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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

Don’t Miss Michael Pollard on the Equestrian Voices Podcast

By on Jan 2, 2024 2:00 pm -

Here at EN, we’re big fans of one Michael Pollard, who quietly took leave from the sport for almost a decade before recently deciding to get back into horses, in some capacity at least. Michael took some time to sit down with Equestrian Voices podcast host Caroline Culbertson, diving into everything that happened in the most recent years of his eventing career, what matters the most to him, and how horses have saved him time and time again.

It’s a truly vulnerable interview you definitely won’t want to miss. If you prefer to listen in traditional podcast form, you can find the episode online here.

Two Riders Awarded C Square Farm – Excel Star Sporthorses Amateur Scholarships

By on Jan 2, 2024 12:00 pm -

5* rider Courtney Cooper, of C Square Farm and Excel Star Sporthorses, announced late last year an excellent opportunity for amateur riders to come and train with her throughout this year. After receiving dozes of applications, Micki McDaniel and Jen Clapp have been selected as the inaugural winners for this scholarship.

Both winners will receive board for themselves and one horse for a total of 7 days in 2024, including daily lessons on their horses, and the possibility to ride other horses and coaching at an event if they choose to compete while working with Courtney.

Here’s a bit about each winner:

Micki McDaniel and Magic Artist. Photo courtesy of Micki McDaniel.

Micki McDaniel owns Magic Artist, an Irish Sport Horse mare.

Magic and Micki have been partners for 7 years and have competed successfully at T and M/T levels. They live outside of Lexington, KY, and Micki grew up in pony club and has been eventing for many years. Micki adds, “We are looking forward to working with Courtney on our goals of making a comeback after a rough year for them in 2023, and moving up to M in the near future.”

Jen Clapp and Sidamo de Brio. Photo by Joan Davis / Flatlandsfoto.

Jen Clapp owns Sidamo de Brio, aka Muggsy, a Connemara/Oldenburg cross gelding

Jen teaches high school English at an urban school just outside Boston, where she has worked for over 25 years. She has ridden all her life, but discovered Eventing while working at the Stoneleigh-Burnham School; her first event was at Kent School in 1992 and she has been a dedicated eventer ever since. She lives on a small farm with her husband, three cats, and a couple of horses. She has owned Muggsy for three years. Jen notes “He has the best brain of any horse I’ve ever had!”

“We look forward to hosting both Micki and Jen and hope everyone will follow along on their adventures,” Courtney wrote in the winner announcement. We’ll be catching up with both scholarship recipients throughout their time with Courtney, so stay tuned for more here on EN!

Sunday Funday: Mic’d Up with Leo Martin

By on Dec 31, 2023 9:30 am -

It’s safe to assume that at least one of the Martin boys will follow in mom or dad’s footsteps/hoofprints, and it’s a common sight to see the boys astride their respective ponies at Windurra. In this instance, Leo is choosing to follow Boyd’s example with his own mic’d up video. You won’t want to miss this special episode of “eventers’ kids say the darndest things!”.

Click here to watch on Instagram if the video above does not display in your browser.

Announcing the Achieve Equine #SuperGrooms of the Year

By on Dec 28, 2023 9:45 am -

Hannah Black with Jennie Brannigan’s Twilightslastgleam and Stella Artois. Photo by Abby Powell.

It’s that time! We received a multitude of nominations for our end of year #SuperGroom award, presented by Achieve Equine, and while we found the task to be nearly impossible, we let the nominations speak for themselves.

So, without further ado, we’re pleased to crown not just one but two #SuperGrooms to Rule Them All! Receiving four separate nominations each and taking home this year’s award are:

  • Stephanie Simpson (head cat wrangler, Boyd Martin)
  • Hannah Black (resident bad ass, Jennie Brannigan)

Stephanie Simpson and Tsetserleg in Tokyo. Photo via Stephanie Simpson.

Here are a few excerpts from the nominations these grooms received:

Stephanie Simpson: “Not only is she the backbone of the Windurra operation, she will always offer or arrange to help anyone if needed or asked. Doesn’t matter how busy she is, she will help with a smile on her face and a friendly word of encouragement. She is a true advocate for the horses and an amazing horsewoman.”

Stephanie Simpson: “No matter what the horses always come first and the attention to detail and care never wavers. She will fly to Europe one week and then groom 6 young horses at the next week and gives every horse the same care. She is truly one in a million and over my 10 years with Boyd I’ve seen many grooms come and go and she is hands down the top one.”

Hannah Black: “Hannah is an incredibly hard worker, extremely detail oriented, and can make a horse look better than absolutely anyone else can!!! Her horses – no matter how many Jennie is riding – always look immaculate.”

We’d also like to make an Honorable Mention for a very special nomination we received for one Mark Rowland, who was nominated for his skills as horse husband and #supergroom:

“Mark is the definition of a super groom, being from UK originally, and a bit old school, he always makes sure not only that a horse is turned out properly, but he goes above and beyond with making sure anyone’s horses needs are met from our barn, not just mine. Mark is most at home working with horses, they shine for him, he can also muck a stall like no one else lol, but really, the horses always look amazing. He is also an artist so he can free hand a quarter mark with the precision of a master painter, and takes pride in raking an aisle or shedrow to perfection. Our entire barn leans on Mark at events, he is quick to lend a hand to anyone who needs extra help, especially when it comes to studs. I’m back riding an competing after 37 years away from the saddle, I count on Mark in so many ways, he gives me confidence to spread my wings and soar, polished boots and all. Cheers to all the supergrooms, mine is extra special as he warms up my side of the bed at night so I don’t get into cold sheets. Mark Rowland is the best groom and husband and I couldn’t be a prouder wife.”

These fantastic and hardworking grooms will receive prizes from Achieve Equine to start their 2024 with a bang. Stay tuned for many more #SuperGroom profiles coming your way soon, and as always – Go Eventing!

