A muddy but fresh Lenamore heads back to the stable with rider Caroline Powell, he does his dressage later this afternoon.

Yes, it is wet and muddy, but Bramham will prevail! The riders are in a meeting with officials right now discussing how best to cope with the weather, be that moving some fences after the CCI and before the CIC, taking any fences out that are situated in very wet spots or whatever they need to do, but rest assured the word is that the show WILL go on. Riders have been asked not to walk on the course any more, and the minute markers have been posted for them, in order to preserve the footing as much as possible.

Daisy Dick’s Mopani tried his hardest despite obviously hating the going, he slipped a few times behind and struggled through; check out the Daisy on his bum, it’s become a trademark!

Ashley Adams’ former ride Vaunted in the CCI*** with Fiona Read. You can keep with all the scores here.

Martyn Johnson told me his CIC*** ride Power Line’s tail was like this when he bought him – he needs to listen to Jess Montgomery on this week’s Eventing Radio Show because she has some great tips, especially on fake tails and how to attach them! Ruth Edge who was helping Martyn told me she didn’t think they were allowed at FEI events, and thanks to Jess, I was able to tell them about Loughan Glen wearing one at Blenheim CCI*** last year, and she said that now they knew the rules, they may well try one.  We also had the delightful Canadian Olympic Eventer Samantha St Jacques on the show talking about married life with Grand Prix dressage rider Pierre and their son, Stirling. You can listen to it via the EN homepage, or subscribe on iTunes.

Andrew Nicholson and Avebury, very cool and calm, no mistakes to move into a handy 3rd position currently behind Laura Collett in the lead on Rayef, and William Fox-Pitt on Neuf Des Coeurs

William’s test on Neuf Des Couers was a joy to watch, and this horse coped with the muddy conditions in the arena better than most have all morning. The centre line especially is very deep, but Neuf Des Coeurs remained focused, William kept him in balance, everything looked wonderful.

Opposition Buzz stayed relaxed and did an accurate test for Nicola which must make all the Team GB connections, out in force this weekend and instantly recognisable by their brilliant rain gear – practice makes perfect! – very happy. He didn’t look like he was loving the going but coped with it, perhaps Nicola was just a touch conservative because of it, but it was still good enough to score 43.8 which puts them in 7th place at lunchtime.

Tom Crisp’s Cooly’s Luxury wasn’t enjoying the ground in the CCI*** arena either and although there were some promising moments he changed leads in both serpentines and looked a tiny bit overwhelmed by the occasion.

Props to Gary Parsonage for wearing a helmet, especially as it’s International Helmet Awareness Day tomorrow. Frenchman Benjamin Massie also wore one, and I know Olivia Loiacono was planning to wear hers. Rushing now to go off and see her test shortly, cross fingers for the USA in the U25 division, Go Subway!

Emily Baldwin’s Drivetime had a sense of humour failure, a nappy moment in the first canter serpentine and some tension will leave Emily disappointed I’m sure.

Tina Cook and her promising De Novo News performed a professional test to move into 8th place in the CCI*** at lunchtime. Rushing off so please excuse all errors and much more later from Bramahm – Go Eventing!

For Bramham coverage throughout the weekend tune into SamanthaLClark.com and Eventing Nation. [Bramham Results]

It made my day to bump into Olivia Loiacono this afternoon at Bramham; of course I was sort of on the look-out for her, but what with one thing and another I’d forgotten to actively go and seek her out.  We caught up briefly before watching her boss William execute a stunning test on Avoca Alibi to take the CCI*** lead, and then she had to run.

