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Sally Spickard

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About Sally Spickard

Sally Spickard is a Korean adoptee living in San Diego, California. Sally joined the Eventing Nation team in 2013 and has subsequently written for Noelle Floyd, Heels Down Mag, and other publications both in and out of the equestrian world. Sally is an eventing fan through and through and enjoys telling the stories of riders who are not well-represented within equestrian media.

Latest Articles Written

Buck Davidson Leads Ocala Horse Properties Winter I Intermediate

By Sally Spickard on Jan 9, 2016 5:00 pm -

Buck Davidson and Legion Kat on their way to the CIC* win at GMHA. Photo courtesy of Joan Davis/Flatlandsfoto.

Buck Davidson’s weekend in Ocala is off to a great start, and incidentally it’s also the first official event of 2016! Buck brought two horses home double clear across country today to take first and second place in the Open Intermediate at Ocala Horse Properties Winter I.

Legion Kat, a 10-yeaer-old Thoroughbred gelding owned by Natalie Sandler, enjoyed a lot of success at the Preliminary and one-star levels in 2015 and is looking at a step up for his first time out in 2016. He earned a 27.3 to tie for first in the dressage and was one of four clear sans time rounds on cross country.

Quasar, a 9-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Ann Clements also piloted by Buck, finished up his 2015 season with a third place in the Intermediate at Millbrook and is now back out and about, also coming home double clear to remain on his dressage score of 29.6 for second place after cross country.

Clayton Fredericks and FE Bowman, an 8-year-old Wurttemberger gelding owned by Clayton, Amanda Bernhard and Diane Crawford, also enjoyed a nice pipe opener, adding just a few seconds of time to his dressage score for third place on a 29.7.

One thing that always impresses me this time of year is the quality of dressage scores that we see, even at the first events of the year — truly a testament to the hard work on the flat throughout the off season and beyond! #dressageskillz

For those anxiously awaiting word on Harbour Pilot’s long-awaited debut, the news is good! Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot earned a 27.0 in the Open Prelim dressage this morning for third place and added two time penalties to their score to lie in fourth following two phases. This is a special weekend for Hannah, who has worked hard to rehab her partner and bring him back safely.

Another story we’ve followed over the last few months is that of Tatendrang, the Trakehner stallion owned by Anissa Cottongim who was affected by the ADM Alliance Nutrition feed controversy last summer. “Tate” completed one event following his approval to return to work in 2015 and now has made short work of the Prelim course, to the joy of his connections.

Well that was effortless. :). He was too excited in dressage to do as well as he normally does but MAN. XC he KILLED IT. And could have gone again.

Posted by Tatendrang on Saturday, January 9, 2016

Other reports from riders are looking positive and happy to have the eventing season back in action. There’s nothing we love more than photos of happy, fit horses who are having a great go in the early part of the season!

We’ll have more updates from Ocala tomorrow on the completion of show jumping. In the meantime, welcome back, eventing!

Ocala Horse Properties Winter I: [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Saturday Video from Nupafeed: Watch This Jumper Tackle the Water for the First Time

By Sally Spickard on Jan 9, 2016 3:00 pm -

Horses who compete in the jumper and eq rings are accustomed to jumping over wide expanses of water, not into them. So when a horse who is used to clearing a body of water is asked to jump in for the first time, hilarity usually ensues.

We were sent this video of a junior jumper horse trying out the water for the first time. We certainly appreciate his massive effort to clear the water! 10 points for honesty.

5 Things You Could Do with $900 Million

By Sally Spickard on Jan 9, 2016 12:00 pm -

If you haven’t heard already, the current Powerball jackpot has just crested $900 million in anticipation of tonight’s drawing. $900 million. That doesn’t even really sound like a real number. If you were to win the jackpot and elect to take the lump sum payout, that would be $558 million just sitting in your pocket.

It’s always fun to dream about what you could do with a windfall like that. We came up with this list of five horse related things you could easily do with $900 million — all while sipping Cristal and typing on a 24k gold plated laptop. I mean, you’ve got to live with your means, right?

