Become an Eventing Nation BloggerIn searching for epic helmet cams to share with you on this cold (at least in the Midwest!) Sunday, we stumbled on this great find thanks to helmet cam company Cambox ISIS. Michael Jung donned one of these cameras while out on course at Luhmühlen earlier this year, where he and La Biosthetique Sam finished in third place overall.
I don’t know about you, but the ride looks just as smooth from this perspective as it does from other angles — just another Ze Terminator trademark!
With this year’s Retired Racehorse Project come and gone already, it’s time to start thinking ahead to next year. There are so many eligible Thoroughbreds out there — it’s just a matter of finding the right fit! As always, it’s difficult to select just a few listings to feature each week, but here are some of our favorite available OTTBs from this week.
Photo via Finger Lakes Finest.
I may be a bit biased based on name here (you know, that really catchy Major Lazer song, “Lean On”?), but this adorable girl is available through Finger Lakes Finest in New York. Major Lazer (Alphabet Soup – I’m a Cheetah, by Kiridashi) is a 2011 mare who has never raced as she shows more promise as a sprinter, which decreases her local value. The track’s loss is your gain in this instance!
Major Lazer on Finger Lakes Finest
Photo via New Vocations.
This solid boy is a 2011 gelding who is currently up for adoption through New Vocations’ Lexington location. Spun Hard (Hard Spun – The Real Melody, by Unbridled’s Song) has just four races under his belt and is described as primarily a push ride so far in his restarting. He stands 16.1 hands and looks like he will be a straightforward project for a suitable new owner!
Photo via PA Racehorse Rehoming.
Hot Stocker (Andiron – Crept By, by Snuck In) is an adorable 3-year-old gelding who is currently available through PA Racehorse Rehoming. Hot Stocker raced 11 times, winning twice and earning a shade over $32,000 on the track. He is described as retired sound (his last race was at the end of October) and on clean legs.
Brody Robertson explains an exercise to a clinic group. Photo by Bonnie Anderson.
We are all familiar with Brody Robertson’s successful show jump design business, but did you know he’s also a well accomplished rider and effective clinician to boot? Area IV riders got to experience a Brody clinic first hand when he visited West End Farm in Kansas City, Kansas earlier this month.
Brody has many years of experience in the show jump ring and brings a hearty focus on rider position and effectiveness to his clinics. His teaching style immediately reminded me of George Morris, whom Brody has also learned from over the years, from the delivery of his instructions to the basic yet integral position fixes that are so important for all styles of riding.
The riders in this clinic ranged from younger children on their ponies to Training level eventers, and all walked away with a few new tools to utilize in the upcoming winter season. Using a simple, equitation-style course, Brody emphasized the importance of straightness and the intent with which you must deliver your instructions to your horse.
He started each group off with at least 10 minutes of simply walking on the buckle with feet out of the irons. This allows both horse and rider to relax and stretch before starting work, he explained. It was interesting to see a few of the typically keyed up horses visibly relaxing when they weren’t put immediately to work. This also provided the opportunity for Brody to explain his teaching methods, which he peppered with entertaining anecdotes and analogies to make them relatable.
Brody watches as Lyndsey Gruber completes an exercise. Photo by Bonnie Anderson.
From the walk, riders were put through each respective gait, with Brody immediately honing in on leg and seat position and how this translates over into jumping. Another thing I was very impressed with was his knack for remembering names! The first group contained seven riders, and he did not once forget a name. I suppose I am impressed with this due to my complete ineptitude for remembering names.
While not every rider in this clinic was an eventer, I think that the concepts taught were applicable for any discipline. Brody kept using the analogy of asking his math teacher why he had to learn certain things. “When am I ever going to use this in the real world?” he asked. He then explained that even something as simple as honing your jumping position would pay off over time through both physical fitness as well as effectiveness as the jumps increased in size.
Brody was quick to let a rider know if they’d done something incorrectly, throwing out a few George Morris worthy quips, but he was equally quick to offer helpful advice on how to improve on that mistake the next time through.