To all her family and fans who can’t be here, I promise to try and bring you lots more Olivia, and of course some Subway, despite her telling me English people are “so weird”! We’re going to try and walk the course together too; Olivia has walked it once on her own, and will walk it with William too. Her initial thoughts are that it’s big and bold, big and doesn’t let up, but although it’s yes, big, she says she likes Ian’s courses and thinks it will ride well for her and Subs. We talked briefly about the owl hole, and then the coffin, # 13 & 14 on the CCI*** course; I don’t think my photo really did justice to how steep that incline up and down is – as Olivia says she hopes to come in as quiet as she dares so as not to land too far down, and then ride with everything she’s got to get out. There used to be a very similar coffin at Badminton, just as steep but with perhaps even less room in the middle.  Olivia said she loved her tent, even when I worried about all the rain that was tipping down, and the winds that are forecast to arrive later tonight. Did you notice she slipped in a couple of very English words in the video? She also told me the tent was ‘massive’ and that she was plenty warm enough because she has two ‘duvets’ both in a bit of a Brit accent  – we’ll have her speaking properly before we send her back! Olivia has generously agreed to do monthly updates on her life, and give us some insights into training with William on The Eventing Radio Show, so I’m looking forward to the first instalment. In the meantime, go Subway and the USA in a very hot and very international (Alex Hua Tian CHN, Lizzie Brown NZ, and Nina Ligon THAI as well as plenty of Europeans, Tom McEwan, Laura Collett and several other Burghley 2011 entrants) Bishop Burton College Under 25 Division here at Bramham, and Go Eventing!

For Bramham coverage throughout the weekend tune into SamanthaLClark.com and Eventing Nation. [Bramham Results]

Tom McEwan and Dry Old Party, clear and fast at Burghley CCI**** 2011

This division is absolutely stacked with young talent from literally all over the world, several combinations have completed Burghley or Badminton and to do well here carries a ton of prestige. Will Coleman won it nine years ago on Fox in Flight. Olivia Loiacono flies the flag for the US this year on Subway. There was a scary moment when the Ground Jury asked her to trot a second time, but Subway was accepted. Of all the horses presented, only Gina Ruck’s Rehy Too was held, and then withdrawn from the holding box, everyone else goes forward.

Olivia enjoying everything England has to offer!

Alex Hua Tian and Secret Picnic for China

Laura Collett and Noble Bestman

Nina Ligon (Thailand) and Jazz King. Nina mentioned to me yesterday that she had actually tried to enter Jazz King in the CIC*** but it was absolutely jam-packed, so she may not run him around the entire CCI*** course, not because she doesn’t feel he can handle it or isn’t fit enough but purely as it is close to the Olympics.

[Click below for much more]

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Lucy Jackson, who’s 6ft tall, took an early lead in the CCI*** this morning on Willy Do, then came out after lunch and claimed the top spot in the CIC*** too riding Animator II. After Willy’s test she’d been understandably thrilled and exclaimed that she didn’t care if she was only in the lead for five minutes, it was still a wonderful feeling. Briefly she was able to double her fun. Her CCI*** lead lasted only for about ten minutes after Animator’s ride, as long as it took for the heavens to open and for William Fox-Pitt to ride his test on Avoca Alibi. I am thrilled to report that I bumped into Olivia Loiacono right before he went in, (report coming soon, I promise, video upload here is slooooow!) and we watched together, and she told me that poor Sherlock, as Avoca Alibi is known at home, hates the rain, and by then it was torrential. Apart from a slight tilting of the quarters in the halt (rain!) William rode him forward and smoothly to take the lead, and despite the weather it was a real treat to watch. Olivia also told me William got no sympathy from the crew on the yard a couple of weeks ago when he jumped the wrong last fence on this horse when on track to win at Houghton, “We were like, ‘Really, William? Really?'”! Let’s hope William has all his courses straight this week-end (he rides four horses in total) and that Olivia does too! I saw all of Lucy’s test on Animator and although he started off a tiny bit fussy in his head, she just wrapped those long, long legs around him and rode him forward and he got better and better, his canter work was fabulous. I used to console myself that Ginny Leng was one of the most stylish riders ever, and she’s teeny tiny, but then again she’s Ginny Leng! How do you feel you’re either at an advantage or not, because of your physical stature?  The pouring rain means fewer pictures (none so far this afternoon I’m afraid) I always wonder if spending hundreds of dollars on a raincoat for my camera is worth it, and inevitably decide it’s not, but tomorrow I shall endeavour to remember to at least bring a plastic bag! Classing it up for Eventing Nation! Go Eventing whatever the weather!

