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Australia and China Earn Olympic Qualifications at Millstreet International

By on Jun 4, 2023 3:51 pm -

The Australian team that took the win and secured Olympic qualification along with 2nd placed China in the CCIO3*-L class at Millstreet International Horse Trials. Photo by Bit-Media.

Whoops of joy and relief erupted as Australia secured Olympic qualification by winning the CCIO3*-L at Millstreet International Horse Trials, County Cork. “Paris, here we come,” exclaimed team member Shenae Lowings, who also took individual honours with a classy clear show jumping round on the former racehorse Bold Venture.

“This has been the plan for a long time, so to do the job here is great and means that we can now work towards Paris and maybe going one better than in Tokyo,” explained 2021 team silver medallist Shane Rose, who had flown all the way from Australia to help the national effort.

China made history by qualifying for a team spot in second place and just managed to hold off a disappointed Japanese team by a mere 3.6 penalties. British-based Alex Hua Tian (fourth individually on Chicko) first rode at the Olympics in 2008 but, until now, he has been China’s sole representative.

His team mates Huadong Sun (eighth) and Yingfeng Bao (ninth) are both based in the Netherlands with trainer Martin Lips, and Ruiji Liang (17th) divides his time between Belgium and China and is chiefly a show jumper. “It’s worth saying just how much of a sacrifice they have all made, leaving their families behind to represent their country in eventing,” said Alex.

The FEI Nations Cup™, presented by Connolly’s Red Mills, also carries great significance because the leading country at the series conclusion in October will also secure an Olympic team place.

New Zealand has earned the Paris ticket already as world bronze medallists, and they won the Millstreet leg comfortably, rising to fourth on the FEI Nations Cup™ standings. World number one Tim Price headed the individual leaderboard with a superb all-round performance on Sue Benson’s Falco, beating Millstreet regular and British team member Kirsty Chabert on Classic Vl.

“We took this seriously because because the selectors were using Millstreet as a marker event and it’s good that we were able to show some consistency,” said Tim. “Falco is a cracking horse. He does everything because he wants to.”

Belgium moved a step nearer to Paris by finishing second at Millstreet; they are now the clear leaders in the 2023 FEI Nations Cup™with 270 points, 65 ahead of Italy and 85 ahead of the Netherlands.

“We are really going for the Olympic qualification,” explained Belgian team member Tine Magnus. “We’ll now be going to Strzegom [Poland] and we’re going to win it! This is our first time in Millstreet and it has been wonderful. The cross-country was great to ride – we’re not used to having such beautiful galloping tracks to ride.”

Ireland gained their first Nations Cup™ points when bouncing back into third place at Millstreet, thanks to great clear cross-country rounds from Joseph Murphy, who rose to third place individually on Calmaro, Sarah Ennis (Grantstown Jackson, 18th) and Ian Cassells (Millridge Atlantis, 23rd).

Breeder Michael Burke was present at Millstreet to see the Irish Sport Horse Coolparks Sarco, ridden by Britain’s Piggy March and owned by the Lamberts, win the Noel C. Duggan Engineering CCI4*-L with an excellent clear show jumping round. Gemma Stevens, the cross-country leader on Flash Cooley, hit one rail to drop a place to second. Camilla Speirs, fifth on the 10-year-old BT Angelo by Indoctro, was best of the Irish.

Britain’s Emily King scored her first win on Irish soil, in the Donagh Hickey Motors CCI3*-L on Stewart and Vicki Irlam’s Dutch-bred Jackpot, who was produced in Devon by former British international rider Polly Schwerdt.

“He’s a dude,” was how Emily described the nine-year-old. “He’s an athlete, but a bit green. This was his first long format competition and he’s never galloped for this long before. Like all the tracks here at Millstreet, it was properly tough and educational.”

Second was Italy’s Vittoria Panizzon on the similarly named DHI Jackpot and Robbie Kearns flew the Irish flag in third and fourth places on Chance Encounter and Pisco Sour.

Flora Harris led from start to finish in the Carr & Day & Martin CCI1*-Intro, taking the honours with Rochefort van de Vossenhoek.

The Duggan family’s Great Glens Arena has hosted 368 horses from 20 countries this weekend, not to mention two popular Discovery sections, and there has been a high completion rate across all 10 international classes.

“It’s been a great weekend of competition in amazing surroundings and we’d like to thank Millstreet and the Duggan family for putting on an amazing Olympic qualifier and Nations Cup™,” said Catrin Norinder, FEI Director of the Eventing and Olympic departments, who was present in Millstreet. “It was a truly competitive situation for the teams, and a unique opportunity for so many nations to come together.”

Caroline Pamukcu Claims First Victory to Kick Off 2023 Essex Horse Trials

By on Jun 4, 2023 10:44 am -

Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake. Photo by AK Dragoo Photography.

The Essex Horse Trials returned to the historic Hamilton Farm, home of the USET Foundation Headquarters in Gladstone, NJ, on Saturday with a packed schedule of dressage and show jumping. Among the busy competitors in multiple divisions was Caroline Pamukcu of Riegelsville, PA, who piloted her 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding HSH Blake to top honors in the Advanced Combined Test.

 

Caroline Pamukcu HSH Blake. Photo by AK Dragoo Photography.

The Essex Horse Trials has become a tradition for families looking to spend an exciting and fun-filled weekend in their own backyard. Featuring some of the nation’s top riders with their Advanced and Intermediate horses competing in the thrilling sport of eventing, the two-day sportfest concludes Sunday with the exhilarating cross-country phase at historic Moorland Farm in Far Hills. 

Pamukcu, 28, rode HSH Blake to an early lead in the Advanced Combined Test with a dressage score of 30.7, giving her one rail in hand over the 34.8 earned by Shannon Lilley of Kennett Square, PA, aboard Ideal HX, Alex Lilley’s 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, and Hannah Sue Hollberg of Kennett Square, PA, aboard Christa Schmidt’s 16-year-old Holsteiner gelding Capitol HIM. Pamukcu’s lead helped tremendously in the show jumping phase, as a dropped rail at the second fence didn’t keep her from claiming victory.

“I wasn’t coming here to win, but I knew he had a good dressage test and that we had a rail in hand,” Pamukcu said. “I wasn’t nervous going in today, and I didn’t do any of my normal prep work because I wanted to make it a bit more challenging for me and not such a big deal for him. We’re just using this as training before we hopefully win the gold medal in Poland later this month.” 

Pamukcu and “Blake” are heading for the Nations Cup event in Strzegom, Poland, for their next competition, with their biggest goal to make the Pan American Games in October. After they competed in the Ocala CCI3*-L in April for their last required Games qualification, Blake had a few weeks to rest in the field, and this was his only third jump back.

“I think he’s really ready to rock and roll,” Pamukcu said. “He did the Arena Eventing at Devon last week, and then we set him up for this. At home, we do a lot of fitness work focusing on trot sets and long gallops, but this had been great for those final finishing touches before the rest of the season.

 “Blake is only 8 and still young,” she added. “He did do the Young Horse Championships in France last year and finished in the Top 10, so he doesn’t mind the atmosphere too much, but any opportunity we have to get him exposed to more without putting too much stress on his legs is always great. The team and I brought 18 horses with us this weekend; it’s one of our most favorite venues.”

 

Hannah Sue Hollberg and Rockster. Photo by AK Dragoo Photography.

Lilley maintained second place with a fault-free round in show jumping, finishing on her dressage score of 34.8, while Hollberg’s rail at Fence #8 dropped her into fourth on 38.8. Taking third with 35.7 was Matthew Brown of Kennett Square, PA, aboard Shelley Onderdonk’s 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Alderwood.

With her Billy Be Jolly and Cascadella 8, Pamukcu also finished 1-2 on her dressage scores of 24.3 and 25.5 (respectively) in the Open Training division, giving her the overnight lead going into Sunday’s cross-country phase.

“There aren’t a lot of places in this country to get this kind of atmosphere at a venue that’s so historic,” Pamukcu said. “You ride around here, and you almost pinch yourself because you know all the greats of eventing culture have been here before you. It’s just so cool. And I’m a huge fan of Chris Barnard; he’s such an amazing course designer. He’s fair in the stadium, but it’s always hard. For me, it was a no-brainer to compete here, and I’m looking forward to the cross-country tomorrow.”

 Other overnight leaders include Erin Kanara of Cochranville, PA, and Claudia Schultze’s Windchase Lionstar in Open Intermediate (28.6); Hollberg and Tricia Arnold’s Rockster in Open Preliminary (27.3); Sierra Lesny of Camp Hill, PA, and Edith Rameika’s Sebastian in Training Rider (28.1); Lee Maher of Springtown, PA, and Redfield Farm’s Redfield Lennon in Open Novice (18.6); Peyton Brienza of Califon, NJ, and their The Brave Little Toaster tied with Ingrid Johnston of Whitehouse Station, NJ, and her Resplendence in Novice Rider (27.2); Kylie Stangle of Flemington, NJ, and Janina Parmelee’s Redfield Mikke in Open Beginner Novice (24.7); and Jenny Morris of Gladstone, NJ, and her Laugh Out Loud in Beginner Novice Rider (25.9). 

Gemma Stevens Flashes into Millstreet Cross-Country Lead

By on Jun 3, 2023 5:45 pm -

Gemma Stevens and Flash Cooley lead the way after Cross Country in the Noel C. Duggan Engineering Ltd sponsored CCI4*-L. Photo by Bit-Media.

Cross-country time proved influential during a great day’s sport in glorious sunshine at the Millstreet International Horse Trials in County Cork and the Noel C. Duggan Engineering CCI4*-L now has a new leader in Gemma Stevens and Pru Dawes’ Flash Cooley.

The British pair flew around Mike Etherington-Smith’s superb course to finish only five seconds over the optimum time of 10 minutes 11 seconds, one of only five combinations to have time penalties in single figures.

The 11-year-old Flash Cooley, an Irish Sport Horse bred by Jim O’ Neill by CSF Mr Kroon out of an OBOS Quality mare, was third in the CCI4*-S at Millstreet last August and has been competing in jumping classes, which may come in handy as Gemma does not have a fence in hand in tomorrow’s final phase.

Piggy March is still in second place on Coolparks Sarco, but her dressage leader, the stallion Halo, triggered a frangible safety pin at fence 5, rails into water, and incurred 11 penalties. However, they are still in sixth place after a fine round.

