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Leslie Threlkeld

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Saturday Videos: Mustangs in a ‘Hwin’-ter Wonderland

By on Feb 28, 2015 5:00 pm -
Fledge likes being a tall mustang. See him smiling? Photo courtesy Wallace Eventing Fledge likes being a tall mustang. See him smiling? Photo courtesy Wallace Eventing

When an unusual snowstorm in Georgia covered Rock Creek Farm in a blanket of white this weekend, Elisa Wallace and her mustangs (or “Mother Nature’s all-terrain vehicles“) decided to have some fun. Elisa rolled up a couple of giant snowballs in the arena and took Hwin, Fledge and Rune out to play.

First up, Elisa hopped on Hwin, a mare she adopted after the Mustang Magic competition in January. After a cautious inspection, Hwin, who already has some eventing experience under her belt, jumped over the snowballs and practiced flying changes and rollbacks before showing off a couple of new tricks.

Then the ‘twins’ Fledge and Rune had a ball smashing the hunks of snow to bits and vying for Elisa’s attention in a hysterical game of “who has the best trick.” They had Elisa laughing, and us too! Do we see a comedy act in the future for these two?

Find Elisa and her mustangs on Facebook and the Wallace Eventing website.

Equestrian Events Return to Baji Koen for Tokyo Olympics

By on Feb 28, 2015 3:00 pm -

Tokyo_2020

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board approved a change of venue for the Tokyo 2020 equestrian events yesterday, according to an FEI press release. The main equestrian site will now be at Baji Koen, the same facility that hosted the Olympic equestrian events in 1964.

The Organizing Committee had originally set the main equestrian site at Dream Island on Tokyo Bay, but Baji Koen, which is owned by the Japan Racing Authority, is more central to the “Olympic cluster,” and using an existing facility is more cost effective.

Baji Koen will host dressage, jumping and the first and last phases of eventing. Cross country will remain at the original location, Sea Forest, which is also known as Umi no Mori, in Tokyo Bay. This site will be shared with rowing, canoe sprint and mountain biking.

Tokyo Bay's Sea Forest, where eventing cross country will take place. Photo via Tokyo2020.jp

Tokyo Bay’s Sea Forest, where eventing cross country will take place. Photo via Tokyo2020.jp

This change increases the use of pre-existing facilities from 33 percent in Tokyo’s original host bid to 50 percent. This change combined with venue changes for basketball and canoe slalom will save $1 billion USD from the construction budget for the 2020 Games.

This venue change comes less than three months after the Agenda 2020 recommendations were unanimously approved by the IOC in Monaco last December. The FEI approved the venue change last month and it was presented by the Tokyo Organizing Committee to the IOC Executive Board at its recent meeting in Rio as part of the Tokyo 2020 venue master plan.

“We were more than happy to agree to a venue change that helps Tokyo stay in line with the Olympic Agenda 2020 recommendations,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said, “and especially as Baji Koen is a beautiful public park that will make a spectacular venue for the 2020 Olympic equestrian events and keeps our sport right at the heart of the Games.

[Change to Tokyo 2020 Equestrian Venue Approved]

[Tokyo 2020 Official Site]

[Official Website of the Olympic Movement]

David Wilson Keeps Chin Up Despite Indoor Collapse at Flying High Stables

By on Feb 28, 2015 1:30 pm -
The indoor arena collapsed at Flying High Stables in Massachusetts. No horses or people were injured. Photo via Flying High Stables Facebook The indoor arena collapsed at Flying High Stables in Massachusetts. No horses or people were injured. Photo via Flying High Stables Facebook

Boston is likely to surpass the seasonal snowfall record of just over 107 inches this winter, but this is not a record to be celebrated. Although the locals are used to heavy snowfall, more than 100 inches in 30 days has disrupted daily life, especially for horse owners.

In areas of the country where heavy snow is normal during winter, roofs are constructed so that the snow slides off, but because of the extreme cold temperatures and sheer amount of snowfall in a short period of time, the snow is freezing instead of sliding. Manually removing the frozen snow from the roof may help, but it isn’t always enough.

As a result, many buildings have collapsed or become structurally unsound, including barns and indoor arenas. Although the community is rallying to assist one another, the events have been devastating and not without casualties. But, one barn owner is determined to stay positive and keep his business going despite a recent collapse.

On the night of February 21, the indoor at Flying High Stables in Andover, Massachusetts collapsed, trapping three horses in their stalls and endangering four others.

Owner David Wilson discovered the collapse on Sunday morning and told a local news station that he went to check on the horses before calling for help. He gave them hay, checked their water and cleared debris from stalls before he “came to his senses” and left the building.

The view of the collapse from inside the barn. Photo via Flying High Stables Facebook

The view of the collapse from inside the barn. Photo via Flying High Stables Facebook

The local fire department and the Essex County Technical Rescue Team responded to David’s emergency call. The outer walls were braced and holes cut into the stall walls so the horses could walk directly out of the stall and into the sunshine.

Miraculously, no horses or humans were injured in the collapse or subsequent rescue efforts, and David, who was once an engineer, is convinced that even though the structure failed, the way it was built is the reason the horses were not crushed.

Imagine a rectangle cut into thirds. Two of the thirds on the right side of the rectangle was an indoor riding arena, and the third on the left side is a section of stalls. When the structure failed, the far right wall “let go” and dropped to the ground, but the left side where the horses were held up. In fact, the stalls remained in tact even though several stall doors were blocked by debris, which is why some of the horses were trapped.

“The nature of the failure is fairly interesting,” David said. “We think the trusses stayed in tact until they hit the ground under the load of snow. It sounds crazy but the interesting thing is that is possibly what caused our horses to survive without a scratch.”

As with the other recent barn emergencies, the community responded instantly to help, including the people from Gathering Farm, whose iconic indoor collapsed on February 10, and Bobby’s Ranch, who lost a building and two horses last Friday.

“It’s just incredible to me that folks who are probably still in the throes of their own recovery took the time to offer assistance,” David said.

Flying High Stables is an active lesson and boarding facility in Area I, and David is a huge advocate for off-the-track Thoroughbreds. Five OTTBs in his barn were relocated to two other local facilities, and several barns have offered their arenas for David to teach lessons.

Post by Flying High Stables.

The indoor at Flying High Stables has been condemned, and because David leases the property, the decision to rebuild, repair, or walk away is not his to make. But “the sun is coming up during the day,” so David and “The Blue Crew” have set missions for themselves around the farm.

Today, David, his students and their parents are hacking through snow banks to make room for a set of temporary stalls that have been offered to David so the five wayward Thoroughbreds can come home next week. David has also gotten his hands on a large industrial snow blower and is stripping 2.5 feet of snow from the outdoor arena so his students have a place to ride.

“The community has been really extraordinary, and the barn family has stepped up incredibly,” David said. “I’ve been saying all week it’s a bit of a George Bailey experience. You’re down because winter has been hounding you for a while, then something like this happens and you realize there is good out there.”

This was obviously a close call as all horses and humans walked away unscathed. However, the loss of the indoor will have a dramatic effect on the facility’s generation of income, and there is a long way to go before the business returns to normal.

A page has been set up on YouCaring.com. Any and all donations will go directly to horse care expenses including hay, grain, bedding and electricity in the barn.

Flying High Stables YouCaring

Flying High Stables Facebook

Horses Trapped After Andover Barn Collapse

Record Snowfall Wreaking Havoc for Boston Area Eventers

Secrets to Michael Pollard’s Dressage Skills

By on Feb 28, 2015 9:00 am -
Halimey (Askar AA x Hamamelis, Pardon Go). Photo by Leslie Threlkeld Halimey (Askar AA x Hamamelis, Pardon Go). Photo by Leslie Threlkeld

Michael Pollard showed his skills in the sandbox yesterday at the Rocking Horse Winter III Horse Trials, claiming the top two positions in Open Intermediate-B after the first phase. Halimey, a 10-year-old Trakehner stallion, scored a 20.8 for second place after dressage and went on to win the division. Songline, an 11-year-old Trakehner stallion, scored an incredible 18.3 for first place after dressage and ultimately finished third in the division.

Those are some impressive numbers, and Michael consistently scores in the 20s at this level. How does he do it?

At the conclusion of the USEA Young Horse Symposium in Ocala, Florida last week, Michael invited the attendees back to Pollard Eventing to meet some of the Chatsworth Stud stallions in person and watch them work. An eager group that took him up on his offer were treated to a mini dressage clinic.

