It was quite the busy weekend around eventing nation, with events in all corners of the country. Good weather, good friends and great horses. What more could you ask for?
11-year-old Dylan Philipps and Bumble Bee Brave on their way to a fourth place finish in Novice Rider at the Virginia Horse Trials. Photo courtesy Dylan's proud father, Chris Philipps
Every year I say I’m going to travel for work a bit less, but it never works out that way … we eventers are a restless type. This weekend is the first I’ve spent at home in six weeks, and even though I was still working from home, it was nice hanging out in my house. I drank my coffee slowly, tended to my little porch garden and watched the hummingbirds outside my kitchen window as I worked away … Give it a few weeks, and I’ll be itching to get on the road again, no doubt.
But I’m fortunate I can come and go as I do. There are hundreds of thousands of people who spend months and years away from home fighting for our country’s freedom, missing their family and friends. Some of them never make it back home. Remember them today.
YRAP WoW Camp: The Area II Young Rider Advancement Program WoW Camp will be held June 29-July 2. WoW Camp is open to all Program Riders including the adults for the YRAP entry fee. Entries mailed by May 31 are just $525 for 4 days of lessons at the Horse Park of New Jersey. Instructors include Lynn Symansky, Sinead Halpin, Tik Maynard, Kristin Schmolze. and Skyeler Voss. None program riders are also welcome at the “non-member” rate. Contact Chris Donovan at [email protected] for an application.
FEI Media Production: The FEI has made it clear that a strong media presence is essential to the future of equestrian sports. In an effort to generate increased coverage of the world’s most prestigious equestrian events, the FEI has appointed IMG as its production partner for the next five years. The partnership will cover post-production services for the FEI’s entire portfolio of broadcast products across the FEI-named series and championships. [FEI and IMG Sign Five Year Production Partnership]
FEI Drops SportAccord: Speaking of the FEI, they have joined the growing group of international sports federations that have suspended their membership of SportAccord after the president of the company said some naughty things about the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic reform programme Agenda 2020. [FEI Suspends SportAccord Membership]
VAHT Action: Thehorsepesterer was on the ground at the Virginia Horse Trials capturing the action at the beautiful Virginia Horse Park. Since today is a holiday, you can enjoy binge watching the videos of the competition without fear of getting caught by the boss. [thehorsepesterer]
George Morris Clinic: George Morris’s “Gladstone Program” has been held over the last week at the historic Hamilton Farm in Gladstone, New Jersey. Phelps Media has been covering each day of education with the master, so we can all get a good dose of wisdom. Read all six stories at this link. [George Morris at Gladstone]
Kim Severson and Cooley Cross Border at Fair Hill. Photo by Jenni Autry
Kim Severson and Cooley Cross Border were the winners of the CCI1* at the Virginia Horse Trials two years ago and ninth in the CIC2* in 2014. This weekend they returned to the Virginia Horse Park in Lexington, Virginia to win the CIC2*, leading a division of 30 starters from the beginning and finishing on their dressage score of 35.8.
This is the first FEI outing Kim and Cross have completed since Fair Hill in October, where they were second in the CCI2*. There are a couple of blips on the 8-year-old Irish gelding’s cross country record since then, but when this pair is on it they are unstoppable.
More than 7 penalty points behind them in second place is Will Faudree and Jennifer Mosing and Sterling Silver Stable’s Caeleste, who added just 1.6 time penalties to their score to maintain the same position throughout the event. Will is also third with Pfun, who was recently named as an alternate to the Pan American Games team. Pfun, also owned by Jennifer and Sterling Silver Stables, finished on his dressage score of 44.7; they timed their cross country round perfectly, finishing exactly on the optimum time of 6:07.
Fourth place Sable Giesler (CAN) and Devil Munchkin added no penalties to their initial score, redemption for having parted ways in the water complex at Jersey Fresh.
Doug Payne and Lysander are on a roll this spring. The big (17.3 hands) Oldenburg/Thoroughbred gelding jointly owned by Doug and Kristin Michaloski, have finished in the top five in all three FEI appearances this year, most recently coming second in the CIC2* at Jersey Fresh.
Virginia CIC, CCI and Horse Trials
Fernhill Singapore is a Dutch-bred Warmblood gelding owned by Sue and Shawn Foley. He did his first horse trials at Beginner Novice last summer and has been competed by both Waylon Roberts and Phillip Dutton as he moved up the levels, earning a win at each grade. Now at just six years of age and one year into the sport, Singapore is a one-star winner, topping a competitive CCI* division at Virginia. Did we mention this was his first FEI appearance?
Colleen Rutledge and 7-year-old Roulette, an Oldenburg gelding owned by Leslie Schulz and bred by Cynthia Mcnemar, also had an impressive first CCI* outing. The only pair to break into the 30s, they held on to their score and the lead until two rails dropped them to second place in the final phase.
According to Colleen’s Facebook page, Roulette won the Best Conditioned award, which is becoming a habit for Colleen’s horses. Her Hanoverian gelding Escot 6 won the same award at the Jersey Fresh CCI3* two weeks ago. Pretty impressive for two warmbloods!
It is too cool to see two former four-star horses in the top ten in the one-star. London Olympic Games team horse Twizzel, ridden at the four-star level for four years by Will Coleman, is now 19 years of age and showing no signs of slowing down. He’s now partnered up with 17-year-old Morgan Booth. They were second in the CIC1* at Fair Hill last month and picked up a third place finish at Virginia, adding just one rail to their score.
Remington XXV, also 19, had a long and successful career with Boyd Martin. Caitlin Silliman rode him at the two- and three-star level before he was officially retired from upper level eventing to enjoy the next chapter of his career with Camilla Grover-Dodge, granddaughter of Remington’s owners, Densey and Ron Juvonen. Incidentally, they were the pair that finished ahead of Morgan and Twizzel at the Fair Hill April Horse Trials, which was Camilla’s first FEI competition. They had a good performance at Virginia also, adding one rail to their score to finish seventh in a large division.
Shoutout to Emily Rzucidio and Ladybug Traveler, Heather Johnson and The Manx Man, Kathy Cain and Legal Limit, and Quinn Riddle and Folk Hero. They were the only pairs in the class to finish on their dressage score, and they were rewarded with big moves on the leaderboard. While the cross country was not too troublesome for most competitors, the show jumping proved to be particularly influential.
Virginia CIC, CCI and Horse Trials
In the Advanced/Intermediate division, Emily Pestl-Dimmitt and Airlington won with the only clear show jumping round and the fewest time penalties across the country. Emily originally hails from Washington state and had come East to work with Liz Halliday-Sharp and get some new experience.
Michael Pollard and the Trakehner stallion Halimey picked up their third Intermediate win this year in the Intermediate A division. Young Rider Nicole Doolittle and Tops were the winners of Intermediate-B having given themselves some breathing room with a very good dressage score of 26.3. Marilyn Little picked up second place in both Intermediate divisions, with RF Demeter in division A and RF Quarterman in division B.
Moving now to the opposite coast, the Spring Event at Woodside had a good turnout at the Horse Park at Woodside. We’ve been covering the popular Preliminary Challenge all weekend. You can check out that coverage here.
This weekend featured the highly anticipated debut of Ian Stark’s redesigned cross country course (see the Advanced course walk here). Ian has become a staple of West Coast course design, as he designs at Galway Downs and the Event at Rebecca Farm. He came on board at Woodside in December and has been hard at work expanding the course to new areas of the Horse Park to utilize new terrain and open the course up to a bit more galloping. The new course seems to have been well received by the competitors at all levels.