Muzi Pottinger from New Zealand was the fastest of the section, just two seconds over time, and is now in fourth place on the aptly named Good Timing, flanked by two Japanese riders, Kazumo Tomoto (Vinci de la Vigne JRA) and Toshiyuki Tanaka (Swiper JRA) in third and fifth places respectively.

Tomorrow’s show jumping phase for the all-important CCIO3*-L, in which four nations are chasing two places at the Paris Olympic Games in 2024, is shaping up to be a tense affair.

The Australians, who fielded their big guns in the form of their Tokyo medallists Andrew Hoy, Kevin McNab and Shane Rose, have established a clear lead with their riders in first, third, fifth and seventh places; Shenae Lowings and and her brilliant galloping thoroughbred Bold Venture are still in the individual lead.

However, China has moved from fourth to second place with three clear rounds and is now a mere 6.9 penalties ahead of Japan in a contest which looks to run right to the wire.

There is little change to the leaderboard in the Nations Cup™ CCIO4*-S, presented by Connolly’s Red Mills, after the show jumping phase. New Zealand still leads the Netherlands and series leaders Belgium before the cross-country phase, while Great Britain has moved up to fourth ahead of Spain and Italy and Ireland has dropped to seventh.

Kiwi team member and world number one Tim Price holds the individual lead on Falco after the dressage leader Kevin McNab (Willunga) had the misfortune to take the wrong course and get eliminated.

The Eventing Ireland CCI2*-L saw a second victory this weekend for New Zealand’s Samantha Lissington, riding Quantas R, while Ireland’s Ted O’ Leary won the CCIJ2*-L on Master Swatch.

Tomorrow’s cross-country will start an hour later, at 9am, due to the potential for a foggy early morning.

Piggy March’s Halo is Shining at Millstreet

By on Jun 2, 2023 3:07 pm -

Piggy March and Halo lead the way after dressage in the CCI4*-L. Photo by Bit-Media.

Piggy March’s first visit to Ireland’s premier event, the Millstreet International Horse Trials in County Cork, is off to an excellent start as she holds the top two spots after dressage in the Noel C. Duggan Engineering Ltd CCI4*-L. She leads the 30-strong class on Jane McGivern’s beautiful grey stallion, Halo, with a score of 22.0, and is in second place with Jo and James Lambert’s Coolparks Sarco (on 23.2).

Piggy, a winner of Badminton in 2019 and Burghley last year, and her husband, Tom, run the March Stud in Northamptonshire where the Holsteiner stallion, bought from Australian Olympic medallist Kevin McNab last year, lives “a normal life outside”. She adds: “Kevin was great to buy from and gave us lots of advice but, to be honest, Halo is pretty straightforward as a stallion. He’s a very kind horse and has a great brain.”

Coolparks Sarco, an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse by Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan, was originally produced by Andrew Nicholson and won the young-horse CCI4*-S at Blenheim in 2021 with reigning European champion Nicola Wilson. Piggy took on the ride last year after Nicola was seriously injured in a fall at Badminton.

“Obviously the horse came to me in sad circumstances, but he is lovely and beautifully produced,” said Piggy. “Both horses have had slight niggles and I came here because I knew we’d be riding on surfaces and because I am a big fan of [designer] Mike Etherington-Smith’s courses. The track is very well built and fair and the horses should be able to understand the questions in front of them.”

Best Irish rider in the CCI4*-L is Badminton hero Austin O’Connor, currently 11th on Isazsa with a score of 31.0.

Australia and Japan, two nations urgently seeking Olympic team qualification, are currently in first and second positions in the CCIO3*-L, a crucial qualifier for the Olympic Games next year. The top two teams not already qualified will secure a place in Paris 2024.

New Zealand, which is already qualified thanks to a world team bronze medal last year, is third, ahead of China and South Africa.

Australia’s Shenae Lowings, 26, leads the individual standings with a score of 24.9 on Bold Venture, a horse she bought seven years ago off the racetrack. They won Werribee CCI4*-L last year and were members of the Australian squad at the world championships last year.

“He’s really exciting. It’s not often that you get a full thoroughbred that needs a bit of atmosphere in the dressage, but it is his big strength that he’s a bit of a show-off,” said Shenae, who is staying with team mate Kevin McNab in England.

The sole individual rider in the CCIO3*-L is Moroccan competitor Noor Slaoui, who is lying 15th on the Irish Sport Horse Summer Stardust. Noor was grew up in the city in Morocco, and loved horses, but only discovered eventing when driving past a horse trials on her way to university in England. She is now the sole representative of her country in the sport. “It’s been a steep learning curve, but I am loving it,” she said. “Paris would be the dream, but a lot will depend on what happens this year.”

Cross-country has been taking place today for the two-star classes over Paul Brady’s tracks, and it was a good afternoon for New Zealand’s Samantha Lissington who won the Horse Sport Ireland CCI2*-S for young horses on the six-year-old Dutch warmblood Mr Cookie Time and now leads the CCI2*-L with Quantas R after the first two phases. Ireland’s Gearoid Bolger and Into Mischief have retained their dressage lead to win the Junior class and Britain’s Emily Young-Jamieson riding Hildare Hermitage has won the Noel C. Duggan Hardware CCI2*-S.

H&C Announces Extensive 2023 Eventing Livestream Line-up

By on Jun 2, 2023 1:35 pm -

Will Coleman and Chin Tonic HS on the 4*-S cross country at Luhmühlen, which will be streamed in full on H&C TV this month. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Horse & Country, the leading international equestrian sports network, has unveiled its most extensive eventing livestream line-up for 2023. North American-based members of H&C’s streaming service, H&C+, will enjoy exclusive coverage from at least nine events, including two of the world’s eight CCI5* competitions.

The list of international events features several iconic venues and spans the United States, several countries in Europe, including France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, and Australia. H&C will stream the cross-country phase from all events, and viewers will be treated to all three phases of competition from CCI5* events at Longines Luhmühlen Horse Trials and Les 5 Étoiles de Pau.

“We are delighted that H&C continues to be known as the Home of Eventing, and we are dedicated to bringing another strong line-up of live coverage to our passionate audiences around the world, including our growing viewership in the United States. More news about additional eventing broadcasts and programming in 2023 will be coming soon,” commented H&C Director of Content Jonathan Rippon.

The current H&C livestream schedule includes:

June

• Bramham International Horse Trials CCI4*-L and CCI4*-S (GBR) – June 10

• GM Specialty Vehicles Melbourne International Three Day Event CCI4*-L (AUS) – June 11-12

• Longines Luhmühlen Horse Trials CCI5*-L and CCI4*-S (GER) – June 14-18

July

• Burgham International Horse Trials CCI4*-S (GBR) – July 29-30

August

• Magic Millions Festival of British Eventing, Gatcombe (GBR) – August 5-6

• NAF Five Star Hartpury International Horse Trials CCI4* (GBR) – August 9-13

• MARS Great Meadow International CCI4* (The Plains, Virginia) – August 24-27

September

• The United States Eventing Association American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds (Lexington, Kentucky) – August 29-September 3 

October

• Osberton Horse Trials CCI3*-L (GBR) – September 30-October 1

• Les 5 Étoiles de Pau CCI5*-L (FRA) – October 26-29

November

• Sydney International Three Day Event CCI4* (AUS) – November 11-12

In addition to top-notch live sport, H&C has extensive educational content for eventing fans. A Masterclass with U.S. Olympic eventer Lauren Nicholson was released on May 2, 2023. A Masterclass with notable international eventers Sydney Elliott (USA) and Kai Steffen-Meier (GER) and a Masterclass with Ariel Grald (USA) will both be available in the summer of 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.

US Equestrian Announces 2023 Eventing Elite and Pre-Elite Program Lists Updates

By on Jun 2, 2023 9:29 am -

Photo by Tilly Berendt.

US Equestrian is pleased to announce updates to the 2023 Eventing Elite and Pre-Elite Program Lists. The programs are part of the U.S. Eventing Pathway, which is focused on developing combinations to deliver sustainable success in team competition at the championship level. Learn more about the Eventing Pathway Programs here.

For the mid-year updates, Liz Halliday-Sharp and Miks Master C have moved up from the Pre-Elite Program to the Elite Program. Also, Jennie Saville (née Brannigan) and FE Lifestyle have been added to the Elite Program. View the updated Eventing Elite and Pre-Elite Program Lists below.

The following combinations have met the objective criteria for membership to the 2023 USEF Eventing Elite Program and are listed in alphabetical order:

• Will Coleman (Gordonsville, Va.) and Off The Record, a 2009 Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by the Off The Record Syndicate
• Phillip Dutton (West Grove, Pa.) and Z, a 2008 Zangersheide gelding owned by Thomas Tierney, Suzanne Lazy, Caroline Moran, Ann Jones, Evie Dutton, and David and Patricia Vos
• Ariel Grald (Southern Pines, N.C.) and Leamore Master Plan, a 2009 IrishSport Horse gelding owned by Annie Eldridge
• Liz Halliday-Sharp (Lexington, Ky.) and Miks Master C, a 2012 Swedish Warmblood gelding owned by Deborah Palmer and Ocala Horse Properties, LLC
• Boyd Martin (Cochranville, Pa.) and Fedarman B, a 2010 KWPN gelding owned by the Annie Goodwin Syndicate
• Lauren Nicholson (The Plains, Va.) and Vermiculus, a 2007 Anglo-Arabian gelding owned by Jaqueline Mars
• Doug Payne (Rougemont, N.C.) and Quantum Leap, a 2011 Rheinlander gelding owned by Doug and Jessica Payne
• Jennie Saville (West Grove, Pa.) and FE Lifestyle, a 2010 Warmblood gelding owned by Nina and Timothy Gardner
• Tamie Smith (Murrieta, Calif.) and Mai Baum, a 2006 German Sport Horse gelding owned by Alexandra Ahearn, Ellen Ahearn, and Eric Markell; Danito, a 2009 Hanoverian gelding owned by Ruth Bley; and Solaguayre California, a 2011 Holsteiner mare owned by Julianne and David Guarigila

The following combinations have met the objective criteria for membership to the 2023 USEF Eventing Pre-Elite Program and are listed in alphabetical order:

• Will Coleman (Gordonsville, Va.) and Chin Tonic HS, a 2012 Holsteiner gelding owned by Hyperion Stud, LLC; and Dondante, a 2010 Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Team Rebecca, LLC
• Phillip Dutton (West Grove, Pa.) and Sea of Clouds, a 2011 Thoroughbred gelding owned by Sea of Clouds Partnership
• Liz Halliday-Sharp (Lexington, Ky.) and Cooley Quicksilver, a 2011 Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by The Monster Partnership
• Boyd Martin (Cochranville, Pa.) and Tsetserleg TSF, a 2007 Trakehner gelding owned by Christine, Thomas, and Tommie Turner

Membership is reviewed twice annually, and combinations may be added on a rolling basis based upon the criteria specific to each program.

