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Veronica Green-Gott

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

By on Sep 18, 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.

10 Reasons to Visit Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina

By 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.

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.

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 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.

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.”

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.”

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.”

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.”

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 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.”

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.

“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 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 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 on Jul 7, 2024 8:23 pm -
Megane Suave and Nuance, winners of the CCI3*YRC-S. Photo credit to Veronica Green-Gott 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.

Omnibus | Website | Entries | Young Rider Championships | The Highland Club | Coverage

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

 

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Win the World Equestrian Brands’ Cross Country Prize Pack

By on Jun 13, 2024 8:57 am -

Look eventers, we get it. Life is tough out there. If you’re like most of us, you’re probably scraping together some pennies for entry fees or maxing out your credit card to pay off that vet bill. World Equestrian Brands and Eventing Nation are working together to make it just a bit easier with an amazing cross country prize pack. This is your chance to win the new tack you’ve been craving without spending a dime.

The Cross Country Prize Pack includes a Vespucci Figure 8 Bridle, reins, and Equilibrium Cross Country Boots. Let’s dive into what you’re really getting if you win. The Vespucci Figure 8 Bridle is designed to disperse pressure with a padded leather figure-8 stabilizer. Plus, if you have a horse with sensitive skin, this bridle has a pad behind the stainless steel rings on the Figure-8 to protect the horse from rubs. Protect your horse’s legs on cross country day with the Equilibrium boots! Equilibrium has combined breathability, flexibility, protection, and lightweight materials to create one amazing boot.

Don’t buy yourself a new bridle and cross country boots– save it for your next horse trial. Win some new tack from World Equestrian Brands instead! In total, this prize package is worth over $500 dollars.

Winning is easy! To enter the giveaway, fill out the form below (and linked here) before heading over to Instagram or Facebook. Find our post on Eventing Nation (@goeventing) featuring the Cross Country Prize Pack. Like the post, tag a friend in the comments, and follow @worldeqbrands. That’s it! If you’d like to get an extra entry, share the graphic to your stories and tag both Eventing and World Equestrian Brands.

Stay tuned! The winner will be chosen at random and announced on June 21st.

The Future of Eventing Lies in The Caribbean

By on Jun 11, 2024 9:30 am -

If you ask Hollywood, x marks the Caribbean Islands as a place of adventure; a location on a map that’s shrouded in mystery, where pirates abound and mermaids lounge along the shores. Today, I want to show you a different side of the Caribbean. It may indeed be the location of the Fountain of Youth, but instead of giving Jack Sparrow eternal life, it may breathe new life into the eventing industry.

As long as eventing remains a sport only practiced in the Western world, namely the United States, Europe, and Australia, its probability of a long lifespan is low. Eventing is also the equestrian discipline that is arguably most accessible in terms of money and horsepower, and can open up new paths of access to the international stage for those who have been routinely denied that access. This is the story of three women who, despite living oceans apart, have been slowly building a beneficial partnership to achieve both those aims.

Our story begins with underdog Monique Archer, the President of the Eventing Federation in Barbados and the FEI Deputy Chair for group IV, which encompasses Barbados, the Cayman Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Haiti, Canada, and Trinidad & Tobago among others. In 2016, Monique decided that she would go to the Central American and Caribbean Games for eventing. But she had just one problem, she had never evented before and the CAC Games were just two years away. On top of her own personal riding background, there were many obstacles in her way.

Monique Archer and her mare. When there’s no aquacizer in Barbados, you make do with the ocean! Photo by Charlotte Headley.

“In small countries, you have limitations that prevent you from making a team or achieving the MERS. Funding, opportunities to compete, coaching, horsepower– all of that is a major obstacle when you live in little tiny places. It really is a challenge. We [import] everything here. Every single thing that you can think of to run a stable,” Monique said.

Land is also in short supply (unfortunately you can’t import that) and today, there is only one cross country course on Barbados, and it’s in Monique’s backyard. Financial difficulties were also an obstacle in her path, with sponsorships unheard of in the small country. “I think trying to get sponsorship for any sport in Barbados is a challenge,” Monique said. “I would reach out to people and say, ‘Oh, this is what I’m doing and I’m from Barbados.’ I feel like as soon as they hear that, and they’re like, ‘No, we’re not interested.’”

Despite the hurdles she had to jump before she even left the startbox, Monique and her team, including her daughter Zoe Archer, won the first equestrian medal in the country’s history by taking bronze at the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games. That bronze medal would start a fire that would spread across the Caribbean.

Three cheers for Barbados! The team won the first eventing medal in the country’s history at the Central American and Caribbean Games in 2018. Photo courtesy of Liz Halliday.

“I know that that really inspired the entire Caribbean, because people felt inspired knowing that all three of us were Barbadians living in Barbados and we managed to do this,” said Monique. “It just made people think, ‘maybe this is a more accessible pathway than showjumping.’”

Less than a mile across the ocean, Patrice Stottlemeyer in Trinidad & Tobago watched Monique gallop onto the international stage. Now the President of the Trinidad and Tobago Equestrian Association, Patrice saw the path Monique had paved and knew that this could be Trinidad’s chance to step into the big leagues in equestrian sport.

“Our long term goal is to go international, in a manner that’s affordable to us. And you know, the cost of the warmbloods for dressage and jumping is beyond most,” Patrice said.

While warmbloods are expensive worldwide, they’re particularly expensive for those living in small countries with few resources. Trinidad does, however, have access to a different type of horse: off the track Thoroughbreds.

Riders working over makeshift cross country fences in Trinidad and Tobago. Photo by Clive Fletcher

“We in Trinidad have done the normal, straight show jumping and straight dressage for many, many years, but our real issue was that the horses that we have are Thoroughbreds off the track. And the Thoroughbreds off the track can jump to a certain level and can handle dressage to a certain level, but not to the level that exists in the FEI,” Patrice said. “It was really very, very hard to get the horses up to these levels. But eventing was something that we really had not started until the FEI introduced a world eventing challenge, I guess about three years ago. So, because of our horses, we started introducing eventing, and the FEI has helped us by introducing a Retraining the Racehorse program.”

While Monique and Patrice connected over their shared goal of using eventing as an accessible way to reach the upper levels for riders in the Caribbean, Monique also connected Patrice with CCI5* eventer Sara Kozumplik, one of Monique’s coaches on her journey to her bronze medal, who she had grown very close with.

“[Sara and I] are very much kindred spirits in terms of really wanting to promote the sport and help riders. We’re both very, very passionate about growing the sport,” Monique said.

Sara Kozumplik teaching in Barbados. Photo courtesy of Sara Kozumplik

Sara has traveled across the Caribbean giving clinics; she even teaches lessons to Rómulo Roux, who is running for president of Panama, at her home base in northern Virginia. Acting as a missionary spreading the good word about eventing, Sara believes that eventing will only survive with global support.

“I personally think the biggest threat to eventing worldwide will be loss of venues. Yes, of course safety is an issue. But we need to get more countries involved in this sport. It can’t just be the United States and Europe and Australia,” Sara said. “We have to get more countries involved in the sport. And so we have to involve ourselves down there and not turn our noses up. We have to get more people involved and more venues involved worldwide.”

Sara is practicing what she preaches. Just last month, she hosted a Pony-Club-style camp for riders who flew in from Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago. “A lot of these kids they’ve certainly never gone cross country. They’ve never even hacked down the road, right? They’ve never been out of a ring. They hadn’t really done any dressage. And we do basically a glorified pony club type camp, only much more sophisticated in the sense of the people putting it on,” said Sara.

Riders from Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados at Sara Kozumplik’s week-long camp. Photo courtesy of Sara Kozumplik

Instructors at the week-long clinic included highly experienced five-star groom Max Corcoran, cross country course designer Megan Rowsell, and dressage judge Debbie Adams, among others. Needless to say, it was a hit.

