Kate Samuels
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Kate Samuels

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About Kate Samuels

Kate Samuels is an avid 3-Day Eventer who currently competes at the Advanced/3* level with her wonderful Selle Francais gelding, Nyls du Terroir. A rider since the tender age of three, she is a young professional in the sport learning as much as she can from various mentors, both equine and human. Kate has worked for Eventing Nation since 2011, and has enjoyed every minute of it. She brings a lifetime of experience with horses as well as a wealth of knowledge gained through competing at the top levels of the sport. When not riding through the boiling hot, freezing cold, rain or snow, Kate enjoys baking pies, photography, and finding ridiculous videos on the internet.

Eventing Background

USEA Rider Profile Click to view profile
Area Area II
Highest Level Competed Advanced/CCI4*

Latest Articles Written

Friday News & Notes Presented by Stable View

Virginia in the fall…it can’t be beat! Photo by Lauren Schwartzenberger.

As far as I’m concerned, September and October are our best months in Virginia, because it FINALLY cools off at night, but it’s not yet cold during the day. To me, there is nothing better than getting up in the morning to bring the horses in and throwing on a cozy sweater as I head out the door. I’m not ready for the multi-layering process of winter yet, but I am so down for sweater weather.

U.S. Weekend Preview

Heritage Park H.T. (Olathe, KS) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]

Meadowcreek Park H.T – Fall Social Event (Kosse, TX) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times][Volunteer] [Scoring]

Unionville H.T. (Unionville, PA) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Twin Rivers Fall International (Paso Robles, CA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer][Scoring]

University of New Hampshire H.T. (Durham, NH) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer][Scoring]

News From Around the Globe:

Not too many 15-year-olds get to partner with a horse that has competed at multiple Olympics and World Equestrian Games, but then again, Olivia Dutton isn’t just anybody. Today, we’re throwing it back to an article about Olivia and her partnership with the late Mr Medicott, who stepped down from the 5* level in 2017 to successfully take Olivia to a gold medal in the 2018 NAYC. [Mr Medicott’s Teaching Phase]

Despite the long-standing tradition for most draft horses, Anheuser-Busch announced this week that they will no longer dock tails on the Budweiser Clydesdales.  The move came as Anheuser-Busch, Budweiser’s parent company, has faced criticism for the practice, which is banned in several countries and has been denounced as inhumane by animal welfare organizations. The practice has been used forever to prevent the tail from becoming entangled in the equipment, but docking involves removing part of the spine from the end of the tail, which is a welfare concern. [No More Docking for Budweiser Clydesdales]

Looking for the next great book to inspire your riding? In this excerpt from her new book Finding Your Superhorse, renowned trainer and clinician Lynn Palm shares her favorite exercise for improving your horse’s self-carriage and improving your own riding at the same time. [The Very Best Single Exercise for Improving Collection]

Major League Eventing podcast never fails to bring us interesting stories. This week, it’s Irish Eventer Lee Maher. Lee shares how he grew up in Ireland in a non-horsey family and started riding with his cousin. He met and started riding with Carol Gee from Fernhill Sporthorses and also worked for Joseph Murphy. Lee then  came to the US to work for Caroline Pamukcu to help run her sales program. Be on the lookout for Lee at the Mars Maryland 5* Presented by the Brown Advisory Group in October as he has 10 horses qualified for the 4 &5 YEH East Coast Championships. TEN! [Get to Know Lee Maher]

 

Thursday News & Notes from Morven Park

Eventing dogs! Photo by JJ Sillman.

My favorite thing about the dogs of horse people is that they never have a leash. I don’t mean that they’re unleashed, I mean they don’t own proper leashes. Because, like, are you going to leash your dog around the farm? No. So when they go to competitions, they always have the most ratty lead rope anybody could find, clipped onto some kind of collar or harness thing that we dug out of a pile in the tack room. If you go in public, everyone looks at you funny with your ratty lead, but horse people know.

U.S. Weekend Preview

Heritage Park H.T. (Olathe, KS) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]

Meadowcreek Park H.T – Fall Social Event (Kosse, TX) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times][Volunteer] [Scoring]

Unionville H.T. (Unionville, PA) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Twin Rivers Fall International (Paso Robles, CA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer][Scoring]

University of New Hampshire H.T. (Durham, NH) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer][Scoring]

News From Around the Globe:

Veterinarians have finally found a genetic variant is associated with the severity and likely development of kissing spines in horses. Now, let’s be clear from the start, this is not a causative gene, merely one that shows up alongside horses that have developed severe kissing spine. It’s only one of many factors linked to disease development, including exercise, rider skill and weight, riding equipment and fit, core muscle strength, head and neck position, injury, and lameness. However, this research does provide information to breeders for future generations of horses, as to decrease the likelihood of kissing spines. [Kissing Spines Gene Discovered]

As somebody who has had too many concussions due to youthful stupidity, and a general disregard for helmets in my younger days, this story hits home. It’s one we know well, but in 2014, Silva Martin had an accident schooling a horse at home, and almost died. Her brain bleed was severe, and her recovery took over a year, with lasting effects, but Silva sure as hell never goes near a horse without a helmet, and neither should you. [How a Helmet Saved Silva Martin]

All thoroughbred riders and trainers know about the power of a perfectly balanced half-seat. If we look at the most useful rider positions, the ‘half-seat’ (also known as the two point) is probably second only to the ‘upright’ heels, hips, shoulders in a line. It is even more useful when astride a green or recently restarted Thoroughbred. So what is so great about hovering slightly above the saddle? Find out in Aubrey Graham’s most recent article! [Thoroughbred Logic]

Sponsor Corner: Celebrate 50 years of eventing at Morven Park this fall. When you ride at Morven Park, you follow in the hoofprints of the eventing legends that have galloped these paths before you. Check out this cool snapshot– eventing sure has changed a lot over the last half-century!

James Alliston & Karma having one last cross country school before they head off to Boekelo!

Friday News & Notes Presented by Stable View

Mount Rushmore as viewed from the back of a horse! Photo by Natalie Tanaka.

I was really excited to read that Dr. Temple Grandin will be the keynote speaker at this year’s USEA Convention (see the link below), as I’ve been a massive fan of hers for many many years, and I’m still surprised to hear of people who aren’t familiar with her work. Inspired by her own journey navigating the world with autism, she channeled her impressive intellect into making massive world-wide positive change for animal welfare and handling, specifically with cattle, but also other animals as well. Her understanding of how animals perceive the world, and how they feel stress or happiness is quite frankly, unrivaled. I can’t attend the Convention in person, but you bet I’ll be watching her speech!

U.S. Weekend Preview

Aspen Farm H.T. (Yelm, WA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Flying Cross Farm H.T. (Goshen, KY) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer][Scoring]

GMHA September H.T. (South Woodstock, VT) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Marlborough H.T (Upper Marlboro, MD) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer]

Otter Creek Fall H.T. (Wheeler, WI) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer]

The Event at Skyline (Mt Pleasant, UT) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

The Fork at Tryon (Mill Spring, NC) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Other International Events

Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials (Oxfordshire, UK) [Website] [Timetable] [Entries: 4*-S] [Entries: 4*-L] [Live Stream]

FEI Eventing Championships for Juniors and Young Riders (Montelibretti, Italy) [Website][Timetable] [Entries: Juniors] [Entries: Young Riders] [Live Stream]

News From Around the Globe:

The USEA is hosting world-renowned animal welfare and behavior specialist Dr. Temple Grandin this year as the keynote speaker at the USEA Convention this winter. Dr. Grandin has shaped her career around the research and understanding of animal behavior and stress through the lens of her own experiences navigating life with autism.Throughout her life’s work, she has pioneered the design of livestock handling facilities with modern methods that improve animal welfare and productivity. Temple continues to help more than half of the cattle in North America today through the use of her groundbreaking animal handling technology. Facilities she has designed can be seen in the United States, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and more. Dr. Grandin has authored over 400 articles in both scientific journals and livestock periodicals on animal handling, welfare, and facility design. [Dr. Temple Grandin Speaks at USEA Convention]

Preparing for the USEA YEH Championships? Whether you’re a multi-horse professional or just an amateur with a stunning young horse, YEH classes are a great way to get exposure and training for your horse. Caroline Pamukcu, a regular on the YEH circuit, shares her tips for preparing for the championships, as she is right now with several of her horses. West coast rider Andrea Baxter knows a thing or two about taking horses to the championships as well, and takes both off-track-thoroughbreds as well as imported warmbloods every year. [How to Prepare for YEH Championships]

Book Review: The Jockey & Her Horse

You may recognize the name Catherine Winter from the triumphs of Starr Witness, but did you know that she also designs fashionable safety wear for equestrians? Catherine Winter, owner of Ride EquiSafe and Ride EquiStyle, is here to make equestrian fashion more available to all riders, and make them safe no matter what discipline they prefer. As a lifelong rider in the hunter ring, the jumper ring, and the eventing circuit, Catherine wanted to make sure that everyone could afford beautiful safety. [Ride EquiStyle with Catherine Winter]

 

New sport idea??

 

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Thursday News & Notes from Morven Park

THE water complex at Blenheim. Photo by Bec Braitling.