1. Splurge on one (or five) of these luxury horse properties.

Photo via Ocala Horse Properties.

Ogling over the “DREAM EQUESTRIAN HOME!” or “LIVE IN EQUINE PARADISE!” listings is always enough to make us just a little depressed. Frown no more, though, because your equestrian dream home is now within reach thanks to those little white Powerballs.

This 114+ acre property offered by Ocala Horse Properties is listed at a cool $7.5 million. Heck, you might need more than one property, why stop in Florida?

2. Fill your new horse property with drool-worthy horseflesh.

Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

I’ve had many unrealistic conversations with my friends about what types of horses we’d buy with unlimited funds. Sure, I’d love to have some big fancy warmblood in my barn, but I also want to support U.S. breeding. I also want to keep giving OTTBs homes, and I wouldn’t mind having a couple of fancy horses from other disciplines.

Alternatively, do you just walk up to Michael Jung or William Fox-Pitt and offer them cold, hard cash for one of their horses? I mean, everything is for sale for the right price, right? Welcome to ‘Merica, fisherRocana. We’re going to slay that Beginner Novice division.

3. Visit every top rider and learn their secrets to success.

Michael Jung notoriously doesn’t take on students, and he’s a little coy when it comes to asking about his training regimen. We all know he’s got some sort of successful recipe, though, and he can expect a little pop-up visit from yours truly (by way of my private jet) just to be a fly on the wall.

The same applies to William and Ingrid — I’m coming for you, too! Don’t worry, it’s not as if I will ever be a world-beater like these guys, but it’d be nice to at least know where they’re coming from.

4. Buy a ridiculous rig to transport all of your drool-worthy horseflesh.

Image via Featherlite.

I might have to rethink my multi-million dollar horse farm when I take a look at these incredible horse trailers. I mean, you could almost sleep the whole von Trapp family and a horse for each in some of these. Unreal.

5. Buy a Rolex for each wrist (and one for your kids too).

What now, William? Ok, ok, you won yours fair and square, I bought mine. We’ll just keep that between us.

The list could go on and on of ridiculous ways to spend your millions (or billions, if no one wins tonight). What would you add to our list, EN? Comment below and we’ll keep our fingers and toes crossed that Chinch picked some lucky numbers.

Never Fear, the First Event of 2016 is Here!

By Sally Spickard on Jan 9, 2016 9:00 am -

The first dressage rider of 2016: Buck Davidson. Photo via David Frechette on Facebook.

Breathe a big sigh of relief, EN — the first event of 2016 has officially begun! It’s time for the first of the Ocala Horse Properties Winter Series, and I think we’re all relieved to see a new season kick off. All week, riders have posted on their social media about the excitement that comes with the early season events.

Excited to put on my whites tomorrow! First event of the year 🙂

Posted by Jennie Brannigan on Friday, January 8, 2016

The wondermare is so ready for intermediate at Ocala I this weekend. #eventing #xc #crosscountry #thoroughbred #ottb #equestrian #skrillex #diplo #jackü

A video posted by Diane Portwood (@dianeportwoodeventing) on Jan 2, 2016 at 11:09am PST

The other big news of the weekend is that Hannah Sue Burnett is competing Harbour Pilot for the first time since Burghley in 2014. Harbour Pilot, a 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Ms. Jacqueline Mars, sustained an injury at Burghley and has been slowly coming back into work in preparation for a return to competition.

Hannah is running “William” in the Open Prelim at Ocala this weekend, and it’s off to a rocking start as they’ve just tied for the lead with a 27.0 in the dressage with a few horses still left to see. How’s that for a return? Hannah is tied with herself at the moment, earning the same score aboard Jitter Bug.

First glimpse of Ocala cross country! Photo via Julieann Prettyman on Facebook.

It’s the first busy weekend of the year for the likes of Buck Davidson, Kyle Carter, Clayton Fredericks, and many more who have many horses to campaign in 2016. We’ll be seeing some pipe opening cross country rounds this weekend as everyone knocks the winter rust off.

