Tilly Berendt

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Friday Video from SmartPak: Fly Through the Barocca CCI4*-L Cross-Country

By Tilly Berendt on Mar 6, 2020 6:02 pm -

As the British eventing calendar is pummelled by more and more cancellations (yes, that’s two out of my three runs so far abandoned, not that I’m counting or anything), the smug souls who decided to start their season in sunny Portugal are surely patting themselves on the back. We wouldn’t know for sure, because we’re only watching from afar – but all evidence posted by our friends at the Irish Eventing Times would suggest that there’s plenty of reason to do so.

Portugal’s premier event is a two-week extravaganza, jam-packed with hot competition from 1*-4* and featuring some of the sport’s biggest names, determined not to be struck out by a little bit of wet stuff falling from the sky. This week’s competition, which features the crown jewel 4*-L, also offers up an early chance to get Tokyo qualifications done and dusted – although eligible riders have until this summer to get their Minimum Eligibility Requirements banked, there’s much to be said for getting them in the books nice and early, and then buying stock in bubble wrap.

Week one of Barroca belonged almost exclusively to Cathal Daniels, who ran away with top honours in the CCI2*-S (Shannondale Mari) and the CCI3*-S (OLS King Aragon). This week’s looking no different: he goes into tomorrow’s cross-country in top spot with OLS King Aragon, the only horse to post a sub-30 score in the CCI4*-L. We’ll bring you a full round-up of how the competition plays out, but in the meantime, enjoy this course preview – and a bit of much-needed escapism, if you’re stuck in England at the moment – from Irish Eventing Times. As you’ll see, the season opener doesn’t mess around – it’s full of airy timber and some combinations that will require positive riding and quick thinking. Somehow, we expect the European bronze medalist isn’t too worried.

Run fast, go well, and drink plenty of port, chums.

It’s World Book Day, So Here Are Eight Horse Novels that Don’t Suck

By Tilly Berendt on Mar 5, 2020 5:25 pm -

It’s hard to make a chinchilla blush, and yet…

It should come as no surprise to anyone reading this that any equestrian journalist worth their salt isn’t just utterly bonkers about horses – they’re also unapologetic bookworms with exceptionally high standards. Standards that are, I admit, prone to slipping when confronted with that most beguiling of genres – the pony novel and its grown-up equivalent.

Okay, so there’s a real shortage of quality horsey fiction out there. But it does exist, largely in discontinued paperbacks and confusingly formatted Kindle downloads, and frankly, I’m usually just as up for reading the real clangers. I’ll save you from wading through the murky swampland of the equestrian self-publishing sector, though – instead, here’s a completely subjective and totally biased list of the best horsey novels in celebration of World Book Day. We expect you’re all accidentally dressed up as a member of the Saddle Club (bagsy Stevie, sorry).

Barn Blind and Horse Heaven – Jane Smiley

Smiley is probably the only Pulitzer winner to pen a couple of horse novels, but I’m forever grateful that she did. An amateur showjumper herself, she spent many years ensconced in the world of horse racing, too, and her two passions in the equestrian world yielded a couple of great books. Fair warning: Barn Blind will destroy you. I first read it when I was sixteen (WHY), and spent the following week wandering around in a depressive daze, flinching every time I thought about what I’d just experienced. The second I’d recovered, I read it again. Set deep in American farmland, it follows a troubled family spearheaded by a mother with one thing on her mind – success in the show ring for her four children. Her tunnel vision has far-reaching consequences (and will instil a deep fear of Pony Club mothers into you).

If the racing scene is more up your street, order yourself a copy of the terribly-named but otherwise superb Horse Heaven. This ensemble piece weaves together the narratives of a plethora of characters within the flat racing industry, scattered around the country, only vaguely connected to one another, and all navigating their own issues. There’s an owner having an affair with a trainer, a Walmart clerk who finds herself helping a rapper with his horse interests, an animal communicator, a jockey with a weight problem and, of course, the horses. Read this and try not to fall in love with plain brown wrapper Justabob – I dare you.

In the Pink – Molly Watson

One of these days I’m going to make good on my promise to write a novel that’s a bit of Bridget Jones for the eventing set, but until I find the time to do so, In the Pink does a marvellous job of moving the format over to the horse world. Watson’s area of interest isn’t eventing, though – instead, it’s hunting in the glorious Ledbury country. The book begins as Watson and her sister, Bee, make the impromptu decision to leave their London lives and move to the country, where they speed through the process of finding themselves (only vaguely suitable) mounts and embark on their quest to hunt down a Peppermore.

What’s a Peppermore, you ask?

“…Bee dropped by and wedged a copy of Siegfried Sassoon’s Memoirs of a Foxhunting Man into our letterbox along with a detailed but incomprehensible set of sums allegedly showing why her mortgage payments prevent her from taking out a loan to bankroll The Plan herself. She had underlined in red those of Sassoon’s passages that she felt best made the case for the fallback scenario of a rustic wedding should my overdraft facilities fail us before the end of the season.

Well, forget fallback scenario. If we run across anyone like fast-living Jack and Charlie Peppermore – described by Sassoon on pages 234 and 235 as ‘desperately fine specimens of a genuine English traditional type which has become innocuous since the abolition of duelling’ and who were ‘reckless, insolent, unprincipled; but never dull, frequently amusing, and, when they chose, had charming manners’ – all resources will be channelled into enticing them to kiss us all over at their earliest convenience.”

Quite.

Dark Horse and Alibi Man by Tami Hoag

Even if you’re not a crime reader – as I’m certainly not – Tami Hoag’s two equestrian offerings make for a quick and interesting read. Hoag isn’t just one of the foremost crime writers in the States, she’s also an accomplished dressage rider – and her two novels set within the underbelly of the Winter Equestrian Festival won’t leave you cringing over the details. Well, except for any details involving ‘gators. Those might make you cringe.

Riders – Jilly Cooper

Eventing Jesus bless Jilly Cooper for inventing the bonkbuster, a laughably fat tome full of naughty bits and, if we’re honest, probably one or two too many Shakespeare references to be entirely believable. Every pony-mad teenager in England cut their teeth on Riders, which is about 8,000 pages long and just as jam-packed with showjumping as it is with the aforementioned naughty bits. Cooper’s books have so many characters that they come with an index of all the people, horses, and dogs within – kind of like a good-natured Game of Thrones with even fewer clothes, somehow – and you’ll love, or love to hate, every last one of them. Also, they all live in a place called Rutshire, which is hilarious, because they… well, you know.

Riders focuses on the ongoing feud between top showjumper and insufferable posho Rupert Campbell-Black and the tempestuous gypsy Jake Lovell, who’ll do whatever it takes to prove he deserves a spot on the British team. You will read this a hundred times and then spend the rest of your life pitching editors to let you go and do a boozy interview with the Coopatron herself – or that’s what I’ve been doing, anyway.

Kiss and Tell – Fiona Walker

If there’s a black mark against Jilly Cooper, it’s that we probably won’t get a book about eventing out of her – “it’s a sport for gifted amateurs,” remarks Rupert sniffily in the pages of Riders. But where Jilly left a gap, Fiona Walker was quick to offer something to fill it, and her collection of lengthy novels about eventing power couple Tash and Hugo make for a lighthearted – if not quick – read. Kiss and Tell is the last of the series but can be read as a standalone, and it’s the most eventing heavy, so it’s the perfect option if you want reasonably accurate descriptions of major British events and a hot Kiwi so vaguely described that you can go through the process of picturing him as pretty much everyone who’s ever ridden for New Zealand. I’m utterly convinced Walker had Jock Paget in mind when she wrote him, and that’s a hill I’m willing to die on even if she personally tells me I’m wrong.

National Velvet – Enid Bagnold

I’m not actually convinced that Bagnold’s magnum opus, which became one of the best-loved horse films of all time, is actually written for children. Yes, it’s about a child – the incorrigible Velvet Brown, who wins a horse in a raffle and goes on to gender-bend her way into the Grand National – but its depictions of the eccentricities of a working class family between the wars, and all the muddle and chaos that goes on within their farm and in their interactions, is pure grown-up fare. National Velvet might be, at face value, the ultimate pony novel, but on a closer re-read it’s a study of the intricacies – and fallibility – of human interaction, and a celebration of women succeeding in male-dominated areas, an exciting new idea as England rumbled towards another World War. If nothing else, we’re all a little bit Velvet – tunnel-visioned, occasionally awkward, and prone to flights of fancy. We wouldn’t do such a mad sport if we weren’t.

Event Rider Masters Announces Shortened 2020 Season Amid Engagement Boost

By Tilly Berendt on Mar 4, 2020 1:47 pm -

A year for the books: the 2019 ERM series podium. Photo courtesy of Event Rider Masters.

