Sally Spickard
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Sally Spickard

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About Sally Spickard

Sally Spickard is a Korean adoptee living in San Diego, California. Sally joined the Eventing Nation team in 2013 and has subsequently written for Noelle Floyd, Heels Down Mag, and other publications both in and out of the equestrian world. Sally is an eventing fan through and through and enjoys telling the stories of riders who are not well-represented within equestrian media.

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Day One in Montana: AEC is Officially Underway!

Name a better backdrop, I’ll wait. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

We’re having our usual FOMO scrolling through social media as beautiful image after beautiful images pop up from those riding at USEA American Eventing Championships this weekend. While we’re sad not to be there in person this year, we’re cheering hard and following along from afar all week long!

Day one of competition brought dressage for the Modified through Advanced riders. The AEC always run on a bit of a staggered schedule to allow for a balanced schedule. Tomorrow, the lower levels will begin their competition while the upper levels will tackle Ian Stark’s cross country challenge.

Helen Alliston praises Ebay for a job well done. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Don’t forget, a ton of action is available via live stream all week long thanks to Ride On Video, Horse & Country, and the USEA. More info on the live stream here.

More #AEC2022 content over on the USEA’s website here.

Bec Braitling and Caravaggio II strike quite a profile. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Let’s recap today’s scores:

$60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final: Helen Alliston and Ebay (25.2)
USEA Intermediate Championship: Tommy Greengard and Joshuay MBF (25.3)
Bates USEA Jr./YR Preliminary Championship: Reese Blinks and I’M Jaguar (25.0)
Bates USEA Preliminary Horse Championship: Jordan Linstedt and Lovely Lola (24.1)
Bates USEA Preliminary Rider Championship: Haley Dwight and WS Radagast (28.4)
Festival Open Preliminary: Karen O’Neal and Clooney 14 (20.0)
Festival Open Modified: Sarah Sullivan and La Copine (22.4)

USEA American Eventing Championships (Kalispell, MT): [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores] [Livestream]

Auburn Excell Brady traveled from her California base to contest the $60,000 Advanced Championship. They’re off to a solid start, scoring 29.9 to sit second after dressage. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

As always, Shannon Brinkman Photography and her crew are on the ground as official photographers. You can click here to order your photos from the week.

Last but not least, enjoy some social snippets from the early days of #AEC2022:

World Championships Replacement Named for Team Canada After Withdrawal of Colleen Loach

Dana Cooke and FE Mississippi. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Equestrian Canada has named Dana Cooke and the FE Mississippi Syndicate’s FE Mississippi to the squad traveling to Pratoni del Vivaro for the FEI World Championships for Eventing in just two weeks’ time. The announcement comes after the withdrawal of Vermont by Colleen Loach; the 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding sustained a sprained fetlock in his most recent run at Bromont earlier in August.

📣 FEI World Championships update on the Canadian Eventing Team:
Colleen Loach has made the difficult decision to…

Posted by Equestrian Canada Équestre on Tuesday, August 30, 2022

Dana and FE Mississippi (Cassini II – Liastra, by Legaat), a 12-year-old German mare otherwise known as “Miss Perfect”, have been based in the UK this year, competing at the likes of Millstreet CCI4*-L in June and the Hartpury International CCI4*-S this month. This pair also represented Canada at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, though their weekend came to an early end following cross country.

Team Canada will be flying out in the coming days to their base camp not far from the World Championships venue. Please join us in congratulating Dana and FE Mississippi on their call up!

If you’re looking for more from the FEI World Championships for Eventing, don’t miss out on our Ultimate Guide here.

It’s AEC Week! How to Follow Along

James Alliston and Nemesis. Photo by RedBayStock.com.

The USEA American Eventing Championships are finally here as eventers once again trek up to the beautiful Rebecca Farm in Kalispell, MT. This year’s AEC features both Championship and Festival classes from Beginner Novice up through Advanced, making for a top-notch competition to wrap up the U.S. championship period.

Whether you’re attending/competing in person or following along from back at home, use this guide for all the information you need. While we don’t have a reporter on the ground in Montana this week, we will be bringing you daily recaps and social media round-ups, so stay tuned for much more!

The Entries

The small-but-mighty $60,000 Adequan® USEA Advanced Final 2022 features primarily riders from the West coast, including three rides for James Alliston and two for Kaylawna Smith-Cook. You can preview the full entry list and ride times (as well as scoring beginning tomorrow for some divisions) for Horse, Rider, and Festival divisions here.

The Live Stream

Ride On Video will be providing the bulk of the live stream this weekend, featuring a little bit of a stream for each division throughout the week. The live stream can be viewed here as well as here (the second link won’t have commentary but will show more riders). The schedule (which is subject to change) is as follows — all times shown below are Mountain Standard:

WEDNESDAY, August 31st
DRESSAGE
Main Feed – Ring 1

9:00am – 10:25am Bates Preliminary Rider Championships
10:35am – 12:00pm Bates Preliminary Amateur Championships
1:30pm – 3:35pm Open Intermediate Championships
4:20pm – 5:30pm Advanced Championships

Feed 2 – Ring 2
8:30am – 9:00 Modified Championships
9:15am – 10:45am Bates Preliminary Horse Championships
1:00pm – 2:15pm Bates Preliminary JR/Y.R. Championships

THURSDAY, September 1st
Main Feed
CROSS COUNTRY

8:30am – 9:55am Preliminary Championships
10:10am – 11:05am Festival Open Preliminary
11:35am – 12:15pm Intermediate Championships
12:50pm – 1:50pm Advanced Championships
2:25pm – 2:35pm Modified Championships
2:50pm – 3:45pm Festival Open Modified

Feed 2 – Ring 1
DRESSAGE

8:30am – 11-35am Novice Junior Championships

FRIDAY, September 2nd
Main Feed
SHOW JUMPING

9:00am – 9:35am Festival Open Modified
9:50am – 10:00am Modified Championships
10:55am – 11:50am Festival Open Preliminary
12:45pm – 1:00pm Bates Preliminary Horse Championships
1:15pm – 1:35pm Bates Preliminary JR/Y.R. Championships
2:20pm – 2:45pm Bates Preliminary Amateur Championships
3:00pm – 3:25pm Bates Preliminary Rider Championships
4:25pm – 4:50pm Open Intermediate Championships
5:45pm – 6:00pm $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Championships

Feed 2
CROSS COUNTRY (Single Camera)

8:30am – 10:55am Training Championships
11:10am – 12:10pm Festival Open Training
12:40pm – 2:10pm Festival Open Novice
2:25pm – 5:50pm Novice Championships

SATURDAY, September 3rd
Main Feed
SHOW JUMPING

8:00am – 8:40am Training Horse Championships
8:55am – 9:40am Training Junior Championships
10:30am – 11:15am Training Amateur Championships
11:30am – 11:55am Training Rider Championships
1:00pm – 1:35pm Novice Horse Championships
1:50pm – 2:45pm Novice Junior Championships
3:45pm – 4:45pm Novice Amateur Championships
5:00pm – 5:50pm Novice Rider Championships

Feed 2
CROSS COUNTRY (Single Camera)

9:00am – 11:45am Beginner Novice Championships
12:00pm – 1:10pm Festival Open Beginner Novice

SUNDAY, September 4th
Main Feed
SHOW JUMPING

8:00am – 8:15am Beginner Novice Horse Championships
8:30am – 9:15am Beginner Novice Junior Championships
10:00am – 10:55am Beginner Novice Amateur Championships
11:10am – 12:00pm Beginner Novice Rider Championships
1:00pm – 1:35pm Festival Open Beginner Novice A
1:40pm – 2:20pm Festival Open Beginner Novice B

USEA American Eventing Championships: [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Scoring] [Live Stream] [Shannon Brinkman Photography]

Best of luck and have keep kicking to all competing this week! Enjoy some Instagram snippets from arrivals in Montana:

 

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A post shared by Julie Carani (@juliecarani)

 

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A post shared by Daren Wieferich (@avid747)

 

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A post shared by Karen Izzi Bristing (@karenbristing)

Liz Halliday-Sharp Takes Dual Victories, Team USA’s Ready to Fly at MARS Great Meadow

Cooley Quicksilver proves once again his competitive nature with another 4*-S win. Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography.

We knew we wouldn’t see every pair going for the notoriously difficult optimum time at MARS Great Meadow International, but a few of the top 10 riders gave it a good crack in the CCI4*-S conclusion this hot, balmy afternoon.

In the end, it would be Liz Halliday-Sharp with The Monster Partnership’s (Ocala Horse Properties, Renee Lane, Deborah Halliday) Cooley Quicksilver (Womanizer – Kylemore Crystal, by Creggan Diamond) who steadily crept up from their starting placing of fifth to take the overall win. She wins by the skin of her teeth on a 25.6 — just one second of time added on cross country — as Team USA member Tamie Smith let the Ahearn family and Eric Markell’s Mai Baum (Loredano 2 – Ramira, by Rike) cruise home to finish on a score of 26.9.

“Monster”, who is 11 this year, has already proven himself to be a competitor: he was fifth at Luhmühlen’s 5* in June, just after winning the tough Lexington 4*-S in April. This is his second 4*-S win, and Liz says the Irish gelding is feeling more professional with each go.

“I was completely thrilled with him,” Liz commented. “It’s his first run back since Luhmühlen, and he just keeps getting better. I mean, he’s only an eleven-year-old, so he’s done quite a lot. But he is still young horse and he was just totally professional in all three phases, and I couldn’t be more pleased with him.”

A 26.5 is a competitive finishing score anywhere in the world, Liz noted. “And that’s something I always strive for.” Liz has penciled the Maryland 5 Star in for both Cooley Quicksilver and her stalwart partner, Deniro Z, also owned by Ocala Horse Properties, who finished inside the top 10 on a score of 36.1.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Shanroe Cooley pick up a win en route to a trip to France this fall. Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography.

Liz also secured a second win in the 3*-S this weekend with Ocala Horse Properties Shanroe Cooley (Dallas VDL – Shanroe Sapphie), who at seven will aim for October’s FEI World Young Horse Breeding Championships in France. This was a wire-to-wire win for Liz, finishing the weekend without adding any penalties to their dressage score of 26.1.

Partnered with Liz since his four-year-old year, “Dallas” has been tapped for Le Lion for some time now as Liz produced him through the levels. “He just finds it really easy,” she said. “So it’s nice now because I’m going to go to his next run and just tone everything down a little bit since this was the first time I put a bit of pressure into him. And I think that was good for him. Now we can just settle down a little and have a nice run a Stable View [in September]. And then hopefully he’ll go in a really strong position for a lovely young Seven Year Old World Championships.