The promised rain arrived on Thursday morning. As of the lunch break it has slackened off a bit, but it still feels cold and damp, not much like June anywhere except in England!  You can keep up with all the live scores here.

Carl Bouckaert rode a lovely test on Mensa – forward and flowing it was the most relaxed I’ve seen Mensa in the ring with him. They managed to maintain their rhythm despite a dog fight breaking out just outside one end of the arena, and afterwards Carl was rightfully delighted, and told me he thought it was the best test he’s done with Mensa so far.  First and foremost in Carl’s mind though was his son in law, Michael Pollard and the tragic trailer accident just a couple of weeks ago, which evidently still weighs heavily.  Carl hoped for a wonderful Bromont for Michael with Hanni, hoped that she’d go as well as she did in Mexico, and said that Michael will be extra motivated this weekend. Carl and his team have been based in Belgium for the last six weeks and just arrived here at Bramham last night, and he said Cyrano Z is very, very fit and fresh indeed. Having ridden his test quite early on Mensa he was heading back to get on Cyrano whose test is at 3:50 this afternoon, and laughed when he said he wasn’t sure how long he’d be on him for, but “for as long as it takes” to get him to settle down!

Madeleine Brugman for the Netherlands on Edino – pretty in pink? There is a strong European presence here at Bramham this weekend, with Belgium, France and the Netherlands being especially well-represented.

An Eventing Nation favourite, Merel Blom from the Netherlands working Umberto in the rain. I was so impressed by her, her riding and her horses when I met Merel last autumn at Galway Downs in California, and remain so. She worked her horse on her own in the rain this morning, quietly but with a plan, and they  looked more like a pure dressage combination than eventers, no offence to eventers!  Mixing lots of fairly forward cantering with halts to medium trots, she did most of her work outside the practice arenas.

Angus Smales was first into the CCI*** arena on It’s a Jackpot, after Karin Donckers had laid down the gauntlett with a very composed guinea pig test on Gazelle de la Brasserie, and then moved into the lead of the CIC*** on Extebaria van het Verahof shortly before lunch.

Andrew Hoy and Cheeky Calimbo – a smooth ride this morning in the CIC***

Elaine Pen (NED) rode Dostojewski, also in the CIC***

Piggy riding another very nice impressive bay horse – Kiltealy Brief in the CIC***

I didn’t see all the tests this morning but Joy Dawes, on Harbour Pilot in the CCI*** above, was the only competitor I saw wearing a helmet.

Izzy Taylor rides three in the CCI, here she is early on Thursday on her first horse Dax Van Ternieuwbeke; their test was basically mistake free and pleasing to watch so hopefully she’ll consider this a good start to the day.

One of my favourites, Italian rider Vittoria Panizzon on Borough Penny

Andrew Hoy rides his second CIC*** horse, Rolex Kentucky entrant Rutherglen in the rain

Nicola Wilson riding Applejack. She also has the incomparable Opposition Buzz in the CIC***, and she brought him out to work in front of GB Team Dressage trainer Tracie Robinson later. They didn’t do much with him, but he looks in cracking form. Even just standing when he’d finished and Tracie and Nicola were chatting, he has that charisma about him, and big ears – a sign of a genuine horse so I’ve been told. Love hi and can’t wait to see him run across country on sunday.

William Fox-Pitt worked the stallion Chilli Morning (those bridle numbers are actually BE issue and say “STALLION”!) in the arena with Tracie, and the more he got him to relax, the softer and better he looked. When they’d finished he cantered and then trotted around the outside of the arenas in big circles in a longer frame. I held onto Chilli briefly while William switched horses, and he’s very sweet and gentle, but all compact muscle up close, very strong but not as tall as I’d expected him to be.

Rodney Powell and Conair, also working with Tracie.

