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.
We dug up this video from past years of the FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships, and with cross country looming tomorrow it’s enough to get us excited for both Toronto and NAJYRC!
We’ve been searching high and low for any news of streaming from NAJYRC, but unfortunately it looks like there will not be any video service for the eventing. You can catch some live streaming of the dressage, para-dressage and show jumping tomorrow here on USEF Network.
In the meantime, both RNS Video as well as The Horse Pesterer are busily taking video from the weekend, so we’ll have much more coming your way from the eventing competition.
It’s go time, EN! The eventing portion of the Pan American Games in Toronto kicked off with the First Horse Inspection this afternoon, while the CCIYR2* riders rode their dressage tests at NAJYRC down in Lexington.
It’s a very busy weekend for eventers, but luckily they’re keeping us all up to date with the happenings on social media.
Boyd Martin and his social ways are still at it, and it’s only day two! He took the opportunity to make friends with some members of Team Chili after the jogs today.
All the USA horses flew through the jog today thanks to all the great work from our grooms and team! They looked super.
Team USA looked fantastic on the runway jog strip today, thanks to the hard work of the grooms who have been tirelessly working to keep their charges in top form.
We can’t forget to thank all of the volunteers who are ready to tackle a busy weekend! "> Canadian reserves Selena O’Hanlon and Foxwood High successfully passed the jog, and they’ll be cheering on their teammates now as the remainder of Team Canada also passed the jog. Don’t count this pair out for a future spot on the team, however! We are loving the bright yellow from Team Ecuador! Meanwhile in Kentucky, the CH-J* riders spent their days cheering on their 2* peers and preparing for their dressage tests tomorrow.
Pretty cool view for the day! There was a lot of dressage to behold today with both the eventing and the team dressage taking place.
The CH-J* riders also were able to hack about and familiarize their horses with the ever grand Rolex stadium this afternoon — how’s that for a big atmosphere? Just preppin’ for the big R, ya’ll.
Meanwhile, in honor of #ThrowbackThursday, check out these sweet jog outfits circa 2006 for Area II — thanks for the laugh, Ashley!
Stay tuned for much more coming your way from your #PanAms and #NAJYRC2015 headquarters!
Jordan Linstedt and Revitavet Capato. Photo by Jenni Autry.
The Rebecca Broussard Travel Grant recipients were announced yesterday, enabling several riders to complete the trip to Montana to offset some cost of competing at Rebecca Farm next week.
[UPDATE]: The USEA has released an updated list as of today of the riders who have been awarded Rebecca Broussard Travel Grants:
Andrea Baxter
Anna Collier
Anni Grandia
Avery Klunick
Barbara Crabo
Bunnie Sexton
Ellen Doughty
Emily Pestl-Dimmitt
Heather Morris
Jacob Fletcher
Jennifer McFall
Jonathan Holling
Jordan Linstedt
Julie Norman
Sydney Elliot
Tamra Smith
Riders must meet certain qualifications to be eligible for this generous grant, which also aids developing riders in traveling internationally to compete. The riders who apply for these grants must not have represented the U.S. in CCIO3* or CCI4* competition in the past.
The Rebecca Broussard Grant was created in honor of Rebecca Chaney Broussard. Rebecca generously supported the sport of eventing throughout her life, and The Event at Rebecca Farm was the achievement of a dream of Rebecca’s and is now one of the most popular events on the calendar.
Congratulations to all riders who have received the Rebecca Broussard Travel Grants — we look forward to seeing you at Rebecca Farm!
It’s a bustling weekend for eventers in North America this weekend as horses and riders prepare for both the Pan American Games and the FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships.
The Pan Am eventers are gearing up for the First Horse Inspection, which has been moved from the originally scheduled time of 10 a.m. EST to 3 p.m. EST tomorrow. NAJYRC riders had their First Horse Inspection today and will begin their dressage rides tomorrow.
The NAJYRC jog completed around 3:30 p.m. EST, and we’ll have a full report from the day’s activity from Samantha Clark coming your way shortly.
Last night, the NAJYRC competitors had their opening ceremony, and naturally the eventers brought the party — or is it just Area II coordinator Meg Kep and coach Sinead Halpin? That remains to be decided…
Our good friend, The Horse Pesterer, is at Kentucky Horse Park and has already uploaded videos from each area’s opening ceremony — thank you, David! We applaud you. You can check out the full playlist here.
