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Happy Easter, EN! HN writer Carla Lake caught on up some bunny show jumping and dug up some equine bounces that could definitely put the Easter bunny to shame. Check out the full article here!
Here are some ways equines win the bounce game, according to Carla:
Establishing a rhythm:
Attacking the grid like a jumping machine:
Or even just doing the whole dang thing themselves!
It's that time of year again: spring flowers, warm weather and, most importantly, Rolex Kentucky. This year, we will be highlighting riders who are making their first appearance in North America's only CCI4* event. Meet Kaitlin Spurlock and her spunky mare, Expedience, who have been training with Phillip Dutton leading up to their Rolex debut. Many thanks to Kaitlin for her time, and thanks for reading.
Kaitlin Spurlock and Expedience. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Kaitlin Spurlock is another True Prospect Farm team member making a Rolex debut this year. Kaitlin lost her previous horse, Baseline, in a cross-country schooling accident in 2009 soon after she had purchased Expedience from good friend Melissa Hunsburger. The now 17-year-old chestnut OTTB mare had competed through the Advanced level with Melissa, and Kaitlin purchased her as a upper-level mount for herself. After losing Baseline, “Spedy” became Kaitlin’s saving grace.
Kaitlin and Spedy didn’t click immediately, but Kaitlin knew that the mare had a lot to teach her. “She actually wasn’t the most fun horse to ride, but she became my rock, and and if it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now,” Kaitlin said. “Even when she doesn’t like to put her head down and work, I still love her.” Kaitlin went to work for Phillip Dutton in 2012 as a working student having never run Advanced herself, so Spedy went with her, and they worked together to move up the levels.
“When I first got her, it took me a long time to learn to love her,” Kaitlin said. “She is a one-person horse, and she had been with Melissa basically her whole life. I never really looked at Rolex as a possibility until we did our first Advanced, and I owe Phillip a lot of credit for getting us to where we are now. Kaitlin spent much time working on dressage with the redhead mare, who tends to have a strong distaste for staying relaxed in the dressage ring. “I focus a lot on keeping her happy and as relaxed as possible,” Kaitlin said. She’s a sassy girl who likes to put on a show.”
Kaitlin Spurlock and Expedience at Richland. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Kaitlin and Spedy have campaigned successfully at the Advanced and three-star level since 2012, and Kaitlin feels well prepared for their CCI4* debut and the atmosphere at Rolex. “She knows when people are watching, and I think it makes her perform better,” Kaitlin said. “I think, especially with the jumping, the atmosphere will actually help us a bit.”
Leading up to Rolex, Kaitlin most recently had an easy run in the Intermediate at The Fork, as Kaitlin wants the mare to be “breathing fire” coming into Kentucky, so she made sure to save her fitness for when it would be needed most. What about plans after Rolex? “She’s no spring chicken. She’s taught me so much these past few years, and that in itself feels like a victory lap for me,” Kaitlin said. “After Kentucky, she has plans to hang out at my parents’ farm because she doesn’t owe me a thing.”
After preparing for an event she never thought she would be a competitor in, Kaitlin can’t help but feel grateful. “Rolex just feels much bigger than me and my horse,” Kaitlin said. “For me, being at Phillip’s and seeing so many people working toward it brings a huge sense of camaraderie. It’s been great to get to know everyone and know that we are all working so hard for the same thing.”
A snapshot of the beautiful cross country course at Holly Hills. Photo via the Holly Hills Equestrian Center Facebook page.
Lillian Heard and LCC Barnaby finished on their dressage score in the CIC2* at Fair Hill to win the division. LCC Barnaby is a 6-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding that Lillian purchased when she was working in Ireland. She moved the horse up to Intermediate this year, and this is his second CIC2* event. Lillian originally planned to just do the dressage this weekend, but it turned out in her favor to complete the event. “I normally don’t run him for time because he’s a bit strong so I run with time to teach him not to be strong, but I thought today since we are headed to (the CCI2* at) Jersey Fresh I should try to run for time and not try it for the first time at Jersey, and he was really good about it,” Lillian said. “It was one of our best cross country rounds together. He’s pretty green but he’s really bold and a really good boy. Every time I bring him out he’s better and better.”
Colleen Rutledge and her newest ride, Escot 6, finished in second after moving up from sixth after dressage. This was Escot’s first two-star event, and Colleen brought him home this weekend clear with just a handful of time. Colleen acquired “Monkey” from Mara DePuy recently, and this is her third event with him.
In the Advanced, Phillip Dutton’s second catch ride, Otis Barbotiere, led from start to finish. Boyd posted a video of Phillip and Otis on cross country on his Facebook page, and the pair certainly look right at home together. I’m sure Boyd is positively itching to get back in the saddle full time, but he can rest assured that his horses are enjoying a wonderful late spring campaign with P-Dutty in the irons.
Sally Cousins and Westerly enjoyed a nice bump up the leaderboard with the quickest cross country ride of the day, adding 9.6 time to move from fifth after show jumping to second overall. Robin Walker and Freedoms Light also deserve a big shout-out after jumping from 12th to 3rd after cross country in the horse’s second Advanced event.
Fair Hill International H.T. [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
In Louisiana, Heather Morris is having a great weekend at Holly Hills, picking up wins in both the Intermediate and Open Preliminary divisions aboard Patent Pending and Charlie Tango. The Intermediate course looked like it rode well overall, with all pairs coming home with some time and just a few 20s popping up for some riders.
