Thanks to the Buzzfeed, a new horse racing “game” was brought to my attention. Japan World Cup 3 isn’t a racing game in the usual fashion. You don’t get to actively participate; rather, you bet on a virtual horse race. Well, “horse race” is a loosely used term.   [Hat tip: also seen on Horse Nation]

From Buzzfeed:

Here’s a video by Achievement Hunter, the original discoverers of this insanity. CAUTION: contains some inappropriate language NSFW.  

Dirk Schrade and Hop and Skip sit in third after the first day of dressage at the Europeans.  Shown here at Burghley, photo by Samantha Clark.

Dressage has concluded for the day in Malmö, Sweden for the HSBC FEI European Eventing Championships.  Ingrid Klimke doesn’t seem to miss her former ride, Tabasco TSF (now with Marilyn Little), as she sits atop the leaderboard after dressage today with FRH Escada JS, on a score of 39.4.  Sweden’s own Niklas Lindback and Mister Pooh are currently second (42.0), followed by Dirk Schrade and Hop and Skip (44.2).

Many big names are still left to go tomorrow, including William Fox-Pitt and Chilli Morning, Tina Cook and Miner’s Frolic, Michael Jung and Halunke FBW, and Vittoria Panizzon and Borough Pennyz, among others.  It’s shaping up to be a very competitive weekend.

[Full Results]

Top 10 after Day 1 Dressage:

Jock Paget, photo by Samantha Clark

The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials are just over a week away, and 2013 Badminton champion Jock Paget has been blogging on the Burghley site leading up to the event.  In his most recent entry, he explained how he uses smaller horse trials as schooling situations for a big event like Burghley.  It’s easy to get caught up in the competitive spirit at any horse show, but keeping the end goal in sight sometimes it’s better to sacrifice a lesser event and train your horse.

From Jock Paget, via burghley-horse.co.uk:

I took Clifton Promise to Aston Le Walls and finished 32nd out of 39. I should have gone slower across country and finished last!

I did a lot of slowing him down and speeding him up, slowing him down and speeding him up and adding in extra strides just to make sure he’s good for Land Rover Burghley. He used to hate doing this as he’s a thoroughbred and wants to race but he’s got so used to it now.

All the horses I rode at Aston were ridden this way because very rarely do I go to these type of events to win and more often than not I use them solely for training purposes.

Jock also discussed his own fitness, and how he has cut out the alcohol to get down to his target weight before Burghley.

I’ve been going to the gym three times a week working with a personal trainer on my core strength and stability doing lots with a Swiss ball and lifting weights to strengthen up and improve my balance.

I’ve also just started my Burghley Diet so I am now on non-alcoholic beer! I started the year weighing 82 kilos (180 lbs) but for the big three day events I like to weigh 76 kilos (167 lbs). I just weighed myself ten minutes ago and I’m 74.7  kilos (165 lbs) which means I can have couple of normal beers tonight! I’m finding that it is easier to lose the weight before the big three day events than it used to be and this time I lost the weight very easily. I do it because it’s unnecessary for me to be any heavier and the lighter and fitter I am the better it is for the horse. I feel good and strong at the moment.

[Read full blog]

 

Best of luck to Jock at Burghley!  Can he continue on for the Rolex Grand Slam?  Stay tuned for EN for more from Burghley as the event approaches.

Ella Rak impressed us with her writing ability and fun style so much that she made it to the Final Four of EN’s 2013 Blogger Contest. As with the rest of the finalists, we invited Ella to contribute a weekly piece to the site. Thanks to Ella for writing, and thank you for reading.

Frying Pan Park: a small field of green surrounded by subdivisions.

From Ella:

Land Conservation: Make or Break It

Much of the progress of our sport relates to the land we have to work with; as our land shrinks, so does our sport. We can improve our horses, our riding, and our equipment, but if we don’t have the proper land to use, it is all for nothing. One of Pony Club’s often overlooked goals is to promote land stewardship. I am no old timer grousing about the past, but in my very short stint in the event world I have seen many changes in the land we have to work with, from the sprouting of new events to the fading of old ones, and the constant battle of development. Eventing is a reflection of our past, and embodiment of the present, but if we aren’t careful, the sport could easily fade from our future. Where ever you live in this country, land for horse upkeep and competition is disappearing into a variety of subdivisions, soccer fields and strip malls, limiting your equestrian options greatly. The battle between urban and suburban progress and rural safeguarding runs a very fine line, but to protect our present and our future sport, we need to care for and advocate for our land.