Thursday News & Notes from Achieve Equine

By on Dec 28, 2023 7:00 am -

It’s the time of year when I see everyone heading off to tropical getaways and wondering what I did wrong so that I’m not one of them. But I’ve got a running bucket list of places to go, and this spot, NIHI Sumba in Indonesia, popped up on my Instagram a few winters ago. We won’t talk about the fact that it popped up thanks to some NFL players I follow, so I’m going to go ahead and assume it’s out of my budget, but a girl can dream right?

U.S. Weekend Preview

It’s that time of year – nothing to add here.

Thursday News & Reading

How does one design proper cross country schooling questions as a coach? It’s an imperative skill that a coach must possess: knowing how to set appropriately challenging exercises for students. David O’Connor has some advice for coaches here.

#ICYMI: We’re re-sharing some of the top stories on EN in 2023, and you won’t want to miss Dr. Tyler Held’s column, “Between the Ears” with 5* rider Zoe Crawford, here.

What was the “oh crap!” moment of 2023? Find out over on Horse Nation.

Could there be new hope for injured tendons? A common injury in eventing, tendons are some of the most critical body parts that require much rehab when injured. New technology is emerging to help vets get ahead of these maladies — find out what the future might look like here.

Sponsor Corner:

We’ll be crowing our One #SuperGroom to Rule Them All later today — stay tuned to see who will take the crown, and catch up on all of the Achieve Equine #SuperGroom content from 2023 here.

Thursday Video Break:

What happens with Piggy March herself jumps your horse? Find out!

Tamie Smith and Mai Baum Lead the Way for Eventers in 2023 USEF Award Nominations

By on Dec 21, 2023 9:30 am -

Photo by Tilly Berendt.

US Equestrian is pleased to announce the 2023 Horse of the Year and Equestrian of the Year nominees. The International and National Horses of the Year will be announced at the 2023 SmartPak/USEF Horse of the Year Awards Dinner on Saturday, Jan. 13, and the International and National Equestrians of the Year will be announced at the 2023 Pegasus Awards Dinner on Sunday, Jan. 14, at the 2024 US Equestrian Annual Meeting in Louisville, Ky.

Horses of Honor and Equestrians of Honor are nominated by their USEF affiliate organization or USEF breed or discipline committee, and the finalists are selected by the USEF Awards Committee. The final Horses of the Year and Equestrians of the Year are determined by member voting.

Voting is open now through 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 29. Click here to vote now. Please note that you must be logged in to your USEF account to vote. After submitting your selections, you will receive an email asking you to confirm your vote. You must confirm your ballot in order for your votes to count!

[Click here to cast your votes]

Leading the way to represent the eventing sector of the sports are Land Rover Kentucky 5* winners Tamie Smith (nominated for International Equestrian of Honor) and the Ahearn and Markell family’s Mai Baum (nominated for National Horse of Honor). Not to be left out and also nominated are California-based para driver Tracy Bowman, who’s also heavily involved in eventing and has trained riders up through the 4* level, and her superstar horse, Albrecht’s Hoeve’s Lars (nominated for International Horse of Honor).

Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Tamie Smith:

The William C. Steinkraus Trophy is presented to an equestrian competing in the Olympic disciplines of dressage, eventing, or show jumping.

Tamra “Tamie” Smith started off 2023 strong, finishing first, second, and fifth in the Galway Downs International Spring CCI4*-S. She partnered with Elliot V to finish third in the Twin Rivers Spring International CCI4*-S. Smith earned a major victory with Mai Baum at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian CCI5*-L, becoming the first American to win the event since 2008 and the first female to win since 2011. The win also secured them the Land Rover/USEF CCI5*-L Eventing National Championship presented by MARS Equestrian. The pair then finished third in the CCIO4*-S at the CHIO Aachen World Equestrian Festival and helped secure a silver medal for the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team.

Later in the year, Smith and Kynan were second in The Event at Rebecca Farm CCI4*-S before being named as the Traveling Alternate for 2023 Pan American Games in Santigo, Chile. Smith racked up second, fourth, and fifth in the Twin Rivers Fall International CCI4*-S. She closed out her season with a sixth-place finish in the USEF CCI4*-L Eventing National Championship at Galway Downs.

Smith is currently ranked 27th on the FEI Eventing World Athlete Rankings, having reached a career high of fifth earlier in the year. Outside of competition, Smith contributes to the sport by serving on the USEF Eventing Athletes Working Group (2018-present).

Tracy Bowman (with Jolie Wentworth) and Albrecht’s Hoeve’s Lars. Photo by Sherry Stewart.

Tracy Bowman:

The Becky Grand Hart Trophy is presented to international-level non-Olympic athletes.

Tracy Bowman is one of the world’s top para driving athletes with her Welsh Pony gelding Albrecht’s Hoeve’s Lars. The duo won the individual gold medal at the 2021 FEI Para Driving World Championship and aimed to defend their title at the 2023 FEI Para Driving World Championship. To prepare for the prestigious event, Bowman and “Lars” trained and competed in Europe throughout the summer. They won each national para combined driving event that they entered in the lead up to the world championship.

Bowman and Lars had a dominant performance at the 2023 FEI Para Driving World Championship. They led the Grade 1 competition from start to finish to earn the individual gold medal, winning the driven dressage and cones phases and finishing second in the marathon phase. Bowman and Lars also aided the U.S. Para Driving Team in clinching the team silver medal to conclude a fantastic event.

Bowman contributed to the USEF Driving Sport Committee, advising on the addition of para driving to the USEF Combined Driving Athlete Pathway Program and a USEF Para Driving National Championship. Outside of para driving, Bowman is an active supporter of the eventing community in California as the owner of Kismet Farm, and she has trained athletes to the CCI4* level.

Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. Photo by Alex Jeffery.