Jaiden Waddle and Ursa Minor make quick work of a course. Photo by Bonnie Anderson.
My personal theory with clinics is that if you can come away with just one new tool to use in the future, it is a success. Not every clinician will instruct the same way or focus on the same things, but there is always something to learn. No matter what discipline you choose, there is always a new concept to wrap your mind around. Even the reining riders who share the barn watched several sessions, asking questions and subsequently expanding their knowledge base.
Brody was a very approachable clinician who instilled confidence in the riders with his quiet approach and systematic teaching. He did not over face anyone but made his exercises challenging for even the most advanced rider. We definitely plan to invite him back, and would highly recommend taking the opportunity to participate in a clinic near you!
Jen McFall and High Times. Photo by Sally Spickard.
Jennifer McFall announced this week that she will begin offering syndicate shares for her upper level partner, High Times. “Billy” is an 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding who successfully completed his first CCI4* in Kentucky last year. Since then, he’s racked up his fair share of consistent results at the three-star level, and Jen has big plans for the future.
“We are excited to share some big news as we have announced our plans to syndicate Jen’s Four Star partner, High Times aka Billy,” Jen wrote in a statement.
“This syndication will offer ownership opportunities at an affordable cost for those interested in experiencing eventing as an owner with this proven four-star horse.
“This opportunity gives ten shareholders a chance to own a world-class horse. With career highlights that include completing his first CCI4* at Rolex Kentucky in 2014, wins at numerous horse trials, and a recent third place finish at the Rebecca Farm CIC3* in 2015, “Billy” is an exciting horse to be a part of looking to the 2016 season.
“I am very excited about the opportunity to have people join Billy and I in his prime years as owners. Syndicating him will allow us to take advantage of education opportunities, so that he can truly compete at the elite level I know he is capable of with the highest possible degree of success.
“This is not a one person (or one family) endeavor in my eyes, but rather something that will be most enjoyable to experience with a group. I feel like this horse really is “the people’s horse”. He is someone that a lot of people relate to with true talent that could hit big with the right support.”
For those interested in becoming involved with this syndicate, email [email protected] for more information. We wish Jen and Billy the best of luck with their future endeavors and look forward to seeing more from this pair in the future.
We’ve seen an increase in drone footage of cross country in recent months, and this short look at the use of these machines for a unique angle on videography gives us another perspective on the use of drones.
Some of the benefits mentioned in this video are from a training perspective — drones could potentially be beneficial with the “eye in the sky” point of view, giving coaches and their students a way to see the lines a rider is using in a combination, for example.
What do you think, EN? Do you think the benefits outweigh the potential risks for using more drones in eventing? Weigh in below!
Ingrid Klimke and Parmenides lead the victory gallop in Stockholm. Photo via Ingrid on Facebook.
Indoor eventing season is in full swing, and it definitely seems to be a staple on many European riders’ calendars. Ingrid Klimke, fresh off of a competition at Stuttgart last week, took home the win in the Indoor Eventing at the Sweden International Horse Show on Thursday evening aboard Parmenides.
Parmenides is an 11-year-old Trakehner gelding who has a good amount of experience at the two-star level. Ingrid’s had the ride on this horse for the entirety of his FEI career, and she clinched the Indoor title this week with a score of 72.48, scored on time and jump faults.
In second were New Zealand’s Daniel Jocelyn aboard Beaucatcher, who scored a 72.65, followed by Andreas Ostholt and Pennsylvania (72.81) and Linda Algotsson and Fairnando (75.41). There was also a team competition in which Germany took home the title (surprise!), followed by the combined team of Australia and New Zealand in second, Sweden in third and the Brits in fourth.
We’re finding some videos of rounds from the Indoor competition, including Paul Tapner and Kilronan’s round:
Watch Kilronan at The Sweden International Horse Show Stockholm Indoor XC challenge where he and Paul were part of the “Down Under” team who finished 2nd behind the Germans!
Posted by Tapner Eventing Team on Saturday, November 28, 2015
As well as this assortment of rides, including an interesting routine that seems to be a sort of rally race…
Congratulations to Ingrid and Parmenides on their win! Go Indoor Eventing.