Tamie Smith and Mai Baum cruised around with just a few seconds of time. Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography.

Team USA Ticks the Boxes

For the combinations heading to Pratoni for FEI World Championships, today was intended to be a challenge without asking too much of each horse. Chef d’equipe Bobby Costello reaffirmed his role as supporter, noting that each rider knows their horse best and knew the type of ride each needed.

Tamie Smith said she opted to let Mai Baum pick the pace out of the box, saying she was even a bit surprised to see she’d only come home with 6.4 time penalties as she thought they’d just cruised around.

“This is his first run since Badminton,” Tamie said. “And this is kind of what I do before a big Long format…He actually went faster than I expected him to. So I was kind of pleasantly surprised to that I only had six time when I got through the finish flags.”

With a handful of problems scattered around the course but primarily time playing a factor, some riders noted that the course felt somewhat ‘soft’, however Tamie says it suited what she felt her horse needed.

“I don’t think you can really say it’s too soft,” she explained. “Because, for me, I’m not trying to have, you know, a really hard run. I’m just trying to get him thinking and look in between the flags. And that was enough to do out there to get the horses back on their game.”

Ground also played a role in riders’ decision to crank on the gas pedal; several pairs simply opted to withdraw, including second-placed Will Coleman (Chin Champ – Wildera, by Quinar Z) and Hyperion Stud’s Chin Tonic HS. Will had been on the fence on Saturday night regarding cross country today, and opted to save his talented young horse’s legs for another run. Despite the harder summer ground, riders were also complimentary of the organizing and grounds crews’ efforts to aerate and work the track.

“But it’s very challenging anywhere in the Mid Atlantic,” Bobby Costello said of the going. “I think everybody rode their horses very intelligently. The riders rode very smart, quick enough to give their horses a work but nothing crazy. So I was really happy.”

Will Coleman and Off the Record make quick work of a massive brush table on course. Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography.

Looking to the rest of the U.S. team riders: Will Coleman‘s Pratoni horse, the Off the Record Syndicate’s Off the Record (Arkansas – Drumagoland Bay, by Ard Ohio) is the next highest-placed on the weekend, picking up eight seconds of time but still moving up to third overall on a final score of 31.1. Ariel Grald and Annie Eldridge’s Leamore Master Plan (Master Imp – Ardragh Bash) collected 20 seconds of time to end in 11th on a 38.9. Boyd Martin came home 30 seconds over time with the Turner family’s Tsetserleg, who looked to be skipping around a Novice. Lauren Nicholson brought Ms. Jacqueline Mars’ Vermiculus home clear with 19 seconds of time to finish inside the top 20. Reserve pair Phillip Dutton with the Z Partnership’s Z (Asca Z – Bellabouche, by Babouche VH Gehucht Z) also turned in a steady clear round, amassing 16.8 time penalties.

Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography.

All Eyes on Pratoni

The riders and grooms will now focus on the long journey that begins this coming Friday, which will take the horses out of USET headquarters in Gladstone, NJ. The Americans are basing in France at Vittel, a venue east of Paris that hosts FEI eventing along with racing, polo, and training facilities. Eventing Elite Program and Team Facilitator aka Logistics Chief and Senior Cat Herder Max Corcoran along with Bobby Costello chose the venue while at Aachen earlier this summer, describing it as having all the facilities the team would need for final training: including ample opportunity for show jumping practice on grass.

It’s an established fact that the horses going to Pratoni have experience jumping on grass. Most jumped around Badminton this year, and they’ve all at some point competed at venues such as Carolina International and Red Hills here in the States, both of which have historically held show jumping on grass. But jumping on grass is not something we do much in this country, especially once you leave the lower level events in search of higher level offerings.

For his part, Bobby isn’t particularly fazed: “Honestly, we jump on grass all the time at my farm!” he laughed.

Most of the horses on the squad have clear rounds on grass on their records, but Bobby acknowledges the fact that this weekend, with its show jumping on groomed footing held ahead of cross country, would leave some space for necessary practice in France.

“I believe all of these horses that are on the squad have jumped and jumped well on grass, so I’m not overly concerned,” he said. “Also, the footing there is kind of an ash base, so I think it will not be overly slick conditions should they get some moisture. And we definitely will be jumping on grass while we’re training in France.”

It’s been an intense experience for Bobby, who was appointed Interim Chef d’Equipe in April of this year, a role last held by Erik Duvander. While Erik still works privately with most of the riders on the squad for Pratoni, Bobby’s the one steering the ship. While it may not have been on his to-do list in the moment, Bobby’s extensive experience lends itself well to this role: he’s competed at the Olympic level of the sport, working with multiple coaches and Chefs during these years, held positions on countless committees and leadership boards, and has acted as a High Performance selector. In many ways, one could surmise it was the next logical step for someone who is already quite well-respected within the community.

“I honestly didn’t know, going into it, exactly what it was going to take for me to do this job successfully,” he elaborated. “I’ve been lucky that I’ve seen every single part of [the sport], so nothing has been a surprise. But, no one has done this job strictly just as a Chef d’Equipe. You’re slightly one step removed, kind of looking in and being of support when it’s necessary. And kind of knowing when to step back because riders know their programs are working on all cylinders. I guess I didn’t know exactly what it would be like, but I’ve been very, very happy with the experience.”

Only time will tell if Bobby will consider keeping the position after Pratoni — for now, he’s contracted to lead the team to Italy, and he says he’s keeping an open mind but focusing on the task at hand first. The role is tough: there are many more weekends spent away from home, more pressure, more expectations. Bobby, who says he really enjoys working with riders as a coach, says he wants to ensure that he gives a lot of thought to what he wants to do next.

“I actually don’t think I’m going to know until I’m on the other side of Pratoni,” he said. “At least in the last several years, this has not been the ‘master plan’ for me. I truly love a lot of the coaching and helping riders at the upper levels, and I get a lot out of that. And in all honesty, that will be a big question: am I willing to give a little bit of that up?”

Overall, for Bobby this final outing for the U.S. squad ticked the boxes. “I think overall it was a really good prep event,” he explained. “I could not have been happier with the way the horses looked in the dressage. We all have in mind what their scoring potential is, and I think all the horses are right in that zone. Show jumping for the most part was good, but there were a couple of horses that underperformed a bit. But I think it will only make those riders go home and really give some thought to what needs to be tweaked — and I think it really is just more of a tweak. Today [cross country] I think went very well. I think everybody rode their horses very intelligently. I left it, after discussions with the riders, very much in their hands. I think they know I trust their judgement, and they all want to be very competitive in Pratoni. They knew the rides they needed to give their horses today and I am in full support.”

We still await the final confirmation of which four pairs will make up the U.S. team and which pair will compete as an individual — we can expect that announcement sometime between now and the final entry deadline of September 5.

It’s been a hot, balmy weekend at Great Meadow, but I had an absolute blast as always. I’ll leave you with some social media missives below, but in the meantime thank you for following along with us all weekend. Next up, Tilly Berendt will make a quick pit stop at a little event called Burghley before she heads to Pratoni the following week, so stay tuned right here on EN for all the eventing coverage you can handle and a whole lot you don’t need.

As always, #goeventing.

#MARSGMI: 
[Website] [ Final Scores] [Live Stream Replay][Erin Gilmore Photography] [EN’s Coverage]

Take a Walk Around David O’Connor’s CCI4*-S Cross Country Track at MARS Great Meadow

Fence 18AB, the MARS Sustainability Bay Lobster Trap, features a slightly more forgiving B element than last year’s brush arrowhead.

Fact: The Plains, Virginia wouldn’t be known for being flat. Despite its position early on in the beginnings of the fall season, David O’Connor’s track remains a formidable test for any combination, seasoned or otherwise. This year’s 4*-S track is no exception, and while the general ebb and flow of the track has similarities to its 2021 edition, some questions have been tweaked and added for this year.

You can view the full course below or, if the embedded post does not show up in your browser, here.

The track features 32 jumping efforts across 22 numbered obstacles, set on a 3740 meter track at an optimum time of 6 minutes, 34 seconds. Time is famously difficult to achieve here, and not every rider will be gunning for it to be sure. Many horses here, aside from the Pratoni-bound, will be aiming for big fall Long formats, including the Maryland 5 Star and Pau. Others will be looking for a test of mettle, putting the pedal down to really go for the top of the podium.

To that end, it’s a fascinating task a course designer is assigned: you must, in this instance, be giving enough of a test of World Championship-caliber horses without expending too much effort, be objectively challenging for greener horses or riders to set them up for a positive experience, and be mindful of where the horses are at in their respective fitness programs at this point in the “new” season” — among many, many other factors.

Fortunately here, the terrain provides a significant enough challenge that fitness can be tested. David’s questions frequently ask riders to select their line and commit to it, and while dimensionally it’s not the largest course (though there are a couple of positively massive fences on the track — the Brush Table at fence 9A is particularly top of mind to me), it will provide riders with a healthy amount of data to analyze later.

The dimensionally imposing Brush Table at fence 9A. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Cross country for the CCI4*-S begins today at about 1:30 p.m. EST and can be viewed live with your H&C+ subscription here. The order of go for today can be found here.

#MARSGMI: 
[Website] [Schedule] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Order of Go] [Scoring] [Live Stream] [Volunteer] [Tickets] [Erin Gilmore Photography] [EN’s Coverage]

Tamie Smith Remains in Control of MARS Great Meadow CCI4*-S

Tamie Smith and Mai Baum solidified their roles on Team USA with a double clear round. Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography.

Team USA put their show jumping chops to the test this evening as the sun began to ease its relentless beating on the Virginia hills at MARS Great Meadow International, making for some enjoyable viewing for the gathered spectators. It’s a strong 4*-S division here, but much focus centers on the riders making up the six-strong contingent heading to FEI World Championships for Eventing next month at Pratoni del Vivaro. This weekend is acting as a final observation event for the team, and performances here will be weighted as the selectors make their final nominations of the four team spots and one individual berth.

Rails did fall, though other factors will certainly shape the end performance come Sunday at World Championships: for starters, the show jumping at Pratoni will be held on grass, which isn’t a scene often observed here in the U.S. Despite this, most of the horses selected to rep the U.S. in Italy have recently jumped on grass. There will also be ample opportunity to practice on grass once the team reaches their pre-event training camp in France. Secondly, of course, show jumping will come as the final phase of competition, while the phase is traditionally held ahead of cross country here at Great Meadow.

Ariel Grald and Leamore Master Plan make a strong case for a coveted team spot with a strong double clear. Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography.