Statistics guru Maggie predicted James Alliston and Tivoli to win the Advanced division at Woodside, and she was right again. In fact, she correctly predicted the top two. Kiyomi Foster and Tasman Sea had a good weekend adding only time penalties to their score. James and Tivoli parted ways at the Land Rover Hollow at Rolex last month, so this win is a nice turnaround.
Amber Levine and Guiness St James, owned by Valorie Mackey, picked up their first Intermediate win, which is particularly impressive considering they were competing Training at this event last year. They were well ahead of second place Lauren Burnell and Counterpoint after cross country, so a single rail didn’t affect their placing. Amber was also fourth with Carry On. Tamra Smith and Dempsey rounded out the top three.
May-Daze at the Kentucky Horse Park is always well attended, and this weekend more than 500 horses from approximately 20 states competed, from Starter all the way up to Intermediate.
Adult Amateur Selena Pape of Louisville, Kentucky and her own Holsteiner mare Vanity’s first horse trials together was at May-Daze in 2010, when they competed at Beginner Novice, and they’ve returned almost every year since as they worked their way up the levels. They did their first Intermediate event in 2012 and have several wins under their belt, including winning the Area VIII Intermediate championship at the KY Classique last year.
Their win this weekend must be a rewarding one, having once again returned to where it all began and leading the Open Intermediate division from the start. Starting out with a good score of 25.4, they posted one of a few double-clear show jumping rounds and had one of the faster times on cross country to finish on a 31.4.
Second place went to Holly Shine and Sunday Afternoon Mission, who also show jumped double clear to move them from fifth to third. A fast cross country round moved them up again to second. Erin Pullen and Ben moved up from seventh to finish third. The big leap award goes to Jesslyn Woodall and The Luckdragon, whose good jumping rounds moved them up from 20th place to finish fourth.
Not to be forgotten, here are links for the other events that took place this Memorial Day weekend. Congratulations competitors on a great weekend of competition! Go Eventing.
Frankie Thieriot Stutes and Chatwin, winners of the Woodside Preliminary Horse Challenge. Photo via Frankie’s Instagram
The popular Woodside Preliminary Challenge welcomed a record entries 57 this year. With $15,000 up for grabs in both the Horse and Rider divisions and an exciting evening Gala with the top 10 running in reverse order of go, it’s no wonder it attracts a great group of competitors and enthusiastic supporters.
Frankie Thieriot Stutes and Tristen Hooks took the early leads in their respective divisions and never let go throughout the next two phases. Preliminary Challenge competitors were the first to tackle Ian Stark’s redesigned country course on Saturday morning, and both Frankie and Tristen flew around clear, coming in just seconds under the optimum time to hold their positions.
On Saturday evening, dinner and a silent auction added ambiance to the show jumping finale. The top 10 in each division took to the Sarah Duborst-designed show jumping at 6 p.m. and kept the crowd on their toes to the end.
In the Rider division, a single rail separated second through 11th place, so the pressure was on to produce a clear round. The eventual top eight finishers all produced double-clear rounds and the top four since the dressage phase remained unchanged. Tristen and her own Holsteiner gelding did not have a rail in hand, but there’s a reason they have such a good record at Preliminary, and they finished clear for the win.
Tristen got her 15-year-old partner “Fly” from a friend’s backyard. She is thrilled with how he has come up the levels and his enthusiasm for the sport. Fly, a Holsteiner/Dutch cross, got quite a few peppermints, and Tristen won quite a few awards for their performance today!
A rub at the last but Tristan Hooks is home clean and takes the win in the Rider division! pic.twitter.com/nI0nF6NFvV
Tristen and third place team Julie Flettner and Ping Pong have put a team together to go up to Inavale and compete in Area VII’s Adult Team Rider Challenge. “It’s going to be a blast!” Tristen said, smiling from ear to ear. After Inavale they are heading to Arizona for Coconino and are looking forward to traveling out of state.
“I think this is the coolest event we have in California,” Tristen said. “It was so exciting to go trotting in and hear the crowd cheering for you and then all the applause when you finish your round. It’s like the Preliminary Olympics or Rolex!”
And that is precisely why the Woodside Preliminary Challenge Rider division draws so many entries. Many of these riders have no plans to compete above Prelim, and this is their chance to experience not only the atmosphere, but a chance at the prizes as well!
Preliminary Horse
Frankie’s German Warmblood gelding Chatwin has been battling an eye infection for months, but he had been cleared by his vets to compete just in time for the Preliminary Horse Challenge.
“While most likely he will need to have surgery to fix his eye for the long term so that he has no infection risks down the road, right now at this moment and this week, the best thing for Chatwin is to get to go to a horse show and be a horse for a little bit!” she wrote on her Facebook page earlier this month.
Chatwin was glad to be back, and Frankie said in a post-cross country interview that Chatwin was full of running on course. Hours later they were double-clear in show jumping to secure a sweet victory in the Horse division and their fourth consecutive win at the Preliminary/one-star level.
Winner of the Preliminary Challenge Horse Division – Frankie Theirot Stutes and Chatwin pic.twitter.com/uVNaR2CDM1 — Eventing Nation (@eventingnation) May 24, 2015
Seven-year-old Chatwin is getting a check-up for his eye this week, and hopefully his cornea will have sealed completely. Frankie and Chatwin would like to thank all the eye doctors and vets at UC Davis for taking such good care of him. “I can’t wait to call them all and tell them how well he did.”
If Chatwin is cleared to carry on, Frankie will be moving him up to Intermediate at Copper Meadows. “It really means a lot to me to get to do that,” Frankie said, and his performance today certainly showed it! “He’s such a great personality.”
In addition, we’d like to congratulate Frankie and her husband, Mike. They are expecting! “I’ll keep riding him until August, and then Tamie Smith will take over the ride on him for the rest of the season,” Frankie said. “Because he had time off for his eye, I really want to be able to let him have the rest of the season, even if I don’t get to!”
Looks like it will be a banner year for both Frankie and Chatwin!
Thanks Robert Kellerhouse and the whole Woodside Eventing crew for another great Preliminary Challenge!
Mathieu Lemoine and Bart L. Photo courtesy of Saumur
Frenchman Mathieu Lemoine and the 9-year-old KWPN gelding Bart L were victorious in the horse’s first CCI3* at Saumur this weekend in France. Owned by M. Pierre Defrance and M. Jerome Pechenard, the gelding was foot-perfect from start to finish, laying down a dressage test that earned a 40.9 from the judges, giving Bart L and Mathieu a narrow lead over second place Astier Nicolas and Piaf de b’Neville.
Although Astier kept the pressure on throughout the competition, Mathieu and Bart L kept their cool. They had the fastest round on cross country to hold their position and today jumped a gorgeous clear show jumping round with no room for error to secure their victory.
Mathieu partnered with the Dutch-bred gelding in 2013, acquiring the ride from Bertrand Vuatoux, who had competed the horse to the one-star level. Mathieu and Bart L won their first FEI event, the CCI1* at Arville in Belgium and earned the bronze medal at the Le Lion d’Angers Championship for 7-year-olds the same year.
In 2014 Mathieu moved the horse up to the two-star level, but withdrew before the final phase in the first two events. On their third try, they put all the pieces together to win the CIC2* at Sandillon in France.
They were fourth with only a rail and time penalties to add at the Breda CIC3* in the Netherlands. So in the young horse’s second three-star and first attempt at a CCI3* this weekend, he came away with a well-deserved win.
Astier Nicolas and Piaf de b’Neville. Photo courtesy of Saumur.