“You can see how excited they are to be able to come to this farm and see the open space and all of that kind of stuff. You can hear their excitement, they’re all stopping the car and taking videos and pictures and for them to be able to go canter across the field– it’s not something they get to do. So they’re all really really excited,” Sara said.

The group of ten ranged in age from adults to young kids. The Ocala community came together to make the week a success, allowing Sara to lease out their experienced event horses to make sure the riders from the islands had a safe and fun introduction to eventing. Even Sara’s former 5* horse Rubens D’Ysieux stepped up to the plate after one of the horses developed an abscess.

“He certainly wasn’t supposed to be doing that, although he is one that I would do that sort of thing with like, let them just trot around and things like that, simply because I trust him implicitly,” Sara said. “But he was supposed to just go have a few stretchy days and then just chill out after TerraNova because he’s had a pretty busy season showjumping. But also it wasn’t like it was very hard work. He enjoyed it.”

Sara Kozumplik and Rubens D’Ysieux and a rider from the Caribbean. Photo by Shannon Brinkman

During the week the riders went cross country schooling, rode in a dressage show judged by Debbie Adams, had their own mini show jumping show, and got to watch the Grand Prix at the Florida Horse Park. By the end of the week, the group was feeling inspired to say the least.

“We have some very fired up youngsters for sure and some people that are now willing to invest in their own horses or lease their own horses or just try to find a way to take those next steps. So that was really encouraging to see coming out of [the clinic],” said Monique.

Looking to the future, Monique and Patrice both say that they hope to see their countries represented at first the CAC games, then the Pan American Games, and someday, hopefully, the Olympics.

“One of the main goals from this trip was not just to introduce the kids to eventing and see the scene over here, it was also to set them up in the future. If they wanted to further their education and wanted to try to become riders that could represent Barbados for the Central American and Pan American Games, they would have connections that they could trust to come and train with,” Sara said. “It’s really a very big world and you don’t know where you should be going or who you can trust or who’s capable of doing these sorts of things, right? So it just opens up new doors so that then you have someone you can connect with and you can ask them questions or advice and figure out the best path forward.”

Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

There’s a long road ahead for these island riders, but there’s also a lot of passion and hope to help them along the way. “It’s all stepping stones and it all starts somewhere with a little bit of passion. This is kind of what lit a fire within the Caribbean and made people think that this could be a fun path [to the international stage],” Monique said. “For me this is a sort of legacy. Just to pass this along to future generations and make sure that we have a really big group and this doesn’t just die after a year or two. So, it’s exciting to see countries like Trinidad and Jamaica, following in my footsteps and looking to [start eventing] as well and make it a reality.”

This small group of riders from a collection of very small islands has a big dream riding on their backs. Not only to elevate equestrian sport in the Caribbean, but also to breathe new life into the sport of eventing at a time when we’re on the cusp of ever so slowly fading into the background.

Bellissimo is the Belle of the Ball in MARS Equestrian Bromont CCI4*L

By on Jun 7, 2024 7:48 pm -

Lucienne Bellissimo and Dyri. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Someone grab the tea, it’s time to find the nearest harbor. It’s the USA vs the Brits at the end of day two at the MARS Equestrian Bromont CCI4*-L. American rider Shannon Lilley & Eindhoven Garrette (Iowa 960 – Rose Rouge Garette, by Manillon Rouge) have been knocked out of first place by Great Britain’s Lucienne Bellissimo & Dyri (Diarado – La Calera, by King Milford xx). Boyd Martin and Allison Springer hold onto second and third place for the American contingent with Miss Lulu Herself (Stolzenfels – Noisette, by Nobre XX) and No May Moon (Catherston Dazzelr – Ebony Moon, by Mystic Replica) respectively.

Scoring a 26.0, Lucienne and Dyri have once again earned their lowest score yet at the CCI4* level, including long and short formats. This is actually the second time they’ve earned this low score, the first being just six weeks ago at the Defender Kentucky Three Day Event’s Cosequin Lexington 4*-S. Historically, dressage is Dyri’s strongest phase, but Lucienne believes the 12-year-old Holsteiner/Trakehner cross still has a lower score in him.

Lucienne Bellissimo and Dyri. Photo by Sally Spickard.

“The goals today were to try and improve a little bit with his canter work, both the changes and the canter half-pass, and I felt we did that,” Lucienne said. “We’ve got a bit of a different system now with the way I’m asking him for his changes. He’s a sensitive horse and can sometimes be a bit of a slow-thinking horse, and the canter’s very big. So luckily today I think it was better, a bit more reactive at the right time. His canter work, again, in the half-pass felt a bit more supple. He’s just a little bit more letting me ride him once he hits the centerline. The walk work I wasn’t as pleased with today, we’ve kind of focused in one area and broken in another. But all in all, he’s such a pleasure to work with on the flat and everything we do is because he does want to try and please. I genuinely think that we can get this test a lot better by this time next year, hopefully.”

Dyri tends to struggle with his gallop across the country, which isn’t too surprising for a gelding that just started eventing four years ago. “I’ve been in this position a couple of times with him where I’ve laid down a pretty nice test and I got on course and I’ve gone ‘Hang on a minute, who are you doing this for? Because he isn’t ready.’ And you can feel him, he kind of stops breathing properly, he gets a little introverted and a bit anxious,” Lucienne said. “A gelding that obviously didn’t start eventing until he was eight never learned to gallop, so he really is still learning when it gets tough how to push through and stay confident. But he will get there. I figured if he jumps around this well, then I’m hoping he’s kind of maybe ready to have a bash at Maryland [5 Star in October], and if not then we’ll keep coming out until he is.”

Boyd Martin and Miss Lulu Herself. Photo by Sally Spickard.

In second place, riding Bonnie Stedt’s Miss Lulu Herself, is Boyd with a score of 31.5. “Lulu” and Boyd have been playing the long game over the last two years. Bromont will be Lulu’s third go-around at a long format 4* event. “She’s been a horse that’s slowly been developing a long. She’s a very careful jumper. This will be by far the biggest track that she’s seen. I’m quite nervous coming into tomorrow because it is a very challenging track and tough terrain. I feel like she’s potentially a five star horse for next year, so this will be a good indication of if that dream is a possibility.”

Boyd has had a helping hand in preparing Lulu for this event from dressage superstar Silva Martin. “Silva’s been riding her a lot for me on the flat, as I’ve been very focused on the Olympic horse. Silva’s done a wonderful job helping me out with a lot of the horses on the flat. She’s a hotter horse and funny enough Silva loves riding her, I wouldn’t have thought she would’ve been Silva’s favorite. She’s not a huge mover but has a great mouth and an unbelievable work ethic. She’s starting to know all the movements pretty well now. I think the biggest thing is she’s a bit pony-ish, so it’s tough trying to present her in a big uphill frame.”

Allison Springer and No May Moon. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Allison Springer and Nancy Winter’s No May Moon are holding tight to third place by a margin of just 0.7 points between the Connemara cross and fourth place rider Lauren Nicholson. After earning a fourth place ribbon at last month’s 4*-S at Tryon, Bromont will be “Mayzie’s” first attempt at completing a long-format at this level. It’s clear the little mare is up for the task. She has a stellar FEI record, rarely placing outside the top ten.

Jessica Phoenix and Watson GS. Photo by Cealy Tetley Photography.

It’s all North America in the 4*-S, with Canadians Jessie Phoenix and Karl Slezak leading the way with Watson GS (Humble GS – Woodsock GS, by Voltaire) and Hot Bobo (Arkansas VDL – Taneys Leader xx, by Supreme Leader xx) respectively. They’re closely followed in third place by America’s Hannah Sue Hollberg and Capitol H I M (Con Air – O-Heraldika, by Heraldik xx).

Jessie Phoenix and “Watson” have a long history together. Watson is the son of her former 4* stallion, Humble GS, who she also competes in Grand Prix show jumping. “Watson I bought as a three-year-old and we’ve just kind of slowly produced him up the levels. He’s done four four-star Longs now and a lot of Grand Prix show jumping as well,” said Jessie.

