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Hyperion Stud U25 Award: U25 Program Puts Community First, Competition Second at VHC Eventing

By Veronica Green-Gott on Nov 21, 2024 9:30 am -

The U25 CCI2*-L Podium at VHC Eventing. Photo by Veronica Green-Gott.

As the U25 competitors at VHC Eventing, presented by Capital Square, stepped up to the podium, I couldn’t help but think about what other podiums might be in their future. Would we one day see these same smiling faces at a press conference under the chandeliers of the media room at the Kentucky Horse Park? If that day comes to pass, those who attended VHC Eventing this fall can say that they’ve been watching these riders develop from the start.

Sponsored by Hyperion Stud and organized by Area II Young Rider Coordinator Chris Donovan, Show Organizer Joanie Morris, and President of the Virginia Horse Center Foundation, Roxanne Booth, the U25 award recognizes competitors under the age of 25 as they grind their way to the top of the sport. When these young riders are one-day navigating the uncertainty of making a living as a professional eventer, they’ll have a close-knit community of peers to lean on, thanks to the U25 program.

The program assigned every rider under the age of 25 who was competing in an FEI division to a team. Ideally grouped by Area, there were also scramble teams as needed. Throughout the weekend these competitors were invited to attend select social events to build connections and a sense of community among the riders.

“I firmly believe they are the future of the sport, whether they go on to be on a Pan-American team or become future trainers,” Chris said. “Helping develop and build that camaraderie between them is so important, which is why we create U25 teams and encourage them to get to know each other and build a network to support them.”

The Virginia Horse Center has always been a hub of activity for some of the biggest professionals in Area II and beyond. Hawk-eyed fans will spot names like Phillip Dutton, Ema Klugman, Tim Bourke, and Sharon White listed among the scores. Up-and-coming riders can take advantage of this network of elite eventers thanks to the efforts of the U25 program.

“We have a lot of upper level riders who are here. These kids have an opportunity to go on to become grooms or working students, and they can make those connections while they’re here, right?” Chris said.

For Emeline Gilbert, the U25 competition added to an already exciting weekend. Emeline came in third overall in the CCI2*-S, thereby winning the division among U25 riders, with Albano (Arctic x Lucy May, by Lesotho), owned by Robert Meyerhoff. With dreams of becoming a professional, she worked for Bobby Meyerhoff for eight years and recently started working for Sharon White, who won the CCI2*-L division with Arden Augustus. Emeline also competed her own EWSZ Mozart (Magnum FFT x Ella Cinder, by Laiken) in the CCI3*-L division.

Emeline Gilbert and Albano. Photo by Veronica Green-Gott.

“I was lucky enough to have Albano finish third overall in the CCI2*-S, and so he was top of the U25. That was pretty special to have that bit of extra reward. And then my three-star horse, EWSZ Mozart– I was extremely happy with him. It was nice that he was able to place second in the U25,” Gilbert said. “I think the U25 groups create a bit of camaraderie with the other riders. One of my good friends, Audrey Ogan, was first in the CCI3*-S for the U25 division. So it’s really nice to see that come through for her as well.”

In both of her divisions, Emeline was competing against five-star eventers, including her new boss, Sharon White, as well as Tim Bourke, Valerie Pride, and Allison Springer. She says that the U25 program allows her to compare herself against her peers, instead of looking at the overall division.

“The U25 creates a bit of a separation from the big open FEI division that you’re in. So even if you don’t stack up well against the big group of professionals, there is the U25 which is comparing you more with your generation,” Emeline said. “So I think it’s nice to have the recognition on that side of things and see how you’re comparing that way. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you finish in the top 20 and, yeah, that’s good, but you’re not in the numbers as much because the FEI divisions can be so big and there’s so many professionals in them. I think it’s nice that they have the U25 to separate that a little bit and give you the extra boost of like, ‘Hey, you are doing a good job because you compare well with your age group.’ Plus, that’s going to be the next generation of professionals. So I think it definitely makes you more competitive that way, too.”

VHC Eventing wasn’t Emeline’s first introduction to the U25 program. She took part in the Bromont Rising Program in 2023. “I definitely think U25 has brought me some connections. At Bromont Rising, I got to meet Bettina Hoy and work with her,” Emeline said. ”I think that obviously creates a bit of connection there, and you can use them in the future. And it’s not just like reaching out to a professional that you’ve never met before, which can definitely be a little intimidating. I think it’s nice to have someone who’s laid eyes on you and your horses before. If you’re at a show, you can reach out to them, because they do know you’re riding a little bit. I think that’s always useful to kind of have those connections.”

This month marked Emeline’s first time taking part in the U25 program at the Virginia Horse Center. “I think the U25 offered there is definitely nice. Like I said, it’s just helpful to have a bit of recognition and competition within your age group. I think they do a really good job recognizing that younger group of talent,” Emeline said.

Riding her own Redfield Champion (Diarado x Calinka, by Contendro I), Katherine Maroko also placed third overall in the CCI2*-L division, winning the U25 CCI2*-L on a score of 35.6. Katherine splits her time between going to college and working as head groom for Hannah Sue Hollberg, who came to the event to cheer her on.

“I think that the U25 program is always really interesting to see at events, because I know that a lot of the coordinators always work really hard to have various events throughout the weekend where the different competitors are able to meet each other and create a sense of community,” Katherine said. “It’s all really exciting to be able to see other people more often that we don’t always get to see because we’re all spread out, and then have that sense of community when you win something with a team at the end. Throughout the event, I was able to get to meet some people that I haven’t really had the chance to talk to before. So that was a fun part of the weekend.”

As head groom for a five-star eventer, Katherine makes a lot of connections as she travels for various events with Hannah Sue. But she says that the U25 programs help take those connections to the next level. “With the U25 programs, we definitely interact with a lot of the same people. I’m able to make connections better and through the U25 I’m able to get to know people that usually I would only see in passing,” she said.

Katherine Maroko and Redfield Champion. Photo by Veronica Green-Gott.

While not to the same degree as compared to Areas in the middle of the country, Area II is relatively spread out. Unless young riders are in a program with a five-star eventer, they may not have the opportunity to build a community and make connections without the support of a program like U25. Katherine knows firsthand just how much of a difference programs like this one can make.

“All the work that Chris Donovan and everyone else puts into these types of programs to make sure that every time we have a bigger event in our area, we’re able to have all these socials to help create this community. I’ve seen so many close-knit groups of friends over the years that have been founded from these types of programs. I think it’s really wonderful the work that gets put into creating that community,” Katherine said.

Previously the sponsor of an award to the top-placed 6- or 7-year-old horse at VHC Eventing in May 2024, Hyperion Stud is once again supporting the future of eventing this November by sponsoring the U25 award. Vicky Castegren, founder of Hyperion Stud, knows how important it is to develop high caliber riders capable of partnering with the quality of horse that she breeds, as well as developing their own young horses.

“We are so proud to partner with VHC Eventing to present the U25 Award. It is very exciting to see how hard these young riders work to achieve their goals in the sport, and it’s so important to recognize that hard work with awards like this,” Vicky said. “These riders are the future of our sport and it’s wonderful to see these rising talents developing their horses. I am sure we will see them on the podium one day, representing the United States internationally, and we will know it started right here in Virginia!”

Putting the Bow on Top of a Great Weekend at VHC Eventing, Presented by Capital Square

By Veronica Green-Gott on Nov 10, 2024 6:32 pm -

Sharon White & Arden Augustus. Photo by Veronica Green-Gott

Lexington, Va.– Whether competing on a U25 team or riding in a senior division, an exciting weekend of sport was had by all at VHC Eventing, presented by Capital Square. With over 450 riders flocking to the historic venue, all three phases ran concurrently with both sides of the cross country course in use and multiple rings in session. This weekend’s winners rose above the fray to take home well-earned blue ribbons.

Having won the CCI2*-S at VHC Eventing in May, Sharon White and Arden Augustus, owned by Anita Antenucci, bookended their season with nearly identical wins, however this weekend marked “Gus’s” first long-format event. 2024 also marked the pair’s first full season at the FEI level. Entering the show jumping phase on a score of 30.2, one rail wasn’t enough to knock the pair out of the lead.

“I was really pleased with him,” White said. “I had the rail and thought I’d lost it, but he was jumping well and it was just that I needed to help him a bit more– and don’t have another one.”

White is well-known for producing her own horses from the ground up and Gus is no different. The five-star eventer planned her season with an eye to Gus’s future and chose to enter the CCI2*-L at the Virginia Horse Center to help build the 6-year-old gelding’s base of fitness. “My whole year has been just about letting his body mature and letting him get stronger. And I debated whether he needed to do the two long or not. But then the hills of Virginia are so intense– I think it’s a really useful base for a horse. So that’s why he was here in Virginia, specifically for the hills, which, again, you’re always looking to put a good, solid base, or foundation of fitness on an event horse.”

Local to Summit Point, West Virginia, White travels to the Virginia Horse Center relatively often. She believes that competing at the venue is educational for horses and riders. “The horses have to learn about competing on terrain. Riders have to learn about competing on terrain. So I was here to give my horses an education on that, because everywhere else the hills are easier, right?” White said, laughing. “The Virginia Horse Center Foundation is just doing such a good job. I really appreciate anyone who puts on events and does their best.”

Hyperion Stud U25 Teams Award

The winning U25 teams in the CCI2*-L. Photo by Veronica Green-Gott

While the Virginia Horse Center is a popular stomping ground for upper level riders, this weekend also proved to be a big event for a large contingent of youth competitors. Area II coordinator Chris Donovan organized the U25 Team Challenge, sponsored by Hyperion Stud. Consisting of a total of 21 competitors, there were three teams in the CCI2*-L and two teams in the CCI1*-L, with two riders competing in the CCI3*-S division. Each winning team received the Hyperion Stud U25 Team Award.

The winning CCI2*-L team with a total score of 128.2, consisted of Katherine Maroko & Redfield Champion, Riley Zgrebnak & Cooley Criminal Mind, Megan Hopkins & Altaskin Jack, and Megan Loughnane & Lynton.

In the CCI1*-L division, with a score of 123.60, the winning team consisted of Ruth Rosendaul & Bonhunt Bertie, Mandolin Whitten & Bossanova, Jaelyn Corner & Loughnatousa Yours, and Lea-Claude Pelletier & Golden Nugget.

The CCI3*-S U25 winner was Audrey Ogan and Always Cooley, with a score of 65.7. The pair came in 5th in the division overall.

Area II coordinator Chris Donovan has a long history of involvement with the U25 program and is no stranger to organizing events at the Virginia Horse Center. “I firmly believe they are the future of the sport, whether they go on to be on a team, like at the Pan-American Games or something, or whether they become future trainers,” Donovan said. “Helping develop and build that camaraderie between them is so important, which is why we give U25 riders teams and encourage them to get to know each other and build a network to support them.”

Donovan believes that the U25 riders can learn a lot from competing at the Virginia Horse Center specifically because of the local community of riders. “We have a lot of the upper level riders who are here, and these kids have an opportunity to go on to become grooms or working students for those riders. They can make those connections while they’re here,” Donovan said.

Wrapping Up the National Divisions

The National divisions also wrapped up the weekend today, with the last rider crossing the finish line on cross country with perfect timing, as a cold drizzle had just started to come down over the Blue Ridge Mountains.

In the only Intermediate division, Olympian Phillip Dutton and Leonie Padgett’s Cooley Starship won with a score of 29.4.

Ryan Wood took home the blue in the Open Preliminary A division with his own Woodstock Indy on a score of 35.5. In Open Preliminary B, Dana Cooke and the FE Mississippi Syndicate LLC’s FE Mississippi came in first with a score of 50.4. Preliminary Rider was won by Devon Sutherland with her own Mega Bucks on a score of 52.6.

Kathleen Fitzgerald won Modified Rider aboard Michael Fitzgerald’s Spotted Chap, with a score of 31.3. Open Modified A crowned Alex Reed and Susan Southard’s Kayan winner with a score of 30.5. Meanwhile, Kirsten Schuitema and her own McCovey Cove claimed the blue ribbon with a score of 35.0 in the Open Modified B division.

There were a total of five Training divisions this weekend at VHC Eventing. A score of 40.6 gave Liana Anson and her own Biscuit Snatcher the win in the Junior Training Rider division. Erin Murphy and Haslemere Jacamo, owned by Rae Stone, laid down the lowest score of the weekend, a 20.6, to take home the blue ribbon in the Open Training division. Training Rider A was won by Kaleigh Barkaszi and her own Golightly with a score of 36.6. Meanwhile, Jaelyn Comer claimed the win with Uvera Z in the Training Rider B division with a score of 32.1. Finally, the last Training division, Training Horse, Abigail McGowan and her own Mystic Serenade achieved the winning score of 32.1.

In Junior Novice Rider, Madeline Riley and Alexandra Tatham’s Bobbie Burns won with a score of 29.4. With a score of 26.4, Hannah Brandt took home a blue ribbon with her horse, Fernhill Emerald, in the Novice Horse division. The blue ribbon in the Open Novice division was claimed by Marilyn Payne and her mare, Rock Me Mama, with a score of 30 even. Amanda Brady took home the title of Senior Novice Rider champion with Dante’s Haven LLC’s Cooley For Keeps with a score of 28.6.

Hannah Taylor and her mare Rippa won the Beginner Novice Horse division with a score of 32.4. With a score of 30, Madeleine Betzer and Domenica Kujawa’s Kenny (Nicas Last Laugh), brought home the blue in Junior Beginner Novice Rider. In Open Beginner Novice, Kylie Stangle and Janina Parmelee’s Redfield Mikke claimed the blue ribbon with a score of 25.6. Finally, it’s deja vu in the Senior Beginner Novice Rider division– Gina Keller and her gelding Snack Attack repeat their May performance to win again.

Last but certainly not least, Linda Jimenez won the Starter division with Ingrid Patel’s Cheeky Girl on a score of 27.

The Virginia Horse Center Foundation would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of the volunteers who made this weekend possible. Without the hard work of volunteers at every possible turn, competitors would not have been able to enjoy a great weekend of eventing.

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Sharon White and Capital Square co-CEO Louis Rogers. Photo by Veronica Green-Gott

Autumn Hues While Eventing with a View: VHC Eventing Presented by Capital Square

By Veronica Green-Gott on Nov 9, 2024 7:30 pm -

Ali Kuhn and Little Hail. Photo by Veronica Green-Gott

Lexington, Va. – After an unseasonably warm weekend, competitors across all divisions took advantage of the crisp fall weather to add some extra energy to their mounts today at VHC Eventing, presented by Capital Square. While three FEI divisions announced their winners, the CCI2*-L will wrap up tomorrow, along with the remaining 14 National divisions.

The winner of the CCI3*-S traveled a long way to accomplish her first place finish with a score of 45.4. Native to Wisconsin, Ali Kuhn and Little Hail, owned by John Crowell, were on the road for more than 15 hours to get to the Virginia Horse Center and had to stay overnight in Dayton, Ohio. According to Kuhn, “Hail” laid down a great performance despite a rocky start, making it well worth the trip.

“He was really lazy in warm-up, so that was kind of alarming. I thought, ‘If he wants to pull up because he’s tired, that’s what we’ll do,’” Kuhn said. “Then, we had to have a lead out of the startbox because he was on his hind legs. But then, he came out of the startbox really strong. He came out like fire. If it were up to him, he would steeplechase everything. It took him a bit to settle down, but then he felt awesome. It was my job at that point to just stay out of the way. He jumped right into the second water and he was so awesome. At that point I was like, ‘This is going to be an awesome ride today.’ He came across the finish line and felt like he still had a lot of energy left.”

While Kuhn says she would never leave Area IV, she’s no stranger to long hauls to compete. She attempts to go to a new event every season and is contemplating riding at Rebecca Farm next year. This year, she chose VHC Eventing.

“I’ve never been here before and it’s really cool. Every year I try to go to a new place, I want to see other places. The season is so short in Area IV, but they try really hard to offer great events,” Kuhn said. “I love that it’s still nice fall here. By us, we’re getting ready for winter. Conditioning this late in the season by us is hard. Coming out here and knowing that it’s going to be nice and dry was really great. It’s nice to come out here and show with other people who are doing this level. It’s nice to meet other people and see how other people do things– other ideas, other ways of doing things, and walking courses with people I’ve never walked with before. It’s been really helpful to get that variety and learn how other people do it.”

Sharon White and Arden Augustus. Photo by Haley Boothe

Spectators could be excused for experiencing some deja vu when they looked at the scores for the CCI2*-L. The winner of May’s CCI2*-S, Sharon White and Arden Augustus, are once again in the lead with a score of 30.2. Owned by Anita Antenucci, White has had a hand in “Gus’s” development since before birth.

“I bred him with Anita– we bred him together. I competed his mother, Juneau, so I’ve been there from the beginning. Mel, who works for Anita, started him in the beginning, which she always does, and she does a great job,” White said. “When it came to me, it was really just so easy. All the hard work was done. He’s a trier, and he’s solid in his mind. And he just always says, ‘Yes.’”

White credits Gus’s excellent work ethic with today’s result. “He’s been just a little rock star. He’s like a young teenage boy who just tries really hard,” White said. “I was really proud of him. He does not consider it to be a big deal, right? I thought it was a bigger deal because I think the hills here are impressive. But he was like, it’s fine.”

As the last FEI division to wrap-up, the two-star competitors still have to face the challenge of show jumping at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow. While she’s thrilled to be in the lead, White is trying not to dwell on her position prior to heading into the ring tomorrow morning.

“I’m really excited to be in the position of getting the challenge of going in there in the lead, which I don’t enjoy,” White said, laughing. “I prefer working my way up. Whatever happens, I’m so proud of him, and this weekend was really about developing his base, right? I do think that these hills will put a base on a horse, and that’s really what I wanted to do.”

Tim Bourke and Sing to Me Cooley. Photo by Veronica Green-Gott

Virginia native Tim Bourke and Sing to Me Cooley were crowned champion in the CCI2*-S division today on a score of 41.5. Owned by Hedgerow Farm, “Melody” was one of five horses Bourke rode this weekend and is new to his string.

“She’s awesome,” Bourke said. “I have only had the ride on her since earlier this year and we’ve gotten along well. She has really good owners. She ran around a pretty tough track there today. The hill at the end always, always comes into play with the fitness and it’s a bit of a step up. But yeah, she was great. I was really happy with her.”

While their partnership is still developing, Bourke says that Melody has an easygoing personality that’s making her a barn favorite. “She’s very easy. She’s simple to do everything with,” Bourke said. “Like the girls clipped her during the week and she just stands there eating hay out of the wheelbarrow while they’re clipping her from her toes up. She’s so chilled out about everything.”

Located two hours north of the Virginia Horse Center, Bourke has become a regular face at VHC Eventing and an avid supporter of the facility. “We’ve always tried to support the Virginia Horse Trials,” Bourke said. “With the new management and everything that’s done there, I think they’ve done a fantastic job of just making it more rider friendly and more all about the horses. And it’s showing– they had a big waitlist to get into the show. I think that that bodes well for what’s to come in the future. Every time you go there, they’re trying to do something new. They’re trying to make something a little bit better. It’s always on our calendar twice a year.”

In the CCI1*-L, Ruth Rosendaul and Bonhunt Bertie were able to celebrate a big achievement. Not only riding a new partner, this weekend also marked Rosendaul’s first completion at the FEI level. Together, the pair has steadily moved up the leaderboard over the weekend after starting in seventh place. Rosendaul has only had the ride on Christa Schmidt’s 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse/Dutch Warmblood for the last year. With Bonhunt Bertie showing her the ropes, Rosendaul crossed the finish timers in first place with a score of 31.8.

The show jumping round proved extremely influential in the one-star division. Only three riders (Rosendaul, Claudia Iannuccilli & Ready Freddy, and Jennifer Duelfer & Cocky Kianna) managed to finish inside the time with no rails down. While finishing inside the time wasn’t much of an issue for many riders, even after the judges dropped the optimum time to 80 seconds, keeping all the rails in the cups proved to be a challenge for many. Rails fell across the course with no particular fence causing more problems than others.

While the FEI levels have nearly wrapped up, the CCI2*-L will finish tomorrow morning with the first rider entering the show jumping ring at 9:30 a.m. After that, all attention will turn to the National divisions, as they tackle a full day of show jumping and cross country.