Millstreet, Day One: Top Price Puts New Zealand in the Lead

By on Jun 1, 2023 4:30 pm -

Tim Price and Falco lead the way after day one of dressage in the CCIO4*-S, presented by Connolly’s RED MILLS. Photo by Bit-Media.

World number one rider Tim Price has put the New Zealand team in a great position after the dressage phase in the Irish leg of the FEI Nations Cup™ series, held at Millstreet, County Cork, this weekend.

New Zealand heads the CCIO4*-S leaderboard of seven nations with a team score of 86.0 before Saturday’s showjumping phase. The three counting scores are from Tim Price (Falco, 24.6), Samantha Lissington (Ricker Ridge Sooty GNZ, 30.3) and Clarke Johnstone (Menlo Park, 31.1), while fourth team member Jonelle Price is only a penalty behind on the diminutive McLaren.

The Prices and Clarke were members of the bronze-medal winning team at last year’s world championships, therefore New Zealand is not under pressure for Olympic qualification in the CCIO3*-L team competition starting tomorrow at Millstreet, in which the first two nations not already qualified will secure a team place at Paris 2024.

“We are taking it seriously, though, because we want to make a good showing,” said Tim. “The powers that be back at home in New Zealand will be watching this and we want to show them that we’re on track. We’re very glad that we have the good going in all three phases here at Millstreet in order to be able to demonstrate that.”

The Netherlands are in second place in the FEI Nations Cup™, presented by Connelly’s Red Mills, on a team score of 97.3, with Andrew Heffernan currently in third place individually on Gideon on 27.9 dressage penalties. Belgium, the country that heads the FEI Nations Cup leaderboard after two legs, are third on 99.2, with the very experienced combination of Karin Donckers and Fletcha van’t Verahof in second place individually on 26.6.

Ireland is in fourth place on 99.3, with Joseph Murphy and Calmaro the best placed in fourth individually with the excellent score of 30.1 from judges Anne-Marie Taylor (GBR), Jane Holderness-Roddam (GBR) and Vanda Stewart (IRL).

Tim Price and Falco, a 14-year-old Hannoverian gelding owned by Sue Benson, also won the individual bronze medal at the 2022 world championships at Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy. “He was a bit sprightly in the arena, but if you can catch him on the edge of his exuberance you get something special,” said Tim afterwards.

Equiratings, the Irish data analysts for eventing, actually rate Tim’s secondride tomorrow, Happy Boy, as the best horse in the CCI4*. Among the other highlighted horses are Fletcha van’t Verahof, McLaren, Camaro, Kirsty Chabert’s mare Classic Vl, a member of the fifth-placed British team and Australian rider Kevin McNab’s Willunga, who performs dressage tomorrow. Happy Boy is last to go tomorrow, at 7.30pm.

Burghley Names Spinal Injury Recovery Charity as Chosen Beneficiary for 2023

By on May 31, 2023 10:29 am -

Wills Oakden and Oughterard Cooley. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Defender Burghley Horse Trials (31 August-3 September 2023) has appointed Horatio’s Garden as its official charity for this year.

Horatio’s Garden, whose Main Avenue show garden won Best in Show and a much-coveted gold medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show last week, nurtures the wellbeing of people after spinal injury in beautiful, accessible, restorative sanctuaries within the heart of NHS spinal injury centres. The charity’s gardens are vital places for reflection and adjustment for people facing these life-changing injuries and long stays in hospital, and have a profoundly positive impact for patients, their loved ones and NHS staff.

The charity is named after Horatio Chapple, who had the original idea to create a garden for patients with spinal injuries and their loved ones while volunteering at the Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre in Salisbury during his school holidays. The first garden opened in 2012 and following its enormous success, a nationwide charity was henceforth formed with the mission to open a Horatio’s Garden in all 11 UK spinal injury centres.

The eighth Horatio’s Garden will open at The Princess Royal Spinal Injuries Centre Unit at Northern General Hospital in Sheffield in 2024, also designed by Charlotte Harris and Hugo Bugg of Harris Bugg Studio who created the charity’s award-winning show garden for the 2023 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Horatio’s Garden’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show installation, designed by Charlotte Harris and Hugo Bugg. Photo by Marianne Majerus.

Dr Olivia Chapple, Founder and Chair of Trustees at Horatio’s Garden, said: “We’re delighted to be chosen as this year’s charity partner of Burghley Horse Trials. It’s with the support of organisations like Burghley that we are able to continue our vital work to nurture wellbeing after spinal injury in beautiful, vibrant gardens in the heart of NHS spinal injury centres. We are really looking forward to working together on the partnership, which is well timed to coincide with our major appeal to open the eighth Horatio’s Garden. Located in Sheffield, it will support the whole region from the West Midlands to East Anglia, South Yorkshire to Lincolnshire.”

Defender Burghley Horse Trials Director Martyn Johnson said: “Rehabilitation after spinal injury is something all riders support, and Horatio’s Garden provides wonderful sanctuaries for patients to escape from the intensity of hospital life. We are so pleased to be able to support this very worthy charity and look forward to welcoming Horatio’s Garden to Burghley this year.”

Olympians and Pan-Am Medalists Lead a Growing List of International Entries for the MARS Bromont CCI

By on May 30, 2023 11:30 am -

Phillip Dutton and Z. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

With just hours until entries close, Bromont Horse Trials is excited to announce a few of the top local and international riders entered to compete at the MARS Bromont CCI taking place June 8-11, 2023 at the Bromont Olympic Equestrian Park.

Widely considered one of the most prestigious three-day events in North America, and the only Canadian event offering the penultimate CCI4*-L and CCI4*-S divisions of eventing competition, athletes will compete for $25,000 in prize money and awards offered by the generous sponsors of the MARS Bromont Three Day Event.

Local Olympian Colleen Loach (Dunham, QC) currently the highest-ranked Canadian eventer on the FEI Longines World Rankings list (58), 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 has entered Vermont in the CCI4*-S and FE Golden Eye in the CCI4*-L.

Colleen Loach and FE Golden Eye. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

“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.

America’s Phillip Dutton (West Grove, PA) has competed in every Olympic Games since 1996, winning team gold with Australia in 1996 and 2000, and as a member of the U.S. team in 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020, winning individual bronze at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He has competed in seven FEI World Equestrian Games, representing the U.S. for the first time in 2006. He won team gold and individual silver at the 2007 Pan American Games and team gold at the 2015 Pan American Games.

“Bromont is always a good experience for the horses and supporters,” says Dutton. “[Bromont] has great international feel with atmosphere and top class arenas for dressage and showjumping. And it’s usually a very challenging cross-country course. I’m really looking forward to competing there this year.”

Canadian Olympian and multiple Pan-Am Medalist Jessica Phoenix of Cannington, ON, currently has four horses entered across multiple levels in the MARS Bromont CCI June 8-11. Pictured here with Wabbit from the FEI Nations Cup Eventing at Bromont, August 2022. © Cealy Tetley

Making it truly international are entries from Australians Ryan Wood and Hugh Wrigley, as well as Sweden’s Jennie Jarnstrom-Dennis.

For the full list of current entries click here.

Often described as an equestrian triathlon, the Olympic sport of three-day eventing features three separate phases of competition where the same horse and rider pair complete each phase together over three days.

For the MARS Bromont CCI 2023, the opening phase, dressage, will be held over Thursday/Friday, the exciting and spectator-friendly cross-country will take place Saturday and the event will conclude Sunday with the show jumping phase, to determine the overall winners. Daily general admission is free with parking $15/car. The full schedule can be found here.

CCI4*-L, CCI4*-S, CCI3*-L and CCI2*-L divisions will be offered at this year’s June event as well as U25 sections in both two- and three-star levels. The MARS Bromont Rising educational program will also take place the week of the event.

Renowned course designer Derek DiGrazia (CA, USA), course designer for the Tokyo Olympics and some of the biggest three-day events in the world will be back at Bromont for 2023, to design the courses set amid the challenging terrain, with the help of Canada’s Jay Hambly.

The VHC Eventing Presented by Capital Square Wrap Up

By on May 29, 2023 3:30 pm -

Virginia Horse Center Eventing presented by Capital Square wrapped up yesterday after a fun-filled weekend of top competition. The Virginia Horse Center welcomed riders of all levels from Olympic to beginner eventers.

The course updates and world class officials made the inaugural VHC Eventing, presented by Capital Square memorable.

The entire VHC Eventing management team and the Virginia Horse Center appreciate all who competed at this weekend’s event, and look forward to welcoming you back in November!

Sydney Hagaman and her own Charmeur Victorious in the CCI3* S

Sydney Hagaman and Charmeur won the CCI3* S with a final score of 31.3. Photo by Brant Gamma.

Congratulations to Sydney Hagaman and her own Charmeur. The pair won the CCI3* S with a final score of 31.3.

Hagaman lives in Middleburg and is coached by Mike Pendleton. Charmeur is a ten-year-old German Sport Horse and Hagaman has owned him since he was four. “I had always had thoroughbreds and he is the first warmblood I’ve owned,” said Hagaman.

She continued, “He [Charmeur] was really good. He was super relaxed, really rideable and jumped well in show jumping. The cross country course rode really nicely and the way it was set was great. I really liked it. The new jumps were nice and despite the fact that we haven’t had any rain, you could definitely tell where the course had been aerated.

“That was the fastest I’ve ever gone in cross country. The whole course rode well and Charmeur felt really good,” she said.

“I was very happy to be here this weekend and a lot of the riders I spoke to felt the same way,” she said. “It’s a great facility and we’re happy to see the VHC continuing eventing here.”

Click here for full results.