Stay tuned for many more updates from Ocala this weekend. In the meantime, you can follow along with live scoring here. Cross country will also run today for the Prelim and Intermediate riders.

Ocala Horse Properties Winter I: [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Friday Videos from World Equestrian Brands: Eventing Talk with Buck and Kyle

By Sally Spickard on Jan 8, 2016 5:00 pm -

Kyle Carter and Buck Davidson sat down for a new video series from Ocala Bred Horses to chat about everything under the sun. Eventing Talk is a new project aimed at entertainment, education and “awkward silences,” as Kyle put it.

Between the puns aimed at each other and the self-deprecating sense of humor the two share, this is definitely an entertaining series to watch. Parts I and II are up for your viewing, and we’re happy to share them with you here!

You can follow Ocala Bred Horses on YouTube for more videos. Many thanks to Buck and Kyle for the entertainment and interesting commentary!

Thursday Video from Zoetis: Fernhill By Night Shows Off His Jumping Chops

By Sally Spickard on Jan 7, 2016 5:30 pm -

It’s Ocala/Aiken season, y’all! It seems the winter has passed relatively quickly for those who head to warmer climates for a few months. Now that the first events of the new season are coming up quick, we’re starting to see some upper level horses getting back into full work for 2016.

Luckily, our good friend, Thehorsepesterer, also made the pilgrimage to Florida this year and has begun uploading sneak peeks of the horses and riders enjoying the warm weather. Here’s a jumper round from Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night, who are based in Ocala at Horsepower Equestrian.

Jenny Caras Awarded Amanda Pirie Warrington Grant

By Sally Spickard on Jan 7, 2016 3:30 pm -

Jenny Caras and Fernhill Fortitude. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Eventing 25 rider Jenny Caras received some great news to kick off her new year this week: she is the 2016 recipient of the Amanda Pirie Warrington Grant from the USET Foundation.

The Amanda Pirie Warrington Grant was established by the Pirie family and is dedicated to furthering the career of an up and coming rider with great talent and the potential to represent the U.S. on the world stage in the future. The grant was established in Amanda’s honor and will grant up to $5,000 to Jenny for training expenses for this year.

This announcement comes on the heels of the Essex Grant, which was awarded to Jenny at the USEA Annual Meeting and Convention in December. This is a grant designated for riders 25 and under and aimed at developing them from the Young Rider ranks into the senior environment.

In a press release, Jenny said that a big goal of hers was to travel to England to compete Fernhill Fortitude, an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, at Bramham.

“That’s my big goal for the summer,” Jenny said in the release. “I’d really like to use this grant to open up opportunities for me to get more training that I wouldn’t have necessarily gotten without it, especially in the show jumping because that’s my weakness. I’d like to use the money to go to jumper shows and get jumper lessons to supplement everything else that I’m doing.”

Many congratulations are in order for Jenny and “Forty” as they continue working towards their goal of reaching the top levels of the sport. Additionally, we’d like to thank the Warrington family as well as everyone else behind these generous grants and development programs that continue to improve our riders.

Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: Winter Camp with Tik and Sinead

By Sally Spickard on Jan 6, 2016 6:00 pm -

Tik Maynard and Sinead Halpin recently hosted a Winter Camp at their home base at The Fork in North Carolina. This was an inclusive series, complete with demonstrations, lectures, and plenty of lessons for all.

Held over three days, the Winter Camp also featured guest speakers such as Bobby Costello and Will Faudree, and riders got a taste of both eventing as well as horsemanship. It sounds like a fantastic opportunity for all who participated — if anyone audited or participated, please send us your clinic report!

Monday Video from Tredstep Ireland: Loch Moy Cross Derby

By Sally Spickard on Jan 4, 2016 5:00 pm -

Eventers gathered for the first outing of the season at Loch Moy this weekend, participating in a fun cross derby over the venue’s newest cross country jumps. Our own Dave Taylor even brought his newest ride out for a spin in the Beginner Novice, and all horses and riders looked to be having a great time in some pleasant January weather.