Yesterday I was giving a usually very quiet horse a little lunge session in the morning, really enjoying those first feelings of fall, and just vibing. This little horse picks up the canter like a good boy, and around he goes, when suddenly a dog decides she has a really good idea. The idea is for her to run straight at the horse as he is cantering towards her, and then freeze when it comes time to decide which side to dodge and get obliterated. Clearly, she didn’t think it through. Luckily for her, my little horse just thought this was a super weird cross country obstacle and leapt over her with a display of athleticism and kindness I did not see coming. Hey, at least my. horses are idiot proof?

U.S. Weekend Preview

Aspen Farm H.T. (Yelm, WA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Flying Cross Farm H.T. (Goshen, KY) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer][Scoring]

GMHA September H.T. (South Woodstock, VT) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Marlborough H.T (Upper Marlboro, MD) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer]

Otter Creek Fall H.T. (Wheeler, WI) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer]

The Event at Skyline (Mt Pleasant, UT) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

The Fork at Tryon (Mill Spring, NC) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Other International Events

Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials (Oxfordshire, UK) [Website] [Timetable] [Entries: 4*-S] [Entries: 4*-L] [Live Stream]

FEI Eventing Championships for Juniors and Young Riders (Montelibretti, Italy) [Website][Timetable] [Entries: Juniors] [Entries: Young Riders] [Live Stream]

News From Around the Globe:

Marcus Ehning adds his voice to those concerned about future of horsemanship in sport. Even for an Eventer, Marcus Ehning hardly needs an introduction, but in short, the man won the FEI World Cup Final three times, has gold medals from Olympic, World, and European Games, and also has won the Aachen Grand Prix three times, including this summer with Stargold. For a man who has won a whole lot, he confesses that his true passion lies at home, with the small details and improvements in horses in training. Read more to find out about his fascinating journey in horses, and how he’s worried that the younger generations have lost their passion for the small things. [Marcus Ehning on the Past, Present, and Future]

Marilyn Payne fell victim to the COVID-era buying-a horse-off-a-video-sight-unseen craze that went around a few years ago, so now you don’t have to feel so guilty about it! She told herself she would never buy a horse without trying it first, but after watching a video of Rock Me Mama, and with encouragement from both her 5* veteran children, Marilyn bought the young Irish mare. Her bet paid off this year at the AECs, where the pair finished in 6th place out of 42 in the Novice Horse Championship. [Judge, Competitor, Mom, Grandma, It’s Her, Marilyn]

The Amato family made the AEC’s well, a family affair this year. Andy Amato and his wife Tonya Cummins Amato had both previously competed at the AEC’s on separate occasions, but this year their 12-year-old daughter Addison qualified as well. So, with all horses and humans healthy and qualified, they packed up from Aiken, SC, and headed to Kentucky. Tonya rode her 12-year-old Connemara Stallion, Get Smart, in the Training Rider Championships, Andy rode his 14-year-old Holsteiner-Connemara gelding Superman in Preliminary Rider, and Addison rode her 8-year-old Connemara mare Hermione Granger in the Junior Beginner Novice division. [Amato Family Shares Special Week at AECs]

Within France’s rich equestrian tradition, the walk has always deserved to be called the “queen of gaits” because of the benefits that both horse and rider can derive from this gait. In fact, there are several notable classical French dressage trainers who believed in ONLY training their horses at the walk until they could fully do everything, and then they would proceed to be perfect in all the other gaits. I….don’t know how, but….they say it’s true. Anyway, I do agree that walk training is important. [Walk: The Queen of Gaits]

 

Friday News & Notes Presented by Stable View

Between the ears in Colorado. Photo by Amanda Wilder.

Ok, for real, everybody stop what you’re doing right now and do a rain dance for Virginia. All year we had such nice weather, with regular rain to keep everything super lush. I was even complaining about mowing the grass too frequently! Well, that’ll teach me, because in just one month of no rain, everything has turned into crispy, sad, brown stuff, and there is so much dust in the air I think I’m turning into dust every day. Please, please, please, whatever power above that may or may not exist, or just like, clouds and winds, PLEASE bring rain to Virginia. I’m literally begging you, and all my horses will also be appreciative.

U.S. Weekend Preview

Applewood Farm YEH & Mini Event (Califon, NJ) [Website] [YEH Ride Times] [Mini Event Ride Times]

CDCTA Fall H.T. (Berryville, VA) [Website] [Volunteer]

Five Points H.T. (Raeford, NC) [Website] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Flora Lea Fall H.T. (Medford, NJ) [Website] [Entries][Ride Times]

Larkin Hill Fall H.T. (North Chatham, NY) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

News From Around the Globe:

In a twist I don’t think anybody ever saw coming, former top Canadian show jumper Eric Lamaze has been proven in an Ontario court to have lied about a brain tumor for many years. Former Canadian top rider Eric Lamaze has been exposed in an Ontario court as a fraudster who falsified medical documents to lead the world, and judges, into believing that he had a brain tumor that needed to be treated through surgery and chemotherapy. During a lawsuit involving the sale of three horses, it became clear that the documents presented by Lamaze that he listed as supporting evidence were all forged (and there is not a single evidence so far that there is any truth) for the very serious brain tumor that Lamaze has claimed to have for years. If that’s not enough, he’s currently being sued by several former clients for incredibly messy horse sales deals gone wrong. [Eric Lamaze Fakes a Brain Tumor]

Ever wondered about donating a horse for continued education at college? College equestrian programs provide students with opportunities to compete in equestrian events as their primary sport and can also introduce newcomers to the horse world with the opportunity to hone their skills. Most college programs thrive on donated horses — they may not have the budget to purchase animals. If you may be considering donating your horse to a college equestrian program, here are some things to consider. [Donating Your Horse to a College Program]

Dressage judging is always a tricky job, but one researcher is saying there are ways to make it more reliable. Inga Wolframm has identified inadvertent potential biases in the scoring of high-level dressage judges which she says create a cascade effect benefiting a specific group of riders. She says a clear evidence-based set of judging guidelines should be developed for the discipline to assist judges in providing objective, transparent scores. This, she said, would prevent judges from having to resort to cognitive shortcuts. That way, the complexity of judging is reduced, making scores more objective, transparent and fair. [Improve Dressage Judging and Remove Bias]

If anybody knows how to stay cool under pressure, it’s Carl Hester’s groom and Alan Davies’ replacement, Lucy Scudamore. The well-beloved Alan Davies stepped back from the position of head traveling groom at the beginning of 2023, and Lucy has stepped up to plate. Grooming for the best riders in the world is no mean feat, but Lucy, 26, has learnt from the best in Alan, and was thrown in the deep end when she travelled to her first championship, which was none other than the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where “everything was magnified”. [Grooming for the Stars]

Thursday News & Notes from Morven Park

Wabbit and Jessica Phoenix looking stylish at Burghley. Photo by Nico Morgan.

There are always more stories after a big event than just who won, and really there are lots of versions of winning. I would say that feisty little OTTB Wabbit had a pretty winning weekend, finishing in 11th place after storming around the notoriously tough cross country, you could just tell that he’s been waiting for the challenge. However, Jessica didn’t start her weekend on a good note, because the airlines lost her luggage. The stress of competing overseas at a five-star has to be overwhelming, and then the annoyance of losing all your stuff…I can hardly imagine. Luckily, Holland & Cooper UK stepped right up to the plate and outfitted Jessica for all occasions, and we think they did good.

U.S. Weekend Preview

Applewood Farm YEH & Mini Event (Califon, NJ) [Website] [YEH Ride Times] [Mini Event Ride Times]

CDCTA Fall H.T. (Berryville, VA) [Website] [Volunteer]

Five Points H.T. (Raeford, NC) [Website] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Flora Lea Fall H.T. (Medford, NJ) [Website] [Entries][Ride Times]

Larkin Hill Fall H.T. (North Chatham, NY) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

News From Around the Globe:

We will miss you, Tilly-Bean! (No, don’t worry, that’s not our nickname for Tilly Berendt and we would never allow her to leave anyway). Vanir Kamira, aka Tilly, enjoyed her last lap around the show jumping arena at Burghley, but this time for her retirement ceremony. Piloted by Piggy March to both a Badminton and Burghley victory, the unconventional little brown mare has always been nothing but heart. She retires at the age of 18, and we will deeply miss her. [Vanir Kamira Retires at Burghley]

There’s nothing quite like your first Burghley, unless it’s winning best first-timer as well. Jenny Saville has always said that FE Lifestyle is the best cross country horse she’s ever ridden, and that’s certainly the one you take to Burghley. The pair finished in 12th place, thanks in part to a different approach to dressage warm-up, aka, not really doing the warmup. Read more to find out Jenny’s reflections on the week and details from behind the scenes. [Ringside Chat with Jenny Saville]

Hot on Horse Nation: The Burrito Metaphor

Can’t get enough of the upcoming documentary about Kim Walnes and The Grey? Yeah, we’re pretty pumped about it too. Much beloved Virginia rider and trainer Skyeler Voss, who happens to have a thing for grey horses, was cast in the main role with her 4* OTTB, Argyle. Handily, she trains not far away from the fields where Kim and Grey galloped all those years ago, so recreating accurate scenes is no trouble for this movie. [Voss & Argyle Channel Legendary Partnership]

Sponsor Corner: Throwback to this course preview of the 2022 CCI4*-L course at Morven Park International! Have you entered this year’s event? Sign up now on evententries.com.