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Sara Schulman’s Cinderella Moment at MARS Maryland 5 Star

By Veronica Green-Gott on Oct 29, 2024 12:00 pm -

Sara Schulman and Cooley Chromatic. Photo by Shannon Brinkman

Surrounded by a veritable jungle of pothos, Sara Schulman found herself sitting at the press conference table on the final day of competition in the CCI3*-L at the Maryland 5 Star. To her left sat Pan-American team member Sharon White and Olympian Will Coleman. Unlike Sharon and Will, who have been working as top professionals in the industry for decades, Sara is “one of us” – an adult amateur. This weekend at the Maryland 5 Star was her Cinderella moment.

Like in all good fairy tales, Sara’s day-to-day consists of slaving away at a full-time desk job before running away to the barn in the evening hours. Her social life? She’ll tell you herself that it’s not a priority. Sleep? Regularly sacrificed. Vacation? She’s used up all of her PTO to compete with her horse, Cooley Chromatic. Dreams? Big.

Once upon a time, Sara was en route to becoming a professional in the equine industry. She worked for Kim Severson through college and continued working as Jan Byyny’s assistant trainer after college. While put on the back burner, that dream still hasn’t died.

“So my full time job is working for Fannie Mae in the housing mortgage industry, and that’s been virtual ever since I started after college due to COVID. So there were two years that I actually worked for Jan Byyny outside of that remote job, and I was her assistant trainer for about two years,” Sara said. “I’d done a couple working student positions in high school, and I could see that working full time as a professional can be a bit difficult. So I wanted to get the college degree and then see maybe down the line, if I could make it as a professional.”

Luckily, working remotely has allowed her to pursue her riding goals, while bringing home the bacon with a professional career. “I think what’s been the most helpful is that my job is remote, so I don’t have to commute into one of their offices. Being remote allows me to save a lot of time commuting, so I can go to the barn early in the morning or right after work. It’s also allowed me the flexibility to go down to Florida in the winter. My manager has been super understanding, so she allows me to take a couple months to go down to Florida, given that I have good Wi-Fi down there and still have the ability to perform my full time job.”

Sara Schulman and Cooley Chromatic. Photo by Abby Powell.

Refusing to give up on her dream to compete at the upper levels has required a lot of sacrifices on Sara’s part, particularly when she spent two years working full-time for both Fannie Mae and Jan Byyny.

“For two years, there were very long days riding on opposite ends of the work day. Sleep has been sacrificed a lot over the years, but I feel like I’ve been able to find a balance, probably because I’ve been doing it for a while,” Sara said. “In college, I also worked for Kim [Severson] while I was at her barn. I was there six days a week doing the afternoon feed to work off board. So it’s sort of been normal to make pursuing riding work out. It’s just been a way of life for me.”

My biggest question for Sara was why? Why does she make all these sacrifices and grind day in and day out? What motivated her to take on all the daily responsibilities of being an adult professional and then add pursuing upper level goals on top of it? Her answer was simple: she’s not just a dreamer, she’s a doer.

“I’ve always dreamed of competing at the Advanced and 5* level,” she said. “There was always that hunger to run at the upper levels of the sport, like my friends. I’m 26 now. I just missed out on being able to put my name out there for the Under 25 lists or other championships. But with this horse, he’s so special that I finally have the opportunity to make a name for myself and try to get to the highest point that we can.”

Sara is clearly not one to choose the easy route. Instead of saving some time (but definitely not money) and purchasing a horse that had already been produced to the upper levels, she stuck with her love of developing young horses and her budget, and purchased Cooley Chromatic when he was just three years old.

Sara Schulman and Cooley Chromatic. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

“When I got him, it was my last year of college. It was right before COVID hit and I was down at Kim Severson’s barn. I knew that I wanted to get a younger horse and he was one of the first ones I saw,” Sara said. “If you saw his breeding on paper and compared him to any other upper level event horse, he would probably be the last one that you would pick, because he’s bred strictly for dressage. He has no jumping in his bloodline and barely any Thoroughbred blood, but he had the most natural athleticism of all the horses that we saw. I had the budget for an average five year old or a higher quality three or four year old. So that’s why we were looking at ones that were a bit younger. He just had natural athleticism and was able to maneuver his body. He could put his knees above his nose without any effort and he could really wrap himself up around a jump.”

Choosing “Caden” meant thinking of the big picture. Just 22 years old, Sara had been competing at the 2* level and was almost ready to move up. Choosing to purchase Caden meant she had to start from scratch and teach a three year old all the ins and outs of the sport. Like with all young horses, it was a bit of a bumpy road.

“When I first got him, he was a little bit insecure and spooky and didn’t quite understand the sport. He’s always been incredibly genuine, but it took a few years to get over the baby antics, like, for instance, during his five year old year, I say he went through his teenage years, where he would spook at everything,” Sara said. “The girls at the barn called me crazy trying to hack him down the road by myself, because he had a wicked rear and buck in him and he was pretty insecure about everything. But he matured. I matured. I learned how to build a partnership with him.”

Now, five years later, that partnership was put to the test at the Maryland 5 Star. “Honestly, going cross country at Maryland, I was like, ‘Wow, this horse would jump through fire for me.’ It’s a pretty special feeling when you know the horse inside and out and they trust you that much,” Sara said.

Sara Schulman and Cooley Chromatic. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

As an amateur with only one horse in her string, Sara is at a disadvantage compared to the professionals she competes against. “You come in probably as a bit of an underdog, which you would think might take away a little bit of pressure, but it actually adds on more pressure, because you basically get one shot,” Sara said. “So you’re putting all your eggs in one basket. This is your grand finale competition, and you have to make every moment count.”

Sara credits her long-time trainer, Jan Byyny, with a lot of her recent success. If it weren’t for Jan’s belief in her, she said she would have never thought she could wind up on the podium in the 3*-L at the Maryland 5 Star. Jan not only pushed her to go to the 3*, but believed she and Caden could even win it.

“Her predictions were extremely accurate,” Sara said. “Granted she did think we could win it, but I would say second place is close enough to first. But yes, I think she had to push me a little bit to inspire us and to get ourselves out there at some of the bigger venues. I’ve been working with her for three years now. So when I got to her, we were going Training level. She’s put a ton of time into us and she knows us like the back of her hand, both myself and my horse. I trained primarily with her in the jumping phases and then I’ve been riding with Kelli Temple on the flat for the last six months. I was able to have both of them come up to coach me at Maryland, which was super beneficial.”

Coming in second in the 3* at the Maryland 5 Star was a life-changing moment for Sara. Not only because of the result, but because of what that result means to herself and to other amateurs with big dreams.

“I know my horse is capable of winning and having those opportunities, but you don’t really believe it till it has actually happened,” Sara said. “It’s pretty special being able to be competitive against the best names in the sport. I think probably what was the most special is that there have been random strangers and fellow amateurs who have reached out since then and said, ‘Hey, the results and achievements that you and your horse have had are inspiring.’ Which kind of blows my mind. To me, I think I’m just doing my everyday thing, but there are people that take notice. I think that’s what’s special about the sport of eventing itself. You don’t have to have 10 horses and a ton of money to be able to get results like that.”

Sharon White, Sara Schulman, and Will Coleman share the 3*-L podium at MARS Maryland 5 Star. Photo by Shannon Brinkman

Like the 5* track, the 3*-L course was challenging for riders and horses. Sara was competing against household names for eventing fans, like Laine Ashker, Ariel Grald, Tamie Smith, and even her former trainer, Kim Severson. Maryland is always a big fitness test for the horses as the course runs up a long slow hill that builds across the first half to three-quarters of the course, before running back downhill. Sara’s biggest concern before the event was whether Caden was capable of the fitness test.

“I think the biggest test was going to be fitness and rideability for him,” Sara said. “Over the last couple seasons, he’s turned into quite a cross country machine. It wasn’t necessarily the jumps I was worried about, honestly, but more of the rideability. He’s at least 17.1 hands and he’s started to get very excited at the start box, as well. So we’ve had to work on a lot of the rideability to be able to go faster safely. In the end, he turned out to be incredibly fit, which, again, as I’ve mentioned, he doesn’t have a lot of Thoroughbred blood in him. But he holds his fitness quite well.”

As it turned out, Sara’s worries were unfounded. “I think getting him conditioned for the Bromont 3*-L earlier in the year allowed him to hold a good base of fitness. He was super rideable. None of the jumps were an issue. He just attacked it like any other horse trial. It really just proved how confident and how incredible he is.”

Hopefully her weekend at the Maryland 5 Star was just a taste of what the future holds for Sara and Caden. She has big plans to step him up to the 4* level next spring (knock on wood). With any luck, we’ll see her back in Maryland for next year’s Maryland International at Loch Moy Farm.

Sara Schulman and Cooley Chromatic. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

For Sara, she says that her moment in the spotlight has just further solidified her love and passion for eventing. “I think people really appreciate the underdog stories,” Sara said. “I think that what people find even more inspiring than someone who’s winning all the time is seeing everyday people win. That’s probably why I love eventing so much. Everyone can come from different backgrounds and you all have to go through the same speed bumps and hurdles to make it to the top. Everyone will cheer for you and cheer for your successes as much as they do for all the professionals in the sport.”

If you’re an amateur with goals of having your own Cinderella moment, Sara has this advice. “There’s no clear-cut timeline for anyone to get to the top of sport. You can make your own timeline. It’s just a matter of what you want to prioritize to get to the top of the sport.”

Unlike Cinderella, there’s no countdown to midnight for this rider and her superstar horse.

The Maryland/Millstreet Exchange Program: Growing Eventing from the Ground Up

By Veronica Green-Gott on Oct 23, 2024 12:30 pm -

Madison Temkin competed Sportsfield Guarantee in Ireland, pictured here with his owner, Paul Donovan.

While everyone’s eyes were glued to the Paris Olympics this summer, international connections were being made in a rural town in Maryland where an exchange program two years in the making was quietly taking place. Minus the NBC cameras and bellowing crowds, the goal of this program was largely the same as those for the Paris Olympics: to build international camaraderie and educate youth through sport.

The Maryland – Millstreet Exchange Program was conceived in 2022, when the former governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan, visited Ireland on an equestrian trade mission. Ireland native Fran Horgan was inspired by the connections she made through the trade mission and saw a unique opportunity to prolong the legacy of the trip.

“When Governor Larry Hogan visited Ireland in 2022, he visited on an equine trade mission, and it was to promote a lot of the equine activities in Maryland, which includes the Maryland Five Star, right? It was from there that Ross Peddicord invited me over to experience the CCI5*. During that visit, I was introduced to Carolyn Mackintosh, and was able to visit her at her farm, at Loch Moy Farm.”

Ireland is a country of horseman, through and through. Maryland is a hot spot for equestrian activities in the United States. But while both communities were passionate about eventing, Fran noticed a significant difference. “My initial thoughts on the five star was that there weren’t a lot of young people there compared to events that we would have in Ireland, where there’s nothing but kids and youngsters,” Fran said. “So the two aims that I was coming from was one to promote Loch Moy Farm and Millstreet International themselves, because without Carolyn Mackintosh and the Duggan family of Millstreet, we would lose two crucial venues. So how can we promote the venues and support them, and how can we then bring up the next generation and get them started in eventing?”

Never one to sit back and wait for someone else to take action, Fran jumped at the opportunity to create a brand new program from scratch.

“Let’s get the kids over. Let’s get them making connections, you know, friendships and seeing how each other does things differently,” Fran said. “I recognize a lot of things like, your grass is different from Irish grass. How would that affect an Irish horse? The gut microbiome would be totally different. Loch Moy’s on a granite hill, it’s very hard, and Maryland is very dry. Over here, we’re in a bog, and there’s a lot of rain. So how does the going change and differ? And the course builders? How are they building courses differently, etc. So it’s a real education for the young riders to get a flavor of how things are done, even if you just walk the course. And as it turned out, we were able to find horses for them to ride.”

Fran’s idea slowly took shape and became more and more fleshed out with the support of key players such as the Maryland Horse Industry Board; the Cork County Council; Ireland’s Kelley Hutchinson of Hutchinson Sport Horses; Olympian Caroline Pamukcu; sports commentator Chris Ryan; Executive Director of the Maryland Horse Industry Board, Ross Peddicord; Loch Moy Farm owner Carolyn Mackintosh; and owners of the Millstreet International venue, the Duggan family.

“I was able to work out that Carolyn and the Duggan family provided all the accommodation, the feed, the transport from the airports, etc,” Fran said. “The flights, which were the main costs, were sponsored by Cork County Council and the Maryland Horse Industry Board.”

It was decided that the young rider with the top score at Millstreet International and the Maryland International would swap places the following year. In 2023, Madison “Maddy” Temkin was awarded the scholarship to go to Millstreet after earning fifth place in the CCI4*-S with her own MVP Madbum.

Madison Temkin and MVP Madbum. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

“I got to compete at the Burghley Young Event Horse qualifier at Millstreet, which was a lot of fun,” Maddy said. “It was definitely a bit of an eye opening experience on a lot of different levels. But I think one of the biggest things, honestly, was how they run their young event horse classes over there is quite a bit different than how we do it here. You warm up, you jump a couple of jumps, and you go do your dressage test, and then you go straight in the ring to do your jumping phase. Just get it all done in one go.”

Millstreet International gets much more rain than they do here in Maryland. The week of the Burghley Young Event Horse competition, it had been particularly rainy, making the ground softer than usual. While this didn’t phase the Irish riders, it made a big difference to Maddy.

“Watching horses leave the barn with studs in had me wondering what people are using around the world in different terrain and different venues. That was interesting,” Maddy said.

Maddy rode Sportsfield Guarantee, a young gelding that she very quickly fell in love with. “He was probably about 15.1 hands. He’s a little guy, but it was kind of funny, because he was definitely my type of horse, which I think it was unintentional that it was my type of horse, but he was super cute,” Maddy said. “He hadn’t had a ton of experience, and to me, it was big, you know, for a four year old. He definitely got better as he jumped around. He was a really, really nice horse, and I was joking around that I wanted to bring him home, but I couldn’t find anyone who wanted to help me buy him to bring him home. He was really cool.”

While there, Maddy also met her partner, of sorts, Godfrey Gibbons, who, as the top-placed young rider at Millstreet International, would travel to the Maryland International. Godfrey was slightly taken by surprise at the opportunity to travel to Maryland.

“I think it was only halfway through the week when I met Kelley and they told me about the exchange. I had no idea prior to that,” Godfrey said. “That obviously had me go and make sure I was on the ball for the end of the week to make sure all the results came in. And then we won it on the last day. It was a nice surprise to get.”

While Maddy had traveled to the United Kingdom a few times before, having sourced her two horses, Fernhill Bertus and Fernhill Fairytale, from Ireland. Godfrey, while having traveled extensively around the United Kingdom and Europe, had never been to the United States.

“I was just really looking forward to getting out somewhere new and just seeing how everything worked over there,” Godfrey said. “I’ve always seen stuff online about competing in America, and I was always fascinated by it, and I always wanted to get the opportunity to go out and just to see new things and experience new things and see what was done out there, and get a bit more knowledge for myself.”

The heat in Maryland in July is a beast that’s difficult for locals to deal with, let alone someone used to the cool temperatures of Ireland. Unfortunately for Godfrey, this past July reached record high temperatures.

“The heat out in Maryland is very different to ride in. Then again, it was just something that [the horses here] wouldn’t experience at all,” Godfrey said. “I was so surprised how I was riding two young, five-year-old horses, and I was just surprised how out there they’re used to the heat and able to keep going. Whereas if I brought one of my horses out [to Maryland] at that age, they wouldn’t be up for it at all.”

Godfrey Gibbons competes Redfield Oban at Maryland. Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography.

Despite the extreme temperatures, Godfrey said the hard work that Loch Moy Farm put into the ground paid off. “I was amazed at the amount of work put into the venue, especially across the country for the terrain and everything. It was lovely going through the forest. It was just such a nice venue for cross country.”

Godfrey competed Redfield Oban HR, owned by Redfield Farm. He had very little time to get to know the five-year-old, but luckily is used to catch riding and competing horses.

“So, I flew over on Wednesday. I rode on Wednesday evening, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and then competed on Sunday,” Godfrey said. “I’m kind of used to that type of thing. I was definitely a fair bit nervous for us when I was riding someone else’s horse, and especially someone like Caroline [Pamukcu]. So I made sure I did the job right. But no, I think it was okay. I got the hang of him really quickly, and he’s a lovely horse. It was great to work with Carolyn and her team.”

Godfrey was thrown right into the deep end at the Maryland International, in terms of American culture, as it was held the same weekend as the USEF Young Event Riders Championships. The celebrations included races on bouncy horses, a mechanical bull, water balloons, and water guns. “I thought it was great,” Godfrey said. “It got people to interact and meet each other. In Ireland, we wouldn’t really have all that. So we (in Ireland) can be fairly quiet sometimes at the events. People just go and do their own thing, and then they all go back to their own trucks or hotels and go away for the night. Over [in America], you have time to meet and talk to each other, as well as just get to know more people. It was all fun and laughs.”

For both Maddy and Godfrey, the connections they made through the exchange program was a huge benefit to their learning experience. “I definitely, you know, saw some connections that I’d already made in Ireland, and probably made those connections a little bit stronger, as well as meet new people, for sure,” Maddy said. “I think it opened my eyes a little bit and gave me a little bit more knowledge. Honestly, I took a lot away from competing in and watching the young horse classes, as I produce a lot of young horses. I think it definitely gave me some valuable knowledge that I can use in producing my own young horses.”

As for Godfrey, his first trip to America taught him a lot about what the country, or at least rural Maryland, is like as compared to what he’s seen on TV. “I’ve only ever seen parts of America in movies, and maybe some videos of events. But I was actually surprised at how quiet it was. I was expecting a really busy town. There were lots and lots of people, but it was actually nice and laid back, like the venue. It was just comfortable being there. There was no big panic on the part of the competitors. Everyone was very friendly. And especially Carolyn, the venue owner, gave us, and all the volunteers, food and everything you could want, and drinks, and told us to help ourselves.”

If you’re an aspiring young professional who’s fortunate and talented enough to win a spot in a program like this one, Godfrey and Maddy have some advice for you.

“Just look forward to it and go out and enjoy it and be social to meet everybody and get as much out of it as you can,” Godfrey said.

“Our sport is so different in so many places,” Maddy said. “And I think having experiences and gaining knowledge from as many different people in as many locations as you can is really important to the development of yourself as a rider.”

Fran hopes to see this program grow into something bigger than an exchange program between just the USA and Ireland in the future and hinted at a possible Nations Cup-style event for young riders that would include any nation who could scramble together a team.

“If you don’t involve the youth, it will die out as a sport, right? As a young rider community, could we not grow this now?” Fran said. “And it’s all about supporting the venues, too. When you lose a venue, you lose an opportunity. No matter what pony you buy for your kid, one day there might be no place to take it.”

Jaguars Duende Crowned Queen of CCI3*-L at MARS Maryland Five Star

By Veronica Green-Gott on Oct 20, 2024 7:13 pm -

Sharon White and Jaguars Duende. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Jaguars Duende was a climber in the CCI3*-L field of the MARS Maryland 5 Star, presented by Brown Advisory, starting the competition in ninth place and finishing in first. While the average eventing fan may have been surprised by her rise to the top, those who know her well knew she was always the one to beat. Produced and owned by Sharon White, the 8-year-old Westphalian mare is a competitor through and through.

“Her mind is extraordinary, right? Just to sit on a horse that loves the pressure and handles it and wants to win– that’s a really special thing. So she showed me that again today, and that’s just really, really unique,” Sharon said.

“Jag” (Jaguar Mail x Latina, by Lancaster) is not your typical mare. She showed just how cuddly and in-your-pocket she is at the awards ceremony, when she stood quietly, playing with her groom, Kate Servais, and allowing everyone to give her pets, while she received hugs from her rider. If you’re currently thinking to yourself, ‘well sure, my mare likes pets.’ Let me iterate how unique it is to have an 8-year-old horse that is calm enough to stand quietly after a victory gallop with nine other horses in the massive atmosphere of the Maryland 5 Star arena. Jag is clearly a winner in more ways than one.