Mai Baum:

The striking Mai Baum earned an impressive string of results in 2023. Mai Baum and Tamie Smith began the season on the West Coast with a win in the Galway Downs International Spring CCI4*-S. They traveled east for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian™ CCI5*-L. The pair added nothing to their dressage score of 24.2 to earn a historic victory, becoming the first American combination to win the event since 2008, and Smith being the first female to win since 2011. The win also secured them the Land Rover/USEF CCI5*-L Eventing National Championship presented by MARS Equestrian.

Next, Mai Baum and Smith headed to Aachen, Germany, for the prestigious CHIO Aachen World Equestrian Festival. The pair then finished third in the CCIO4*-S as the highest-placed American combination and helped secure a silver medal for the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team. Despite being 17 years old, Mai Baum, or “Lexus” as he is known in the barn, proved that he is a talented U.S. eventing horse who continues to earn top results around the world.

Tracy Bowman (with Jolie Wentworth) and Albrecht’s Hoeve’s Lars. Photo by Sherry Stewart.

Albrecht’s Hoeve’s Lars

Albrecht’s Hoeve’s Lars has a prolific record in the discipline of para driving. The 2009 Welsh Pony gelding won team and Grade II individual gold at the 2018 FEI Para Driving World Championship for the Netherlands with his previous owner. In 2021, Tracy Bowman purchased “Lars” and quickly formed a partnership. That year, they clinched Grade I individual gold at the FEI Para Driving World Championship. In 2023, Bowman had her sights set on defending their title.

Lars and Bowman trained and competed in Europe throughout the summer to prepare for the 2023 FEI Para Driving World Championship. They won each national para combined driving event that they entered in the lead up to the international event. Lars and Bowman demonstrated their skills at the World Championship by leading the Grade I competition from start to finish. The pair won the driven dressage and cones phases and finished second in the marathon phase on their way to earning the Grade I individual gold medal—Lars’s third consecutive para driving individual gold medal. Lars and Bowman also helped the U.S. Para Driving Team in taking home the team silver medal to conclude an impressive performance on the world stage.

Of course, a whole slew of horses and riders are also nominated, so be sure to check out all the nominees before casting your vote! Click here to read more about them.

A Quick OTTB Flat Lesson from Phillip and Olivia Dutton

By on Dec 20, 2023 12:30 pm -

One of the most important skills an event horse can have is adjustability — the ability to go forward and come back, in balance and in tune with the rider. Tune in for an excerpt from a recent lesson Phillip Dutton gave his daughter, Olivia, on the 6-year-old OTTB, Reese. You might find a thing or two to practice on your next ride!

[Click or tap here to watch this video on Instagram]

Equestrian Canada Names 2024 Eventing National Team High Performance Squad

By on Dec 20, 2023 9:30 am -

Colleen Loach and FE Golden Eye. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Ahead of the 2024 season and a big push to the Paris Olympics, Equestrian Canada has named its High Performance A and B Squad as well as its Developing Squad. All three groups of riders are a part of Canada’s Eventing National Team Program. With Olympic qualification earned at the Pan American Games, Canada is now full steam ahead to field a full team for the next Games, having missed their team berth at Tokyo (2020/2021).

The squads named as as follows:

High Performance A:

Colleen Loach and FE Golden Eye (Peter Barry, Amanda Bernhard, Colleen Loach)
Jessica Phoenix and Wabbit (James Phillips, Jessica Phoenix)
Karl Slezak and Hot Bobo (Karl Slezak)
Michael Winter and El Mundo (Jonathan Nelson, Emma and Michael Winter)

High Performance B:

Hannah Bundy and Lovely Assistant (Juliana Hansen)
Kyle Carter and G Star Van de Klinkenberg (The Barnstaple Group)
Dana Cooke and Quattro (Kingfisher Park)
Kendal Lehari and Audacious (Kendal Lehari, Gwen and Rein Lehari) and Mitchell (Kendal Lehari)
Katie Malensek and Landjaeger (Katie Malensek)
Selena O’Hanlon and MS Thunderbolt (The Thunderbolt Syndicate)
Jessica Phoenix and Fluorescent Adolescent (Makayla Rydzik), Freedom GS (Charlotte Schickedanz), and Alekhine (Usha Knabe)
Waylon Roberts and OKE Ruby R (Michelle and John Koppin, Waylon Roberts)
Karl Slezak and Chevalier (Carol Wiley)
Lindsay Traisnel and Bacyrouge (Patricia Pearce)

Development:

Kimberley Begin and Ballinagore Rock Quality (Kimberley Begin)
Keira Evans and Khaya (Catherine Burrel)
Mikayla Hoffman and Eli (Mikayla Hoffman)
Cassandre LeBlanc and Riffel (Cassandre LeBlanc)
Kyle Charles Morton and Shannondale Gambit (Kyle Charles Morton)
Nadia Sabot and Neverquitdreaming (Nadia Sabot)
Mégane Sauve and Nuance (Mégane Sauve)

Congratulations to all! Go Eventing.

Christina Klingspor Named President of Paris Olympics Eventing Ground Jury

By on Dec 19, 2023 9:30 am -

Christina Klingspor (SWE) presides over the LRK3DE proceedings. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

A change has been made to the Ground Jury presiding over the eventing action at next summer’s Paris Olympics. Sweden’s Christina Klingspor, a frequent fixture of Ground Jury panels both in the U.S. and abroad, will now replace Anne-Mette Binder of Denmark after an update was made to the officials appointment list on December 15. Eventful Life first reported the changes.

Christina Klingspor served on the Ground Jury at the postponed 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

The other Ground Jury members remain as originally appointed: Xavier le Sauce (FRA), Robert Stevenson (USA) are on the Jury, while France’s Gaston Bileitczuk will take Assistant TD duties. Pierre le Goupil is the cross country designer.

The full list of official appointments for Paris can be found here.