As the European season whirs into motion, the popular Event Rider Masters CCI4*-S series is keeping one eye on the past as it delves into an in-depth analysis of key performance indicators over the previous seasons.

An industry-standard independent audit, conducted by SMG Insight, revealed an uptick in global fan engagement with the series through the 2019 season. The audit shows that digital audiences – that is, those who watch the series through an online streaming service, Facebook, or through the ERM website – are up 23.5% from 2018, while terrestrial television coverage was boosted by 72 hours, with the Lignieres-en-Berry final reaching a whopping 1.8m viewers on TV alone. Social media reach has doubled through 2019, while press readership is up by nearly 150%. In total, these engagement boosts represent an increased sponsor value of 16.1% – this means that the series is now worth an estimate £61.2m to advertisers.

So what does this mean for you, the viewer? Well, it’s a big step in the right direction for television coverage of our sport, as it showcases the viability of the sport on the silver screen and proves that eventing can make a splash globally.

In the wake of this announcement, the ERM has decided to amend its 2020 season plan, opting instead to deliver a shortened season of four legs, down from the six originally announced at the end of last year.

“We are excited to be entering our fifth year of existence, with continual improvement and innovation remaining core to the ERM organisation,” says Operations Director Paul Tapner. “We will continue to create exciting new innovations to the presentation of Eventing sport in 2020. For this Olympic year we have decided to condense and intensify the 2020 Masters season, providing a crescendo of sporting excitement into the Tokyo Olympics.”

Jardy will provide the stage for the action-packed finale of the 2020 series. Photo courtesy of Event Rider Masters.

The condensed season will begin in the UK at the Barefoot Retreats Burnham Market International Horse Trials (April 10-11), a popular event on the British calendar and a new entry to the ERM line-up. Then, the series will head north-west to the Dodson and Horrell Chatsworth International Horse Trials in Derbyshire (May 16-17), which has previously acted as the series’ opener. The third leg will return to Belgium’s Arville Castle (June 27-28), while the finale will now be held at the popular Haras de Jardy venue just outside Paris (and just in time for Bastille day, with its July 11-12 spot on the calendar).

With four fixtures comes increased pressure for each performance to count – with no space to play catch-up, the new calendar removes any wiggle room and should dish up four exciting legs to keep us all occupied until we turn our attentions to Tokyo. In addition to a revised calendar, Tapner also promises a significant increase in television offerings in 2020.

“Every year the ERM series has increased its reach to global audiences. Through new live broadcast formats planned for 2020, ERM will continue to grow its fan base worldwide,” he says, attributing the series’ success to its mutually beneficial partnerships. “Independent analysis standard to the sports industry demonstrates that ERM provides enormous value to its sponsors. We have an exciting array of sponsors aligned with ERM for 2020 and we look forward to welcoming new sponsors for years to come.”

Visit the website here.

[ERM 2019 MEDIA STATISTICS AND A NEW LOOK 2020]

Friday Video from SmartPak: Sprout and Lexi’s Big Adventure

By Tilly Berendt on Feb 28, 2020 6:00 pm -

You don’t need to be an EN obsessive to know that we’ve been using William Fox-Pitt’s new YouTube channel as a way to survive the dreary winter months. Jam-packed with behind-the-scenes footage, interesting insights into the management of a top-level yard, and up-close-and-personal pieces on some of the stars of the stable, it’s a great addition to the wide world of online eventing offerings.

But this week’s episode is extra-special, because it features a gutsy US rider and her heart horse, both working to make some big dreams come true. We followed Lexi Scovil‘s journey with Chico’s Man VDF Z – or Sprout – through the 2019 season, as they made their mark on the British eventing scene, culminating in their first trip around the exalted grounds of Blenheim. Now, they’re back for more. Get to know this dynamic duo and find out what’s on the radar for them in 2020 as the Fox-Pitt Eventing channel turns its attentions to Lexi and Sprout’s big adventure.

Could the Olympics Be Cancelled Due to Coronavirus?

By Tilly Berendt on Feb 27, 2020 9:00 am -

Andrew Hoy (AUS) riding Bloom Des Hauts Crets at the Ready Steady Tokyo Test Event. Photo by FEI/Yusuke Nakanishi.

Partnered with any epidemic is a heaping helping of wide-spread speculation – oftentimes with little grounding in science and cold, hard facts. But as current headline-hogger coronavirus gains in traction, murmurings about the fate of this summer’s Olympic Games — due to begin in Tokyo on the 24th of July — have been addressed by a senior member of the International Olympic Committee, or IOC.

Though the coronavirus outbreak has largely been localised in China, cases have been reported in every continent barring Antarctica. The number of cases has now hit 80,000 with a death toll of over 2,700, giving it a much smaller sample size than the common and widespread influenza virus, but a significantly higher mortality rate. These numbers currently pale in comparison to those of the SARS coronavirus epidemic of 2003, which yielded considerably fewer cases but a significantly higher mortality rate of 9.6%, compared to the approximately 2% mortality rate estimated by the World Health Organisation at this point in the coronavirus trajectory.

Nonetheless, it’s crucial to take fast-spreading illness seriously, and exceptional efforts to contain the virus at its source have certainly contributed to its diminished spread. Hotels, resorts, and cruise ships are among the global tourist attractions to go into quarantine after confirmed cases, and a number of major calendar events have been put on hold or cancelled to mitigate the movement of large numbers of people from place to place — including several in and around Tokyo. This includes J.League football, the country’s largest professional football series, which has been put on hold until the 15th of March, while the Tokyo Marathon, due to run on Sunday, will now feature just a select roster of elite runners after 38,000 confirmed entrants were told they wouldn’t be able to participate. This morning, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan has asked all of the country’s schools to close for a month to help contain the spread of the virus.

Three new cases of the virus were confirmed in Chiba, north of Tokyo, which is due to host the Taekwondo, surfing, wrestling, and fencing events at the Games, as well as four of the Paralympic disciplines. All three of these cases emerged among members of the same gym in Chiba. The host country for the forthcoming Games has also seen two deaths from the coronavirus outbreak. This brings Japan’s case total to 172 on land, plus a further 700 people who have been quarantined on the cruise ship Diamond Princess, moored in Yokohama and on lockdown since the 3rd of February.

Michael Jung (GER) riding Fischerwild Wave at the Ready Steady Tokyo Test Event. Photo by FEI/Yusuke Nakanishi.

All this has already had an impact on Olympic preparations. Training for the approximately 80,000 volunteers due to help at the Games was set to begin on the 22nd of February, but this has now been pushed back by at least two months. But if the outbreak – which is at risk of becoming a pandemic – hasn’t eased by then? It could be curtains for this year’s Olympics.

Former Canadian swimming champion Dick Pound has been on the IOC since the late 1970s, and is thus the longest-serving member of the current committee. In an interview with the Associated Press, he explained the logistical difficulties of rearranging an event of this scale.

“A lot of things have to start happening [over the next few months],” he said, explaining that there’s just a two- to three-month window in which the decision over whether to run can be made. “You’ve got to start ramping up your security, your food, the Olympic Village, the hotels. The media folks will be in there building their studios.”

But if the virus shows no signs of slowing its progress, there’s no Plan B for alternative arrangements.

“You just don’t postpone something on the size and scale of the Olympics,” he said. “There’s so many moving parts, so many countries and different seasons, and competitive seasons, and television seasons. You can’t just say, ‘We’ll do it in October.'”

Tokyo Bay’s Sea Forest, where eventing cross country is set to take place. Photo via Tokyo2020.jp

In the meantime, preparations are continuing as usual, and Pound encouraged athletes to continue their own preparations, too. As the Games creep ever closer, the IOC will be working in close conjunction with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to make a decision over the viability – and safety – of running this high-cost, high-risk competition.

“As far as we all know, you’re going to be in Tokyo. All indications are at this stage that it will be business as usual. So keep focused on your sport and be sure that the IOC is not going to send you into a pandemic situation.”

Pound also dismissed the idea of delayed the Games until the summer of 2021, pointing out that the enormity of the infrastructure required – and the $12.6 billion dollar cost officially amassed thus far – would make it an impossible task.

“You have to ask if you can hold the bubble together for an extra year,” he said. “Then, of course, you have to fit all of this into the entire international sports schedule.”

The modern Olympics have only ever been cancelled as a result of war, though several Games have seen mass boycotts on political grounds. In several cases, this has resulted in sport-specific fringe championships springing up around the world to accommodate athletes who were, well, all dressed up with nowhere to go. In 1980, for example, much of the world refused to attend the Moscow Olympics, and the creme-de-la-creme of the international eventing fraternity would, instead, head to France’s Fontainebleau for the alternative Olympics. In 1986, too, an alternative World Championship was set at Poland’s Bialy Bor, offering a chance to compete for those riders who didn’t want to travel their horses to Australia for the official championships. (Some riders did both, like Ginny Elliott, who became a double-World Champion that year when she swept both leaderboards.) But Pound worries that this approach takes away the essence of the Olympic ethos – its inclusivity.