Sharon is known to produce her horses from the ground up, a strategy that lends itself well to the building of a true partnership between horse and rider. However, it does take time and talent to source untested young horses and transform them into 5* partners.

“Even if you buy a horse that’s already going, it still takes a lot of time to form a partnership,” Sharon said. “And I think when you’ve had them as young horses and as babies, you know each other in and out, which can be really beautiful. And at the same time, it can be a double-edged sword. I know my horses that I’ve produced since they were young. I know Jag would do anything I asked her to do, so I have to be careful what I ask her, right? Because she’ll do it. That type of relationship takes time. So if you start them from the beginning, then you’ve already put the time in. And if you buy them further developed, you still have to put the time in.”

Sharon White and Jaguars Duende. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Not losing the forest for the trees is crucial to the development of these young horses. To date, Jag has performed at FEI competitions only nine times over two years. Some young horses will do that number of events in one season. Sharon says staying focused on that big picture makes all the difference.

“Sometimes it’s very hard to remember the big picture. You have to really think, ‘You know what? It’s not only the year, it’s the next four years,’” Sharon said. “I think it’s very easy to get into doing too much because everyone’s doing it, so you want to do it. But if you really think about it, she’s like a project. She’s eight years old, what do I want her to do as an eight year old? Did I want her to do a four long this fall? No, right? I want to give her body enough time to get very strong and to get her so confident.”

Sharon chose the Maryland 5 Star 3*-L to help develop Jag’s grit and endurance. “Maryland is a very unique place in that it’s a very good test of fitness. It’s a very proper course,” Sharon said. “The atmosphere is unreal and special in both the dressage and the show jumping. So it’s just such a good education for a horse. And to me, you want to not overwhelm them, right? And if you really produce them confidently, sometimes you have to be a little patient. I don’t mind being a little patient. Now I look forward to what she does next year, but it’s not about next year either. Every moment is special with them. But if you really think big term, I think that’s how you produce horses for the highest level of sport.”

Sara Schulman and Cooley Chromatic. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Sara Schulman pulled off a hat trick to hold onto her second place position all weekend long, as the leaderboard shifted around her. Finishing on the podium in the 3* at the Maryland 5 Star was a huge accomplishment for the young rider, particularly as she has produced her own Cooley Chromatic (Thorgal x Castrade) up the levels herself.

“Honestly, even more so than the results themselves, [the bigger accomplishment] is the confidence that he has gained over the years. You never know what kind of horse they’re going to turn into when they’re three. There’s so much to establish there. And with every young horse– granted, this is the first one that I’ve produced so I can’t speak to many others– but there’s always speed bumps and hurdles that you have to go through,” Sara said. “He had his antics when he was four and five years old that we took time to work through. He would refuse every way out of the water and there were just various things in the barn. The fact that we have built such a partnership like this over the years, such a trusting partnership, and have been able to take the time to work through all of that, is honestly the biggest accomplishment out of everything.”

The pressure was definitely turned up to high going into the show jumping, where the lightest tap can result in a rail down and when that single rail can cost you your podium finish. Sara particularly felt the intensity of that pressure as the youngest rider in the top five.

“For sure there was pressure going into today,” Sara said. “This was the biggest atmosphere me and my horse have ever show jumped in, which was really exciting, especially with a whole group of coaches, friends, and family that came out to watch. I just wanted to do them and my horse proud. I knew he was capable of this– he’s such a special horse. I just wanted to do him justice all week, and he stepped up to it every single day. I couldn’t be more proud.”

Will Coleman and Fahrenheit Addict. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Like the rest of the top three, Will Coleman also chose to ride Team Rebecca LLC’s Fahrenheit Addict at the Maryland 5 Star to build the nine-year-old Selle Francais’ education. “I’ve probably only done three or four runs at this level, and I just knew that I would get some good feedback from doing an event like this,” Coleman said. “It’s a cross country course that’s really up to standard. It’s long. It gives you a sense of how we might handle some of the bigger events in the world down the road. I think I got some great feedback. I’m excited about the horse, and we’re still a ways away, but I think this was a great step in his progression.”

Will has only had the ride on Fahrenheit Addict (Utah van Erpekom x Picouik du Pont, by Echogene latour) for less than a year and is still building his partnership with the young up-and-comer. “He’s owned by some of my longtime best owners, the Broussards, who have helped me to support my horses for many years. We found him at the end of last year and he came to me at the beginning of this year. So I’m still very much getting to know him,” Will said.

Like the 5*, the 3* cross country course was intense. Also designed by Ian Stark, it covered a total of 5250 meters with 34 jumping efforts. Today the 3* horses tackled a difficult show jumping course created by Canadian designer Michel Vaillancourt. After starting the week with 54 horses, the competition finished with 40 pairs remaining. In total, 46 rails came down, with fence five being the biggest challenge for the riders. It was, indeed, a “serious” week, as Will called it.

Sharon White, Sara Schulman, and Will Coleman. Photo by Shannon Brinkman

“I think horses that came out here and jumped well in this atmosphere– I think that bodes very, very well for them, and hopefully for bigger events down the road,” he said.

Keep an eye on these three horses and their riders as they move up through the ranks of eventing and into the highest levels of the sport. There are bright futures ahead of many pairs who tackled the 3* this week. Honorable mention goes to the horse who moved up the most spots in the leaderboard – Tamie Smith and Pierre’s Farceur du Bochard (Con Air 7 x Ariane du Bochard, by Epsom Gesmeray), owned by the Guariglia family, sprung up the ranks from 50th to 18th.

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Shooting for Three Stars: Jaguars Duende Takes the Lead in CCI3* at Maryland 5 Star

By Veronica Green-Gott on Oct 19, 2024 10:25 pm -

Sharon White and Jaguars Duende. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

The CCI5* at MARS Maryland 5 Star, presented by Brown Advsory cross country course may have thrown the leaderboard into an absolute uproar today (more on that coming soon), but the CCI3* cross country was nearly as influential, causing upheaval across the board. Today was deeply disappointing for some teams and exhilarating for others -– such is eventing.

Multiple riders moved up as many as 32 places, while others found themselves plummeting down through the leaderboard. But the competition isn’t over until it’s over. No matter where they are on the leaderboard today, everyone who’s still in play has a chance to make it through the horse inspection and leave it all out on the floor in the show jumping phase tomorrow.

Sharon White and Jaguars Duende. Photo by Shannon Brinkman

Sharon White and her own Jaguars Duende (Jaguar Mail x Latina, by Lancaster) skyrocketed up the rankings, moving rapidly from ninth to first place on their dressage score of 29.6. “Jag” is quickly becoming Sharon’s superstar and is poised to one day follow the footsteps of her barn mate, Claus 63, as her new 5* mount. Sharon has owned the mare since she was just three years old, sourcing her from Dirk Schrade, and has produced her up the levels. Thus far in her FEI career, Jag has never finished off the podium, nor has she ever had any obstacle faults on cross country (knock on wood).

True to form, Jag was her usual stellar self on the track today. “Well, I couldn’t have asked [Jag] to be any better today. It was really a special day for her,” Sharon said. “She’s a very good competitor. Her mind is excellent, and it is really nice to sit on a horse that wants to go and fight for you and will think of nothing else but doing her job. That’s just really, really wonderful.”

Sharon believes her focus on Jag’s fitness prior to the event was key to the 8-year-old Westphalian’s nearly foot-perfect round today. As a West Virginia resident, Sharon has had easy access to terrain relatively similar to the Maryland Five Star’s never-ending upward climb. “We know the terrain is a big factor coming here. I have a very good friend, Anita [Antenucci], with the most beautiful hill at home. So we’ve been galloping up that hill a lot in preparation so that the cross country would be a non-issue, physically, for Jag and I felt like that worked really well,” Sharon said, adding, “I’m just really proud of her.”

Sara Schulman and Cooley Chromatic. Photo by Shannon Brinkman

Out of the 53 riders who left the startbox this morning, Sara Schulman and Cooley Chromatic (Thorgal x Castrade) was the only one to maintain her position on the leaderboard. Adding just two points to her dressage score, Sara and Cooley Chromatic are still in second place this evening with a score of 30.6. At just 26-years-old, Sara has an impressive cross country record with “Caden.” Together, the pair has finished in the top ten in seven out of eight of their FEI starts.

“I’ve had him since he was three. He’s the first horse that I produced, and he has gained so much confidence over the years,” Sara said. “For instance, going to Bromont was a testament to that. To say, ‘Hey, how far has this horse come in the last four years since he was spooking over his first Beginner Novice?’ Going out there today, and again, me not getting it 100 percent right all the time, having full trust in him, giving him the reins a time or two, and just sitting back and supporting him– and he answered every question. I could not be prouder of how much confidence he’s gained, especially over these bigger tracks and in much bigger environments.”

Sara believes riding at the MARS Bromont CCI3*-L, where she also participated in the Bromont Rising Program, was good preparation for the terrain at Fair Hill. “We actually went to Bromont sort of as a preparation for this event, long term, just so that we had a baseline of what he would feel like at a three star long because neither of us had done the level before. So that was a good test of fitness, as Bromont is quite hilly as well, to get a good idea.”

Allie Knowles and P.S. I Love You. Photo by Shannon Brinkman

Allie Knowles and Katherine O’Brien’s P.S. I Love You (FSS Correlli Bravo x Woodmount Queen, by Crannagh Hero) are currently in third place on their dressage score of 31.4. The pair has a relatively short record, having done only seven FEI competitions together. What they don’t have in quantity, they do have in quality. Together they’ve placed in the top five in four of those seven starts.

“He’s a very sharp horse and arrogant, but also insecure, and you need to read between the lines with him and make sure that you can be reassuring but also firm and and really in tune with him,” Allie said. “So it’s been a really fun progression coming to this. And I came in here with a lot of confidence and I think so did he, but that confidence might be a little bit frail. It wouldn’t take much for him to question that. It happened a little bit in the dressage -– we’re having an amazing test, and then one mistake, and he’s kind of like, ‘I’m not sure,’ and then he gets frustrated, and you just need to settle him back down and reassure him. It’s the same on cross country. If a problem did happen, I think he would overreact. I tried to stay on the ball and not be casual with him. But also trust the training, trust that he knows what he wants to do, and he’s going to try to do it right, but not let him down and not forget that he’s actually only eight.”

Having gotten the ride on “Jerry” as a five-year-old from JP Sheffield, Allie says the key to producing the horse up the levels was to take her time and really slow down. Never one to do something halfway, Allie and Jerry were a full minute over the time at their first Modified event. “He was hot and sharp, and JP really encouraged me to take my time and be patient. And I have– I had a minute of time at my first Modified on him. I mean, I really, properly took my time, because he is so quick to get a bit frazzled.”

Today, Knowles showed just how much Jerry, owned by Katherine O’Brien, has grown over the intervening years. Going into this morning, Knowles’ biggest concern was whether or not the Irish Sport Horse would have the endurance required to navigate the nine-and-a-half minute course. “Jerry is a serious competitor. It’s like he knows he’s there to win. And he’s always right on the ball and very sharp and very ready to go at all times. And he’s very fast, but he has never gone nine-and-a-half minutes, so that was a question mark in my mind. And he probably went faster than he ever has. I couldn’t even believe it,” Allie said.

Nine riders made the time today, however only eight went clear as Tracy Bienemann and Venezuelan River activated a frangible device at fence four. Seven horses were eliminated and two retired. Following a fall with his first 3* mount, Mo Chroi, Boyd Martin withdrew his second ride, Barney Rubble, from the division and turned his attention to the 5*.

Tomorrow, the 3* riders must endure the scrutiny of the horse inspection at 9:30 a.m. (blissfully moved back from 8 a.m., thank the media gods). At 11:35 a.m., the first 3* rider will enter the atmospheric show jumping arena for the culminating phase.

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Riders React to Ian’s Last Hurrah: ‘It’s Cute.’

By Veronica Green-Gott on Oct 19, 2024 8:17 am -

The B element of the Brown Advisory Canoe and Cascade.

The 2024 MARS Maryland 5 Star is not like any other year. This year we are saying goodbye to course designer Ian Stark as he retires from designing and turns his attention to coaching. I may not ride his courses, but I will miss seeing his bright smile and listening to his jokes as he gives the media the rundown on his latest course.

For his last CCI5* design, Ian has stuck mostly to his design of previous years, but with subtle and nuanced changes that will make a big difference to the pairs on course. Some feathers have been particularly ruffled by the second water. The fence is not only a picture frame-style keyhole, but also features water raining down from the top of the frame into the water below. Despite the controversy (what’s a 5* without a little added spice?), the riders all agree on one thing: Ian is a talented course designer and his tracks will be missed by everyone.

So, let’s get to it.

📣 Who said our title quote?
💪 Who’s worried about fitness?
🗻 Who’s surprised by the terrain?

Tamie Smith – 25.3 – 1st

“That’s a bit bittersweet too. I’ve known Ian since he had a dark, full head of hair. So, it’s a little bit sad. Selfishly, I’m thinking that maybe he’ll have more time for coaching, because he’s brilliant at that, and a great mentor. But what better place to have your last cross country than here in America, Maryland’s 5* So I think a lot of us are sad, and actually happy for him as well.”

Oliver Townend – 26.5 – 2nd

“Looking at the course, I don’t think we’ll be worrying about the dressage by the end of tomorrow. It’s a couple of degrees more difficult every time I’ve come here. The time was incredibly gettable the first two years, and year three and four– that definitely ain’t gonna happen. It’s big. TV isn’t going to do it justice, because you just cannot get over to people how many big jumps after big jumps, after big jumps with such accuracy as well. One trip, one slip, and you’re over. You need a lot of luck at 5*, but you need a willing partner. It’s going to be a proper, proper 5* competition.”

Bubby Upton – 26.7 – 3rd

“Ian’s definitely going out with a bang. It’s a really tough track. There’s four or five really, really difficult questions, he’s [Ian Stark] such a clever course builder. Oh my god, we’re going to miss him so much in this sport! Because basically when you commit to the straight route, you’re in and there’s no way of getting out, so there’s no room for error. Fingers crossed, I’ll have my A game on because like I said, it’s just my job to do Cola justice because I know that he’ll fight for me right to the end.”

Tim Price – 27.4 – 4th

“I have the utmost faith in Falco. He’s surprisingly good at galloping for a long time for a horse that’s only 28% blood and it’s there to be done, the job’s to be done. There’s some things that neither of us have seen before but I think we’re at the stage in our partnership to throw ourselves through.”

[Here we asked him about fence 10.]

“The water– yeah, I think it’s cute. I think Ian knows what he’s doing. We always put our faith in these world class designers that know how horses see things first and then try to make things a little bit scary for the rider. I think hopefully that’s what he’s done there [with the water]. It’ll just be a shame if even one horse had a stop at it. It’s not like we can practice that at home. So I’ve got my utmost faith in Ian, but yeah I think it’s a little bit gimmicky.”

Cosby Green – 28 – 6th

“It’s nice to be sitting on a good jumping horse out there. I think there’s a lot of scope questions and the terrain is quite hillier than I remember. Now that I’ve seen some more tracks, it is quite impressive– the terrain. Thankfully, he’s fit and ready to go and I can have trust in his scope and his fitness. The last water – the Crab – you gallop up to the top of the hill and then that’s a major scope and athleticism question, and I’m actually quite excited to do that with him.”

Lindsay Traisnel – 30.7 – 8th

“It’s not quite as scary as I thought! I just need to make sure I got all my lines right. If I just ride [Bacyrouge] right, he’ll do it.”

Harry Meade – 31.2 – 9th

“There’s lots to jump. I think the time will be tight. There’s obviously quite a few places where it’s very technical and slow.”

“It’s a proper course. I’m a big fan of Ian Stark’s courses. I’ve known him all my life, and I think we sort of have a shared philosophy on what eventing, what cross country, should be, and I slightly follow him around. I certainly follow him around Britain and Europe, and have gone as far as following him around the globe.”

“It’s a lovely flowing course. I think he’s been a little bit clever in places where the stringing of the course and some of the turns to get to the fences will waste a lot of time, and it really brings your average speed down. I like the course each year I come here. I missed last year, and the people who didn’t come the first two years, said ‘Oh it was beefed up so much!’ and I got here, and actually, it’s not that different. Obviously, there’s a few new questions, like the Sunken Road, which is a tough question, but I think it’s more a sort of mega speed bump to try and bring the speed down.”

“But you’ve got to have a horse that is brave, straight, keen, enjoys their job and is able to settle into a rhythm and gallop. So it’s one I’m really looking forward to getting my teeth stuck into and certainly, this is what makes me do the sport. It’s what makes me want to just keep going.”

Tiana Coudray – 31.9 – 10th

“I haven’t fully made my decisions on it yet. Overall, I’m pretty happy with it. There’s a lot of terrain, especially towards the end; that’s no surprise to anybody. There’s plenty to do out there. There’s some big jumps, there’s some big hills, but it’s a beautiful course. It’s beautifully laid out, and I think it’s there to be had. So hopefully we’re up to the task.”

Buck Davidson – 34 – 13th

“The ground is stiff enough. I think the course is mainly the same as last year. Ian Stark has maybe just softened that top water a little bit. It’s just going to slow people down a little more. Hopefully they can punch the ground and water the heck out of it. It’s nobody’s fault there’s not been any rain, but for sure, the ground is firm, and there’s a lot of jumps on downhills with drops and stuff, so I’d like to see it a little bit softer, I think they’re working on it.”

Grace Taylor – 34.1 – 14th

“It’s tough, but I think a lot of Ian as a course designer and I’m looking forward to trying to get it done.”

Colleen Loach – 34.1 – 14th

“The course looks great, really good. A lot to do, but there’s breaks here and there, too. So that’s kind of nice, but if Goldie is his usual self, he should storm around there. I’m not sure what the point is of the water feature [at fence 10], to be honest, for the horses. I think when the horses are going and they hear the water splashing, I’m not sure how much of a difference it will make, but I just don’t see the point.”

David Doel – 34.5 – 16th

“There’s real terrain out there. There’s some really big fences, some really decent combinations. It’s definitely not going to be a dressage competition this weekend.”

Ema Klugman – 35.6 – 18th

“The course is definitely beefy. In a weird way, it feels familiar, because a lot of it is similar to last year. The track is exactly the same and several of the jumps are kind of the same. I mean, not identical, but similar. So I’m definitely going to be reviewing the videos from last year tonight and seeing how people did it, and also where mistakes were made, and how those happen. But, I’m really excited to tackle it with Bronte. She’s a super honest, very brave, very scopey horse. This will be the biggest fitness test she’s ever done, so we have her really fit, and hopefully she gets a good night’s sleep. I don’t think I will, but I’m looking forward to it.”

Emily Hamel – 36.2 – 19th

“I’ve only walked it once. Everything looks pretty good. I need a little bit of a better plan in a couple of places, like the coffin, because he gave us a lot of options. It’s like, ‘How brave are you going to be?’ That’ll be interesting to see if people choose to go left or right. Then the crab water is always entertaining and there’s always a lot to do.”

Lillian Heard Wood – 38.6 – 20th

“It’s very similar to last year, which I did with this horse. So I know where I nearly had some trouble last year, so I’m going to be paying attention there. There are a few new things that I’ve got to wrap my head around. But, it’s a beautiful track, and they’re doing everything I can, and I’m excited about it.”

Jessie Phoenix – 39.3 – 21st

“Ian Stark has nailed it. It’s a beautiful 5* track. It’s big. It asks every single question. It’s really thoughtfully done, so if there’s any issues out there, you can still come home. I think he’s just a designer for the centuries. What he has given this sport is truly remarkable, and I think it’s such an honor to be able to go around his last course.”

Joe Meyer – 43.7 – 23rd

“It’s pretty big and tough. There’s a couple of combinations that I’m still sort of umming and ahhing about distance-wise and things. It’ll just depend a little bit how he jumps into them and stuff. I don’t think there’s anything he can’t do, but it’s all got to be done well. The hills will be a test as well, because this will be the hilliest course I’ve ridden. It’s quite a bit more than Kentucky; there’s plenty to do.”

MARS Maryland 5 Star: [Website] [Entries] [Tickets] [Timing & Scoring] [Live Stream] [Volunteer] [EN’s Coverage]

Pick the MARS Maryland 5 Star Winner and Win Big from World Equestrian Brands!