Mathieu’s countryman Astier added just one time penalty to his score in the show jumping with Piaf de b’Neville, a 12-year-old Selle Français owned by Ben et Partner. Britain’s Oliver Townend was in the hunt as well, placing fourth after dressage within a rail of the lead. He ultimately finished on his initial score for third place with PJ Hegarty’s 11-year-old Irish mare Fenyas Elegance in their second FEI appearance as a pair.
Stephanie D’Andrimont of Belgium riding Ulano de Slozen, Mark Kyle of Ireland riding Jemilla and Nana Dalton of Britain riding Abbeylara Prince placed fourth, fifth and sixth respectively thanks to clear show jumping rounds that moved them up the leaderboard. In addition to the top six, there was only one other round out of 26 finishers to leave all the poles up, and that was Andrew Nicholson and Cillnabradden Evo, who finished in 17th place.
The Saumur CIC2* had a huge division of 65 starters. Karim Florent Laghouag (FRA) and Entebbe de Hus, a Hannoverian gelding owned by Madame Agnes Celerier and M. Michel Duros, were the winners, having moved up from third after a clear show jumping round, which was done before the cross country in this division.
Two other Frenchmen joined Karim in the final press conference for the two-star. Second place went to Arnaud Boiteau and Didier Dhennin, both of whom finished on their dressage scores.
Click here for final CCI3* results and here for final CIC2* results. You can visit the Saumur website here and catch up on the weekend action on their active Twitter page here.
Amanda Katsman (left) and Katie Resnick. Photo courtesy of Katie.
Katie Resnick and Amanda Katsman are inseparable. They are students at Texas A&M, sorority sisters in Alpha Epsilon Phi, horse lovers and, of course, best friends. This summer, they will meet up in Berlin, Germany to compete together at the 2015 European Maccabi Games.
The Maccabi Games are an Olympic type competition for Jewish athletes around the world. This year 2,000 athletes from 36 countries are expected to participate in 19 different sporting events. The goal of the Games is to build Jewish pride through sports, and this year’s event will be particularly meaningful as it will be the first time in European Maccabi Games history that they will be held in Germany.
Katie, a psychology major, and Amanda, a petroleum engineering major, met in September 2014 at the college equestrian team tryouts. “We found out we were both Jewish and have been best friends since then,” Katie said. “Amanda and I are also sisters in Alpha Epsilon Phi, the first historically national Jewish sorority to be founded at Texas A&M University. We could not be more excited to be going to Germany together.”
Katie Resnick and The King’s Spirit at the 2014 AEC, where they finished 15th in the Open Intermediate. Photo by Tom Cook
Katie and Amanda are two of four riders from the United States selected to compete in the equestrian dressage competition. Katie is an eventer and represented Area V at the 2014 NAJYRC on the CCI2* team. She and her mare The King’s Spirit finished 12th individually and helped the team to a silver medal. Her trainer, Rebecca Brown, competed in the Israeli Maccabi Games in 2012, which was the first time equestrian was featured in the Maccabi Games.
Amanda is a dressage rider and has competed up to Prix St. George. She will be leaving for Germany three weeks early to ride and compete the horse she will be riding in the Games. Katie, however, will be borrowing a horse that she will get to ride one day for 30 minutes before the competition. “I really have my work cut out for me!” she said.
“The way the Games work is that you either bring your own horse (like Amanda, who has contacts in Germany and is riding their horse) or you borrow a horse, like I am doing, from the Games themselves,” Katie explained. “The Games provide a limited amount of horses to athletes who request them.”
Katie is organizing a small auction in her hometown of Dallas to raise money for the trip. Direct donations can also be made by clicking here and searching for an athlete’s name. Note: Katie is listed as Kathryn on the site.
You can get to know Amanda and Katie a bit better in the video below. This year’s European Maccabi Games will be July 27–Aug 5 at Berlin’s Olympic Park. We look forward to keeping up with Katie and Amanda as they prepare to represent their country and their heritage at the Games!
Do you remember your introduction to eventing? We all had to start somewhere, and with more and more horse trials offering Intro and Starter divisions, there are plenty of opportunities for newcomers to the sport to have a positive, low-pressure experience with all the excitement and atmosphere of a sanctioned competition.
Galway Downs had such a good turnout for the Intro division during their Spring Horse Trials earlier this month, that the group was split into two classes. Ann Walbert and Mary Benson’s Hail Cactus were the winners of Intro A, and they went on to finish second in the YEH 4-year-old division the same weekend. Lauren Hayatian and Little Dude led Intro B from start to finish.
It is not often that we see horses and riders starting out in the sport getting their moment in the spotlight. That’s why we love that our friends at Ride On Video recently published several videos of Intro level competitors on course at Galway Downs. Whether it’s their first competition, an outing on an inexperienced horse or a return to the sport after time away, we’re glad they’ve joined us on this great journey!
Gabriella Yuschenkoff and Auburn Excell Brady‘s Coco Chanel had two clear jumping rounds with just time to add in stadium. They finished 6th in Intro A.
Adult amateur Laura Sweet and her own Strength of Ten Bears were fourth in Intro B with a double-clear cross country round.
Anderson Rogers and Gambler didn’t have the show jumping round they would have liked, but they put in a seriously classy performance on cross country. Well done!
Thanks Ride on Video for sharing these great rounds with us! Click here for the full results from Galway, and find more great action on Ride on Video’s website and YouTube channel.
The small but mighty Advanced division at the Spring Event at Woodside will tackle Ian Stark’s redesigned cross country course this afternoon, with the first horse leaving the startbox at 1:00 p.m. Pacific. James Alliston and Tivoli lead the division after dressage with a a 27.4, and the EN fortune teller has picked them to win.
“[The course] uses the whole perimeter of the property so it should be a really galloping, forward course,” James said in an interview on the Woodside International Horse Trials Facebook page. “It looks really big, obviously. It’s an Ian Stark course. It looks impressive but hopefully if you ride forward and boldly, the horses will go well.”
This is Ian’s first year designing at Woodside and he has opened the course up to utilize areas of the 272-acre Horse Park that have never been used before, including what James calls a “significant loop” through the woods. A new water complex, through which the Advanced competitors jump twice, has also been added at the bottom of a steep grade by the road.
The West Coast is no stranger to Ian’s courses as he also designs at Galway Downs and the Event at Rebecca Farm. Riders know they have to “ride it like they stole it” from start to finish, but horses and riders alike finish brimming with confidence.
Good luck to the competitors this afternoon. Check out the full course walk below, brought to you by the fabulous Ann Haller.
Dwayne and Jennifer Holder. Photo courtesy of Jennifer.
Dwayne and Jennifer Holder are a husband and wife farrier duo making their living shoeing horses near their home in Midland, North Carolina. With every trim and every shoeing, their goal is always the same: a sound horse and a happy owner.
Dwayne nailed on his first shoe in 1982 when he was a senior in high school. He met Jennifer when he was shoeing her horse, and later an untimely kick to Dwayne’s ribs forced Jennifer to get under the horse herself.
With their different riding backgrounds, Dwayne and Jennifer each bring their own skills to the table. Dwayne learned the trade out of necessity.
“I got a horse, a registered [Quarter Horse] buckskin, and they told me it would cost too much to fix the horse’s feet, they were that bad,” Dwayne said. “Me and that horse went to shoeing school together. I went to shoeing school and fixed him.”
Dwayne took the state exam at the end of the course and then traveled the Quarter Horse circuit with a master farrier named RC Clark. Now Dwayne himself is a master through the BWFA (Brotherhood of Working Farriers Association) as well as a tester.
Jennifer’s contribution, having been a competitive event rider long before she became a farrier, is her well-rounded knowledge of sport horses.
“I’ve had horses all my life. I’ve always paid a lot of attention to the vet, farrier and trainer. I absorbed all of that,” Jennifer said. “It really does help a lot with the shoeing – understanding what the owner wants out of the horse in terms of movement and performance.”