“[It wouldn’t] constitute an Olympic Games. You’d end up with a series of world championships,” he said, pointing out that finding appropriate venues and infrastructure for that amount of sports within a 17-day period, and with only a few months of preparation time, would be extraordinarily difficult.

London, which successfully hosted the 2012 Games, has been mentioned as a possible candidate for a relocated Olympics – but this scenario looks unlikely.

Offers of help from further afield have only added extra tension to a tricky situation. Shaun Bailey, the Conservative party candidate for the 2020 London mayoral election, has suggested that the city – which successfully hosted the 2012 Games – take over this year’s iteration, prompting Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike to accuse him of using the virus for political gain.

Though much remains uncertain about the summer of sport, the next two weeks are a crucial window in which to curb the progress of the coronavirus in Japan, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has called for all major sporting events in that timeframe to be cancelled or postponed to aid in its containment.

So what do you do, if you’re at the helm of the world’s biggest sporting celebration as an epidemic unfurls around it? You think like a horse person: that is, you prepare for the worst and you hope, ineffably for the best. That’s exactly what Olympics Minister Seiko Hashimoto is doing.

“We believe it is necessary to prepare for the worst-case scenario to improve our operations to achieve success,” he told the International Sports Press Association, or AIPS, intimating that plans are in place “to keep the Tokyo Olympics safe.”

But, he continues, “it is impossible to exclude the cancellation of the event at the moment. We will consider every detail, every data and ask ourselves if we are in control, and what risks are still present. As of now, we can say that the Olympics will take place and in Tokyo and that we are going ahead in the preparation, as athletes must do. Stopping an Olympiad is a huge decision that will certainly not be taken only by us.”

Should the situation be regarded as a done deal? Not necessarily. After all, the Rio Olympics carried on despite an outbreak of Zika virus, which hit tens of thousands of cases in the city, the epicentre of the epidemic. Despite calls for the Games to be moved, postponed, or cancelled altogether, the decision was made to carry on with increased protective measures against mosquitoes, the unwelcome carriers of the virus.

The IOC Executive Board will meet from the 3rd to the 5th of March in Lausanne, after which there may be an update on the – somewhat bumpy – trail to Tokyo. We’ll keep you up-to-date with all the developments as they’re released.

British Weather Claims First Fixture Victim of 2020

By Tilly Berendt on Feb 24, 2020 9:00 am -

Hang up your number bibs for another week, folks. British springtime is happening.

And so it begins.

Eventing in Britain at the top end of the season is always a bit of a game of ‘will they or won’t they?’, except the soggy knickers are a little bit less Jilly Cooper and a little bit more ‘bugger, I fell over in the gateway puddle again.’ With the start of the season looming this weekend, one key fixture has already surrendered to what has been a 2020 defined only by its relentless storms and ongoing rainfall.

Aston-le-Walls (1) will not run on the 29th of February and 1st of March, a testament to the tenacity of these storms: Aston is something of an old faithful event, with two phases running on a surface and the ability, as per the new 2020 BE rules, to run up to half its cross-country on a surface, too.

Some hope remains for the three remaining fixtures scheduled for this weekend.

“British Eventing would like to reassure members that we are closely monitoring the weather and ground conditions at all early season events and will notify members as soon as we have any other updates relating to the forthcoming events,” reads a statement by the organisation.

Both Epworth and Isleham have undergone recent inspections and, under current conditions, are ready to run, while Moreton (1) will undergo an inspection tomorrow morning (February 25).

All three events are still accepting entries through the British Eventing website. BE has advised that members making entries online may experience some connectivity issues today.

Refunds for Aston entries will be processed within 4-5 weeks. If you need us, we’ll be crying into a Pot Noodle.

[Aston-le-Walls (1) Abandoned]

#FlashbackFriday Video from SmartPak: Learning from the Past

By Tilly Berendt on Feb 21, 2020 7:01 pm -

When I was a working student – over a decade ago now, which is horrifying but also makes me feel like the Gandalf of eventing – we knew a bit about the gospel truths of life. That is: a mid-morning trip to IHOP can cheer up even the snowiest of days; a saddle made decades prior but well-loved throughout its career will teach you to ride better than any newfangled bit of kit; and finally, there’s not much you can’t learn by watching. And, of course, like any group of working students cooped up in a small and inarguably unappealing house, with no WiFi but an insatiable desire to learn, we had our favourites.

Even now, I remember so vividly watching the 1978 World Championships. What a different world that was to watch – old-fashioned timber courses, the sparsest of safety measures, and a truly gung-ho attitude to riding across the country. There’s a lot to enjoy, and certainly a few things to learn – but equally, there’s so much that I was taught not to do from these videos. After watching Might Tango, Bruce Davidson’s game young horse, suffer the effects of the punishing heat, I vowed to learn everything I could about fitness and conditioning – and felt inordinately lucky to live in a world with considerably advanced cooling measures for our equine athletes. Misting fans! What a time to be alive, folks.

I’m spending my Friday night deep in nostalgia – and I’m excited to see what’s left to be learned from these great old videos. Now that I’m older and wiser the one thing I know for sure, after all, is how much there is that I don’t know.

Dressage Superstars Set to Perform at Badminton

By Tilly Berendt on Feb 21, 2020 11:00 am -

Charlotte Dujardin (GBR) and Valegro. Photo: Hippo Foto/Dirk Caremans/FEI.

You might think that you’ve sailed under the radar, but we know you’re out there. Who are you? A rare breed, perhaps — but you eventing folk who secretly love dressage aren’t as inconspicuous as you might think. We spot you by the flash of patent leather — just a touch — that sneaks its way onto the Spanish tops of your boots. We spot you by the hint of sparkle on your horse’s browband, a coquettish diamanté that flirts with us across the warm-up and makes us feel so, well, navy. And we spot you by the fact that your horse actually does the leg-crossing thing when you leg-yield, while our own recalcitrant nags are simply offering to perform the movement standing up, instead.

Yes, you’re out there, and we’re onto you. And so is the crack team at Badminton Horse Trials, who have made some exciting changes to this year’s schedule that will draw you all out of hiding.

British dressage star Anna Ross has been announced as a new addition to the Thursday and Friday commentary team, taking over from the much-loved queen of snark Pammy Hutton on Badminton Radio’s exceptional coverage. While Pammy’s departure from the Badminton line-up is a sad one indeed, those still reeling from the news will take great comfort in knowing that Anna is a very worthy replacement. Sharp as a tack, super knowledgeable, heavily connected with eventing, and witty to boot, she’ll offer up a huge amount of insight and a fair few laughs throughout her stint behind the microphone with Peter Storr.

But that’s certainly not all that’s being dished out to the dressage fans among us. Visitors to the event will be in for a treat with an all-star lineup on Thursday and Friday, including a rare chance to see one of the sport’s best-loved stars.

Charlotte Dujardin celebrates at the Rio Olympics. Photo by Arnd Bronkhorst/FEI.

Thursday’s lunch break, from 12.30 p.m., will feature the ‘Parade of Champions,’ in aid of Badminton’s chosen charity for 2020, the British Equestrian Federation Fund (BEFF). The BEFF has been set up to help Britain’s human and equine athletes get to Tokyo this summer for the Olympic Games, and what better way to drum up support for successes to come than by celebrating those superstars who’ve brought us so many successes in the past? The Parade of Champions will feature a surprise line-up of previous Olympic heroes across the disciplines, who will be led in-hand around the main arena. The Pied Piper of this parade? None other than Valegro, perhaps the best-loved dressage horse of all time, who arguably set the standard for modern dressage with Charlotte Dujardin.

After the Parade, stay tuned for a jam-packed masterclass with Laura Bechtolsheimer-Tomlinson MBE, who was part of the gold medal-winning British dressage team at the London Olympics. After the retirement of the great Mistral Hojris, Laura took some time out of the spotlight to produce her Olympic stars of the future. Now, you’ll get to see these exciting horses — each working at the Grand Prix level and aiming for a spot on the plane to Japan — as Laura puts them through their paces and explains her methodology with each horse. Definitely one to take notes on.

If you’re only at Badminton on Friday, don’t worry — Laura will be back in the ring from 12.30 p.m., this time demonstrating the art and science of a musical freestyle. Watch her piece together the movements as she explains how she chooses her choreography to best suit her horse and eke out the maximum marks from the complex score sheet. No word yet as to whether she’ll do her demonstration to ‘Pony’ by Ginuwine, though.

It’s none too shabby a line-up — and as the saying goes, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em, right? We can’t promise to embrace the diamantés, though.

