I always think trying horses for myself will be great fun. I’ll get to ride loads of lovely eventers! I’ll get to explore other people’s yards! What larks and japes we shall have! In reality, though, I always end up finding the whole thing pretty stressful, particularly having to ride unfamiliar horses in front of their owners. Suddenly, it’s like I’ve never experienced a trot before. I am guaranteed to be at my absolute worst, because of course I am! That’s part of the, um, fun, I guess.
Anyway, if you’re embarking on a similar shopping spree (lucky you! But also, my condolences.), you could probably use a bit of a pep talk and some advice. I really enjoyed this video from dressage rider Joseph Newcomb, who shares plenty of tips for making the process a little bit less painful. May your next trial ride be aboard a unicorn.
Is your horse challenged by GI tract imbalances, diarrhea, and/or ulcers?
Neigh-Lox® Advanced provides a scientifically advanced blend of ingredients that work synergistically to maintain your horse’s digestive tract in peak condition by supporting both the gastrointestinal tissues and the beneficial bacteria that populate the gut. Maintaining a healthy digestive tract reduces the risk of colonic and gastric ulcers, colic, laminitis related to hindgut acidosis, and oxidative stress that damages digestive tract tissues themselves. Horses with a well-balanced GI tract have good appetites, absorb more nutrients from their diets, maintain a strong immune system, and stay healthier.
The horse that matters to you matters to us®. KPPusa.com
Hello from the panicky end of the 20th of December, in which I’m suddenly realising how little I’ve actually got ready for Christmas. I’m about to do a raid of the supermarket and start gifting people cutlery sets, I’m telling you. Everything’s fine. Everything’s cool. This can all be fixed by just going to the barn and hanging out with my horse, right?
Tuesday News & Notes from Around the World:
Don’t forget to enter our Ultimate LRK3DE Giveaway! You and three friends could win tickets, premium tailgating for cross country, a travel voucher valued at $750, and Dubarry gear for the trip. Entries are open until 12/31, so don’t delay! [Fly Away to LRK3DE]
The debate on conditions for grooms and working students continues on apace. This time, we’ve got an interesting insight from the employer’s perspective as dressage rider Lauren Sprieser pens an op-ed on what the hiring crisis looks like from her end and what degree of resilience is actually useful to build up as a young person. [It’s not a job for the weak]
Planning some Christmas Day treats for your horse? I’ve always been a fan of a hot mash and a snowy hack — and that hot mash is mixed with apple juice and studded with all sorts of snacks, including apples, carrots, parsnips, and, of course, festive peppermints. But for horses with certain health conditions, the innocuous mint could be a Christmas-ruiner. [Be treat-conscious]
My 96% Thoroughbred mare always drops off around this time of year. It’s a battle I fight every winter, particularly as she lives out: I up the forage, increase her hard feeds, and try a number of different conditioning supplements and balancers, all in the name of keeping some fat pads over her body. (FWIW, Keyflow Pink Mash and Bailey’s Outshine have been the best combo of ‘extras’ I’ve found so far). If you’re dealing with a similar problem, you’ll be glad of some advice. [Keep your pony nice and round this winter]
Researchers in Britain are developing a way to learn from footage of jockeys falling. The framework for analysing footage of falls will help them to ascertain how and why the fall happened in the first place, and the necessary steps to ensure safety in similar situations. This could be good news for eventing, which tends to pick up on many of racing’s safety developments a few years down the line. [How to make sport safer]
Once, a few years back, I was spending the week in Ocala, taking a busman’s holiday to stay with my great pal Hallie Coon, when she suggested we go fill an afternoon at Golden Ocala. Now, admittedly I’ve not spent a lot of time at country clubs, but I have such fond memories of the hours we spent soaking up the sun by the pool there, drinking Pina coladas and chatting about horses and life in that stunning, peaceful setting. So this absolutely 10/10 EXTRA chateau within the confines of the club is calling to me today as I watch the English rain melt all that English ice, let me tell you. I know there’s absolutely no way I’d be able to keep those white interiors that clean, but I would revel in the act of slowly mucking them up and then flinging myself into the pool. What a delight this spot is.
Watch This:
Check out 22-year-old Nadja Minder’s round from the Geneva indoor eventing class. This remarkable gal has been one of our favorite riders to follow this season, and there’s plenty more to come. Jump on board the fan club bandwagon now!
One of my favourite moments of the London International Horse Show — so far, anyway — has to be the return of the fancy dress showjumping relay, which took place last night and was just as delightfully chaotic as I remember it being in the ’90s (though devoid of Geoff Billington in drag, which is a shame or a relief, depending on how you look at it). It was particularly ace to see some of our eventing brethren come forward for this class, including Gemma Stevens and Laura Collett, whose spandex superhero garb made me feel fairly confident that our great city would be will protected from baddies, should those baddies happen to land in the week before Christmas.
National Holiday: It’s my high holy day today, folks: it’s National Emo Day. I feel well-qualified to preside over this special day, bearing, as I do, the lingering scar of the lip ring I had when I was fifteen; the La Dispute lyrics tattooed across the backs of my thighs; and the financial scars I earned while travelling all the way to Las freakin’ Vegas to attend When We Were Young festival this year. Stick on some 2004 bangers and ride like you’re sad about it today. Here’s a throwback to get you started.
