Lindsey Kahn
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Lindsey Kahn

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About Lindsey Kahn

Horseback riding instructor. Animal-lover. Car-singer. Kitsch-collector. Dubious adult. Artist. Loves apple juice and the color red. View my art and blog at www.kahnartistry.com. Check out my handmade custom rope halters at www.DoOrDoKnot.com

Eventing Background

USEA Rider Profile Click to view profile
Area 4
Farm Name Woodloch Stable

Latest Articles Written

Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: This Is How I Roll

Actor and martial artist Bruce Lee once said, “Here is natural instinct and here is control. You are to combine the two in harmony.” Apparently, this freshly off-the-track Thoroughbred is still figuring that part out.

Kentucky-based eventer and trainer Jenn O’Neill just bought this 3-year-old (who raced under the Jockey Club name Nuri) as an eventing sales prospect, and he has already shown both his athletic and his goofy sides.

“We are calling him Reeves, as in Keanu,” Jenn said. “Those are obviously Matrix moves.”

Hopefully Reeves will continue to develop his Matrix moves as he begins his new life off the track! Thanks for sharing, Jenn.

Go OTTBs. Go Eventing.

No more guesswork. No more worries. 

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Wiser Concepts supplements are available only through your veterinarian. Learn more at KPPvet.com.

Monday Video from Tredstep Ireland: Behind the Scenes with Chris Burton

Australia’s Chris Burton and Santano II top the Rio Olympics leaderboard after a grueling cross country day. The video by Pro Horse Films takes viewers behind the scenes with Chris and his team at their beautiful yard in Surrey and at the 2015 Badminton Horse Trials as he prepared for the selection process before the Olympics.

Insanity in the Middle in Rio: Cross Country Social Media Roundup

Pierre Michelet’s intense Olympic cross country track was no joke. With the leaderboard already getting a full shuffle since the conclusion of dressage, we will likely have some more inspiring triumphs and heartbreaking upsets by the end of tomorrow’s show jumping finals.

Relive the insanity of eventing’s trademark phase via social media, from the anticipation to the accomplishments and disappointments. Riders, owners, grooms, fans, media … we’re all part of one big crazy family, and today our eyes were all watching the same game. What a day for the sport. Go Eventing.

WEF supports Team USA!! . . . . . #Wintersendfarm #twohearts #ridetorio #olympics #boydmartin #phillipdutton #teamboyd #ottb

A photo posted by Winters End Farm (@wintersendfarmwef) on

Team WCE – humans and canines – watching Olympic XC!

A photo posted by Will Coleman Equestrian (@willcolemanequestrian) on

Burto you little beautie!!!!

Posted by Dom Schramm on Monday, August 8, 2016

Phillip Dutton Eventing is basically a sorcerer.

Posted by Lauren Romanelli on Monday, August 8, 2016

Commentator: except the one jump where Phillip lost his stirrup, he doesn't seem to have any problems on the course.

Me: Phillip doesn't ride with stirrups. Stirrups ride with Phillip.

WOOHOO!

Posted by Lauren Romanelli on Monday, August 8, 2016

Phillip Phillip Dutton Eventing must have worn his lucky socks or magic britches today, because that man rode like a…

Posted by Boyd Martin on Monday, August 8, 2016

Owners and supporters of the U.S. Eventing Team cheering on Phillip Dutton! #useventingteam #RidetoRio #jointhejourney #twohearts #Rio2016

A video posted by Land Rover US Eventing Team (@useventingteam) on

EN extends a HUGE, grateful shout-out to all competition staff, grooms, vets, and volunteers whose hard work made today’s Olympic cross-country possible!

Cross country…DONE!!!! #twohearts #rio2016 #vetteam #Bvet #olympicsgames

A photo posted by Bernard Abreu (@11bernard) on

We couldn’t agree more!

Stadium jumping begins at 9 a.m. EST tomorrow. Don’t miss it!

Friday Video from World Equestrian Brands: Team USA Reviews the Olympic Cross Country Course

After walking the Rio 2016 Olympic Games cross-country course for the first time, members of the U.S. Olympic Eventing Team shared their first impressions of Pierre Michelet’s challenging course.

We look forward to cheering all the competitors through the finish flags safely on Monday! Stay tuned for more Olympic eventing coverage, including a preview of the cross country course from Jenni later this afternoon. A full broadcast schedule for all Olympic equestrian disciplines can be found here.

Go Team USA! Go Eventing.

The Final Countdown: Team USA Social Media Roundup

The first horse inspection for the 2016 Olympic Games is this morning, and it’s crunch time for Team USA! Here’s how the human and equine athletes are making their final preparations for the Games.