Holly Hill Spring H.T. [Website] [Live Scores]
Sinead Halpin and On Cue. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Sinead Halpin is perhaps best known for both her dance moves and her incredible partnership with the French Princess, otherwise known as Manoir de Carneville, but she has another exciting horse coming up through the levels in the 2006 French Thoroughbred mare On Cue (Cabri d’Elle-On High, Primitive Rising).
Sinead first met “Q” while on a horse shopping trip to England in 2012. Bred by Jolyse and Alyse Clancey of On Horses, Q had done well in several Young Event Horse competitions and competing at the Pre-Novice and Novice levels in the UK when Sinead met her. “Meg and I were in Yorkshire looking at some horses, and the minute we saw (Q), we both just took a step back and knew before she was even ridden that we weren’t leaving without her,” Sinead said. “She had a really cool energy about her and had these big doe eyes, big ears and was flashy. You could tell she just saw everything and was very intelligent.”
Since she was in the area preparing to compete at Burghley, Sinead took advantage of the time and competed Q at the Pre-Novice level in the Burghley Young Event Horse competition. After purchasing the mare and putting together the On Cue Syndicate, Sinead brought her back to the United States and began competing her at Training level, eventually moving her up to Preliminary. The beginnings of their partnership were not completely smooth, though.
“Last summer we actually weren’t getting on great,” Sinead recalled. “She was really good, and I think I just took it a little too quickly. She is a big jumper, and her over-jumping wasn’t out of expression, it was because of her being green. She got to a point where she was actually pretty tough to ride, getting really worked up before cross country. She became very mareish and overreactive.”
Sinead took a step back and began focusing on show jumping with Q for awhile. “After I got hurt last year, I sent her to Amanda Flint to work on her show jumping. I think it was great for her; she just got used to going in the ring consistently. Even Amanda said it was great to see how she would start out a week being super green and end like a seasoned pro as she got more practice and exposure.” Sinead found herself thinking that perhaps the mare would be better suited as a show jumper, but the On Cue Syndicate members encouraged her to keep working at developing Q as an event horse, as she still showed the talent for the job. “They really encouraged me to spend the time and try to make it work with her,” Sinead said.
After Sinead was back in the saddle and recovered from her injury, she began working with Q in earnest. She went back to basics, using ground work and round pen work to really work on her relationship with the mare. “I really just started over with her. She really didn’t understand how to just jump on her own, so I did a lot of work with her jumping on a lunge line,” Sinead said. Soon enough, Sinead brought Q back out at Training level and the mare performed brilliantly, finishing on her dressage score for fifth place at the New Jersey Horse Trials in October 2013. Sinead moved Q back up to Preliminary this year. “It’s really been like she’s a different animal since we started over,” Sinead said.
Next week on EN’s Got Talent: We’ll learn more about Sinead and On Cue’s partnership and what type of ride the mare is across all three phases, as well as how the move back up to Preliminary has been going.
Tracey Bienemann's Zara relaxing after rocking around her first CIC3* course. Photo from Tracey's Facebook page.
Kurt Martin and Anna Bella held onto their overnight lead with a double clear cross country run today to secure the win at Fair Hill. Anna Bella just moved up to Advanced this year, and this is the mare’s second three-star, so the win this weekend is very impressive and a huge confidence boost for this pair.
I talked with Kate briefly and she said that the course rode tough and that the time was difficult to make, as the last few parts of the course were long uphill runs which demanded a lot of the horses. A few problems came up on course, and five pairs were eliminated on cross country.
Phillip Dutton’s catch ride on Shamwari 4 earned him a second place finish only the second double clear in the division. I’m sure Boyd will be absolutely thrilled with the quick partnership Phillip has formed with Shammie, and the horse should be in top form to head to Jersey and Luhmuhlen later on this spring.
Kendal Lehari and her OTTB Totally Frank picked up third place after accumulating just .4 time penalties. This is the first CIC3* the horse has completed after retiring at Poplar Place, so Kendal will certainly be pleased with this weekend’s result on a tough course.
The CIC2* and CIC* divisions run cross-country next, so stay tuned for more from Fair Hill.
Fair Hill International H.T. [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Laura Collett and Rayef at Badminton in 2011. Photo courtesy of Nico Morgan.
British eventer Laura Collett announced on her Twitter yesterday that she has decided to retire her partner, Rayef. Together, Laura and the 1999 gelding finished 8th at Badminton in 2011 and won four gold medals at the European Championships. Last year, Laura announced that Rayef’s owner, Jason Houghton, had told her that Rayef was hers to keep even in retirement.
Laura wrote on her Twitter that the horse owed her nothing and that he did not enjoy eventing anymore.
I will fondly remember Rayef for his brilliant dressage performance in his CCI4* debut at Badminton in 2011. The horse scored an impressive 36.5 in the dressage and added a few time and one show jump rail to the score in a dream-worthy debut. The 2011 Badminton was also Laura’s second CCI4*, which is equally impressive.
Happy retirement, Rayef!
Lynn Symansky and Osbourne 9 on their way to dressage at Fair Hill. Photo via Lynn Symansky Equestrian/Rachel Lawson.