Holding on to her lead and collecting a rare clear round on Chris Barnard’s show jumping track will be California-based Tamie Smith with the Ahearn family and Eric Markell’s Mai Baum (Loredano 2 – Ramira, by Rike), remaining on their initial score of 20.5. As the top 10 will run David O’Connor’s cross country course in reverse order of placing tomorrow, Tamie will be the final rider to see. It’s likely safe to think Tamie may not to gun for the win, however, meaning some time collected could open up the door for another pair to snag the win.

Will Coleman and Chin Tonic HS add nothing to their dressage score to remain well within striking distance, should they choose to pursue the win on Sunday. Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography.

Someone like, perhaps, Will Coleman with Hyperion Stud’s Chin Tonic HS (Chin Champ – Wildera, by Quinar Z), who will also remain on his dressage mark of 21.9 to sit second overnight. Will’s potentially aiming at the Morven 4*-L in October as this horse’s primary fall goal, and told EN he’d make the call on whether he’d make a go for it tomorrow when he’s able to assess the ground. Another pair to potentially threaten the winner’s spot on the podium are Liz Halliday-Sharp with The Monster Partnership’s (Ocala Horse Properties, Renee Lane, Deborah Halliday) Cooley Quicksilver (Womanizer – Kylemore Crystal, by Creggan Diamond), moving up from fifth into third on their starting score of 25.2.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Quicksilver swiftly collect a clear round. Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography.

Looking to the rest of Team USA, Will Coleman secured a nearly-clear round with one rail down aboard the Off the Record Syndicate’s Off the Record (Arkansas – Drumagoland Bay, by Ard Ohio), remaining in fourth on a 27.9. Ariel Grald also secured a strong clear round inside the time with Annie Eldridge’s Leamore Master Plan (Master Imp – Ardragh Bash), remaining on their initial score of 30.9 and moving from 19th into 13th.

Lauren Nicholson and Vermiculus add three rails to their dressage mark ahead of Sunday’s cross country. Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography.

Reserve combination Phillip Dutton with the Z Partnership’s Z (Asca Z – Bellabouche, by Babouche VH Gehucht Z), lowered one rail to go into Sunday on a two-phase score of 32.6. Boyd Martin and the Turner family’s Tsetserleg as well as Lauren Nicholson and Ms. Jacqueline Mars Vermiculus (Sazeram – Wake Me Gently) lowered three rails to drop down a few placings.

Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg lowered three rails. Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography.

Looking to our Canadian representatives heading to Pratoni, Holly Jacks-Smither and the Candy King Syndicate’s Candy King had three rails down to put them onto a two-phase score of 42.4.

Tomorrow’s cross country track, designed by David O’Connor, promises to be up to its usual Great Meadow standard, will take the 4*-S combinations over a total of 3740 meters with 32 jumping efforts set at 22 numbered questions. The optimum time is 6 minutes, 34 seconds and, as it typical here on Virginia’s rolling hills, features a healthy fitness test and shrewdly thought-out placement of questions according to terrain. You can view the course below or, if the embedded post does not show up, here.

Let’s do a quick look in on the other divisions competing here. Today’s action saw the Preliminary and CCI2*-S winners crowned (to which I was lucky enough to have a front-row seat as I brought my long-suffering boyfriend along for the full volunteering experience today), along with show jumping for the humongous CCI3*-S division this afternoon.

CCI3*-S: Liz Halliday-Sharp and Ocala Horse Properties’ Shanroe Cooley (Dallas VDL – Shanroe Sapphie) retain their lead, adding no penalties in show jumping to their dressage score of 26.1.

CCI2*-S: Alyssa Phillips and Cornelius Bo won here last year (and many times in between) and now pick up another win in the 2*-S, finishing on 27.2, very nearly on an identical score to 2021 (27.5). This is Cornelius Bo’s first outing since he (surprise) won the 3*-L at Ocala in April — are we looking at the next winner of the Maryland 3*-L?

Preliminary A: Hannah Sue Hollberg also picks up a wire-to-wire win with Ms. Jacqueline Mars and Christa Schmidt’s J (Farfan M – Fairway). This is the fourth outing at the level for the seven-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding and his first win.

Preliminary B: Another start-to-finish victor was crowned in the Prelim B division: Erin Kanara piloted Claudia Schultze’s Windchase Lionstar (Brandenburg’s Windstar – Mah). The seven-year-old bred by Phyllis Dawson picks up his second win at the Preliminary level.

Tomorrow we’ll conclude competition with cross country for the 3*-S and 4*-S divisions. The 3*-S will be the first to see at 9 a.m. EST tomorrow, followed by the 4* at 1:27 p.m. EST. Both divisions will be live streamed on Horse & Country here. I’ll be back with a final wrap-up from MARS Great Meadow tomorrow evening. Until then, stay cool and Go Eventing.

#MARSGMI: 
[Website] [Schedule] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Order of Go] [Scoring] [Live Stream] [Volunteer] [Tickets] [Erin Gilmore Photography] [EN’s Coverage]

Enjoy a few social snippets from Saturday at Great Meadow:

Team USA Clusters at Top of MARS Great Meadow CCI4*-S Leaderboard on Day One

Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography.

We are well underway here at the 2022 MARS Great Meadow International in The Plains, VA, where a robust entry list in the CCI4*-S also features the members of Team USA heading to Pratoni in Italy for the FEI World Championships for Eventing in just a few days’ time. This weekend is intended to be a final observation event for the riders selected for World Championships.

While none of the Team USA riders here will necessarily be gunning for the win over the next two days, there are still the ever-important selections of the final team and individual designations yet to come, so a solid performance is still key.

Under the watchful eye of interim chef d’equipe Bobby Costello, the majority of the U.S. riders were slotted into the final group this afternoon in front of judges Peter Gray and Christina Klingspor. Surprising no one, it’s Tamie Smith and Mai Baum (Loredano 2 – Ramira, by Rike) leading the way as the penultimate pair to see on a score of 20.5.

Tamie Smith and Mai Baum show us how to earn a 20.5. Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography.

Alex and Ellen Ahearn and Eric Markell’s 16-year-old Mai Baum, known for his glamour in the first phase, earned a 20.5 on a day when low-20s scores were flashing seemingly one after another.

Tamie says her experience as the traveling reserve in Tokyo last year, while difficult, gave her a lot of valuable experience that she plans to put to good use at Pratoni.

“It’s great having Boyd and Phil and Will, Lauren, you know, they’ve been on multiple championship teams and so just feeding off of their experience watching, and being there in Tokyo, although very difficult, I did just have the mindset of what can I get from every aspect,” Tamie said. “And, you know, they do say there’s nothing like going to a championship and after you get there, you understand that so, having been there, I think I know what to expect. I have a great partnership with my horse and I think we have an awesome team and great camaraderie and all the horses are phenomenal. I looked at the scores and I saw all of them and they looked like they put in even better tests than they have been so it’s really exciting.”

Earlier in the day, Will Coleman and Hyperion Stud’s Chin Tonic HS (Chin Champ – Wildera, by Quinar Z) earned a 21.9 to take early command. This is the 10-year-old’s return to competition after finishing 10th at Aachen in July, and it’s not hard to envision the stunning Holsteiner gelding wearing the stars and stripes in Paris in two years’ time. For now, though, Will’s concentration remains on strength, finesse, and valuable experience — the flashy gelding is of course not short on talent, but often with the naturally talented ones patience is prudent.

Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg continue to show improvement on what was already a competitive foundation. Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography.

Teammate Boyd Martin and the Turner family’s Tsetserleg (Windfall II – Thabana, by Buddenbrock) continue to fine-tune their partnership, underscoring their nearly decade-long partnership with an international personal best of 22.1 this afternoon. This pair will take the most experience into the competition at Pratoni, and Boyd reckons “Thomas” is well up to the task.

“My fella’s in in fantastic form,” Boyd said. “He’s been training very, very well and…I feel like he’s in the best condition he’s ever been in. He’s improving still and he’s, like you said, a veteran and what a legend horse to be able to get on a team for a fourth time. I’m very grateful for Chris and Tommy [Turner], who backed me with not only this horse with a bunch of horses, and I think we’ve got a mission ahead of us. It’s a long trip to World Championships. They’re a brutally tough contest and I really feel we’ve got five or six wicked good horses, and if everyone can pull out a personal best, we’re in with a shot. So it’s pretty easy to say that and it’s very hard to do it, so we’ll give it our best.”

Will Coleman and his Pratoni horse, the Off the Record Syndicate’s Off the Record (Arkansas – Drumagoland Bay, by Ard Ohio) also hit a high mark, earning a 23.9 from the judges to sit fourth overnight.

“Well, [I’ve] just been trying to get better,” Will said when asked what he’d been working on since his mid-summer European tour at Luhmühlen and Aachen. “We’ve all got, I think, great individual teams behind each of us — owners, coaches, family — and I’m lucky to be very well-supported in all those regards. So I wouldn’t say I’ve been doing anything different. I’ve just been trying to continue on the program that I’m on. And that’s how I’m going to approach Pratoni, as just another horse show.”

Lauren Nicholson gives a wave to the crowd aboard Vermiculus. Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography.

Lauren Nicholson and Ms. Jacqueline Mars’ Vermiculus (Sazeram – Wake Me Gently) staved off some “naughty Bug” moments to earn a 27.0 and sit tenth overnight. Lauren, along with Kim Severson, had a chance to see what was in store at Pratoni earlier this year at the FEI Nations Cup Eventing leg and test event and she shared one key piece of advice:

“If I had one piece of advice for anyone going, it’s don’t wear white pants or socks or shoes,” she warned. “Everything’s black from the knee down with the volcanic dust, but it’s a super unique venue.” It’s true: the soil at Pratoni is a unique mixture that contains volcanic ash — something Tilly observed might actually make for excellent going despite the hot, dry temperatures during Italian summer.

“I think [the selectors] really picked the right group of horses for it because it’s extremely steep and hilly while also they utilize a lot of the terrain they have,” Lauren continued. “A combination of big massive five-star fences and also ‘terrain-y’ little skip through things. It’s a very rural area, but the venue is beautiful. I think it’ll be a lot of fun for anybody going to watch because it’s all very compact and easy to get to while also having a lot of space for the horses to go ride, hack, and everything else. So I think it’s going to be a really exceptional venue for the championships. And it’ll be a proper World Championship track.”

Ariel Grald and Annie Eldridge’s Leamore Master Plan (Master Imp – Ardragh Bash) earned a 30.9 for 19th overall.

“It’s an honor to be up here with all these great riders and I’m excited to learn from them through this whole process,” Ariel said. “And it’s just an exciting time to be representing the U.S. As we’ve all said, we all have really great programs that have gotten us here to this point. So I think something that’s really important to stay focused on is continuing the success that we’ve had to all be named to the team and to just keep the momentum going moving forward into Pratoni.”