Many thanks to Loch Moy Farm for hosting a fun event and to EN’s good friend Jamie Rees for producing this video. Cross derby events like this are a great confidence builder for horses and riders! If there’s one held in your area, you should definitely try to go this winter.

Fab Freebie: Win an Easy Care Bamboo Pad from Fleeceworks

By Sally Spickard on Jan 4, 2016 9:00 am -

Tamie Smith and Fleeceworks Royal. Photo courtesy of Captured Moment Photography.

Welcome to the first Fab Freebie of the new year, EN! We’ve got a great one for you this week! Fleeceworks recently launched a new line of Easy Care Bamboo saddle pads, and they’re definitely all the rage as the new “it” pad to have in your tack room.

A layer of bamboo has been incorporated into the designs; the natural fibers provide support — without bulk — and wick moisture, keeping horses backs cool and comfortable. Bamboo is noted to have antibacterial properties. The Non-slip style has strategically located small microfiber areas, which aid in the prevention of pad and saddle slippage.

Graphic courtesy of Fleeceworks.

The Easy Care Square pads are cotton poly, quilted in ½ inch diamonds for a clean, crisp, professional look. The anatomically correct topline allows for room in wither area, while the cotton poly filler with Bamboo lining is supportive and moisture wicking. These pads are also machine washable and can be put into the dryer.

The Easy Care Bamboo pads are available in Dressage, Close Contact, Cross Country and Contour Cross Country — and the winner of this week’s giveaway will receive their choice of style!

To enter for your chance to win, simply enter the Rafflecopter widget below and we will announce the winner in Friday’s News & Notes! Good luck!

Disclaimer: Information given in the Rafflecopter widget, including email addresses, may be shared with the corresponding sponsor at their request. You will also be signed up for our weekly EN eNews email newsletter, if you aren’t already. Don’t worry — you’ll just wonder what you’ve been missing out on — and you can unsubscribe if you don’t want it.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This Equestrian Parody of Adele’s ‘Hello’ is Everything

By Sally Spickard on Jan 3, 2016 9:00 am -

If you haven’t heard Adele’s new single, Hello, then you may possibly be living under a rock. Love her or hate her, Adele has kicked off her new year with a bang, and now people are getting in on it with parodies.

Everyone loves a good parody, but this one definitely takes the cake for equestrians. Kelly Jewell’s cover deals with an issue we all know too well: catching a naughty horse in the pasture.

Sit back, enjoy, and try not to sing along!

USEA Reaches Safety Fundraising Goal Matched by Jacqueline Mars

By Sally Spickard on Jan 1, 2016 9:00 am -

Photo courtesy of ERA International

Great news is coming from the USEA this morning as they have announced the $25,000 fundraising goal for cross country safety research proposed by Ms. Jacqueline Mars has been met.

Ms. Mars generously pledged $25,000 to renew the Frangible Fence Study and set a goal for the USEA to match that amount by January 15. It took just a couple of weeks, however, to meet that goal.

The USEA will continue to fundraise with the goal of an additional $10,000 needed to fund this two-year study, and they have extended their heartfelt appreciation to members and supporters who have made this happen.

Dr. Suzanne Smith, a mechanical engineering professor at the University of Kentucky, will lead the study and is excited about the findings of the program. “What we did before really moved our understanding forward about how rotational falls can happen, but we haven’t yet expressed that mathematically so that we can use that understanding to help us create better fence designs. That’s the importance and the focus of this next study — to capture the understanding that we already have and then extend that into fence design,” Dr. Smith said previously.

The study is projected to take anywhere from 18 months to two years, and Dr. Smith hopes to have some initial findings to present to the USEA Safety Committee within the first six months.

We here at EN would like to take a moment to thank Ms. Mars, the USEA, Dr. Smith and everyone who has put forward by donating and/or spreading the word about this program. Only with further research efforts and education can our sport continue to progress, so kudos to everyone for recognizing its importance.

