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AEC Advanced Cross Country Live Updates: Boyd Martin Hangs on to Lead

By on Aug 30, 2019 9:20 am - 5,695 views

The Kentucky Horse Park cross country course is the original frontier for carved wooden waterfowl, and the flock has grown beyond contented-looking ducks over the years. This goose looks none too happy about being an obstacle on the AEC Advanced cross country course. This is #7ABC, the Adequan Water Park. Photo via CrossCountryApp.

Competitors are facing off against the blue numbers bright and early Friday morning, with the first horse contesting $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final sprinting from the start box at 8:46 a.m.

You can follow along via the live stream here. Take a virtual tour of the course via CrossCountry App here, follow along with live scoring here. Advanced ride times are here.

#AEC2019: Website, Schedule, Ride Times, Live Scoring, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, USEA’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

10:13 a.m. ET: And that’s a wrap for the Advanced division! Boyd and Long Island T hold their lead heading into the show jumping finale tomorrow evening.

Boyd Martin and Long Island T. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

UPDATE: Remarks from Boyd, who described his round as “fantastic.”

“I was actually very nervous going into it, he said. “I hadn’t jumped a really big track on him since earlier this year and it was a pretty intimidating track, but typical Kentucky you just get out there and it rides magic. Ludwig was brave and just jumping out of stride. I was trying to give him a good ride to every fence and he just really gave me a good ride today.

“I didn’t go for broke, but I also need to start practicing trying to jump the fences out of stride. A course like this that is so open and galloping if you got a good eye and you are a little bit brave you can catch a lot of those galloping jumps without touching their mouth. I worked hard at that and he’s a pretty experienced horse now so I made a couple of tight turns and jumped some fences on the angle and thinking of that big check tomorrow I kept running to the end.”

Shout-out to Fylicia Barr and Daniela Moguel, who had my favorite rides of the day but who I didn’t get to mention on here! Here is your top 10 heading into tomorrow’s show jumping. Not one pair made the time; Boyd and Leslie clocked in with the quickest turn of hoof.


10:08 a.m. ET: Matt Flynn and Wizzerd climb a bit to get over the corner out of the coffin and take the pins with them, but a reminder there will be no penalties for this.

10:07 a.m. ET: Our last pair of the division, Sara Gumbiner and Polaris are on their way!

10:05 a.m. ET: Provisionally, Boyd will now go back into the overnight lead after Phillip came home with 14 time to drop a few spots down on Fernhill Singapore.

Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Singapore. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

10:04 a.m. ET: Hallie Coon and Celien are now on course and looking sharp.

10:03 a.m. ET: Matt Flynn uses all of his tallness to direct Wizzerd on where to go on a sharp right turn coming out of the Frog Pond. Well done!

10:02 a.m. ET: Leslie Law and Voltaire de Tre also bring home one of the faster rides of the day with 8.4 time faults.

10:01 a.m. ET: And another runout, this time at the corner at the coffin for Waylon and Lancaster.

10:00 a.m. ET: A late left hand runout at the coffin corner for Ryan and Flintstar. Now on course are Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Singapore, who now have a leading score to defend after Boyd came home with time.

UPDATE: Phillip’s comments on the course: “He was great. Obviously I wanted it to be a good round since Aachen didn’t go to plan but I didn’t think he really had a bad fence. It was a good round. I tried to go quick, I probably misjudged how fast you had to go because I probably could have gone a little faster on him. I thought [it would be difficult to make the time] walking it but I didn’t think it would be quite as difficult as it was. It’s a long year and I’m not too worried. I was very pleased with him.”

9:58 a.m. ET: Waylon Roberts and Lancaster unfortunately lose their hopes of hanging on to second place after grinding to a halt at the corner out of the Frog Pond. Bummer. Clear on their second attempt.

9:56 a.m. ET: Scores are reporting 6.4 time for Boyd and Long Island T, which would put them on a two phase score of 32.0. This may yet be adjusted since there was a hold, I’ll update if so.

9:58 a.m. ET: Waylon Roberts and Lancaster unfortunately lose their hopes of hanging on to second place after grinding to a halt at the corner out of the Frog Pond. Bummer. Clear on their second attempt.

9:56 a.m. ET: Scores are reporting 6.4 time for Boyd and Long Island T, which would put them on a two phase score of 32.0. This may yet be adjusted since there was a hold, I’ll update if so.

9:56 a.m. ET: Ryan Keefe scraps her way through the Frog Pond question at 10AB with Flintstar and gets the job done on the way out.

9:55 a.m. ET: Many thanks to Rob Burk, who’s been chatting away on the live stream all weekend and is accompanied by Cathy Wieschhoff today.

9:54 a.m. ET: Just a hang of the back leg at the Sunken Road for Voltaire de Tre and Leslie Law. Leslie looks back to check the pin but all good. Also an update on Jules Ennis Batters that she’s doing fine, just a little sore. Heal fast, Jules!

UPDATE: Remarks from Leslie on his ride: “He was amazing. He’s really turned into this cross-country machine. I haven’t run him since he was here for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event in April so I was a little nervous. I think I get more nervous now than I ever used to, but he was a real machine out there. A lot of it went to plan. I would have liked for the second water to not be so dramatic, but apart from that it was very good.”

9:51 a.m. ET: And we’re getting back underway. The held riders are revving up and getting back underway.

9:50 a.m. ET: An update that Il Vici appears to be ok.

9:47 a.m. ET: Screens had been put up around Arden for privacy purposes and are being taken down now, so we should be getting back underway shortly.

9:41 a.m. ET: An update on Arden: she’s conscious and talking but will be transported for further examination. I believe Il Vici is ok, but will confirm. We’re still on hold.

9:38 a.m. ET: We’re still on a hold here in the Advanced division. We’ll bring you an update as soon as we can get one.

9:34 a.m. ET: Looks like it was Arden who fell from Il Vici at fence 19, the Normandy Bank.

9:34 a.m. ET: Not sure, but looks like we may have another hold on course. It looked like Boyd was being pulled up. Leslie Law — shown below, striding into the deep end a bit but ultimately getting the job done — lives dangerously early out on course and he is also now being held.

9:33 a.m. ET: Ryan Wood brings Woodstock Bennett easily home clear with time.

9:31 a.m. ET: Overnight leaders Boyd Martin and Long Island T are on course! What do we think, pedal to the metal to bring home our first clear inside the time?

Boyd Martin and Long Island T. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

9:30 a.m. ET: Arden Wildasin, who had a great day in the Preliminary division yesterday, takes the long route at the sunken road with Il Vici.

Arden Wildasin and Il Vici. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

9:27 a.m ET: Looks like Jacob Fletcher also picked up a 20, also at fence 21 where Buck had trouble.

9:25 a.m. ET: Clark Montgomery and Caribbean Soul drop the frangible pin going into the sunken road, and he put his hand up shortly after. Bummer.

9:22 a.m. ET: Here’s a look at who’s gone around so far:

9:19 a.m. ET: Alex Green picks up a fly by at the corner coming out of the sunken road, but she’s clear on her second attempt.

9:13 a.m. ET: Good morning, EN! We’re up and running with live updates comin’ at ya from the Advanced cross country first thing this morning. If you missed the first handful of riders, let’s catch up:

  • Just two riders have had trouble so far: Buck Davidson and Copper Beach picked up 20 at fence 21 and Jules Ennis Batters unfortunately fell from Cooley O at fence 18. There was a brief hold on course while Jules was tended to, and we’ll bring you an update as soon as we can.
  • Fastest round so far belongs to Phillip Dutton and Z (surprised?), who picked up 10.4 time nonetheless.

The optimum time of 6:22 is proving tricky for the first few riders. We’ll see who picks up a double clear first, stay tuned!

SmartPak Supplement Shellout: Enter to Win SmartDigest Ultra!

By on Aug 29, 2019 11:44 am - 142 views

Gut check! Most horse owners know the struggle of battling ulcers and other gut problems. Sometimes, you just need a bit of extra support to help keep your horse’s hindgut comfortable and functioning well.

This month, we’ve teamed up with our friends at SmartPak to give away a bucket of SmartDigest Ultra Pellets. This supplement is perfect for traveling eventers, as it’s designed to help horses mitigate digestive stress that can be brought about by things such as travel or changes in hay. Bonus: the pellets are also picky eater approved. This supplement employs the help of prebiotics, probiotics, yeast, and enzymes to provide the support your horse may need.

Winning is easy (for once)! Simply enter using the Rafflecopter widget below (click the tab to visit SmartPak on Facebook) by next Monday, Sept. 2, and we’ll announce a winner in News & Notes the following morning.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your Ultimate Guide to the 2019 American Eventing Championships

By on Aug 27, 2019 11:11 am - 1,732 views

Tamie Smith and Mai Baum, Advanced champions at the 2018 American Eventing Championships. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

It’s almost time for one of the busiest eventing weekends in North America as riders from all over the country gather at the Kentucky Horse Park for this year’s American Eventing Championships.

This is one of the strongest entry lists we’ve seen in awhile (word is over 1,000 entries were taken this year), so it’s sure to be an action-packed, fun-filled weekend in Lexington, Kentucky. How often do we get to check galloping around the fabled Horse Park off our bucket list? For all of you competing this week: get off your phone, soak it in, and take a moment to enjoy this sport we call home.

It takes a tried and true village to pull any event off, and one of this magnitude relies heavily on the manpower of dozens of hard working staff, volunteers, judges, officials, photographers, and media members. Remember to say thank you (and shop at the trade fair)!

Following the 2019 American Eventing Championships from afar? The upper level divisions, including the $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final, will be live streamed via RNS Video on the USEA homepage with the following schedule:

Tuesday (8 a.m.-7 p.m. ET): Intermediate and Preliminary dressage
Wednesday (8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. ET): Intermediate and Preliminary cross country
Thursday (8:00 a.m. – 5:10 p.m. ET): Advanced dressage, Intermediate/Preliminary show jumping
Friday (7:30 a.m. – 9 a.m. ET): Advanced cross country
Saturday (7:15 pm – 8 p.m. ET): Advanced show jumping

Fun fact, RNS Video will also be filming each rider this week. You can purchase your video by visiting their booth or website here.

We’ll be adding our coverage from this week to this post each day, so keep this page bookmarked for the latest from Kentucky. In the meantime, here’s the scoop on the Eventer’s Super Bowl.

Go Eventing.

Keep it locked right here on EN for all things #AEC2019! Go Eventing.

