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Sally Spickard
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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

Saturday Video: Michael Jung Casually Dresses as Luigi at Stuttgart

By on Nov 21, 2015 1:00 pm -

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 Maintain Adelaide Lead after Wild Cross Country

By on Nov 21, 2015 9:00 am -
Shane Rose and CP Qualified. Photo courtesy of Stephen Mowbray Photography. 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.

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:

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.

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!

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Friday Videos from World Equestrian Brands: Andrew Hoy, Sam Griffiths Preview Adelaide XC

By on Nov 20, 2015 5:00 pm -

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:

Thursday Videos from Zoetis: Catching Up with Adelaide Riders

By on Nov 19, 2015 5:00 pm -

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.

Your Adelaide CCI4* Fact Sheet, Presented by EquiRatings

By on Nov 19, 2015 11:00 am -
Graphic and statistics courtesy of EquiRatings. 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.

France’s Sidney Dufresne and Looping de Buissy Win Stuttgart Indoor Eventing

By on Nov 19, 2015 9:00 am -
Sidney Dufresne and Looping de Buissy celebrate their winning round. Photo courtesy of Stuttgart German Masters. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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]

Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: Adelaide CCI4* Preview

By on Nov 18, 2015 5:00 pm -
Photo courtesy of FEI. 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]

#ClippingChronicles: EN’s Got Those Clippin’ Skills

By on Nov 18, 2015 3:00 pm -

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.

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.

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.

Amanda Gustin and her first time trying a clip design.

Para Equestrian Michael Saliba shows off his Canadian pride with this clip job.

Para Equestrian Michael Saliba shows off his Canadian pride with this clip job.

Star Studded Line-up Scheduled for German Masters Indoor Eventing Today

By on Nov 18, 2015 11:00 am -
Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST. Photo by Julia Rau. Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST. Photo by Julia Rau.

The Stuttgart German Masters is a marquee event on the German equine calendar each year, and many eventers are drawn to the Indoor Eventing competition that always features many big European names. This year’s entry list is no different, and we even have a surprise American entry this year: Jordan Linstedt!

Six nations will be represented in the Indoor Eventing, which will be streamed live via ClipMyHorse TV at 9:45 p.m. local / 3:45 p.m. EST.

Jordan Linstedt has been on a horse shopping trip to Germany for the past few days and now appears on the entry list aboard a horse named Perigeaux. We can’t wait to see how she does in this evening’s competition.

Also among the entries are Michael Jung with fishcerRocana FST and Lennox, Ingrid Klimke with Parmenides, Mark Todd and NZB Country Vision, and many others representing Brazil, Great Britain, Germany, France, New Zealand and the USA.

Michael Jung will be defending the title he won at Stuttgart in 2014 aboard fischerRocana, and he’ll certainly be one to beat this evening. We’ll be watching as the exciting action kicks off!

Stuttgart German Masters: [Entries] [ClipMyHorse TV]

Preview the Adelaide CCI4* Cross Country Course

By on Nov 18, 2015 9:00 am -

We’re gearing up for the final CCI4* of the year, the only one held in the southern hemisphere, as the Adelaide International event commenced with the first horse inspection today.

Course designer Mike Etherington-Smith has given us some excellent analysis of each fence as well as some advice on where riders can save valuable time and how the crowds in such a unique setting will affect the course. Many thanks to our friends at Cross Country App for providing this great preview, and we can’t wait to see the course in action.

We’ll be bringing you much more from Adelaide this weekend, so stay tuned for the latest news from Down Under!

Adelaide: [Website] [Entries] [Schedule] [Dressage Ride Times] [@aus3de]

Tuesday Video from SpectraVET: Skinny Skillz

By on Nov 17, 2015 5:00 pm -

We’re loving this video from Amy Bowers and her horse, Piper, who show us all how it’s done when it comes to skinny jumps. She teaches lessons and clinics all across the United States while continuing to further her own education, currently focusing on learning the ropes of eventing.

Many thanks to our friends over on Horse Nation for finding this video! Would you try some of the skinny combinations that Piper so skillfully tackles in this video?

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.

Get Your Balance Back With a MOJO Wristband + Halter Patch

By on Nov 17, 2015 3:30 pm -
Have you tried MOJO? Photo by Sally Spickard. Have you tried MOJO? Photo by Sally Spickard.