[Dressage Day entertainment confirmed for Badminton 2020]

Badminton Horse Trials: Website, Tickets, Provisional Timetable

FEI Issues Clarification After Confusion Over Snaffle-Link Ban

By Tilly Berendt on Feb 20, 2020 1:00 pm -

Discrepancies during mandatory bit checks have prompted the FEI to reiterate their 2019 changes to bit rules for eventing dressage. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

The Fédération Équestre Internationale has republished their FAQ on tack and equipment following ‘inconsistent application’ of the rules throughout the previous year of competition – but this republication has led to some confusion after the news was widely shared from a post on the Eventing Riders Association International Facebook page.

“We have received confirmation from the FEI regarding the use of the French Link for Eventing Dressage,” reads the ERA post. “It is not allowed for the Dressage test. The 2020 Eventing Rules Annex A – Permitted Bits does not include any diagram with a “plate” section in the bit under “permitted mouthpieces”, therefore any bit with a “plate” is currently not allowed. All permitted bits for eventing Dressage are included in Annex A of the Eventing rules. If a bit is not included in this Annex, it means that is not allowed for Eventing Dressage. We would advise all FEI competitors to carefully consider Annex A of the Eventing Rules, to ensure they are fully informed as to which bits are and are not permitted.”

Though the post has caused something of a stir on social media today, it’s actually not a new rule – control plates were banned in the 2019 FEI rule changes.

“Following inconsistent application of the rules in 2019, especially the Annex A of the FEI Eventing rules, the latest version of the FAQ on tack and equipment was republished on Wednesday including a reminder that only bits listed in Annex A are allowed for Dressage tests,” a representative of the FEI explains. “Posts on social media have highlighted in their update that the French link is not allowed, such as the post from ERA GB. All information included in that post is correct.”

It’s important, too, to note that these rules are for FEI eventing competitions. That means that if you’re competing in a national level event, sanctioned by USEF or British Eventing, you will be running under different rules, with different legalities. Unsure? Just double-check the rulebook before you pack your tack trunk. For example, Equestrian Canada’s rules for dressage bitting in eventing line up with the FEI’s rules. [USEF Rules for Eventing] [Equestrian Canada Rules for Eventing] [British Eventing Rules]

Hell hath no fury like a comment section scorned (or mildly confused), so allow us to tackle some of the most common questions that have cropped up today.

This rule just applies to Dr Bristol bits, right?

Nope. This rule applies to any bit with a control plate – that is, a flat central joint. French links are out.

But wait – I don’t like the action of a single-jointed bit! Is that all I’m allowed now?!

No, you can still use a double-jointed bit (or even a straight mouthpiece!) – the central piece just needs to be rounded, like a lozenge or a roller. Here are the permitted mouthpieces for FEI eventing dressage:

Ugh, why would the FEI move the goalposts now, when the season is just about to start?

They haven’t, actually – this rule has been in place for a while, but there were so many issues with inconsistencies that they’ve reissued a clarification now. What this will hopefully mitigate is the issue wherein a rider is allowed to use a certain bit at one competition and then eliminated for the same bit at the next one.

Does this mean I’m not allowed to use my French Link for my Beginner Novice next weekend?

No. These are FEI rules, so they’re applicable to 1*, 2*, 3*, and 4* competitions. National level competitions will be governed by USEA/USEF if you’re in the States, Equestrian Canada for Canadians competing in their home country, British Eventing if you’re in the UK, and so on. If it’s a Pony Club competition, you’ll need to follow Pony Club rules. Likewise, these rules are for eventing – if you’re competing in pure FEI dressage, you’ve got your own set of rules to follow.

Okay, I think I might need a refresher on the rules. Any idea where I can find them?

Sure thing – it’s always a great idea to have a pre-season skim read. Here’s the latest version, with all the changes and mark-ups in red for ease of use. Happy reading!

Timetable Confirmed for Equestrian Events at Tokyo Olympics

By Tilly Berendt on Feb 19, 2020 1:00 pm -

Kazuma Tomoto & Tacoma D’Horset of Japan in the Ready Steady Tokyo Olympic Test Event. Photo by FEI/Yusuke Nakanishi.

Along with its confirmation of the individual quota holders for this summer’s Olympic Games, the FEI and IOC have also released a revised version of the timetable for the equestrian disciplines in Tokyo. These changes come after research undertaken during last summer’s Ready Steady Tokyo test event and extensive feedback logged from riders, support teams, and veterinary experts were collated into a cohesive plan of action for beating the heat. As a result, the pivotal cross-country phase will be held first thing in the morning, allowing for increased standards of horse welfare and a consistently competitive climate.

The changes can be found in full here — but for now, let’s take a closer look at when our eventers will be at their busiest (and when you’ll need to plan your viewing parties, too, of course!). We’ve made sure to convert all the times into both British Summer Time and Eastern Daylight Time – for its part, Japan hasn’t observed a change of clocks since 1951, which can lead to some confusion if you’re trying to work out a schedule on the fly. The times you’ll find below are all correct — but do be sure to take note of the dates we’ve listed, as time-zones in the U.S. will often find themselves watching each phase a day earlier than scheduled.

THURSDAY

First horse inspection: 30 July, 9.30 a.m. – 11.30 a.m Tokyo time (30 July, 1.30 a.m. – 3.30 a.m. BST/29 July, 8.30 p.m. – 10.30 p.m. EDT)

FRIDAY

Dressage, day one (44 combinations): Morning session – 31 July, 8.00 a.m. – 10.30 a.m. Tokyo time (31 July, 00:00 – 2.30 a.m. BST/30 July, 7.00 p.m. – 9.30 p.m. EDT)

Afternoon session – 31 July, 17.30 p.m. – 20.10 p.m. Tokyo time (31 July, 9.30 a.m. – 12.10 p.m. BST/31 July, 4.30 a.m. – 7.10 a.m. EDT)

SATURDAY

Dressage, day two (21 combinations): 1 August, 8.00 a.m. – 10.30 a.m. Tokyo time (1 August, 00:00 – 2.30 a.m. BST/31 July, 7.00 p.m. – 9.30 p.m. EDT)

SUNDAY

Cross-country: 2 August, 7.45 a.m. – 11.15 a.m. Tokyo time ( 1 August, 11.45 p.m. – 3.15 a.m., 2 August BST/1 August 6.45 p.m. – 10.15 p.m. EDT)

MONDAY

Final horse inspection: 3 August, 9.30 a.m. – 11.00 a.m. Tokyo time (3 August, 1.30 a.m. – 3.00 a.m. BST/2 August, 8.30 p.m. – 10.00 p.m. EDT)

Showjumping (team final/individual qualifier: 3 August, 17.00 p.m. – 19.30 p.m. Tokyo time (3 August, 9.00 a.m. – 11.30 a.m. BST/4.00 a.m. – 6.30 a.m. EDT)

Showjumping (individual final): 3 August, 20.45 p.m. – 21.45 p.m. Tokyo time (3 August, 12.45 p.m. – 13.45 p.m. BST/3 August, 7.45 a.m. – 8.45 a.m. EDT)

Medal ceremony: ten minutes after the arena has been cleared, so approximately 22.00 p.m. Tokyo time/14.00 p.m. BST/9.00 a.m. EDT.

The equestrian events will begin the day after the Games’ opening ceremony, which takes place in Tokyo on the 24th of July. Dressage will be the first discipline up to bat, covering the 25-29th of July and followed immediately by the eventing competition (30th July – 3rd August). Showjumping will close out the roster from the 4th-8th of August, followed by the closing ceremony on the 9th of August. Equestrian competition will take place at the Bajikoen Equestrian Park and the Sea Forest Cross Country venue.

Tiptoeing Towards Tokyo: Individual Quotas Confirmed for Olympic Eventing

By Tilly Berendt on Feb 18, 2020 9:00 am -

Dutch National Champions Merel Blom and Ceda clinch a spot for their country as the Tokyo individual allocations are confirmed. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

It was starting to feel like rather a long wait since our last update on the trail to Tokyo, wasn’t it? But when it rains, it really does pour, and news of the confirmed team and individual quotas for the equestrian events broke today amid a flurry of controversy for show jumping.

After some consternation over last-minute ranking shows, which were kept hush-hush — open only to entries by invitation, and not announced as counting towards the rankings until after the date of closure — the FEI has decided to remove the shows in question from contention, rejigging the individual allocations. For an in-depth dive into the curious case of the under-the-radar qualifiers, click over to this incredibly thorough article by the queen of investigative equestrian journalism, Pippa Cuckson.

Carlos Lobos Muñoz and Ranco will earn Chile an individual spot at Tokyo. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

When we last checked in on the Tokyo allocations within our own sport, we were still awaiting confirmation of the individual slots granted, a process that began in earnest after the confirmation that all the qualified teams would in fact be present and able to take up their tickets.