Sweden International Horse Show: [Results]
Get ready for some goosebumps. SlingShot Productions teamed up with Zimbabwe-born event rider Camilla Kruger, who is taking aim at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, to produce this mesmerizing video highlighting the relationship between horse and rider and the passion we have for the sport.
Featuring crisp slow motion shots and chill-inducing music, this is a video you absolutely must see. To learn more about Camilla and her road to Rio, click here.
We asked, you delivered. Clipping season is in full swing, and you all are getting super creative with your clip jobs this winter! Keep those submissions coming by emailing sally@eventingnation or tagging us on Instagram or Twitter using #ClippingChronicles.
Victoria Tunis’ clip job on Meadowridge Daycoach.
Ham the OTTB, owned by Brannon McGarland Schuckert and clipped by Kelly Johnson.
A collection of Tori Traube’s clip jobs.
Peter Pan reaching for his star. #thedoctorisin #pandyman #clippingchronicles
A photo posted by @horsegirl779699 on
Victoria Blass made a three-star horse out of this one!
Now that’s dedication! Photo via EN reader Jackie.
If that’s lucky, we don’t know what is. Clip job by Mallory Stiver.
Screenshot via Laine Ashker on Instagram.
It’s a constant battle to find new ideas for your training regimen, and the off-season exacerbates the difficulty of breaking monotony. Thankfully, many riders are also tinkering with their training and sharing their tips along the way. Laine Ashker recently began doing a “Grid of the Day” post featuring various grid exercises that can be useful for horses and riders of all levels.
One of the useful things about grid work is that the jumps can be tiny and still drive the point home. You don’t need to jump 4-foot to prove anything — put the jumps at whatever height are comfortable for you and your horse, and keep in mind that the less wear and tear on a horse’s legs the better.
Check out some creative grid exercises and the training concept behind them from Laine’s Instagram:
A video posted by Lainey Ashker (@laineyea) on
Have any fun gymnastic/grid exercises to add, EN? Let’s see them! Post them in your comments below or tag us on Instagram using #ENGridSkills. Happy jumping!
A few rounds from last week’s Indoor Derby at the Stuttgart German Masters are beginning to pop up, and we’re enjoying reliving the action from an exciting night of competition. The course was set at 2* level for competitors, who rode everything from seasoned four-star horses to younger horses who were newer to the level.
As we know, French rider Sidney Dufresne took home the win, followed closely by Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST. You can check out Sidney’s winning round below:
Das Highlight gestern Abend war ganz klar das Indoor Derby! Der Franzose Sidney Dufresne Eventing mit Looping de Buissy…
Posted by ClipMyHorse.de on Thursday, November 19, 2015
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It’s been awhile since we’ve had a new episode of “If Horses Were People” from our friends at SmartPak, but this new video is worth the wait! What is your horse like at mealtime? We’re positive you’ll identify with one of these scenarios … and if not, this is only Part I of this series!
Enjoy, and many thanks to SmartPak for sharing another hilarious video.
I’ll admit it: I’m a big time social media stalker. I’ve come to terms with it, and really I’m mostly stalking people’s horses, which makes me feel more secure about it. My point is, a lot of new OTTBs are popping up on my timeline, which is so exciting and also a reminder that the tracks are closing down for the winter. This means that it’s a great time to go bargain shopping for a new horse if you’re ready to take one on.
Here are a few of our favorite OTTB listings from the past week! Don’t forget to email [email protected] if one of these horses becomes yours!
Photo courtesy of the Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center.
This guy popped up on my Facebook last night, and I was instantly taken with his lovely gaits and nice attitude. Lion Fish (Student Council – Tyne, by Awesome Again) is a 2011 gelding with just one start (and one win!) under his belt at Churchill Downs. Lion Fish stands 16.2 hands high and is said to be the prince everyone has been looking for. This is a seriously athletic guy who is just oozing with potential — don’t forget to watch the video on his page!
