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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

Where Are They Now? High Society III, Presented by Merial

By Sally Spickard on Feb 22, 2015 11:00 am -

We’re pleased to introduce a new series presented by Merial which will catch up with horses who have retired from a successful eventing career. If you have a horse you’d like us to profile, please email [email protected]. This month, we check in with Jessica Payne’s former four-star ride, High Society III.

Jessica Hampf (Payne) and High Society III at The Fork in 2012. Photo by Samantha Clark.

Jessica Payne (then Hampf) was on top of the world when she and her OTTB partner, High Society III, joined the ranks of the four-star riders in 2010. Together, she and the now 19-year-old gelding completed Rolex three times, improving on their result each time, culminating in a 19th place finish in 2012.

Representing Canada, Jessica and “Trevor” also completed numerous three-star competitions, including the CCI3* at Blenheim. After a successful upper level campaign, Jessica made the decision to retire Trevor from competition at the top of the sport. “He was getting older, and we hadn’t made the Canadian team,” Jessica recalled. “He was a horse of a lifetime for me, and he owed us nothing.“

Jessica knew Trevor would still want a job, so she competed him in the jumper ring at the 1.35m level after retiring him from eventing competition.

Jessica Payne and High Society III at Rolex in 2012. Photo by Samantha Clark.

Wendy Luce was a student of Doug Payne’s, having previously sent one of her hunters to Doug for training. Wendy went on to own event horses, which Doug trained and competed, and was entertaining the idea of taking up the sport herself.

“I’ve ridden hunters basically my whole life,” Wendy said. “I was exposed to eventing through Doug, and I was quite taken with it. I never thought I’d ever do it myself!”

Through Doug and Jess, Wendy met Trevor, who she fell in love with after her first lesson on him. “Jess told me I could try Trevor, as he was retiring from upper levels,” she said. “I sat on him and I just fell in love. Everything just fell into place — I’d never be eventing if it weren’t for him.”

Having ridden Trevor for so many years, Jessica knew he was the type who liked to take care of his rider but wasn’t sure exactly how he’d adjust from galloping at four-star speed to cantering around Beginner Novice courses.

“Whenever I left the start box, I knew he’d take care of me no matter what happened,” Jessica said. “I wasn’t sure what to expect at the lower levels — I thought he’d maybe want to go fast on cross country, but he got time penalties! From the beginning with Wendy, he’s gone in all three phases in a rubber snaffle and leaves the start box quietly and carefully.”

All smiles after Wendy and Trevor’s first cross country together. Photo by Fred Luce.

Wendy credits Trevor with boosting her confidence as a rider. “He never says no,” Wendy said. “The things I always felt I could have done better in the past, I’m doing better now because he’s given me the confidence to do so. He’s taught me to use my body more than my hands, and it’s been a really good learning experience.”

Last year, Wendy and Trevor completed three Beginner Novice events and have plans to step up to Novice in 2015. “My objective is to place in the top five at our Novice events,” Wendy said. “I’m working very hard on the dressage in order to achieve that goal. I’m mainly excited to just continue on with him and keep learning.”

Jessica, for one, is happy her partner has found his niche in retirement. “I think he likes the adjustment,” she said. “He doesn’t care if she makes a mistake, he’s got her back. She was competing him a year after he ran Kentucky the last time — he’s just so willing to show her what to do.”

Wendy and Trevor competing at Millbrook. Photo by Fred Luce.

Wendy’s done everything from hunter derbies to trail rides with Trevor. She’s thankful to have found a horse that she can continue her education on. “Although I’ve found dressage ‘challenging’, I’ve learned a lot about my position…and that’s helped my riding across the board.”

“There is a wonderful Espirit de corps in eventing that I just never experienced in the hunter show realm — a group of people who truly love what they are doing, love their horses, and enjoy being together in the effort.”

You’d never know Trevor was 19, and we’ll certainly be seeing more from this happy couple, romping around their Novice courses without a care in the world. “I’ve had a lot of horses in my life,” Wendy said. “But I’d have to say that this one is really like a soulmate.”

Saturday Videos: Pine Top Advanced & CIC Dressage

By Sally Spickard on Feb 21, 2015 3:00 pm -

Many a brave soul was out bracing against the cold temperatures in Georgia yesterday, as the Advanced divisions ran through their dressage tests. Our good friend, The Horse Pesterer, caught many pairs’ tests on video, the full playlist of which you can check out on his YouTube channel here. The CIC pairs also ran their competition in a one-day format, with Marilyn Little and Will Faudree taking home the respective blue ribbons.

Pine Top Advanced CIC and HT: Website, Entry Status, Ride Times, Live Scores, @eventingnation

Here’s a smattering of dressage videos for your viewing pleasure. Many thanks to The Horse Pesterer for the great videos! Stay tuned for a full recap from the Advanced divisions later this evening.

Promising Talent at Royal Palm Farm Sidelined During Monensin Monitoring

By Sally Spickard on Feb 21, 2015 1:00 pm -

Tension bubbles under the surface at Andrew Palmer’s facility in Eufaula, Alabama, as worried owners keep a watchful eye on their horses. Last month, Royal Palm Farm discovered that its feed had potentially been affected by the recent ADM Alliance Nutrition contamination controversy, and their worst fears were confirmed when feed samples sent to Auburn University came back showing signs of monensin.

Since then, the 32 horses affected have been closely monitored and undergone further testing to determine their risk level from the exposure to monensin.

Kathryn and Baratheon in December 2014. Photo by Tiffany Palmer.

Baratheon, or Linx as he is known at home, a coming 3-year-old Trakehner stallion prospect, is one of the horses on a holding pattern. Owner Katheryn Krische purchased Baratheon’s dam in foal, not expecting to have a stallion prospect at the end of the day. “He was literally born in my arms,” Kathryn said. “I didn’t really have any intention of having a stallion at that point, but halfway out I knew he was a colt, and he was just so special.”

Baratheon earned Premium Foal status — as well as 9s in general impression, conformation and movement — at the 2012 American Trakehner Association inspection and was ranked ninth for Current Year Colts in Dressage Sporthorse Breeding.

Kathryn did not have the facilities to support raising a young colt, so she contacted Andrew to find out if she could Baratheon to Alabama to grow up.

“I knew it would be a great situation for him,” Kathryn said. “I’m just so pleased with how Andrew and Tiffany take care of him. I know Andrew is very conscientious, and Linx has a tendency to hurt himself, so we have a running joke that Andrew only calls me when something is wrong.”

Lynx at one month old with Kathryn’s husband, Tom.

When Kathryn received a phone call from Andrew earlier this month, she was in shock to hear that the ADM controversy had reached Royal Palm Farm. “I’d read about the contamination … I just never thought it would happen to me,” she said.

Kathryn did her best to quell her initial fears that her horse would be rendered a pasture ornament — or worse — due to the effects of monensin. She took comfort in the efforts of Andrew and the team of researchers and veterinarians assisting her with the blood samples and testing.

Baratheon successfully underwent an echocardiogram after his second blood sample sent to UC Davis came back with his troponin levels at .13, and continues to undergo monitoring with the hope that he will make a full recovery. He’ll continue to undergo weekly tests to ensure his health is progressing.

Now, Kathryn is thankful for her time spent on the internet finding out more information about the ADM controversy.

