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.
"Training level? Someone told me I'd be jumping into the Head of the Lake, but I think they're lying."
We’ve got a special edition of Throwback Thursday for you this week, EN. Thanks to some digging on the part of one our longtime friends, we’ve got a peek at one of the most popular horses on the circuit today from back in the day when he was competing Training level.
So, who is this handsome chestnut who is clearly hunting for something bigger to jump? Post your guesses in the comments, and be sure to stop by later to find out who it is. Good luck!
Marilyn Little and RF Demeter at Pau. Photo by Jenni Autry.
The Rolex entry list continues to grow, and we anticipate a fairly hefty list when everything is all said and done. With this being a WEG year, many competitors will be using this event as a qualifier and will be hoping to have a strong run to boost their chances of team selection.
This morning, we have Marilyn Little with RF Demeter, whose last big run was at Pau last year, and RF Smoke On the Water. Marilyn spent 2013 training in Europe, and it will be nice to see her competing back on U.S. soil. In fact, she is bringing both RF Demeter and RF Smoke On the Water out this weekend at the Carolina International in the CIC3*, so it’s certainly great to see her out and about. Also added are Selena O’Hanlon and her exciting mounts Bellaney Rock and Foxwood High, both of which were recently named to the 2014 Short List for the Canadian Eventing Team.
Here’s a look at the entries as of today. As always, you can keep an eye on the list here.
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 week, we begin this new series with Alex Green, a Tennessee native who is excitedly counting down the days to the last weekend in April. Thank you for your time, Alex, and thank you for reading.
Alex Green and Fernhill Cubalawn at The Fork in 2013. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Alex Green is chomping at the bit to make her first Rolex appearance. Together with her coming 10-year-old Holsteiner Fernhill Cubalawn, she has spent the last five years of their partnership working for the goal that is Rolex. Based in Tennessee, Alex views her location as a blessing, as she is relatively centrally located to many eventing hotspots, such as Aiken, Virginia and Georgia.
Alex first came upon Fernhill Cubalawn while she had two OTTBs of her own who were, in her words, a difficult pair. “They were kind of runaways on cross country, didn’t really like the dressage and usually had rails in show jumping,” Alex said. On a stroke of luck, her longtime coach Julie Richards was in contact with UK eventer Jonelle Richards, who was campaigning Fernhill Cubalawn at the Preliminary level. Alex recalled many people’s first reaction upon seeing the then 5-year-old, who was quite short coupled and small. “None of the girls really liked him. He was really like a pony on long legs, a little short coupled and short necked,” Alex said. “Julie showed me his sale video, and I really liked him, so I ended up buying him off the video.”
Alex and Cuba, as he is known at home, quickly formed a solid partnership, completing their first Intermediate together at Surefire Farm in 2011. After moving up to Advanced, the pair successfully completed the CCI3* at Fair Hill in 2012 and were thus qualified for Rolex in 2013. “Being so green to the level, I felt that it might be better to put another three-star under our belts instead of going straight to Rolex. Since we are both young, I thought it would be better to get some more experience first,” Alex said.
Alex and Cuba at Bromont. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Alex took Cuba to Bromont in 2013, finishing 10th in the CCI3*, and finished out the year at the Advanced level with an 11th place finish at the American Eventing Championships. After Bromont, Alex and coach Julie sat down to map out a plan for the next year, and they decided that Rolex was a logical next step. “We figured we might as well try something harder,” Alex laughed. This year, the pair most recently completed the Red Hills CIC3* and plan to head to The Fork as their final prep for Rolex.
Coming in to Rolex as a first-time competitor, Alex doesn’t show any sign of butterflies or stage fright. “I’ve always liked being the underdog,” she said. “It has to be much worse to be William Fox-Pitt or Phillip Dutton, when everyone is expecting you to score well in the dressage, have a double-clear cross country and not even think about touching a rail in show jumping. I’d much rather be Alex Green! I feel much less pressure. Looking back, last year I was so gung-ho for Rolex, but I’m glad I took the time to do another three-star, so I feel really good about it now.”
After The Fork, Alex and Cuba will return home to Tennessee to put the finishing touches on their fitness and flatwork before heading to Kentucky. “I’ve worked with Phillip (Dutton) this winter to put together a good fitness plan, and it seems to be working because he feels ready. I wouldn’t mind if Rolex were tomorrow, actually, because he feels like he’s ready.”
Thoroughbred racehorses that go on to second careers are unique in that they have two retirements in their lifetimes: the first from the track and the second from the show ring. Thoroughbred Legends, a new EN series presented by Cosequin, seeks to honor off-track Thoroughbreds that went on to accomplish great things as upper-level eventers and now enjoy a second retirement in their golden years. If you know of a great Thoroughbred for this series, email [email protected].
Digger enjoying his retirement. Photo by Demery Schriver.
Digger is an expressive bay gelding who was bred by dressage rider Judy McGaughan. Born in 1990, Digger was purchased by Katie Wherley at the age of four from coach Patrick McGaughan. Katie and Digger’s relationship didn’t get off on the best foot. “He was a bit of a handful at first, and I wasn’t too thrilled with the new partnership,” Katie recalled. “But after our first winter of ‘airs above the ground,’ we started to come to an understanding.” Katie and Digger shared a love of jumping and a general dislike of dressage, so their partnership began to progress.
Digger was bottle fed as a foal, so as an adult he tended to be a bit on the mouthy side. “He doesn’t bite; he’d just lick you — a lot!” Katie said. Under saddle, Digger loved to work. He knew and loved his job, especially when it came to cross country. “I knew cross country would be good if we left the start box on only two feet.”
Photo by Demery Schriver.
Digger went on to carry Katie through her first Intermediate, her first two-star and first Advanced. “Many of those firsts weren’t pretty, but he always kept me safe, and our first Advanced as awesome,” Katie said. “We were in the start box with 10 seconds to go when two falls happened on course, causing a hold. Talk about nerve overload! With a little calming advice from Bruce Davidson, we rocked the course after about a 30-minute hold.”