By Veronica Green-Gott on Oct 15, 2024 10:00 am -

It’s arguably the best time of year if you’re a Maryland local. It’s Maryland Horse Month, here in the crabbiest of the states, and the crown jewel of the month has arrived: the Maryland Five Star. While the Eventing Nation team has our own ideas about who will win the CCI5*, it’s your chance to pick the winner and win big.

A big thank you to World Equestrian Brands, who is our partner for this round of Pick ‘Em and Win, for contributing an amazing prize: a Heatsense Massage pad! I’m already jealous of the winner, I have to say. The Heatsense massage pad combines the best of heat and massage to encourage muscle relaxation, increase flexibility, and maintain a good oxygen supply to your horse’s muscles.

If it’s your first time playing, or you need a refresher, here are the deets (do people still say that?):

To enter, use the embedded form below or click here if you can’t see or use the form.

You’ll enter some basic information and then select the CCI5* pair you feel will take the win this week. For tie-breaking purposes, also enter what score you believe your chosen pair will finish on. One winner will be selected from the correct answers at the end of the week. If there’s a tie, the closest finishing score without going over claims the prize.

You must enter by Thursday, October 17th at 12:45 p.m. EST, ahead of the first CCI5* dressage test. You may edit your response ahead of this cutoff time. We’ll announce and notify the winner during the week of October 21st.

You can view the current entry list here. Best of luck, and Go Eventing!

A BIG congratulations to Kaitlyn Poole who is our 2024 winner! She guessed that Oliver Townend would win with a score of 30.7. Great job, Kaitlyn!

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Dyri Dances to the Lead at the Morven Park International CCI4*-L

By Veronica Green-Gott on Oct 11, 2024 3:46 pm -

Lucienne Bellissimo at the fall Morven Park International. Photo by Lindsay Berreth/USEA.

A trifecta of American eventing has come together at the Morven Park Equestrian Center this weekend. Not only did the iconic CCI4*-L get underway, but this weekend also marks the opening leg of the US Equestrian Open and the 2024 USEF/USEA Developing Horse Eventing National Championships for 6- and 7-year-olds. Record prize money is on the table as, thanks to MARS Equestrian, an additional $15,000 will be awarded to the top-placed American-bred horse within the two 4* divisions.

As the opening leg of the US Equestrian Open, there’s certainly additional pressure on our 4*-S competitors this weekend. This brand new event series highlights all three Olympic disciplines. For eventers, it includes 18 4*-S qualifiers (with more potentially to be added) spanning across the country and will conclude with a final event right here at Morven Park in 2025. Riders are given points based on their placing at each qualifier they complete, putting them in the running to earn the season points bonus as well as qualify for that final event. A total of $250,000 in prize money is up for the taking in eventing alone. Including show jumping and dressage, $2 million will be awarded to the nation’s top riders.

Want more information on the Open field this week? Click here to view EquiRatings’ Form Guide.

Despite the added pressure of the national spotlight, Lucienne Bellissimo and Horse Scout Eventing’s Dyri (Diarado – La Calera, by King Milford xx) danced their way to the top of the leaderboard at the end of day one in the CCI4*-L at the Morven Park International & Fall Horse Trials. The 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding has scored below 30 in his last five events -– the majority of his 2024 season. He’s coming off a win in the 4*-S at Stable View Oktoberfest at end of September. While he still claimed the top spot on the leaderboard today, he scored higher than usual, pulling in a 30.7.

Lucienne Bellissimo and Dyri compete at Morven Park in 2023. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Lucienne attributes his higher score to an early ride time and a shorter-than-usual warm-up. “In all honesty, I would have normally done a little free ride with him, but because my ride time was 8:07 a.m., I didn’t get a chance to do that,” she said. “So he was a touch more tense than he normally would be. I’ve been working a lot more on just his straightness on the center lines and just trying to tweak those areas. And I felt as though he nailed his halt in the center lines today. Some of his lateral work wasn’t quite as true as we’ve had it historically, but I was really pleased with him. And he’s an absolute pleasure to ride on the flat now. He always focuses in the ring.”

Never one to have small goals, Lucienne had been aiming for a sub-26 score this morning and believes Dyri has a bright future ahead of him. “I am a perfectionist,” Lucienne said. “And I think this horse deserves for me to be a perfectionist, because he’s good enough. I really think he’ll get a low-20s test when it all comes together and I’d like to be able to get him there.”

“His attitude is so consistent, and he’s been just a gift all season,” she continued. “To be honest, I think he’s led at his last sort of four or five CCI4* that he’s done. And I really hope I can just do it justice over the next 12 months now and produce him to be confident cross country, and then hopefully we’ll tick all the boxes.”

Lucienne and Dyri have been focused on building the gelding’s confidence on cross country, particularly when it comes to ditch and coffin complexes. Once he’s confident, then Lucienne will start to go for the time.

“He can be such a careful horse, which, again, it’s a blessing. But sometimes I think he almost takes it out of himself, because he gets so looky and he can hang in the air a little bit, and then, bless him, he’s almost losing a second to every fence through the first half of the course,” Lucienne said.

Dyri came to FEI eventing late in life, competing in his first 1* at 8 years old. Lucienne says that because he missed out on traditional fitness work as a young horse, he’s still creating that foundational strength that’s so key to eventing.

“I just keep reiterating that I’m playing the long game on him if he needs to come home with time, he can have some time. I adore him, and I really hope that in the next year or two, he can get a big win,” Lucienne said.

Looking ahead to tomorrow, our 4* contenders will have excellent conditions to tackle Derek di Grazia’s tricky course. “The ground looks fantastic, so that’s definitely in our favor,” Lucienne said. “I would love to be able to get him home in 10 time faults or less if I can. That said, I’m gonna let him tell me when we’re roughly halfway. If he’s breathing and traveling and in the bridle, I’ll keep coming home. But I’m certainly not gonna go like a bullet out of a gun around the first half. I’m gonna let him get halfway, and then if he’s breathing well, I’ll try and get a little bit braver on the way home with him, but I think the course here normally causes enough trouble.”

Hannah Sue Hollberg and Carsonstown. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Following Lucienne is Hannah Sue Hollberg and Carsonstown (Lougherne Cappuchino – Nonavic Spyridonna, by Limmerick) with a score of 32.1. Owned by Christa Schmidt, “Carson” is a 2012 Irish Sport Horse that Hannah describes as a bit behind the leg on the flat and with quite a few… quirks.

“He’s Irish and German, and he’s got the naughty side of both, I feel like,” she said. “He’s just taken a while to kind of grow up and develop. He bucked me off really badly in the dressage warm-up about three years ago and that’s when I got injured. So it’s been a bumpy road with him, but he has really come all the way around in all three phases. And he loves his job now, and it’s a blast to ride him.”

Hannah Sue had a secret weapon helping her prepare for this weekend’s CCI4*-L: grand prix dressage rider Nicholas Fyffe. “I’ve been working with Nicholas Fyffe on the flat, and he has ridden him a couple times for me. And it’s incredible, the difference that he can make. They just all halt square after he rides. He’s been extremely helpful, and I just love riding with him. He’s got the best way of teaching and explaining things and supporting.”

Aiming for the 5* level next year, Hannah Sue and Carson decided to come to Morven Park as part of their preparation. “I think that this is one of, if not the hardest, four star longs in the whole world, in terms of cross country. And I love Carson. He’s an amazing cross country horse, and I want to move him up, hopefully to the five star level next year. So this is a very important next step.”

Despite the challenges tomorrow brings, Hannah Sue and Carson are ready to tackle the cross country course. “The harder, the better, baby. For real, with this horse, if it’s easy, it’s like he has no interest, he has no respect for the fences.”

Buck Davidson and Cooley Candyman. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Buck Davidson and Cooley Candyman (Sligo Candy Boy – Dashing Hill, by Flame Hill) are hot on Hannah’s heels with a score of 32.3. Owned by Buck Davidson and Carl Segal, the 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse has had a light few competition seasons since 2021. “I’m just super, super happy with him, and just love the horse,” Buck said. “I just love riding him. He’s been off for a bit with some leg trouble, but hopefully we’re in good shape.”

“Morven Park is, quite honestly, a better cross country course than Fair Hill. It just felt like Fair Hill needs a horse that can just gallop and get to the top of that hill for the water, and then you’re all right,” Buck said. “Rolo’s only 11. I didn’t want to have him discouraged and be tired at Maryland, so I thought this was a better place to bring him.”

Buck threw caution to the wind and didn’t do the familiarization ride prior to his dressage test. “I’m really, really proud of him. I went in all brave and I didn’t do any of the ring familiarization and I didn’t do a pre-ride. And he’s good, like he might have played around a bit before, but he seems to go in there now, if he’s not tired, he doesn’t mess around.”

While Buck is looking forward to cross country tomorrow, he’s also attempting to make the time on a lightning-fast trip to Florida this afternoon with hopes to be back by his ride time tomorrow. Everyone keep your fingers crossed the traffic goes Buck’s way. “I’m on my way to the airport right now to go pick up my kids in Florida and then fly back. So my biggest thing right now is that all the planes are on time so I can be back here to ride tomorrow,” Buck laughed.

Jennie Brannigan and Connery. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Leading the US Equestrian Open qualifier CCI4*-S is Jennie Brannigan and Tim and Nina Gardner’s Connery. What many fans don’t know is that Connery’s barn name is “Sean,” which is something I will never get enough of. Scores are tight in the 4*-S this weekend, with Jennie just barely keeping second placed Hannah Sue Hollberg and Business Ben at bay by 0.3 points.

This weekend marks one year since Sean was last running at the Advanced level; he unfortunately came up with a hot leg at Boekelo last year and has taken the time to recover. “When he was at Boekelo last fall, he had a little bit of a hot leg there, and so we gave him extra time off.” This weekend marks Sean’s first Advanced/4* start in his return to the top levels.

Jennie is hoping to turn around a streak of bad luck that has tailed Sean throughout his Advanced career with this weekend’s run. “He’s had a couple unlucky things happen, like he tripped in a creek at Boekelo. It didn’t have anything to do with a jump. And then he just fell turning on the flat at Rebecca. It was my fault,” Jennie said. “So, I’m just excited to have him back, because he’s a really nice horse and one of my best ones for the future.”

According to Jennie, the 4*-S walks like a true Derek di Grazia track — a real challenge. “I don’t think it’s gonna be a dressage show, that’s for sure,” she said. “I walked the course with Erik [Duvander] last night, and it looks really proper, like Derek’s courses always are.”

You can get a good preview of what’s in store for tomorrow in the Morven cross country preview:

A fence-by-fence preview is also available on CrossCountryApp here.

The first riders will leave the start box tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. eastern time, with the 3* leading the way, followed by the 4*-S and then the 4*-L. If you can’t attend in person, you’re missing out on the beautiful fall atmosphere in Morven Park, but you can catch up on some of the action by watching the first leg of the US Equestrian Open on the USEF Network, which will carry all cross country tomorrow. You can also follow along live on the Morven Park YouTube channel here.

Morven Park Fall International & H.T. (VA): [Website] [Entries] [Schedule] [YouTube Channel] [USEF Network] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Morven Park to the Maryland 5*: The Ultimate Itinerary for Locals & Horse Lovers

By Veronica Green-Gott on Sep 26, 2024 1:00 pm -

Beautiful Morven Park! Photo by Sally Spickard.

Eventing is sadly siloed from the non-horse community. It feels as though the days where the average person would attend a horse show as easily as going to the movies are long gone. Now that horses aren’t a part of everyone’s daily lives as either transportation or working partners, few people outside of the horse world know much of anything about how special they are. It’s time we welcomed non-horsey spectators into the fold and re-introduced them to the animals that worked and played alongside all of our ancestors.

To that end, I’ve created an itinerary for a day at a horse show and put it to the test. With the Morven Park International & Fall Horse Trials right around the corner, I built my itinerary around the venue’s hometown: Leesburg, Virginia. What makes this road trip so amazing is that it can become part of a larger itinerary where you get to see two back-to-back events that are just two hours away from each other: the Morven Park International & Fall Horse Trials (October 10th through the 13th) and the Maryland Five Star (October 17th through the 20th).

Everyone is welcome to the Morven Park International & Fall Horse Trial on October 10th through the 13th. Spectators get free admission, unless they’d like to tailgate on Saturday or enter the VIP tent on Friday and Sunday. If you’re new to the sport of eventing, I’d highly recommend spending Saturday morning at the horse park to watch cross country, which is arguably the most exciting phase of the sport. Wear good walking shoes and if you’re unsure where to go, stick with the crowds. Spectators will want to gather by Morven Park’s newly expanded water jump which has essentially doubled in size, and will now be used by all FEI levels, not just the CCI3* and CCI4*.

Caitlin Silliman and Ally KGO compete at Morven Park. Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography.

Dogs are welcome at Morven Park, however, they must be leashed (with the other end of the leash securely in your hand!) and you must clean up after them. I was accompanied by my long-suffering mutt, Maddi. She definitely enjoyed walking on the cross country course with me and also got lots of treats and made plenty of new friends as we walked around Leesburg. The town is famously dog friendly. Knowing that many eventers bring their dogs with them to horse shows, I decided to put that reputation to the test. I’m happy to report, we had a wonderful day and you can absolutely bring your dog with you to downtown Leesburg. If you have a pup with you, look for the dog-friendly decal on store windows; many stores welcome your dog inside.

After spending your morning watching some of the best riders in the business tackle the Olympic level cross country course, hop in the car for a short 10-minute drive to Goosecup, the cutest cafe in Leesburg, in my opinion. The atmosphere there is very modern indie. What do the youths say? It’s very “brat.” …I think. I got the Hugo Grey tea, and it was delicious, like an Earl Gray, but instead of Bergamot Oil, there was a hint of grapefruit. Check out the amazing pastries in the glass case and remember that you’re an adult and have to practice self control. Then remember that you’re an adult, you make your own rules, and buy one.

Leesburg and Loudoun County are very dog-friendly!

Goosecup is directly across the street from the Washington & Old Dominion Trail (or the W & OD as the locals call it). It’s the perfect spot to take a walk with your tea or coffee, but watch out for cyclists. They’re very respectful but they tend to come in hot. I’d suggest walking on the grass. After a brisk walk, drive a few minutes up the road to the downtown public parking garage to take advantage of the free parking from Friday evening through Monday morning during the summer.

You can’t go wrong with simply wandering around downtown without a plan. Stores are welcoming and each one has something different to enjoy. But because I’m a planner, I had a list of stores and shops that I wanted to hit while I was in Leesburg, starting with the Birch Tree Bookstore.

Located right next to the downtown parking garage, Birch Tree Bookstore is a little maze of a shop, filled with books crammed into every corner in the front and with a beautiful plant store in the back. If you follow the signs to the outdoor courtyard, you’ll find a hidden spot where you can sit under a sun shade, read the book you just bought, and enjoy the plants surrounding you in what feels like your own version of a secret garden. If you’re not sure what to read, ask the clerks. They’re lovely and have some great recommendations. I picked up “Yellowface” by R. F. Kuang and can’t wait to crack it open.

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After that, I headed to SideBar Lounge for brunch and to try their Verdict cocktail, which was so pretty. Similar to a paloma, it was very grapefruit forward and had a beautiful heart design on the top of the drink. I would absolutely recommend the french toast with seasonal fruit, it had the perfect amount of whip cream and chocolatey hazelnut drizzle, topped with blueberries and strawberries.

Next, I headed to the Brick & Mortar Mercantile where Maddi got a treat and a couple pats and I toured a fun collection of products, from funny coasters to nice t-shirts. If you’re looking for a present for a man in your life, whether that’s your father, brother, or significant other, I’d definitely recommend stopping in there.

Before getting back in the car, I stopped at the Loudoun Museum. Now, you can’t bring your dog inside, but there is a beautiful mural to admire on the outside wall, as well as a few placards and a small exhibit on women’s suffrage next to a historic cabin. Hiding behind the Museum, next to the parking garage, is a quiet little garden with chairs and tables where you can sit and read before hopping in your car and driving on to your next destination.

Now, technically, you can walk to the Dodona Manor Gardens at the George C. Marshall International Center, however, if you’ve just walked the cross country course at Morven Park in the morning and around downtown Leesburg as well, you may want to drive a couple minutes. The entrance and parking is in the Dodona Manor Shopping Plaza. There are two dog-friendly, self-guided exterior tours you can take: a tree tour and an architectural tour. Interior docent-led tours are not dog-friendly and cost $15 dollars for adults. If you’re not much of a history buff, I’d still recommend going and at least checking out the grounds. For being tucked away in the center of Leesburg, it’s a remarkably quiet spot.

Driving just 15 minutes west of Leesburg, you’ll find Another Turn Tack, which has great prices on a variety of supplies. If you forgot anything you need for a competition at Morven Park, you’ll be able to find a replacement there. I picked up some much-needed Hawthorne Sole Pack for my barefoot Off the Track Thoroughbred and spent some time admiring some really nice four-fold stock ties that came in a variety of cute colors and patterns.

Finally, I ended the day with a glass of wine at The Barns at Hamilton Station. The wine was delicious. I’d highly recommend the 2021 Cascina, if you’re a white wine person like me. It’s full bodied, complex, and not too sweet. They have live music on the outdoor patio every weekend from 2 to 5 p.m. I was treated to the musical stylings of Steve Boyd and Friends, who performed an excellent rendition of Rocky Top.

If you’re starting to make your fall plans, I’d highly recommend adding Morven Park and Leesburg to your list. Whether you’re a die-hard eventer or haven’t seen a horse since you took a pony ride at the county fair when you were 8 years old, you’ll enjoy an amazing day in small town Virginia. After you’re done in Northern Virginia, you can take a scenic two-hour drive to Northern Maryland and enjoy more eventing action at the Maryland Five Star at Fair Hill.

This article is sponsored by Morven Park International Equestrian Center, where you can find Olympic-level eventing at a welcoming venue tucked away in the rolling hills of Northern Virginia. Join us at the Morven Park International & Fall Horse Trials this October! Reserve your tailgate spot to get up close to all the cross country action. Or, buy a VIP pass to watch dressage and show jumping from the best seat in the park.

Life On a Budget: Side Hustling Your Way Into Eventing

By Veronica Green-Gott on Sep 24, 2024 12:30 pm -

When the average person hears that I own a horse, visions of Floridian mansions and champagne bottles at the racetrack pop into their head. While I’m glad that the rich and famous can help fund our sport, that lifestyle is far, far, far from the reality for most eventers. The real lifeblood of eventing is in the everyday person who pays their bills in sweat, blood, and tears. We are a community of hustlers. We are the people who get up early for one job in the morning, work a 9 to 5 during the day, and then head to the barn to muck stalls and hopefully have time to ride the horse we do all this for.

My reality is working full-time running my business and then working at the barn in the evenings to get discounts on my board so I can afford to keep my $500 dollar Off the Track Thoroughbred, and occasionally refinishing and flipping furniture for some spending money. But, I’ve always been curious if there’s a better way to side hustle that could help me not only stay afloat, but get ahead. Who better to ask than other eventers who are side hustling just like me?

We asked our amazing base of eventing fans about how they side hustle and they came through. What an amazing group of hard-working and creative eventers! We’re lucky to have you as our readers.

Make Horse Trials Pay for Themselves
Besides board and vet bills, competing is probably the most expensive part of eventing. These EN readers have found ways to earn money at competitions. From working as a freelance groom to braiding and clipping horses for horse shows, there are quite a few ways you can monetize your time at events.

“I’ve been a professional braider for 13 years. I regularly have 20-25 clients at a horse trials. It’s a great way to meet new people and make friends. 10 years ago, I was braiding their ponies. Now those girls are joining their college eventing teams. And it pays for my entries!” – @harleycoz

“I have a 9-5 desk job (unrelated to horses) that pays for horses, and also allows me to freelance groom at some of the biggest horse shows in the world (including the Paris 2024 Olympic Games)!” – @ wavrykam

“Currently, I’m a groom, vet tech and bartender. On the side, I clip horses, pull manes and braid manes and tails at events. I have a handful of house and farm sitting clients that squeeze in their trips when I’m home from shows. I also teach a bit during camps at my barn.” – Lexie Priest

“I became a XC course designer…” – David Taylor

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Turn Another Hobby Into a Side Hustle
Hustlers learn to monetize every aspect of their personality and take their money making talents far beyond the barn. Just like I’m able to sell some furniture on the side (thank you mom and dad for teaching me how), these readers are taking advantage of their other hobbies and skills and putting them to work.