Watson’s score of 27.4 marks his personal best; a sub-30 score that’s been a long-time coming, and even more cherished because of the pressure of the upcoming Olympics. “He’s obviously a bigger boy, so it took him longer to really get his strength on the flat, but boy what a weekend for him to come out and do his personal best,” said Jessie. “He’s kind of been knocking at the door for awhile now, but it’s just so rewarding to bring a horse along and to have them for that long and feel them come in and be so confident and reliable in the ring. It was just so much fun to do that on him today. Our Olympic team gets named in the next couple of weeks, so I think we’ll hopefully have a good next couple of days and see how that all plays out. I’ve got four qualified, so it’ll be interesting to see, hopefully one of them gets chosen.”

Karl Slezak and Hot Bobo. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Another contender for the Canadians in Paris, Karl Slezak and Katlyn Hewson’s Hot Bobo (Arkansas VDL – Taneys Leader xx, by Supreme Leader xx) are just 0.2 points behind Jessie & Watson, with a score of 27.6. The 11-year-old Irish Sport horse mare has made quite a name for herself over the last five years, typically staying within the top ten in the rankings. Today’s dressage score marks a personal best for “Bobo,” who typically earns dressage scores in the low-30s. Tomorrow’s biggest challenge for the pair will be getting the adrenaline flowing as they leave the start box. Having already completed three 4* courses so far this year, the Advanced level is starting to feel old hat for the pair, according to Karl.

The 2*-L and 3*-L will also leave the startbox tomorrow. Our top two in the 3*-L division may sound familiar – Sara Schulman & Cooley Chromatic still lead the way, chased closely by Boyd Martin & Barney Rubble. Third place has a new name, with Ariel Grald & Annie Eldridge’s Adagio’s Nobility scoring a 27.5 to narrowly claim the title from Sydney Elliott & Chin Tonic 3.

Our 2*-L leaderboard has a familiar name at the top. Boyd Martin bested himself, taking the lead with the Fetiche des Rouges Syndicate’s Fetiche des Rouges, bumping Malmo Mob’s Kolbeinn down to second place. Fetiche des Rouges, who was formerly ridden by Laura Collett and, before that, Aoife Clark, is holding the lead on an impressively low score of 20.8, a personal best for the 9-year-old Selle Francais. Caravanning along behind the Boyd Train is USA’s Michael Pendleton & Kara Angulo’s Adorrado in third place, with a score of 26.0.

Looking ahead to tomorrow’s cross country, the riders should be prepared for a beefy and airy track, filled with Derek’s signature use of terrain and subtle, but challenging style. Lucienne compared the 4*-L track to others she’s ridden in the United Kingdom. “I came here and did the four-short for the first time last year with him and another horse, Tremanton, and I took him really slow around the four-short. I love it – it actually reminds me a lot of being back at home in Europe or England, and it’s just a beautiful track and a typical Derek [di Grazia] course. You just keep riding and if you’re riding well and your horses trust you, it’s fantastic.”

We’ll have a full preview of the CCI4*-L course coming your way first thing tomorrow, but you can also preview it on CrossCountryApp here.

Hannah Sue Hollberg and Capitol H I M. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Less than a point separates the top three riders in the 4*-S, leaving no room for mistakes on the cross country course. As the one to beat, Jessie isn’t letting the pressure of holding onto first place get to her and instead certainly seems to be feeling confident ahead of tomorrow’s excitement. “I think the plan is to see how much rain we get overnight. Certainly the footing this morning looks as good as it’s ever been here. It could not have been any better footing than it was this morning,” said Jessie. “The course looks incredibly well-designed from start to finish. They’ve put a lot of thoughtfulness into it and I think it’s designed well for the horses to give them a good run and it asks all of the questions. So just going out and doing a confident, rhythmical round and giving them confident runs.”

The action begins tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. when Lucia Strini and DHI Kevin G leave the startbox in the 3*-L division. 4*-L leaves the startbox at lucky 11:11 a.m., followed by the 4*-S at 12:35 p.m.

Don’t forget to tune in to the free live stream from MARS Bromont all weekend, both on the Bromont YouTube channel as well as Horse & Country.

If you’re spectating on the cross country course tomorrow, don’t forget your rain jacket as we are expecting some weather throughout the day. Bring your four-legged friend and check out the dog demos, including the chance to try your hand (paw?) at canine agility, and join the dog parade. International cani-cross medalists Sandra Lallier and Daniel Lusignan will also be attending as special guests.

MARS Bromont CCI (Quebec, CA) [Website] [Entries] [Dressage Times] [Scoring] [Live Stream]

Agile Dogs & Stylish Jogs: What to Expect at the MARS Equestrian Bromont CCI

By on May 30, 2024 9:30 am -

Sara Schulman and Cooley Chromatic. Photo by Abby Powell.

As Canada’s premiere FEI horse trial, the MARS Equestrian Bromont CCI is a can’t miss event for riders and spectators alike. Team EN is only two and a half weeks away from touching down in Canada to bring you all the action you crave, not that we’re counting. (We’re totally counting!) There’s something for everyone at Bromont, whether you want to stick strictly to the horse park or would like to explore the scenic Eastern Townships outside of Montreal. But before I get to filling you in on the dog agility course and a brewery in an old train station, let’s talk details.

Head down to the jog strip on June 5th at 3pm for the official kick off of the weekend: the first horse inspection. On June 6th and 7th, watch the horses dance across the boards in the dressage ring before the real excitement begins on June 8th. Cross country kicks off on Saturday morning, with the best of the best tackling Bromont’s CCI4*-L course, totalling 5700 meters (three-and-a-half miles for us Americans), designed by Derek di Grazia. On Sunday, we’ll have our final, and arguably most exciting, horse inspection before show jumping.

Friends and competitors: Boyd Martin on Asti’s Charming and Phillip Dutton on Fernhill Shutterfly. Photo by Abby Powell.

What also makes Bromont CCI an event like no other is the inclusion of the Bromont Rising Program. This program is designed to support young riders 25 and under as they strive to develop careers as professional riders. Supporting the future generation of eventers is crucial for the longevity of the sport. To that end, this program distributes up to 10 grants of $2500 each to deserving young riders to offset the costs of travel and entry fees. Riders will also have unique educational opportunities, including learning from cross country course designer Derek DiGrazia, a “centreline workshop” dressage test analysis with FEI 5* judge Peter Gray, and a cross country course walk with returning guest coach Bettina Hoy. Meet the riders accepted into this year’s Bromont Rising Program here.

You can’t be an eventing fan without also owning a dog, it’s basically a requirement. The organizers at MARS Bromont CCI get it. The Dog Agility Course has returned for another year! While the horses are pounding down the cross country course on Saturday, your dog can tackle some obstacles of their own. Dog demos including agility, frisbee, and freestyle start at 15:00 EST. There will also be a dog parade, so be sure to bring your favorite costume! Special guests include Sandra Lallier and Daniel Lusignan, international medalists of Cani-Cross, as well as guests from the Leski Foundation, Royal Canin and Eukanuba, and of course, lots of TREATS for your pooch.

Hannah Sue Hollberg and Capitol HIM. Photo by Abby Powell.

The Vendor Row will have something for everyone this year, from saddles to fashion. Vendors include well-known favorites like Ecogold, Devoucoux, Voltaire, and Buckeye, along with Canadian-based companies like Hoof Doctor x Equine One and LouRi & Co, among others. Food vendors include Delices Gourmands and Julius Cafe, offering sweet treats and most importantly, coffee. Find a full list of vendors on Bromont’s Facebook page.