#AEC2019: Website, Schedule, Ride Times, Live Scoring, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, USEA’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

TUESDAY

Your Ultimate Guide to the 2019 American Eventing Championships
AEC Social Media Roundup: Welcome to Kentucky!
Tuesday #AEC2019 Quotes from the Top: Trailblazers Up the Centerline

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday AEC Social Media Roundup: It’s a Family Affair
Wednesday #AEC2019 Quotes from the Top: Intermediate and Prelim XC, Training Dressage

THURSDAY

Emotions of the AEC, Brought to You by Lizzo

Nupafeed Weekend Winners: Archer Farm, Shepherd Ranch, War Horse & More

By on Aug 26, 2019 11:00 am - 303 views

It’s time for another hefty edition of Weekend Winners, presented in partnership with Nupafeed! This weekend featured events on both coasts and a couple of Canadian events thrown in for good measure. A big congratulations to this weekend’s lowest finisher, Andrew McConnon and Wakita 54, who finished their Training weekend on an 18.8. And more congrats are in order for Andrew, who just announced that he’s purchased Wakita 54 to keep for himself.

And with that, let’s get to those scores! First, a look to the international event scores:

MARS Great Meadow International [Website] [Final Scores]

Millstreet International Horse Trials – Ireland [Website] [Live Final Scores]

Land Rover Blair Castle Horse Trials – Scotland [Website] [Final Scores]

The Event at Archer Farm

Beautiful Archer Farm. Photo by Liz Lund.

Preliminary Championship: Darlene McInnes and Speed Bump (47.6)
Training Championship: Victoria Poulton and Starlingh (33.9)
Training Jr/YR: Tatiana Larson and Eloquent (35.1)
Training Senior: Erin Contino and Handsome Ransom (35.4)
Novice Championship: Kristin Hardy and Enchanted (29.8)
Novice Jr/YR: Anyah Luke and Orion’s Rosealene (36.4)
Novice Senior: Ronald Stephens and Froggy (26.7)
Beginner Novice Championship: Elizabeth Grandos and Watch My Class (33.5)
Beginner Novice Jr/YR: Grace Ambrose and Forever Saul (37.0)
Beginner Novice Senior: Darci Phelps and Sandro Street (26.0)
Starter Championship: Loree Magnan and Wintano (31.0)
Starter Jr/YR: Candice Christopher and Pequena (32.3)
Starter Senior: Sara Brady and Lyrical (31.8)

Caber Farm Horse Trials

Advanced/Intermediate: Amber Levine and Cinzano (43.5)
Open Intermediate: Mia Edsall and True Story (47.4)
Open Preliminary A: Karen O’Neal and Hey Marseilles (27.6)
Open Preliminary B: Karen O’Neal and Ebenholtz (27.2)
Sr. Open Training A: Amber Levine and I’M Jaguar (30.6)
Sr. Open Training B: Kelly Lynch and Ici et La (31.8)
Y.R. Training: Mikayden Weise and Excellence (29.3)
Jr. Novice: Teaguen Weise and Bentley (30.5)
Sr. Open Novice A: Rebecca Buehler and Patriot (28.3)
Sr. Open Novice B: Jennifer Ryan and Diesel (34.1)
Sr. Open Novice C: Anne Marie McSwiggan and Cavalier Locked For Joy (26.4)
Sr. Open Novice D: Hope Cochran and Fiesta Bella (24.8)
Jr. Beginner Novice: Natalie Hinds and Jack O’Lantern (29.5)
Sr. Open Beginner Novice A: Sarah Deherrera and Stunt Double (30.3)
Sr. Open Beginner Novice B: Amber Levine and Daxton RS (27.8)

Cherrylane Horse Trials

Open Preliminary: Nicole Reynolds and One in a Million (28.5)
Jr. Training: Claudia Oppedisano and God of Thunder (41.35)
Open Training: Karl Slezak and Hot Hobo (26.9)
Jr. Pre-Training: Amelia Austin and Conquest Jackpot (32.8)
Open Pre-Training: Holly Jacks Smither and Boots With The Fur (24.8)
Senior Pre-Training: Lauren Huschilt and Balboa (30.5)
Jr. Entry: Alexandra Wickett and Braveheart (20.8)
Jr. Pre-Entry: Jaide Barranger and Avion (30.6)
Open Entry: Holly Jacks Smither and Rossini (24.3)
Open Pre-Entry: Emma Elley and El Colorado (33.3)
Senior Entry: Sadie Mctaggart and Tanners Crossing (27.8)
Senior Pre-Entry: Grace Ednie and Classic Fit (33.1)

Shepherd Ranch Horse Trials

Photo by Debi Ravenscroft.

We spied a familiar set of ears out and about at Shepherd Ranch, the home farm of 5* rider Bunnie Sexton. Yes, that’s her former 5* partner, Rise Against, competing with Tayler Ravenscroft in the Open Training division. No surprises here, Tayler and “Echo” won the division.

Open Preliminary: Tamra Smith and MB MaiStein (31.9)
Open Preliminary-Training: Caitlin Davison and M Cloudy De Lune SE (35.9)
Open Training: Tamra Smith and Cooley Starstruck (30.2)
Training Rider: Olivia Doman and The Pied Piper (28.6)
Open Training-Novice: Tayler Ravenscroft and Rise Against (38.4)
Novice Rider: Lauren Toomey and Everyday’s A Holiday (34.8)
Open Novice: Lisa Sabo and Infinity (28.8)
Jr Beginner Novice Rider: Halina Thole and Roma (28.3)
Open Beginner Novice: Nicholas Madsen and American Style (29.5)
Sr Beginner Novice Rider: Mary Sponhaltz and Sight Unseen (42.0)
Open Introductory A: Bunnie Sexton and Mister (32.8)
Open Introductory B: Chloe Kischuk and Dun with You (37.5)

Stevens Creek Horse Trials

EV 1.05m: Roxanne Valois and Power Play (38.80)
Preliminary: Rachel Lagace and Caminando (37.9)
Open Training: Sarah Catt and Hampton Court (29.9)
Jr. Pre-Training: Elodie Derouin and Appanoose (30.0)
Sr. Pre-Training: Fran Bonier and Russian Go Go (31.8)
Jr. Entry: Kamilya Labelle and Spirit (31.8)
Jr. Pre-Entry A: Zoe Peardon and Cinderella (32.8)
Jr. Pre-Entry B: Olivia Colyn and Kick Start My Heart (33.8)
Open Entry: Kara Glauser and Just Another Tom (38.0)
Open Pre-Entry: Lindsay McMullen and Paradigm (36.8)

Town Hill Farm Horse Trials

Open Prelim: Booli Selmayr and Luxury Don (32.7)
Prelim Rider Championship: Caroline Teich and Kingslayer (35.2)
Open Training: Natalie Labouchere and Hughdoneit (32.1)
Training Horse Championship: Jocelyn Hawe and Cadbury VT (32.5)
Training Rider: Scout Beddingfield and Mighty Mouse (38.3)
Training Rider Championship: Lakiesha Varney and Kolor Me Gone (28.2)
Novice Horse Championship: Marcia Kulak and All Dassett (21.4)
Novice Rider A: Judith Rossi and PDF Double Down (25.5)
Novice Rider B: Charlotte Bain and Aim High (30.7)
Novice Rider Championship: Alexandra Webster and Enchanted (27.4)
Open Novice: Brianna Sotnick and Sir Ferghus (27.9)
Beginner Novice Horse Championship: Beth O’Malley and Love Your Rebel Attitude (33.4)
Beginner Novice Rider A: Abigail Hilliard and Memo (35.0)
Beginner Novice Rider B: Terry Moses and Ottilie (35.0)
Beginner Novice Rider Championship: Allison Dunne and Flowerhill Sophia (30.8)
Open Beginner Novice: Booli Selmayr and Leamore Trendsetter (31.4)

War Horse Event Series

Training A: Andrew McConnon and D’Luxe Steel (20.5)
Training B: Andrew McConnon and Wakita 54 (18.8)
Novice A: Lisa Dreher Bell and HRH Dee Dee (30.2)
Novice B: Charles Plumb and CF Baltic Royal Tee (23.8)
Novice C: Lindsay Staiano Williams and Anegada (27.2)
Novice Jr.: Kiera Kenny and Tilly (24.1)
Beginner Novice A: Kiki Osbourne and Flirtatious (34.2)
Beginner Novice B: Emeraude Dandurand and Knockma’s Finnvara (28.9)
Beginner Novice Jr.: Jayna Biggs and Pirates Hidden Treasure (36.7)
Green As Grass: Becky Scarlett and Luna (22.5)
Green As Grass Jr.: Alyssa Giorgino and Roxy Balboa (29.1)
Maiden A: Madison Dwyer and Mercury Rising KE (27.0)
Maiden B: Rachel King and Waldemar (27.3)
Maiden Jr.: Isabell Douglas and BW (27.8)

Congrats to all and Go Eventing!

Make Those Trot Sets Less Boring: An Eventer’s Guide to Equestrian Podcasts

By on Aug 21, 2019 2:00 pm - 1,078 views

Much like the binge appeal of Mindhunter or Orange is the New Black on Netflix, podcasts have collected a sort of cult following among media consumers. And for good reason — podcasts make for a great way to reduce road rage during your commute or to make your trot sets a bit less monotonous. 

As an eventer, I’ve always gravitated towards more eventing-centric podcasts. The fact remains, though, that the number of horse or equestrian podcasts available now is a bit astounding. For that reason, I’m focusing primarily on shows that have some sort of eventing tie in at least some episodes for this guide. 

Did I miss a podcast that needs to be on this list? Comment with the name and I’ll check it out! 

Equiratings Eventing Podcast

Subject: In-depth eventing analysis
Best for: Eventing nerds and number junkies
Frequency: Several episodes each week/month
Review: Equiratings surely needs no introduction here on EN. We’ve become big fans of the work these number crunchers are doing, and the intensity with which the Equiratings team approaches their subject matter really resonates with me as a true eventing nerd. My personal favorite offering from this podcast, which offers a wide varietal of eventing-centric topics, is Alphabetti Spaghetti. In these fun episodes, the team discusses everything under the sun that begins with the letter of the hosts’ choosing. Think Horseware Hale Bob, hangovers, and horse flies all in one go.

Eventing Radio Show

Subject: All things eventing
Best for: Eventing news junkies
Frequency: Twice a month
Review: Super hosts Max Corcoran and Joe Meyer are always entertaining and candid in one of the longer running eventing-centric podcasts available. The Eventing Radio Show is great if you’ve got an hour or so to spare, and well-known guests frequent the airwaves to share their take on the sport of eventing. Other names such as Liz Halliday and Paul Tapner also join in as hosts on some episodes. If you’re looking for the perspective of multiple respected professionals in the industry, look no further! 

Side note, the Eventing Radio Show lives on the Horse Radio Network, which is full of horse-themed shows for every interest and discipline. Check out their full roster of shows here.

Heels Down Happy Hour

Subject: Amateur friendly topics and discussion
Best for: Amateur riders or those looking for a fun and casual podcast
Frequency: Twice per month
Review: Hosted by 5* eventer Jessica Payne, journalist and amateur hunter rider Justine Griffin, and Western rider Ellie Woznica, listeners can be sure to hear a discussion on just about any horse topic there is. I personally love this pod as I did a short gig as one of the hosts, but aside from that I love the genuine discussion of topics that matter to everyone. Think horses on a budget, judgement in the show ring, and horse care tips for all.