Your Monday Reading List:
So much emphasis is put on purpose-bred, high-ticket horses in the competitive English disciplines. But what about the horses who come from less illustrious backgrounds? There’s plenty of room for them, too — and the story of Larisa Quirk and her rescue-turned-dressage-horse is a heartening one for all of us with unconventional horses in our stables. [You’re more than where you come from]
Speaking of rescues, here’s another one who’s found a second life in the dressage arena. Fair warning: the story of overo paint Charlie might make you feel a bit teary early on, but it’s worth seeing it through to the happy ending. [The kisses took me out, tbh]
More than 200 veterinarians have put their names behind a push to stop horse slaughter in the US. It feels like this conversation and this fight have been going on for my entire life, and that’s because it’s such a thorny and complex issue — but there’s an admittedly strong argument behind the push to ban it altogether. [Here’s what’s being discussed]
Are you one of the millions of people who found themselves becoming accidental football fans thanks to Ted Lasso? Then you might have taken some of the show’s more poignant messages to heart as an athlete, too. In this op-ed, Jessica Shannon argues that we all need to learn to be our own Ted in this funny old game. [No balls needed]
Team NZ’s own Jacky Green is well worth a follow for her exploits with Tim and Jonelle Price, her sharp wit, and, of course, her boxer Kihikihi, who I would like to actually smother with kisses, please and thanks.
Morning Viewing:
Every time the new BE and FEI calendars come out, I always take a moment to think about some of the now-defunct events that I’ve loved in years prior. Among them? Belton, which came to an end in 2019 – but had a long history of excellence before that. Here’s a look back at 1999, with some familiar faces on the line-up:
There’s been a big red wall, a sighting of Tom McEwen in a mad hatter costume, many sing-throughs of Sweet Caroline and, of course, a visit from Santa – and the London International Horse Show still isn’t done yet! Here’s a round-up of some of the action so far, from top-class jumping to daredevil performances in the heart of the city.
December might be a bit of a sporting hinterland for eventing, but one thing you can always rely on is this: the announcement of each major country’s high performance squad and Olympic talent-spotting pathway. The latest nation to release its 2023 lists is Canada, which has published a four-strong horse-and-rider line-up on the National Squad and a list of eleven riders and fourteen horses on the Development Squad.
The athletes and horses named to the National Squad are as follows:
Dana Cooke (Mooresville, NC) and FE Mississippi, owned by the FE Mississippi Syndicate LLC
Colleen Loach (Dunham, QC) and Vermont, owned by Peter Barry
Jessica Phoenix (Cannington, ON) and Wabbit, owned by James Phillips and Jessica Phoenix
Lindsay Traisnel (Maidstone, ON) and Bacyrouge, owned by Patricia Pearce
The athletes and horses named to the Development Squad are as follows:
Hawley Awad (Aldergrove, BC) and Jollybo, owned by the Jollybo Syndicate LLC and Hawley Awad
Melissa Boutin (Ascot Corner, QC) and Obeah Dancer GS, owned by Melissa Boutin
Hannah Bundy (Toronto, ON) and Lovely Assistant, owned by Juliana Hansen
Holly Jacks (Hillsburgh, ON) and Candy King, owned by the Candy King Limited Partnership
Kyle Carter (Sparr, FL) and G Star Van de Klinkenberg, owned by the Barnstaple Group
Dana Cooke and Quattro, owned by Kingfisher Park
Jamie Kellock (Cedar Valley, ON) and Summer Bay, owned by Jamie Kellock
Kendal Lehari (Uxbridge, ON) and Audacious, owned by Kendal Lehari
Colleen Loach and FE Goldeneye, owned by Peter Barry, Amanda Bernhard, and Colleen Loach
Jessica Phoenix and Isla GS, owned by Charlotte Schickedanz; Freedom GS, owned by Charlotte Schickedanz; and Tugce, owned by Jessica Phoenix
Karl Slezak (Tottenham, ON) and Fernhill Wishes, owned by Kirk Hoppner and Karl Slezak, and Hot Bobo, owned by Karl Slezak
Both the Development and National Squad programs are part of the framework of Canada’s drive to improve results on the world stage, with the National Squad — formerly known as the Elite Squad — representing the pinnacle of the program. Now, Canada will be hoping to hone its team in order to take a much-needed win at the 2023 Pan-American Games, which will give them a direct qualification route for the 2024 Paris Olympics if attained.
Gaspard Maksud and Zaragoza at Haras du Pin. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
The box office for the 2023 FEI European Championships of Eventing, set to take place at Haras du Pin in northern France from August 9-13, has officially opened for business – and there are some special discounts on offer for those who want to secure their place at this exciting event early.
Christmas discounts will be in effect until January 15th, and will allow buyers to nab some seriously good deals: tickets for Wednesday’s first horse inspection are just €5, while day rates for cross-country or showjumping are a real bargain at €15. There are a number of group, multi-day, and hospitality passes on sale, too — the cheapest of these, currently sitting at €40, is a five-day general admission pass, while those who’d like VIP access, privilege parking, and a dedicated bar and viewing tent can opt for hospitality packages for the week, ranging from €150 to €275. Those who enjoy turning an eventing holiday into a camping trip will also be able to book their spots, with or without electrical hookup, for a nightly fee. (This, for what it’s worth, isn’t a bad idea — EN travelled to Haras du Pin for the Nations Cup in 2022, and it’s in a pretty rural spot without a huge amount of hotels, so do get booking yours soon if you’re planning a trip!)
Mollie Summerland and Charly van ter Heiden at Haras du Pin. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
The event is working hard to reduce traffic in the area for the event, with planned shuttles from nearby towns.
‘’We’ve already worked with the Prefecture in order to set up a traffic plan to guarantee the arrival of spectators in the best conditions, in particular on Saturday, the day of the cross-country, when the crowd is always the largest,’’ says the organising committee. ‘’We want to encourage the use of shuttles, especially from Argentan station as well as carpooling. This is also part of our eco-responsible approach. A paying car park will be available close to the competition, but only if pre-booked. We’re also counting on spectators to anticipate their travel.’’