Michael rode Halimey, Rusticus and Songline, all of which are Trakehner stallions that are fairly different in type. Halimey and Songline are successfully competing at the upper levels while Rusticus is a 4-year-old that is working on the basics.

For all three horses, Michael focused on maintaining control of the hind leg and riding that balance and energy forward into the bridle. He used the corners to help him reinforce that control and set the horse up for whatever movement came next, be it lateral work or a lengthening.

Songline II (Summertime x Schwalbenspiel, Exclusiv)

Songline II (Summertime x Schwalbenspiel, Exclusiv). Photo by Leslie Threlkeld

On a day that the horses do only flatwork, Michael said he pretty much always works them in a standard dressage ring, which they keep set up in the large schooling arena at least three days a week. He does this so the horse is used to working within that space and isn’t surprised by how quickly the boards come up when it gets to a competition.

Even though he works the horses in the full dressage ring, however, he doesn’t practice the test movements every day. Instead he focuses on the horse’s response to the aids as well as strength and suppleness.

Michael worked with Halimey, who had just completed his first Advanced horse trials the week before, on being soft and supple. He asked him to flex his neck and bend in his body at all three gaits as he quietly worked on transitions and lateral work.

If there is a show on the weekend, Michael said he likes to practice the test movements on Tuesday, jump on Wednesday and have a day like this where they work on being soft and supple on Thursday.

Songline, however, who is owned by Gustav Schickedanz, is naturally quite supple with tons of suspension and cadence. Michael started off working him in more of a collected frame to find his balance and strength, working once again from the hindquarters forward into the bridle.

Rusticus (Favoritas x Rispe IV, Bartholdy)

Rusticus (Favoritas x Rispe IV, Bartholdy). Photo by Leslie Threlkeld

Michael worked Rusticus, owned by Christine Turner, in a longer, lower frame than the other more experienced stallions. As this young horse gets stronger, his balance in the transitions will improve, but at this stage Michael is more concerned about the horse’s response to the seat and leg aids.

In the canter transitions, especially, Michael said that people get caught up in having the horse take a canter step in the first stride. Michael would rather the horse go forward and keep pushing through the contact, even if they take several steps of trot before they finally canter, rather than throw their heads up above the bridle and invert their bodies to take an unbalanced canter step in the first stride.

In the downward transition from canter to trot, Michael leg yields almost immediately so the horse finds a cadence instead of falling onto the forehand. So even though he works a young horse like Rusticus in a lower frame, they are still soft and pushing from behind, which helps them build strength.

This is, of course, just a small piece of the puzzle in Michael’s dressage training. However, this type of work is the basis for dressage training at any level.

Thanks for the tutorial Michael! And as breeding season fast approaches, be sure you check out the stallions at Chatsworth Stud.

Tuesday Video from SpectraVet: Liz Halliday-Sharp’s Pine Top Helmet Cam

By on Feb 24, 2015 3:00 pm -
Fernhill By Night and Elisabeth Halliday-Sharp. Photo by ED/Hoofclix.com Fernhill By Night and Elisabeth Halliday-Sharp. Photo by ED/Hoofclix.com

Liz Halliday-Sharp had a great weekend at the Pine Top Advanced Horse Trials, winning Advanced Test A with Fernhill By Night and coming second in Advanced Test B with HHS Cooley.

With a fourth-place finish at the Wellington Eventing Showcase, a win at the Ocala Horse Properties Winter II Advanced combined Test and her success at Pine Top, she’s off to a great start in her first season competing in the States since 1999.

“I feel very lucky to have these super horses in my barn, and I’m definitely excited for the future,” Liz wrote on her Facebook page. “Just have to keep working hard and heading the right way!”
We’ve seen plenty of photos, videos and slow motion action of Derek di Grazia’s new course, and here we have Liz’s winning ride from between “Blackie’s” ears. The 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding made quick work of the course, adding just a couple time penalties to his leading dressage score. Fighting for his head at the final water complex, he looked like he was ready for round 2!

Post by Liz Halliday.

Why SpectraVET?

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Who Jumped It Best? Pine Top Advanced Edition

By on Feb 24, 2015 11:00 am -
Caitlin Silliman and Catch a Star. Photo by ED/Hoofclix.com Caitlin Silliman and Catch a Star. Photo by ED/Hoofclix.com

The “Hammock” had been sitting on course taunting us all during the first horse trials of the year at Pine Top. Spectators found good use for it as an elevated viewing area, but we anxiously awaited the day it would be jumped in competition.

Beautifully constructed by course builder Rob Mobley and accented with sweet flowers, the Hammock appeared on the Advanced course this past weekend as fence 17.

Eileen Dimond, who has been a photographer for Hoofclix.com since 2007, was stationed at this fence and took the lovely photos featured in this edition of “Who Jumped It Best.”

“It is such a beautiful jump and yet appears so massive from the ground,” Eileen said. “But despite the size, all the horses and riders appeared to relish it. Everyone just attacked it and jumped it beautifully.”

Which makes your job of deciding who jumped it best all the more difficult. It was tough enough choosing a handful of photos to present to you here, so put on your George Morris hats and get to it. Good luck!

Caitlin Silliman and Catch a Star. Photo by ED/Hoofclix.com

Caitlin Silliman and Catch a Star. Photo by ED/Hoofclix.com

Karl Slezak and Yoshi. Photo by ED/Hoofclix.com

Karl Slezak and Yoshi. Photo by ED/Hoofclix.com

Kate Chadderton and Collection Pass. Photo by ED/Hoofclix.com

Kate Chadderton and Collection Pass. Photo by ED/Hoofclix.com

Ariel Grald and LBF O'Leagh's Image. Photo by ED/Hoofclix.com

Ariel Grald and LBF O’Leagh’s Image. Photo by ED/Hoofclix.com

Covert Rights and Colleen Rutledge. Photo by ED/Hoofclix.com

Colleen Rutledge and Covert Rights. Photo by ED/Hoofclix.com

Fernhill By Night and Elisabeth Halliday-Sharp. Photo by ED/Hoofclix.com

Elisabeth Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night. Photo by ED/Hoofclix.com

Jessica Bortner-Harris and Win the War. Photo by ED/Hoofclix.com

Jessica Bortner-Harris and Win the War. Photo by ED/Hoofclix.com

Lizzie Snow and Coal Creek. Photo by ED/Hoofclix.com

Lizzie Snow and Coal Creek. Photo by ED/Hoofclix.com

Sincerest thanks to Hoofclix for providing photos for all our Pine Top coverage! Be sure you go check out more great pictures from Hoofclix by clicking here.

Monday News and Notes from Success Equestrian

By on Feb 22, 2015 11:04 pm -
Boyd Martin just couldn't resist playing to the camera on his last of several Intermediate rides on Sunday at Pine Top. Pictured is Boyd and Master Frisky, who finished second in Intermediate-1. Photo by LT/Hoofclix.com Boyd Martin just couldn't resist playing to the camera on his last of several Intermediate rides on Sunday at Pine Top. Pictured is Boyd and Master Frisky, who finished second in Intermediate-1. Photo by LT/Hoofclix.com

Pine Top holds a special place in my heart. It was the second event I ever did when I was 12 years old, and the Wilsons has always been good to me. This weekend we definitely ran the gamut of weather conditions: freezing cold Friday, sunny but windy Saturday and on Sunday it just rained all. day. long. Yet thanks to the great staff and invaluable volunteers, the event ran smoothly. The footing was spectacular and both the show jumping and cross-country courses were simply gorgeous. See you there again in three weeks!

Weekend Results:

Pine Top Advanced CIC and HT: Website, Final Scores, EN’s Coverage, @eventingnation

Monday News and Notes:

The Sporting Days’ Splendid Night is a fundraiser to benefit the Aiken Equine Rescue and Young Riders program. It will take place from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Tod’s Hill on Friday, Feb. 27, kicking off the Sporting Days Horse Trials in style. The fundraiser will feature cocktails, music and heavy hors d’oeuvres to set you up for an exciting raffle. Come as you are from the course walk!

Sporting Days is hosting a “Cross Border Young Rider Team Challenge” at the February 28-March 1 Event. Open to all riders 21 and under, and FREE to enter. Extra prizes and lots of fun! Please contact Chris Donovan at [email protected] with your team or to be put on a team.