Sydney Hagaman Proudly Shows off her awards provided by World Equestrian Brands

World Equestrian Brands provided a newly redesigned Vespucci figure 8 bridle and Vespucci rubber reins as prizes won by Sydney Hagaman.

World Equestrian Brands has been equipping equine athletes for over twenty years. World Equestrian Brands proudly represents Amerigo Saddles, E.A. Mattes Sheepskin products, Equilibrium Products leg protection and therapy items, Vespucci bridles and strap goods, and Sergio Grasso riding boots. Visit their website for more information.

Halliday-Sharp Takes Top Two Placings in CCI 2*L

Elisabeth Halliday-Sharp and The Newmarket Syndicate’s Newmarket Cooley earned an overall score of 27.3, earning them the win in the 2* L. Halliday-Sharp also took home second place honors with Deborah Palmer’s Maybach for their overall score of 28.1.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and The Newmarket Syndicate’s Newmarket Cooley won the CCI2*L. Photo from the Virginia Horse Center.

Halliday-Sharp commented, “I really enjoy this event and I’ve come every year since 2020. It’s a great event for the young horses. These are both young horses doing their first 2* long. I honestly really love the big hill and it really teaches you a lot about them as horses and how they come out the next day. This was a great experience for them, and I think it will make them bigger and better horses in the future.”

Halliday-Sharp placed second overall in the CCI2*L with Deborah Palmer’s Maybach. Photo from the Virginia Horse Center.

In addition to the top two placings, Halliday-Sharp received a newly redesigned Vespucci figure 8 bridle and Vespucci rubber reins, generously donated by World Equestrian Brands as well as a Brant Gamma Photography gift certificate.

Ariel Grald Wins CCI 2* S with Claire Williams’ In Vogue

Ariel Grald and Claire Williams’ In Vogue won the CCI 2* S with an overall score of 28.8, narrowly beating second place Kim Severson and Anita Antenucci’s Arden JuJu’s score of 29.1.

Ariel Grald Wins CCI 2* S with Claire Williams’ In Vogue. Photo by Brant Gamma Photography.

“The pressure is on when Kim Severson is right behind you,” she laughed.

“Stella [In Vogue] belongs to a good friend, Claire Williams, who has been laid up recovering from a skiing accident. We sourced her from Ireland as a four-year-old. This was her final prep run before Bromont where I will be riding her in the 2* Long. We strategically picked Virginia to work on our gallops up the hills. My intention was not necessarily to make the time on cross country, but to focus on giving my horse a good prep run. But she really loves to gallop and despite my trying to slow her down a bit on the hills, her rideability and efficiency on the cross country course has her going faster than you actually think you are. And it turned out my watch wasn’t working correctly either,” she said.

Grald also earned a fourth placing with Annie Eldridge’s Adagio’s Nobility for their combined score of 33.8.

Grald commented, “Bringing Michel [Vaillancourt] in to design the show jumping course made a huge difference. The courses were well set and while we have some good designers in the US, we need to ride various tracks and it’s important to have the opportunity to ride different styles,“ she said.

“We all recognized the positive changes to the event and the future and the direction its headed in. The feel and vibe is very different and with this reinvigoration, it will be cool to see how the event develops,” she added.

For full results on the CCI2*S click here.

Grald also won the Advanced/Intermediate with Eldridge’s Forrest Gump 124 [Shrimp] and sixth with Edridge’s Caballe.

Grald also won the Advanced/Intermediate with Eldridge’s Forrest Gump 124 [Shrimp] and sixth with Edridge’s Caballe. Photo by Brant Gamma Photography.

Grald said, “I came into the weekend wanting a little redemption because I fell off of him in the skinny ditch in the 4* Short in Tryon a few weeks ago. He [Shrimp] is heading to Bromont in the 4*Long and my aim was to have a good confidence weekend with him. I’ve only had him for about two years and this is a relatively new partnership for us. He can be a bit quirky so it’s important to keep him confident and trusting our partnership. He is very capable in all three phases, and this was a really good run for him and for us to get on the same page before Bromont.”

For full Advanced/Intermediate results, click here

Grald also won the Open Preliminary with Eldridge’s Cullintra End Game [aka Jasper] with an overall score of 38.5.

Grald commented, “This was Jasper’s Prelim debut. Annie and I bought him as a three year old from Ireland and I’ve been quietly producing him at home. He is the young one who gets put on the back burner sometimes when we’re busy with the upper level horses. He enjoys the job and finds it easy; eventing comes naturally to him. We’ve had a nice progressive run of events this spring with him. Jasper moved up to Prelim this weekend and we’re really happy with him. He is six and young and needs a lot of strength and overall development, but Annie and I are excited about him as an upper level prospect. His success this weekend just checks another box on this journey.”

For full results for the Open Preliminary, click here.

Marley Stone Bourke earned a first place finish with Benita Strini’s Superstorm Sandy with their overall score of 45.6. For all Open Intermediate results click here.

Claire Robinson and her own Fernhill Swatch Out won the Open Prelim One Day with an overall score of 33.1. For all Open Prelim One Day results click here.

Madeleine Richards aboard her own Global BGK was the overall winner in the CCI 1* L after earning an overall score of 33.8. The win marked Richards’ first FEI win and her first win on Global BGK.

Madison Richards and Global BGK in the CCI 1* L. Photo by Brant Gamma Photography.

Richards also placed third with her own The Turning Point.

Richards commented, “It was amazing to have been at the Virginia Horse Center this weekend. I haven’t been here for a while and hadn’t been here with these two horses before. I wasn’t sure how they were going to like it, but they were absolutely amazing. I’m not used to the hills here on the cross country course and I was initially a little nervous. But my horses just cruised, and we had no problems.”

Richards got Global BGK about a year ago. According to Richards, “Our relationship has been slowly growing and he’s a super horse and jumped so hard for me today. He’s been so great over the weekend and I’m really proud of him. He was so good and absolutely loved it.”

For complete CCI 1* L results click here.

Mary Cooke Catlett [Molly] drove directly from her graduation from Foxcroft to the Virginia Horse Center to compete her own Cooley Romance in the Prelim Rider Division and went on to win it with an overall score of 40.2.

Mary Cooke Catlett [Molly] drove directly from her graduation from Foxcroft to the Virginia Horse Center to compete her own Cooley Romance in the Prelim Rider Division and went on to win it with an overall score of 40.2. Photo from the Virginia Horse Center.

Molly, who will be attending the University of Virginia in the fall, commented “She’s a 17.3 big bay mare and she’s a total trooper. Even though she is very chunky, she is quick and takes really good care of me. I think she was born to be a ‘kids’ horse’ and while she does take care of me, she will also hold me accountable.”

Molly has been coming to the Virginia Horse Center for the last six years and said she did her first Novice and Modified here.

“It was great to compete here this weekend. The cross country course finally had a different loop, and the course used the terrain differently. I really liked it!” she said. “The ground was definitely better, and you could tell the grass had been aerated. The Horse Center has done a lot of work with the cross country course. We always used to know what to expect for cross country, but this time was different. The questions in the course were not so much about the jumps, but more about the terrain. It was consistent and I wasn’t worried. Overall, it was very refreshing,” she said.

Amber Mabus rode her own Mighty Grace to a blue-ribbon finish in the Novice Rider A Division earning an overall score of 30.6.

Amber Mabus rode her own Mighty Grace to a blue-ribbon finish in the Novice Rider A Division earning an overall score of 30.6. Photo from the Virginia Horse Center.

Mabus, a US veteran, did not start riding until she was older. Her horse Mighty Grace is an OTTB, and this is the first time the pair has competed away from their home in Southern Pines.

Mabus commented, “This is maybe our third or fourth recognized event and it was really cool to be able to come here. The Virginia Horse Center has such a nice atmosphere, and everyone is so nice. Even though we were away, we really felt at home here,” she said.

For complete results click here.

Laura Collett Takes TopSpec CCI4*-S Title at Bicton International

By on May 28, 2023 4:00 pm -

Laura Collett wins the TopSpec CCI4*-S with London 52.

Cross country rounded off with the time being extremely influential in the TopSpec CCI4*-S at Bicton International Horse Trials. Laura Collett held onto her lead throughout on London 52, as well as bagging third place on Dacapo.

“I’ve been really chuffed with London’s performance all week, he really is a dream horse to ride and the feel he gave me cross country is the best he ever has, he is totally on song and it’s just so nice to have him out at a big party. He’s been in really good form, so it was good to come and put it all together at an event. The cross country course was fantastic, it was the perfect preparation for Luhmühlen using the hills for a really good fitness run with lots of combinations. You had to get really stuck in and ride the distances and the lines, but he did it really easily. I really appreciate the team here putting on such a good show, they deserve to have all the entries and I will definitely be coming back next year.”

On his character, Laura comments about London 52, “he’s quite a shy horse in the stable, it’s his personal space, but the second he comes out of the stable he loves all of the attention, he’s a proper show off in front of a big crowd!”

Finn Healy and Treamble win the Chatham CCI3*YR-L.

This morning saw the final phase of competition for the Chatham CCI3*YR-L where overnight leader Finn Healy kept his cool for a clear round inside the time on Amy Hawley’s Treamble, affectionately known as Amble. Leading since his dressage test on Friday, 18-year-old Finn has shown his class throughout to be crowned Young Rider National Champion. The 10-year-old mare is sibling to Michael Owen’s second-placed Treworder in the Symonds & Sampson CCI3*-L here at Bicton.

“Amble’s been amazing all week. She did a really good dressage test for 24.3. Cross country was a tough track yesterday, Helen used the hills brilliantly and made it a good stamina test. Luckily, she’s full of blood and so ate the course up just a couple of seconds over the time. Today I didn’t have a fence in hand, it was very close up at the top, and she jumped incredibly well. When she came in the arena she lit up with the crowds, knew what she needed to do and I’m just over the moon with her.”

The mare was bought by Amy as a three-year-old from Preci Spark Event Horses and was produced by Amy until she was an eight-year-old, competing up to 2* level before being sent to James Avery to ride. Finn started working for Amy, riding three times a week and from there got the ride. “I’m incredibly grateful to Amy for the support, she’s done an amazing job producing Amble and she’s a very special horse.”

Winners of the Symonds & Sampson CCI3*-L are Gaspard Maksud with Chantilly Amatullah.