Blackfoot Mystery enjoys some spa time:

Clark Montgomery chills at the Olympic Village digs after walking the cross-country course:

Check out the sights and sounds from the Olympic Village welcome ceremony:

Lauren Kieffer warms up with some good stretches…

…and meets other Olympic athletes, like the USA Men’s Water Polo team and their impressive biceps.

Boyd is still working on his documentary of unhorsey Olympics sports:

Chinese Basketball player I met at dinner… (Remember, I am 6'2)

Posted by Boyd Martin on Thursday, August 4, 2016

Posted by Boyd Martin on Thursday, August 4, 2016

Loughan Glen, you clean up pretty good:

Glen getting a post workout bath. He's not a fan

A photo posted by Clark Montgomery (@clarkmonty) on

Accepted!

A photo posted by Clark Montgomery (@clarkmonty) on

There’s tough work ahead!

The Team got a first look at the Rio 2016 Olympic cross-country course this morning. See a full preview on the USEF Instagram story (@USequestrian) #Rio2016

Posted by USEF Eventing High Performance on Thursday, August 4, 2016

The excitement of today was the unveiling of the Olympic cross country course in Rio. Here's our latest blog update with my thoughts on the course.

Posted by Phillip Dutton Eventing on Thursday, August 4, 2016

Meanwhile, EN head cheese Jenni Autry is slaving away in the Olympic media center to bring us all of the behind the scenes action:

Keep it locked here for all the latest Olympic action, live from Rio!

Go Eventing.

Pony Power: Ava Davis and Hot Sauce Are Tiny Dynamic Duo

Bring on the ponies! There's something awesome about a child or fun-sized adult who gets to train and compete with a special pony. "Pony Power" celebrates riders and their pony partners of all ages and sizes who are bringing their A-game to the world of eventing. Do you know of a duo that you think would be great feature subjects? If so, email [email protected].

Ava Davis and Hot Sauce. Photo courtesy of Morgan Chapman Media.

Ava Davis and Hot Sauce. Photo courtesy of Morgan Chapman Media.

The iconic red barns at Magister Equitum Stables in Hector, Minnesota were teeming with horses and riders during the Roebke’s Run July Horse Trials. Horses of all shapes and sizes settled into their stalls for the weekends, reminding me of the amazing diversity in the eventing world. One equine in particular stood out from the rest, not because he was big or brightly colored, but because he could barely be seen over his stall door.

Meet Hot Sauce the Shetland pony.

Photo courtesy of Morgan Chapman Media.

Photo courtesy of Morgan Chapman Media

Hot Sauce and his owner, 8-year-old Ava Davis, competed in the Open Starter division at Roebke’s Run. Between Ava’s infectious smile and Hot Sauce’s tiny, fluffy frame, unsurprisingly the two of them gathered a huge crowd of fans over the weekend. Though he was easily the smallest pony entered in the show at 10.2 hands, Hot Sauce was a total hot shot and treated everyone to a great show of “can do” pony attitude.

Hot Sauce and Ava’s partnership began when he arrived at Pegasus Circle Farm in Mankato, Minnesota, where her mom and fellow eventer Amy Hannaman was leasing a 16-hand warmblood.

“He had been a pasture buddy for a family that was shifting to boarding their horses. At 15 years old, Hot Sauce had no formal training, and 8-year-old Ava had just started jumping, but the littlest kid and the littlest pony at the barn were drawn to each other,” Amy said.

“Ava was given permission to work with Hot Sauce, and they developed a special bond through countless hours together filled with bucks, nips and steady improvement.”

Hot Sauce’s owners later decided to move their horses to a different facility, and they asked if Amy like to buy him as a mount for Ava. Hot Sauce officially joined their family last September.

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Ava Davis and Hot Sauce. Photo courtesy of Morgan Chapman Media.

“By the end of that month, Ava and Hot Sauce were off to their first hunter schooling show, and we spent the summer and fall watching our barn family compete at horse trials around the midwest,” Amy said. “Ava knew this was what she wanted to do.”

Ava and Hot Sauce made their eventing debut at a Roebke’s Run schooling show earlier this summer, followed by the Roebke’s Run July Horse Trials. Their plan is to continue competing in local horse trials for the remainder of the season.

Kt Harrington, owner of Pegasus Circle Farm, has played a key role in helping Ava and Hot Sauce develop a partnership, Amy said.

“Hot Sauce has gone from not having the muscle to canter a circle to cantering 20 meter circles in the dressage ring. We are so grateful that Kt saw the potential in this little team,” Amy said. “Ava and Hot Sauce are also active members in Lead Hound Pony Club, where they have had many additional opportunities to hone their eventing skills and meet other horse-crazy kids.”

Amy knows Ava will outgrow Hot Sauce at some point, but she emphasized that he will always have a forever home with their family.