Katie also was able to attain her A rating in Pony Club with Digger, but, unfortunately, he began to have soundness issues, preventing him from heavily campaigning at the upper levels. Katie was satisfied, though, saying that getting to Advanced with her horse was important and a huge accomplishment.
Digger was retired in 2004 at the Seneca Valley HT, his and Katie’s home field. After his retirement, Digger went on to do some lower-level competitions, but has primarily spent his days teaching Novice riders the basics. “Even in retirement, he still prefers to work over sitting in a field,” Katie said.
Katie is thankful for the time she was able to have competing her Thoroughbred legend. “He taught me the benefits of hard work and the balance between determination and fun. I also learned that attention to detail in both actions and emotions can make or break goals. Success in this sport comes in many forms and at many levels.”
Andrew Nicholson and Quimbo are entered again this year — are we looking at a repeat? Photo by Kasey Mueller.
The entry list for this year’s Rolex Kentucky CCI4* is growing rapidly, and 17 more pairs have been added since the list was first released. Now present on the list are defending Rolex winners Andrew Nicholson and Quimbo. Andrew has also entered Calico Joe and 2012 Burghley winner Avebury WF.
Mark Todd has entered his exciting new mount Oloa, the horse he piloted to a seventh-place finish at Burghley last year. Toddy also has entered his London Olympic mount NZB Campino, with whom he won the team bronze medal for New Zealand. This will be Toddy’s first appearance at Rolex since 2011 when he withdrew Grass Valley before show jumping.
Also added are fan favorites Hawley Bennett with Gin & Juice and Laine Ashker with Anthony Patch, as well as good friend of EN Jon Holling with Zatopek B and Downtown Harrison. Allison Springer has also entered Arthur, who appears to be coming back strong after having last year off, and her newer mount, Copycat Chloe, who will be making her CCI4* debut.
While not on the list yet, Boyd Martin has revealed that he has four horses entered this year: Otis Barbotiere, Sir Donovan, Shamwari 4 and Trading Aces. He told Chris Stafford this week that he would likely end up running two or three of these entrants. I know I am dying to see Shamwari 4 in action, so add him to my list of horses I will be lining up to see.
You can keep tabs on the list as it continues to grow here.
Silva Martin and Rose Cha W. Photo by Samantha Clark.
Boyd Martin chatted with Chris Stafford this week and updated everyone on Silva’s condition. Boyd, ever the positive thinker, was in good spirits and reiterated that Silva is slated to make a full, albeit slow, recovery. He also divulged more information on how Silva’s accident occurred.
“She was doing a bit of piaffe on one horse and … apparently it just stepped its outside leg for one step outside the board, then it picked its leg up to continue its piaffe and bring it back inside the ring, and it sort of caught the board. … The horse panicked a bit and tripped over. It was like a bit of a slow motion fall, and it cracked the skull on the way down … She was actually riding a lesson horse,” Boyd told Chris on the show.
Boyd said that Silva has slowly but surely “come back to life” and that he believes she is close to being 100 percent mentally sharp but that she still suffers from double vision and lack of balance due to the amount of bleeding in her brain.
Boyd also expressed his gratitude for the generosity of Mike and Annie Laver, who not only flew him back to Tallahassee to continue competition at Red Hills, but also donated the service of their jet to fly Silva back home to Pennsylvania so that she would continue her rehabilitation at a facility closer to home. The plan, as of now, is for Silva to continue her rehabilitation and, at some point, move home with a nurse or an assisted living situation.
As far as the Martin’s plans for maintaining Silva’s business, Boyd said that he has been in communication with Silva’s sister, who lives in Germany, to make a plan for keeping Silva’s horses in work. “We’ll probably hire another top class rider to keep her really good horses kicking along while she’s coming back to keep her business sort of humming along,” Boyd said.
The outpouring of support that has come from the equine community has not gone unnoticed by Boyd, and he expressed his sincere thanks for the well wishes both he and Silva have received. “The good thing is, she’s not done for. To me, it doesn’t matter if it takes two months or six months to come good, if she misses one show or five shows. The light at the end of the tunnel is that she should make a complete recovery.”
Rosie and Shanghai Bobby (inside) fend off Corey Nakatani and He's Had Enough in the 2012 Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Photo courtesy of Breeders' Cup Ltd.
Rosie Napravnik has established herself as one of the top-ranked North American jockeys since the start of her successful career in 2005. Currently, she is the highest ranked female jockey in North America and has surpassed the total wins and earnings record previously held by Julie Krone. She became the first female jockey to win the Kentucky Oaks (in 2012 with Believe You Can) and the second to win a Breeders’ Cup Race (the 2012 Juvenile aboard Shanghai Bobby).
Last week, the New Vocations adoption agency announced that Rosie will be the guest speaker at their annual Thoroughbreds For All event, held in conjunction with Rolex in Lexington. EN recently had the chance to get to know Rosie a bit better, so without further ado, here are some of her thoughts on her career and OTTBs. Many thanks to Rosie for taking the time to talk with us, and thank you for reading.
EN: We know how close the Thoroughbred industry is to your heart. Can you tell us a bit about how involved you have been with second careers for Thoroughbreds coming off the track?
RN: Late in 2006, I started breezing a beautiful grey horse at Laurel Park. The first time I got on him, I had fallen in love with him before I even made it down the horse path to the track. Over the next two years, I raced him seven times, winning twice. When the horse was claimed around to other tracks and at the lowest level, I reached out to the new owners letting them know that when he was finished racing I would like to retire him. And that’s just what happened after he ran his last race. He came to me in 2008 when he was 7 years old. He was lame when he arrived, but without serious injury.