We also have to give a big shout-out to Samantha’s daughter, Lily, who has been uploading photos left and right to EN’s Instagram. Be sure to follow us here for more behind the scenes action.
Meanwhile, FEI Steward Bill Kraatz is definitely not Chinch’s biggest fan, but we have a feeling we’ll convert him before too long. Watch out, Bill!
Tsk tsk, Bill. Photo via EN’s Instagram.
In other news, Chinch’s badass, All-American cousin, Mack, has just landed in Toronto and is already rubbing elbows with Pan Am athletes.
Mack is ready to represent Team ‘Murica all the way. Photo via EN’s Instagram.
What can we say, he’s kind of a big deal. Just don’t tell Chinch while he’s off rubbing furry elbows in Kentucky.
All is relatively quiet in Team USA’s barns as the Pan Ams team settles their horses in and prepares for the first trot-up tomorrow.
A quiet day for Team USA before we get rolling with the horse inspection tomorrow
Barbury International was nothing short of thrilling this past weekend, with Andrew Nicholson and Avebury clinching their fourth consecutive win in the CIC3*. In case you missed the awesome live stream from our friends at EquiVideo TV, you can check out some highlights in this video — and we spy some awesome drone footage!
Not only is the event picturesque in itself, but we also witnessed some top-notch riding from world class riders. What say you, Andrew? Shall we go for a fifth win in 2016?
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William Fox-Pitt and Bay My Hero at Rolex 2015. Photo by Rare Air Photography.
As the 2015 Longines FEI European Eventing Championships will be held at Blair Castle this September, the British team is permitted to have 12 combinations compete instead of the six allowed for the guest nations.
Laura Collett (25) from West Berkshire with Mrs Diana Chappell’s Grand Manoeuvre
Dani Evans (23) from Bristol with Mrs Luana Edge’s Smart Time
William Fox-Pitt (46) from Sturminster Newton, Dorset with Mrs Catherine Witt’s Bay My Hero
Pippa Funnell MBE (46) from Dorking, Surrey with Mrs Jennifer A Nolan, Miss Ruth McMullen and her own Sandman 7
Flora Harris (27) from Hungerford, Berkshire with Mrs Caroline Harris and Ms Rebecca Salt’s Bayano
Kitty King (32) from Chippenham, Wiltshire with Jane and Frank Inn’s Persimmon
Gemma Tattersall (30) from Horsham, West Sussex with The Soul Syndicate’s Arctic Soul
Izzy Taylor (32) from Banbury, Oxfordshire with Miss Susan Holroyd and Ms Frances Carter’s British Bred Allercombe Ellie
Oliver Townend (32) from Ellesmere, Shropshire with Mr P J Hegarty’s Fenyas Elegance
Francis Whittington (37) from Crowborough, East Sussex with Mrs Catherine Witt’s Easy Target
Nicola Wilson (38) from Northallerton, North Yorkshire with Mary & Gerry Kemp and Mrs Janine Shewan’s One Two Many
Holly Woodhead (21) from Marlborough, Wiltshire with Ian and Heidi Woodhead’s DHI Lupison
Five of the squad riders will be representing Great Britain for the first time at the Europeans: Dani Evans, Flora Harris, Gemma Tattersall, Francis Whittington and Holly Woodhead.
Six reserves have also been named in the order in which they would be called up:
Tom Jackson (22) from Kent, with Mr Ian & Mrs Sara Jackson and his own Waltham Fiddlers Find
Wills Oakden (25) from Fife, Scotland with Mr David Kenwright’s Greystone Midnight Melody
Tina Cook (44) from Worthing, West Sussex with Mr Jim Chromiak and her own De Nevo News
Jodie Amos (31) from Warwickshire with Miss Nicola Coates and her own Wise Crack
Sarah Bullimore (42) from Keysoe, Bedfordshire with Mr Brett Bullimore and her own Lilly Corinne
Emilie Chandler (34) from Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire with Miss Sally Williams and Miss Nicola Dickson’s Coopers Law
Fifteen additional horses and riders have also been entered as reserves; click here to see that full list.