“I always told [other farriers] that if Jennifer learned to shoe it would hurt them [business-wise],” Dwayne said. “She can already talk to the vets, the vets like her and she understands lameness and blemishes and problems with conformation better than three of the best farriers I know put together.”
Guided by Dwayne, Jennifer learned to shoe and has passed the BWFA journeyman II test, which is one step below master. She started shoeing full time in 2008 when the recession hit. “You can skip riding lessons, but you can’t skip having a horse shod or trimmed.”
Continuing Education
Although Dwayne has been in the business for 30 years and Jennifer has learned from his years of experience, they continue to attend seminars and classes to stay abreast of new science and technology.
“We go to seminars so right or wrong, good or bad, we can answer [clients’] questions,” Dwayne said.
For instance, when the Strasser trim was a controversial topic in the news, Dwayne attended a class on it not because he wanted to learn how to do it, but because he was being asked a lot of questions and felt he needed to have the answers.
Additionally, the Holders find that spending time with product representatives helps them to better understand farrier products like plastic shoes or glue ons and how to apply them for the best results.
“You’d be surprised, eight hours of school from the guys who invented them, they show the little things that work… made the difference of them staying on,” Dwayne said.
They learn from other farriers, too, whether they like the work or not. “It’s like going to audit a trainer,” Jennifer said. “Even if you don’t agree, you’ll pick something up.”
Dwayne’s first mentor RC told him from the beginning to always watch and learn. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a backyard guy shoeing that’s not educated or the best farrier there is. Every time I’ve taken an hour to watch someone do a horse, I’ve seen something that worked or got to ask them a question.”
The Holders especially like talking to a horse’s previous farrier if the animal has moved to a new state or region. It’s like reviewing medical records and helps the new farrier get to know the new horse faster, which leads to the ideal result – a sound horse and happy owner.
Finding a Good Farrier
Finding a good farrier is a stressful process for a horse owner who has either moved to a new area or has decided to move on from their current farrier due to budget restraints or other reasons. The Holders have a few tips to help you find a farrier that will make both you and your horse happy.
“Find a farrier in your area that’s been shoeing more than 10 years, one that you don’t see his business card plastered everywhere… I would also tell you the same for a mechanic in your neighborhood,” suggests Dwayne, who has never paid to run an ad in his entire career.
“When we were in school they said the average farrier had between a 30 and 33% turnover rate per year. That sounds very high. We average less than 3%. Two percent of that is because I’ve been doing them so long the horses have died.”
Word of mouth, however, is still the best promotion. So look for a farrier that is known for sound horses and – you guessed it – happy owners.
You can find Jennifer on Facebook here, but you’ll have to ask around for Dwayne!
And suddenly, it feels like summer – okay, not everywhere it seems – but in much of the country the days are getting awfully hot and humid. Riders, farm employees and horses may start to slow down a little, but the work still has to get done, so particular care must be taken in summer to bar against dehydration and heat exhaustion.
For the sake of ourselves and our horses, our schedules and habits must change: for instance, ride earlier in the morning or later in the evening to avoid the heat of the day; take shorter rides and allow for lots of walk breaks; remove your helmet between rides if you ride multiple horses and try to remember to drink more water than you think you need – if you’re feeling thirsty, you’re already behind on H2O intake.
Keeping the horses hydrated can be a bit trickier, however, because as the old saying goes, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.” There are plenty of tricks to try and get horses to drink, like flavoring water, soaking hay and feeding sloppy, watery mashes.
Water is inarguably the most important nutrient, but do you know how dehydration actually affects your horse’s health and wellbeing? The Horse published an article this week outlining what happens when horses receive insufficient amounts of water. Click here to read the article, and remember to always make sure your horse has access to clean, fresh water, regardless of the weather!
Insulin Resistance: Insulin resistance in horses is the decreased ability for cells to transport glucose (sugar) into muscles and other tissues. It is often associated with metabolic disease, laminitis and Cushings. Diet, age, breed and many other factors are at play, but grazing on lush grass and becoming overweight is considered a common culprit. A recent study tested the effects of heavy grazing on glucose tolerance, and the results may come as a surprise. [Horsetalk]
Equine Herspesvirus: With so many horses in the United States on the move for shows, lessons and even vet visits, there is a lot to consider as they may come in contact with unfamiliar horses. EHV-1 is a contagious viral disease that affects the respiratory tract and may cause abortion in pregnant mares, and some agriculture department websites maintain updates on the presence of the Equine Herpesvirus (EHV-1) in their state. Fran Jurga has rounded up important notifications regarding the disease from around the country. [The Jurga Report]
Laser Therapy: Laser therapy is an increasingly popular form of treatment for a variety in ailments in horses. However, according to this article, the “scientific jury” is still out because there are no “peer reviewed controlled clinical trials” analyzing the affects of laser therapy in horses, even though it has proven to be an effective treatment in humans. How does laser therapy work? How is it used? Here is what you need to know. [Horse Canada]
Nutrient Deficiency: Most commercially prepared horse feeds provide your horse with a balanced diet to meet his energy, protein, and vitamin and mineral needs. However, some horses are at risk for developing a nutrient deficiency or imbalance. But like most aspects of horse ownership, you shouldn’t change a diet or add supplements willy-nilly. Learn about the common nutrient deficiencies and how to find out if your horse has one. [The Horse]
Remarkable Reading: You may not want to read this first thing in the morning (like I did!) or if you have a weak stomach, but this is an incredible story about a veterinarian determined to help a horse who was going to be put down if the foreign object in his body was not recovered. The story has a happy ending, but it took quite a lot of persistence took get there. [Horse and Hound]
Father/daughter team Phillip and Olivia Dutton at Fair Hill Horse Trials this weekend. Photo via Evie Dutton's Instagram
Phillip Dutton may have been competing seven horses (finishing with five in the top five) at the Training, Preliminary and Intermediate levels at the Fair Hill May Horse Trials this weekend. However, he of course found time to support his daughter Olivia and her horse Santa’s Playboy, who jumped clear around their first Training together. How special it is that father and daughter share the same passion and can be there to cheer each other on!
Want to join the most eclectic team of eventing journalists around? Then you’ll want to enter our Fifth Annual EN Blogger Contest for your shot! We’re looking for our next victim talented writer to join our team, and entries are open until Tuesday, May 19 at 8 p.m. EST. [EN Blogger Contest]
One penalty point separated the top two at Chatsworth horse trials in England this weekend. Despite 18 time penalties on cross country, Pippa Funnell managed to retain her lead with Sandman 7 to earn her third Chatsworth trophy. Sarah Ennis on Horseware Stellor Rebound were second while Britain’s Emily King took third place on Brookleigh, with mom Mary on grounds for support. [Pippa Funnell re-writes the record books at Chatsworth]
Inspired by the bedtime stories she told her son, Lottie Prentice has published a children’s book chronicling her horse of a lifetime Ted’s great adventures as a cheeky, mischievous character. The four-star horse was a well-known celebrity on the eventing circuit in his prime. Bold, beautiful and a bit naughty, Ted was particularly popular amongst his pint-sized fans. [A cheeky horse called Ted]
The fate of Andrew Nicholson’s and ESNZ’s relationship is expected to be decided at an Equestrian Sports New Zealand board meeting later this month. With New Zealand not yet qualified for Rio, the decision is a weighty one, but it seems clear both parties are ready to resolve the conflict one way or another. [Rider wants clarity on his Olympic role]
Eventing ingrains in us certain qualities and skills that we often subconsciously apply to other areas of life. Things like managing nerves, making the most of mistakes and inherent adaptability are just a few of the tools we take from the ring to the real world. [5 ways eventing makes you better at reaching your goals]
Monday Video: Buzzterbrown was unable to make it to Rolex this year, but he did video the Intermediate class at the Loudoun Hunt Pony Club Horse Trials at Morven Park that weekend. The description on this video said the event was well organized, though his horse was slightly surprised by the sunken road on the Novice course!