Good morning! ‘Tis the weekend before Rolex and…I’m not going to go any farther than that because I am terrible at rhyming on the fly. But that gives me an idea: if you’re feeling creative, send me your best “weekend before Rolex” poem and I’ll post the best ones this weekend. You can email your creative work to [email protected]. Before we look too far ahead, though, there is plenty of action going on this weekend. Many Rolex bound pairs are contesting a CT or just the dressage at Fair Hill or Holly Hill this weekend, and many others are competing in the CIC divisions at Fair Hill. Stay tuned for plenty of action from events this weekend, and as always don’t forget that you can send your photos or videos to [email protected].
Events This Weekend:
Holly Hill Spring H.T. [Website] [Live Scores]
Fair Hill International H.T. [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
River Glen Spring H.T. [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Sporting Days Farm H.T. [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Longleaf Pine H.T. [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Saturday Links:
Tipperary Equestrian has announced the “Dash for Cash” for riders competing at Rolex this year! This exciting contest gives riders who wear Tipperary gear at Rolex a chance to win an additional $5,000 in prize money. All three phases have a $5,000 which riders can qualify for. The winning rider must be wearing a new Tipperary 3015 Eventer Pro vest in the cross country phase of competition. In the dressage and show jumping phase, the winning rider must be wearing a Tipperary T-Series helmet to qualify for the bonus money. Be sure to read up on the full guidelines and rules here. Good luck to all Rolex riders who plan to participate!
Horseless eCarriage unveiled as alternative to horses and carriages in NYC.
Check out Horse Nation’s Ultimate Rolex Field Guide.
FEI publishes extensive study on arena footing.
Racehorse stolen from Florida.
Best of the Blogs:
Laine Ashker blogs about Rolex.
Saturday Video:
Here is your daily dose of cute.
We’re all familiar with the old adage of wrapping our horses in bubble wrap before a big event. With Rolex right around the corner, I’m sure most if not all of the riders are watching their horses like hawks and praying to George Morris that their trusty steed stays fit and healthy through next weekend. Are you a bit clueless on the art that is bubble wrapping your horse? Never fear, Lindsey Kahn has provided some great illustrations on how to accomplish this feat.
Illustrations by Lindsey Kahn
Step 1: Stock Up
Go to Wal-Mart and buy as much bubble wrap as you can get your hands on. Buying the entire stock the store has, including whatever is in the back room, is perfectly acceptable. Ignore all raised eyebrows and snickers of ridicule as you proudly push your caravan of shopping carts to the checkout and drop approximately $300 on said bubble wrap. Only the best for your horse, right?
Step 2: The Wrap Process
Distract horse with carrots/apples/marshmallow Peeps/any sort of treat. When horse is sufficiently distracted, begin bubble wrap process. Work quickly before your horse can swish its tail or stomp an impatient leg, lest you lose some of the airtight wrap job you are working so hard to achieve. I prefer to start from the bottom and work my way up, but you can use your discretion depending on the shape of your horse. Be sure to cover all necessary appendages (read: the entire body) to prevent injury to so much as an eyelash. If you end up covering your horse’s eyes, not to worry — as long as the horse stays immobile for the entirety of the bubble wrap period, he won’t need to see anything anyway.
Step 3: Final Check
Take a step back and do a once-over to ensure that you didn’t miss any vital parts of your horse. At this point, if the wrap job is done correctly, your horse should resemble a giant marshmallow. Be sure to leave ears and nostrils free so that your horse can still use at least some of its senses. Feel free to also bubble wrap each hoof individually if your horse is prone to hoof injury. Also, be sure to take plenty of photos during and after the process so that you can show your friends how well protected your horse is from any sort of injury.
Last but not least, stay safe, have fun, and kick some butt at Rolex!
Definitely not where anyone wants to end up! Photo from Joe Meyer's Facebook page.
We’d like to send some EN jingles to eventer Joe Meyer, who separated his pelvis after an involuntary dismount from a young horse earlier this week. Joe will be out of commission for awhile while he recovers, but a look at his Facebook page reveals that he seems to be in good spirits. Joe has been campaigning the exciting stallion, South Paw, and his veteran partner, Sanskrit, this spring and I’m sure he is raring to get back in the saddle to continue the successful year he’s had so far. Get well soon, Joe!
Events This Weekend:
Holly Hill Spring H.T. [Website] [Live Scores]
Fair Hill International H.T. [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
River Glen Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]
Sporting Days Farm H.T. [Website] [Ride Times]
Longleaf Pine H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]
Friday News:
FLAIR Nasal Strips has announced a new award for Rolex this year. The annual award, called the “FLAIR Protect & Perform Award” will be awarded to the highest place horse and rider pair who use a FLAIR strip during both cross country and stadium. For more information on FLAIR strips and the numerous benefits they offer, click here.