Never have I seen a more perfect video:

Dressage Day Two News & Notes Presented by Stable View

Cutest AEC competitor? Valiant Voyager makes a strong case. (I know I know, he was featured last week but can I hep that he’s cuter than legally allowed??) Photo courtesy of Laila Martin.

Today’s Defender Burghley dressage tests begin at 9.45 a.m. again (4.45 a.m. EST) with British partnership Richard Skelt and Credo first in the ring. Our first North American pair will be Will Faudree and Mama’s Magic Way, at 10.33 a.m. local/5.33 a.m. EST, and then we’ll see British-based American Tiana Coudray and her five-star debutante Cancaras Girl in the ring at 11:10 a.m. local/6:10 a.m. EST. Our final two US riders go back to back in the penultimate session of the day: at 14:25 local/9:25 a.m. EST it’ll be the turn of five-star first-timers Grace Taylor and Game Changer, followed by Boyd Martin and his Tokyo mount Tsetserleg TSF at 14:33 local/9:33 a.m. EST. We’ve also got some first-phase heavy hitters to keep an eye out for — notably, our likely leaders, Tim Price and Vitali, at 13:53 local/8:53 a.m. EST; Tom McEwen and his Tokyo double-medallist Toledo de Kerser at 15:09/10:09 a.m. EST, and 2017 winners Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class at 15:33/10:33 a.m. EST. Until then: Go Eventing!

If you haven’t checked out EN’s Guide To Following Defender Burghley and thoroughly reviewed EN’s Ultimate Defender Burghley Form Guide, I honestly don’t know what you’re doing with your life.

Defender Burghley: [Website] [Entries] [Program] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage] [Ride Times

EN is going eventing Stateside too this week, with the American Eventing Championships happening in Lexington, Kentucky. We’ll be bringing you all you need to know – so stay tuned, and go eventing!

#AEC2023 (Lexington, KY): [Website] [Entries] [Schedule] [Official Program] [Volunteer] [EN’s Coverage

U.S. Weekend Preview

Bucks County Horse Park H.T. (Revere, PA) [Website]

Chattahoochee Hills H.T. (Fairburn, GA) [Website] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Equestrians’ Institute H.T. (Cle Elum, WA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Seneca Valley PC H.T. (Poolesville, MD) [Website] [Volunteer]

Silverwood Farm Fall H.T. (Trevor, WI) [Website] [Ride Times] [Scoring]

News From Around the Globe:

New verified research data has shown that all breastplates (except one) adversely affect horses over jumps. Centaur Biomechanics’ cameras, which capture movement at 400 frames per second (33 times faster than the human eye), examined and compared the action of various horses as they cleared fences. Regardless of breastplate design, analysis showed that the whole jump is adversely affected from the moment when the horse is at the peak of take-off and its shoulder is in its most forward position – this is the moment of peak pressure. The study found that the arc made over the fence, from take-off to landing, was shortened, with the horses landing at a steeper angle, when they wore the breastplates. So, no more relying on your breastplate to cover up your poorly fitted saddle! [Breastplates Inhibit Jumping Ability & Long Term Soundness]

Hot on Horse Nation: Why Horses Are a Child Therapist’s Best Friend

All four Training championship divisions completed their cross-country yesterday at the 2023 USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC), and three of the four dressage leaders maintained their first place standings. With fun stories from each division, (Amateur, Horse, Rider, and Junior), you’ll wanna be updated on all the most recent fabulous action from Kentucky USA. [Eventing Champions]

“No hoof, no horse” is probably the second thing you ever learn about horses, right after “you always have to get back on the horse”. Your riding career, no matter the level, will be impacted by your personal knowledge about horses and their hooves, and you’ll always benefit from knowing how to recognize, prevent, and treat signs of hoof stress. Empower yourself. [Horse Hoof Stressors]

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Boyd is ready to let it rip this weekend!!

 

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Dressage Day One News & Notes presented by Morven Park International

Just when you think it’s all work and no play at a 5*, these two show up. Photo courtesy of Boyd Martin

Burghley has always been my favorite five-star, mostly because when I was a child playing Mary King’s Riding Star (IYKYK), it was the scariest course. It’s also probably the scariest set of jumps to walk directly up to, I mean, nobody does big and bad and rider frightener like Burghley. Why is it that I’ve latched my affections to the one that frightens me the most? You’d probably have to ask my therapist…but in the meantime, get yourselves ready for a hell of a weekend!!

The USA’s Burghley hopes come in the form of Boyd Martin (who has two rides), Jennie Saville, Will Faudree, Tiana Coudray and Grace Taylor. As the chilly non-summer continues in the UK, let’s hope Boyd’s packed something especially cozy to slip into after his ice bath.

If you haven’t checked out EN’s Guide To Following Defender Burghley and thoroughly reviewed EN’s Ultimate Defender Burghley Form Guide, I honestly don’t know what you’re doing with your life.

Defender Burghley: [Website] [Entries] [Program] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage] [Ride Times

EN is going eventing Stateside too this week, with the American Eventing Championships happening in Lexington, Kentucky. We’ll be bringing you all you need to know – so stay tuned, and go eventing!

#AEC2023 (Lexington, KY): [Website] [Entries] [Schedule] [Official Program] [Volunteer] [EN’s Coverage

U.S. Weekend Preview

Bucks County Horse Park H.T. (Revere, PA) [Website]

Chattahoochee Hills H.T. (Fairburn, GA) [Website] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Equestrians’ Institute H.T. (Cle Elum, WA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Seneca Valley PC H.T. (Poolesville, MD) [Website] [Volunteer]

Silverwood Farm Fall H.T. (Trevor, WI) [Website] [Ride Times] [Scoring]

News From Around the Globe:

Breaking your hand at the second jump on cross country during your first AEC’s isn’t exactly what anyone hopes for. But Kathryn Maynard completed that course, drove herself to the hospital, and doubled down on plans to return. Kathryn, 41, of Huntersville, North Carolina, is back and out for redemption at this year’s USEA American Eventing Championships in Lexington, Kentucky, this time riding Caballo Oscuro, an 18-year-old Shire-Appaloosa cross, in the novice rider division. “My expectations are low, but my hopes are high,” Maynard said. “For me, it’s the experience: Who doesn’t want to run around the Kentucky Horse Park and jump into the Head of the Lake?” Indeed my friend, indeed. [AEC’s Are Icing on The Cake]

The final entry list for the 2023 Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium is complete! I always look back on my RRP experience with warmth, and definitely hope to once again partake in it’s magic. You can check out all 404 final entries today, as well as the details on how and where all the horses were sourced, where they last raced, and average number of races. If you’re a thoroughbred junkie, and a statistics geek, don’t miss this article. [Meet the Horses of the 2023 Thoroughbred Makeover Class]

From the kill pen to the winners circle is always a delightful story to hear, and eventing is the sport for underdogs if we’re being honest. Three years ago, Talia Czapski put a skinny, depressed, sick hony on her trailer, and went to work bringing him back to life. She named him Gimmie A Chance, and these days he has his own little girl, and jumps confidently around courses. We love a comeback story, and even better when it has a big white face with flaxen mane and tail. [From Rescue to Ribbons]

Hot on Horse Nation: 3 Ways to Squeeze Fitness into Your Busy Life

Amongst all the recent tragedy and talk in thoroughbred racing, I keep coming back to this one article. I read this article when it came out five years ago, and unfortunately it’s still extremely relevant in fact and feeling. The thoroughbred breed in America is in dire straights, and the entire sport rightfully faces recrimination from many sides, but what is the cause, and how do we begin to ameliorate the damage? [Eight Belles’ Breakdown: A Predictable Tragedy]

Sponsor Corner: Entries are open for the Morven Park Fall Horse Trials! Offering Novice through CCI4*-L, there’s something for everyone at Morven Park. Spectators can enjoy the sight of Olympic-level competitors galloping through scenic fall leaves from their very own VIP tents.  [Sign up at EventEntries.com]

Friday News & Notes Presented by Stable View

Kim Walnes with Skyeler Icke Voss and the beautiful Argyle. Photo by Shanyn Fiske.

I’m so so excited about the making of the documentary The Grey, all about Kim Walnes and her incredible partnership with a beautiful grey horse, not only because my bestie Skyeler (!!!) has been chosen with her horse Argyle to be the main rider, but because we FINALLY will be getting a horse movie made by knowledgeable horse people! No more whinnying every time the camera pans to a horse, no more fantasy anthropomorphic moments, and accurately fitted tack with a more than competent rider. You and I know how long we have waited for such a movie, and tolerated all the others. Keep it tuned to their Facebook page to see all the updates!

Burghley starts NEXT WEEK! Keep it locked onto EN – we have some awesome content headed your way.

Defender Burghley: [Website] [Entries] [Program] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]

Eventing is dishing up an equally exciting week in the US, with the American Eventing Championships happening in Lexington, Kentucky. EN is beavering away on both sides of the Pond to bring you all you need to know from the AEC too – so go nowhere, and go eventing!