Just in case you might have thought this is a glamourous life! Tracie Robinson stood out in the rain all morning from 8am onwards, kept busy by a steady stream of GB’s best and brightest all keen to benefit from her expertise.  While we’re talking about the weather, we just saw Bramham featured on the local BBC news which was very cool, but next up  we saw the weather forecast. Everyone keeps saying how well the ground here drains, and by the looks of things it might need to – heavy rain, up to 80mm and high, damaging winds are headed our way, “We’re going to have another Osberton!” remarked one journalist here in the media tent; I’m not sure which year she was referring to but I thank God I wasn’t there, and again for my tendency to overpack – why on earth did I think I’d need wellies, rain gear, jumpers, long sleeves, puffas etc in June? Because I do! It must be almost time for Wimbledon. Go Eventing!

Which four star horse and rider is this, and a bonus point if you can name the venue?!

Answers in the comments section please, and you’ll find out  if you got it right on monday. Enjoy our weekend and Go Eventing!

Not only is Suzie Harrison a local Advanced event rider, she’s also an Elementary School Teacher, a wife and teaches pony club, and having been friends with her on facebook, and a fan of her blog for some time I was intrigued and  delighted to finally meet her in person last weekend at May-Daze. Yes, she is as energetic and positive as I’d imagined, and with as much as she fits into her days she needs to be! Yes, she is one determined individual – against the advice of her coach,mother, husband and just about everyone else, she bought Frankie (above), at the time, a just turned five year old OTTB hot chestnut mare with uveitis and impaired vision in her left eye.

 Fast forward seven years and Lets Be Frank (the mare’s show name) has taken Suzie round her first CCI*, CCI** and Advanced tracks, and she’s making plans for some summer training with Jan Byyny, Richland CIC Horse Trials, and the Fair Hill CCI*** this autumn.  Their journey is by no means without it’s bumps in the road, but Suzie has learnt from her mistakes and continues to steadily improve, and most importantly to enjoy her eventing, and luckily for us, chronicle the ups and downs so we can ride along with her.  Honest and funny, she’s the perfect teacher turned pupil, analysing her competitions and then putting them behind her and moving on.

Suzie keeps her horse at the breathtaking Donamire Farm (if you’ve seen Dreamer or Sympatico you’ll know how lucky she is!) and trains alongside fellow eventer Maggie Sharp who attends UK. With an all- weather and a turf track, an arena and full set of jumps, miles of hacking, a hill gallop as well as access to a pool, small wonder that  Suzie told me with a laugh that she arrived at her first CCI** last year with almost too much horse, “She got a 79 in the dressage, and it was that moment where I really felt like she was about to jump out! That’s the fittest I’d ever had her, and I feel like at that point in time she didn’t really know what to do with herself. We let her down in the winter a little and then re-conditioned her again for Pine Top, and she’s been much easier to manage this time around.” For the record they were one of only five double clears cross country in the CCI**, and Suzie told me with a wry smile that Frankie felt and jumped great on Sunday too.

The back of the Team Frankie T-Shirts

Frankie, who was sold as a yearling at Keeneland and raced until she turned four, started about 17 times and even won a couple of races before finding her niche with Suzie. To help fund her summer and autumn campaign Suzie has designed and is selling these Team Frankie T-shirts (above), and we have four to give away in a competition.  Suzie will pick the funniest of your captions submitted after the closing date, next Monday,4th June at midnight – we have one small, two mediums and one large, please state which size you would prefer if you win.

*********UPDATE!*********

To win one of the T-Shirts, please submit, in the comments section below, your own “Let’s Be Frank” Rule or Saying, similar in style to the ten on the back of the t-shirt above, or one applicable to any horse, or horse that you have loved! Sorry not to have made that clearer initially, Go Frankie and Go Eventing!

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“She definitely has been the horse of a lifetime”

You can hear my interview with Suzie on this week’s episode of the Eventing Radio Show. Many thanks to Suzie for her time, and wishing her the very best of luck during the rest of the season. Go Team Frankie and Go Eventing!