After a few months off, my mother started to re-school the newly named Sugar in dressage and jumping. Since then, he has been to multiple shows, including combined training events and has also fox hunted! Currently Sugar is working as the stable lead pony for Mike Maker’s stable, overseen by my husband Joe Sharp, who is Mike’s assistant. With the appreciation for my own OTTB and the constant need for outlets for horses off the racetrack, I have been actively supporting many racehorse retirement organizations. I am a board member of the Old Friends Racehorse Retirement and have made many donations to other organizations as well. I will be doing a live demo with my horse Sugar at the Thoroughbreds For All event presented this spring by New Vocations.
Rosie and her OTTB, Sugar, schooling cross country. Photo courtesy of Lynn Towery Roberts.
EN: Can you elaborate on your plans for Sugar?
RN: My plan when I took Sugar was for him to be my “fun horse.” He is the first and only horse I’ve owned as an adult, and all I wanted to do was spoil him and have fun riding him. He has exceeded those expectations by far. I kept him at my mom’s farm in Maryland while I was riding on the East Coast, and being within an hour or so drive, I was able to ride him about once a month during the Delaware Park race meet. My Mom used him for some of her students and competed him a little bit herself.
I had always wondered if I could make him a lead pony because I wished he could be at the track so I could see him more often. So when Joe and I left the East Coast circuit, we took Sugar with us, and Joe trained him to be a lead pony. His dressage training came in handy teaching him how to steer with basically only your leg. So now Sugar travels with us wherever we go. I see him every day, and I also hop on him sometimes in the mornings when I’m finished breezing horses. When Joe and I have spare time, we’ve taken Sugar trail riding, jumping and fox hunting. Sugar is always up for anything and loves his job as well! So he is … my fun horse!
EN: You grew up around event horses and even did Pony Club. Do you think you would ever go back to an involvement with another sport?
RN: I loved eventing when I was a kid, and I miss it! I would love to be involved with retraining horses from the racetrack to do other things, including eventing.
Rosie and Sugar. Photo courtesy of Lynn Towery Roberts.
EN: As far as your racing career is concerned, what are your goals right now?
RN: My goals in racing are not exactly specific. I want to win as many of the BIG races as I can.
EN: What has been the biggest challenge to overcome as a female in a male-dominated sport?
RN: The biggest challenge Ive had to overcome as a female in a male dominated sport is … that very question. I’m asked it all the time! Once any female, in any sport or industry, establishes herself as an equal (equal in skill, talent, competitiveness, etc.) she will only have the same challenges as everybody else.
Photo courtesy of Breeders’ Cup Ltd.
EN: What advice would you give to others who aspire to be in your position one day?
RN: Know your skill. Improve your skill. Work your hindquarters off!
EN: What advice would you give to someone who is shopping for their next sporthorse prospect at the track?
RN: When shopping for a sport horse from the track, I would look for athleticism (not hard to find in a Thoroughbred), disposition, and soundness or fixable unsoundness. There are SO MANY horses on the track with SO MUCH potential for second careers! And they really love doing other things and love to please! Sugar has had two condylar fractures: one in front, one behind with three screws still remaining from surgery. I was aware of all of that back when I was racing him. Two years later when he finally came to be mine, he had even more issues, including an old suspensory and an ankle chip which has never been removed, but with three months tops in a field, he hasn’t had an unsound day since. He works every day and loves it and does whatever I ask of him, whether it be in an English saddle or a Western saddle, for work or pleasure.
EN: When it comes to second careers for racehorses, what do you feel could be improved on as far as the current way horses are transitioned into their new lifestyle?
RN: I’m not really sure how to answer this because I don’t have a lot of exposure to how people are retraining their OTTBs. I can however say that there are a LOT of people doing it, and I think THAT is great!
Here is some footage of Rosie and Sugar schooling at home. Be sure to check out New Vocations’ Thoroughbreds For All event on April 25. You can find more information here.
Clark Montgomery and Universe participating in the High Performance Training Session in the UK yesterday. Photo via the USEF Eventing High Performance Facebook page.
Good morning! As you read this, I will be somewhere in the wilderness of Southwest Missouri on a camping trip. I am one of those who tends to feel a bit of anxiety at the thought of not being connected to my various forms of technology, so three days of camping is certain to test my nerves. However, the weather promises to be nice and while there are no horses around, we do have plenty of vehicles to utilize for some good camping fun. I suppose things could be worse!
Forget super cars, sign me up for a top of the line trailer any day. Rivenlee Floats of Australia has designed a A$1.1 million luxury horse trailer. The super trailer includes a three-story semi-trailer and was designed for the owner of a cattle farm. For the actual horse trailer, there is room for 14 horses. [New Australian Super Trailer]
Take a tour of the Colorado State University’s veterinary programs. CSU is not only located on a picturesque campus, but it boasts some of the top equine programs in the country. The veterinary programs at this school are top-notch, and now you can see everything for yourself. [CSU Veterinary Tour]
The BLM is proposing new ways to control wild horse and burro population. The BLM has requested proposals from veterinarians and researchers for ideas on how to effectively and humanely control the population of these animals (unfortunately, we can’t take them all and turn them into eventers!). [BLM Wants Ideas on Population Control]
Congratulations to those who have been selected to represent New Vocations as ambassadors this year. Sixteen horses and riders were chosen and will be assisting the re-homing agency with education regarding their horses who have started second careers. [New Vocations Ambassadors]
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].
We're glad to see some things don't change. Michael still rides with his tongue out today! Photo by Jenni Autry.
How did you do this week? We’ve had quite a few guesses for Boyd Martin, so we are working on getting you some vintage Boyd photos, but this week the featured rider is …
… Michael Pollard! This photo is of Michael and Natural Light competing at Hopeland Horse Trials. Many thanks to Michael’s assistant, Molly, for sending us this gem. Thanks for playing!
We hear all the time about horses at the top of the sport, but what about the next generation of equine talent? EN’s Got Talent introduces the future superstars of the sport, interviewing riders about how they’re tackling training with these youngsters. Have you spotted a spectacular young horse at an event you think should be highlighted in this column? Tip me at [email protected].
