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Tuesday News & Notes from Kentucky Performance Products

What are your goals for 2024? One of mine is to learn as much as I can about the mechanics of my now-sixteen-year-old mare’s body, so I can help her to feel as good as possible between bodywork sessions. I’m going to be devouring every book on the subject I can find — but I’m also finding social media a surprisingly good source of tips and tricks to help me.

Events Opening Today: Southern Pines H.T. IBouckaert Equestrian H.T. InternationalSAzEA Spring H.T.Full Gallop Farm March I H.T.

Events Closing Today: Rocking Horse Winter II H.T.Pine Top Intermediate H.T.

News & Notes from Around the World: 

There’s been a lot of chatter on British shores about how BE’s new abandonment fund will work. Personally, I think the trauma of last year’s calendar and weather catastrophe is going to leave us all with trauma for years to come — but good on those folks who are trying to do something about it. Here’s some more details about how it’ll work, for you to sink your teeth into.

The USEA Young Event Horse program is a great way to get young horses out into the world – but where are they now? In this fun round-up piece, check in with the class of 2020, and see what some of those high-flying alumni are up to these days.

There’s been a little bit of a wiggle around to the 2024 FEI Nations Cup calendar. Now, we’ll see the French leg go to Lignières at the end of September, instead of Haras du Jardy, who were set to host it earlier in the season. Whether the move has anything to do with Haras du Jardy hosting part of the Olympic torch rally is unclear, but suffice it to say, the venue will see plenty of action in 2024 regardless – it’s just moments from Versailles.

It turns out that not all horses are bad-idea machines. Some actually have great ideas — chief among them, the Yakut horses of Siberia, who’ve actually adapted to essentially hibernate in the worst of the winter. It gives me hope that I may yet develop this skill for myself. I’m nearly there with growing out the winter coat, anyway. Is that TMI? Sorry. (Not sorry.)

 

 

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Sponsor Corner: All it takes is one slip on icy ground to ruin your 2024 competition season 😨 Luckily, Kentucky Performance Products has some advice to stop the ground at your barn from turning into an ice skating rink ⛸

Watch This: 

Got a case of the January doldrums? Take some inspo from seasoned 5* horse Waldo III who, at 21, isn’t quite retired so much as he’s enjoying terrorising his rider, Emma Hyslop-Webb, with his dance moves. Truly earning that Bad Grandpa nickname.

Wild Wally😂😆🤪💨

Bad Grandpa giving us all a laugh this morning😆🚀💨

Nothing to see here, just 21yr old Wally more excited to pop over a 90cm fence and giving the boss more grief than the 4yr olds😂😆

He’s jumped round Badminton, he’s jumped round Burghley, but he still loves his job as much as ever. What a boy😍💗🌟

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Posted by Emma Hyslop Eventing on Thursday, January 18, 2024

Eventing at LA Olympics Unconfirmed; Subject to Format Change

Laura Collett and London 52 at the Tokyo Olympics. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

This weekend’s FEI Eventing Seminar brought forward some surprising news: just as smattering of months after the FEI’s confirmation that equestrian sport had been confirmed for the 2028 LA Olympics, a talk led by FEI Eventing Committee Chairman David O’Connor and FEI Eventing Director Catrin Norinder on Saturday, 20 January revealed that while showjumping and dressage are firmly in situ for those Games, eventing is on slightly shakier ground.

FEI President Ingar de Vos began the session with an announcement that eventing will only be confirmed for Los Angeles is a venue can be secured that can host all three phases in one venue – a departure from previous Games, including Tokyo, which required athletes and horses to travel to a satellite venue for cross-country, a set-up that drastically increases the financial outlay of hosting the sport. While this year’s Paris Olympics are contained within one venue – the capacious grounds of the Versailles Palace estate southwest of the city – it’s looking increasingly likely that LA’s eventing could be hosted at a pre-existing equestrian venue, thus reducing the logistical and financial investment required to develop terrain and course features suitable for this calibre of competition.