FLAIR has also announced its sponsorship of a cross country course walk at Rolex this year. The walk will be led by Ralph Hill, with participation from FLAIR riders Buck Davidson and Hawley Bennett. The walk is slated to commence approximately 30 minutes after conclusion of dressage competition on Friday April 25. Be sure to check the FLAIR website and Facebook page for more details. [FLAIR Website] [Facebook Page]
Speaking of course walks, don’t forget to sign up for SmartPak’s course walk as well! Allison Springer and Boyd Martin will be leading this course walk, to be held on either Thursday or Friday during Rolex. The first 500 people to visit the SmartPak booth the day of the course walk will receive a free gift. You can never walk the course too many times, just ask any of the riders. [SmartPak Course Walk]
Want to meet Phillip Dutton at Rolex? As usual, Phillip will be making several appearances to sign autographs (and perhaps take a few selfies?) at Rolex. Times and locations are still being worked out, but you can get an idea of where he will be next weekend by checking out his website. [Phillip Dutton Eventing]
The USEA recently did a profile on Essex Grant recipient Lizzie Snow. The $10,000 Essex Grant was awarded to Lizzie to help her transition from the Young Rider path to the ranks of the adult upper level riders. Lizzie campaigns Coal Creek at the Advanced and three-star level currently. [Lizzie Snow Blogs About Essex Grant]
We are all used to using ballet dancers as easy parallels to dressage horses when explaining the sport to non-horsey folk. The Minsk Bolshoi ballet group recently helped out Charlotte Dujardin and Charlie Jacobs in a photoshoot for the upcoming FEI World Cup Jumping and Dressage finals in Lyon. [Ballet and Equestrianism]
Break a leg, Phillip! Ok, not really, but Boyd posted an update on his blog yesterday about his horses’ prep for Rolex, and he expressed his unwavering appreciation for all that Phillip has done in keeping the horses competing while Boyd recovers. “I hope one day Phillip breaks his leg so I can return the favor,” said Boyd on his blog. While we most certainly hope that never happens, it’s great to see members of the eventing community once again helping each other out to keep business booming. [Boyd’s Blog]
Friday Video Break:
Check out Horse Nation’s SpectraVET Performance of the Week: Dressage Paralympian Lauren Barwick.
Welcome to Throwback Thursday! Each Thursday, we will be bringing you some vintage eventing photos and posts. Do you want to show us your first horse or a photo of your early riding days? Email [email protected].
Denis Glaccum, center, presenting a donation to True Prospect Farm in the wake of the deadly fire in 2012 on behalf of Plantation Field.
We were honored to receive this week’s vintage photo and really enjoyed seeing all of your guesses! How do you think you did?
The rider pictured below is …
Can I go back in time and snag this horse?
… Denis Glaccum! Denis kindly shared this photo of himself from his learning days before he became one of the most prominent figures in the sport. Denis was one of the first members of the USEA and is now a USEA Hall of Fame member. The former organizer of the Best. Event. Ever. also known as Plantation Field, he remains one of the most highly respected athletes in the horse industry.
Many thanks to Denis for sending us his photo, and thanks for playing!
Professor Max will be teaching at The Event College at Rolex! Photo by Samantha Clark.
The Professional Horseman’s Council has announced that it will be presenting a new program called The Event College at Rolex this year. Designed to introduce more people to the sport, even those really knowledgeable about the sport will want to check it out, as the sessions will be led by a very exciting lineup of “professors.”
The Event College is a three-day program with meetings set up on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at various points around the Kentucky Horse Park. Sinead Halpin, Karen O’Connor, Leslie Law, Max Corcoran, Cathy Wieschhoff, Rick Wallace and other big names will be leading the program with some tips and tricks on the three phases of the sport.
Here’s the tentative schedule via the USEA website:
Friday: Sinead Halpin will discuss what horse and rider combinations are trying to achieve in the dressage warm up and how it translates to the show ring. Leslie Law will be leading a cross-country course walk in the morning with commentary.
Saturday: Rick Wallace and Cathy Wieschhoff will walk the crowd through different cross-country complexes, explaining how the riders will approach them. Max Corcoran will meet students at the vet box in the afternoon to explain the care that the horses will receive after cross country.
Sunday: Karen O’Connor will meet the students near the show jumping warm up and explain what the riders are trying to achieve as they prepare their horses for a double-clear round.
To enroll in the program, stop by the USEA booth on the horse park grounds and sign up for a schedule. Happy learning! Click here for the full announcement on The Event College at Rolex.
Welcome to Throwback Thursday! Each Thursday, we will be bringing you some vintage eventing photos and posts. Do you want to show us your first horse or a photo of your early riding days? Email [email protected].
Can I go back in time and snag this horse?
We’ve got a real classic for you this week, EN! We’ve been given specific instructions to not give any hints whatsoever for this rider’s identity, so you are on your own this week. We are really looking forward to your guesses!
Side note: EN always recommends wearing a helmet while mounted. Times sure have changed since 1953!
It's that time of year again: spring flowers, warm weather and, most importantly, Rolex Kentucky. This year, we will be highlighting riders who are making their first appearance in North America's only CCI4* event. This edition features Dr. Kevin Keane and Fernhill Flutter, who train with Phillip Dutton and are looking forward to their Rolex debut. Thank you, Kevin, for your time, and thank you for reading.
Kevin Keane and Fernhill Flutter at The Fork. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Kevin Keane is a well known name in eventing. While maintaining a thriving veterinary practice serving some of the top names in the sport, he’s also been training with Phillip Dutton and quietly climbing the levels, and now he’s preparing to tackle his first CCI4* next week at Rolex. Considering he never had any plans to compete at this level, he still looks back and wonders how exactly he got here. It all began on a horse shopping trip in Europe to find a horse to take him to the upper levels.
