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AJ Dyer
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AJ Dyer

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About AJ Dyer

Visionaire is one of the foundation writers of Eventing Nation from the very early days in 2010. She has ridden up to Advanced level and spent six years as head groom for Dorothy Crowell. After a few years in the Thoroughbred industry, she now spends her time writing for EN, riding a few nice OTTBs, and working with her husband's hay business, A.T. Acres Farm.

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Video break: more French eventing

By on May 16, 2012 3:07 pm -

Thanks to EN reader Gautier Beaudoin for sending us videos of eventing in France.  How neat is it to spectate from the stands at a racecourse?

From Gautier:

This video was at the French championship about month ago at Pompadour.

Donatien was 6th last year at the European Championship and second with the French team.

On this video he rides Ocarina du Chanois, the horse he would take for the Olympics Games this summer.
Best regards and GO EVENTING.

 

Our friends at Uptown Eventing have posted photos from the jog at Saumur CCI*** going on this weekend.  Click here to view.

Peter Atkins Clinic Report

By on May 16, 2012 11:42 am -

Peter Atkins has been in England, but returned home to the States for a clinic at Champagne Run in Lexington, KY.  His broken leg and hobbling on crutches doesn’t seem to slow him down!  Amy Grayson was able to attend the clinic and was generous enough to send us this clinic report.  Many thanks to Amy for writing, and thanks as always for reading.

———————————–
From Amy:
It was about 4 am on a Friday morning. I still had an hour to sleep and still be able to make my first lesson time but the excitement got the best of me so I got an early start since there was no way I was falling back to sleep anyways. I finished packing the truck, loaded Steady Smiler and we were on our way to Frankfort, KY for a flat lesson with Dorothy Crowell. I had been given the IEA (Indiana Eventing Association) scholarship and with it I decided to participate in a 2-day Peter Atkins clinic in Lexington, KY at Champagne Run Farm. Knowing I was going to be so close to Dorothy I could not pass up an opportunity to lesson with her also. The drive down to Frankfort was a bit more exciting than I would have liked with detours, windy country one lane roads and coming face to face with a cement truck around one of those windy one lane bends. But we made it safe, sound and ready to learn! Thankfully since I got on the road earlier than expected, even with all the detours I still made it with time to spare. Dorothy was gracious enough to let me come and participate in a lesson she was finishing up.

Getting ready to go at Dorothy Crowell’s farm.

 

When it was our time to start in true Dorothy fashion she immediately picked up on our weaknesses and we started right to work. She really takes as much time as needed to work through an issue and if something doesn’t work then she quickly gave me another option. She really has a knack for the OTTB’s and since Steady is as OTTB as they come, having raced 8 years, she is knows what works for these guys. Though I swear the few times I have had the opportunity to ride with Dorothy I always feel like she has me doing contortions on horse back, like some equine Cirque Du Soleil. But it is amazing when she finally got me to have my body in balance over my horse how freely and happily he moved underneath me. I walked away from the lesson with a huge amount of information and much to work on when we got home. Stop one, HUGE success. Then it was back on the road and heading to Lexington.

If you have ever been to Lexington then you know how driving down the country roads feels like you are driving through some sort of horse lovers heaven. The acres and acres of lush green pastures all framed in by black board fencing with beautiful barns scattered about. My GPS tells me we have arrived at our destination and I think to myself, “is this REALLY where I get to ride?” The facility was breath taking. From the barns to the beautiful rolling pastures. Then you step out back with a panoramic view of the cross country course. And as any sensible, mature, 31 year old woman would do I look at my horse nearly bouncing up and down and in a ridiculously giddy voice I say, “Oh my gosh, Oh my gosh, Oh my gosh we get to play out there, yeeeeeeeee!!!” Don’t worry, no one was around to see this display, I hope.

Driving into Champagne Run farm
 

 

 

A partial view of some to the XC jumps at Champagne Run Farm
 

We were the first ones to arrive from out of town and we took a walk, unpacked, got settled in to our new “home” for the next couple days. All the out of town riders had a little barn all to ourselves complete with beautiful pine stalls and even our own wash rack. I decided to make use of the wash rack so that my horse didn’t look as much like the back yard farm animal he really is. Then others started to arrive. I think half of the reason I fell in love with eventing is the people that are involved in this sport. It doesn’t matter where you came from, what kind of horse you ride or how fancy (or in my case not fancy) your equipment is you all seem to become instant friends bonding over horses, training issues and successes. Dinner with friends, tack store stop and a beer run later I was all tucked in. All tuckered out with a full belly, happy heart and visions of jumps and hearing Peter telling me to “look up, kick up, stand up!” running through my head.

The next morning bright and early to feed, get ready and hack out Steady to find out what horse he would decide to be that day. He seemed calm enough(calm for this horse means that he isn’t acting like he is running in the Kentucky Derby) and we were ready to go. Our first days lesson would be grids with Peter. With Peter’s recent injuries I wondered if it would slow him down any. I should have known better. By 8:30 am he already on his crutches with a whip in hand going around and threatening to whip unsuspecting riders if they laid on their horses neck over a jump. YUP that is the Peter we all know and love!

 

It would take more than a broken leg to slow Peter down! Another rider in the clinic.
 

Showing Henry some love, sporting my “Run Henny Run!” shirt

In our lesson I found my horse became a bit more excited when he realized he got to canter around with other horses. We started out with some wild, crooked racing around right off the bat but with some coaching from Peter to “post to the canter, set the rhythm and sit UP” it wasn’t long before we were going around in a lovely dressage quality canter that Peter wanted. In a way that only Peter can do, he asks each rider question after question partly for us to know the answer but mostly to get us thinking for ourselves and analyzing every single moment we are on our horses. I will give you a tip about riding with Peter, no matter how dumb an answer he doesn’t care as long as you NEVER say ‘I don’t know’. We started out with Peter’s puzzle of poles that we let the horses slowly and calmly work their way through. Then, one by one started to add in jumps. We ended the lesson on a great note and I was more than pleased with the progress made.

 

That is the canter that Peter wanted.
 

Steady Smiler and I figuring out the ‘puzzle of poles’

That night was a potluck dinner at the the owner’s home. I have never been to a ‘potluck’ that there was shrimp and prime rib, oh my was it good! That evening the rain started and of course in the back of every one’s mind was, what did this mean for cross country day? Well it didn’t stop. It continued through the night and never even quit once through out the day Sunday.

The plans changed and Sunday we spent the day in the indoor starting with grids then moving to some show jumping work. Though of course I would never turn down any opportunity to school cross country but if I am being honest the area that we (we as in I) need the most work is in show jumping. So really it was exactly what we needed. This was by far my most exciting lesson! I was with another lovely lady and her warmblood x TB. We were both at right about the same level and Peter spent the next hour and 15 minutes raising jumps and challenging us until he found a challenge for both of us. Jumping on a diagonal! Something neither of us had ever done and I know Steady had never done either. It was a bit of an optical illusion on the approach. I don’t know why but having jumped jumps straight on for so many years then coming up on a large oxer and jumping it at a diagonal was a bit mind boggling but thankfully I have a horse that when asked and ridden in even a partially straight line he will jump anything. It was pretty awesome to learn something so new and exciting. We did a three jump angled line and he put us through a small course of finding our angle and seeing our lines to the next jump. This is by far the most technical we have ever been able to get as of yet in our training and it was so totally FUN!!!