We had a very popular response to our last giveaway from our awesome sponsor, MOJO, and so we thought it was high time to do another giveaway for those MOJO fans out there. Many riders have now started wearing MOJO wristbands, which can help with balance, focus, pain relief, calming, enhanced endurance and increased stamina thanks to natural hologram technology.

Colleen Rutledge is one such rider who has used MOJO and had great results from it. Check out her testimonial:

“Overall, the conclusion that we’ve come to is that it ’rounds the edges of whatever is bothersome.’ Bracelets — I’ve found a huge reduction in my leg cramps, and so has my mother. I even took it off for a few days, and the cramps started to reoccur. My groom has had a reduction in her back spasms since wearing the bracelet. It’s also been helping with my chronic ache in the hip that I broke a couple of years ago.

“Horse patches — It’s making a huge improvement in my horse’s trailering habits. He arrives to the shows more relaxed and stays more relaxed for a longer time. We’ve found that he’s better if we leave them on for the longest period possible.”

If you’re unfamiliar with MOJO, you can check out our product review here and see what all the buzz is about. In the meantime, we’re giving away a wristband plus a halter (or collar) patch for your horse or dog. You have until Friday to enter, so use the Rafflecopter widget below to submit your entry, and look for the winner in Saturday’s Links post!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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.

Monday Video from Tredstep Ireland: Tag Along to Ocala with Wallace Eventing

By on Nov 16, 2015 5:30 pm -

Tredstep Ireland rider Elisa Wallace and her husband Timothy Harfield recently began a new video blog series chronicling Elisa’s eventing career. This series gives us a behind the scenes look at an eventing (and eventing mustang!) operation, and the latest episode features more day to day routines including the road to Ocala.

We look forward to seeing more updates from Wallace Eventing and thank them again for the great and well-produced vlogs!

 

Zatopek B Thrives with Hope Walden at River Glen

By on Nov 15, 2015 3:00 pm -
Hope Walden and Zatopek B at Hagyard Midsouth. Photo by JJ Sillman. Hope Walden and Zatopek B at Hagyard Midsouth. Photo by JJ Sillman.

Former Jon Holling ride Zatopek B is enjoying his time with young rider Hope Walden, and they’ve just completed their first Intermediate together with a win at River Glen this weekend.

Hope took over the ride on Zatopek B earlier this year and has had much success so far, most recently winning their Open Prelim division at Hagyard Midsouth. This weekend, the pair moved up from 10th to take home first thanks to one of three double clear show jumping rounds and a quick, clear cross country. They end their weekend in Tennessee on a final score of 42.1.

In second in the Open Intermediate are Jessica Shull and Calysta MWF, who were also movers on the board and jumped up from fifth. The show jumping looks to have been particularly tough, with many pairs accumulating multiple jump penalties.

Placing third, also in their first Intermediate together, are Chelsea Kolman and Dauntless Courage. You may remember Chelsea for her unique approach to calming a formerly anxious Dauntless Courage in this touching story. This pair has really put the pieces together this year and moved from eighth into third after a double clear cross country, one of just two in the division.

We also had another Intermediate division this weekend on the West Coast at Fresno County Horse Park. Alexis Helffrich and London Town took home the win in the Open Intermediate there on a final score of 37.3.

In second for the Fresno Intermediate are Kiersti Wylie and Justice for All, their first Intermediate together after having much success at the Preliminary level. Rounding out the top three is Alexis Helffrich with her second ride, Leonado SE, who finished on a 44.6.

It’s going to be sad to go without our score roundups as we move into the full swing of the off-season, but we’re anxiously awaiting updates from Florida and Aiken as many riders gear up for the January circuit.

Congratulations to all riders this weekend!

River Glen Fall H.T.  [Website] [Live Scores]

Fresno County Horse Park H.T.  [Website] [Live Scores]

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3 Tricks You Can Teach Your Horse This Off Season

By on Nov 15, 2015 1:00 pm -

While we’re on the topic of off-season training and entertainment, I thought it would be fun to try to teach my horse some new “skills.” I actually took a groundwork lesson with our resident horsemanship trainer a few weeks ago and got a lot out of it, and it got me thinking about other things I can do to bond with my horse.

