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Lord, make me even half as cool as a tiny Martin baby wearing a backwards skull cap and illegally cantering behind mom’s back. Part 1 of Leo Martin’s riding adventures — now with added microphone — went down a treat, and part 2, in which Leo visibly transforms into a speed demon (good luck, everyone) is even better. I never want to babysit these kids, but I do kind of want to be them.
Miroslav Trunda and Shutterflyke. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Less than a week after the release of the individual slots for eventing at this summer’s Paris Olympics, a major revision has been made, which will see an additional nation come forward to contest the Games.
17 individual slots were awarded following the end-of-year deadline for each team nation to confirm its eligibility. These were awarded based on Olympic rankings points: individual horses and riders with the best Olympic ranking in their regional group effectively earned the place for their country, though not, necessarily, for themselves. These individual slots were originally awarded as follows:
Olympic Ranking – Group A: Denmark (1) and Finland (1)
Olympic Ranking – Group B: Spain (1) and Austria (1)
Olympic Ranking – Group C: Lithuania (1) and Hungary (1)
Olympic Ranking – Groups D & E*: Chile (1), Argentina (1), Ecuador (2)
Olympic Ranking – Group F: South Africa (1) and Morocco (1)
Olympic Ranking – Group G: China (2)
Three highest ranked in overall rankings: Spain (+1), Finland (+1), Denmark (+1)
A revision has now been made in the final group, the highest-ranking nations in the overall rankings. Though the final slot had originally been awarded to Denmark, the result that earned that spot – that of Mia Hastrup and Constantin M – actually tied with Miroslav Trunda and Shutterflyke. As the athletes were consistent in their results, the FEI tie-break has had to be used, which favours the combination with the best cross-country score at the highest level event. This goes the way of Trunda: he and Shutterflyke finished third in the CCI4*-L at Floresti with a clear cross-country round and 5.6 time penalties, edging them ahead of Hastrup and Constantin M, who were also third in a CCI4*-L in 2023, at Strzegom, but added 14.8 time penalties. The Czech Republic will now make their return to the Olympics, while Denmark will also retain an individual place, having topped the Group A list.
A nominated long list is required from each nation by March 28, with final entries due to Paris organizers by July 8. Competitors have until June 24 to obtain any needed final MERs.
Follow along with all of EN’s coverage of the Olympics here.
The beautiful ‘bowl’ of Haras du Pin, which hosts Le Grand Complet each August. Photo by Christophe Tanière.
Quotes within this news story have been translated from the original French. The article was updated on January 11 to include a response from Haras du Pin, at the bottom of the page, also translated from the original French.
It has been announced today that France’s Le Grand Complet at Haras du Pin will not run in 2024 following a financial dispute between its organisers, Ustica, and the estate and regional department in Normandy.
Though many will know Haras du Pin primarily for its role as host of the 2014 World Equestrian Games and 2023 FEI European Eventing Championships, for continental European eventers, it’s a mainstay in the calendar each summer for its Le Grand Complet fixture, which hosts classes at CCI2*-L, CCI3*-S, and CCI4*-S, inclusive of the French leg of the FEI Nations Cup series.
While Le Grand Complet’s origins trace back to the mid-90s, it hosted its first FEI event at the turn of the millennium at its original site in Martinvast, where Ustica’s office is based and the home of André le Goupil, who rode for France in the 1968 Olympics. In 2010, it began its tenure at Normandy’s Haras du Pin, one of France’s prized national studs, and its association with the le Goupil family remains steadfast: one of Ustica’s directors and its resident course designer is Pierre le Goupil, who has also been appointed as course designer for the Paris Olympics.
But while Ustica was able to pull off last year’s European Championships, which it had originally been awarded for 2021 but ultimately lost in the initial cancellation and subsequent reinstatement of all FEI European Championships for that year, all has not been well behind the scenes as they navigate their relationship with Haras du Pin and the Conseil Départmental de l’Orne, the area’s governing body. The Départment’s taxpayers helped – alongside French and European funding – to contribute €24 million to the estate’s equestrian development project, which began in early 2022 and was completed just months before the Europeans, and which saw the competition facility add four new arenas, permanent stabling, a hospitality complex, offices, and associated facilities, all of which were debuted at the Championships. It was a development project that was largely seen as a positive one, and one that further invested in the estate’s rich equestrian legacy, but as Ustica President Valérie Moulin explains in a statement released this morning, it’s one that has also been used to increase the demands upon the organisation that facilitates the largest sporting event held at the site.
On March 31 of 2023, the Department decided to implement an up-front fee for Ustica to use the site for Le Grand Complet. The €80,000 fee would include a €60,000 site rental charge, €10,000 for personnel and material charges, and €10,000 to compensate against impact on tourism numbers on the site during the event. Furthermore, the estate has requested that Ustica fund further development and make changes deemed untenable, including relocating the event’s shopping village – which currently exists by the original arena on the cross-country side of the estate, to a stretch of road not currently supplied with electricity and not yet stabilised for structures. The estate and Department have also terminated the use of storage facilities on site, established with Ustica thirteen years ago in a bid to reduce organisational costs. Ustica appealed the result of the vote in the first part of 2023 and, explains Moulin in the statement, were subsequently threatened with the cancellation of the European Championships.
Ustica was asked to pay the up-front charge for the 2024 event on December 27, 2023, forcing them to cancel the renewal of the event as, explains the statement, they risked finding themselves unable to pay the contractors – most of whom are connected to the local area – who “faithfully contribute to the structure of the event.”
“We were criticized for our lack of political approach and, in June, less than two months before the event, threats to cancel the holding of the European Championships were made so that we could meet certain requirements that are quite incompatible with a sporting event of this level,” explains Moulin. “If our determination to maintain our choices has made it possible to deliver a Championship of undisputed quality that was welcomed by the highest sporting bodies, the other side of the coin has been strategically orchestrated. Indeed, for the first time in 25 years of organization, the demand of a subsidy from the department was made on December 27, thus preventing the association from financially settling with the many local companies with which we work faithfully, and also contributing to the financial asphyxiation of our associative structure.