The second section to show jump this morning was the Symonds & Sampson CCI3*-L. Again, retaining their lead since the dressage, Gaspard Maksud and Chantilly Amatullah went on to jump clear to win on 25.3. The grey mare was, according to owners Jane Lom and Linda Charlton, actually bred to be an Intermediate Show horse, and was produced by Paul O’Shaughnessy in Ireland. Rumour has it, the semen from Tilly’s sire Abdullah was actually bought in a raffle! Nine-year-old Tilly has quite the support group – Jane and Linda are both very involved with Riding for the Disabled and are always being asked for event updates from the members about the much-loved mare since they bought her over six years ago.

Regarding his win Gaspard commented, “This is my first three-day win, you’ve got all of the top-class riders and horses here as well, so it really means a lot to win. I have only had the mare since March, but she really wants to please, she really tries. She’s such a nice mare, she just really does a good job, I am very happy with her.”

Phoebe Locke riding Renkumb Jitterbug are the winners of the Empire Coach Builders CCI2*-L.

The final section to finish for the day was the Empire Coach Builders CCI2*-L where Phoebe Locke took a late lead when overnight leader Kitty King, who was last to go, had the final fence down. Riding her own Renkumb Jitterbug, the Somerset born eventer has represented GB at five European championships, recently gaining the title of British and European under 21 champion.

The 16.2hh, seven-year-old gelding out of Trijntje by Baloubet Junior Z is part of Phoebe’s string of horses based on her yard in Wiltshire which she recently set up professionally, having previously had her horses on their family yard.

Phoebe actually started her equestrian career as a show jumper, but was quickly spotted to have plenty of talent as an eventer and has now made a great name for herself within the eventing world, having competed up to 4*.

On her win, Phoebe commented, “It was a little bit unexpected, he’s only seven years old and it’s the first time doing a long format, so I didn’t know how he would be today show jumping after cross country, but he dealt with it really well.” Phoebe remarks fondly about Renkumb Jitterbug “He’s very cuddly and likes lots of attention and treats.”

Wrapping up the week here at Bicton International Horse Trials, Event Director Andrew Fell said, “It was a fantastic week, some of the best top-quality sport in the UK – I think the biggest thing was how much the team worked together. Everyone was here to make it happen, we were blessed with the weather and I’m so proud of what we managed to pull off.”

Bicton International Links: Website, Scores, Live Stream Replays, EN’s Coverage

Leading Laura Ahead of the Rest in Bicton Arena CCI4*-S

By on May 27, 2023 2:30 pm -

Laura Collett rides London 52 during the Topspec CCI-S 4* Showjumping. 2023 GBR-Bicton International Horse Trial. Photo: Libby Law Photography.

Overnight leader of the TopSpec CCI4*-S Laura Collett and London 52 retain their leading position with 19.8 at Bicton International Horse Trials.

“I’m absolutely chuffed with London 52 and Dacapo. They both did really nice tests and jumped beautifully round the show jumping. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow, I think it’s a great track and hopefully it will set them up really nicely for Luhmühlen in a few weeks’ time,” said Laura.

In the last three years, out of 25 runs, this horse has only ever picked up cross country penalties on one occasion – at the Worlds in Pratoni. This makes the 14-year-old gelding the one to watch going into the final day of competition tomorrow.

Gaspard Maksud & Chantilly Amatullah retain leadership in the Symonds & Sampson CCI3*-L. Photo: Libby Law Photography.

Beaming as they came through the finish line, retaining the lead in the Symonds & Sampson CCI3*-L, Gaspard Maksud was thrilled with just 0.4 time penalties on Chantilly Amatullah. He remarks on his new partnership with this horse, “I haven’t had Tilly very long, so it is always a bit of an unknown, but she was very good, she tried very hard. When I asked her to get up at the last, she was still full of running which is brilliant.”

Originally from Laval, France, Gaspard began his riding career at the tender age of 11 and began his success by winning the French Junior championship at just 16 years old. The pair go into the final day of competition, show jumping tomorrow with one penalty in hand.

Finn Healy & Treamble lead the Chatham CCI3*YR-L. Photo: Libby Law Photography.

Another combination to keep the top spot going into show jumping is Finn Healy on Treamble in the CCI3*YR-L. The pair went clear jumping across country with just 0.8 time penalties. 18-year-old Finn has seen plenty of success so far in his career, winning team gold at the 2022 FEI European Junior Eventing Championships at Hartpury on Fathers Compromise and double gold at the 2019 FEI European Pony Championships at Strzegom on Midnight Dancer. The pair go into tomorrow with a margin of three penalties ahead of second placed Barnie Brotherton on DHI King Nelson.

Finn says, “I’m over the moon with her today, she was absolutely amazing, it was a really tough track. I thought that the undulations and the hills made it a really big stamina test as well as some really tricky questions, but she made it feel really effortless. She really showed her class – she loves the cross country phase, so she makes my life really easy. Tomorrow is a new day – we will focus on the trot up and then when the track is built, we will have a look. We are trying to take it all one step at a time and hopefully we will jump a good round.”

Kitty King & Ogue Verdi retake the lead in the Empire Coach Builders CCI2*-L. Photo: Libby Law Photography.

The CCI2*-L Empire Coach Builders is the only change in leadership for the day, where Kitty King and Ogue Verdi re-took the lead that they held on day one after their dressage, pushing yesterday’s post-dressage leader Dani Evans into second place. Kitty has represented Great Britain at the Olympics and is the first British event rider to have represented GB at Pony, Junior, Young Rider and Senior European Championships. Adding nothing to their dressage score of 27.6, the eight-year-old Irish grey gelding owned by Lindsay Caldwell and Sue Brendish made nothing of the Helen West designed cross country course today.

You can watch the CCI4*-S cross country finale Sunday (May 28) bright and early in the U.S. and live on ClipMyHorse.TV beginning at 6:00 a.m. EST / 11:00 a.m. BST. A subscription is required to watch this live stream. 

Bicton International Links: Website, Live Scores, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage

Laura Collett and London 52 Lead Bicton CCI4*-S After Dressage

By on May 26, 2023 2:51 pm -

Laura Collett and London 52. Photo by Hannah Cole.

14-year-old 2022 Badminton winner London 52 and rider Laura Collett were the first to change up the leader board today, scoring 19.8 on the second day of dressage at Bicton International Horse Trials (25-28 May) in the TopSpec CCI4*-S. They now lead this first phase, which was held overnight by Oliver Townend and Swallow Springs, who competed at Badminton three weeks ago but did not complete cross country.

This was Laura’s second ride of the day, having scored 22.7 on Dacapo earlier on, who is now lying in fourth place after dressage in the same class. Dazzling in the Devon sunshine, London 52, known as Dan at home, put on a great performance and showed the value and experience of their nine-year partnership.

Overnight leader of the Symonds & Sampson CCI3*-L, Gaspard Maksud scored an impressive 24.9 yesterday with Chantilly Amatullah, retaining the lead at the end of the second day of dressage, heading into the cross-country tomorrow. Tilly, as the nine-year old is known, is a new ride for Gaspard, having only come together a couple of months ago. Out of Cusheen Beauty by Abdullah, the 15.2hh mare has shown great consistency in the jumping phases since starting her affiliated career in 2019 so is likely to be competitive this weekend.

Putting his stamp on proceedings, Finn Healy took the lead this afternoon in the Chatham CCI3*YR-L riding Amy Hawley’s 10-year-old mare Treamble. Standing at 17hh, the mare is bred by Preci Spark Event Horses out of Trevillet by Grafenstolz. Finn and his sister Ellie, who is also competing in the CCI3*YR-L at Bicton this week, make up Team Healy who are based over 200 miles away in Derbyshire. Finn took over the ride on this horse last summer, having previously been competed by owner Amy.

In the Empire Coach Builders CCI2*-L, overnight leader Kitty King was pipped to the post late in the day by Dani Evans riding Argentino BK. This 11-year-old Spanish gelding is a former rider of Andrew Nicholson’s with Bristol based Dani having taken the reins in the summer of 2020. Since then, the pair have had limited runs, but appear to be back with purpose scoring a competitive 27.1 in today’s dressage. In their most recent run at Cirencester Park in the ON in April, they placed fourth, setting them up nicely for a run here at Bicton.

Event Director, Andrew Fell and his team have been busy preparing the ground for the weekend, “The ground preparation for an event like this doesn’t start the day before, it starts months in advance. We’ve slit the course twice so far this winter, we’ve been putting manure and slurry on the course to really get the grass growth very good. Despite it being really wet this spring, we are lucky to be on sandy soil here which drains very well, so we are now looking to raise that moisture content in the top few inches to make the going really good for cross country this weekend.”

Show jumping for the TopSpec CCI4*-S will start at 1pm tomorrow and the cross country for the CCI2*-L, CCI3*-L and CCI3*YR-L from 9.30am. Tickets can still be purchased for the weekend via the Bicton Arena website.

Bicton International Links: Website, Live Scores, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage

 

 

Olympic Qualifiers and Record-Breaking Entries: How to Follow Millstreet International

By on May 24, 2023 11:30 am -

Kevin McNab, winner of the CCI4*-S in 2021 with Scuderia 1918 A Best Friend, is one of those making a return visit to Millstreet. Photo by Big-Media.

Millstreet in Co. Cork is set to be Ireland’s most international horse trials on record with entries received from a remarkable 20 nations. Eight are able to field teams in the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ and six in the CCIO3*-L, which is also an Olympic qualifier for nations in Africa, the Middle East, South-East Asia and Oceania.

On June 1-4, the Duggan family’s magnificent Great Glens Arena in Millstreet will host the third leg of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™, run at CCI4*-S level, in which the current leaders are Belgium, following a win at Montelibretti, Italy, and third place at Chatsworth, Great Britain. Australia, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain will also be represented, which should ensure a thrilling competition.

Six teams will contest the crucial CCIO3*-L: Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa and Thailand. Australia, winners of multiple team gold medals but so far not qualified for the Paris Olympic Games in 2024, is taking no chances, fielding the Tokyo silver medal trio of Andrew Hoy, Shane Rose and Millstreet regular Kevin McNab.

New Zealand, who are qualified as the world bronze medallists, have two members from that 2022 team, world number two Jonelle Price and Clarke Johnstone, and the South African squad includes Cork-based Storm O’Connor, sister-in-law of top Irish rider Austin O’Connor who was recently a brilliant third at Badminton and who has a ride in the CCI4*-L class.