Barns have been evacuated as heavy snow has been wreaking havoc on Boston area eventers. According to an article by Horsetalk, Massachusetts alone has reported more than 100 full or partial roof collapses. Unfortunately, one of these led to the death of two horses.  [Two horses killed in barn collapse]

Will Connell has been adjusting to the American way of eventing the last several months as USEF’s new Director of Sport. One thing he has noticed at that the many equestrian sports and organizations don’t all seem to be “pulling in the same direction.” He aims to change that. [New USEF sport director wants equestrians to pull together]

A study reveals genetic differences in racing versus cutting horses. I find this article interesting because our Quarter Horse was bred to be a cutting horse but grew too big. He found great success, however, as an eventer, children’s hunter and now is now the perfect foxhunter. Of course, I think he’s perfect, but what sort of science sets these “sub-breeds” apart? [Genetic Differences in Racing, Cutting Quarter Horses]

Liz Halliday-Sharp has availability at Horsepower Equestrian in northwest Ocala for training, lessons and more! The state-of-the-art facility has top class stabling, a purpose built dressage arena with mirrors, a large jumping arena and a grass arena. There is also a six-horse walker, multiple fields and more than 100 acres for riding. Contact Liz at 858-504-1151 or [email protected].

Monday Video: Congratulations to Abby Hamblin and Silver Flash for completing their first Advanced this weekend at Pine Top!

Martin, Halliday-Sharp On Point at Pine Top Advanced

By on Feb 21, 2015 10:18 pm -
HHS Cooley and Elisabeth Halliday-Sharp. Photo by Hoofclix.com HHS Cooley and Elisabeth Halliday-Sharp. Photo by Hoofclix.com

The Advanced divisions concluded today at Pine Top Horse Trials in Thomson, Georgia (with much improved weather!). Advanced Test A show jumped yesterday and did cross country today, while Advanced Test B tackled both jumping courses today.

Derek di Grazia’s new Advanced track reportedly rode quite well, with just a handful of problems scattered around the course. Time is typically a big factor at Pine Top, and this event was no exception. Andrew McConnon and Rachel Jurgen’s Ziggy were the only pair out of 60 Advanced starters to make the time, however several came very close.

Elisabeth Halliday-Sharp, a California native who recently relocated from her base in England to Florida for the winter months, made easy work of the course on both of her Advanced rides. In fact, they both went clear and both crossed the finish line 6 seconds over the optimum time of 6 minutes and 16 seconds.

Fernhill By Night, owned by her mother Deborah Halliday, started off leading the Advanced Test A division yesterday with a dressage score of 24.1. A single show jumping time penalty left them with a few seconds to spare on cross country today, and they maintained their lead with 2.4 time.

Screen Shot 2015-02-21 at 9.47.02 PM

HHS Cooley, also owned by Deborah, was sixth after show jumping in Advanced Test B, but his clear and fast round moved him up to second place.

Colleen Rutledge and Covert Rights were second behind Elisabeth and “Blackie” after the first two phases in Advanced Test A, and with the fastest round of the division and just 1.2 time penalties to add, they maintained their position on the leaderboard.

Colleen also jumped clear around the Advanced track with Escot 6, who was doing his first Advanced, and the very experienced Shiraz, who was said to be “a little more than excited to be out on cross country” on Colleen’s Facebook page.

Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Cubalawn, owned by Tom Tierney and Simon Roosevelt, moved up from fifth to third with 2.4 time. Boyd Martin rounds out the top five with Steady Eddie in fourth and Pancho Villo in fifth.

Kurt Martin and the lovely Anna Bella were eighth after dressage in Advanced Test B, but a double-clear round in show jumping this morning moved them up to fourth. Three extra seconds on the clock across the country gave them the win.

Similarly, Julie Richards and Sher Schwartz’s mare Beaulieu’s Cayenne started off in 12th, but posting one of a handful of clear show jumping rounds moved them within striking distance in 7th place. A few time penalties moved them up further to finish third.

Overnight leaders Michael Pollard and Ballingowan Pizazz were a few seconds too slow on cross country, though he said the course rode well. 9.2 time penalties tied them with Julie on a final score of 37.4. However, Julie and Cayenne were 16 seconds closer to the optimum time to take the tiebreaker.

Screen Shot 2015-02-21 at 9.48.25 PM

Virginia Wilson was capturing some spectacular slow motion footage of today’s cross country and posting it on the Pine Top Eventing Facebook page, so be sure to check that out. And the Horse Pesterer is uploading footage from today to a large Pine Top playlist on YouTube.

Post by Pine Top Eventing.

We appreciate Mark Lehner of Hoofclix sharing his photos with us this weekend, so check out the gallery below and see more at Hoofclix.com.

Intermediate, Preliminary and Training level competitors get underway with their final phases of competition at 9:00 Sunday morning. Go Pine Top!

Pine Top Advanced CIC and HT: Website, Entry Status, Ride Times, Live Scores, @eventingnation

Pine Top Advanced Cross-Country Course Walk

By on Feb 21, 2015 9:00 am -
3 - Trakehner 3 - Trakehner

Advanced competitors will tackle Derek di Grazia’s highly anticipated new course today at the Pine Top Advanced Horse Trials in Thomson, Georgia.

There is a lot going on in this 6 minute, 16 second course, with 20 numbered jumps and 34 efforts. There are two back-to-back AB combinations at the beginning of the course, and then an ABC combination at nearly every other numbered jump until the end. It looks busy, but there is still plenty of room to gallop.

The Advanced Test B division will finish up show jumping at 9 a.m. this morning, and the Advanced cross country will get under way at 1 p.m.

Enjoy this virtual walk around the Advanced course, which is beautifully constructed by course builder Rob Mobley from pine trees felled right on Pine Top Farm.

Pine Top Advanced CIC and HT: Website, Entry Status, Ride Times, Live Scores, @eventingnation

Marilyn Little, Will Faudree CIC Winners at Pine Top Farm

By on Feb 20, 2015 8:30 pm -
Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous. Photo by Hoofclix.com Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous. Photo by Hoofclix.com

So, how many jokes can we make about today’s weather conditions at Pine Ice Top Farm? It was quickly dubbed the North American Eventing Figure Skating Championships. What about brrr-ssage and cross-ice jumping?

Okay, so clearly comedy is not my strong suit. But, yeah, it was cold at the Pine Top Advanced Horse Trials today. The overnight temperatures dipped into the low teens, and by this morning, the water jumps were frozen over enough that early morning course walkers were able to walk out on to the ice without it breaking.

Initially, the CIC*, CIC2* and two Advanced divisions were supposed to run as a one-day competition, but as the weather forecasts showed increasingly cold temperatures for Thursday night and Friday morning, the Wilsons and Pine Top officials had mercy and chose to adjust the schedule, moving the start time for dressage back to 10 a.m.

It was still in the mid to low-20s when the competition got underway this morning, however, and there were many red faces entering the ring. Several riders let out an exacerbated “whew!” upon completing their test or shook their hands to return feeling to their fingers.

Lesley Grant-Law and What Law. Photo by LT/Hoofclix.com

Lesley Grant-Law and What Law. Photo by LT/Hoofclix.com

The Pine Top crew worked tirelessly to clear the water jumps of the chunks of ice before the start of cross country at 12:20 p.m.. They pumped “warm” water from the pond on the far side of the property and used a tractor to clear the ice. Around 11:15 a.m., Technical Delegate Cindy dePorter said it was “100 percent better,” but not quite good enough. The jumping phases were delayed another 40 minutes to make sure the water jumps were safe for the horses to gallop through.

Course builder Rob Mobley also drove his gator through the Advanced pond several times each hour so that competitors had an easier time walking their course for tomorrow.

We joked that today would not be the day to fall off in the water jump, and all riders had crossed the finish line dry. Then it happened. Marilyn Little, the second to last on course with RF West Indie, was unseated at a corner in the middle of the final water complex. She tried desperately to cling to the mare’s neck, but ended up completely submerged in the freezing water just a couple feet from shore.

We heard the call over the loudspeaker and through the jump judges’ radios. You could hear a collective, sympathetic clattering of teeth from the entire show grounds. Though understandably shocked, Marilyn was thankfully uninjured in the fall.

However, holding three of the top four spots after dressage and ultimately winning the CIC2* division with RF Scandalous must make up for the icy bath. RF Scandalous, an Oldenburg mare owned by Raylyn Farms and Phoebe and Michael Manders, put down a stunning test to lead the division of 31 starters after dressage. They also produced one of six double-clear show jumping rounds before adding just 3.2 time penalties on cross country to secure the win.

Marilyn’s third ride, RF Overdressed, wasn’t particularly interested in jumping today, and having incurred 16 penalties in show jumping, Marilyn went ahead and retired after their first refusal on cross country.