Daniel and Crimson. Photo by Liv Stringer.
Daniel Clasing and his girlfriend, Liv Stringer, run a successful polo and event training facility in Maryland. Throughout the years, Daniel and Liv have worked together to produce top quality horses in their respective sports, and this partnership became all the more beneficial when Liv came across a 6-year-old Thoroughbred mare who was being marketed as a polo prospect.
“I found Crimson at a steeplechase barn in October 2011,” Liv said. “I was in Virginia for the fall races and was later discussing polo prospects at a local tavern. One friend mentioned a smallish mare that was in his barn. She was being used to pony babies and do a little hunting, but he thought I may want to look at her for polo.” Later that evening, Liv found herself hopping on Crimson at her friend’s barn, jogging her in a few circles and jumping over a few stacked hay bales. “They insisted this was necessary, although I prefer that my polo horses’ legs stay on the ground!”
A few days later, Crimson (Fast Play-Etta) was on her way to her new home with a warning that she didn’t like to hack out alone, and she spent the winter learning to hack on her own and getting used to a polo mallet and ball. Liv quickly discovered that the mare despised two things: traffic and horses coming up behind her, both of which are fairly necessary on the polo field.
Daniel flatting Crimson a few months into their partnership. Photo by Liv Stringer.
After realizing that Crimson may not be the best fit for her polo string, Liv decided to enlist Daniel’s assessment to find out if the mare might make a good event prospect. “He finally came to watch me ride her one day, made me jump her over a few crossrails and declared that he’d like to try her,” Liv said. “The next day, he jumped her himself. She popped over the crossrails, so he took her over a little coop. She jumped in huge, landed and slammed on the brakes, bucking him right off into the dirt!”
Daniel was not discouraged, though, and thus began their partnership together. “I had seen her a few times previously, but I didn’t think too much of her to be honest,” Daniel said. “She was low on the totem pole in the herd, to the point where she would get beat up by the other horses, and even watched a Jack Russell steal her grain one time. But she has actually taken to her eventing training quite naturally.”
Daniel and Crimson spent their first few rides getting to know each other. “She would get offended very easily, and she had some mare-ish tendencies such as not wanting to go away from the barn. But we worked through all that and have been making steady progress.” Crimson already had a good flatwork base by the time Daniel took over her training, and she makes an elegant package when she exhibits her knowledge in the dressage ring. “She’s very well put together, and she makes for an elegant picture. She’s very naturally well balanced.”
Next week on EN’s Got Talent: We will find out more about Crimson’s re-training, including how she has overcome some issues she has with traffic in the warm-up ring, as well as Daniel’s ambitions for her in the future.
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].
This rider looks pretty familiar to us. What do you think?
We’ve thoroughly enjoyed collecting these vintage moments from some of EN’s favorite riders. This week’s photo is a rider we all know and love competing in his very first event. We’ll hand the reins over to you now. Post your best guess in the comments, and we’ll see how correct you were later today. Happy guessing!
Kendal Lehari and Totally Frank. Photo by Tristan Lehari.
Last month, Kendal Lehari made the difficult decision to retire her upper-level mount, Daily Edition. Together, she and the chestnut OTTB gelding were short listed for the Canadian Eventing Team and had their eyes firmly set on the World Equestrian Games in Normandy this year. As is always the case with horses, though, Kendal has had to take a step back and assess her current situation now that “Ed” is enjoying his retirement. Fortunately, Kendal has another superstar in the making: a 9-year-old OTTB named Totally Frank.
Kendal acquired the ride on Totally Frank from her mother, who had taken him on as an eventing prospect from the race trainer she worked for. “We originally picked him up as a sale project, but we decided to keep him because he was such a sweet jumper and showed a lot of potential,” Kendal said. Kendal’s mother, also an event rider, suffered a back injury previously that makes it difficult to ride sometimes, so Kendal took over the ride once Frank was ready to move up to Training level.
Frank making the Bromont CCI* look easy. Photo by Tristan Lehari.
Frank progressed quickly, running his first Intermediate as a 6-year-old in 2012. Kendal sustained an injury after that, forcing Frank to the back burner for awhile, where he focused on flatwork and dressage. Kendal brought him back out this year, running the Intermediate at the Ocala Horse Properties Winter II HT, and then moved him up to Advanced at Rocking Horse, where he added only time to his dressage score and placed 14th. Kendal and Frank then placed third in the Advanced division at Red Hills last weekend, and Kendal is confident in Frank’s abilities to continue moving up.
“I think the jumps are finally getting big enough for him!” Kendal said. While Kendal was short listed for the Canadian Eventing Team with Daily Edition, she realizes that catching the eye of the WEG selectors this year is a long shot. “It’s tough to get a three-star horse noticed. The long shot plan would be to use Jersey Fresh as his three-star qualifier, and then we would technically be qualified for WEG. That would be a perfect world outcome, but I am focusing more on the Olympics at this point.”
Kendal and Totally Frank competing at Dreamcrest in 2011. Photo by Tristan Lehari.
Kendal plans to do Rolex next year with Frank and will continue campaigning him at the Advanced and three-star level this year. “He is young and unproven at this point, so he really needs to go and do some international shows. (The selectors) really need to see him perform well, scoring in the 40s at least, so I want to really focus on getting him competitive right now.” Kendal would like to head over to Europe to compete and has begun planning her fundraising efforts to make this trip possible.
Meanwhile, Daily Edition is enjoying his retirement, although Kendal is open to the idea of leasing him out to someone who wants to get some experience at the lower levels or perhaps in the jumper ring. “He may be better suited in the jumper ring since he is difficult to ride on the flat, but I will figure out a plan for him next year. Right now he is enjoying his break.”