Go Eventing.

[We Met Ms. Jacqueline Mars’ Challenge and Raised $25,000!]

Happy New Year News & Notes from FLAIR Nasal Strips

By Sally Spickard on Jan 1, 2016 12:02 am -

Kate Chadderton had an envy-worthy New Year's kiss: Collection Pass! Photo via Kate on Facebook.

Happy 2016, EN! Can you believe it? It was actually difficult to type 2016 for the first time. I’m sure I’ll forget several more times in the coming weeks.

I spent my New Year’s pretty quietly, with my dog and roommate on the couch. Pretty exciting, right? Yeah, I agree. It’s an exciting time, though. It always feels so fresh to start a new year, as if we’re all turning the page on a clean slate. I’ve made resolutions in the past, but I’m terrible at sticking with them. So here is my “resolution” for this year:

Sometimes it’s hard to put your plans and resolutions into action. Why do you think we see hundreds of people swarming to the gym on January 1, only to disappear a few weeks later? I’ve been a repeat offender of talking but not acting, so this year I am not resolving to do anything specific, rather, I am resolving to become a person of action.

There are many things I want to accomplish, many of which have not happened because I’ve only ever thought about them. Thinking becomes dreaming, which can then be turned into action — but most of the time, we’re too scared of our own dreams. I think the quote goes something like “If your dreams aren’t big enough to scare you, dream bigger,” and that will be what I think of moving forward. Action over apathy. That’s my resolution.

Now that I’m done rambling, we’d love to hear yours! Submit your New Year’s resolutions in the comments and share them with us!

Friday News:

Start your 2016 with some heartwarming stories from Horse & Hound. They’re counting down 10 of the most touching stories they published this year, and this is definitely a must read list! [10 Heartwarming Stories from 2015]

The Horse is also doing some great reviews of 2015 — this is a cool look back at their top infographics of the year. There is never a lack of information to learn when it comes to horses, and infographics are a great way to break things down into layman’s terms. [Top Infographics of the Year]

Here’s another great way to kick off the new year! The 2016 George H. Morris Horsemastership Training Sessions are officially underway in Florida, where some of the top young riders in the country are taking advantage of a once in a lifetime opportunity. Chronicle of the Horse has a great recap of day one here. [Day One with George Morris]

Friday Video:

Just because, here’s a #FlashbackFriday look back at one of our favorite events of 2015. Here’s to many more in 2016!

Thursday Video from Zoetis: Literally the Best Proposal Video Ever Made

By Sally Spickard on Dec 31, 2015 2:30 pm -

Screenshot via Vimeo.

Get out the tissues and hold on tight, EN — this one’s a doozy. Samantha Balogh is a part of the William Fox-Pitt team, having started in the 2015 season after a couple of years in Germany.

Samantha was in for the surprise of her life when a camera crew posing as members from Horse & Hound visited the yard under the pretense of doing a photo shoot. She wrote the following description on her Vimeo page:

“A ‘normal’ day at work turned into the most magical day of my life. AnnA, I love you the most. Thank you to everybody who brought this to life – a crew posing as Horse & Hound magazine had me genuinely fooled, thinking we were all prepping the stable and horses for a photoshoot. needless to say this was an extremely special experience and a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life. I’m the luckiest pony-girl on earth!”

Ready? Get ready to watch the best idea ever come to fruition, and also feel free to have major yard-envy of the Fox-Pitt home base:

Many, many congratulations are in order for Samantha and Anna!

Historic Flooding in Missouri Forces Evacuation of Several Horse Farms

By Sally Spickard on Dec 31, 2015 12:00 pm -

Photo via Fox 2 St. Louis on Facebook.

This post originally appeared on our sister site, Horse Nation.

Large amounts of rain over the last week have caused many areas of Missouri to declare a state of emergency following historic rates of flooding. Centered mostly in St. Louis and the surrounding areas, the Bourbeuse, Mississippi and Meramec rivers have flooded, displacing many people from their homes in a matter of hours.