We’re thrilled to have Samantha Clark heading across the pond to bring coverage of the Europeans to EN readers, as it’s set to be an exciting weekend of competition at Blair Castle. In case you had any doubts, check out this great video:
Laine Ashker brought her Burghley-bound partner out to stretch his legs for the first time since Rolex this past weekend, taking home the win in the Prelim division at Loch Moy.
“Al” made quick work of the course, completing it easily and giving himself a good fitness run as this pair looks ahead to the remainder of their summer preparation for the famous four-star this fall.
Laine is in the process of fundraising for her trip overseas this fall — you can check out her website here to find out how you can help support her and Al’s trip.
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Lauren Kieffer, Boyd Martin, Marilyn Little, Phillip Dutton and Jennie Brannigan are all smiles in Toronto. Photo via USEF Eventing High Performance on Facebook.
The eventing portion of the Pan American Games are tantalizingly close, and Team USA has officially arrived in Toronto, settling the horses in last night after their trip up from Morningside Training Farm.
Always the social butterfly, Boyd Martin is already making friends in high places:
All horses look great coming off the trailer and the riders are all smiles as they get settled into their home for the next few days.
Erin Rose and Cambalda. Photo via USEF Eventing High Performance on Facebook.
Emma Ford and Fernhill Fugitive. Photo via USEF Eventing High Performance on Facebook.
Shannon Kinsley and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett. Photo via USEF Eventing High Performance on Facebook.
Boyd Martin and Pancho Villa. Photo via USEF Eventing High Performance on Facebook.
Katie Brown and RF Scandalous. Photo via USEF Eventing High Performance on Facebook.
As soon as the horses were on the ground, the hard working grooms and riders set to work getting them comfortable for the upcoming competition. Take a look at those stalls! Looking cozy.
Photo via USEF Eventing High Performance on Facebook.
Meanwhile, our Canadian friends are also settling into the routine in Toronto, setting up a sharp looking Canadian aisle for their horses.
Colleen Loach’s ride, Qorry Blue d’Argouges, takes in the Canadian decoration. Photo via Colleen Loach on Facebook.
We’ll be bringing you social media recaps from each day of competition in Toronto, so stay tuned for more! As a reminder, the eventing horses will do their first horse inspection on Thursday. You can find the full schedule here.
Equestrian fans were disappointed that there was no live stream of Team USA winning dressage gold over the weekend. Photo courtesy of StockImageServices / FEI.
Eventing fans have been searching for answers as to whether the Pan American Games will be streamed live online later this week, and USEF CEO Chris Welton released a statement today clarifying that there will be no live stream of the competition.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) was awarded the bid for the sole broadcasting rights to all the sports at the games and has elected only to film show jumping on July 21, 23 and 25. ESPN3 will air that show jumping coverage here in the States (check your local listings for times).
There will be no film coverage at all of eventing and dressage, which is already under way. Additionally, all media outlets are prohibited from posting any videos of the competition online due to the exclusive nature of CBC’s broadcasting rights.
“Please understand that the USEF would do anything it could to stream or facilitate the streaming of all equestrian events at the Pan American Games. We just do not control production, and broadcast rights for each country are sold in total, not by sport. ESPN is broadcasting what gets produced,” Chris said.
“The good news is that for the Olympic Games in Rio, NBC has committed to stream all 5,000+ hours of competition, and I believe that as streaming evolves the Pan American Games will get to the same point before Lima 2019.”
It’s extremely disappointing not to have a live stream, but we will be bringing you the best in every other form of media possible, so don’t forget to use EN as your #PanAmGames headquarters starting Thursday with the first horse inspection.
Just in time for one of the hottest days of the year here in the Midwest, we’ve got a nice cool prize to give away to one lucky reader! As eventers, we are all too familiar with the rituals of icing our horse’s legs after a good work or at a competition. There are many different products on the market, and some provide more in the sense of convenience and efficiency than others.
Ice Horse’s popular Evendura wraps are one such option, and they have been a perennial favorite among eventers with horses of all different sizes. In fact, the Canadian Pan Ams team announced earlier that Ice Horse is the official cold therapy provider for all of the Canadian horses, so that’s pretty cool.
The Evendura wraps cover the lower knee down to the pastern/fetlock area with compression. They utilize reusable Ice Inserts to provide even coverage and reduce inflammation, staying cold for up to two hours. The Evendura is also made from Quadrispan material to prevent migration on the leg, and they now feature velcro straps for even more ease of use.