“We deplore the way in which our association, which has been fully invested for years in the development of the sport, is excluded from a site that it has largely contributed to promoting, since Le Grand Complet is recognized as the only event to welcome so many visitors to Haras du Pin,” says Moulin, who points out that, with 15,000 visitors each year, Le Grand Complet is the biggest bringer of tourism to Haras du Pin, which sees 40,000 annual visitors for non-sporting events. “The sporting, media and economic benefits of the event seem to be deliberately ignored by management, since the relationships deteriorated when Ustica preferred, for economic and safety reasons related to hygiene, to work with a local restaurateur other than the one installed year-round on the site.
“Today, after 24 million Euros invested from public funds, this tool becomes a profit center whose cost of use is simply inaccessible to associations in the sector. This choice is harmful not only for external organizers, but especially for the entire sector and the territory.
“The loss of the event here will damage the area and the Department. We don’t understand why the owners are trying to stop the competition, but we are hoping our eviction for 2024 will not disrupt the evolution of the Complet in this place that is so emblematic. The passion is still absolutely there for all of Ustica’s members, and we hope to deliver news in 2025 of its return to Le Pin or its movement elsewhere.”
January 11 update:
Haras du Pin has published a press release in response to the cancellation of the event, which is translated in full as follows:
“Since 2010, the USTICA association has joined Haras du Pin to organize the Grand Complet.
“In 2023, the Haras du Pin turned an important page in the history of this site, and built an International Equestrian Sports Centre to host the largest competitions. That same year, it received the FEI European Eventing Championship, but also the World Pairs Driving Championship, among others.
“This new equestrian complex of international level and these new major facilities obviously involve new challenges and economic objectives. Le Haras du Pin has therefore revised the entry requirements of event organizers, in order to offer them a tailor-made welcome while respecting the economic balance of the Haras. It is in this context that a commitment on booking requirements was proposed to the USTICA association.
“Without commitment from USTICA, Haras du Pin was forced to take a decision to advance in its already busy 2024 season, and define a sports program with many national and international events, including an international showjumping competition (CSI) as part of the Normandy Summer Tour, for example. This is why the dates requested by USTICA were assigned to another organizer.
“Le Haras du Pin regrets this situation because, if relations with USTICA have always been complicated on an administrative level, the sporting aspect under the authority of [Pierre] Le Goupil and [Guillame] Blanc has always been there. Haras du Pin is ready to welcome USTICA in 2025.”
FINALLY! Finally. I don’t know long I’ve been waiting for this moment, but the rain here in the UK has, after about a solid year, stopped. Okay, yes, it’s now so cold we can all barely function; okay, sure, we’ve now got intermittent snowfall to deal with — but it’s dry. And man, I’ve not been hit with such a burst of motivation in a hot minute. I think we all feel like we can crawl out of our caves and actually start planning the year ahead now, and that’s a really great feeling.
Events Opening Today: Three Lakes Winter II H.T. at Caudle Ranch, Pine Top Advanced, Full Gallop Farm Mid February H.T.
Events Closing Today: Full Gallop Farm January H.T, Rocking Horse Winter I H.T.
News & Notes from Around the World:
You might have seen the Landmark prefix out and about at events. But where do all these talented eventers come from? Go behind the brand at Jacqueline Mars’s breeding program with the USEA and find out more about how the team is hoping to create a source for super horses at home in the USA.
In the mood for just, like, a lot of reading today? Thoroughbred news hotspot The Paulick Report has been going back through their most-read stories of 2023, and there’s some real doozies in there. Dive on in and remember the year that was.
Lunging at shows can be a pretty fraught sort of venture. The solution? Everyone committing to getting a little bit better at doing it properly and understanding the actual benefits and risks of it (and no, the benefits don’t really include ‘tiring him out so he behaves in the ring’). Tune up your skills with this video tutorial.
Alas, we won’t get to see India’s Fouaad Mirza and his incredible Seigneur Medicott in Paris. The former Bettina Hoy mount, with whom Fouaad shot into the spotlight at Tokyo, has been retired from competition at the age of 18 after contributing so much to building the profile of equestrian sport in India. Relive his sparkling career here.
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Sponsor Corner: A New Year means new stickers from Kentucky Performance Products! Check out the gorgeous sparkly horse you can collect for Winter 2024. Plus, get a free infographic on winter horse care.
Watch This:
If anyone needs me this week, you can probably just find me watching the FEI Vaulting World Cup Final: a sport I do not understand in any way, but am deeply, deeply fascinated by. Probably because I’ve never even managed to do a cartwheel successfully, let alone any of this.
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Do you ever see a meme and fail to see it as, well, a meme, but rather as a guide to life? Because look, I’m going to be real with you: when my EN teammate Allie posted the above in our group chat with a cry-laughing emoji, I was like, ‘wait, am I okay? Because right now, I’m halfway out the door with all my horse’s manky saddle pads to go see if I can get away with this’. Is it a slow news day? Maybe. But maybe it’s time that we all accept that sometimes, social media designed to mock us is actually guiding us towards the light. Also, NAF leg clay makes a great purifying face mask. Take that for what you will, and please, please pass your own dubious horsey life hacks on to me, too.
National Holiday: It’s National Bubble Bath Day. Fight off the sudden chill in the air with a good post-barn soak today. You’re worth it. NAF leg clay mask optional, obviously.
US Weekend Action:
Sporting Days Farm January Horse Trials I (Aiken, SC) [Website] [Results]
Your Monday Reading List:
It’s a fond farewell to Possible Mission, who has been such a stalwart part of Britain’s 5* scene for so long. Tom Rowland’s sweet, game, gutsy partner will now enjoy a semi-retirement to the hunting field and the junior classes, having stepped down sound, fit, and well at the age of 17. Look back on his sparkling career with Horse & Hound’s retrospective here.
Okay, maybe it’s not totally relatable, because I, for one, am definitely not in the market to purchase a property. But if you are, or if it’s something that’s potentially on the horizon for you, maybe you just need a bit of a positive push to dive on in. Let this one be the one for you. It’ll be hard, sure, but it could be the best thing you ever do, right?
A lot of folks are struggling to get their hands on good hay at the moment. This time of year is the worst for getting good quality forage, especially if you live in an area impacted by crap weather (hi, hello, it’s rained for about a year straight here in England; send help). But forage is also the most important part of your horse’s diet, so what can you do, really? The answer may lie in forage alternatives – and here’s a handy primer into your options.