Lion Fish on Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center
Photo via Finger Lakes Finest.
If you’re looking for tall, dark and handsome, look no further than Tony D (Touch Gold – Party Cited, by Alleged), who sold for $400,000 as a yearling but won just once in 23 starts. A 2010 model standing 17 hands, Tony D is said to have a kind attitude and a great build and natural movement to make him a great fit for the sport horse world.
Photo used with permission from CANTER PA.
Lastly this week is this beautiful girl, Quiet Prediction, available through CANTER PA. Quiet Prediction (Real Quiet – Cozzmic Wonder, by Cozzene) has a great sire in Real Quiet and is super athletic and ready to move on to a sporting home. Quiet Prediction raced 14 times, winning second and just about $29,000 during her career. She last raced in April of 2015, so she’s had some time to come down from her racing fitness a bit.
Look who’s out stretching his legs, EN! That’s right — one of the stars of Boyd Martin’s barn, Shamwari 4, is back in work and looking happy to be back to it. We haven’t seen much of Shamwari, a 13-year-old Hanoverian owned by the Shamwari 4 Syndicate, since WEG in 2014 and we aren’t sure of Boyd’s plans for him just yet. Regardless, it’s good to see him out and about!
Ben Noonan and Covergirl Angel at Queeny Park Horse Trials. Photo by Kick On Photo.
There’s something special about seeing a driven and talented kid who is just starting out in the sport of eventing. There’s something even more special when you meet a pair of siblings who are each fiercely dedicated to their sport of choice — it’s a feeling that makes you sit up and pay attention and think, “I should probably remember these names for the future.”
That’s what happened when I met Ben and Bridget Noonan while competing my young horse at Heritage Park in Olathe, Ks. this fall. I had seen this duo earlier in the year during a photography job and was impressed by what seemed to be great attitudes and a willingness to learn.
But then I asked Ben, 11, how he thought his Starter cross country course rode while we were waiting in the warm-up for show jumping. He immediately launched into a Boyd Martin-esque analysis of his course, telling me how his horse — whom he had just gotten the month before — handled each question and what he thought he could improve on going forward. I was blown away by his educated answer so much that I could only respond with, “Yeah, me too.”
Ben’s sister, Bridget, is the same way. At 15, she’s also started her eventing career on an Appendix Quarter Horse named I Did It Ina Minute (“Mikey”), a saintly horse who is a jack of all trades and a perfect educator for a young rider. Bridget is as poised and well spoken as her younger brother, and the impression these two kids left stayed with me as I thought about the up and coming generation of the sport and what it takes to truly become a student of eventing.
The Noonan siblings have had the privilege of growing up on a hunter/jumper farm, Noonan Farms, in Chesterfield, Mo. This has afforded them the opportunity of learning to ride anything and everything that comes their way, and they’ve worked hard to produce the horses chosen to take them into the eventing world.
Bridget Noonan and I Did It Ina Minute at Queeny Park. Photo by Kick On Photo.
Training with Ellen Sadler at Capitol Farms, these kids know the meaning of hard work and the importance of humility in a sport that’s quick to remind you of just how lowly you are. They got their start with eventing just a few years ago, wanting to combine a love of dressage with the exciting addition of jumping.
“When we first started, Ben loved dressage,” Bridget recalled. “We’d be in the arena, and Ben would be running around doing half-passes and pirouettes on foot. He was really fascinated by it. We wanted to combine the love of dressage with jumping.”
“I actually was terrified of jumping at first,” Ben said. “We went to a cross country schooling at Queeny Park with Camie Stockhausen, and both of our horses were bucking and running off. We called it the second running of the Kentucky Derby, but we kept getting back on. That’s when Ellen (Sadler) walked over to my dad and asked if she could train us.”
Ben and Bridget began trailering over to Ellen’s farm for lessons and quickly learned to love eventing, traveling to a few events to compete at Starter level and getting their sea legs out on cross country. Eventually, Ellen found a new horse for Ben to continue on after his first pony, Covergirl Angel, showed that cross country was not her favorite phase.