While this is a hurdle that the FEI feels confident in its ability to overcome – a confidence substantiated by pitches from California venues in the past months – their work isn’t likely to end there. Olympic viability is tracked, in no small part, by popularity, measured by broadcast viewing numbers and engagement – and the primary engager in eventing, consistently, is cross-country. The seminar went on to suggest format changes to highlight this: the first is a classic short-format schedule, though retaining the longer distances and times of the ‘championship’ level used at the Olympics (a roughly ten-minute course held at four-star dimensions and technicality). This would see dressage held on day one, team and individual showjumping rounds on day two, and a cross-country finale on day three. Another suggestion is something more of a departure from the norm: day one and two would feature dressage in the mornings and team showjumping in the afternoons, with cross-country and team medals on day three and an individual jumping finale on day four.

“The message of the IOC president was very clear: change, or be changed,” says de Vos.

This proposed change is a bid to increase the IOC’s ‘positivity’ about cross-country, which it sees as an exciting viewer draw – and while discussions are now ongoing, and inclusive of national federations who can submit format proposals until March 1, we’re looking at a fairly quick timeline for confirmation. O’Connor has suggested that eventing’s final confirmation is likely to come in the next couple of months, so that all equestrian venues can be announced in tandem, though the last call on format will come after the conclusion of the Paris Olympics, which ends in August.

The Netherlands Reveals Long-Listed Athletes for Paris 2024

Janneke Boonzaiijer at the European Championships. Photo by Tilly Berendt

It’s a big year for the Dutch contingent: for the first time since the Rio Olympics in 2016, our friends in orange will be sending a full line-up to the Games after securing a ticket at last year’s FEI European Eventing Championships at Haras du Pin. Today, they’ve hit one of the first big milestones in the run-up to their trip – they’ve released their long-list of eligible horses and riders, which features a broad range of experienced talent and exciting up-and-comers.

British-based team coach and upper-level competitor Andrew Heffernan, says, “My selection includes combinations that have already met the most important qualification requirements. In addition, there are a few combinations that I think it is realistic to expect to achieve their goal of qualifying this year. And of course, adjustments can still be made within the selection during the season. I look forward with confidence with this group.”

The long-listed combinations are as follows:

  • Althea Bleekman and Granncord, owned by Janou Bleekman and the rider
  • Merel Blom and Vesuve d’Aveyron, owned by Radstake Horses — Robert and Bjinse Venderbosch
  • Janneke Boonzaaijer and ACSI Champ de Tailleur, owned by Hetty Roozendaal and Lieke van der Werf, and I’m Special, owned by Sandhoeve Stables — Bas de Grood and the rider
  • Jillian Giessen and Gold Nugget, owned by Caroline Jane Moss and the rider
  • Stephan Hazeleger and James Bond, owned by the rider
  • Sanne de Jong and Enjoy, owned by Jantien van Zon and the rider, and Global Faerlie Flashy, owned by Morgan Sheehy and Van Zon en de Jong Hippique, and Jersey MBF N.O.P., owned by Ad Verkerk
  • Raf Kooremans and Houdini, owned by J. Huijjbregts and R. Buiteman, and Crossborder Radar Love, owned by Jeanine Steentjes
  • Tim Lips and Eckinops D’am, owned by Lips Stables
  • Elaine Pen and Divali, owned by Eli and Stephanie Leenaars
  • Rachel Rendle and Ballyvally Bay, owned by the rider
  • Maartje van Riel and Eppo, owned by Van Riel B.V. and the rider
  • Jordy Wilken and Curacao, owned by the rider

Monday News & Notes from FutureTrack

 

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Two things I really, truly love: perfectly imperfect horse-themed illustrative artwork, and the grace and space to be allowed to screw things up a bit and bounce back. The latter, I think, is something that’s particularly worth adding into your life in January, which is a heinously long month that’s somehow both incredibly sluggish feeling but also constantly, invasively peppered with pseudo-motivation and the idea that everything you do is setting the tone for your year to come. Newsflash, though: January is just January, and you are just a human being, and you are doing your best, and it’s totally okay if ‘your best’ is just getting through the day some days. And on a horsier note, it’s also okay if your horse has an extra day off because the short days are messing with your energy levels; it’s okay if your ride feels like you’ve taken five steps back rather than one step forward. It’s all good. The sun will rise again tomorrow, the days will be longer soon, and you will try again, and you will succeed again, and at some point, you will fail again, and it’s all fine. We’re just specks of dust anyway; we might as well try to eke a bit of peace out of it all, right?