The flooding has also affected several Missouri horse farms, who were forced to evacuate their horses to higher ground in anticipation of the river crest.

Graphic via the National Weather Service.

Several of these farms, all of which house many horses, are virtually invisible under the rising water. At this time, it appears that all horses were able to move safely before the water came.

Chris Kraus owns Kraus Farms in Valley Park, said she started planning when she was told the forecasted flood level was 33 feet. “33 feet would have hit one of our barns, and we didn’t want to be sitting ducks out there with over 100 head of horses,” she said. Fortunately, Chris and her family made the right call as the flood quickly progressed to 44 feet, essentially burying the entire farm under water.

Here is a full view of kraus farms. We are thankful for all the people that helped us clear everything out before the flood hit.

Posted by Kraus Farms Equestrian Center on Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Kraus Farms has 180 horses in their care, so evacuating was no easy process. Fortunately, operating on a flood plain prompted the Kraus family to plan ahead. They purchased another farm in Union, Missouri to use as hay fields and an evacuation site if needed. It only took one day (and five rigs traveling back and forth) to move all horses and as many supplies and grain they could manage.

“We have several grain silos at the farm, so we got as much as we could but we did lose the grain in those silos. The hay we have off the flood plain, so we didn’t lose that,” Chris said. “My biggest concern is the condition of the property — we know there is a feed room floating and we aren’t sure if any of the barns were lifted up or not. But the sooner we can get back and get running, the better because we don’t make money when we aren’t operating.”

Kraus Farms is not the only farm affected, as several others found themselves in harm’s way as the water continues to rise.

Some pictures from the flood.

Posted by Brookdale Farms on Wednesday, December 30, 2015

At this time, it appears that all horses affected by evacuation have been moved to higher ground. We will continue to monitor the situation in Missouri, as well as provide ways in which you can help. At this time, there is no one organization to contact to offer assistance.

We’re wishing for all the best for all who have been affected by the floods in Missouri. St. Louis is my hometown, and it broke my heart to drive through this weekend and see so much destruction. Even now, the danger is far from over as the rivers continue to swell and rise. Interstates have been shut down, and many areas are impassable. Water rescues are underway for those who are stranded on their rooftops.

Stay strong, Missouri.

Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: Eventers Take On the Ledbury Hunt

By Sally Spickard on Dec 30, 2015 6:00 pm -

We’ve featured the UK’s Pearson Eventing and their off-season hunting adventures in the past, and they’re back with a new recap from their recent jaunt with the Ledbury Hunt. Held at Tweenhills Farm in Gloucestershire, the hunt features plenty of scenery and enough big hedges to scare the pants off the average person.

We’d love to see your videos of you and your horse out foxhunting this off season, so send them to us at [email protected]!

Tuesday Video from SpectraVET: A Special Year with a Special Horse

By Sally Spickard on Dec 29, 2015 5:30 pm -

Terri Myers and her 8-year-old Thoroughbred/Quarter Horse gelding, Terroz, were never supposed to compete as eventers.

“Several years ago I purchased ‘Oz’ knowing he had an injury,” she said. “The veterinarian said he would probably not be suitable for dressage. I spent years conditioning him, and he is now doing Second Level dressage. We just finished the year competing at Beginner Novice and are hoping to move up to Novice/Training in the spring.”

This video filmed at Bucks County Horse Park in Pennsylvania was produced by Terri’s son, Seth Umbenhauer, as her Christmas gift, showing the pure joy we all feel every time we compete. Many thanks to Terri for sharing this special video that truly reminds us all of the love we have for our sport.

Go Eventing.

Why SpectraVET?

Reliable. Effective. Affordable.

SpectraVET is committed to providing only the highest-quality products and services to our customers, and to educating the world in the science and art of laser therapy.

We design and manufacture the broadest range of clinically-proven veterinary therapeutic laser products, which are represented and supported worldwide by our network of specialist distributors and authorized service centers.