Mike Elliott, founder and president of the All Veterans Group, comes in for landing at Southern 8ths Farm. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld
During the week between the Rolex and Badminton CCI4* events, where history is made and lifelong dreams are realized, 34 Beginner Novice through Training level competitors reached their own milestones competing in a long-format three-day event at the Heart of the Carolinas Three-Day in Chesterfield, South Carolina.
Brad Turley is the owner of Southern Eighths Farm, the location of the event affectionately known as “Brad-minton.” The nickname comes with good reason, as Brad goes above and beyond to provide an excellent competition for eventers who appreciate and dream of riding at a traditional three-day.
Heart of the Carolinas is the only competition in the country that offers a Beginner Novice Three-Day sanctioned by the USEA in addition to Novice and Training Three-Days. And while it also hosts a regular horse trial for Beginner Novice through Training, the theme of the week is fun, fellowship and learning.
In its fifth year, educational seminars, demos, and practice runs on steeplechase were highlights of the experience. However, Brad is always looking to take it up a notch, so he called in the troops. Literally.
Timothy Wood high fives Mike Elliott on the steeplechase track at Southern 8ths. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld
The All Veteran Group Drops In to Volunteer
The All Veteran Group is comprised of active and retired military and patriotic Americans who honor and pay tribute to veterans through community outreach and demonstrations. Mike Elliott, the founder and president of the All Veteran Group parachute team, is a friend of Brad’s.
While Gammon Castellvi, the volunteer coordinator at Heart of the Carolinas, did an incredible job organizing 100 volunteers for endurance day, every bit of manpower helps. When Brad called Mike, he asked if he and the boys could “jump in” and help out jump judging.
At 0800 hours the morning of May 2nd, five members of the All Veteran Group parachute team jumped out of a perfectly good airplane and landed on the steeplechase practice field at Southern Eighths. They spent the day helping out and learning about the sport of eventing, which we all know has its roots in the cavalry.
“I’ve seen them jump before, but when they came down on our property here, it was impressive,” Brad said. “These guys are just a bunch of great guys and a bunch of warriors that are helping other people.”
The All Veteran Group is a highly skilled group of individuals passionate about falling out of airplanes. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld
Mike served 26 years in the military and was a member of the Golden Knights U.S. Army Parachute Team. The All Veteran Group is a way for him and other veterans to continue to serve, give back and stay connected with the community.
“Being a jump judge here and watching the horse come up to a jump with the rider and seeing the communication and seeing the passion and determination in the rider’s face, it’s the same passion,” Mike said.
“They say find something you love to do and do what you love. We jump out of airplanes, they jump obstacles. It’s that same passion.”
Leap of Faith
Besides performing exciting demos at sporting events, the All Veteran Group gives back to the community by organizing programs like Hometown Heroes and Support Combat Injured Troops. Their major campaign this year is raising awareness of the high rate of suicide amongst veterans.
Charles “Big C” Cooley recently retired after 25 years of service and was a member of the Golden Knights along with Mike. “Everybody we’ve ever jumped has come back and told us the story of how that jump made a difference,” he said.
“We’re letting soldiers that were at the tip of the spear go do something a lot of able bodies can’t do: conquer their fear like they did as soldiers on a daily basis.”
Photographer/videographer Timothy Wood lands first so he can film the other members of the All Veteran Group dropping in. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld
The group serves military family members as well. Through a program called Leap of Faith, they help individuals who have lost a son, daughter, husband or wife work through their grief.
Writing down their feelings on a piece of paper, family members jump out of an airplane with a veteran and free fall for 35 seconds. When the parachute opens, they take out their handwritten note and the wind carries it away.
“You’re falling at 120 miles an hour. Now this parachute opens up and it’s so quiet and euphoric,” Mike said. “They reach in and find that thing they can’t deal with and they let it go. Once they’re on the ground they’re different. They’re different people.”
Upholding Tradition
The link between three-day eventing and the military is not lost of the veterans who volunteered at the Heart of the Carolinas.
“We appreciate events that carry on tradition,” said Charles, who cheered on each and every rider who rode past him on the steeplechase track. “Horse riding started as a military style. This gives us the opportunity as vets to come in and be part of that history. It’s just phenomenal.”
Mike promises they’ll be back next year, not just to help out his friend, Brad, but to support the riders who have invested time and effort into their passion, just like Mike and the other members of the All Veteran Group.
Charles “Big C” Cooley. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld
“Magical is the best word I can think of. You don’t get a chance to get out in such isolated areas as beautiful as this property,” said Timothy Wood, a photographer and videographer for the parachute team.
“The friendship and camaraderie I feel here, the sharing from everyone, it’s good for us. To see people so passionate about what they do here, we can relate to it so much.”
It was an honor for the officials and competitors at Southern 8ths to have the All Veteran Group parachute team spend the day with them and to arrive is such an exciting fashion!
“It was a good day,” Brad said. “I’ve very happy and proud that I can call them my friends.”
Please visit the All Veteran Group website and find them on Facebook to learn more about their mission.
Timothy Wood is a patriot for the parachute team and supports them as a videographer and photographer. With over 5,000 jumps in his career, 4,900 of them have been camera jumps. Enjoy this video, captured and edited by Timothy, of the All Veterans Group parachuting in to Southern 8ths Farm on Endurance Day.
Sophie Barnes’ parents made this totally awesome rocking horse costume for her and her pony Barley to wear during a costume contest at a Wilson College Equestrian Center horse show. Made from PVC pipe and lightweight wood, the rocker does not touch the ground so Barley can easily walk around with his rider. Talk about an incredible kid’s pony! Barley and Sophie have also shown as pirates sailing the high seas, and I think this pair has many more great adventures in their future. Thanks to Jessica Bortner-Harris for sharing this sweet photo with us!
Get to know Success Equestrian rider Lillian Heard! Lila Gendal interviewed Lillian following her and Share Option’s 23rd place finish at their second appearance at Rolex Kentucky this year. Find out how the rain and a mistake at the startbox affected their round and how this year’s experience compared to last year. [Interview with Success Equestrian rider Lillian Heard]
Eadweard J. Muybridge is known for his pioneering work in motion pictures using none other than a galloping horse as his subject. Now his iconic images have been celebrated in an “interactive” quilt. Nina Paley designed the quilt and collaborated with Chris Carlson and Theodore Gray to create it. Look at this and tell me it’s not one of the coolest things you’ve ever seen! [Quilt immortalizes Muybridge’s ground-breaking horse photography]
Your horse never leaves the property. Should he still be vaccinated if he and his pasture mates are not exposed to unfamiliar horses? The short answer is yes. Core vaccines protect against diseases picked up by the environment, other animals and insects so are essential for most horses. However, some risk-based vaccines vary based on region and other factors. [Vaccinations for Stay-At-Home Horses]
Tons of spectators showed up at the Horse Park of New Jersey to tailgate and watch the horses go cross country on Saturday. Announcer Brian O’Connor did a great job keeping the crowd pumped up and explaining the ins and outs of the sport. Nancy Jaffer found out more about the development of the park for this story in local news. [Horse park shines during Jersey Fresh Three-Day Event]
The dry-erase board in the restroom at Southern 8ths Farm. Photo via Amanda Miller Atkins Facebook page
Some of us first discovered this sport when the long format was standard, and others got started after the long format disappeared at the international level. I identify with the former, and I have always longed (pun both intended and not) to ride in a traditional three-day event. I haven’t gotten there quite yet, but I did have the opportunity to help run one this weekend at the Heart of the Carolinas Three-Day in South Carolina. It was a profound experience on many levels, and I can say with certainty that I’ve never seen such big smiles from human and equine competitors. Organizer Cindy Deporter posted the following comment from a competitor, who summed it up like this: “From the day we arrived to the day we left we felt like we were part of of one big family and enjoyed the family all weekend. Everyone was friendly and nice and helpful with always a smile. That is what we strive for – a big family that is doing something we all love.”