Friday Video Break: Riding with the Reddens

By on Dec 15, 2023 2:30 pm -

In case you missed it, Horse & Country has a brand new series ready for you to binge! Riding with the Reddens is the latest creation from Horse & Country, featuring one family as they pursue their goals of becoming top riders. The show features 6 full episodes following the journeys of cousins Abigail Bennett and Emma Redden. Through a series of highs and lows, the Redden family learns what it means to be a part of equestrian sport as they, with the help of 5* rider and Olympian Kyle Carter and their trainer, Madeleine Scott, chase their dreams,

The first episode of the series is available in full above, and you can watch the full series with your H&C+ membership or a season pass here.

‘Tis the Season for Neck Straps: London 52’s First Post-Vacation Jump School

By on Dec 13, 2023 2:30 pm -

I kid you not when I tell you that team EN begins Instagram-stalking Laura Collett every year around this time. Cheg clued us in a bit this morning that the time was near, and now we’ve officially been blessed by the patron saint of neck straps with London 52’s first jump school antics after vacation. [Click here to watch the video above on Instagram]

Of course, when you’ve won multiple 5* events and multiple medals, you earn the right to take your training sessions however you see fit. London 52 certainly had another standout year, taking the title at Luhmühlen (that’s three 5* wins in as many starts, beginning with Pau in 2020 and Badminton in 2022). Great Britain may have depth to spare ahead of the upcoming Olympics in Paris, but there’s only one London 52.

If you’re just catching up with us, welcome. No, we typically don’t share every video of a horse enjoying himself after a vacation, but yes, it’s become an annual tradition here on EN. Here’s a look at a few of these posts over the years:

London 52’s Got the Moves
Just a Few London 52 Antics to Brighten Your Day
London 52’s First Jump School Since Tokyo

We’re here for it, Dan, as long as we’re not the ones who have to ride you. Never change.

ERHOTY Final Round: Ballaghmor Class vs. Colorado Blue

By on Dec 13, 2023 12:00 pm -

It’s the battle of the gray boys in the final round of voting to crown this year’s EquiRatings Horse of the Year. After two rounds, which thinned the field from 8 to 2, we now have our top two contenders:

Ballagmor Class

Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class add another five-star win to their record. Photo by Libby Law.

Ballaghmor Class tallied his third five-star win this year at Burghley, making him one of only 12 horses in the history of the sport to win three or more. The win came six years after Ballaghmor Class’s first five-star victory. That is one of the longest five-star-winning careers in eventing history (second only to La Biosthetique Sam’s seven-year span between first and last five-star title).

Ballaghmor Class is arguably the most consistent five-star horse of all time, having produced ten top-five placings at the five-star level, including a second-place finish at Badminton this year. His true-to-form consistency this season has given Ballaghmor Class the highest Elo of his career as he climbed with every single 2023 result. After his Burghley win, the 16-YO passed fischerChipmunk to top the Elo table for a while. Ballaghmor Class is, simply put, a five-star warrior and absolute workman.

Colorado Blue

Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue: Your 2023 MARS Maryland 5 Star winners! Photo by Sally Spickard.

This year at Badminton, we saw Colorado Blue go head-to-head with Lordships Graffalo in the cross country phase. It was Colorado Blue who was the fastest on the day in those notoriously testing conditions; 10.8 time penalties for him, 11.6 for Lordships Graffalo, and everyone else?: Twenty-one-plus time penalties. The result was a deserved climb up the leaderboard and the first Badminton podium from an Irish combination in 40 years.

Colorado Blue is in fact one of the top-rated cross country horses in the sport. His five-star XC jumping reliability puts him in the top 0.1% of horses worldwide and his five-star speed is among the top 0.05%.

Five months after Badminton, Colorado Blue went on and did it. At Maryland, he jumped double clear (XC and SJ) to produce the first five-star win for Ireland in 58 years. He had added just 1.2 XC time penalties on a day when only one horse was under the time and he was the only double-clear SJ round on the final day.

A classic sporting story – highs (Badminton and Maryland) and lows (Burghley) and when it ended with that big win, we could practically hear the whole eventing world cheer.

Learn more + cast your vote for the champion by Thursday, December 14 by clicking here!

Sunday Video Break: A Galway Downs Vlog

By on Dec 10, 2023 2:00 pm -

Want to see what it’s like to compete at Galway Downs (Temecula, CA) for a weekend? You’re in luck, as vlogger Shayna Chapman has shared a vlog on her Shay’s Way YouTube channel to take us along for the ride. Shayna lives in southern California, competing with her 13-year-old Connemara gelding, Lookout Volvic Rocket. See how Shay’s weekend shook out as she competed in the Beginner Novice Rider division at Galway in the video above!

UPDATED: More Show Jumping, CSI4* Status for 2024 Kentucky Invitational during LRK3DE

By on Dec 7, 2023 9:30 am -

2023 Kentucky Invitational champions Daniel Bluman (ISR) and Gemma W © Red Bay Group

Since 2018, show jumpers have joined the roster of sport during the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event for the Kentucky Invitational Grand Prix. It’s an opportunity for these riders to jump in major atmosphere, which is harder to find outside of the Wellington, Ocala, and Tryon, while also providing additional entertainment to the throngs of spectators in attendance.

Previously held as a CSI3*, the Kentucky Invitational Grand Prix presented by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute will now upgrade to CSI4* status for 2024. In addition, there will be a new $35,000 1.45m Two-Phase held during the lunch hour on cross country day (Saturday, April 27). There will also be a 1.45m Welcome Speee Cup Ranking Class on Friday after the completion of dressage for LRK3DE.

“With many of the world’s elite horses and riders gearing up for the 2024 Paris Olympics, next year’s event promises to be one of the most exciting ever,” said Erin Woodall, recently-appointed Executive Director of EEI in the announcement. “We are thrilled to offer a new CSI4* Grand Prix and 1.45m Two-Phase alongside all our usual activities, and we greatly appreciate Split Rock Jumping Tour for serving as our show jumping manager while we take this event to the next level. We look forward to welcoming another spectacular line-up of horses and riders in April!”