Flower Alley, above, has seen his popularity as a sire sky rocket as his most famous son heads towards a possible historic Triple Crown next weekend; already “one of the best racehorces” of his year when he retired he’d been attracting a nice book of mares, but now with his offspring I’ll Have Another winning this year’s Kentucky Derby and Preakness, and a couple of other high profile runners doing well, his schedule has become jam-packed, and his book for next year is filling up quickly. Lucky then that a) he’s an out and out workaholic, and b) he happens to be retired at Three Chimneys Farm where everything is conducive to the happy horse.

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The stallions at Three Chimneys typically spend about 15-17 hours a day outside in their lush paddocks, just being horses, but unlike most other top class TB breeding farms, they are also ridden daily by Brian Van Steenberg, an exceptional eventer turned track rider who found his spot here about a dozen years ago and never left.  Compact and strong, but with soft hands, a sympathetic mind and gentle heart you couldn’t find anyone better suited to ride these unbelievably valuable, fit, strong, independent individuals!  Brian very kindly talked to us in between sitting on War Chant and Flower Alley; he had a short break because Flower Alley was squeezing in a quick breeding before his ride, such is his popularity these days!

Brian on War Chant (as someone who grew up never even schooling without carrying a whip “just in case” I was very impressed that Brian doesn’t feel the need to have one on any of his rides), and LOOK at his face! He hummed and chatted to the stallions constantly and had a real connection and rapport with each one.  Brian admitted that Big Brown was the most athletic horse he’s ever ridden, “I have never, ever been carried through space as effortlessly as on this horse, he makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. He’s like a Ferarri, you just push the button, he’s incredible.”  Jen Roytz, marketing and communications director told me some stallions already have a reputation in the show world, “We try to keep up with a lot of our stallions’ offspring after the track in their second careers and we have a gallery on our facebook page dedicated to them. War Chant is a really pretty mover, and he’s got suspension which can sometimes be harder to come by in Thoroughbreds fresh off the track so we get people calling all the time asking if we have any sons or daughters of War Chant that are ready for second careers, or if we could help them find one. The same thing with Point Given, he’s very popular too for eventing or the hunter/jumper circuit.” It’s no secret that Eventing Nation is a big fan of the OTTB as event horse, and I am definitely a fully paid up member of that club.  At this year’s Rolex CCI**** 21 of the horses competing were ex-racehorses including the winner Parklane Hawk who ran in New Zealand, and indeed at the 2010 Alltech FEI WEG held at the Kentucky Horse Park Caroline Powell’s mount Mac MacDonald had direct ties to Three Chimneys Farm

With some 400 horses on Three Chimneys obviously not everyone can be at the Belmont, but there will be a big party at the farm to watch the race and celebrate no matter the outcome.  A win, no doubt, would be fantastic, not just for all of I’ll Have Another’s extended connections, but for the sport in general.

Three Chimneys must be applauded for their thoroughbred after-care programme;  they are very open about trying to place any horse connected to the farm in a second career or long term home once it has been retired from racing. Jen Roytz, who is charged with co-ordinating the efforts, explained what it entails:

“We try to keep our eyes out for any horse that has passed through our gates as they’re coming to the end of their racing career. When they’re by our stallions it’s actually easier then you’d expect because we get auto-generated reports of where every offspring of each stallion is running on any given day.  We’ll just start keeping our eyes on the ones at the lower levels, maybe making a call or two to trainers, and in a lot of cases if they’re thinking about retiring the horse and don’t have options in mind, it’s as simple as providing them with a list of reputable after-care associations, or people who are looking for horses that fit that description –  it’s often that easy. Also we have a really good network of equine advocates around the country so when horses end up in an at-risk situation, like for example New Holland or Sugar Creek or one of these livestock auctions in a kill pen, we’ll get a call to let us know and then we work very quickly and quietly behind the scenes to make sure we get that horse out of that situation and into a better one; every horse’s situation is a little bit different so we just help to facilitate it in the best way possible. Social media, like facebook and twitter, has also helped us tremendously”