The Ice Horse Evendura wraps are a must have for anyone who is icing their horse, and we’re teaming up with Ice Horse this week to give away one pair complete with 8 Ice Inserts. Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter, and we’ll announce the winner in Friday’s News & Notes. Good luck and Happy Icing!
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.
Yesterday turned out to be a splendid day for some cross country action over at the Cosequin Stuart Horse Trials, and we are fortunate to have Megan Stapley Photography sharing her photos with us from the weekend.
You can catch up on our recap of the exciting conclusion of the CIC2* this weekend here — Holly Payne Caravella and Santino were the winners of this competitive division.
Additionally, don’t forget to vote for your favorite pair in the Open Intermediate edition of Who Jumped It Best? here.
Please enjoy these photos from the CIC2* cross country. Go eventing!
Sinead and Kep take Morven Park by storm this week with the USEA Area II Young Rider and Young Rider Advancement Program #goldmedalsfordays #sineadhaskidz
You might want to drive a bit faster, Sinead. We kid, we kid. All over the country, the young riders bound for NAJYRC are packing their tack trunks and heading to Kentucky. That means a lot of jog outfit shopping, final training preps, and of course plenty of bubble wrap to go around.
Area II Coordinator Meg Kep contemplates her life. Photo via Amanda Clement on Facebook.
Some competitors have already arrived or are on the final leg of their trip.
Madison Temkin’s Kingslee settles in at KHP. Photo via Madison on Facebook.
It’s important to dot your I’s and cross your T’s when preparing for a big competition, but it seems like all of our Young Riders have all of the boxes ticked.
Competition for the eventers will kick off this Thursday, but it’s sure to be a bustling week for all disciplines in Kentucky.
The calm before the storm…it’s a quiet morning in Kentucky as early arrival competitors rest up for a busy week ahead! #NAJYRC
At the end of the day, though, the upcoming week will be all about teamwork, dedication and hard work. We wish all riders the best of luck with their final prep and travel, and we hope to see plenty of these getting handed out come Sunday!
It was just another day at the office for Andrew Nicholson, who made short work of the tough CIC3* track at Barbury International to clinch his fourth consecutive win aboard Mark and Rosemary Barlow’s Avebury.
This is a historic moment for Andrew and his veteran partner, and it’s clear this track suits them well as they easily came home 12 seconds under optimum time on a wet track to clinch the win on their dressage score of 33.9. This is a history moment for both Andrew and Barbury, as no horse has ever won four times running.
“Avebury definitely knew where he was – he felt as if he really knew his way round and could have gone even faster,” Andrew said following his final cross country run. “And I was thrilled with Nereo as well, who felt great. It’s a privilege to ride two horses like that.”
This score was Avebury’s lowest of his four wins — his previous lowest came in 2013 with a final score of 34.4. Bear in mind also that Andrew and Avebury have also won the last three Burghley titles, so clearly this pair prefers to win things in spades.
Andrew Nicholson and Avebury. Photo by Adam Dale.
Not to be overlooked is the second place performance of another of Andrew’s rides, his WEG mount Nereo. Nereo finished in second on a 38.3, moving up from fourth with a double clear round earlier in the day.
Sir Mark Todd and Leonidas II picked up third place, also bumping up a couple of spots, on a final score of 38.4. The top three are the only pairs to finish with a score still in the 30s.
The time, as expected, proved difficult to attain as only seven pairs of the 61 who completed managed to make the time. Quite a few pairs withdrew prior to cross country, with 23 electing not to continue on after show jumping. This includes second placed Francis Whittington and Easy Target as well as seventh placed Sarah Bullimore and Lilly Corinne.
Few of the pairs who completed ran into any trouble on course, six were eliminated and five pulled up to call it a day.
We saw some really classy riding throughout the day today; the riders are all gearing up for the European Championships at Blair Castle in September and certainly gave the selectors much to think about.
Many, many congratulations are in order to Andrew on his stellar weekend. There is always something special about witnessing history in the making.
Who’s ready for a Sunday Funday version of Who Jumped It Best? We thought so. Thanks to the lovely photography of Megan Stapley Photography, our eyes on the ground at the Cosequin Stuart Horse Trials this weekend, we’ve got some great shots from the Open Intermediate division for you to choose from.