Haras du Pin has been undergoing a significant development project over the last year or so, with new stands, media centres, and a competition hub being installed in the centre of the beautiful site.
“Together with all the players in the equine industry, we want to make these European Championship a great celebration. For many months, the whole team has been investing a great deal of energy. It’s a huge challenge that we’ve taken up with the help of our partners, notably the Normandy Region, the Orne County Council, Argentan Intercom and the Haras National du Pin.”
Get your tickets here (but prepare your Google translate app if you’re not fluent in French!)
It’s always good fun to watch helmet cam footage of successful upper-level rides — but just as useful is seeing how the pros deal with a slightly trickier day out with the babies. In Elisa Wallace‘s latest helmet cam video, she heads out to Majestic Oaks schooling show with four-year-old Loukas T to tackle the Beginner Novice course. Along the way, the wide-eyed youngster has plenty of highlights: he jumps everything sweetly, despite worrying about his friend left behind at the trailer, but he also has a couple of big learning moments, too, particularly at the water jump. Watching how Elisa takes all the pressure away and employs a bit of help to give him a good experience — despite sacrificing a competitive result along the way — is interesting, useful, and heartening for all of us who’ve had similar situations pop up on that long training road.
Is your horse challenged by GI tract imbalances, diarrhea, and/or ulcers?
Neigh-Lox® Advanced provides a scientifically advanced blend of ingredients that work synergistically to maintain your horse’s digestive tract in peak condition by supporting both the gastrointestinal tissues and the beneficial bacteria that populate the gut. Maintaining a healthy digestive tract reduces the risk of colonic and gastric ulcers, colic, laminitis related to hindgut acidosis, and oxidative stress that damages digestive tract tissues themselves. Horses with a well-balanced GI tract have good appetites, absorb more nutrients from their diets, maintain a strong immune system, and stay healthier.
The horse that matters to you matters to us®. KPPusa.com
Oh, you thought we didn’t do winter over here in the UK? Our current snowfall would beg to differ. Okay, okay, so it’s nothing on the enormous piles we’d get when I lived in Maine or Virginia, but our little island is ill-prepared for this sort of thing and so we’re all hunkering down and waiting for it to go away, mostly. I’m about to put my tenth layer on to go and muck out and honestly, I’m dreaming of Florida today.
How do you choose your horse’s supplements? Do you go by anecdotal evidence from your trusted friends, opt for what your barn owner recommends, or pick supplements that are promoted by riders you respect? For one writer and equestrian, getting a nutritionist involved ended up being a game changer in so many ways. Here’s what she learned.
Most barn-related items cost, well, everything. All of it. Even your soul. But there are plenty of ways you can creatively incorporate the items you see at the dollar store into your system with huge rewards — from pool noodles to petroleum jelly. Steal some ideas and go shopping.
There’s nothing like winter, is there, particularly if you’re a busy amateur rider. You probably won’t see the sun while you’re riding for the next few months, but on the flip side, you’ll earn plenty of brownie points for your dedication – even if those after-work lessons feel a bit like this.
Plenty of amendments to rules and new initiatives have come out of the USEA Meeting & Convention. Get the broad overview here.
And finally, horses have been helping people with memory loss and dementia. I’m beginning to think there’s nothing that they can’t do. Check out the story here.
Today’s property pick of the week doesn’t actually come with any equestrian facilities — but its close proximity to WEC means you won’t struggle to find a please to keep your horses, and it’s a rare gem of a thing in that it’s a seasonal rental that you can move into for the winter season! It’s got three bedrooms and three bathrooms, so you can bring along your favorite barn pals and make this a winter to remember.
Watch This:
Thoroughbreds — they’re the best! But after some time off, they can also be the spiciest. We can all relate to British vlogger Lucy Robinson‘s gentle trepidation at getting the ball rolling again.
The holidays might be swiftly approaching, but resourceful eventers will always find time to go eventing – and plenty of you did so at Full Gallop Farm in Aiken over the weekend! Here’s who topped the leaderboards across the divisions, plus some snaps from across social media to recap the weekend that was.
Full Gallop Farm Jingle Bells H.T. (Aiken, SC): [Website] [Results]
Preliminary: Nilson Moreira da Silva and Elmo (34.5)
Preliminary/Training: Randy Lander and Deputy Flash (44.3)
Training: Jessica Schulz and Unfolding Blame (29.7)
Training/Novice: Margaret Schneck and Sky Road (33.6)
Novice: Kaitlin Clark and SLE Happy Hour (25.3)
Beginner Novice A: Jessica Schulz and Firefly (22.4)
Beginner Novice B: Jessica Schulz and FGF Margie Darest (31.8)
Starter: Laurie Michelle Wettstone and Redemption Song (24)
My favourite thing about December is the abundance of balls and galas on the calendar — and although I had to miss the British Eventing Support Trust ball at the Savoy in London the other day, I’ve gotten nearly as much joy from looking at everyone’s photos and outfits as I would have done if I was actually there dancing on the tables. Look at Piggy and Nic! Aren’t they a delight! A pair of angels atop the Christmas tree! Nothing gives me the warm and fuzzies more than a good eventing friendship, tbh.
National Holiday: It’s Gingerbread House Decorating Day. I’ll personally send a prize to anyone who can make a gingerbread replica of Badminton or Burghley.