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Unfortunately, Three Chimneys has been susceptible to people trying to take advantage of their generosity, which is perhaps why some other farms are less open about their own advocacy, “If it’s a horse that was bred by Three Chimneys or owned by Three Chimneys at one time, maybe that means we pay the bail to get that horse out and into a safe long-term home.  If it’s a horse that’s by one of our stallions but we didn’t breed or own it, then we contact the breeder or the horse’s previous connections and help them facilitate getting that horse out and basically do all the legwork for them. The bottom line is we’re quick to react and in these situations, many times it’s ‘save the horse and figure out the logistics later. We’re really lucky that the clients we have here at Three Chimneys share the same mindset that we do which is really lucky for us – they feel the same way. If a horse that they’ve ever been connected to ends up in a bad situation they won’t stop at anything to help, but sometimes all they need is a little bit of guidance, someone to walk them through the process.”

 

Jen modestly explains that many people are very intimidated by the prospect of re-homing racehorses and assume that it will become a long term expense and liability but often that’s not the case; in a lot of instances, she says,  it’s just a matter of making phone calls and connecting the dots.

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I couldn’t have been more impressed with every single aspect of the farm – from the immaculate barns and presentation, to the personal touches – there’s a picture drawn by Hope, the little girl who’s become I’ll Have Another’s good luck mascot via the Make a Wish Foundation, pinned outside Flower Alley’s stable; she’ll be going to the Belmont and hopefully be celebrating for a third time next weekend.  An enormous thank you to Jen for  extending the invitation and showing me round, to Brian for chatting, and to Three Chimneys for their unparalleled excellence, but especially for showing the world the caring face of horse-racing. Go I’ll Have Another, all the way to the Triple Crown, and Go OTTBs Eventing!

I spent a magical morning at Three Chimneys today visiting their stallions, including Flower Alley, above, the sire of course, of this year’s Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner I’ll Have Another. Three Chimneys is slightly unusual in that they do exercise their stallions regularly, and they are also extremely responsible about the after-care programme for any racehorse that was born, bred or raised at the farm. I’ll be working away to bring you my report as soon as possible, including an interview with the wonderful Brian who has spent the last ten years there riding the stallions, and details of Protecting Our Own, but in the meantime, why don’t you go to the Three Chimneys Farm facebook page and submit a caption for a chance to win a Flower Alley/I’ll Have Another prize pack.  Go taking care of the OTTB’s, go Triple Crown and I’ll Have Another, and Go Eventing!

Flower Alley enjoying an early morning canter on the farm

Piggy French’s lovely ride Jakarta was our Mystery Quiz answer this weekend. Pictured here at Badminton last year where he finished 2nd to Mark Todd, he has just trounced a quality field in the CIC*** at Houghton, surely doing his chances of being selected to represent Team GB in London this summer no harm at all. Congratulations Piggy and Jakarta, and Go Eventing!

Saturday was a long, hot one at the Kentucky Horse Park for everyone, but especially for the jump judges who were manning their posts from the first horse on course at 7:30am, and then in two minute intervals, with only short breaks to change courses until the last horse went some time after 6pm. A massive EN thank you to one and all of the volunteers, here at Maydaze and at every event.  All scores, including detailed cross country breakdown, are available here.

Preliminary Cross Country

Jennifer Feiner on Pirates Bid, the first horse out  in Open Prelim

Alyson Schwartz on Back to Business

Lisa Mendell and Hocus Pocus

Elissa Gibbs and Predestined

Audrea Dyer and Articat

Catherine Henderson and Matched Lite

Lindsey Solarzano and Ramsey

Eventual Open Prelim winners Jesslyn Woodall and Thunderstruck – Congratulations!

Click below for more photos, video, and commentary.

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Do you know which four star horse this is? If you think you do, let us know in the comments section below please, and we’ll reveal all on Monday!

Happy Memorial Day and Go Eventing!