I’ve always wanted to know a “real” way to teach my horse to smile, so to speak, so a YouTube search yielded none other than Elisa Wallace on how to teach this ultra important trick:

Needless to say, I’ll be trying this as soon as I can get to the barn. My horse is supremely food motivated, so I feel like making a list of things to teach him is not out of the realm of possibility.

There’s another trick that some horses seem to do well with: bowing. While I must give a disclaimer here that you need to be safe while attempting these tricks, learning from others who have experience is a good way to do it. Here is Megan Tucholski teaching us how to bow a horse:

It’s really funny to type in “How to teach your horse to…” on YouTube and see the ideas that come up. Clearly, teaching your horse to rear or do other obviously dangerous things are not on my list. I even looked up teaching your horse to count, but then realized that this teaches your horse to paw constantly so, we’ll just skip that one for now.

One cute trick, though, is teaching your horse to hug you. Granted, they probably won’t attach the same amount of affection to the gesture, but we can pretend, right?

If you have any other tips or tricks (safe ones, please!) to share, please comment below and let the winter bonding begin!

 

 

FEI Confirms Great Meadow Nations Cup CICO3* Date

By on Nov 15, 2015 11:00 am -
Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda. Photo by Jenni Autry. Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Big news, EN! The FEI has released the dates for the 2016 Nations Cup Eventing Series, and Great Meadow in the Plains, Va. will be hosting a leg on July 8-10. This is the first Nations Cup leg ever to be held in the U.S., so this is huge news for the sport here in the States.

A Nations Cup leg in the U.S. was originally approved by the FEI in June, and Great Meadow had previously promised a whole slew of international caliber events to be added to its calendar. Thanks to the combined efforts of the organizing committee at Great Meadow and Great Meadow Foundation President Rob Banner, the dream is now becoming a reality.

“If we do win the bid for the Nations Cup, the event will only get bigger,” organizing committee co-chair Darrin Mollett told EN earlier this year. “It’s always rewarding to be a part of these things when they’re just starting out, and we’d love for people to be involved. We’re a small committee, and we want people with ideas. If you’re excited about eventing and the direction the sport is going, then please join us and be a part of it.”

“We’ve proved that we can certainly draw a big crowd, and a lot of people realized at the WEG Prep Trials that we can handle the larger task as well,” Rob Banner said in March. “We’ll get together the very best committee we possibly can to not only navigate the organization of a Nations Cup but also work with the FEI to secure a date.”

Nations Cup Schedule

Now that the bid has officially come to fruition, the hard work continues to prepare the venue to host riders from multiple nationalities who will be traveling in for the event. Rob has also worked with Washington Dulles International Airport to secure a new vetport which would assist international riders with getting their horses into the country.

Additionally, another new location has been introduced: Vairano, Milano, which replaces the Montelibretti leg.

We’ll continue to bring you more news on the preparations for the first ever Nations Cup leg in the U.S. and we’d like to congratulate and thank those behind the Great Meadow effort for giving U.S. eventing a big boost.

[FEI Nations Cup Eventing Series 2016]

[Great Meadow Promises Showstopper at Inaugural CIC3*]

[FEI Approves U.S. Nations Cup Event]

2015 Goresbridge Go for Gold Sales Meets Record Success

By on Nov 15, 2015 9:00 am -
Top selling Go for Gold horse, Goreshill Pearl. Screenshot via the Go for Gold catalogue. Top selling Go for Gold horse, Goreshill Pearl. Screenshot via the Go for Gold catalogue.

It was a feast for the eyes at this year’s Go for Gold Goresbridge public auction in Ireland, with several elite bred horses selling to the highest bidder — a few of which included some American riders who were out to find their next star.

The top horse this year was a 10-year-old Irish mare, Goreshill Pearl, who previously competed through the three-star level with Luke Drea. She was purchased for €85,000 by Joseph Murphy.

Several American buyers were present at the sale. Steve Blauner, an owner for Boyd Martin, purchased two 3-year-old geldings: Mr Mitchel (Watermill Swatch x Rinealun Blaze, by Coevers Diamond Boy) and an unnamed gelding by Puissance out of Flame and Passion.

Arden Wildasin, who took over the ride on Phillip Dutton’s 2012 Olympic mount, Mystery Whisper, also acquired a new horse through Sarah Wildasin.

