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Liz Halliday Clinches Nail-Biting Win in the $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final

By on Sep 1, 2023 10:00 pm -

Liz Halliday and Miks Master C. USEA/Meagan DeLisle photo

Liz Halliday had one rail and 1.2 time penalties in hand with Miks Master C when she headed into the Rolex Stadium tonight for show jumping in the $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final at the USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds.

After leading the competition from the start, she thought she was in the clear as she headed to the last fence, but a late rail and exceeding the time allowed over Bobby Murphy’s course made Halliday, and the large crowd, groan. It took a few seconds, but announcer Brian O’Connor did the math and confirmed that Halliday only added .8 time penalties to her score to keep her overnight lead ahead of Phillip Dutton and Z, who’d put the pressure on with one of four double clear rounds.

“I am totally thrilled—I’m obviously going to have anxiety for the next 10 years after that,” she said with a laugh. “I knew I was right on the edge, and when they announced my score, I had a moment where I was like, ‘Maybe I did the math wrong.’ I was freaking out a little bit, like, ‘That was cutting it too fine, Halliday.’ He just jumped phenomenally the whole weekend. I think that light’s a little funny in there, and he just saw a glare in the water tray as he took off, and I was shocked because he was jumping so well.”

“Mikki,” an 11-year-old U.S.-bred Swedish Warmblood (Mighty Magic x Qui Luma CBF) who’s owned by Ocala Horse Properties LLC and Deborah Palmer, came to Halliday as a confirmed Advanced horse under Maya Black, and Halliday’s spent the last year and a half getting to know him and picking up big results. They were third in the gelding’s five-star debut at Land Rover Kentucky this spring, then helped the U.S. team to a silver medal at the Aachen CCIO4*-S (Germany) this summer. Next, they’ll head to the Pan American Games in Chile in October.

Liz Halliday and Miks Master C. USEA/Meagan DeLisle photo

“He’s just a really wonderful horse,” said Halliday, of Lexington, Kentucky. “He loves the sport, he’s very generous, he tries very hard, and he’s very, very talented. I just feel really lucky to ride him. I planned to come here to be competitive with him and run him fairly fast with the view of running him quieter at the final trial before the Pan Ams and just put all the pieces back together so that he doesn’t run off! My plan was to try and be pretty competitive this weekend and give him a good run for fitness as much as anything. And obviously, I wanted to come here and win, so it’s always nice when that works out.”

Twenty-six pairs started over Murphy’s course tonight and four were double clear, including Dutton on both Z and Azure, who finished third.
“I thought it was a really good track, actually,” said Halliday. “The time was influential. It wasn’t huge, but it was enough. There’s always the atmosphere factor here. I think the light was quite influential late on. It definitely influenced my horse to the last.”

Phillip Dutton and Z. USEA/Meagan DeLisle photo

Dutton agreed, adding that he brought both his horses to the AEC for their first prep runs before their big fall events. “Each horse is different,” he said of his plan over tonight’s course. “You’ve got to ride them a certain way to get the best out of them. Z’s better off being a little bit relaxed and in a bit of an open canter, not getting too much up and down. I didn’t think [the course] walked that strong, actually. But like Liz said, I think that light and a few other factors play a part, and the rails, I believe were spread pretty evenly around, so that’s a good sign of a well-built course.”

Z, a 15-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Asca Z x Bellabouche) owned by Evie Dutton, Ann Jones, Suzanne Lacy, Caroline Moran, Thomas Tierney, and Dave and Patricia Vos, is heading to the Pau CCI5*-L in France in October.

“I sort of had in mind to try to be competitive without overdoing it,” he said of his weekend. “It’s a great experience for me and the horses to get in this arena in the show jumping, and obviously on the cross-country because the footing’s usually pretty good. It’s a good training ground, and the money’s really helpful. We’ve tried to support any of the events that are putting out money; that just helps everybody along.”

“Z’s just a great horse to have and be a friend with,” he continued. “He’s in it for all the right reasons; he loves to compete, he loves it all. He gets pretty wound up about it. But you know, that’s him enjoying it, not because of any other reason. I still think it’s such a great sport that a horse at his age, he just keeps getting better and better, and it’s really fun to be a part of that.”

Phillip Dutton and Z. USEA/Meagan DeLisle photo

Azure, an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare (Omar x Cavalier Roselier) owned by Anne Moran, Caroline Moran, and Michael Moran, will head to her first five-star at Maryland after winning the Mars Bromont CCI4*-L (Canada) in June.

Dutton’s had “Sky” for a year and a half, and he’s getting used to riding a mare at the top levels, something that hasn’t happened often in his career.

“I haven’t had the right good one to go along with,” he said. “It’s fun, and it is a little bit different than riding a gelding. This one’s very opinionated and has her own mind up made up about how it should be done, and so I’ve got to be very tactful how I ride her.”
“Up until now it hasn’t been much of a partnership,” he added with a laugh. “It’s been all on her terms. It’s all about what she wants to do. I’m gradually just trying to encourage her to let me have a little bit of a say, and it’s getting better—like a lot of the partnerships I have with my women at home!”

Training Champions are Overcome with Emotion at USEA AEC

USEA Training Rider Division

Susan Gallagher and HH Rockstar. USEA/Meagan DeLisle photo

Being named the USEA Training Rider Champion had a lot more meaning to this year’s leading rider Susan Gallagher (Millwood, Virginia). It was longtime trainer Packy McGaughan who helped Gallagher find her winning mount, the 13-year-old German Sport Horse gelding HH Rockstar (Chacco-Blue x Cherly Z). As many in the eventing community already know, McGaughan died suddenly in 2020.

“Packy was more important to me as a friend than a trainer,” shared Gallagher. “But he was a great trainer. And he rides with me still all the time. It’s been a really long journey to get here. This is our first AEC, and I think between the travel to get there when they’re on the West Coast and my schedule, and sound horses, you know, it just took a long time to come together.”

Gallagher noted that she has been aiming to mark the AEC off her bucket list for 10 years. It was a goal she was thrilled to accomplish in McGaughan’s memory.

“A lot of things remind me of him, being here,” she said full of emotion. “So it’s nice. I mean, this was one of our goals. So it’s really great to see it happen. It’s surreal.”

While show jumping was the phase that secured their win, Gallagher had a different standout phase.

“The cross-country was a favorite part of being here,” she said. “I thought the course was amazing. It was challenging enough with nothing new; it was just confirmatory, and you had to go fast and positive. And that feels like a championship course to me.”

USEA Training Amateur Championship

Stephanie Letarte and GarryNDruig Albie. USEA/Meagan DeLisle photo

Stephanie Letarte of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, started the competition week in the lead. As she crossed the finish timers in show jumping aboard her 19-year-old Dutch Warmblood-Irish Sport Horse cross GarryNDruig Albie (VDL Arkansas x Diamond Abbey), a big smile was plastered across her face because she knew she was going to end her weekend in the lead as well.

“Oh my gosh, it’s just unreal,” said an elated Letarte after her round had completed. “That horse is just amazing. And I am so lucky. Like he’s the horse of like, 10,000 lifetimes. It’s amazing, I’m really excited.”

This marks Letarte’s first visit to the AEC and her first-ever win at the Training level. “I don’t know if I can come back,” she said in jest. “It’s just so cool. I mean, it’s such a great atmosphere. It’s such a fun show. I’m so so happy to be here.”

Going into the final phase in the lead can put on a bit of pressure, especially in Letarte’s case where she did not have a rail in hand. But rather than focus on the competitive aspect of the weekend, Letarte had another thing at the front of her mind: keeping it fun. She attributes her success this week to that mentality.

As for her future with “Albie,” Letarte has hopes of competing in a few more Training level events this year and then evaluating where they are at this winter. With Albie’s age in mind, her plan is to just “take it one day at a time.”

While Letarte had never met her fellow podium-finishers before, you would have never known it. She and second-place finisher Amanda Smith and third-place finisher Lisa Hickey were there cheering one another on, swapping hugs and sharing congratulations as if they were lifelong friends, and they may be after having such an experience together at the AEC.

USEA Training Horse Championship

“I can’t believe it, I feel so great, especially being here at this venue. It means even more. And because this has so much history and significance.”

If you believe in kismet and that some things are simply meant to be, it will be no surprise that Jane Jennings (Aiken, South Carolina) and SF Vancouver 2 (Validation S x Nanna) are the USEA Training Horse Champions at the Kentucky Horse Park this weekend.

Jennings rode in the AEC when it was in North Carolina but today’s win was extra special for many reasons.

“When I went to the Athens Olympics to help my late friend Amy Tryon, I sat next to Sheilagh Costello on the plane, and she was telling me, ‘I want to start an eventing championship and have it at the Horse Park’ so I am just thrilled that her dream came to fruition, and I’m here, it’s been so many years later, so it’s really special.”

Although their recent prep for this weekend has been relatively smooth (this is their third win in a row), getting here has been a completely different story, and only thanks to a team of dedicated vets that diagnosed and treated the 8-year-old German Sport Horse gelding for a very rare inner ear infection.

“Dr. Emily Setlakwe at Tryon Equine Hospital helped me identify what the situation was, and she was paramount in his recovery. But before that, we sent him to New Bolton to Amy Johnson, and they did a CT scan so we were able to treat it, and he’s here and making a huge comeback.”

Treatment consisted of “a two-month course of minocycline. And then I took him back to try on for an evaluation, and they said another two months, so four months total on very expensive antibiotics. But the second two months really made a big difference in his recovery.”
During this time Jennings didn’t ride “Teddy,” aside from some light hacking at the end of the third month. “I gave him lots of turnout. I just wanted to make sure because he was acting very odd. We didn’t know if this was actually going to solve the problem,” she said.
It was something of a last-minute decision to even bring him at all this weekend, but she decided he was feeling so good, going so well, and plus, “He loves to show!”

Their Friday morning leading up to the final phase was also not without incident: Jennings had to change a flat trailer tire on the highway en route to the Horse Park, “And then I went to go take the trailer in this morning for the appointment to get it fixed there’s a second flat tire! So it was a bit frazzled this morning, but I got it taken care of, and then I came back to the barns and got on.”

Funnily enough, the last time Jane had a flat tire was also on the way to the AEC a different year, and she said she’s so good at changing them now that she was excited to help another competitor coming from the AEC change hers!

USEA Training Junior Championship

Marina Cassou and Castleturvin Mungo. USEA/Meagan DeLisle photo

Is there anything more thrilling than winning a national championship from start to finish on your dressage score? For Lancaster, Pennsylvania, resident Marina Cassou, it was a dream come true aboard her mother Beatrice’s 14-year-old Connemara gelding Castleturvin Mungo. Especially since Cassou shared that when she got him four years ago, he didn’t even know how to canter.

“I don’t have any words,” said a joy-filled Cassou. “Two years ago, I competed Novice here, and we did not do well at all. This year, my goal was not to win, but to do well, and I was not expecting this.”

Cassou, who normally trains with Lillian Heard, hitched a ride with Fylicia Barr and gained a whole new barn family this week as well. Her newfound eventing crew were lined up outside the Rolex Arena on pins and needles as she jumped around her course and were in tears for their young friend when she jumped the last jump clear.

“Coming into show jumping I was feeling a ton of pressure because Mongo likes to knock rails down, but he put on an amazing round,” she shared. The pair aim to make a move up to Modified in the future.

Also happening today: cross country for Novice riders and dressage for Beginner Novice. Stay tuned to see who’s crowned champion of our final divisions this weekend!

#AEC2023 (Lexington, KY): [Website] [Entries] [Schedule] [Live Stream] [Volunteer] [EN’s Coverage]

EN’s coverage of #AEC2023 is brought to you by hometown hero Kentucky Performance Products and Ocala Horse Properties.

First Champions Crowned at USEA American Eventing Championships

By on Sep 1, 2023 7:30 am -

Catch up on the standings from #AEC2023 after Thursday’s action below! Today, we’ll see the conclusion of the Adequan Advanced final this evening, as well as cross country for Novice riders, show jumping for Training level, and dressage for Beginner Novice.

Chin Wins Again: Coleman and Chin Tonic HS are the 2023 USEA Intermediate Champions at AEC

Will Coleman and Chin Tonic HS. USEA/Lindsay Berreth photo

What better way to conclude the first day of championship crowning at the USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds than with a show jumping session under the setting Kentucky sun? Competitors and spectators at the Kentucky Horse Park were treated to just that as the USEA Intermediate Championship came to a close Thursday evening with show jumping in the Rolex Arena. A total of 43 contestants came forward, but ultimately none could top Will Coleman and Chin Tonic HS (Chin Champ x Wildera).