At that point, we were only able to provide educated conjecture about how the individual slots would be allocated — but as usual, Eventing Nation ends up being the friend you hate to invite over to binge-watch your favourite television programme.

Our spoiler-filled guide to how the spots would be allocate proved to be right on the money. To read the piece in full, click here – otherwise, hang onto your hats, and we’ll rehash who’s nabbed a golden ticket.

The first 14 individual places are awarded by region. The Olympic rankings are split into seven regional zones, each of which will be eligible for two individual spots. These will be decided by the horse-and-rider combinations who are best ranked within those regions. Those combinations will earn a place for their country – it’s crucial to note that they don’t necessarily earn the spot for themselves. Ultimately, that decision will come down to each national federation.

This is how it breaks down:

A – North Western Europe: Tim Lips and Bayro top the bill for unqualified nations in Region A, so they earn the Netherlands an individual spot. Tim Lips also sits second on this list with Eclips – but an athlete can only earn one place for his nation, so it skips him and goes down to the third best-ranked horse-and-rider combination from an unqualified nation. That’s Merel Blom and Ceda – so both of the Region A individual places will go to the Netherlands. Reserves (in order of priority): Finland, Denmark

B – South Western Europe: Karin Donckers and Fletcha Van’t Verahof top the list of unqualified NOC athletes for this region, which means that Belgium takes an individual slot. (No, we don’t know why Belgium counts as Region B and not Region A either.) The second spot goes to Spain, earned by Francisco Gaviño Gonzalez and Source de la Faye. Reserves (in order of priority): Austria, Belgium

C – Central & Eastern Europe and Central Asia: We’re looking at a Russian clean sweep here – Alexandr Markov and Leader top the bill, followed by Valery Martyshev and Primero. Of course, Russia has been banned from competing in Tokyo due to their ongoing doping scandal – but athletes will be allowed to compete under a neutral flag if they have a clean sheet, and so these two spots will effectively be taken up by the Olympic flag, as we’ve seen in similar situations in the past. Reserves (in order of priority): Kazakhstan, Lithuania

D – North America: The USA takes a team spot, so there’s just one country left in Region D. Canada will take two individual spots, earned by Karl Slezak and Fernhill Wishes and Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue d’Argouges. Reserves (in order of priority): N/A (only Canada features on the rankings list for Group D.)

E – Central and South America: Chile leads the way for this individual slot, with Carlos Lobos Muñoz and Ranco sitting atop the list of athletes from unqualified nations. Puerto Rico takes slot two, with Lauren Billys and Castle Larchfield Purdy sitting second. Reserves (in order of priority): Ecuador, Mexico

F – Africa and the Middle East: Victoria Scott-Legendre and Song du Magay top the bill for Region F, earning South Africa an individual place. The second goes to Pakistan, thanks to Usman Khan and Azad Kashmir. (see notes below) Reserves (in order of priority): Zimbabwe (no other countries feature on the rankings list for Group F.)

G – South-East Asia and Oceania: India will take a spot as the result of solid efforts by Fouaad Mirza and Fernhill Facetime, while Thomas Heffernan Ho and Tayberry take the second for Hong Kong. (see notes below) Reserves (in order of priority): N/A (no other countries feature on the rankings list for Group G.)

After the allocation of these places, the final six are awarded based on the full, unsegregated Olympic ranking list. A nation can field a maximum of two individual athletes, and so we’ll be skipping the Netherlands, Russia, Canada, and of course all the nations sending teams. The final six looks like this:

Miloslav Prihoda Jr and Ferreolus Lat earn a place for the Czech Republic
Alexander Zelenko and Carlo Grande Jr earn a place for Belarus
Aliaksandr Faminou and Martinie earn a second place for Belarus
Peter Flarup and Fascination earn a place for Denmark
Miroslav Trunda and Shutterflyke earn a second place for the Czech Republic
Lea Siegl and Fighting Line earn a place for Austria

Reserves for these final six individual slots are as follows, in order of priority: Austria, Ecuador, Finland, Denmark, Finland, Belgium. Reserves will be used if a country isn’t able to field an individual athlete, a scenario that may not be beyond the realm of possibility for the fledgling eventing nations on this list.

Czech Republic will be making its first Olympic eventing appearance since the 2008 Beijing Games, while both Hong Kong and Pakistan will make their Olympic eventing debut this summer.

Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue d’Argouges of Canada. Photo by Jenni Autry.

What’s Next?

Each NOC, or national governing body, has until the 16th of March to confirm their individual allocations. Any unconfirmed allocations after this deadline will be reallocated using a reserve system.

Now, potential candidates for Tokyo will have until the 1st of June to achieve their Olympic qualifications and make themselves eligible for selection. Need a refresher on the Minimum Eligibility Requirements? Here’s how they work:

Combinations must achieve an MER at both a CCI4*-S and a CCI4*-L, or they can achieve a standalone MER at CCI5*-L
An MER, or qualifying result, must include a dressage score of 55% or better (penalty score 45 or below), a clear cross-country round with 30 or fewer time penalties (if at four-star) or 40 or fewer time penalties if at five-star, and a showjumping round with 16 or fewer jumping penalties
The combination can knock one frangible, earning 11 penalties, and still use the result as an MER. A second 11 penalties, a 15, or a 20 will render the result invalid for qualifying purposes
The qualifying period for Tokyo MERs spans from the 1st of January, 2019 – 1st of June, 2020

The final list of horse and rider combinations for each discipline will be announced on the 6th of July. No, we won’t judge you if you set a countdown on your phone.

Friday Video from SmartPak: Grooming Greatness from the Best in the Biz

By Tilly Berendt on Feb 14, 2020 6:15 pm -

There are certain names in eventing that are known the world over – and they don’t all belong to eventers. Jackie Potts has been head girl to William Fox-Pitt for more than 26 years, playing her (enormous!) role in his genesis from fresh-faced university graduate to veritable legend of the sport. These days, you can still find her running the show at his Wood Lane Stables, as well as working closely with Japanese superstar Kazuma Tomoto, and doing her bit to educate the next generation of career grooms, too. Basically, Jackie is every bit as much of a legend of the sport as her boss – okay, her partner-in-crime.

The latest instalment in the Fox-Pitt Equestrian video series gives us the chance to get to know this FEI Groom of the Year and total powerhouse a bit better. How did she get into grooming? Where did she meet William? Which horses have provided the most momentous moments of her career thus far? You’ll find out everything you’ve ever wanted to know about one of British Eventing’s most beloved characters. Grans, will you be our Valentine?

Sunday Video: Three Jump Exercises to Steal in February

By Tilly Berendt on Feb 2, 2020 4:51 pm -

Amanda Ross and Koko Popping Candy. Photo by Katie Neat Photography.

There’s no denying that the horse world is an expensive place to hang out. But you know what doesn’t have to be expensive? Top-quality education from some of the world’s best riders. For all the internet’s faults (help me, my life has become an episode of Black Mirror), it’s an absolute treasure trove for the thinking rider. Want to read about the mechanics behind a certain movement or exercise? You got it. Want to watch a pro to see how it should be done? Say no more. Now want to see a normal rider like you give it a go under the watchful eye and analytical commentary of an expert? Pull up a beanbag and jump into an eternal movie night.

We’re huge fans of the FEI’s YouTube channel, which gives us a chance to snoop around the yards of equestrians across the disciplines, and also gives us an insight into how they train their horses and themselves. In this video, we head down under to catch up with the perennially sunny Amanda Ross, Olympic eventer and busy coach. She introduces us to three of her most-used jumping exercises, so if you need us this week, you’ll find us slogging away in our respective arenas, making the most of our free riding lesson.

Will you be trying Amanda’s exercises? Are any of them already mainstays in your programme? Let us know in the comments!

Under Starter’s Orders: Demystifying the 2020 British Eventing Rule Changes

By Tilly Berendt on Feb 2, 2020 9:21 am -

Are you ready for the eventing season? Photo by Tilly Berendt.

With the 2020 British Eventing season just four weeks away from its launch, and with the first round of ballot dates swiftly approaching, there’s no better time to make sure you’re up to speed on this year’s amendments to the rules. But save your Sunday for something more fun than trawling through the handbook – we’ve rounded up the primary changes for you.

Safety First

Safety measures are at the forefront of the spate of new changes, with BE continuing its policy of stepping horses and riders down a level, and requiring them to regain their MERs, in the case of two consecutive cross-country eliminations or three non-consecutive eliminations across a twelve-month period. But the procedure for those at BE80(T), the lowest level of the sport, has changed slightly: instead of an assessment of the horse and written report by an appointed trainer, the horse and rider will have to undergo a training session with a BE accredited coach at their own expense, after which an assessment and judgment will be produced.