“I’m just upset — they need to step up and acknowledge responsibility. The troponin tests, the cardio tests — none of that is cheap. The echocardiogram doubled my budget on that one horse for the month. It would just feel a lot better if they’d take responsibility. At this point, it’s just a question of whether or not he’s been robbed of his future,” she said.

Nancy Katheryne Webb and Cardinali.

Nancy Katheryne Webb also owns a horse at Royal Palm Farm, a 10-year-old Trakehner stallion formerly campaigned by Andrew named Cardinali. Nancy Katheryne took over the ride on Cardinali last February with her eyes set on NAJYRC in 2015.

“I was hoping to do Young Riders before I turn 21, since I missed the 18 deadline,” Nancy Katheryne, 19, said. “We were planning to do a one-star this spring in preparation, but now we aren’t able to do a whole lot.”

Cardinali was another affected by the ADM contamination, causing his early spring plans to be put on hold. Although the troponin levels in the first test for Cardinali came back normal, the second test revealed slightly elevated levels.

“There is so little research on the short term effects (of monensin), so we really had no idea how this would affect him,” Nancy Katheryne said. “We’ve done echocardiograms and stress tests, and those are coming back good right now. But the results could change in a month, and that’s the scary part — we just don’t know what’s going to happen.”

While advising veterinarians told Nancy Katheryne that Cardinali was fit enough to complete a full event at Training level, she withdrew him from the Preliminary division at Rocking Horse last weekend, electing instead to run a combined test to save him from the exertion of running cross country. Cardinali will continue to undergo tests to determine whether he can return to running cross country.

“It’s just terrifying. You hear about these things happening, but you never think it’ll happen to you,” Nancy Katheryne said. “Even when we sent our feed off to be tested, I think we were still in denial. These horses have done absolutely nothing wrong and are suffering from it. It’s so hard to see them just sitting and not able to do much, if any, work. It’s hard to not have answers.“

Click here to catch up on all of EN’s coverage of the ADM monensin controversy.

Jessica and Joel Phoenix Welcome Daughter Jordan Marie

By Sally Spickard on Feb 21, 2015 11:00 am -

Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Facebook was a-twitter this morning with well wishes and congratulations pouring in for Canadian rider Jessica Phoenix, who welcomed a baby girl named Jordan Marie this morning.

Big brother Jacob with his new sister. Photo via Jessica Phoenix on Facebook.

The Phoenix Equestrian Team has been soaking up the sun in Florida and has members competing this weekend at Pine Top, but Jessie made it home in time to deliver a happy and healthy baby girl. We’re personally loving this card Jessie’s team gave her in preparation:

Photo via Phoenix Equestrian Team on Facebook.

…but wait! There’s more:

Photo via Phoenix Equestrian Team on Facebook.

Creative, right?

Please join us in congratulating Jessie and her family on their lovely new addition. We’ll be looking for her in the saddle soon enough!

Friday Video from World Equestrian Brands: Let’s Get to Know Caroline Martin

By Sally Spickard on Feb 20, 2015 2:30 pm -

PRO has released the latest edition of their behind the scenes series, “Faces of Eventing,” featuring Caroline Martin.

In her interview, Caroline tells us all about her first horse and what’s it like to train full time with coach Buck Davidson. Interestingly enough, Caroline Martin met her upper level partner, Quantum Solace, while spending time in Nicaragua.

Caroline also reminisces about her experience on the gold medal winning Area III NAJYRC CH-Y2* team and walks us through a typical day in her life. “I learn a lot by watching,” Caroline says about life at Buck’s. “I feel like that’s a major part in riding.”

Thank you to PRO for such a great, informative video series!

Golden Button Challenge Releases Statement on 3 Horse Fatalities

By Sally Spickard on Feb 20, 2015 11:00 am -

Image via the Golden Button Challenge’s Facebook page

We were very sad to learn that three horses died last weekend at the Golden Button Challenge, a cross-country race near Tewkesbury, England, organized by the Ledbury Hunt that covers three miles and 25 obstacles, including ditches, brush and rail jumps. Sixty-four riders started the race, but only 39 finished.

The Golden Button Challenge was returning after a three-year hiatus and was patronized by multiple accomplished hunt, race and event riders. You can view helmet cam footage of the race here and video below.

Post by The Golden Button Challenge.

One horse suffered a broken back after falling on course and was humanely euthanized by onsite veterinarians. Two others succumbed to what is believed to be cardiac episodes following the finish of the race. Overall, 39 out of 62 starters completed the race.

The Golden Button Challenge released a statement yesterday, saying the Ledbury Hunt examined the following aspects of the competition:

Consulted the riders of the three horses, other competitors, the clerk of the course, stewards and other officials. Only a handful of the riders were newcomers to similar types of races.
Looked at the 25 fences, in particular those at which falls occurred, and considered the ground conditions and the weights carried by horses.
Took account of the number of starters and finishers, plus those who fell, were brought down or unseated their riders, and also those who remounted, as well as the distance of the challenge and the pace at which the event was run.
Race favorite Zoe Gibson led until the 11th fence, when another experienced rider, Catherine Atkinson, took over. The winner, Dominic Gwyn-Jones, led from the 18th fence, so experienced competitors set the pace.
Of the 62 horses that started, 39 (63%) completed the course. The ground conditions varied around the course; following three dry weeks, the course was considered “soft.” William Fox Grant, who finished second, said, “The course was fantastic and it was beautiful going for the middle of winter.”

The horse that broke its back did so at a hedge and ditch fence that had an optional longer route. The vet team was able to euthanize the horse very soon after the fall.

One rider, a previous Golden Button Challenge competitor, fell on course and was airlifted to the hospital as a precaution; she was released later in the day with injuries. She finished second in the previous running of the Golden Button Challenge and had taken part in other similar hunt rides.

“The Golden Button Challenge is an enormously popular rural event that has attracted a vast crowd and a maximum field of runners in each of the six runnings. It was accepted in advance that all owners and riders would ensure their horses were fit and ready for a three-mile gallop across country and were responsible for the welfare of their mounts during the event,” the organizers said.

“After considering all aspects of the event the organisers could find no cause for the sad loss of three horses. However, future entry forms will stress the need to ensure horses and riders are fit to compete in a test of this nature. The organisers would like to express their sincere sympathies to the riders/owners and grooms of the horses who did not return to their stables.”

EN has also spoke to one of the riders who lost her horse due to a cardiac episode after completing the race, which she said was “immensely well executed” and thanked the organizers for their hard work. She released the following statement and photo and asked that we not use her name:

Photo used with permission

“I had a fantastic ride around on my superstar ex-Advanced eventer — he flew everything and loved every second. No one can doubt his fitness, as he probably finished more full of running than any other horse there that day. You should have seen him gallop up the last hill and wing the final fence — I couldn’t pull him up!

“But as some of you are aware, I sadly lost my superstar Georgie from a heart attack five or so minutes after he completed the course … but these things happen — if your time’s up, your time’s up — and, in my opinion, no better way to go. He was an old boy and had a great life, and I’m delighted he went out on a high doing what he loved. As you can see from the picture, he absolutely loved the game and was smiling with pricked ears posing for the camera literally seconds before he passed away.

“The Ledbury Hunt dealt with the situation as quickly and professionally as they could in the circumstances, and we could not be more grateful, and I hope that you will all join me in raising a glass tonight to the most outstanding horse and character I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. My one and only Georgiepone.”