“We are excited to continue as presenting sponsor for such an incredible event as the Kentucky CSI4* Invitational Grand Prix,” said Luke Fallon, DVM and Medical Director of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute. “As presenting sponsor since its inception, we believe the increase from a Three Star to a Four Star is an exciting step for both competitors and spectators. We look forward to next year’s event and are excited to be involved in events of this caliber with the quality of veterinarians encompassing our performance horse team.”

Even more excitingly, in 2025, the Hagyard Invitational will upgrade to a CSI5* — the top level in the sport of showjumping and a fitting partner to the CCI5* event.

Equestrian Events, Inc. is now accepting management proposals for 2025-2027 for the show jumping competition held each April in conjunction with the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian™. The deadline for management proposals is January 15, 2024.

“We are excited to elevate our show jumping Grand Prix with a move to the Five Star level,” said Erin Woodall, Executive Director of EEI. “We will move to Four Star this coming spring, and we look forward to celebrating our first CSI5* Grand Prix in 2025. We are now seeking proposals for show management to help us establish the Kentucky Invitational as one of the nation’s premier show jumping competitions.”

Management of the new CSI5* will include working with EEI on promotions, sponsorships and other competition details. Proposals must be submitted by January 15, 2024; the successful candidate will be notified by May 30, 2024.

More information on the Kentucky CSI4* Invitational Grand Prix presented by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute can be found here. Grab your tickets to the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event here.

Thursday News & Notes from Achieve Equine

By on Dec 7, 2023 12:01 am -

Joan Addison, Jimmy Elder, Ann Heukendorff, and John and Judy Rumble at the 2023 MARS Bromont CCI4*. (Michelle Dunn photo)

We’re starting off today with some sad news: Olympic rider and longtime supporter of the sport John Rumble has passed away at the age of 90. Casual eventing fans may recognize John’s name as an owner of Selena O’Hanlon’s WEG and Pan Ams partner Foxwood High. For his part, John was a Pony Clubber-turned-engineer who won a team bronze medal in the 1956 Olympic Games (Stockholm), finishing 16th inidivudually.

Selena O’Hanlon and Foxwood High. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

[Read much more about John in this obituary on Horse Sport]

U.S. Weekend Preview

Full Gallop Farm Jingle Bells H.T (Aiken, SC)[Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]

USEA Annual Meeting and Convention (St. Louis, MO): [Information Hub] [Schedule] [Fast Facts]

News & Reading

During the FEI General Assembly in November, David O’Connor encouraged other equestrian disciplines to begin tracking horse and rider fall data. This came from the observation that a good percentage of falls reported at events do not happen on cross country. [A Call to Track Fall Data Across Disciplines]

Know your proposed rule changes! USEA members can comment on all proposed changes to the rules for eventing, which is valuable feedback as the initiatives go forward. The commenting period ends on December 11. Learn more about the changes on the table here.

Young event horses are so exciting. Whatever their future may hold, it’s fulfilling to produce them and watch them take to their jobs naturally. That’s the case for Arden Augustus, who recently won his division in the Event Horse Futurity for owner and breeder Anita Antenucci (“Gus” is piloted by Sharon White). Personally, I love Anita’s breeding philosophy: “I never set out to become the breeder who breeds the next Olympic team. That is a numbers game—you have to breed a lot of horses to find that raw talent. I like to breed something with good bloodlines and some blood because I like the Thoroughbreds, and think we should be showing the American Thoroughbred and their usefulness in our sport. I am really, really happy if what I breed are horses that I, as an adult amateur who used to be competitive, wanted to ride.” [Arden Augustus Exceeds All Expectations for Antenucci and White]

#GoEventing in: Jamaica

The FEI Eventing World Challenge was established to encourage development of the sport in smaller countries. It’s a pretty cool format, done so to take into account the fact that riders in these smaller countries may not be riding regularly or have access to training opportunities. Therefore, the events are run in a one-day format in three categories of varying technicality:

Category A : 1x Dressage Test + 1x Jumping Course (1m maximum height) followed by a Cross Country Course (95cm-1m maximum height)
Category B : 1x Dressage Test + 1x Jumping Course (90cm maximum height) followed by a Cross Country Course (90cm maximum height)
Category C: 1x Dressage Test + 1x “Derby” course with Jumping & Cross Country Fences (80cm maximum height)

You can check out more about the Eventing World Challenge here, and some scenes from the first Challenge held in Kingston, Jamaica below:

Welcome the Revival Of Eventing 🇯🇲

Jamaica competes in the first FEI Eventing World Challenge on November 12th at The…

Posted by Equestrian Federation Jamaica on Friday, December 1, 2023

Sponsor Corner

Saddle pad hoarders, this one’s for you! Achieve Equine’s BOGO sale on the Iconic 2-in-1 saddle pads is still going! With every purchase of an Iconic 2-in-1 pad (read our review of it here), you’ll receive a FREE white Iconic pad! Get yours now before supplies run out.

Video Break

I’m a BIG Connemara fan, personally, and given the breed’s popularity in eventing I think you’ll find this USEF Learning Center video as great as I did!

Meet Boyd Martin’s New OTTB

By on Dec 6, 2023 12:00 pm -

There’s a new OTTB in Boyd’s barn! While it’s far from uncommon for riders to pick up a new horse or three this time of year (listen, we’ve added at least 3 new horses to team EN in the last month, so it’s definitely a trend), we always love to see an ex-racehorse begin its new career with a top rider. Lucky for us, Boyd’s media team is helping us follow the journey through some video updates as Boyd restarts Gold Czar for eventing.

“Remi” is a 2017 model by the prolific racer Medaglia D’Oro and out of Pleasant Review. His racing career wasn’t entirely unsuccessful — he hit the board once to win big, but otherwise would eventually leave the racing world and originally went first to another rider before Boyd laid eyes on him at a clinic with the Cheshire Hunt.