Kevin remembers a conversation he had with Phillip before going to Europe. “I asked Phillip what I should be looking for, and he said, ‘At your age, you’d better find something that already knows how to jump!'”After trying several horses, Carol Gee of the Fernhill empire contacted Kevin and suggested that he come and try Fernhill Flutter, a 2002 Irish Sport Horse gelding otherwise known as “Butterfly.” “I watched him compete at a lower level horse trial, and he didn’t even go clean on cross country, but there was something about him,” Kevin recalled. “His gallop was wonderful: ground covering and uphill, so I decided to give it a shot.” Kevin purchased Butterfly shortly thereafter, and the horse came to begin his new partnership with Kevin in the U.S.
Kevin was training with Phillip at the time, and he began competing Butterfly at Training with a goal set of doing Preliminary in the future. “I would have been content to stay at Prelim for quite awhile,” Kevin laughed. “But Phillip had this way of convincing me to keep going.” Kevin and Butterfly moved up to Intermediate in 2010, taking third place at the Maryland HT at Loch Moy Farm. The pair continued to campaign at the Intermediate and CIC2* level and eventually moved up to Advanced in 2011.
Kevin Keane and Fernhill Flutter at Red Hills. Photo by Jenni Autry.
“He really kind of came into his own in 2012, and he placed third in the Fair Hill CIC3* and the Bromont CCI3*,” Kevin said. Unfortunately, much of the 2013 season for Kevin was spent sidelined, as he sustained an injury after being kicked in the head by a stallion. “I had a bit of a light competition year, but I came back this winter and have competed every two weeks this year. I realize that’s a bit unusual, but I thought I would go out and get the experience I needed after having such a light year. We made sure to run slow so that we weren’t too hard on his body while still obtaining the mileage we needed.”
Kevin had Rolex in the back of his mind for this year, but he wasn’t fully sure whether or not Phillip thought they were ready for the event. In fact, Kevin told the story of how he found out he and Butterfly were heading to Kentucky as competitors. “One of the things about Phillip that some people may not know is that he has a very planned and methodical program for you. I think what happened, even months ago, was that he started introducing new dressage movements in our lessons, and I think he knew that he was pointing us for Rolex even then. I actually called his secretary the day Rolex entries closed and asked if Phillip had mentioned anything about me competing, and she responded by letting me know that she had already sent off our entry!”
Kevin feels that his previous experience at the Kentucky Horse Park as a vet helps him feel less intimidated. “I think I’m a bit less intimidated with the venue since I’ve been there as a vet about 20 times. Now, when I am headed down to the start box, my stomach will still be doing flip-flops, but I think that previous experience will still be helpful. I’m just trying to look at it knowing that I’ve had the best possible preparation, I’ve got a good horse, and the best I can do is practice my absolute best horsemanship and hope for the best result.”
Kevin is very grateful for the support system he has had in his lead up to Rolex. “The eventing community is very fraternal, and even though we are all competitive, we still want each other to succeed. I’ve had tremendous support from the True Prospect Farm family, the secretaries, technicians and Dr. Finn at the office who keep things running when I have to be away, and everyone else who has been encouraging along the way. You have to have people around you to help you through a journey such as this.”
"A Horse of a Different Color" features horses and ponies that have been successful in the sport of eventing while representing a unique breed. Do you have a horse that you think would be a great feature subject? If so, email [email protected].
Cindy Ramirez-Smith and Carina HGF. Photo by Eric Smith.
Carina HGF is a six-year-old Pura Raza Española (PRE) mare who came to Eric and Cindy Smith as a green but promising three-year-old who would make a good broodmare prospect if all else failed. The mare was well-bred, but more for dressage than eventing. “(Cindy) is a long-time eventer who decided to take a hiatus to focus on dressage,” Eric said of his wife. “We eventually started looking into breeding PREs and bought a stallion from Hampton Greens Farm. Kim Boyer then told us that she had a sporthorse mare to look at, and that’s how we found Carina.”
At the time, Carina was just learning the basics of under-saddle work. Her sire had competed through Prix St. Georges in the dressage ring, so her movement was definitely natural. Cindy undertook the mare’s training and eventually started jumping her over small fences to find out if she had any talent. “It’s funny because she was bred for dressage, so she really was never supposed to go the eventing route,” Eric said.
After taking Carina cross country schooling, Cindy discovered that the mare was game to try just about anything, and decided to find out if she could put all three phases. Cindy took Carina out in the Beginner Novice division at Twin Rivers and came home with a blue ribbon, and an eventer was born.
Carina went on to compete at the Novice level for the remainder of 2013, only placing out of the top ten once. This weekend, she is competing at Twin Rivers and currently sits in second in the Senior Novice Rider division after winning the dressage and knocking one rail in stadium.
“We’re just going to let her tell us what she wants to do. For the higher levels, making the time might be an issue because she definitely doesn’t have any sort of racehorse breeding,” Cindy said. “Right now we’re working on getting her gallop to open up more. Overall, she does seem to be a bit late to mature, but she seems stronger coming out this year so far. As far as eventing is concerned, it’s all up to her on how far she wants to go.”
Phoenix Equestrian riders all set for the CCI2* jog. Photo via the Phoenix Equestrian Team Facebook page.
