EN just received this tip from Kathleen L. to cap off a busy Rolex weekend:

Josh Calnan proposed to Courtney Carroll at the Normandy Bank at Rolex this year. Courtney was interviewed (by Samantha) at the UK clinic with Hannah Sue Burnett last November. I think it is pretty sweet that a not super horsey boyfriend proposed to his girlfriend at Rolex.

Congratulations and best wishes to the happy couple!

Allison Springer and Arthur delivered a supreme test for 39.8, and even better– she wore her helmet!

Thanks to all who entered the Tipperary Hats On Contest this year.  The challenge in this contest was to name 3 different riders who would wear their helmet in dressage at Rolex.  Over 60 entries were received, and I’d say nearly 65% of them were correct– a variety of riders were chosen, many of the same names (I think nearly everyone had Allison!) but it was interesting to see some consensus among entries.  A few popular riders did not comply– Karen, Marilyn, Boyd, Laine, and Becky were common misses, as each of them chose to wear a traditional top hat.  By my unofficial count, 24 different riders wore a helmet in dressage– way to go!

With so many correct entries in the contest, it came down to the tiebreaker: whose score was closest?  Again, most of the entries picked Allison for the lowest score, and many of them were within 7 points of her actual score of 39.8.  Eight entries guessed correctly within 1 point:

C. Gordon

Doug Payne, James Alliston, Allison Springer (39.2)

S. Albee

Diana Burnett, James Alliston, Allison Springer (40.3)

R. Zimmer

Diana Burnett, James Alliston,  Allison Springer (40.2)

M. Kantorowski

Barb Crabo, James Alliston, Allison Springer (39.4)

A. Boucher

James Alliston, Heather Morris, Allison Springer (39.4)

H. Benzon

Jessica Hampf, James Alliston, Allison Springer (39.5)

J. Harris

Jessica Hampf, James Alliston, Allison Springer (40.0)

And the closest score, 0.1 point away from 39.8, congratulations to:

Emily Marecaux

Sarah Cousins, Heather Morris, Allison Springer (39.7)

So, Emily, who’s your pick for the Kentucky Derby this year?  I think you need to place a bet if you’re on a hot streak like that!

As the overall contest winner, Emily Marecaux will receive a new T-Series helmet from Tipperary.  Thanks for playing… remember to send us your best Top Dog Photos today for a chance to win the World Equestrian Brands contest (a Vespucci bridle!).  Thanks for playing and we hope you’ve enjoyed Rolex!

As Rolex ends, so does our annual EN tradition, the Pick ‘Em Contest.  Many thanks to Omega Alpha for sponsoring this game, and for providing $150 of their products to our winner.  Speaking of winner…let’s look at the results!

It was a pretty close race, as 14 different entries selected William Fox-Pitt to win.  He was by far the most popular choice, and, to no surprise, pulled off a win at Rolex with a final official score of 45.3.  Our next criteria in the contest was to guess the final score, followed by naming the second-placed horse/rider as a tiebreaker. Several people guessed William to win with a score in the 40s, and it came down to some arithmetic to pin down the winner.  In the end, there were two entries that missed William’s actual score by only 1.3 points:

Angela Norman
William Fox-Pitt (44), second place Becky and Courageous Comet

Caitie Brown
William Fox-Pitt (46.6), second place Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice

Since Becky sadly suffered a fall on Courageous Comet on cross-country, the contest win goes to Caitie Brown for guessing Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice.  Phillip and “Happy” finished Rolex in 10th place.

I also want to give a shout-out to contest entrant Haley Benzon, who was the only one to predict William to win and Allison Springer to finish second.  Unfortunately for Haley, she guessed WFP’s score as 41.2…so close, but 4.1 points away!  Thanks to all who participated in the annual Rolex Pick ‘Em contest, and thanks to the contest’s presenting sponsor Omega Alpha.  Congratulations, Caitie!

Reminder:  Don’t forget that TODAY, 4/30 at midnight (EST) is the deadline for the Rolex Top Dog Contest, brought to you by World Equestrian Brands.  Send us your best Rolex canine photos for a chance to win a gorgeous Vespucci figure-8 bridle, or a set of Airlite show jumping open fronts and ankle boots!  Email entries to [email protected] with “Top Dog” in the title.