David Doel was one of the real stars of 2023. But, frankly, he’s quietly been a superstar since long before then: after all, his second-place finish at Burghley wasn’t even his first five-star top ten finish with Galileo Nieuwmoed. Get to know the ice-cream-making, cow-milking, incredibly hard-working chap behind the results – and find out what he’s hoping to aim for in 2024 – in this interview.
Morning Viewing:
Enjoy this slightly bonkers BBC Archive clip, in which Hutch learns to ride at Hickstead. Britain! In the 80s! What a time. A weird, permy time.
1982: Six Fifty Five Special: David Soul at Hickstead
#OTD 1982: Detective Hutch swapped South California for West Sussex and his Ford Galaxie 500 for a horse.
Posted by BBC Archive on Wednesday, August 2, 2017
Laura Collett and London 52 prove their class over a tough Badminton track to win in 2022. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.
This year’s MARS Badminton Horse Trials marks a very special occasion indeed: it’ll be the 75th anniversary of the world’s first five-star, which began in 1949 as a way to build strength in depth in British eventing. Not only that, but it’s also the first year that we’ll see equestrian benefactor behemoth MARS Equestrian in the title sponsorship role – and already, the positive effects of this appointment are in evidence. This year, we’ll see the prize pot increase by a chunky 12%, making the total purse an impressive £425,000 – the richest in eventing. For the winner, that’s excellent news; they’ll take home £117,600, and we’ll see prize money increases throughout the line-up, too.
The spring five-star season in an Olympic year is always particularly interesting: for those horses and riders who have something to prove for selection, events like Badminton become even more important, while many of the ‘shoo-ins’ for selection will be notable in absentia as they keep their horses on ice for Paris. That means that the competition is particularly fierce as competitors vie for selector attention, and it can also mean that the horses and riders that may have snuck under the radar previously get their opportunity to take the spotlight and swing upwards into superstardom.
And, of course, it’s particularly fitting to have an anniversary year of this special event tie in so neatly with the Olympics – after all, it was the 1948 London Olympics that inspired the formation of the Gloucestershire fixture. That Olympics marked Britain’s first-ever three-day event, but the home nation didn’t cover itself in glory – and Henry Somerset, the 10th Duke of Beaufort, offered forth his estate as a way to improve upon their performance by creating an event at home in England that would provide all the experience necessary to compete on the world stage. It’s pretty safe to say that the job was done, and admirably: in 1956, the British team took the Olympic gold in Stockholm, and since then, they’ve been one of the most formidable nations in the sport. They’ll head into Paris as the reigning team champions, and no doubt we’ll see some previous winners of Badminton among the line-up.
“Badminton is the competition all riders aim for and competing there has undoubtedly played a big part in my career,” says the 2023 winner Ros Canter, who a few months later went on to become the European champion riding Lordships Graffalo. “I think we are all really excited to be part of its history this year.”
“We are very much looking forward to welcoming everyone—riders, owners, officials, spectators, sponsors, tradestand holders and contractors — to Badminton’s big birthday,” says Event Director Jane Tuckwell. “We are delighted to be able to increase the prize money across the board, as befits such a prestigious occasion. We have some exciting plans to make this a really memorable occasion and are particularly delighted that it coincides with Mars’s first event as title sponsor.”
Badminton TV will be screening plenty of historic and preview material in the run-up to the event as well as livestreaming all the action. All details can be found here.
Priority booking for the event is open and 10th January will see the general release of tickets. All tickets for the event must be purchased in advance – there will be no tickets available on the day at the gate.
We’ll be bringing you plenty of extra content in the run-up to Badminton this year, including in-depth insights into the history – and the impact – of one of our favourite events. Keep it locked on EN, and join us for all the action.
December’s London International Horse Show isn’t just the destination for festive vibes, great shopping, and top-class showjumping – it’s also a seriously cool opportunity to learn a thing or two from some stars across the disciplines, an endeavour that’s growing year on year. One of those learning opportunities in the showcase arena, which is tucked into the shopping village, came from British eventing team Performance Manager Dickie Waygood, who spearheaded a fascinating demo that criss-crossed the levels. One of his riders, Olympic gold medallist and three-time five-star winner Laura Collett, showed off how to produce and school a top-level horse — in this case, the handsome Dacapo — while seasoned vlogger Meg Elphick showed how to translate those exercises to the lower levels, riding her Badminton grassroots partner, Jam. So many masterclasses feature riders and horses with heaps of international experience, so this rare opportunity was a very welcome one indeed. Relive the whole shebang with this great video, posted by Meg, and take plenty of inspiration for your next jumping session.
Fun in the sun: early-season eventing in Portugal returns for 2024. Photo courtesy of Shadow Film/Mato do Duque.
Up until its final running in 2022, Portugal’s Barroca d’Alva was the place to be for eventers looking to gain early-season runs and qualifications – and almost legendary communal barbecues ahead of the year to come, too. It’s been a much-missed fixture, but now, the team at Mata do Duque is bringing this multi-week tour back for 2024, offering riders the chance to nail down their Paris qualifiers nice and early, and give their less experienced horses valuable exposure and runs, too.
Mata do Duque is set in Canha, close to Lisbon – and close to Barroca’s venue, too. While this is its first time hosting the season starter, it’s not a totally new event: we saw it run successfully last October most recently, and, in fact, its history within Portugal’s eventing season goes back way further than that, too. It was the host of Portugal’s first-ever FEI three-day event back in 2000, and continued on the next year, too, before passing the reins to Barroca.
Now, with a new team of organisers, several of whom are international competitors themselves, the event marks an exciting start to a busy season. The first week of the Portuguese Spring Tour will run February 17–20, with international classes held at CCI1*, CCI2*-S, and CCI3*, while the second week, which runs from February 28 to March 3, will host CCI1*, CCI2*-L, CCI3*-L, and CCI4*-S classes, the latter of which is the first Northern hemisphere Olympic qualifier of the 2024 season and a useful opportunity for picking up a ‘confirmation’ result, required at this level or above, to tick the final boxes for Paris, or to solidify the list of MER results required for selection.
To take a closer look at the venue and get a taster of the event to come, check out this preview video – and for more information on the event itself, head over to the Portuguese Eventing Association’s Facebook page.
Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo: your 2023 Badminton champions. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.