The Ocala Horse Properties International HT wrapped up the FEI divisions today with show jumping. In the CCI2*, Michael Pollard led wire to wire with Halimey, who added one rail to his overall score for a final of 43.1. Michael told me yesterday that he was very pleased with Halimey this weekend and feels that their partnership is progressing in the right direction. Elinor MacPhail, who has some very nice horses in her string currently, picked up second place aboard RF Eloquence. This pair finished on their dressage score of 43.2. Leslie Law finished third and fourth with Fernhill Whatever and Tout de Suite. Elinor MacPhail rounds out the top five on the gorgeous Rendezvous with Charley.
Ocala Horse Properties International 3-Day Event [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
In the CCI*-A division, Julie Richards and Fernhill Splash also added just a rail to their dressage score to secure the win. Not too far off in second were Elisa Wallace and Corteo, who show jumped double clear today to solidify their position. Kelly Prather and D.A. Duras, who had moved from seventh to third after cross country, added one rail to pick up the third place ribbon.
Jessica Phoenix and Bentley’s Best moved up from second to take the win in the CCI*-B division. Double clear rounds were scattered today, and many pairs had at least one rail down, making the leaderboard shuffle a bit at the top.
We all know that Carl Hester is something of a dressage genius, so it should come as no surprise that some of the other animals in his yard are taking some hints from the best. Horse & Hound posted this video today, and it definitely had me in stitches. Check out the chicken who aspires to be a dressage horse showing off his medium (extended?) trot down the long-side. I give him a 7 for gaits and a 10 for implusion.
Rolex is just over a week away, and with that in mind I got to thinking about things that are absolute must-dos while attending the event. I’m sure there will be plenty to add to my list once I’m through, so feel free to add your suggestions to the comments; we’d love to hear them! Without further ado, here is a list of some essential things you absolutely must do at Rolex.
Doug Payne is a previously featured course walk rider. Photo by Samantha Clark.
1. Walk the cross country course.
Don your Dubarrys, leash your dog, and head out to the start box to walk the massive cross country course. Wanting to get the inside scoop on rider strategies? Never fear, there are a plethora of sponsored course walks to choose from each year. FLAIR Nasal Strips, SmartPak, and many others will be hosting course walks with riders and coaches. Keep an eye out here for more announcements on other course walk options. Feeling lazy? Check out the virtual course walk.
Dressage and show jump warm-up area circled. For reference, letter K indicates the main stadium complex.
2. Watch some warm-ups.
There are times when I almost prefer watching the warm-up ring to watching dressage tests or show jump rounds. I kind of enjoy watching the “behind the scenes” prep that the riders give their horses, and it’s always interesting to see how each rider times and runs through their warmup. Some horses will come out 30 minutes before their dressage test, others will warm up for 10 minutes and be ready to go. It’s all an exact science, and I enjoy seeing the riders get in their final preparations. Plus, the up close and personal selfie options are endless.
So. Much. Shopping. Photo by Leslie Wylie.
3. Shop ’til you drop.
Some people start Christmas savings accounts; I start Rolex savings accounts. The trade fair is second to none, and there are a ton of options to choose from as you wander the aisles. As someone who doesn’t have a great array of options for tack supply at home, Rolex feels somewhat like stocking up on dry goods and salt for the winter a la Little House on the Prairie. Since I had a few items stolen from my car last year, I will mainly be shopping to replace items this year, which is unfortunate, but it’s still shopping and who can really complain about that?
William Fox-Pitt and Seacookie TSF. Photo by Kasey Mueller.
4. Hit the Head of the Lake first.
In the many times I’ve been to Rolex, I’ve come up with a strategy for viewing cross country that I try to stick to each year. I usually will arrive at the park at least an hour before the first horse on course and stake out a good spot at the Head of the Lake, which is the most popular jump. The good seats go fast, so getting there early to watch the first few horses always works out well. I will usually hang out there for the first five or ten horses before moving on. From there, I’ll usually try to walk backwards so I can see each horse coming towards me at each fence. I end the day up by the start and finish – something that is also a must-see.
Kilrodan Abbott in the Rolex vet box. Photo by Kirsten Collins.
5. Watch the vet box.
In recent years, the vet box has been moved a bit farther off from the crowds, but you can still get a view from the finish line. There is not much I love more than watching the teams of tireless working students, grooms, coaches, and family members who are waiting at the finish to cool off a horse and congratulate the rider. The raw emotion that surrounds the finish line is unmatched, and it’s a truly inspiring thing to watch.
Meeting Boyd last year.
6. Grab some autographs.
Just like the sponsored course walks, there are also autograph and photo opportunities galore. Last year, I made it my goal to collect as many signatures as I could, and I’m proud to say that I was second in line to meet Boyd Martin. Bucket list item, check. He even (kind of) knew where St. Louis was! Be sure to keep an eye on the announcement boards outside of trade fair booths for autograph announcements, and the signings will usually be announced on the speaker system as well.
You know you want one of those fancy EN cups.
7. Stop by the EN Tailgate, presented by Tredstep.
The list wouldn’t be complete without mention of our awesome tailgate. Beer! Swag! Meeting members of the EN team! Sign me up. Perhaps we can start a petition to get an official “John Sighting” on the books as well. First person to snag a selfie with our fearless chinchilla trainer wins a million EN karma points.