Information on previous injuries or fatalities at past runnings of the Golden Button Challenge have not been released at this time; we will update this post if more information becomes available.

What do you think of the organizers’ response to the three horses fatalities, EN? Would you still support future runnings of the Golden Button Challenge? Or, do you agree with us that three horses are way too many to lose in one single sporting event?

[Golden Button Challenge – Review Statement]

Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: William Fox-Pitt Clinic Helmet Cam

By Sally Spickard on Feb 18, 2015 3:00 pm -

Bloggers Row writer Jessica Kerschbaumer and her OTTB mare, Hard Sun, were one of the pairs who participated in the recent clinic with William Fox-Pitt in Vancouver earlier this month. Jessica can always be trusted to strap on her helmet cam, and we weren’t disappointed!

“Sunny” is your typical red-headed mare, but Jessica reported that she had some lovely moments with William and that she was thrilled to have some more tools in her toolbox for the upcoming season, when the pair hopes to step up to Intermediate.

Thanks to Jessica, we have nearly 30 minutes of helmet cam footage from William’s clinic, also known as your daily distraction from work. You can catch up on the reports from Chelan Kozak on the Vancouver clinic using the links below.

[WFP Day One]

[WFP Day Two]

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EN’s Got Talent: Boyd Martin and Santos

By Sally Spickard on Feb 18, 2015 1:00 pm -

We hear all the time about horses at the top of the sport, but what about the next generation of equine talent? EN’s Got Talent introduces the future superstars of the sport, interviewing riders about how they’re tackling training with these youngsters. Have you spotted a spectacular young horse at an event you think should be highlighted in this column? Tip me at [email protected].

Boyd Martin and Santos schooling at Stable View. Photo by Jenni Autry.

The chestnut gelding with the white face and white eye caught a few eyes at Paradise Farm in Aiken last weekend. With the always recognizable Boyd Martin in the irons, a few onlookers thought perhaps they were looking at the old campaigner, Neville Bardos, out for a spin.

While the resemblance is uncanny, it’s a different talented chestnut that Boyd piloted to a win in the Open Training division that weekend — a six year old Thoroughbred by the name of Santos.

Initially intended to race, Santos ended up as a liquidated asset when the original owners went bankrupt, and he was eventually re-started as a 3-year-old with Jil Walton. At the end of his 3-year-old year, Santos transitioned to Erin Kellerhouse in Temecula, California, where she competed him in some Young Event Horse classes before making his Novice debut in 2013. “He’s always been a pleasure to ride, and he has one of the best canters I’ve ever sat on,” Erin said.

Santos is sired by Athlete, who carries the famed Saint Ballado in his line. Santos carries excellent movement and an exuberance for jumping, making him an athletic prospect which was evident in his consecutive top three finishes in the Young Event Horse divisions and a third place finish at the 4-year-old Championships in 2013.

Erin competed the gelding through Training level, completed the 2014 AECs and picking up a sixth place in the 6-year-old YEH class at Galway in October. It was at Galway that Boyd, in town to compete Trading Aces, decided to take a spin on the horse, who was offered for sale.

“Caitlin (Silliman) had found out he was for sale, and had flown out to try him,” Boyd said. “She brought the videos back to me, and while he maybe wasn’t quite suited to Caitlin, I was intrigued. I liked the look of the horse, with his movement and jump. So when I went out to Galway, I inquired whether he was still for sale, and watched Erin ride him.”

When Boyd first tried Santos, the horse quickly ticked all of the boxes, although he checked in a bit on the small side. “I was a bit nervous about the size,” Boyd recalled. “He measures 16 hands with quite big shoes on, but he rides big, if you know what I mean. He’s got a big step and there’s a lot of horse out in front of you. I don’t look too ridiculous on him — I’ve galloped a 15.2 horse around a four-star, so it’s just about having the right balance and the right step.”

“I’m a sucker for a really classy looking Thoroughbred, and unlike a lot of Thoroughbreds out there, he moves like a dressage horse. On top of that, he looked like a bit of a handful on cross country, which may have turned a few others off but it inspired me. Size is something I’m willing to overlook if every other box is ticked.”

Boyd decided to move forward with the purchase, and his longtime supporters Gloria Callen and Ron and Densey Juvonen stepped up to support the new prospect. “I’m so fortunate to have a core group of owners who support me and back me, even with a younger horse,” Boyd said. “There’s no question in my mind that young horses coming through is the formula for success. They’re the secret to longevity in this sport.”

Santos moved from sunny California to the freezing cold in Pennsylvania in December, and Boyd set about forming a partnership with his new ride. “He’s young, and we’re not in a hurry with him,” he said. “Erin did a sensational job producing him to where he was when we got him, and he’s very well educated. For me, it’s about building the trust and getting to know each other at the start.”

Next week on EN’s Got Talent, we’ll learn more about Boyd’s competition plans for Santos this year, as well as his outlook on the future for the talented gelding.

10 Fun Facts About Veronica Presented by Merck Animal Health

By Sally Spickard on Feb 18, 2015 9:00 am -

We're thrilled to have welcomed Merck Animal Health onboard as a sponsor here at EN, and we're celebrating by getting to know a few mares who have had success on the ever popular Regu-Mate. We're kicking off this series with Team Rebecca's Veronica, piloted by Lauren Kieffer.

Lauren Kieffer and Veronica. Photo by Jenni Autry.

EN: What are Veronica’s nicknames around the barn?

Lauren: We call her “The Troll” in the barn — she’s certainly not the most snuggly horse. She likes her people, but pins her ears until you give her what she wants and then the ears come back up when she gets it.

EN: How is she with other horses?

Lauren: The horses who aren’t scared of her she gets along with fine. If she senses that they’re scared of her, she’ll kind of use that to her advantage. She’s definitely an alpha mare!

EN: What was your favorite part of Rolex 2014 with Veronica?

Lauren: Finishing the dressage and peaking at the right time was a pretty good high. I’d also have to say that finishing all of the phases and realizing we’d delivered, especially after the show jumping with all of our crew at the entrance to the stadium, was pretty gratifying.

Lauren’s cheering section after her clear round at Rolex with Veronica. Photo by Sally Spickard.

EN: When you first began your partnership, what was your biggest struggle?

Lauren: I’d ridden her off and on for so long, so I kind of knew what she was about. It was more about reaching an agreement where I kind of let her do her own thing but when I did pipe up, she knew I was worth listening to.

It was about having faith in each other. I already knew her quite well — I always rode some of Karen’s horses and Veronica was always my favorite.

EN: What is your favorite thing about her overall?

Lauren: Just her personality. She’s such a tough mare. She really fights for it and she’s such a mentally competitive horse. There are a lot of horses that are super talented, but at the end of the day you have to have that four-star mentality — that’s what I respect about her: she’s going to fight for it whether it’s right or wrong. I’m very appreciative to Team Rebecca for allowing me to have the opportunity to ride her, she’s such a talented horse and it’s been a great experience.

EN: A lot of upper level horses are eccentric. What are Veronica’s quirks?

Lauren: She very much wants to be in charge of everything. She’s going to win walking out to the field. She’s just a bit undisciplined. She’s been in the program so long — sometimes you just can’t teach an old dog new tricks. You just kind of go with the flow at this point.