I live in what is considered to many to be the heart of event country in Area 2, but when I look around there isn’t a green space in sight. My neighborhood of suburban wonder used to be a large horse farm; my bus route was an area fox hunted and trail ridden by riders less than a generation ago. Personally, I find it incredibly disheartening that such a major part of our past has all but faded from many areas, and that many places the general public cannot see the value of a cross-country course or polo field over a soccer park.  Our equestrian history spans far beyond recreational, as local farms that housed the men, animals and documents that built this country are forgotten. Our history is in more than just a textbook, it is part of the people and part of the land, so erasing our landscape cuts down more than a few trees.

The first step we have to take is to support the land and organizations we have. When subdivisions are as infectious as strangles, we have to support the local parks and lands even more , with your attendance at events, donations, votes, or even just expressing your appreciation. Whether we like it or not, being an equestrian is a privilege, not a right, and we must remember that. We may not have the land to host long format events most places anymore, but all equestrian sports from the trail riders to the jumper ring are now being threatened. Go out to your local shows, ride your local trails, and sure as heck, make sure your presence and voice is heard. Those town hall meetings you skip to go ride; the local politics that seem pointless; they all add up, and when the votes come in, it does matter. The event community is such a supportive group, we just need to harness the passion we have for our horses into conserving it for our own future and generations to come.

The next step is properly maintaining the lands we currently use. I am not just talking about physical maintenance, but also maintaining working relationships with other local owners and consumers. Many equine facilities must have multiple uses to be viable, and maintaining those relationships is vital for the equestrian community, from a political standpoint as well as financial. If we don’t explain what eventing represents, and it’s relationship to the land, they won’t know what they are missing out on.   But flexibility is the name of the game. If we can design our facilities to accommodate cross country runners, dog shows, 4H, llama shows (etc), we can get supplemental income, exposure, and solidify its place in the community just a little bit more. Taking good care of your facilities can only make it a more attractive commodity for the locals, while giving yourself a more enjoyable space.

Finally, we have to proactively protect the lands of the future. Land owners have the special advantage of controlling much of the future of their property, and we should encourage them to legally protect it for the generations to come. Designating land to stay undeveloped can release a lot of pressure for sale, and can allow an individual to have a community-wide effect. Educating people of all age on land conservation addresses prepares the future stewards of the land, a skill so often overlooked. If we are lucky enough to hold onto it, we need people who know the what, when, why and where of the land.

As you wrap up your event season in the coming months, think about the past, present and future of the event you are attending. Think about what you can do to protect your local venues; think about what your role is in the local community; think about the land you stand on, as the future of eventing depends on it.

Jeanette Brakewell and Chill Out Bob at Burghley 2012.  Photo by Samantha Clark.

The Horse & Hound has a sweet little article about Jeanette Brakewell’s former 4* mount, Chill Out Bob, owned by Hazel Stockdale Wright.  At 17 years old, Chill Out Bob retired from upper level competition with eight four-star completions, and has since partnered up with Hazel’s 16-year-old daughter Charlotte.  Earlier this month, Bob was a big hit at Quorn Hunt Pony Club camp.

From the Horse & Hound:

“At first I was worried he may not adapt to the Pony Club lifestyle, especially as he used to be described as a ‘cross-country machine’,” Charlotte told H&H.

“But Bob was simply a star! He caused quite a stir when the word got round about his past. Friends would come up and admire him and he loved the attention.”

“He was so relaxed throughout the week and loved every second of it,” said Charlotte.

It’s great to see upper level horses kindly showing younger riders the ropes!  Read the full Horse & Hound article here.

Ingrid George sent us a cute photo and story of her student’s horse, Tim, who literally takes on the meaning “Prelim packer.”  Thanks for sharing, Ingrid!

From Ingrid:

This is a photo of my student, Summer Peterson’s, horse Tim- they were helping the US Forest Service pack out a camp in the mountains of Central Utah. Summer has had Tim since he was a baby, and now competes him at Preliminary. They recently finished 3rd at Golden Spike Horse Trials and won at Coconino II HT. They are headed to Texas in September for the American Eventing Championships and then plan on doing their first CCI* at Galway in November.

Eventing Nation reader Jessica Maggard Hart sent us a great story of inspiration for riders everywhere.  Sometimes you just have to put on your “Mean Girl Pants” and get the job done.  Thanks to Jessica for writing, and thank you for reading.  Don’t forget, all reader submissions are eligible for our Omega Alpha reader submission of the month prize package!  If you have something to share, send it to [email protected].