More than 350 horses will be on site, including those for the national four and five-year-old Eventing Discovery classes, which are a showpiece for Irish breeding, and other nations represented include Brazil, Denmark, France, Germany, Morocco, Norway, Sweden and the USA.

“We are overwhelmed and delighted that so many international riders are coming to Millstreet,” says Event Director Thomas Duggan. “There should be some really exciting competition and some fantastic horses. Who knows? We may be seeing the future gold medallists at Paris in action.”

Millstreet has previously hosted Young Rider, Junior and Pony European Championships, plus an FEI Nations Cup and an Event Rider Masters competition.

The Duggan family have long been steeped in the Irish equestrian world, producing top-class competition horses and hosting international competitions. They are currently providing accommodation for more than 300 Ukrainian refugees.

To follow the competition, which takes place June 1—4, you can tune into the FEI’s YouTube channel, which will broadcast the CCIO4*-S Nations Cup cross-country, or click here for live scoring across the classes.

Poland Secure Their Place at Paris 2024

By on May 22, 2023 10:00 am -

Team Poland under the direction of Germany’s Andreas Dibowski took first place at the Group C FEI Designated Olympic Qualifier for Eventing at Baborówko (POL) this weekend, in a battle between three Central European nations seeking team qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Team Poland secures a slot for the 2024 Olympic Games after winning the FEI Eventing Olympic Qualifier – Group C Baborowko (POL). Photo by FEI.

With only one Team quota place on offer at this qualifying event, it was a disappointment for the teams from the Czech Republic and Hungary, who finished in second and third place respectively, after three days of exhilarating competition in the bucolic countryside near Poznań.

Poland were the favourites heading into the weekend’s competition, having been victorious at the same venue in 2019 to secure a place on the start list at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, where they finished in 13th place. After Friday’s Dressage phase, Poland were indeed in the driver’s seat, leading Hungary by nearly 10 total points. Polish athlete Pawel Warszawski led the field on a score of 29.7 points with Lucinda Ex Ani 4. He was helped out by teammates Jan Kiminski (Jard), Wiktoria Knap (Quintus 134), and Malgorzata Korycka (Canvalencia), who finished second, fourth, and eighth, respectively.

Poland’s dominance was cemented in the cross country on Saturday, where they again finished first, this time on Marcin Konarski’s 5,700-metre course, which had an optimum time of 10 minutes. Riding last for the Polish team, Warszawksi had the confidence of knowing that all three athletes before him had gone clear and finished with 16.4 time penalties and no obstacle penalties. Kaminski snagged just 1.2 time penalties, and Korycka added 6.4. Knap happily ended the day on her Dressage score, crossing the beam with one second to spare on the clock.

Malgorzata Korycka (POL) & Quintus 134 – Baborowko Eventing – CCIO4* – Olympic qualifier for Group C. Photo by FEI.

Whilst Hungary still hoped to overtake Poland in the cross country phase, with a reasonable difference between the two teams after Dressage, they soon found their team unravelling. Only Imre Tóth finished the course, riding clear aboard Zypresse 8 but picking up 8 time penalties. Noémi Viola Doerfer and Crystal Barney were eliminated after a fall – the result of misjudging strides between two elements of a combination – and Balázs Kaizinger elected to retire on the course with Clover 15.

Of Saturday’s performance, Jan Kaminski, who took over the leaderboard individually in the qualifying class, said: “I knew I had to make it to the end for the country.”

In the Jumping round on Sunday, the track created by course designer Szymon Tarant helped Team Poland put a bow on their win. All four Polish riders completed the course, adding only 9.2 total points to their overall team score. With a fence in hand and room for a few seconds on the clock, Jan Kaminski held onto his first-place position, joined on the podium by teammate Malgorzata Korycka in third, with their compatriot Mateusz Kiempa taking home the individual silver medal. The Czech Republic finished second overall on 1,158.8 points to Poland’s 129.9, Matej Sukdolak (Quaid) and Miroslav Trunda (Trnka Ruf) taking eighth and ninth. Hungary ended in third place on 2,117.9 points.

Talking of Poland’s win, Chef d’Equipe Andreas Dibowski said:

“It was a result from very good team spirit and teamwork. The first thing I told the riders was we needed safe rounds, and it would be okay to take some time penalties” – Andreas Dibowski (POL)

POL – Kaminski – Korycka – Knap – Warszawski – Baborowko Eventing – CCIO4* – Olympic qualifier for Group C. Photo by FEI.

There are 16 Team slots on offer for Eventing at Paris 2024, including one for host nation France. That makes competition fierce for remaining places, with Poland now taking the ninth team slot, since Germany (2022 world champions at Herning), the USA, New Zealand, Great Britain (2020 Tokyo champions), Ireland, Sweden, and Switzerland claimed seven of those 16 as the highest ranked teams at the 2022 FEI Eventing World Championship at Pratoni del Vivaro (ITA).

The FEI Designated Olympic Qualification Event at Millstreet, Ireland in June for Groups F & G (Africa, Middle East, South East Asia and Oceania) will select two more teams from the highest placed finishers who have not yet qualified, as will the FEI Eventing European Championship at Pin du Haras, France this August and the 2023 Pan American Games at Santiago, Chile in October. The last chance to earn a single Team slot to Paris 2024 will be the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ Series, which wraps up at Boekelo in the Netherlands in autumn.

Along with the British defending champions and France, who were awarded the Team bronze medal in Eventing at Tokyo, the Australians — who won silver — will surely be eager to make the roster. Of the teams who finished in the top 10 in Japan, Italy (seventh) and the People’s Republic of China (ninth) have also yet to qualify.

All is not lost for athletes whose teams don’t ultimately qualify to compete at the Château de Versailles next year. In addition to the 16 Team spots (48 athletes), there are 17 Individual quota places to be allocated across multiple Olympic groups. Final places will be determined in 2024 and will be announced by the FEI once they have been confirmed.

Full results here

For more information on qualification systems, qualfiying and MER events & qualified nations, visit the FEI Paris 2024 Olympic hub.

For any questions, please contact [email protected]

Nicola Wilson Named to UK Sport’s New Coaching in High Performance Sport Development Program

By on May 21, 2023 9:30 am -

Another super day of Young Eventer Pathway training last week, this time focusing on the cross-country phase with European Champion Nicola Wilson Equestrian 🙌

Posted by Wesko Equestrian Foundation on Tuesday, April 25, 2023

UK Sport has recently confirmed the first cohort of a new coach development programme, Coaching in High-Performance Sport (CiHPS), supporting 27 coaches across 21 sports and British Equestrian is delighted to announce Nicola Wilson is among the talented and inspirational coaches named.

The CiHPS programme features already world title holding coaches, with British Curling coach Michael Goodfellow supporting Team Mouat’s Gold medal at the Curling World Championships. Likewise, Joshua Richardson supported Jessica Gadirova to win three gold medals at the European Gymnastics Championships in Turkey earlier this month.

Hannah Brown from para-canoeing, Nicola Benavente from Para Rowing and Michelle Forrest (Greenall) from climbing were part of UK Sport’s female coaches leadership programme. Including Michelle Flemings who has had great success of recently, supporting Georgia-Mea Fenton, who was part of the British Artistic gymnastics gold medal-winning team at the European Gymnastics Championships.

The design and structure of CiHPS builds on the learning and feedback gathered from coaches and the sports who participated in the High-Performance Coach Apprenticeship Programme (HiCAP).

Nicola said: “I am delighted to be part of the Coaching in High-Performance Sport programme and am really looking forward to challenging myself to learn more about my coaching craft through the workshops, interaction with other elite coaches from across multiple Olympic and Paralympic sports, and working with our assigned coach developers. I am certainly being taken out of my comfort zone and am so grateful to British Equestrian for putting me forward to be given this opportunity as I transition from Podium athlete to coach. I look forward to implementing into my coaching what I learn and see. It will be invaluable to be part of a coaching network across sporting disciplines.”

Beginning in April, the programme will have a particular focus on supporting coaches’ learning & development, whilst being mindful of a very busy and demanding qualification phase on the journey towards Paris. The 12 month programme will include a combination of online and in-person sessions over the course of the year.

Many of the coaches on the programme have recently progressed to coaching within Podium environments. A central strand of CiHPS is 1 to 1 support from a Coach Developer, many of whom have recently completed (or are currently participating) in the sister Supporting Coaching in High-Performance Sport programme. Other learning design elements include workshops, cross-sport environment visits and a regular community of practice to provide a supportive social network.

Aligned with the Coaching in High-Performance Sport professional standard (CIMSPA), the CiHPS programme sits alongside UK Sport’s wider suite of coaching development programmes, which in total support more than 140 coaches, Coach Developers and other staff working across the high-performance sport community.

The first workshop was held at the Etihad Stadium at the beginning of May and very deliberately explored the theme of coach well-being, care and support – a strand that will run throughout the programme.

Andy Bradshaw, programme lead and Coach Developer to two coaches on CiHPS said:

“We are absolutely delighted to be working with our first Coaching in High-Performance Sport cohort and to be supporting 27 brilliant coaches to progress further, develop new knowledge and skills and generate a supportive community for each other.

“At UK Sport we are committed to working with National Governing Bodies and coaches to develop an expert high-performance coaching community to power success now and into the future so that we continue to win and win well, grow a thriving sporting system and inspire positive change.”

The full list of coaches:

  • Julia Quinn, Badminton
  • Lauren Kianchehr, Boccia
  • Phil Sellers, Boxing
  • Luke Smyth, Canoeing
  • Hannah Brown, Para Canoeing
  • Michelle Forrest (Greenall), Climbing
  • Liam Briddon, Climbing
  • Greg Drummond, Curling
  • Michael Goodfellow, Curling
  • Kaarle McCulloch, Cycling
  • David Daniell, Para Cycling
  • Andrew Pink, Para Cycling
  • Nicola Wilson, Equestrian
  • Richard Kruse, Fencing
  • Glen Golding, Wheelchair Fencing
  • Joshua Richardson, Gymnastics
  • Michelle Flemings, Gymnastics
  • Jody Paul, Hockey
  • Russell North, Mod Pentathlon
  • Michal Janka, Mod Pentathlon
  • Ben Richens, Para Powerlifting
  • Nicola Benavente, Para Rowing
  • Benji Fulker, Skeleton
  • Paul Bell, Squash
  • Mathew Trodden, Swimming
  • Kevin Brooks, Swimming
  • Gary Short, Trampolining

Olympic Spots, Top Competitors, and More: All You Need to Know About the Baborówko Equestrian Festival

By on May 19, 2023 1:24 pm -

Photo courtesy of Baborowko Equestrian Centre.