Boyd and Otis, photo via Samantha

I was stationed in the steeplechase infield all day Saturday near the horse transport team ambulance.  It was a fantastic place to watch much of the action, particularly the coffin (excuse me, the “HSBC Question”).  And with the advent of technology, I was able to see much of the rest of the course via my laptop, following along on the USEF coverage like many of you at home.  At times I felt like a border collie watching two (or three) tennis balls, with a horse passing on the way from the first water, a horse coming through the angled tables on the way home, and simultaneously watching a different rider on delay jumping the hollow (or “holloe” if you prefer) on the computer screen.  Hard to keep up with all the action!  The delay was nice to have an “instant replay” of live action as many horses struggled at the coffin.

Speaking of the coffin, the definite bugaboo fence of the day.  Clearly it caught out the first few riders– it appeared no one expected so much difficulty there.  But as word got back to the barn, and riders watched a few gos on the video feed, it became much more successful throughout the day.  I saw all sorts of riding there — a classic coffin ride: major downshift gears, rebalance, and send forward to the first element; not enough rebalance, on-the-forehand barreling to it; too much whoa, stiff backwards ride to the first rails; hang on, kick and pray; and all methods seemed both effective and ineffective depending on the horse/rider combination.

Doug Payne rode the coffin very classically, with a sharp “Whoa” to set the horse on his hocks, then a nice forward ride in… and still got caught out on C.  Allison had a slightly “picky” ride in, and weaved her way through it, but was successful.  Becky was smooth as glass on both horses.  Jordan was more of the “point and shoot” ride on Hawkwind, who was gloriously honest, pricked his ears and did the job.  Mojito and Kilrodan Abbott were similar to Hawkwind, just super brave, genuine horses who read the question and sorted it out with a smile and “I got this!” attitude.  Peter Barry gave a nice ride there, but I think Kilrodan Abbot would have jumped through fire if needed.   William Fox-Pitt was, well, William, same as around the rest of the course.

I don’t particularly know why the C element caused so much trouble; I saw horses get both long and short distances, mostly 3 strides, and the impossible distance (combined with the very narrow face) led to most of the runouts.   Many horses seemed quite surprised by the steep downhill to the ditch, and dropped their landing gear early over A, causing a rough landing.  This resulted in a very awkward leap over the ditch (though awkward ditch leaps are fairly common anywhere), and horses who landed “dead” in momentum leading up to C.  I think the riders had to really kick hard over the ditch, ride very straight, and, frankly, the horse had to have his mind on business and want to do it.  It was not a jump that you could purely “muscle” a horse through; good riding was important, but there was an aspect of the horse understanding the question and willingness that seemed to go a long way.

I have to agree with John in that Clark Montgomery’s Loughan Glen did not have a serious impact at the A element of the coffin, and I think the pin broke a bit easily.  But perhaps that could have been expected, as the pin had also broken (and the cable tie, as well) after Andrew Nicholsoln and Calico Joe hit it first thing out.  While Calico Joe certainly chested it a bit, the force didn’t even jar Andrew loose in the slightest.  I think the safety measures are great, and possibly did prevent some dangerous falls…but I think our understanding of the technology will improve as more data is collected.  Such as: how many “taps” can a pin incur before the final rub causes a break?  And, in Andrew’s case, the deformed fence forced him to go the long way…he couldn’t have tried the short route again if he wanted to.  What if there wasn’t a “long route” available?  Would he have to sit for 30 minutes while they repaired the obstacle?

One thing the trouble at the coffin did: it weeded down the field.  Perhaps it reminded riders to be more careful, to ride more positively and accurately, leading to an improved ride around the course (as Emily Beshear).  Or, perhaps it caught out those who weren’t quite ready, and prevented a possible fall later on in the course by sending them home a bit earlier.   It didn’t seem to negatively affect all the horses– several had a stop/runout there, but went on to do well.  But you could also see the problem coming for some riders, who would later not complete the course.

I think most would agree that William’s ride was the smoothest of the day, but that was to be expected.  What I most enjoyed was Erin Sylvester and No Boundaries– at a time when the course seemed unrideable (even for the Big Names), she stepped up and delivered a whopping round and looked fantastic.  Her horse looked super galloping through the infield the second time, not laboring or tired, and she has to be incredibly proud of herself and No Boundaries.  Of course you have to be happy for Will Coleman and Twizzel, who looked so comfortable together; and for Allison Springer and Arthur, who put a lot of demons to rest.  Allison rode her tail off– Arthur was good, but she certainly had to work for it.  Boyd was Boyd; Remington was slow but successful, and Otis stepped up like a man.  Phillip was Phillip; yawn, another two clears in a day’s work.