(You can find more of Natalie Klaassen’s work here. It’s a joy!)

National Holiday: It’s National Celebration of Life Day. Maybe this is the time to start using that gratitude journal your well-meaning auntie bought you for Christmas.

US Weekend Action:

Ram Tap Combined Test (Fresno, CA) [Website] [Results]

Stable View Aiken Opener H.T. (Aiken, SC) [Website] [Results]

Your Monday Reading List:

If you’ve ever gone through the onerous process of trying to find the perfect horse to buy, you’ll probably need a bit of a humour injection. My experience of the whole thing is a little bit like how I’ve heard women describe childbirth: by the time the next one rolls around, you’ve forgotten the pain of the process and are overcome with excitement about the possibility… but then, BAM! You’ve either got to squeeze a small human out of your hoo-hah again or, in this case, your bright ideas that you’ll get to sit on loads of lovely horses and have a really jolly time are quickly wiped out by the fact that actually, all those sale ads you’ve painstakingly pored over are often actually replete with misrepresentations. COTH’s summary of what some of those advert catchphrases really mean hits the nail on the head. (It’s all worth it when you find your perfect horse or hold your tiny baby, I think, probably.)

Before we dive headlong into the new season, it’s always fun to relive some of the action of the old. Catch up with Liz Halliday as she reminisces on her trip to California for the National Championships at Galway Downs, where she truly had the weekend of dreams. Roll on all that’s to come in 2024!

Power imbalances are everywhere in sport. In many cases, they’re a necessary and positive thing: productive hierarchy in staffing systems means that less experienced grooms and working students have management in place to turn to for assistance and structure; coaches having the final word on schooling plans and lessons can push students to make the right calls for their horse and safely push themselves out of their comfort zones, too. But when the powerful party has slightly more insidious intentions, this can take a nasty turn. Whether we’re looking at the case of Larry Nassar, who used his position as a team doctor in US Gymnastics to abuse hundreds of young girls, or in the many cases of trainers or bosses similarly abusing young people in their barns, studying the dark side of power imbalances is essential. It goes beyond sexual abuse, too — and advocacy organisation Global Athlete is digging into the quagmire to try to create positive change to protect athletes, both in their training structures and on the world stage. Find out more about what they’re doing, and why this is so important, here.

And finally, snowbirds: enjoy this throwback from our sister site, Horse Nation, which sees beginner ski-bunny Leslie Threlkeld take to the slopes and find a few comparisons with riding — and also a few key differences, including… the importance of French fries manifesting itself in a rather unfamiliar way.

Morning Viewing:

We spend a lot of time rewatching videos of the established pros tackling five-stars – but what about those intrepid first-timers? Relive Holly Richardson’s ride around Burghley with Bally Louis and join us in wondering how colossal one’s figurative cajones must have to be to choose Burghley as your first go at this level:

“A Heavy Heart”: British Eventers Lose Two Much-Loved Events

Camilla Speirs and BT Border Bandit at Somerford Park. Photo by Nico Morgan.

Weston Park Horse Trials and Somerford Park International have both been lost from the British Eventing calendar, each citing financial hindrances due to abandonment insurance as their reason for departure in this tricky climate for the sport.

Weston Park, which is based in Shropshire, has been a mainstay on the calendar since 1978, and has hosted classes through Advanced as well as Pony Club Championships, and had been scheduled to run on April 6 and 7 this year with a roster of classes from Novice to Advanced — but, crucially, in the tricky weekend between FEI events at Thoresby Park and Burnham Market. Weston was making a welcome return to the calendar after an absence in 2023; previously, it had hosted both an April and an October fixture, with the latter focused on grassroots levels.