Off-season blues, be gone: the start of the international season might still be a little ways away, but it’s never too early to start planning the highlights of your year. And if that includes a trip to the MARS Badminton Horse Trials – which, let’s be real, we highly recommend – then you’re in luck this week. The box office is now open for priority bookings for this year’s event, which is set to take place from Wednesday, May 8, to Sunday, May 12 at the incomparably beautiful Gloucestershire estate.
Though Badminton, the world’s longest-standing five-star event, is always well worth the trip, this year is particularly exciting for a couple of reasons. The first of those? Simple logistics: while we’ve gotten used to seeing Kentucky and Badminton run on back-to-back, truly helter skelter weeks, this year, we’ve got a week off between the two events, which means you could feasibly recover from one, get yourself across the pond, and be fully energised to take in the next, too – and the same holds true for riders, who’ll find it easier to enter horses in both competitions this year. The other, of course, is the Olympics. While some of the very obvious Paris candidates probably won’t come forward – we’re likely to see, for example, Ros Canter’s 2023 champ Lordships Graffalo kept on ice, rather than running again – there’ll be plenty of riders who know they need a super spring result to make themselves frontrunners for selection, and so the tension and the excitement will be at a fever pitch.
Priority ticketing, which opened yesterday, is available for anyone who has previously purchased Badminton tickets and, as such, created an account on the event’s ticketing server. If that’s not you, don’t worry – general sales will open on January 10 (that’s next Wednesday!) and you’ll be able to get your mitts on a number of different access options, from daily general admission passes to week-long members’ badges, reserved grandstand seating, and much, much more. We like to think that after last year’s wet weekend, we might be treated to a bit of glorious sunshine this year. Perhaps. And if not: Badminton truly is every bit as fun in the rain. Just pack your waterproofs, and get your tickets here.
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I don’t know about you guys, but for me, the 2nd of January feels much more like the first day of a new year than the 1st, which is traditionally spent sleeping, eating, recovering, and dissociating (look, I used to work with horses full-time, and now I lean hard into lazy girl life when I can). Today, though, I feel like I need to actually get up and do something useful, even if that something is just planning and getting excited about the year to come. And what a year it’ll be, for us here at Team EN and for you, our expansive family who come with us on all our adventures. It might be a bit of a cliche to say it, but I really do reckon this year’s going to be our biggest and best yet. Buckle up and let’s get this rollercoaster ride going!
Events Opening Today: Jumping Branch Farm H.T., Ram Tap H.T. – Pending USEF Approval, Ocala Winter I
Events Closing Today: Ram Tap Combined Test, Stable View Aiken Opener H.T.
Tuesday News & Notes from Around the World:
The King’s New Year Honour List has been released, and it’s got a horsey heroine of sorts on it. Jilly Cooper — bestselling author of showjumping bonkbuster Riders and saucy polo epic Polo, among her many brick-sized books — has been made a dame, proving that sticky bushes and horses who eat the fruit from the Pimms jar are the UK’s true national treasures. That’s what I call jolly super.
The term ‘long and low’ gives me the fear. That’s probably unfair of me; after all, my trepidation comes from spending my early teens riding at an Appaloosa show barn in rural Maine, where long and low meant catatonic, nose-dragging, four-beat jogging two-year-olds and certainly not anything that would be productive or good for the horses. But despite its dodgy associations — and yes, it remains debatable in the dressage world, too — a good, balanced, back-lifting stretch that lengthens the neck can be a really good thing to utilise in your rides. Here’s how to do it properly, avoiding a wrestling match and, well, rollkur.
It’s resolution time, and if yours is to tackle a traditional three-day event this year, you’re in luck. US Eventing has just released its 2024 Classic Three-Day calendar, plus info on ensuring you’re qualified and ready to take on this incredibly fun challenge, which is such a super goal for riders across the lower levels. Check it out and get those dates in your diary.
British 5* rider Izzy Taylor’s year began… well, a touch more dramatically than most. This morning, she received sentencing for a case that’s been ongoing for what feels like forever, following a breach of fire safety regulations at her Oxfordshire yard. The good news? She won’t be going to jail — but she will be downsizing to a smaller property going forward. Find out more about it here.
Sponsor Corner: The best source of vitamin E is fresh green grass. In the winter time, it’s easy for our horses’ Vitamin E levels to drop low. Signs of low vitamin E include neurological problems, a damaged coat, and eye & muscle issues. Learn more in this graphic from Kentucky Performance Products.
Watch This:
I’m always keen to try new disciplines, and side saddle has been on my list for a long time — so I’m living vicariously through grassroots eventer Lucy Robinson as she gives it a go:
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Happy New Year, EN fam — and good riddance to the last one, frankly. This year, I’m all about setting goals and aims — but I’m also learning that setting intentions and making space to give myself the grace I’d afford other people is even more important than trying to tick boxes. My best friend has been a great resource in teaching me how to prioritise slower, gentler joy — and make the most of my time with my horse — and I’m excited to follow her lead throughout 2024 as she launches her equine-assisted therapy centre, which focuses on improving mental health, aiding adults with ADHD, and much more. Give her account a follow, and join me in committing to being a more positive force in your own, and other people’s, lives in 2024.
National Holiday: It’s New Year’s Day, in case you missed that. And that means… we’re officially in an Olympic year! My stress levels are rising already.
Your Monday Reading List:
Further research is being undertaken into the murky subject of judging bias. Can it be overcome or balanced out, or is AI the future of dressage judging? Read some salient thoughts on the matter here.
Puissance — that much-loved novelty high-jump class — is disappearing. But why? And is it something we should be fighting to save? Aaron Vale has thoughts — and memories — to share on the topic.
One of the most useful things you’ll ever learn is how to wrap a hoof. But depending on the nature of the injury and the use of the bandage or poultice, you might need to adjust how you do the job — so if you want to ensure you have at least five functionally educational minutes today, give this handy primer a skim, because you KNOW your horse will give you a reason to need it soon.
On the first day of the year, most people are dwelling on their resolutions for 2024. Looking beyond that, though, what should the horse world at large be aiming for over the next 365 days? From increased diversity efforts to improved horse welfare, here are some resolutions we’d love to see us all collectively stick to.