It was disappointing to see Loughan Glen fail to finish; I have to say he did look a bit labored passing the infield the second time, but Clark was doing his best to nurse him home.  I didn’t see the fall, but I hope he is ok and returns to his previous brilliance.  I was LOVING Pepper Anne through the first half of the course– she’s so catty, so light on the ground, athletic in the air, and just droolworthy.  But Oli’s riding left a bad taste in my mouth to finish the course…he was pushing her quite hard at the angled Horse Park tables heading home, and she appeared to be struggling at that point, before they later retired at the angled ditches; she had tried so well her whole way around, and it appeared to me he could have taken better care of her at the end (as Clark tried to do with Glen).

I know the scoreboard shows it to be a day of carnage, but I do think it was a successful day.  Until Parker, the horse ambulances didn’t move all day.  Riders tumbled at times, but the horses were landing safely and everyone made it back to the barn under their own power (Parker had a trailer ride, of course).  From witness reports that I heard, I think Parker hit his rear legs on fence 2, causing him to fall on landing and he may have rolled on James.  It apparently looked very scary, though as reported earlier both were up and alert following the incident.  Parker was tended to immediately; I’m sure many of you know, but there are certified veterinarians at every obstacle, in addition to two or more chief vets that “roam” on course.  The veterinary team is absolutely fantastic, and kept a very careful watch on every horse as it went around.  A small amount of blood on Can’t Fire Me was noticed before the Head of the Lake, and appeared to possibly be getting worse as he went, and I think that spurred the decision to take a closer look.  I think it probably looked more noticeable since he’s gray, but you cannot fault a decision to act in the best interest of the horse.  The Vet Control team is incredibly experienced, and does not “sweat the small stuff” of common cross-country knocks; but when a situation arises, they will  take appropriate measures for safety as needed.

Some things to take away from the day:

1.  This is eventing, and it’s not a dressage competition.  Thank goodness for that!

2.  Some riders/horses were not as prepared as they hoped to be, and it was  discovered early on course  (perhaps avoiding disaster later on course, as horses were tired and prone to dangerous mistakes).

3. Some horses and riders really stepped up to the plate and showed they are who we thought they are…or better.

4.  It was an accomplishment just to finish, and I think it was a nice learning experience out there.  Perhaps not a competitive one, but educational nonetheless.

5.  Many thanks to all the volunteers, staff, and crew who made this event possible.  It truly took an army and the event ran quite smoothly aside from frangible pin fixing.

6.  How about a cheer for the weather?!  While a bit nippy in the morning, it warmed up, then sprinkled a bit, then the sun shone the rest of the day.  It was almost hot in the afternoon, but most horses handled it great.

World Equestrian Brands presents the Rolex Top Dog Contest

Win a Vespucci bridle or a set of show jumping boots!

Elisa Wallace’s dog, “Pocket,” is ready for Rolex!

Rolex is just about the horses, right?  Wrong!  Four-legged waggy-tail friends are all over the park, and we want to show them some love, too.  Send us your best Rolex Dog Photo (doesn’t have to be your own pooch, any cute one will do!) to [email protected] with “Top Dog” in the title.  Photos must be submitted by Monday at midnight (EST), please limit one entry per person.  We expect some great entries for this one!  Sponsor World Equestrian Brands has generously donated a Vespucci Figure-8 Bridle (1st Place) and the new Equilibrium Airlite Open Front Boots and matching Ankle Boots (Runner Up).

  

Check out World Equestrian Brands at the VTO booth in the old indoor at the Rolex Trade Fair.

-30 US horse/rider combinations entered in Rolex have declared for the Olympics.

-Many of them were on the original USET training lists to start the year; these horses include Absolute Liberty, RF Rovano Rex, Good Knight, Twizzel, Mr. Medicott, Can’t Fire Me, Loughan Glen, Mighty Nice, and Otis Barbotiere.