Take a look at the following five riders and vote for who you feel presents the best overall picture. We’ll send eternal EN karma and maybe an autographed photo of Chinch to the winner. Many thanks to Megan Stapley Photography for the photos throughout the whole weekend. Good luck!
Jon Holling and Zatopek B. Photo by Sally Spickard.
Jon Holling has been no stranger to adversity this year, suffering both a broken leg and a multitude of injuries sustained from a wayward tree, which sidelined him from his spring competition schedule. He made the best of his downtime, though, and took the opportunity to reevaluate his string. That reevaluation has led him and the owners of Zatopek B and Proper Timing to make the difficult decision to move the horses on to new homes.
“Not that it was a good thing (to get injured), but it did give me the opportunity to sit back and evaluate my situation,” Jon said. “With (Zatopek B), I had been debating for the last few months on whether or not to press on with him or move him on. He’s a phenomenal jumping horse — there’s no other horse I’d want to be sitting on going into show jumping, and he never gets into trouble on cross country. But the dressage has just been a struggle for him to be competitive.”
Jon has worked hard with “Zak” to improve his dressage but found that the naturally nervous horse lacked the competitive scores at the Advanced level that are needed. “It’s a hard decision to make when you have a horse that’s jumping around the big tracks, but at the end of the day, there is a very specific goal in mind.”
Together with Zak’s owners, Team Rebecca LLC, Jon concluded that the best course of action would be to find a suitable home for Zak where he would be more competitive. “In truth, he was really competitive in the dressage up through about Intermediate,” he said. “Once you started asking for the changes, he just found it difficult to settle.”
To that end, Zak has now moved on to the Walden family, and Hope Walden is now in the irons campaigning the 12-year-old KWPN gelding. Hope and Zak just completed their first event together at Champagne Run this weekend, finishing in 9th place.
“I couldn’t be any happier with (Hope). I did not take this decision lightly, and I think it’s going to be great for him to show her around and give her mileage,” Jon said. “He’s very sharp — he will give her confidence in the jumping phases, and she’s sent me videos of him doing dressage with his ears flopping, so I think he will do great.”
Jon Holling and Proper Timing, shown here at the AECs. Photo by Amanda Ronan.
The same can be said for Proper Timing, who has been leased to Kate Chadderton’s working student, Melissa Lempicki. Owned by Chuck McGrath and Meghan Richey, the 13-year-old Thoroughbred gelding is also sound and happy, ready to teach a young rider the ways of the world of eventing.
“It’s a bit of a bittersweet time for me because they were Advanced and three-star horses, and not a lot of horses can do that,” Jon said. “But in this case, I didn’t feel they were going to go to the next level. I appreciate riding the horses and everything the owners have done for me in allowing me to have the rides. If I would have kept them going, it would have been selfish.”
Jon is staying positive about the future, and he has high hopes for a string of younger horses that he’s currently building. “Sometimes you have to take one step backward to take a lot of steps forward,” he said. “Right now is a rebuilding time in order to be competitive in the following years. When everything happened this spring, I just set out with the idea that this was the chance to make everything better.”
We would like to wish both Zatopek B and Proper Timing the best of luck in their new homes as well as Jon in his quest to build a competitive string for the future. Certainly we are all familiar with the ups and downs that accompany the equine industry, but it is always encouraging to see good decisions made on behalf of the horses who try so hard for us.
Andrew Nicholson and Avebury on their way to the CIC3* at Barbury in 2014. Photo courtesy of Trevor Meeks/Barbury press office.
Rise and shine, EN! If you’re an early bird (and really, what horse person isn’t?), you can check in on the action at Barbury as a very competitive field tackles Capt. Mark Phillips’ cross country course.
The field will run in reverse order of standing beginning at 7:30 a.m. EST, so the pressure is on and the finale is sure to be one not to miss. All eyes will be on Andrew Nicholson and Avebury, who currently lead and will take home their fourth consecutive win should they play their cards right today.
Many thanks to our friends at Equivideo TV for sharing the live stream with us. Go Barbury!
Holly Payne Caravella and Santino. Photo by Megan Stapley Photography.
Holly Payne Caravella and Santino successfully maintained their first place position throughout the show jumping and cross country this morning at Stuart, clinching the win on a final score of 58.4. They accumulated 12 time penalties on cross country on what surely was some wet footing; none of the eight pairs who completed made the optimum time.