Major League Eventing

Subject: Rider interviews
Best for: Eventing fans who love to connect with riders
Frequency: Once per week
Review: Rob and Karen Bowersox first got into eventing when their son, Joe, packed his bags and got a job working for Boyd Martin. Rather than sailing happily off into retirement (let’s face it, having a kid in eventing is enough to push off retirement for most!), Rob and Karen jumped in with both feet and started producing their own podcast intended to connect riders and fans with the sport they love. Listening to Major League Eventing feels like sitting around at happy hour with your favorite rider — you’re sure to hear some candid stories and plenty of laughs!

Practical Horseman

Subject: Industry insights and interviews across English disciplines
Best for: Fans of all equestrian sports
Frequency: Once per week
Review: Hosted by Practical Horseman editors Sandra Oliynyk, Emily Daily and Jocelyn Pierce, this newer addition to the equestrian podcast world has already hosted interview sessions with riders such as Matt Brown, Selena O’Hanlon and William Fox-Pitt. You’ll also find a smattering of fascinating interviews with other industry leaders such as Anne Kursinski and Margie Engle. I’ve dabbled in this pod in my attempt to branch out of my eventing bubble, and I wasn’t disappointed. This podcast is best if you prefer to hear interviews!

USEA Podcast

Subject: Education and news from the eventing world
Best for: Event riders of all levels who want to learn more about the sport
Frequency: 3-4 episodes per month
Review: One of the other heavy hitters in this line-up, USEA’s flagship podcast is perfect for the active eventer who wants to learn more about the inner workings of the sport. From the Intercollegiate Championship to how to avoid show jumping time penalties, and everything in between, host Chris Stafford does a fantastic job bringing us all things we need to know. Periodically, guests will stop in to reflect on their competition experiences and provide advice for other riders. Definitely a must listen!

Caroline Martin is Living the Dream She’s Creating

By on Aug 21, 2019 9:00 am - 3,361 views

Caroline Martin and Islandwood Captain Jack. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

We all dream of an ideal, rose colored life. A gorgeous farm on hundreds of acres of lush green land. A barn full of elite, upper level horses. Access to the greatest coaching and competition opportunities money can buy.

This used to be Caroline Martin’s life.

But over the last few months, life’s looked a bit different for Caroline, 25. She’s the first to acknowledge the privileges she grew up with and the opportunity her parents’ successful business ventures afforded her.

Nothing lasts forever, though, and at the end of 2018 Caroline found herself with a decision to make: sell the horses and go to college, or strike out on her own dollar and see what she was made of. She chose option B.

Some riders are able to get a leg up — an earlier start, a nicer horse, a more flexible schedule — on their riding career, while others’ lot in life would leave them scraping for every penny, taking any opportunity cast their way. But it isn’t a competition — whatever the start you get, what you do with it and the end result is entirely on you.

Caroline knew her end result included horses and a career in the industry, so she put her head down and got right to work. “I knew I needed to find work, and quick, so I started making calls to everyone I had a connection with,” she recalled.

The opportunity that would start the next chapter of Caroline’s career came when she spoke with Emil Spadone and Paul Hendrix, who both source horses under the Redfield Farm and Stal Hendrix monikers. Emil and Paul were looking for help selling horses, and they gave the eager young rider a chance to move some of their horses as a test run.

“I started with a couple of four- and five-year-olds and brought them to my farm and got right to work,” she said. “I made sale videos, I called everyone I knew of who might be shopping, and showed them to interested riders. I had them sold within about 15 days.”

Caroline had found her new niche, and 2019 started in earnest with a whole slew of new names added to her entry forms for the early events of the year. To date, she’s sold just under 30 horses and has more in the pipelines. Any endeavor like this takes a village, and Caroline calls herself lucky to have a business partner in Casey McKissock who is closely involved in all of the workings of her business. It’s made for much busier days — I needed a nap after she regaled me with the tales of multiple trips to the airport for clients, showing horses, and casually showing in Welcome Stakes in the evenings — and a shifting of both priorities and perspective.

Caroline Martin and Danger Mouse. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Balance Rules All

Much of Caroline’s time now is spent sourcing horses, training them up and competing them to be well-prepared for their next rider, marketing each listing, and handling the showing of each horse as much as she personally can.

It’s enough to keep anyone’s day planner full, but Caroline hasn’t lost sight of her original ongoing goal of representing the U.S. internationally at the top levels.

I asked Caroline how her priorities had shifted since her undertaking of this booming sales business she created.

“I was really lost,” she admitted. “It was sink or swim, and it was scary. I wanted to keep riding at the top level, but it was overwhelming. So I learned to just shut up and go to work. There is never a day off when you’re trying to make it in this sport. I am really grateful for the support my parents were able to give me, and I take pride in my work ethic.”

She’s become the queen of juggling, managing to run her sales business and compete her three remaining upper level horses who are members of a newly formed syndicate, Team Living the Dream LLC.

“I put my three top horses into the syndicate,” Caroline explained. “I wanted to create a special opportunity where some people could be involved with three horses at the top of the sport without having to spend the amount it would typically cost to buy and campaign them.”

Forming the syndicate, Caroline says, has been instrumental in helping her juggle the sales as well as the competition ends of her business. The three horses — Islandwood Captain Jack, Danger Mouse, and Cristano Z — are all already going at the 4* levels with plans in the works for 5*.

With the help of Athletux Equine, Caroline has also recently created a more forward thinking syndicate approach, with shares available at more accessible rates. Instead of the syndicate pricing of years past, Caroline is offering a limited number of opportunities for people to be involved with Team Living the Dream for as little as a $5,000 tax deductible annual membership. Never before has anything similar to this affordable and exciting opportunity been offered like this with three horses.

It’s a way in which Caroline hopes to add new people to her team, and with her recent nomination to the most recent US Equestrian eventing training list and success overseas, it’s certainly a prime time to get behind a next generation rider.

With the addition of so many younger sales horses in her barn, Caroline saw the opportunity to give her top horses a bit more flexibility in their competition schedules. “When it comes to competing, Emil and Paul are incredible,” she said. “I can really customize the competition schedule. I can pick and choose their events with the intent to keep them happy, sound, and competing for many years.”

Longevity and sustainability are the name of the game for Caroline. “I try to be smart about competing my horses,” she explained. “We see the Europeans out there year after year with their horses, and I think a lot of that comes from picking and choosing their schedule with their best interests in mind.”

Caroline Martin and Cristano Z. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

A Life Well Curated

If you asked Caroline where she thought she’d be now this time last year, her answer would likely have been much different than what her life looks like now. But she wouldn’t trade it for anything. “I wasn’t sure how good I would be at the selling process, and I was worried it would be too hard to part with the sales horses,” she said. “I want to differentiate my program from other sales programs with quality and well-trained horses. I am very up front and I pride myself in making matches over making a quick sale. I do my best to train my horses so that when people take them home, they are the same horse that they tried before. I take a lot of pride in that part.”

As she prepares to tackle the Millstreet CCI4*-L this weekend with Islandwood Captain Jack, Caroline is proud of what she’s been able to build and looking forward to the next steps.

“This time last year, I never thought I would have been able to do this,” she said. “Emil and Paul as well as my business partner Casey McKissock are the reasons why I’m here doing this, and I owe them a lot. I wouldn’t say I’m the best rider out there, but I showed up every single day and I believe in every single horse that comes through my program. I’ve learned a lot and my biggest advice is to never turn down an opportunity, because you never know when you might need it later down the road.”

EN’s Got Talent: Dani Sussman and Thurston B Howell

By on Jun 27, 2017 11:00 am - 1,503 views

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? Email us at [email protected]

Dani Sussman and Thurston B Howell. Photo by Altitude Equine Photography.

Dani Sussman has always had an affinity for Thoroughbreds, particularly pocket sized ones well-suited to her diminutive 5’1″ frame. Throughout her career, though, Dani has ridden more than a few horses who were perhaps a bit larger than suitable for her petite build. She rode what she could, gaining the invaluable experience that comes from handling horses of all types.

So it wasn’t until a smaller former polo pony came to her barn that Dani truly got to try out a horse more her size. Thurston B Howell is owned by Carol Mavrakis. The diminutive Thoroughbred gelding stands just a touch over 15.1, a big change from some of Dani’s other 16.3-17 hand rides.

Thurston B Howell first came to Dani when Carol brought him down to Dani’s Colorado base from her home in Wyoming. “I first met Carol when we were both in California competing and we were both at Robyn Fisher’s barn,” Dani recalled. “She brought Thurston down and asked me to ride him, and he was unbelievable. So much power and talent.”

The ride wasn’t Dani’s right away as Carol continued to compete the then 7-year-old gelding at the Novice level. “About a year after we first met, Carol called and said that she wanted to bring Thurston down for some training,” Dani said. “She brought him down and about two weeks later I ran the Novice at Colorado Horse Park with him. She’d ridden him through that level and had done a great job with him, and he was spectacular for me.”

Dani went on to step the gelding up to Training level and then Prelim, where he currently competes. Since the move up, Thurston has finished in the top five on five different occasions, gaining more experience and mileage as he goes.

For Dani, having an eye out for that special horse who might just be the special one who wants to continue up the levels is a habit, and Thurston has checked all of the boxes so far. “When I have a horse that I’d like to think of taking to the upper levels, I think it has a lot to do with their personality and temperament,” she explained. “Do they have the heart to really put 110 percent into this? I think you can tie some of that into the Thoroughbred; Thoroughbreds naturally have a lot of heart.”

Dani has high hopes for the little Thoroughbred who could, the courageous Thurston who has proven that size is no challenge. The biggest challenge Dani has focused on with Thurston, whose short, polo bred build makes dressage difficult, is the first phase of competition. “He’s a little guy and not a huge mover, so we have to do better than just average,” she said. “He has to be very correct to look impressive.”

All things considered, though, Dani is trying not to plan too far in advance. She’s setting her sights on the CIC1* at Richland Park this summer, but beyond that she plans to let the horse tell her what they should do next. Meanwhile, she’ll keep asking the questions that a potential upper level horse would have to answer: “Will he help out if I make a mistake? Are they giving you feeling that there is scope to spare?”

“He’s just an unbelievable horse,” Dani said. “Carol did a really nice job of producing him, and when I took the ride over, we didn’t really know what would come next. So it’s been a really special journey with him, thanks to Carol.”

Weekend Instagram Report: Midsouth, The Return of Essex & More

By on Jun 25, 2017 4:00 pm - 1,650 views

What could be better on a hot summer weekend than donning skin tight riding pants and dark colored jackets to go out and horse show? Just kidding, sort of. While it may be hot as h-e-double-hockey-sticks out there for many of us, that didn’t stop the eventing masses from coming out in full force all over the country.

Buck Davidson and Victor BZ. Photo by Joan Davis / Flatlandsfoto.