#AEC2023 (Lexington, KY): [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring] [Schedule] [Volunteer] [EN’s Coverage]

U.S. Weekend Preview

MARS Great Meadow International (The Plains, VA): [Website] [Entries] [Tickets] [Schedule/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Live Stream] [Volunteer] [EN’s Coverage]

Shepherd Ranch Pony Club H.T. II (Santa Ynez, CA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer][Scoring]

Town Hill Farm H.T. (Lakeville, CT) [Website] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

News From Around the Globe:

Which equestrian inspired you the most this year? Horse & Hound’s 2023 Awards return for the eighth year and they need your vote to pick nominate and pick the most worthy winner. They seek to recognize both the big names who have made 2023 special and the unsung heroes who make it possible for all of us to enjoy equestrian sport and our horses, at whatever level. Last year’s winner was Nicola Wilson, who suffered life-changing injuries in a fall at Badminton Horse Trials in May 2022. Nicola spent more than four months in hospital undergoing intensive rehab and physio work as she relearnt basic life skills, before returning home where she has since been offering mentorship and coaching to other talented riders. [Inspirational Equestrians of 2023]

Shane Rose…what can’t he do? His gelding Virgil already has an impressive resume, including an Olympic Silver Medal, two world championship appearances, Event Rider Masters and CCI5 star winner. Now, he can add World Cup Showjumper to his list of achievements. Virgil and Shane took part in the Waratah Showjumping World Cup class last weekend. A tough ask to tackle their first World Cup indoors, it was a tough track that only produced three clear rounds. While Shane and Virgil did not jump clear they produced a solid round with Virgil not looking out of place amongst some of the country’s best showjumpers. Shane loved the challenge and said he learnt a great deal and is looking forward to tackling another World Cup class in the near future. [Shane Rose World Cup Showjumper]

Correct contact with your horse is a goal we almost never stop chasing. As riders and trainers, we are always striving for a more true connection, and an elastic contact is an excellent guide for that. As USEF judge Gail Hoff-Carmona describes it, “Correct contact is difficult to define because it is an ever-changing feeling. When a horse is well balanced and in self-carriage, contact with the mouth is so light it is nearly nothing. It is almost like having just a thread connecting your hand to the horse’s mouth. On the other hand, if a horse loses balance and falls on the forehand, the contact may become quite heavy until the horse is rebalanced and once again in self-carriage.”. [How To Develop Correct Contact]

Planning on running a classic format competition this fall? Success at a Classic Three-Day Event requires attention to detail and careful management of many things. Everyone knows how much attention they need to put into conditioning, but often everyday tasks get lost in the excitement of going to a Classic Three-Day Event. A horse’s shoeing should be part of the competitor’s regular schedule, but will it coincide with their Classic Three-Day Event plans? It can be easy to forget and suddenly a competitor is right on top of what might be the most demanding competition them and their horse have attempted. [Shoeing Tips for Classic Three-Day Events]

 

Thursday News & Notes

Pony peach picking! Photo by Erin Brooke Harrington

Y’all better take this weekend to rest and relax, reinvigorate your brain cells, and get your stats in order, because next week is pure insanity, even by our standards. Burghley? American Eventing Championships? Yeah, why not have them on the same week. Sure thing! The entries are stacked on both sides of the Atlantic, and it will be hard for any of us to focus on anything silly like jobs or cooking dinner or paying attention to kids. How could you when SO. MUCH. EVENTING!! Jk, please don’t forget to feed your children next week, but also it’s totally possible to monitor pasta while running a live stream, just sayin’.

Burghley starts NEXT WEEK! Keep it locked onto EN – we have some awesome content headed your way.

Defender Burghley: [Website] [Entries] [Program] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]

Eventing is dishing up an equally exciting week in the US, with the American Eventing Championships happening in Lexington, Kentucky. EN is beavering away on both sides of the Pond to bring you all you need to know from the AEC too – so go nowhere, and go eventing!

#AEC2023 (Lexington, KY): [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring] [Schedule] [Volunteer] [EN’s Coverage]

U.S. Weekend Preview

MARS Great Meadow International (The Plains, VA): [Website] [Entries] [Tickets] [Schedule/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Live Stream] [Volunteer] [EN’s Coverage]

Shepherd Ranch Pony Club H.T. II (Santa Ynez, CA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer][Scoring]

Town Hill Farm H.T. (Lakeville, CT) [Website] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

News From Around the Globe:

While Tamie Smith rides and competes in eventing on many types of horses, Thoroughbreds are still one of her favorite breeds. While she hasn’t had a full thoroughbred at the 5* level yet, Tamie always considers the amount of TB blood her horses have in their breeding, and has recently selected several horses with more Thoroughbred in their lineage. Her experience has taught her that a higher percentage of Thoroughbred blood makes the higher levels a bit easier, but they’re equally suitable for lower aspirations. “I think each horse is individual. I’ve had full Thoroughbreds be very appropriate for amateurs and even beginning riders. So it really depends on the personality of the horse.” [Tamie Smith on Thoroughbreds in Eventing]

Training young horses is tricky business, no matter which way you cut it. One of the biggest questions is how to balance doing juuuuust enough work with each horse at each period of mental and physical growth. While there is no one right answer, blogger Lauren Sprieser has managed to find a system that works best for her over the years. As the current owner of an 18 hand four-year-old of above average talent, she shares some of her training in this article. [The Fine Line Between Too Much & Not Enough]

Cheryl White changed the landscape for equestrians in 1971 by becoming the first licensed black female jockey in the US. She raced on Thoroughbreds, Arabians, Quarter Horses, Paints, and even Appaloosa Horses, racking up about 750 wins in her career. She was also the first woman to serve as a California racing steward in 1991. You can learn more about this admirable woman by (virtually) attending a town hall discussion on September 1st, with Sarah Maslin Nir, co-author of The Jockey and Her Horse, and Abriana Johnson, founder of Black in the Saddle and the authenticity reader on the book. [The Jockey & Her Horse]

The mere mention of the word “equitation” in eventing circles is often met with rolled eyes and raised hackles. No doubt for many eventers the word conjures up images of expensively clothed stick-people with overly arched backs posing as riders on their overly prepped mounts. Those images do not represent what the word describes, nor do those images represent how the discipline of correct and effective equitation has served the great icons of equestrian sports in all three disciplines, such as William Steinkraus, Reiner Klimke, and our own Jim Wofford. [The Importance of Equitation]

Thursday News & Notes

“This cow looks weird” Photo by Wendy Steele.

This summer has really tested my hoof management experience and skill, I tell you what. With weekly rains (which is unheard of in Virginia summer), unprecedented grass growth, and a barn full of horses that are tricky to shoe even in the best of times, it’s been a season of challenges. I learned long ago how to adapt my management for the usual Virginia summer, which is dry as all hell and hard as concrete, but I was thrown by the excess of rain. I can’t imagine moving to another climate and having to learn all over again how to keep all my horses sound. Honestly, hats off to all the west coast riders who come to the east for any period of time, just the hoof skills alone might defeat me.

U.S. Weekend Preview

Caber Farm H.T. (Onalaska, WA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Full Gallop Farm August HT (Aiken, SC) [Website] [Volunteer]

Genesee Valley Riding & Driving Club H.T. (Geneseo, NY) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Ocala Summer H.T. II (Ocala, FL) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer]

The Event at Archer (Cheyenne, WY) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Waredaca Farm H.T. (Laytonsville, MD) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Major International Events

Nations Cup CCIO4*-S (Arville): [Website] [Entries/Start Lists/Scoring] [Schedule][YouTube/CMH.TV]

While exercise off the horse is always useful to improve a rider’s cardio fitness, strength, and flexibility, there’s still no substitute for time spent in the saddle. If you’re looking for some variety in your training and have a safe, reliable horse, lunging can be a useful tool to improve your seat, strength, and coordination in the saddle. ECP Level V Coach and ECP Faculty Member Mary D’Arcy says that longing the rider can help improve position faults, posture, core strength and fitness, improve the use of the aids, and develop an independent seat. It can also improve the horse’s gaits, transitions, and lateral suppleness. [The Art of Lunging with Mary D’Arcy]

If you think the equine vet shortage is bad now, unfortunately I don’t have good news for you. Equine veterinarians across the globe are warning of a looming crisis as a shortage of practitioners persists, particularly in rural areas. As the number of graduates taking up specialist roles continues to diminish in an industry already struggling to attract fresh blood, equine vets say a “massive” shortage is coming. [Equine Veterinarians a Rare Thing Indeed]

Area I was hit with some massive flooding this summer, and the beloved GMHA facility took a fair amount of damage. But eventers are tough, and honestly Vermonters are even tougher. A massive group of equestrians and family members and friends and local folks banded together this week to clear fields of debris off the competition land, and I never thought I would love a video of people picking up rocks more. [Area I Fights Back]

And finally, in the news of truly weird and disturbing, there seems to be a black market for horse tails in Colorado. There has been a sudden uptick in equine tail thievery recently, with owners arriving at the barn only to find their horse sporting a bob on the back-end. Eight tails were stolen from a single facility in one week, prompting them to beef up security against tail theft. [Tail Chopping in Colorado]

Friday News & Notes Presented by Stable View

Addie French & Rockview Mr Diamond, aka Huey. Photo by Kate Samuels.