It’s time to vote for this year’s Rolex Top Dog! We’ve teamed up with World Equestrian Brands to offer this year’s winner a Mattes Gold Half Pad with rear trim. Our finalists are as adorable as ever this year, so get to voting! The poll will close on Monday, May 3 at 5 p.m. EST. [Rolex Top Dog Voting]
We need your help picking the lucky winner of our #TredstepSoloMakeover winner. We received so many wonderful entries that it was hard enough to select our six finalists! Now it’s up to you to choose the winner. Voting closes on Tuesday, May 4 at 5 p.m. EST. [#TredstepSoloMakeover Voting]
Got allergies? The pollen count this spring has been nearly unbearable. Everything is yellow, and no amount of allergy meds seem helpful. But Shetland ponies may contribute to eventual relief thanks to their contribution to scientific research. Their immune response to insect bites is helping scientists understand how people could be prevented from developing allergies. [Shetland pony midge study]
The whole shebang. Kentucky.com asked attendants at the Derby whether they were their for the race or the festivities. The answer was “the whole shebang, baby.” There is quite a lot of history and tradition surrounding the Derby, and it is no secret the infield hosts the party of the year. [What the Derby-goers came for]
Eventing magazine. The June issue of Britain’s Eventing magazine will be the last. Horse and Hound will now produce more eventing content in print and online to substitute. [Britain’s Eventing magazine to cease publication]
Feeding the OTTB. Feeding Thoroughbreds can be tricky, and those fit animals from the track can be particularly high maintenance (sometimes!). What is important is to understand how he was fed during his time on the track, and how his nutritional needs differ once he begins his new life. [The ins and outs of feeding the OTTB]
Monday Video: Ride Phases A through D at Heart of the Carolinas.
After months of focused preparation and an intense five days of competition, we love seeing the horses that put in such valiant efforts at Rolex Kentucky receiving some well deserved R&R. These horses are making the most of their vacation time, and we look forward to seeing them back out later this year, doing what they do best!
Boyd Martin’s four-star first timers Master Frisky and Crackerjack are enjoying some naked turnout time at Windurra in Cochranville, Pennsylvania, after finishing seventh and 25th, respectively.
Obos O’Reilly went double-clear on cross country and finished sixth in his first ever four-star.
Ellen Doughty and Sir Oberon completed their first Rolex and celebrated Ellen’s wedding anniversary all on the same weekend.
Two in the top 15, one a homebred and the other a four-star machine (Shiraz has completed SEVEN four-stars without a single cross country penalty). Colleen must be SO proud.
In today’s installment of #relaxingafterrolex Lillian Heard’s Share Option (right) and his buddy LCC Barnaby enjoy a good roll in the field at home in Maryland.
All three of Phillip’s horses gave him a clear on cross country.
Tom Tierney and Annie Jones’ Fernhill Fugitive enjoys his vacation back home in Pennsylvania at True Prospect Farm after finishing 9th in the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event.
More photos of Jack and Cuba enjoying their vacation at True Prospect Farm in Pennsylvania after the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. It was a beautiful day today!
Kristin Schmolze’s Ballylaffin Bracken chose the past of least resistance- grazing while napping after his third trip to the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event
And I know we’ve been saying it a lot, but we are so thrilled for our rookies this year. Elisa Wallace and Simply Priceless really impressed with their go get ’em round on Saturday.
Someone is happy to be home. So proud of the black dragon. Go Johnny go!!!
Coal Creek and Lizzie jumped clear on their first attempt at a four-star track.
Coal Creek enjoying some sun on his back after a chilly week at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. He’s home in Southern Pines with Lizzie Snow after they successfully completed their first CCI4* together.
FEI President Ingmar De Vos at the 2015 FEI Sports Forum. FEI/Germain Arias-Schreiber
The 2015 FEI Sports Forum took place earlier in the week on April 27-28 in Lausanne, Switzerland, with a number of key topics up for debate. With the future of Olympic equestrian sport hanging in the balance, the logistical dramas of the World Equestrian Games in Normandy and the controversial proposals to overhaul eventing, there was much to discuss.
“We are all here because we care about our sport,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said in his opening address. “We need to be open and honest about the challenges we are facing as a sport, but more than that we need to be proactive and brave enough to consider changes that will address these challenges.”
Lets take a look at some of the key discussion points that took place at the forum over the last two days.
World Equestrian Games
Tim Hadaway, FEI Director of Games and Championships, presented the following statistics to show the sheer size and scope of the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France:
Participation: Normandy was the biggest WEG in the event’s 25-year history, with 74 nations represented, which is 28 percent more than previous years. Over 25,000 individuals including 900-plus athletes, 3,000 volunteers, 1,750 media and 250 officials were accredited and more than 1,000 horses competed at five venues spread across the Normandy region of France.
Attendance: 46,300 hotel nights had been booked through the Organizing Committee and 103,500 meals were served to the accredited population. The event had record ticket sales with almost 575,000 tickets sold.
Media coverage: More than 24,000 media mentions in France, 3,173 hours of global broadcast coverage, a total television audience of 330 million, and 5.5 million views on the FEI YouTube channel during the Games. Social media stats are not provided though the reach was considered successful.
Economic impact: The total budget for the Games was €79.6 million, with an economic impact in Normandy estimated at €190 million and €368 million for France.
Despite the good numbers, however, there were a host of problems that need to be addressed and reviewed before the next Games. Problems from the last Games included faulty IT systems, transport, security, delays in issuing of ministry paperwork on departure of horses, insufficient amenities and services, and cross country day traffic problems. Holding the Games over multiple venues also resulted in complex logistics and increased cost.
The Sports Consultancy (TSC) conducted a strategic review after the Games. Ninety-seven percent of the consultees agreed the Games should remain a pinnacle on the calendar year and 83 percent felt that all eight disciplines should remain in the Games. The following conclusions from the review were highlighted as potential solutions to the existing problems:
Reduction in the size of the competitor field
Reduction in length of the event; nine to 10 days including two weekends was deemed the optimal length. The current format was deemed too long to sustain media and spectator interest.
Re-design of the competition formats and schedule to encourage a more compact foot print
Development and implementation of industry leading sport presentation concepts that deliver to the non-equestrian fan needs.
Stefan Kürten from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) addressed the forum in regards to media and the challenges sports face in public broadcasting:
Challenges include competition between sports events, less airtime for sport on generalist channels, strong fragmentation of the TV market, increasing calendar conflicts and the duration of sport events versus entertainment programs.
Kürten said “ratings are king,” and the key to increased airtime on public television was a high quality television production, telling stories, meeting the broadcasters’ needs, and a requirement for strict timetable discipline and focus.
“We know the World Equestrian Games should be shorter and we absolutely need to control the costs and the number of athletes, so that Organizing Committees can establish a realistic budget. And we know that we need to be very clear on the more detailed requirements,” Ingmar said.
“But one of the most important conclusions from the Forum is that there is a future for the World Equestrian Games and it’s a bright future, as long as we address the issues that have been brought to the table.”
IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell (far right) pictured with the chairmen of FEI Olympic disciplines (from left): Frank Kemperman, Dressage; Giuseppe Della Chiesa, Eventing; and John Madden, Jumping. Photo: FEI/Germain Arias-Schreiber
Olympic Agenda 2020
IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell addressed delegates on Olympic Agenda 2020 and why it is relative to the FEI, which is currently reviewing the formats of its Olympic disciplines.
“The reasons you’re going through this process are similar to the reasons why we’ve gone through the process of Agenda 2020,” Kit said. “We need to embrace change and be a driver of change, not a passenger, and we are moving forward with a completely holistic review of the IOC and the Olympic Movement.”
There are four key elements to Agenda 2020: maximizing engagement of the youth audience; achieving gender equality and promotion of women’s sport; increasing universality; and increasing the popularity and value of the Olympic Games. Ingmar de Vos later stated that the FEI shares these principles and that it is a main reason the FEI and IOC are together at the Forum.
The IOC wants to achieve 50% female participation in the Olympic Games and therefore increase female participation in sports. To achieve this, mixed-gender team events and an equal gender balance is encouraged. While across all sports at the 2012 Olympics, there was 44.4% female participation in London, there were 122 men and 77 women competing in equestrian.
Ingmar later spoke of gender equality in equestrian sports and said it is “one of the key assets of our sport and a value which we are very proud of.”
Ticketing in London was strong, with 98% of tickets sold across three disciplines.
In television broadcast, jumping received the most hours of coverage, but dressage was the most popular discipline online and in print. Ingmar later reiterated that media figures “will be, more than ever before, the parameters on which sports will be evaluated for the future Olympic Programmes.”
Kit stressed that the IOC should embrace traditions and history and make them a strength, citing the unique nature of equestrian sport.
Ingmar discussed two general proposals across the three Olympic disciplines of making a clear differentiation between team and individual competitions and the removing the drop score to “fulfill the universality and excellence elements of Agenda 2020.”
“I want to reiterate that the values of our sport are paramount in all these discussions and it’s not about changing for the sake of change,” Ingmar said. “We have our traditions, our values and our identity, but this does not mean we have to be conservative. It’s about finding the right balance and implementing the right changes without losing the essence of our sport.
“We need to ask ourselves, is equestrian sport too complicated for television viewers and spectators with no equestrian background? Is it global enough? Are competition formats simple to understand and exciting enough to encourage new fans?
“If our ultimate goal is modern horse sport for the modern era, then we need to address all these questions.”
Tim Hadaway, FEI Director of Games and Championships, addressing the FEI Sports Forum 2016 held at the IMD business school in Lausanne. Photo: FEI/Germain Arias-Schreiber
Eventing Proposed Format Changes
“Eventing is not new to change,” said Giuseppe della Chiesa, Chair of the FEI Eventing Committee. “We have already undergone major changes relatively recently to accommodate the Olympic challenges of cost, space and complexity. As with the other Olympic disciplines, we are now proposing new ideas to meet the Agenda 2020 objectives. We need to explore ideas and be prepared to adapt if the time comes that we need to change.”
We learned earlier this month that on the agenda is an examination of eventing and the consideration of proposals put forward by Charles Barnett, former Chief Executive of Ascot Racecourse, who was hired to audit the sport. At the Forum, Barnett detailed the findings from his review as they currently feature in the Olympic Games. His “final research project” reviewing safety aspects of the sport through analysis of both FEI and National competitions will be delivered to the FEI in November.
The positive aspects of the proposals would fit with the International Olympic Committees “core values of universality, excellence and spectator engagement.” These include more country flags for teams and emphasis on the value of Team effort, shorter competitions with more exciting and open results, no extra competition days, improved qualification structure, culminating in the ‘Olympic dream’ being more easily accessible to smaller nations.
The adverse aspects of these proposals means less flags for individuals, increased cost of cross country with courses for two levels, best riders potentially not competing in Team competition, Team members not starting if previous teammates have failed to finish.
Separating the FEI Classics 4* circuit (individuals) from Olympic and Championship circuit (teams) and increasing qualification requirements for participation on the 4* FEI Classics (individual) circuit was also discussed, as was reviewing cross country penalties (disobediences and knocking down flags) and saddlery (cross country bits).
They considered the development of indoor arena eventing and whether eventing how to ensure the sport is easily understood by a mainstream audience.
The Event Rider’s Association and the Australian, British, Dutch, German and Irish Equestrian Federations focused on the strength of the cross country phase for audience impact, the need for consistent 3* or 4* eventing, the team/individual split and the importance of underlining the FEI’s ‘Olympic’ equestrian athletes.
The FEI Eventing Committee said that all points raised during the FEI Sports Forum will be further discussed in Open Forums at the Pan American Games, the Olympic Groups F&G meeting at Boekolo and at the FEI European Eventing Championships at Blair Castle in Scotland.
More from the forum
In addition to the topics outlined above, proposed changes to jumping, dressage and the non-Olympic disciplines of driving, endurance, vaulting and reining was also discussed.
The first FEI Athletes’ Committee meeting since the FEI Athlete Representative elections last year was also held during the Forum. Chair of the FEI Athlete Committee Maria Gretzer said the first session of the committee was a great success and that athlete career management and athlete involvement in FEI Championships and Games will be covered in the next meeting.
During an Extraordinary General Assembly held during the forum, the FEI voted unanimously to modify the organization’s Statutes to allow the FEI President to receive remuneration. The final decision will be made by the FEI Bureau, which will discuss the issue at a meeting in June. Dr. Claude Nordmann of the Swiss National Federation called for a study to be conducted on salaried positions.
The EGA also unanimously approved several proposed changes to the Internal Regulations of the FEI, including the addition of the President to the list of signatories to official documents.
Ingmar de Vos closed the Forum by thanking all the participants and urged everyone, including those who were unable to attend, to continue the debate on the dedicated FEI online platform here.
“The Technical Committees have put forward strong, and sometimes quite provocative proposals, but it’s been done deliberately to make you think,” de Vos said. “The debate that I’ve heard here over the last two days has been very good and there’s been some real out of the box thinking, but nothing has been decided yet. The Sports Forum is a phase in a very transparent decision making process where the ideas of the Committees can be tested against the ideas of our members and our stakeholders.
“The Committees now have a very clear idea of what they have to do on some of the key areas that have been discussed, and they will finalize the proposals before they go out to the National Federations and then to the General Assembly.”
Our friends at The USEF Network have published the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event cross country phase in its entirety, complete with commentary from John Kyle, Karen O’Connor and their guests. Relive the cross country action as it happened!
We are so fortunate to have technology that allows us to watch our favorite competitions, no matter where we are in the world, when we aren’t able to be there in person. For those of you who were lucky enough to be on site at the Kentucky Horse Park to witness one of the best days of cross country we’ve seen in a long time, you can watch your favorite riders negotiate the entire course and see how various complexes rode for everyone.
If you happened to spend your entire Saturday glued to the computer watching the live stream, don’t kid yourself. You know you want to watch it again!
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Mary King and Imperial Cavalier at Badminton. Photo by Jenni Autry.
All horses and riders have been accepted off the Badminton wait list as of this morning, with Mary King and Kings Temptress as the final pair to get in to the event.
That hasn’t happened since the current Badminton wait list system was adopted in 2008 — shout out to H&H eventing editor Pippa Roome for that fun fact. Since the field was smaller this year with 104 entries, as opposed to 141 last year, all entries were largely expected to get in.