Whip rules have changed in line with the FEI this year; as such, the number of allowed uses per incident has been reduced to two, rather than three as in previous years.

Rules regarding falls in the warm-up areas for dressage, showjumping, and cross-country have now been expanded to cover the point up to which a competitor enters at A or crosses the starting line, respectively. This means that a rider who falls will need to be examined and allowed to continue by the event doctor, while a horse who falls will need to be similarly examined and accepted by the on-site veterinarian.

An addition has been made to section 6.3, on the requirements for a cross-country course. This addition states that a cross-country course must be held on grass, unless permission has been given by the Chief Executive for the use of any other surface. This could allow venues like Aston-le-Walls, which is well-equipped with arena cross-country facilities, to step up and host events during periods of waterlogging and subsequent cancellations.

There have also been amendments made to the qualifications required for on-site medical staff, while additional kit requirements have been made for on-site ambulances.

The Silver-medal winning British team, sponsored by Charles Owen, at the European Eventing Championships for Ponies in Hungary.

Looking After Future Stars

This year, the under-18 programme has been expanded into the British Eventing Youth Programme, increasing its scope to include riders up to 21 years old, and adding an under-18 BE90 regional and national pathway, as well as an OIu21 regional and national pathway. This doubles the programme’s scope, which used to include just two pathways: an u18 Novice and an u18 BE100.

Things haven’t just changed for young riders – for young horses, too, we’ll see a slightly different format for competition. Gone is the Four-Year-Old Championship at Osberton, to be replaced with a Showcase class at the same event. Horses will earn results towards this class by competing in ordinary BE80(T) and BE90 classes. The dates for four-year-olds to begin competing have been tweaked, too – though they could previously start clocking up their four allowed starts from the 1st of May, that date has now been pushed back to the 1st of July.

Much Ado About Entries

One of the major changes for competitors this year is the retirement of BDWP, the faithful entry system used externally to BE for so long. Now, all entries must be made through the British Eventing website – and this, too, brings with it some changes. Entries can now be made pending Minimum Eligibility Requirements, a welcome sight for riders who have previously had to cross their fingers and hope they could make a last-minute switch if their move-up plans worked out. Instead, riders this season will be able to enter their move-up event before completing their final MER, though this entry option does put them near the bottom of the priority list if the event is oversubscribed.

Entrants for regional finals will remain at the top of the balloting priority list, and will be joined this year by Youth Programme competitors in u21 or u18 classes. Within the Youth Programme entrants, priority will be given as follows:

Multiple horse riders from within the region, who must state the order of priority of their entries
u16s from out of region contesting their first Novice
One-horse competitors from out of region
Multiple horse riders from out of region
Riders ineligible for Championships, as confirmed by Youth officials

There are some small changes to the refunding process, too. As before, only entries that can be replaced will be refunded their entry fee and Abandonment Premium – that is, the class must be full or have hit its entry limit, necessitating a replacement from a waiting list or by private treaty. If the replacement entry pays a lower entry fee for any reason, the original entrant will only be refunded for the value of this lower fee, plus the original Abandonment Premium.

The addition of CCI1* competition at three venues across the United Kingdom is perhaps one of the most exciting changes in 2020. The entry fees for competitions at this level have been confirmed as set at £97.37 less VAT, plus an Abandonment Premium of £13.88, giving a total entry fee (less VAT) of £111.25, or £133.49 including VAT. Start fees will be up to a maximum of £27.35.

MERs for CCI1* will be as follows: each horse and rider combination must have three qualifying results at BE100 and/or BE105 and/or BE100 plus.

All the Gear – and New Ideas

There have been some minor adjustments made to the tack allowed at BE events.

Sheepskin is no longer allowed on grackle nosebands, except at the point of cross-over. BE have made clear their stance on seat-savers: gel, memory foam, and sheepskin seats will all be allowed, as long as they match the colour of the saddle and are unobtrusive.

Qualification Station

There’s bad news for BE80(T) finals hopefuls – downgraded horses will no longer be eligible to compete. For riders hoping to contest the Corinthian Cup at the Festival of British Eventing, otherwise known as the National Restricted Novice Championship, there’s a bit more leniency: previously, competitors couldn’t have completed an Intermediate within the current or preceding five years. Now, they simply cannot have finished in the top 25% in a class at this level. The Novice Championship, too, has slightly opened up the pathway for qualification: any Grade 3 or 4 horse finishing in the top 10% of a CCI2*-S between 1st June 2019 and 31st May 2020 will automatically qualify.

A Miscellany of Additions

A new grading category has been added for horses who have earned over 500 BE points in their career. These horses, formerly part of the Grade One band for horses with 61 points or more, will now be considered Grade One Elite horses. No word as yet whether this comes with any extra benefits or stipulations.

BE will be continuing its 2019 stance on vaccinations after a flu outbreak prompted changes throughout the summer. To be allowed to compete, a horse must have been vaccinated within the previous 6 months and 21 days, but this year, a seven-day grace period must have passed after a vaccination before the horse is once again allowed to compete.

A substantial section has been added to the rule book concerning social media use and conversation around BE, with breaches of these rules – which include harmful language, intention to start an argument, and any statement deemed to directly or indirectly cause harm to BE’s reputation – subject to disciplinary action.

Intermediate competitors will enjoy a new dressage test this year as test 140 joins the roster.

To read the rule changes in full, click here. Go Eventing.

Eventing, Remixed: The ERM Songs We’d Like to Hear in 2020, v1.0

By Tilly Berendt on Feb 1, 2020 1:10 pm -

Big scenes at EN HQ as we curate the ERM playlist of dreams. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

The 2020 European eventing season is drawing ever closer, which means that the fifth iteration of the Event Rider Masters series is well on its way, too. One of our favourite parts of the series is the fact that riders are allowed to choose their own songs for the first phase, prompting the evergreen pub conversation starter: what would your ERM song be?

For all the thought we mere mortals put into it, though, sometimes it feels like the riders just aren’t committing. There truly is a limit to the number of times a person can hear ‘Castle on the Hill’ by Ed Sheeran, the Crowned King of Beige – and don’t even get us started on Coldplay. So we’ve taken it upon ourselves to choose some new tunes for some of this year’s potential competitors – and yes, we’re available to DJ the after-party.

A disclaimer: some of the songs included have naughty words in them. This post is all in jest (mostly). Feel free to skip past our quantifiably terrible taste in music. Don’t shout at us please; it hurts our feelings. As a wise woman (Lady Gaga) once said…just dance.

Fort Minor – Remember the Name

Who among us wasn’t once a twelve-year-old girl, making transition-heavy YouTube videos of ourselves jumping laughably small fences, all set to the aggressive overtones of Fort Minor? Oliver Townend, that’s who (probably). But we’re sad for him that he missed out on this essential formative stage, in which we all discovered that ‘Lose Yourself’ is truly the inferior hype track. Those of us who really knew pain (that is, had tumbled off a pony once or twice) knew what riding was really about: 10% luck, 20% skill, 15% concentrated power of will, 5% pleasure, 50% pain…and 100% reason to remember the name. Oliver, if you need some inspiration, you’re always welcome to come play Equestriad 2001 at EN HQ.

Lizzo – Juice

We’re not sure what kind of juice Lizzo was referring to when she penned this feel-good anthem, but we’re going to assume it was the essential fuel of eventers everywhere – Pol Roger champagne. That makes this the ideal song for Laura Collett, who is one of Pol’s ‘Fizzy Rascals’, and as such, our favourite person to lurk near in the lorry park. All references to the sparkly stuff aside, this up-tempo bop sets the scene for some impressive dance moves – and Laura’s stable of hot trotters will certainly live up to its expectations. (My own ERM song of choice would also be a Lizzo track – but definitely ‘Truth Hurts’. Why are men great until they’ve got to be great? The eternal question, folks.)

Counting Crows – Mr Jones

There are SO. MANY. SONGS. you can easily rewrite to be about Richard Jones, five-star eventer and dedicated wearer of wifebeater tops. ‘Have You Met Miss Jones?’ by Frank Sinatra easily becomes ‘Have You Met Dick Jones?’, and ‘Me and Mr Jones’ by Amy Winehouse segues beautifully into ‘Me and Richard Jones’, while ‘Me and Mrs Jones’ by Billy Paul does the same job. But for pure crowd-pleasing throwback vibes, it’s got to be the Counting Crows’ ‘Mr Jones.’ Pass me a bottle, Richard Jones.

Outkast – Ms Jackson

Lucy Jackson took the Millstreet leg of the 2019 series with Superstition, and everything looked rosy for the inexorably cheerful Kiwi representative and her perfect partner. But then everything changed, as it tends to in this sport: with the Olympic deadline looming, Harry Meade made an offer she couldn’t refuse, and Superstition switched flags. That’s the way eventing goes, and no one ever begrudges anyone else for doing what has to be done – but if we were Harry, we’d curate a little ode to Lucy’s careful and sympathetic production of this exceptional horse, and it’d sound a little bit like ‘Miss Jackson’ by Outkast.