With the conclusion of our lesson this meant our time in Lexington was over and it was time to pack up in the still steady rain but that didn’t dampen my spirits one bit. I was on cloud nine and that is where I stayed for the long drive home all the way up until I got home hit the couch and crashed. I came home to my family, husband and 3 little girls having cleaned the house, cared for the animals, dinner on the table and cards, flowers and Mother’s Day hugs. I tell you this is one Mother’s Day I will never forget. Thanks IEA for making this all possible!!!

 

Thanks,
Amy Grayson

Colleen Rutledge: Enough Already!

By on May 16, 2012 8:55 am -
 The difficulties continue across the pond for the once-Badminton-bound Colleen Rutledge and Shiraz.  Today Colleen checks in to catch us up on the last few weeks– guess what, it’s still raining!– and tell us what it’s like to watch a British horse trial, as she attempts to re-route to Luhmuhlen CCI****.  Be sure to check out Colleen’s website to support their trip in England and, as always, thanks for writing this Colleen and thanks to her husband Brian for helping to coordinate her blogs.
Colleen and Shiraz at The Fork CIC***, photo by Samantha
News flash. It’s still raining. Every. Day. More. £¥&$@?!. Rain. I ran into Samantha Clark over the weekend at Aston-le-Walls and even though there is sunshine in her video interview, don’t believe it. Notice I’m squinting and look as if I am a drowned rat, that’s because the sun never shines over here. EVER. Ok, well it does a little, but not much. I’m fairly certain that everyone blames me for the wettest drought on record. Still, after being here for over a month, I can still count on one hand the days I HAVEN’T gotten drenched while riding. Today was more solid rain (hail)! The weekend was quite tolerable, in fact Sunday was beautiful…..until I rode, and then it rained. My first experience with an affiliated (recognized) event was Ann and Nigel Taylor’s Aston-le-Walls Event. Originally, there was to have been 5 affiliated days running with up to 350 rides PER day, and then an unaffiliated day on Sunday (with the same amount of rides, do the math, it’s STAGGERING!). After the crapola kept falling from the sky, they canceled the first four days, but opened up Monday. Monday filled in just over 12 hours, and most of that was night. With everything around getting canceled, there was a panic about getting runs in and the drying effect of no rain and bright sun for a few moments made the ground almost perfect. The course was fantastic, I really should have taken Luke for a run but snooze and lose.
Very rarely do I just get the chance to go watch, and this time I got to watch some of the best riders ride! This event runs on a very tight schedule, dressage, then SJ, then XC. Starters on XC for the intermediate level were coming out of the box on 90 second intervals, and it was fantastic to watch this highly oiled machine work. Everyone gets where they need to be and there is no waiting around, they just keep feeding you through. When I left after 6 yesterday, they were still running the novice (our Prelim) division. There were 7 divisions of intermediate, and one of the novice. Each division had about 50 people in it. I was utterly awestruck with the sheer number of rides and the ease at which everything flowed. This was true for both affiliated and unaffiliated.
As to my disappearance off the blogosphere for the last 2 weeks, one was a week of entertaining the family for the “Badminton that wasn’t” and then a week of mentally recovering from our adventures. We went and did all of the touristy things that none of you coming to the Olympics will ever get to do, as you will never make it out of Heathrow (muahhhhaahahaha, nenner, nenner, nenner) and if you do, you’ll never get through London gridlock. It is the most impressive thing I’ve ever see, and I live between the beltways. First off, the bus drivers are OUTRAGEOUS, they can get those double deckers into and out of places that I couldn’t get a mini through. Secondly, the bus tours are TOTALLY worth it, especially either in the front row, or in the open top. My favorite in London though was the Tower of London. I really like museums and learning about historical subjects. This was such a treat, plus, I got to see the crown jewels. (I really like sparkly things like that. That is bling that I could live with). I didn’t get a chance to go on the nighttime walk of Jack the Ripper, nor did we get to to the London dungeon.  Call me crazy, but generally these most likely would have been inadvisable to take a squeamish 10 year old and a very imaginative 4 year old on, as neither one needs to learn how to torture or dismember anyone. They’ll eventually get it on their own, I’m sure (afraid).
Then we went to Stonehenge and White horse hill. Stonehenge was neat, don’t get me wrong, it was amazing. But I loved white horse hill, not only from the subject but because I had wanted to see it for years, and never thought I’d get the chance. We were driving back from Stonehenge, and I saw a sign for it so I turned. No one had a clue where I was going, so we took multiple country roads through a bunch of little towns and then ended up a the base of a huge hill. Look up some pictures, it’s abstract but really neat! Plus the scenery there was breathtaking. We did a fair amount of castle hopping, the closest one being Broughton Castle which was just outside of Banbury. A number of movies have been filmed there, like Three Men and a Little Lady as well as Shakespeare in Love. The more I’m here, the more I love the history you see around every corner.
On the Luke front, I’ve managed to not get bucked off while letting the dragon down (he’s been a little miffed that there has not been a XC course in front of him, and he swears he could smell jumps on me yesterday). Soon I begin preparing to begin to pick him back up slowly for our preparation for Luhmuhlen. Next week, I fly home for Virginia, and then return to the beast. He has another week of long (very, very, very looooonnnnngggg hacking) and some ring work, and then back into full work. He will gallop later this week to judge where that fitness is so I can set our gallop schedule. It’s the middle of May, we are now one month out from kickoff. Reset timers, game on.
–C

SmartPak Power Ranking: Olympics Edition

By on May 15, 2012 1:52 pm -

 

Well, the two big US spring 3-days are over, and we’ve learned a lot about our high-performance athletes as they all look ahead to the Olympics.  It’s now officially time to start chattering and predicting about who will actually make up our Team heading to London.  Of course, a lot can happen between now and then — but let’s go with what we know so far.

 

As we’ve dissected before, a number of horses and riders had good outings at Rolex– read all about it here.  Olympic dreams got a lot brighter for Arthur/Allison, Mr. Medicott/Karen, Twizzel/Will Coleman, Otis/Boyd, and Marilyn Little Meredith.  They all put in fantastic performances in all three phases, and have a legitimate shot for Team consideration.  Peter Barry and Kilrodan Abbott improved their chances for the Canadian Team with an 11th place finish.  [Rolex Results]

 

With Jersey finishing up last weekend, we gained a little more insight into other potential candidates, and concluded that if nothing else, Mystery Whisper is truly the real deal.  Michael Pollard made a good case for himself with Jude’s Law, as did Will Faudree with Pawlow, and Buck proved the collarbone is no issue with Ballynoe Castle RM.  Neville dipped his toes back in the FEI pool with a little dressage and show jumping romp, while Sinead and Manoir de Carneville proved that they’re coming along just fine with a 2nd place finish in the CIC***.  [Jersey Results]

 

The Canadians had a competitive weekend at Jersey as well, with four 2010 WEG team members looking the part.  Selena and Columbo finished 3rd in the CCI***, Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master won the CIC***, followed by Hawley/Gin N Juice (5th) and Jessica/Exponential (6th).  The Canadians may not have a very deep list of candidates, but their top combinations are pretty strong.   [Note: please let me know if I should add anyone to the Canadian poll… I admit to being less-than-informed on Canadian choices!]

 

So… who would be your team so far?  We’ll let you select your top 6, to allow for your choice of an alternate (so you may select Boyd or Phillip twice, if you like).