“I work full time at Swarthmore College and The Scott Arboretum as a Garden Supervisor. My side hustle is writing articles for various online and printed publications. I also give gardening talks, floral arrangement demonstrations/classes and teach classes at other public gardens and to garden clubs.” – Adam Glas

“I started selling my art so I could afford to buy and keep a horse, but fifteen years later, it’s grown into my full-time job!” – Aradia Diane Willard

Take Advantage of What The Good Lord Gave You
Plasma. We’re talking about plasma here, folks. Get your heads out of the gutter. I was very curious about this one, so I did a little research. After scrolling a few different websites, it seems like most people get paid around $50 per donation, but you can earn more the more you donate. Some organizations even offer a new donor bonus. Make sure you research the pros and cons of plasma donation and consult your doctor before taking that step.

“It’s all in the plasma! Giving people in need something potentially life saving and in return receiving funds for shows/leases/lessons (life saving for my sanity)” – @ kate.dhuy

Look for Unique Boarding Situations
Have you heard of co-op boarding? Co-op boarding means that all the boarders share the work. Chores are split between the riders and owners, which results in reduced board.

“I’ve always kept my horses at co-op barns. We all shared the chores in exchange for a much lower board rate. Depending on the farm the arrangement varied slightly. Sometimes I was responsible for providing my own hay, sometimes the farm supplied it. I was always responsible for providing my own hay, grain and supplements. The breakdown of chores also varied, but most commonly depending on the number of humans/horses you would be assigned a certain number of chores per week, as would everyone else.” – Becca O’Hurley

“When I was still in uni, I worked at McDonalds to afford horse board. My horse was boarded at a co-op barn, so I was up early cleaning stalls before my classes, then worked at McD’s in the evenings. I was also a working student later on, which I much preferred, as I would rather come home smelling like horses than fried food grease. I worked as a nurse’s aide, government clerk, copy writer/editor, and technical writer. I also worked for several years submitting pharmaceutical reports to FDA.” – Brandi Borkent

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Monetize Your Horse Skills
There are lots of different ways to make money within the horse industry. You don’t have to limit yourself to braiding or mucking stalls. These readers took advantage of their more exclusive skills and figured out different ways to turn their equine knowledge into a paying gig.

“I am a realtor and have recently opened my barn to be a horse hotel and have even AirBnB my walkout basement. It’s pretty lucrative so far!” – @ allison_deveraux_murphy

“Where to start? Outside of my regular full-time office job, I clip horses, teach riding lessons, perform PEMF therapy, and have just come up on the 1-year anniversary of my very own online equestrian masterclass program: Equine Academy!” – Michael Willham

“I got trained and certified, and now teach equine health and emergency first aid classes on the weekends. I feel really good about this side hustle because it helps horse owners help their horses when they need it the most. Still have a full time job in addition, and work another side gig helping a professional trainer whenever time allows. I really enjoy volunteering at Galway Downs and try to fit that piece in also. Now to find time for riding. Whew! 😅” – Equine Support Services USA

“Main job – Chartered Accountant. Second job to pay for horse – early mornings at the local race track as a stable hand.” – Larissa Thyne

Work at Your Barn for Reduced Board
This might be one of the most common ways to afford horses. At nearly every barn, you can find a boarder dutifully mucking stalls, emptying water troughs, and generally getting dirty. While situations like this one can be mutually beneficial for both barn owner and boarder, make sure you set boundaries and don’t let yourself work when you’re supposed to be off-duty.

“Work full time for a university, teach riding lessons in the evenings and on weekends, do the late feeding at the barn in the evenings 7 days a week, and never go on vacation (I have 2 horses in the Bay Area 🥴)” – @aen.1984

“I feed and clean stalls at a couple local barns most days of the week, from Sep-Oct I work every weekend on the pony ring at my friend’s pumpkin patch, and sometimes I’m even at my actual full-time office job! 😂” – Paige Stallard

Take Advantage of Your 9 to 5 for Discounts
If you think your vet really gets to bring home the bacon every time you have to call because your horse managed to think up a new creative way to get injured, you’d sadly be wrong. On average, veterinarians still need to hustle to maintain their horse habit. However, one of the big benefits of working in the veterinary field are the discounts.

“I’m a vet, take extra shifts wherever I can, and am forever grateful that I get a staff discount on meds when my horse needs antibiotics for pulling a shoe and stepping on the nail, or wound spray when he cut up his leg jumping into his field after breaking out of his stable, or pain killers for his hoof abscesses, or a steroid injection when he broke out in hives when stung by something at a show, or…. 🤪🤣” – Rebbecca Beckett

“Professionally I am a veterinary technician, which allows me discounted services and medications. On the side I exercise horses, all the extra funds go to pay for my horse’s board and shoeing.” – Stephanie Jones

The Most Unique Side Hustlers are…
These EN readers are really getting creative. I had no idea painting cars and selling chickens and ducks could fund a horse habit! How do you become an electrician on weekends alone? Please, I need more information here.

“Painting Cars!” – Sophie Kelly

“I work every other weekend as an electrician to afford my horses.” – Holly Bordeau

“Training and selling horses; renting dry stalls; breeding and selling chickens, ducks and eggs; selling drag cars and car parts.” – Jennarose Ortmeyer

This article was sponsored by Breeches.com, your go-to store for high-quality tack at affordable prices. I’m not only a hustler in how I get my money, but also in where I spend my money. Discount tack stores are the only place I shop and you’ll never catch me buying anything for full-price. Breeches.com has become my go-to place to shop for great deals, thanks to their amazing clearance section.

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10 Reasons to Visit Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina

By Veronica Green-Gott on Aug 24, 2024 10:00 am -

Photo by Christine Quinn Photography.

The fall season is kicking off, but it won’t be long before the 2024 competition season is wrapped up and locked away into the recesses of photo albums and memories. Make the most of the remainder of the competition season and head to Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina.

As part of Eventing Nation’s team of reporters, I’ve been lucky enough to visit Stable View several times now, and it’s become a dream of mine to go with one of my horses, just for fun. Here’s why it’s on my bucket list and why it should be on yours, too.

World-Class Competition

We would be absolutely remiss if the number one reason to visit Stable View wasn’t their world class lineup of competitions. There’s a reason why Stable View was chosen as the location of Team USA’s last outing prior to the Paris Olympics. Stable View hosts a variety of amazing competitions to take advantage, from kicking off the spring season with the USEF/USEA Aiken Spring Opener Horse Trials to the April $60,000 FEI CCI-S 2/3/4* & USEF/USEA Horse Trials and finally, ending the season with their Oktoberfest CCI4* at the end of September, Stable View’s summer calendar is filled with action for every level of competitor.

Stable View isn’t just an eventing mecca. It’s also home to a series of dressage and hunter/jumper competitions. If you’d like to work on your show jumping or dressage phases, you’ll have double the opportunity you would if you stayed at a straight eventing venue. Or, if you really feel like switching things up, try your hand at a hunter derby.

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Endless Schooling Opportunities

If you’re looking for schooling opportunities in Aiken, South Carolina, start with Stable View. Even Olympians take advantage of schooling Stable View’s cross country fields and atmospheric arenas. Boyd Martin spends his winter months at the Aiken horse farm, taking full advantage of all that Stable View has to offer. The Boyd Martin/ETB Schooling Field is available to everyone who wants to come to Stable View to school cross country.

If you’re looking for a schooling competition, take advantage of Stable View’s Eventing Academy series. Designed for riders of all levels, this unique schooling competition allows riders to train on the cross country course and in the dressage and/or show jumping rings two days prior to an unrecognized competition.

Tailgaiting and a car show? A real neighborhood event at Stable View! Photo by Christine Quinn.

Be Part of an Active Community

Unlike many other competitions, Stable View creates opportunities for competitors to stay and talk to other riders and staff after competition has ended. Most evenings, they host a free Gaze & Graze at the eco-friendly pavilion with amazing food right from their kitchen and drinks from the downstairs bar. Last season, a mechanical bull even made an appearance!

Stay with Your Horse

Make every night a sleepover at the barn. Stable View offers luxurious accommodations for horses and riders alike. In many cases, you can stay just feet away from your horse or opt for luxurious accommodations in the upstairs apartment above the main barn. Whether you choose to board in the Work Shed, Kennel, Main Barn, or East Barn, you’ll have an option to stay close to your horse.

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Affordable Training Opportunities
Despite having so many amazing facilities, Stable View is able to keep their prices relatively low. The Eventing Academy is a great way to get in some schooling and competition time without spending the hundreds of dollars you would burn at a recognized event. You can also take advantage of Stable View’s integrated training program, which costs $100 per horse per day and includes the use of the Boyd Martin/ETB Cross Country field and the outdoor arena for dressage and stadium. Otherwise, use of the Boyd Martin/ETB Cross Country Field alone is $60.

Train on Top Notch Footing

The footing you ride on matters! Good footing can mean the difference between a soft tissue injury and a sound horse. Stable View has six arenas that feature premiere Attwood Footing. As the world’s leading equestrian surfaces company, Attwood works hard to stay ahead of the latest technological developments when it comes to footing. When you ride in one of Stable View’s arenas, you know you’re riding on the gold standard of equestrian footing.

Explore Beautiful Aiken, South Carolina

Stable View calls beautiful Aiken, South Carolina home. With streets lined with Live Oaks draped in Spanish Moss and a thriving downtown community, Aiken is worth the time away from your horse. Every week there’s something new going on downtown, from art exhibits to live music to farmer’s markets and more, everyone will find something to enjoy during an evening in downtown Aiken.

Veronica Green-Gott and Carolyn Weinheimer in the Hitchcock Woods

Enjoy Hitchcock Woods

Just a short 20 minute drive away from Stable View, you’ll find the iconic Hitchcock Woods. One of the largest urban forests in the nation, the Hitchcock Woods is a paradise for equestrians, especially eventers. With 70 miles of sandy trails, you’ll find cross country fences scattered throughout the 2100 acres. Feel like a kid again as you gallop through the trails, jump cross country fences, and trail ride through scenic woods

Visit The Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame

Are you a history buff? The Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame is perfect for those equestrians who love history and horse racing. The Racing Hall of Fame celebrates Thoroughbreds who were trained in Aiken and who have gone on to become national champions. Once inside, you’ll find a large collection of trophies and photographs from Thoroughbred race horses who played polo, ran steeplechase, and pounded down the track to victory. Admission is free!

Fun for the Whole Family

Are you a blended family of equestrians and non-equestrians? Lucky for you, it’s become easier than ever to convince your non-horsey family members to visit Stable View with you. Stable View isn’t just for equestrians– it’s for everyone. Spanning 1,000 acres, Stable View also plays host to a series of foot races, great for the runner in your family. Spend time in their Healing Arts Center, where they host yoga classes and more. With the recent development of an environmental program, Stable View is also the perfect retreat for avid birdwatchers. You may even catch a glimpse of the rare Red-Cockaged Woodpecker!

Eventing Nation is proud to be sponsored by Stable View, Aiken’s Gathering Place. To learn more about all that Stable View has to offer you, your family, and your horse, take a look at their website. Get in touch with Stable View here.

A New Approach to Fitness & Recovery at Twin Ponds Farm

By Veronica Green-Gott on Aug 23, 2024 9:45 am -

When Eventing Nation reporter Abby Powell spoke with Dr. Ashley Taylor back in 2015, she was working alongside Dr. Keane in his practice, Sports Medicine Associates of Chester County, dreaming of becoming a top veterinarian. Nearly a decade later, Dr. Taylor is well on her way to realizing that dream, if it hasn’t come true already.

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Now the owner of Sports Medicine Associates of Chester Country. Dr. Taylor recently founded Twin Ponds Farm, a sports medicine rehabilitation and fitness facility offering the latest technologies in equine health. Recently established, this will be Twin Ponds Farm first summer in operation.

Located in Chester Country, the rehab center is managed daily by a crack team, including long-time friend of Dr. Taylor’s Sara Stone, and Emma Ford. If you’re familiar with Chester County, then you’ll know how this little slice of Pennsylvania is truly a piece of eventing heaven. Twin Ponds Farm is closely surrounded by Phillip Dutton, Boyd Martin, Jennie Brannigan, Erin Kanara, and Caitlin Silliman, many of whom bring their upper level horses to the facility. “Within a five to 10 mile radius, we have a really strong concentration of upper level eventers, and even a lot of racehorses that train nearby, as well as jumpers and Hunter/Jumpers. It’s a really concentrated area of sport horses,” Dr. Taylor said.

Establishing the facility has been a dream of Dr. Taylor’s since she took over Dr. Keane’s veterinary practice. “It’s really fun to see these horses get better and go home and some go on to show again and some are just retired and people love them,” she said. “I’m obviously very interested in eventing, I compete myself and grew up competing. Most of my clients are eventers. Fitness is extra important in eventing and something that we spend a lot of time focusing on with the event horses. So it was a personal and professional interest of mine.”

Rehabilitation/Fitness Coordinator Sara also has a passion for equine sports medicine. “I love being in this area, it’s just so nice to be involved with this clientele. Originally my interest was more in racing, but coming here just seemed like a good progression, because I knew these people from a few years ago, before I left to go to Kentucky, and then I get to come back and it was like, nothing really changed. Having worked for Ashley, I know how she sees things and treats things. And because we’re friends, I think we have a really good level of communication.”

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Dr. Taylor and her team offer a wide variety of services, including everything from treadmill work to PEMF to Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES). Dr. Taylor’s services focus on building fitness in the event horse without the wear and tear. Many of her upper level professional riders bring their horses in either pre- and/or post-ride. What’s perhaps most used by eventers is the cold saltwater treadmill.

“After a big cross country school or gallop, they’ll come here afterwards and use [the treadmill] just to loosen the horses up, break down all that lactic acid and get them really loose and comfortable after their ride because it’s the cold salt water that really helps them out,” Dr. Taylor said. “And then also some riders are using it before their dressage rides, because it really helps loosen the horses up, supple them up. People have said that they warm up a lot faster and are a lot more comfortable during their ride.”

Why salt water and not your run-of-the-mill tap water? Similar to soaking a horse’s feet in epsom salts when they have an abscess, salt water has additional benefits. “It adds just a little bit of an extra therapeutic benefit,” said Dr. Taylor. “And it is helpful for pulling inflammation out of the horse’s legs. That’s why it tends to be great because the horses are moving their large muscle groups when they’re on the water treadmill, but their distal limbs are basically getting cold saltwater treatment. So their tendons and ligaments are getting cooling anti-inflammatory therapy while their muscles are getting warm.”

This combination of inflammation-reducing cold water, as well as the additional drag of the water is a unique combination that allows event horses to build fitness without the possible damage to the legs of traditional galloping. Dr. Taylor says she wouldn’t replace traditional methods of cardiovascular fitness completely with the saltwater treadmill. “It’s not the same cardiovascular workout that you get from swimming a horse or galloping a horse, their heart rates don’t get up that high. It is very much like strength fitness, like if you were doing squats. Depending on the height of the water, we can increase the horse’s mobility in their back, their movement, all that. So we use the water height as a tool to help the horses move.”

That being said, you wouldn’t want to jump right into the highest water level available. Dr. Taylor builds the horses in her program up to deeper levels over time, depending on the feedback from the horse. “Sara is really good at talking to the rider and evaluating the horse as they’re going and seeing what they can tolerate or what’s too hard,” Dr. Taylor said. “And we have a really precise record keeping system so that we can follow every horse every time they’re on the treadmill. We can see any changes, good or bad.”

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If you’re planning on using Twin Ponds Farm’s services to get your event horse fit, Sara says the best thing to do is start early and come in often. “I want them to be training at what I call full capacity for a little while before the event. So I think it takes about seven or so sessions to get them to where I really think I can put the water up to knee and above– in that range. And then work them up incrementally to a time where they’re in there for about 25 minutes.”

There’s a fine line between building your horse’s fitness and overdoing it, which is why having the experience of Dr. Taylor and Sara on hand to guide the horse’s program is so valuable. “I want them coming in quite a bit before crunch time, so the riders know how the horse is gonna react,” Sara said. “For example, I don’t want them to go into their jump school with a tired horse, you know? I need to know how they respond to the work to really lock in the right program. But the more you can do, I think the more benefit.”

Dr. Taylor and Sara work hand-in-hand with their mentor, German veterinarian Dr. Mathias Boughman, who has been using cold saltwater treadmills for equine fitness for the last 30 years. “Dr. Boughman found that by getting their bodies so much stronger, their legs only benefit. He found less soft tissue injuries as they were getting their core and their backs and all those things strong,” Sara said. “I think it can be a game changer for equine fitness and injury recovery.”

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Their program was really put to the test when a horse with a fractured shoulder came into their facility. “The owner basically called me and said, ‘My vet said I should put my horse down and I know you rehab horses. Can you fix him?’ And I said, ‘I have no idea.’ Because it’s not the wrong recommendation to put the horse down by any means. But you know, at that point, he was at least comfortable enough to be stall rested. And so we started there,” Dr. Taylor said.

Sara and Dr. Taylor pulled out all the stops for the horse with the fractured shoulder. At first, their hope was that he could possibly be rehabilitated into a pasture puff, but as he became more and more sound, they began to wonder if he could possibly be a riding horse once again.

“We used a lot of different modalities with the Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) and the laser, because he had a lot of atrophy from the injury. So we use the FES to help build the muscle in the shoulder while he was on stall rest,” Dr. Taylor said. “And then we just gradually increased his turnout and his hand walking, we did some cavaletti for physical therapy to try to get him to like lift the leg because he was kind of dragging the toe. And then we progressed him to the treadmill, which was once again helping him increase the range of motion in the leg.”

As Sara engineered a program for him on the treadmill, he began to get stronger and stronger. “He was interested in the treadmill, because we kind of got to a point where the water was at his knee. And we’re like, ‘Okay, well, he’s here, he’s doing really well. Let’s play with it. Let’s raise the water up even higher and see what happens,’” Sara said. “And I feel like at the end when Ashley injected his knee, and we raised the water up, I think that last little bit of added strength, added movement really helped him.”

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Now the horse is back in full work, he’s turned out with his pasture mates and is being ridden on a near daily basis by his owner. Without surgery and only through non-invasive treatments, the horse went from a fatal injury to healthy, happy, and back under saddle.

Many people view rehabilitation facilities as just for extreme cases like the horse with the fractured shoulder. And while these extreme cases make for great studies on how these modalities can help our horses heal from injury or exercise, the reality is that a place like Twin Ponds Farm can prevent horses from being injured in the first place by increasing fitness without the wear and tear.

“A lot of these tools can be used in conjunction with a healthy, normal horse that you’re trying to improve their condition or their fitness, and a lot of them also are used to help promote healing for horses with injury,” She said. “Our goal is just to offer a resource for horse owners and other veterinarians, whether it’s for a horse that’s sick or injured or just a horse that is competing that you want to try to improve or maintain.”

Go eventing.

Amelia Newcomb: Spreading Dressage for All Across the Globe

By Veronica Green-Gott on Aug 6, 2024 9:30 am -

Photo courtesy of Amelia Newcomb Dressage.

“I love riding, I love horses, and then of course, I love helping as many people as possible to really be able to enjoy their horses, to make progress and communicate with our horses and to have a really good relationship with our horses.”

Amelia Newcomb is well on her way to reaching as many people as possible; currently she’s teaching as many as 400,000 people via her social media accounts and YouTube channel. But unlike many dressage trainers, she isn’t in segmenting her student base to only professionals or just beginner riders.

Instead, her mission is Dressage for All.

With students literally across the globe, Amelia is teaching dressage to riders of all levels from a variety of disciplines in places as far away as Japan, the Middle East, and even Africa.

“Dressage really is the foundation that allows you to do all of the other disciplines, whether you’re on the trail or you’re jumping, or you’re chasing after a cow, or you just want to enjoy your horse as a pleasure horse,” Amelia said. “You want to have the fundamentals of dressage, you want your horse to be supple and relaxed and on the aids, so that you can stay safe and enjoy your horse. It’s really about helping people regardless of their level, or their horse’s breed, or their discipline. It’s about developing a connection with your horse, and then also teaching your horse to use and move their body in a way that’s really healthy and efficient for them.”