Coleman and Hyperion Stud’s 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding led the division from start to finish, wrapping up their competition week with just a few time faults on cross-country added to their dressage score. Coleman started the week out in first and third, and his third place mount Diabolo (Diarado x Roulett M) moved up to second following cross-country and also remained unscathed after show jumping this afternoon.

After their cross-country run, Coleman noted that Chin would be heading to Stable View (Aiken, South Carolina) next before making his way to France for the five-star at Pau. Coleman felt that Pau would be a good opportunity to help Chin get more five-star miles under his belt in an appropriate environment.

“He’s done Kentucky, obviously, which I think has quite a bit of terrain,” he said. “Maryland and Burghley have tons of terrain, and I think that maybe would have been just physically a step too far. Pau is a competition that we thought would continue to season him as a five-star horse. He’s pretty good at the technical things, and he has a very big stride. I’m hoping that we can just go there and improve on our performance a little bit, we’re just trying to get better.”

[Read the full Intermediate recap]

That’s a Wrap on the Bates USEA Preliminary Championships at the AEC

Bates USEA Preliminary Amateur Championship

Kelly Beaver and Excel Star Pluto. USEA/Meagan DeLisle photo

Getting to ride with your close friend is always special, but getting to stand next to one another as Champion and Reserve Champion of your division at the AEC is on a whole other level. Bates USEA Preliminary Amateur champion Kelly Beaver (Elverson, Pennsylvania) got to do just that with her friend and division reserve champion Kathleen Bertuna (Athens, Ohio).

“The sport is so tough,” said Beaver. “It’s an individual sport, you’re really just competing against yourself, you know, and so to be able to have someone that understands it, and then to be able to share it with each other is really special.”

In the earlier part of the championship week, Bertuna actually sat one spot ahead of Beaver with her 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Excel Star Harry (Luidam x Moysella Cool Diamond), in third and fourth respectively. But after cross-country, both riders moved up the scoreboard with their horses with Beaver moving up to first with her 8-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding Excel Star Pluto and Bertuna in second. Knowing they were going to have to battle it out for first between each other brought a whole new sense of friendship and humor into the equation.

“She was hot on my heels,” shared Beaver. “I knew her horse had like an anaphylactic reaction to rails; you have to make this horse have a rail so I knew I did not have any chance of her having a rail.”

While Beaver did add .4 time penalties to her score after show jumping, she still held onto her lead and finished with a score of 34.3. Bertuna and Excel Star Harry concluded their weekend in second on 35.7.

Bates USEA Preliminary Horse Championship

Sharon White and Jaguar Duende. USEA/Meagan DeLisle photo

A new leader emerged in the Bates USEA Preliminary Horse Championship as Sharon White (Arlington, Virginia) piloted her 7-year-old Westphalian mare Jaguar Duende (Jaguar Mail x Latina) through a double-clear show jumping round.

“Jag is what we call her,” shared White, “and I always say I’m taking the Jag out when I get on her because she’s really beautiful and fun. She’s a competitor. She wants to win. She digs deep and wants it in all three phases, which is really cool.”

White purchased Jag as a three-year-old but she stayed in Germany for a bit before coming to the States as a 4-year-old. Bringing the mare along from the ground up has been extremely rewarding and White has big dreams for her.

“The plan is all of the things,” White said. “I would love for this to be the start of many blues in Kentucky.”

Bates USEA Preliminary Rider Championship

Susan Moessner and Satin Art. USEA/Meagan DeLisle photo

Susan Moessner (Ann Arbor, Michigan) started the weekend out in the lead aboard her homebred Warmblood gelding Satin Art (Indian Art x Epic Satin) with a dressage score of 25.7 but was bumped down to second after adding 7.6 time penalties to their score on cross-country. Going into show jumping today Moessner had just one goal:

“My plan was to stay out of his way because he’s a lovely jumper. I basically just get him in a rhythm, get him into balance, and try to stay out of his way,” she said.

Moessner noted that she backed the 19-year-old gelding off a bit on cross-country resulting in the time faults, but that “Artie” jumped wonderfully and answered all the questions the way she would have wanted.

“He’s just such a wonderful horse, and it’s so special that he finally gets the recognition,” Moessner said of her fourth-generation homebred. “He started out competing up through Intermediate, and I hoped he would be my next big Advanced horse, but he had the injury. And we had that repaired, but I just felt like eventing would be more likely to re-injure it, so he just did dressage for several years. Then I started to take him out when I was teaching some students and thought, ‘Oh, we’ll pop over one or two’. He was locking on to everything. So then I thought ‘Well, maybe we’ll go jump some fences.’ And so for the past couple of years, I’ve taken him out once or twice in the season and qualified to bring him here. He could probably go Intermediate again, but I just feel Preliminary is a safer place for him.”

At 19 years young, Moessner has a new goal for her beloved stallion: Grand Prix dressage. She has three of Satin Art’s daughters at home that she intends to bring up through the levels. Her hope is to produce those in her home base of Area VIII so she can support keeping the upper-level divisions at her local shows.

Bates USEA Preliminary Junior/Young Rider Championship

Annabelle Sprague and Da Vinci Code. USEA/Meagan DeLisle photo

Annabelle Sprague (Brookfield, Vermont) was feeling the pressure going into show jumping today in the lead with Kylie Lyman’s 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse Da Vinci Code (Master Imp x Clovers Appollo). One rail would result in losing their lead, so Sprague kept the plan today short and simple.

“The game plan was just to get a good canter and pretend like it’s any other day,” she shared. “It’s a big relief [to be Champion]. It was very nerve-wracking.”

Sprague started her championship performance in third place and is concluding the week on the same score she started with; quite a feat in a championship setting.

“In dressage, he was really good. We’ve done the test a bit, so he anticipated the halt, but besides that, I thought he was really good,” she said. “And then in the cross-country, he was just amazing. I couldn’t have asked for any better.”

She has had the ride on “Da Vinci” off and on for three years now and feels like they have really formed a solid partnership. “I feel like we know each other really well, and that helped us out today,” she said.

[Read the full Prelim recap]

Making it Count: Winners are Made in Modified Championships at AEC

USEA Open Modified Championship

Chelsey Sawtell and Toto’s Weather Tamer. USEA/Meagan DeLisle photo

Chelsey Sawtell was awarded first place in the USEA Open Modified Championship while piloting Deb Warner’s 7-year-old dark bay German Warmblood stallion, Toto’s Weather Tamer (Totals x Baquette). Adding 0.8 seconds in time faults with one rail down, increased their score to a winning 36.5.

“I haven’t even processed it yet. I feel like at any time I’m going to wake up,” said Sawtell, helmet still on and cheeks still flecked with a rosy hue of pride. Off to her side—and all throughout the week—owner of “Jakes,” Deb Warner, was misty-eyed. “It was amazing.” Dubbing him sassy and playful on his cross-country course yesterday, Sawtell laughed when she said that not choking in show jumping today was her only game plan, and fortunately she was the rider she planned to be on the stallion she shares such an obvious connection with. Naturally, on the flip side of a big win, there are future plans to keep excelling.

“We are going to do our first one-star and see what happens,” said Sawtell. “This was a big one for him…he just tries so hard and he has the scope, and he’s a big goofball.”

Sawtell knows this horse inside and out, and quite enjoys him being such a workable and polite stallion. Back at his stall, she noted that he will be very curious—almost investigatory—about a newcomer, keeping a close eye on Sawtell, which proves his loyalty to the beloved rider who lets the dressage-bred stallion do his favorite thing.

USEA Modified Rider Championship

Sylvia Byars and CSF Dassett Decoy. USEA/Meagan DeLisle photo

Sylvia Byars secured a first place finish on Nicole Byars’s CSF Dassett Decoy (Flipper D’Elle x CSF Doorn Cruise), the bay 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse-Selle Francais cross gelding. The pair managed to make an impressive leap up the leaderboard throughout the week.

“My week was pretty amazing,” said Byars, who was sitting in tenth position coming out of her dressage test with a score of 31.6, then moving up to third following her cross-country trip, and now claiming the first place win while holding tight to that initial score all the while.

“Dressage was fine—it wasn’t quite what we could’ve done, and I was a little actually disappointed with the score.” Byars noted feeling like the week was right there in black and white on the leaderboard, but when she was walking the cross-country course with her coach, they made a plan to ride for it and see where the chips fell.

“I didn’t have anything to lose and I went for it,” said Byars. “We came in right at the optimum and he’s not a very fast horse, so to go double-clear there was pretty incredible and I was really surprised to see how much it moved me up, and I went into show jump thinking, ‘Ok, super—if I can pull this off, we’ll be in top three’ and he was just amazing in the show jumping.”

And the age old phrase stands—it’s not over until it’s over! Byars noted that “Flipper” really excels in all three phases, and she’s beaming over this win. “I just have to thank the Lord for everything in my life that’s helped me to get here.”

[Read the full Modified recap]

Also getting underway yesterday was the Novice competition, while Training ran cross country. You can read the full recaps from those divisions + more over on the USEA hub here.

#AEC2023 (Lexington, KY): [Website] [Entries] [Schedule] [Live Stream] [Volunteer] [EN’s Coverage]

EN’s coverage of #AEC2023 is brought to you by hometown hero Kentucky Performance Products and Ocala Horse Properties.

US Equestrian Announces The Dutta Corp./USEF Eventing High Performance Flight Grant Recipients

By on Aug 29, 2023 11:15 am -

Will Coleman and Chin Tonic HS. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

US Equestrian is pleased to announce The Dutta Corp./USEF Eventing High Performance Flight Grant recipients. Established for eventing athletes who are targeting the 2024 Olympic Games, the grants were awarded to Will Coleman and Chin Tonic HS and Boyd Martin and Fedarman B.

US Equestrian awarded the two air transportation grants with a value up to $20,000 each to be used toward horse flight expenses for the combinations as they aim for Les 5 Étoiles de Pau CCI5*-L in Pau, France, from October 26-29, 2023.

The grant recipients have scored top results in 2023. Coleman (Ocala, Fla.) and Chin Tonic HS, a 2012 Holsteiner gelding owned by Hyperion Stud, LLC, won the Carolina International CCI4*-S and were 11th in the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian™ CCI5*-L in the horse’s five-star debut. Martin (Cochranville, Pa.) and Fedarman B, a 2010 KWPN gelding owned by the Annie Goodwin Syndicate, won the Tryon International Three-Day Event CCI4*-S and were eighth in the Luhmuhlen CCI5*-L in the horse’s debut at the level.

“The Dutta Corp.’s support for US Equestrian’s eventing programs and Olympic hopefuls is influential in achieving the goal of earning medals on the international stage,” said US Equestrian CEO Bill Moroney. “We are thrilled to present the travel grants to these talented U.S. combinations aiming for strong results abroad and a chance to represent their country in 2024.”

“We are delighted and honored to support our amazing human and horse athletes to compete at the world stage as we prepare for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games podium,” said Tim Dutta, founder and CEO of The Dutta Corp. “We are humbled to give these fine horses wings.” 

About The Dutta Corp.

The Dutta Corporation is an international and domestic horse air shipping company founded by J. Tim Dutta that has been expanding rapidly since its inception in 1988. For more than three decades, J. Tim Dutta and The Dutta Corp. team has put the horse first and foremost. With state-of-the-art jet stalls and an expert team of grooms, The Dutta Corp. provides expert horse air transport tailored to serve the horse. The Dutta Corp. has delivered horses from around the world to and from top international competitions including the Olympic Games, Pan American Games, FEI World Equestrian Games™, FEI World Cup™ Finals, and is the Official Equine Air Transport of US Equestrian. We Give Horses Wings™

US Equestrian Announces Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team for FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ Netherlands CCIO4*-NC-L

By on Aug 28, 2023 4:06 pm -

US Equestrian is pleased to announce the four combinations selected to represent the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team at the FEI Eventing Nations Cup Netherlands CCIO4*-NC-L hosted in Enschede, Netherlands at the Military Boekelo-Enschede from October 5-8, 2023. The U.S. combinations will be led by Chef d’Equipe Leslie Law.