———

Selena and Colombo

Flipping back through the EN archives, I came upon John’s event coverage from Richland Park Horse Trials in 2010.  Richland was a preparatory event for Canada and the United States before the 2010 Alltech World Equestrian Games at the Kentucky Horse Park.  Canadian team members Selena O’Hanlon and Colombo won the CIC3*, and Steph Rhodes-Bosch won the Advanced-B with Port Authority.  Canada would go on to take the team silver medal in eventing at the WEG.  Sadly, the US did not fare as well.

August 29, 2010:  Colombo, Port Authority, and Arthur win at Richland

Team Canada proved that their best can compete with anyone’s best by winning the CIC3* and one advanced division at Richland.  Selena O’Hanlon and Colombo moved up from 3rd after the CIC3* dressage with the only double-double-clear in the CIC3*.  In the Advanced-B division, Canadian EN guest blogger Steph Bosch also finished on her dressage score and moved up from 5th to win.  The question for the fighting Canucks now is who wants to step up as their 3rd and 4th riders?  The next highest placing Canadians were Jessica Phoenix and Expoloring (9th CIC3*), Ian Roberts and Napalm (7th Adv-A), and Diana Burnett and Manny (9th Adv-B).  Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master withdrew from the Advanced B division after the XC but from what I hear, it’s not an issue that will sideline their season.

The Americans only won one division but the US short listers had very consistent performances this weekend and the US fans should be happy with the weekend.   5 US short listers finished in the top 7 of the CIC3*, 3 in the top 3 of the Advanced-A, and 4 in the top 6 of the Advanced-B.  For those of you keeping score home, that’s 12 potential US team horses that finished in the top 16 of their divisions.  The US has the best depth of talent right now that I can remember in recent history.

CIC3* – Selena moves up two places FTW 

1. Selena O’Hanlon and Colombo +0  50.8
2. Boyd Martin and Remington XXV +4  51.6
3. Karen O’Connor and Mandiba +0  53.2
4. Boyd Martin and Neville Bardos +0  53.9

Stephanie Rhodes-Bosch and Port Authority won Advanced -B at Richland Park in 2010.

Non-horsey people say the darnedest things sometimes, don’t they?   And when the “muggles” (as my friend calls them) attempt to speak about horses on Twitter, Leslie Wylie is there to capture it.  Check out Horse Nation for all your random horse-humor needs.

1 Week, 20 Random Horse Tweets from Non-horsey People: Aug. 10-16

by Leslie Wylie

Ella Rak impressed us with her writing ability and fun style so much that she made it to the Final Four of EN’s 2013 Blogger Contest. As with the rest of the finalists, we invited Ella to contribute a weekly piece to the site. Thanks to Ella for writing, and thank you for reading.

From Ella:

As a rising high school senior attempting to finish her college apps before the dreaded return to school, I have been thinking a lot more about numbers lately and how they relate to everything. In the absurd crap shoot they call college admissions, numbers are everything, but does this really make you a “good” student? Of course, this led me to ponder if this same predicament applies to eventing — a game that when you think about it is really a numbers game.

Does a horse that can win an event truly represent the ideal eventing horse? The current scoring system eerily resembles much of what I have seen of college applications — drastically different weighting on each section, changing from level to level and school to school. An event, like college applications, is essentially a really hard equation, and you have to manipulate the variables you can to the best of your ability.

At the lower levels of eventing, dressage has a much more significant weight than the other phases, and a half point can make the difference between first and third — the constants of your equation. Your dressage score is your limit — the lowest score you can get — and once you take that first step, the variables you can change are greatly limited.

I was watching some very large divisions this weekends, and when you have 20-plus horses in a division, it perplexes me as to how the numbers correspond to differences in a horse’s performance. But we aren’t hunters, and every movement you make has a value attached; if you can figure out what those numbers mean and how to change them, you are golden. Your horse comes into the arena with a certain max potential; some horses even with the best riders in the world may never get into the teens, while others may have won the genetic lottery.

Once your constants and initial equation have been established in dressage, show jumping can start to balance it all out. Rails, stops and time can add up in a big equation or division, but a four-point penalty can sometimes be fixable by moving some numbers around in the final phase — an extra kick or pushing for just a little faster phase. Keeping check of your signs — both positive and negative — can change the outcome of the problem, but a half-second mistake can tweak the outcome in the end.

When walking your show jumping course and trying to convert steps to feet, feet to strides, and strides to a riding approach, you are doing a math problem: taking the data given and drawing a conclusion. Every jump is a function you have to solve — adding or subtracting strides, changing arc, angle or velocity. If you solve it right through any of many different methods, you end up with the right answer. This all sets you up for the big reworking of the problem in cross country, and if you can get it right, everything fits into place.