Here is a look at social media from the various events around the country. We’d like to give a special shout-out to Mars Essex Horse Trials, which made its return to the calendar after a 19-year-hiatus in Area II. The big winner of the weekend was Buck Davidson, who took home the top four spots in the Open Prelim division.

Groton House Farm H.T. [Website] [Live Scores]

Surefire H.T. [Website] [Live Scores]

Essex H.T. [Website] [Live Scores]

Stable View Summer H.T. [Website] [Live Scores]

Fox River Valley Pony Club H.T. [Website] [Live Scores]

Shepherd Ranch SYVPC H.T. [Website] [Live Scores]

Inavale Farm H.T. [Website] [Live Scores]

Arrowhead H.T. [Website] [Live Scores]

Midsouth Pony Club H.T. [Website] [Live Scores]

Honey Run H.T. [Website] [Live Scores]

We had a very long but good day at the return of the beautiful Essex Horse Trials yesterday with me riding 5 in the one day as well as @katcuca and @dwicas running the novice. Rasta, Dylan and new boy Harley all competed in a very large open novice division with good results. Unfortunately 3 inches of rain the night before left the dressage rings and warm up completely underwater and as the day went on became deep sinking mud which was far from ideal but my horses all toughed out. Rasta was fortunate enough to go early so got the best of the footing , doing a pleasant 35 test, having one pesky rail in the sj and jumping a nice clear xc round to finish just outside the ribbons. Dylan is proving to be mr consistent slogging it out through the dressage mud for a 29, having the same pesky rail as Rasta (clearly rider issue here) and a really nice clear xc to finish in 5th place. He’s really growing into himself and will upgrade to training next week. Baby Arctic Tiger ran his first ever event and I couldn’t have been more proud of him. He had the worst of the dressage footing going very late in the ring but handled it like a champ for a 31. I had the same damn rail AGAIN. (Damn that course designer ) and a couple of time penalties but he jumped incredibly, then going and putting in a clear xc round with 1.6 time to complete his first event in the USA. Looking forward to bringing this talented youngster along. The prelim horses were very unimpressed with the dressage footing but tried best they could – Chroi doing a 31 and Finn a 35. Both jumped clear xc around a fairly challenging track with some time and it was apparently the day of one rail rounds for me as I had one down on each to finish 7th and 8th. My two young working students @margaretc821 and @leb.eventing were absolutely fantastic all day and I am eternally thankful for all their hard work #teamspuk #majykequipe #freejumpsystem #decopony #believeinmajyk #c4 #c4equestrian #uvexequestrian #uvex #frillyfillies #fabbriboots #carmaitalia #devoucoux #sagmae #nutrena #effol #effax #walshproducts #winwithwalsh #stocktie #equidrishirts #horselyx

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Welcome back, Essex! #EssexHorseTrials

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Morgan Rowsell leads tour of cross country course. #EssexHorseTrials

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The floor is definitely not lava #nuggetsrus #lavachallenge (pc @sorensenstables)

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Moving on to Shepherd Ranch Horse Trials in Santa Ynez, California…

❤️ ❤️❤️❤️ #nofilter #horsesofinstagram #horses #shephardrancheventing #Roxy

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MB MaiStein eventing debut. Had the best time with this boy today. Much needed smile!! ❤️

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Thinks she’s a lap dog #bestkeptsecret

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And don’t forget, not only were there Horse Trials, there were also Pony Clubbers out in full showing this weekend at Midsouth for Mega Rally:

XC schooling! #busybea #eventing #training #devoucoux

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Not too bad for 2 hours of wear! #whitebreechesareaterrieidea #megarally #ponyclub #breeches #animobreeches

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Catch Up with American Pharoah in Retirement

By on Jun 25, 2017 2:00 pm - 2,334 views

What is Triple Crown winner American Pharoah up to these days in his retirement? Since his retirement to Coolmore in Lexington, Ky., America’s Horse has been living the easy life, enjoying endless days of grass and pretty ladies.

Noelle Floyd caught up with American Pharoah for this behind the scenes video, and we’re loving how happy he looks in his new home.

You can relive his Triple Crown win here.

Allie Knowles is Back and Stronger Than Ever

By on Jun 25, 2017 9:00 am - 5,034 views

Allie Knowles and Sound Prospect at Plantation Field. Photo by Nicole Severino.

It’s been just three months since Allie Knowles suffered a rotational fall while contesting the CIC2* at Red Hills International. On cross country, she and FE Crosby experienced one of an eventer’s worst nightmares, and Allie found herself in the hospital with multiple injuries to the right side of her body.

A shattered pelvis, broken ribs and a broken collarbone were on the laundry list of injuries, and while the damage could have been more devastating, Allie’s hopes of competing at Rolex the next month were dashed. FE Crosby was uninjured in the fall.

Anyone who knows Allie knows that she’s a tough one. That toughness was truly put to the test as Allie underwent two surgeries to repair her collarbone and pelvis and began the grueling road to recovery back in her home town of Lexington, Kentucky.

The long and winding road

Two weeks post-fall, Allie found herself back at home and limited in what activities she could comfortably do. The owners of Allie’s home base farm, Valley View Farm, stepped in generously to help provide Allie with what she needed to recover. Jim and Katie O’Brien were quick to recognize that getting up the stairs to Allie’s apartment would not be something she could do, so she offered to let her and her roommate Abby Shanahan move into their house during the rehab process.

“What really made all of this possible was everyone else around me,” Allie said. “I had to persevere and be tough on myself, but I have never felt so loved and cared about. The O’Briens were just amazing, and I can’t fully express my gratitude. They let me, my roommate and my dogs move in, had a walker and a medical bed waiting for me, and basically just made sure I had what I needed as soon as I was out of the hospital.”

Out and about at Midsouth Pony Club HT this weekend. Photo by Samantha Clark.

Once settled, Allie began the slow recovery process, staying put indoors for about a week before she went stir crazy and had to do something to switch up the routine. Three weeks post-fall, Allie was up and using her walker to get around and slowly began returning to the barn to teach a couple of lessons here and there. She knew that in order to make up for the weeks spent not riding, she needed to make some goals to keep her mental focus in shape.

“I made it a goal to start riding again the week after Rolex, which would be six weeks after the fall,” Allie said. “By the time that Monday came around, I was able to get clearance from the doctors, who weren’t quite sure exactly how I was healing so quickly but were okay with my riding as long as it wasn’t jumping.”

“We eventers are quite obsessed and driven, and having our purpose taken away so quickly is an enormous challenge,” she continued. “It’s impossible not to feel like you’re falling behind. I Started going back to the gym as soon as I could — my personal trainer did a lot of research on my injury and really helped me with the rehab. And everything we do for our horses — Magnawave therapy, massage, RevitaVet — was used on me too. I had to do something to feel like I was moving towards the end goal.”

The old adage is that horse people typically don’t take as good of care of themselves as they do their horses, and Allie used to be one of those people. Her fall and subsequent recovery changed this outlook, though. “I figured if we do all of this for our horses, my horse is only going to go as well as I can ride,” Allie said. “So if I didn’t rehab correctly and straight, then my horses were going to be just as crooked so for the first time it was really important to me to take care of myself.”

Allie Knowles chats with William Fox-Pitt. Photo by JJ Sillman.

Guess who’s back

And soon enough, the Monday after Rolex dawned and it was time for Allie to realize her first post-fall goal of riding. “I had stopped taking my pain medication because I wanted to make sure I was fully present,” Allie said. “I didn’t want people worrying that I wasn’t all there around the horses! That was tough, but I was able to make it work with Advil.”

Allie started with Sound Prospect, her upper level partner whom she knows like the back of her hand. The ride went well, and she was thrilled to have reached her goal. “I made it a goal that I was going to be back competing in June,” Allie said.

Two days after her first ride, William Fox-Pitt came to the O’Briens’ farm for a clinic, which Allie had originally signed up for and then withdrawn from. She didn’t entertain the thought of riding with William until she’d picked him up from the airport and he asked how her recovery was going.

“He kind of asked if I’d been riding, and I told him I’d ridden on Monday and Tuesday,” Allie said. “When I told him that it went well, he said, ‘Well, you could probably do a lesson then, right?'”

Allie carefully selected the horse she’d take a flat lesson on, not wanting to jar her body too much. She chose Ms Poppins, a lovely 6-year-old mare owned by the O’Brien family, who was a smoother ride for a dressage lesson. Allie left the lesson feeling no worse for the wear and mentally reinvigorated to continue her journey.

Shortly thereafter, Allie packed up and headed East for some lessons with longtime coach Buck Davidson, who had also stepped up the plate to help coach her students while she was out of commission. Allie had entered her first event post-fall, Plantation Field, and wanted to get a tune-up before heading back out of the start box.

Two weeks ago, Allie left the start box for the first time since Red Hills aboard Sound Prospect. Together, they stormed around the Open Preliminary to finish on their dressage score in second position — a triumphant return for Allie, whose dedication to her goals kept her going through the ongoing recovery process.

“I wasn’t so much nervous about getting back on, but there have been a few times where I’m very aware of the fact that I do not want to fall off,” Allie said. “And that can be dangerous because it can make you ride scared, and there isn’t anything more dangerous than that. I think I took all of the horses cross country twice, just repeating exercises and getting my confidence. I think it was important to stay within my comfort zone because I knew I could do it well.”

“I have always struggled with my own bravery; I am not the most fearless rider,” she said. “I have had to train myself to be brave and trust my horses and to keep kicking on cross country. I have been working over the last few years on becoming a more efficient and confident cross country rider, and I was able to apply that training when I was coming back into it.”

Now that she is well on her way to a full recovery, Allie competed several horses at Midsouth this weekend in her home base of Lexington — and we’re thrilled to report that she picked up two wins, and two second place finishes across the Preliminary and Training divisions. Not a bad weekend at the office!

Happily back in the saddle at Midsouth. Photo by JJ Sillman.

You’ll never walk alone

Allie is quick to thank all of those around her who supported her through her recovery. She names the O’Briens, Buck Davidson, the Sound Prospect syndicate owners: Jeanne Gauchat, Kathleen Sullivan, Andrew Clark, Christie Campbell, and Katie, Jim and Madeline O’Brien, her working students Nicole Aden and Macy Clark, her roommate Abby Shanahan, and her parents and sister, Chris Knowles, Christie Campbell and Victoria Knowles.

“I don’t even remember how my horses got home from Florida, but I knew my girls would take care of everything and do it well,” Allie said. “My owners were so kind and never pressured me to do anything. They enjoyed watching my girls ride the horses, and I never felt rushed. My family spent a lot of time flying back and forth between surgeries and my roommate, Abby, did everything from cooking to driving me around. With all of these people I never felt alone.”

A lot of the mental coaching coming back from the fall came from Buck, who had stepped in to teach her students who were on the East Coast competing and instructed them to just pay Allie for their lessons with him. “He was phenomenal, not just with pushing me physically but also helping my mental game,” Allie said. “He is really good at getting inside my head and pumping me up. He has been invaluable for my mental state during this process.”