Reserve for the Pratoni team are Phillip Dutton and Z (Asca Z – Bellabouche, by Babouche VH Gehucht Z) scored 28.6 and will be in 13th ahead of tomorrow’s show jumping. The reserve position is one Phillip’s experienced somewhat recently: in 2016, he was called up as the reserve with Mighty Nice and would go on to win the individual bronze medal. Unenviable of a position as reserve may be, it’s nonetheless a vital role and one not lacking pressure: at a moment’s notice, you must be ready to step up and deliver the performance of a lifetime.

“It’s an important role to be ready there if the unfortunate happens, and hopefully it won’t, because most of the hard work’s been done,” Phillip commented. “And so we sort of just hopefully cruise on home, but I’ve got to be ready if something does happen and be ready to move in.”

While the first phase is not where the competition is won, one still has to leave today thinking there was a lot to like about the performances and resulting scores we saw. Bobby Costello agrees.

“Knock on wood, it’s been a great lead-up so far,” he said. “I think all of us are looking incredibly fit. I think all the riders are feeling very confident. I think, obviously, the dressage is coming along really, really well. So my job is just to, in the next few weeks, kind of be supporting what they do.”

The lead-up to this World Championships is slightly different in a leadership sense: while Erik Duvander is no longer the chef for Team USA, he still works with the majority of riders selected on a private basis. While Bobby has been appointed interim chef, coaching has been left up to the individual riders to decide what program works best for them.

“We have kind of decentralized coaching now,” Bobby said. “Everybody has their program, and my job is just to kind of be there and support them, given them encouragement when they need it, but honestly, try not to get too much in the way and try to just kind of bring the whole group together as a unit. And that will be happening more and more over the next few weeks.”

Holly Jacks-Smither and Candy King. Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography.

The Americans are of course not the only Pratoni-bound contenders here at Great Meadow: Holly Jacks-Smither opted to bring the Candy King Syndicate’s Candy King (Birkhof’s Grafenstolz – Eye Candy) ahead of her trip next week to represent Canada. She decided to bring the 12-year-old British Sport Horse south to Virginia rather than trekking north to Bromont and then back to JFK to fly out. Second, she also felt this venue might give the horse, who will be experiencing his first championship, a good shot at acclimating to bigger atmosphere.

It’s been a winding road to this point for Holly, who will also be representing Canada in a major championship (she’s got prior team experience, though, with two Nations Cup competitions under her belt) for the first time. Last year, she unexpectedly had to retire her longtime 5* partner, More Inspiration, after the discovery of a heart murmur. Then, she thought she would have to sell Candy King, even going as far as to list him on the open market. Fate stepped in, however, and a team of her supporters formed the Candy King Syndicate to keep the horse with her.

As for Candy King stepping up, Holly’s feeling confident. “This will be his first big championship, but he’s just gotten better at every competition he’s gone to,” she said, crediting her longtime coach Buck Davidson for his guidance along the way. Holly earned a 30.4 to sit 16th overnight, and was heading off to walk the course with Buck to make a final plan on how much of the track she’ll run come Sunday.

There are, of course, many other combinations contesting the FEI and Preliminary divisions here at MARS Great Meadow International; let’s do a quick check of the leaderboards:

CCI3*-S: Liz Halliday-Sharp currently leads the way (26.1) with Ocala Horse PropertiesShanroe Cooley (Dallas VDL – Shanroe Sapphie), who we hear is aiming for the FEI World Young Horse Breeding Championships in France this fall as a seven-year-old.

CCI2*-S: Alyssa Phillips and the ever-talented Cornelius Bo (Concours Complet – Charlotte, by Carismo) won the first phase on a score of 23.2.

Preliminary A: Hannah Sue Hollberg and Ms. Jacqueline Mars and Christa Schmidt’s J (Farfan M – Fairway) earnedd a 20.5 to lead the way following the first phase ahead of Saturday’s jumping phases.

Preliminary B: Erin Kanara and Claudia Schultze’s Windchase Lionstar (Brandenburg’s Windstar – Mah) score a 25.5 to lead the way in the early going.

Tomorrow we’ll have a jam-packed day of jumping: the Preliminary and CCI2*-S pairs will show jump, followed by cross country later in the day. Meanwhile, the CCI3*-S and CCI4*-s horses will jump later on, the 3* beginning at 1:10 p.m. EST and the 4* beginning at 5:08 p.m. EST. You can view the full show jumping order of go here and the full Saturday cross country order of go here.

There are also a myriad of fun activities to see and do here if you’re coming to take in the action! Competitors can relax ringside in the riders’ tent provided by Hilltop Bio. On Saturday, there will be a tailgate spot with food and drinks put on by STRIDER. There’s plenty of shopping and food (including handcrafted popsicles, which if you ask me are the best addition to the refreshments line-up this year) to enjoy, so come on out and have some fun with us!

If you’re far away or unable to come, Horse & Country is providing the live stream all weekend long here.

#MARSGMI: 
[Website] [Schedule] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Order of Go] [Scoring] [Live Stream] [Volunteer] [Tickets] [Erin Gilmore Photography] [EN’s Coverage]
Enjoy a few social media snippets from Friday in The Plains:

 

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Checking In with Valerie Pride’s English Experience

When Valerie Pride sat down during the off season to do some thinking on what the 2022 season would look like, she focused on something other than a major spring five-star event. It wasn’t for lack of a capable horse; her longtime partner, Favian, finished in the top-25 at Maryland 5 Star last year and had gone into vacation feeling healthy and sound. But while more five-star events remain a goal of Valerie’s, this season emerged as an opportunity to pursue a different goal: world experience.

“I’ve never had the experience to go overseas, not even to groom,” she explained. “I’ve been to Badminton as a spectator/eventing junkie, but that’s about the extent of it. Favian is getting to be slightly on the older side, and he’s feeling wonderful so it felt like this was kind of my chance to go and do it.”

At 14, Favian is certainly well within his competitive prime period, and Valerie wants to make the most of having a happy and sound partner to go on adventures with. So she set about a whirlwind of planning, contacting British eventing great William Fox-Pitt (with whom she’d connected over the winter thanks to a clinic organized by Sara Kozumplik and who she also shares a connection with through Mary Guinness, Tamarillo’s owner), who graciously offered to let her base with him in Dorset, England.

Initially, the Luhmühlen 5* was a goal for Valerie this spring. But with Covid still running rampant and some areas experiencing closures and shutdowns, she felt it safer to wait. From this decision came another: “The more I was thinking about it and talking to people, the more I thought going to be competitive at a four-star just felt like an excellent plan,” she explained.

Thus, a plan began to take shape to compete at Blenheim Palace International’s September CCI4-L — which as recently as 2021 yielded a Kentucky runner-up in Great Britain’s Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir (who were also just tapped to represent the defending champs at Pratoni next month).

Of course, leaving behind a fully operational business isn’t an easy task. On top of the travel logistics, Valerie’s grandmother passed away shortly before her departure. Amongst all of the turbulence, though, Valerie maintained a steady determination. “I’m so grateful to my clients,” she said. “I realize this is a big ask on them because they would like me here, but we’re going to try to do FaceTime lessons. And that should be able to keep everyone going. My husband is amazing, I already leave him to go south for the winter and now I’m leaving him again to go to England! He’s going to come over for Blenheim.”

Since arriving in England earlier this month, Valerie’s gotten off to a successful start — though she’ll be the first to admit it’s been quite the whirlwind of a learning experience! #Supergroom Conner Ann Clark flew over with Favian, where he was received by the capable team at Fox-Pitt Eventing before she turned around to return to the U.S. and help run the ship at home for Valerie. She also was unable to fly Favian’s famous emotional support mini, Theodore, due to paperwork complications (luckily, William has offered up his daughter’s Shetland as a stand-in for Theodore), but has reported that Favian has taken the changes in stride.

Here are some missives from Valerie’s email updates, which you can sign up for on the Blue Clover Eventing website:

“I have been very lucky that William has been here nearly this entire week for lessons. I will call it Blenheim Bootcamp! In my dressage lesson, I thought three times at least the lesson was over and ‘oh no, pick back up those reins and let’s make it better’ and that inevitably leads to something else to work on. And we did!

He emphasizes softness and stillness which is rather incredible for a man whose left leg is as strong as my entire body. He has declared war on Favian’s mouth — Favian chomps as a habit. It doesn’t matter if it’s in his stall, in the crossties, or in a 5* dressage test. It’s his thing. Well, William doesn’t want it to be a thing!

Another William thing! Tails! Oh boy, does this one make me nervous. I’m watching a jump session the other day and William disappears after warm-up (ok maybe not all that unusual) but the re-appears talking to me about something else with the pair of scissors from the feed room visible in his hands (unusual). He walks up to the horse, has the rider stop, and then and there bangs it nearly above the hocks. Satisfying? I suppose so because it was immediately gratifying to see. Terrifying? Definitely. Because I know his next target — even though I have explained that we have a fake tail #sleepwithoneeyeopen

I do feel forever grateful that they have bestowed upon us a real British tail wrap. It’s so flattering and proper! Now they must teach me how to actually tie it.

As silly as this sounds, the other biggest takeaway from this trip has been about walking. Thus far I have spent you-don’t-even-want-to-know how much money and invested so much time and effort into walking in my daily lessons. It’s so hard! To walk with a purpose is really a feat and yet all of Williams horses do it without an ounce of hesitation. For hours each day. Favian and I are playing catch up and making literally every step count. I have a new faith and confidence and William to back me up if Favian doesn’t want to hear it!

I recognize my limitations and have adopted a fitness program in the gym upstairs in his office. I call it my dojo. You walk in to hundreds of pictures on the wall. Mostly winning. Some epic saves, and some epic fails. Championship trophies are on the ground being used as door stoppers! In the middle of my most trying, defeated moments of the workout session, I look up to see William smiling on some podium or grinning on a victory gallop. And I fight. And I focus! Don’t you try to coast through your week — you know I won’t, either!”

Valerie and Favian enjoyed a sixth place finish in their first English event at Aston le Walls two weeks ago, and next Valerie will jet up to Scotland to judge at Blair Castle International this weekend. Above all, she’s enjoying the full immersion into a world-class program, eager to bring her new knowledge back home. The support she’s had to make this trip happen has been immeasurable, she says. “It just really feels like so many people are trying to make it work. There is some pressure — you want to do well — but it’s about the experience and being able to bring that back to help everyone else.”

Blenheim Palace commences during the same week as FEI World Championships for Eventing, and we’ll be sure to keep up with Valerie and Favian as their English adventure continues!

Go Eventing.