Now, the rangy 6-year-old is beginning to learn the ropes of his second career, and we can’t wait to follow along!

Click here to watch the embedded video above directly on Instagram.

Tip Tuesday Video Break: 5 Step Post-Competition Horse Care with Lee McKeever

By on Dec 5, 2023 3:00 pm -

Want to care for your horse like a top groom? Really, the top grooms don’t use many “secrets” — it’s all about time, attention to detail, and understanding what horses need to feel well in their bodies.

For Olympic show jumper Mclain Ward, Lee McKeever has been a right hand source of horse wellness for multiple years. In this USEF Learning Center video, Lee offers up five steps in his post-competition care routine:

1. Walk the horse for 10-15 minutes to allow their mind and body to cool down. Don’t just head straight back to the stall.
2. Go over and check for any cuts/scrapes or other issues on the skin and body/legs, then, weather-depending, do a mild soap bath — use mild soap, especially during a competition week when your horse might be getting bathed more frequently than usual.
3. Icing — this helps reduce inflammation and reduce heat build-up. Lee prefers an ice boot with velcro, icing for at least 20 minutes.
4. Poultice — further draws out heat and inflammation in the leg. Leave overnight to tighten the leg.
5. Packing the feet — no foot, no horse! Pack those feet to address any soreness and supply relief from the hard work they’ve done throughout the competition. Most hoof packs contain Epsom salt.

It’s Time to Vote for the EquiRatings 2023 Horse of the Year

By on Dec 3, 2023 11:30 am -

Each year, our pals at EquiRatings gather up their massive stores of data to pull out a handful of contenders for their fan-voted Horse of the Year award. This year, we’ve got a strong roster of horses to choose from, including several from this side of the pond. Here’s the skinny:

Eight horses will start us off, bracket style, with three rounds of voting determining the eventual champion. Click here to view the full ERHOTY page and to cast your vote.

Here are your first Quarter Final contenders — cast your votes for this round at this link by December 6.

Quarter Final 1: Ballaghmor Class v. Mai Baum

Photo by Tilly Berendt.

BALLAGHMOR CLASS:
Ballaghmor Class tallied his third five-star win this year at Burghley, making him one of only 12 horses in the history of the sport to win three or more. The win came six years after Ballaghmor Class’s first five-star victory. That is one of the longest five-star-winning careers in eventing history (second only to La Biosthetique Sam’s seven-year span between first and last five-star title).

Ballaghmor Class is arguably the most consistent five-star horse of all time, having produced ten top-five placings at the five-star level, including a second-place finish at Badminton this year. His true-to-form consistency this season has given Ballaghmor Class the highest Elo of his career as he climbed with every single 2023 result. After his Burghley win, the 16-YO passed fischerChipmunk to top the Elo table for a while. Ballaghmor Class is, simply put, a five-star warrior and absolute workman.

Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

MAI BAUM:
Mai Baum ended the USA’s wait for a Kentucky win. Before this year, the US had waited 15 years to win their own home major.

At 17 years old, Mai Baum delivered one of the most-special victories of the year at Land Rover Kentucky, topping the field by 3.6 points and beating the likes of JL Dublin, Banzai du Loir, Z, Viamant du Matz, and Miks Master C.

The winning performance registered a 106-point High Performance Rating (HPR) which was four marks ahead of this year’s Pau-winning HPR and six marks ahead of the 2023 Burghley-winning HPR. In fact, Mai Baum’s win was one of the top three 5* HPRs this season (Badminton 111, Luhmühlen 108, Kentucky 106) and one of the highest-rated Kentucky performances we’ve seen.

A 2023 season made of: Galway Downs CCI4*-S. Won it. Land Rover Kentucky. Won it. CHIO Aachen. Podiumed it. That is one great season.

Quarter Final 2: Diabolo Menthe v. Vendredi Biats

Boekelo winners Nicolas Touzaint and Diabolo Menthe. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

DIABOLO MENTHE:
This year’s Boekelo was the strongest non-championship 4*-L field of the past nine seasons (based on Elo Field Strength ratings) and Diabolo Menthe is the one who came out on top, beating 111 opponents to earn the title.

The win was achieved with a finish-on-dressage score of 25.4 and that result alone boosted Diabolo Menthe’s Elo rating by a major 28 points. He is now the highest-rated 10-year-old in the world based on Elo ratings, ahead of the likes of Izilot DHI, Greenacres Special Cavalier and last year’s ERHOTY winner, Zaragoza.

The Boekelo win followed a second place finish at Chatsworth 4*-S earlier this season where Diabolo Menthe was one of just nine horses to show jump clear (jump + time) of the 112 who tried. The Boekelo victory also registered a High Performance Rating (HPR) of 102, the same rating Amande de B’Neville earned for winning Saumur 4*-L just three months before she became Olympic champion…Paris here we come.

Kitty King and Vendredi Biats (GBR). Photo by Tilly Berendt.

VENDREDI BIATS:
At the Europeans this year, in the face of tough cross country conditions and after disappointment in similar conditions just three months before (Badminton), Vendredi Biats dug in and rose to the occasion to lay down a cross country performance that was key to earning the European individual silver medal. His XC run as the team pathfinder, over tough ground, on a tough day was also critical to Team GB’s gold. A selection to any British team is hard-won but Vendredi Biats proved his mettle and punctuated his place on the team.

The Euros performance boosted Vendredi Biats’ Elo by an impressive 25 points in one fell swoop, such was the quality of the competition he bested. That makes him one of only seven horses in the world right now to have an 800+ Elo rating (802). The silver-medal performance also registered a High Performance Rating (HPR) of 106, making it one of best 4*-L/5* performances of the year.

It was Vendredi Biats’ second major podium of the year, after placing second at Luhmühlen in June. Two major placings and delivering for Team GB make it a standout year for Vendredi Biats.