Badminton caps entries at 85, with horses and riders being accepted based on FEI points. After Giuseppe della Chiesa’s new cross country course rocked the field in 2014, it wasn’t too surprising to see a small wait list of just 14 this year.
There are eight previous Badminton winners entered in the competition, including 2014 winner Sam Griffiths and his tough mudder mare Paulank Brockagh, as well as 10 horses who have previously won a four-star. Click here to see the full list of entries in drawn order.
British Chef d’Equipe Yogi Breisner said at Rolex last week that Zara Phillips had hoped to re-route High Kingdom to Badminton after scratching from Kentucky at the last minute when the horse cut himself by kicking out in his stall, but the horse has now also been scratched from Badminton.
Next week will be a busy one here on EN, as we’ll be running live coverage from both Badminton and Jersey Fresh, the final U.S. selection trials for the 2015 Pan American Games team. We hope you recover from your Rolex hangover quickly!
Andrew Nicholson and Nereo at WEG. Photo by Jenni Autry.
The trouble between Andrew Nicholson and the New Zealand National Federation (ESNZ) continues. A statement on the ESNZ website last week explained that six-time Olympian Andrew had made demands to ESNZ as a condition of his return to New Zealand High Performance, and ESNZ has refused those demands.
According to the statement, the demands include “not working with some members of the team management and being allowed to operate outside the team as an individual. This is not feasible in a team environment where all the riders must work closely together with team management to get the best results, and consequently this leaves no way to go forward with him in the squad at present.”
While ESNZ says they were less than impressed with Andrew’s behavior at the 2014 World Equestrian Games, where a physical and verbal altercation with the team’s vet took place, “the door remains open” for him to return to High Performance.
“There is no question that Andrew is an outstanding rider, but our role is to look out for the whole team,” said ESNZ Chief Executive Vicki Glynn. “No one member is more important than the whole, no matter who that person is or what their track record is in the sport.”
Andrew had been dissatisfied with his horse Nereo’s treatment after cross country at the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Normandy, when the horse was reportedly left unattended while on a routine IV drip. Andrew withdrew himself from the High Performance squad in October 2014. In December, he went back to ESNZ and said he’d changed his mind.
“If I don’t put myself forward it’s sort of a dead end, isn’t it? I feel like it’s only right that I take that positive attitude because they have been happy to listen to me,” he told the press at the time.
Vicki confirmed in January that they felt Andrew “officially withdrew” in October and could not be considered for the 2015 squad as a result, meaning he will not participate in training sessions this year and he can’t receive his 2015 Performance Enhancement Grant, tax payer funded money awarded to New Zealand’s Olympic medalists.
The Federation had told Andrew that same month that he must agree to good behavior to get back on the squad. Andrew told the NZ Herald, “I’d very much like to [return] but I have got to feel like I’m wanted back in there as well.”
The NZ High Performance squad will be reevaluated in June, and more riders can be added at that time, but if ESNZ and Andrew can’t reach an agreement on “terms,” he may be looking for a new flag to fly.
What do you think of the conditions set by Andrew? Would this be fair to other members of the High Performance squad? Is ESNZ doing the right thing by refusing to accept his demands?
One of my my favorite parts of the whole week at Rolex Kentucky was looking up at the jumbotron in the Rolex Arena moments after Michael Jung had won the event on his first attempt, to see a live clip of the victor making a long distance phone call to share the news, grinning from ear to ear as he struggled to hear the line over the din of the crowd. My other favorite is seeing him absolutely beaming as he looked adoringly upon his new watch and to continue seeking sparkling glimpses of it throughout the awards ceremony. Can you blame him?
As I type this, I’m sitting in the passenger seat on the drive home from an absolutely incredible five days in Kentucky. I feel fortunate to have shared that experience with thousands of other eventing fans, horse lovers and mesmerized spectators. What fun we had!
Badminton is next. Rolex may be over, but the excitement is not, as the second of six four-stars in the world is coming up this very week in England. Cross country course designer Giuseppe Della Chiesa gave the Badminton course a major overhaul. What else is there to know about him? Like how he takes his coffee and his favorite kind of car? [16 Things You Need to Know]
Reign of the rookies. This was the year of the rookie at Rolex Kentucky. Our rookies, which we got to know well in our annual Rolex Rookies series, made us all so proud we could burst. Just making it to a four star is an accomplishment – to finish on your first attempt is a truly incredible feat. Our friends at the Chronicle asked a few of these rookies what it feels like to finish. [What does it feel like to finish your first four-star?]
Brits at Ballindenisk. Keeping one eye across the pond on WFP, Nicola Wilson and the other Brits competing at Rolex, the British team had a successful weekend at the Ballindenisk CICO3* Nations Cup with new stars on the roster. [Weekend of Success for British Riders]
Open letter to the FEI. Earlier this month the FEI released a list of proposals to alter the sport of eventing, from scoring and team competition changes to changing the name to equestrathon. Riders around the world have since been sharing their opinions, and Bruce Haskell of the Event Riders Association has penned an open letter with supporting documents in response to the proposals, which will be discussed at the FEI Sports Forums later this week. [ERA Response Statement to FEI 2015 Sports Forum]
UK Equine Studies celebrate. University of Kentucky Equine Studies students will receive their diplomas in 2 weeks, but their graduation day is a momentous occasion for an additional reason. Ideally situated in the heart of the horse capital of the world, the UK Ag Equine Programs celebrates its 10 year anniversary. [UK Ag Equine Programs Celebrates 10 Years]
Surprise! And for a sweet dose of Rolex-unrelated aww, a guard donkey named Jenny unexpectedly gave birth to a foal at the University of Rhode Island’s Peckham Farm. Those ears! [Jenny the donkey delivers a surprise package]
Monday Video: Here’s a look back at Michael’s brilliant round with Fischerrocana yesterday.
There were times today that it seemed spectators and competitors alike might simply float away, but it was an incredible day of cross country riding with all the excitement and drama we expect at an event of this caliber. Thankfully everyone made it back to the barns safe and sound, as it should be.
No matter what happened out there, we love all these positive shoutouts to the incredible horses that make this all possible and the support teams that stand behind them.
As rookie of the day, there is a whole lot of Elisa Wallace Awesome (that’s a proper noun, folks) circulating social media tonight.
With Boyd Martin’s final salute aboard Master Frisky, the dressage phase at Rolex 2015 came to a close. While a four-star is rarely considered a dressage show, tomorrow’s weather forecast will certainly add to the challenge, as the going will be damp to say the least.
As Jimmy Wofford said during his course walk this afternoon, “skin is watertight,” so kick on!
Ze Terminator and Sam the super horse were as incredible in person as one would have expected. Slight bobble in the halt/reinback, so at least we know they are fallible.
Sam zieht mit Wesko gleich! Sam ging eine sehr schöne Dressur, wobei wir Kleinigkeiten auch noch besser können;)Nun…
These riders have so many people behind them who believe in them and want to help them achieve their dreams. What blessings!
Pure happiness!!! My best friend and owner/enabler is here! Lol…..love you Edy Hunter Rameika!! Thank you Natascha Barrientos for the beautiful picture
The inaugural RK5K raised money for Horses and Hope, the official charity of Rolex 2015.
And they’re off! The inaugural twilight race at the 2015 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event brought more than 600 runners out to the Kentucky Horse Park to enjoy the gorgeous weather and fabulous scenery!
On the first day of dressage at #RK3DE2015, Michael Jung surprised no one with his immaculate performance, our rookies did us proud and the weather proved once again that when we say “dress in layers” at the KHP, we mean it.
We have tons of incredible tests to look forward to on Friday, but let’s look back on the emotions of today and celebrate the successes of the horse and rider combinations that have worked so hard to get here.