Michael Pollard and Tsetserleg. Photo by ED/Hoofclix.com

Michael Pollard and Tsetserleg. Photo by ED/Hoofclix.com

Lesley Grant-Law and What Law kept the pressure on Marilyn all day, earning the third best score from the dressage judges with a 43.1. One rail and 6 cross country time penalties awarded them second place in the two-star. Not far behind them was Michael Pollard with Tsetserleg, a Trakehner gelding owned by Christine Turner. They also had one rail and 4.4 time penalties.

The two-star was a legitimate test, with rails flying all over the place in show jumping, and two other falls on cross country besides Marilyn. Three riders withdrew before show jumping and another two withdrew before the start of cross country. There were also plenty of time penalties, which is generally expected at Pine Top, but both Ian Roberts with Faolan and Nilson da Silva and Muggle jumped double-clear across the country.

In the CIC*, the leaderboard shifted significantly across all three phases. Peter Barry and Long Island T led on a score of 40.4 after dressage and show jumping, but received a frustrating technical elimination after jumping the wrong B element at fence 15.

Will Faudree and Jennifer Mosing’s Socialite were fifth after dressage with a score of 47 and maintained their position after one rail in show jumping. They produced a lovely cross-country round, crossing the finish clear and 8 seconds inside the time to move up and win the division by more than 13 points.

Will Faudree and Socialite. Photo by LT/Hoofclix.com

Will Faudree and Socialite. Photo by LT/Hoofclix.com

Second place went to Susie Beale and Celtic Heritage, owned by Lesley Collins. They were ninth after show jumping but moved up with a clear, fast cross-country round. Kirsten Buffamoyer and Jim steadily climbed the leaderboard from 15th place after dressage, to 10th after a double-clear show jumping round, to ultimately finish third with just a handful of time penalties to add.

The most influential fence on the one-star course was the Ditch and Wall at 14, which appeared on the Intermediate course at the event two weeks ago. Three riders had problems at this fence, leading to one fall and an elimination due to refusals. It is also where Sara Beth Anton and Blitz Volo, who were second after the first two phases, picked up their second refusal on course and retired.

As mentioned, the new schedule moved the two Advanced divisions to run over two days rather than one. Both divisions did dressage today, but only Advanced Test A show jumped. Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night, who had originally been entered in the CIC2*, are the overnight leaders in that division.

Having recently scored a 19.5 in the Advanced combined test at Ocala Horse Properties Winter II Horse Trials, it’s no surprise they put in a good test this weekend as well. A 24.1 put them in the lead over 16 other competitors. The pair incurred 1 time penalty on show jumping and will carry a 25.1 score forward to tomorrow’s cross country.

Susie Beale and Celtic Heritage. Photo by LT/Hoofclix.com

Susie Beale and Celtic Heritage. Photo by LT/Hoofclix.com

Colleen Rutledge and Covert Rights are close behind in second, having added no show jumping penalties to their dressage score of 29.5. Boyd Martin holds three of the next four positions: 3rd with Steady Eddie, 4th with Pancho Villa and 6th with Crackerjack. Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Cubalawn, winners of the Open Intermediate-1 division at Pine Top two weeks ago, are fifth after the first two phases.

The Advanced Test B division looks a bit odd on the live scores at the moment, and that’s because only a few riders show jumped in order to accommodate other ride times on Saturday. However, Michael Pollard and Ballingowan Pizazz received the top dressage score (28.2) and appear to be the overnight leaders.

Advanced Test B is a large division with 31 starters, and the dressage scores are tightly packed, so every second on cross country will count tomorrow.

Kirsten Buffamoyer and Jim. Photo by ED/Hoofclix.com

Kirsten Buffamoyer and Jim. Photo by ED/Hoofclix.com

It was a great day of competition, and honestly, the weather could have been worse. Even though the air was brisk, the sun was shining. It could have been that cold and raining (or snowing) or cloudy and windy. Thankfully we’re looking at much improved conditions tomorrow.

Thank you to the entire Pine Top Farm crew for taking such care to ensure the best possible conditions for competitors today and upholding the high quality of standards we’ve come to expect from this event.

The Advanced Test B show jumping gets underway at 9 a.m. Intermediate will kick off the cross country and Advanced will take to Derek di Grazia’s new course at 1 p.m. Stay tuned for a walk around the Advanced course and check back tomorrow for additional reports.

Pine Top Advanced CIC and HT: Website, Entry Status, Ride Times, Live Scores, @eventingnation

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Roundtable Discussion: Developing the Young and Future Event Horse Programs

By on Feb 19, 2015 11:00 am -
San City, owned by Linda Crabtree and ridden by Katie Bryant, competing in a YEH competition at Cedar Ridge Farm as a 5-year-old. He has since competed through Intermediate. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld. San City, owned by Linda Crabtree and ridden by Katie Bryant, competing in a YEH competition at Cedar Ridge Farm as a 5-year-old. He has since competed through Intermediate. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

The three-day USEA Evaluation of a Young Event Horse Prospect Symposium in Ocala wrapped up yesterday with a classroom session. Tim Holekamp discussed photography and videography and how to both capture and analyze media for sale horses, and Maren Engelhardt discussed pedigrees and how to determine how much “blood” is in a horse. The USEA posted notes from these two topics on their website.

The session concluded with a roundtable discussion about the development of the Future Event Horse and Young Event Horse programs. The programs have come a long way in the last 10 years, and the FEH/YEH committees were open to discussion on how to continue to improve them. Here are a few highlights.

Gallop section

One member of the audience stated that every year the gallop section seems to change and that riders don’t actually understand what they’re supposed to do. She said the previous day’s live gallop demo was helpful and confirmed that the judges are not only looking for quality of the gallop, but also a willing response when queued by the rider and easy acceleration. She also felt that especially for the 4-year-olds, galloping up a gentle hill is safest and gives the riders more confidence.

Marilyn Payne, chair of the Young Event Horse Committee, said they have determined the judges need to see the gallop on both leads, so yes, a gentle slope is ideal. The judges request a minimum of 100 meters for the gallop section, but more is even better. The committee is discussing developing a video showing the gallops of several types of horses and making that video available for educational purposes.

USEF rules

Another audience member asked about the possibility of running the YEH competitions under USEF rules so that there would be a technical delegate overseeing everything, as well the chance for horses to be drug tested.

USEA CEO Jo Whitehouse stated that the YEH competitions are run under USEF rules in that they are considered a test and can be run in conjunction with a horse trials. She said that if they were to be put back under the umbrella of the USEF completely, then any time the USEA wanted to make changes or adjustments to the program, they would have to comply to the two-year rule change cycle. The way it stands now, changes can be made under USEA policy and not USEF rules.

Having the ability to make adjustments to the program under USEA policy is faster and more flexible, which is crucial during these early years of the program while it is still being fine-tuned. But considering the generous Holekamp/Turner Grant is on the line for 5-year-olds, the committee members did not disagree with the idea of implementing drug testing. Karen O’Connor suggested drug testing only the top three finishers at the YEH Championships on each coast.

“Clearly as we’re developing the programs, these concerns will have to get addressed,” said Robin Walker, a Future Event Horse Committee member. “If these concerns are being presented by people actively involved, it’s our responsibility to address them.”

Standalone events

Marilyn pointed out that some venues are not holding YEH competitions or are dropping them because of cost and a lack of entries. She said holding a standalone YEH event is not only allowed but completely feasible. An article was published in Issue 10 of Eventing USA last year highlighting several organizers that have standalone YEH events and how they are able to combine them with other activities like combined tests or dressage shows to make them well attended and even profitable.

“We’re trying to encourage more people to have them so horses don’t have to travel so far to a qualifier,” Marilyn said.

Free jumping

Free jumping will be added to the 3-year-old division of the FEH Championships, and there has been some concern about finding access to an indoor ring and a jump chute in order to practice.

Susan Graham-White, chair of the Future Event Horse Committee, said if owners don’t have the facilities or are in an area that does not have a lot of indoors, people are going to have to seek out professionals in the region who can help. “It’s the reality of the situation. The horse will have to be prepared,” she said.

Susan suggested contacting breed associations and finding out where they hold inspections in your area, as those locations are almost guaranteed to have a set up for free jumping. However, Susan pointed out that the East Coast FEH Championships will have a schooling day the day before so that owners can bring their 3-year-olds to familiarize them with the facility and practice going through the jump chute.

Marketability

Susan said that even if you don’t have a horse that has potential to go to the four-star level but would make a great amateur or junior horse, getting the horse out to YEH/FEH competitions is still a good way to not only get experience for the horse but also to get your name out there as a breeder. She also said that the committee is encouraging all event organizers to show as many details as possible for each horse, including breeder and bloodlines, in event programs.