Remind me never to try and talk to three people at once again, and please always thank your volunteers, as you can see, they don’t get a minute to themselves!  Woods rides Truckee Bash beautifully, and told me he was waiting for galloping vet Dr Chris Newton to confirm his 14.2, former barrel racing mare’s pregnancy to Ruben O. Chris had been scheduled to come out the previous night but….! Woods showed me a picture of her jumping and she is spectacular, so I look forward to seeing him out on the foal in a few years time with a bit of luck.

Props to wtreventing who guessed correctly – this beautiful bum does indeed belong to Clifton Promise!

Thank you to everyone who had a go, we had some great answers. Please try again next week, and Go Eventing!

The NARA students racing – I believe the jockey in front is eventual winner Mallory Standberg who was also treated to a traditional dunking in the water trough after the race, closely followed by former Phillip Dutton working pupil Kali Francois, and behind them both, the pacemaker!

Something for everyone – The Woodford Hounds meet and greet.

As usual a wonderful day was had by all, marred only by an accident in the final race, the inaugural running of the Sportswomen’s Challenge. Selfishly, I was thankful that by then my children were completely preoccupied playing football with all the other kids on the “backside” and didn’t see a thing, and as it happened vice versa too. Once again I’ll be nominating myself for mother of the year as hot, tired, sweaty and happy on the way home, they regaled me with horror stories of Harry being knocked down by a golf buggy, luckily he’ll live to see another day, sadly the horse will not.

Gustav Dahl on Monteagle, victorious in the $15,000 Maiden Hurdle cruised round with a fairly comfortable lead to win easily.

The two week Kentucky Spring Show -big deal jumpers and hunters – and that this year included the Olympic Observation Trials, wrapped up today, and next weekend we look forward to the May Daze Horse Trials with Beginner Novice through Preliminary Divisions. Massive props and Thank you to the Organisers and Volunteers of the High Hope for another wonderful year, and Go Eventing!

Which impressive four star bottom is this? Clue: Your answer, in the comments section below please, should be a horse’s name!

Enjoy your weekend, we’ll tell you who it is on Monday, and Go Eventing!

One of many, many nice horses we saw all day – Catherine Witt’s (ring a bell? Parklane Hawk?!) Model Behaviour ridden by Francis Whittington. I was going to say he was my take-home horse of the day, but it was impossible to pick just one. Let me preface today’s report with an apology and an excuse: I’m sorry for the appalling pictures – Lily, Harry and I went to Aston-le-Walls on the spur of the moment armed with my phone and my mother’s very small, basic point and shoot. Luckily however, the always glamourous Rachel Wakefield from Uptown Eventing was there and got lots of lovely shots, which as usual, she’s shared on her facebook page, so do like the page and browse through the pictures from today, and other great English, and European events that they go to – Thank you to Uptown Eventing for such a nice service and beautiful pictures!

 
Colleen Rutledge was the first person I bumped into, and I was delighted to spend most of the day with her. We watched some show-jumping together and then wandered out onto the cross country.   Colleen is wonderful – positive, cheerful and upbeat company and can find a proverbial silver lining in everything, even in all the rain clouds that have flooded England and put a damper on all her plans lately. It was only when we saw a horse completely misjudge and crash into the second of the steps up on cross country, cannoning his rider into it, quite a heavy fall, and then remount, circle and approach it again, executing it perfectly second time around that I saw a tiny ruffle in her feathers! After Colleen realised that this was BE Eventing, the one fall and you’re out rule only applies under FEI rules and in the US,  she looked at me and said, “Now I really want to move here!” Otherwise, she seems totally unflappable and I had a lovely afternoon with her, it just went by far too quickly. The credit for the photo above, surprisingly goes to Harry. I caught up with Colleen briefly on tape, more for her family’s benefit than for anyone else and talked to her about Shiraz (Luke’s) plans and driving in England.

Please click below to continue reading– many more photos and interviews!