 

Maute House Magic with Robin Walker

By on May 14, 2012 9:29 am -

EN would like to thank Colleen Hofstetter for sending us this fantastic profile of Michigan’s own Robin Walker.  Robin is a staple of Area VIII eventing and I’m sure we’ve all seen him around at some point or another on one of his many horses.  However, I didn’t know too much about him until I read this piece.  Many thanks to Colleen for taking the time to write this, and thanks as always for reading. 

 

Rebekah Simmons with Robin Walker

 

 

Maute House Magic with Robin Walker

by Colleen Hofstetter

 

Robin Walker needs little introduction to US eventing fans – especially if you live in Area VIII, or winter in Florida, or travel the mid-Atlantic and east coast, or stalk the results pages of horse trials! But if you are new to eventing and need an update, Robin can best be described as rider, trainer, teacher, clinician, competitor, breeder, and ICP Level 4 instructor, if not one of the founding forces of the ICP movement.

 

Robin is one of the better known fixtures of Area VIII and is based at his Maute House Farm (pronounced “Maud-ie”) in Grass Lakes MI. Maute House Farm has been the home of Robin and Connie Walker since 1998 when they purchased it from the estate of the original Maute family.  Originally settled over 100 years ago by German immigrants, Robin stated that he and his wife feel honored to be a part of the Maute Farm history and continue to display the original family plaque on the door of one of the outbuildings. Robin’s deep appreciation of the land and of quality horses is obvious when speaking with him; he grew up in England riding and training horses. He eventually moved to the United States and recently became a US citizen! Congratulations Robin!

 

The Western PA Eventing Association was fortunate to have Robin come to the area recently to work with a number of riders from many backgrounds.  Eventers , jumpers, and hunter riders spent two great days at the lovely Stonehouse Farm in Mars PA working with Robin. Stonehouse Farm is a beautiful 60 acre facility owned by Joan Simmons, and both Joan and her daughter Rebekah Simmons train numerous riders in several disciplines, including eventing, H/J, and dressage.  Joan is also an ICP Level 2 instructor and Rebekah has successfully competed through the Intermediate level.  To say that a great day was had by all is an understatement – beautiful weather, new arena footing, and fun cross country fences – not to mention a delicious lunch – contributed to a relaxing and educational atmosphere.

 

I was able to steal a few minutes of Robin’s time to ask him all my awe struck questions: in awe – yes! Robin had just returned from Ocala where he and 32 of his horses had been wintering – just the logistics of keeping 32 horses going is mind boggling, especially since they were stabled at HITS, the Florida mecca of continual horse activity. Being directly on the HITS grounds has many advantages, Robin explained. They rent a private jump field which he shares with two other trainers, there is ample opportunity to get ring time by entering H/J classes, a daily groomed track is available for the fast work, cross country schooling opportunities are right around the bend, and travel time to local events is about 30 minutes. Robin’s program has obviously paid off, as he finished up the spring season winning the April 2012 Ocala Horse Properties CCI* on the beautiful mare Someday Never Comes as well as taking first place in the OI division on Florenz, an Oldenburg mare on whom he won the CCI* in KY last year. It seems Robin has a way with the ladies! As with all horses, both of these horses are different. Someday Never Comes is an innately bold and self-assured horse while Robin describes Florenz as being “fragile, not straight forward, but difficult would be too strong a word, Florenz likes to be sure of things,” Robin commented.  “She’s not like some of the Irish horses -they may be green, but the answer is always yes,” Robin stated . Such a horse is his mare Someday Never Comes – bold and forward – always looking for the next job. But Florenz likes to take things slow and steady, which is why Robin emphasizes clarity in all his work with his horses. “Make sure the horse understands how to answer the question, then build from there.”

 

Robin Walker and Florenz win the CCI* at 2011 Midsouth Team Challenge, photo by Samantha Clark

That sentiment was echoed throughout the clinic weekend. Robin consistently urged the riders to be clear, direct, and immediate in their reactions to the horse. “Why wait until the horse has made the same mistake 4 or 5 times?” he asked one rider.  “You’re asking the horse to do a job, but you’re not doing yours.” Another goal in working with riders is to get riders to think on their own. Robin stated “I am not here to listen to the sound of my own voice! Once the bell rings you are on your own.” I also asked Robin how he prepares for a clinic, to which he replied that he does not have any “pat” exercises that he uses. He likes to set up exercises based on what he sees of the participants during warm up time. He repeatedly reminded his riders that there are “no dumb questions” and to “show me your worst” thereby getting a sense of where to start with each rider. Robin, a very soft spoken English gent, was easy to speak with, very witty with that understated British humor, and very receptive to discussion throughout the clinic.

 

Jumper rider and trainer Annette Danehy of Double Springs Farm in Saxonburg PA rode with Robin to gain experience with some of the cross country exercises. With the increased inclusion of ditches and banks in the jumper ring, she felt a clinic with an event trainer would give her horse some exposure to new concepts. “I wanted to ride in a group with instruction so that my horse could be with other horses – he watched everything closely and then did what was asked!” she stated. Annette also stated that riding with Robin was very empowering as he didn’t spoon feed everyone and that he worked for each person individually – each exercise was dependent on what the horse needed.  Event rider and trainer Rebekah Simmons rode several horses and used the clinic to bring along her young horse Glenlivet and to gauge current training levels for her Intermediate campaigner Coltrane. Rebekah also agreed that Robin’s work with her over the weekend gave her that extra little “something” that allows us to push a bit harder and add the next degree. She is currently making plans to spend some concentrated time at Maute House Farm this summer to keep her horses fresh during a busy competition season.

 

When not teaching, training, and competing, Robin works closely with Area VIII organizers to keep the horse scene in MI growing and expanding. Robin has a close connection to the Richland Park Horse Trials, one of Area VIII’s premier venues, and next to Rolex probably draws more people than any other event in the Area. He met with owners Bob & Kay Willmarth early on to help plan the venue and Shepard along the project. Robin was also able to make an important connection for the Willmarth’s when he introduced them to the eminent course designer Mike Etherington-Smith, who designed the original courses at Richland Park. Robin attributes the success of the venue to the top notch efforts that the Willmarth’s have put into it; additionally, Bob and Kay continue to make improvements every year to ensure the safety of the horses and convenience for the competitors. Near to Robin is another venue, Hunter’s Run, and there is also an H/J circuit. Robin stated that access to a variety of places to go and things to do with your horse makes his program “value based”. He feels that the horses and riders remain fresh and happy when there is a wide variety of activities in which to participate; it also helps to make sense of the costs associated with owning horses when riders and owners can participate in the many fun aspects of owning horses.

 

Speaking of horses and owners, we chatted briefly about the emerging concept of horse syndication. Currently Robin does not have any syndicated horses. He stated that he feels fortunate to be working with the owners of the horses he currently has and he stressed that the owners are involved in all aspects of their horse’s training and competition schedule. Robin’s plans for the future include continued development of his horses – some of whom may stay at their present levels and some who will soon be moving up. A particular goal is to have some of his horses at the 4* star level either back in the home land of England at Burghley or Badminton or here in the US at Rolex.

 

Robin is also continually looking for a way to include a spring 2* in the Area VIII calendar, a necessary opportunity for the area that is currently not available. Like many eventing enthusiasts Robin is also keenly aware that the upcoming change in team coaching will be an interesting endeavor and is confident that the program will continue to evolve. However the national and international scene shapes up, Robin is happy to continue to develop his successful equestrian program. He thinks that the original Maute homesteaders would be fascinated by all the activity and joy surrounding the piece of land they journeyed so far to settle and bring to life! The current owners of Maute Farm, Robin and his wife Connie, are certainly reaping the benefits of hard work, knowledge, and dedication!