Lauren Kieffer and Veronica at Plantation Field. Photo by Jenni Autry.

EN: What is the biggest improvement you’ve seen in Veronica over the last couple of years?

Lauren: I would say our show jumping. She’s an aggressive mare, which makes her great cross country but can make it a bit of a struggle in the show jumping. Thanks to all of our work with Scott Keach and David O’Connor, that’s been our biggest improvement. She’s certainly become more rideable in the show jumping.

EN: If you could compete at any event with Veronica, what would it be?

Lauren: I would think Badminton. She seems like the horse I’d like to take around my first Badminton. She’s tough and competitive, and I think she’d eat that course up. That is certainly is not a track you’d want to take a horse who is wishy-washy to.

EN: If Veronica were a person, what type of person would she be?

Lauren: She’d probably be like a female wrestler — one of those diva fighters. She’d be the one who would bite you while you were down; I don’t think she’d be a very fair fighter!

EN: What has been the best thing about using Regu-Mate?

Lauren: It makes such a huge difference in these mares’ lives that are very hormonal. It gives them some kind of consistency during their competitive season so they don’t get stuck competing while they’re going through changes. I’ve been really pleased with the results and consistency she’s shown while we’ve used Regu-Mate.

Tuesday Video from SpectraVET: Would You Attempt the Golden Button Challenge?

By Sally Spickard on Feb 17, 2015 3:00 pm -

If you haven’t yet heard of the Golden Button Challenge, held at Manor Farm in Gloucestershire, is a cross country race over an original steeplechase track covering about three miles and about 28 (humongous) natural obstacles. The Challenge ran successfully for several years before taking a brief hiatus and relaunching in 2015.

Luckily for us, two members of Pearson Eventing in the UK donned helmet cams for their jaunt through the English countryside over Valentine’s Day weekend. One rider, William Fox-Grant, even got up to finish in second place — no small task after watching this course unfold!

So our question to you, EN, is: would you take your chances on the Golden Button Challenge course? Or would you prefer to be one of the many spectators lining the track, armed with a stiff drink and a camera? You tell us!

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Eric Bull Embraces Forward Progress in Course Design

By Sally Spickard on Feb 17, 2015 9:00 am -

Eric Bull on course at Fair Hill. Photo via ETB Equine Construction on Facebook.

Eric Bull has always had a curiosity for the way things are built. Growing up in New York riding and competing in the hunter/jumper world, Eric didn’t anticipate involving himself with horses when it came time to choose a career. Instead, he elected to take a job working for a construction company which handled high end residential and commercial work.

His time working with both horses and the construction industry proved useful later on, when he was asked to help with the design and build of the course at Fitch’s Corner. “All the while, I planned to get out of both horses and construction, at least from a working standpoint,” Eric ruefully recalled. “Now, I’m firmly planted in both!”

Sure enough, thanks to his work at Fitch’s Corner, Eric found himself returning to course building in the late 90s after a brief stint in the insurance industry.

“The professionalizing of course building and design was just starting to come into its own, and I found a lot of people were asking me to build fences,” he said. “It wasn’t just farm hands building fences anymore. It was a good time to get into it.”

Eric got his first “big break,” so to speak, when he had the opportunity to work with Tremaine Cooper and Jamie Emerson on the Fair Hill course. “Jamie was becoming interested in architecture and home building, so I was coming in at a good time. I built with him that first year, and then I was left to work with one of the best groups and designers I could ask for.”

Eric eventually began working with Derek di Grazia in 2000, when the two were named the official builder and designer for the course. Eric commented on the importance of the relationship with the course designer, highlighting communication as a key factor.

“Every designer has a different way and different preferences,” he said. “Most of it is a conversation. When you’re a builder, you’re expected to be a part of the conversation and not just a passive listener who does what they’re told.”

“Good designers will give you the big picture, and your job as the builder is to go in and fill in those pieces that make up the big picture. For that reason, you tend to work with a lot of the same designers, you have a trusting relationship and can communicate with each other to reach the end goal.”

Course design has been on the move since Eric came onto the scene, with more and more portable jumps appearing on courses as opposed to fences fashioned from fallen logs or permanent materials. “It’s definitely been an evolution,” Eric said. “The sport has really come a long way in the last five years — there’s been a lot of change on the design side.”

“Given the new safety technology that’s available, those old-fashioned ‘scary’ type fences are much more successful now than they were 10 years ago,” he continued. “And, of course, portables became all the rage 10 or 15 years ago. It took us awhile to figure out the best way to implement them. But now we can utilize the terrain to make a fence more or less inviting. A basic portable fence can be made much more serious of a question by putting it on a hill, whereas a trickier fence can be made to be more inviting by putting it on level terrain. There’s more options now.”

Building Wellington

Wellington Eventing Showcase winners Boyd Martin and Trading Aces. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Eric was excited to have the opportunity to build Capt. Mark Phillips’ course at the Wellington Eventing Showcase at the end of January. “There’s been a lot of attempts to bring something like this to the sport, such as Express Eventing, which I can’t really speak to as I haven’t worked on one before, but Mark is a genius and wanted to really showcase the sport. It was a legitimate course, at a legitimate speed.”

Taking into account that the Showcase was held at the beginning of the season, when many horses were likely not fitted up to the level they’d be at by the end of the spring, Mark wanted to showcase Advanced level questions without running the horses off their legs.

“Most of these horses hadn’t seen a jump since Fair Hill, in most cases, but you saw them come out and jump the same way they ended the season last year. They were jumping well, and the course was technical enough without them having to be at the top fitness level. He put all the questions you would typically see on that course: ditches, water, banks, everything.”

A huge draw for this particular event was its accessibility, which has gotten rave reviews from those in attendance. “You got a lot of people who’d never experienced eventing before, and they got to experience it from the comfort of a ‘luxury’ experience with great food, a bar, and a seat where they could see 80% of the course. Then you could walk across the way and watch show jumping or dressage. As far as showcasing is concerned, this is the best I’ve ever seen.”

What about the future of event formats such as that run at Wellington? “At the end of the day, eventing is an Olympic sport. The Showcase is not an Olympic level competition, and I think it will continue to be more of a ‘sideline’ sport in that it’s spectator friendly but is not the High Performance level that you see at Kentucky. If it’s something that owners want to be involved in, I can see it being a great introduction to event horse ownership.”

“If (the Showcase format) is its own secondary sport, it’s a great way to teach people about the sport. If owners start getting involved, they may learn that it’s not too far off from the ‘real’ sport, and it would be a good segue into diving into the ownership aspect of the traditional event horse.”

From a building perspective, this was one of the most enjoyable experiences of Eric’s career to date.

“That weekend was about getting the formula right and making it a proper three phase showcase. Safety was paramount, as always, and most of Mark’s decisions were made towards making it a bit softer for the horses without worrying too much about shaking up the board. I think that’s where it’s only going to be a showcase — you’re still going to have to go to Kentucky to be the best horse and rider. But it still showed the true makings of the sport, and it exposed more people to it which was a big goal.”

Does Eric plan to make a trip to Wellington an annual event should the opportunity present itself? “I’d be happy to do one of those events 40 weeks out of the year,” he joked. “It’s a great step in the evolution of the sport, and I’m happy I was able to be a part of it.”