Near the horse park, you’ll be able to explore the beautiful majesty of the surrounding mountains and the quaint towns in the Eastern Townships outside of Montreal. If you’d like to grab something to drink after a long day at the show, check out Hop Station, a microbrewery operating out of a vintage train station. They offer great beers and easy eats, like quesadillas. If you’re looking for something quite a bit fancier, enjoy the atmosphere at Maison Boire. Using only local and seasonal ingredients, Maison Boire specializes in creating unique dishes that are sustainably sourced. Finally, if you’re looking for an experience more than a meal, dine aboard the Grand Cru, a luxury yacht that cruises through Lake Memphremagog, offering scenic views you can’t find anywhere else.

Everyone will love the addition of fun canine activities including agility, a dog parade
and Cani-Cross demonstrations, beginning at 3:00pm Saturday, June 8. © Tom von Kapherr Photo

Are you feeling the FOMO now? Don’t worry, you can still feel like you’re at the horse park with us thanks to live streams available on YouTube and Horse & Country. The MARS Bromont CCI will be live streaming for free on Horse & Country; stay tuned for more details here. It will also be live streamed via the Bromont Horse Trials Youtube channel, as well as the RNS Video Media Youtube channel.

Whether you’re watching from afar or standing by the sidelines at the horse park, you’ll want to stay up to date on a few important links, like the live scores, the schedule, and Eventing Nation’s coverage. Find all the important shortcuts below.

MARS Bromont CCI: [Website] [Entries/Schedule] [Volunteer] [Sponsorship]

Age is But a Number: Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake Hold the Lead in Yanmar America Tryon International CCI4*-L

By on May 11, 2024 8:00 pm -

Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

This trio is hard to shake! We have the same top three as yesterday in the Yanmar America Tryon International CCI4*-L, with only a slight change.

Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake added nothing to their dressage score (28.6) to hold onto their lead. Will Faudree and Mama’s Magic Way added just two time penalties to keep their second place slot. Meanwhile, Phillip Dutton swapped horses in the third spot, moving up from eighth with Jewelent, while Denim delivered a solid clear but picked up eight time penalties to drop to eighth.

Caroline and HSH Blake (Tolan R – Doughiska Lass, by Kannan), owned by Mollie Hoff and Sherrie Martin, may be the youngest of our top three but she’s showing that the only number that matters is zero: zero time penalties and zero cross country faults. Despite her previous reservations about the twistiness of the course, she pulled off a double clear round with nine-year-old “Blake,” and was the only rider to cross the finish line inside the time.

Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

“He lost his shoe early on, just like at Kentucky,” Caroline said. “So I was like, ‘Okay, I have to adapt.’ So that’s the cool thing with him, like I could adapt in my head. ‘Okay, I need to go as straight as possible so I can risk not slipping as much,’ and he did not care one bit. So that’s just that’s the coolest thing about him and he was super fit, which I’m also really excited about because I was in Pennsylvania till January 5, and then I moved all the horses down to Florida. So they’re in Florida, January, February, March, and all of April. I’m just excited that I could get them as fit as I wanted to for a course with a lot of terrain.”

“I’ve had Blake since he was [five years old]. When you’ve had them from babies, like King’s Especiale, he’s the same way. It really makes a difference. They just know you inside and out. And I made plenty of mistakes on course, and maybe didn’t give him the perfect ride in some places, but he has my back 200 percent,” Caroline said. “He’s just a trier and yeah, he’s unbelievable. He’s a unicorn.”

Will Faudree and Mama’s Magic Way. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Will Faudree is holding onto his story as somewhat of a “comeback kid” after rerouting to Tryon after withdrawing from the Defender Kentucky Three Day Event CCI5*.

“The time was definitely tough to get. I was pretty down on the clock around the four and the five minute mark,” Will said. “My watch was beeping as I was jumping out of the last water which was about oh, probably eight to 10 seconds down on the clock. I said, okay, got up in my galloping position, gave him a cluck and a kick and he dragged me up the hill. Unfortunately I’m showing my age a little bit because as I did get a bit closer to the last few jumps, I slowed him down. You know, I checked him a couple of times to make sure we jumped the last few fences. But I think if he had had his way and if I was 20 years younger, I probably would have been a bit riskier and could have maybe gotten the time.”

Will Faudree and Mama’s Magic Way. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

He and Mama’s Magic Way (Mighty Magic – Straightaway, by Star Regent xx), owned by Jennifer Mosing, need Caroline to drop just one rail to shoot them into first place. Let’s not forget how influential just one rail can be, after Tamie Smith had one rail that dropped her from first into seventh place in the 4*-S yesterday.

“I’ve been getting some help with Lauren Hough this year, which has been just phenomenally helpful. He’s a good jumper and I’ve just got to help him jump cleanly and keep him really soft. He loves to jump and he loves to get there, which makes him such a great cross country horse. Plus, I can get a little aggressive so I’m just going to have to be on my game and we’ll go ahead and do the best we can,” Will said.

Phillip Dutton and Jewelent. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Phillip Dutton swapped out Denim for Jewelent, as eight time penalties dropped Denim from third to sixth place. Jewelent (Valent – Bellaney Jewel, by Roselier), owned by the Jewelent Group, is a 2012 Irish Sport Horse gelding who may now be best known for patiently waiting for Phillip to get back in the saddle in a miraculous save in the Cosequin Lexington 4* at the Kentucky Horse Park just last month. Luckily, Phillip and Jewelent had a clean, straightforward ride across the country today.

“Jewelent is quite experienced which gave me the confidence to set out pretty quick and he finished well within himself. I feel like I’m getting to know him and form a good partnership,” Phillip said.

Now, Jewelent is flying around Tryon -– literally. This gray gelding was the horse closest to the time, outside of HSH Blake, with only 1.6 time penalties. According to Phillip, “The time is always hard to get at Tryon. The terrain and constant up and down makes it difficult to keep a fast pace. I tried to be efficient with good tight turns and making the round as nice for my horse as possible.”

Out of 25 attempts, 21 riders completed the 6,200 meter course designed by Great Britain’s Helen West with assistance from Captain Mark Phillips. As previously mentioned, only one horse (Caroline and HSH Blake) made the optimum time, while three came within three seconds of it: Will Faudree and Mama’s Magic Way, Phillip Dutton and Jewelent, and Julie Wolfert and SSH Playboy.

As predicted by Will in yesterday’s report, the question that caused the most trouble was the half-coffin combination at 16AB, which racked up three refusals, but he said it didn’t give him and “Mason” too much of a hard time.

Phillip Dutton and Possante. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

“That’s where I was down on my minutes,” said Will. “I galloped into that field and jumped that big brush corner and– he’s not a strong horse and he goes in a French-link snaffle– and so I galloped till I was pretty close to it. And then he came right back to me and he was like, ‘Oh. That’s weird.’ It made him look, but then he just popped it and then jumped across the ditch and onward.”

In the CCI4*-S, Colleen Loach took the win with FE Golden Eye (Goldfever 3 x Cascade, by Contendro I), owned by the rider, Peter Barry, and Amanda Bernhard. This is another pair fresh off the Cosequin Lexington 4*-S at the Kentucky Horse Park, where 14 time penalties and a refusal or run out placed them in 25th. Today, they put together a smooth cross country round with no obstacle faults and 14 time penalties. Out of the 15 pairs who completed the course, Colleen and FE Golden Eye were closest to making the time.

“It was the best ride I’ve ever had on him. He was nice and forward, I came out of the box very determined, which helped him be determined, too. I didn’t have a bad jump on him,” Colleen said. “Historically, we’re not a fast combination, although we’ve been working on it. But I came out in the right mindset, which helped him be in the right mindset. His advantage is that in the combinations he backs himself off a little bit, so I didn’t have to check him too much. I was very efficient in the lines and the turns. I thought it all rode like it walked for me, pretty much anyways. They were challenging questions but in a fair way, I thought Helen did a good job.”

Liz Halliday and Cooley Quicksilver. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

While tomorrow the 4*-L, 3*-L, and 2*-L will wrap up the weekend with the show jumping phase, the 4*-S, 3*-S, and 2*-S get to end the weekend early. Spectators take note, the 2*-L will kick off the day in the stadium, so 4*-L will actually begin at 11:40 a.m., followed by the 3*-L. Stay tuned to Eventing Nation for the final report of the weekend tomorrow.