A letter to fellow mothers from EN reader Wendy Schmitt

By on May 14, 2012 9:14 am -

It’s the day after Mother’s Day, so what better time to publish this awesome letter of encouragement to all of the moms out there from Wendy Schmitt.  Thanks for sending this to us Wendy, and thank you for reading.  Happy day after Mother’s Day to all Moms!

 

Wendy on CMA OTTB Rocket and her six year old daughter, Ryder, on Buck Fitty.

 

From Wendy:

Background info:  I am a 44 year old dental hygienist living in Winston Salem, NC.  My husband and I have a 6 year old daughter, Ryder, and live on a small twenty acre farm that the bank is kindly letting us make monthly mortgage payments on.  We have six horses, eight cats, two dogs, a rabbit, and a goldfish.  Our daughter is finishing up her kindergarten year of elementary school.  She and her pony Bucky just did their first English Walk Only class at a local horse show last weekend.  Such a proud moment for the Mommy!  In the end, it really is so worth the struggle!!

Hello fellow ENer’s:

I know this is not really directly related to eventing sport, but I wanted to submit it to write in the hopes that it will help some other Mommy out there who struggles with the desire to ride and have horses, and the guilt that we often feel for taking some time for ourselves…

On this Mother’s Day weekend I just wanted to take a moment to give some encouragement to all the Mommy’s out there.  I often tell my friends that Marriage and Motherhood are like a life jail sentence – with no chance of parole.  There are some dark days when I just absolutely feel like throwing in the towel.  It is a struggle just to maintain.  I can’t seem to keep up with my career, housework, husband, childcare, farm work, horse chores, etc. (Why yes, I believe that is violin music you hear playing in the background).  Sometimes the struggle seems overwhelming.  And taking time out of a day to actually ride a horse?  Really?  Is that what those four legged things are for?  Wow – who knew!  And actually competing/showing a horse?  Who wants to feel the guilt of being “selfish” and taking time and resources away from your child/children?  I always say “Well maybe I’ll show again when my daughter gets older, when I have more time and/or money”, knowing full well that day will never come.

That way of thinking is stopping now.  It really is permissible to have a time out from motherhood – to make yourself happy doing something you love.  It makes you a better wife, mother, worker, and human being.  My wish this Mother’s Day is for every Mommy out there who’s been putting off riding their horse to saddle up.  Get on your horse and just revel in it – knowing and believing that you are so fortunate to be a rider AND a Mommy!  So go – pursue selfishness and Go Eventing!!

Wendy Schmitt

MCTA video: Advanced water on XC

By on May 11, 2012 2:47 pm -

Many thanks to kjchadderton for sending us this video of her riding very positively through the Advanced water at MCTA HT last weekend.  And we’d also like to give a shout out to the lady with the big hair and blue-tinted glasses seen at the end…you go, girl.

Tack of the Day Contest Finalists

By on May 10, 2012 10:47 am -

It was a while back, before Rolex, when the Tack of the Day contest started– it got a bit overshadowed by Rolex Contest Marathon week, but we’re finally here to announce the candidates up for voting.  Tack of the Day challenged our entries to come up with a horse-related “TOTD Funny,” something that can be used as one of their daily comics featured along with the day’s main item.  The winner of the contest receives a $250 gift certificate for Tack of the Day products— a super prize for any TOTD enthusiast!

 

And now, the top three finalists for your voting consideration:

 1.  Marta

 

 

2. Kate

 

 

3.  Sarah

 

 

 

 

Voting ends Saturday, 5/12 at midnight EST.

Revisiting Rolex and its US Olympic Implications

By on May 9, 2012 11:21 am -

 

Leading up to Rolex, I wrote a long post containing many hours of research examining every US entry in the field that had declared themselves for Olympic contention.  Let’s revisit that subject and see how those riders fared at Rolex.  We’ll mostly focus on riders who had a positive weekend.

 

Improved Their London Chances

Most of the horses and riders in the “Needs A Good Outing” category did just that, with the exception of Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen.

Karen O’Connor and Mr. Medicott— This pair did better than my expected Top-15 finish, instead placing 4th.  They were 4th after dressage, had a great cross-country round (a few time penalties, but nothing to be too concerned), and put the “show” in show-jumping with a beautiful clear round under immense pressure on Sunday.  This pair has indeed formed a partnership and with Karen’s experience, they are solidly on the London short list thus far.

 

Boyd Martin and Otis Barbotiere/Remington XXV— Otis stepped up to the world stage at Rolex and dominated.  Any questions about his inexperience were answered by finishing third on his dressage score.  You can’t ask for more than that at a horse’s first four-star!  He’s a horse full of flash and expression, and won’t be in Neville’s shadow too much longer.  Remington was Remington– a solid, workmanlike performance from a veteran campaigner.  He led the dressage after Thursday, went clean on cross-country with his standard time penalties (he tried to go fast, he really did, but that gear just isn’t there).  One rail down in show jumping left him to finish in 8th; not a bad horse to have for team consideration, if only he weren’t stablemates with Neville and Otis!

 

Allison Springer and Arthur — Well, they didn’t quite win; but finishing second to William Fox-Pitt on his Burghley winner Parklane Hawk by less than two points is a pretty darn good showing.  I said she’d have to finish in the top five; some commenters said she’d have to win to overcome her rocky history.  Well, she came pretty close and I think the pair impressed a lot of people Rolex weekend.  They may have been off the team radar going in to the week, but Arthur was asked to stick around Monday for the team vet inspection.  I’m sure there are still doubts about Allison and Arthur heading overseas…but they did what they needed to do at Rolex and that’s all you can hope for.

 

Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice/Fernhill Eagle— As expected, Phillip was his usual stellar self and his wonderful horses had a workmanlike weekend to finish tenth and twelfth, respectively.  Mighty Nice had a good outing for his first four star, going double clear on cross-country.  He may still be just a bit green for London, but a top-10 placing is solid.  Fernhill Eagle just missed the xc time, but was close enough with just 0.8 penalties.  Both horses scored just below 60 in dressage– I expect Phillip to improve that a bit– and each had two rails in show jumping.  Neither had a medal-winning performance, but they didn’t have to; they remain solid team candidates behind Mystery Whisper and would be useful in London (if needed) with Phillip in the saddle.

 

Will Coleman and Twizzel — Everything came together for this pair at Rolex.  They finished 5th on their dressage score (a respectable 51.3) with two super jumping rounds.  At 15, Twizzel is a bit older than some other US candidates, and will have to keep an eye on his soundness, but he looked great at Rolex.  They improved their chances of making the team, and should be in the mix as the season goes on.

 

Marilyn Little Meredith and RF Demeter/Rovano Rex — Demeter looked the better of the two in dressage, scoring well to earn a 49.0, while Rex was a bit lower in the 50s.  Marilyn stormed home on cross-country with both horses, posting two clear rounds over a difficult course that caused quite a bit of trouble.  She earned her spurs on xc day.  Rovano Rex was not presented to the jog on Sunday, so that may be a bit of a question mark against him.  Despite Marilyn’s considerable show jumping experience, her round on Demeter dropped a disappointing 3 rails, leaving them to finish 9th.  Marilyn went a long way towards earning her team spot, and she’s in the discussion, but I still think there are other combinations that remain above her after this weekend.