A really, really terrible (but remarkably catchy) mash-up of In Da Club and the Thomas the Tank Engine theme song

One of our favourite sartorial *moments* of 2019 came at Badminton, where Tom McEwen appeared to present Toledo de Kerser in a custom-made jacket that, well, made him look like he was running late for his shift checking tickets aboard the Gatwick Express. Unfortunately, none of this year’s legs fall on his birthday in May, but Chatsworth is the closest – so we’d like to see Tom embrace his inner trainspotter and enter at A to this masterpiece.

Will Smith – Gettin’ Jiggy With It

The ‘Year of the Pig’ hashtag certainly took off in 2019, but less popular was our assertion that Will Smith’s perennial banger ‘Gettin’ Jiggy With It’ ought to be the anthem of the annum. Except, you know, getting Piggy with it. Anyway, we stand by our convictions, and would love to see the sport’s leading lady join us for some unapologetic ’90s boppery in 2020.

ABBA – Lay All Your Love On Me

We’ve tried – we’ve really, truly tried – to get Sweden’s Ludwig Svennerstal to embrace his heritage and ride to ABBA. (Also to help us put together a Billy bookcase or two, but again, no cigar.) This year, though, we’re certain he’s going to humour us. But which song would we choose? It seems obvious to gravitate towards Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight), which is, of course, ABBA’s best song, but for the sake of maximising those scores, we reckon ‘Lay All Your Love On Me’ is the clear winner.

DMX – X Gon’ Give It To Ya

What’s X gon’ give to ya? A solid 10 for that halt, immobility, and salute, one would hope. But if not, he might at least offer up a little bit more impulsion – this, after all, is a beat- and bass-heavy track, and the speakers in the arena are notoriously loud, as France’s Karim Laghouag discovered back in 2018. Since he’s had a bit of practice with them, actually, perhaps he ought to take this one on – he seems like a streetwise sort of chap, right? …Right?

Arctic Monkeys – Brianstorm

It’s time for Ireland’s Brian Morrison to make his name known on the world stage, and what better way to do so than with some classic Monkeys? As far as the lyrics go, it’s pretty much solid gold: “Calm, collected and commanding, you leave the other stories standing/with your renditions and jokes/bet there’s hundreds of blokes/that have wept ’cause you’ve stolen their thunder.” GO STEAL SOME THUNDER, BRIAN. We’ll be busy bopping.

Jidenna – Classic Man

Has there ever been a man who’s fit the bill so perfectly as Alex Hua Tian? The Godfather of Chinese eventing, he’s never seen in anything less than an impeccably tailored suit (unless, of course, he’s actually on a horse – but even then, the cut is perfect, the whites are blindingly white, and there’s nary a hair out of place). We’re ready to see the Don return at his best this year, and we think this tune is the one to coax it out of him. (An aside, men of eventing: please consider taking your trot-up outfit inspiration from this music video. We promise to fancy all of you if you do.)

Ginuwine – Pony

We feel personally attacked every time another ERM leg wraps and yet again, no one has chosen ‘Pony’ by Ginuwine to do lots of thrusty sitting trot to (either avoiding eye contact with a judge or holding it, unblinkingly, depending on the type of person they are). This, surely, is the pinnacle of ERM songs. It’s instantly recognisable as a verifiable CHOON (thanks, Channing Tatum), and it’s a laughably sexy song that relies entirely on wildly unsexy equestrian references. 10s across the board from me for the first person who’s brave enough to crack this one out. Currently holding out hope that Andreas Ostholt is as confident as he looks.

Friday Video from SmartPak: An Aussie and a Kiwi Walk Into a Bar…

By Tilly Berendt on Jan 31, 2020 5:00 pm -

…or a horsebox, as it turns out.

After a long, chilly day of showboating and fundraising, a bevy of Kiwi and Aussie eventers (plus two Brits in Alex Bragg and Piggy French) piled into a nearby lorry to warm up. But in true eventer fashion, it wasn’t just going to be a sit-down and a nice cup of tea – instead, they launched into a joke-telling competition, with Chris Burton representing Australia and Tim Price taking the Kiwi mantle. The objective? Try not to laugh at the increasingly offensive jokes, as penned by ERA head and international eventer Bruce Haskell. The winner? Well, you’ll have to watch to find out.

The ERA didn’t just put on the best thing to happen to January since a New Year’s Day Bloody Mary, they’ve also got the eventing fan’s ultimate auction on the go. With over 70 lots, ranging from nabbing a five-star rider as a slave for the day (oooh-er) to having lunch with Lucinda Green, it’s absolutely jam-packed with money-can’t-buy-but-kinda-can-in-this-case items and experiences. Bidding closes at 11:59 p.m. UK time, though (that’s 6.00 p.m. Eastern time) – so don’t dawdle. Head on over and buy something to mitigate those Brexit blues. We certainly will be.

If you want some slightly cheaper fun, you can rewatch all of the Australia Day festivities over on Horse&Country Free – but this, too, will be taken down tonight, so chop-chop, chums!

Friday Video from SmartPak: A Tale of Two Legends

By Tilly Berendt on Jan 24, 2020 6:50 pm -

Though they may not be eventers, there’s no disputing that Harvey and Sue Smith have achieved legend status in the equestrian world. Renowned for his bluntness, showjumper Harvey attained elusive mainstream notoriety after famously flicking the v-sign at the Hickstead judges as he won the Derby in 1971, while his partner, Sue, is a Grand National-winning racehorse trainer. Though both would become known for their successes, neither would be recognised for their backstories – but At The Races has sought to change that, with this fascinating interview with two legends of equestrian sport. Get ready to be inspired.

Sunday Links from One K Helmets

By Tilly Berendt on Jan 19, 2020 12:01 am -

The British-based among you will likely have seen that the Eventing Riders Association of GB will be hosting a jam-packed fundraising day on the 26th of January to aid equestrians affected by Australia’s bushfires. With demos from Tim Price, Alex Bragg, Piggy French and more, plus a barbecue and plenty of banter, it’s set to be a top-notch day out for fans of the sport. Unfortunately, tickets have now sold out – but keep an eye on the ERA’s page for your chance to nab a last-minute spot, and definitely check out the online charity auction, which is heaving with brilliant buys. Some of the highlights? A trip to the SsangYong Blenheim Palace Horse Trials, complete with a coursewalk with Chris Burton; a skull cap signed by fifteen legends of the sport, including Mark Todd, Lucinda Green, and Mary King, lunch with Lucinda Green at Thoresby International; tonnes of training opportunities, and the chance to have an event rider as your slave for the day. Cheeky.

National Holiday: National Popcorn Day…or, um, World Quark Day.

U.S. Weekend Action:

Grand Oaks H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Stable View H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Sunday Links:

Meet the 2020 USEA Board of Governors

Things are happening at Thoresby Estate

Vets and charity donate thousands to ease animals’ suffering in Australia

Paralympian aiming for participation record in Tokyo

Horse Heroes: Flintstar

Electrolytes and their importance to horses

Welcome to British Eventing’s new entry and scoring system

Sunday Video:

If you’re anything like me, you’ve spent much of the winter trying to persuade yourself that this year, you’ll definitely nail the showjumping. Maybe you’ve been compressing and elongating strides between a couple of poles until your vision goes squiffy; maybe you’ve taken your stirrups away and toddled through endless lines of grids. My own favourite way to learn? By warming up after a ride with a hot drink and a look at how it should be done. This ultra-composed and lightning-fast round by Christian Ahlmann at Leipzig last year is worth watching frame by frame.

Friday Video from SmartPak: Dissecting a Cross-Country School

By Tilly Berendt on Jan 17, 2020 5:47 pm -

Whether your season is underway, you’re knee-deep in planning and prep, or you’re just in need of some sunny escapism, the latest instalment of Jon Holling‘s ‘The Long and Short of It’ on YouTube has plenty to help buoy you along. In this episode, Jon takes Archie for a cross-country schooling session, and shows how he strings exercises of varying intensity together to build confidence and adjustability. With in-depth and insightful explanations of how to let a horse learn from his own mistakes, and candid hints on the difference between riding to train and riding to compete, it’s a quick and fun watch that’ll leave you itching to get out on course for your next schooling session. We stan a man who shares his knowledge.

Have You Got Yours? Badminton Horse Trials Box Office Opens for General Sale

By Tilly Berendt on Jan 13, 2020 6:33 pm -

Piggy French and Vanir Kamira win Badminton 2019. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Piggy French and Vanir Kamira win Badminton 2019. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

It’s a sure sign of spring to come when you can start planning your sojourns to the first two five-stars of the year – and for those of you on the eastern side of the pond, there’s plenty to be excited about. Badminton Horse Trials (May 6-10) opened its box office for general sale today after a week of priority sales, with a slew of early bird incentives for the keenest of beans among you.