To learn more about Eric, visit ETB Equine Construction’s Facebook page here.

And the Best Smoochin’ Selfie Belongs To …

By Sally Spickard on Feb 16, 2015 5:00 pm -

The Smoochin' Selfie winner: Christa Mays, who submitted this photo of Kim Meier and her horse Bart!

Happy Valentines Day, EN! We hope you’re getting in some serious quality time with your horse today — we all know who makes the better Valentines date here! Earlier this week, we asked you to send in your “smoochin’ selfies” in honor of Valentine’s Day.

We received well over 50 entries, and it was exceedingly difficult to come up with 10 finalists. We slipped an extra one in — Chinch is very bad at decision making — so we have 11 finalists to present for your vote.

You all voted for your favorite over the weekend, and we’re pleased to announce the winner of the Smoochin’ Selfie contest: Christa Mays, who submitted this fantastic photo of Kim Meier and her horse Bart.

Christa will receive an 8-pound bucket of Neigh-Lox Advanced from Kentucky Performance Products and a bucket full of other Kentucky Performance Products goodies. This may have been the closest vote in EN history, so congratulations, Christa!

Monday Video from Tredstep Ireland: Get a Sneak Peek at Cruising’s Clones

By Sally Spickard on Feb 16, 2015 3:00 pm -

Post by Ear to the Ground.

The news broke, after being kept secret for three years, last week that the legendary Irish stallion, Cruising, has two clones who would be made available to breeders in 2015. Ear to the Ground, an Irish TV series, unveiled a sneak peek at the 3-year-old stallions and will air a segment on the clones tomorrow evening on the Irish station RTÉ One.

We’ll be scouring the website for a replay of the segment after it airs, but if you have a line on where we can find a replay, please let us know! In the meantime, we can get a glimpse of the two handsome stallions ready to take the sporthorse breeding world by storm in the above preview for the show.

Fab Freebie: Professional’s Choice Pro Performance Show Jump Boots

By Sally Spickard on Feb 16, 2015 9:00 am -

Photo courtesy of Professional's Choice.

It’s time to take inventory of our tack trunks, scour eBay, and visit our favorite brands’ websites to check out upcoming lines for the year — show season will be in full swing before we know! We’re excited to get a sneak preview of the new Pro Performance line of boots forthcoming from Professional’s Choice this spring.

Made with the same innovative technology utilized in NFL and College Football helmets, the Pro Performance show jump boots have been engineered with an air bag cushion specifically designed for maximum support and impact protection of critical leg structures.

This unique, advanced technology safeguards tendons from impact, reducing the change of overreach injury. Created with the show jumper in mind, the boot is anatomically shaped to stay securely positioned on the horses’ leg, are lightweight an do not absorb water. The durable outer shell is ventilated for comfort along with breathable foam lining.

Photo courtesy of Professional’s Choice.

The Pro Performance Show Jump Boots, available in black and white, feature a ventilated dual hardness outer shell, which is designed to dissipate energy when the strike area is hit. Independent studies confirm impact protection and the dissipation of shock waves. The shock absorbing air cushion fits in an anatomically shaped strike area, reducing the force of impact, and then returning to its original shape.

Photo courtesy of Professional’s Choice.

We can’t wait to test these boots out, and we’ve teamed up with Professional’s Choice to give away a pair to one lucky winner this week! Just enter using the Rafflecopter widget below, and we’ll announce the winner in Friday’s News & Notes. Entries will close at midnight on Thursday. Good luck!

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.

Stars Back in Action at Paradise Farm, Rocking Horse & Fresno

By Sally Spickard on Feb 13, 2015 6:02 pm -

Phillip Dutton and Icabad Crane at Paradise Farm. Photo by Jenni Autry.

It’s been a busy Friday the 13th for competitors at events around the country today, with competitors opening the pipes at Paradise Farm in Aiken, Rocking Horse in Ocala, and Fresno in California.

At Paradise Farm, many were likely remembering the Polar Vortex of 2014 while soaking in the sunshine in Aiken. Phillip Dutton and Jan Byyny are the Open Preliminary winners. Phillip and Fernhill Singapore took home the win in the Open Prelim A division with a score of 27.5, the only pair to finish below 30 penalties. Jan Byyny and Jolliyat also secured a score in the 20s — 28.4 — to take home the win in the Prelim B division.

Taryn Nolte and Quinn earned their highest finish at this level to date with a second place on a score of 34.4, moving up from ninth with just 1.2 time penalties across country. Peter Barry and Kalle 86 round out the top three with a score of 35.3, a picture of consistency for this pair with three top four finishes so far this year.

Paradise Farm H.T. [Website] [Ride Times] [Scores]

Ryan Wood and Fernhill Flame picked up the Irish Sport Horse gelding’s highest finish at Prelim today with a second place on a score of 30.9 in the B division. Phillip Dutton and Moycullen, complete the top three for the B division with a score of 33.2. This is Moycullen’s first Preliminary event, and a solid placing likely marks the first of many starts at this level.

Familiar face Icabad Crane was also competing at Paradise Farm, preparing for a move up to Preliminary with a third place finished on his dressage score of 28.6 in the Open Training A division. Boyd Martin took home the win in this division aboard Santos, whom he purchased after Galway Downs last year, where Erin Kellerhouse piloted the horse in the T3D. Santos is jointly owned by Gloria Callen and Ron and Densey Juvonen and is an exciting new ride for Boyd this year.

Boyrd Martin and Santos schooling at Stable View this week. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Rocking Horse Winter II was also in full swing today. Multiple top horses and riders were out stretching their legs for their first Advanced run of the new year, and many others were stepping up a level to the “big A.”

There are two Advanced divisions running at Rocking Horse this weekend, and it’s Buck Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM sitting pretty atop the Advanced A division after show jumping with a score of 24.6. Buck said at the beginning of the year that he and owners Carl and Cassie Segal have no expectations for “Reggie” this year, as he’s more than proven his worth. At the end of the day, the 14-year-old gelding loves to compete, and he’s showing his eagerness to get back on the field so far this weekend.

Madison Park will take second place into tomorrow’s cross country competition with Kyle Carter in the irons, earning a score of 28.4 today. The top two are the only pairs to crack into the 20s in this division.

Buck Davidson, ever the busy man, also holds third place with Copper Beech, who is coming off of a sixth place finish in the Intermediate at Rocking Horse I last month. “Sean” earned a 30.0 in the dressage and added no penalties to his score in the show jumping.

Rails and time were a factor for roughly half of the Advanced A division, and reports on social media are that the course was definitely a true test for keeping the horse’s on their toes.

Rocking Horse II H.T. [Website] [Ride Times] [Scores]

In the Advanced B division, it’s a girls’ day out Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett in first place overnight on a score of 28.2, the only pair to take a score in the 20s into cross country. This is the 8-year-old Thoroughbred mare’s first Advanced start, and both Lauren and owner Marie Le Menestrel will be thrilled with the solid start to the weekend.

In second place in the B division are Buck Davidson and Petite Flower, who broke a tie for fourth place with a double clear show jumping round to take a total of 34.3 into tomorrow’s cross country.

Third place belongs to Jon Holling and Zatopek B, firmly in the hunt on a score of 35.9.