Quarter Final 3: Lordships Graffalo v. HSH Blake

Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

LORDSHIPS GRAFFALO:
Lordships Graffalo won Badminton by 15.0 points, the largest 5* winning margin in the modern era of the sport. He then went on to win the European individual gold by 6.7 points and that was against international competition with renowned low-scoring ability and, indeed, against one of the strongest fields on record according to the Elo Field Strength rating (second only to Pratoni 2022).

Registering a High Performance Rating (HPR) of 113, Lordships Graffalo’s European gold set the new standard for 4*/5* performances, the best HPR ever (rating starts in 2008).

We’ve seen this horse coming (it’s not even his first ERHOTY rodeo): Lordships Graffalo was the highest Elo-rated horse for his age as both a 9-YO and 10-YO and is now the highest-rated 11-YO ever (rating starts in 2008). It’s a table-topping Elo trend that mimics La Biosthetique Sam-FBW’s record. Plus, Lordships Graffalo was only the third combination since 2008 to win Badminton from the front as did a certain La Biosthetique Sam in 2016.

Lordships Graffalo is, on many metrics, one of the best we’ve ever seen. For this point in his career, he is going toe-for-toe with La Biosthetique Sam who is arguably the greatest horse of all time…for now…

Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

HSH BLAKE:
HSH Blake is the newly-minted Pan Ams individual gold medallist…and he’s only 8 years old. In fact, HSH Blake is one of the top ten 8-YOs of all time based on the Elo rating (which goes back to 2008), he is the best ever 8-YO for the USA, and he is the number one 8-YO in the world this season.

Having just stepped up to the four-star level this year, HSH Blake finished top three in both of his four-star appearances, including a second-place finish at the Strzegom Nations Cup where he led dressage and added just XC time to his score. Of all HSH Blake’s six international runs this year, he was never out of the top five, including two wins.

HSH Blake boosted his Elo rating with each successive international appearance this year. Continually upward. Consistent. While not quite having the top-level experience yet, a good showing at the CCI4*-L U.S. selection trial might put this horse in the Paris conversation. And as far as Los Angeles 2028 goes…watch out.

Quarter Final 4: Virgil v. Colorado Blue

Shane Rose and Virgil lead the way going into the final phase at Adelaide. Photo by Michelle Terlato Photography.

VIRGIL:
Eight years after his five-star debut, 18-year-old Virgil won Adelaide 2023 by 9.5 points and became the oldest five-star winner of the last 16 seasons. It was Virgil’s first five-star win and he delivered it on a 28.5, adding just one second on the XC to his dressage score.

Adelaide was Virgil’s second international run of the year, having won a CCI4*-S before the five-star victory, giving Virgil a two for two record this season.

Virgil is particularly appreciated in context. He’s been to Tokyo: top 10. Pratoni: top 15. Burghley: asked and answered, top 20. Luhmühlen: top 10. And here he was in Adelaide, still competing at the very top level 8 years after his five-star debut…and he wins it. Seven times, Virgil has produced a 95-or-higher High Performance Rating (HPR). A 95+ is an elite achievement and top do it over and over is a testament to a top-level stalwart.

Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue. Photo by Sally Spickard.

COLORADO BLUE:
This year at Badminton, we saw Colorado Blue go head-to-head with Lordships Graffalo in the cross country phase. It was Colorado Blue who was the fastest on the day in those notoriously testing conditions; 10.8 time penalties for him, 11.6 for Lordships Graffalo, and everyone else?: Twenty-one-plus time penalties. The result was a deserved climb up the leaderboard and the first Badminton podium from an Irish combination in 40 years.

Colorado Blue is in fact one of the top-rated cross country horses in the sport. His five-star XC jumping reliability puts him in the top 0.1% of horses worldwide and his five-star speed is among the top 0.05%.

Five months after Badminton, Colorado Blue went on and did it. At Maryland, he jumped double clear (XC and SJ) to produce the first five-star win for Ireland in 58 years. He had added just 1.2 XC time penalties on a day when only one horse was under the time and he was the only double-clear SJ round on the final day.

A classic sporting story – highs (Badminton and Maryland) and lows (Burghley) and when it ended with that big win, we could practically hear the whole eventing world cheer.

Click here to view the full voting on EquiRatings, and to cast your votes by December 6!

Watch Boyd Martin Take the Lead at Sweden International Agria Indoor Eventing

By on Nov 30, 2023 5:17 pm -

Boyd Martin reunited with the horse he piloted in 2022 at the inaugural Agria Top 10 Indoor Eventing, part of the program for the Sweden International Horse Show, for this year’s two-round competition. In 2022, Boyd finished fifth overall with the now-8-year-old Caruccio Paradise (Bravour 1197 – Niki Paradise), who is owned by Jl Häst and Tyga Equestrian AB. This year, he’s off to a great start with a lead after the first round of competition today.

Boyd jumped a clear round, which was relatively uncommon in this first round, which saw several fall victim to the tight turns and a particularly spooky and dark liverpool jump. His time of 34.28 was enough to secure the lead and not let it go, despite a strong challenge from Sofia Sjoborg and Eastbourne. Last year’s winner, Maxime Livio and Boleybawn Prince, are currently in third with the liverpool down today.

Boyd Martin, USA, and Caruccio Paradise was the fastest combination in the Agria Top 10 Indoor Eventing warm-up in Stockholm. Photo credit: Roland Thunholm/SIHS

What a fantastic, fantastic horse, Boyd Martin said of Caruccio Paradise. “This horse is a champion. He got in there and we had a couple of lucky moments and he really fought for me. He’s a fantastic jumper and I’m very, very lucky to be riding him here in Sweden.”

You can view the full standings here.

The riders will return for the final competition, carrying their scores forward from today, on Sunday, December 3 at 8 p.m. local time / 2 p.m. ET. You can watch the Agira Top 10 Indoor Eventing live on Horse & Country here.