US Weekend Action:
Full Gallop Farm Jingle Bells H.T. (Aiken, SC): [Website] [Results]
Your Monday Reading List:
Every horse has a different capacity for pain, and that can make it really hard to gauge whether a problem is behavioural or pain-related. Learning how to read even the most stoic of horses, though, will only level you up as a horseman — and allow you to spot those little issues before they become really big ones. [How horses perceive pain]
New research has shown that riding can benefit people with cerebral palsy. 343 patients in total spent time using a mechanical riding simulator across ten different studies, with marked improvements in overall gross motor function as a result. Though getting kids into riding for the disabled programs can be tricky if there isn’t one locally, or there are funding issues, riding simulators could provide a seriously helpful workaround in a physical therapist’s arsenal. [One more tangible use for our favorite animal]
Incoming USEA President, Louise Leslie, brings lots to the table: she’s a proud West Coaster, for one, and she understands the amateur perspective, too. Get to know her with this Q&A from COTH. [Meet the new Pres]
Want stables of your own, but don’t have the budget? Follow this resourceful owner’s lead — she built a beautiful set of internal boxes using pallets and screws. It might take a little while, but what a result! [DIY barns for the win]
I’m loving the look back at great horses past that Lucinda Green’s XC Academy is currently in the midst of. If you fancy learning about Regal Realm, Beagle Bay, Wide Awake, and the rest of Lucinda’s horsey heroes — plus learning lots of useful cross country tips in the process — you should definitely give the account a follow!
Morning Viewing:
Check out Boyd’s hatcam footage from his catch ride at the Sweden International Horse Show indoor eventing this month!
Yesterday, our farrier popped to the yard to sort a touchy nail on one of our ponies, and sometime in the process, he happened to mention that he’d accidentally become TikTok famous. And I’m not talking a little bit TikTok famous: his video showing the shoeing process had racked up 270 million views on the platform, making it the most-viewed TikTok in the entirety of the UK for 2022. Like, the whole UK. Who knew that this was the way to make equestrians hit the mainstream! Anyway, this YouTube video compiles many of the day-to-day normal chores for us horsey folk that are actually seriously satisfying for the rest of the world to watch — and it starts with one of our Sam’s videos. A star is born.
While vlogging is becoming more and more prevalent in the sport, it’s still pretty rare to see an upper-level rider taking part (likely because nobody really has the time to fiddle around with endless editing while keeping a string of horses on the go!). That’s why we’re always delighted with the efforts of those who do, such as Elisa Wallace, Piggy March, or British four-star competitor Ashley Harrison, who brings her viewers along with her as she tackles the highs and lows of making a name for herself in the sport. In the latest episode on her channel, she takes us with her as she tackles the three-star at Oxfordshire’s Cornbury International with top horse Zeb. Find out how she got on — and add an event to your bucket list — by tuning in now.
Is your horse challenged by GI tract imbalances, diarrhea, and/or ulcers?
Neigh-Lox® Advanced provides a scientifically advanced blend of ingredients that work synergistically to maintain your horse’s digestive tract in peak condition by supporting both the gastrointestinal tissues and the beneficial bacteria that populate the gut. Maintaining a healthy digestive tract reduces the risk of colonic and gastric ulcers, colic, laminitis related to hindgut acidosis, and oxidative stress that damages digestive tract tissues themselves. Horses with a well-balanced GI tract have good appetites, absorb more nutrients from their diets, maintain a strong immune system, and stay healthier.
The horse that matters to you matters to us®. KPPusa.com
Virginia Tech has long been at the forefront of helmet safety tech, with its state-of-the-art Helmet Lab putting equipment through rigorous tests with the aim of preventing injury during sport. For much of its existence, though, the Lab has focused its attention on bicycle helmets, hockey helmets, football helmets, baseball helmets – and, basically, any sport that doesn’t involve a horse. Now, though, they’ve made their first steps into our industry, revealing their picks of the safest helmets in the bunch across forty different riding hat models.
“The Helmet Lab specializes in injury biomechanics, with particular emphasis on investigating human tolerance to impact loading,” explains the Lab on the Virginia Tech website. “Rather than studying how to treat injury, we explore ways to prevent injury. This research involves identifying and characterizing injury mechanisms, quantifying the biomechanical response to impact, determining tolerance levels, and evaluating protective design. We study injuries to the whole body but primarily focus on advancing the understanding of concussion and how to decrease the incidence of injury.”
“Studying concussions is challenging because it is impossible to produce human brain injury in a laboratory environment. To work around these challenges, we instrument populations (athletes) at elevated risk of sustaining a concussion. This approach allows us to collect biomechanical data characterizing concussion in an observational manner. We aim to quantify concussion mechanisms and how they vary with age, sex, and environment through this work. The translational outcomes of our research have led to improved helmet design and new rules in football.”
The Helmet Lab’s equestrian-specific findings — which began as a research project in 2019 and were propelled by funding from Jacqueline Mars, USHJA, USEF, and USEA — are neatly summarised into a star system, and a scoring system, that us eventing fans will find very easy to follow. Five stars are the top of the ladder, and the lower the score is, the better. And in further good news? Though the best-rated helmet will cost you (that’s the Champion Revolve X-Air MIPS, which retails at around $460, if you’re curious), the only other hat to earn five stars is just $58. That’s the TuffRider Carbon Fiber, which sits pretty in second place overall, followed by another hat under $60: the $50 IRH Equi-Lite.
In another show of extraordinarily silly bureaucracy, British-based equine dentist James Sheppard faces being removed from the country just a month away from the due date of his baby with partner Sophie Seymour. As someone who also had to go through the extraordinarily long-winded process of applying for indefinite leave to remain in the UK — I was born in England, but have German citizenship, which made me a stranger in the country’s eyes post-Brexit — I really feel for these guys and can’t imagine how stressful this situation must be with a baby on the way. Spare a second to contact their local MP using the information in the post, and you could make a huge difference in a horsey family’s lives.