Holly and Santino, who is owned by Bethann Groblewski, most recently finished 8th in the CCI3* at Jersey Fresh and are slated to contest a fall three-star at Fair Hill if all goes according to plan. This prep was a great way to ramp “Sunny” back up to full competition mode, and we look forward to seeing this pair in the fall.
Buck Davidson and Copper Beach. Photo by Megan Stapley Photography.
Buck Davidson and Boekelo-bound Copper Beach picked up second place with four penalties in show jumping and 8.4 time on cross country today. Buck will be pleased with “Sean” this weekend as he looks to build on the 9-year-old gelding’s first trip overseas at Tattersalls in May.
Matt Flynn and Get Lucky. Photo by Megan Stapley Photography.
Matt Flynn and Get Lucky, a 7-year-old KWPN gelding, moved up from fourth to take third on a final score of 61.5, ending with the fastest cross country trip of the day with just 7.2 time penalties. This is Get Lucky’s first full season at this level; he finished 12th in his first CIC2* at Fair Hill earlier this year.
Lisa Marie Fergusson and Honor Me. Photo by Megan Stapley Photography.
Lisa Marie Fergusson and Honor Me also enjoyed a nice move up, from sixth after dressage to fourth overall, adding 9.6 time to her dressage score. Lisa and Honor Me most recently finished 7th in the Advanced at New Jersey last month.
Buck Davidson and The Apprentice. Photo by Megan Stapley Photography.
Completing the top five are Buck Davidson and The Apprentice, who is coming back to full competition work after completing Rolex this spring. Sherrie Martin’s 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse most recently won the Open Intermediate at Surefire.
Sharing the lead overnight with Holly and Santino, Hannah Sue Burnett and Jitter Bug withdrew following show jumping, along with four other pairs. We do have one Mandatory Retirement on the scores for Ashley Trier and Maybelline Cover Girl, who we have been told had a fall at fence 8 but were both up and ok.
Many thanks once again to Megan Stapley Photography for the lovely photos of Stuart once again today. Please enjoy this gallery from the day’s action. Go Eventing.
Team USA is putting the final touches on their preparations for the Pan Ams, which officially begin with the first horse inspection on Thursday, July 16. The horses are finishing up their final gallops (complete with some pretty awesome red, white and blue FLAIR Nasal Strips), and the riders are looking excited and ready for the big competition.
The U.S. riders are still stationed at Morningside Training Farm and will be embarking on their trip north of the border in the next few days.
I mean, check out these FLAIR strips! We want to know if they’re going to be made available for sale. Either way, what a great way to represent the U.S.!
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Meanwhile, competition has already begun for the dressage teams. The individual and team dressage began this morning with the Grand Prix, and the Grand Prix Special will be contested tomorrow.
The official Opening Ceremony was held last night, and Team Canada was present to represent their home country and take in the celebrations. Canada boasts a 719 athlete team this year, which is the largest field its ever had at a multi-sport event.
Apparently the Opening Ceremony was quite a spectacle, featuring the likes of Cirque du Soleil and daredevils, along with a state of the art LED show put on by PixMob. You can check out the list of the top seven moments of the ceremony on the Toronto Star here.
If you’re feeling bummed for missing out on the party, never fear! Here is the full replay of the ceremony:
NBA superstar Steve Nash had the honor of lighting the cauldron to top off the ceremony, which was attended by a crowd of 50,000.
It looks like they had a fantastic time — Chinch is sad he missed a good party.
EN will be on the ground for the eventing portion of the Pan Ams beginning Wednesday, July 15. Unfortunately at this time, we cannot find any indication of any televised coverage of the equestrian events on either ESPN or CBC, the two main broadcasting channels. If we do find some tv schedules, we will pass that information along.
In the meantime, stay tuned for the latest and greatest coverage from Toronto!
Andrew Nicholson and Avebury on their way to a clear round. Photo by Katy Vincent.
Clear rounds were a bit scarce this morning in the CIC3* show jumping at Barbury, but Andrew Nicholson and Avebury laid down a penalty free round to hold their lead going into tomorrow’s cross country finale.