The international Eventing Competition at the Baborówko Equestrian Center has just begun. The fifteenth edition of the Baborówko Equestrian Festival has once again attracted the best riders from around the world – the start lists include names such as Michael Jung and Ingrid Klimke (Olympic gold medalists), but also the best Polish riders: Joanna Pawlak, Pawel Warszawski and Jan Kaminski. Seven competitions will be held during the event, including Paris 2024 FEI Olympic Qualification Event for Eventing – Group C.

In the fifteenth edition of the Equestrian Festival Baborówko, 260 pairs from 18 countries (including Switzerland, Germany, France, Finland and Italy) are competing for a prize pool of half a million zlotys. The CCI4*-S competition – whhich prize pool reaches 320,000 zlotys – will feature, among others, last year’s winner Felix Vogg, who this year scored a rise in the world ranking to 16th place. Just behind him, in 17th place, is Michael Jung, who, together with his gelding Kilcandra Ocean Power, will fight for a rematch in the same competition.

Photo courtesy of Baborowko Equestrian Festival.

Polish, Czech and Hungarian riders and fans are primarily focused on the CCIO4*-L competition, in which they will fight for participation in the Olympic Games. Polish National Team coach Andreas Dibowski will not select the national team lineup until Thursday’s review, but the entire team is already motivated to fight together and support each other. The Polish team’s achievements so far are cause for optimism for a repeat of the 2019 success, when Poland won a team qualification for the Tokyo Olympics for the first time in 16 years.

“The whole team has been preparing hard for this competition, so we believe that we will be able to achieve our goal, which is undoubtedly to qualify for the Olympic Games. We have a number of national team training camps behind us, which have helped us prepare as well as possible for this year’s season. The support of the fans is also important, so we encourage you to come to the Baborówko Equestrian Festival and watch the live streaming,” says a representative of the Baborówko Equestrian Association and member of the Polish National Team, Pawel Warszawski.

Although it is only the first day of the competition, the excitement of the sport is already at its highest level. Live streaming is available on the organizer’s website and Facebook profile (Baborówko Equestrian).

US Equestrian Announces Land Rover U.S. Eventing Squad for 2023 CHIO Aachen CCIO4*-S

By on May 15, 2023 5:30 pm -

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Squad for the CHIO Aachen CCIO4*-S at CHIO Aachen World Equestrian Festival in Aachen, Germany, from June 30 – July 1, 2023. The squad will be led by Chef d’Equipe Robert Costello. From the squad, the four-combination Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team and individual combination will be announced closer to the event.

The following combinations have been selected to represent the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Squad and are listed in alphabetical order:

• Will Coleman (Gordonsville, Va.) and Off The Record, a 2009 Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by the Off the Record Syndicate.

Chin Tonic HS, a 2012 Holsteiner gelding owned by Hyperion Stud, LLC, will be Coleman’s direct reserve horse.

• Phillip Dutton (West Grove, Pa.) and Z, 2008 Zangersheide gelding owned by Thomas A. Tierney, Suzanne Lacy, Caroline Moran, Ann Jones, Evie Dutton, Patricia Vos, and David Vos.

• Ariel Grald (Southern Pines, N.C.) and Leamore Master Plan, a 2009 Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Annie Eldridge.

• Liz Halliday-Sharp (Lexington, Ky.) and Miks Master C, 2012 Swedish Warmblood gelding owned by Ocala Horse Properties, LLC and Deborah Palmer.

• Tamie Smith (Murrieta, Calif.) and Mai Baum, a 2006 German Sporthorse gelding owned by Alexandra Ahearn, Ellen Ahearn, and Eric Markell.

Competition Information

Competition will begin on Friday, June 30, with the dressage and jumping phases, followed by the cross-country phase on Saturday, July 1.

Event website | Schedule | Entries and results

Great Britain – and Ros Canter – Lead the Way in Chatsworth Nations Cup Dressage

By on May 12, 2023 2:00 pm -

Poetry in Motion: British team member Rosalind Canter and Izilot DHI scored 18 in the dressage to head the individual leade rboard in CCI4* Section G at Chatsworth International Horse Trials, sponsored by Delarki. Photo by Libby Law/Chatsworth International Horse Trials.

Great Britain leads the FEI Nations Cup team competition after the dressage phase at the Chatsworth International Horse Trials, sponsored by Delarki.

The British quartet of reigning world champion Yasmin Ingham, former World Champion and Badminton winner Rosalind Canter, Bubby Upton and David Doel have a 6.5-penalty lead over the French squad, which includes dual European champion and Olympic gold medallist Nicolas Touzaint, who is in individual fourth place.

 Belgium is third of the seven teams, followed by Italy, Netherlands, USA, Spain and New Zealand. Chatsworth is the second leg of the prestigious FEI Nations Cup series of team competitions which culminates in a final in Boekelo, the Netherlands, in October.

 Ros Canter also heads the individual leader board in CCI4*-S Section G with the outstanding score of 18 on her team horse, Izilot DHI, a 10-year-old, Dutch-bred bay gelding. “This was real dressage,” exclaimed Ros afterwards. “Izilot has really come into his own this season.

 “His ability was never in doubt — he’s a fantastic horse — but he is not straightforward at home and can be spooky. However, he has a good brain for the arena and we managed to get some real training in over the winter. As a result he is more rideable and is more on my terms.”

 Another British combination, Mollie Summerland and Charly Van Ter Heiden, winners of the German CCI5*-L at Luhmuhlen in 2021, are renowned for their prowess in the dressage arena and they are less than a penalty in arrears of Ros, on the brilliant score of 18.9.

 France’s Stephane Landois is third on Chaman Dumontceau on a score of 22.8.

 In an alteration to the timetable, the show jumping and cross-country phases for CCI4*-S Section G and the FEI Nations Cup will take place tomorrow (Saturday, May 13), with show jumping starting at 8am and cross-country from 12 noon.

 The jumping phases for CCI4*-S Section H, which is currently led by Caroline Harris and D Day on a score of 26.0, and the advanced class will take place on Sunday, May 14.

 For up-to-date scoring and start times, visit www.eventingscores.co.uk

 In addition to the eventing action, there are more than 80 tradestands and great family entertainment including the Yorkshire Countryman, dog agility, the Sheep Show, scurry driving, Pony Club jumping and a children’s entertainment zone.

The 2023 European Eventing Championships in Numbers

By on May 11, 2023 2:06 pm -

The all-female British team who took gold at Avenches in 2021 — plus individual bronze medallist Sarah Bullimore — embark on their lap of honour after a clean sweep of the medals at the European Championships. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

We’re officially just ninety days away from this year’s European Eventing Championships, which heads to the north of France and the impressive Haras du Pin stud. With a course designed by Paris 2024 designer Pierre le Gouptil and two Olympic berths on the line, it’s set to be hot, hot, hot – so let’s take a closer look at some of the finer points of the competition, set to run from August 9–13.

36: The Haras National du Pin is hosting the 36th edition of the FEl Eventing European Championship. This is the fourth time the competition has been held in France, after a first in 1969, already at the Haras du Pin, then in 2001 in Pau and finally in 2009 in Fontainebleau. Great Britain holds the record for organizing the event with 11 times on its ground. Germany follows with 7 events.

54: The number of years since the first FEI Eventing European Championship at the Haras du Pin, in 1969. At that time, Great Britain won the team competition ahead of the Soviet Union and West Germany. God Save the Queen was also played in individual competition thanks to Mary Gordon Watson on Cornishman.

1995: The year of creation of Ustica, the organizing association of this FEl Eventing European Championship. Chaired by Valérie Moulin, Ustica has for many years demonstrated its know-how in the organisation of international events, notably the French leg of the FEl Eventing Nations Cup. In 2021 the association celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Grand Complet, a major event in the international calendar.

300: The number of French and European volunteers of all ages mobilised this summer for the FEl Eventing European Championship supported by many public and private partners.

80 & 20: Approximately 80 couples will compete in Normandy with the hope of succeeding the British Nicola Wilson, crowned in 2021 in Avenches (Switzerland) with JL Dublin, ahead of her compatriots Piggy March (Brookfield Innocent) and Sarah Bullimore (Corouet). Riders will represent about 20 nations. By team, Great Britain will defend the title acquired two years ago in front of Germany and Sweden.

2: The nations that will leave the FEl Eventing European Championship with their Olympic qualification. Six European countries are already qualified for the Paris Olympic Games (France, host country, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Sweden and Switzerland). The two best nations (Northern Europe and Southern Europe zones) of the FEl Eventing European Championship, excluding countries already qualified, will therefore win their ticket to Paris 2024 in Normandy.

3: Different tests. Pairs will have to perform a dressage test, a cross-country test and finally a show jumping test. A real equestrian triathlon requiring new qualities each day such as sublety, endurance, speed and dexterity.

30: The number of cross-country fences and 41 efforts. Pierre Le Goupil, course designer for the next Olympic Games in Paris in 2024 as well as for the Panamerican Games in Quillota (CHI) in October 2023, has taken advantage of all the particularities of the Haras National du Pin ground to create a selective course of approximately 6,000 metres while preserving the integrity of horses and riders. The competitors will have to overcome a series of difficulties, including fords, up-hills, downhills, ditches, trunks and directional obstacles.

570: The average speed in metres per minute that the pairs will have to maintain on the cross-country test if they want to finish within the time allowed.

30,000: Spectators expected on the four days of competition. Saturday, August 12 will be the busiest day with the traditional and always spectacular cross-country test held at the heart of the Haras National du Pin within a 50 hectares park.

6: The most advantageous entry fee (in €) for the FEI European Eventing Championships (horse inspection followed by the opening ceremony on Wednesday 9 August). The ticketing service offers multiple possibilities with, in addition to the daily tickets, numerous packages and formulas. In order to facilitate access to the competition venue, a system of paying parking lots, accessible only on presale, has been set up.