A Multi-Disciplinary Background

Coming from a multi-disciplinary background herself, Amelia practices what she preaches. “I started out riding dressage, and then I went to the Western world for a while. I had a horse who was really difficult and he was rearing and so we went back to doing groundwork and natural horsemanship stuff to kind of rehab him and get him back going. I did roping, reining, and cow horse stuff for a while. So I’ve definitely been in that realm as well.”

There’s a reason why many of the best riders out there are not the best teachers. It’s difficult to teach what comes naturally to you. Amelia’s journey to becoming a professional rider is probably what makes her such a good teacher.

“When I started riding, I was not a natural rider. I fell off a lot, I was very unbalanced and uncoordinated, and it was hard for me to really learn how to stay on and what to do with my body and how to develop my seat and my position,” Amelia said. “I have also had some really, really difficult horses. Horses that made me feel like I’m not a good rider, and I should just quit, and I should give up and this is too hard. And so I feel like it’s my obligation to give back and to help people through that journey, which can be so difficult and so hard, and so heartbreaking at times. If I can help them just that little bit to get through some hard times, or to figure something new about their horse or about their riding, then that’s really special.”

Now, Amelia has grown to appreciate the difficulties that come with riding horses. “One thing I love about riding and horses is that you’re never done learning. It’s endless. My husband says, ‘You can be frustrated for life.’ There’s always going to be a new problem or something that you need to try to fix.”

Amelia’s journey to teaching was sparked with a little support from her brother, Joseph Newcomb, who runs Joseph Newcomb Dressage. “So my brother actually had a YouTube channel, and he was like, ‘Oh, you should start one,’” Amelia said. “I started making one YouTube video each week and it started out really slow. But then I started getting feedback from people saying, ‘Wow, this video really helped me with my riding.’ It just grew from there.”’

The Benefits of Going Virtual

Originally I was admittedly skeptical of Amelia’s business model. Having only ever taken in-person lessons, I was a little confused as to how students could learn a physical sport online. It turns out, I wasn’t the only one who started off skeptical. “At first, I thought, ‘Oh, there’s no way that people could learn to ride online,’” said Amelia. “But the proof is there. I was at the Horse Expo last weekend, and I had people come up to me with tears in their eyes, saying, ‘You’ve changed my life.’ And I had never even met them before. It’s become something really special.”

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Because she does all of her teaching through Zoom, Youtube, Facebook, and her website, there’s no geographic limit to Amelia’s student base, and she works hard to ensure there’s no financial obstacle either. Amelia promotes accessibility to the sport with various forms of free content. “One thing that I think is very hard about any horse sport is that it is very expensive and it can get very elitist,” Amelia said. “So that is also part of the Dressage for All mission. If you want to learn and you want to have a better relationship with your horse, I’m here to help you.”

Amelia’s 30 Day Challenges are likely her most popular program, and it’s easy to see why. With a chance to win cash prizes totaling $10,000 dollars, there’s a big incentive to not only join the challenge, but commit to it wholeheartedly.

“The challenges are really fun because they motivate you to work towards a goal,” Amelia said. “You have 30 days to improve your riding in a specific area. You submit a video at the beginning and at the end, and then we review hundreds of videos, which is kind of insane. But whoever improves the most wins the most.”

If you want to have a little bit more of that community feel that’s present in traditional lesson programs, you can join Amelia’s Dressage Club. “We do have an amazing community. We have a free Facebook group, which is called Amelia’s Dressage Club. It’s just a group of horse enthusiasts that are excited about learning. We work really, really hard to keep it a safe space where people can ask questions, and get positive and constructive feedback.”

Basics, Empathy, Respect

Amelia’s program is founded on the philosophy that most training issues can be solved by a return to the basics. “Oftentimes, when you run into a training problem with your horse, it’s when you’ve made things too complicated. It’s about really going back to the basics and breaking things down, step by step, and kind of using frameworks and using exercises to make it more understandable for you and for your horse.”

Photo courtesy of Amelia Newcomb Dressage.

Her background in natural horsemanship has impressed upon her a deep gratitude and respect for the horses she works with.

“What’s really important to me is helping the horses, because by helping the riders, I’m helping the horses to feel more secure and more confident and to understand what they want from their riders,” Amelia said. “Horses are such incredible creatures, the fact that they let us ride them and train them to do these amazing things is remarkable. We have to train our horses through understanding and kindness, rather than just forcing them and adding pressure. So that’s part of why I do it, too. It’s not only for the people, I do love all my audience, but it’s also for the horses.”

Learning dressage online is completely different from traditional in-person lessons, making it a good choice for dedicated students who want to extend their learning to outside the saddle. “When you’re on your horse, you have to be very much in the moment,” Amelia said. “What’s happening around you? Is your horse getting tense or nervous? What’s the rider next to you in the arena doing? What’s your horse going to spook at? Sometimes in the moment, it’s hard to digest new information. Your trainer might be trying to explain to you the theory of riding or a new exercise or where to put your leg, but you’re so wound up in what’s happening or what could happen, that it’s hard to process that information.”

Amelia recommends studying her content in a quiet moment. “Go home at night, sit on your couch, and hear that instruction again when you’re in a moment where you can really close your eyes and visualize and think through it. It really, really helps.”

It’s for exactly this reason that Amelia says trainers will recommend her videos and blogs to their students. “Their students are going home and studying and learning outside of their lesson time, it allows the student to make a lot more progress and to really maximize their time in the saddle.”

Dressage for Safety and Fitness

How often do you work on your dressage each week? I’m willing to bet there’s quite a large group of eventers out there who spend more time focusing on their show jumping technique or gallop sets. However, Amelia emphasizes that we should focus on our dressage not only to get ahead in competitions, but also for safety and fitness.

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“I think that a big part of dressage is about getting your horse on the aids and developing communication and trust with your horse, and you need that when you’re out on cross country,” Amelia said. “If the footing isn’t perfect, or if you have a big fence, or if your horse gets spooked, you have to have that control and that adjustability to be able to keep you and your horse safe. First and foremost, dressage is about safety and having that control and that bond and that partnership.”

Amelia points out that you can’t exactly teach your horse to be more responsive in the heat of the moment as you bear down upon a large fence. Or, at least, it’s a lot safer if you teach responsiveness and adjustability before you find yourself in that position.

“Horses can only learn in times when they’re relaxed, and they feel safe,” Amelia said. “You always want to teach your horse how to respond to your leg, to your reins in a situation where they’re safe and they’re relaxed. You don’t want to wait to see if the aids actually work in a pressure-filled situation, like when you’re at a full gallop and you’re headed to a fence. If your horse isn’t listening– that’s not a good feeling. And that’s not going to be good for you or for your horse. It really is first and foremost about safety for you and for your horse.”

Photo courtesy of Amelia Newcomb Dressage.

Commonly referred to as weightlifting for horses, dressage can also help build our horses’ fitness. “It takes so long to build a partnership with our horses that to have to start over again because of an injury is just terrible and heartbreaking,” Amelia said. “A big part of dressage is the soundness, both physical and mental for the horses.”

With the right exercises, we can help our horses become more symmetrical, which reduces the risk of excess wear and tear and compensation injuries. “One thing that we always work on in dressage is getting our horses really symmetrical, and using their bodies in a way that’s efficient. If your horse isn’t supple, and they’re leaning in and counter bending, they’re going to be putting a lot of pressure on that inside front leg and that’s not so healthy for them long term,” said Amelia.

Amelia believes dressage can transform the event horse both in and out of the ring. “I think of dressage as kind of like gymnastics. We really want our horses to be both strong and flexible,” Amelia said. “It’s amazing how with consistent training, you start to feel your horse change in the way that they use their body. They use their body more evenly. They use different muscles. And you’ll even see that when you turn them out in the field, they’ll start carrying themselves differently.”

Since starting out with just one YouTube video a week, Amelia has built herself a significant online following. With a platform of 32,000 followers on Facebook, nearly 74,000 followers on Instagram, and 292,000 subscribers on Youtube, Amelia has a lot of eyes on her every move. “I feel like I have such an obligation now to be providing really good quality, correct content, and making sure that it’s the right type of content that’s actually going to help people.”

No matter how many followers Amelia gains, her end goal stays the same: to help horses and to help riders with Dressage for All. “Riding is hard,” Amelia said. “We all have days that we feel like we should just quit and give up. We need to be able to reach out and get the support we need, no matter who we are, where we come from, or in what discipline we ride.”

Thursday News & Notes

By Veronica Green-Gott on Jul 25, 2024 12:10 am -

While my brain has decided to play “Les Champs-Elysées” on repeat, life does indeed go on outside of the Olympics. A fact that I have had to strongly remind myself of several times this week. What can I say? I feel as excited as a kid counting down the days until summer break, which doesn’t lend itself nicely to sitting down at my desk and working.

Anyways, outside of thinking about the Olympics and getting “Les Champs-Elysées” stuck in my head, I’ve been on the hunt for exercises to teach my clumsy OTTB how to use her brain in the pasture instead of racking up vet bills for dear old mum (aka me, how lucky am I?). The most recent interesting exercise I’ve found is “Pick Up Sticks” for horses. While Gen Z may not remember this game, I’ve certainly played it a time or two growing up, Victorian Child that I am. Essentially, the idea is you drop some sticks on the ground and try to pick up a stick without touching or moving the other sticks. Whoever has the most sticks, wins. The horse version is a little different. Here’s the long and short of it from Centaurus Osteopathy for your perusing pleasure.

U.S. Weekend Preview

Millbrook H.T. (Millbrook NY) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Hunt Club Farms H.T. (Berryville, VA) [Website] [Entries] [Scoring]

Major International Events

#Paris2024: [Website] [Equestrian Schedule, Timing, Scoring] [Peacock for U.S. Viewers] [How to Watch Guide] [Ticket Resale Market] [Spectator Guides] [EN’s Coverage]

Thursday News & Reading

Last minute changes made to the Olympic lineup. Whoever makes the decisions for these teams obviously have no respect for the EN form guide. We’re back to editing it once again, as Will Coleman substitutes Off the Record for Diabolo and Sandra Auffarth is out, while Julia Krajewski is in for the German team. Get the full scoop here.

Just because they’re Olympic athletes, doesn’t necessarily mean they’re graceful… Irish eventer Susie Berry takes behind the scenes of the taking of this adorable photo. Never have I ever related more to professional athletes. This needs to be one of those memes. Which Irish Olympian best describes how you’re feeling today?

Trainer Lockie Phillips has a thoughtful take on Charlotte Dujardin’s suspension and the video that has been circulating around the internet faster than a wildfire. In an era where equestrian sports is under a microscope, it’s more important than ever that we all refrain from fighting amongst each other and take a moment to do some introspection. How can you make a difference in the future of equestrian sports right now? Read Lockie Phillips’ take on the controversy here.

Our very own Tilly Berendt is on the ground and ready to ruuuuuuuuumble! First up, she’s bringing us some of our first looks at Versailles from the ground. Fun fact: apparently, they did not tell the audience why they were being rearranged for the photo of the stands. See Versailles through Tilly’s eyes here.

No access to a cross country course? No excuses allowed. Bec Braitling has released some thoughts on how we can be creative when working on cross country skills in an arena setting. Plus, some recommended reading: the USEA Eventing Handbook by the Levels. Find out how Bec prepared for the Nations Cup at Haras de Jardy with the help of zip ties and ferns.

Video Break
Throwback to this video showing how the horses and all of their equipment traveled to Paris:

From a Mountain Lion Attack to a Return to the Show Ring: The Story of Hog’s Hollow

By Veronica Green-Gott on Jul 10, 2024 2:00 pm -

Brittany Foust and Oink. Photo by JJ Sillman.

Fight. Flight. Freeze. Fawn.

Ask any rider how their horse responds to danger and the two most common responses you’ll get are flight and freeze. Naturally prey animals, there’s a reason why there are livestock guardian dogs, not livestock guardian horses. As eventers, we look for the rare horse who is gritty enough to run towards the scary obstacle. The horse who will battle to the end of the cross country course and come back the next day to show jump. In short, we look for the horses that naturally have a little more “fight” in their genetics.

When Brittany Foust purchased a 4-year-old off-track Thoroughbred from the Arapaho Park Racetrack, she couldn’t have known that the grit she saw in this mare would one day pay off in a way she could have never seen coming. Salida del Sol, barn name “Sunny,” was originally purchased to be her upper level eventer. “We start our Thoroughbreds pretty slowly, so she was getting ready to go out and compete at Novice last season. But she was a super scopey jumper. If she wasn’t gonna be an event horse, she wanted to be a Grand Prix Jumper,” Brittany said.

Unfortunately, Sunny didn’t get to go out and compete at the Novice level.

Brittany and her sister, Elli, have been riding since they were young. They were students of 5* eventers Jimmy Wofford and Mary Schwentker. Now, they work together to use their horses to help riders with their mental health. “I’m a licensed therapist and I have a therapy practice, which I use our horses for, and then Elli runs a nonprofit called Nature Heals, which is a 501c3 that offers nature based mental health services to those who can’t otherwise afford them.”

Brittany’s problems started in July 2022. Located in the Front Range Foothills of Boulder County, Colorado, it all started when a therapy horse named Hog’s Hollow, aka “Oink,” didn’t come in with the rest of the herd one morning. After searching for him on the 30 acre pasture, they found Oink standing alone by the creek.

“So the best we could figure when we first walked out and found him was that he somehow got himself stuck in a fence or chewed up by barbed wire,” Brittany said. “We have smooth ranch wire on our farm’s perimeters. But it almost looked like with high winds, maybe old barbed wire flew in from another farm or something. And he looked like he got tangled up and rolled around in it. It was around his face and around his neck, all across the sides of his body and around his leg.”

The idea didn’t quite fit with what they knew about Oink and their farm, particularly because they couldn’t find the barbed wire they thought he got tangled up in. But, because they’ve seen bears on the property before, Brittany thought that he must have been spooked by a bear and ran into the fence. His worst injury was on his right front leg.

“The most life threatening injury was that he basically degloved his right front leg and tore through the area by the tendons, and was leaking synovial fluid,” Brittany said. “When the vet showed up, she wasn’t sure if there was any initial tendon damage, so there were three options on the table. He could go up to CSU, which is an astronomical expense. Option two we could do regional limb perfusions at home for him, and hit him with heavy duty antibiotics and do all the bandage care at home for him. Or euthanasia was on the table of how extensive the tendon damage was and the fact that he was leaking synovial fluid.”

As she runs a breeding operation, owns several personal horses, and runs an equine therapy program, Brittany has a close working relationship with her veterinarians and opted to treat him at home. It was touch and go at first, the vet wasn’t sure if he would make it the first 24 hours, then the question became, will he make it the first 72 hours? The first week? Despite it all, Oink pulled through.

Brittany and Oink celebrate a clear round at The Event at Archer Farms. Photo by JJ Sillman.

“So we got really lucky with him. There was damage to the right front shoulder as well, we think it’s muscle damage. And then we also think there was some compensatory damage, as well. He was pretty lame on his left hind,” Brittany said.

Then, two weeks later, it happened again in the same pasture. The herd who lived in this large pasture was a unique mix. There was Oink and a few other geldings, then Sunny and “her” youngsters. Sunny was Brittany’s go-to horse to babysit the yearlings and two-year-olds. The OTTB loved to hang out with the “little kids” and treated them like her own. While Oink and the geldings were in one part of the pasture, you could always find Sunny babysitting and hanging out with her three kids, two yearlings and one two-year-old.

This time when Brittany arrived at the paddock in the morning, the horses were all gathered by the water trough in a panic. Reader, be warned. The next few paragraphs are a bit of a tough read.

“They were covered in blood, she was covered in blood. I had no idea what was happening,” Brittany said. “Sunny was just standing guard over them by the water trough. I realized that none of the youngsters were bleeding, it was all Sunny. So, I took Sunny back into the barn and immediately we started to basically just do triage and pack the wounds. I didn’t clean too much because our priority was to stop the bleeding. It was just a bloodbath.”

Sunny’s heart was still pumping her full of adrenaline, which made caring for her wounds that much more difficult. “Because she was so pumped full of adrenaline she couldn’t tolerate any of the nerve bonding agents and would just burn through all the sedation,” Brittany said. “So, we had to do the full blown, lay her out with ketamine. I remember the vet was suturing, my sister, Elli Foust, was cleaning and prepping, and then I was sitting on her, making sure she didn’t all of a sudden stand back up.”

“She degloved the front right of her cannon bones, like just a huge flap of skin down all the way,” Brittany said. “Her entire chest was shredded. Her haunches on both sides were shredded. Her shoulders were shredded. There were punctures on her left front, shredded her left front shoulder. It actually looked like they had grabbed her muzzle and she had lines across her jugular. She had a hole in the back left of her lower hock by her chestnut and another puncture down by her fetlock.”

Once Sunny was stable enough to be transported, she was taken to the equine hospital at Colorado State University. At the time, Brittany was thanking her lucky stars that Sunny was insured, but found out later that she wasn’t insured as well as she thought.

“What I had not realized is that because she was an event horse, she lost her major medical insurance and was only insured for surgical and mortality,” Brittany said. “So all of the vet bills that were incurred that were non surgical for this incident are not going to be covered by our insurance company. I knew there had been rumors of it. And I knew it was in the works of happening. But it wasn’t really something that on a day to day basis, I thought a lot about.”

At CSU, they were able to lay her down for surgical intervention, which luckily was still covered. During the procedure they discovered that there was an infection that had traveled from one of her puncture wounds into the joint and that there was also an incomplete fracture of the splint bone tracking up into the joint, as well as a sequestrum. Sunny stayed at the hospital for two weeks until she was stable enough to come home.

Now with two horses with similar injuries two weeks apart, Brittany was suspicious that there had to be more to the story than some errant barb wire. “ I asked our vet, ‘Is it statistically possible for two horses to have the same type of injuries, but one more severe, two weeks apart?’ And they were like, ‘Well, it’s pretty much statistically impossible for this to happen.’”

“We walked our fence line for hours trying to see if we could find anything, to see if there was anything that could have been done to prevent this and found nothing,” Brittany said. “We started thinking maybe this was an animal attack, especially with the marks on her face. We found her fly mask that she had been wearing, a brand new black mask, and it was shredded across her face, basically.”

Certain that mountain lions were somehow involved, even though they usually stuck to their territories higher up in the mountains, Brittany called Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The story that unfolded speaks to the unbreakable bonds that our horses have with each other.

Typically, mountain lions jump on the backs of their prey, which creates wounds along the spine and haunches. Sunny’s wound patterning was unusual in that the majority of her wounds were low, along her chest, legs, and neck. Based on Sunny’s wound patterns and the amount of blood that was on the other yearlings, it’s believed that Sunny was down by the creek with the youngsters when a mountain lion went after one of the yearlings who turned around and galloped to Sunny. Sunny, instead of running, turned and fought back, protecting all of her babies and the rest of the herd, eventually either killing or scaring off the attacking lion.

“You’re more likely to be struck by lightning than be attacked by a mountain lion,” Brittany said. “Mountain lions don’t usually go after horses like Sunny and Oink, who are both 16 hands. They don’t usually go after domesticated horses because they’re usually shod and can do a lot of damage. Basically, the consequences aren’t worth the reward for them. It’s more common for them to go after goats and smaller livestock.”

“Parks and Wildlife is assuming that it was probably young and juvenile mountain lions that were looking to expand territory because the attacks were two weeks apart to the day,” Brittany said. “So the young lions were basically kind of patrolling a perimeter, or going down the draw and coming back up, while looking for new territory because it was about the time of year that the parents kicked them out.”

Mountain lions are smart. According to Brittany, they learn from their mistakes. Oink was actually lucky that he was attacked first. When the lions went after the yearling and got Sunny instead, they applied what they learned from attacking Oink, leading to much more severe injuries for Sunny.

After Sunny came home and the months of rehabilitation dragged on, it became clear that Sunny would never be riding sound again. Brittany had hoped that Sunny would at least be broodmare sound, but it became apparent her damaged joint wouldn’t hold up to the added weight of a baby. “It got to the point where we started wondering, would she even be able to be pasture sound?” Brittany said. “Especially in Colorado where we have snow and ice. That mare was not a stall horse– she has to go out for at least eight hours a day. She loves to run and gallop. Steeplechasing fences was her favorite thing in the world. As time kept going on, by November, by October, we were pretty certain that the quality of life that she was going to have was going to be pretty awful.”