Tryon International Three Day Event (Mill Spring, NC) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

A Soggy Start to the Yanmar America Tryon International Three-Day Event

By on May 10, 2024 6:56 pm -

Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Have you ever heard that it’s good luck if it rains on your wedding day? Well, I hope that’s also true for horse trials because boy did it rain during the Tryon jog. But this morning, all of the competitors in the CCI4* emerged from their hiding places, dried out, and ready to ride. After two full days of dressage, we can now say we have the official line up at the end of phase one.

Leading the way is Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake, owned by Mollie Hoff and Sherrie Martin on a score of 28.6. She’s closely followed by Phillip Dutton & Denim and Will Faudree & Mama’s Magic Way, who are currently tied for second place with a score of 28.9.

Caroline and HSH Blake (Tolan R – Doughiska Lass, by Kannan) are quickly becoming household names, having earned major achievements including fifth in last month’s Cosequin Lexington 4*-S and winning the Pan American Games as part of the USA’s silver-medal-winning team in 2023. Fun fact: “Blake” hasn’t placed below the top five in an FEI event since 2022. It’s looking as though Tryon will be no different.

Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

“Honestly, he’s just a unicorn. I’m pretty spoiled with him. He really does make me look good. Even though he’s only nine, he’s pretty trained now at the level because he did his first 4* last year. So he’s pretty trained. He’s just a pleasure to ride and I keep telling everyone he’ll only get better and better the stronger he is.”

Fresh off the top placing at Kentucky’s 4*-S, which was used as a set-up for this Long format by several pairs, Caroline’s got her eye on one goal in particular: building on her individual gold and team silver at the Pan American Games last fall with a selection to the U.S. Olympic squad. This weekend marks the final selection trial designated by US Equestrian for pairs hoping to catch the selectors’ eyes for a team spot (Badminton is also considered a selection trial by USEF).

“Since Kentucky, Blake had a really quiet week of hacking and no pressure, just enjoying trot sets and stuff like that. And then this week, we just did a lot of cavaletti work and again, a lot of hacking since we’ve been here,” Caroline said. “I put his dressage saddle on for the first time last night for ring familiarization. He was perfect. And then I actually told everyone that he felt the best he’s ever felt yesterday. So I was really excited going in today.”

Will Faudree and Mama’s Magic Way. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Will Faudree and Mama’s Magic Way (Mighty Magic – Straightaway, by Star Regent xx), owned by Jennifer Mosing, are having one heck of a comeback weekend. After withdrawing before cross country at the Defender Kentucky Three Day Event last weekend, Will and “Mason” rerouted to Tryon to give the 4*-L a go.

“Obviously, I didn’t have a good test at Kentucky and opted to reroute here, he’s 13. He’s done five five stars. He doesn’t need to go and prove that he can jump around at that level. And you know, it’s an Olympic year and you put that pressure on yourself and you want to go in and do it, but it’s hard,” Will said. “It was a hard decision and I’m so grateful to his owner, Jennifer Mosing, who supported me in that decision. And obviously, I was gutted. I was disappointed at Kentucky, but I just needed to put aside my personal wants, and do the right thing. For me, the right thing was to say, ‘Look, we know we can go out and jump around this level. We’ve done it a lot. At the end of the day, he’s only done one 4*-L in his life. And he’s done five five stars. So let’s just take the pressure back and take the intensity of the competition away a little bit.’”

Will Faudree and Mama’s Magic Way. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

While Will is competing here in the states, he still has one eye on the action happening overseas at the MARS Badminton Horse Trials. “I read an article that Pippa Funnell put out because she did not have a great test on Majas Hope. She made a comment, ‘You know what, he doesn’t need the experience to go run around this and why do I want to run when I’m not on my competitive mark?’ And, you know, I think that that’s very admirable and I don’t at all consider myself in the same league as Pippa Funnell by any stretch of imagination,” Will said. “But that was awesome to read because I felt she kind of took the words out of my mouth when she said that. You know, I love my horses. We put a lot into it. And sometimes it’s not your weekend.”

Today, Mason and Will were on their A-game, receiving a handful of 8s throughout their test. As for Will, he says that his biggest accomplishment was riding the test exactly like he rides at home. “My focus was to just practice just doing this like we’re at home and he really stayed with me. Every time he started to get a little bit amped up, I had to put my best Meryl Streep acting on because I just had to keep telling him that we’re just practicing. I had to become an actor because we do this work all the time and sometimes the excitement and the desire to be so good, gets the best of us. And you know, he’s a horse that is so incredibly talented and he loves it and he wants to do it.”

Phillip Dutton and Denim. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Phillip Dutton and Denim (Dinken – Celia II, by Ibisco xx), owned by Ann Jones, Ann Lapides, Caroline Moran, and Neill Sites, are currently dueling it out with Will for second place. Called “Denny” at home, the 9-year-old Holsteiner is a somewhat recent addition to Phillip’s string, as Phillip took over the ride on the bay gelding from Netherland’s Merel Blom-Hulsman in 2022. However, it seems to be all smooth sailing in Camp Dutton at the end of phase one.

“Denim was very professional in his dressage test. There’s a lot of areas that we can improve on– I’m really excited about his future,” Phillip said.

At the end of the day yesterday, Phillip was leading the 4*-L with Possante (Namelus R – Wendelien, by Otangelo), owned by The Possante Group. Tryon marks their fourth FEI event together for this new pair, although Phillip took over the horse from Great Britain’s Emily King in 2023. According to Phillip, “Possante is a big impressive horse on the flat. Once we get a bit more experience together he’s going to be very competitive.”

Liz Halliday and Cooley Quicksilver. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Slotting into fourth place after dressage, ahead of Phillip’s new placing with Possante after day two, are Liz Halliday with The Monster Partnership / Ocala Horse Properties’ Cooley Quicksilver (Womanizer – Kylemore Crystal, by Greggan Diamond) on a score of 29.2. This is the first Long format “Monster” has done since Maryland in 2022, when Liz retired on cross country. After a light 2023, the 13-year-old Irish gelding has been on top form in 2024 so far and stands a strong shot to contend for the title at Tryon.

Leslie Law and Lady Chatterley. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

In the 4*-S division, Leslie Law and Lady Chatterley (Connor 48 – Jucy, by Mytens xx), owned by the rider and Jackie and Steve Brown, are leading the way on a score of 31 even, after a rail knocked Tamie Smith and Kynan (Envoy – Danieta, by Zirroco Blue) out of first place. After retiring at the Cosequin Lexington 4*-S after a refusal on cross country, they rerouted to Tryon. They’re already off to a great start, beating out their Kentucky dressage score by 0.6 points. A very experienced pair, Leslie and “Fleur” have been competing at the 4* level since 2021, with some very impressive results, never placing lower than tenth. Chances look good that they’ll end the weekend with a podium finish.

“She really did a very good solid [dressage] test where she didn’t make any mistakes and you know, just a good solid test. She jumped a really good round. I’m very, very happy with that. She rode very well,” Leslie said.

Now, all riders have turned their eyes towards tomorrow and are on their final walks of the cross country course. The rain has somewhat complicated the footing in certain areas, which is sure to be a concern for everyone leaving the startbox. We’ll keep our fingers crossed for drier weather overnight. The Tryon 4*-L is proving to be a unique track best described by words typically used for a 4*-S.

“They made it way more twisty and turny than I expected. You double back on yourself quite a lot, which I feel like is unusual for a 4*-L. So I think it’s gonna be pretty hard on the horses. For a four long it rides like a four short, which is quite exhausting, mentally and physically,” Caroline said.

The rider with the most experience of our group of leaders, Phillip’s biggest concern at the moment is the footing. “The course looks pretty wet at the moment, hopefully we will have some drying weather between now and cross country start time. I think the beginning of the course is very inviting. There’s some difficult combinations spread throughout the course and the undulating terrain adds an element of difficulty to the test.”