– James Alliston (San Ramon, Calif.) and Karma, a 2014 Oldenburg mare owned by Alliston Equestrian and Ric Plummer
– Phillip Dutton (West Grove, Pa.) and Denim, a 2015 Holsteiner gelding owned by Caroline Moran, Ann Lapides, Neil Sites, and Ann Jones
– Cassie Sanger (Wilmington, Del.) and Fernhill Zoro, her own 2008 Irish Sport Horse gelding
– Jennie Saville (West Grove, Pa.) and Connory, a 2012 Holsteiner gelding owned by Nina Gardner, Timothy Gardner, and Jennie Saville

The following combinations have been named as team alternates and are listed in alphabetical order.

– Jenny Caras (Buckhead, Ga.) and Trendy Fernhill, a 2011 Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Elyse Eisenberg
– Cosby Green (Lexington, Ky.) and Jos UFO de Quidam, a 2008 Argentine Silla gelding owned by Heather Morris
– Andrew McConnon (Vass, N.C.) and Wakita 54, his own 2013 KWPN mare
– Madison Temkin (Lexington, Ky.) and MVP Madbum, a 2013 Thoroughbred mare owned by Madison Temkin, Beth Brown, and Brian Brown

The competition will begin with the dressage phase on Thursday, October 5, and Friday, October 6. The cross-country phase will take place on Saturday, October 7, over the course designed by Adrian Ditcham (GBR). The final jumping phase will conclude competition on Sunday, October 8, over the course built by Kris van Gelder (NED).

Event website | Schedule | Entries and results

Tune in live on ClipMyHorse.TV/FEI.TV with a ClipMyHorse.TV Premium Membership. USEF Subscribers, Competing Members, and Fans receive a 10% discount on ClipMyHorse.TV Premium Memberships. Find out more information.

Wills Oakden Wins CCI4*L to Conclude Defender Blair Castle International

By on Aug 27, 2023 12:58 pm -

Wills Oakden and A Class Cooley. Photo by Athalens.

A rare showjumping clear round, one of only two in the class, propelled Wills Oakden to the top of the leaderboard in the CCI4*L. “It’s unbelievable,” he said. “I thought winning one class here last year was massive, but to win two is beyond belief. We’ve been telling A Class Cooley’s owners all summer that we’ve been prepping at one-days for a big win, and now we’ve pulled it off – I’m not sure how, but we have.”

Two rails down for Toshiyuki Tanaka and Jefferson JRA dropped the pair below Wills, but it’s still a good result in terms of him achieving his bigger goal of of securing individual qualifying points for Paris 2024. He admitted, “I’m happy, but angry with myself – the two rails down were my mistakes, the horse is a good jumper. I have enjoyed my trip to Blair.”

Past Blair 4*L winner, Rosie Fry, took third place on Romantic. “I came here hoping for a good run, so a podium finish is the icing on the cake. It’s very special to have another horse here after winning with True Blue Too, who I subsequently lost to injury. I knew she’d enjoy the course here, I’m so proud of her.”

Canter is pure class

Ros Canter was again in a class of her own, beating herself by almost 10 penalties for first, second and fourth place finishes in the CCI4*S, on Izilot DHI, Rehy Royal Diamond and MHS Seventeen respectively.

“I’m absolutely delighted,” said Ros. “I brought the horses up here to set them up for their autumn 4* long-formats; they are all at slightly different stages in their careers, but I’ve always found Blair to be a really good stepping stone in horses’ development. If they are going to be good horses they have to be able to deal with hills and mud – it’s a really good fitness run for long-format events. Jump by jump there was nothing too difficult on the cross-country but the ground made it testing.

“Izilot DHI is in a really good place at the moment. I’d been quietly hoping he’d be settled here, and he was. When he’s like this, he’s a delight to ride.”

Josie Proctor prevented the clean sweep, posting the fastest cross-country round of the day on Bee Naround. She made the trip to Blair as part of her sister, Emelia’s, ‘eventing swangsong’. Emelia chose the event as her first four-star, and also her last ever event as she is hanging up her competitive boots. She finished 29th on Larksbell.

Bee Naround was started by Nicola Wilson, moved on to Josie’s cousin Imogen Coughlan and then to Josie who describes her as, “a hand-me-down mare! I am absolutely elated and stunned. She did a decent test for her, so I decided to go for it across country… everyone is amazed she has got to this level and finished so well.”

Nail-biting times for Wills

Wills Oaken really did have a fantastic event. As well as winning the CCI4*L he also took the CCI3*L, this time riding Keep It Cooley. Entering the arena, he had two fences in hand and needed them, finishing 2.5 penalties ahead of Morven Pringle.

“That was pretty nerve-wracking,” he said. “Keep It Cooley doesn’t normally touch a rail, but has never jumped in this ground before. I’m thrilled with the win and think the world of him.”

Morven was delighted with both of her horses; Miss Contender finished runner up while Something Classical placed fifth. “Luckily for me, they both like mud!” she laughed. “I’m lucky to be on the Wesko training programme and have really benefitted this season from access to top coaches, not just with my riding but also from the tips I’ve gained on things like mental strength, nutrition etc.”

George Bartlett and Conpierre completed the podium line-up.

Rio Grande

Rio Hall and Georgie Girl led from pillar to post in the CCI2*L, finishing on their 24.6 dressage score. Rio left the arena with tears on her cheeks, admitting, “this is way more than I’d hoped for. I genuinely came here wanting to get round the cross-country so I could showjump today. She surprised me with how well she coped in the mud.” Rio is based with third-placed Sam Ecroyd, and added, “it will be a fab journey home in the lorry!”

Another dressage score completion moved Lucinda Atkinson and Frankfort Pointllexi up a place to second. Equally emotional, Lucinda said: “I’ve won big classes before, but this result feels special as Nicola (Wilson) is such a good friend. I feel extremely honoured and privileged to have this ride.”

Boleybawn Lecrae, ridden by Sam Ecroyd, completed the podium placings, again having kept a clean sheet throughout the jumping phases. “I am super happy with him. He was despicably behaved as a youngster and I was on the verge of giving up on him, but the feeling he gives me across country made me persevere,” Sam admitted. “He’s a big horse at 17.2hh, but he’s incredibly agile and nippy. I deliberately came here to gallop up and down the hills in mud to see what he is made of – and now I know.”

There were two CCI1*S sections at Blair. The first was won by Robyn Gray on Margaret Francis’ Jazz Time IV, with Daisy Cross and Cooley Master Mischief second and Phil Brown with M Bear Esquire in third. Lucinda Atkinson added to her good weekend with a win in the second, aboard Pride Park. Just 0.2 penalties behind came Jack Mantell on Night Prowler and another 0.2 behind Jack was Anna Gilchrist on Kilimazing Topaz.

Finally, Blair hosted a CCI2*S Pony class. Ireland’s Kitty Cullen, daughter of Declan Curran who was also competing at Blair, took the spoils with Coppenagh Spring Sparrow, finishing ahead of England’s Arabella Henderson riding Our Billy Eile. Irish riders filled five of the top six places, Anna Nangle and Liscannor Tulira finished third.

Rain Fails to Stop Play at Blair as Leaderboards Change on Cross-Country Day

By on Aug 26, 2023 5:00 pm -

Max Warburton and Monbeg Exclusive take the lead in Blair’s CCI4*-L after cross-country. Photo courtesy of Athalens. 

Blair Castle has a new leader in the CCI4*-L after a rather wet cross-country phase in which no-one came close to making the optimum time. Max Warburton has moved in to pole position with a fence in hand on Monbeg Exclusive, previously competed by Andrew Nicholson.

“I rode the horse last year when it was still at Andrew’s, but it was then bought for me to ride. He’s absolute class, a typical Bramham or Blair long-format horse; he stayed the distance really well, it’s an honour to ride him. The terrain always comes in to play here, but we know that in advance,” said Max.

Japan’s Toshiyuki Tanaka now sits in second place riding the ex-mount of both Chris Burton and Bubby Upton, Jefferson JRA (formerly Jefferson 18). Both Toshi and fellow Japanese rider Ryuzo Kitajima are up at Blair to try to gain points and qualify for individual slots at Paris 2024. “I have to thank both my horses; I kept kicking and they kept jumping!” said Toshi, who also lies in 6th place on Talma d’Allou, one place behind Ryuzo on Feroza Nieuwmoed.

Perthshire rider Wills Oakden completes the top three on A Class Cooley, just 0.1 of a penalty behind Toshi. Wills admitted that he had gone faster on this horse than he ever has before, saying: “Fair play to the horse, he dug really deep. I hope this will be a coming of age for him.”

Ros Canter remains in first, second and fifth place in the CCI4*S, which showjumped this morning, on Izilot DHI, Rehy Royal Diamond and MHS Seventeen respectively. Libby Seed has moved up to third with Heartbreaker Star Quality.

It’s all change at the top of the CCI3*-L leaderboard. Wills Oakden has climbed two places and now has one fence in hand going in to tomorrow’s showjumping. Keep It Cooley jumped a lovely cross-country round, finishing just two seconds over the optimum time, picking up 0.8 of a penalty, and now sits on a score of 29.9.

“He’s a brilliant horse – I’ve never ridden him in conditions like we had today, but he won the 2*L here last year. I ride a lot quirky horses but this one is an absolute gentleman and a winner at all levels. He made it feel easy,” said Will.

Susie Berry and Irene Leva rocketed up the leaderboard to be in the runners-up spot after a clear round, one second over the optimum time but, unfortunately, her second ride, Jesmond Renard, suffered a fall at the double of corners, fence 18.

Katie Magee was one of only two riders to make the optimum time, which moved Agadir Gano up to third place. Katie has produced the seven-year-old gelding up the levels and in their last four outings they have posted two wins, a fourth and a fifth.

Morven Pringle fills the next two places, Something Classical half a penalty ahead of stable-mate Miss Contender. “They are two very different horses,” said Lockerbie-based Morven. “Something Classical has a lot of Thoroughbred in his breeding and ate it up. Miss Contender is not the fastest but is a real trier. The ground is definitely taking a huge amount of energy of some of the horses, but I’m delighted with both of mine today.”

Thursday’s leader George Barlett jumped clear with Conpierre but suffered a tack malfunction early on, the martingale flapping between the horse’s legs. Fourteen time penalties dropped the pair to eighth, while the overnight leaders, Caroline Powell and Legally Grey, picked up an early 20 penalties at the parallel bars, fence 4a, dropping them out of contention.

Rio Hall and Georgie Girl have retained their lead in the CCI2*L after cross-country, coming home bang on the optimum time of 8 minutes 26 seconds. “She was bang on all my minute-markers, and the distances all rode as planned – the ground was better than I thought it would be, I think today’s warm weather has helped,” said Rio. “I can’t fault her… and she’s normally a good jumper so I’ve got everything crossed for tomorrow.”

Emma Carmichael and Faerlie Flighty have moved up in to second place after Amelia England’s ride Eluna was one of several to activate the MIMClip [a safety device which triggers if a fence is hit too hard] at the Gate, fence 11.

“I brought him to Blair because the bigger the atmosphere, the more he seems to enjoy himself. He has a lot of ‘blood’ (thoroughbred) in him, being by Primitive Faerie Tale, and benefited from that on the hills here – he was really class out there,” Emma explained, adding, “He’s very low mileage because he had a couple of winters off, when sarcoids on his shoulder were lasered off, but he’s caught up really quickly.”

Lucinda Atkinson and Frankfort Poinllexi now fill third place. This horse is something of a project of Nicola Wilson’s and is owned by Nicola’s parents-in-law. Lucinda lives a couple of fields away from Nicola and they went through Pony Club together, hence her gaining the ride.

“I thoroughly enjoyed that,” said a beaming Lucinda. “This is our first season together so I’m still getting to know her, but she’s an absolute machine with a massive heart who really wants to please. Blair is my favourite event and she has a lot of ‘blood’, so I thought the hills would suit her.” The pair finished almost 20 seconds inside the optimum time.

Women Dominate Dressage at Blair Castle International

By on Aug 26, 2023 9:19 am -

CCI3*L leaders Caroline Powell and Legally Grey. Photo courtesy of Athalens.

Ros Canter’s fabulous run of form continues; she has three horses in the CCI4*S and at the close of the dressage phase lies in first, second and fifth. Her final ride, Izilot DHI, has a commanding lead after scoring 24.8, while Rehy Royal Diamond sits on 29.3 and MHS Seventeen 30.3.