Side-by-side comparisons of jump-off rounds are fascinating. It’s interesting to see where the winning rider gains an edge, be it a more inside turn or a bolder approach to a jump. Last weekend, Rodrigo Pessoa won the $280,000 FEI World Cup CSI-W 4* over Jessica Springsteen. Rodrigo gained the advantage early on and never looked back. The USEF Network posted this side-by-side comparison. Whose ride did you prefer, EN?
Courtney Carson is an eventer from Area IV who has made the long trek from Southern Illinois to Aiken for the past three years. She just wrapped up her trip and has sent in her final thoughts about her time in the sun training with Meghan O'Donoghue. Do you want to share your winter trek adventures? Tip me at [email protected]. Thank you Courtney for writing, and thank you for reading!
Goose got to go back to the racetrack to relive his glory days.
From Courtney:
I finally think I am almost back to normal after getting home from Aiken. After 10 amazing days of riding, watching and learning, we have all made it back to the tundra that is the midwest. After all of the horses had been delivered back to their rightful barns (which involved another three hours in the truck to St. Louis), I cleaned up and got two horses off on trial, and then I jumped back in the car to jet off and do something non-horse related. I finally have some time to sit down and reflect on my time in Aiken, what all I learned, the feelings I had while riding and what my plans are from here.
After our first flat lessons, we were all geared up to jump our horses the next day. Our horses are all in the Preliminary level range, although they are three completely different rides. My young horse was particularly excited to jump outside and spent the first 20 minutes of the jump school landing and bucking, something he usually reserves for when I do something wrong. We had set up a grid with a canter pole leading into a bounce, then four strides to a small square oxer. We warmed up over the bounce with the poles just on the ground, slowly building to riding the line straight through.
The skills we developed through the grid were then put to work in a related distance of six strides and a bending line of nine or 10 strides. We kept things small during this lesson, working more on our accuracy and horses being rideable than jumping big. It was stressed that fixing the canter and balance with lower fences will make riding the bigger fences easy when we get to that point. Most riders are in a situation where they only have one horse to practice on, and jumping big every jump school is not an option; therefore, you have to get the most accurate ride over the small fences.
Putting our new, powerful canter to use in our final jump school.
After all of our horses had gotten to jump a bit, we took them to Paradise Farm to cross-country school the next day. We all definitely had some rust to knock off, and it was great for us to reestablish our eye over galloping fences. Our focus was on transitioning from galloping position to a balancing position with minimal effort on the rider’s part and without taking too much away from the canter/gallop. I ride with a tendency of either coming into a fence on too open of a stride or completely killing the canter at the front of the fence, making this school very beneficial for me to feel the correct canter for certain questions.
By taking out a group, we were all also able to see things from different angles in the field and give our own feedback to each other. For my horse in particular it was an eye opener, as this is the start of only his second season, and I could see that he still came out fairly green as opposed to the keen, brave horse I had in the fall. Overall, the cross-country school was very productive, and I think everyone took some good things away from the day.
All set for a cross country school!
After a light day to rest the horses’ bodies, we went right back to work with flat lessons. I had an amazing breakthrough day with my horse; I had the feeling where this lesson started right where my last one left off, which is something I personally have never felt before. I’ve had lessons that have built on one another, but to feel like I just took a walk break and continued on instead of a four-day break was entirely new. We were able to work on some more serious collection, using my outside rein to establish it and really pushing my horse’s shoulders toward the outside of the ring to utilize every inch we can. Meghan O’Donoghue was able to move my position ever so slightly in the first flat lesson, and it already felt more natural during my second ride. She continued to work on how I rode my corners and to try to get me to relax and go with him in my elbows, allowing him to come up into the contact instead of pulling him into a tight frame.
While it sounds simple, when you ride on your own for so long, it is easy to focus on the picture outsiders see as opposed to what you feel as a rider. We worked a little on my sitting trot, which is something I have struggled with in the past, as well as some counter canter, which is fairly new for my horse. I left the lesson feeling confident in the work I have been getting this winter and comfortable in continuing his education though the spring. Meghan gave me some great tools to deal with each of the two horses I run into within Goose — to work on taking his neck in and out along with going forward and collecting for when he is tight and stuck, to keeping his poll up and really engaging him behind for better collection when he lets go in his back. Watch out DQs — the little Thoroughbred is (hopefully one day) coming for you!
The next day consisted of jumping a little bit bigger course and working on riding the canter instead of the jumps. We warmed up over a step rail plank to get the horses thinking about their own feet again and to get us riders feeling the rhythm of the canter instead of worrying about the distance. After that, we moved onto a low wide oxer, especially for my horse, to work on getting them to cover the distance instead of just jumping “up,” and for us riders to keep our leg all the way through the arc of the jump. The amount of improvement in the horses from the first jump day through this lesson was very noticeable, and when we went into coursework at the end of the lesson, both horses jumped extremely well.
Deb’s horse was quite excited to be jumping outside!
The final day down south was spent working on things everyone felt they needed to improve on. One of our riders chose to take another flat lesson, as her horse is a little sports car on the cross country and she felt it was better to continue her education in the dressage ring. We were all fortunate enough to go up and watch her lesson, and while the wind had all of us huddled under a cooler, we learned a lot. Her horse has a bunch of movement up front so that he really covers the ground but never really engages behind, so Meghan helped her to collect his stride and get him to push into the bridle instead of just showing off his awesome trot. By the end of the lesson (and a very long week) she got some great sitting trot and canter work out of him and hopefully some great tools for helping her this spring while she gets ready to move back up to Preliminary. I personally enjoyed seeing the difference in him between when I have seen her ride at home and then after a few days of boot camp.
The rest of us went out for another cross-country school, which allowed me to take what I had learned from the first day and continue to apply the same feeling to this ride. I still have a lot to improve on, and while it is impossible to simulate the adrenaline rush you have while on course, it was helpful to know that I can find the canter and get some of the tough questions done without that rush. My horse came out much more keen to the cross country, which gives me a good feeling while planning my spring season now.