 

Becky Holder and Can’t Fire Me— Can’t Fire Me had a good trip around most of the cross-country, before an unfortunate cut on his knee caused him to be pulled up just a few fences from home.  The injury was just superficial and the horse is fine, but I understand the judgment call made in the heat of the moment by the vets to stop him.  The selectors must have liked what they saw, as Can’t Fire Me was also invited to stay for the Monday Team jog.  It’s hard to evaluate his full performance, as he didn’t show jump, but dressage was fairly good (51.2) and he clearly executed the toughest parts of xc well.  This pair didn’t get to rise as much as they could have, but still definitely worthy of team consideration.

 

 

London Chances Trending Down

Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen — After a stellar dressage test (43.2, 3rd place), Loughan Glen was just a bit too inexperienced on cross-country.  He looked visibly tired near the end, and despite Clark’s attempts to nurse him along, the horse was eliminated late on the course, I believe at the double ditches and brush at fence 27.  This is a sole bleak spot on Glen’s record, and I still think this horse has a very bright future despite slipping off the London list.

 

Will Faudree and Andromaque — After a decent dressage (54.7), Andromaque was sadly caught out on cross-country by The Problem Fence, #9.  She did seem to get better the rest of the way around, but that 20 penalties put them down the list of finishers.  They added just a rail in show jumping to end up 16th.  I wouldn’t count this pair out for team events in the future, but they didn’t do well enough for the Olympics this year.

 

Karen O’Connor and Veronica — It’s not really Veronica’s fault, but I think she’s dropped off the short list.  She put in a lovely sub-50 dressage test, and was really rocking to start the cross-country…jumping big into the pond with her ears pricked as poor Karen splashed to the side.  Meanwhile, her stablemate Mr. Medicott stepped in and filled the role as Karen’s Olympic horse.  Veronica will be a fine prospect for the future, but don’t expect to see her in red, white, and blue this summer.

 

Buck Davidson and Absolute Liberty/Titanium — Buck isn’t “trending down” in his Olympic chances with these horses, but rather he’s sort of stuck in a holding pattern.  The team doctor advised him not to run cross-country (probably a good thing, given how tough it turned out to be) and so both horses were withdrawn after dressage.  Absolute Liberty had an okay, but not great, first four-star test, scoring 57.5.  Titanium was predictably in the low 60s, with a good test for him, but not quite good enough for Team merit.  Considering some top pairs made big gains Rolex weekend, Buck’s a little left behind with these two; not out of it, but he has some catching up to do.

 

 

I won’t take time to discuss the rest of the horses previously listed; many of them can be summed up with “Had trouble at 9C, but otherwise made it around.”  No one else in the “Needs To Win” category came close enough to debate a London possibility, though some definitely gained good four-star experience which will help them in the future.

 

With Jersey Fresh CCI*** this weekend, I am looking forward to seeing Mystery Whisper at a real three-day, and other US hopefuls that may show up to prove themselves.  It’s still a long process to choose the team for London, but I think some horses are starting to separate from the rest.  One thing’s for sure– after finishing 4 US riders in the top 5 at Rolex, my London expectations are a whole lot brighter!

[Updated] TV Alert: Boyd Martin on NBC Wednesday at 9PM (EST)

By on May 8, 2012 3:10 pm -

Neville Bardos and Boyd Martin at The Fork, photo by Samantha Clark

 

Tonight Wednesday night Boyd and Neville hit prime time national TV on NBC’s Rock Center at 9PM EST.  The piece is titled ‘Clearing Hurdles.’  Set your DVRs now!  It’s exciting to see eventing, and especially a story like Neville’s, get the public attention it deserves.  Read more about it on NBC’s website.

Rolex: From the Outrider’s Point of View

By on May 8, 2012 2:05 pm -

Ever since my first trip to Rolex, I’ve looked up to those mystical outriders parked on course, watching the action and blowing whistles as thundering hooves approached.  I’ve always imagined it as a fun job, watching Rolex competition all day from your own horse’s back.  Today, thanks to Grayson Erlbacher and her horse “Chance,” we get the inside scoop on Rolex from the outrider’s perspective.

 

From The Outriders Point Of View

By Grayson Erlbacher

 

 

Hello Eventing Nation! I wanted to give you a quick review of what the Rolex Cross Country Event is like from the Outriders point of view, especially from a first year Outrider.

 

When I was younger, I enjoyed eventing.  Of course, in the eventing world, everyone’s dream is to ride at Rolex. But, time marches on; with college, work, and financial strains of moving forward in life, my dream of riding at Rolex faded, but never totally left my thoughts. I still attended Rolex on occasion, but only as an audience member.

 

A few years back, time allowed me to become a horse owner once again. I was fortunate enough to be in a position to buy a very large, Belgian/QH cross gelding named Chance. I took a few “get back in the saddle” riding lessons and made contact with some riders who invited me to participate in foxhunting with a club near my home. One day while foxhunting, the subject of Rolex 3DE was brought up. As fate would have it, other members shared their own Rolex experiences and some were Outriders! Of course, I immediately expressed interest in outriding and a plan was set in motion.

 

I sent an introduction letter (along with a letter of recommendation, generously written for me by an active Outrider) to the Chief Steward of the Outriders, crossed my fingers and waited. It didn’t take long to receive a reply; I had been accepted to outride! In the following weeks, I received an instruction package and my Rolex adventure began.

 

Fast forward to April…my husband and I loaded Chance up in the trailer and with stars in our eyes, left Southeast Missouri for Lexington, Kentucky. After getting set up in the park on Wednesday, Chance was thinking he was in some pretty luxurious digs. A bonus of getting to outride is that they let you hack throughout the park, as long as you are away from the trade fair and competitor area. Since Chance usually spends his days out in the pasture, I took advantage of this and rode a few times, so he would not be too fresh on Saturday morning.

 

When Friday evening rolled around, we had an Outrider meeting. I met some of the Outriders, mostly all veteran Outriders and all around a nice group of people. We were given a map of the cross country course showing our assignments. We also received a volunteer shirt, cup, pin and the coveted Rolex cap! Chance got a bit of grooming, including some very nice braiding of his mane.

 

We got to the barn early Saturday, repaired a few braids that did not tolerate the night and a final bit of grooming. Like every formal horse outing, I said a quick prayer that I didn’t end up covered in horse slobber. With everything in order, I rode out onto the course to my assigned jump. I thought I had won the lottery with my location; right next to a JUMBOTRON! How did I get so lucky?

 

 

My job was to blow the whistle to announce to the ground stewards to close the spectator crossing, as a galloping horse would be through very quickly. The other part of the job, in between riders, was to be an ambassador to the horse world. Chance took his job very seriously. He is a big horse and a fantastic foxhunting partner, but for some reason, thinks he is a dog. Since he would love nothing more than to sit in your lap, Outriding is the perfect job for him. He was good at begging treats from unsuspecting young girls and he quickly felt comfortable in his job for the day. As good as he was to pose for pictures with toddlers, greet folks in scooter chairs and take in the surroundings; I will say it is a lot to ask of a horse. We worked both morning and afternoon shifts with a very short lunch break.

 

When I went to my first Rolex at the age of 14 and put “riding at Rolex” on my bucket list, I did not think it would be riding at a halt, on the bluegrass while socializing! I must say however, at this point in my life, I will take what I can get and hope for another invite next year!