Morning Viewing:
It’s always useful, as an amateur rider, to see a professional on your horse occasionally — and it’s also, oddly, quite educational to see it when it’s not even your horse:
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It’s all I can do, really, to muster up a tiny scrap of energy in my post-Christmas Day food coma to share the sentiments above with a hearty “same”. I hope you’re all enjoying a bit of down time after a hectic season — and if you need an excuse to take five, enjoy my pick of the reads of the day.
Events Opening Today: Pine Top Intermediate H.T., Rocking Horse Winter II H.T..
Events Closing Today: Horse Trials at Majestic Oaks
Tuesday News & Notes from Around the World:
Every year, The Chronicle shares this tear-jerker of a Christmas story, and this year is no exception. It’s a sweet read on helping others’ dreams come true and grabbing your own by the horns, too, no matter how late in the game you might find yourself. It’s fine if you have a tiny little cry.
There are few eventers as ineffably cool and effortlessly glam as Ginny Elliott, and I never, ever get bored of deep-diving back into her horses and escapades of years gone by. If you, like me, want to be even a quarter as cool as this sporting pioneer, you’ll love reading some of her memories this morning as you get that first coffee of the day in.
2023 has been the first year of individual leaderboards for the season for the Interscholastic Eventing League — and let me tell you, I am SO jealous of anyone who’s getting to reap the rewards of this super-fun programme, which first started in 2020. Meet this year’s leaderboard champs and live vicariously through the adventures they’re having here.
And finally, Christmas Day might be behind us, but I’m stretching my festivities out for another few weeks. I mean, it’s going to take me at least that long to bother taking the tree down, so might as well, right? That’s why I’m telling myself that it’s not too late to share this horsey version of the Night Before Christmas.
Sponsor Corner: The best source of vitamin E is fresh green grass. In the winter time, it’s easy for our horses’ Vitamin E levels to drop low. Signs of low vitamin E include neurological problems, a damaged coat, and eye & muscle issues. Learn more on this with a handy graphic from Kentucky Performance Products.
Watch This:
Catch up with Elisa Wallace and mustang Dior as they tackle their first show together:
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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours from all of us here at Team EN! It’s been a year of extraordinary highs and crushing lows, with major victories and also plenty of sad goodbyes dotting the year gone by. Now, we hope you can all take a moment — or more — to celebrate all you’ve accomplished (or, perhaps, survived) this year and raise a glass to a new one to come. Eat, drink, be merry, and if all else fails, we’ll meet you in the barn!
Your Monday Reading List:
For some towns and cultures, horses aren’t just a part of the Christmas morning chore list — they’re a major player in the traditions of the holiday, too. Get to know how horses help make Christmas complete around the world in this round-up guide.
Is your New Year’s Resolution to buy the young horse of a lifetime at an elite auction? Great plan, if so — we’re huge fans of heading to Ireland, say, for a jam-packed couple of days of analysing quality horses and bloodlines and then losing our minds on auction day. But the whole thing can seem pretty intimidating, so it’s worth checking out this guide to getting it right as a buyer at your first auction experience.
Merry Christmas to everyone, but mostly to Sidelines Magazine’s Hot Horseman of the Year, Woods Baughman. Here at EN, we take this accolade and accomplishment very seriously, and definitely aren’t planning to get a series of comedy T-shirts made for Woods to don at trot-ups while we continue to bully him mercilessly on the internet. Definitely not. Anyway, you can read more about our favourite walking stud muffin here.
Got an unhorsey other half in need of a crash course in, well, horsing? Perhaps the time has come to sign them up for a comprehensive online learning course — or, I guess, you could just hand them a shavings fork and let them learn the hard way.
Morning Viewing:
Sneak in some festive polework with this set-up, the installation and execution of which should get you away from your family for a good hour or so:
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Tokyo Olympic individual gold medallist Amande de b’Neville will not return to eventing after a break from the sport that began after the Pratoni World Championships last year, at which she won team gold and individual silver with Germany’s Julia Krajewski in the irons.
“I suppose many people are wondering how Mandy is doing and what’s next for her,” writes Julia in a statement on her Instagram. “First of all she is doing absolutely fine, spending her life in the most horsey way (lots of field time) and being her usual proud self.
“About what’s next for her — to be able to give a reliable answer to that question has taken quite some time and consideration… She is an incredibly special horse to us and every decision about her has to do her the best justice possible! To make it short, she will not return to sport but hopefully become as wonderful as a mummy as she was in eventing.”
Julia Krajewski and Amande de B’Neville. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
The decision, Julia continues, “was taken together with her part owner Professor Dr. Bernd Heicke, who is the most supportive owner in these difficult topic, always having the horse’s best interest in mind!”
The 13-year-old Selle Français mare’s (Oscar des Fontaines x Perle de b’Neville, by Elan de la Cour) absence from the sport began with “a hoof issue […] which in itself is not very dramatic”, but despite the dedicated ministrations of Julia and her team, including head groom Sandra Decker, it “simply didn’t improve as we hoped since then, despite all sorts of approaches in treatment. While it does not make her uncomfortable in normal life, there is a risk that it might get way worse when the pressure of performance is put on. Even though there also is a little chance it could work, we decided against trying it.”
Julia Krajewski and Amande de b’Neville. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
For Julia, co-owner Bernd, and all of the special mare’s connections, it’s been a labour of love and a major decision to retire Mandy from sport and begin her career as a broodmare.
“Everyone is to judge himself what chances are right to take, but I felt that Mandy gave me so so much, being the most outstanding horse, making all my dreams come true, that my biggest fear would have been to fail her in return and not deciding in her best interest,” says Julia. “Honestly though I’m feeling ambivalent about this final decision… while I am very sad that I will not feel her incredible power, clever mind, scopey jump and sheer determination, which then sometimes peaked into this unreal connection I felt in Tokyo or Pratoni at the last day, again, I am very much at peace with the decision to retire her now and hopefully have some nice foals from her in the future.”
If those foals live up to half their mother’s talent, they’ll certainly be worth getting excited about. In her FEI career, which began in the latter half of 2016, Mandy tackled 31 international events, finishing in the top ten 21 times and winning four times. Though she spent the early part of her upper-level career in the spotlight of her stablemate, the five-star winner Samourai du Thot, she blossomed at exactly the right time: in 2021, just before the German team’s final selections were made for Tokyo, and just as Julia had to retire ‘Sam’ after he lost an eye.