Overall, I am thrilled with our trip, and I want to begin planning one for 2015. I was very fortunate on this trip because I was able to take lessons almost every day while I was there, and all the work I did was supervised. At home, I will be riding on my own and will fall back into some of the bad habits I have, which is inevitable. Instead of letting these habits take over my riding, now there are some more tools in place to work through them.
I am not saying that my trip was perfect, and I did have some tension with my horse and some unfortunate jumps, but overall the trip was successful. I learned a lot; I brought home lots of tricks for my own horse; and by watching other lessons, I learned as well. The spring season is right around the corner, with my first event of the year opening in just under a week, and this trip fell at just the right time. I feel rejuvenated and am going to try my best to continue to get the quality of work I had in Aiken through the spring. There is lots to discuss and work on at home. Now for the rest of this snow to melt!
Life as a working student is anything but glamorous, but there are still countless hard-working individuals knocking at the door for the opportunity to work for one of their idols. This week, we have a submission from Australian working student Brittany Reeves. Do you or someone you know work for an upper-level rider? If so, tip me at [email protected]. Thank you, Brittany, for writing, and thank you for reading!
Brittany enjoying the warm Canadian winter. Photo by Momo Laframboise
From Brittany:
My experience as a working student began in May of last year, when I headed to Ontario to pursue what turned out to be a fairly brief three-month stint at a hunter/jumper barn. After discovering the hunter/jumper scene was not for me, I switched back to the wonderful crazy world of eventing and, with a bit of help, landed my dream job as the working student for Canadian eventer and coach Momo Laframboise.
I was thrown straight into the deep end, and after just one day of work, I was left on my own to tend to seven horses for a week while Momo and several clients left for the Richland Park Horse Trials. Since both myself and all the horses survived the week, we figured that this arrangement would probably work out, and since then I haven’t looked back. Despite the early mornings, late nights, long drives and frantic events as the only groom for seven horses, I have loved every minute of my time as a working student.
In addition to the usual chores of feeding, mucking and turn out, I’ve had the opportunity to hack and school everything from young event horses to Advanced schoolmasters, and have recently taken on a young project horse under the tutelage of my coach. On top of this, I have been fortunate enough to be given the ride on a fabulous former Young Rider mount with whom I look forward to completing my first event with here in Aiken.
Brittany schooling in Aiken with Momo Laframboise. Photo by Emma Green.
Here for the winter months, Laframboise Eventing is based at two separate barns about 10 minutes apart, which means that our coach is constantly traveling between them to ride and teach. Between the three working students, we look after a very manageable total of 14 horses and compete most weekends from Novice through Advanced. As the unofficial but very dedicated photographer for Laframboise Eventing, I can often be spotted stalking the dressage arenas, hugging the rails of the show jumping ring or running around the cross-country course at events, with my camera clicking madly at someone galloping by in red and black colours.
Working at a smaller barn with several horses competing at the upper levels has been fantastic, as I have gained some terrific insight into my beloved sport of eventing. I have received top quality coaching, improved my horsemanship, traveled to numerous events around Canada and the U.S., and even had the chance to watch Canadian team clinics attended by fellow working student Rachel McDonough and her amazing mount Irish Rhythm.
Out for a hack in sunny Aiken. Photo by Brittany Reeves.
With my stint as a working student coming to an end in April, I have had time to reflect on the crucial lessons that have been learned along the way. In the process, I have compiled a list of 10 very important rules to live by:
10. You can always, always, always fit more in the wheelbarrow.
9a. Loose horses are a forgivable mistake, but dirty aisles, incorrectly tied haynets and improperly hung bridles are not.
(9b. There is a system for everything. This includes tying haynets and putting away tack.)
8. Plaid breeches: adored by some, hated by others. Wear at your own risk.
7. Drink more coffee. (And always have some ready in the pot.)
6. Falling off and getting whiplash does not excuse you from any sort of barn or riding duty. This includes gallop sets.
5. Always, always, always zip your pockets when riding with a cell phone. Particularly when the phone isn’t yours.
4. When in doubt, more leg.
3. There is never “nothing to do.”
2. Dressage tests are to be learned the day before or the morning of the event.
1. Never, ever, ever leave a horse with a sweaty face!
To follow along with more from Brittany’s life as a working student, check out her blog here.
William Fox-Pitt and Seacookie TSF at Rolex last year. Photo by Jenni Autry.
I always begin obsessively checking the entry list for Rolex as soon as the closing date hits. Never a disappointment, the first round of entries has now been published. Four countries (USA, Great Britain, Canada and the Netherlands) are currently represented, and the Great Britain contingent currently makes up eight of the 19 entries. William Fox-Pitt is slated to run Seacookie TSF, who placed second in Kentucky and won Pau last year, and Bay My Hero, who is coming back from a light 2013 season to contest his second CCI4*.
Entries (19) so far:
We will publish more updates to the entry list as they come in. In the meantime, check out the current list here.
It’s so refreshing to see racehorses who are able to continue competing past their three year old seasons; it seems to be a rarity now, which makes the ones who stick around that much more special. Enter Game On Dude, a seven-year-old gelding by Awesome Again out of Wordly Pleasure, has enjoyed a remarkable career under the tutelage of Bob Baffert. This weekend, Game On Dude won his third Santa Anita Handicap, a new record, and also broke the stakes record set by Affirmed in 1979 with his time of 1:58:17. Game On Dude beat out old rivals Will Take Charge and Mucho Macho Man, although the far turn battle was thick among the three horses.
To watch this horse run is awe inspiring. His acceleration alone is something you have to see to believe, and the rides that current jockey Mike Smith gives him seem to work very well. Enjoy the video of his win yesterday, and here are his other Santa Anita Handicap triumphs as well:
Caption this! Post your caption in the comments below.