If I had to classify the Olympic hopefuls into two groups, to make the short list, it would be those that need “a good outing,” and “those who need to win.”  Some horses have had a pretty good winter/spring season, and will be looked at for the team with a good clean XC round and successful dressage and showjumping.  Other horses have a bit more ground to make up, and will have to finish quite high in the placings to even enter the conversation.  But hey–anyone can win, and a runaway winner at Rolex, beating the foreign entries (which have sadly kicked American tail most years) will go a long way toward earning a team spot.

So… where do these combinations stand?  For the sake of this discussion, I will consider all the US entries that have officially declared their intentions to the USOC.  They are listed below in no particular order whatsoever.

Needs A Good Outing

Mr. Medicott and Karen O’Connor.  I think this horse has had a pretty useful winter season; reports from the training sessions were fairly impressive.   Mr. Medicott finished 5th at Red Hills CIC***, and 4th at the Fork CIC***.  He’s a horse with international experience, but the question all along has been “Can Karen create a partnership quickly enough to make the Olympics?”  Their Rolex performance will tell us a lot about how far they’ve come.  Samantha reported a bit of inattention in his dressage test at Red Hills, but he’s a horse who has the physical talents to do well.  Karen seems to be a perpetual Team candidate, and if she and Mr. Medicott can put it all together with a top-15 finish they should be well in the running for London.

Boyd Martin and Otis Barbotiere.  Obviously, Boyd’s #1 ride is Neville; but Otis could make a nice stand-in if something should go wrong for Neville between now and London.  Otis has done alright this spring, with a 5th place finish at the Fork CIC*** not long ago.  He has international experience, too, ending up 14th (out of 110) at Boekelo CCI*** last fall.  If he continues to develop, and give a good showing (say, top 10, which is within reason) at Rolex, he should be well-respected for Team merit.

Boyd Martin and Remington XXV.  I think everybody’s pretty sure Boyd will make the Team this year, but he can only ride one.  Remington has a very admirable competition record, with four-star experience and international experience.  12th at Rolex in 2010, 7th at Pau CCI**** later that year, 9th at Rolex last year, and 35th at Boekelo CCI*** last fall puts him ahead of many horses on this list.  Not to mention the numerous top placings at US horse trials and CICs.  If Remington has a weakness, it would be his XC time faults…he isn’t the fastest on four legs, but he has been able to get the job done.  A top-15 placing at Rolex this year will keep him as Neville’s understudy; if he finds some extra speed, his chances will improve.

Allison Springer and Arthur.  Arthur’s inconsistencies are pretty well known.  When he’s good, he’s very good and capable of beating anyone.  But his record has been up and down through the years; he finished in the top-15 at Rolex in 2008 and 2009, but had a rider fall last year.  He just won the advanced division at the Fork, and hopefully he can carry the momentum through Rolex.  I don’t think he has to win, but I’d like to see a superior performance in all phases, with a top 5 ribbon, before I’d consider him for my Olympic team.

Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen.  Clark has a fantastic up-and-coming horse in Loughan Glen.  The horse’s competition record is very impressive: his “worst” placing (since going Training level in 2009) is a 12th-place finish at Bromont CCI** 2010.  In every other event he completed, the horse has been in the top 10…including 5th place at Blenheim CCI*** last fall (and the only “letters” on his resume are a couple Withdrawals, which are well within reason).  Rolex will be Glen’s first four-star, but so far he has passed every challenge with ease– and lots of ribbons.  He may be a tad inexperienced for Olympic competition, but he’s a horse for the future and a top-10 finish would make me want him on the short list.

Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice/Fernhill Eagle.  Mystery Whisper is probably Phillip’s best at this point, but Mighty Nice or Fernhill Eagle could be the top horse in another barn!  A bobble at the Fork CIC*** left Mighty Nice in 25th, but the horse was 12th at Blenheim CCI*** last year.  Fernhill Eagle finished 18th at Rolex last year, with a light record since then, though he was 2nd in the Advanced at Red Hills and 12th in Advanced at The Fork.  If both horses do their jobs, and Phillip is his usual superhuman self, I expect both horses to be in the top-20 at Rolex without breaking a sweat.  And that will be good enough to keep them on the short list as “Mystery Whisper’s Back Up Plan.”

Will Faudree and Andromaque.  While this is Andromaque’s first four-star, the dark bay mare has considerable international experience with Will’s trip to England last year.  She finished 12th at Boekelo CCI*** in 2010, and had a nice tour of Europe’s CIC***s in 2011, completing Luhmuhlen (11th of 43), Barbury International (34th out of 116), and Hartpury (5th out of 69).  Sadly, Will fell at The Fork CIC***, but this pair could still be in contention at Rolex…and for London with a top-10 finish.