“He definitely knows where he is,” Andrew said of Avebury. “When I got on him yesterday to ride down to the dressage, he was very quiet, but when I got on him today, he squealed because he knew he was going to jump. Let’s hope he remembers what he has to do across country tomorrow!”
Surely, Andrew is no stranger to riding under pressure, so we can expect him to give Avebury a great ride tomorrow. A four-peat is well within his reach — we’ll find out tomorrow!
Second placed overnight, Francis Whittington and Easy Target picked up four penalties to drop down into seventh place, opening the door for several pairs to move up a spot. Nine of the top 10 and 16 of the top 20 jumped clear, though these clear rounds become harder to find further down the board.
Alex Hua Tian and Don Geniro’s clear round was rewarded with a bump back up into second place, 3.4 penalties off from Andrew and Avebury. Andrew and Nereo also moved up a spot, from fourth to third, thanks to their clear efforts.
We see three newcomers to the top 10, who were rewarded with big moves up the board after their clear jumping efforts. Laura Collett and Diana Chappell’s Grand Manoeuvre shot from 15th to eighth and will take a score of 43.3 into cross country. Formerly campaigned by Nick Gauntlett, Grand Manoeuvre finished 9th at Barbury in 2013.
Also moving into the top 10 are French rider Astier Nicolas and Piaf de B’neville, who most recently came second in the CCI3* at Saumur. This pair will have a 43.8 going into cross country tomorrow.
Nicola Wilson and Beltane Queen. Photo by Jenni Autry.
And finally, rounding out the top 10, are Nicola Wilson and Beltane Queen, the colorful mare who stole our hearts at Badminton, where she finished 19th. They’re on a 44.1 after the first two phases.
The sole American in the CIC3* this year, Katherine Coleman and Longwood, will be in 92nd place today after a tough show jumping left them with 22 penalties added. This pair completed the CIC2* at Barbury Castle in 2014.
The CIC3* will run Capt. Mark Phillips’ cross country in reverse order beginning at 12:30 p.m. local/6:30 a.m. EST time. As always, don’t miss the great live stream here. Tomorrow will be a nail biting conclusion for those who are rooting for a win from Andrew Nicholson and Avebury.
We’ll be bringing you more coverage from the conclusion of Barbury, so stay tuned for much more.
The ever popular Champagne Run at the Horse Park is running this weekend, and many eventers are enjoying the amenities of Kentucky Horse Park. We thought we’d take a trip back to the 2014 event thanks to this great montage from RNS Video. These types of videos provide a lot of education and insight — and for those of you competing this weekend, a little bit of inspiration!
Eventers from all over the Midwest and East Coast will travel to compete at Champagne Run, including Emily Beshear who is traveling with three generations of Beshears who are competing this weekend.
Beginner Novice is for … the dogs? Photo via Emily Beshear on Facebook.
Naturally, the wet summer is continuing with some heavy downpours this week. We all know how well Kentucky Horse Park can hold water, but isn’t enough enough, Mother Nature?
Rainy day at the Park. Photo by JJ Sillman.
Let’s hope the weather holds for the rest of the weekend, although Sunday still looks a bit sketchy. Hang in there, everyone! We all know eventers are the toughest out there. We’re all used to the rain and mud by now, right?
We’ll keep our fingers crossed for everyone at Champagne Run this weekend. Studs in, smiles on! Wishing everyone safe rides and happy horses. Go Champagne Run!
Andrew Nicholson and Avebury. Photo courtesy of Katy Vincent.
Much hype is buzzing at Barbury Castle this weekend as Andrew Nicholson and Avebury seek their fourth consecutive win in the CIC3*. They’re off to a strong start, putting in a lovely test to score a 33.9 to win the dressage over a field 100 deep. Mark and Rosemary Barlow’s 15-year-old gelding has had a relatively light 2015, but he came out swinging today to best the nearest challenger by 3.2 penalty points.
Naturally, this weekend will be anything but a dressage competition, but Andrew and Avebury will be putting forth their strongest effort to clinch a historic win come Sunday. Andrew was pleased with Avebury’s efforts today, and seems quietly confident for the rest of the weekend.
“I don’t warm Avebury up for too long, I trust him, he is fifteen now and knows his job,” Andrew said in a press release following the day’s competition. “It’s mission accomplished so far, it’s only a starting number but it’s a good one, and it would be great to make history again by completing a four timer here at Barbury.”