Now, Allie is looking ahead to Great Meadow with Sound Prospect as her return to the Advanced level. She’s also riding the horse she fell with, FE Crosby, and is looking forward to getting back out there with him. “He’s feeling great and confident,” she said.

In a true story of resilience, Allie has proven that the odds can be beat, even if they are not in your favor. Eventers are perhaps among the toughest of athletes, but the most difficult challenge can often come in the form of a mental battle. At the end of the day, Allie has beat down even the most vocal of her mental demons, and she’s stronger than ever as she continues to work toward each and every goal.

Who Wins? BMX vs. Horse

By on Jun 24, 2017 2:00 pm - 980 views

Click screenshot to watch video.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to pit a bike against a horse? Sure, it’s been done before, but we’re always entertained when someone comes up with a fresh way to present the challenge.

In the latest edition of [random sport] vs. horse, the Olympic Channel sets up a BMX rider head to head against a horseback rider. Olympic BMX rider Elke Vanhoof from Belgium and Olympic show jumper Daniel Bluman from Columbia participate in an epic “Sports Swap” battle.

What happens when these two masters of their sport switch spots? Well, you’ll just have to watch to find out! Click the photo above or here to watch and see what happens.

Tuesday News & Notes from Cavalor

By on Jun 20, 2017 12:01 am - 1,390 views

Just when we thought we’d seen it all, now Carl Hester posts a photo of the world famous and much loved Valegro casually jumping with Charlotte Dujardin. “Blueberry” has jumped in the past and definitely seems to enjoy the task. As for us, we’re just thrilled he is enjoying his retirement in full!

Events Opening This Week:

Olney Farm H.T. (MD, A-2), River Glen Summer H.T. (TN, A-3), Millbrook H.T. (NY, A-1),  Catalpa Corner Charity Horse Trial (IA, A-4)

Events Closing Today:

Powder Basin H.T. (WY, A-9), The Maryland H.T. at Loch Moy Farm I (MD, A-2), Huntington Farm H.T. (VT, A-1), Coconino Summer I H.T. (AZ, A-10), Roebke’s Run H.T. (MN, A-4),  Round Top H.T. (CO, A-9),  Event at Rebecca Farm (MT, A-7),  41st Annual Whidbey Island H.T. (WA, A-7), Great Meadow International – FEI Nations Cup Eventing Series (VA, A-2), Chattahoochee Hills H.T. (GA, A-3) Old Chatham H.T. (NY, A-1)

News & Notes:

Want to work for EN? We are now accepting entries to our 7th Annual Blogger Contest, which is your opportunity to show us your writing chops for a chance to work for us. This is your time to shine, so let’s see what you’ve got! Entries are due this Friday, June 23. [7th Annual Blogger Contest]

Please join us in congratulating the newest members of the Century Club, Mary Sawyer and Broker’s Joker, whose combined age is 100, therefore granting them access to this exclusive club. This pair competed in the Intro division at Spokane Sport Horse Farm’s Second Annual Spring event last month. [A Century Together]

This week in California we’re experiencing record heat waves, and the temperatures are crawling up to the triple digits each day. So what does this mean for your horses? It’s imperative to ensure they’re properly cared for in the summer heat, so make sure you’re doing everything you can to keep them comfortable. [Caring for Horses in Extreme Heat]

Tuesday Video:

Can Jennie Brannigan pull off another win at Great Meadow this year? Revisit her special win with Cambalda in 2015 in this new video from Great Meadow:

An Open Letter to My Horse Dad

By on Jun 18, 2017 5:30 pm - 2,757 views

Many thanks to Hannah Yoder for contributing this timely Father's Day post for our sister site, Horse Nation. Hannah Yoder is a misplaced Tennessean wandering the foreign lands of Southern Ohio. She is a full time crazy horse lady, part time OTTB trainer, and part time freelance writer. Happy Father's Day to all of the horse-y dads out there. This one's for you!

Boyd Martin with baby Nox in a matching XC outfit made by Silva’s friend Cheryl Griffith. Photo by Amber Heintzberger.

Dear Dad,

In what you must think back on as the worst decision of your life, you got me that first riding lesson when I was nine and woke the dormant passion that has remained alive and well ever since. I bet you didn’t realize as you stood at the arena rail and watched my first bumbling ride that you had officially become a Horse Dad.

You probably first realized your mistake when on the way home from that lesson I informed you in no uncertain terms that I wanted my own horse. I’m sure the regret has increased in intensity over the years as you watch me ride bucking greenies and OTTBs bolting at more or less the speed of light. I know you wanted your daughter to grow up to be a successful accountant or a nurse. Instead, I am a crazy, impoverished horse person.

In case you wondered, I do notice the nervous twitch you get whenever I bring up a new equestrian endeavor. I also notice when you wonder aloud if I’ll ever make it past the age of 35. But that’s okay. Because I’ve also noticed that you recognize the big heart and the work ethic that horses develop in a girl. You see how important rescuing horses is to me and you are always quietly supportive, even when I’m in tears over the dead-lame, underweight, skin diseased new horse in my barn. Yes, you do complain occasionally, but you also know that horses keep me sane and happy, and you wouldn’t want me to give them up for a good accounting job. Well, maybe you would, but at least you don’t bring up the subject too often.

I could apologize for my horse craziness, but I wouldn’t do anything about it anyway. I could promise to do better in the future, but the reality is it will only get worse. So all I can do is say “thank you.”

Thank you for surprising your little girl with a riding lesson at a time when you knew her life had gotten to be more than she could handle. In that one afternoon, you gave me a passion that would last a lifetime, you gave me something to look forward to, and you saved me from depression. It was the biggest and best gift I’ve ever received.

Thank you for buying me that first horse, that first tack set, for building me a fence and a barn. Thank you for all those long, hot hours you put in on the tractor so that I could have my own hay. Thank you for letting me get that first OTTB against your better judgment, and for not making me sell him, also against your better judgment, when that first OTTB repeatedly attempted to murder me.

You had every reason to let us go our separate ways, but you tried and still try to find common ground between our two vastly different worlds. And that, I’m pretty sure, makes you the best Horse Dad out there. You need a badge. Happy Father’s Day.

Love from your Crazy Horse Daughter.

Helmet Cam: Ride Around the Luhmühlen CIC3* with Ingrid Klimke

By on Jun 17, 2017 6:00 pm - 820 views

Ingrid Klimke is a part of the star-studded group of German riders vying for the selectors’ eyes this weekend with the European Championships coming up. She made good on her plan to do what she could to stamp a ticket to Strzgom, piloting Horseware Hale Bob home clear with two time today in the CIC3*.

She’s just uploaded her helmet cam which features statistics from SAP Equestrian Analytics, and as always it’s fascinating to take a ride with Ingrid. We wish her the best in tomorrow’s show jumping finale.

Entries Now Open for the 7th Annual EN Blogger Contest

By on Jun 17, 2017 11:00 am - 980 views

I have to admit, Blogger Contest time is easily one of my favorite times of year, right up there along with The-Event-Formerly-Known-As-Rolex and whatever the next event is in which Michael Jung is competing. So you could say it’s a pretty big deal. Perhaps it’s because I am one of the brainwashed lucky ones who successfully made it through a Blogger Contest to go on to work for EN. And I always need more friends, so this is the perfect way to find new ones, right?

Ok, here’s the deal:

This is a paid position. You should want to write part-time for EN — at least two to three posts per week. We value commitment and work ethic above all else, so make sure that you have the time to dedicate to this position.

Everyone is eligible to enter (including previous contestants), and no prior journalism experience is necessary. Personal style is a must. We want to be entertained! Chinch wants to spit out his beer mid-read because he’s laughing! We want to be intrigued. Let us see what really sets you apart as a writer.

Your first round entries should include a short bio (name, age, background, character-defining qualities, embarrassing tidbits, etc.) and a 300- to 600-word sample of your best eventing-related work.

The EN team will judge by the same standards as the past five years (interesting, funny, informative, creative) and factor public opinion into our final decision. Keep in mind that you’re writing for a large audience of 1.2 million readers, and we’ll be selecting finalists based on the quality of entries.

Entries are due on Friday, June 23. Email your entry to [email protected] with the subject “EN Blogger Contest Entry.” Good luck! Go Eventing.

Luhmühlen CCI4* Cross Country Live Updates: Bettina Hoy Leads, Hannah Sue 8th

By on Jun 17, 2017 6:45 am - 6,840 views

We’re just about set to kick off CCI4* cross country at Luhmühlen, and Mike Etherington-Smith certainly has plenty up his sleeve to test the riders today.

Cross country has concluded for the CIC3*, where we saw Hannah Sue Burnett and Ms. Jacqueline Mars’ RF Demeter go into 24th place with 4.8 time added across the country. You can read Wylie’s full report on the CIC3* here.

Our U.S. contingent is currently vying for competitive spots on the leaderboard and we’re looking forward to cheering them on this morning. Refresh this page for the latest, and you can also tune in to watch live on FEI TV. You can also take a look at EN’s cross country course preview here. Optimum time for the CCI4* today is 11:11 — make a wish, everyone!

U.S. cross country ride times:

Sharon White and Cooley On Show: CLEAR with 2.8 time

Katherine Coleman and Longwood: CLEAR with 2.4 time

Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous: CLEAR with 6.4 time

Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot: CLEAR inside the time

Will Coleman and Obos O’Reilly: CLEAR inside the time

11:15 a.m.: Update! Marilyn Little’s 50 penalties for missing a flag have been removed, which puts her on a score of 44.8 and into ninth place overnight behind Hannah Sue Burnett. That means that the U.S. went 6 for 6 in clear rounds today, including Hannah Sue Burnett’s ride on RF Demeter in the CIC3*.

10:45 a.m.:

10:37 a.m.: Here is your top five following cross country. Hannah Sue Burnett is the top placed American in 8th place, followed by Will Coleman and OBOS O’Reilly in 11th, Sharon White and Cooley On Show in 20th, Katherine Coleman and Longwood in 26th and Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous in 39th. We will keep our eyes out for the 50 penalties being taken away, but as of now they are still standing. Stay tuned for Wylie’s full report!

10:36 a.m.: He didn’t quite catch Hannah Sue but Andreas Dibowski holds onto sixth place with a sub-11 minute time today.

10:34 a.m.: Andreas Dibowski is giving Hannah Sue a run for her money, coming through the arena just over 8 minutes on the clock.

10:32 a.m.:

#luhmühlen #vielseitigkeit #crosscountry #eventing #sonne #sommer #horse #jumping #geländetag

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10:31 a.m.: Our final pair is on course, Caroline Powell and Sinatra Frank Baby. Love that name.

10:30 a.m.:

10:26 a.m.: Looking to defend their 6th place position following dressage, Andreas Dibowski and FRH Butts Avedon are away.