You can take a look at the 4*-L track, newly designed by Helen West this year, who’s taken over for previous designer Capt. Mark Phillips, on CrossCountryApp here. Capt. Phillips is still involved with the course this year, assisting Helen.

Will Faudree and Mama’s Magic Way. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Maybe Will’s trademark Jolly Roger skull-and-cross bones will lend him some luck as he sets sail through the soggy course tomorrow morning. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow. We’ve got some work to do, but he’s fit and he’s ready,” Will said. “There’s a lot of terrain questions, a lot of uphill stuff and it’s very intense at minute three to five. And then you have a little bit of a– it’s not really a breather– but you have a minute where you just have two fences, you have a corner but it’s flagged very generously, and then a half coffin, which is tough. It’s a chevron to a ditch. It does take some riding, but then it gets quite intense again. So yeah, lots to do. Lots to think about. It wheels pretty tight, so I think the time is going to be tough.”

“I say I’m excited and looking forward to it. But if you ask me that at probably nine o’clock tonight, I’ll be wondering, ‘Why do I still do this?’ Will laughed. “No, we’re ready for the challenge and looking forward to it.”

Tomorrow the 4*-S will break ground on the cross country first, with a start time of 8:30 a.m. EST. The 4*-L will leave the start box at 10:20 a.m. EST. Keep an eye on EN for another report with all the action from the day tomorrow evening.

Tryon International Three Day Event (Mill Spring, NC) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring] [Live Stream]

What’s Happening at the May Virginia Horse Trials

By on May 10, 2024 10:30 am -

Laine Ashker and Lovedance. Photo by Brant Gamma Photography.

Tucked away in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains, you’ll find a little slice of horse heaven. The Virginia Horse Center is located on 600 acres in Lexington and features a 4000 seat coliseum, campgrounds, and eight different barns. On May 23rd, eventers will gather to compete up to the CCI3*-S level in the Virginia Horse Trials, presented by Capital Square, taking advantage of the Attwood footing in the Dee Dee Arena and newly resurfaced stalls and stall mats.

In preparation for the event, the horse center has worked hard to create an amazing experience for eventers, including updating the Oak Hill cross country course, which now features new obstacles for all levels, including a new coffin and updated water jumps. Local eventer Sydney Hagaman experienced the venue firsthand when she won the 3* at the May Virginia Horse Trials riding her German Sport Horse, Charmeur.

“I’ve been going there for quite a few years and try to get there as much as possible. I’ve taken young horses, I’ve done the 3* and the 2*-L on the same horse that I won the 3* on last year. So, we know the Virginia Horse Center pretty well and I loved running that event,” Sydney said. “It felt great there and they did a really good job with the footing, which was hard to do last year, we didn’t get much rain and they did the best they could so that was greatly appreciated on the riders part, we really enjoyed that.”

Designed by FEI cross country course designer Jay Hambly, Sydney said that the courses were challenging and up to level, making the event a great way to prepare both horse and rider for larger events like Tryon and even the Kentucky Three Day Event. Particularly difficult was the show jumping course, designed by Michael Vaillancourt.

“The showjumping course was quite difficult. And as an FEI course, that’s kind of what it’s meant for, to prep you for the next level. On the cross country course, the jumps were appropriate for the level and the questions were right for the level. I thought they did a really good job. They had it all set up well, and the course is really fun.” said Sydney. “It really preps you for when you have to go away and stable your horses and lets you get a feel of what they would be like outside of the state that we normally compete in. It does have a bigger atmosphere because it is a big center. It’s a good prep for if you have to go to Tryon or the Kentucky Horse Park or another big FEI.”

Photo by Brant Gamma Photography.

Even the dressage last year was particularly educational in Sydney’s eyes, as you were able to ride in front of a foreign judge. “I think she was a Pan Am’s judge. And I thought that was really cool, getting to ride in front of a foreign judge. I was like, ‘Ooh, this is cool,’” Sydney said.

Note: This year’s FEI judges include Olympic judges Jane Hamlin (2020) and Robert Stevenson (2024), as well as Sara Leary and Amanda Miller.

This year, the event has gone above and beyond in catering to eventers, who like to work hard– and play hard. The presenting sponsor, Capital Square, will be hosting an adult rider welcome party on Friday evening with special adult rider swag. Beverages (wink wink) will also be served throughout the weekend.

Sydney attended the rider’s party last year and would highly recommend making the time to go. “The rider party was fun, like they had a lot of good food. It’s really fun to see everybody at the bonfire. It was super fun. I actually really liked the food. There’s a lot of options. I really do think they did a really good job, the whole keeping us entertained and making sure that we’re all happy.”

May’s Virginia Horse Trials also include the opportunity to compete in the Adult Team Challenge. Teams of four riders will compete for prizes provided by Area 2 Adult Riders. Teams can be formed from mixed levels and– if you don’t have anyone to join your team– the show organizers will do their best to help you create a team. All teams are stabled together, so you can get to know your teammates before you compete. Awards will be presented after the last team member finishes their ride on Sunday with some great prizes for the top three teams from event sponsors. More info on how to sign up for the Adult Team Challenge here.

All in all, if you’re looking for a horse trial that offers you the chance to compete in a friendly, welcoming atmosphere with top-notch facilities in a gorgeous setting, you can’t go wrong with the Virginia Horse Center. This year, Eventing Nation will be bringing you all the action right from the event, which has seen a full roster of entries resulting in a hefty waitlist. Keep an eye on EN so you don’t miss out!

And don’t forget, support your local events– they need you to enter, volunteer, and participate however you can now more than ever.

VHC Eventing May Horse Trials: [Website] [Volunteer Opportunities] [Show Center]

Announcing the 2024 #Supergroom Superlative Winners at the Kentucky Three Day Event

By on May 5, 2024 10:00 am -

We all know why the Defender Kentucky Three Day Event is really the best weekend all year… It’s not the top-notch riding or the amazing cross country action. It’s definitely because of the Achieve Equine #Supergroom Superlatives!

While the best riders in the country are competing for a blue ribbon, the best grooms in the country are dueling it out to see who gets nominated for which superlative. This year, we had over 100 nominations from all of you lovely eventing fans, making it a tough choice to pick the best #supergrooms for these nominations.

The superlatives in question were:

  • The Social Media Influencer (the groom that chronicles their riding journey on social media and shares all those good #groomingtipsandtricks)
  • The Hacker (The groom that’s tried all those grooming hacks you find on social media, i.e. ketchup on a white horse, etc)
  • Most Red Bull Consumed
  • Gen Z Groom (The groom anyone over 30 needs a translator to understand what they’re saying. Rider: dressed for dressage Groom: Okay, I see that drip! *After the test* On god, that test was bussin.’)
  • Shiniest Horse

And your winners are….

  • The Social Media Influencer: Alison Bell, groom for Yasmin Ingham
  • The Hacker: Ashley Dodds, groom for Waylon Roberts
  • Most Red Bull Consumed: Mia Braundel, groom for Liz Halliday
  • Gen Z Groom: Myles McLaughlin, groom for Ariel Grald
  • Shiniest Horse: Christina Curiale, groom for Will Faudree

Mia Braundel, groom for Liz Halliday (and 4* rider herself!).

According to the people nominating her, Mia Braundel absolutely needed that Red Bull this past weekend. “Mia Braundel is riding on a horse she has produced up the levels on her own. She is grooming 4 horses for Liz Halliday and her own horse Cashmere.”

Or, as another person said, “Mia Braundel for grooming the most horses annnnd competing herself! She’s AWESOME.”

Mia produced her 17 year old KWPN gelding all the way up through the FEI levels. While they did sadly retire on the cross country course, they put in a solid dressage test with a score that had them sitting in the middle of the pack prior to the jumping phases.

“Whether grooming or riding, just being a part of the event at Kentucky is amazing. It’s one of my favorite events to go to,” Mia said.”