After just a few weeks with the new horse, also an Appendix named Rylee, Ben cruised around Heritage Park to finish in third in the Pre-Beginner Novice division, just ahead of his sister and “Mikey.”
Now, the Noonan kids are making plans for the 2016 season, anticipating a move up with their horses and keeping their goals for the future in mind.
“I have a pony who I’ve been asked to catch ride at the A shows this winter,” Ben said. “So I’m lucky to have that opportunity. I really want to move up to Beginner Novice next year — I’ve been doing starter for a year and a half now and would like to be able to move out of that.”
Ben and Covergirl Angel at Queeny Park. Photo by Kick On Photo.
“Mikey will work on dressage all winter,” Bridget said. “We want to be able to finish up at Novice by the end of next season. We’ve also started looking at OTTBs to train — Ben and I want to eventually compete on horses we have trained, like Meghan O’Donoghue.”
What about the concept of “sibling rivalry”? Does this exist with such a close knit pair?
Ben laughs when I ask him this and says there is a lot of rivalry, but that it’s different. “It’s more telling people how good the other one is,” he said. “We always push each other and critique each other so much that we almost can’t be in the same arena.”
“Ben always beats me in the dressage,” Bridget said ruefully. “So that’s where the rivalry is. I will be working on dressage for two months before a show and Ben will be doing it two weeks before and he’ll still beat me.”
At the end of the day, though, it’s not about who comes out on top — a lesson Ellen has firmly instilled in Ben and Bridget. “One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned from Ellen is that winning isn’t everything,” Bridget said. “The point of it is to really appreciate your horse.”
“It’s more about the experience than winning,” Ben added. “Ellen teaches you to be patient with your horse and that practice makes perfect. She will spend the whole day with you, walking courses multiple times, and all she asks for is a ‘thank you’ at the end.”
Bridget and Mikey having a blast at Queeny Park. Photo by Kick On Photo.
And, as with any aspiring eventer, there are always role models to emulate.
“I really like Michael Jung,” Ben said (smart kid). “Also, when I was eight, I was watching videos of Rolex, not even knowing that this was the top level of the sport or who anyone was, and I saw William Fox-Pitt and I thought, ‘Oh, I want to look like him.’ And then I found out who he was!”
Bridget seconded the William Fox-Pitt notion and also named Area IV amateur Jana Lyle as a role model. “She helped us with our dressage at Dunnabeck and she was just amazing,” she said. “The way she takes care of her horse and how she still smiles no matter what her result is — it’s really inspiring.”
Both siblings have big plans, each wanting to eventually compete at Rolex but aware of the road that lies ahead of them. In a conversation with Ben and Bridget, though, you find it easy to picture them, a few years older, representing hard work and dedication in the Rolex Arena in Kentucky.
When it comes down to it, it is kids like these who are the grassroots of the sport and the lifeline of eventing. These kids, who hang posters on their walls of William Fox-Pitt and Michael Jung, who model themselves after those who came before them. These kids, who get up each day with a goal in mind and a plan to achieve that goal. These kids, who remind us all of where we came from and how infinitely possible everything can be when you’re willing to work.
Kick on, Noonan kids. We’ll all be cheering for you.
Shane Rose and CP Qualified at Adelaide in 2015. Photo by Stephen Mowbray Photography.
It was a day to remember for Shane Rose, who is ticking the boxes on his quest to represent Australia at Rio next year. He certainly gave the selectors plenty to sit up and pay attention to in the final phase of the Adelaide CCI4*, jumping clear aboard Virgil and lowering one rail with CP Qualified to take first and second overall.
Shane did have a fence in hand with CP Qualified, who led through the entire weekend, and needed to use that during his round. Nonetheless, his final score of 49.3 was enough to clinch the win (over himself) and the only score in the 40s to end the weekend. CP Qualified is a 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Felicity and Elizabeth Wischer — this is his third CCI4* start, second placing within the top 8 or better, and his first win at the level.