Young horse pipeline

Robin said he wished someone had been recording during David O’Connor’s discussion about the upward pathway from young horse to team horse so that everyone could hear what he had to say.

“We need to make sure they get into the right hands,” Robin said. “Pressure from you guys as breeders to come through and develop that would be well received by me. We need to be producers as well as competitors.”

Many of the horses that do well in the FEH and YEH competitions will probably make it to the upper levels, but how long they stay there will be “determined by who is riding them and how well they are cared for,” Robin said.

“It’s not a comfortable discussion, but we need to have it. I’ve never met a horse that didn’t need to be taken care of, either mentally or physically, at some point.”

What are your thoughts, EN? What would you like to see in the development of the YEH and FEH programs?

FEH/YEH Links: [Symposium Schedule] [USEA Young Horses Series] [EN’s Coverage]

USEA Young Event Horse Symposium: What Makes a Good Gallop?

By on Feb 17, 2015 6:47 pm -
Ashley Kehoe and Louie, bred by Michael and Nathalie Pollard. Ashley Kehoe and Louie, bred by Michael and Nathalie Pollard.

The afternoon sessions at the USEA’s Young Horse Symposium in Ocala consisted of mounted sessions with several 4- and 5-year-olds at various stages in their training.

During the morning classroom sessions, Tim Holekamp had been watching the weather forecast like a hawk and ultimately declared that while it would be raining, there would be no severe thunderstorms.

When he asked if everyone was alright with a little wet weather and would they still want to do the outdoor sessions or stay inside and watch more videos, everyone agreed they could handle a little rain.

What started as a drizzle turned into steady sideways rain, so kudos to all the spectators who stuck it out and the riders and horses who graciously participated anyway (then again, we’re all eventers, so what would you expect?)

Earlier in the day, the class discussed what makes a good gallop. Neuroanatomist, geneticist and fourth generation equine breeder Maren Engelhardt says a good gallop can’t be determined on the flat alone.

To get the big picture, you have to watch a horse gallop between jumps and examine the pace before, during and after fences.

Lisa Barry and Rosie's Little Miss Liberty.

Lisa Barry and Rosie’s Little Miss Liberty. This is a two-star horse, a good comparison to the young horses in the group.

What makes a good gallop?

  • Effortless ground cover
  • Rhythm and balance, with no wasted energy
  • Adjustability of stride, rhythm and balance in front of jumps
  • Quick readjustment of stride length, rhythm and balance after jumps
  • Endurance
  • Elasticity
  • A stride length relative to the horse

It was fun to watch video clips of horses that competed at the Bundeschampionat, judging their gallop and jump without knowing their identities before finding out who they are, the scores and comments from the judges and what became of their eventing careers.

It was interesting to hear the different comments throughout the room and what priorities people put on certain aspects of a horse’s movement and jump. What was for certain was watching and judging these horses was harder than you might think!

Michael Pollard and Rusticus, a 4-year-old Trakehner stallion:
Post by United States Eventing Association, Inc. (USEA).

So then we took what we learned about the gallop in the classroom to the cross-country at Longwood Farm South. We watched a number of horses jump small courses, and Leslie Law stopped by for a few minutes to critique some horses gallop.

He loved the way one off-the-track Thoroughbred moved forward effortlessly when his rider put her leg on. He liked the horses that were low to the ground as they galloped on and moved easily with good rhythm.

He wasn’t as keen on a horse that puts it’s ears back and hollowed a bit when asked to go forward. His favorite galloping horse was Ready or Not (Jumbo x Blaze O’ War), a gray Irish Sport Horse ridden by Sharon White.

Leslie said you can’t always judge a gallop from the ground. Often he likes to be able to get on and feel the gallop and the horse’s power before making a decision. He also said that “the more Thoroughbred you buy, the more chance you have of it going the distance,” or still having gas in the tank at 12 minutes.

Gymnastics

There has been some discussion about adding gymnastics to the Young Event Horse Championships. Though a final decision hasn’t been made, Marilyn Payne said that gymnastics would level the playing field and set the horses up for success. It takes out the necessity for the rider to put the horse to a good distance and allows for larger jumps to show more scope.

Due to the rain, the ground was fairly squishy where the grid was set up, so the fences were kept low and the session short.

What do you think about the potential addition of gymnastics to the YEH Championships?

FEH/YEH Links: [Symposium Schedule] [USEA Young Horses Series]

From Young Horse to Team Horse with David O’Connor

By on Feb 17, 2015 1:00 pm -
Will Faudree, Pawlow and David O'Connor. Photo by Jenni Autry. Will Faudree, Pawlow and David O'Connor. Photo by Jenni Autry.

David O’Connor, who is in Ocala for High Performance Training Sessions, stopped by the USEA’s Young Horse Symposium this morning to discuss the upward pathway for young horses in eventing.

He started by talking about breeding and feels that the U.S. is not out of reach of being on the level of the rest of the world.

“Someone is breeding these horses, right? Because we’re all going off and buying them around the world. Why not us?” David said.

With today’s veterinary technology, between frozen semen availability and embryo transfers, breeders have great advantages. But with those advantages comes responsibility in regards to horsemanship.

With the mares, is is important that she isn’t under tremendous stress when you’re taking embryos from her. In Mrs. Jacqueline Mars breeding program, mares preparing for embryo transfer first get 30 quiet days of easy work.

The other responsibility for breeders as horsemen is the study of the stallion. David stresses research into the personality that a stallion tends to produce and said that jumpers pay particular attention to this.

David used the famous Irish stallion Cruising as an example. While he and his offspring have been very successful, they tend to be difficult as young horses.

“When somebody presses that young horse in the wrong way at the wrong time, I can guarantee you would never see it again,” David said. “With patience, understanding, and horsemanship, that horse comes into its own as a 7- or 8-year-old.”

Mr. Medicott, who has been to the World Equestrian Games with both Frank Ostholt (GER) and Karen O’Connor (USA), is by Cruising. “He was a very difficult young horse and he still has one of the biggest personalities of any horse I’ve ever known. He knows exactly who he is… and is pleased.”

That being said, a big personality like Mr. Medicott’s can work for you in four-star competition, “if you can get them there.”

Gaits and Galloping

“From a trainer’s point of view, you can improve the trot by 40%, you can improve the canter by under 10%,” David said. “Their quality and rhythm, pure rhythm, of the paces is really important.

“Look at the top horses in the world, the rhythm is pure. 4-beat walks, 3-beat canters. Not the other way around.”

Of course, the utmost importance for an event horse is the ability to run, and David is a big believer in the Thoroughbred side of the equation. Ten years ago when the sport was changing, that feeling flipped for much of the world, but the Thoroughbred is back as a high priority, he said.

“I’m telling you now, at the four-star level the fitness is the same, the requirements for horses is the same. The difference is the horses recover faster.”

A Training Scale for Young Horses

When David became the U.S. coach, he said he put the training scale on the board, and many of the country’s top riders didn’t recognize it. “I went nuts! This is what you’re getting judged on.”

The training scale is not new information, David said, and it must be addressed, especially with young horses.

For young horses, acceptance of the aids (contact) is more important than putting them in a frame. “It’s either something you have to recover from, or something you can build on.”

Breeding a great horse is the starting point, but getting them into the hands of people who can produce them is critical to their career success.

“As good horses as you think you have, get them into the hands where they can be produced,” David said.

Create relationships with riders that you feel can produce the horses well, and that’s not necessarily the most famous rider. You want riders that are “along the way of pure training.”

“Be as careful about picking riders as you are about picking stallions,” David said. “Don’t underestimate the quality of their knowledge and patience. Can they create a horse that understands, likes it and has the ability to compete?”

FEH/YEH Links: [Symposium Schedule] [USEA Young Horses Series]

Horses and Hope Named Official Charity of Rolex Kentucky

By on Feb 17, 2015 11:00 am -
Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear speaks at a Horses and Hope event at Churchill Downs. Photo courtesy of Horses and Hope. Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear speaks at a Horses and Hope event at Churchill Downs. Photo courtesy of Horses and Hope.

Equestrian Events Inc., producer of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, has named Horses and Hope the official charity of the 2015 competition. All proceeds will go towards a new mobile screening van equipped to screen for seven types of cancer in both men and women — cervical, colon, lung, breast, prostate, skin and head/neck.