Tuesday News & Notes from Around the World:
Okay, so it’s a bit naughty of me to include my own bylines in N&N, right? But interviewing Kerryn Edmans, groom to Tim and Jonelle Price and recent winner of the Cavalor Groom’s Prize at the FEI Awards, was such a joy, and so insightful, that I know you’ll all want to read what she had to say about helming this powerhouse team for yourselves. Fair warning: it’ll make you want to quit your job and move straight to their yard. [Kerryn’s continuing a family legacy]
At the ripe old age of 34, the extraordinary Over To You has died. We’ll be looking back at his incredible career as the British team’s most decorated horse ourselves, but for now, check out H&H‘s story and raise a glass to this life-changing athlete. [Farewell to the GOAT]
Looking for a coach in Canada, or hoping to become one yourself? Then it’s crucial that you understand the Coach Status system, which aims to standardise teaching and ensure that equestrians are benefitting from safe, correct, high quality education whenever they engage with a trainer. [A step in the right direction]
West Coast horsey folks, unite! There’s a new coalition in place that’s dedicated to enriching and supporting California’s vibrant equestrian community, and although its focus at the moment is primarily on the racing industry, it’s these kinds of initiatives that tend to trickle down into other disciplines and industries. [Check it out]
I don’t know about you guys, but my favourite part of The Sims was never the actual gameplay (although I, too, love to remove a pool ladder every now and then so I can woo-hoo with the Grim Reaper). Instead, I spent long hours of my early teens just building houses and attempting to build barns, and then decorating them with minute detail, usually using custom-made mods that probably gave my computer quite a lot of viruses. Anyway, the point I’m making is that this place, which has space to build the yard of your dreams, stirs something up in me. I could move in and make it whatever I want it to be. A blank canvas, ready for all my wildest ideas and biggest dreams to be writ large! SO exciting. Now excuse me while I redownload The Sims.
Listen to This: The latest episode of the USEA Podcastbrings you an in-depth chat with Dan Krietl, the USEF CCI4*-L National Champion — and an amateur rider with plenty going on behind the scenes. This one will help you get through those morning barn chores with ease!
The best use of a non-horsey boyfriend? Luring the feral mare back in after a year off, using coercion tactics and a selection box of root vegetables.
I’m a real fair weather rider these days, and after years working as a groom in all sorts of rotten conditions, I’m no longer feeling bad about it. But I must say, after nearly a year of my horse being out in a field with a soft tissue injury, I’m really enjoying even the moochiest of rides in the pouring rain. Twenty minutes of walking? Sign me up, baby! I can’t feel my toes, but I’m having a nice time.
National Holiday: It’s International Ninja Day, because of course it is.
U.S. Weekend Action:
Rocking Horse December H.T. (Altoona, FL): [Website] [Results]
Sporting Days Farm H.T. IV (Aiken, SC): [Website] [Results]
Your Monday Reading List:
We’re all very keen to fight the good fight for grooms and keep working to improve conditions for them. But once in a while, it’s really heartening to catch up with someone in the role who’s having a truly nice time and being treated well by their employer. That’s certainly the case for Abbie Salter, who works for British eventer Jodie Amos and has nearly a decade as a groom under her belt. Even know, she’s happy to say it’s the best job in the world. [Let’s make this a universal experience]
From turmeric curing all that ails your horse to an increasing line-up of products that claim they’ll [zap/laser/magnetize] the pain away, there’s a heck of a lot being sold to us that might be just a touch questionable. Though there’s anecdotal evidence to support just about anything (my own trainer has had great success with those titanium masks, and who actually knows how those are meant to work!), there’s also a fair amount of scepticism out there. And delightful, silly satire — my favourite thing of them all. [This rug will make your horse live forever!Naaaaht]
Qatar, who are currently busy hosting a contentious FIFA World Cup, are now putting their hat in the ring for the 2036 Olympics. Though many keen football fans are opting to boycott the World Cup in response to human rights violations in the country, Qatar believes it’s been such a roaring success so far that the next obvious step is taking on the biggest sporting stage of them all. [Qatar to bid for Olympic hosting role]
Using the winter months to put some time into a green bean? You’ll probably spend as much time reviewing training books, articles, and videos in the evenings as you do actually working with your horse – and so it’s always particularly helpful when someone collates a few good resources together. [Dive in and get those sessions planned]
Morning Viewing:
Catch up with vlogger and amateur eventer Meg Elphick as she takes a lesson with showjumper Dan Delsart:
An artist’s interpretation of the Opening Ceremony flotilla. Image courtesy of Paris 2024/IOC.
Hoping to attend the Paris Olympics in 2024? Your first chance has finally come to snap up some tickets to the biggest competition of the next four years, with the opening of the first draw opportunity.
This first draw for tickets will be for those spectators who want to see multiple sessions of sport: successful applicants will get the chance to buy tickets for three sessions, with all sports and seating tiers available for purchase in what’s been dubbed a ‘Make Your Games’ pack. Nearly 10 million tickets will be made available for purchase across the various sales windows, and 750 total sessions of sport will take place throughout the Games, as well as the exciting Opening Ceremony, which will be held along the River Seine, and the Closing Ceremony.
The equestrian sports at Paris 2024 will take place at the Palace of Versailles.
The draw, which opened on December 1st, will remain in situ until January 31, giving you ample opportunity to get your name on the list for a shot at tickets for the Paris Games. Those who are accepted from the draw will be granted a 48-hour window within which to purchase tickets for their sessions of choice during February and March — though another draw will open in March to give those who miss out in round one another shot at getting into the room where it happens come 2024, with individual tickets available during the second draw. If you want to guarantee your tickets, and you’ve got deep pockets to do so, there are also some very cool hospitality packages available.