A Star-Studded 4* + Final Outing for Team USA & More: Previewing MARS Great Meadow International

Will Coleman and Off The Record. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

We’re just a day away from the start of competition at one of the landmark summer events on the calendar each year at MARS Great Meadow International. Held in The Plains, VA, this event has become a late-summer staple for horses coming into full prep mode for their respective fall destinations. This weekend is also the final outing for the U.S. riders (and a Canadian or two) heading to Italy for the FEI World Championships in September, which means there is a positively stacked CCI4*-S division featuring on the docket.

If you’re as eager as we are to follow along with Great Meadow, here’s a quick primer on what you need to know:

The Entries

A total of 43 entries feature in the CCI4*-S division, including Team USA’s squad plus one Canadian pair heading to Pratoni. Just a few notable Friday dressage ride times include (* indicates a World Championships rider or reserve rider):

  • Will Coleman and DonDante: 8:15 a.m. EST
  • Sydney Elliott and QC Diamantaire: 8:37 a.m. EST
  • Doug Payne and Quantum Leap: 9:40 a.m. EST
  • Lauren Nicholson and Vermiculus*: 9:55 a.m. EST
  • Boyd Martin and Fedarman B: 10:02 a.m. EST
  • Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Quicksilver: 10:10 a.m. EST
  • Buck Davidson and Erroll Gobey: 10:45 a.m. EST
  • Tamie Smith and Solaguayre California: 11:15 a.m. EST
  • Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deniro Z: 1:30 p.m. EST
  • Holly Jacks Smither and Candy King*: 1:37 p.m. EST
  • Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg*: 2:10 p.m. EST
  • Ariel Grald and Leamore Master Plan*: 2:18 p.m. EST
  • Will Coleman and Off the Record*: 2:40 p.m. EST
  • Phillip Dutton and Z*: 2:48 p.m. EST
  • Tamie Smith and Mai Baum*: 2:55 p.m. EST

You can view the full entry list on the Order of Go here.

The Schedule

The CCI4*-S competitors will begin their competition on Friday with dressage in front of judges Peter Gray (also a member of the Ground Jury for Pratoni) and Christina Klingspor, followed by show jumping Saturday evening beginning at 5:04 p.m. and concluding with show jumping on Sunday beginning at 1:27 p.m. Other divisions include a CCI3*-S, CCI2*-S, and Preliminary. A full schedule, along with ride times, can be found here.

How to Watch

Horse & Country is providing the live stream this year as they have for the past few seasons. You do need to have an H&C+ subscription (which starts at $9.99 per month and also comes with a free 30-day trial for new subscribers).

What to Do

There are always plenty of activities happening alongside the competition at Great Meadow. This year, Hilltop Bio is sponsoring a ringside competitors’ lounge. Spectators can also enjoy Great Meadow’s fall family festival with a vendor village, food trucks, tailgates, and catering. Tailgating and VIP passes are sold out, but general tickets and ringside spots still remain — click here to purchase your tickets if you plan to come and enjoy the fun.

You can also join STRIDER CEO Tara Swersie and COO Natasha Sprengers-Levine for a fun tailgate on cross country day (Sunday) beginning at 9:00 a.m. in the Piedmont Tailgates area near the show jumping arena. Food and drinks will be available (and we even hear Chinch might make an appearance), so be sure to add this stop to your list.

Last but certainly not least, there’s a very special occasion happening before 4* show jumping on Saturday: Lynn Symansky’s WEG and longtime 5* partner, Donner, will have a retirement ceremony in the main Flemming Farm Arena at 4:14 p.m.

How to Volunteer

There are still many volunteer positions open throughout the weekend. Volunteers for this event receive a t-shirt, box lunch, and passes to park and gain admission to the event. Currently, jobs such as Stabling Check-in, Office Help, Floaters, Cross Country Jump Judges, Hospitality, and Event Takedown are available and can be flexible to your schedule. Click here to see openings and sign up using Eventing Volunteers.

I will be on the ground all week at Great Meadow doing some volunteering/team stalking, so stay tuned for much more from Virginia!

MARS Great Meadow International: [Website] [Schedule] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Order of Go] [Scoring] [Live Stream] [Volunteer] [Tickets] [Erin Gilmore Photography] [EN’s Coverage]

Strides for Equality Equestrians Announces Immersive 3-Day Training Camp with Ashley Johnson

Ashley Johnson and Tactical Maneuver. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Since Strides for Equality Equestrians (SEE) began in 2020, the group has focused on providing opportunity for riders from diverse backgrounds to access training and immersive experiences within the equine industry. With the formation of the Ever So Sweet Scholarship, supported by Edy Rameika and the USEA Foundation, SEE has given three deserving riders the chance to train with Sara Kozumplik in Florida or Virginia for several months.

But leaving home for months at a time isn’t always an option, yet there are countless riders who would benefit from an immersive training opportunity. In stepped 5* rider Ashley Johnson, who is the coach for a newly-announced 3-Day Training Camp opportunity through SEE.

One applicant will be selected to join Ashley at her own Totem Hill Farm in Ocala, FL. The camp will take place over three weekdays in December of 2022, and there is some flexibility regarding the dates. Room, board, and lessons will be provided. Applicants must arrange and pay for their own transportation to and from the camp.

“Strides for Equality Equestrians is doing meaningful work within our sport to promote a more equitable and inclusive culture towards Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) people,” Ashley said. “In developing this scholarship with them, my aim is to open another door in the three-day eventing community for a BIPOC rider to develop skills and have personal access to an active upper-level professional. I would love to see diversity in our sport become the norm instead of the exception, and I hope other professionals will join me in considering how they can open doors as well.”

Applicants with the ability to bring a horse are welcome to do so, otherwise a lesson horse maybe available. Applicants interested in using a lesson horse for the camp should provide a video of their riding to ensure they are an appropriate fit for one of Ashley’s available horses. Applications are due on October 15 (along with applications for the fall/winter award of the Ever So Sweet Scholarship), and you can learn more + apply here.

Want to support SEE’s ongoing mission? Mark your calendars for SEE Month, happening in celebration of the organization’s two-year anniversary all throughout the month of October. Click here to learn more about SEE Month and how you can participate.

Wednesday News & Notes from Haygain

I know, I know — you weren’t really expecting to see a random movie poster as the lead to today’s News & Notes. But, I have a fun fact to go along with it: the newest addition to the Predator franchise (though you don’t have to have been a Predator fan to enjoy this new movie), Prey, was edited by amateur eventer Angela Catanzaro! Angela’s been sharing some of her work on her social media (talk about a cool gig!), and this movie marks one of her proudest accomplishments. Notable for this movie is its entirely-Indigenous cast and the availability of a Comanche language dub for the film. This article on Screen Rant provides some great background on the efforts that were made to properly represent the Comanche. It’s a good movie — I thoroughly enjoyed it despite the fact I wouldn’t call myself a Predator fan, plus I’m always interested in work that a fellow eventer does!

Naturally, my curiosity got the better of me and I’ve actually wound up on a very random cross country school with Angela before, so I reached out to her and she’s agreed to do a profile on her work-horse balance — stay tuned for that in the coming weeks!

U.S. Weekend Preview

MARS Great Meadow International: [Website] [Schedule] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Order of Go] [Scoring] [Live Stream] [Volunteer] [Tickets] [Erin Gilmore Photography] [EN’s Coverage]

Shepherd Ranch Pony Club H.T. (Santa Ynez, CA): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring]

Town Hill Farm H.T. (Lakeville, CT): [Website] [Scoring]

Major International Events

Land Rover Blair Castle International H.T. (Pitlochry, UK): [Website] [Schedule] [Timing & Scoring]

Millstreet International H.T. (Cork, Ireland): [Website] [Timing & Scoring]

Wednesday News & Reading

We’re keeping you in the loop on all things Pratoni as the FEI World Championships for Eventing loom closer. Be sure you’ve bookmarked our Ultimate Guide to FEI World Championships for all the latest coverage, and stay tuned for sign-ups to our free Pratoni Daily Digest coming soon!

If you’ve ever experienced the heart failure that accompanies a close call involving a phone and a horse show porta-potty, you’ll certainly want to help Carolina Horse Park raise funds for permanent bathrooms! The 2022 Envelope Challenge benefitting the Park’s “Fund a Potty” Project is now live and available for participation until September 30. Donors can “purchase” envelopes of different values, contributing towards the overall fundraising goal of $225,000. [Play the Envelope Challenge]

Team USA rider Tamie Smith has two staples in her arsenal when it comes to producing young horses. Her focus on each horse as an individual has lead to much success in building relationships, but that isn’t the only thing that’s important in her program. [More on how Tamie trains young horses]

I’m not going to lie, I’ve begun following show jumping a bit more closely because I am positively obsessed with newly-crowned World Champion King Edward. Also a team gold medalist in Tokyo, King Edward has done the #SuperSwedes proud — and he’s done much of it without shoes. In fact, rider Henrik von Eckermann calls the choice to remove King Edward’s shoes a game changer. [Read more about King Edward’s journey to world champion]

Been thinking of investing in a Haygain Forager? Here’s your sign! Haygain is offering a “buy more, save more” sale through Monday, August 29 on the popular slow-feed option, making it the perfect time to outfit multiple horses or an entire barn. [Shop the sale]

#TackFacts from Sterling Essentials:

Have you met Sterling Essentials’ newest product line yet? Sign me up for the Fresh Helmet Spray, for real. P.S.: you can save 10% off your order this month using code ENAUG.

Watch This on H&C+

Don’t miss the return of MARS Great Meadow International and the final outing for the Pratoni-bound Team USA, streaming live on H&C+ all weekend beginning Friday. Click here to view the live stream / subscribe to H&C+ (30 day free trial available for new members).

Wednesday Video Break

A throwback compilation from the 2019 MARS Great Meadow:

Tuesday Video Break: The Millbrook Hunt Tradition

Each August, the Millbrook Hunt begins its season in earnest. A tradition dating back to 1907, the Millbrook Hunt is an homage to history and an opportunity to enjoy the gorgeous landscapes of the Hudson River Valley. The Hunt also plays a key role in land stewardship and conservation.

We were incredibly sad to see Millbrook’s August Horse Trials, a popular fixture on the Area 1 calendar each year, canceled in 2022 after the event and a key landowner were unable to reach a mutually acceptable agreement. We’re hopeful that we’ll see the return of this event in 2023 and look forward to more Millbrook shorts like this one from our friend Marion de Vogel.

Ride iQ is Celebrating One Year! How to Enter Their Celebratory Giveaway

Graphic courtesy of Ride iQ.