“At the beginning of the year, I deleted all of the Tokyo deadlines and cancelled flights and things, because I thought, ‘okay, well, it’s not for me this year,’ and then we went to Saumur and I had to say, ‘oh, maybe we can go — better cancel the holiday!’,” Julia told EN at Luhmühlen that summer, just weeks before she took the gold in Tokyo. “She’s really come into her own this year — she’s stabled next to Sam, so perhaps he’s telling her a few things. She’s so cool — she’s a real princess, and sometimes a queen. She’s quite a fighter, and a real machine.”
Happy retirement, Mandy – we look forward to covering the successes of your offspring in the years to come.
Apparently the lead-up to Christmas is also ‘vlogmas’ for those thus inclined — and that means plenty of horsey hijinks over on YouTube, some of which are actually pretty fascinating. For example, this video from British eventing vlogger Meg Elphick, who headed up north to Nicola Wilson’s Yorkshire yard to get a lesson from the former European Champion — and to catch up with her about life on the other side of a major accident. It’ll certainly make you feel grateful for all you’ve got as we head into the holidays proper.
Dag Albert and Sue Shortt. Photo courtesy of HSI.
It’s been an admittedly tumultuous period for the Irish eventing team, at least as far as leadership is concerned: after the temporary suspension of team manager Sally Corscadden, who was cleared after an investigation into training practices concluded in July, the team has been operating under the interim management of Swedish Olympian Dag Albert. While the outcome of the case against Corscadden went public in September and HSI, at the time, said that it had not yet confirmed whether or not she would return to her role, in early November, it was announced that Corscadden and HSI would be parting ways, ostensibly amicably, with each thanking one another for a fruitful period spent together — one which saw Corscadden lead the team to team and individual silver medals at the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon.
Now, though, with the Paris Olympics inching ever closer, the Irish can sleep a little easier knowing that they’ve once again got a permanent team in place to steer their ship at the Games. Dag Albert has been confirmed as Corscadden’s official successor, taking on the title of High Performance Director for Senior Eventing, while double Irish Olympian manager Sue Shortt will step into the role of Junior Manager, alongside managing Ireland’s Junior and Young Rider eventing teams.
“I am delighted to lead the HSI High Performance Eventing Team to Paris next summer,” says Albert, who stepped into the role in an acting basis in 2022. “Having lead the team to qualification in Pratoni, Italy at the 2022 World Equestrian Games, it is a great honour now to build on that success, and lead the team to the 2024 Olympic Games.”
HSI Chief Executive, Denis Duggan, says: “We are delighted to have secured Dag’s services as High Performance Director for Senior Eventing in what is a very exciting period for Irish eventing. Equally, we are pleased that our existing Young Rider Manager, Sue Shortt will assume additional responsibilities for the Junior Programme while Dag focusses on the Olympic programme over the months ahead.”
“Dag has done a fantastic job at underage level and in the role as Acting Director over the last 20+ months and he has the utmost trust of the organisation and the athletes as we build towards Paris. He has outlined his plans and hopes for the team and has had really productive conversations with our Acting Head of High Performance Sport, Bernard Jackman – we’re really excited for the future and delighted to have him leading the programme, with support from Sue in the Junior and Young Riders programme along with Jane Kinsella who continues as the Eventing Pony manager.”
All High Performance contracts will run until October 2024, after which a review will take place following the closing of the Olympic cycle — but Ireland, which claimed its first five-star win in over fifty years when Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue took Maryland in October, can head into the pivotal season to come with a real hope for an uptick in Olympic fortune.
Some of my very favourite events are those that really create a family of the wider team around them — and one of the ways they do that is by treating their volunteers as the essential workers they are and showing their appreciation accordingly. I love that Stable View in Aiken makes sure that their volunteers get a celebration to acknowledge all they do — and boy, are some of those goodies and prizes appealing! If I lived on that side of the pond, doing some volunteer hours there in 2024 would definitely be on my priority list.
News from Around the Globe:
It’s a good day to be a Canadian Mounted Police Horse. When the RCMP put out a call to action to find retirement homes for its Musical Ride mounts, they didn’t quite expect the deluge of interest they’d receive — over a thousand applications in 24 hours, as it happens!
We’ve said some sad farewells to some great horses this year. From Olympic gold medalists to rising star stallions, the logbook of losses covers a wide gamut of talent — and Horse&Hound is looking back at six of them in this piece.
Few things thrill me quite like an unlikely mount succeeding at the upper levels. Or, to put it simply: PONIES. In DRESSAGE. So naturally, all I needed to do was read the first paragraph of this COTH piece to know that I was truly, irreversibly in love with The Hot Topic of SpringSong, who has definitely made himself the hot topic of the sand school. Join me in the fangirl clique.
Hot on Horse Nation: Speaking of dressage, and speaking of things that thrill me — an op-ed, this one on the prolific output of classical dressage armchair quarterbacks on the internet, and why many of their suggestions might be… well, not necessarily rooted in the modern reality of the sport. Give it a read and join in the conversation with your thoughts.
Okay, okay, I know I’ve given you two days in a row of London International Horse Show chat now — but for us UK-based horsey folk, the show is the one true herald of the holiday season. Now that it’s wrapped, as of yesterday evening, I feel like we’re zooming at full speed into Christmas, with all its joys and stresses. It’s only the 19th and I’ve effectively been tied to the oven for two days straight, so my top priority today is buying my horse a Christmas present and getting some quality barn time in — make sure you find a moment to do the same (the barn, not necessarily the present) in all the madness. You deserve a fighting chance at keeping your sanity over the next week. If you can’t actually get out of the house? Take some time to watch 68-year-old John Whitaker jumping nearly two metres to win the Six Bar competition. What. A. Legend.
Events Opening Today: Sporting Days Farm February Trials H.T. II, Three Lakes Winter I H.T. at Caudle Ranch
Events Closing Today: Sporting Days Farm January Horse Trials I
Tuesday News & Notes from Around the World:
Grubby eventing types (it’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me) in both Ireland and the UK have something to celebrate this week. Both countries’ governing bodies of eventing have confirmed that dark breeches will be allowed in all three phases of competition next year, which means no more hoof polish marks and, way, way more blissfully, considerably less fear about wearing white breeches while on your period. Hallelujah.