10:25 a.m.: Andrew Nicholson pilots Teseo home in 10:59, the second rider besides Hannah Sue to come home under 11 minutes. This will be one to watch for Andrew!

10:21 a.m.: Frankie hangs a leg with Peter Flarup at 7 — this is the second time we’ve seen this, at least in the shots we have seen at this fence — and Peter pulls on his sticky britches and makes the save for the B element.

10:19 a.m.: Flora Harris gives Bayano some verbal encouragement at the final water. This horse has been a pleasure to watch on course today.

10:16 a.m. As of right now, Marilyn Little’s 50 penalties for missing the flag are still showing.

10:14 a.m.: We’re getting towards the end of cross country for the day and now we will see Andrew Nicholson and Teseo, an 11-year-old Spanish gelding contesting his first CCI4*.

10:13 a.m.: Bettina Hoy will maintain her lead with a clear round inside the time aboard Designer 10. Just as a reminder, Bettina is also leading the CIC3* with Seigneur Medicott. It will be quite the finale tomorrow!

10:09 a.m.: And that’s another clear inside the time, this time for Will and Oboe! Well done, gentlemen and what a banner day for our U.S. riders. Meanwhile, Bettina Hoy is still riding her guts out to chase that clock on Designer 10. They’re clear through the arena and the following arrowhead brush at 24.

10:08 a.m.: Coming to the final at 10 minutes on the clock are Will and OBOS O’Reilly who still look full of run.

10:07 a.m.:

10:07 a.m.: Will is clear and just three from home!

10:05 a.m.: We just caught a shot of Will and OBOS O’Reilly through the water at 18/19 looking keen! Go boys go!

10:04 a.m.: Whew! Designer 10 hangs a leg at 9A, pitching Bettina up the neck but she hangs on and makes it work for the B. Stickability!

10:03 a.m.: Biarritz goes to his knees in the arena and Camilla Kruger pulls him up. He looked sound walking off, a good decision to save her horse for the next go round. Will is clear through the water at 18/19.

10:02 a.m.: Will is clear through 12. And our leaders are now on course! Bettina Hoy and Designer 10 need to go quick to maintain their lead.

10:00 a.m.: ICYMI, Will received the Land Rover Ride of the Day at Rolex in 2015, so we know that both horse and rider are more than capable of putting in a clear round inside the time.

9:58 a.m.: Away and over the first three are Will Coleman and OBOS O’Reilly! This pair earned a 48.1 in the dressage.

9:56 a.m.: Zimbabwe Olympian Camilla Kruger is clear through the first water aboard Biarritz.

9:53 a.m.: Will Coleman and OBOS O’Reilly will be the next out of the box. Overnight leaders Bettina Hoy and Designer 10 will follow Will.

9:53 a.m.:

9:52 a.m.:

9:52 a.m. Maxime Livio and Opium de Verrieres are on course and clear through the first two combinations.

9:51 a.m.:

#luhmühlen #luhmuehlen #reitturnier

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9:50 a.m.:

9:50 a.m.: Karen O’Connor is now joining the commentary party!

9:48 a.m.: Damn! Astier Nicolas becomes the first fall of the day, parting ways from Molakai at the water at 19. Molokai slammed on the brakes at the brush at the final element, pitching Astier out the front door and depositing him onto the brush. Bummer.

9:44 a.m.:

#luhmühlen #familytime #horses #daslebenistschön

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9:43 a.m.: Hannah Sue and Harbour Pilot’s time of 10:45 is by far the quickest turn of foot we’ve seen all day. And deservedly so, Hannah meant business on the back side of every fence. Gritty cross country riding at its finest.

9:42 a.m.

9:40 a.m.: “She could stop and have a picnic and still make the time,” says John Kyle as Hannah Sue comes to the last. She is inside the time and adds nothing to her dressage score of 44.5! Hannah will be positively over the moon with both of her rides today (she also went clear on RF Demeter in the CIC3*).

9:39 a.m. Hannah Sue Burnett is clocking one of the quicker paces of the day as she carefully negotiates the final water.

9:37 a.m.: Julia finishes easily under the time, meaning Bettina has just 2 seconds of time in hand. Hannah Sue is riding positively and clear through 24.

9:36 a.m.: Hannah Sue Burnett is all clear through the water at 18/19.

9:35 a.m.: Samourai du Thot is jumping superb at the final water for Julia Krajewski. This pair was second after dressage and will look to put the pressure on Bettina Hoy for the lead.

9:34 a.m.: Clear through 13 for Hannah Sue, who looks strong, landing and kicking on, on the shots we’ve seen so far.

9:32 a.m. Clear through the first combination at 8 for Hannah Sue and Harbour Pilot.

9:30 a.m.: Hannah Sue is away and over the first three rhythm fences.

9:29 a.m.: Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot should be away!

9:29 a.m.:

9:28 a.m.:

9:20 a.m.:

9:18 a.m.: Just two away from our penultimate American pair, Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot.

9:17 a.m.:

9:12 a.m.: To catch up, Jim Newsam retired Magennis after two refusals at the first water. Harry Meade and Away Cruising are the third pair to make it home on the optimum of 11:11. That makes nine double clears so far.

9:11 a.m.: Now THAT is dedication!

9:09 a.m.: Live feed is frozen again.

9:04 a.m.: 50 penalties has popped up for the arrowhead flag for Marilyn. It was not clear on the replay, and I would venture a guess that she will be appealing this decision. She is home clear otherwise with a time of 11:28 and 6.8 for a total current of 94.8.

9:02 a.m.: RF Scandalous climbs through the arrowhead coming out the arena and takes the flag. Hard to tell exactly how inside the flag on the left side she was on the replay but she’s carrying on.

9:00 a.m.: RF Scandalous stands a bit off of the final brush element in the water at 18/19. Marilyn does a great job giving the mare the reins and letting her find the line.

8:59 a.m.: Clear through 17 for Marilyn Little.

8:57 a.m.: Marilyn seems to be giving Kitty lots of opportunities to gallop and cover the ground, they’re clear through 12.

8:56 a.m.:

8:56 a.m.: Marilyn and “Kitty” are clear through the first combination at 8.

8:51 a.m: Fernhill Now or Never gets a bit close to the brush jumps at the 18/19 water for Kate Honey. This horse really has springs for feet, really cool to see over the fly fences. Marilyn Little is away!

8:51 a.m. Shane Rose and Virgil are our newest starters, meaning our third USA pair, Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous will be the next out.

8:49 a.m.: Andrew Heffernan now joins John Kyle in the commentary booth. “I came a little too fast,” he says of his one tough spot on the course earlier.

8:48 a.m.:

8:48 a.m.:

8:41 a.m.: Another strong finish for team USA as Katherine Coleman stops the clock at 11:16 for 2.4 time penalties and a two day score of 59.9!

@katherine_coleman_eventing at the final water #luhmuehlen @turniergesellschaft_luhmuehlen

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8:38 a.m.: Clear through 24 for Katherine and Longwood, who we have not seen since the first fence.

8:36 a.m.: Nicola Wilson and Bulana are on their way like bats out of hell. This horse looks to be a very cool jumper. Katherine is clear through the tricky water at 18/19.

8:35 a.m.:

8:34 a.m.: The live stream is just a tad behind real time, so I can tell you that Katherine is clear through 13.

8:33 a.m.: And Katherine and Longwood are underway!

8:31 a.m.: We’re about to see our next American, Katherine Longwood, out of the box with Longwood.

8:28 a.m.: We’re back underway with the live stream. Ros Canter becomes the second rider to finish exactly on the optimum time with Zenshera. Now we’ll see Alex Bragg (who was one of our favorites to watch at Badminton last month) and Redpath Ransom.

8:26 a.m.: The FEI TV live stream is currently frozen, so if you’re watching it’s not just you!

8:22 a.m.: Oliver does five strides where most have put in six in the main arena from a big table to double corners. Oliver knows how to hustle the clock and he’s doing just that with Black Tie.

8:20 a.m.: A big jump into the first water at 7 for Ros Canter and Zenshera. We’ve seen a few horses take a peek here followed by a big leap as they see the water on the landing side of the big brush in.

8:18 a.m.: Quite a few taking the indirect route at fence 9, which sets the horse up with a bit more time to see the brush corner on the way out. Oliver Townend takes this option with Black Tie, who looks totally game.

8:17 a.m.: Never looking hurried, Pascal Leroy stops the clock bang on the optimum time of 11:11 with Minos de Petra. They win our vote for Ride of the Day so far!

8:15 a.m.: Oliver Townend and his 2014 WEG mount, Black Tie, are now on course. Pascal Leroy is giving us a master class in “How to Ride a Hunter on a Cross Country Course.”

8:14 a.m.:

#luhmühlen #cci #vielseitigkeit #crosscountry #military #horse #power

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8:12 a.m.: Minos de Petra makes the water at 18/19 look like it’s part of a hunter course. So much love for this horse.

8:09 a.m.: Nicholas Lucey and Proud Courage have a hairy moment up the bank at the island at 18, quickly re-route to the alternate and have an unfortunate stop.

8:06 a.m.: A very experienced pair (example: they’ve completed Badminton five times), Pascal Leroy and Minos de Petra are our latest starters.

8:04 a.m.: Not to keep harping on course design, but I’m really appreciating how forward Mike is encouraging the riders to go. You don’t see any of the landing followed by a hair pin turn to make the next element, rather you see riders boldly encouraging their horses to keep a rhythm and the distances just come up out of stride, even in the combinations.

8:02 a.m.: Aside from the early trouble for the first two riders, Mike E-S’ course has been riding really well overall with just a few issues scattered throughout. It’s very telling to see how the horses are handling the last couple of combinations, and thus far no one has looked all that tired coming home.

7:57 a.m.:

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7:55 a.m.:

7:54 a.m.: Sorry, evidently Andrew did not retire at the water, he’s still on course!

7:53 a.m.: HOME full of gallop with just 7 seconds of time for Sharon White! This puts this pair on 52.6 over two days. What a great trailblazing round for the Americans!

7:52 a.m.: Andrew Heffernan has retired Millthyme Corolla at the water at 18 after the mare tripped up the bank and could not make the brush work.

7:51 a.m.: Cooley On Show has his ears pricked and carefully makes his way through the final water at 27. He’s looked very confident in the shots we’ve seen of him.

7:50 a.m.: Sharon and Cooley on Show are clear through 25, having disappeared from the live stream again. Almost there!

7:48 a.m.: Hey, there’s Sharon! We catch a glimpse as they easily clear 16. Time looks great at the midway point! They look dynamite as they take the direct route through the water at 18.

7:46 a.m.: We’ve sadly seen very little of Sharon White on the live feed, but she is clear through 14 according to the live scores.