Riding on your own has become more productive and enjoyable thanks to the rising popularity of Ride iQ, a virtual coaching and training app that provides access to guided “lessons” from top professionals such as Doug Payne, Leslie Law, Kyle Carter, Lauren Sprieser, and many more.

This month, Ride iQ is celebrating its one year anniversary, and they’re doing it up big with a cool giveaway from HorsePlay Tack Store. One lucky winner is going to receive a $3,000 shopping spree with HorsePlay, which is a women-owned business based out of Bend, OR featuring anything and everything riders need.

Here’s the scoop on the giveaway, which is taking entries until Thursday, August 25 (can’t see the embedded Instagram post below? Click here to view or here to view/enter on Facebook):

This grand prize just might be every equestrian’s dream giveaway (we know it’s ours)!

⭐️ The grand prize includes a $3,000 shopping spree to @horseplaybend, a 6-month Ride iQ membership, and awesome Ride iQ merch!

We’re excited to partner with HorsePlay on this MASSIVE giveaway! HorsePlay is a female-owned small business based out of Bend, Oregon (but don’t worry, everything’s online!) and they offer everything for the horse, rider, barn, and dog.

To enter, follow the steps below:

👉 Step 1: Follow @RideiQOfficial and @horseplaybend

👉 Step 2: If you’re not a Ride iQ member yet, download the Ride iQ app for iPhone or Android (link in bio) and start your 2-week free trial through the app. You can cancel anytime and maintain access through your trial, but we’re pretty sure you’ll love it! If you don’t believe us, check out our latest reel to see what members are saying about Ride iQ.️ (Ride iQ members: Step 2 is already complete ☑️)

👉 Step 3: Comment on this post with what you’d get at @horseplaybend if you won the shopping spree.

👉 BONUS: Share this post to your grid or stories for a bonus entry! Make sure to tag @RideiQOfficial and @horseplaybend so we don’t miss it!

📍The fine print: entries close Thursday, August 25th at 12pm ET and the winner will be announced and contacted on 8/26. This promotion is in no way sponsored, administered, or associated with Instagram/Facebook. By entering, entrants confirm that they are 13+ years of age, release Instagram/Facebook of responsibility, and agree to Instagram/Facebook terms of use.

Colleen Loach Withdraws Vermont from Canadian Team for Pratoni

Colleen Loach and Vermont. Photo by Amber Heintzberger.

Canadian Olympian Colleen Loach announced today that she has withdrawn Vermont, owned by Peter Barry, from the FEI World Championships squad traveling to Italy next month. The 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding was a part of the Canadian team for the FEI Nations Cup leg at Bromont last weekend, contributing to a silver medal finish as a final prep for World Championships.

“Monty felt incredible in his final prep for the World’s at Bromont Nations Cup last weekend. Unfortunately he came off of [cross country] with a sprained fetlock and so we won’t have the privilege of representing Canada this fall in Italy,” Colleen wrote on social media. “Best of luck to team Canada over there and I will be sending positive vibes your way. A huge thank you to all of my sponsors and supporters. We couldn’t do it without you!”

Equestrian Canada will have the option to substitute a reserve rider onto its final squad heading to Pratoni. The federation had originally designated Dana Cooke (FE Mississippi) and Lisa Marie Fergusson (Honor Me) as reserve combinations. Definite entries are due on September 5, but we can expect an announcement from Canada on who will take Colleen’s place on the final roster ahead of this deadline.

France Names Squad for FEI World Championships at Pratoni

#EVENTING #ATTELAGE FEI World Championships Pratoni – Roma 2022 –

Après les Mondiaux de Herning, direction Pratoni…

Posted by FFE – Equipe de France on Friday, August 19, 2022

Adding their squad to the Pratoni party are the French, historically among the more consistent podium finishers in World Championships history and looking to add some more hardware to their medal cabinet in Italy next month. A 6-combination squad has been named for FEI World Championships for Eventing, which begin in earnest on September 14 at Pratoni del Vivaro. The French are the current defending bronze medalists in both World Championship and Olympic competition, and we’ll see the return of one pair from the Tokyo team in Nicolas Touzaint and Absolut Gold HDC.

Nicolas Touizant (FRA) and Absolut Gold. Photo by Sally Spickard.

The named horses and riders are as follows, in alphabetical order:

  • Tom Carlile and Darmagnac de Béliard – nine-year-old Selle Français gelding (Canturo x Palme de Moyon, by Barbarian). Owned by S.C.E.A. de Beliard and Jean-Jacques Montagne, and groomed by Camille Coton.
  • Héloïse Le Guern and Canakine du Sudre Z – 12-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Felton du Mont*Charles de Gaul x Listia du Sudre, by Duc du Maurier). Owned by Bénédicte and Philippe Le Guern, and groomed by Bénédicte Le Guern.
  • Cyrielle Lefèvre and Armanjo Serosah –12-year-old Selle Français gelding (Romando de l’Abbaye x Jolyjo Serosah, by Sassanian). Owned by Charline Guerin, and groomed by Soizic Lefèvre.
  • Gaspard Maksud and Zaragoza – nine-year-old British-bred Sport Horse mare (Cevin Z x unrecorded dam). Owned by Martin Thurlow and Jane Young, and groomed by Lucy-Anna Westaway.
  • Astier Nicolas and Alertamalib’or – 12-year-old Anglo-Arab gelding (Summer Song x Dambine, by Prince Ig’Or). Owned by Aliette Forien, Nicholas Paul, and the rider, and groomed by Laura Schmitt.
  • Nicolas Touzaint and Absolut Gold*HDC – 12-year-old Selle Français gelding (Birkhof’s Grafenstolz x Belle Meralaise, by Verglas). Owned by Haras des Coudrettes, and groomed by Aure Coulange.

France’s Nicolas Touzaint and Absolut Gold HDC. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Olympic team bronze medallists Nicolas Touzaint and Absolut*Gold HDC are the arguable lynchpins of this team — they finished sixth individually at the Games, and were tenth individually at the 2019 European Championships, where they were part of the fourth-placed French team. Nicolas’s own team experience is extraordinarily extensive: though this will be just his second World Championship (he last competed in a WEG in 2006 with his five-star champion Hidalgo de l’Ile), he’s competed at five Olympics and eight Senior European Championships. Most notably, perhaps, is that he’s been European Champion twice — and the second time he managed it, back in 2007, the Championships were held at Pratoni.

Astier Nicolas and Alertamalib’Or. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

He’s joined by Tokyo teammate Astier Nicolas, whose selected horse, the 2017 Seven-Year-Old World Champion Alertamalib’Or, might come as something of a surprise to those who had expected to see five-star partner Babylon de Gamma on the list. But although Alertamalib’Or slipped out of the spotlight for a not inconsiderable length of time due to injury, he’s been on exceptional form since his return, winning Saumur CCI4*-L this spring and taking 13th in the huge final selection trial at Haras du Pin CCIO4*-S this month. This will be a second World Championships for Astier, who took individual silver and team gold at the Rio Olympics with Piaf de b’Neville; he previously contested the 2018 WEG with former ride Vinci de la Vigne, finishing seventh.

Each of the four remaining combinations listed will be making a World Championships debut: Tom Carlile, the most experienced team rider of the four, has two European Championships under his belt (2015 and 2017) and was the travelling reserve for Tokyo, though none of those appearances were with the nine-year-old gelding Darmagnac de Beliard, with whom he was fourth at Bramham CCI4*-L in the horse’s level debut this summer. While he’s relatively inexperienced with just nine FEI starts on his record, the striking horse has finished in the top ten in eight of them.

Heloïse Le Guern and Canakine du Sudre Z complete their three-phase climb to take victory in Bramham’s Under-25 CCI4*-L. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

24-year-old Héloïse Le Guern makes her Senior championship debut in Pratoni after representing France a total of five times at Pony, Junior, and Young Rider European Championships. Her partnership with the former Cedric Lyard ride Canakine du Sudre Z saw her take top honours in Bramham’s coveted under-25 CCI4*-L this year, and they impressed for sixteenth place in the Pratoni test event CCIO4*-S back in May. British-based Frenchman Gaspard Maksud also made his French team debut this year, riding at Aachen with the exciting Zaragoza. They earned a spot well in the hunt after an impressive dressage performance, though a very late stumble on cross-country ended their weekend there early — but they redeemed themselves in the final selection trial at Haras du Pin this month, taking fourth place out of over 110 of the world’s fiercest competitors.

Cyrielle Lefevre and Armanjo Serosah. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

A string of very good cross-country performances over tough courses has earned Cyrielle Lefèvre and Armanjo Serosah their first call-up. They debuted at CCI5* at Pau in 2021, finishing clear and inside the time for twentieth place; this feat was followed by a confident run at Badminton this spring. Their top-twenty finish with a quick clear at Haras du Pin cemented their reputation as a swift, reliable pair in this phase — something that’ll prove vital over Pratoni’s tough hills.

The six named combinations will now travel to Saint-Martin de Brehal from the 27th of August to the 9th of September for a final training camp, during which the team, individual, and reserve allocations will be decided.

“For this final preparation stage, we have selected six couples who have run well this season and have been competing regularly for two seasons,” says French chef d’equipe Thierry Touzaint. “These horses are good gallopers, which is important because I think the cross country will be demanding. We know the site well; the course will have a lot of elevation so we will physically prepare our horses as well as possible. The training course is going to be used for that, but also to refine the dressage tests and make the last small adjustments to the showjumping. The novelty is also the arrival at the course of two young riders, who have an interesting profile for the future. This is the reason why I want to throw them in the deep end. In the end, it will be the five couples whose horses are in the best shape who will go to the world championships. The names will be announced on September 5.”

Gaspard Maksud and Zaragoza seal the deal with an impressive performance at Haras du Pin. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

“The Federation provides our riders and handlers with the best experts in their fields to optimize the talent of women, men and their horses,” says Serge Lecomte, President of the French federation, in a translated statement. “Within the French collective reigns a blue spirit, which pushes towards performance with the essential support of the owners and the teams who surround each one, made up of trainers, grooms, veterinarians, farriers… Together, well coordinated, we are stronger.”

“Our National Technical Director is the conductor of all these converging energies that allow France to maintain its rank in the battle of nations… Long live sport and may our best find their way to gold medals!”

The French federation’s National Technical Director, Sophie Dubourg, continues: “Less than two years from the 2024 Paris Games, we are leaving for these Eventing World Championships with the dual objective of obtaining medals, but also of seasoning pairs and riders in major championships. Our leaders will be keen to get on the podium after their fourth place in the teams four years ago at Tryon. Unlike the format of the World Equestrian Games and the Worlds in Herning a few days ago, these two championships are held a few days apart. If it is a pity not to benefit from the emulation created by this multidisciplinary side, there is no doubt that our teams in France will be able to find all the motivation to perform.”