Virgil, a 10-year-old gelding owned by Michelle Hasibar and Brett Jones, finishes up his first CCI4* start on a final score of 50.8 after seeing much success at the three-star level prior to his move up. It’s apparent now that Shane has a couple of different tools in his arsenal as he continues his Olympic campaign.
“I knew Clarke would be really hard to beat and we have about six Aussie guys that are here that I knew would be up there,” Shane said after his win. “I think both horses have performed very well and it would have been great to jump clear on Qualified but to run first and second in this field is what I was hoping I could do.”
Shane Rose takes his lap aboard Virgil with CP Qualified in tow. Photo courtesy of Julie Wilson / FEI.
“Before the event I said I would be pretty disappointed if I didn’t finish in the top four. I have very competitive horses and I felt if I did a good job that we’d be close. Coming down here I openly said here that this is where I wanted to qualify and get selected for Rio.”
Holding on to third place following show jumping is Clark Johnstone and Balmoral Sensation, an 11-year-old New Zealand Warmblood owned by the Johnstone Family, who also made his debut at the CCI4* level this weekend. Clark is also on the Olympic radar and will head to the UK in the spring to continue his quest to be named to the New Zealand team.
Clark Johnstone and Balmoral Sensation. Photo courtesy of Julie Wilson / FEI.
Sonja Johnson, a sheep farmer by day, moved up from 15th into fourth on cross country day and didn’t let go of that placing in the final phase, jumping double clear Parkiarrup Illicit Liason to finish on a three day score of 59.4. This horse evidently had an overreach coming in to the event, which put Sonja on the fence on competing him.
“He really had a poor preparation, as I have only been able to ride him for a few days,” she said. She certainly pulled it together for the weekend though and will be another one for the selectors to keep their eyes on as the next season begins.
It’s been a great weekend of eventing from Down Under, and we’d like to thank the FEI as well as the Adelaide press office for keeping us up to speed on the happenings — almost as good as being there ourselves!
We’d also like to take a moment to wish Kiwi photographer Libby Law all the best as she suffered a rollerblading accident and landed herself in the hospital before this event. We’re sad to not see her beautiful photos coming from Adelaide, but we hope to see her back in action soon!
Casual, guys. Just keeping it casual. What happens when Stuttgart decides to hold a costume class? Michael Jung dresses up as Luigi, naturally. There’s no rhyme or reason to it, just Michael Jung showing us all how much he loves Mario and Luigi and how well he can pull off green!
What I really want to know is how he pulled off a near-perfect leg with what had to be pretty slick denim overalls on. If only I could pull off a show jump ride in overalls, my life would be complete.
Many thanks to YouTube user webstallions for the laugh this afternoon!
Shane Rose and CP Qualified. Photo courtesy of Stephen Mowbray Photography.
It was a nutty day of cross country yesterday for the CCI4* riders at Adelaide. Shane Rose had two rides in the CCI4*, CP Qualified and Virgil, and he piloted them both around clear with just a shade of time to now stand in both first and second heading into the finale.
Shane holds the only sub-50 score on the board, settling in with a 45.3 and a rail in hand over himself as Virgil, a four-star first-timer, is currently on a score of 50.8. Clarke Johnstone and Balmoral Sensation round out the top three on a two-phase score of 54.1. Things are certainly not insanely tight at the top of the leaderboard, but we know that show jumping at Adelaide tends to be influential.
“Virgil’s been ready for (this level for) a while, he’s a super horse, an amazing jumping machine,” Shane said. “He could win medals as a showjumping horse probably. He has a great gallop and today he was up on his time the whole way around.”
“With CP Qualified, I just need to touch up on a few things, I need to get my preparation for the (dressage) test a bit better,” he continued. Virgil just needs time to get stronger, he’s a big lump of a horse with super power.”
“I’ve got two exceptional horses so I’m very privileged. There’s a lot that could go wrong between now and tomorrow and then in the next nine months leading into Rio but so far everything is on track so we just need to make sure we keep going that way.”
Clark Johnstone and Balmoral Sensation. Photo by Julie Wilson / FEI.