11: European medals won by Michael Jung, who remains the greatest medals winner in eventing. At the European level, the German has already won three individual titles (2011, 2013 and 2015), two silver medals (2017 and 2019) and one bronze (2009). In team competition, he won four gold medals (2011, 2013, 2015 and 2019) and one silver (2021).

87: The medals won by Great Britain in individual and team competition since the first edition of the FEI Eventing European Championship: 42 gold (23 in team competition), 26 silver and 19 bronze. The record, far ahead of Germany (42 medals including 12 gold) and. France (22 medals including 3 gold, individually, thanks to Jean-Lou Bigot in 1993 with Twist La Beige, and Nicolas Touzaint in 2003 and 2007 with Galan de Sauvagère).

The box office is open for the 2023 European Eventing Championships at Haras du Pin, taking place from August 9–13. Click here to get yours! 

MARS Bromont Rising U25 Grant Recipients Announced for MARS Bromont CCI

By on May 10, 2023 2:41 pm -

MARS Bromont Rising grant recipient Maddie Hale and Cinzano 87 competing at Bromont in 2022. Photo by Cealy Tetley.

The MARS Bromont Rising U25 scholarship program, administered by the USEA Foundation, is pleased to announce the first recipients of this year’s grant funding for riders aiming to compete in the MARS Bromont CCI (Quebec, Canada) taking place June 7-11, 2023. Each will receive $2,500 toward their travel and competition costs, and participate in an extensive educational program during the event.

The brainchild of Bromont organizer Sue Ockendon and the late Steve Blauner; the scholarship program was first offered in 2019 for riders competing at Bromont and at the time Ocala, and was expanded to include Galway Downs in 2022.

Highlighting this year’s program is the return of three-time German Olympic team member Bettina Hoy, as a guest coach for 2023. Hoy will be coaching athletes on dressage days as well as providing course walks for cross-country and show jumping.

The recipients are:

Lea Adams-Blackmore (Summit Point, WV) with Frostbite

Elle Choate (Clemson, SC) with Paddrick

Maya Clarkson (Santa Cruz, CA) with Maks Mojo C

Jack Curtis (Chester County, PA) with Luska Candy Clover

Sam Curtis (Chester County, PA) with Blyths Centurion FE

Samantha Homeyer (Markham, VA) with Final Notice

Cassandra Leblanc (Quebec City, QC) with Riffel

Caitlin O’Roark (Centerville, VA) with What The Devil

Nadia Sabot (Uxbridge, ON) with Neverquitdreaming

Sara Schulman (Purcellville, VA) with Cooley Chromatic

Program director, Olympian and FEI 5* Eventing judge, Peter Gray also acts as a clinician at each event, including his “centreline sessions” on how to make the most of your warm-up and exactly what the judges are looking for movement by movement.

Upon releasing the names Gray commented: “I was thrilled to receive so many top tier applications from athletes around North America; this emerging group of talent is the future of our sport! There is such a fantastic international atmosphere at Bromont and with world class coaching from Bettina Hoy, it should be a memorable weekend! Thank you to Dr. Mark Hard and Carol Kozlowski for joining me on the review committee to select funding recipients.”

A second round of funding continues for those looking to compete at Galway Downs (California, USA) in November — applications are open through September 1, 2023.

Canadian and US U25 riders competing at any level of FEI competition offered are eligible to apply.

Galway Downs International 3-day Event November 1-5, 2023 CCI4*L, CCI3*L, CCI2*L

https://galwaydowns.net/

APPLICATION DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 1, 2023

For more information on the MARS Bromont Rising program visit www.bromontcci.com

USEF Eventing National Championship Dates and Locations Announced

By on May 5, 2023 1:50 pm -

Taren Hoffos and Regalla at Galway Downs. Photo by Sherry Stewart.

US Equestrian is pleased to announce the host locations and dates for the USEF Eventing National Championships taking place in the fall of 2023. The new USEF/USEA Developing Horse National Championships (CCI2*-S, CCI3*-S) will take place at the Stable View Oktoberfest Horse Trials in Aiken, S.C., September 29-October 1, 2023. The USEF CCI3*-L Eventing National Championship will return to the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill in Elkton, Md., October 18-22, 2023. The USEF CCI2*-L Eventing National Championship and USEF CCI4*-L Eventing National Championship as well as the USEF Eventing Young Rider Championships (CCI1*, CCI2*-L, CCI3*-L) will take place at the Galway Downs International Horse Trials in Temecula, Calif., November 1-5, 2023.

The USEF/USEA Developing Horse National Championships (CCI2*-S, CCI3*-S) are new for 2023. These championships are the first step in the creation of a USEF Developing Horse Program, which has the ultimate goal of talent identification, cultivation, and guidance for potential team horses. In addition to the USEF/USEA Developing Horse National Championships, the Stable View Oktoberfest Horse Trials will host divisions from Beginner Novice to CCI4*-S.

“Stable View is honored to be associated with this new initiative and is happy that its Oktoberfest event has been chosen for the inaugural 2023 USEF/USEA Developing Horse National Championships,” said Molly Bull, event organizer of the Stable View Oktoberfest Horse Trials.

 

The Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill made its debut in 2021 and will host the USEF CCI3*-L Eventing National Championship for the third year alongside its CCI5*-L.

“On behalf of the Maryland 5 Star Event Committee, an affiliate of the Sport & Entertainment Corporation of Maryland, and our competition partner Fair Hill International, we are honored and thankful to be selected to host the USEF CCI3*-L Eventing National Championship as part of the MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill presented by Brown Advisory,” said Jeff Newman, President & CEO of the Maryland 5 Star Event Committee. “It’s truly an honor to feature the highest caliber of eventing competition simultaneously across multiple levels at Fair Hill here in Cecil County, Maryland including the prestigious CCI5*-L, CCI3*-L and USEA Young Event Horse East Coast Championships. We look forward to seeing equestrian fans from all around the world this October.”

In addition to the USEF CCI2*-L Eventing National Championship, USEF CCI4*-L Eventing National Championship, and USEF Eventing Young Rider Championships, Galway Downs International Horse Trials will host divisions from Beginner Novice to CCI4*-L.

“We are grateful for the championship honors brought to Galway Downs by US Equestrian,” said Robert Kellerhouse, event organizer at the Galway Downs International Horse Trials. “We haven’t applied for these championships until this year because we know our venue is now in a very good position to honor our equestrian athletes—the CCI2*-L and CCI4*-L riders and the Eventing Young Riders—who are all aiming for this prestigious competition that will be taking place in November. We invite everyone to come see what Galway Downs has to offer, and thank you to the sport for bringing these competitions to us.”

Find out more about the USEF Eventing National Championships and the USEF Eventing Young Rider Championships.

Learn from a Legend: Ingrid Klimke’s California Masterclass

By on May 1, 2023 1:00 pm -

Entrigue Consulting is proud to present an Ingrid Klimke two-day Masterclass in California’s beautiful wine country. Ingrid has competed at five Olympics and six World Equestrian Games, winning medals in the Summer Olympics of 2008, 2012 and 2016. In this unique program, showcasing the Classical Approach, Ingrid will share her training through the levels of development, from young horse to Grand Prix, using cavalleti and other exercises. The program is designed to showcase horsemanship foundations for both
dressage and eventing.

Ingrid Klimke (GER) riding Franziskus FRH – winner at the FEI Dressage World Cup 2022/23 – Stuttgart (GER) Photo: ©FEI/Leanjo de Koster

This Masterclass, sponsored by Lisa Seger Insurance, will run both days (December 2-3, 2023) from 10:00 am to approximately 4:30 pm with options for riders, spectators, sponsors, and vendors. A Christmas vendor village will open each day at 9:00 am and offer a pre-holidays equestrian shopping experience for event guests. Ingrid will also have a book signing and fan Meet & Greet during lunch both Saturday and Sunday.

General Admission tickets include all day spectator seating with access to vendor village and Ingrid’s book signing and fan Meet & Greet. Single day tickets are also available.
 
VIP tables are available in the new pavilion and offer a luxurious Masterclass experience which includes heated table seating, lounge area, gourmet breakfast and lunch both days, as well as, and an exclusive VIP only Afternoon Tea & Conversations with Ingrid on Saturday after the second presentation.

For more information and tickets: https://www.entrigueconsulting.com

About Ingrid:

Ingrid Klimke is one of the most well-known and accomplished horsewomen of our era.  As an eventer and dressage rider for Germany, she has ridden in a total of 5 Olympics and 6 World Equestrian Games.  With her horse Abraxxas, she won two gold medals in team eventing at the 2008 and 2012 Summer Games. At the 2016 Olympics, she won a team silver with Hale-Bob. 

Ingrid Klimke and FRH Butts Abraxxas.

She is the daughter of the world-renowned equestrian Reiner Klimke. Like her father, she rides in both eventing and dressage at international events. She placed seventh at the 2002 Dressage World Cup Final with Nector van het Carelshof. In 2022, she made her debut on the German dressage team at the World Championships in Herning, where she was awarded a team bronze medal. Most recently she competed in the FEI Dressage World Cup Final in Omaha 2023, finishing 4th in the Grand Prix with Franziskus. 

Klimke is the second woman ever to be appointed by the German federation as "Reitmeister"
translated as "Riding Master". Ingrid is an excited competitor, educator and trainer of horses in the Classical System. 

About Galway Downs:

Galway Downs is a center for Equestrian sports in California and following recent renovations, aims to provide top end facilities to support a range of Equestrian disciplines, making it a top international venue located in the heart of California's Temecula Wine Country. Ingrid’s masterclass will take place in the beautiful Grand Prix arena.

About Entrigue:

Entrigue Consulting, LLC. is a dedicated full-service equestrian digital marketing and creative agency. An established industry leader in equine marketing, Entrigue serves clients in the US, Australia, Canada, and Europe, providing rider representation, strategic consulting and digital advertising services.

“For years I have worked with so many events, from the Kentucky Derby, Global Champions
Tour, CDI’s and other clinics in many different capacities and I’m very excited to host an event myself–and to host, Ingrid Klimke, a horsewoman I so much respect and have admired for so much of my riding career– it’s going to be very special. I look forward to putting on amazing Masterclass for Ingrid and am excitedly planning a wonderful experience with my team for our patrons. I hope to see everyone there!”

—Kelly Artz, CEO and Founder Entrigue Consulting LLC