Ballinglen Dreamys Boy is a 5-year-old who has hunted and competed through the EI100 level and should be an exciting one for Arden to bring along.

Tom and Becky Holder are also coming home with a new horse, an unnamed 5-year-old by Atlantic Cruise out of Silkcut Lady.

Oliver Townend had entered three of his competition horses into the sale, two of which were sold: Peruising, sold to Carol Gee, and LCC Cooley, sold to Richard Sheane.

The top-selling 3-year-old, a gelding by Ramiro B. Screenshot via the Go for Gold catalogue.

The top-selling 3-year-old, a gelding by Ramiro B. Screenshot via the Go for Gold catalogue.

In all, 49 of the 63 horses listed sold and collected just under €1.1 million. The sale recorded the highest ever clearance rate at 85%. The top 3-year-old sold was an unnamed gelding by Ramiro B out of Willow Roads, sold to Richard Sheane for €42,000.

“Credit must be given to Goresbridge Sales and their selectors for compiling an all-round quality catalogue which attracted buyers from the UK, America, Europe and beyond in numbers,” Horse Sport Ireland Director of International Marketing Elaine Hatton said. “The results throughout the sale underpin the high standard of sport horse production found in Ireland. With clearance rates of up to 85% it emphasizes the fact that Ireland is a destination of choice for any buyer looking for quality and value.”

You can view the ful sale results here and you can also head over to the Go for Gold YouTube channel to check out each horse in action prior to the sale.

Saturday Videos: Watch More GoPro Footage from Galway Downs

By on Nov 14, 2015 3:00 pm -

Lady Photographic has posted more footage from the cross country course at Galway Downs earlier this month, and it’s more must-see footage from the CCI1* from the unique perspective of a cleverly placed GoPro.

There was also a strategically placed camera on the CCI2* course:

We shared some video footage from Lady Photographic of the CCI3* as well, be sure to revisit that here. We are loving the unique perspectives — it’s really neat to be able to see cross country from different angles.

 

Weekly OTTB Wishlist from Cosequin

By on Nov 14, 2015 1:00 pm -

I keep seeing so many OTTB listings popping up on my News Feed, and as much as I most definitely cannot afford another horse, it’s so hard to not pick up the phone and scrape together some money! With the tracks closed down for the season, there are countless horses needing new homes before the winter. This is a great opportunity to snatch up a nice horse for little money!

Photo via Finger Lakes Finest on Facebook.

Photo via Finger Lakes Finest on Facebook.

Looking for a horse who has already had a bit of let down time? Look no further than Who (Legion Field – Road to Town, by Williamstown), a 2009 gelding who is available through Finger Lakes Finest in New York. Standing 16.2 hands, this guy has 14 races on his record and is said to be retired sound. His trainer has even already ridden him since coming off the track and has turned him out with other horses with no issues.

Who on Finger Lakes Finest

Photo via Thoroughbred Sport Horses on Facebook.

Photo via Thoroughbred Sport Horses on Facebook.

Next up is Cool Attitude, a 2010 gelding standing 16.1 hands. Cool Attitude (Cool Conductor – Here Comes Mindy, by Erin’s Tiger) is an Indiana bred who raced 16 times with two wins. He’s a lovely looking horse and evidently lives up to his name with a chill attitude. He’s available through Thoroughbred Sport Horses in Lexington, Kentucky.

Cool Attitude on Thoroughbred Sport Horses

Photo used with permission from CANTER PA.

Photo used with permission from CANTER PA.

Don’t let the mud fool you! Foreverearth (Seattle Fitz (ARG) – Earthrawindandfire, by Artax) is an athletic girl who is currently available through CANTER PA. She is a 2009 model and raced 21 times in her career. She’s said to be clever and willing and a very flashy and self-preserving girl who should do well out on cross country with her new owner.

Foreverearth on CANTER PA

Showcase Your Clipping Creations This Winter

By on Nov 14, 2015 11:00 am -
Jordan Hillier's training, Alicia MacDonald, got creative with the leftover hair! Photo by Jordan Hillier. Jordan Hillier's training, Alicia MacDonald, got creative with the leftover hair! Photo by Jordan Hillier.