It was a truly a day where anything could happen, and as it happened Christine Bates and Adelaide Hill clipped an irrigation line on one of the galloping paths on course:
Here’s what has XC on hold at @aus3de. Christine Bates & Adelaide Hill clipped an irrigation line in galloping lane pic.twitter.com/xRhck4Umg5
— Eventing Nation (@eventingnation) November 21, 2015
Christine was the 18th rider out on course, so she came a bit more than halfway through the order of go. This added some delay to the final few riders, but it seems the grounds crew was swift and efficient with their work to get order restored and re-string the galloping lane to avoid the flooded part of the course.
Fence 5AB, AIS Stickpile to Brush Corner.
In all, we saw 24 completions of the cross country, an 80% completion rate with 21 of those (88%) coming home sans jump penalties. There were three rider falls, including poor Emily Gray, who fell from Jocular Vision at the first fence. If we’re going to pick a fence that was most problematic, it would be fence 5, which caused several refusals and one retirement.
Alice Dundson and Fernhill Present are well on their way to completing the sixth CCI4* on the international calendar — and this all comes after Alice was evidently admitted to the hospital for a suspected stomach bug or food poisoning!
It’s going to be an exciting finale to the final CCI4* of the 2015 season, and you can watch it all go down live on FEI TV beginning at 11:35 p.m. EST. Can Shane Rose pull off the victory on one of his two horses? He came seventh here in 2013 with CP Qualified and he’s got a keen first-timer who may be ready to step up and shine. We’ll find out later on tonight!
The FEI channel has posted some rider walkthroughs of several important questions on Mike Etherington-Smith’s cross country course at Adelaide.
It’s very educational to see the perspective of people who have ridden courses such as these time and time again — their insight on how the question will ride is interesting even to those of us who ride at the lower levels.
Check out these walkthroughs with Andrew Hoy, Shane Rose and Sam Griffiths and then tune in to FEI TV if you’re a subscriber to watch cross country beginning at 6:20 p.m. EST.
And just for fun, here’s a cool course animation of what the riders can expect to see on course:
The FEI is on the ground covering the final CCI4* of the year in Adelaide and they took some time to catch up with a few of the riders who will be competing this weekend.
Interviews with last year’s winner Jessica Manson as well as other big names such as Shane Rose and Stuart Tinney are featured in these videos, and we also get to hear from British rider Alice Dunsdon on her quest to complete all six CCI4* events on the same horse.
Enjoy and we look forward to bringing you more reports from Adelaide as the CCI4* dressage begins.
Graphic and statistics courtesy of EquiRatings.
The final CCI4* of the season begins its dressage competition tomorrow, and we’re eagerly anticipating one last weekend of big-time eventing action before we really get into the winter lull.
Our good friends over at EquiRatings made up this handy fact sheet in preparation for Adelaide and it’s a great comparison for the number nerds out there.
It’s interesting to note that Adelaide has the highest completion percentage of all six CCI4* but also the lowest percentage to go clear without jump or time penalties across country. The average dressage score is also higher than the average, with just one under-40 dressage test coming in 2013.
We are excited to see how true to these averages this year’s field stays — or if we’ll see someone buck the trends. The CCI2* dressage completed today and the CCI4* will begin their tests tomorrow morning.
Stay tuned for more from Adelaide, and thanks to EquiRatings for putting together this great fact sheet.
Sidney Dufresne and Looping de Buissy celebrate their winning round. Photo courtesy of Stuttgart German Masters.
It was an exciting night of competition for the indoor eventing portion of the Stuttgart German Masters. Many top riders were on hand to vie for the top prize, but it was a French rider who emerged victorious.
Sidney Dufresne and Looping de Buissy took home the win thanks to a quick, clear round in 79.10 seconds — barely squeaking out faster than defending champion Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST, who made it around in 79.13 for second place.
Looping de Buissy is a 16-year-old Anglo-Arab gelding owned by Yves Dufresne who has competed through the CCI4* level with Sidney. Sidney is an accomplished rider himself with many years of experience at the three- and four-star levels. This pair was quick and catty through a course that — on par with indoor eventing — featured tricky, tight turns and favored the quick-footed horse.