“We are so grateful to be named the official charity of the 2015 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. Horses and Hope is focused on increasing breast cancer awareness and educating Kentuckians and at-risk populations about the importance of prevention, screening and early detection,” Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear said in a statement.

“Our partnership with Rolex Kentucky will help us bring this important message to the thousands of equestrian enthusiasts who will be attending this world-class event.”

Horses and Hope was founded in 2008 by the Office of the First Lady and the Kentucky Cancer Program. Since then it has reached nearly 1 million racetrack and horse show attendees and screened more than 700 workers, detecting breast cancer in three individuals who have received treatment as a result.

Click to see a larger version of the inside of the bus

Click to see a larger view of the inside of the bus

In January, Horses and Hope announced a partnership with KentuckyOne Health, the James Graham Brown Cancer Center at the University of Louisville and the Kentucky Cancer Program, to raise $1 million for a new mobile cancer screening van. The partners hope the new van will extend the reach of Horses and Hope beyond the equine industry.

There will be a number of opportunities to participate in fundraising activities during Rolex, including the inaugural RK-5K Twilight Run around the Kentucky Horse Park on Friday, April 24, 2015 at 6:30 p.m. Not a runner? No problem. The race also features a 1 mile fun run/walk, which the EN crew is rumored to be attending. Click here to sign up.

EEI has a long history of charitable donations and decided last year to begin naming an annual official charity “so we could make an even more meaningful impact and bring much needed awareness to these organizations.”

Stewart Perry, president of the EEI Board of Directors said, “Horses and Hope is a perfect choice for the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event considering the Governor and First Lady’s deep involvement with the Kentucky Horse Park and the important work Horses and Hope is doing.”

This year EEI is donating a total of $32,000 to eight local and equine charities, which is a $10,000 increase over last year’s contributions. In addition to Hope for Horses, EEI’s charitable donations will go to Kentucky Children’s Hospital, Kentucky State Police Fallen Trooper Project, Midway College, EEI Central Kentucky Riding for Hope, the University of Kentucky Equestrian Team, Georgetown College and the Equine Land Conservation Resource.

[Horses and Hope Website]

[Horses and Hope Named Official Charity of 2015 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event]

[Equestrian Events Inc. Increases Donations to Local and Equine Charities]

[RK-5K: The Twilight Race at Rolex Kentucky]

Introducing Young Horses to Free Jumping at the USEA Young Horse Symposium

By on Feb 16, 2015 5:30 pm -
Demo horse Prophet (Tatendrang x Pennant's Valentine), owned and bred by Anissa Cottongim, and his handler Andrew Palmer. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld. Demo horse Prophet (Tatendrang x Pennant's Valentine), owned and bred by Anissa Cottongim, and his handler Andrew Palmer. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

The first day of the USEA’s Future Event Horse and Young Event Horse Symposium kicked off at the lovely Longwood Farm in Reddick, Florida, today. The morning sessions were in a classroom format that examined conformation as it pertains to eventing horses, as well as pedigree evaluations. The USEA posted a very good recap of the morning session.

I arrived at Longwood just in time to see a gorgeous coming 4-year-old Dutch stallion called Geluk HVF (Jazz x Contango) owned and bred by Bethany Hutchins-Kristen and Marian Hutchins of Haven Valley Farm, showing off his stunning gaits in a large pen with a jump chute built on one side of the indoor.

Speakers Robin Walker and Samantha Allan stood inside the enclosure discussing and judging the horses as they freely moved and jumped for a few minutes each.

Free jumping is being introduced to the FEH Championships for 3-year-olds this year, so the purpose of the demonstration was to give the spectators an idea of how the canter and jump will be judged and how best to prepare a young horse for free jumping in competition. A positive experience is key.

“The last thing you want is for it to become a drama,” Robin said. “And I wouldn’t do it at all if the horse was physically immature.”

Each horse first walked with its handler around the ring and through the jump chute without any fences. Once it was comfortable, ground poles were added. Then the horse was let loose to trot and canter freely. The ground poles were made into jumps gradually and the distances adjusted as necessary based on the horse’s stride.

Geluk has a long, extravagant gait. To start, the jump chute was constructed as such: ground pole, 9 feet, cross rail, 18 feet, vertical, 21 feet, vertical. This proved to be a short stride for him to manage comfortably, so the distances were adjusted to accommodate him: ground pole, 10 feet, cross rail, 21 feet, vertical 24 feet, vertical.

Some of the demo horses had jump chute experience, but Robin’s own homebred was trying it for the first time. The horses were encouraged but never chased, and the fences were never raised beyond their ability and comfort zone nor higher than the heights that will be presented to them in FEH competition (maximum 3’7″ high, 4 feet wide on the final oxer).

We’ll have much more to come over the next two days in sunny Florida, so stay tuned!

FEH/YEH Links: [Symposium Schedule] [USEA Young Horses Series]

Monday News and Notes from Success Equestrian

By on Feb 15, 2015 11:00 pm -
The old barn cat quickly became a house cat. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld The old barn cat quickly became a house cat. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld

There were an awful lot of mornings last winter when I woke up to zero degrees, high winds and horses waiting to be fed. I thanked goodness for heated automatic waterers, a balaclava, good snow boots and working from home. I feel a bit like I’ve been cheating this year, having moved sort-of south again, and besides a bit of rain and cold mornings, it’s really been very mild. But the mud… the mud I don’t miss at all.

Weekend Results:

Rocking Horse II H.T.  [Website] [Entry Status] [Scores]

Paradise Farm H.T. [Website] [Ride Times] [Scores]

Fresno County Horse Park CIC & H.T. [Website] [Scores]

Monday News and Notes:

Pine Top Advanced needs volunteers on Friday! The CIC2*, CIC* and Advanced divisions are all running as a one day on Friday, Feb. 20. Dressage scribes, bit checkers, stadium jump crew and fence judges are all needed. Plenty of food, snacks and drinks will be provided for volunteers. Contact Janet Wilson at [email protected].

What do you do with all that manure? Usually, pile it up in a big mountain somewhere out of the way and eventually spread it on the fields or call someone to come take it away. But why not apply the reuse and recycle trend to manure with proper composting? [Manure Management Strategies]

Briton Lucy Monro, 50, was one of the founders of Equestrio Arabia magazine. During a bike race on Friday, she collided with two motorbikes halfway through a 220km bike race, which was a fundraiser for Unicef. We offer our condolences to her family, friends and readers. [Equestrio magazine founder killed in cycling accident]

One of the dangers of general anesthesia for horses is when they begin waking up. Through panic and disorientation, they risk injury if they thrash or try to stand too quickly. The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine New Bolton Center has developed over the years a “pool recovery” system to help horses safely awaken from anesthesia which is considered a critical innovation in veterinary surgery. [Pool Advances Equine Orthopedic Surgery]

Eventing horses must have a fifth leg (and something sixth and seventh legs). How do you teach a horse to have such self-preservation? Friend of EN William Micklem shared ten ways to teach a horse to look after itself through daily lifestyles and training techniques. [Ten Ways to Develop a Fifth Leg]

Jumpers are tough too. 25-year-old Adam Prudent won the $50,000 Equestrian Sotheby’s Jumping Derby with a broken hand. Well done! [Broken Hand, No Problem for Prudent in Jumper Derby]

Monday Video:

When Will Spring Be Here? Social Media Roundup

By on Feb 15, 2015 5:30 pm -
This has been circulating on Facebook in Middleburg, Virginia today, where the high was 16 degrees with 30 mph wind gusts. This has been circulating on Facebook in Middleburg, Virginia today, where the high was 16 degrees with 30 mph wind gusts.

All over social media, horse owners have been lamenting the frozen water buckets and sub-zero wind chills that have proven winter really isn’t over yet. Meanwhile, our friends in Florida are enjoying a balmy 70 degrees and glowing sunshine…y’all just keep the gloating to yourselves.

Katie Cook from Vermont has written a nice letter to the snowbirds from her blog “Seventy Two and Sunny, Somewhere.” She also makes those of us hiding inside on days like this feel slightly guilty for whining.

“Embrace the lessons of winter; the best teacher is the toughest teacher,” Katie writes. “Get enough clothes and get outside everyday. Ride, snowshoe, ski. And in the spring, reap the rewards. You will be tougher, mentally and physically, from struggling through the winter.”

Read her full blog here!

Meanwhile, Hope the Wonderhorse is snuggly warm wearing multiple blankets and enjoying snuggles and cookies.

Post by Hope the Wonderhorse.

Cloud 9 Sport Horses wisely chooses to stay inside today!