“Izilot DHI is possibly the most talented horse I have ever sat on, but also the quirkiest. He’s taught me a huge amount, with some fabulous results but also a few little blips. He’s hugely exciting to ride and a pleasure when he is in the mood he is in today. It’s always a case of keeping his mind in the right place and keeping him happy and onside,” Ros explained.

Storm Straker on Fever Pitch and Aaron Millar riding Count Onyx have prevented a clean sweep by Ros.

New Zealand’s Caroline Powell has deposed the overnight leader, George Bartlett, in the CCI3*L. George and Conpierre now lie in second but Caroline’s ride, Legally Grey, has almost a four penalty advantage, sitting on a score of 24.3.

“The horse was bought for Fiona Lambert for her birthday, and when presented with his passport someone said, ‘oh, it’s a bay filly’ – that’s where the name came from, he’s a grey gelding! I was very pleased with him today. I’ve been away and everyone has worked hard to get the horses ready to come up here. They’ve done a great job.”

Wills Oakden’s Keep It Cooley was the only other horse to post a sub-30 mark, completing the current top three.

In the CCI2*L, Emma Carmichael has dropped to third place with Rio Hall’s Georgie Girl topping the table on 24.6. Originally produced by Emily King, Rio bought the mare ahead of the 2020 season and the pair has posted some good results, including winning a CCI2*S at Kelsall Hill last year.

“I’m so, so chuffed. That was by far the best test she has ever done, she was with me the whole way,” said Rio, who is based with Sam Ecroyd whose mother bred the mare for Sam, but she didn’t grow enough. “She’s very sensitive but with the heart of a lion – although she does like things her way. We love coming to Blair, it’s the most stunning venue – and all to play for tomorrow!”

Amelia England and Eluna are currently in the runner up spot, on the same overall score as Emma Carmichael. Eluna has Blair experience, completing the CCI2*L here two years ago with Arianne Finlay in the saddle. Amelia took over the ride last year, winning Blair’s CCI1*.

The two CCI1* sections are headed by Robyn Gray on Jazz Time and Annabel Walsh with DHI Funnyman. Robyn was offered the ride on Jazz Time, a homebred of owner Margaret Francis, at the beginning of the season, and describes her as, “so much fun!”

Ireland’s Kitty Cullen and Coppenagh Spring Sparrow lead the Pony CCI2*S class, with Chloe Chan and Blennerville Rua hard on her heels as each class heads into its jumping phases today.

Horse & Hound Awards Open for Nominations – With New Event Horse Category

By on Aug 25, 2023 2:00 pm -

Nicola Wilson accepts the inspiration award at the 2022 Horse & Hound Awards in partnership with NAF, alongside her husband Alastair. Photo by Peter Nixon/Horse & Hound.

Nominations are now open for the Horse & Hound Awards 2023 in partnership with NAF.

Last year’s awards enjoyed fabulous participation, with over 86,000 votes cast. This year, we are planning a glittering ceremony at Dallas Burston Polo Club in Warwickshire. Some 300 people, including Olympic and Paralympic superstars, will gather to enjoy a glamorous evening of champagne, winner reveals, Oscar-style speeches and dancing.

As previously, the H&H Awards winners will be nominated and voted for by our readers. We seek to recognise both the big names who have made 2023 special and the unsung heroes who make it possible for all of us to enjoy equestrian sport and our horses, at whatever level.

Winners at last year’s H&H Awards included Nicola Wilson – who brought the audience to their feet as she walked up on stage to take the inspiration award, seven months after she was seriously injured in a fall at Badminton – and The late Queen’s Fell pony, Carltonlima Emma.

H&H editor-in-chief Sarah Jenkins says: “We are excited to launch the eighth Horse & Hound Awards today and to welcome back NAF, our longstanding headline partner, as well as all the sponsors of the individual awards.

“This year we look forward to taking the awards to a new venue and we have given the awards categories a refresh. Rather than one horse of the year, we will be looking for an equine hero in each Olympic discipline and showing, which gives us a brilliant opportunity to celebrate more of the horses who our readers love so much.

“We’ll also, of course, laud the human stars of the year – both those winning the big trophies in equestrian sport and those toiling behind the scenes to support others’ dreams, big or small.”

Isla Boxall-Loomes, UK Marketing Manager at NAF, adds: “Our partnership with Horse & Hound is extremely important to us and we are delighted to be involved with the awards once again.

“We are enjoying a summer of thrilling sport as we build towards the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and we look forward to celebrating the achievements of a number of talented horses and riders on the night itself.

“The awards also offer the opportunity to acknowledge those unsung heroes who are pivotal to the industry that we love and we are excited to see who comes through via the nomination process and the differences that they have made.”

Nominations can be made at horseandhound.co.uk/awards until 5pm on 21 September. In our 19 October issue, we will announce the shortlisted candidates, with voting closing on 26 October. The winners will be revealed at the awards on 22 November.

The Horse & Hound Awards 2023 categories are:

  • Stretch & Flex by Equilibrium Dressage Horse of the Year
  • Black Nova Designs Event Horse of the Year
  • Whickr Showjumping Horse of the Year
  • EQUO Show Horse of the Year
  • HorseDialog Professional Rider of the Year
  • Spillers Horse Feeds Amateur Rider of the Year
  • Tommy Hilfiger Young Rider of the Year
  • NAF Five Star PROFEET Farrier of the Year
  • Absorbine Groom of the Year
  • NAF Natural VetCare Unsung Hero of the Year
  • Baileys Horse Feeds Vet of the Year
  • Agria Horse of a Lifetime
  • The Horse & Hound Podcast Inspiration of the Year
  • The Horse & Hound Lifetime Achievement award (no voting)

£700 Horse Races Ahead at Blair Castle

By on Aug 24, 2023 3:52 pm -

Overnight CCI4*S leaders Ros Canter with Rehy Royal Diamond. Photo by Iain Campbell.

With the first day of dressage complete at Defender Blair Castle International Horse Trials, Italy’s Roberto Scalisi sits at the top of the CCI4*L leaderboard with Alamein. Half a penalty behind is Max Warburton with Monbeg Exclusive while Japan’s Ryuzo Kitajima and Feroza Niewmoed complete the top three.

A delighted Roberto said: “I can’t believe it. He did a 29 in our first four-star and you go off and have dressage lessons to try to improve that but I’ve been stuck in the low 30s ever since – which is fab, but I’ve not been able to break the 30s barrier again.

“He felt really good in there and deserved his score. This is his sixth year eventing – he’s an ex-racehorse who raced 25 times. I bought him for £700 to produce and sell over the winter – five years later he’s still here. The more I trained him, the better he got and he’s taken me round several four-stars, giving me experience at this level.”

It’s a first visit to Blair for Roberto, who is very excited to be here. “I can’t wait to get out on those hills. It can rain more as far as I’m concerned, I’m on a thoroughbred!”

George Bartlett and Conpierre lead the CCI3*L with a comparatively comfortable four point lead over Ireland’s Amelia Leeming on Overis Cavalier. Fellow Irish rider Susie Berry lies in third place on Irene Leva. Conpierre was produced to four-star by Sarah Bullimore before being bought by John Peace for George to ride.

“I knew he had a performance like that in him,” said George, who did the CCI2*L with him last year. “He’s a little dude; a dobbin to lead around but he can be spooky and sharp to ride. He doesn’t try to drop you, but he likes to have a good time. Having got him super-fit I was a bit worried about the dressage but we managed to just about hold it together.”

It’s a case of girl-power in the CCI2*L, the top three all posting sub-30 scores. Emma Carmichael and the aptly named Faerlie Flighty have the advantage, over Selina Milnes on Calling Cooley and German’s Josephine Schnaufer-Volkel with Cinnamon Red.

“I wasn’t expecting that,” Emma confessed. “He’s just six and very low mileage. He’s always struggled with the dressage – he’s still a bit weak and has a lot of building up to do. He also lives up to his name and is a bit flighty – he’s been quite excited to be here. I just wanted to keep a lid on him in the arena and I was so chuffed with him. That was the best he could have done at this stage, a personal best – Fiona Bell, his owner, was in tears!”

The two CCI1*L sections are currently led by Sarah Clark on Secret Affaer VII and Anna Gilchrist riding Kilimazing Topaz. Scores are tight at the top, and this isn’t going to be a dressage competition.

Three-, two-, and one-star dressage continues tomorrow, at 9am.

Ten of the CCI4*S combinations have performed their tests, with Ros Canter and Rehy Royal Diamond well out in front. The remaining competitors take to the arena from 12.30pm tomorrow.

Five Venues Confirmed as Bidders for 2026 FEI World Championships

By on Aug 24, 2023 9:30 am -

Germany’s Aachen has placed the only bid to run a full World Equestrian Games-style World Championship in 2026, as they did in 2006. Photo courtesy of CHIO Aachen/Andreas Steindl.

The FEI has today confirmed the shortlisted bidders for the FEI World Championships 2026. The shortlist comprises five Organising Committees who have applied to host events in various disciplines, as follows:

  • Aachen (GER) – Jumping, Dressage, Para Dressage, Eventing, Driving Four-in-Hand, Vaulting;
  • Boekelo (NED) – Eventing;
  • Burghley (GBR) – Eventing;
  • Al Ula (KSA) – Endurance;
  • Samorin (SVK) – Endurance;

The FEI Board will allocate the FEI World Championships 2026 at its in-person Board Meeting on 18 November 2023 in Mexico City (MEX), following a thorough review by the FEI Evaluation Commission and taking into account recommendations by the Technical Committees.

Following three decades of a unique host formula for senior World Championships under the FEI World Equestrian Games™ format, in 2022 the FEI returned to a more flexible approach accepting single and multiple World Championship bids with a focus on catering to the needs and specificities of each discipline. Herning (DEN) hosted hugely successful events in Jumping, Dressage, Para Dressage, and Vaulting whereas Eventing and Driving Four-in-Hand competitions took place at Pratoni Del Vivaro (ITA), venue of the 1960 Olympic equestrian events. The FEI Endurance World Championships 2022 were held at Butheeb (UAE) last February.

“We are very pleased with the variety of bids we have received,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said. “Following the outstanding FEI World Championships 2022 organised in Denmark, Italy and the UAE, we are confident this flexible approach with single and multiple bids serves not only the sport, but also the fans and the development of equestrian around the world, allowing different nations and venues to bid to host a major FEI event.”

The FEI World Championships 2026 in Jumping, Dressage, Para Dressage, and Eventing will be the first qualifying events for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The FEI World Championships have a long history. Dressage is the FEI discipline with the longest tradition of Championships. A Grand Prix de Dressage, organised in Lucerne (SUI) as early as 1927, had hosted 12 riders representing five nations. Official FEI Dressage Championships were organised on all non-Olympic years between 1930 and 1939 in Switzerland, France, Austria, Hungary, Germany, and Great Britain. The last such event took place in August 1939, only days before the outbreak of World War II.

The FEI tried to revive the event after the war with limited success. Participation gradually improved and European Championships were organised in 1963, which led to the first FEI Dressage World Championship held in Bern (SUI) three years later.

The first Para Dressage Championship, which took place under the leadership of the FEI, was held in July 2007 only a year after Para Equestrian came under the FEI umbrella. The event enjoyed a truly international representation gathering 133 athletes from 35 nations. Since 2010, FEI Dressage and Para Dressage Championships are being held concurrently.

The first FEI Jumping World Championship was organised in June 1953 at the Parc des Princes stadium in the south west of Paris (FRA). The event was drastically different from its modern equivalent as only 19 athletes from 11 countries, including Yugoslavia, Cambodia and the USA, competed. No women took part since female riders would not be able to enter Jumping competitions until 1956.

The first FEI Eventing World Championship was organised in 1966, the same year as the first FEI Dressage World Championship, at the beautiful estate of Lord Burghley in Lincolnshire, Great Britain. The Championship gathered 39 athletes representing five nations: Argentina, Great Britain, Ireland, USA, and USSR.

The previous year the FEI had established the configuration according to which World Championships in the Olympic discipline of Jumping were held every four years in the non-Olympic even years and continental championships were organised in the odd years. This pattern is still in use today for all the FEI Olympic and Paralympic disciplines.

 

The first edition of the FEI Driving World Championship for Four-in-Hand was held in 1972 in Münster (GER) two years after Driving had become an FEI discipline. Since then, the event continues to be organised every two years.