“This year for the first time Abandonment Insurance for adverse weather is either not available from Insurance Brokers [or] we have been quoted a 24% premium to cover the sum being insured for Spring and Autumn Events,” write organisers Plant A Fence Events in a statement on the event’s Facebook page, which explains that the event will no longer continue. “The financial risks of running a green field site event with the added burden of being sandwiched between two FEI events with no chance of a change of date puts us under financial pressure. The lack of Abandonment Insurance at an affordable cost in April weighs heavy, we do have the new BE Abandonment Policy to cover riders entry fees for a 60% entry refund that we have to pay into. Unfortunately for some years Events have been unable to run on entry fees alone. Financial stress to repay Sponsorship, Trade stands, Start Fees, Gate Admission and all our service contracts for a spring event is no longer feasible as they must be covered by insurance, Marquees, Loos, Public Address, Porta Cabins etc… Our Facility Fee (rent) Paid to Weston Park has risen significantly, as have our other costs, all must be paid if we ran or had to cancel.”
Cheshire’s Somerford Park International offers some hope at a return after having to withdraw from the calendar for the second year in a row. The late June fixture offered classes from BE100 through to CCI3*-S.
“After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision due to challenges in securing a cost-effective insurance policy for potential bad weather. We understand the disappointment this may cause, and we share in that sentiment,” reads the event team’s statement. “As an organisation committed to upholding excellence, it is imperative that our events are not only sustainable but also profitable to ensure their continuity and success.

“We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all of our fantastic sponsors, especially our title sponsor and partner Baileys Horse Feeds, for their unwavering support over the years, which has been instrumental in ensuring the event’s continued success.
“We are immensely grateful to our dedicated team of volunteers, whose selfless dedication and generosity of time are truly invaluable.
In particular, we would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to the late Cliff Parry, who made significant contributions in the scoring team for the horse trials and numerous other events at Somerford. His presence will be deeply missed, and his impact will always be remembered.”
After a tough 2023 season replete with weather-related event cancellations, British Eventing announced in December that it would be introducing an Abandonment Support Fund – a departure from last season’s requirement for organisers to secure their own policy for their events as an increasing number of insurance underwriters continue to withdraw from this volatile market.

Join in with Equestrian Canada’s Female Power Webinar

Found yourself with a free evening, and at a loss as to what you’d like to fill it with? Allow us to make a suggestion: Equestrian Canada’s Female Power webinar, which will take place this evening from 5-6.30 p.m. EST.

This is the second in the Conversations with Team Canada series, hosted by EC’s Eventing High Performance Advisory Group, and it’ll feature Canadian heavy-hitters Katie Malensek, Hanna Bundy, Kendal Lehari, and Jessica Phoenix. You’ll get the details on their training and preparation for major events, great anecdotes from life on the road, and the chance to ask your own burning questions in the Q&A session. Plus, you’ll be automatically entered to win a highly desirable Lululemon x Team Canada clothing prize pack! Head on over to the registration link to get involved. Go eventing, and go Canada!

Tuesday News & Notes from Kentucky Performance Products

 

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The Belgian eventing team haven’t just had the 2023 season of dreams, earning themselves myriad accolades, an Olympic qualification, Nations Cup domination, and much, much more — they’re also cleaning up this winter, winning plenty of awards at galas for their upward trajectory. We’ll be carrying on our vocal support for this exciting team as the year continues, and for now, we’re really enjoying seeing them get all the praise they richly deserve. Congratulations, guys!

Events Opening Today: Twin Rivers Winter H.T.Rocking Horse Winter III H.T.Sporting Days Farm March H.T. II

Events Closing Today: Galway Downs 2024 Kickoff H.T.Sporting Days Farm February Trials H.T. IIThree Lakes Winter I H.T. at Caudle Ranch

Tuesday News & Notes from Around the World:

After a horrific field injury, no one was sure if Hollywood Dancer would even recover. Her rider, British 5* competitor Dani Evans, very nearly had the mare euthanised there and then after seeing the extent of the damage — which included a punctured lung — but ultimately decided to try to save her. And save her she did: now, the mare is enjoying life as a broodmare. Check out her story here.

Curious to know more about Sydney Elliott? Our own Allie sat down with her to find out about the making of this stalwart US team rider in a story that was first published in Sidelines and is now holding court on the US Eventing site. It’s well worth a read.