A crazy weekend in Tallahassee is wrapping up today, and there were plenty of photos and videos to satisfy even the hungriest of score stalkers lurking about on social media (ok, mainly me). Here is a collection of what our favorite riders were up to at Red Hills this weekend.
Elisa Wallace’s CIC* helmet cam aboard Corteo:
Laine Ashker’s CIC3* helmet cam aboard Anthony Patch:
Joyceann Solomon shared the story of how she found a new move-up mount for her daughter after exhausting searches. She was so touched by the eventing community as a whole that she wanted to pay homage to those who "pay it forward." Thank you, Joyceann, for writing, and thank you for reading. Do you have a story you'd like to share? Send it to [email protected].
Cady Solomon and Royal Guest. Photo by Joyceann Solomon.
From Joyceann:
My kid has been eventing ever since taking her trail pony, who is a 16 hand APHA named Madden’s Airforce, to a small event at Oxer Farm here in Georgia. After “touring” the outside of the dressage arena twice during their first test, they successfully completed the competition and were hooked! I can still remember overhearing the dressage judge asking her scribe, “What is she doing down there, taking a siesta?” while my daughter waited her turn to enter the arena but did not hear the bell. Well, things have improved, and a few mounts later, she is competing at Training level and hoping to move up, while also hoping to ride on a local college eventing team.
Our sport is full of the most kind-hearted, supportive, hilarious, loving people that I have ever met. I have personally found out just how fabulous some of them really are!
You all know that the hunt for the “move up” mount can be the most arduous search there is, period. We were hoping against hope to find the equine partner that my daughter could learn from for her next level. During the 2013 show season, she was able to borrow some wonderful horses and have fun learning experiences, while still looking for “her” horse. These “loaners” were all rock stars owned by friends who were willing to share their fur babies, and we were thrilled for her to have those rides while still looking.
We were on a budget some might call a shoestring, but we were hopeful. We had tried a few semi-green horses, a jumper turned eventer, entered an OTTB retraining program competition, but were still looking at a spring Pony Club Rally season without a new partnership.
Enter the Fulton Family at Full Moon Farm in Finksburg, Maryland. Near Thanksgiving, I just happened to be taking my lunch break on Facebook when I saw a posting for a mount looking for her new partner. To say she was exactly what we were hoping for is an understatement! I was unbelievably in the right place at the right time and managed to be the first one to call. Long story short, we left that same night, drove twelve hours, and had a wonderful meeting of hearts with both the mare and her family. We successfully brought her home with the help of two friends who were also in the right place at the right time. On top of all of this, our new girl came home without the price tag she could have commanded, but with the well wishes of a family who wanted to “pay it forward”! We couldn’t believe it!
It does not escape me that a contributing factor in our story is the Pony Club family that established a standard of care that my daughter has learned and applied to the care of her mounts. We are forever grateful for that support. We hope to continue to enjoy many more events throughout Eventing Nation, and we would like to pay homage to those “paying it forward”!
Susan Merle-Smith was in attendance at this week's Ocala Horse Properties Eventing Jumping Challenge, which attracted many event riders who wanted their shot at the purse as well as some time in the show jumping ring. Many thanks to Susan for sending in her report and photos, and thank you for reading.
The winners: Canada Team 1!
From Susan:
The first-ever $10,000 Ocala Horse Properties Eventing Jumping Challenge, presented by Southern Cross Equestrian, was held at Anne and Dave Quanbeck’s farm in Reddick, Florida on March 4th. The brainchild of Scott Keach, the idea behind it was to provide Event riders with a chance to practice their show jumping in a ring with a lot of atmosphere and a lot at stake, so that they and their horses didn’t arrive at major competitions having never experienced that pressure.
An Olympic and World Games Eventing Team member for Australia, Keach is now a successful show jumper, winning in the Grand Prix ring and recently competing as an individual at the Nation’s Cup in Wellington, so he has a unique perspective regarding eventing show jumping.
“If show a jumper stuffs up, they get another chance the next weekend. If Eventers have a problem at a major competition, they may have wait a long time to get back in a big-time ring.” He feels that the best way to be prepared is to practice in an environment that simulates what riders will find at venues like Rolex, where the atmosphere is much more electric than most horses and riders are familiar with.
The morning class, with jumps at 1.5m, was open at no cost to Challenge riders as a timed warm-up and to anyone else for only $30 a round. The Marc Donovan-designed course was full of brightly painted, professional jumps with sponsor banners next to the ring, music playing, a VIP tent set at one end, several nearby vendor booths and spectators on all sides.
It’s rare that eventers are exposed to this much commotion, even at larger competitions, and that was the point of the Challenge. Many riders rode two or even three times around the course, as their horses finally settled and focused on jumping instead of what was going on around them. With Max Corcoran policing the warm-up and Brewster Walker manning the in-gate, the show ran very efficiently, with about 60 rides in the morning class.
Style award winners Lauren Kieffer and Veronica. Photo by Susan Merle-Smith.
The same track was used for the 2:00 P.M. Challenge class, though the jumps were raised to 1.25-1.30m. Five national teams of four riders competed, as well as some individuals, with the time proving to be as much of a factor as rails down. Canada Team 1, captained by Jessica Phoenix won the first round, with U.S. Team 3, captained by Lauren Kieffer finishing second and a mixed nations team captained by Joe Meyer coming in third.
Only four horses and riders went clear to advance to the jump-off over a shortened track: Bobby Meyerhoff on Dunlavin’s Token, Selena O’Hanlon on Bellaney Rock, Lauren Kieffer on Veronica and Jennie Brannigan on Cambalda. The jump-off riders really went for it, and with significant money and individual bragging rights at stake they all clearly wanted to win.
Although Lauren Kieffer, the last to go, had the best time by three seconds, in an effort be the fastest she had a rail at a vertical, handing Selena the individual win and $2,000 prize. Jennie Brannigan was 2nd in the standings, Keiffer was third, Bobby Meyerhoff 4th, Buck Davidson 5th and Sinead Halpin 6th.