Those wishing to put their name in the hat will need to do so via the official Olympic ticketing site. No other website has permission to sell Olympic tickets, so beware if you see a deal that looks too good to be true — it almost certainly is. This method of sale might make it slightly harder to get your hands on your tickets, but it does stop scalpers from snapping up all the seats and gouging prices, which anyone who’s tried to buy Taylor Swift concert tickets lately will be all too familiar with.
To learn more about the Make Your Games packs, click here — or to go ahead and sign up for the draw, click here. Bonne chance!
EN’s pre-Paris coverage is brought to you with support from Zoetis Equine.
Laura Collett and London 52 prove their class over a tough Badminton track en route to the win in 2022. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.
Ring-a-ding-ding, it’s that time of year again! No, not Christmas (although hello to you, too, if you’re also spending the day drinking mulled wine, planning your Christmas tree pick-up, and ordering Nat King Cole albums on vinyl), but Badminton updates season — that heady bit of the season in which we start piecing together what next spring’s Big B might look like.
First on the agenda? An increase in prize money, which is alway a welcome notion. The winner of the 2023 Badminton Horse Trials, presented by Mars Equestrian, will take home £105,000, after an increase in the total prize pot from £360,750.00 to £380,300 and prize money increases planned all the way through to 20th place. In real world terms, this is an extra £5,000 for the winner, keeping Badminton in top spot as the biggest payout in eventing. We’ll try not to think too much about the darts competition that’s serving up several million in prize money.
“We are very keen to reflect the huge accolade of winning such a high-level five-star competition, as well as the great achievement of finishing in the top 20,” says Badminton Director Jane Tuckwell.
One of the major changes we’ll see at Badminton this year is a one-off scheduling adjustment, due to the coronation of King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla, which is set to take place on Saturday, May 6. In order to accommodate a long break in the competition, in which spectators will be able to watch the coronation on big screens around the venue, the entire week of competition will be shifted forward by a day. This means that the first horse inspection will now take place on Thursday, May 4, with dressage on Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6. Cross-country will be held on Sunday, May 7, and horsey folks will enjoy the best possible use of a Bank Holiday Monday with the thrilling showjumping finale on May 8.
“It should be a really celebratory occasion which we hope will be fun for everyone and a great atmosphere,” says Mrs Tuckwell.
Badminton has also announced its team of top-level officials for the 2023 renewal: Angela Tucker (GBR) will serve as President of the ground jury, and will be ably assisted by Andrew Bennie (NZL) and Xavier Le Sauce (FRA). The USA’s Andrew Temkin will serve as Technical Delegate, assisted by the hugely experienced Marcin Konarski from Poland.
Each year, Badminton picks a benefitting charity, which receives a chunk of the proceeds from the running of the event and is offered an exciting, productive platform upon which to promote its work. This year, that charity will be Air Ambulances UK, which is a charity close to many horsey folks’ hearts: their crucial service comes into its own in rural, hard-to-reach areas, and often, event riders’ lives have been saved by their quick assistance. Running one of these emergency flights, though, can cost several thousand pounds a go, and so constant fundraising is vital for the service to continue.
Simmy Akhtar, Air Ambulances UK CEO, says: “We are extremely proud and honoured to be chosen as the charity of the year for Badminton Horse Trials 2023 presented by Mars Equestrian. We’re excited to have the opportunity to showcase the lifesaving work of the UK air ambulance charities who work tirelessly to bring the Emergency Department to the patient no matter where they are often including unfortunate riding incidents. We look forward to welcoming and engaging visitors, participants, supporters, and suppliers to our stand during the event.”
The 2022 ticket system, which got rid of on-the-gate tickets entirely, will continue on in 2023 after it was deemed successful in easing traffic in the villages around Badminton. The box office will open in January, so keep it locked on EN for news and updates about early bird pricing and more!
Hop in my Wayback Machine, little cherubs, and let’s head to 1968 — the year my mum was born, though that’s neither here nor there, really — and across the world to Mexico City, the host of that year’s Olympic Games. Then, the British team were in another one of their golden eras, and this event was no different: they took the team gold medal ahead of the US in silver and Australia in bronze, and that victory was clinched by their anchor rider, Reuben Jones, who delivered the necessary clear with The Poacher. Though they didn’t do the double — individual gold went to France’s Jean-Jacques Guyon and Pitou — the Brits did also secure individual silver, thanks to the efforts of Derek Allhusen and Lochinvar. Check out the fine work of an anchorman with this bit of Olympic history.
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Sierra Lesny, recipient of the second SEE Ever So Sweet scholarship, and her OTTB Pea. Photo by Sally Spickard.
After the hustle and bustle of the first round of holidays, I’m delighted that we’ve made it to Giving Tuesday and, even better, Give Back Week.We’re working with our brand partners to deliver you some brilliant deals that also do great things in the horse world this week, with proceeds going to Ukrainian horse charities, access programmes, and more.From November 28, through Sunday, December 4, we encourage you to shop with the brands listed in this article, each of which has committed to donating a portion of proceeds during this week to a nonprofit or charity. We also encourage you to check out your social media feeds and emails for other brands giving back this week. Do good, feel good!