Cross country is the big fish to fry — the factoring of the equation. You mess up your math here and it can be back to the drawing board to re-approach the problem. All your set up in the previous phases — rhythm, straightness, impulsion — come to play multiplied, and snoozing during math class can come back to bite you in the butt. A stop will almost always knock you out of the ribbons, while time can multiply fast. These problems can be cumulative or in one big swoop, but either way you are getting farther from having your equation equal a blue ribbon.

As you run through the fields, you are striving to make it within time, to not add numbers, all the while balancing the two to maximize your potential. When you cross that finish line, you’ve submitted your final answer, and all variables have been eliminated, leaving only the work you produced with a number attached. With the right variables, the right working and a little bit of luck, the equation will work out in your favor, but sometimes even your best performances — and the most brilliant mathematicians — can’t make up for variables out of your control.

So as you load up the trailer on the way to your next event, think about the monster you are about to face. All your practice is about to add up, to solve where the pair fits in, hopefully with the answer you desire (and now you understand why I have been accused of over thinking my riding …). Bring your calculator and thinking hat along, because all that said, eventing can be like some rational functions — the limits don’t exist.

Tory Burch and Emily Williams. Thanks to ivegotyourpicture.com for the photo!

It was a beautiful evening in Lexington, Ky., Saturday night for the 2013 USHJA Hunter Derby Finals at the Kentucky Horse Park. The top 30 competitors from the Classic round, which was held on Friday, competed for top prize money in the Tier I division, and nine additional others faced off in Tier II, which is restricted to riders not on the top 20 list for lifetime money earned.

The final round was the handy round — a course designed to show off the horse’s handiness in the hunt field. The jumps were natural-looking, including a simulated stacked-log fence and a four-board plank vertical. Riders had to trot a small log about beginner novice-sized. There were four high option fences, where riders could choose between a low side at about 3’9″ or the high side at about 4’3″. Each high option would add one point to the total score. Riders were also awarded a subjective handy score, up to 10 points, for using tight inside turns and maintaining a good gallop.

My handy award of the night goes to Kelley Farmer and On Q, who attempted a very daring rollback turn from the trot jump to a massive high-option oxer. Unfortunately it didn’t work —  the horse knocked the oxer pretty badly — but I still admire her guts to give it a try. No one else did the entire night.

Compared to last year, I thought this year’s course was a bit soft and boring. The results won’t show that, though — there were plenty of low scores, as many horses knocked a rail, which is pretty much a “no score” in the hunter world. The final fence on the course, where most riders chose the high option, was a very large, wide oxer off a shallow bending turn. Many riders ended up at the fence on an angle, making it wider, with a very weak canter. Lopey canter + big wide angled oxer = rail down. Those riders who sat down a bit and RODE at it had a clean jump over it.

Other than the big, wide oxers, this course lacked the ability to showcase a horse well. Last year’s course had several daring inside turn options and a nice long gallop to the last fence where riders could really open their horses up. This year’s inside turns were really just “plain” turns for any normal show jumping round; it wasn’t really all that handy, from a spectator’s perspective. And you want to see opportunities for the horse to explode off the ground and give a really nice jump, not flail in the air over an oxer after yet another weak distance. Riders didn’t really take chances on the course — outside of Kelley Farmer and On Q — mostly because a clean, conservative round was good enough to overcome others’ mistakes.

Overnight leader Scott Stewart and Garfield had a disappointing round to end the evening; the horse swam through the two-stride in-and-out, causing the whole audience to gasp. Liza Boyd and Brunello had a very nice round to take the win; their ride was clean, and the horse showed good scope in the first part of the course. I also really enjoyed Argentum’s round, ridden by Kelsie Brittan;  the gray horse used his knees well and tried hard for his junior rider. The pair ended up third overall in Tier I and won the Tier II championship.

http://youtu.be/wzfGmWWlPzA
Liza Boyd and Brunello’s winning round

Many thanks to ivegotyourpicture.com for the wonderful photos!

Tonight is the final round of the 2013 USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals.  Yesterday was the “Classic” round, and the top 30 advance to tonight’s Tier I Handy Round at 8:30pm ET.  It will be broadcast live on USEFNetwork.com.  Those just outside the top 30 will make up Tier II, also competing for a bit of prize money; their division begins at 6:30pm.  For more on the Hunter Derby Finals and the tier structure, click here.

[Order of Go, Course Maps, & Results]

Read the Chronicle of the Horse’s Classic Round recap.

Scott Stewart and Garfield have the lead after the Classic round; will they be able to pull off the win tonight in the Handy?  Here is video of their round yesterday:

Hunter Derbies are more fun to watch than traditional American show hunter rounds: the obstacles actually resemble real challenges one might see on cross-country or out hunting.  The horses are generally ridden with a bit more pace and are encouraged to show brilliance.  I attended the Derby Finals last year– read the write-up here— and I look forward to attending again tonight.  Check back tomorrow for results and commentary from this year’s competition.