So what can your hard-earned money get you? Plenty, as it turns out. Personal admission by day runs as follows:

Wednesday 6 May – first horse inspection; Science Supplements Cup: £10
Thursday 7 May – dressage: £18
Friday 8 May – dressage: £18
Saturday 9 May – cross-country: £32
Sunday 10 May – final horse inspection, showjumping, and prize-giving: £16

These early bird prices are valid until the 31st of March, at which point they’ll each go up by £2, as will car parking, which runs at £10 a day under the early bird system.

Planning to go multiple days? A season pass could be your best bet: running at £66 for entry and £30 for parking, they allow you access to each day of the action – perfect if you want to fit in plenty of shopping, a few glasses of fizz, and a coursewalk, too.

Your dressage day tickets allow access to unreserved grandstand seating on a first-come, first-served basis, or you can reserve a spot on the west stand, facing the A end of the arena, for £7-£14. On Saturday, you can also access the grandstand seating at no extra charge, but for Sunday’s showjumping, you’ll need to prebook your seat, which will run from £10-£43.

Andrew Nicholson and Swallow Springs at Badminton. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Want to treat yourself? You can add in a membership badge, which gets you access to the Weatherbys Hamilton Badminton Members enclosure, from £5 a day or £46 for the week. Here, you’ll be able to enjoy the view from the garden enclosure, situated on the south side of the arena, as well as indoor facilities should the weather take a turn for the worse. Televisions will broadcast all the action as it happens, so you won’t miss a moment, plus you’ll be kept well-fed and watered with myriad catering options and refreshments (plus members-only loos, which is the dream for any seasoned Badminton-goer).

Once again, Badminton will offer full camping facilities, plus the return of the popular Badminton Retreat – a festival-style glamping experience, situated by Huntsman’s Close and offering VIP evenings with special guest speakers.

For a full breakdown of pricing options and to book your tickets, click here.

Friday Video from SmartPak: Lights, Camera, Auction with Elisa Wallace

By Tilly Berendt on Jan 10, 2020 5:58 pm -

Ever wondered what it’s like to head to a specialist auction, checkbook in hand? Intimidated by the idea of sifting through hundreds of viable candidates? Five-star eventer and expert Mustang-wrangler Elisa Wallace takes us behind the scenes as she goes shopping for a client in Las Vegas. Learn how she narrows down the options, the dos and don’ts of sussing out suitability, and, of course, the all-important art of bidding.

Though Elisa’s video focuses on a largely Western-based auction, her tips and tricks – and the experience of the auction itself – are much the same as the busy and star-studded event horse auctions at Monart, Goresbridge, and beyond. Busy planning a 2020 trip to find your next superstar? You’ll find plenty to help and inspire you here. If you can’t go eventing, you might as well go shopping, right?

The 2020 USEF Annual Meeting: Where, What, and How to Watch

By Tilly Berendt on Jan 8, 2020 12:37 pm -

Ready to shake off the dust that’s accumulated over the holidays and sink your teeth into some meaty fare? You’re in luck: the 2020 USEF Annual Meeting kicks off today, running until the 11th of January at the West Palm Beach Hilton. There are still some tickets available on the door if you’d like to catch all the action in person, but if you can’t make it to Florida, don’t worry – there are plenty of ways to follow along with all the discussions, talks, and panels happening over the next couple of days.

Follow the live-stream.

USEF Network will be bringing you comprehensive coverage of the panels taking place this afternoon and tomorrow, with timings as follows:

Interactive Panels

Wednesday, Jan. 8

Safe Sport: What’s New to Know – 1 p.m.-2:15 p.m.

The Future of Equestrian: Leveraging Data & Technology – 2:30 p.m.-3:45 p.m.

Media: Broadcast & Beyond – 4 p.m.-5:15 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 9

The Equestrian Community’s Impact on Global, Environmental, and Social Issues – 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

General Session

Thursday, Jan. 9 – 2 p.m.-5 p.m.

Download the app.

That’s right – the Meeting now comes complete with its own app, detailing schedules, offering up speaker bios, and even giving you navigational help if you get lost in the Hilton, like some sort of very niche version of The Shining. Click here to download for iOS and here to download for Android.

Get on the mailing list.

Not a USEF member? Sign up for free fan membership to receive the daily newsletter, which will fill you in on each day’s goings-on.

Keep it locked onto EN.

We’ll be bringing you rolling notes and updates of all the most pertinent discussions happening at the Meeting – and if you ask us really nicely, we might even drink a frozé on the beach for you.

You can find a full schedule of events here, or if you’d like to pop along to the Meeting, tomorrow night’s Pegasus Awards, or Saturday night’s Horse of the Year Awards, click here.

Burghley Winner Carousel Quest Passes Away Aged 25

By Tilly Berendt on Jan 8, 2020 9:00 am -

We’re saddened to report that Carousel Quest, Oliver Townend‘s 2009 Burghley winner, has been put to sleep aged 25, following a long and happy retirement.

View this post on Instagram

It is with a heavy heart we announce the passing of Carousel Quest. Andrew Cawthray’s “Quest” was a horse I had long admired before I had the pleasure of taking on the ride in 2008 and from the word go we formed a strong partnership finishing runners up at The Festival of British Eventing, winning the Scottish Championships, placing 5th at Fontainebleau and 8th at Kentucky before the highlight of his career: winning Burghley in 2009. He finished top 10 in another two CCI4*’s (now CCI5*-L) before retiring to a quieter life and had the honours of parading at Burghley to commemorate his successful career. Quest was always a quirky horse but had a heart of gold and was besides a talented competition partner a very dear friend to me and he will leave a huge hole behind. He was one of the horses who cemented my name on the map and I will always treasure the memories and what we accomplished together. Quest, thanks for everything and say hi to the other old guys up there for us!

A post shared by Oliver Townend Official (@olivertownendofficial) on Jan 7, 2020 at 11:23am PST

“It is with a heavy heart we announce the passing of Carousel Quest,” said Oliver in a statement on social media. “Andrew Cawthray‘s ‘Quest’ was a horse I had long admired before I had the pleasure of taking on the ride in 2008, and from the word go we formed a strong partnership, finishing runners-up at the Festival of British Eventing, winning the Scottish Championships, placing 5th at Fontainebleau and 8th at Kentucky before the highlight of his career: winning Burghley in 2009. He finished top ten in another two CCI4*s (now CCI5*-L) before retiring to a quieter life, and had the honour of parading at Burghley to commemorate his successful career.”

“Quest was always a quirky horse but had a heart of gold and was, besides a talented competition partner, a very dear friend to me, and he will leave a huge hole behind. He was one of the horses who cemented my name on the map and I will always treasure the memories and what we accomplished together. Quest, thanks for everything, and say hi to the other old guys up there for us!”

Previously owned and produced to CCI5*-L by Cressida Clague Reading, the Irish Sport Horse gelding (Carousel x Vickidora) recorded top-five finishes at Chatsworth CCI4*-S, Bramham CCI4*-L, and Burghley CCI5* before moving to Oliver’s yard, and into the ownership of longtime supporter Andrew Cawthray, in 2008. Here, the notoriously mercurial – though undeniably talented – grey would enjoy two full and fruitful seasons. Though Oliver would often choose to withdraw partway through a competition if he felt the horse wasn’t at his best, they would only fail to complete one of the internationals they set out to, and would otherwise never finish outside the top ten.

But the horse’s success didn’t come without an enormous amount of work and care, as Oliver explained in a 2012 interview with the Independent: “Carousel Quest had been sold twice and failed the vets both times. We got him to Burghley without galloping him; a long, slow tedious process. But he was in a different league; you could tell that the moment you sat on him.”

Quest’s Burghley victory in 2009 would put Oliver firmly in contention for the Rolex Grand Slam, though his dream would be thwarted by a nasty fall at Kentucky with Ashdale Cruise Master the following spring. A fourth-place finish at Burghley in 2010 would help to end the year on a high for the rider, although it would prove to be Quest’s final international competition: in 2011, he was withdrawn after showjumping at Belton CCI4*-S, and later that year, the sixteen-year-old would say goodbye to his many fans formally, in the main arena at the Lincolnshire five-star he’d won so easily. He would retire with an impressive 1,212 British Eventing points to his name, but more pertinently, the poignant honour of having been Oliver’s first Burghley winner. Eight years after that first win, Oliver would romp to a second on another quirky grey: the great Ballaghmor Class.

Our thoughts are with Oliver, Andrew, and all of Carousel Quest’s connections and admirers.

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