Between July and December, Brittany and her sister could not catch a break. They had to deal with Oink’s medical bills, a colicking mare who had to be euthanized, and the loss of her sister’s top dressage horse. They also had to move farms after spending the last ten years at their home in the foothills.

On top of this, Colorado Parks and Wildlife denied their claim for reimbursement for the mountain lion attacks as there was not enough definitive proof of an attack and Brittany had to fight with the insurance company to get some of their bills covered. To avoid paying out the mortality coverage, the insurance company wanted Brittany to haul Sunny back to CSU to see if there was more surgical intervention that could be done.

Photo courtesy of JJ Sillman.

“Finally CSU and our vets were finally both in agreement that even if there were surgical things we can do the only thing left is the fusing of her joint which is a poor quality of life,” Brittany said. “She was completely non-weight bearing. She was on heavy duty painkillers still and she was on Trazodone to keep her sane enough to even be safe to handle because this is a mare that had never bitten, never kicked, never offered to do anything nasty, and she was getting nasty, dropping a ton of weight, not eating, not engaging with people anymore. We had to move farms by December 15th and I couldn’t put this mare on a trailer to move her. She wasn’t stable enough to move. Her joint had deteriorated to the point where she wouldn’t be able to catch herself anymore and so she almost fell several times. It was pretty traumatic for everyone involved.”

After Sunny was peacefully euthanized, Brittany was left with two maxed out credit cards, a huge Care Credit loan, and all the expenses of moving to a new farm. Despite it all, Oink was a bright spot in the otherwise dreary year. At first, the now 18-year-old gelding struggled mentally to adjust back to spending time in the pasture. Moving to a new farm actually turned out to be the best thing for Oink.

“Since we moved, he’s just happy every day to be alive right now,” Brittany said. “He’s gotten fitter and stronger, he feels safe at the new place. He is back to living out 24/7 with his best friend and he’s got a different 30 acre turnout that they go out on during the day and they all come in at night.”

A true steady eddy, Oink taught walk trot lessons to a variety of the students in Brittany’s therapeutic riding program. But, as he got fitter and stronger as they rehabbed him, he started to get some of his old spark back. An adult amateur started riding him regularly and in early June, competed him in the Starter division at The Event at Archer.

“He was fantastic,” Brittany said. “We had this huge glow up in April/May. It was like all the pieces that we’ve been working on for almost the last year came into place for him. He won! He won his whole division. He finished on his dressage score, he packed around his adult ammy and yeah, brought home his blue ribbon.”

Next up for Oink is Area IV championships at the end of August. I’d like to think that Sunny will be cheering him on from the other side of the Rainbow Bridge. “Oink deserves the world. He will never want for anything in his entire life ever again,” Brittany said of the brave little Thoroughbred.

As for Sunny, Brittany says that “Not a day goes by that we don’t miss her and her larger than life personality.”

After the mountain lion attacks and moving farms, Brittany and Elli are facing a mountain of bills. To help offset their costs, a GoFundMe was set up in their name. If you’d like to donate to Oink and Sunny’s bills, click this link.

USEF Eventing Young Rider Champions Crowned at Maryland International

By Veronica Green-Gott on Jul 7, 2024 8:23 pm -

Megane Suave and Nuance, winners of the CCI3*YRC-S. Photo credit to Veronica Green-Gott

Adamstown, Md. – All riders in the USEF Eventing Young Rider Championships have officially crossed the finish line. After a competitive day of cross country yesterday, the riders tackled Chris Barnard’s show jumping course today. Winners took their turns on a podium in an award ceremony full of pomp and circumstance to top off a weekend of firsts for these young eventers.

In the CCI3* division, Canada’s Mégane Suavé and her own Nuance brought home the blue ribbon with a score of 46.9. Lizzie Hoff and HSH Limited Edition finished in second place with a score of 50.4. Caitlin O’Rourke rounded out the top three slots with What the Devil, finishing on a score of 66.7.

With only four FEI competitions under her belt, the Maryland International was Mégane Suavé’s first time competing at the CCI3* level. “It’s our first CCI3*-S and it was big on cross country. I really pushed for it, and she just came out and gave me all she had,” Suavé said. “And then this morning, she saved my butt couple times, and she was like, ‘I got you Mom, we’re going for it.’ I gave her a better ride after that.”

Suavé has been competing the 10-year-old Thoroughbred mare for the last six years, making this win not only her first CCI3*-S, her first win at the FEI level, and an all-around sentimental moment. “I’m just really proud of her. She’s like my best friend. She’s been my best friend for six years. It’s just really fun to get out here and work with her and have good results and see the work pay off.”

Second place Lizzie Hoff dealt with a little added pressure this morning, as she didn’t want to interrupt her horse’s clean streak of six clear show jumping rounds at the Intermediate level in a row. “My horse is a very good show jumper and honestly, it makes me a bit more nervous because I want to keep up the clean rounds,” Hoff said. “The pressure is on for me to ride him the way he needs so he can be ready to jump a clear round. But he tries so, so hard for me at every single show. And he did that today. I am just so thrilled with how hard he tries for me every single day.”

Third place winner Caitlin O’Rourke had the opposite concerns heading into the stadium round, as show jumping is not Shannon O’Rourke’s What the Devil’s strong suit. “We’ve worked really hard on our show jumping in the past year,” O’Rourke said. “I’ve trained a lot with [Australian Olympian] Scott Keach, and that’s honestly completely turned me and him around. I was really proud of him today. He had two rails down, but it was a huge improvement. He jumped quite well, and we still held on to our position. Thankfully, I’ve always believed in him. He hasn’t always had the perfect record, but I’m so happy with him.”

The USEF Eventing Young Rider Championships are designed to introduce North America’s up-and-coming riders to both upper level competitions and what it’s like to be a professional eventer. As such, the event follows the same format as a top championship event, complete with an opening ceremony, jog, and award ceremony. Riders were also introduced to the team format of competition.

“This is my third time at the Young Rider Championships, but I make new friends every time, and it’s always so fun to be on the team and to be supporting my friends and getting to watch them,” Suavé said. “We were all talking earlier about how so much of Young Riders is about the experience and not so much the results— it’s not the end all, be all. It’s so good to get the experience and hopefully use it for the future.”

The CCI3*-S winning team members were all from Area II: Caitlin O’Rourke and What the Devil, Maya Clarkson and Cluseo, and Megan Loughnane and Flamenco Ping.

Caitlin O’Roark & What The Devil on the jog strip at Maryland International in the Young Rider Championships. Photo credit to Veronica Green-Gott

In the CCI2*-S division, Audrey Ogan took first place with her own Always Cooley. Canada’s Chelsea Lowe took second with Donna Pledge’s Fernhill Malito Park and was followed closely by Canada’s Saffron Klotz with her own Ballingowan Clarity.

CCI2* winner Ogan said she’s learned a lot from her Irish Sport Horse mare, Always Cooley. Despite some naysayers, Ogan continued to believe her horse could not only help her become a better rider, but produce results, too, making this win even more special. “Some really special people, Kim Severson and Lewis Rogers, helped me get her,” Ogan said. “She’s the horse that I never really knew I needed. She’s been really tricky. It’s been really fun to figure her out. I had been told that she’s the horse that I learn on so that I can win on something else because she makes me a better rider. So it makes it really, really special to be able to come out here and win on my own horse.”

Ogan’s show jumping coach, Lynn Symanski, was instrumental in helping her improve her performance in the stadium. “My coach, Lynn Symanski, has really done wonders to help us, because this is a tricky phase for my mare,” Ogan said. “I also get a little bit nervous in the show jumping. So as we walked the course, we talked about the places where I could take a deep breath and really know where I’m going, so that as I’m riding, I can just ride what I feel. And it was really incredible to go in there and have my horse feel so good.”

Audrey was the only rider to double medal, achieving first place as an individual and riding on the winning 2* team, alongside Luciana Hackett with As Good As Cash and Rylie Nelson with Galloway Sunrise.

This is second place winner Chelsea Lowe’s second time at the Young Rider Championships. While she started the day with a healthy dose of pre-competition nerves, she pulled off a double clear show jumping to stay just 0.1 points ahead of third place. “[Fernhill Malito Park] was a really good boy, he tries for me all the time. I’m so very thankful to ride a horse like him, who just keeps trying and keeps giving his all at every show,” Lowe said.

Third place winner Saffron Klotz knew the pressure was on when she went into the ring. Starting the day in the lead, she had one rail down which dropped her to the third spot on the podium. “My warm up was great and then in the ring, I settled a bit and got less nervous,” Klotz said. “[Ballingowan Clarity] tried his hardest for me the whole way around, until I couldn’t see a jump, and then we had one down. So we lost the lead, but I’m still super thrilled with him. He was amazing. He tries his hardest for me.”

In the CCI1*-S division, Catherine Purcell took the individual win on her own Mystic Hazzard, followed by Berkley Gardner and her own In Vogue. Katelyn Smith and her own HSH Henry maintained her third place position from yesterday.

Purcell’s heart skipped a few beats throughout her round, but she managed to keep all the rails in the cups. “I was riding as hard as I could and [Mystic Hazzard] just really helped me out. I felt her rub a couple rails and I was like, ‘Ah, dang it.’ But they didn’t fall down! She was just so good,” Purcell said.

The highlight of her time at the Young Rider Championships was the team aspect of the competition, according to Purcell. “It’s just so much fun and everyone is willing to help out when you need it. I was kind of a hot mess – I mean, I’m wearing Katelyn’s gloves. But everyone is just so kind and fun and easy to spend time with. I’m really glad that I was fortunate enough to be put on a team with them.”

A Young Rider Championships first-timer, second place winner Smith could not believe she was on the podium. “It was definitely super special. It’s my first year here and [on day one] I was like, ‘Wow, if I could be on that podium in the ceremony it’d be like a dream come true.’”

When she found herself standing on the podium, she said that “It just didn’t feel real to me at all. It didn’t feel real.”

Area II’s Berkley Gardner and In Vogue, Sophia Stolley and Briana Stolley’s BWE Stopping Waves, and Leeci Rowsell and Catherine Nolan’s Man of Conviction made up the CCI1*-S winning team.

The competitors spoke highly of the pomp and circumstance around this year’s championships. Water balloons, a mechanical bull, and an action-packed opening and closing ceremonies added a lot of excitement to the weekend.

“They’ve really put a lot of effort into making it a really great team experience, having people from Canada and the teams all come together,” said CCI2*-S winner Audrey Ogan. “They’ve had so many activities that are team building, and it’s such a gorgeous venue. It’s run so well, and there’s so many volunteers and people that make the show run. It’s just really, really special. And it’s a hot weekend, but they did a lot to make sure our horses were sound and happy and safe.”

“The award ceremony was super special,” Gardner said. “I was kind of in a daze a little bit. We got up there and all the people were pointing their cameras at us. Everybody was smiling, everyone was happy to be there. So with all the support and everything– we couldn’t not be happy. It was really amazing.”

The Maryland 4*: An Underdog Story

By Veronica Green-Gott on Jul 6, 2024 9:04 pm -

Lisa Marie Fergusson and Honor Me. Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography.

A staple of the local equestrian community, the fields of Loch Moy Farm are covered in hoofprints of all shapes and sizes. From the local pony clubber who puts off their homework so they can attend the Twilight Eventing series to six-time Olympian Phillip Dutton, the Maryland Horse Trials at Loch Moy Farm welcomes everyone.

This iconic venue is stepping into the big leagues with its launch of the Maryland International, now in its second year. At its heart, however, it remains a supporter of the underdog. From the Maryland International Equestrian Foundation to its close ties to the Maryland Horse Council to the plethora of affordable lower level events held on property, Carolyn Mackintosh does a lot to support horse sport from the bottom up.

Perhaps it’s fitting then that the winner of this year’s Maryland International is a horse from humble beginnings who started off the weekend in ninth place before leaping into the first place slot. Lisa Marie Fergusson and her long-time partner Honor Me (Brynarian Brenin AP Maldwyn x Dream Contessa, by Royal Chocolate) have been competing at the CCI4* level since 2014, making this their 33rd 4* completion. At 18 years young, the Thoroughbred/Welsh Cob cross galloped through the flags with 34 time penalties and no obstacle faults for a well-earned first place finish– “Tali’s” first at the level.

“I went here last year for the four star and I loved it,” Lisa Marie said. “I like having one at such a lovely facility. They run it so well, the people are so nice. I went down here mostly because I wanted to run my young horse, Trinity ThankQ, around an Ian course because I’m thinking of doing the 3*-L at Maryland. I thought, well if I’m going for him, I might as well throw Tali on the trailer. And he was a really good boy. Tali can do whatever Tali wants, he can just cruise around at whatever speed he wants, I can just smile and jump around.”

After such a long career, Lisa Marie says she has no big plans for Tali. Instead, she’s just enjoying every ride for as long as she can. “He’s been at the 5* level for 8 years now I think,” Lisa Marie said. “I guess I’ll keep playing with shorts and see what he wants to do. This year he was really naughty at Chatt Hills in the spring so I didn’t let him run the cross country and he was very mad. I took him to Stable View after that and I don’t think I could stop him for the first 10 fences. But he’s not a horse I’m ever going to push for time. I’m just going to enjoy him. At this point, it’s all just gravy. Most other horses are retired at his age, but I’ve slowed down his work a little, and he’ll still try to run off with me, so I guess he’s not retired yet.”

Lisa Marie has worked out a schedule that suits all of Tali’s needs, physically and mentally. “I think the biggest thing is that he’s turned out with friends every night in a big 5 acre field,” Lisa Marie said. “He’s allowed to be a horse and I think that’s helped him physically and mentally. The other thing is I try and take him out to hack or gallop twice a week. He just needs to get the piss and vinegar out. We minimally dressage. I jump him sometimes once a week, sometimes not at all. I just try and let his body tell me what he wants to do, and have fun.”

“He’s half pony, he’s too stubborn to be lame,” she adds.

You’ll notice one thing missing from Tali’s schedule– cross country schooling. According to Lisa Marie, cross country schooling is the one thing that she cannot add to his weekly routine. As a matter of fact, today was his first time seeing cross country fences since the Kentucky Three Day Event. “I never school him cross country because he is such an orangutan that I don’t get a say. At his age, he knows his job,” she said. “Tali is like riding a very opinionated mare. You can’t tell him anything. You can’t demand anything. You just have to ask him what you’d like to do and hope he takes it into consideration. It taught me how to ride how HE needs to be ridden, rather than how I want him to go. And, his way is better. It’s worked for us for a long time.”

Tali and Lisa Marie’s story is a nice reminder that you don’t have to purchase a six-figure warmblood to succeed in this sport. Sometimes you just need a partnership with a horse you believe in.

“Not everyone can afford to buy those big fancy movers. Today showed that every once in a while the cross country will make or break you. It was nice to have a horse that’s never been that solid in dressage, but who is a strong cross country horse. Today, it paid off,” Lisa Marie said. “Tali teaches you not to take yourself too seriously. He’s a good reminder that you don’t need some fancy import to do the job. He is a Welsh/Thoroughbred cross bred by a lady I went to Pony Club with. He is all heart and adrenaline and he managed to do it. He was bred to do nothing. I hope that I’m lucky enough to have another cross country horse as good as he is and to have another horse with the longevity he has.”

Courtney Cooper and her homebred R River Star (Riverman x R Star, by R Johnson) claimed second place with a score of 78.5. Bred by Courtney and owned by the rider and Neal Camens, 2024 marks “River’s” first season competing at the level. So far, the Dutch/Holsteiner/Irish Sport Horse cross completed the spring 4* at Tryon Equestrian Center in May.

“He was super. I was really, really proud of him,” Courtney said. “We always had a feeling he was special. He won the Young Event Horse Championships as a four year old, but he has a bit of a challenging temperament, and so the move up to advanced has not been as easy as one would hope. But I feel like he’s just starting to put all the pieces together, which is exciting.”

While River is starting to step into his prime, the cross country course today was not without its exciting moments. Courtney was actually nominated for the Ride EquiSafe Best Save Award after a moment that really tested her “stickability” at the corner fence after the broken bridge. (Find out if she wins tomorrow!)

“There were some less than ideal moments,” Courtney said. “I tried a different bit/bridle with him at Bromont and it didn’t work at all. We went back to what I was using before, and it worked well today, so that was great. He was very honest.”

In third place, Jessica Phoenix swapped out yesterday’s leader, Tugce, for her Off the Track Thoroughbred, Aeronautics (Two Step Salsa x Satin and Silver, by Silver Ghost). “Nacho” raced 12 times under the name Silver Salsa, earning $4,458 before leaving track life at the end of his 2017 season.

Yet another underdog, Aeronautics started on a dressage score of 40.3 and was originally in 8th place at the end of day one before jumping up through the levels today to finish in third. The Maryland International was the 11-year-old gelding’s first attempt at the 4* level. He’s also a new partner for Jessie, as she first took the ride on the bay in 2023. His owner, Sarah Irving, produced him through the preliminary level and took him to his first FEI in 2021.

“I was so proud of him. He show jumped a beautiful round with just one rail down, and then definitely going into cross country, he is the horse you would want to be sitting on, especially with so many intricate lines and a lot of very influential combinations on the track,” Jessie said. “I was so happy with the way he handled everything. He stayed relaxed, really enjoyed it, and loved his time out there today.”

Next up, Jessie is aiming her newly minted 4* horse at Bromont in August. From there, she thinks the sky could be the limit for this Thoroughbred. “When I was cruising around on him today I was just dreaming of doing Badminton or Burghley on him. He just feels like that class and quality of horse.”

The competitors had their moment in the sun today – literally. With temperatures hitting nearly 100 degrees, riders worked hard to keep their horses cool, taking advantage of a cooling tent by the show jumping warm-up and another at the vet box.

“The heat has been unbearable for a long time and luckily, our horses have been training in it, so they’re used to it. But it was nice to have the schedule where the four star horses went first and got done with,” Courtney said. “I have to give a really big shout out to Carolyn Mackintosh and her whole crew for working the ground and doing everything they can to keep people hydrated and making it the best they can with the cooling area and the courses and everything. The volunteers were just absolutely amazing.”

Two words were used repeatedly by riders at levels to describe the courses designed by Ian Stark and Andrew Heffernan at Loch Moy Farm: twisty and turny. Second place finisher Courtney felt that while there are no long and lasting hills here at Loch Moy Farm, like you might find at Morven Park and Fair Hill, Ian used the terrain available to him well, creating a veritable roller coaster of a course.

“Even though Maryland doesn’t have big sweeping hills, there was a lot of terrain out there. A lot of height, changes in height and size and use of terrain,” Courtney said. “I thought the show jumping course was up to snuff. It was a full height course, and it created enough challenges. Chris Barnard always does a really nice job with his courses.”

In Jessie’s opinion, the 4* course was testing horses and riders pretty much right from the start. “I did think that the combination at fence four was quite challenging and then that coffin– that was among the hardest coffins on a four star track, aside from Kentucky. That really sets people apart. And then I thought the combination at the water was actually a very interesting combination, the up-bank, bounce, and then the one stride down over the log and out through the skinny. That’s quite challenging,” Jessie said.

Rumor has it that course designer Ian Stark is retiring at the end of the 2024 season. Actually, he’s confirmed that rumor, but I’m still holding out hope. The fact that this may be Ian’s last time ever designing a course for the Maryland International made the competition that much more special.

“He’s just such a gifted course designer,” Jessie said. “He has such an incredible way of making sure that we’re giving 100 percent all the way around, and if you do, you’ll really feel like you have learned something and that you’re getting better and better. So I’m really thankful I was here.”

Between the heat and the tight turns on course, not a single 4* rider made the optimum time. On average, each rider had roughly 30 time faults. Two riders withdrew prior to cross country, Jessica Phoenix withdrew her lead horse Tugce, while Hannah Sue Hollberg withdrew Carsonstown.

Jessie withdrew Tugce after show jumping for a variety of reasons, especially due to the heat. “Tugce has already got her qualifying score in a four star short and since I made the Olympic team, I just didn’t want to take any chances,” Jessie said. “Honestly, we ran them so quickly that when I finished cooling down Nacho, I just felt like I needed to go sit down somewhere out of the heat and that perhaps, as hard as it was, it was not a good idea for me to run another horse around the course out there. I think I made the right decision. It’s always so hard to scratch when they’re winning.”