Endurance became an FEI discipline in 1982, one year before Vaulting. The championship histories of these two non-Olympic disciplines have run in parallel from the start with World Championships organised every other year on even years.

FEI Endurance European Championships had been held in 1984 and 1985 until the first FEI Endurance World Championship was organised in September 1986 at Pratoni del Vivaro (ITA).

In 1983, one year after Driving, Vaulting also joined the FEI. In 1984 the first FEI Vaulting European Championship was organised and was followed by another European edition in 1985. This second European edition was open to the rest of the world. A strong showing from the USA convinced the FEI the time had come for a World Championship. The first FEI Vaulting World Championship took place in in the small Swiss town of Bulle from 18 to 20 July 1986.

The inaugural FEI World Equestrian Games™ were held in the Swedish capital Stockholm with the 1912 Olympic stadium as the main venue. On the initiative of the then-FEI President HRH Prince Philip, the World Championships in all the FEI discipline were held in the same city from 14 July to 5 August 1990. Given the smooth organisation and success of these Games, what should have been a one-off event, was extended and seven more editions took place in The Hague (NED) in 1994, Rome (ITA) in 1998, Jerez de la Frontera (ESP) in 2002, Aachen (GER) in 2006, Lexington, KY (USA) in 2010, Normandy (FRA) in 2014, and Tryon, NC (USA) in 2018.

Dispatches from the Thoroughbred Makeover: 404 Entered; Digital Catalogue Now Live

By on Aug 19, 2023 2:13 pm -

Allison Thompson and Cactus Willie, 2017 Thoroughbred Makeover eventing champions. Photo courtesy of Retired Racehorse Project.

The 2023 RRP Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium at the Kentucky Horse Park is still a couple of months away, but now, we can tell you with some certainty that a whopping 404 horses will be aiming to take part in this year’s competition, a figure that’s been confirmed with this week’s close of entries. You can take a look at the entries, which include a huge number of eventing prospects, here.

With the release of the entries has come the reveal of this year’s ASPCA Makeover Marketplace catalogue, with over 100 Makeover graduates available and looking for a new home. You’ll be able to see them in action, take a ride, and potentially find your heart horse, all in one place. Take a browse through what’s on the market here.

Volunteers are still gratefully welcomed for this year’s Makeover, which will take place from October 11–14. Can you donate your time at the Makeover? There’s a variety of jobs and shifts available whether you have horse show experience or not!

There are two great opportunities to donate money or goods to this year’s Makeover and help Thoroughbreds blossom: you can donate to the Fund-a-Need program, currently sitting just shy of $7500, or donate an item or experience — or buy one! — for this year’s silent auction.

Or perhaps your style of participation is cheering on OTTBs and their people — and that’s great, too! Admission is free every day of the competition, and we’ll be bringing you news and updates, too.

Go eventing — and Go Thoroughbreds!

 

 

Horse & Country To Provide Exclusive Livestream and On-Demand Coverage of the 2023 USEA American Eventing Championships

By on Aug 15, 2023 12:30 pm -

Molly Adams & Caletto’s Symphony. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photo.

Horse & Country (H&C), the leading international sports network, will provide exclusive streaming coverage of the 2023 United States Eventing Association (USEA) American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds on its streaming service, H&C+. The competition will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, from August 29-September 3, and will feature many of North America’s best eventing combinations as well as the sport’s rising stars.

The AEC is the USEA’s annual championship for every level of the Olympic equestrian sport of eventing, from Beginner Novice to the $60,000 Adequan® USEA Advanced Final. H&C will broadcast worldwide live coverage of all three phases of the $60,000 Adequan® USEA Advanced Final at the AEC, as well as select coverage from the Intermediate, Preliminary, Training, and Modified divisions. In addition, livestream coverage from the Novice and Beginner Novice divisions will be available for free. All of the action will be available the following day for H&C+ members to view on demand, and clips will be available for purchase. Visit www.horseandcountry.tv for the full streaming timetable.

H&C Director of Content Jonathan Rippon said, “We are thrilled to feature the USEA American Eventing Championships on our livestream schedule, and we hope that fans of the sport and competitors at the AEC will enjoy H&C’s expanded livestream coverage of all divisions this year. As one of the premier eventing competitions in the United States and a highlight on our USEA Channel, we are very pleased to share it with our worldwide audience.”

USEA CEO Rob Burk added, “We are very happy to continue our strong partnership with H&C. The American Eventing Championships showcases the best of the eventing sport, from the junior and amateur athletes to the seasoned professionals. Being able to share even more of this important competition with H&C’s broad audience in 2023 is very exciting.”

The 2023 AEC concludes 10 straight days of eventing programming on H&C, which kicks off on August 25, 2023, with the exclusive livestream of the MARS Great Meadow International CCI4*-S in The Plains, Virginia.

In addition to top-notch live sport, H&C has extensive educational content for eventing fans. Learn more about the AEC Kentucky Horse Park venue in a behind-the-scenes Barn Talk. Also, Masterclasses with U.S. Olympic eventer Lauren Nicholson and notable international eventers Sydney Elliott (USA) and Kai Steffen-Meier (GER) were recently released, joining the already impressive Masterclass line-up, including U.S. Olympic eventer Will Coleman and top international eventer Liz Halliday-Sharp (USA). A Masterclass with Ariel Grald (USA) will be available just after MARS Great Meadow International on August 29, 2023.

H&C+ members can watch online or with H&C’s mobile apps, as well as on Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, and Amazon Fire. With two annual membership options and a new pay-per-view offering, H&C+ Freestyle, there are even more ways to access H&C’s vast library of content. Full details on how to join can be found at horseandcountry.tv/select-plan.

Beyond H&C’s extensive sports coverage, both live and on demand, H&C+ members also get access to more than 1,800 hours of equestrian programming featuring content from all disciplines, masterclasses and training series, barn tours, rider profiles, and documentaries.

Piggy March and Burghley-Bound Brookfield Inocent Win NAF Magic CCI4*-S at Hartpury

By on Aug 14, 2023 10:30 am -

Piggy March and Brookfield Inocent. Photo by Jasmine Punter Photography.

Piggy March enjoyed a birthday to remember at the NAF Five Star International Hartpury Horse Trials, winning the NAF Magic CCI4*S for the second year running and the fourth time in her illustrious career. Piggy now becomes the rider with the most wins in this competition.

The pair had started the 2023 competition as the hot favourites according to EquiRatings, but managed to go one better than when they finished as runners up in this class in 2019. The 14-year-old gelding owned by Alison Swinburn and John and Chloe Berry, came to Hartpury fresh from a win at Aston Le Walls in a competitive Advanced section.

As one of four rides for Piggy in the CCI4*S, Burghley-bound Brookfield Inocent jumped a clear round in the showjumping before relishing the conditions around Eric Winter’s imposing cross country track that rewarded bold riding.

Piggy explained: “This horse has had some time off, so this is all about getting him back to top level and making sure that he feels good. It’s a brilliant course and I’m excited because he made the time easily, and it really set him up for Burghley. I came here purposefully with him to give him a good set up and make sure that he’s back to his best. He gave me a great spin.”

Alluding to the ground conditions for this year’s event, Piggy added: “They do such a brilliant job here. With the grass covering, it was really perfect ground.”

The Hartpury CCI4*S has proven a reliable preparation for Piggy previously, who went on to win Burghley in 2022 with Vanir Kamira after winning at the Gloucestershire event.

Piggy showed her suitability for Hartpury’s undulations, also guiding her other three horses to clear rounds across the country. Halo and Coolparks Sarco had steady clear rounds with an eye to the future, while day one dressage leader Brookfield Cavalier Cruise picked up just 6.4 time penalties. He and Coolparks Sarco each had a rail down in the showjumping, while Halo jumped clear in the second phase.

Eric Winter’s CCI4*S track saw 60 of the 81 starters jump a clear round. While no particular combination caused any serious problem, fence 23, the Ermin Plant Woodside was set on an acute angle, inviting four combinations to run past.

Two withdrawals from the top ten after the showjumping opened the door for those combinations to come, with the most notable being the withdrawal of the dressage leader Alex Hua Tian and Jilsonne Van Bareelhof. William Fox-Pitt and Grafennacht also withdrew after jumping a clear round in the show jumping.

Pippa Funnell’s Burghley 2019 winner MGH Grafton Street, who lay second after dressage, lowered two rails in the show jumping before refusing at fence 9, the Hartpury Brush, with Pippa then opting to retire. Pippa’s Bramham winner MCS Maverick continues to grow in confidence, jumping a double clear and adding 8 time penalties on the cross country. Billy Wonder’s clear in both jumping phases lifted Pippa to 10th place.

Several combinations moved into the top ten thanks to accomplished cross country rounds. Wiltshire-based David Doel finished with his two rides in the top seven. Galileo Nieuwmoed and Ferro Point put in faultless jumping rounds in both phases finishing 2nd and 7th place respectively.

Felicity Collins added 2 time penalties to her dressage and improved on her dressage placing, finishing in 3rd place. Bubby Upton and Cola III added 5.2 time penalties to their dressage score finishing in 4th.

Burghley-bound horses used the Hartpury hill as a taste of what’s to come this autumn, with Zara Tindall and Class Affair also having a faultless spin in both jumping phases and finishing in 9th place.

To find out more, visit https://www.hartpuryequineevents.co.uk/naf-five-star-hartpury-international-horse-trials/. You can also view on-demand replays from the live stream with your H&C+ membership here.

Boyd Martin Takes the Win (and more) in the CCI4* at the Bromont Olympic Equestrian Park

By on Aug 12, 2023 7:50 pm -

BROMONT, QC – August 12, 2023 – American Olympian Boyd Martin (Cochranville, PA), came to Bromont to prepare his very best horses for the biggest event in the world. He should leave feeling fairly confident, having taken the win in the CCI4* Saturday afternoon with his Tokyo Olympic mount Tsetserleg on a final score of 52 points. He also took third with On Cue (56.1), and fifth with Commando 3 (59.3), as well as third in the 3* with Contessa (44.6).

American Olympian Boyd Martin captured the win in the Bromont CCI4*-S with Tsetserleg, following Saturday’s third and final phase at the Bromont Olympic Equestrian Park. © Cealy Tetley Photography

With the event running as a ‘short format’, the dressage and show jumping phases were completed Friday, leaving the exciting cross-country as the final and deciding phase Saturday.

Given the rain of the past three weeks, it was expected that galloping times would be conservative, and riders would tread carefully. Thankfully the ground held up well, and the organizers were generous with stone chips and gravel as needed on takeoff and landings to ensure safety across all levels. Time was the deciding factor Saturday, with every FEI rider save one (Canada’s Jessica Phoenix, winner of the 2* with Tugce) adding time faults to their overall score.

“The footing ended up being fantastic,” remarked Martin following his third and final round in the 4* division. “I think the whole field just looked after their horses, when the ground got quite boggy and soft. 80% of the course was very good — it was just small sections where everyone balanced their horses and looked after them a bit. Thomas (Tsetserleg) hasn’t jumped a cross-country jump since June so he was a little rusty at the beginning, but it’s a good fitness run for him. This was a perfect run over a big course and now we’ll wrap Thomas and ‘Cue’ up in cotton wool and be in England in a couple of weeks!”

The overnight leaders, Canadian Olympian Colleen Loach (Dunham, QC) and FE Golden Eye added a total of 22.8 time faults (compared to the 18 of Martin and Tsetserleg) to finish on a final score of 54.5 and settle for second place.

Canadian Olympian Colleen Loach (Dunham, QC) finished second in the CCI4* division with FE Golden Eye, between Boyd Martin in first and third (and fifth.) © Cealy Tetley Photography

In the CCI3* division, it was Caroline Pamukcu (nee Martin, Riegelsville, PA) who took the top two spots, leading wire-to-wire with HSH Connor and moving HSH Double Sixteen from sixth overnight up into second. Both added time, but Double Sixteen held it to a very respectable 7.6 faults, finishing on scores of 42.2 and 43.8 penalties respectively.

Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Connor in the CCI3* division.
© Cealy Tetley Photography

“For us, it’s important to schedule our horses for competitions where they will learn, and I always find Bromont has a hard cross-country track,” explained Pamukcu. “It’s important for me to educate these horses for the future and for Teams, not just go to local shows and win.