It’s officially clipping season! I’ve gotten pretty lucky in that my horse hasn’t grown a bunch of fuzz yet — he’s still pretty sleek and shiny, which is a relief. I know the time to clip is coming, though, but this year I think I’d like to get a little creative with it.

I have a friend who clips horses for the winter and does a great job of making designs and finishing up with a clean cut horse. It got me thinking — there have to be other people who get equally creative, right? Then I found the photo featured above and thought we needed to have a place to share all of your amazing (or funny!) clipping creations.

We’ll be posting the most creative clip jobs right here on EN throughout the winter. Perhaps these will serve as inspiration for the artistically inclined or as a reminder of how much work winter is. Either way, let’s have fun with our clips this year and send your clip job photos to [email protected] or tag us on Instagram using @goeventing.

Happy Clipping!

5 Minute Clinic with Hawley Bennett-Awad

By on Nov 14, 2015 9:00 am -

Our new 5 Minute Clinic series focuses on some exercises a clinician has integrated into his or her teaching. We hope these tips will give you some material to work on in the coming months — or motivate you to sign up for a clinic near you! Do you have a 5 Minute Clinic tip to submit? Email [email protected].

Hawley gives Prelim pair Amanda Pezold and Beth McDaniel's Alabar some pointers. Photo by Beth McDaniel. Hawley gives Prelim pair Amanda Pezold and Beth McDaniel's Alabar some pointers. Photo by Beth McDaniel.

Hawley Bennett-Awad recently stopped over in Kansas City for a three-day clinic including dressage lessons and jumping lessons out in a jump field at West End Farm. As usual, she brought a whole arsenal of tools to help the students achieve their goals throughout the weekend, and everyone left with a smile and a more confident horse.

One exercise Hawley used in her lessons on both jumping days was a small grid with three canter poles in front of a vertical, followed by one canter pole and an oxer, followed by a skinny set on a bending line to both the left and the right.

Riders were instructed to have a straight and steady horse coming into the gymnastic and to also have an up and alert eye to plan ahead for their bending turn to the skinny fence. It was a challenging question due to some terrain in the field as well as fresh horses and a new question for  many in the shape of the skinny fence.

Straightness, holding your line and asking your horse to adjust with your body were key focal points of the exercise, which was quick to tattle on you if you did not have on of those three pieces.

The skinny was also a first for many of the horses and some of the riders, so Hawley introduced it individually, focusing on rider position and encouraging straightness to prevent runouts.

Gymnastic work is engaging for both horse and a rider and is the perfect way to work on your technique over the winter. We were privileged enough to have nice weather for this clinic, which allowed us to go out into the field and ride on some terrain, but these exercises could easily be moved indoors if needed.

Many thanks to Hawley for her time and to West End Farm for hosting a great clinic!

For more information on attending or scheduling a clinic with Hawley, click here. You can also find a schedule of some upcoming clinics with various riders here on Event Clinics.

Friday Video from World Equestrian Brands: Andrew Nicholson Talks Recovery, Plans for Future

By on Nov 13, 2015 5:00 pm -

Andrew Nicholson is looking well after a scary fall at Gatcombe this summer left him with a serious neck injury. He’s since returned home and has been working to recover well enough to get back in the saddle and to what he does best.

Andrew sat down with Jonty Evans to talk about his recovery and what his plans are for the coming weeks and months. Naturally there is a lot involved in the recovery from any injury, but Andrew seems to be in good spirits and is positive about his return to the saddle.

We look forward to seeing you back at it, Andrew!

Thursday Video from Zoetis: Surprise! Michael Jung Dominates the Jumpers, Too

By on Nov 12, 2015 3:00 pm -

What does Ze Terminator do in his off season? Well, truthfully he doesn’t really have an off season as he hops off the back of a winning event horse and onto a prize show jumper seemingly within the same day.

Michael competed in the 1.45m division at Bayerns Pferde aboard the 8-year-old Holsteiner gelding Captain Sparrow, showing everyone once again that he’s a force to be reckoned with even without a cross country course.

Michael and Captain Sparrow, owned by Equi Future Champions, were the fastest time by nearly two seconds, taking home €2500 in prize money at the same time.

Check it out and watch as Michael shows us all how it’s done once again. I mean really, are you surprised?

Easter Egg alert: Did you notice what music they’re playing while Michael and Captain Sparrow are on course?