Last year, one of my oldest friends lost her heart horse of many years to a sudden and very unexpected colic. Huey was truly a unicorn; he was the kindest horse alive, the most genuine hard-worker, and he tried his little heart out for Addie at every event they went to. She has very generously decided to honor his memory with an award in his name at one of his favorite local events, Morven Park. The Rockview Mr Diamond Award will be awarded to the top placed rider in the Preliminary Rider class, and it was created to celebrate a horse and rider combination that have worked together to get to the Preliminary level. With a $250 cash prize awarded to the winner, the qualifications include a dressage score under 40, no more than 8 jumping faults and zero time penalties in show jumping, and no more than 5 time penalties on cross country. Neither horse nor rider can have competed above the preliminary level, making this an award truly for an up-and-coming pair.

This week, EN will be bringing you ALL of the Euros action, so stay tuned as we saddle up for a team battle that sure looks set to be AWESOME!

Check out Tilly’s Ultimate Guide for everything you need to know and read up on the form in the Team Guide . Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for our team picks to see what the EN camp makes of the competition – coming soon!

Major International Events

#Euros2023 Website | Live Stream | Entries | Live Scores | EN’s Ultimate Guide | EN’s Coverage

U.S. Weekend Preview

Bromont International H.T. (Bromont, Canada): [Website] [Live Scores]

Fair Hill International Recognized H.T. (Elkton, MD) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer][Scoring]

Otter Creek Summer H.T. (Wheeler, WI) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

WindRidge Farm Summer H.T. (Mooresboro, NC) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer][Scoring]

Woodside Summer H.T (Woodside, CA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

News From Around the Globe:

The race to Le Lion continues, as the 2023 FEI WBFSH Eventing World Breeding Championships edge closer on Oct. 19-22. The USEA continuously tracks the horses in contention for the 7-year-old championship in Le Lion d’Angers, France, and this year includes several competitive horses vying for the Holekamp/Turner Grant, which provides significant funds to one eligible horse to represent the United States in France.This year’s fully qualified horses have created a unique situation, as this is the first year in the history of the Holekamp/Turner Grant where the top three placed horses from the 2021 Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse Championships are the same horses in top contention for the grant, already having earned their full qualifications. Gina topped the 2021 YEH leaderboard with an impressive 95.1, making her the leading contender for the grant, with HSH Connor on her heels with a 94.84, and Invictus on a 93.84, securing the top three overall national YEH leaderboard placings and standing as the top three contenders for this year’s grant and prize. [Eyes on the Le Lion Prize]

Do you know how to take your horse’s digital pulse? Not even exaggerating here, but learning to take a pulse was one of the best things I was taught when I was younger. Your horse is limping but you can’t see any obvious causes in the legs or body? Take the pulse. Your horse is a bit reluctant to go forward? Take the pulse. Your farrier and your vet will thank you so much. [How To Take a Digital Pulse]

Listen, I’m not from the hunter world, and I would never fit in there, but I can’t help but admire some of the higher handy rounds. Good riding is good riding, and I know how hard it is to produce a perfect round, seeing as I have never done that. Tori Colvin racked up some wins at Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show this week, and finished with a win in the $15,000 International Hunter Derby with the stallion Cardouch Z, and you can watch their 3’6 Handy round here. [Watch Why They Won]

Mark Phillips is worried about the future of British Eventing, and he’s not the only one. Between rising entry fees, constant weather cancellations and a lack of refunds, eventing in England has had a very rough time of it lately. The cost of hosting an event has risen almost 40% since 2020, meaning less events are available, and horse registrations are down, showing that more people are thinking cost effectively. Will British Eventing be okay? [Eventing Faces Dilemma]

Mongol Derby action!!

Race Day 7 – Mongol Derby 2023 from The Equestrianists on Vimeo.

 

 

Thursday News & Notes

Barbie Pink! Photo courtesy of Brian Horohoe.

I finally did the thing and went to see the Barbie movie this week, which, by the way, was absolutely amazing and I enjoyed it much more than I expected. Silly, funny, poignant, full of references, smart, and very PINK. This experience reminded me of a long forgotten factoid from my past. When I was three, I got my first pony, who was an extremely fat shetland mare with a big old white blaze. My parents got an old bumper-pull for me to attend all of my very important lead-line classes, and I had it custom painted. Bright. Pink. So we had an old beat-up green 1975 chevy pulling a hot pink trailer around town, and if that isn’t every little girl’s wildest dream, I don’t know what is. I grew out of pink, but now I’m thinking maybe it’s making a comeback!

This week, EN will be bringing you ALL of the Euros action, so stay tuned as we saddle up for a team battle that sure looks set to be AWESOME!

Check out Tilly’s Ultimate Guide for everything you need to know and read up on the form in the Team Guide . Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for our team picks to see what the EN camp makes of the competition – coming soon!

Major International Events

#Euros2023 Website | Live Stream | Entries | Live Scores | EN’s Ultimate Guide | EN’s Coverage

U.S. Weekend Preview

Fair Hill International Recognized H.T. (Elkton, MD) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer][Scoring]

Otter Creek Summer H.T. (Wheeler, WI) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

WindRidge Farm Summer H.T. (Mooresboro, NC) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer][Scoring]

Woodside Summer H.T (Woodside, CA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

 

News From Around the Globe:

Being an equine vet is one of the hardest jobs imaginable, but successfully competing at a high level alongside it is downright madness. Known amongst her peers as something of a “witch” for her intuitive solutions to complicated medical problems, Jean Looman definitely has a way with animals. Her personal horse, Red Hot Chili Pepper, definitely qualifies as an underdog, and Jean’s commitment to solving the puzzle has paid off. While she initially thought he would be an eventing horse, the pair has found much more success in the Dressage world, and are currently working towards their Gold Medal. [Busy Vet Keeps Barn Her Happy Place]

Hot on Horse Nation: Grit & The Saga of Finding Good Help

I don’t believe in crystals, but I might be convinced to believe in whorlology now that we have some science behind it. If you suspect your horse’s hair whorls have something to do with his personality, you might be right. For the first time in any species, scientists have found a possible genetic link between whorls and behavior—and they found it in Quarter Horses. [Genomic Study Links Whorls & Behavior in Horses]

Best of Blogs: Cool Ideas for Hot Weather Training

Trot poles and cavaletti are amongst my most favorite exercises. In this video, Canadian show jumping legend Ian Millar talks about the importance of incorporating trot rails, and raised trot rails, into your training program. For trotting them, trot rails typically are set four feet apart. Millar prefers rails that are not round as they are safer if a horse steps on one. He explains the many benefits of trotting rails for both horse and riders, including helps the horse engage his shoulders and hips, developing a steady pace and rhythm and developing the eye for both horse and human. [Trot Rail Tips with Ian Millar]

 

Have you really settled into a horse show if you haven’t rolled en masse while grazing??

Friday News & Notes Presented by Stable View

A different kind of Between the Ears! Photo by Marita Peterson.

I’ve decided to make my fortune in the horse world not by actually riding horses, or teaching other people to ride horses, or even taking care of horses, but making ASMR horse videos for TikTok. Yep, you heard it here first, I’m entering the world of Gen Z, and buying some fancy microphones so can record my horses grazing and chewing on hay and the noises that brushes make as they go across their coat. I think this is a million dollar idea, so nobody steal it, okay?

Events Around the World:

Festival of British Eventing [Website] [Entries] [Timetable] [Live Stream] [Live Scores]

Also…

Definitely ride along with the Mongol Derby here!

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Area VII Young Rider Benefit H.T. at Caber Farm (Onalaska, WA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times][Volunteer] [Scoring]

Catalpa Corner Charity Horse Trials (Iowa City, IA) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer]

Cobblestone Farms H.T. II (Dexter, MI) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]

Early Bird Summer Event at Galway Downs (Temecula, CA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times][Volunteer]

Hoosier Horse Trials (Edinburgh, IN) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Huntington Farm H.T. (South Strafford, VT) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer]

Olney Farm Horse Trials (Joppa, MD) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

River Glen Summer H.T. (New Market, TN) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]

Spring Gulch H.T. (Highland, CO) [Website] [Volunteer]

News From Around the Globe:

Ludger Beerbaum surprised us all with the announcement of his retirement last month at CHIO Aachen. He’s still settling into the idea of retirement, but his everyday life hasn’t changed much. A career that is unlike any other, even all of us on the dark side have admired him for decades. From reflecting on his favorite horse (Goldfever) to thoughts on how he develops the relationship between horse and rider for his students, and how he expects to invest his time in retirement, you won’t want to miss this detailed interview. [Ludger Beerbaum: “You Can’t Preach Water and Drink Wine]

Recent research has shown we can better perceive both laeness and poor saddle fit using the ridden horse pain ethogram (RHpE) rather than simply evaluating a horse during a routine in-hand lameness examination. The ethogram, which was devised by Sue Dyson, MA, Vet MB, PhD, helps the user evaluate 24 different behaviors, such as head-tilting and changing head position from side to side, closing the eyelids, exposing the sclera (white of the eye), spontaneously changing gait, and rearing/bucking. Scores greater than 7 out of 24 reflect the presence of musculoskeletal pain. Dyson’s previous work showed most of these behaviors were 10 times more likely to manifest in horses with musculoskeletal pain than in nonpainful horses. [RHpE For Lameness and Saddle Fit]

The halfway point of the 2023 competition year has passed, which offers a great opportunity to review the season thus far. The USEF Eventing Development and Emerging Program participants have recorded impressive competition results in recent weeks, such as the silver medal at the FEI Eventing Nations Cup in Strzegom, Poland, and top placings at The Event at Rebecca Farm. Coach Leslie Law offered his insights into the success of the program athletes and making plans for the remainder of the competition year. [Mid-Year Team Report]

The Jockey Club will begin a project to trace recently-retired horses as part of an attempt to improve traceability of first exit from racing.The breed registry will reach out to last known racing connections for horses foaled in 2017 or earlier who have started in the past decade and whose status is not on record. This refers to horses that are not actively racing or breeding, were not officially registered as retired from racing, were not exported, do not have a Thoroughbred Incentive Program number and have not been reported dead. [Racehorse Tracking Through the Jockey Club ]

Thursday News & Notes

Just a little trekking in Iceland. Photo by Ylva Falkenhem.