Stickability Awards: EN’s Top Saves of 2015

By Sally Spickard on Dec 29, 2015 12:00 pm -

Great saves. We’ve all had our own — those moments where we see our life (or at least our dignity) flash before our eyes. We saw some really top-notch saves in 2015, and we’re continuing our look back on another year full of insanity with our Top Saves of 2015.

We’d also like to know who gets your vote for the unofficial Best Save of 2015! Take a look here, and vote in the poll for your favorite.

Photo courtesy of Mary Pat Stone.

1. Tim Bourke’s Stirrupless Save at Burghley

Losing a stirrup is pretty nerve wracking at any time, but imagine losing your stirrup while on course at big, bad Burghley. Your heart rate just went up a tick, didn’t it? Thankfully, Tim went on to complete with no further issues, but he somehow jumped the Cottesmore Leap with his iron dangling in the wind.

2. Joe Meyer Saves the Runway at Richland Park

If “Dancing With the Equine Stars” were a thing, perhaps Joe and South Paw would not have won, but they’d certainly win plenty of marks for composure (or lack thereof for South Paw). Luckily, Joe had everything under control and made his save look easy.

3. Leslie Law Avoids a Swim at AECs

The powers of stickability came together to keep Leslie Law safe and dry after a near fall at AECs aboard Cooley’s Rule of Law.

4. Lizzie Snow Wins the Best Save at Rolex

This save could straight up go on one of those Thrills and Spills videos that we all used to watch as kids. Lizzie Snow and Coal Creek made their four-star debut this spring at Rolex, and they kept things exciting at fence 20. Thanks to Tylir Penton, we can see how it (nearly) went down.

5. Niklas Bschorer Casually Stays Dry at Badminton

It definitely seemed to be a year of great four-star saves, and this one from Niklas Bschorer is no exception. Niklas made the best of a potentially bad (and wet) situation — as well as an inflated air vest — and somehow made it through a tricky question on course with Tom Tom Go 3.

6. Lillian Heard Saves the Day at The Fork

We saw a fantastic stickability lesson from Lillian Heard at The Fork when she somehow managed to both hang on and still pilot Arundel to the next fence.

7. Darby Weerstra and Seelie Court II Pull it Together at Richland Park

Darby Weerstra competed in the Novice division at Richland Park this year and safely made it home, albeit with one heck of a save at fence 5. Way to kick on, Darby!

8. The Littlest Girl Makes the Biggest Save

And finally, we look back at little Naomi Langeler, who at just 9 years old already has a viral save under her belt. Thank goodness for “around the world” training! Keep an eye on this one, y’all.

So now it’s time for a vote! Pick your favorite save of 2015:

Monday Video from Tredstep Ireland: Christmas with Wallace Eventing

By Sally Spickard on Dec 28, 2015 5:30 pm -

Team Tredstep rider Elisa Wallace of Wallace Eventing has been a very busy vlogger of late, keeping us up to date on both her mustang endeavors as well as her competition with Simply Priceless, with whom she completed Rolex in 2015.

In the latest edition of her vlog, Elisa fills us in on her Christmas (hint: it involves a rat and a Christmas ornament…), updates on her four-legged family and an update on her upcoming plans with Simply Priceless, or “Johnny.”

Many thanks to Wallace Eventing for allowing us to share their vlog content. To catch up on more, visit their website here.

Fab Freebie: Win a Prize Pack from MOJO

By Sally Spickard on Dec 28, 2015 9:00 am -

Image via MOJO.

Happy Monday, EN! We hope you’re having a great recovery from the holidays (and we still have just one more to go: New Year’s!). In case you’re looking for a little more help with legging back up for the upcoming season, MOJO Future Tech is here to help.

For this week’s Fab Freebie, we’re giving away a prize pack from MOJO that includes two wristbands as well as a set of Power Patches to be used on your horse’s halter or dog’s collar.

If you’ve not read up on the buzz around MOJO, you can check out our product review here.