Tuesday News & Notes from Around the World:
By now, you probably know that France’s Maxime Livio won the inaugural Agria Top 10 Indoor Eventing. But do you know how he managed to clinch the title in Sweden? [Check out the video and see his strategy in action]
The Area X Championships were held a week ago in Tuscon, Arizona. Three riders capped off their season with titles — not a shabby way to head into the holidays! Even better? The winning mounts include a Clydesdale cross and an Appaloosa. [Meet the champs]
A primarily indigenous community in Australia has come up with a novel solution to their wild horse problem. Though the horses are much loved by the people of Mornington Island, they’ve also done plenty of damage to gardens and green spaces in the community — but the folks in the area were adamant that culling wasn’t an option. Instead, they’ve created a programme that’ll allow young people to work with the horses, gaining valuable skills and setting them up for future careers. [Talk about a win-win]
Are you a hay-steaming fan? Me too: it doesn’t just make the yard smell incredible, although honestly, nothing is better than the sweet smell of a freshly-opened HayGain — but it has a marked positive effect on our horses’ airways. But new studies suggest that horses that are fed steamed hay might need to be provided with an extra protein source, as the process can strip some of this important macronutrient out of forage. [A bit of chicken breast with your hay, madam?]
As the year creeps closer to its end, it’s time to start thinking about the next. With that comes resolutions, plans, ideas, things to change and improve, goals — and some serious reflection on the year that’s been. Here’s an interesting treatise on what all of us could stand to work on in 2023. [The ‘less Instagram’ one feels targeted at me, tbh]
Racing yards tend to come with some seriously cool amenities, and while they do require additional work (like, for example, putting in an arena), you can’t fault them for what they do have — such as the capacious exercise track, actual spa building (with a water treadmill!), and enormous amounts of space that this one has. With over 100 stalls, plus tonnes of human accommodation, you could keep this one for its intended purpose — or you could set up the eventing training base of dreams and run some incredible shows and clinics out of it, too.
Watch This:
Excuse me while I steal this concept at Badminton next year.
And so we re-enter the grind! I mean, as a British-based ENer, I kind of never left it, but I’m straight back in the mix this morning taking a train to London in my breeches to go for a ride with a showjumper in the city. It’s certainly never boring being an equestrian journalist, and now that I’ve got this assignment on my roster, I’m beginning to wonder if I ought to insist on doing all my interviews on horseback. Heads up, eventers: I want to ride your steeds, and I want to do it right now. Okay, hang on, not all your steeds. I’d like to have the option to cherry pick. Basically, what I’m saying is: Tamie, call me. Mai Baum and I have some business to attend to.
National Holiday: It’s Cyber Monday! Fortunately, ‘cyber’ means something very different now than it did to those of us who grew up in Yahoo! chat rooms in the early noughties.
US Weekend Action:
Pine Top Thanksgiving H.T. (Thomson, GA): [Website] [Results]
Your Monday Reading List:
I love intrepid women who’ve defied the social convention of their time — and Victorian adventurer Isabella Bird is certainly one of those. She covered a huge swathe of the US on horseback, and despite being less than five feet tall, she did everything that needed doing all by herself — from wrangling cattle to gutting bears. For some reason, there’s a TV show about one of the Spice Girls retracing her route in the works, but we can dig it. [Let this woman be your Monday inspiration]
Ever fancied giving hunting a go? Even if you’re not keen on the idea of killing something — which is totally fair enough — there are so many great trail hunting options to give you the thrill of the chase and the inimitable experience of riding across the country at speed. But getting started can feel kind of intimidating — unless you can follow along with the advice and experiences of another rider first. [Prepare yourself for the most fun you’ll ever have on a horse]
Goodbye to event horse owner and former British team member Shirley Thorp. The extraordinary equestrian died at the age of 89, following a colourful life that included trips around Badminton in the 1950s and ’60s. [Read more about her here]
Further evidence has been collated that proves the effectiveness of horses in therapy situations. This time, the research has been conducted on adolescents in care environments, many of whom have come from enormously traumatic backgrounds. [The case for access to horses, universally]
Morning Viewing:
We all love a cross-country helmet cam video — but how about a Grand Prix showjumping one? Prepare to spend plenty of time in the air over these fences!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year: not Christmas, but time, instead, for Laura Collett‘s Badminton winner London 52 to come back into work. Why should we care about one of many five-star horses re-entering the 9-5? Because ‘Dan’, as he’s known at home, is a particularly special sort of chap. When his first jump of the year rolls around, we’re all treated to a particularly unique show – and Laura becomes eventing’s Calamity Jane. And as a palate whetter? She’s compiled a selection of clips from previous years to give us all a taste of what we’re in for. Laura, please let us know what breeches you’re wearing, because we could do with sticky bums of that magnitude ourselves, frankly.
Can’t see the embedded Instagram content? Click here to get your fill of London 52’s interpretive dance moves!
So far this off-season, we’ve dealt with the emotional blow of the retirement of Jonelle Price’s Classic Moet and Faerie Dianimo, plus Sarah Bullimore’s Reve du Rouet — but none of those quite prepared us for the announcement that British team stalwart, five-star superhero, and all-around exceptionally good egg Tina Cook is hanging up her upper-level boots.
The announcement came yesterday via a story in Horse and Hound, wherein she told the magazine that she plans to continue producing horses up to three-star level, but won’t continue competing through four- and five-star, nor will she vie for spots on British teams, any longer. The decision comes after the sad death of her top horse, Elisabeth Murdoch and Keith Tyson’s 15-year-old Billy the Red, following a brief attempt at retirement in the field. The gelding competed at Pau CCI5* last autumn, finishing 16th, but hasn’t competed internationally since, as some unevenness of stride became evident in the run-up to Badminton. Being turned out to enjoy his remaining years, Tina explained to H&H, wasn’t a viable or happy solution for the busy-brained, clever little horse, and so the tough decision was made to put him down.