If you teach kiddo lessons, my heart goes out to you at this time of year. It’s cold, it’s wet, and those adorable little stinkers have lost their damn minds with excitement over the festivities. After Sarah Susa of Black Dog Stables realised that her charges weren’t even capable of remembering to put girths on their saddles as holiday season approached, she rejigged how she framed her lesson programme between Thanksgiving and Christmas — and tbh, I’m desperate to be one of her barn rats now.
PPEs — totally essential, right? Well, maybe — but for one writer and horse owner, they’ve become a thing of the past. I’m still all for a comprehensive vetting myself, but with a crucial caveat: I’m not looking for perfection, but I do want to be able to manage the horse I buy within the requirements of the role I’m buying it for, illness, injury, or unforeseen circumstances notwithstanding. Check out the argument against them here.
I think that for all of us, 2023 has been one heck of a year: whether because of extraordinary highs or crushing lows or, as seems to be the norm among most of my social circle, a weird and exhausting mix of the two. The start of this year’s season feels like it was both five minutes and five years ago, and so today, I’m sticking on the latest episode of the US Eventing podcast to recap what actually went down while I’m frantically attempting to get through the Christmas baking. Maybe it’ll soothe me — but really, when has eventing ever?
Sponsor Corner: Does your horse have EPM? Or do they have another disease that just masks as EPM? Getting a definitive diagnosis for this life-changing disease can be harder than it looks. Read more from Kentucky Performance Products.
Watch This:
Live vicariously through a lesson with the legend that is Lucinda Green as she teaches 4* rider Ashley Harrison:
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Just in case you’ve ever fancied seeing Tom McEwen with tatas, the London International Horse Show is here to sort you out. Last night saw the return of the fancy dress relay, which featured stars including Gemma Stevens, Laura Collett, Austin O’Connor, our Tommy boy, plus a whole load of show jumpers, all gathered to tackle a highly competitive jumping class in the most ridiculous outfits possible. Find out how it went down here, and please do join us in petitioning Land Rover Kentucky to add a similar class next year.
National Holiday: It’s International Migrants Day, which began two decades ago as a way to raise awareness of, and solidarity with, the extraordinary number of displaced people forced to leave their homelands due to persecution, war, famine, or poverty. This year’s theme is ‘Act Today’, and the UN has some bold, bright ideas on how embracing mobilisation can actually help us in the ongoing battle against climate change. Read more about it here. (And an honourable mention to tomorrow’s national holiday, National Emo Day. That’s every day for me, frankly.)
Notable Global Weekend Action:
London International Horse Show: (Wednesday December 13th – Monday December 18th) [Website] [Tickets] [Program] [Scoring]
How to Watch: [UK] [FEI Classes: FEI TV (via ClipMyHorse.TV)] [Non-FEI Classes: H&C+]
Your Monday Reading List:
Have you ever utilised visualisation to help improve your rides? It’s a big part of my own riding; the last thing I do before I mount up to head to the cross-country warm-up is visualise riding the whole course perfectly, without any misses, and it really does put me in the right headspace to go out there and find forward, positive distances into fences. But it can be used for so much more than that, too – right down to nailing your transitions.
There’s no one who can maximise the power of a set of cavaletti quite like Ingrid Klimke. Heck, the woman’s so keen on the benefits of raised poles that she even sells her own branded set! Now that I’m deep in equine rehab life, I’m definitely taking all her tips to heart, though, because pole work and cavaletti work is incredible for building strength and has a serious list of knock-on benefits, whatever your discipline or competitive aims or if, like me, you just want to bring your horse back from time off in a sensible, sustainable way. Check out this debrief from her recent California clinic to get some inspiration for your own schooling sessions this week.
How far would you go for your horses? Would you, for example, lie to your husband to the point of divorce? Take a wild ride through one woman’s questionable decision making and then, like me, show the story to your partner so they think you’re really sane and sensible and a great partner.
Looking for an exciting new role in 2024? Want to learn more than you ever thought possible and take your riding to the next level with your horse? Good news: Mr Stickability himself, Andrew Nicholson, is looking for a working pupil. Find out more about the opening here.
Morning Viewing:
There is nothing – NOTHING – that thrills me more than watching non-horsey men attempt to ride horses. Dressage ride Anna Buffini has really given us the goods here.
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There’s few things I’m missing more right now than a day out eventing, whether that’s on reporting duties or with my sweet, recalcitrant mare Bella Boo Boo Bopsy Pops (to use her full and official name). While I’m stuck in rainy, dreary England, there’s little chance of any of that sort of action before March — so I’m living vicariously through Elisa Wallace instead. Join her — and me, indirectly — for a spin around the Open Intermediate at Rocking Horse with Renkum Corsair.
Courtney Cooper and Excel Star First Class. Photo by Shelby Allen.
It’s long been a topic of conversation. Amateur riders – the many cultural definitions of that term – have long been identified as the most overlooked subset of equestrians. This is a dilemma that transcends discipline, and within the sport of eventing there remains a yawning gap between the developing rider pipeline and the professional ranks and the amateur rider.
To be fair, options for the adult amateur community do exist. The USEA also has an Adult Rider Committee dedicated to ensuring amateur riders, who make up the bulk of membership, have a voice and a seat at the table. The USEA also offers some grant opportunities for which amateurs are eligible, including the newly-formed Kim Meier “Kick On” Memorial Grant.
In the opinion of many, however, there can never be enough opportunity for everyone – and Courtney Cooper of C Square Farm and Excel Star Sport Horses agrees. Last week, Courtney sent out an exciting press release: she’s decided to offer two amateur riders the opportunity to come and train with her for 7 days throughout the upcoming year. To make the award as amateur-friendly as possible, Courtney’s offering the option to split the training up into multiple weekends or other agreeable chunks of time.
“The time can be spread into multiple long weekends, or taken all at once,” Courtney wrote in the release. This will provide an opportunity for learning and mentorship with a five-star rider. The riders will have access to all Courtney’s program and facilities have to offer, including full courses of Jump4Joy jumps, top-of-the line footing, cross country schooling, dressage training, and horse management.
Courtney knows the grind of the amateur. Sales has always been Courtney’s jam – she first started out selling Cutco knives during college, following that up with a full-time career as an insurance agent.
Courtney Cooper and Who’s A Star. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.