Gif image via Clip My Horse.
Michael Jung and fischerRocana were one of the last pairs to go, and it appeared that they may have had the win in the bag after Rocana left up a pair of oxers set on a bending line that nearly every pair had down. Receiving some of the biggest cheers of the night (second, it seemed, only to Ingrid Klimke), Michael’s time was just barely slower than Sidney’s but nonetheless good for second.
GIF images via Clip My Horse.TV.
Sidney and Michael’s sub-80 second times were the only of their kind, with third place rider Mark Todd finishing in a time of 83.45. Andreas Ostholt and Pennsylvania finished in fourth with a time of 83.83.
Jordan Linstedt and Palm Beach. Photo courtesy of Stuttgart German Masters.
The USA’s own Jordan Linstedt stopped in at Stuttgart during her jaunt to Germany this month and piloted Palm Beach around for a clear round. I apologize, as I incorrectly reported the name of the horse Jordan rode in my preview — it appears the wrong horse was listed on the entries at first. Jordan evidently had only ridden Palm Beach twice before this competition, so the grin on her face upon finishing was no surprise.
GIF images via Clip My Horse.TV.
There were a handful of refusals on course and Brazil’s Ruy Fonseca retired Lasita on course after two, but overall the course seemed to ride fairly well. There were a few risk takers who tried to go for speed over accuracy, resulting in rails down and more than a few hairy distances. For the most part, though, everyone got home safely and without too many gasp-inducing moments.
GIF images via Clip My Horse.TV.
The indoor eventing is always such a different atmosphere from what you’d see at a traditional event. The crowd reminds me more of a rowdy reining crowd than an eventing crowd, cheering with each cleared jump and holding up signs for their favorite riders.
The music selection was also a riot — mostly a selection of popular EDM tunes but a cheeky choice of “Surfin’ USA” for Jordan Linstedt’s ride. Well played, Germany. Well played.
Hats off to Sidney, our big winner from this year’s indoor eventing challenge, and congratulations to all horses and riders on a successful and entertaining evening!
Stuttgart German Masters Indoor Eventing: [Scores]
Photo courtesy of FEI.
It’s almost time for dressage to begin at Adelaide, where 34 horses and riders will contest the second leg of the FEI Classics Series. The FEI has done a great preview of the event, which kicked off with the first horse inspection today, and we’ll be looking for more updates from Australia as the action continues through the weekend.
We’ll also be following along with Great Britain’s Alice Dundson, who is attempting to become the first rider to complete all six CCI4* worldwide events aboard the same horse with a completion at Adelaide.
“After I completed Luhmühlen with Hilly, my third four-star, I wondered if anyone had done all six with the same horse, and if not why not,” Alice said. “Wouldn’t it be great if we were the first to do it! Adelaide will be four-star number five, with Badminton a history-making sixth next year.”
If you haven’t already, be sure to catch up on Alice’s blogs for Horse & Hound leading up to her trip to Australia. In the meantime, stay tuned for much more from Adelaide!
Adelaide: [Website] [Entries] [Schedule] [Dressage Ride Times] [@aus3de]
We asked you last week to show us your clipping skills as we venture into the cold weather season when our horses begin to get all fuzzy and, as a result, sweaty. Clipping is a necessary chore for many horses who stay in full work during the winter, so what better time to get creative than now?
We’ve begun to get some great submissions for our #ClippingChronicles (thanks to Alica MacDonald for allowing us to use her hashtag!), so without further ado here is the first edition of the clipping crazies. Don’t forget to submit yours to us by emailing [email protected] or tagging us on Instagram using @goeventing.
Alica MacDonald gets creative with her leftover clippings.
Alica MacDonald gets creative with her leftover clippings.
Teaching the youngest to clip with a tolerant pony is always a fun experience! Photo submitted by EN reader Mickey.
Amanda Gustin and her first time trying a clip design.
Para Equestrian Michael Saliba shows off his Canadian pride with this clip job.