“I took the decision that was right for the horse,” she says in the article, which you can read in full here. “I get so attached to my horses; it was so sad but if they can’t have a happy retirement, you have to do what’s right by the horse. And at the same time as announcing that, I thought maybe now’s the time to say what’s probably going to happen.”
Tina Cook and Billy the Red at Pau in 2021. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Tina will now focus her attentions primarily on the youngster, and of course her children, 17-year-old Isabelle and 15-year-old Harry. Izzy is a keen eventer herself, and won individual silver and team gold this year at the Junior European Championships with the homebred mare, Mexican Law, while Harry enjoys playing rugby.
Tina Cook and Billy the Red at the 2019 European Championships. Photo by William Carey.
Across Tina’s extraordinary career, she’s given us all — fans of the sport, reporters, and fellow riders alike — so many happy moments and memories, which her former teammates have been commemorating across social media since the announcement.
“What a women,” writes Gemma Tattersall, who competed alongside Tina at the 2017 European Championships at Strzegom and the 2018 World Equestrian Games at Tryon. “Absolute legend. No better lady to be on a team with. She gave me the most incredible support on the teams I went on, I learnt so much from Tina and will be forever grateful. Proper team player and proper horsewomen.”
Tina Cook and Billy the Red at the 2018 World Equestrian Games. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.
Pippa Funnell, too, paid tribute to her longtime friend: “So sad to hear the news of Billy The Red. He was a brilliant but quirky little number with whom Tina brought out the very best, what a tough decision for Tina but absolutely the right decision to have Billy put down. On making this tough call she has made another very difficult decision and that is to call time on her illustrious career at the very top of our sport.”
“Tina has to have been one of Team GB’s greatest members,” continues Pippa. “She came into her best form always at the big Championship’s, there was no better person to have on a team and I am fortunate enough to have been part of several of those. Many many fond memories but looking forward, she is such a fantastic producer of young horses and that she will continue to do up to 3 star level and as she says her time and efforts will go into helping and supporting Isabelle and Harry. I know we will share many more fun days as dear friends but I will miss sharing the nerves, sharing the highs and sharing the lows, we have had so many laughs at top events throughout the world.”
Tina’s Senior team career began back in 1993, when she was given the call-up for the European Championships with her Pony Club and Junior team mount, the full Thoroughbred Song And Dance Man. They returned with an individual silver medal, establishing Tina — the daughter of late racehorse trainer Josh Gifford and showjumper Althea Roger-Smith — as the poster girl for the pony-mad for the next three decades. Her roster of achievements would go on to include two Olympic appearances, at Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012, where she won team and individual bronze at the former and team silver at the latter, finishing sixth individually. She would also ride at four World Equestrian Games, taking team gold in 2010 and team silver in 2014, and seven total Senior European Championships, most notably becoming the European Champion at Fontainebleau in 2009 with the exceptional Thoroughbred Miners Frolic.
Tina Cook and Star Witness at Burghley in 2018. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.
Tina’s horses, which she produces at her home base in West Sussex, where she grew up, have often been larger-than-life characters, too. There have been the Thoroughbreds, such as Miners Frolic, who continued to prove what the breed could do long after it fell out of fashion, and the quirky souls, such as Star Witness and Billy the Red, with whom Tina competed at the 2017 and 2019 European Championships, taking team gold and silver, respectively, and the 2018 Tryon World Equestrian Games, where they finished ninth individually.
“[Billy] has just got a bright brain; he’s not malicious, and he’s not nasty — he was just born bright and it’s just about finding the key. He isn’t one you’d want to overwork, as he’d probably get worse, so it’s just that fine line of doing twenty minutes and then hoping,” explained Tina to EN last year. “He’s desperately spooky — oh my god — on hacks and stuff like that. When I rode him this morning he spooked at a pile of stinging nettles, slipped, and whipped ’round. He’s always the same, but that’ll be him all his life; sometimes he spooks at flowers, sometimes he doesn’t, and so I always have to prepared for the unexpected. You just have to smile your legs around him, smile, and get on with it! I ride him at home myself — I don’t think it’s fair on anyone else to have to ride him just in case anything happens, so it’s me and him all the time.”
But for all Billy’s quirks, he was also one of the most reliable jumping horses in the game, with speed, accuracy, and careful feet on his side that made him a stalwart member of the teams. And, of course, he was an inspiration well beyond the upper levels of the sport, paying a visit to London’s Ebony Horse Club, where he and his rider shared an insight into the sport with the riders there.
Though a five-star win eluded Tina throughout her career, she was one of the most formidable competitors in the world at this level, with countless placings at Badminton, Burghley, Pau and Luhmühlen to her name. We have no doubt we’ll continue to see her on site at these competitions — particularly the Big Bs, at which she’s become a mainstay of the on-site commentary and presenting teams, and will, we expect, be the nervous mum of a competitor before too long, too.
Tina Cook and Miners Frolic at Badminton. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Whichever way the journey goes from here, thank you, Tina, for all you’ve done for the sport so far. We’re still the pony mad kids with eventing posters on our walls at heart, and you’ll always be our poster girl, really.
Imagine, if you will, cantering into an arena packed with tricky questions, in front of a roaring crowd and pounding music — on a horse you’ve only ridden a couple of times. That’s the situation at hand for all those intrepid riders who pick up catch rides for the indoor eventing classes at some of the biggest shows around the world, and this weekend, a number of them are doing so in Sweden, including Boyd Martin. He finished fifth in the first round of the class on Thursday evening, and so will enter the ring at the halfway point in tomorrow night’s finale with Caruccio Paradise. Check out his first round ride in today’s video!