“Participating in these events would not be possible without the support of the owners. We encourage them to keep their horses; their role is essential to allow riders to practice at the highest level and to excel under the colors of France. The federation supports high-potential couples through personalized support dedicated to them and those around them.
We hope that these Worlds will smile on us and we will fervently encourage our Blues!”

Final entries and team/individual designations are due to the FEI on September 5. Want to see more from #Pratoni2022? Click on over to our Ultimate Guide to FEI World Championships for more!

Home Nation Italy Names Riders for FEI World Championships at Pratoni

Susanna Bordonne (ITA) and Imperial Van De Holtakkers. Photo by Sally Spickard.

It’s not often you’re able to represent your country in championship competition on home turf, and that honor this cycle is bestowed to the Italians, who will play host to competitors from nearly 30 other nations at next month’s FEI World Championships for Eventing at Pratoni del Vivaro to the east of Rome.

Italy’s Marco Cappai and Uter. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

On Thursday, the Italian federation named its final short list of riders it will be sending to Pratoni, with the final designations for team and individual spots to be announced by the definite entry deadline of September 5.

The riders competing for Italy at Pratoni will include:

  • Evelina Bertoli and Fidjy des Melezes – 11-year-old Belgian Sport Horse mare (Aga Khan x Louna de Sainte-Ode, by Bayarde d’Elle), owned by Az. Agricola di Campello Argenta
  • Susanna Bordone and Imperial van de Holtakkers – 14-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Quidam de Revel x Ava van de Holtakkers, by Argentinus), owned by Maria Giovanna Mazzocchi
  • Marco Cappai and Uter – 13-year-old Italian Sport Horse gelding (Caster de Villa Francesca x Elle d’Aulix, by Lubumbashi), owned by Cascianese Country Club
  • Arianna Schivo and Quefira de L’Ormeu – 18-year-old Selle Français mare (Iolisco de Quinhon*HN x Isabelle du Brulot, by Beausejour IV), owned by Thomas Bouquet and the rider
  • Giovanni Ugolotti and Duke of Champions – 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Duke of Hearts x Nebraska 22, by Noble Champion), owned by Phillip Hunt, Jo Preston-Hunt, and Joyce Snook, or Swirly Temptress – 10-year-old British-bred Sport Horse mare (For Ladies Only x Betty Barclay, by Brentano 11), owned by Karin and Kristina Rausing

Giovanni Ugolotti and Swirly Temptress. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Two reserve riders, Mattia Luciani on Leopold K and Pietro Sandei on Rubis de Prere, have also been named should any of the short-listed riders be unable to travel to Pratoni.

Looking for more news from #Pratoni2022? Check out our Ultimate Guide to FEI World Championships for Eventing right here

Wednesday News & Notes from Haygain

Mark your calendars! It’s nearly time for the 2022 Diversifying The HERD Virtual Summit, a global gathering of equine facilitated practitioners launched in 2021 by The HERD Institute and hosted and led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) within the field. The Summit, happening on Saturday, September 10, features live discussions and an exciting keynote, “Decolonizing Your Equine Program”, presented by Abriana Johnson and Brittney Chambers.

You can register for the Diversifying The HERD Virtual Summit here, and be sure to follow @TheHerdInstitute on social media for the latest updates and content previews.

U.S. Weekend Preview

The Event at Archer and Area IX Championships (Cheyenne, WY): [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Scoring] [Volunteer]

Caber Farm H.T. (Onalaska, WA): [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Scoring] [Volunteer]

Genesee Valley Riding & Driving Club H.T. (Geneseo, NY): [Website] [Entry Status] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Huntington Farm H.T. (South Strafford, VT): [Website] [Entry Status] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Ocala Summer H.T. II (Ocala, FL): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Waredaca Farm H.T. (Gaithersburg, MD): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Major International Events

FEI Eventing Nations Cup CCIO4*-S + International H.T. (Bromont, Canada): [Website] [Entry Status] [Scoring]

Wednesday News & Reading

A robust field of competitors will compete for the next FEI Eventing Nations Cup win, hosted this weekend at Bromont in Québec, Canada. The U.S., Canada, and Australia make up the small-but-mighty field of Nations Cup competition, mixed in with a 25-strong 4*-S division. Alongside the 4*-S will be 3*-S and 2*-S with a U-25 division for each, as well as Preliminary and Training level offerings. Bromont is a supremely popular venue that’s recently come under new ownership made up of a group of investors with big visions to grow the park’s footprint within equestrian sport. [Read more about the Bromont field]

The rein-back is one of those tricky movements that often eludes even the most well-schooled riders. I thought Mary Ann Grant’s insight on how a properly trained rein-back should feel to be quite interesting: “Think of the rein-back as a forward movement in which the engaged hind legs take the front legs backward instead of the shoulders taking the hind legs back. Likewise, when we walk forward, it is the engaged hind legs that take the front legs forward rather than the front legs pulling the hind legs forward.” [Read the article]

Summer Ever So Sweet Scholarship recipient Nora Huynh-Watkins has been enjoying her time training and all around being a sponge at Sara Kozumplik’s Overlook Farm in Virginia. She’s written a blog update to bring us up to speed on all she’s learned, and you won’t want to miss it. [Read the blog]

Planning ahead for next year’s AEC? Double check your qualifications, as they’re going to be a bit stronger for the 2023 Championship. A development made during the USEA Board of Governor’s meeting last week, the update removes eligibility for third place in national and FEI competition as qualifiers. First and second place only will count toward AEC qualification. The USEA says 89% of previous AEC competitors would still have been qualified to compete under these updated criteria. [Read the full story]

If you’re on the hunt for a new podcast to add to your rotation, might I suggest In Stride with Sinead Halpin? This podcast, put on by Ride iQ, features conversations on the longer side with riders and professionals as they sit down with 5* rider Sinead Halpin Maynard. The latest episode features Team USA member Will Coleman, who sat down for a chat just after returning from competing in Europe earlier this year. Will is one of the best riders to interview on account of his thoughtfulness and studious approach to the sport. I really enjoyed his interview and think you will too. [Listen to it here]

Tack Facts from Sterling Essentials

“I love moldy tack!”….said no rider, ever. Whether or not you find tack cleaning to be zen, the fact remains that your significant investment requires proper care to stay, well, worth all that money. Sterling Essentials’ all-natural cleaning and conditioning products have a markedly different effect when compared to other products. Spoiler alert: We have a full review of this great stuff coming later today, so stay tuned. In the meantime, check out some facts in the Instagram post below (can’t see it? click here to view it):

Sponsor Shoutout: Haygain

One of my favorite takeaways watching FEI World Championships (pt. 1) at Herning, Denmark was the inclusion of grooms within the programming. Groom names and photos were listed for each horse and rider combination, and there was much more visibility placed on their handiwork than seen at past championships. I was the world’s worst groom, but I did walk away with a healthy respect for how much is required of a groom and how much responsibility they bear. Props to the International Grooms Association for their diligence in promoting grooms and helping them gain proper FEI representation, and props to Haygain for being big supporters of grooms themselves!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Haygain USA (@haygainusa)

Wednesday Video Break

What a grand feeling it must be to become a double World Champion. That feat was accomplished to wrap up an exciting FEI World Championships for Para Dressage in Herning last weekend. Here’s the recap of Michèle George and Best of B’s ride of a lifetime:

Tuesday Video Break: The Multi-Talented Ingrid Klimke

We know Ingrid Klimke is a force to be reckoned with on a cross country course, but did you also know Ingrid’s a world-class dressage rider as well? Proof in the pudding (as if you needed it) can be found in a shiny new bronze medal earned in Herning, Denmark last week as a part of Germany’s FEI World Championships team for dressage. Ingrid was tapped to represent Germany with the uber-talented Franziskus 15 (Fiedertanz 2 – Antara, by Alabaster), a 14-year-old Hanoverian stallion who began his FEI dressage career in 2014 with Ingrid.

Ingrid and Franziskus have been wowing the crowds with their creative freestyle work, one of our favorites of which is shown below (honestly, this is the original #RaveHorse if you ask me):

While we don’t have a video of Ingrid’s performances in Herning, you can easily do a rider search on ClipMyHorse.TV to view each of her rides — here’s a link to the search.

Just for fun, here’s a look at a few other Ingrid and Franziskus rides through the years:

While Ingrid won’t be appearing in Pratoni representing Germany on the eventing, we wouldn’t be surprised if there came a year when we see her on both teams — after all, she’s qualified in both sports for both this championships as well as the postponed Tokyo Olympics. We love to see it and are constantly striving for just a thimbleful of talent equal to hers.

Meet the Horses and Riders Nominated for FEI World Championships for Eventing at Pratoni

Daniela Moguel and Cecelia. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

We’re anxiously awaiting the finalization of team and individual berths for the majority of countries competing in Italy for this year’s FEI World Championships for Eventing, and this morning we have a glimpse of nominated entries to further fuel the anticipation.

Nominated entries from each National Federation were due to the FEI on Monday, August 15, meaning each Federation can submit their “long list” of riders currently in the running for a competition spot. Definite entries are due on Monday, September 5, and we’ll likely see most of the major teams named ahead of this deadline with most final prep runs and selection trials concluded.

27 countries will be represented at FEI World Championships at Pratoni del Vivaro, and the roster includes the usual heavy-hitters, such as defending team gold medalists (both at WEG in 2018 and at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021) Great Britain, as well as a slew of smaller federations represented by individuals. These individuals include Daniela Moguel for Mexico, Olympian Fouaad Mirza for India, Olympian Korntawat Samran for Thailand, Aistis Vitkauskas for Lithuania, Balázs Kaizinger for Hungary, Nicolas Wettstein for Ecuador, and Olympian Alex Hua Tian for China.

You can view the full list of Nominated Entries here — and keep an eye out on EN for more team announcements as #Pratoni2022 inches closer. The action begins on September 14, and you can get up to speed on all the information you need (and a lot you didn’t) in our Ultimate Guide to FEI World Championships here.

You’re Invited to Submit Your Photos in Memory of Richard Picken

The eventing community (and beyond) continues to pay tribute to Richard Picken, who bravely battled cancer and passed away a few days ago. Richard was a well-respected mentor and friend to many in the equestrian world, and the Baugh family has invited all who knew him to submit their photos in his memory to a public album.

“We invite you to upload photos of Richard and yourself as a compilation of memories from people he touched and forever changed through his selflessness, kindness, education and friendship,” Kelly Baugh wrote. “This is to have and hold dear forever. ‘Life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.’ (Jackie Robinson)

If you’d like to share a photo, click here to visit the Memories album set up in Richard’s honor. Anyone may contribute to this album. You’ll need an email address or a Google, Apple, or Facebook account to contribute.