As expected, the leaderboard shifted quite a bit with today’s riders, and it’s now Francis Whittington and Easy Target who will take second position into tomorrow’s show jumping on a score of 37.1. Catherine Witt’s 14-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding was withdrawn at the final horse inspection at Rolex earlier this year and has since had an easy go around the Open Intermediate at Nunney last month.
This is another pair to take very seriously this weekend — they were second at Barbury last year and have bested their dressage score by a hefty amount to put them in an even better position in 2015.
China’s Alex Hua Tian is well-mounted this weekend with the third placed dressage horse, Don Geniro. This is an exciting young horse, an 8-year-old British Hanoverian gelding owned by Sarah Higgins, Pip Higgins, Pam Dews, and Peter Scholefield, who was second in the CCI2* at Le Lion last year. This is Don Geniro’s first CIC3*, and he seems to have taken to the dressage test quite well with a 37.3 to take into show jumping.
Andrew Nicholson held the lead after the first day of dressage with Nereo and will now settle for fourth place overnight, certainly still well within striking distance just 4.4 penalties behind Avebury.
Sir Mark Todd also made a statement today with Leonidas II, earning a 38.4 from the judges for fifth place. Leonidas II placed fourth at Badminton earlier this year and was ninth at Barbury in 2014. The field is certainly not lacking experience this year!
Two other newcomers are now settled within the top 10 after today: Pippa Funnell and the ever competitive Redesigned in sixth place, Sarah Bullimore and Lilly Corinne, who brought her A game today for a 39.5 and seventh place, and Francis Whittington with Hasty Imp, who shaved nearly 8 penalties off of his dressage score from Barbury last year for ninth place.
The CIC3* pairs will show jump tomorrow beginning at 9 a.m. local time / 4 a.m. EST. If you’re feeling extra ambitious, you can catch the live stream which can be found here. We’ll have much more from Barbury throughout the weekend, so keep an eye on EN for the latest news.
Let’s be honest: without our farriers, our worlds would likely fall apart. Farriers are one of the ever necessary, life saving aspects of horse ownership, and we definitely owe them a lot of appreciation.
Thankfully, July 5-11 is National Farrier Week, so there’s no time like the present to say a big collective thank you to all of the hard working farriers out there.
Whether they’re a phone call away to come and tack on a thrown shoe or coming up with new ways to help your horse perform to its best ability, there are so many services our farriers offer to us crazy horse owners.
In celebration of farriers (and the horse people who employ them), please enjoy SmartPak’s latest video, “Stuff Riders Say … to Farriers”. We think you’ll find it hits very close to home!
Horse shopping is fun, let’s face it. As difficult as it can be to find the perfect partner at times, the process is still exciting and one that requires a lot of dedication. We’re here to help you along your horse shopping path, as we pick out three promising OTTBs who are in need of new homes.
Check out this week’s listings and don’t forget to email [email protected] if you end up bringing one of our wishlist horses home!
Photo via Finger Lakes Finest.
Don’t let this pretty girl’s name fool you! Hellcat (Doneraile Court – Gonna Be Love, by Not For Love) is a lovely New York bred 2010 mare standing 16+ hands tall. This girl raced 21 times, reaching the board 11 times and earning over $70,000. Her most recent race was on June 23.
Hellcat has already been taken off the track as her trainer needed to downsize, and she’s said to have taken to her new environment quite well. She has no known issues and is all ready to go on to her next career! Will it be with you?
Up next is a very handsome colt by the name of Thebritishrcoming. A 2009 West Virginia bred, Thebritishrcoming (Full Mandate – London Valley, by Fast Play) raced 10 times and does have a very old, very small tendon strain.
CANTER PA has generously offered to donate $100 towards the cost of gelding should the new owner wish to do so. He stands 16.1 hands and is ready to move on to his new career.
Looking for a nice leggy horse? Star of Class is here to help! This 16 hand gelding was born in 2010 and raced 26 times, winning once. Star of Class (Crypto Star – Markofclass, by Benchmark) is a gorgeous guy with a classy look in his eye and lovely movement.
Canadian reserves Selena O’Hanlon and Foxwood High successfully passed the jog, and they’ll be cheering on their teammates now as the remainder of Team Canada also passed the jog. Don’t count this pair out for a future spot on the team, however! 