On top of competing her own horse, Mia was also grooming for Liz Halliday and taking care of all four of Liz’s horses for the weekend. “I started working for Liz a little over a year ago, actually right before Kentucky 2023. My favorite part of grooming is definitely taking care of the horses and all of the places you get to go! I’ve gotten to travel all over to so many cool events.”

As a long-time groom for World Champion Yasmin Ingham, Alison is no stranger to coming to Kentucky. “This was my third trip to the states with Banzai and Yaz. I love coming to Kentucky for the 5* because the horses and grooms get treated fantastically and the organisers put a lot of effort into making it a great experience.”

Alison Bell, groom for Yasmin Ingham.

Sticking to the saying, ‘blonds have more fun,’ Alison has traveled all over the world with Yasmin and Banzai du Loir, from Aachen to Pratoni and, of course, to Kentucky. “Grooming for Yaz is great, she’s so easy to work with as she only wants what’s best for the horse.”

Winner of The Hacker #Supergroom Superlative, Ashley Dodds not only grooms for Waylon Roberts, but also runs her own business, Stone Creek Sporthorses. She’s also a USDF Bronze Medalist and events her own horses, WHF Lumiere and Lowland.

“Grooming at Kentucky was very inspirational, to be surrounded by the top riders, horses, and grooms of our sport. Waylon and Ruby have a pretty special partnership, so I loved getting to be a part of their journey and success at Kentucky,” Ashley said. “I enjoy working for Waylon because I am always learning and am very grateful to him for investing in educating me on the care of the horses and what it takes to be at the top of the sport.”

Myles McLaughlin appears to be our youngest groom on the list, rightfully earning the Gen Z Groom Superlative. Grooming for Ariel Grald, Myles rides his Thoroughbred, Felix, in his spare time.

“Grooming at Kentucky was an amazing experience! I grew up watching all these riders on their beautifully turned out horses and now to be behind the scenes is something really special,” Myles said. “I am very honored and appreciative to be given the opportunity to groom for Ariel! She is very understanding and so generous. Her main priority is that her horses are properly taken care of and the rest is secondary. She is someone I have learned a lot from and someone who continues to inspire me.”

Hanna Hartman from Achieve Equine with Ashley Dodds, groom for Waylon Roberts, and Myles McLaughlin, groom for Ariel Grald.

Awarded the #Supergroom Superlative for the Shiniest Horse, Christina Curiale had her work cut out for her this weekend grooming for Will Faudree’s 5* ride, Mama’s Magic Way. We’re not sure if he was inspired by Will’s hot pink suit at the jog, but Mama’s Magic Way did his best impression of a bay-version of the Barbie Dream Horse this weekend, with picture-perfect braids to boot.

Do You Accept Your Mission? EN’s Trivia Tour with Chinch

By on Apr 25, 2024 9:00 am -

We all know the riders are in it to win it at the Defender Kentucky Three Day Event. The real question is, are you?

Eventing Nation is excited to announce the Trivia Tour with Chinch!

Here’s how it works:

Chinch has a mission for you! A chinchilla sticker with a QR code will be placed at participating booths throughout the Trade Fair. Your mission is to find each chinchilla (Chinch’s doppelgangers), scan the QR code, and answer the trivia question.

Play hard, win big, right? Here at EN, we don’t mess around — and neither does Chinch. Our team of vendors who signed up for the Trivia Tour really brought it this year! Prizes range from a free pair of breeches, to a Vespucci bridle, to a $250 gift card to Ride EquiSafe, and so, so much more. Every time you fill out a trivia quiz, you’re entered to win two prizes– a prize specific to each vendor a Grand Prize — a massive prize created from a combination of all vendors involved.

With ten vendors participating, we’ve kept our list exclusive to give you the best chance at winning. The more booths you go to, and the more trivia questions you answer, the higher your chances at winning the grand prize.

Here’s who’s participating & their Vendor Specific Prizes

Ride EquiSafe | Booth #105 | Enter to win a $50 gift card

World Equestrian Brands | Booth #109 | Win a pair of Equilibrium Open Front Boots & Fetlock Boots

Mrs. Pastures/Lifeforce/Alltech | Booth #306 | Win a 15lb bucket of Mrs. Pastures Cookies

Majyk Equipe | in the Sponsor Village, next to the official Kentucky tent and Ariat | Win a Three Day Event sweatshirt from LA Equestrian

Breeches.com | Booth #222 | Win an H.V. Polo Bag

Canter Culture | Booth #30 | Win half off a pair of breeches

Achieve Equine | Booth #126 | Win FLAIR strips

Equestly | Booth #257 (VTO Saddlery) | Win a Seamless Sun Shirt

EcoGold | Booth #167 | Win an EN Saddle Pad

The Grand Prize — a $1500+ Value

Vespucci Bridle from World Equestrian Brands

Equestly Breeches

EN Ecogold Saddle Pad

Kevin Bacon Hoof Care

FLAIR Strips

Ride IQ LeMieux Saddle Pad

35lb Bucket of Mrs. Pastures Cookies

$250 Ride EquiSafe Gift Card

Majyk Equipe Bionic Hybrid Jump Boots

H.V. Polo Saddle Pad Set from Breeches.com

Free Pair of Breeches from Canter Culture

Can’t make it to the Defender Kentucky Three Day Event this year? That’s okay, Chinch gets it. Click here to join our virtual Trivia Challenge, where you could win an exclusive EN Fanny Pack from Ecogold, Kentucky Performance Products prize pack, and Mrs. Pastures cookies!

Good luck!

Make Your Nominations: Choose the Achieve Equine #Supergrooms for the Defender Kentucky Three Day Event

By on Apr 24, 2024 10:00 am -

There’s a reason we make it a point to highlight the grooms on our form guide for the Defender Kentucky Three Day Event. This event quite literally could not happen without the grooms. In order for these riders to stay focused on the weekend ahead of them, they need that groom putting in the blood, sweat, and tears required to feed, clean stalls, hand walk the horse, clean the tack, tack the horse, ice the legs, and take care of everything required to get that horse to the end of the weekend happy and healthy.

Too often grooms are treated like a Victorian child, “Seen not heard.” Their efforts go underappreciated just as much as their work goes unseen and invalidated. Together with Achieve Equine, we’re hell-bent on using our #Supergroom series to change that and remind the public at large that our grooms are just as necessary to the team as the riders and horses.

Do you know of a groom who drinks enough Red Bull to give someone a heart attack just to stay awake late into the night and then get up early to get the horses taken care of? Or how about a groom who has tried every social media hack to get that tail as terrifyingly white as Disney’s 1937 Snow White?

via GIPHY

We’ve pulled together some old favorites and some brand new categories to give you a brand new version of Achieve Equine’s Supergroom contest for a new year at Kentucky. Make your nominations by 4/25. Prizes will be given to grooms at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event on Friday, April 26th. Nominees must be grooming for an eventer at Kentucky in order to be included! Winners will receive a sweet grooming backpack, Achieve Equine swag, and gift cards to spend. Fill out the form below or click here to open it up in a new tab.

What’s Happening at the Defender Kentucky Three Day Event

By on Apr 21, 2024 12:30 pm -

While we all flock to the promised land of eventing (the Kentucky Horse Park) to watch the best of the best compete in arguably the top event in the country, we’d be lying if we said we didn’t also enjoy the shopping, show jumping, and events going on outside of all the CCI5* action. Every year Eventing Nation puts together your guide to everything going on at the Defender Kentucky Three Day Event that doesn’t necessarily take place in an arena or on the cross country course. And this year, the vendors have really brought it! We’ve got the inside scoop on autograph signings, course walks, raffles, prizes, Trivia Tours, and more.

Note: all times and locations are subject to change, particularly autograph signings, and this is not an official or comprehensive list. Be sure to stop by the booths to get more details on timing of signings/activities in the mornings to make sure you don’t miss it, and keep an eye out for additional activities happening all weekend long.