Buck Davidson and Absolute Liberty.  Buck and Absolute Liberty were the “anchor” on last year’s Gold-medal winning Pan Am Team.  A fourth-place finish there is a good accomplishment, though it was technically only a CCI**.  However, the mare also finished 4th at Bromont CCI*** in 2011 prior to the Pan Ams.  Absolute Liberty hasn’t been as jaw-droppingly impressive this spring as other horses on the Team list, but her record is solid enough thus far and she likely will remain in strong consideration with a top-5 finish.

Will Coleman and Twizzel.  Twizzel is 15 this year, and he has some notable achievements on his record: namely, a 5th place finish at Luhmuhlen CCI**** in 2009.  However, a rider fall at Rolex last year, and the mysterious lameness in dressage warmup at Burghley leave some questions.  Twizzel did finish up 2011 with a 4th place at Fair Hill CCI***, and was most recently 11th in the Advanced at the Fork.  A top-10 finish at Rolex will do a lot of good for his Team aspirations; I don’t think the horse’s talent is in question, but perhaps more his soundness, particularly after the Burghley incident.

Becky Holder and Can’t Fire Me.  Can’t Fire Me has grown beyond his role of Comet’s little brother, and has really earned a spot of his own.  Since last fall, he has won Poplar Place CIC***, was second at Fair Hill CCI***, and has consistently been up the leaderboard in the horse trials this spring, against other Olympic candidates.  Becky has some international experience to make up for the horse’s lack thereof, though he was 6th at Bromont CCI*** last spring.  Rolex will be his first four-star, and always a tough test…but this pair could be quite competitive, and a top-10 finish will keep them hanging around on the short list.

Needs To Win

Karen O’Connor and Veronica.  Veronica has a bit of a mild competition record; thus far, she has only completed five Advanced horse trials (including two CIC***s).  She was 12th at Fair Hill CCI*** last fall.  She’s still a bit green for my liking, and while she usually brings home a ribbon she hasn’t set the world on fire yet.  I like her as a future 4* prospect, but to turn heads for London this year, I think she’d have to finish impressively in the top 3.  Karen’s considerable experience will help, but I don’t think we want another Mandiba 2008.

Marilyn Little-Meredith and RF Rovano Rex/RF Demeter.  Marilyn has come a very long way in her short time as an Event Rider, and her record is certainly admirable.  Both horses are very nice and of international quality; Samantha has spoken glowingly of RF Demeter in particular.  Marilyn has a lot to prove going into her first four-star, and I think she will rise to the challenge on at least one horse.  It is truly an accomplishment just to complete your first Rolex; finishing clear on cross-country is even better, and a top placing a dream come true.  But if you’re trying to make an Olympic team, with minimal eventing experience, you’re going to have to knock my socks off and prove you’re the best among the world’s best.  Marilyn has the horses to do it…but there’s a lot of experience on the list ahead of her, and to earn her spot she’ll have to beat them all head-on, and look good doing it.

Jolie Wentworth and Good Knight.  Good Knight did fairly well at the two-star level in 2010, finishing 3rd and 2nd at the spring and fall Galway CCI**s, with double clear jumping rounds.   He started 2011 with a stop at the spring Galway CIC*** and was eliminated at Twin Rivers CIC***.  However, Good Knight improved as the year went on, finishing 4th at 2011 Rebecca Farm CIC***, 2nd at Woodside CIC***, and 2nd at Galway CCI***.  He enters Rolex this year after finishing 29th at The Fork CIC***, with a stop on cross-country.  This horse is a bit too inconsistent and not experienced enough to be worthy of London conversation unless he shows up everyone at Rolex in a big way.

Kristi Nunnink and R-Star.  Sadly, Kristi and R-Star have not had a good go at Rolex the last two years, with a crashing fall at The Hollow in 2010 and an unfortunate tip-over at the flower tables last year.  They are an nice pair with much to like, and finished 8th at Fair Hill CCI*** last October.  R-Star finished 16th at the Fork CIC*** recently, but doesn’t have a realistic shot at an Olympic berth.  A convincing win would be needed to make London a possibility.

Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch.  Anthony Patch actually has more CCI finishes than several mentioned on this list– he’s finished in the top 20 at Rolex twice, and top-15 at CCI***s twice.  Still, he and Laine remain just a bit on the outside looking in, when it comes to the Team list.  The horse has only done four horse trials since Rolex last year, and while that could be good enough preparation for Rolex 2012, it leaves him behind the rest of the team candidates.  A Rolex win would be necessary to add Anthony Patch in the London race.

Doug Payne and Running Order.  From the Training Session reports, Doug and Running Order are making some good progress this year.  The horse has had two good finishes at CCI***s– a 3rd at Jersey last spring, and 6th at Fair Hill last fall.  However, his only international trip– Boekelo CCI*** 2010– is probably best forgotten (76th place out of 107).  The horse’s record is a bit up and down, with some top placings and some lower ones scattered about.  This could be a pair to build on for the future, but to be considered for London this year, I think Doug has to bring home a Rolex watch…and not the one given away in a raffle.

Holly Payne and Madeline.  This pair has been going Advanced since 2008, so they have an edge on some others when it comes to demonstrating a strong partnership.  However, their record is a bit thin on CCIs– showing only two respectable finishes at Fair Hill CCI*** (12th in 2008, and 14th in 2011), and a 38th place finish at Blenheim CCI*** in 2009.  Lots of horse trials and CICs with scattered results…mostly solid, but not outstanding enough for Team merit.  A top-25 showing at Rolex could be expected from this pair, but again, a convincing win would be necessary to enter the Team conversation.

Sharon White and Rafferty’s Rules.  Rafferty’s Rules is another horse with a solid, but not spectacular record.  He has finished well at North American CCI***s, including 7th at Fair Hill 2009, 4th at Jersey 2010, and 5th at Bromont 2011.  However, his 2010 British placings at Hartpury CIC*** (42nd) and Blenheim CCI*** (49th) are disappointing when considering London implications.  I think Rafferty’s Rules could be competitive at Rolex, but this pair is solidly on the “Must Win” list for the Olympics.

Holly Hudspeth and Last Monarch.  Last Monarch is a talented horse with some depth back in his record, but is too light on recent form leading up to the Games.  He has four-star experience, finishing 17th at Rolex back in 2010, but he has not been to a CCI since then.  Most recently 19th at The Fork CIC***, he could be in the top-20 at Rolex again this year, and I think Holly would be pleased.  Their London hopes are slim, a good performance not enough– must win.

Heather Morris and Slate River.  Another nice pair, Heather and Slate River have respectable finishes at Rolex 2011 (22nd) and Fair Hill CCI*** 2009 (11th).  The horse has been only lightly competed– hardly at all in 2010, and he had all of 2011 off after Rolex.  Slate River has some good finishes, including a 3rd at Advanced at Pine Top this year.  However, his weak record leaves him well off the London list unless he does something spectacular to win Rolex going away.

Emily Beshear and Here’s To You.  After winning Jersey Fresh CCI** in 2009, things were looking pretty good for Emily and Here’s To You.  However, he didn’t quite retain that form, with a weak 2010 season.  Here’s To You bounced back a little last year, finishing 8th at Bromont CCI***, 4th place at the AECs, and 10th at Fair Hill CCI***.  Retiring at The Fork CIC*** isn’t a great way to go into Rolex, but this pair could still pull off a good top-20 finish and build on their past success.  The Olympics seems a bit far-fetched, but as with the others, winning changes everything.

Debbie Rosen and The Alchemyst.  Debbie and The Alchemyst are no strangers to the Advanced level.  They finished 19th at Jersey Fresh CCI*** back in 2008, and completed Rolex in 2009 and 2010 finishing 25th and 36th, respectively.  Unfortunately, their record also shows quite a few disappointing results in with their placings…rider fall at 2008 Fair Hill CCI***, eliminated at 2010 Galway CCI***, eliminated at 2011 Galway CIC*** 2011, retired at 2011 Rolex, and retired at 2011 Gallway CCI***.  Having had some “letters” on my own record, I know there can be simple explanations for those bad moments…but it doesn’t look good for a Team bid.  The pair goes into Rolex this year off a 10th place finish at Galway CIC***, and will have to shock the world with a whopping win to have any sort of outside chance at London.