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“This is has all been very exciting. Being awarded the Jacqueline Mars Grant was a huge honor. The Grant was used to fly out Good Knight, or Ari, to compete at the Fork horse trials and to stay east until Rolex. 

During our stay Tracy, my husband David, and I based ourselves out of Leslie Law’s facility in Ocala. It was a great opportunity to be able to concentrate on just the two horses that were with us. 

The end result at Rolex was not what we had hoped for but I’m very excited about Ari’s future. Ari never lost his confidence around Derek’s course and the issues that I had were due to lack of experience, he’s only ten this year. I was very grateful for everyone at USEF to give me the opportunity to further my education and to make Ari that much better for the future.” 

Looking forward to seeing Jolie, and indeed all the Cali girls back again soon. Thanks to everyone who reminded me to bring the Quiz back, and  to everyone who took part, see you again next weekend. Go Eventing!

Which four star rider is this, Eventing Nation?

Answers in the comments section below please, and we’ll reveal the answer on Monday.

Go Eventing!

Allie Slusher on her Pan Am Games short-listed ride Pierre

I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews about Allie Slusher since she moved to my neck of the woods here in Kentucky last December,  but  for whatever reason our paths didn’t cross until schooling at the Horse Park wednesday, and you can now number me amongst her growing legion of local fans. Deciding to up sticks and re-locate from the West Coast was a huge leap of faith for 25 year old Allie, but it seems to be paying off, and although she’s had to sacrifice some competition time and training this spring she told me she thinks it will definitely be worth it in the long run,

“I put all my focus into setting up shop and the business aspect of it over competing. I haven’t had the finances to show much because I basically gave up all my income to take this risk coming here, and also I didn’t feel like I could leave the farm as much, I feel like I needed to be here,  to spend the time  and meet the clients, go to mini-shows and all that, so while I’ve feel like I’ve missed out on some shows,  (I haven’t done an FEI event yet this year which is weird!), it’s also been a nice break, and a good time to reflect, and I think I’m going to come out better once I start competing. I miss it, I’m really excited to compete, even though it has been nice to spend some nice quality time training at home.”

Buck Davidson is coming to the Bluegrass next weekend to teach a clinic in Louisville and Allie is looking forward to taking a few horses to participate, and then competing at May Daze the following weekend.

Ahead of schedule in where she wanted to be in her business thanks to hard work, a good attitude, great people skills and of course in no small part a talent for riding and teaching, there are, however, of course,  some things Allie couldn’t replicate here in Kentucky,

“I miss my friends from California; obviously there are certain things I miss, it was my home, but I don’t miss it in the sense that I haven’t ever once wished I was back there. I really love it here in Kentucky, I love it more than I expected to love it.”

Allie won the Rebecca Broussard International Travel Grant worth $10,000 and hopes to use that later this year. Many thanks to Allie for stopping to chat during a very busy day of teaching and riding, it was lovely to meet her at last. Thank you as always for reading, and Go Eventing!

The Schooling Days are a great place to go and catch up with friends, and shop for horses – I would have bought this one if I’d had more than loose change in my pocket! An OTTB going novice by Green Gator, he’s going novice but is also a perfect “mummy’s ride”, very happy to stand and gossip! Dorothy Crowell was  very busy riding and coaching, as was Cathy Weischoff so I was disappointed not to catch up with them more than a brief hello, but very happy to meet Allie Slusher, our newest Kentucky eventer, who is not only talented and a dynamo, but charming, and I’m looking forward to visiting her farm soon to get a more formal introduction to all her horses for Eventing Nation!

Local trainer and rider Megan Moore also had a strong presence at the schooling day.

I saw all kinds of horses and riders, and all kinds of riding, good and bad. Steward, medics and vets are on hand, and it’s fun to watch as long as you can do so with a certain air of detachment, it’s a pretty mad day. Riders galloping at the popular jumps yelling “Heads Up!”, and then it’s basically a game of chicken, has anyone seen that film about the air traffic control, Pushing Tin?!

Loved this helmet!

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