Caroline Pamukcu and and HSH Double Sixteen in the CCI3* division.
© Cealy Tetley Photography

“[Connor] found the course easy and it’s good for him to practice in the mud. But he’s used to it – he spent six months in England last year – this wasn’t that muddy for us!

“I didn’t have to push to make the time, as I was late to go. I knew I could still win and had a few time faults to play with so we played it smart. What I love about Bromont is it’s super education for the horses. It really gets them ready for future team competition. If they go around here, I know they are ready for the world stage at whatever level they’re at.”

Lea Adams-Blackmore (Summit Point, WV) and Frostbite took the win in the CCIU253* section, leading from start to finish. They added no jumping faults over cross-country and just 9.2 time penalties, to finish on a final score of 47.1.

Lea Adams-Blackmore and Frostbite took the win in the CCIU253*. © Cealy Tetley Photography

Canadian Olympian Jessica Phoenix (Cannington, ON) took the top honours in the CCI2* with Tugce, another wire-to-wire win and the only FEI rider on the property to finish on their dressage score (29.9) and come in under the time allowed on cross-country. Americans Ariel Grald with Adagio’s Nobility and Jennie Saville with Kismet finished second and third on 36.9 and 38.3. Canada’s Kelly Belanger was the highest placed U252* rider, completing on a final score of 65.1 with Murphy’s Got Charm.

Canadian Olympian Jessica Phoenix and Tugce, the only FEI pair to finish on their dressage score this weekend and not add any time penalties following cross-country. © Cealy Tetley Photography

“THE DREAM TEAM” of Caroline Pamukcu (HSH Connor), Boyd Martin (Contessa), Lea Adams-Blackmore (Frostbite) and Ryan Wood (Check Point) took the win in the CCI3* Teams competition, as well as finishing with the lowest team score overall of 133.90.

Susana Tezanos Moreno (CAN) and French Kiss took the win in the Open EV110 division, finishing on a final score of 43.2, and Shanon Baker (USA) topped the Open EV100 with Creevagh City HSH on 30.4.

Full final results for all Individual sections and Teams can be found at www.evententries.com

Six countries were represented across the seven levels of competiton: CCI4*-S, CCI3*-S, CCIU253*-S, CCI2*-S, CCIU252*-S, EV110 and EV100 as well a Team Challenge modelled after the incredibly successful and popular MidSouth Team Challenge. The fun Team Challenge was designed to give riders an introduction to the experience of riding on and strategizing as a team, with the end goal of finishing a full team with the lowest combined score possible.

Canadian Olympian Colleen Loach Saves the Best for Last Taking the Lead in the FEI CCI4*-S Ahead of Boyd Martin and Saturday’s Cross-Country in Bromont

By on Aug 11, 2023 8:45 pm -

Canadian Olympian Colleen Loach (Dunham, QC) with FE Golden Eye, currently lead the CCI4*-S division heading into Saturday’s final cross-country phase of the Bromont CCI at the Bromont Olympic Equestrian Park. © Cealy Tetley Photography

Canada’s Colleen Loach (Dunham, QC) and FE Golden Eye saved the best for last Friday at the Bromont Olympic Equestrian Park, taking over the lead as the very last to go in the FEI CCI4* division of the Bromont CCI.

Heading into Saturday’s third and final phase, they sit on their dressage score of 31.7 penalties, as one of only three double-clean show jumping rounds in a very competitive 4* division that saw everyone complete dressage and show jumping Friday, followed by cross-country Saturday.

Loach and ‘Goldie’ ousted US Olympian Boyd Martin from the top spot (on not one but two of his top mounts); Loach has the slimmest of margins with which to maintain her lead on what will surely be a decisive day of cross-country action.

“It was a tough course [in the show jumping ring] with lots of tight turns to square oxers,” commented Loach after her show jumping round. “The triple combination caused a lot of trouble. Goldie is an amazing jumper so I just rode it very forward and he jumped really well.”

In the CCI-S or short format, the event finishes with the exciting cross-country phase Saturday, where mistakes are costly as penalty points come in multiples of 20, rather than four as in the show jumping arena.

America’s Boyd Martin with his Tokyo Olympic partner Tsetserleg, currently sitting in second in the CCI4* division.
© Cealy Tetley Photography

Having received a fair amount of rain in the area over the past three weeks, riders will be looking to guide their horses with care to find the best path over the softer ground.

Boyd Martin (Cochranville, PA) currently sits in second with his Tokyo Olympics and Lima Pan-Am double-gold-medal mount Tsetserleg; third with On Cue, with whom he won the 4*-S here at June’s MARS Bromont CCI, as well as the 2021 5*-L in Maryland; and sixth with Commando 3 (not to leave out Contessa, sitting second in the 3*.) Historically ‘Cue’ has put in some very good rounds in deep and even muddy going and Saturday will be anyone’s game.

Boyd Martin and On Cue currently sit in third in the CCI4* division. © Cealy Tetley Photography

Fellow American Caroline Pamukcu leads the CCI3* with HSH Connor on 29.0, with Martin and Contessa less than a point behind in second on 29.8. Australia’s Ryan Wood and Cooley Gentleman round out the top three on 33.7. Pamukcu also sits in fourth and sixth with HSH Tolan King and HSH Double Sixteen respectively.

Six countries are represented across the seven levels of competition: CCI4*-S, CCI3*-S, CCIU253*-S, CCI2*-S, CCIU252*-S, EV110 and EV100 as well a Team Challenge modelled after the incredibly successful and popular MidSouth Team Challenge. The fun Team Challenge is designed to give riders an introduction to the experience of riding on and strategizing as a team, with the end goal of finishing a full team with the lowest combined score possible.

Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Connor, leading in the CCI3* division. © Cealy Tetley Photography

The “Quebec Rules” team of Emma McHugh (Imperial), Juliette Veronneau (Kilkenny), Anne Castaigne (Cashemire) and Lea-Claude Pelletier (Vanquish) are currently the leading EV100 team on a total score of 82 penalties.

In the CCI3* “The Dream Team” of Caroline Pamukcu (HSH Connor), Boyd Martin (Contessa), Ryan Wood (Check Point) and Lea Adams-Blackmore (Frostbite) are well out ahead of “The Riff Raff” on scores of 96.100 and 125.80 respectively.

You can view the cross country course via CrossCountryApp below (or click here if the embedded material below does not display / to see tracks for all levels):

Bromont International H.T. (Bromont, Canada): [Website] [Live Scores]

Piggy March Leads the Way after Day One at NAF Five Star International Hartpury Horse Trials

By on Aug 11, 2023 4:30 pm -

Piggy March and Brookfield Inocent. Photo by Jasmine Punter Photography.

The NAF Five Star International Hartpury Horse Trials is seemingly a happy hunting ground for Piggy March, who heads into the NAF Magic CCI4*S competition as the hot favourite with Brookfield Inocent.

On the first day of dressage, it was stablemate Brookfield Cavalier Cruise that helped raise the chances of a repeat success, with Piggy having taken this competition in 2022 with Vanir Kamira. As her second ride and entering the arena almost at the end of the first day, the imposing gelding scored 28.1 from an experienced ground jury made up of Poland’s Kasia Konarska, Italy’s Agostino Guerolsi and Great Britain’s Ann Bostock.

Going into the lunch break, Piggy led the way with her first ride of the day, Coolparks Sarco who put in a superb test in the Gloucestershire sunshine. A score of 28.9 gave the James and Jo Lambert-owned 11-year-old the advantage early on, as he heads into this competition fresh from a hat trick of wins.

Speaking shortly after her first test, Piggy explained: “He gets more and more relaxed with each test that he does, which is what you are aiming for in training. He was very chilled, and I am very pleased with him.”

A notable performance of the afternoon came from Bubby Upton with Cola III, a horse that had impressed at Badminton this spring finishing in eighth place. Here, she led the way for much of the afternoon thanks to a test score of 28.3.

As usual, a number of 5* combinations feature among the entries for this year’s 4*S. Izzy Taylor and Happy Days lie in fifth place after the first day having scored 30.4. Zara Tindall and Class Affair are hoping to continue a run of form following eye-catching performances at both Bramham and Aston-le-Walls. They scored 31.6 and lie in eighth place.

Here are your leaders after dressage at the NAF Five Star International Hartpury Horse Trials:

NAF Magic CCI4*S
1️⃣…

Posted by Hartpury Equine International Events on Friday, August 11, 2023

New Zealand’s Jesse Campbell and wife, Great Britain’s Georgie Campbell were both in action on Thursday. Jesse scored 29.0 with his Bramham ride Gambesie (who finished in third place) and lies in fourth place, while Georgie scored 31.0 with Darcy De La Rose and lies in sixth place.

Former student Saffron Creswell had two rides. Vivendi Hero scored 33.2 and is in 13th place overnight, while her other ride Funny Guy scored 34.6 and is in 18th place overnight.

In the other International Arena, the NAF Metazone CCI2*L saw 39 combinations come forward on the first day, in front of a ground jury headed up by President John Lyttle from Ireland, alongside Great Britain’s Lizzel Winter and Jane Tolley. One of the later riders in the morning session, Brazil’s Marcello Carvalho Jorge and Linkin Park K (pictured) took the lead into the lunch break with a score of 28.5. No riders managed to better his score and he held onto the lead for the rest of the day. The top three places are a very international affair with New Zealand’s Jesse Campbell and Gracie de la Rose in second place with 28.6 and British rider Chelsea Pearce riding Kilnaboy Buffet in third place with 29.2.

Riders in the NAF Superflex CCI3*L will perform their test indoors, and the welcome shade of the Hartpury Arena saw a number of combinations that have been to this venue previously. An experienced ground jury made up of France’s Xavier Le Sauce (President) alongside Great Britain’s Annabel Scrimgeour and Douglas Hibbert, cast their eyes over 39 horses on the first day.

Halfway through the morning Jason Wood and Nitor performed a polished test to score 29.8 to take the lead, which he still held onto at lunch time. The leaderboard remained largely unchanged for most of the day until local rider Tom Woodward and Jaeger Master came three from the end, scoring 29.6 and meaning Jason had to settle for second place. Things weren’t settled yet, as the final pairing of the day Millie Juleff and Viktor Krum (pictured) did a fabulous test to knock both of them into second and third place respectively, scoring 26.4 and leading after the first day of dressage.

To view scores and start lists, click here.

Cross country will be streamed live on Horse & Country (subscription or one-time event pass required). You can find out more here — the action kicks off at 3 a.m. EST.

Take a look at the cross country track:

Cross country day 2023 is almost here!

Don’t forget, head to the Hartpury Equine Events website for tickets or follow…

Posted by Hartpury Equine International Events on Friday, August 11, 2023

Missives from the Mongol Derby: We Have a Winner!

By on Aug 11, 2023 12:00 pm -

A winner is crowned! Photo courtesy of the Mongol Derby.

As the sun rose over the steppe on Day 9 there was a sense of expectation in the air. Lead rider Linda LHE was sitting pretty at HS27, a mere 60km from the finish and exquisitely positioned, should all go well, to claim the 2023 Derby title by mid-day. Crew were up at the crack of dawn, herders had horses organized and ready, and when the clock chimed 0700 Linda was out the door on her way to the finish.

Camped between HS26 – HS27 Judith JJA, Xavier XFE and Moazzam MHK were also well on their way first thing, looking to narrow the gap between themselves and the leader; and chaser Matthew MPE back at HS26 set out to continue his relentless push towards the finish line. With this tight of a race, it could still come down to the wire. One penalty, a slow horse, an unscheduled dismount and everything could change.

Photo courtesy of the Mongol Derby.

The crew watched Linda’s progress with bated breath while reports began pinging in that she had drawn a rather “measured pace” horse: in other words it was a somewhat leisurely ride to HS28 with the chasing pack baying at her heels.

Most notably Matthew MPE blasted up the field from fifth position and overtook chaser Xavier, Judith and Moazzam coming through HS28. Galloping down the home stretch was Linda on a much more lively horse (after a redraw of horses due to an unscheduled mud bath outside of HS28) with Matthrew MPE just a couple of hours behind.

Photo courtesy of the Mongol Derby.

The crowd was assembled at the finish line to welcome Linda as she approached shortly after noon. Head vet Anna, presiding at the finish, waited patiently while Linda cooled her horse. The riders have 30 minutes to present to the vet after checking in; any infraction of the vet check parameters results in a penalty which could have changed results immeasurably. Word came down that at the first check the horse’s heart rate was still slightly above the accepted 56 beats per minute. The crowd was silent and respectful while Linda continued to cool her horse and you would never have known that this was anything other than a routine vet check by Linda’s outward sense of calm. Finally Anna gave the crowd a thumbs up – Linda’s horse had passed the vet check and she was officially cheered as the 2023 winner of the Mongol Derby.