What would you add to our list, EN? We want to know your Rolex tips and tricks, so be sure to comment below and let us know what your plans are. See you in Kentucky!
Photo from Tobitha Yeomans.
Many thanks to both Equiventures and Randy Traynor for sending us updates and photos from Ocala this weekend. The Horse Pesterer is also wandering around somewhere, so he has been diligently uploading videos from the competition as well. Here are some photos from the weekend. Competition wraps up today, and we will have a final wrap up for you later on.
Ocala Horse Properties International 3-Day Event [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill by Night at Ballindenisk. Photo from Liz's Facebook page.
The Irish leg of the Nations Cup is being held at Ballindenisk this weekend, and the French team came out to play in the dressage and show jumping yesterday. Currently, the French team leads on a total, top 3 score of 130.2 after show jumping, followed by Great Britain and Ireland. There is still plenty of room for things to shake up a bit, as 18.4 points separate first from third right now.
In the individual competition, Oliver Townend is leading the CICO3* aboard Cooley Master Class, a 9 year old gelding who is relatively new to this level. This pair won the dressage decisively and show jumped double clear, scoring a 33.6 to top the leaderboard ahead of Izzy Taylor and Allercombe Elle, who sit in second on a 41.1. Ollie also leads the CCI2* with Shearwater Touchingwood, a horse who is making his CCI debut.
U.S. riders Liz Halliday-Sharp and Julian Stiller are each riding a handful of horses this weekend at Ballindenisk. Liz has three rides in the CICO3* and Julian Stiller has one. Liz is currently sitting in fifth after show jumping double clear aboard her lovely Fernhill By Night. Liz commented on her Facebook page that the ground was quite sticky for the dressage, which leads me to believe that her score may very well have been much lower in better conditions. Nonetheless, Liz is still in a great position to contend for the lead on cross country today. Liz also rounds out the top 10 aboard HHS Cooley, adding just one rail down in show jumping. Liz’s final three-star entry, Red Letter Day, also jumped double clear in show jumping and sits in 24th going into cross country. Julian’s Charlie Weld had three down in show jumping, and they will sit in 34th after the first two phases. Past results would indicate that show jumping is not this horse’s favorite phases, but his last two events out he turned in clear cross country rounds, so I’m sure Julian is looking forward to running and jumping today.
Stay tuned for more from Ballindenisk, but in the meantime here is a quick write-up on Saturday’s action.
Lauren Billys and Jitterbug in the CCI* at Twin Rivers. Photo by Emilee Libby.
Derek di Grazia’s cross country courses at Twin Rivers are riding just as expected this weekend: challenging and appropriate for the level and time of year. Matt Brown on one of his three-star first timers, BCF Belisco, secured the win in the CIC3*, moving up from first to second with a round just a hair faster than overnight leaders Lauren Billys and Ballingowan Ginger. Matt was quite pleased with both of his horses’ efforts. “We came into the weekend just wanting to have a good outing and finished with confident horses. It’s great to get their first three-star under their belts, and to come away with first and fourth is just icing on the cake,” Matt said. “We definitely have a lot more to work on, but I think this was a great result. Derek (di Grazia)’s course was a proper course with real good questions. In true Derek fashion, it always seems like he is trying to set you up for success with questions early on that are doable but set you up for more difficult things to come.” Matt will prepare his horses for Woodside next, followed by Rebecca Farm. I was thrilled for Lauren and Ballingowan Ginger and plan to try to catch up with her this weekend so talk about her lovely horse as well.
Twin Rivers HT: [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Fence 10BC on the CIC3* course. Photo from Jordan Lindstedt’s Facebook page.
The CIC3* course claimed a couple of victims: Emily Pestl-Dimmitt and Arlington retired on course, and Natalie Rooney fell from Jefferson at fence 15. A few others picked up 20s, and fence 10 seemed to be the fence that caught the most riders out. Jordan Lindstedt posted a photo of 10BC on her Facebook page earlier, saying that the angled brushes came after a sharp right turn from a hanging log on a hill. I’m not sure whether or not the runouts came at the B & C elements or not, but this gives you a general idea of what riders were facing at this point on course.
In the CIC2*, the leaderboard remains unchanged after stadium jumping.
In the CCI*, the cross country looked to ride extremely well for most riders, with only a handful picking up refusals and two being eliminated. The leaders all went double clear and the leaderboard still looks tight going into cross country.
At the Ocala Horse Properties International HT, Michael Pollard will maintain his lead after a double clear cross country aboard Halimey. Leslie Law and Tout de Suite and Elinor MacPhail with RF Eloquence bring up the top three. Overall, the two-star cross country ran smoothly today, but four riders retired on course, there was one rider fall, and one pair was eliminated. For the most part, time penalties were the biggest score changer today.
Twin Rivers HT: [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
I spoke with Michael briefly today, and he was quite pleased with how the course rode. “I thought it looked a bit tough actually, but it rode really well. If the horses were jumping well, the time was pretty easy to get and I think that made a difference because everyone wasn’t rushing or pushing for the time.” Michael and Halimey have been working through some confidence issues, and a year ago Michael thought that running Preliminary on the Trakehner stallion was difficult, but he’s taken his time and let the horse let him know what the next step should be. “He’s really getting to the point where he’s trusting me to put him in a good spot, and I think in another six months he will start really going for it on his own. He’s such a talented horse, and if I can continue on this path and don’t rush him too much I think we could move up later on.”