Kristen Bond and Are You Ready.  Another pair with little realistic chance for London, Kristen and Are You Ready do not seem quite ready for the Team.  Their best result is a win at Millbrook Advanced HT in 2010, and a 29th place finish at Fair Hill CCI*** last fall.  Their record is a bit weak overall, and it seems a good effort at Rolex should be their goal.  There is pretty much no way they could make the Olympics, though winning on a sub-40 score could change that.

Sara Kozumplik and Manolo Blahnik.  Manolo Blahnik finished 5th at Bromont CCI** in 2010, but has had an inconsistent record thus far at the Advanced level.  He was 30th at The Fork Advanced HT last year, retired at Jersey CIC***, 8th at Rebecca CIC***, and won at Morven Advanced before finishing middle of the pack (24th) with a stop at 2011 Fair Hill CCI***.  This spring, Manolo Blahnik was 9th at Red Hills CIC***, and 22nd at The Fork CIC***.  At the Fork, he jumped double clear on xc, but had a dismal dressage score of 72.  London would appear out of reach this year, unless he really puts on a show in all three phases…definitely a must-win for any consideration.

Barb Crabo and Eveready.  Barb and Eveready had a shaky start at Advanced, attempting Rolex in 2009 but were eliminated.  The horse had most of 2010 off, and came out guns blazing in 2011, never finishing worse than 5th at Advanced.  His season included a win at 2011 AECs, 5th at Rebecca Farm CIC***, and 3rd at Galway CCI***.  However, other than the AECs, Eveready hasn’t left the West Coast since finishing 30th at 2009 Fair Hill CCI***.  He is clearly a good horse, but it’s hard to know just how good when most of the stiff competition is based in the East.  Rolex will be a true test and a good measuring stick for the pair.  A top-5 finish will turn some heads– yes, California eventing IS for real! — but I think it will take a blue ribbon to put them on the short list.

Buck Davidson and Titanium.  Titanium has a respectable record– you can pretty much bet he’ll be in the ribbons at any given horse trial.  His three-day record includes a 7th at 2009 Jersey CCI***,  16th at 2010 Rolex, and 11th at Galway CCI*** last fall.  He was withdrawn from 2009 Fair Hill CCI*** and 2011 Rolex, and retired at 2011 Bromont CCI***.  He generally goes clear around cross-country, and his dressage is okay but not quite at Team standards (ranging from high 50s to 60s at CCIs).  He’s a horse who’s had his chances to step up and be Buck’s #1, but just hasn’t quite got there.  Titanium’s a nice horse and would likely make a team for some lesser countries…but I think the US team has other options unless he happens to beat them all.

Jolie Wentworth and Killian O’Connor.  Jolie and Killian are another dark-horse pair with a decent competition history.  They finished 16th at 2008 Jersey Fresh CCI***, and 18th at Rolex in 2009 with a good showing…however they have not completed a three-day event since then (withdrew from Fair Hill CCI*** in ’09).  The pair basically took 2010 and 2011 off, save for a couple outings at Preliminary in the fall of last year.  They enter Rolex this year off an Intermediate HT win and a 4th place finish at Galway CIC***.  They have both been to Rolex before, but they could be forgiven for being a bit rusty.  I give them slim-to-none chance for London consideration without a huge upset.

Michael Pollard and Icarus.  Icarus is the only representative of Michael’s “Gray Group of Olympic Hopefuls” making a start at Rolex, and certainly the most experienced of them.  The elimination at Burghley last year was a big blemish on the horse’s record.  He finished 19th at Rolex last year, with a stop on cross country.  He won Jersey Fresh CCI*** back in 2009, but didn’t do anything in 2010 save for an Intermediate horse trial.  Icarus appears to be in good form going into Rolex this year, with a win at Pine Top Advanced HT, 7th at Red Hills CIC***, and 4th at The Fork Advanced.  A top-5 finish is a possibility for this horse, but he probably has to do better than that for selectors to look past last year’s results.

* * * *

In conclusion: there are a good number of horses and riders with a lot to gain from a successful outing at Rolex.  And there are many more who are just hoping to shoot for the stars…but what’s wrong with that? If you’re gonna dream, dream big!  Rolex stands to play an important part of the US Team selections, but remember that some of our nation’s best aren’t even entered this year: Neville Bardos, Mystery Whisper, and Manoir De Carneville (among others) are sitting this one out.  There’s still a lot of eventing to be done between now and London, and I’m sure things will shake up along the way.  Good luck to all competitors this weekend, we’ll be cheering for you all!