Paris Olympics to Release Additional Tickets for All Sports on 11/30

By on Nov 29, 2023 9:30 am -

Jesse Campbell and Diachello. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

If you missed out on the chance to snag tickets for the upcoming Paris Olympics (July 26 – August 11, 2024), there’s one more shot coming tomorrow (Thursday, November 30). Paris officials have announce that 400,000 additional tickets for all sports, including the equestrian disciplines, will be made available beginning on the 30th at 10 a.m. local time. That’s 4 a.m. EST, and these tickets will sell out so you’ll want to get in line, Eras Tour style, to have the best shot.

You can create an account on the Paris 2024 website in advance to save time on the day of (and you’ll also receive updates should any additional tickets be put on offer). Click here to create your account, and use that link as well to make your ticket purchases.

The equestrian sports at Paris 2024 will take place at the Palace of Versailles.

You can view the full sport schedule here. The equestrian sports are scheduled as follows:

Eventing
July 26 – First Horse Inspection
July 27 – Dressage
July 28 – Cross Country
July 29 – Final Horse Inspection / Show Jumping

Dressage
July 30 – 1st Team & Individual Qualifier
July 31 – 1st Team & Individual Qualifier
August 3 – Grand Prix Special, Team Final
August 4 – Grand Prix Freestyle, Individual Final

Show Jumping
August 1 – Team Qualifier
August 2 – Team Final
August 5 – Individual Qualifier
August 6 – Individual Final

When you shop for tickets, you can search by venue and event to select the sport(s) of your choice. Best of luck!

Follow along with all of EN’s coverage of the Olympics here.

EN’s pre-coverage of the Paris Olympics in 2024 is brought to you with support from Zoetis — Long Live the Horse.

Training Tip Tuesday: Ways to Improve Responsiveness

By on Nov 28, 2023 2:30 pm -

I remember a time when all of the virtual education options available at our fingertips now did not exist. I wish I could find the book I read religiously when I didn’t have the opportunity to actually ride — I feel like I learned so much just from studying that little book. Now, there are whole courses and curriculum dedicated to fine-tuning our riding. Of course, it’s important to vet the sources you’re getting information from — that’s the flip side of the internet, to be sure — always make sure you’re doing things that are appropriate for your level and experience, and that are coming from reputable places!

In this video from the Ridely app, learn from British Grand Prix dressage rider Nicola Buchanan on an age-old dilemma for many riders: riding an.. erm… less forward-thinking horse. Responsiveness to the aids is something that benefits us in every phase of eventing, so take some bits and bobs from this short lesson to add to your toolbox.

Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: First Prelim Feels Helmet Cam

By on Nov 22, 2023 3:00 pm -

There’s not much better than having a great run at your first attempt at a new level. If you’ve put the hard work and prep in, the moving up should feel more natural — but that doesn’t stop it from being an intimidating step. I stumbled upon this helmet cam from Texas-based Brett Youssi, who stepped up to his and his horse, Finny’s Macho Man’s, first Preliminary at MeadowCreek’s schooling event over the weekend.

Finny’s Macho Man originally competed with Allison Springer in Young Event Horse and Training level competition before moving to Brett, who’s taken the reins and stepped up from the Novice level now to this Prelim debut. Many happy returns on your successful step up — hopefully the first of many!

Why choose Equi-Jewel?
Equi-Jewel was developed by Kentucky Performance Products to safely meet the energy needs of today’s horses. It reduces the risk of digestive upset and supports optimal muscle function, while providing the calories your horse needs to thrive.

Stabilized rice bran supplies a highly digestible and safe form of calories to the diet.
The fat found in rice bran is an extraordinary source of dietary energy. In fact, fat contains more than two times the energy that carbohydrates and proteins do, thereby fueling horses more efficiently. Fat is considered a “cool” feedstuff because it does not cause the hormone spikes that lead to excitability. Adding stabilized rice bran to your horse’s diet allows you to decrease the amount of starchy concentrates (grains) you feed, reducing the risk of colic and laminitis resulting from grain overload. It is an excellent source of energy for horses struggling with RER (tying up) and PSSM.

  • Equi-Jewel’s all-natural ingredients are high in fat and fiber
  • Equi-Jewel’s balanced calcium-to-phosphorus ratio means you don’t have to worry about mineral imbalances
  • Equi-Jewel’s unique stabilization process ensures freshness

Don’t Forget to Snag Your Tickets to Ingrid Klimke’s Southern California Masterclass

By on Nov 22, 2023 9:30 am -

 

Ingrid Klimke (GER) riding Franziskus FRH – winner at the FEI Dressage World Cup 2022/23 – Stuttgart (GER) Photo: ©FEI/Leanjo de Koster

If you’re within range of Temecula, CA (or if you’re just craving a sunny getaway), there are still a few tickets left to see 5-time Olympian Ingrid Klimke at her Masterclass put on by Entrigue Consulting at Galway Downs December 2-3.

Well-known and respected for her success both on eventing as well as the dressage stage, Ingrid brings a wealth of knowledge and an intuition for training horses to these Masterclass events. Handpicked riders will receive lessons in front of an audience as a part of this event, giving you the opportunity to learn all about how Ingrid approaches training for all types of dressage horses.

Ingrid Klimke and SAP Hale Bob OLD. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Selected to ride with Ingrid during this event are riders such as Tamie Smith, who will ride Kentucky 5* winner Mai Baum in the Masterclass, and Amelia Newcomb, who runs her own online training platform, Amelia Newcomb Dressage, and contributes some training content to EN. We’ll also see rides from Taren Hoffos and Regalla, Chloe Smyth and Nite Life, and Sabine Schut-Kerry and Mr. Speilberg. You can see the full list of riders here.

Tickets are very likely to sell out, and while there are some currently available as this goes to publication we cannot guarantee their availability. You can find more information on what’s available here. You can also purchase raffle tickets to enter for a bunch of top prizes here.