Ah, the arrival of August, and the beginnings of cooler weather. Honestly, could not have come at a better time, because July was getting old real quick. Did you know that horses overheat up to ten times the rate of humans? For me, I’ve always been pretty heat intolerant (you’d think I would have adapted by now living in Virginia), so I’ve always been very careful in the summer as to how much work I ask them to do, and try to stay in the woods where it’s not a thousand degrees. However, now it’s cooling off and I’m looking forward to getting back to real work with my equine partners!

Events Around the World:

Festival of British Eventing [Website] [Entries] [Timetable] [Live Stream] [Live Scores]

Also…

Definitely ride along with the Mongol Derby here!

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Area VII Young Rider Benefit H.T. at Caber Farm (Onalaska, WA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times][Volunteer] [Scoring]

Catalpa Corner Charity Horse Trials (Iowa City, IA) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer]

Cobblestone Farms H.T. II (Dexter, MI) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]

Early Bird Summer Event at Galway Downs (Temecula, CA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times][Volunteer]

Hoosier Horse Trials (Edinburgh, IN) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Huntington Farm H.T. (South Strafford, VT) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer]

Olney Farm Horse Trials (Joppa, MD) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

River Glen Summer H.T. (New Market, TN) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]

Spring Gulch H.T. (Highland, CO) [Website] [Volunteer]

News From Around the Globe:

Rhythm rhythm rhythm, or at least that’s what I was always taught. These days I start with relaxation, which greatly enhances your chances of good rhythm. But without both, you’ll never master the art of dressage. The first objective when schooling the young horse is to reestablish his natural rhythm under the rider’s weight. The rider must be able to correctly drive the horse in the rhythm of the basic gaits and be able to follow the horse’s swinging back movements with his or her pelvis. [The Fundamentals of Rhythm in Dressage]

It was by mere accident that David Slagle stumbled upon the horse world and the sport of eventing. “I’m not a horse person,” he said, “but I discovered the sport. Really, Elisa Wallace is responsible, as I just happened to be watching YouTube videos and came across her mustang training videos, which led me to her. She posts cross-country helmet cam videos, and I started watching those and thought, ‘Man, that looks like fun.’ Slagle now lives in Tennessee and mainly volunteers in Area III, but he also commutes to North Carolina, Virginia, and Kentucky when he can. “I have some venues I go to regularly because they do a good job, have good volunteer coordinators, and are fun events,” he said. “But really, I enjoy all the events I attend; schooling shows just as much as a four-star. If there are good-looking horses and friendly people there, I will enjoy myself. [VIP Volunteer: David Slagle]

The wildest blog you’ll ever read: The Day a Wild Stallion Tried to Kill My Horses on the Pony Express Trail

No skill is more important in riding than learning to control your emotions. If you are susceptible to being influenced by the behavior of your horse, get to work. In training any horse, but much more so horses with behavioral issues, you need to remain a neutral and calming force within their world. In this article, Will Clinging explains how to harness psychology to your advantage when training your horse. [Controlling Emotions in Horse Training]

Thursday News & Notes

A photo of my model dog for no reason other than he’s the best. Photo by Kate Samuels.

The one thing that unites horse people (other than horses) is our faithful and usually kinda stinky barn dogs. I magically lucked upon the one dog who is NOT a poop-eater, which is basically a unicorn in the barn dog world. He also loves making out with everybody he meets, and horse people assume there is a slight flavor of poo associated with the love of a dog, but fear not with Lyle! He’s a particular fellow, and he won’t even eat a lot of human food, so horse poo is just like, so beneath him. Thank god, honestly, there is nothing like the surprise of the familiar scent in a close proximity to your face.

U.S. Weekend Preview

Millbrook H.T. (Millbrook, NY) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Hunt Club Farms H.T. (Berryville, VA) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Major International Events

FEI Eventing European Championships for Ponies (Le Mans, France): [Definite Entries]

Burgham International (United Kingdom): [Website] [Entries/Timing/Scoring] [Live Stream]

News From Around the Globe:

Massive amounts of rain has wreaked havoc on Vermont this year, and sadly GMHA has had to cancel their Festival of Eventing. Reeling in the wake of two major storms that flooded the grounds of Vermont’s nonprofit Green Mountain Horse Association, the nearly century-old organization has been forced to cancel multiple events, including three of the four major shows that form the backbone of its summer season.GMHA announced that it will have to cancel the biggest horse trials of its year, the Festival of Eventing, scheduled for Aug. 11-13, and its annual combined driving event, scheduled for Aug. 25-27. That comes in the wake of a series of thunderstorms Friday, July 21, that dumped 5” of rain on South Woodstock, Vermont, and caused significant localized flash flooding. [GMHA Cancelled]

72-year-old racing enthusiast and recently qualified jockey Caroline Miller says she’s looking of speed, not safety, as she tackles the Market Magnolia Cup. Miller refers to her story as “like a fairytale in a children’s book” and jumped at the chance to compete in the unique five-and-a-half-furlong dash on Friday this week. “You have very attractive girls, ex-Olympians and celebrities riding in it usually and I’m just an ordinary person, but they asked me and I said okay,” she said. “I’ve been riding out at Gary Moore’s for two years because I’m obsessed and I want to keep fit. “Because you’re older, you cannot be deemed to be useless and I passed the jockey test on May 4. I do exercise classes, cardio and weights every day. I’m riding out three times a week and doing two lots.” [Age Is But A Number for Caroline Miller]

The Onion or Real Life? Camp Counselor Assigning Kids To Horses Like Wise Town Matchmaker Presiding Over Marriage

For several years USEF ‘S’ dressage judge Natalie Lamping has advocated for permitting rising trot beyond training and first level dressage tests. On July 13, she went to Facebook to ask for support in making a proposal to test writers that would permit rising trot during medium and extended trots through fourth level. Although her suggestion was met with pushback from some, saying that it will lower standards in the sport, many others supported it. Lamping eventually would like to see rising permitted for all trot work at those levels. Here, she lays out her case for such a change. [Permission to Post]

Friday News & Notes Presented by Stable View

Engineer Mountain Trail, near Durango CO. Photo by Holly Smith Foy

Ok everybody in the eventing world might very well be obsessed with photos of Big Sky Country in Kalispell, Montana this week, but lets not forget views between the ears from elsewhere in the world. Honestly, this photo from Colorado took my breath away, and made me want to immediately abandon everything in my life and apply for jobs in the west doing any kind of duties as a ranch hand. I can’t be the only English rider that fantasizes about this, right?

U.S. Weekend Preview

The Event at Rebecca Farm (Kalispell, MT) [Website] [Ride Times/Scoring] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]

Applewood Farm YEH & Mini Event (Califon, NJ) [Website] [YEH Ride Times] [Mini Ride Times]

Course Brook Farm Summer H.T. (Sherborn, MA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer][Scoring]

Full Moon Farms H.T. (Finksburg, MD) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Horse Park of New Jersey Horse Trials II (Allentown, NJ) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer]

Silverwood Farm Summer H.T. (Trevor, WI) [Website] [Scoring]

Major International Events

CCIO4*-NC-S (Nations Cup) (Avenches, Switzerland) [Website] [Entries] [Program] [Live Stream]

News From Around the Globe:

If you ever feel bad about your equitation, just look at some photos of Barbie. While you’re all losing your minds this weekend about Rebecca Farm Barbie this weekend, don’t forget to connect with your roots by revisiting hot pink Barbie with her palomino steed, terrible riding style, and free flowing mane. [Why Riding Barbie is the Best Barbie]

When Kathryn Jenkins and First Commander stepped into the ring as finalists for the 2020 Thoroughbred Makeover Show Hunter division last fall, it wasn’t just the culmination of many hours of hard work – it was a comeback story. When Jenkins found him, Mattis hadn’t yet begun his under-saddle retraining but he looked relaxed, sound, and happy jogging and cantering at liberty in the field and passed a pre-sale veterinary soundness examination. He seemed sweet, quiet, and like he’d be a gentle kick ride. Unforunately, the pair experienced many rest/recovery/return cycles, and Kathryn would notice odd bursts of attitude changes in her formerly sweet gelding – an unwillingness to go forward, sometimes sprinkled with sudden and aggressive tantrums. Her rehabilitation of his severe kissing spines is a story for the ages. [Kissing Spines to Makeover with Physical Therapy]

Random Summer Horse Wish List: Yes, Of Course We Have That

The USEF announced the athlete-and-horse combinations that have been named to the Short List for the U.S. Dressage Team for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games. The dressage portion of equestrian competition will run October 22-23 and 25 in Santiago, Chile. Susie Dutta, Codi Harrison, Charlotte Jorst, Kevin Kohman, Anna Marek, Christian Simonson on two mounts, Sarah Tubman and Jennifer Williams will all attend a competition viewed by selectors, and the final team is expected to be announced mid-september. [Dressage Pan-Am Short List]

Thursday News & Notes

Accepted in Montana! Photo by Cali Johnson.