The ringside sponsor tent. Photo by Susan Merle-Smith.
Generous sponsors helped fund the competition, which Keach plans to make an annual event. Title Sponsor Ocala Horse Properties donated the prize money, which was split between team and individual winners. Ashland Stables and Sharn Wordley offered a $1,000 Style Award, rewarding the rider who put in the smoothest, most technically correct rounds.
Judged by Wordley, Kirk Webby (a New Zealand Olympic show jumper) and Deb Furnas, Laren Kieffer was the recipient of this award. Other Challenge sponsors included Antares, KER Sport Horse Nutrition, Wordley Martin Equestrian Footing, Station Hill Farm, Peak Performance Equine Services and Delbene Brothers Construction.
The Challenge not only showcased some great horses and riders, but was also a really fun day for spectators. VIP sponsors were treated to catered food, wine and beer, and there was a food truck on grounds with a better than your typical horse show selection.
After the competition, Keach and Corcoran generously opened the bar to all and despite the chilly temperatures many stayed for the humorous awards ceremony and to catch up with other eventing fans.
Keach wants to encourage people to come out next year for the second annual Challenge, which will be held the Tuesday before Red Hills, explaining “The more support we have the better off the riders are and the better for the sport. Spectators add to the atmosphere.”
Will Coleman and Con Air
US Team 3
Tik Maynard and Sapphire
Sinead Halpin
Sharon White and Wundermaske
Sharon White and Under Suspection
Individual winner Selena O’Hanlon
Selana going for the win!
The Mixed Nations team
Michael Pollard and Cheyenne Blue
Jennie and Cambalda
Jennie Brannigan
Joe Meyer and South Paw. Photo by Susan Merle-Smith.
Bobby Meyerhoff and Dunlavin’s Token
Hannah Sue Burnett and FIS Prince Charming
Buck Davidson and Petite Flower. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Can you find the Phoenix Equestrian Team members? Spotted walking the CIC2* course at Red Hills.
It’s slowly but surely promising warmer weather here in the Midwest. I hope the rest of you are equally as optimistic as I am that winter just might be releasing its hold on us! As I’m sure you all know, Silva Martin is showing signs of improvement after her accident on Thursday. If you would like to send her a personalized cheer card, you can do so courtesy of the Del Ray Medical Center. Simply use the email address [email protected] and the card will be sent directly to Silva’s hospital room. Let’s show her some real EN love! [Del Ray Medical Center Cheer Cards]
The qualifications for the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Championship have been adjusted for 2014. This year, a rider no longer needs to compete in the Championship on a specific horse; rather, any Advanced-level horse can be entered in the Championship provided the rider has completed a Gold Cup series division with no more than 20 cross country jump penalties. “This adjustment will allow our top eventers a chance to showcase some of their younger up-and-coming mounts that are ready to compete at the Advanced level, or their older mounts that are in the twilight years of their upper level careers. It will also offer our top riders another opportunity to compete for the $40,000 in prize money offered at the Championships,” Jo Whitehouse, USEA CEO said in a press release. [Adequan Gold Cup Qualifications Adjusted]
This has got to be one of the coolest partnerships I have ever witnessed. Elisa Wallace is well-known both for her success as an upper level eventer and also as a Mustang trainer. I had the pleasure of meeting her Mustang, Rune, at the American Eventing Championships last year, and it is astounding to see how much this stunning gelding has learned in just a few short months. Last week, Elisa, Rune, and Fledge gave a showstopping demonstration in Wellington, Fl. at the Global Dressage Festival. Judging by the cheers from the crowd and the obvious excitement of the horses, I’d say it was a success! Go Mustangs.
Moving targets in the Red Hills water complex? Photo from Peter Atkins' Facebook page.
Good morning! It’s been a soggy weekend thus far in Tallahassee, where the Red Hills International Horse Trials are underway. The forecast for the remainder of the weekend looks much more promising, so here’s hoping the rain has passed so that we can enjoy some good old fashioned spring eventing! In the week’s (unfortunately) biggest news, Silva Martin remains in stable condition at Del Ray Medical Center after sustaining injuries from a freak accident. Boyd traveled back from the hospital to continue competing at Red Hills, putting new meaning to the phrase “the show must go on.” Here’s to a successful weekend for Boyd and the speediest of recoveries for Silva.
We all know that rider fitness is of the utmost importance. Dr. Lydia Gray, DVM MA, recently wrote an article for SmartPak outlining some helpful tips on upping your fitness game. Who would have thought that martial arts and horseback riding could be so useful for each other? Dr. Gray tells us how this is possible. [From hi-YAH! to YEE-haw!]
University of Missouri veterinary students will now have access to an additional $2.5 million worth of scholarships. The scholarship funds, donated by St. Louis residents Gary Savill and Barbara Stampfli-Savill, encourage recipients to participate in volunteer hours. [$2.5M in Scholarship Funds Donated to University of Missouri]
Are you a big fan of life hacks? For those of you who aren’t up with the lingo these days (who is?), life hacks are simple tricks to making everyday tasks easier. Thanks to Lorraine Jackson at Horse Nation, we now have a handy list of barn life hacks to reference. Fishing line instead of thread when repairing tears? Lemon juice to remove sweat stains? I wish I was smart enough to come up with these ideas. [HN: Barn Life Hacks]
Are you sick of winter and, therefore, weighing the pros and cons of hiking to Aiken or Ocala next year? Chris Stafford, of the USEA Podcast Channel, spoke with Sharon White and Boyd Martin on the differences and benefits of each location. After this year, I might be more keen to choose Ocala, but both Sharon and Boyd bring up several good points. [Aiken or Ocala?]
Friday Video:
This Longines commercial features scenes from the life of a racehorse, from foal to champion.
"Training level? Someone told me I'd be jumping into the Head of the Lake, but I think they're lying."