“We hope Ava and Hot Sauce can get to a few shows in 2017, but we have had many tear-filled conversations on what Hot Sauce’s next job will be,” Amy said. “We hope we can hand him down to another small eventing rider, but he will always have a home on our farm pulling his pony cart in the summer and skijoring in the winter.”

Too darn cute for words. Photos courtesy of Amy Hannaman.

Too darn cute for words. Photos courtesy of Amy Hannaman.

Hot Sauce Fun Facts:

  • Ava always packs an extra girth when going to shows, because no one will have a small enough girth to borrow.
  • Hot Sauce shares a pasture with his “girlfriends” Gezzy and Dalliance. As soon as he gets home from a show, he bolts to get back to them. Because of this, he’s known as the “little man.”
  • Hot Sauce got his name from his original owner because he was too wild to catch.
  • He will open and rummage through grooming kits for sugar cubes whenever someone’s back is turned.
  • Cross-ties are very difficult when you are 10.2 hands.

Check out this video of Ava and Hot Sauce in the Starter division at Roebke’s Run July Horse Trials:

Go Ponies! Go Eventing.

A Horse of a Different Color: Pegasus Pure Gold

"A Horse of a Different Color" features horses and ponies that have been successful in the sport of eventing while representing a unique breed. Do you have a horse that you think would be a great feature subject? If so, email [email protected].

Tesla Parker and Pegasus Pure Gold at Five Points HT. Photo by Bernard Schnacke. Tesla Parker and Pegasus Pure Gold at Five Points HT. Photo by Bernard Schnacke.

From his golden coat to his larger-than-life personality, Pegasus Pure Gold seems to take his Horse of a Different Color status to heart. A 14-year-old eventing veteran, “Cosmo” is one of a small number of palomino Thoroughbreds, with bloodlines going back to Milkie, the first Jockey Club-registered palomino.

Cosmo was bred and trained by Anne Kaufman, who also competed him through Preliminary level while he sired a number of athletic offspring at Pegasus Farm. In 2011, he was gelded and began his career as a full-time riding and competition horse.

When Tesla Parker spotted Cosmo’s sale ad, she had just sold her OTTB to a young rider and was mainly focused on completing grad school.

“It’s hard not to look when you don’t have one of your own anymore,” Tesla said. “I wasn’t actively looking to buy a horse.”

All of  her best laid plans were thrown out the window when she traveled to West Virginia and jumped Cosmo for the first time. He was the exact type of ride she wanted. Though Cosmo’s color wasn’t initially a selling point for Tesla, “all the pieces just kept falling into place” and she soon found herself with a flashy golden cross-country machine.

“He’s quite talented in dressage and show jumping and could probably do either as a career successfully, but cross-country is where he really shines,” Tesla said. “I joke at home that he works too hard, but out cross-country it comes through as all heart.”

While channeling Cosmo’s forward-thinking energy can be a challenge, Tesla trusts his quick-footed self-preservation to keep them safe when things get hairy.

“He doesn’t often take over complete control unless he really needs to save my butt,” Tesla joked. “He’s such a good teammate that way.”

Photo courtesy of Tesla Parker.

Photo courtesy of Tesla Parker.

Tesla says that the biggest challenge of owning a horse that stands out from the crowd is that Cosmo gets lots of attention during their warm-up.

“It can be a bit disconcerting,” she said. “I’m not used to being able to tell that I’m being watched by more than my coach! I guess in a weird way, it’s a good way to learn how to really handle pressure. A huge benefit from his color is that my coach, friends, and family can keep track of us through the whole course, even in the woods. Cosmo’s tail is a brilliant white flag behind us!”

Cosmo’s resume is highlighted with many milestones, including qualifying for the Young Event Horse Championships during his 4th and 5th years, and Anne rode him at the American Eventing Championships a total of six times.

He has also dabbled in hunters, jumpers, and 1st level dressage. Since buying him in July, Tesla and Cosmo have completed all of their 2015 events without accruing any cross-country jumping penalties. They are currently training at the CIC1* level and Tesla hopes to move up to Intermediate and Advanced with Cosmo someday.

“We’ll see how far Cosmo is willing to go,” Tesla said. “I have a spectacular team to help keep him in tiptop condition, but when he says he’s done he’ll have a happy retirement with me.”

Is it a Pegasus, or a Thoroughbred with fairy wings? Cosmo celebrated his namesake on Halloween. Courtesy of Tesla Parker.

Is it a Pegasus, or a Thoroughbred with fairy wings? Cosmo celebrated his namesake on Halloween. Courtesy of Tesla Parker.

We wish Tesla and Cosmo all the best as they tackle the 2016 season and beyond! Go Eventing.