In the CCI* divisions, many pairs were able to move up the leaderboard considerably after clean and fast cross country rides. Elisa Wallace and Corteo ran a smoking double clear round to move up from sixth to second in the CCI*-A division after cross country, and Elisa commented on her Facebook that she was positively thrilled with Corteo’s performance today. Kelly Prather and D.A. Duras also moved up, leaping from seventh to third, after also going double clear. Overnight leaders Julie Richards and Fernhill Splash will hold the lead going into show jumping after a double clear round as well.
In the CCI*-B division, the leaderboard remained relatively unchanged after cross country, with Buck Davidson, Jessie Phoenix, and Clayton Fredericks holding their top three position going into show jumping.
Twin Rivers and Ocala both wrap up tomorrow, so stay tuned for more updates. As always, don’t forget you can send your photos or videos to [email protected].
We love to see college athletes representing the sport of eventing, and the team concept has really taken off recently. Last weekend, many college teams converged on Chattahoochee Hills for a Collegiate Eventing Team Challenge. Many thanks to University of Georgia Eventing Vice President, Caroline Hawkins, for sending in her recap of the event. Do you have a college team or event you'd like to share a story on? If so, tip us at [email protected]. Thank you, Carolina, for writing, and thank you for reading!
School spirit on display at Chatt Hills. Photo from the UGA Eventing Team.
Collegiate award ceremony. Photo from the UGA Eventing Team.
I think I’m becoming far too attached to this fancy stallion that Michael has been campaigning. A 9-year-old Trakehner stallion, Michael has been working through some confidence issues with Halimey since picking up the ride. The pair is contesting their first CCI2* together, and they are coming off a great finish in the CIC2* at Carolina International, where they finished second.
Michael and Halimey won the dressage in the CCI2* at Ocala decisively, scoring a 39.1 to move into the lead ahead of Leslie Law and Tout de Suite. My favorite part about this dressage test? Halimey’s floppy ears and the way he simply seems to be enjoying what he is doing.
Many thanks to The Horse Pesterer for this video; be sure to swing by his YouTube page for more from Ocala.
Kaitlin Hall and Given Half a Chance in their first CCI* jog. Photo by Liz Hall.
It looks like a beautiful weekend for some eventing in California (then again, it looks like most weekends are good for eventing out there! Heads up, Hawley, I’m moving!). The CIC3* division completed show jumping and dressage yesterday, and the CCI* and CCI2* divisions rode dressage.
Twin Rivers HT: [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
The show jumping in the CIC3* took many victims in the form of rails down, with only the top three horses jumping double clear. The top three after show jumping remain the same: Mackenna Shea and Landioso sit in first on a 49.2, Matt Brown and BCF Belisco are on a 51.9 in second, and Lauren Billys with Ballingowan Ginger are in third on a score of 52.5. Matt Brown also finds himself in fourth as well aboard Super Socks BCF, who added just one rail for a score of 57.4. Lauren and Ballingowan Ginger retired on cross country at Galway their last time out, so I’m sure they are out for a much better run this weekend.
I spoke with first and second placed riders Mackenna Shea and Matt Brown, both of whom seem thoroughly pleased with their horses’ performances so far this weekend. “This is my second event back with (Landioso) in 11 months,” Mackenna said. “He was amazing in the show jumping; he was using himself so well and he was so rideable throughout the whole course. I think the cross country course looks fantastic; the footing and jumps look super and it looks a bit tougher than I’ve seen it the past few years.” Landioso was previously sidelined by a pesky injury, and Mackenna is thrilled to have him out again. “I’m really excited to go out and have a good time on my horse. I just feel really lucky every time I’m on him.”
Matt, who is piloting his two mounts in their first CIC3*, was also pleased with his horses. “They are both green to this level, and there is still plenty to be improved upon in the dressage, but I think they both put in solid dressage tests that are true to where they are in education and strength right now. (Super Socks BCF) is a work in progress for me with the show jumping, and I’m still figuring out how he wants me to ride him in other to get the best out of him. (BCF Belisco) is just sort of a freak of nature and tries so hard for me; I was happy he stayed true to himself and jumped a great round for me today. I’m excited to ride Derek (di Grazia)’s course tomorrow. With both of my horses new to this level, I’ll just be looking for a solid, educational round for them to build on in the future.“
In the CCI2*, it’s a literal three-horse race in a small division. Dana Estes and Worthy Opponent V.E. will take the lead on a 52.2. Leah Breakey and Master Plan, who last finished second in the CIC2* at Galway, are in second on a 55.6, and Kaitlin Veltkamp and Flashpoint D are in third on a 57.2.
In the CCI*, the top five are tightly bunched after dressage with just a handful of time separating them. Elizabeth Mahon Temkin and Castle Larchfield Purdy will lead going into cross country on a 45.3, Lauren Billys and Jitter Bug hold down second on a 47.5, and Derek di Grazia and Ringwood Justice will sit in third on a 47.8.
Cross country begins with Preliminary at 8 am local time at Twin Rivers, followed by the FEI and remaining National divisions. Stay tuned for much more from Twin Rivers, and don’t forget that you can send your photos or videos to [email protected].
