to plan B the quickest.  Sometimes I am in the warm up and think “Uh Oh!” Sometimes I go through the ingate and realize that I have left 50% of my training at the trailer.  We need to make sure that if we are not having a great day that we have enough flexibility in our training to be adaptable.  

Working Student Diaries, part 7

By on Nov 27, 2010 4:24 pm -

Tonight we bring you part 7 of Jenny’s adventure as a working student and EN guest blogger. Jenny has ambitiously decided to spend the next year as a working student in Lexington, Kentucky. Recently, Jenny’s horse has been injured and she has been training a future lesson pony for her coach Megan. Thanks for writing this Jenny and thank you for reading.
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Link:

Saturday Morning Links

By on Nov 27, 2010 5:04 am -

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EN’s Chinchillas are still full from Thanksgiving

Are there two days out of the year more American than Thanksgiving and Black Friday?  After spending all of Thursday gorging ourselves with food, most Americans spent the next 20 hours shopping on Friday.  Thankfully we get to return to some normalcy today with a slow Saturday of eventing.  There is just one USEA event this weekend–Samantha Clark will be checking in from Pine Top for EN later today.  I’d also like to thank Coren and Annie for holding down the fort at Eventing Nation on Friday while I spent the day tackling children at Best Buy in my mad dash for a $200 Wii traveling.  Now for your Saturday morning links:

Thanksgiving foxhunting with Boyd Martin

A horse delivered the presidential Christmas tree

Tankers Town is injured and will not be at Badminton

A Wisconsin horse is ringing a bell for the Salvation Army

Researchers have discovered an athletic gene in Thoroughbreds

Happy weekend with 3D3W

Pine Top (GA) Live Scores

Go eventing.