Richard’s family and friends continue to be in our thoughts. In his memory, below are a few more tributes rounded up from social media. You can also listen to a great interview Richard did with Major League Eventing here.

Richard,
Thank you for showing Colin and Alex the true honor of a Quest and how to Dream.

DON QUIXOTE
Whether I win…

Posted by Jeni Gaffney Dvm on Monday, August 15, 2022

A letter to Richard,

Six days from today will be four years since I first showed up at four schools farm and became…

Posted by Colin Gaffney on Sunday, August 14, 2022

Weekend Winners: Fair Hill, GMHA, Otter Creek, WindRidge Farm

We spy more than one former 5* horse out winning the blues this weekend! Here’s Neville Bardos, former superstar partner of Boyd Martin, who’s been relishing his role as professor for quite a few years now. His latest victory comes at Fair Hill this weekend in the Open Beginner Novice with Sarah Reese.

We also spotted the former partner of Lillian Heard, Share Option, at Fair Hill in the Beginner Novice Rider division, picking up the win with Emma Yanek.

Meanwhile, this weekend’s Unofficial Low Score Award was earned by Bernard Morauw and VC Questera, who won their Novice division at Otter Creek on an impressive finishing mark of 20.8. Nicely done!

Fair Hill International H.T. (Elkton, MD): [Website] [Final Scores]

Open Intermediate A: Daniel Clasing and Double Diamond C (35.8)
Open Intermediate B: Alex Baugh and Mr Candyman (38.8)
Open Preliminary A: Dom Schramm and Dawn Breaker (30.3)
Open Preliminary B: Meg Pellegrini and Global Naxos (26.2)
Preliminary Rider: Audrey Ogan and Always Cooley (31.7)
Open Training A: Ashley Adams and Global Halycon (30.4)
Open Training B: Daniel Clasing and Et Cetera (25.2)
Open Training C: Sydney Hagaman and Charmeur (21.7)
Training Rider A: Madison Hogan and Quintessential 39 (30.7)
Training Rider B: Megan Smallwood and Nevertheless (35.5)
Novice Rider A: Maeve Kenny and Astaire To The Future (31.7)
Novice Rider B: Robin King and Splash of Sass (28.3)
Open Novice A: Delaney Emerson and Merlins Redfield HSH (29.4)
Open Novice B: Ryan Wood and The Optimist (26.4)
Beginner Novice Rider A: Emma Yanek and Share Option (28.3)
Beginner Novice Rider B: Jennifer Trautmann and Moxley Leonard (29.4)
Open Beginner Novice: Sarah Reese and Neville Bardos (31.6)

GMHA Festival of Eventing August H.T. (South Woodstock, VT): [Website] [Final Scores]

CCI3*-S: Anna Loschiavo and Fernhill That Guy Jack (33.7)
CCI2*-S: Beth Murphy and Jimba (35.8)
Advanced CT: Lila Gendal and BT Just A Rebel (44.3)
Advanced/Intermediate: Ariel Grald and Isla de Coco (40.7)
Open Intermediate: Madeline Hartsock and Global FX (38.2)
Open Preliminary: Ariel Grald and Diara (28.8)
Preliminary Rider: Stephanie Sills and Salt (33.4)
Jr. Training: Eleanor Winter and Figlio (26.4)
Open Training A: Megan Tardiff and Vindakova (22.9)
Open Training B: Eliza Quigley and Kwibus (28.2)
Training Rider: Susan Gallagher and Chacco Chip (27.9)
Jr. Novice A: Annabelle Sprague and Freddie (22.5)
Jr. Novice B: Annabelle Sprague and Merry Clover King (22.8)
Novice Rider A: Kate Homan and Steve’s Sonata (33.6)
Novice Rider B: Jennifer Clapp and Sidamo de Brio (31.8)
Novice Rider C: Jacqueline Gilbert and ALF Cross My Heart (25.3)
Open Novice A: Booli Selmayr and Just My Style (24.2)
Open Novice B: Kristal Gessler and Prolific (26.7)
Beginner Novice Rider A: Jack Brennan and Paladin (33.8)
Beginner Novice Rider B: Nancy Read and Classic Chrome PCH (25.3)
Jr. Beginner Novice: Emma Adams and Cantefina HPF (33.7)
Open Beginner Novice: Alison Eastman-Lawler and Sara Bella (29.3)

Otter Creek Summer H.T. (Wheeler, WI): [Website] [Final Scores]

Open Intermediate: Leah Lang-Gluscic and AP Prime (45.7)
Intermediate/Preliminary: Rebecca Gall and Winning Attribute (46.2)
Open Preliminary: Liz Lund and R’Mani CF (42.3)
Jr. Training Rider: Alyssa Kendrick and McBean (59.1)
Open Training: Kirsten Hiles and Wisencrazi (28.6)
Preliminary/Training: Todd Wulf and Kando (26.4)
Sr. Training Rider: Morgan Risseeuw and Farina VT (32.4)
Jr. Novice Rider: Adelyn Rinehart and Wexford Cruise (35.0)
Open Novice: Bernard Morauw and VC Questera (20.8)
Sr. Novice Rider A: Bella Godfrey and Wonder Girl (34.7)
Sr. Novice Rider B: Jennifer Tyler and London ROF (30.6)
Jr. Beginner Novice Rider: Liliana Davick and Briarhill Excell Star Cornetta (30.6)
Open Beginner Novice A: Mark Ward and Moonlight Clover (30.9)
Open Beginner Novice B: Lianne Burgess and Marisol (29.9)
Sr. Beginner Novice Rider: Sue Goepfert and Isabeau VT (33.2)
Starter A: Catherine Christianson and Sonsational Sizzler (32.8)
Starter B: Amelia Nachtsheim and LandDance (29.0)

WindRidge Farm Summer H.T. (Mooresboro, NC): [Website] [Final Scores]

Intermediate: Becky Holder and Silmarillion (40.0)
Preliminary: Alan Montemayor and AZ (32.2)
Preliminary/Training: Lisa Borgia and Storm’s End (45.3)
Training A: Brianna Manning and Adrenaline Rush (28.9)
Training B: Bobby Meyerhoff and Aramona K (28.1)
Novice A: Andrew McConnon and Connor (32.1)
Novice B: Zoe Crawford and Willbrook Brown Yeats (31.9)
Novice C: Rachel Parrott and Mr. Barron (31.9)
Novice CT: Maggie Hitron and This Is Gonna Be Fun (42.5)
Beginner Novice A: Amanda Miller and Parkmore Irish Annie (31.5)
Beginner Novice B: Dianne May and Gilligan (31.5)
Beginner Novice C: Morgan Franklin and Mio Bello Ragazzo (35.8)
Beginner Novice CT: Harriet Goodrich and St. Paddy (46.2)
Intro A: Meredith Kapler and Queen Bee (41.5)
Intro B: Hannah Crosby and I Love Lucy (43.5)
Intro CT: Logan Harris and Dandy (38.4)
Starter A: Heather Sinclair and Banoffi (29.3)
Starter B: Evan Harris and Macaroni (29.7)

Germany Names Final Short List for FEI World Championships at Pratoni

Julia Krajewski and Amande de B’Neville. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Here we go! Nominated entries for the FEI World Championships for Eventing, happening September 14-18 at Pratoni del Vivaro in Italy, are due tomorrow (August 15), and following a final outing at Haras du Pin this weekend Germany has named its final short list. Their final list of nominated entries tomorrow should match this list:

The German team, which will consist of four team combinations, one individual combination, and two reserve pairs, is:

Team

  • Sandra Auffarth and Viamant du Matz, owned by Nikolaus Prinz von Croy
  • Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH, owned by Hilmer Meyer-Kulenkampff, Klaus and Sabine Fischer, and DOKR
  • Julia Krajewski and Amande de B’Neville, owned by Bernd Heicke and the rider
  • Christoph Wahler and Carjatan S, owned by Lena Thoenies and the rider

Individual

  • Alina Dibowski and Barbados 26, owned by Susanna Dibowski

Team Reserve

  • Nico Aldinger and Timmo, owned by Jutta and Michael Spethmann

Individual Reserve

  • Sophie Leube and Jadore Moi, owned by BG Jadore Moi and the rider

We will provide more updates on this and other Pratoni teams as they become available — and if you’re looking for a full slate of information, click on over to our Ultimate Guide to FEI World Championships here.

Eventing Community Pays Tribute to Richard Picken

We learned this weekend that Richard Picken, beloved husband of Joanie Morris and renowned show jumping rider and coach, has passed away at the age of 53. Perhaps best known within the tight knit eventing community as a mentor, coach, and friend, Richard spent his life dedicated to equestrian sport and the relationships he cultivated throughout.

Originally from the United Kingdom, Richard began his riding career as a show jumper, eventually transitioning to work closely in many other realms of sport. He would play an integral role in the logistical management of major championships such as the Olympic and World Equestrian Games.

Richard and Joanie Morris met in 2010 and were married in 2013 and subsequently relocated to Four Schools Farm in Kentucky, basing from there as they pursued their respective careers. Richard has coached and mentored multiple riders, including Phillip Dutton, Boyd Martin, Alex Baugh, and countless others. He played a key role in the success of Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice, who claimed individual bronze in Rio in 2016.

Through the years, the crew at Four Schools Farm has become more akin to a family than a group of riders. Consisting of core team members Alex Baugh, Colin Gaffney, Laura Douglas, Courtenay Turner, Morgan Kempe, Michelle and John Koppin, Grace Dilger, and Maddie Hale, the Four Schools team has supported each other through these past few months.

Across social media, riders and friends of Richard have shared their memories of and tributes to Richard. We’ve gathered a few to share with you a small glimpse of the impact Richard had on the community.

We’re sending our thoughts and condolences to all who knew and loved Richard, who will be sorely missed in our community and beyond.

We are forever grateful to have had Richard in our lives. Richard and Joanie took on Alex, and at times, the entire…

Posted by Kelly Baugh on Saturday, August 13, 2022

To our dear friend Richard, thank you for always bringing out the best in us. The support at events, the years of friendship, and always having our backs. We will miss you greatly but always remember. ❤️

Posted by Ryan Wood on Sunday, August 14, 2022

So very sad to hear about the passing of Richard Picken. He always brought out the best in all his students, including…

Posted by Emily Hamel Eventing on Saturday, August 13, 2022

I had amazing show jump rounds today at the beautiful GMHA on three horses that I need to give direct credit to Richard…

Posted by Allison Springer on Saturday, August 13, 2022