The Most Famous Horse in Maryland doesn’t fear a bit of cold!

Lexington officials are encouraging the community to be prepared for what’s coming.

Quick! Buy up all the milk and bread!

But our friend Joe Meyer has offered a fair solution to our plight.

How are you muddling through these cold days until spring comes?

Rocking Horse Advanced Course Walk

By on Feb 15, 2015 3:30 pm -
Fence 11ab: You had to be brave and keep coming to eat up the distance - was a coming 3 strides Fence 11ab: You had to be brave and keep coming to eat up the distance - was a coming 3 strides

Earlier today we shared several videos from thehorsepesterer of the Advanced competition at the Rocking Horse Winter II Horse Trials. Lara Borson-Knight posted a course walk on her Facebook page and is kindly allowing us to share the gallery with you here. Some of the photos include additional commentary from Lara, who rode the course with her Thoroughbred gelding Shooby Doo, ultimately finishing 22nd in Advanced Test B.

The course, designed by Morgan Rowsell, produced mostly clear rounds, though time was tough to catch. Out of 40 Advanced pairs, seven retired or were eliminated on course. Joe Meyer and Caroline Martin received mandatory retirements but we reported yesterday that they and their horses are uninjured. Bailey Moran popped off of Loughnatousa Caislean at 15b, which her dad (@eventingdad) tweeted was a good learning experience.

What do you think, EN? There are several big galloping fences with enough technical questions mixed in. What stands out as the trickiest (or most fun!) area on course? The gallery starts at fence 3.

Rocking Horse II H.T.  [Website] [Ride Times] [Scores]

Sunday Videos: Rocking Horse Winter II Advanced

By on Feb 15, 2015 1:30 pm -

Thehorsepesterer has been hard at work uploading videos from the Rocking Horse Winter II Horse Trials this weekend. We’ve included a few favorites here, but you can watch the entire playlist (100+ videos!) by clicking here. Live scoring from the event is available here.

Buck Davidson and Petite Flower, owned by Caroline and Sherrie Martin, were the only pair to make the time on cross country in both Advanced divisions, thereby finishing on their dressage score and in second place in Advanced Test B division. Watch them make quick work of the water complex.

Leslie Law tweeted yesterday that Beatrice Rey-Herme’s 8-year-old Tout de Suite was “a legend” on cross country yesterday, finishing sixth in the gelding’s first Advanced.

Elisa Wallace and Simply Priceless, a 14-year-old Australian Thoroughbred gelding owned by Jill Hopcroft, looked cool and confident on cross country. They did their first Advanced together at this same competition last year.

Eventing 25 rider Zachary Brandt and his Irish Sport Horse mare Cavallino Cocktail look happy and relaxed in their dressage test – gotta love the floppy ears! This pair finished seventh in Advanced Test B.

General Equine Wellness and Cold Weather Reminders

By on Feb 15, 2015 12:00 pm -
Photo by Cortney Bryant. Photo by Cortney Bryant.

Temperatures across North America have plummeted this weekend, and horse owners that may have been toughing out the winter weather in some areas of the country are choosing to stay indoors today. I can’t say I blame them! Winter Storm Neptune is expected to affect 15 states in and around New England while sleet and possibly snow is forecasted in the South thanks to Winter Storm Octavia.

Winter presents unique challenges to horse owners that mainly revolve around making sure your horse is maintaining its weight and staying hydrated. When it comes to winter horse management the basic needs of food, water and shelter require close attention. There are plenty of articles online providing tips on cold weather horse care, and I find that The Horse is a particularly useful resource.

On very cold days, or when snow inhibits grazing, you should offer your horse free choice hay. According to this article by Nancy S. Loving, DVM, “fermentation by large intestinal microbes, will generate heat from within, like an internal combustion chamber.”

Hydration is as important in the winter as in the heat of summer. “A horse that stops drinking is more likely to suffer from impaction colic (caused by an obstruction in the bowel), or he might eat less,” Loving writes. Colic can be especially frightening when the snow or ice covered roads make a vet’s travel slower and more difficult.

Last winter our heated automatic waterers in the pastures were a blessing. The three horses in my care drank often, and I never worried about their hydration. However, I’m a big fan of paste electrolytes and generally keep several tubes in the barn. If I’m concerned a horse isn’t drinking enough, I never hesitate to give them a tube.

If you don’t have heated waterers or bucket heaters, you simply have to break the ice and remove it from the water trough every day or multiple times a day. With extreme cold weather or winter storms looming, particularly in areas of the country where extreme cold is unusual and the buildings aren’t built to withstand it as well, frozen pipes and loss of power is a very real threat. And that means no water for the horses. So fill up some buckets or the bathtub and make sure you have water available to haul to the barn should you need to.

And finally, shelter. The horses in my care lived outside the last two winters and maintained their health and weight gloriously. In addition to plenty of hay and warm water, they were blanketed appropriately and they had a shed to protect them from the wind. Blanketing will always and forever be a debate between horse owners, but if you’re horses do not have some kind of shelter from the wind and rain during winter, blanketing them is a kind thing to do, at the very least.

Of course, starting with a healthy horse makes the winter months easier to manage. This morning The Horse posted a few reminders about how best to work with your veterinarian to create a wellness plan for your horse, with the key areas of of maintenance being annual physical and dental exams, and regular vaccinations and deworming.

In case you missed it, EN’s Gillian Warner posted this article with tips from top horsemen and women on preparing for the winter vortex last October. It seems fitting once again.

[Four Ways to Keep Your Horse Healthy]

[Winter Farm Care Checklist]

[Preparing for the Winter Vortex 2]

Peregrine Farm: Breeding the Best Mares

By on Feb 15, 2015 10:00 am -
Ashley Giles, Matt Boyd, and 3-year-old Rose. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld Ashley Giles, Matt Boyd, and 3-year-old Rose. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld

We recently met breeders Matt Boyd and Ashley Giles of Peregrine Farm and learned about their decision-making process when selecting stallions to breed to their mares. Their goal as breeders is not to stand popular stallions but to have a variety of high-quality, performance proven mares that produce offspring with the ability to compete at the four-star level.

Having each brought their own experiences with breeding to the table, and Matt with his data analysis and Ashley with her eventing experience, the two are working together to build a long-lasting program which foretells the needs of the sport and the type of horse required.

PF St. Elizabeth Rose (Grafenstolz x Speedy Dee) and Chloe Halimeda (Halimey Go x Catch the Bouquet) are the first two foals their program has produced, and they will eventually be bred with the expectation of producing the next higher quality of offspring to carry on the best bloodlines.

The Next Generation

“I am of the camp that the mare brings more than half of the package to the equation. You’ve got to get it right on a mare,” Matt said.

The matriarchs of the Peregrine Farm program are a 15-year-old off-the-track Thoroughbred mare called Speedy Dee (“Beatrix”) and Catch the Bouquet (“Georgia”), a Trakehner-approved off-the-track Thoroughbred mare owned by Kathryn Krische.

Rose, now 3, will replace her mother Beatrix in the program and will be bred this year. “The challenge is finding a stallion that is not going to reduce her blood percentage, which means it’s either a full Thoroughbred, a European Anglo-Arabian, or a handful of stallions who are ‘warmbloods’ who have a blood percentage of 60-80%,” Matt said.

Speedy Dee (Pleasant Line x Speedy Susan). Photo courtesy of Matt Boyd

Speedy Dee (Pleasant Line x Speedy Susan). Photo courtesy of Matt Boyd

Little Chloe, now a yearling, has a lot of growing still to do, but she shows promise with a Premium status at her Trakehner inspection and the impressive performances of her sire, Halimey, who just completed his first Advanced horse trials. It is likely that in 2-3 years, Matt and Ashley will also be considering stallions for her as well.

“What I’m really excited about is what they as fillies and mares are going to be able to produce in the second generation,” Matt said. “At that point in time we’re not combining essentially a racehorse with a performance horse, we’re combining two performances horses that hopefully can still have the same stamina, galloping ability, and bravery that the Thoroughbred brings.”

The idea is to breed these two fillies at three, then begin their eventing training. At some point in their careers, they will let their owners know whether they have the desire to continue climbing the levels or if it’s time to return to motherhood.

“We’re breeding them at three for two reasons,” Ashley said. “We get a baby on the ground before they start their competition year. Also, with the Young Event Horse series, if you breed them they get a bi-year, so they can do the 4-year-olds as a 5-year-old and 5-year-olds as a 6-year-old.”