7:45 a.m.: Our first British horse on course, Pennlands Douglas, shows off his pre-cross country dance moves:

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7:44 a.m.: Sharon and Cooley On Show are clear through 8. Kirsty Short and Cossan Lad were having a cracking round but have a drive by at the brush on the island at fence 18. She’s re-routed to the alternate route and is back on her way.

7:42 a.m.: Victoria Scott stops the clock at 11:05, our first clear and under time. And now on course: Cooley On Show and Team USA’s trailblazer, Sharon White!

7:40 a.m.: Denis and Oregon de la Vigne live dangerously at the water at 14 but use their combined experience to get the job done. According to the scores, Harry Dzenis and Xam activated a pin at fence 8A.

7:40 a.m.:

7:39 a.m.: French rider Denis Mesples and Oregon de la Vigne are our newest starters. They’re clear through fence 13 and are currently nature galloping through the woods. This course is nothing if not beautiful.

7:37 a.m.: Just caught a glimpse of Sharon White’s signature orange as she gets ready to head out soon!

7:36 a.m.: A tiny peek at the last element of the water at 18, but positive riding from Victoria gets the job done. Harry Dzenis and Xam are currently carrying 11 penalties for activating a pin — unsure where at this moment.

7:35 a.m.:

7:33 a.m.: Harry Dzenis takes the first direct route through the water at 18 with Xam, who looks super keen and positive at this just over midway point of the course. Alan Nolan is having a rocking round with Bronze Flight, and he gives his horse big pats at the last combination at the penultimate fence.

7:31 a.m: Our next starter is South African rider Victoria Scott and Song du Magay.

7:29 a.m.: Alan John Nolan takes the conservative route at the water at 18.

7:27 a.m.: British rider Harry Dzenis and Xam are our latest starters. Alan John Nolan is clear through 14.

7:26 a.m.: I have to apologize for the lack of GIFs in today’s live updates; my touchy GIF software has decided it didn’t want to play today. Sad face.

7:23 a.m.: And, sadly Emma has been eliminated for three refusals at fence 9B. Ireland’s Alan John Nolan and Bronze Flight are on course seeking to become our first completion. He takes the alternate route at 9, which gives you a much better line to the brush corner out, where Emma came to grief.

7:30 a.m. Strong and no issues through the first water, which caught our first pair out.

7:18 a.m. Pennlands Douglas is quite keen in the start box and they’re underway with an encouraging “Come on, lad!” from Emma.

7:14 a.m.: A bit of an early lull here as we have just a couple of minutes until our next rider, Great Britain’s Emma Hyslop-Webb and Pennlands Douglas. This is the second CCI4* start for this pair, who came 21st at Pau in 2015.

7:10 a.m: And we’re underway with our trailblazers Caroline Powell and Spice Sensation. Unfortunately they’ve called it a day early after a peek and a stop at the first water.

7:08 a.m.:

Thursday News & Notes from Nupafeed

By on Jun 15, 2017 12:01 am - 1,145 views

Repping Nupafeed and our fallen friend, Jon Sonkin. Photo by Corey Shannon.

The eventing community continues to reel after receiving the devastating news that our friend Jon Sonkin passed away suddenly yesterday morning. In honor of our friend, who could always be seen with a big smile and a few C4 belts in hand, eventer Ashley Russell has suggested that we ride in Jon’s signature colors of green and white this weekend. Jon was also a fan of shamrocks, so we know he’d smile if he saw a bunch of green shamrocks rocking around cross country. You will be so sorely missed, Jon.

There is a GoFundMe account that has been made in Jon’s honor to assist with his expenses. If you’d like to help out, click here.

Events This Week:

Luhmühlen Links: Website, Entries, Schedule, Thursday Starting Order, Live Scores, FEI TV, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Feather Creek Farm HT: [Website] [Ride Times]

Golden Spike HT: [Website] [Ride Times]

Come Again Farm Fathers Day HT: [Website] [Ride Times]

Bucks County Park HT: [Website] [Ride Times]

Silverwood Farm Spring HT: [Website] [Ride Times]

Seneca Valley Pony Club Spring HT: [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Full Gallop Farm June HT: [Website] [Ride Times]

Great Vista HT: [Website] [Ride Times]

War Horse Event Series June HT: [Website] [Entry Status]

News & Notes:

John Michael Durr has made quite the name for himself between competing in both eventing and show jumping/hunters, but also course designing. In this new column on the USEA website, JM talks about the importance and keys to designing courses for young event horses. [Designing for YEH]

There are all days when we wonder why we get up every day to do what we do. This timely blog from British eventer Simon Grieve talks about his feelings on what keeps him going on the tough days. [Simon Grieve: Why I Do This Job]

Are you thinking of pulling your horse’s shoes? Before you do, take a look at this helpful article for some key insights on what to bear in mind when going barefoot. [Back to Barefoot]

Thursday Video:

Check out the latest sale video for Pumba, the most bombproof horse in the world. This video was made when a buyer asked if Pumba was alright around llamas…

Yoshiaki Oiwa Flying High After Historic Bramham CCI3* Win

By on Jun 14, 2017 8:46 am - 1,151 views

Yoshiaki Oiwa and Calle 44 at Bramham. Photo by Kit Houghton.

Representing the red and white colors of Japan, Yoshiaki Oiwa has worked tirelessly to make his goals of putting his country at the forefront of the international eventing scene a reality. “Yoshi” has now added a new highlight to his CV: CCI3* winner at the Equi-Trek Bramham International Horse Trials.

Yoshi is no stranger to success in the eventing world, most recently finishing in the top 10 at Badminton this spring with his Rio mount, The Duke of Cavan, as well as winning the CIC3* at Barroca d’Alva. He now has the most three-star wins of any Japanese rider in history, according to EquiRatings.

Yoshi got his start in eventing at a young age when he competed on a university team and was introduced to cross country. “I started riding around 10 or 11 years old as only a hobby,” Yoshi said. “Around age 14, I started riding every day and enjoying show jumping competitions. My first time eventing was for a university competition, and we had no choice but to do all three disciplines.”

Yoshi began to gravitate towards eventing as his chosen sport. He made his FEI eventing debut in 2002 with Prince Rockaway, with whom he completed his first CCI* in the top 30. His first taste of CCI4* eventing came in 2005 at Badminton with Voyou du Roc. This pair finished 11th that year, adding two seconds of time across country and 12 show jumping faults to their final score.

That began the start of a strong career at the upper levels, from winning the individual gold medal at the 2006 Asian Games with Khanjer Black, to finishing in the top 20 individually at the 2014 World Equestrian Games with Fifth Avenue Fame. Yoshi has also represented Japan at the Olympics twice: in London in 2012 with Noonday de Conde and at Rio in 2016 with The Duke of Cavan, with whom he finished 20th individually.

Yoshi bases in Germany currently and trains with Dirk Schrade, which has paid off in spades as he continues to put himself on the competitive map. This spring, Yoshi also traveled to the UK to train with Pippa Funnell in preparation for Belton and other events on the British spring circuit.

Bramham proved to be a big weekend for Calle 44, a 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Cristo – Sara IV, by Quebec) owned by Yoshi. It was the gelding’s first CCI3* run, so Yoshi’s intent was for him to have a solid and educational run to set him up for bigger events ahead.

“Cross country was our big challenge,” Yoshi said. “Dressage, we did our best. Of course there is more to improve there. This was his first CCI3* and I wanted to try to make good time. He jumped everything straight out without any hesitation and got more confident as he went.”

Yoshiaki Oiwa takes his victory gallop. Photo by Kit Houghton.

Over a tough show jumping track that shuffled the final standings, Yoshi and Calle 44 delivered one of just five faultless rounds to eventually take their first CCI3* win — and the first Bramham win for a Japanese rider in the history of the event.

Looking to the clear round that sealed the deal, Yoshi said it has been beneficial for Calle 44 to compete in pure show jumping as well, something that Yoshi does regularly. Calle 44 competed at the CSI2* and CSI3* levels for show jumping over the winter, which has lent itself to his show jumping on the eventing circuit.

“I did a few weeks of a show jumping tour before this season starter,” Yoshi said. “Calle is a very careful horse so he needs a lot of confidence. The show jumping tour was just training, so no pressure. Those relaxed rounds really helped both of us.”

Yoshi will now return to Germany to continue his preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in his home country. Looking ahead, it is important to Yoshi that he does what he can to continue putting Japanese riders on the map for equestrian sport.

Japan, as with most Asian countries, is a smaller federation without many opportunities within the country to compete in pure eventing. For 2017, Japan has just 23 riders and 30 horses registered as FEI athletes, and Yoshi says that some eventers have relocated to Europe to have more access to training.

“We only have two or three places to do cross country in Japan,” Yoshi said. “There are four (Japanese) riders based in Europe, and a few more will be coming over. At Bramham, Japan had two riders in the top five [Toshiyuki Tanaka and Talma D Allou finished in fourth place], so we are doing quite good I think. We Japanese riders want to be competitive.”

So it’s all eyes on Tokyo as Yoshi and his compatriots focus on their end goal: to represent their country on the world’s biggest stage right there in Tokyo.

“I have always wanted to tell the Japanese people that our horse sports are great,” Yoshi said, “but I’ve never had the chance. Tokyo will be a chance to show our sports at the top level. I hope that we can make a really competitive team.”

Tuesday Video from SpectraVET: The Perfect Luhmühlen Hype Video

By on Jun 13, 2017 5:00 pm - 986 views

Because we all love a good hype video, this one is perfect to get us all ready for the start of competition at Luhmühlen this weekend. We’ll be seeing five American pairs competing in the CCI4* as well as one American in the CIC3* (Hannah Sue Burnett and RF Demeter). We will also see the reigning Rolex champions, Michael Jung and fischerRocana FST, who will contest the CIC3*.

Leslie Wylie will be our eyes on the ground this weekend, so stay tuned for much, much more from Turniergesellschaft Luhmühlen.

Turniergesellschaft Luhmühlen: [Website][Entries][Schedule]

Why SpectraVET?

Reliable. Effective. Affordable.

SpectraVET is committed to providing only the highest-quality products and services to our customers, and to educating the world in the science and art of laser therapy.

We design and manufacture the broadest range of clinically-proven veterinary therapeutic laser products, which are represented and supported worldwide by our network of specialist distributors and authorized service centers.

Tuesday News & Notes from Cavalor

By on Jun 13, 2017 12:01 am - 1,845 views

Always Team Lee Lee! Photo via Fly Pretty Designs.

As always, the eventing community continues to rally around its own, and the ongoing support for Lee Lee Jones, Phillip Dutton’s stepdaughter who was injured last winter in a riding accident, has been nothing short of incredible. In the latest venture to support Team Lee Lee, Fly PRetty Designs is now offering these awesome t-shirts to benefit the cause. You can find hats, t-shirts, sweatshirts and more to benefit Lee Lee here. Be sure to search for #teamleelee on the site to bring up all of the options. 50% of the proceeds from sales will be going to Lee Lee’s benefit. Many thanks to Fly Pretty Designs for their generosity!