Feeling a little lost? Here’s a link to the Trade Fair map.

Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Ongoing

Check out Eventing Nation’s Trivia Tour with Chinch! Keep an eye out for Chinchilla stickers at a list of exclusive vendors. Scan the QR code and be entered to win a prize for each booth, as well as one Grand Prize featuring combined products from all the booths– including a $400 Vespucci Bridle from World Equestrian Brands.  Stay tuned for details!

Ride EquiSafe is running a $1000 giveaway, plus win the stirrups Tamie Smith rode in when she won the Kentucky Three Day Event just last year.

Tamie Smith and the Ahearn/Markell family are teaming up with Strides for Equality Equestrians to increase diversity and accessibility in equestrian sports! A simple and elegant baseball cap with the likeness of Mai Baum will be offered for sale for $25 at the USEA booth. In purchasing a cap, you will be supporting a Mai Baum SEE Scholarship offered through the USEA Foundation. This program will support experiential internships that promote openness and diversity to young equestrians. All proceeds from the cap sales will be contributed to the scholarship. Learn more here.

Win a $500 shopping Spree at Kentucky Performance Products, Visit booth #193 at KY3DE and pick up a KPP bandana. Shoot a pic of your dog (or yourself) sporting the bandana and post it on social media with #KPP500 and you will be entered to win a shopping spree

Stop by the Canter Culture booth (#30 in the main Trade Fair building) to enter to win a pair of breeches, belt & boot sock package! Winner will be drawn at the end of the event.

Zoetis is hosting a scavenger hunt all weekend long! Scan the QR code located at each orange horse statue for a chance to win money back on ProStride. Full details located at each statue!

Boyd Martin fans rejoice– you now have a booth that’s dedicated solely to your favorite 5* eventer. Stop by booth #13 to get all the fan swag you’ve been dying for. You may even see him there!

Stop by the Ethel M Chocolates booth located in the Sponsor Courtyard area for a free sample or to customize a 12-piece box of chocolates for your favorite person – or just for you. All your favorite flavors are back, including Kentucky favorite, Knob Creek Bourbon Barrels, just in time for Mother’s Day!

Fleeceworks will be giving away a Quilted Therawool Saddle Pad with Perfect Balance Technology, as well as donating $250 to the 501(c)(3) Animal Rescue of your choice. Stop by Booth #104 throughout the weekend for a chance to win!

Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. Photo by Alex Jeffery.

Thursday
Thursday is your last day to submit your Achieve Equine #Supergroom Nominations! Do you know of a groom who drinks enough Redbull to give someone a heart attack just to stay awake late into the night and then get up early to get the horses taken care of? Nominate them for one of our superlatives here!

Meet Zebediah the Zedonk at Divine Equestrian! Zebediah will be at booth #254 all day Thursday and Friday. Photo sessions will be held at 9:00-9:30am and 12:00-12:45pm both days. Plus, stop by at 10am and 3pm on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday for a Meet Zebediah book signing!

Hear all about the course, right from the designer himself! Derek Di Grazia is leading an exclusive course walk on Thursday morning at 8:30 am. This event is offered by USEA and is only open to members of the USEA Adult Rider Program. Meet at the five-star start box that morning!

Looking for some fast-paced action to start the weekend off right? Stop by the Walnut Arena at 11am to watch the EEI Invitational Pony Club Mounted Games!

Stick around after the Mounted Games in the Walnut Arena to learn more about the Retired Racehorse Project at 1pm. It’s the perfect event for all of our OTTB-loving eventers.

At 11:45am, Elisa Wallace will be leading a course walk, presented by Stable Feed. Walk with Elisa and her friends at Stable Feed to get a 5* eventer’s opinion on the ins and outs of this year’s course.

Lillian Heard will be signing autographs and leading a 5* course walk at Zomedica during the lunch break. Meet at booth #303 to get started!

5* eventer Jennie Brannigan will be signing autographs at Schneiders Saddlery at 2pm.

Pan Ams Medalist Sharon White will be signing autographs at Sentinel Feeds on Thursday! Stop by their booth for more information on time.

Alexa Thompson will be hosting an autograph signing and 4* course walk at the Zomedica booth during Thursday afternoon. Stop by booth #303 for more details on time!

Joe Meyer will be signing autographs at the Devoucoux tent Thursday afternoon. Stop by the Devoucoux tent Thursday morning for more details on what time Joe will be there. You don’t want to miss it!

Last but absolutely not least, Zach Brandt will be signing autographs at Buckeye Nutrition on Thursday afternoon.

Kyle Carter entertains the group at the EN x Ride iQ course walk at Kentucky. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Friday
Meet Zebediah the Zedonk at Divine Equestrian! Zebediah will be at booth #254 all day Thursday and Friday. Photo sessions will be held at 9:00-9:30am and 12:00-12:45pm both days. Plus, stop by at 10am and 3pm on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday for a Meet Zebediah book signing!

You’ll have multiple opportunities to get an autograph from Phillip Dutton this morning! He’ll be at the Antares booth from 10 – 10:30, at the Triple Crown booth from 10:45 to 11:15, and at the Ariat booth from 12:15 to 12:45.

The pony action continues into Friday morning! Stop by the Walnut Arena at 11am to watch the EEI Invitational Pony Club Mounted Games.

Stick around after the Mounted Games in the Walnut Arena to learn more about the Retired Racehorse Project at 1pm. It’s the perfect event for all of our OTTB-loving eventers.

Head to the USHJA tent at 2pm to get an autograph from a CSI4* rider. (We see you, hunters!)

The Ride IQ Course Walk, led by Kyle Carter and Will Faudree, will take place at 4:45pm, after dressage is completed. This year, we’re going to meet at the Normandy Bank. As a stop on the EN Trivia Tour with Chinch, you won’t want to miss this course walk! Ride IQ will be giving away Lemieux saddle pads. World Equestrian Brands will also be doing a drawing at the Ride IQ Course Walk to give you an opportunity to win Equilibrium Open Front Boots and Fetlock Boots. Sign up here in advance!

After 5* dressage, stick around to watch the Welcome Speed Cup Ranking Class on Friday at 7:00 p.m.

Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Saturday
Meet Zebediah the Zedonk at Divine Equestrian! Zebediah will be hosting a book signing at 10am and 3pm at booth #254.

The USEA Area V Adult Rider Program is hosting a USEA Adult Rider Tailgate in Section L! If you’re a USEA Adult Rider Program Member, drop by to enjoy a good time watching cross country.

Have you ever wanted to get insight on the 5* cross country course from another 5* eventer? Thanks to Ecogold, you now have your chance! You can watch the 5* cross country sitting right next to Caroline Pamukcu who can answer any questions you might have about the course, the riders, and their horses. Spots are extremely limited! Reserve yours here.

Looking to cram even more excitement into your day? Watch the $35,000 1.45m two-phase competition during the lunch hour.

Tamie Smith will be signing autographs at Wise Choice Tack/Fleeceworks at 3pm! Head to booth #104 to get an autograph from last year’s KY3DE Champion.

Sharon White will be signing autographs at Sentinel Nutrition (Booth #30 in the Sponsor Village) at 3:30pm. At 4pm, find Sharon at the Mrs. Pastures booth on The Hill (#306). Then at 5pm she’ll return to the Sentinel Nutrition booth for more signings!

Are you a Phillip Dutton fan? Get an autograph from the man who’s competed in seven Olympic games. He’ll be at the Cosequin booth for a meet and greet immediately following all cross country.

Why settle for one autograph when you could get four? The Pan Ams team will be signing autographs at the USEF booth. Stop by the booth in the morning for more details.

And of course, we can’t forget the annual Kentucky CSI4* Invitational Grand Prix! Taking place at 6:00 p.m. after the event’s cross-country phase, head to the show jumping arena to watch these show jumpers soar.

Vendors and riders– are you running an event that’s not on this list? Send us an email at [email protected] and we’ll update the article!