So here’s the drill: use the Rafflecopter widget below to submit your entry before January 1 at midnight. We’ll announce the winner in Friday’s News & Notes. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday Video: Can You Spot the Dressage Horse?

By Sally Spickard on Dec 27, 2015 3:00 pm -

Spot the dressage stallion

Posted by Legrande – Oldenburg Stallion on Saturday, December 26, 2015

You have to check out this cute video from the Legrande – Oldenburg Stallion Facebook page. The stallion was out for the Worcester Boxing Day Hunt, and this video of the opening parade was published yesterday. Let’s see how long it takes you to spot him in the crowd!

Claire and Legrande out at the Worcester Hunt boxing day meet today, lots of supports out and lots of new friends to add to his ever growing fan club.

Posted by Legrande – Oldenburg Stallion on Saturday, December 26, 2015

Another Easter egg to look for in this video: can you spot the most adorable little pony keeping up with the big horses?

Weekly OTTB Wishlist from Cosequin

By Sally Spickard on Dec 27, 2015 12:00 pm -

Well, I certainly hope that ponies were waiting under the trees for all of you this week! For those of you who didn’t get your Christmas horse, though, there’s still time to snatch one up! Here are a few of our favorite OTTBs from organizations around the country:

Photo used with permission from CANTER PA.

Ascania (Lion Heart – Ascot Gold, by Mutakddim) is a 2009 gelding described as an “amateur’s Christmas wish” with his kind eye and pleasant personality. Ascania stands 15.3 hands tall and raced 37 times, winning three times to earn some money.

Ascania is described as retired with no known issues and should make a nice project for someone looking to start an OTTB. This cute guy is available through the Pennsylvania chapter of CANTER.

Ascania on CANTER PA

Photo via New Vocations.

There are only a few days left to take advantage of New Vocations’ 50% off adoption fees for their horses! Thesiriousmoonlite is one such horse currently available through the Kentucky location. Thesiriousmoonlite (Sir Whimsey – Star Orchid, by Successful Appeal) is a New York bred 2012 model standing 16.2 hands who raced just twice in her career.

This mare is said to be naturally balanced with a great, confident personality. This big girl is just oozing athletic potential, and she’s just waiting for someone to come along and tap into it!

Thesiriousmoonlite on New Vocations

Photo via PA Racehorse Rehoming.

Our final horse this week is Sparing Action, a 2011 mare who is unraced due to not having room at the track for her. According to this girl’s listing, she’d prefer to run on the turf, but the lack of room forced her to have to find a new home.

Sparing Action (Action This Day – Saratoga Spar, by Two Punch) is said to be sound, sweet and sane. She’s a 15.3 hand clean slate just waiting to find her new home!

Sparing Action on PA Racehorse Rehoming

Pennsylvania Farm Placed Under Quarantine After EHV-1 Euthanizations

By Sally Spickard on Dec 27, 2015 9:00 am -

Creative Commons photo.

Mile View Farm in Doylestown, Pennsylvania has been placed under a 21 day quarantine following three euthanizations due to equine herpes myeloencephalopathy, caused by the EHV-1 virus. One of the horses did compete at a hunter/jumper show prior to showing symptoms from the virus, and an investigation is currently underway to determine the timeline of the infection.

Many barn owners in the surrounding areas have asked their clients to take extra precautions when coming into contact with their horses. Since the EHV-1 virus can be transmitted from horse to horse via nasal secretions.

Here are some symptoms to be aware of for possible EHV-1 infection:

• Nasal discharge
• Incoordination
• Hind limb weakness
• Loss of tail tone
• Lethargy
• Urine dribbling
• Head tilt
• Leaning against a fence or wall to maintain balance
• Inability to rise

The virus can be spread by using contaminated items on other horses, such as buckets, tack, grooming supplies, and trailers. There are many more helpful tips and resources about EHV-1 on the AAEP journal here.

We’ll continue to bring you updates from Pennsylvania as they become available — we’re all keeping our fingers crossed that this case does not spread, and our thoughts and condolences are with those who have been affected.

Eventing Nation