USEF’s annual meeting had a big focus on one topic: and no points for you if you guessed that it was social license, because that’s the subject we can’t get away from at the moment. But rather than conversation, their focus was on finding solutions. Here’s how they got on.

Okay, so we know horses don’t like pigs — but why, when we can effectively desensitise them to just about anything else? Here’s an insight into the weirdness.

 

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Sponsor Corner: Kentucky Performance Products donated $1000 to Horse and Hound Rescue Foundation 🐴🐶 The Foundation was the charity chosen by grand prize winner of KPP’s 25th Anniversary Contest, Emily Parmenter. Horse & Hound Rescue finds homes for off-track Thoroughbreds and is a sanctuary for senior dogs. Read more here!

Watch This:

In need of some pre-season fitness inspo? Ros Canter’s got a novel way to get those steps in…

 

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Monday News & Notes from FutureTrack

 

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You can’t tempt me with matchy-matchy, because I fear colour with all my navy-tan-and-white loving heart — but if the saddle pad companies want to start rinsing me of every penny I own, this is the way to start. I’m pretty sure I ALWAYS need Jesus to take the reins while I’m riding, because after thirty years in the saddle, I still don’t know what I’m doing. Kudos to this kindred spirit for owning the vibe, and to tog JJ Sillman for capturing it in all its glory at a recent Boyd Martin clinic. Want your own? It’s made by independent business TwoSocksDesigns — check it out, get your own, and support a small business owner today!

National Holiday: It’s Martin Luther King Day — and as such, a perfect moment to reflect on equality and humanity in all the worlds we occupy. Read more about this year’s theme and work here, via the King Center.

US Weekend Action:

Horse Trials at Majestic Oaks (Reddick, FL) [Website[Results]

Your Monday Reading List:

Join H&H in a sad farewell to Vicky Collins, who has passed away following a period of illness. The British powerhouse competed successfully at 5*, and groomed at the upper levels, as well as coaching and training throughout her career. More recently, she’s most often been seen ringside as her daughter, Felicity, makes her mark on the top level of the sport — and she will be much missed by all who knew her.

Former upper-level eventer Robyn Fisher has found a new passion. It’s not often we see eventers find a love for dressage, but she’s certainly done that — and in true eventer style, she’s done it with a horse that most people would have passed over. Follow their incredible story so far here.

NOT that we want to encourage all you looney horse-lovers to ride with an injury, but…Marcella Gruchalak has found that doing so, and accommodating it accordingly, has had some unexpected positive benefits. Don’t try this at home, and all that.

Morning Viewing:

It’s time for a new roster of riders in the Wesko Equestrian Foundation programme — but what’s a training day actually like? Here’s a great look behind the scenes:

Saturday Video: Mic’d Up with Leo Martin, Part II

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.

Czech Republic Granted Individual Olympic Place, Denmark Loses One After Tie-Break

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.

UPDATED: Le Grand Complet at Haras du Pin Cancelled for 2024 Following Financial Dispute

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.”

 

Tuesday News & Notes from Kentucky Performance Products

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 RanchPine Top AdvancedFull Gallop Farm Mid February H.T.

Events Closing Today: Full Gallop Farm January H.TRocking 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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Monday News & Notes from FutureTrack

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

A Happy Anniversary Indeed: Badminton Prize Money Increased to £425,000 for 2024

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.

Thursday Video: Learning with Laura and Dickie at the London International Horse Show

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.

MERs in the Sunshine: Early-Season Portuguese Spring Tour Returns for 2024

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.

 

Badminton Box Office Opens for 2024 Priority Tickets

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.

Tuesday News & Notes from Kentucky Performance Products


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 ApprovalOcala Winter I

Events Closing Today: Ram Tap Combined TestStable 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:

Monday News & Notes from FutureTrack

 

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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:

Boxing Day News & Notes from Kentucky Performance Products

 

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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:

Christmas Day News & Notes from FutureTrack

 

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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:

“She’s Incredibly Special To Us”: Olympic Gold Medallist Amande de B’Neville Retires from Sport

 

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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.

Saturday Video: Sit in on a Lesson with Unstoppable Nicola Wilson

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.