Photo courtesy of the Mongol Derby.

Coming in behind her, Matthew crossed the finish line shortly after with Xavier, Judith and Moazzam not far behind. His push to the finish on Day 9 paid off and with a clean vet check he officially earned second place. Judith followed to great applause, her stunning display of horsemanship and resilience earning her a third place finish; Xavier fourth, and Moazzam (who had ridden the last leg with a foot injury) claiming fifth place.

Photo courtesy of the Mongol Derby.

The action wasn’t over for the day, however, as Holly HCO our resident 2022 Gaucho Derby winner claimed a solid sixth place; and the balance of Team Pak Fahad FJA, Omer OHK and Umair UKA rode over the line to capture a joint seventh.

Some of the “horde” overnighted at HS27; a couple of dedicated campers (Chyulu CFA and Aisha AGR) camped between HS27 – HS28; and a few intrepid souls overnighted at HS28 ready to ride out on Day 10 at 7am on the dot.

Although a winner has been declared, the race is still very much not over with many thrilling tales yet to tell. Stay tuned tomorrow… and follow along here for more updates!

Watch highlights from Day 9:

Join Laura Collett and Megan Elphick for a London Masterclass with Richard Waygood MBE

By on Aug 10, 2023 12:00 pm -

Photo Credit: London International Horse Show

The organisers of The London International Horse Show have today announced the next instalment of the LeMieux Masterclass Series.

Taking place on Sunday December 17 in the New Horizon Plastics London Arena, world-renowned coach Richard Waygood MBE will present Grassroots to Glory starring Olympic medallist Laura Collett MBE, and YouTube personality and equestrian Megan Elphick. The masterclass will be a 360-degree review of achieving competition success, aimed at both amateurs and experienced riders alike.

The 45-minute session will feature a demonstration of top-level techniques broken down into stepping-stone exercises for the audience to take home and put into action. Waygood will guide the audience through an exploration of producing a successful competition partnership all the way from establishing the essentials and improving technique, to making those all-important steps up the levels – illuminated by a few of his own tips and tricks learnt across his long and successful career.

Currently the British Equestrian Federation’s Technical Director and Eventing Performance Manager, Waygood has a string of achievements, including riding at Badminton and Burghley Horse Trials, his long tenure as Riding Master of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, and an MBE for services to equestrianism. Waygood will be joined by Laura Collett and Megan Elphick, who will be putting into action his words of wisdom.

Photo Credit: London International Horse Show

Olympic medallist and multiple Champion, Laura Collett is no stranger to the London International. Having previously starred in the Show’s Dressage Unwrapped Masterclass in 2022, Laura returns to the venue on a high following her brilliant win at the 5* Luhmühlen Horse Trials aboard London 52. The chance to learn from Laura – one of the brightest stars of international eventing – is sure to be a real treat for the Show’s audience.

YouTuber Megan Elphick joins the Masterclass following a popular appearance in last year’s Winter Survival Guide Masterclass with Pippa Funnell. Megan, who inspires a huge number of followers by sharing her grassroots journey in her vlogs, will be helping Richard and Laura demonstrate the essentials of good foundations to a horse’s education.

Waygood said, “I’m really pleased to be bringing this LeMieux Masterclass to the London International Horse Show this year. It has been brilliant to be so closely involved with the Show’s Masterclasses in previous years, and with the introduction of the New Horizon Plastics London Arena it’s fantastic to be able to put these demos at the heart of the Show. Laura and Megan are great fun – and it’s looking to be a great line-up!”

Simon Brooks-Ward, Show Director, said, “We are delighted to be welcoming back Richard, Laura and Megan to the London International. It’s a real pleasure to be able to put top-level riders in front of our keen audience to share their knowledge. We know there is a strong appetite to learn and the LeMieux Masterclass series will deliver in spades.”

More information about The London International Horse Show, including how to buy tickets can be found here.

Riders from Seven Nations set to Compete in the Bromont CCI-S at the Bromont Olympic Equestrian Park

By on Aug 10, 2023 9:30 am -

Boyd Martin on Asti’s Charming. Photo by Abby Powell.

Nearly 100 competitors from across seven nations are en route and arriving to the Bromont Olympic Equestrian Park today, primed to compete in this weekend’s multi-level CCI-S, in the Olympic sport of three-day eventing.

General admission and parking are free to the public for dressage and show jumping on Friday, and the exciting and spectator friendly cross-country on Saturday. Thursday will see riders giving their horses the chance to become acclimatized with the competition arena, as well as taking every opportunity to walk (on foot) the extensive cross-country courses and begin making their plans for Saturday.

For some of the best riders in the world, the event is being used as a ‘prep run’ before heading overseas to compete at the Defender Burghley Horse Trials in the United Kingdom, one of the largest CCI5* events in the world.

Top horse and rider combinations currently entered include American Olympian Boyd Martin with Tsetserleg and On Cue; Canadian Olympians Jessica Phoenix with Freedom GS and Watson GS and Colleen Loach with FE Golden Eye; Australian Ryan Wood with Cooley Flight, Great Britain’s Lucienne Bellissimo with Dari and Tremanton; Ireland’s Michael Nolan with Fernhill Galavant and Cool Macallan; Belgian Jan van Gysel with Eiffel de L’Abbaye and Spain’s Susana Tezanos-Moreno with French Kiss.

Photo by Abby Powell.

The levels of eventing offered this weekend include: CCI4*-S, CCI3*-S, CCIU253*-S, CCI2*-S, CCIU252*-S, EV110 and EV100 as well a new Team Challenge modelled after the incredibly successful and popular MidSouth Team Challenge. The fun Team Challenge is designed to give riders an introduction to the experience of riding on and strategizing as a team, with the end goal of finishing a full team with the lowest combined score possible.

Local Olympian Colleen Loach (Dunham, QC) has been a Canadian team member since 2015. She participated in the Rio and Tokyo Olympics, the FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Tryon (2018) as well as winning bronze at two Pan-American Games in both Toronto and Lima. Loach will be participating in the CCI2* and CCI4* divisions.

“Bromont is one of my favourite competitions and not just because it’s my ‘hometown’ event,” says Loach. “Bromont’s charm is its low-key, top class atmosphere in a beautiful setting. The rolling terrain makes for excellent cross-country and Derek DiGrazia is my favourite course designer which definitely adds to the appeal. We are lucky to call this event our own and a big thank you must go out to the organizing committee for keeping it alive and persevering through the turmoils of the past few years.”

Fellow Canadian Teammates Jessica Phoenix of Cannington, ON (5-time Pan-Am medalist and Canadian Olympian) and Selena O’Hanlon of Kingston, ON (Canadian Olympian with multiple World Championship starts and team silver medals from the 2010 WEG in Lexington, KY and the 2011 Pan-Am Games in Guadalajara, MEX) join Loach on the current list of entries.

For a full list of entries to date click here.

With a venue among the best in the world and cross-country courses designed by Derek DiGrazia (USA) and Jay Hambly (CAN), the MARS Bromont CCI4*, ‘Little Bromont’ and August Bromont CCI4* offer a true test for horse and rider in the perfect ‘summer resort’ setting of beautiful Bromont, Quebec.

Bromont International H.T.: [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]

Catching Up With the Mongol Derby, Day 3: Gazelles and Camels and Spas, Oh My

By on Aug 6, 2023 10:38 am -
Photo courtesy of the Mongol Derby. Photo courtesy of the Mongol Derby.

The weather continued to play a major part on Day 3 in this 2023 edition of the Derby, with the riders enduring another blistering day followed by a biblical downpour just around the time they were tucking into their tents/gers/goat sheds.. If you’ve never been caught in a Mongolian thunderstorm you are missing one of the finest examples of the power of Mother Nature. You can go from parched and dried-out tongue-hanging-out sticky hotness to saturated sogginess in a matter of minutes. Lucky for most riders, they had an initiation into the fickleness of weather at start camp and are by now experienced weather-weatherers.

Weather notwithstanding, the beauty of the steppe did not disappoint today. Jessie JDO had an incredible day of solo riding, even encountering a gazelle in the mountains somewhere around HS8. Not to be outdone, Micaiah, MSO and Alice ARO rode up to a rock in the middle of nowhere and promptly discovered it was a camel catching up on its beauty sleep. By the time these riders return to the former lives, they will have accumulated a plethora of visual memories to sustain them for a lifetime.

Photo courtesy of the Mongol Derby.

It wasn’t all gazelle-gazing and camel-contemplating though; Randy RCA continued his lost-horse streak with another parting of the ways early in the day. “I think I did something in my past life that I’m paying for now – I’m cursed” he said. Maybe now is a good time for all of us to send him some good ju-ju as he’s not only trying his best out here but displaying exceptional good humour and sportsmanship regardless of his misfortune. As a side note, Randy, a bonafide cowboy, is riding with English leathers which is a first for him. Kudos to you Randy and wishing you less horse-searching and more horse-riding from here on.

Today also had all manner of “creative navigation” (as we all it here in HQ) with the likes of Judith JJA doing a u-turn between HS5 – HS6. It looked at one point that Phoebe PRA was making for the nearest village in search of a cold beer break, but in reality she was showing some navigational prowess in her efforts to avoid the treacherous bogs. Meanwhile, further back on the course, Izzy IDS did a walk-about in the desert but managed to park her horse with a local family and then gratefully accepted a carry forward with EM Louise.

Photo courtesy of the Mongol Derby.

Bumps and bruises are a natural part of the Derby and many a rider has gone home missing a few layers of skin or sporting some gnarly discolouration on various parts of the body. Reid RAL however, who is riding with a prosthesis as he lost his right leg in Afghanistan in 2012, has had more than his share of discomfort. He relearned to ride as part of his rehabilitation program and has been showing us true grit out here on the steppe. He developed “a bit of a blister” which was attended by medic Ness.

Photo courtesy of the Mongol Derby.

Hilaire’s HBL horse at HS 8 spooked and she made an emergency exit stage left and has suffered minor injuries. She’s currently in UB to getting it checked but by all accounts is looking to get back out to the steppe as soon as possible. You can’t keep a good Brit down.

The Pakistani team found themselves camping near an ancient well and seized the opportunity to have a steppe-special spa day. They set up showers and had even brought along a speaker, playing some spa-appropriate music just as Mother Nature brewed up one more epic steppe storm.

Photo courtesy of the Mongol Derby.

Madliene MHA, Ashlin AOC, and Alice ARO were on the lookout for a camping location when a good Samaritan happened by, offering up accommodations for the night and even distributing apples for snacks. Sadly, however, they realized that her ger was at least 10km away and unreachable prior to riding cut off time so they sought shelter with a neighbour. They found their nightly accommodations just in the nick of time before the skies opened up with another steppe-special deluge.

On the other hand, Emmelia EPO & Martin MMC weren’t as fortunate in their camping experience, rocking up in a muddy goat shed for the night – just another authentic Mongolian experience to add to their collection. You’re nobody unless you’ve been in a goat shed in Mongolia for the night.

Race Day 3 – Mongol Derby 2023 from The Equestrianists on Vimeo.

The front is heating up, but it’s still anyone’s race: one lost horse, vet penalty or error in navigation could seriously switch things up. Here are the field positions at the end of racing on Day 3:

HS9:
XFE
MPE
TNE
JJA
LHE

HS8:
MSO
HBC
RDJ
JDO
LJO
HCO
RAL
PRA
CFA
ADO
AGK
KDU
SFL
DGJ

Between HS7 – HS8:
ESY
JRA
SPY
EPO
MMC
MHK
OHK
MHA
FJA
UKA
AOC
ARO

At HS7:
LPE
BRA
OGA
SCO

Between HS6 – HS7:
SPE
RCA
IDS

Retired:
RHE
EAS

Check out @mongolderby for up-to-the-minute race updates, or head to the Mongol Derby website for more information and live tracking of this crazy trail!

Catching Up With the Mongol Derby, Day 2: Are We There Yet?

By on Aug 4, 2023 1:45 pm -

Photo courtesy of the Mongol Derby.