Events Opening This Week:

Stoneleigh-Burnham Summer H.T (MA, A-1), Horse Park of New Jersey Horse Trials II (NJ, A-2), Cobblestone Farms H.T. (MI, A-8), Hunt Club Farms H.T. (VA, A-2)

Events Closing Today:

Horse Park of New Jersey H.T. I (NJ, A-2), South Farm H.T. (OH, A-8), Chattahoochee Hills H.T. (GA, A-3)

News & Notes:

Ingrid Klimke has announced the retirement of her four-star partner, SAP Escada FRH. Escada partnered with Ingrid for her first career CCI4* win a Luhmühlen in 2015 and was competing at the Event Riders Masters at Wiesbaden earlier this month when she aggravated an old injury. Ingrid says Escada will likely now enjoy retirement as a mother — we can’t wait to see that baby! [Escada to Retire]

Do you have a Future Event Horse prospect? You won’t want to miss these jump chute clinic opportunities presented by the USEA. There are many learning opportunities available during these clinics, even if you decide to just attend as an auditor, so be sure to check them out for a clinic near you. [USEA Offers FEH Jump Chute Clinics]

Eventers aren’t the only ones with sticky britches. Check out an awesome save made by hunter/jumper rider Hunter Holloway during the $216,000 Horseware Grand Prix at Tryon International this weekend and her comments afterward. [Hunter Holloway Saves the Day]

Tuesday Video:

Here is some action from Luhmühlen in the form of an Ingrid Klimke helmet cam aboard Escada FRH:

Monday News & Notes from Fleeceworks

By on Jun 12, 2017 12:01 am - 1,231 views

Not to be forgotten in all of the excitement that was Bromont and Bramham this weekend, several other events also ran all over the country, including Roebke’s Run in Minnesota. You might not think of Minnesota as an eventing hub, but Roebke’s Run is truly a special venue with a lot to offer. Many congratulations are in order for the FEI winners (and all of the winners!) at Roebke’s this weekend: in the CCI2*, Jacob Fletcher and Bacardi W, in the CCI* Medigan Murphy and Wildebrandt, in the CIC2* Lily Geelan and Luksor and in the CIC* Lisa Borgia and Laurelin.

And how pretty are the FEI ribbons? Pictured above are Daniel Sarango and Katarina van de Heffink, who finished second in the CCI*, their first CCI completion together. Many congratulations!

Weekend Results:

Bromont Links: Website, Final Scores, EN’s Coverage

Bramham Links: Website, Final Scores, EN’s Coverage

Larkin Hill H.T. [Website] [Final Scores]

Valinor Farm H.T. [Website] [Final Scores]

Plantation Field June H.T. [Website] [Final Scores]

The Middleburg H.T. [Website] [Final Scores]

River Glen H.T. [Website] [Final Scores]

Roebke’s Run CCI/CIC & H.T. [Website] [Final Scores]

Queeny Park H.T. [Website] [Final Scores]

Copper Meadows H.T. [Website] [Final Scores]

Camelot Equestrian Horse Park H.T. [Website] [Final Scores]

Aspen Farms H.T. [Website] [Final Scores]

Derbyshire Farms H.T. [Final Scores]

News & Notes:

Have you ever wondered about the “proper” application of fly spray? Now that we are fully in fly spray season, it’s beneficial to know if you’re making any common mistakes when it comes to getting rid of flies. [Common Fly Spray Mistakes]

Many people achieved their qualifications for AECs this weekend (congratulations!), so it’s about that time to really start getting pumped for an exciting weekend. In the latest USEA podcast, organizer Robert Kellerhouse sits down with two winners from 2016, Doug Payne and Ryan Wood to preview AEC week in Tryon, North Carolina. [USEA Podcast: AEC Preview]

Did you know that Yoshiaki Oiwa is the first Japanese rider to capture the win at Bramham International? Hear what Yoshiaki had to say about the biggest win of his career after picking up the CCI3* win yesterday at Bramham. [Historic Win at Bramham]

Monday Video:

Watch some of Jordan Linstedt and RevitaVet Capato’s cross country from their winning weekend at Bromont! You can find many, many more Bromont videos here from a very busy David Frechette!

Caroline Martin Finishes Two Horses in Top 10 in Bramham Under 25 CCI3*

By on Jun 11, 2017 12:11 pm - 1,630 views
Caroline Martin and Pebbly Maxiums. Photo by Adam Fanthorphe. Caroline Martin and Pebbly Maxiums. Photo by Adam Fanthorphe.

In the Under 25 CCI3* at Bramham International, the tough show jumping track yielded just three fault-free rounds, allowing a few more moves up the board on the final day of competition. Overnight leaders Will Furlong and Collien P 2 had a hefty 11.6 point lead going into show jumping and needed nine of those to solidify the win.

Our hero of the hour is Caroline Martin, who finished both Pebbly Maximus and The Apprentice inside the top 10, moving from seventh to fifth with Pebbly Maximus and from 13th to eighth with The Apprentice, both of whom lowered one rail.

Caroline now tops off a whirlwind trip to Europe thanks to the support of the Karen Stives Eventing Endowment Fund Grant, and she’ll be heading home with her two rides this week. Mackenna Shea, who also received the Karen Stives Grant, will be staying in Europe longer after her trip got off to a delayed start.

“I have absolutely wonderful horses and support team,” Caroline said. “I am extremely honored to have been able to represent the USA at my first Nations Cup and at the Under 25. This grant has been the first big step for me on the international stage and I will improve the next time out.”

Looking to the senior CCI3*, Japan’s Yoshiaki Oiwa and Calle 44 are your winners, jumping one of just five double clear rounds this morning to overtake Gemma Tattersall and Quicklook V, who incurred five penalties. This is the first three-star win for this pair, who most recently came 13th at the Event Riders Masters at Chatsworth last month.

Japan also finishes a second rider in the top five with Toshiyuki Tanaka and Talma D’Allou, a 10-year-old Selle Francais gelding owned by Riding Club Crane. This pair finishes their weekend fourth position on a final score of 53.7 with just one time penalty added this morning. This is a very exciting horse for Japan, as this is his first CCI3* start.

Many thanks as always to Adam Fanthorpe for being our camera on the ground this weekend and at many other European events this year. Additionally, thank you to our readers for following along with our Bramham coverage. Onward!

Bramham Links: Website, Entries & Live Scores, EN’s Coverage

Bramham International: Caroline Martin 7th in U25, Tiana Coudray 5th in CIC3*

By on Jun 10, 2017 12:00 pm - 2,338 views

Caroline Martin and Pebbly Maximus. Photo by Adam Fanthorpe.

Ian Stark’s tracks caused quite the shuffle on the leaderboards at Bramham International today, with just a handful of the original top 10 in all three divisions remaining in position following cross country.

Overnight leaders Gemma Tattersall and Quicklook V retained their dressage lead, adding 6.5 time on cross country today for a total score of 43.1. Gemma will not have a rail in hand looking ahead to tomorrow’s show jumping finale, and “Pebbles” is historically a pretty consistent show jumper — he has not yet had a rail at the CCI3* level.

In second place after cross country are Australia’s Sammi Burch and Hunter Valley II, who moved up from fourth place with 3.2 added for a score of 44.8. Hunter Valley II, a 12-year-old Australian Sport Horse gelding (Wirragulla Hamlet – Lilly, by Brilliant Invader) owned by Lyndon and Sammi McLeod, is a seasoned three-star campainger looking to improve on a fourth place finish at this event last year.

Third are Japan’s Yoshiaki Oiwa and Calle 44, a 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Cristo – Sara IV, by Quebec), who moved up from fifth place with 2.4 time added for a two day score of 45.4. This is the first CCI3* start for Calle 44, who also competes in FEI show jumping at the CSI2* and CSI3* level.

Caroline Martin and The Apprentice. Photo by Adam Fanthorpe.

The sole American in the CCI3*, Lauren Kieffer with D.A. Duras, owned by Debbie Adams and Ms. Jacqueline Mars, were sadly eliminated on course when “D” clipped a corner at fence 6 and twisted just enough to unseat Lauren. We’re happy to report that both Lauren and D are just fine and in good spirits. Lauren told EN that she is thinking of re-routing to the Barbury CIC3* at the beginning of July.

Leading the U25 CCI3* are British pair Will Furlong and Collien P 2, a 10-year-old Oldenburg mare (Carentan – Compita, by Carolus), who are making their debut at the CCI3* level together. This pair had the quickest round of the day in the U25 division, adding two seconds of time to move them into first after sitting sixth following dressage. Their two-day score of 48.4 is more than enough to give them a hefty lead overnight.

Second placed pair Gina Ruck and Rehy Too also were rewarded with a big move up the board after lying 14th in the dressage. This pair added 10 time to go into tomorrow on a 60.0, followed by compatriots Charlotte Bacon and Last Touch, whose quick turn of hoof moved them up 20 places into third on a 62.2.

Caroline Martin had unlucky 20s on each of her two rides in the U25. “I was too bold into the final water (with Pebbly Maximus) and we left a stride out at the first skinny, and I landed on his neck so we had to circle to make the B element,” Caroline said. “Both were my mistakes and my horses are amazing athletes. I’m very lucky to be here and have such a good team.”

Regardless, Caroline remains in seventh position following cross country on a two day score of 74.1 with Pebbly Maximus, owned by Sherrie Martin, and 13th on an 87.8 with The Apprentice, also owned by Sherrie.

Izzy Taylor won the CIC3* aboard Trevidden, a 12-year-old British Sport Horse (Fleetwater Opposition – Assine, by Torus) owned by Dr. Patricia Turner, on a final score of 47.4. This pair sat in 15th following dressage and moved up to seventh after show jumping early on today. They turned in the only other double clear effort across Ian Stark’s track to cement the win, the first at the level for Trevidden.

Tiana Coudray and Under the Clocks. Photo by Adam Fanthorpe.

And last but certainly not least, we’re thrilled for Tiana Coudray and Under the Clocks, a 15-year-old Thoroughbred (Woodborough X Regal Kate) owned by Murray Lamperd and Jade Wishart, who put in an effortless double clear run in the CIC3*, the second fault-free round of the division.

We reported yesterday that Tiana has had “Ninja” in her yard for three years now, keeping him in work for Australian rider Murray Lamperd, who travels between Australia and the UK to compete.

Picking up third in the CIC3* are Willa Newton and Neelix on a final score of 55.2, moving up from eighth following cross country.

Cross country was influential across all three divisions. On the CCI3* track, fence 6 proved to be quite problematic for many pairs in both divisions, causing several rider falls and many other refusals and retirements. Fence 6 was a combination involving a trakehner, double corners and another trakehner on the way out. Click here to see photos of this ABCD combination.

We’ll be updating this post with photos from photographer extraordinaire Adam Fanthorpe, so check back for more from beautiful Bramham!

Bramham Links: Website, Entries & Live Scores, EN’s Coverage

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