Other notables in this division include Selena O’Hanlon’s Foxwood High and Bellaney Rock, out for the first time since WEG and Rolex last year, respectively. Selena is back from her collarbone injury sustained during indoor eventing competition this weekend, and she’s currently holding fourth and sixth place with her two rides.

Several other household names are out stretching their legs in the Open Intermediate divisions, which completed today. Sharon White and Wundermaske made big moves up the board in the A division, moving from 11th to first after the quickest cross country round. This pair finished on a 36.9 for the blue ribbon. Go orange!

Cody Sturgess and Imperial Melody finished hot on Sharon’s heels with a score of 37.0, picking up 2.4 time on cross country. William Hoos and Brookfield Cult King held steady in third position throughout all three phases, ultimately finished on a final score of 40.4.

Fan favorite Manoir de Carneville took it easy in his first event of the season, picking up the win in the Open Intermediate B division with a final score of 27.4. Tate has been on vacation after his solid efforts at WEG last year, and Sinead will be thrilled to have her partner ~~in crime~~ back in action.

Buck Davidson and Wiley Post picked up the quickest cross country run of the division with just 1.2 time penalties to finish in second on a score of 32.5. Reigning Lady Rider of the Year Lauren Kieffer and Veronica slotted into third place with 8 time on cross country for a final score of 33.6. This pair scored an impressive 25.6 in the dressage to take the early lead.

Over on the West coast, Matt Brown and Happenstance picked up where they left off, leading the CIC2* at Fresno after dressage on a score of 40.6. This is Happenstance’s first event back since completing the CCI2* at Fair Hill in the fall, and Matt’s got his eyes on the Pan Ams this year with his string of talented horses.

Bea di Grazia and Lad’s Night Out are in second overnight with a score of 41.5, followed by Heather Morris and Charlie Tango. Charlie Tango is coming off a second place finish in the Intermediate at Galway downs last month.

Fresno County Horse Park CIC & H.T. [Website] [Scores]

Two Clones from Cruising’s DNA Available to ISH Breeders in 2015

By Sally Spickard on Feb 13, 2015 5:11 pm -

Cruising being honored at the Dublin Horse Show in August 2014.

Two clones from the famed late stallion, Cruising, will be made available to Irish Sport Horse breeders this year as the first equine clones in Ireland, Horse Sport Ireland announced today. Cruising Arish and Cruising Encore were born in 2012 and represent successful efforts to use Cruising’s DNA to produce identical bloodlines.

Cruising’s owner, Mary McCann, had been open to the idea of cloning in the past, but the prohibitive cost prevented her from moving forward. After a U.S. company approached her in 2010, offering to take the DNA samples for free, she elected to go ahead and attempt the cloning process.

Damian McDonald, CEO of Horse Sport Ireland, said that the rules of the Irish Horse Studbook have been altered in recent years in order to permit the registration of clones after the FEI began allowing clones to complete.

The two colts carry a hefty price tag — €100,000 ($153, 949USD at current rates) each — but the experiment will carry the eyes of the world as they enter the breeding ranks, following in Cruising’s footsteps. Both will be available to Irish Sport Horse breeders this year, according to Horse Sport Ireland.

Cruising (Sea Crest x Mullacrew) was a leading sporthorse sire up until his death in September of last year, ranking fifth in the worldwide rankings in 2013 for eventing stallions. He was the only Irish stallion to earn a five-star rating for his offspring in both the eventing and show jumping disciplines.

This is a unique attempt to preserve one of the greatest sporthorse bloodlines in the world, and we’ll be following these foals closely as more information becomes available.

[Two Clones from Cruising DNA]

[Horse Sport Ireland Comments on Cruising Cloning]

“The international Governing Body, the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), allow clones to compete and we altered the rules of the Irish Sport Horse Studbook in recent years to permit the registration of clones,” he said – See more at: http://www.horsesportireland.ie/breeding-horse-sport-ireland-comments-on-cloning-of-cruising/#sthash.5OUeNFH8.dpuf

Friday Videos from World Equestrian Brands: Allison Springer Takes On WEF

By Sally Spickard on Feb 13, 2015 3:00 pm -

World Equestrian Brands rider Allison Springer and her team took over WEF last week, where Allison competed a few of her horses in the show jumping classes, as well as a dressage class for her newest mount, Mr Sydney Rocks. It’s always great to see eventers taking a spin in competitions focusing on individual disciplines, and the horses looked to be enjoying their time under the palm trees. We can’t say we blame them!

EN Welcomes Merck Animal Health Equine Division as Newest Sponsor

By Sally Spickard on Feb 13, 2015 1:00 pm -

Lauren Kieffer and Veronica at Plantation Field. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Just in time for the new season to kick off, EN wishes to extend a warm welcome to Merck Animal Health, a leading pharmaceutical firm, as our newest sponsor.

You may be familiar with a little product by the name of ReguMate®. Yes, all you mare owners have your ears pricked now, don’t you? Merck is the manufacturer of ReguMate, which has saved more than a few of us from our, well, mares.

“We’re for the horse” is Merck’s tagline for their equine division, and we couldn’t agree more. The mission statement on their equine landing page says it all: “At Merck Animal Health, we are driven by one mission – the health and welfare of the horse. Our products, our research and our horse owner education programs are all focused on providing a better life for our equine companions and better medicine for the equine practitioner.”

Not only is Merck at the forefront of mare and foal care, they’re also a leading authority on vaccinations, which are also an integral part to horse care. Their range of vaccines and pharmaceutical products covers everything from disease prevention, pain management to the treatment of EPM. With leading research behind them, you can trust that Merck will bring you the best quality in all of its products.

We’ll be bringing you some great content sponsored by Merck in the coming months, and we’d love to hear your testimonials for the products you use for your horses.

Welcome aboard, Merck Animal Health!

Elisa Wallace Ends ADM Sponsorship Amid Controversy

By Sally Spickard on Feb 12, 2015 3:00 pm -

Elisa Wallace and Corteo. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Amid the recent controversy surrounding feed company ADM Alliance Nutrition, Elisa Wallace has elected to discontinue her sponsorship after waiting for weeks for an acceptable response from the company.

Elisa posted the following statement on her Facebook page:

“As some of you may know, I was sponsored by ADM and was an ambassador of their feeds. I have decided to relinquish my sponsorship, in light of the actions, or lack thereof, of ADM in the monensin contamination cases. Trust is imperative in any relationship and I feel that has been lost. My horses come first over any sponsorship and horse owners should not have to worry about feeding their horses poison. Monensin should not be in horse feed. Period!”

As horse owners struggle with the effects of contaminated feed from ADM, numerous horses from several barns are undergoing continuous testing, treatment, and monitoring after their feed came back from testing showing the presence of monensin. You can read about the cases EN has covered using the links below and, as always, we’ll continue to bring you the most up to date information as it becomes available.

[Contaminated Horse Feed Causes Panic in Georgia]

[32 Horses in Andrew Palmer’s Barn Exposed to Monensin]

[Royal Palm Farm Continues to Monitor Horses Exposed to Monensin]

The Most Famous Horse in Maryland Returns Home

By Sally Spickard on Feb 12, 2015 9:00 am -

Iron League being escorted home. Photo by Dr. Michael Sendak.