One of my oldest horse friends has made her way to Montana with Sir Lightening Bolt Lyles and will be contesting the 4* this week. I am very jealous but also full disclosure I will be rooting for her and nobody else with full bias. Also, no lightening bolt action in the dressage please, sir, only on Saturday, okay? Her groom, Cali, has to be the best groom for grey horses that has ever existed, so I wish her little to no poop stains for this moments occasion, but I realize that’s probably reaching for the stars. Good luck everybody!!

U.S. Weekend Preview

The Event at Rebecca Farm (Kalispell, MT) [Website] [Ride Times/Scoring] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]

Applewood Farm YEH & Mini Event (Califon, NJ) [Website] [YEH Ride Times] [Mini Ride Times]

Course Brook Farm Summer H.T. (Sherborn, MA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer][Scoring]

Full Moon Farms H.T. (Finksburg, MD) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Horse Park of New Jersey Horse Trials II (Allentown, NJ) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer]

Silverwood Farm Summer H.T. (Trevor, WI) [Website] [Scoring]

Major International Events

CCIO4*-NC-S (Nations Cup) (Avenches, Switzerland) [Website] [Entries] [Program] [Live Stream]

News From Around the Globe:

Almost ten years ago, Camille Sarah picked up a four-year-old paint saddlebred/trakehner gelding. He’d been bred to be a driving horse, but didn’t like the job, so his owners gave up. When Mia Valdez first met Perfect Storm, he was meant to be a lesson horse at her barn, but “Tempe” didn’t take to the lesson horse life, and after a few rides together, Valdez knew he was meant to be hers. The pair have been together for four years and made their Preliminary debut this year, but when Valdez first got Tempe, neither had any eventing experience. [Rescue Horse to Prelim Master]

This is a story about your butt. It’s also a story about horses racing humans. But mostly it’s a story about how you got your butt, why you have your butt, and how your butt might be one of the most important and essential things for you being you, for being human. In this podcast episode, Heather Radke and Matt Kielty talk to two researchers who followed the butt from our ancient beginnings through millions of years of evolution, all the way to today, out to a valley in Arizona, where our butts are put to the ultimate test.  [Man Against Horse]

Competing in a long-format three-day event is the ultimate test of preparation, conditioning, stamina, and determination for horse and rider. Recovering your horse from the rigors of a Classic Series Three-Day Event, both during and after the event, is a critical component to your overall success. Recovery is a simple yet complex process that requires a lot of planning and effort from the horse owner, and it doesn’t just begin and end in the vet box on endurance day. [Recovering from a Classic Three-Day]

 

Friday News & Notes Presented by Stable View

Massive flooding in Vermont. Photo courtesy of Huntington Farms.

While competitors enjoyed beautiful weather last weekend at Huntington Farms HT, Vermont was hit with massive rainfall this week, which has caused a pretty massive change of scenery for a lot of farms. Aggressive flooding has been reported at GMHA as well, with pretty decent damage to several of their competition areas. Huntington was offering a schooling show this weekend, but it has been cancelled as they struggle to deal with the remaining flooded areas and assess damage. To all my friends up in Area I, I hope you’re doing okay!

US Weekend Preview:

Champagne Run at the Park H.T. (Lexington, KY): Website | Scoring | Entry Status & Ride Times

The Maryland Horse Trials at Loch Moy Farm (Adamstown, MD): Website | ScoringRide Times | Entry Status

Larkin Hill H.T. (NY): Website | Scoring

News From Around the Globe:

Following that whole Rich Fellers situation, maybe it’s time that equestrian sports need to look into prevention for the future. In the last eight months, eight arrests of coaches related to sexual misconduct in the equestrian community. More and more headlines are exposing this systemic issue to the world, as sports coaches from youth, college and elite levels across the globe are being investigated for sexual misconduct with athletes. Almost all of these cases involve minors, and their participation in our sport isn’t going away. So how do we move forward to prevent this from happening to future young riders? [Let’s Start Talking Prevention]

We were sad to hear of the loss of Dick Owen this week, who practically defined the VIP Volunteer.  After attending one horse show, Dick decided to buy a horse and learn to ride in his 50s. Soon after, he joined an internet chat group about horses and saw a post about the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event needing volunteers, so he got in touch and made his first trip in 1999. He also started volunteering at Fair Hill (Elkton, Maryland) close to home. After a few years, he became the chief steward of competitor and owner shuttles and the cross-country jump videographers’ chief steward at Kentucky. Dick was named Area III’s top volunteer of 2022, and he also won the U.S Eventing Association’s Volunteer Incentive Program Volunteer of the Year for 2022 with 489.5 hours of service. [RIP Dick Owen]

Charlotte DuJardin ain’t no one-hit-wonder, and Imhotep might be stepping into some very blueberry shoes. The 10-year-old chestnut finished second in the CHIO Aachen CDI5* Grand Prix Special and third in the Grand Prix and freestyle just a few weeks ago. He celebrated by getting home and going out in his field all night, which is in fact how he lives his life with his turnout buddy Jaguar. In a world where more and more sport horses are not enjoying more than a few hours of turnout, I’m a big fan of this. [Imhotep’s Outdoor Life]

Things I did not know about Boyd Martin, which, let’s be honest, seems impossible because the man is not in want of any interviews and honestly it feels like the entire US knows all of the names of his cats. However, color me surprised as I learn that Boyd has been to seven major championships since 2008 – no other rider has been to more than that. He has 49 runs at CCI5* (including five-star championships) since 2008, putting him equal second in the highest number of a runs from a US rider. He joins Piggy March, Tim & Jonelle Price, and Andrew Hoy as Burghley Ambassadors this year, and between them they sport a mere 16 five-star victories. Check out the video below:

Friday News & Notes Presented by Stable View

Hyde Park Garden Mews. Photo by Rowi McIntosh.

I love following this Facebook page called Between The Ears because photos like this pop up on my feed and it brings me small bursts of joy. Seeing the view from equestrians all over the world is like feeling kinship with a huge portion of the population, and yet a special club. I know that a lot of my best moments in the saddle were rides alone with my horse and my dog, and just looking at a view that is beautiful, or experiencing something really cool with just my horse as witness. Also, riding in Hyde Park is probably predictably on my bucket list.

The Maryland International + Horse Trials (Adamstown, MD) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times][Volunteer]

U.S. Weekend Preview

Arrowhead H.T. (Billings, MT) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Chattahoochee Hills H.T. (Fairburn, GA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]

Huntington Farm H.T. (South Strafford, VT) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer]

Genesee Valley Hunt H.T. (Geneseo, NY) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]

Masterson Equestrian Trust YEH/NEH Qualifier (Lexington, KY) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times][Volunteer] [Scoring]

Redefined Equestrian Horse Trials (Fort Collins, CO) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer][Scoring]

Summer Coconino HT and Western Underground, Inc. TR,N,BN 3 Day Event (Flagstaff, AZ) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

News From Around the Globe:

The world lost a legend this week with the death of Tullibard’s Hawkwind. On July 2, five-star eventer Jordán Lindstet Granquist said goodbye to her first advanced and five-star horse, Tullibard’s Hawkwind at the age of 25. “He was the one that first took me across the country to the biggest competitions of my life and opened my eyes to the endless goals and dreams in starting my career,” she wrote on Facebook. “He stole the hearts of many crowds as people could see the size of his heart and love for me as he galloped across the county. I’ll never forget the electrifying applause as we entered the Rolex stadium on Sunday 2012. Last in the standing but first in the eyes of so many that believed in us. His presence truly was remarkable and his wisdom was beyond extraordinary. When our Eventing career together came to an early end in 2013 he owed me absolutely nothing and had already given me everything.” [Flashback Friday to Tullibard’s Hawkwind]

There is evidence of “bit” wear on horses’ teeth dating back to 3500 BC, though it is generally believed that horses were first controlled by means of a rope around the lower jaw. Early designs may have been similar to the Native American “war bridle.” One of the earliest known examples of a metal bit comes from the ancient Near East, specifically from the region of modern-day Iran. If you’re a nerd like me, you’ll be fascinated with this lesson in the history of bits. [Summer School: Evolution of the Bit]

The 2023 Area III Championships took place at the Chattahoochee Hills Horse Trials last weekend. With twelve stacked championship divisions, each winning pair had their own journey to the top. Meet your newest USEA Area III Champions here. [Area III Champions]

Good equitation is valuable no matter what your discipline, as function follows form in a lot of ways. In this edition of Jumping Clinic, Beezie Madden describes correct leg contact with the saddle and horse. Not only that but Beezie comments on this rider’s release, seat, upper body and more. [Jumping Clinic with Beezie Madden]

 

 

 

 

Thursday News & Notes

Just a casual photo. Courtesy of Yasmin Ingham Eventing.