Last year’s video:

Andrew Hoy and Cheeky Calimbo, currently 2nd in the Haras du Pin CCI2*. Shown here at Bramham 2012, photo by Samantha Clark.

Cross-country has completed at Haras du Pin CCI2*, which is running this weekend as the test event for the 2014 WEG  in Normandy, France.  The course appears to have been fairly straightforward, as only five riders picked up a stop, one elimination (Ronald Zabala and Wise Equestrian Master Rose).  Thirty-eight riders were clear, most within the time or less than 10 time penalties.  The top 3 remain unchanged, with Vittoria Panizzon and Merlot’s Magic still in the lead (41.6), ahead of Andrew Hoy and Cheeky Calimbo (42.1) and Chris Burton with Graf Liberty (44.1).

American Liz Halliday had 2.8 time and moved down from 13th to 15th with HHS Cooley.  Canadian Lindsay Traisnel had 10.4 time with Candar Van Het Neerve, moving from 10th to 25th.  Jessica Phoenix and A Little Romance were double clear to move up from 36th after dressage to 27th after cross-country.

[Results]

Haras du Pin CCI2* Top 10 after XC:

After recovering from her injury sustained at Chatt Hills earlier this year, Sinead Halpin is back in her groove with Manoir de Carneville.  Check out this video of Sinead and Tate at the August Training Sessions with David O’Connor, plus bonus footage of their beautiful show jumping round in the Advanced division at Chatt Hills (shortly before her fall on her young horse in a lower division).  Thanks to Sinead for sending us the video link,  it’s great to see the two of them back in action!

Vittoria Panizzon and Merlot’s Magic lead the Haras du Pin CCI2*.  Shown here at Gatcombe, photo by Samantha Clark.

This weekend is the test event for the 2014 WEG in Normandy, France: the Haras du Pin CCI2*.  Vittoria Panizzon leads on Merlot’s Magic (41.6), barely ahead of Andrew Hoy and Cheeky Calimbo (42.1).  Fellow Australian superstar Chris Burton is third on Graf Liberty (44.1).  North America is represented by Canadians Jessica Phoenix (A Little Romance) and Lindsay Traisnel (Candar Van Het Neerveld), along with the lone American Elisabeth Halliday (HHS Cooley).

Lindsay had a nice test to earn a 48.5, good enough for 10th going into cross-country.  Liz sits just behind in 13th on a 51.2, and Jessica is 38th on 59.3.  Best of luck to them the rest of the weekend!

[Results]

The Horse & Hound has a write-up of the Hunt Chase at the Dublin Horse Show.  Eight Irish hunts competed in the Round-Robin style event, which incorporated natural obstacles in the main arena. Each team included 1 member of hunt staff, 1 lady rider, a rider over the age of 35 and a male rider over 175lbs. A hunting horn was used as a hand-off baton.  It’s kind of like Pony Club mounted games meets Indoor Eventing…but with foxhunters, you know it will be fun, wild, and crazy.  Congratulations to the winning Killinick Harriers team (nearside on the video below) of John Roche, Benny Walsh, Kieran Walsh and Joe Codd.

 Read more at The Horse & Hound.

Karen O'Connor and Mr. Medicott show jumping at Rolex 2012. Photo by Samantha Clark.

The Chronicle of the Horse had a lovely update on Karen O’Connor yesterday.  Since her accident at Morven last year, Karen hasn’t ruled out a return to eventing, but she is also considering competing in the jumper ring.

From COTH:

In partnership with her mother, Joanne Lende, O’Connor recently purchased Correndo, a 6-year-old Holsteiner stallion (Corrado I—Ondra IV, Contender) that Marilyn Little will campaign in the show jumping ring.

Little found the gray in Europe, where he’d shown to the 1.30-meter level.

“She found him and really loved him from the first jump,” said O’Connor, The Plains, Va. “She offered him to us as a horse [for her] to produce as a jumper. It’s a really fun thing for us to do, and we’re very excited about it. He’s got huge scope with a great style in his jumping. He’s easy to work with and easy to be around—a great personality.”

O’Connor is also on the hunt for a show jumper of her own.

Click here to read the full article, written by Lindsay Berreth.

Our favorite Burghley TV has finished the preview of the 2013 cross-country course: 31 fences, 45 jumping efforts and a provisional distance of 6430m, with the winner taking home £60,000 (over $115,000).

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2013 XC Fence Guide

Full animated course map