“I know what trying to balance everything is like, because I’ve done it. I’ve done trot and gallop sets on the shoulder of the road, in the dark, with a head lamp,” she says. “I had a full time career before I did horses full time, and I can’t imagine being a mom or dad and trying to do that as well as a full time career and ride and the balance needed for all of it. A couple of my amateurs get up at 5 am to ride their horses before they go to their day jobs so they can be with their kids after work for their children’s activities. I just felt like amateurs needed a break and some support.”
Amateurs are a vital part of the sport, and supporting them should be second nature to the professionals. “They keep the sport somewhat affordable in this country. Without them, there are a lot of FEI classes that wouldn’t run because they don’t have the lower levels to protect and finance the upper levels. The amateurs may not be filling the entries of the upper FEI level classes, but they support all the upper levels with their entries and therefore support the upper level riders — not to mention they do the bulk of volunteering .”
So what’s the skinny on this opportunity?
Courtney will provide lodging for the recipients and board for one horse for a total of 7 days, taken a week at a time or over multiple shorter periods. The scholarship can take place either in Aiken, SC or Nottingham, PA The recipients will receive daily lessons from Courtney on their own horse(s), with a potential to ride some other horses if appropriate. Recipients may also compete during their time and get support at the competition
More details below.
Who’s Eligible:
Anyone who makes the majority of their living through means other than horses. We will not hold to the strict definition of an Amateur held by the USEA/USEF, so if you teach some lessons but have another career, please apply! You should be actively competing in the last 12 months at the BN level or higher.
How to Apply:
Please fill out an application at this link.
Applications should be submitted by December 15, 2023. Courtney and a panel of her Amateur clients will review applications and choose a winner by December 31, 2023.
What’s Not Included:
I can already feel myself inching towards that post-holiday period of absolutely ZERO motivation, which is why I, to steal a phrase from my colleague Abby’s mouth, am high-key excited about this new course offering from our pals at Equestly. A chance to improve my existing skills and add new ones will maximizing the warmth of being indoors? Sign. Me. Up. This might actually encourage me to make the most of dreary January — especially because they’re beginning with a course on self-care rituals for exhausted horse girls. I know we all fit that bill.
Events Opening Today: Full Gallop Farm January H.T, Rocking Horse Winter I H.T.
News & Notes from Around the World:
There are plenty of ways to learn and improve as a rider. One of those, that’s still pretty new to all of us, is the utilisation of wearable tech — and a group of trainers at a college in Scotland have been leaning into the potential of this addition to their teaching programmes. Here’s an insight into what they’re using — and how you could implement it into your own training, too.
Researchers reckon they’ve found the oldest saddle ever yet discovered. The Mongolian saddle was found in a tomb (no confirmation either way whether they released a curse and/or the spirit of a Mongolian warlord in the process, but watch this space) and dates back to the 5th century. Now, everyone’s nerding out in a big way over the construction of the saddle and stirrup rig.
A whole bunch of great people were recognised at the USEA Convention last week. Here’s a handy rundown of who they all are, what they’ve contributed to the sport, and how USEA’s doing, generally speaking.
Grooms are the essential workers without whom eventing couldn’t function. We’ve partnered with Achieve Equine this year to spotlight the incredible efforts of supergrooms across the industry — and now, we want to know who you think is the greatest of them all. Drop your nominations here by December 27 and your favorite groom could win a tonne of great prizes plus bragging rights that’ll sustain them through the off-season.
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Sponsor Corner: Are you team round bale or small bale? Kentucky Performance Products is debating the pros and cons of round bales in their latest blog. Decide for yourself at this link.
Watch This:
More from Geneva today — and this time, it’s combined driving, the most indecipherable and bonkers sport going.
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We all hope we’ll never need to rely on entities such as the British Eventing Support Trust, but that’s the thing about eventing: no matter how much you plan ahead, don the highest-rated safety kit, and invest in lessons to keep you secure in the saddle, shit happens — as it did to Britain’s under-25 champ and 5* competitor Bubby Upton, who’s recently got back in the saddle after major spinal surgery and rehab. She was helped throughout by the BEST, and we reckon a donation in someone’s name might make quite a nice functional Christmas pressie this season, if that sort of thing is what you’re into. Find out more about their work here.
National Holiday: It’s International Mountain Day. It’s okay if the closest you’ll be getting to a mountain is pushing your wheelbarrow up the frozen muck heap ramp. Solidarity, my friend.
US Weekend Action:
USEA Annual Meeting and Convention (St. Louis, MO): [Information Hub] [Schedule] [Fast Facts]
Full Gallop Farm Jingle Bells H.T (Aiken, SC) [Website] [Results]
Your Monday Reading List:
At this time of year, I get much more into things like jump-off lines. And so what a treat it was to follow the Rolex Grand Prix at Geneva in Switzerland, where Richard Vogel and United Touch S gave a masterclass in turns and tight lines to ace the jump off by 2.5 seconds. Scroll down to check out the video, and click here to find out more about how they did it. Interesting, if not necessarily relevant, is this stallion’s breeding: he’s got the same grandmother on both sides, and while this level of inbreeding has obviously worked for him, I sort of hope they don’t plan to breed him. Or at least, I hope they avoid any cousins.
I began reading this story about Bob Giles because of proximity: he grew up in the foster care system in tiny, rural Lubec, Maine, just two towns over from the poverty-riddled area I lived in from the age of 12 to 19, too. But I found so much more in it than just a fellow horse-lover who managed to rise above that rough, tough place. Bob’s a man who’s built to survive, and with a smile on his face — and his incredible story also saw him push through a botched spinal surgery and subsequent paralysis to get himself back to his beloved horses. Imbibe a bit of inspiration to start your day right.
Strangles is something that every horse owner fears. But what happens when your barn is actually hit by it? Ontario’s Tessa Laughton, who runs a busy show, sales, and livery barn, first discovered signs of the disease on September 5, and has since been on lockdown with her team, aggressively tackling the outbreak. She shares the story of how they did it here.
Need a morning muck-out listen? Get to know Maddie Temkin, who’s part of the 2024 Emerging Athletes program, in this episode of the Major League Eventing podcast.
Morning Viewing:
Check out Richard Vogel’s incredible jump-off round at Geneva with United Touch S.