Yasmin Ingham just continues to stun with her liver chestnut partner, Banzai du Loir, and the action from this past weekend is still fresh in my mind. I remember seeing them at Kentucky in the spring of 2022, and watching the ease with which they seemed to beautifully execute each phase. For anybody to look equally strong in all three phases is extremely rare, and for a five-star debutante (horse, in this case, not rider!) it’s practically unheard of. What do you know, at the tender age of twenty six, and a little more than a year later, she’s your World Championship title holder and first-ever British champion of CHIO Aachen. I won’t say called it, but, you know, called it!

The Maryland International + Horse Trials (Adamstown, MD) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times][Volunteer]

U.S. Weekend Preview

Arrowhead H.T. (Billings, MT) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Chattahoochee Hills H.T. (Fairburn, GA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]

Huntington Farm H.T. (South Strafford, VT) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer]

Genesee Valley Hunt H.T. (Geneseo, NY) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]

Masterson Equestrian Trust YEH/NEH Qualifier (Lexington, KY) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times][Volunteer] [Scoring]

Redefined Equestrian Horse Trials (Fort Collins, CO) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer][Scoring]

Summer Coconino HT and Western Underground, Inc. TR,N,BN 3 Day Event (Flagstaff, AZ) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

News From Around the Globe:

This is something I’ve been pondering for a while now, and I’m glad to see it discussed online. In modern horse sports, we talk and think about soundness and the quest to maintain it at various levels of competition, but it’s more than just having a great vet on your side. It’s our responsibility as horse owners and riders to know that lameness can be the result of imbalanced feet, a chronically irritated ligament that isn’t addressed until it’s a bigger deal, or even stiffness that forces the horse to compensate, making him sore elsewhere. Every time you step into the stirrup, you could be riding your horse closer to soundness, or closer to lameness. [Are You Riding Into Lameness or Soundness?]

No matter the discipline, having a solid flying change is essential to moving up the levels. For some horses, it’s right there from the beginning and you thank your lucky stars. For others, it’s a lifelong challenge to get them clean and effortless looking, but with the right exercises and the proper coaching, you too can achieve your flying change dreams. [6 Simple Exercises for Flying Changes]

Goodbye pyramid, hello spiral! I loved reading this book from Sue Grice, where the traditional Training Pyramid is updated and reimagined into the Training Spiral. The basic idea of the Training Spiral is that you can progress through all the elements of the Scales in order (Rhythm, Suppleness, Contact, Impulsion, Straightness, Collection), without having to perfect each one before attempting the next. Instead, each element is completed to the degree that the horse can manage at his given level of training. As soon as one cycle of this training—one tier of the spiral—is completed, the next can begin—only in this new cycle (Tier 2), the degree of difficulty or quality expected is increased. [Learn the Training Spiral]

 

 

There is literally almost nothing I love more than foal videos:

Friday News & Notes Presented by Stable View

Checking out the canals! Photo by Jessica Roberts.

Y’all, I just returned from a weeklong visit to jolly old England, and I was really looking forward to enjoying some cooler weather, maybe some rain, and I packed accordingly. Virginia was hot, smoky, and the ground was dusty concrete. So, of course, the day I left the continent, Virginia boasted a week of straight rain storms, and the Brits roasted their pale countenances in the boiling hot sun. It was so hot, I don’t think I stopped sweating once, even in my sleep. Air conditioning? Only in Tesco, which was almost a religious experience. Now I’ve returned to Virginia, and it seems the hot humid weather just follows me around personally.

CHIO Aachen: [Website] [Entries] [Schedule] [Timing & Scoring] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]

US Weekend Preview:

Twin Rivers Summer H.T. (Paso Robles, CA): Website, Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scoring

Inavale Farm H.T. (Philomath, OR): Website, Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scoring

Summer Coconico H.T. I (Flagstaff, AZ): Website, Entry Status/Ride Times, Live Scoring

Chattahoochee Hills + Area III Championships (Fairburn, GA): Website

News & Notes from Around the World:

I mean, can you really turn down more photos from Aachen? This week of equestrian competition is 100,000% on my bucket list, hopefully soon when I still have the energy to run around from one event to the other. While we are bringing you all the eventing coverage and photos you could possibly desire, you’ll still need supplemental photos to soothe your nerves. [Scenes from Aachen]

Beezie Madden has spent so many years at the top, I can hardly remember a time without her on the US Team. She probably knows a thing or two about jumping, and I guess I’d probably take some advice from her. Read her review of this eventer and watch the video as she comments and proposes small changes for the rider to work on. [Jumping Clinic with Beezie Madden: Maintain a Light Seat]

Hot on Horse Nation: If Horse Shopping Were Like ‘The Bachelorette’

 

Friday News & Notes Presented by Stable View

Throw down in the dressage ring, step behind the chip shop counter, that’s Pippa’s way!

Every time Pippa Funnell is interviewed, she has an almost compulsory urge to tell us all that she thinks she close to retirement age, and her glory days of winning the Grand Slam are well behind her, and then she shows up and does this thing again. The thing where she blows us all out of the water and takes the lead, all while humbly talking about her horse and how much she loves him. I mean, could we ask for a better role model?

Make sure you keep up with all the five-star action right here on Eventing Nation through the weekend!

You can follow along with the live stream on H&C+ with a subscription or a one-time viewing pass. If you choose to purchase an annual H&C+ subscription, you can save 15% if you use the code EVENTINGNATION15. And if you just can’t wait ‘til Saturday to see the cross country course, you can check out the route and fences here. We’ll be bringing you live updates of all three 5* phases, so keep it locked onto EN to read about all the action as it happens.

EN will have boots on the Luhmuhlen ground, where Tilly will be bringing us ALL the news from the event. Keep up with the EN coverage and follow @goeventing for all the 5* – and 4* – content you can handle.

Longines Luhmühlen CCI5*: [Website] [Entries] [Timing & Scoring] [How to Watch] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage] [EN’s Form Guide]

U.S. Weekend Preview

Aspen Farm H.T (Yelm, WA) [Website] [Volunteer] [Entries / Ride Times / Scoring]

Full Gallop Farm June H.T (Aiken, SC) [Website] [Volunteer]

Honey Run H.T. (Ann Arbor, MI) [Website] [Volunteer]

Horse Park of New Jersey H.T. I (Allentown, NJ) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]

Seneca Valley Pony Club H.T. (Poolesville, MD) [Website] [Entries] [Scoring]

Shepherd Ranch Pony Club H.T. I (Santa Ynez, CA) [Website] [Entries / Ride Times / Scoring]

Silverwood Farm Spring H.T. (Trevor, WI) [Website] [Ride Times] [Scoring]

News From Around the Globe:

A true horsewoman through the centuries, our community lost Ellie Wood Baxter this week. Perhaps she isn’t as famous in the other parts of the world, but I was fortunate enough to grow up with her literally right down the road from me, and she was always a local fixture. She lived to the age of 101, and was riding out not long ago in Farmington Hunt Country. She lived an absolutely fascinating life. In 2020, the 1936 Maclay champion shared the following memories about showing from the 1920s through the 1960s and beyond, along with her candid opinions about trends in today’s show world, which you can read here. [Thoroughbreds, Promenades and Luncheons at Waldorf Astoria]

Imo Brook is recovering well from her fall at Bramham. She was competing in the Under-25 division at Bramham CCI4*-L when her 14-year-old gelding San Solo fell quite hard on cross country. Imo sustained a broken pelvis, but her outlook is positive, saying that after a surgery and some physio she will be back in the saddle again. Her horse, Solo, experienced no injury during the fall, and is happily enjoying quality time with his groom, Emma Maisey. [Imo Brook Recovering]

Vesicular stomatitis (VS) is a viral disease of horses and other animals that is currently causing trouble in California. Infection results in vesicles (blisters), crusts, and ulceration of the lips, muzzle, nose, tongue, ears, sheath, teats, and/or coronary band. Transmission is predominantly by black flies, sand flies, and biting midges. The virus is in the active lesion, thus animals with active lesions can transmit the virus by direct contact, shared feed/water sources, and other carriers contaminated by infective lesions, vesicular fluid, and/or saliva. The lesions are self-limiting and typically resolve within 14 days. Humans can be infected from exposure to this virus and have mild flu-like symptoms. Check out these biosecurity measures from the USEF to protect yourself and your horse. [Safety and Biosecurity Measures]

Arabian blood seems to have more influence in eventing horses than we thought. According to some researchers, eventing horses with Arabian blood, even quite low percentages, tended to perform better in the three disciplines that make up the challenging sport. María José Sánchez-Guerrero and her fellow researchers, writing in the journal Animals, said the Arabian is a generally reliable sport horse, and continues to be a remarkable endurance horse. This being the case, the estimated proportion of Arabian genes in horses participating in Eventing can be a relevant factor. Read more to find out how Arabians continue to influence the modern sport horse. [Eventing Success Aided by Arabians]