 

Claire Lomas has finished the London Marathon

By on May 8, 2012 11:05 am -

Claire walking with Peter Atkins last week
 

Sixteen days after starting her journey, paralyzed ex-eventer Claire Lomas has finished the 26.2 mile journey of the London Marathon.  Her story has been followed worldwide on Twitter, and many were on hand to celebrate her finish, including eventers Lucinda Green, Francis Whittington, and Polly Stockton.  Claire has raised over £85k for spinal research throughout her walk with her robotic legs.

 

Way to go Claire!  What an inspiration for all.  Click here to read the full Horse & Hound story.

 

More on Claire, previously posted on EN by Samantha:

 

Claire Lomas Profile Part I, October 10, 2011

Claire Lomas Profile Part II, October 11, 2011

Claire Lomas is Walking!   Jan. 29, 2012

From the EN inbox: more Rolex mania

By on May 7, 2012 3:03 pm -

As always, we love reader submissions!  This was emailed to us from Genie Eardley, with her crew sporting their special Rolex t-shirts.  Send your stories to [email protected]. 

———————-

 

 

Hey Eventing Nation!  Report from EN fan, aka middle aged eventer-in-training, lawyer Genie Eardley. ( I am on the far right of photo)

 

 

I wanted to share this great photo of what turned out to be the HOTTEST t-shirt at Rolex this weekend…

 

My Husband John (far left of photo) is not really a horse person, but he married me anyway long ago…and so about 8 Rolexes together later, while we were sitting in the hot sun on hard bleachers late on a Friday (before we opted for the tix in  the fancy part of the stadium) and he was trying to patiently follow the 15th dressage test of the day, he exclaimed that he might enjoy it more if he knew what the heck “flying lead changes” were.  Actually he said, (paraphrasing) “Funny leap thing they do with all four legs in the air”…and my sister (Vicky Winger, brunette in the photo) spent time, as I did, busily explaining what it was, how tough it could be to get just right, etc–so he jokingly said he would do a bumper sticker or t-shirt that read, “I come for the lead changes” mocking our intense love of watching horsey movements in silence, aka dressage.

So, this year, he went all out, and my 13 year old daughter, Ondine (the pretty little girl) who is an aspiring eventer herself (we train with the superb eventer,  Phillippa Richards Humphreys of Rogue River Equestrian Center in Rockford, Michigan)  and artist, drew a lovely example of a lead change, and John took it to a t-shirt print shop, and VOILA-the lead change t-shirt rage was on….in fact, after posting it on the Internet on the way to Lexington, my sister reports many hits on the website of the Chronicle…and shortly before this photo was taken, a nice lady from Georgia came up and said-“that’s the lead change shirt from the Internet?!” So cool…and took the family photo-(the little boy is Finbarr Rock Eardley, our 6 year old).  We wore them pretty much every day, and one person even asked us where he could buy one.  Anyway-seemed like a perfect fit for EN!  Lead changes bring a family together…

 

COME FOR THE LEAD CHANGES-GO HOME WITH A SUNBURN AND A NEW SADDLE….that’s for next year!

Equine Dental Illustration from EN reader Lynsey Steinberg

By on May 7, 2012 1:24 pm -

In case you needed any further proof that we have the smartest and coolest readers in the world, here is a video created by EN reader Lynsey Steinberg for her Master’s Thesis.  An excellent reminder to have your horses’ teeth checked regularly!

 

My Master’s Thesis at the Georgia Health Sciences University
by Lynsey Steinberg

Importance of Equine Dentistry Under Sedation Animation


I have been dedicated to horses since I was seven years old and found myself in the medical world these past two years in training to become a medical illustrator at the Georgia Health Sciences University, only one of four programs in the continent to offer a Masters in Medical Illustration. I managed to keep my horse with me in Georgia with Jodi Hemry keeping him in training while I was sitting behind two monitors working furiously on animations and digital illustrations. I am now proud to display my master’s thesis (as contracted for Kneenan McAllister Equine clinic in NJ) for everyone to see how important it is for you to have your horse seen by your veterinarian or equine dentist annually. The lack of 3D visualization of deep equine dental anatomy has contributed to an under-appreciation of the importance of a dental exam among the average horse owner and by offering an animation to their clients they will be able to detect dental issues before they become much larger problems.

 


© 2012 Lynsey Steinberg, Fraulein Medical Illustration.

I’ll Have Another wins the Kentucky Derby

By on May 5, 2012 7:33 pm -

 

In a race with so many top horses, it was a relative outsider ridden by a rookie jockey that won the Derby this year.  I’ll Have Another, trained by Doug O’Neill and ridden by Mario Gutierrez passed by a game Bodemeister in the final strides to get the win.  Bodemeister, unraced at two, followed his Arkansas Derby win with a stellar race today to finish second.  He led the field through five fast quarters (reportedly the fastest in Derby history) only to just run out of gas at the end.  I’ll Have Another had a super trip, and a good run to win– but I think Bodemeister came away just as impressive, if not more so, with his performance.  Dullahan, the Blue Grass Stakes winner, finished third.

 

It wasn’t meant to be for Union Rags, who broke a little slow and was troubled in traffic most of the way around.  Hansen was clearly upset by the atmosphere, washed out and acting up in the post parade.  He ran close to the pace and faded near the end.  Read more about the Derby  here on Bloodhorse.com.

Scenes from Rolex

By on May 5, 2012 10:56 am -

EN readers have sent us loads of photos from Rolex weekend, and we’re happy to share them with you.  Please enjoy flipping through them as you wait for Derby post time (6:24pm EST).

 

Post-Rolex Roller Coaster Commentary

By on May 4, 2012 11:04 am -

Leading up to Rolex, we shared a fantastic story on Rafferty’s Rules written by his owner, Dr. Adrienne Claussen: Confessions of a First Time Rolex Owner.  Adrienne was kind enough to send us a follow-up on their Rolex experience.  Unfortunately, Sharon White and “Reggie” did not complete cross-country, but they still had a good round and are proud of their performance.  Dr. Claussen takes us through the highs and lows (but mostly the highs!) of the event, and one thing’s for certain: the Rafferty’s Rules Team does things the right way, and has a whole lot of fun.  Thanks so much to Adrienne for writing, and thank you for reading.

 


 

Post Rolex Roller Coaster Commentary

by Dr. Adrienne Claussen

 

Succeed: a: to turn out well

b: to attain a desired object or end

 

So, for all of you wonderful people who gave us a pat on the back going into, during and after the Rolex CCI****, here is how we are doing.  GREAT!!  Although not the optimum outcome, we had a blast.

 

The dressage was Reggie’s best to date at a big venue.  For Sharon, who knows all too well what Reg is capable of, the test was a bit disappointing especially given the beautiful center line they rode to start things off; however, I did remind her how, when they first started working on flying changes, he used to try and buck her off….He has come a LONG way, and they just keep improving.  While Sharon rode her test, Linda Zang was coaching under her breath from the sidelines.  How wonderful to have Linda there and so involved and supportive!  I am sure Linda was inspired to create some appropriately devious exercises for Reg and Sharon going forward…..

 

In my personal, albeit completely biased opinion, Sharon and Reg looked AWESOME cross country, as good as anyone out there.  The first water was a bit nerve rattling, and then they just settled into a rhythm and clocked around their first CCI**** like it was no big deal.  If you want to see some great riding, watch Sharon ride Reg into the sunken road.  He has a moment of distractibility (as Jim said in his Chronicle of the Horse article, Reggie’s mind is like “quick silver on a mirror”), and Sharon just stays focused and bam, in and out.  Folks, in my mind, that is HOW it’s done!