Matt and Ashley feel lucky to have gotten fillies, which they wanted, with their first two foals. They see strong characteristics of the dams in their offspring, which further supports their opinion that the mare is so significant, and therein lies the reasoning behind the careful calculations using Matt’s book of stallions and the development of the program’s mare base.

“When you’re a small breeding operation, a small farm with limited resources and limited space, you’re really playing odds. You’ve got to be kind of conservative about it to stack the odds to get a quality offspring,” Matt said.

Chloe, now a yearling, has a bright future ahead. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld

Chloe, now a yearling, has a bright future ahead. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld

“We have to be very careful about the decisions we make, how many horses we have on the property, make sure they’re the ones moving us forward in what we want to do…that’s why so much effort has gone into information gathering and evaluation.”

Georgia is in foal again, this time to Tatendrang, and is due this June. They’ve bred a “big horse to a big horse,” which may result in a foal taller than their ideal range (16.0-16.2 hands), but if they get a large filly, they will be well on their way to having the variety of broodmares they desire.

“If we get a mare out of that match that’s quality and has the best attributes of both her parents, that would be the third horse in our trio,” Matt said. They expect Rose to mature to 16 hands and Chloe closer to 16.2 or taller. “If we get a larger filly out of the Tate and Georgia cross we can basically take any stallion that we like and match it with one of the mares that we have.”

Breed with a Purpose

“If there is a point I would want to make, it’s for people to actually put the effort into understanding what they’re doing before they do it. Don’t do it haphazardly,” Matt said. “Know what you’re breeding for. Not everybody wants to breed a four-star horse. If you’re going to breed, don’t just do it to do it, understand what you want to produce.”

“And be prepared for the long-term commitment,” Ashley added. “Know what you’re going to put into it. If you’re trying to breed a four-star horse and you’re not an event rider that’s capable of bringing that horse on, understand the amount of money you’re going to have to put into that for training.”

3-year-old Chloe will be bred this year. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld

3-year-old Chloe will be bred this year. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld

The horses foaled at Peregrine Farm will have been bred with the hopes of having four-star abilities, but even if they fall short, the horses they produce will still have value.

“Even if it’s a terrific two-star horse,” Matt said. “We’re putting the right kind of thinking and effort into this that we’re not going to end up with something worthless.”

They also have a specific intent to keep their horses in eventing. Being that they are eventers themselves with experience starting young horses, they have the advantage of being able to do the ground work, backing and provide correct, positive beginnings to these horses’ careers. Then, with their connections in the eventing world, they hope to pass along the horses with great potential to riders who will continue their progression in eventing.

Matt and Ashley are in this for the long haul. They are fully aware that their first foals are not going to be there best foals – but they’re going to be good, because they started with good mares and stallions. Fifteen years from now, they will be in the third or fourth generation of there program, and that is when they believe they will really have a feel for what they’re producing.

“The two things that really hit home were, this is going to take a long time, and this is probably something where the best horses will be three or four generations out,” Matt said. “And that’s okay. You don’t do this unless you love it, but you need that much time to see if you’ve done it right.”

Weekend Score Update: Brown, Thieriot are CIC Winners at Fresno County

By on Feb 14, 2015 6:54 pm -
Matthew Brown and Happenstance at Fresno County Horse Park. Photo by Sherry Stewart Matthew Brown and Happenstance at Fresno County Horse Park. Photo by Sherry Stewart

Who would be surprised that Ballynoecastle RM (Reggie) jumped clear on cross country today to hold onto his overnight lead in the Advanced Test A division at Rocking Horse? With a bit of breathing room over Kyle Carter and Madison Park, who dropped from second to fifth with 10 time penalties, Buck Davidson had no need to push for time. Reggie cruised across the finish with .8 time penalties to secure the win. Buck and Copper Beech, third after show jumping yesterday, moved up to finish second.

Rocking Horse Advanced - A

Rocking Horse Advanced – Test A

Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett had no trouble on course in the 25-horse Advanced Test B division. They were leading on their two-phase score of 28.2 overnight and added just 1.2 time penalties to win. Buck and Petite Flower put in the only double-clear round of the division to finish second.

Both Caroline Martin and Joe Meyer incurred mandatory retirements in this division. We’ve confirmed that Caroline and Sherrie Martin’s Irish Sport Horse gelding Pebbly Maximus are fine.

“I missed at a small table and he hung a leg,” Caroline said, adding she gave “Rory” a 10-pound bag of carrots to make up for it. We’re sure he forgives her and they’ll be back in action very soon.

We’ve been told that Joe and Clip Clop misjudged an open corner which led to their tumble. Clip Clop is uninjured and Joe is a bit bruised but okay.

Rocking Horse Advanced - B

Rocking Horse Advanced – Test B

Rocking Horse II H.T.  [Website] [Ride Times] [Scores]

Frankie Thieriot Stutes and Chatwin at Fresno County Horse Park. Photo by Sherry Stewart

Frankie Thieriot Stutes and Chatwin at Fresno County Horse Park. Photo by Sherry Stewart

Fresno County Horse Park, in Fresno, California hosted the first international divisions of the year in Area VI. Matthew Brown and Mary McKee’s Happenstance led the CIC2* from start to finish, adding only 1 show jumping time penalties to their dressage score. Matthew received the $30,000 Rebecca Broussard Developing International Rider Grant at the USEA Convention this past December, and this win is an excellent start to a very exciting future for Matthew and the East West Training Stables crew.

Fresno County Horse Park - CIC2*

Fresno County Horse Park – CIC2*

Newlywed Frankie Thieriot Stutes and Chatwin also led their division from the start, finishing on their dressage score to pick up their third CIC1* win in five months. Sara Mittleider and her own Code Name finished second nearly ten points behind Frankie and Chatwin, adding just a few seconds on the clock across the country. Gina Miles and Corie Young’s Contalli Di Revel round out the top three, moving up from fourth with two double-clear rounds.

Fresno County Horse Park - CIC1*

Fresno County Horse Park – CIC1*

Fresno County Horse Park CIC & H.T. [Website] [Scores]

Paradise Farm got underway with its “weekend” divisions today. There are four riders in the Junior Young Rider Open Preliminary and Preliminary Rider divisions and five in the Open Preliminary. Morgan McCue (Shannondale 54), Erika Nesler (Right Above It) and Caroline Teich (Zeus) lead these three divisions respectively with cross country still to come tomorrow.

The weekend divisions run through Beginner Novice, and there are some very good two-phase scores posted, with multiple pairs nearing the dressage mark of 20 today, including Stacey Driscoll and Popeye (21.1 – Open Novice), Suzanne Murray and Gunnar (21.3 – Novice Rider) and Erin Renfroe and Porter Creek (21.0 – Open Training). And shoutout to Kerry Torrey and The Stig for their win in the Friday Open Training division on a score of 16.7. Wow!

There are sheep in Paradise! Cloudy and Stormy make sure everything is in order at the trade fair on this chilly Saturday morning. Photo via Lellie Ward's Facebook

There are sheep in Paradise! Cloudy and Stormy make sure everything is in order at the trade fair on this chilly Saturday morning. Photo via Lellie Ward’s Facebook

Paradise Farm H.T. [Website] [Ride Times] [Scores]

Francisco Seabra Dies on Course in Spain

By on Feb 14, 2015 11:00 am -
Francisco Seabra and Zarthago at WEG. Photo by Jenni Autry. Francisco Seabra and Zarthago at WEG. Photo by Jenni Autry.

It is with great sadness we have learned 30-year-old Francisco Seabra of Portugal died on cross country at the Rancho Alegre Eventing Tour de Utrera in Sevilla, Spain, today while competing in the CIC2*.

According to an announcement on Rancho Alegre’s website, the accident occurred at the third element of fence 10, a water jump, of the Pierre Michelet designed cross-country course.

Paramedics attended to Francisco immediately, and he was declared dead at the scene. A statement from the FEI reports that the horse, 12-year-old Aferzysta, was uninjured in the fall.

“On behalf of all the sports world, I would like to extend my heartfelt considerations to the family of Mr. Francisco Seabra,” said President of the Ground Jury Alain James in an official statement.

Francisco represented Portugal at the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Normandy. He and the then 10-year-old gelding Zarthago finished in 44th place individually.

Francisco was a very familiar and much-loved face in the eventing community, having competed regularly in events across Europe and in the UK, from Barroca d’Alva and Vale Sabroso to Blair Castle and Blenheim.

Many riders are offering their condolences on Twitter, and our hearts are with all who knew and loved Francisco at this time.

[Official statement on Rancho Alegre Eventing Tour website]

[FEI Statement]