The rolling hills of Loch Moy Farm are playing host to the Maryland International, Maryland Horse Trials, and USEF Eventing Young Rider Championships this weekend. Through all the hustle and bustle of a big competition weekend, the historic venue has managed to maintain what is perhaps its biggest strength: the kindness of its people. Young riders brought infectious enthusiasm to the competition, while Loch Moy’s volunteers had a smile for everyone who came their way.

As the riders competing in the USEF Eventing Young Rider Championships head into their final phase tomorrow, I hope they’ll remember these words from 4* winner Lisa Marie. “Go out and remember that you do this for fun, go out and enjoy the moment and have a sense of humor. Focus on getting a little bit better and keep chipping away.”

Top Quotes from FEI Division Winners

CCI3*-S: Kim Severson and Cooley Corraghy Diamond (42.1)

“He is a half brother to [Severson’s former 4* horse, Cooley Cross Border]. I saw him a couple years ago as a three year old coming four at the Goresbridge sale. I asked Richard [Sheane of Cooley Farm] to go and look at him and see what he thought. He wasn’t really sure. He was slow to have his technique get going, but after he’d had him a month or so, Richard said ‘ok he gets a ticket.’ So Bill and Ros Johnson own him with me. He’s a very sensitive horse and very introspective. He’s not an out there, go get it horse. You kind of have to let him come to you. He sort of needs time. So his history is just him needing time, but once he got going, off you go and he’s really good. So we’ve just been bringing him along slowly as you do.”

CCI2*-S: Katherine Maroko and Redfield Champion (40.7)

“He’s so talented and smart, it’s just been getting to know him and figuring out what works for him. We moved up to Prelim at Fair Hill and we’ve been working on smoothing things out, but we’re starting to figure each other out and he is so enjoyable and clever. I’ve been working a lot with my coaches, Hannah Sue Hollberg and Matt Hollberg, on having a really established canter [in the show jumping] so even if we get a bad stride or come to it poorly, the horse is still capable of jumping out of that. We’re always working on giving him the best chance to jump no matter how we end up at the jump. I definitely did not expect to finish where we did in such a competitive division, but now with this result I think we’ll aim for the Prelim Championships at AEC.”

CCI1*-S: Valerie Pride and Kiss My Jambo M (33.9)

“It was fun coming to this event and supporting it. It’s amazing what they’ve done at the Maryland International and it was fun because the 1* is still appropriately challenging until he gets a little stronger, so the rest of this season he might do a fall 2*. He’s done a 2*-Long before with his former rider, but it’s kind of about getting him to be my horse and doing 2* in a way that’s going to be a sequential to step up to 3*. I think it’s worth taking the time producing horses. I think I’ve gotten older and wiser and realized you can go and win some 1*s while he’s gaining experience and strength. He’s a really exciting horse for the future.”

Looking to the USEF Young Riders Championship, the scramble team made up of Areas 1, 3 and 7 are currently leading the CCIYRC3*-S after cross country on a team score of 1124.1. All Young Rider divisions will wrap up their competition on Sunday with show jumping.

CCIYRC3*-S Individual Leader: Megane Suave (CAN) and Nuance (42.9)

“I think when you walked [the cross country track], it could look a bit tricky, and then when you got into it if you were riding positively it worked out great and was still super safe and nice for horses to go around it. Nuance is actually my first horse, so I got her six years ago now. So we’ve done all of our firsts together from the first pre-Training level to the first Intermediate to now [the first] three-star course, so it’s just so fun to know that she can do it. She still feels like she’s on a mission – she gets out of the start box like ‘okay, Mom, we’re going!’ just like she did when we were going through Training. And I just, I love this little girl and we’re hoping to go maybe Advanced in the next few years and I’m just really proud of our progress together.”

In the 2*-S Young Rider division, a mixed team of Areas 1, 5, and 3 currently hold the lead on collective score of 103.7.

CCIYRC2*-S Individual Leader: Annabelle Sprague and Da Vinci Code (26.4)

“Ontario is a small group of us, but it’s really good to know each other in the past few days and it feels more like a family just coming together and traveling distance. And then this is my first Young Riders and I think the team here in Maryland has done a great job of giving that team atmosphere and making it feel really sophisticated and formal. And I think it’s just like a really good experience for all of us.”

Area 2 leads the CCIYRC1*-S with a team score of 103.6.

CCIYRC1*-S Individual Leader: Berkley Gardner and In Vogue (29.8)

“I got my horse only a few months ago. With my last horse, she was small and I did one-stars with her but we kind of got to the peak of her abilities. So we decided to move on because I’m only going to ride for another year, so we really kind of wanted to get something that I could do what I wanted to get done. She’s so sweet and she’s so amazing. She’s so willing to build a connection with me and I feel like we already have a connection even just a few months so every time I get out and ride her I’m excited to test our connection and so far she’s been just amazing with everything.”

CCI3*-S Winners:
First place – Kim Severson & Cooley Corraghy Diamond
Second place – Phillip Dutton & Possante
Third place – Jessica Phoenix & Obeah Dancer

CCI3*-S USEF Eventing YRC Leaders:
First place – Megane Suave & Nuance
Second place – Lizzie Hoff & HSH Limited Edition
Third place – Caitlin O’Roark & What The Devil

CCI3*-S USEF Eventing YRC Leading Team:
Rebecca Roth & Chapter Two
Lizzie Hoff & HSH Limited Edition
Elizabeth Gill & Opportunity Knoxx

CCI2*-S Winners:
First place – Katherine Maroko & Redfield Champion
Second place – William Coleman & Box Como
Third place – Kristine Burgess & KBS Curious Quality

CCI2*-S USEF Eventing YRC Leaders:
First place – Annabelle Sprague & Da Vinci Code
Second place – Saffron Klotz & Ballingowan Clarity
Third place – Audrey Ogan & Always Cooley

CCI2*-S USEF Eventing YRC Leading Team:
Addison Craig & OT Bandini
Annabelle Sprague & Da Vinci Code
Audrey Littlefield & Mr. Pumpkin
Chloe Paddack & Hawthornstud Fortunate Love

CCI1*-S Winners:
First place – Valerie Pride & Kiss My Jambo M
Second place – Elizabeth Swire & Jag’Fly JS
Third place – Kristi Foresman & RevitaVet Perkunos

CCI1*-S USEF Eventing YRC Leaders:
First place – Berkley Gardner & In Vogue
Second place – Catherine Purcell & Mystic Hazzard
Third place – Katelyn Smith & HSH Henry

CCI1*-S USEF Eventing YRC Leading Team:
Berkley Gardner & In Vogue
Claire Allen & Crazy Choice
Leeci Rowsell & Man of Conviction
Sophia Stolley & BWE Stopping Waves

EN’s coverage of The Maryland International is brought to you with support from Ride EquiSafe, who will also be giving away an award for the Best Save this weekend! Be sure to submit your nomination here.

The Maryland International + Horse Trials (Adamstown, MD) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Celebrate the Save: Nominate a Rider for the Ride EquiSafe Best Save Award at Maryland International

By Veronica Green-Gott on Jul 2, 2024 1:14 pm -

Ask most eventers to show you their favorite competition photo and you might be surprised– it’s most likely one of them nearly falling off and saving it at the last moment. These miraculous saves are often displayed like badges of honor, as they should be. It takes perseverance, determination, and a great relationship with your horse to make it through the sticky moments.

We’ve all had those moments. Moments where your plan doesn’t quite work out the way you hoped, pretty riding goes out the window in favor of a little cowboy moment, and you try not to make too much eye contact with your trainer after you cross the finish line.

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be perfect all the time in order to be a great rider. Sometimes what makes a rider great is their stickability– their ability to stay on, no matter what. Let’s celebrate each other’s achievements. With a little help from Ride EquiSafe, we want your help in finding one rider who had the best save in any division at the Maryland International on July 5th through the 7th.

If you saw someone pull off an amazing save, get them the recognition they deserve! Use the form below or click here to nominate them (or yourself!). You can nominate any rider, whether you know them or not. All you need to nominate someone is their rider number and division name, although we’d love it if you had their name and contact information. If they win, they’ll receive a $250 gift card to Ride EquiSafe, your go-to store for high quality research-backed safety equipment.

Find the nomination form here.

Diego Farje & EQ Scorpio: Building a Solid Equine Citizen

By Veronica Green-Gott on Jun 28, 2024 1:00 pm -

This series is supported by Equestly.

Older horses who are solid equine citizens are the equivalent of a middle-aged 9 to 5-er. In terms of the human world, these are the horses who pay their taxes on time, they work when they’re supposed to, are home for dinner, and take the kids to soccer practice.

A young horse is more like a rebellious teenager combined with a toddler going through the terrible twos. Sometimes there’s more dinner on the walls than in their stomachs, there are random tantrums in the supermarket aisle for reasons unknown to the rest of us, and they may say, “God, mom, whatever” more than we’d all like.

Unfortunately for Diego Farje, at only four years-old, his horse EQ Scorpio, owned by Equestly, is still working on learning how to become a solid citizen. Diego hoofed it down to Wellington, Florida for the off-season to fill in the holes in Scorpio’s foundation and give the young horse a little more life experience.

EQ Scorpio and Diego Farje. Photo credit to Carlos Hernandez

His hope was that by filling the holes in Scorpio’s foundation, a lot of the reactivity the young Argentinian Warmblood feels at shows will be reduced before the 2024 season kicks off. “We train a lot and sometimes we do so well at home but then we go to a competition and it looks like we haven’t ridden in two years, you know? At shows, we’re dealing with more pressure, we get more tense, it’s a new environment. So the goal is that you’re riding at the show just as good as you are at home because the horse thinks that it’s just another training session.”

Diego decided to build Scorpio’s foundation by breaking down the sport of eventing completely. As a matter of fact, he didn’t do any horse trials this winter, but instead focused on show jumping and dressage as individual pieces of the puzzle. “I’m separating the disciplines right now so I can look into them a little bit deeper,” Diego said. “It’s good for a young horse to get a taste of the different disciplines and deal with different situations, different environments.”

Scorpio is not only learning how to be a good eventer under saddle, but he’s learning how to be a solid citizen on the ground, too. “We had a Canadian cowboy that came to teach us ground work, which was really helpful for me. There’s a lot of stuff that I need to deal with with Scorpio, as he’s so sensitive.”

Most notably, Scorpio was deeply prejudiced against trailers after his long trip from Argentina to the States. He was notoriously difficult to handle on the ground for barn staff, and was originally hard to catch in the pasture. While Diego has been hard at work on these issues, learning a new perspective on groundwork from this Canadian cowboy really sealed the deal for this pair. “Within a week or so, I was standing in the middle of a circle and Scorpio was lunging around me. All I had to do was move the lunge line to follow his motion.”

EQ Scorpio and Diego Farje. Photo credit to Carlos Hernandez

Not only did the groundwork improve Scorpio’s obedience and sense of feel, it also improved his mindset about discovering new things. “The groundwork exercises we did were really nice because they helped build Scorpio’s curiosity about new things,” said Diego. “Instead of, “Oh my god, what is THAT?!” Now it’s more, “Oh that’s interesting, what is that?”

Developing Scorpio’s sense of curiosity has paid off in dividends when it came to loading into the trailer. “He’s started loading by himself. I’m standing outside and he’s inside, looking around, so calm. He goes into trailers super easy now.”

Still, teaching Scorpio to be a solid equine citizen isn’t all sunshine and roses. Diego’s winter base was only a 20-minute hack from Wellington International, which is under construction. Diego was able to hack to the show and just flat around, simply to desensitize Scorpio to new and busy environments, which has come with its challenges. “It’s 10 times the number of horses we’re used to in a 10 times smaller place. At one point we were walking by a ring and someone crashed into a jump and Scorpio reacted as though the world was falling down, so we had to work through that,” Diego said.

Getting to the show was a trial in and of itself, as our highway rider hits the roads once again. Diego has to hack the reactive and sensitive Scorpio through construction to get to the show. Diego says the key to getting through the tough area of their hack is to stay calm and try to keep Scorpio’s focus.

EQ Scorpio and Diego Farje. Photo credit to Carlos Hernandez

“I try to move him around and try to pretend that we’re doing a groundwork exercise. A little bit of moving the shoulders, not making him face the construction and not kicking or anything, but just using enough pressure for him to know I’m here. I’m here with him. And ask him to try to focus on me,” Diego said. “Even if he gives me just 40 percent of his focus, then we can try to deal with what’s happening around us. But at least he’s not 100 percent focused on the construction.”

“Once he gives me a good feeling and tells me that he’s relaxed and thinking, ‘Okay, I know something is happening over there, but nothing is gonna happen to me.’ That’s where I can release, and move on like nothing is happening.”

After the construction, Scorpio and Diego faced a triple threat of crossing a road, a brightly dressed crossing guard waving his arms to stop traffic, and several tractors covered with a flapping tarp. “Everyone’s waiting for you to cross and then the horse gets a little bit upset. I try to be patient and stay really connected and just keep going,” Diego said.

EQ Scorpio and Diego Farje. Photo credit to Carlos Hernandez

Nothing brings my heart rate up more than struggling with a young horse in front of a crowd. Diego says it’s important to remember that you’re dealing with a young horse when you find yourself in tough situations like this. “A young horse needs to follow you, they need to focus on you. But it’s harder for them than it is for an older horse, because everything is still so new. They don’t know how to react to situations like an older horse does. With a young horse, you need to always make sure that you are there for them.”

When I asked Diego how he expects all of his hard work to translate to returning to his home base in Pennsylvania, he said he thinks the young horse will do well. After all of their training on how to handle new and busy environments, Scorpio is “way calmer than he was before.”

For more stories about Diego as he teaches his young Argentinian Warmblood to be an eventer, check out our Equestly Stories Column.

Win a Whole New Look from Canter Culture

By Veronica Green-Gott on Jun 27, 2024 4:01 pm -

Being an eventer takes grit, determination, and hard work. Being a fashionable equestrian takes grit, determination, hard work, and a sense of style. Luckily, Canter Culture has you covered with a selection of breeches, sun shirts, and more that come off the rack with heapings of “I know how to look fabulous” vibes sewn directly into the seams.

You’ve probably seen Canter Culture’s iconic houndstooth breeches on your Instagram feed. What you may not know is that they’ve recently launched their Alice Sun Shirt. Named after co-founder Sarah Dahlberg’s daughter, the Alice Sun Shirt is crafted from ultra light-weight, super-silky fabric, features flattering seams that accentuate the female silhouette, and a sporty, modern neckline.

To celebrate the launch of their first ever riding top, Canter Culture has partnered up with Eventing Nation to give away an entire outfit. If you win this contest, you’ll be dripping in style from head to toe. The winner will receive an Alice Sun Shirt, a pair of Canter Culture’s iconic Athletic Breeches, one pair of boot socks, and one Double Circle Belt. This whole package is worth over $200+

Winning is easy! To enter the giveaway, sign up for our weekly ICYMI newsletter. Not only will you get access to the giveaway, you’ll get the hottest eventing news delivered right to your inbox once a week. Open our July 1st newsletter to fill out the form in the Giveaway section. And that’s it! The winner will be drawn at random on July 8th and announced later on that week.

Feeling lazy? Fill out the form here.

Good luck, eventers!

Maryland’s Only CCI4* Offers Quality Competition & Entertainment for All

By Veronica Green-Gott on Jun 15, 2024 8:30 am -

US Olympic team member- Caroline M. Pamukcu jumping the Broken Bridge at the Maryland International Photo Credit: Erin Gilmore Photography

Adamstown, Md. – The countdown to The Maryland International & Horse Trials hosted at Loch Moy Farm in Adamstown, Maryland on July 5th through the 7th has begun. With competition for all FEI divisions from CCI1* to CCI4*-S, as well as national levels Training through Advanced, local riders will be able to compete alongside the best of the best.

Celebrated CCI5* course designer Ian Stark will be designing the CCI4*-S track and will be hosting a course walk on Thursday afternoon, after the course opens at 3 p.m. All FEI cross country courses will run through the rings by the Vendor Village, allowing spectators to keep a close eye on the action without having to walk out on the course. The CCI4*-S track includes exciting new terrain features, like the triple bank complex at the water, new coffin, and leaf pit track. The FEI riders will be awarded a total of $10,000 in prize money split between the divisions.

The USEF Eventing Young Rider Championships will also be hosted the same weekend as The Maryland International with divisions from CCI1* to CCI3*. There will be a full awards ceremony and podium for the Young Riders on Sunday after the completion of competition. On Saturday night the Young Riders are invited to The Highland Games, which includes ax throwing, stick horse steeplechase, zorb balls, a paper toss, and more.

Awards will be given to riders and grooms alike, including the Ride EquiSafe Best Save Award, Best Turned Out, the Achieve Equine #Supergroom award, and more. Stay tuned for more information on how to nominate a rider, groom, or horse for these awards on Eventing Nation as the competition draws nearer.

Riders, owners, and grooms are invited to a party sponsored by Triple Crown on Friday night following competition. Catering and beverages will be provided. Stop by to kick off the competition right– with friends, food, and fun times.

The Maryland International will also host Irish exchange rider Godfrey Gibbons. Gibbons won a scholarship funded by the Maryland Horse Industry Board, which was also won by US Young Rider Maddie Temkin. The scholarship allowed Temkin to compete at the Millstreet Horse Trials, where she placed in the top ten on Sportsfield Guarantee arranged by Caroline Pamukcu, provided by Kelley Hutchison, Hutchinson Sport Horses. Temkin competed in the 4yo Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse Qualifier. She won her scholarship at last year’s Maryland International, where she was the highest placed young rider.

Now, it’s Gibbons’ turn to take advantage of the opportunity to compete here in the United States. A highly accomplished young rider, Gibbons “has been working with horses since I could walk. I came up the ranks through ponies then moved onto Juniors with my mare Milchem Free Spirit where I traveled twice to European Championships in Sweden and Britain. I was part of a silver medal winning team in Britain in 2022, then moved into Young Riders last year. We won a team Silver again in Italy. I was fortunate enough to travel to Lyon, France for the 7yo World Young Horse Championships with my mare Milchem Miami.”

Spectators can purchase VIP tickets to watch all the action unfold from The Highland Club. Highland Club PLUS members are invited to watch from the Highland Tower, which is exclusively limited to just 20 ticket holders. From the tower, spectators will have a 360 degree view of the cross country course, both rings, and the Vendor Village. Highland Club members will also have access to refreshments during the event. All spectators will have access to Charm Cars shuttles for convenient transportation from spectator parking up to the main showgrounds.

The vendor village, known as the Highland Shoppes, is back this year and better than ever. Spectators can shop the village to enjoy saddles, saddle pads, clothing, and more. Vendors include safety expert Ride EquiSafe, Dubarry, and more.

Entries for The Maryland International close on June 18th. Enter here.

Eventing Nation’s coverage of the Maryland International is sponsored by Ride EquiSafe, your source for science-backed safety equipment.

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Pick the MARS Maryland 5 Star Winner and Win Big from World Equestrian Brands!

Dyri Dances to the Lead at the Morven Park International CCI4*-L

Morven Park to the Maryland 5*: The Ultimate Itinerary for Locals & Horse Lovers

Life On a Budget: Side Hustling Your Way Into Eventing

10 Reasons to Visit Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina

A New Approach to Fitness & Recovery at Twin Ponds Farm

Amelia Newcomb: Spreading Dressage for All Across the Globe

Thursday News & Notes

From a Mountain Lion Attack to a Return to the Show Ring: The Story of Hog’s Hollow

USEF Eventing Young Rider Champions Crowned at Maryland International

The Maryland 4*: An Underdog Story

Celebrate the Save: Nominate a Rider for the Ride EquiSafe Best Save Award at Maryland International

Diego Farje & EQ Scorpio: Building a Solid Equine Citizen

Win a Whole New Look from Canter Culture

Maryland’s Only CCI4* Offers Quality Competition & Entertainment for All

Stable View

Success Equestrian

FutureTrack

Sport Horse Nation

Kentucky Performance Products

Strides for Equality Equestrians

USEA

USEF

FEI