 

At the fifth to last combination from home, Reg really crawled over the out fence (not like him) and then stopped at the 4th from last fence from home, a large table – DEFINITELY not like him.  Sharon felt he was tired so, instead of popping him with her stick and trying again, she walked home which is why I LOVE Sharon!  (Do I need to insert the definition of bravery here?).  One of the officials said it best: Sharon is “a rider who puts her horse ahead of her ego,” and I am SO thankful for that.

 

Last summer, Reg cracked his coffin bone slightly at Rebecca Farm so the team was conservative with his conditioning this spring, and it caught us out this time. At Blenheim in 2010, Reg went around a hilly 12 minute course with no unusual fatigue so we know he is capable; however, I feel the team made the right decision, I would SO much rather have a conditioning issue than a lame horse.  Sharon, as usual, is sure she could have done something different; she is always tough on herself which is why she is such a great horsewoman and rider, but I am thrilled.  My best friend and my horse are both safe and sound to go play again, and really, they jumped all the hard stuff.  Our wonderful veterinarian, Dr. Jeff Beshear, looked at Reg Sunday and pronounced him sound.and completely recovered from the weekend and from last summer’s injury so the Rolex chapter is closed, and we now open the next chapter which is, hopefully, BURGHLEY!!!  Horses being horses, that is the plan.

 

Our Five Star General was pleased with the weekend and proud of Sharon for knowing her horse well enough to do the right thing.  I am constantly impressed with the way Jim subtly infuses sanity into our little band.  He is capable, as only the very best are, of playing his role as both coach and psychiatrist so well that we hardly notice and think half the time that we came up with the ideas ourselves.  My only disagreement with Jim has been that he insists he is having the most fun with all this; however, after personally increasing the stock value of Rolaids last weekend, I may have to break down and admit he is right about this too.  But I am a CLOSE second, and I think Linda is having a darn good time too!

 

For me, Rolex was all about Reggie (which is just the way he likes it).  I didn’t go to the sponsor tent because owners only receive one pass to get in, I was too broke to buy a second one, and I didn’t want to go alone. I have never been big on parties, and I am too strapped right now to shop.  Rather than watching the other riders, I spent most of our Rolex weekend on a chair in front of Reggie’s stall, my mini vacation Zen time.  Since Reg is five hours away from me, and I can’t get up to see him often enough, it’s where you’ll find me at most shows.  If no one is looking, he’ll have his head on or near my shoulder.  If anyone’s around, he’ll be pretending I don’t exist.  Either way, I just like being near him.

 

We were lucky to be surrounded by a great group of people throughout the competition.  My husband Dale was, as usual, always there when we needed him.  Alyssa and Sharon’s life-long friend, Deana, did a stellar job keeping Reg in tip-top shape! Some of our good riding friends were there to cheer us on: Melinda, Carrie and Hillary from Thurmond, Jane a friend from the infamous Chrono forums, and Allie and Nancy from California as well as a plethora of friends and family who were checking in by text, cell phone, email, and facebook throughout the weekend. The Last Frontier Farm Tangerines: Alice, Kathryn, Chris, Anita, Sara, Tracy & Nick were a huge help and formed the best cheerleading section ever with Alice’s 10-year-old son Jack (or “the kid with the orange afro”) stealing the show.

 

Some of my favorite Jack quotes:

 

“The only thing I want at the trade fair is a model of Sharon and Reggie jumping through the coffin.”

 

“This famous guy named Mr. Jeremy Wofford wrote an article in the Chronicle saying Sharon is going to win next year.”

 

“I met Mr. O’Connor so now I know TWO professional horse riders!  My friends are going to be so jealous!”

 

“I think my wig distracted Andrew Nicholson’s horse and made him stop.”

 

“Stadium jumping is just dressage and cross country combined.  You are just doing dressage between the jumps in an arena.”  How many years did it take the rest of us to figure that one out?

 

And I delightedly watched Sharon, Emily Beshear, and Becky Holder popping in and out throughout the weekend to support each other and share advice; they are the kind of people that keep me in eventing!

 

In any organization, the ethos flows from the top, and to understand who Sharon is, all you have to do is spend time around her.  She does not talk negatively about other riders or trainers or about her students or owners, and I never hear her complain about her blistering work hours or her lack of money or lack of a string of 4 or 5 upper level horses (which she more than deserves).  The people around her are usually laughing, smiling, and happy to see you.  They cheer for each other, are proud of each other, and help pick each other up when that inevitable bad jump happens: the type of people I like to spend my scant vacation time with.  After all, the sport is tough enough as it is.  If what you really want is pain and misery, why not just opt for a root canal?  It’s much cheaper in the long run.

 

A few more favorite moments were Jack feeding Reg donuts: one Boston cream for Reg, one for Jack, one for Reg, one for Jack…., eating at a restaurant with Dale and Alyssa and Sharon Sunday listening to 80s music (turns out neither Sharon and I should quit our day jobs to start a singing career), seeing Jim cringe at the idea of Sharon and Emily turning up at Burghley with ALL that orange and purple, walking back from cross country with Reg and Sharon, knowing they were safe and sound…and so on and so on….

 

Last Saturday, Rafferty’s Rules gave Sharon White everything he had, he really was exhausted, and she had the strength and the courage and the dignity to recognize that, and to walk of the course with a horse who is healthy, happy, sound, and who still loves his rider and his job more than anything in the world (besides, perhaps, donuts).  Reg is not a very demonstrative horse, but, on Sunday, while Dale and I were talking to Sharon, he stood behind her and draped his head over her hat and looked completely content.  I know this pair has greater things in their future, but I want you all to know that, even if, god forbid, they never cantered another jump; it has all been worth it, and I am SO inordinately proud of them both.

Events this weekend

By on May 3, 2012 5:48 pm -

 

The summer event season is quickly approaching and this weekend has quite a lot going on.  The first Classic Series 3-Day of 2012 has started at Southern 8ths, with three-day divisions at BN, Novice, and Training level.  Full list of events this weekend:

 

Greenwood Farm HT, Area V.  FEH, YEH, BN-CIC**.  [website] [ride times/results]

 

Southern 8ths/Nikon Heart of the Carolinas, Area III.  BN3D, N3D, T3D. [website] [entry status]

 

MCTA HT, Area II.  N, T, P, I, A.  [website] [ride times – Excel file]

 

Catalpa Corner Spring Charity HT, Area IV. BN-P.  [website] [ride times/results]

 

Difficult Run PC HT, Area II.  Starter, BN-P.  [website] [entry status]

 

Poplar Place HT, Area III.  N-I, N-P Ch.  [website] [ride times]

 

University of New Hampshire Spring HT, Area I.  BN-P.  [website] [ride times/result]

 

Good luck to all competitors this weekend!

My Rolex Story: Amanda Kerchevale

By on May 3, 2012 3:12 pm -

We love all Rolex stories, but especially the first-time experiences.  Amanda Kerchevale was kind enough to send us an email about her first Rolex trip this year with her mom.  It reminded me of the first time I went, with my mom back in 1997…and I also think I drug her around the Kentucky Horse Park twenty times or more!  Send your Rolex memories to [email protected].  Thanks to Amanda for writing, and thanks for reading.

 

From Amanda:

 

Rolex 2012 was my first time attending and I would have to say it was one of the best vacations I have ever been on, I would even say it tops Disney World. I made the ten hour journey with one of my horse friends and my mom (who only went to go to a concert we had tickets to on Friday evening). Although I am as much a horse fanatic as the next person and appreciated every part of the event, the best part of the trip for me was my mom falling in love with the sport of eventing.