The gray gelding Iron League is now the most famous horse in Maryland after a harrowing week for Courtney Sendak and owner Juliana Whittenburg. On Monday morning, the day after the Oldenburg gelding arrived at An Otherwise Perfect Farm from Florida, Iron League hopped a four-foot pasture fence and took off on a self-imposed tour of his new home state. His disappearance launched a massive search involving hundreds of volunteers on horseback, foot and ATVs, as well as in the air and on the roads.

After some encouragement from her dressage coach, Phoebe Devoe, Courtney had begun looking for a horse to take her back to the upper levels of eventing. Operating a training and sales operation, Defying Gravity Eventing, Courtney had mainly focused on sales horses, selling her nice prospects once they reached Novice and Training level.

“Phoebe is good friends with Juliana, who breeds a lot of warmbloods and racing Thoroughbreds,” Courtney said. “Phoebe had been a big cheerleader for me to start looking for something for myself, and I just never thought I’d be able to put myself in that position.”

Juliana takes a strong interest in the well-being of her horses, focusing on finding them good homes, and encouraged Courtney to come and try a few horses at her farm in Tampa. Courtney flew down to Tampa for a day and tried multiple horses, finally sitting on Iron League, who came with the tag that he was a bit more difficult than the average amateur or young rider may want to have.

“Juliana thought he’d make a nice event horse,” Courtney said. “He’d win the flat and had a nice jump, he was just very sensitive and more of a ‘feminine’ ride in that he requires a lot of tact and patience; you can’t bully him with any aid. I really liked him, and arrangements were made for him to come to Maryland for me to train and compete with Juliana as the owner.”

As it happened, Iron League was able to hitch a ride north this past weekend, and after a nearly 24 hour trailer ride was settled into his new home in Maryland. His arrival was not to be without incident, however. “We just wanted him to settle in, so we didn’t ride him or even really groom him the first day, we just let him eat and gave him electrolytes and left him alone,” Courtney said.

Monday

Photo via Courtney Sendak on Facebook.

In turnout the next day, there was nothing that startled Iron League into hopping the fence. “He was grazing, and then he took a couple of canter strides and just hopped right over the fence,” Courtney recalled. “I saw it all happen, and I looked down to grab a lead rope and when I looked up he was just gone. I couldn’t tell you which direction he went.”

Courtney’s property is about 85% fenced, with the unfenced portion backing up to a wooded area. She still doesn’t know how he disappeared so fast, as he would have had to pass other paddocks with horses and evidently didn’t stop to socialize on his way off the property.

At first, Courtney hedged her bets on finding him wandering in the woods or a neighbor’s yard. “We get postings in this area all the time about loose horses — it’s horse country around here,” she said. “Most of the time, they’re found within an hour munching on a neighbor’s yard or at the next farm over. It’s winter, there’s no forage, and he’s a white horse with a bright purple blanket on — I figured it would be easy to find him.”

Courtney soon realized that Iron League’s predicament was more serious than she’d initially thought, after he was not found even with the help of multiple people driving the roads and hacking out. After two sightings, with a heavy downpour threatening that evening, Iron League seemed to have vanished without a trace.

She’d called Juliana to make her aware of the situation, a call she did not want to have to make. “I hated that my second call to her — the first one being that he was happy and off the trailer — was to inform her that he was missing,” she said. “Bless her, she apologized to me that he’d run off! She felt helpless being all the way down in Florida, but she was so supportive through the whole ordeal.”

With the situation turning more dire, Courtney and her boyfriend, Jim Webb, began to organize a concentrated search effort for the following day. Thanks to the powers of social media, Iron League’s predicament had nearly gone viral. “When I got home on Monday evening, I had 120 new Facebook messages, my voicemail was full, and I had about 40 new text messages,” Courtney said. “All in the span of one day. It was a lot of horse people, but also quite a few non-horse people, all of whom wanted to know how they could help.”

Tuesday

By the next day, radio and TV stations had picked up the story, generating an all-out search and rescue mission from hundreds of volunteers. “I had people who planned to take the day off work, who came from Virginia and Philadelphia with trailers full of good trail horses and extras for those who needed them. Others offered to bring ATVs and tracking dogs. We had animal communicators volunteering their time and we hired planes and helicopters to survey the area, which is heavily wooded.”

Tuesday came and went with no sightings of the gray gelding, leading many to begin thinking the worst. “I never really let my mind go there,” Courtney said. “But people were keeping track of Craigslist and the horse sale ads, as well as calling New Holland and just making sure he didn’t pop up. We also had some retired large animal search and rescue members call and give us advice on searching the terrain and what protocol to follow. We monitored the police scanners, as with the heavy rain there were a lot of accidents, and we checked accident reports to make sure there were no reports of a horse getting hit.”

Upon recommendation from search and rescue, a topography map of the area was printed off, and quadrants were marked to search in hopes of flushing the horse out of the woods. Grateful for the help, Courtney tried to remain positive although her world was spinning at a million miles an hour. “I was at a loss of what to tell the people who so generously offered to help,” she said. “There’s no book you can read on this, no protocol. It was good to have more organization so that we were more efficient with our search.”

Wednesday

Wondering what all the fuss is about. Photo by Courtney Sendak.

Wednesday morning dawned, and Courtney’s driveway filled with trailers and people who had volunteered their time. As she was pulling into the driveway, Courtney’s phone rang. It was a UPS driver who had a couple of hours before his shift started and had decided to drive around looking after reading about Iron League’s plight in the paper.

“Are you still missing that horse?” he asked Courtney. “I think I see him.” She asked for a description and, sure enough, he described a gray horse with a bright purple blanket, wandering nonchalantly up a driveway and grazing in the back yard. “I know it says not to approach him, I don’t want to scare him,” the driver told Courtney. She quickly told him to not let the horse out of his sight and drove over.

There he was, without a single scratch or even a speck of dirt on his brand new blanket. Clean from the previous night’s downpour and completely unaware of the overnight celebrity status he’d gained, Iron League was caught and walked home by a beaming Courtney. Volunteers lined the roads and snapped photos, as if this horse were a movie star walking the red carpet.

Iron League was tucked away safely in his stall last night, and Courtney, Juliana, and their vast network of support took a deep breath (and perhaps a few sips of wine!) knowing their precious cargo had returned home.

“He’s the most famous horse in Maryland,” Courtney joked, sheer relief in her voice. “Now he’s got a whole lot to live up to — we’d better go win Rolex or something now!”

As Iron League settles into his new home, his tour of the surrounding countryside complete, Courtney plans to do a lot of hand-grazing and turnout in the roundpen. She’ll also be turning him out with his trailer buddy who made the trip from Florida with him, in hopes of keeping him from pulling another Homeward Bound in the future.

For now, though, Courtney has had enough excitement to last her a lifetime. Tomorrow, she’ll start working on a new beginning with the horse who became an overnight celebrity.

Welcome home, Iron League.

Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: Celebrating Love Stories

By Sally Spickard on Feb 11, 2015 3:00 pm -

Every love story involves some sort of leap of faith, and the newest Love Story video from Kentucky Performance Products is no different. I think we can all remember our first event or show, when we thought we would never calm the nerves or when we doubted our abilities. Fortunately, our horses have a way of bringing out the best in us, making those leaps of faith worth it.

If you’re as enamored with your horse as we are with ours, then don’t forget to enter our “Smoochin’ Selfie” contest for your chance to win a great prize pack from Kentucky Performance Products! Click here for more details.