Day 2 is when the reality of this race tends to sink in. The adrenaline has worn down a bit and the nerves have settled, but there are still a lot of miles to go. These riders are a tough bunch though, and to even make it to the start line takes immense preparation and skill, not to mention a bit of bravado and disregard for comfort.

Day 2 saw a lot of unscheduled dismounts, a few lost horses, some more epic camping tales, and the field beginning to separate between the hard core racers vs the adventure seekers.

You have to be resourceful out here in the wilds of Mongolia and Phoebe PRA is no stranger to a bit of hustle. This is her second go at the Derby, having competed in 2022, and she clearly came to the steppe fully prepared to improvise when needed. After drawing a somewhat trim horse she discovered her girth straps didn’t have enough holes to allow her girth to be tightened appropriately. Not to worry though, she teamed up with a herder who punched new holes for her with a sharpened gazelle antler. There’s nothing like good old fashioned steppe creativity.

Speaking of resilience, Holly HCO, the reigning joint winner of the 2022 Gaucho Derby, displayed her trademark grit after a tumble with her horse at HS5. Although presented with the option to redraw her horse, she opted to keep him, remounted and blasted out of the station. At close of business on Day 2 she was with the lead pack at HS6 albeit with a late riding penalty that will see her a bit late out of HS6 in the morning.

Photo courtesy of the Mongol Derby.

There are a few spicy horses out on the course which challenge even the most talented riders. Rollo RDJ parted ways with his between HS4 and HS5 but it was quick-thinking EM Maggie and Tsedenbaljir to the rescue. Tsedenbaljir’s family is one of the incredible host families out here on the steppe and with the assistance of their talented driver, his Lexus and a lasso pole out the window, the horse’s romp-about came to an abrupt end. Since the horse politely declined to be mounted once again, RDJ was temporarily promoted to Maggie’s assistant as she made the rounds checking on campers, and hitched a ride to the next horse station where he’ll ride out again in the morning.

Speaking of herding families, Ganzorig.L is the herding family at HS and Tsedenbaljir.M has been providing horses for the Mongol Derby for three years running. He is known for his fast and feisty horses who call these grassy sand dunes home. His sons are champion horse catchers, being highly skilled with a lasso pole. (But can they catch a horse from a Lexus like their dad? We’ll try to find out.) He treated all the riders who stayed at his station last night with airag (fermented mare’s milk). Enjoying airag with a herder family is as close to a Derby rite of passage as you can get.

Photo courtesy of the Mongol Derby.

The thrill of camping between horse stations has not yet worn off, with a good half of the field once again parking up wherever they were on the steppe at the close of riding hours.

Sid SPY and Jock JRA happened upon a luxury ger camp to stay the night but found themselves with a rather unlikely roommate in the form of a massive Bankhar guard dog who decided the bed was his and that they could just suck it. The dog apparently didn’t budge the entire night.

Olivia OGA, Bianca BFA, and Lexi LPE were not only hosted by an amazing herder family, but found themselves under a breathtaking rainbow. Not sure they found the pot of gold but the rewards of the day were perhaps enough.

Photo courtesy of the Mongol Derby.

Meanwhile, Hilaire HBL made some fast friends with her lovely herding family and their children. “This is one of my favourite parts about the Derby so far” she said. Most of these riders have come here to ride and while they certainly get that in spades, they also find that the cultural experience and new friendships forged are some of the things that they will treasure the most.

There are many strategies in the Derby and while some people choose to ride the race solo, we also see amazing examples of teamwork as riders look after each other.

Photo courtesy of the Mongol Derby.

This is a race and naturally we all look to the excitement of the front of the field: it’s fast, it’s furious, it’s fun to try to pick the winner. However, there are those whose adventure comes with a few more bumps and bruises which sometimes lands them in adventure class. This means that they may have received a carry-forward and while this puts them out of having an official placing, does not mean at all that they have ridden any less of a race than anyone else. In fact, it’s often the adventure class or people at the back of the pack that have weathered more storms than anyone thought possible.

Photo courtesy of the Mongol Derby.

Izzy IDS and Elizabeth EBA found themselves in just this situation after a carry-forward part way through Day 2. They will still ride on regardless and hoist that celebratory Mongolian beer at the finish line, just as they should.

And sadly we’ve had our first retirement of the race after Rebecca RHE suffered a hard fall. She was assessed at the SOS clinic in UB as a precaution and is taking it easy under medical orders. She is determined to come back someday and finish what she started, just like the excellent horsewoman that she is. We all wish her a speedy recovery.

Race Day 2 – Mongol Derby 2023 from The Equestrianists on Vimeo.

At the end of the day the riders were placed as follows:

At HS6:
JJA
MPE
XFE
TNE
HCO

Between HS5 – HS6:
LHE
HBL
LJO
JDO
EPO

At HS5:
RDJ
ADO
DGJ
HBC
RAL
MMC
MHA
PRA
AOC
ESY

Between HS4 – HS5:
UKA
FJA
ARO
MSO
SFL
KDU
CFA
AGR
OGA
BFA
LPE
SPY
JRD

At HS4:
SPE
SCO
EAS
RCA
EBA
IDS

Retired: RHE
In Adventure Class: IDS, EBA

Check out @mongolderby for up-to-the-minute race updates, or head to the Mongol Derby website for more information on this truly bonkers undertaking.

Bromont Announces Withdrawal from 2023 FEI Eventing Nations Cup Series

By on Aug 1, 2023 3:30 pm -

The awards podium from the Bromont 2022 FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ with teams from the United States, Canada and Australia. Organizer Sue Ockendon and committee member Peter Gray in front. Photo by Cealy Tetley Photography.

It is with deep regret that the organizing committee of Bromont Horse Trials announce their withdrawal from the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ series for 2023.

The minimum requirements to run an Eventing Nations Cup™ stipulate the participation of three teams and with just days left to the entries deadline, only Canada and America had confirmed their participation.

While teams from Spain and Mexico had expressed interest, extensive logistical issues relating to global travel and import/quarantine were not able to be resolved within the timeline.

“We are obviously frustrated and incredibly disappointed after working so hard to provide the only North American leg of the series in 2022 and again this year,” said event organizer Sue Ockendon. “Our core focus at Bromont has always been to further the development of eventing in Canada and North America, in particular our Teams and Young Riders. We are still 110% committed to delivering a world-class event in 10 days time and have already started the application and approvals process to host a Nations Cup again in 2024. We want to thank the FEI, Equestrian Canada, the EC HPAG Eventing and those Government officials who left no stone unturned in our attempts for this year. In the end we have simply run out of time.”

Emily Gilbert, Chair of the EC High Performance Advisory Group, Eventing said: ”While we are disappointed at the unfortunate cancellation of the Bromont Nations Cup, consistent with our strategic plan, we will use this weekend to provide our Canadian riders with experience and exposure in a team setting. This decision reflects the importance of strengthening our competitiveness across the board in team competition. The named riders for the Bromont Nations Cup Team will continue to receive the bursaries we dedicated to them, and the riders will be led and supported by Chef D’Equipe and Technical Advisor, Rebecca Howard with additional support from Equestrian Canada High Performance in place.”

Entries are strong and still coming in for the August event, which for some is being used as a prep run before heading overseas to compete at the Defender Burghley Horse Trials in the United Kingdom, one of the largest CCI5* events in the world.

Top horse and rider combinations currently entered include American Olympian Boyd Martin with Tsetserleg and On Cue; Canadian Olympians Jessica Phoenix with Freedom GS and Watson GS and Colleen Loach with FE Golden Eye; Australian Ryan Wood with Cooley Flight, Great Britain’s Lucienne Bellissimo with Dari and Tremanton; Belgian Jan van Gysel with Eiffel de L’Abbaye and Spain’s Susana Tezanos-Moreno with French Kiss.

Although the Nations Cup team competition will not run, the event will still host CCI4*-S, CCI3*-S, CCIU253*-S, CCI2*-S, CCIU252*-S, EV110 and EV100 levels including a Team Challenge. With a venue among the best in the world and cross-country courses designed by Derek DiGrazia (USA) and Jay Hambly (CAN), the MARS Bromont CCI4*, ‘Little Bromont’ and August Bromont CCI4* offer a true test for horse and rider in the perfect ‘summer resort’ setting.

To enter visit www.evententries.com. Follow us on social media at @bromontcci.

Oliver Townend and Piggy March Share Burgham International Prizes

By on Jul 30, 2023 9:14 am -

Oliver Townend and Tregilder. Photo by Peter Nixon.

Oliver Townend and Piggy March shared the honours in the feature classes at Burgham – the Holme Dodsworth Metals CCI4*-S sections – between them with a victory apiece in a thrilling finish to a day of top-class horse sport..

Oliver was scoring his sixth CCI4*-S win at Burgham, this time with the Hazeldines and Mitchell Fox Group’s Tregilder. The pair were fifth after dressage with a mark of 27.1, and added nothing to that in the jumping phases to nip ahead of dressage leaders Ros Canter and Izilot DHI and take the highly competitive class by less than a penalty.

Oliver said: “He’s a horse who has taken a long, long time to mature – he’s about 18hh – and he felt very good in all three phases here and I was very proud of him. I’m very happy for his owners, because they’ve been with me a long time, and for Vin and Liz Jones, who bred him. A nice British-bred winner of a big class, and he’s getting better and better still as he gets stronger – hopefully he’ll go to Burghley.”

Former world champion Ros won this class in 2022 with her own and Alex Moody’s 10-year-old Izilot DHI, but had to settle for silver spot this year after picking up two time-penalties across country for a finishing score of 28.

Third was Piggy March on Jayne McGivern’s grey stallion Halo, another 10-year-old. They collected four faults for a rail down in the showjumping and 4.8 cross-country time-faults for a final score of 35.

Piggy said: “I’m very pleased with him because I haven’t run him in mud very much; even though the ground is drying out all the time, it’s still quite soft. He’s a little horse going up the ladder and getting used to it all – he hasn’t got a lot of mileage. He tried very hard and jumped very well, and I knew I could run him at a good pace across country because Oliver and Ros were out in front, so I just rode him, rather than the clock.”

Piggy March and Coolpark’s Sarco. Photo by Peter Nixon.

An hour later, she snatched what looked like almost certain victory in the second CCI4*-S section from Oliver, who was on top after dressage and showjumping with a mark of 24.4 aboard his great Burghley and Tokyo Olympics team gold medal winner Ballaghmor Class. Piggy and Coolparks Sarco, who is owned by Jo and James Lambert, had just added 1.2 cross-country time-faults to her dressage and showjumping score of 24.4, meaning Oliver set off round David Evans’s track on Karyn Shuter, Angela Hislop and Val Ryan’s 16-year-old fleabitten grey with three seconds in hand. But in fact Oliver and Ballaghmor Class crossed the finish line four seconds over the time allowed – and Piggy won by 0.2 of a penalty.

“That was really exciting!” said Piggy. “He’s a lovely horse – I’m lucky to have inherited the ride on him from Nicola Wilson [who retired from the sport after a fall at Badminton in 2022] but it’s starting to feel like he is more ‘my’ horse a year down the line. He moves really nicely, he’s a really good jumper – it’s all there. With every run I feel like we are getting closer to where I want to be with him. He’s a fast horse in a very different way to what I am used to – he’s got a massive stride. The cross-country track was great for them – some really good water jumps in particular, and Sarco felt like he had a really happy week and loved the ground here.”

Oliver said: “Ballaghmor Class’s performance here was fantastic. He’s never the quickest here; the fences come up a little bit too quickly for him so I end up having to mind him slightly between the fences, because he’s a horse who suits a very big, open course like Burghley.”

He added: “This is one of the best events in the country and the number and quality of the entries tell the story – that they put on an amazing show. From a competitor’s point of view, it couldn’t be better.”

Burgham continues on Sunday, 30 July with the Encon Technical Solutions Ltd and NIS Group Ltd CCI2*-S, and national BE100 and BE90 classes Visitors can enjoy a great variety of tradestands and locally produced food and drink while they are watching the sporting action – and there’s even a fun dog show on Sunday to raise money for Burgham’s supported charity, the British Eventing Support Trust (BEST).

To buy tickets and for more information, please visit www.burghaminternationalhorsetrials.co.uk. Tickets will also be available to purchase on the gate.

If you can’t make it to Burgham, Horse & Country TV will be streaming the cross-country on Sunday.

Burgham International (United Kingdom): [Website] [Entries/Timing/Scoring] [Live Stream]