 

I have been riding for thirteen years only showing locally in small shows, in everything from hunters to eventing. My mom had some general eventing knowledge, she knew of Phillip Dutton, David and Karen O’Connor, that the Fair Hill Three Day is a pretty big deal and every horse has a head and a tail; to put it simply she was not much of a horse person, she just tolerated them. After watching Allison Springer’s dressage test on Friday she fell in love–I don’t know how many times she has asked to watch the test again, she swears Arthur never touched the ground once. She ended up having a blast and learned a great deal about the sport I already love. Even though I drug her all across the Horse Park twenty times, she said she “enjoyed every single second of it, even the 1,000 miles that we walked.”  When we got home on Monday and it was announced Badminton was canceled, she was more upset than me and wanted to know how William Fox-Pitt was going to win the Grand Slam. I’m pretty sure she even read every Rolex article on EN, as well as found every picture of Allison and Arthur she could find!

 

Allison Springer and Arthur greet their fans
 

Marilyn Little Meredith and Demeter
 

Although I am sure she will never ride, my mom had an absolute blast at Rolex (the concert was just an added bonus) and she now has a new-found appreciation for our sport! Four days in heaven was definitely not enough, I couldn’t have asked to spend my first Rolex with anyone other than my mom and we are already planning for Rolex 2013!

 

Thanks,

Amanda Kerchevale

Rolex Top Dog Contest, presented by World Equestrian Brands

By on May 3, 2012 8:38 am -

 

worldequestrianbrandslogo210.jpg
 

From the photos we received in this contest, it’s official: Rolex has gone to the dogs!  The challenge was to submit your best Rolex dog photo…and there were many!  It was difficult to narrow them down to a Top 15 list, but it had to be done.  Many thanks to all who participated, and of course thanks to our wonderful sponsor World Equestrian Brands for supplying the prizes: a Vespucci Figure-8 bridle for first place, and a set of Equilibrium Airlite Open Front and Ankle Boots for the runner up.

 

                     
 

View the 15 photos and vote in the poll below– choose your top 2 photos!  Contest voting ends Friday 5/5 at midnight.


In the Rolex Vet Box with Kilrodan Abbott and Team

By on May 2, 2012 1:37 pm -

The reader-submitted stories and photos keep pouring in from Rolex week.  This is a special feature by Kirsten Collins, as she relates the scene from the Vet Box after Kilrodan Abbott’s cross-country at Rolex.  Thanks to Kirsten for sending this in, and thank you for reading.  If you have a Rolex memory to share, send it to [email protected].

 


 

In the Vet Box with Team Eddie

 by Kirsten Collins

A few weeks ago EN posted my story “I Stalked Kilrodan Abbott.”  A photo of Kilrodan Abbott from Rolex 2011 was the winning entry in a photo contest, and because of that photo of “Eddie” I happily found myself at Kentucky Horse Park again, with the opportunity to closely observe the wonderful Kilrodan Abbott and his team.


As Peter Barry rides Kilrodan Abbott over the finish line, he is met not only by his groom Colleen and their crew but also by a vet team and several excited admirers.  He hops off of Eddie and practically into the arms of Phillip Dutton who gives him an enthusiastic congratulatory hug.  As soon as Peter is out of the tack and the vets finish Colleen is pulling everything off of Eddie, haltering him, and leading him briskly to the vet box.  I shyly flash my media pass at Peter, and to my relief he walks over and accepts my congratulations, too.  He beams as he invites me to give Colleen a hand.  By this time Colleen is emerged in her work and has things under control, so I stand out of the way and instead snap photo after photo.

 

Colleen exudes a quiet competence as she executes her efficient, well-practiced routine.  After dousing Eddie with ice water, two crew members scrape the water off before it can trap any heat on the horse’s body.  Meanwhile Colleen quickly snips the tape from Eddie’s galloping boots and removes them.   Following several more ice water baths and scrapes, Colleen walks Eddie in a large circle around the area.  From a distance even a casual observer would notice that Eddie is recovering nicely.  He is sponged off again as a vet takes a look at him.

 

 

Eddie rubbed both stifles and was bleeding a tiny bit.  He also got a dime-sized rub on the left fore, but suffered only hair loss.  From my proximity I was in the perfect position to eavesdrop and heard a vet mention to Peter that his horse was in excellent condition.  The crew is instructed to hold ice packs over both stifles, but is also cleared to head back to the barns.  Peter heads off to the competitor’s tent and returns with a handful of apples and carrots.  Eddie gets the carrots, and he and Peter share the apples.  Colleen picks up each of Eddie’s hooves and removes first the studs and then the bell boots.

 

 

Eddie now enters the final phase of his cool down.  Colleen fills a huge tub with ice water and carefully places both of Eddie’s forelimbs into the tub.  He is submerged nearly to his elbows, and he handles this by calmly nibbling grass.  Meanwhile, Colleen holds an ice pack over Eddie’s left stifle while Peter’s son Dylan holds a pack over the right.  His body nearly dry, Peter covers Eddie in a cotton mesh sheet.  All around horses and crews are busy working and Colleen absorbs this data silently.  She knows exactly how many minutes she wants her horse to soak.  She has an ear on the loud speaker and an eye on the other competitors, keenly aware of all that is happening both around her and on the course.  At one point a member from another crew mentions that Eddie seems to be encroaching on their designated space, and Colleen calmly replies that they will be there for only a few more minutes.  As the other crew’s horse crosses the finish, Colleen smoothly pulls Eddie from the soaking tub, hands him off to a crew member with instructions to hand graze, empties the ice water tub, and easily leaves the area in plenty of time before the other horse arrives.

 

Throughout the entire process Peter, Colleen, and the entire crew are calm, relaxed, kind, and gracious.  These also happen to be some of Eddie’s attributes and I doubt very much that this is a mere coincidence.  I can’t keep a beaming smile from spreading across my face as I watch as Colleen and Eddie walk quietly back to the barn.

 

Peter and Eddie completed Rolex with an 11the place finish and also netted the Bank One Trophy for Highest placed Rider/Owner.  (I’ll be honest:  I’m a little ticked about their dressage score.  Eddie wasn’t obedient, he was supremely obedient.)  In all phases, Eddie showed up for work, handled every single test presented to him, and coolly got the job done.

 

 

I chatted with Peter after stadium.  He talked about how long he’s had Eddie and about their relationship.  He mentioned how Eddie came into his life, and one thing he said keeps replaying in my head:  Peter stated “I like Eddie.  Eddie likes me.  We’re a team.”  And isn’t that what this life with horses is all about?

 

Go Team Eddie.

Reader Compilation: Rolex Photos

By on May 1, 2012 2:59 pm -

Now that we can finally take a deep breath from Rolex (and sadly mourn the loss of Badminton this weekend), we’re catching up on emails from the EN inbox.  Dear readers have sent us all sorts of stories and photos from their Rolex weekend, and we’re happy to share them with you.  If you have something to add, send it to [email protected] and we’ll try to get it on the site!

 

 

 


Clark and Loughan Glen at the Wednesday jog, by Krista Degitz

 

Cheryl Parsons spotted John, hard at work during the jog

 

Boyd Martin and Remington, by Krista Degitz

 

A Kodak moment: Phillip Dutton with his daughter, photo by Bill Olson

 

Karen's unfortunate fall off Veronica, photo by Bill Olson

Elizabeth LoChiatto's set up at the Logan Airport to watch Rolex action