The horse that matters to you matters to us®.

The horse supplements from Kentucky Performance Products, LLC provide solutions to the specific challenges facing your horse.

You can count on Kentucky Performance Products to provide affordable, high-quality, research-proven products that carry a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Not sure which horse supplement best meets your horse’s needs? We are here to help. Contact us at 859-873-2974 or visit our website.

Interested in e-facts about equine nutrition and horse health information? Click here to sign up for KPP’s nutritional minute.

12 Questions with Michael Pollard

By Sally Spickard on Feb 11, 2015 9:00 am -

Michael Pollard and Cyrano at the 2015 Wellington Eventing Showcase. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Michael Pollard is a well-known name in the eventing world, what with representing the U.S. on the international stage, producing talented young horses through Chatsworth Stud, and indulging his entrepreneurial side with numerous other businesses. We were fortunate enough to grab a few minutes of Michael’s time to get to know him a bit better, and we’d like to thank him for answering all of our burning questions!

EN: What has been your biggest career highlight to date?

Michael: The Pan Am Games (in 2011) — the (gold) medal would be the biggest thing. When I’m nervous about a round, I always think about the fact that I left the start box at Burghley and it all ended up ok. But I have to say my best experience overall was the Pan Ams.

EN: What event is on your competition bucket list?

Michael: I’d be very disappointed in my career if I don’t have a chance to do Badminton. I used to have every Badminton video as a kid, and I used to watch them endlessly. It’s like Burghley — it’s not for every horse, but if you have the right horse, it would be a dream.

EN: Who was your riding idol growing up?

Michael: I had a lot, but certainly Mark Todd; when he was at his very peak was when I was just getting involved with eventing and I thought he was just incredible. I probably read his book 4-5 times in a month. He really elevated the sport to a whole new level by being so proficient in all three phases.

My body type is very different from his, so I won’t ever ride the way he does, but the smoothness and quality he produced is something I’ve always wanted to emulate.

EN: What’s the biggest compliment you’ve ever received?

Michael: When your students or clients want you to catch ride a horse for them. Giving your horse over for a ride is one thing, but actually taking it to a competition shows a lot of trust. I think it’s the biggest sign of respect to get that from peers or people that work with you, and the biggest compliment, as a rider, that you can get.

EN: What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone just starting out in the sport?

Michael: I was told one time that it’s kind of a “war of attrition” — a lot of the people who make it are the ones who stick with it, not necessarily the most talented or the ones with the most resources. It’s mostly those who stay with it and try to improve every day. The sport can be so disappointing, and you need to set goals but at the same time you have to be in it for the long run and enjoy the process.

Michael Pollard & Ballingowan Pizazz. Photo by Jenni Autry.

EN: What are you doing when you’re not working?

Michael: The best thing to do is watch a movie with my kids. That’s my most fun thing to do to completely relax — just hang out in bed with the family.

EN: What would you be doing if you weren’t involved with horses professionally?

Michael: I enjoy the challenge of starting and running businesses, and I really like doing larger events and event promotion. I’d probably be doing a lot of what I’m doing now! The horses have led me down a path, but I’m interested in a lot of things. But I love to start businesses, and I’m sure I’d find another one to dive into.

EN: What horse would you love to take around Burghley?

Michael: I’d love to ride Vittoria Panizzon’s horse, Borrough Penneyz, more than anything in the world. That horse looks like so much fun. Of course, whenever you see a horse, you think they look fun but meanwhile the rider knows all the quirks and would probably laugh and say “Have fun!” if you tried to ride! But as far as a horse that looks like it has a lot of love for life, that one certainly looks like a lot of fun.

If I can get (Ballingowan Pizazz) fit enough, I couldn’t imagine having more fun than riding him around that; he’s got everything you’d ever want for that course.

EN: Do you prefer mares or geldings?

Michael: I don’t have a preference at all. A lot of times mares have stronger personalities, but that comes with benefits also. It’s more about individuals; (Schoensgreen Hanni) would have been as un-mareish as you could get, and I have had others that are fire-breathing dragons and are still fantastic. I’ve had crazy geldings, too.

The great thing about a mare, though, is that you have the opportunity to breed. It’s so important and forgotten in our sport right now, and I’ve bought more mares recently for that reason.

Michael Pollard and Ballingowan Pizazz at Carolina International. Photo by Jenni Autry.

EN: What do you look for in potential new competition or breeding stock?

Michael: I first ask myself if it looks like it’s going to be an Advanced event horse. Can you see it coming in the ring on the last day at Rolex near the end of the division? I wont necessarily discount if they don’t have that “type”, but horses that will go far tend to have a certain look to the way they’re built and carry themselves.

You need correctness and straightness, of course, but I really am adamant about having something that’s got a lot jump. It’s not fun for me to feel like I’m skimming over stuff, I want it to come easily and naturally. That doesn’t mean that I won’t take something on if it has power but maybe needs work on shape or style, but they need to have the scope to jump 1.35m or 1.4m when they’re not tired — that’s pretty serious scope.

A lot of people get caught up in movement, and I want my horses to do well on the flat but I feel that most of that comes from trainability and not necessarily natural movement. If I’m going to compromise on something, I’d rather have a correct and trainable horse versus one with huge natural movement that’s maybe more prone to being unbalanced.

EN: What was your first four-star like?

Michael: Chumbawamba was my first four-star ride at Rolex in 2002. I remember leaving the start box — and I’m still nervous leading up to a four star now! — and back then it felt somewhat overwhelming.

I remember going down to the first couple of fences, and I just repeated to myself, “You really can do this!” The third or fourth fence was a giant corner over a ditch and I missed so badly, it was like a complete chip and the horse somehow figured out how to clear this thing. I think we scraped all the mulch off the top.

After that, I thought “Ok, I can do this but I’m going to have to be a hell of a lot better than this.” I remember thinking “You’ve got to attack this if you want to clear it,” and I got into attack mode from there and from that moment on I had a great ride.

EN: What are your goals for 2015?

Michael: My first goal is to keep the horses sound and get them fitter than I had them last year. Essentially, my top horses were very competitive. I didn’t really have any major problems with the actual cross country — the only problems were horses getting tired.

I’ve been doing different things here in Florida, and a lot of what I was doing last year was an experiment, so now I’m trying to increase things without increasing pressure on the horses’ legs.

I feel that if I can get that right, I can be pretty successful. I think the undercurrent here is that I’ve won a lot of Horse Trials but haven’t done as well at the big events and my goal is to change that.

I’ve put myself in a position to win a lot of these events and have come up short. I believe I’ve got good enough horses and that I can be competitive anywhere in the world, and I’m aiming to prove that.

Tuesday Video from SpectraVET: Get Pumped for Rio 2016

By Sally Spickard on Feb 10, 2015 5:00 pm -

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A new promo video for the 2016 Olympics in Rio dropped yesterday, and it’s enough to get us pumped for the upcoming cycle. Not that the Winter Olympics aren’t fun and all, but until they involve skijoring, we’re going to stay fixated on the Summer Games.

While this video features about one millisecond of equestrian action, it still gives a nod to the bravery and athleticism required from athletes of all sports. With the Pan American Games approaching and the pressure building for our North American riders, we can’t wait to see how the action unfolds in Rio. Stay tuned as we follow the journey all the way to Brazil.