In some ways, Rolex is just like any other event: it would not exist without volunteers!  From jump judges to warmup stewards, to crossing guards, jump decorators and dressage ring crew, to setting up tents and checking toilet paper rolls… it takes an army to host an event and it couldn’t be done without dozens of people behind the scenes.  I’ve served as Horse Ambulance Crew on cross-country day for the last 8 years, and love just being there to do my part.  Today I’d like to introduce you to Krista Amos, another soldier in the volunteer army.  Thanks, Krista for taking the time to write us, and thanks for your help this weekend!  We will check back in with Krista at the event’s end to wrap up Rolex from a volunteer’s perspective.
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From Krista:

I grew up in pony club, and now I’m a CHMJ (Chief Horse Management Judge) and a volunteer.  I’m currently horseless and going through horse withdrawal so I convinced my husband to let me volunteer a few days this week, and I might have even convinced him to come down to Rolex on Thursday, his one day off from work this week.

Monday I had the opportunity to do my part for Rolex by volunteering to work logistics.  I spent the day setting up tables in the trade fair area, and all around the park.  As an unemployed teacher, who’s currently most often occupied by chasing her two year old son around the house, it was nice to get out of the house and be surrounded by sunshine, bluegrass, and horses. I made it out with only a few battle scars, a busted finger nail courteous of a cement block that were using to help weigh down the dividers for the trade fair in the covered arena, and a few scratches.

Overall it was a good day, and I had the chance to stalk–wait–look for various riders and horses.  I saw Becky Holder on Comet as they rode right by my car at the watering station, but alas I didn’t get to the car fast enough to put away my hat and just happen to bump into them! Perhaps next time.  As I drove around the barns, outside of the fence (I was good this time…) I saw Maple Hill Farm’s (Pam Fisher) trailer being unpacked, Rafferty Stables, and others unpacking and moving in.  Though I did miss seeing Boyd, but I will have to look for my fellow cat lover when I’m back out today volunteering.  I just want to kiss the ponies.

It’s Tuesday, and Rolex is almost here!  We kicked off Rolex Contest Week yesterday with the Tipperary Hats On Contest.  Today, we bring back EN’s traditional Rolex pasttime, the Omega Alpha Pick ‘Em Contest, in which we challenge you, dear readers, to pick the winner of Rolex.  Get your calculators, your Excel spreadsheets of FEI rider rankings (please revise: Ballynoe Castle RM *is* still with Buck Davidson), your Magic-8 Ball and your Jimmy Wofford cliff notes: it’s time to mix science and gut-feelings to predict who will walk away with a shiny new Rolex watch on Sunday.

Here’s what you do: Give us the name of the horse/rider combination you think will win, and their overall score.  As a tiebreaker, include your guess for who will finish 2nd (score not required).

The contest entry with the correct horse/rider, closest score (and correct runner-up, if necessary) will win a prize package from Omega Alpha, worth at least $150.  While you’re at Rolex, check out Omega Alpha at Booth 108 in the old indoor and see their kiosk in Bit of Britain.

As with the Tipperary contest, please email your entries to [email protected] with “Pick Em” in the title.  Contest closes Thursday at 8:00am EST before the first horse completes dressage.  Entry List Here.

For example:

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SUBJ: Pick Em

M. Mouse, Orlando FL  [email protected]

Kim Severson – Winsome Adante  44.8

2nd place: David O’Connor – Giltedge

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It’s Rolex week, which means chaos in Lexington, chinchilla overtime pay, and lots of FREE STUFF for EN readers!  We’re kicking off the giveaway week with the chance to win a new T-Series helmet from Tipperary.

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SUBJ: HELMETS

M. Mouse, Orlando FL   iluvcheez@yahoo.com

David O’Connor

Mark Todd

Mary King – 42.5

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Here’s the official Rolex entry list.  Good luck and Go Helmets!

Hot off the presses, the USEF just announced that the Final Mandatory Outing for the US Olympic Eventing Team will be Barbury Castle Horse Trials.  Held in Marlborough, England, the event will run June 28-July 1, 2012.  All short listed riders/horses will be required to compete.  US Selectors and veterinarians will judge the horses’ preparation and soundness before deciding the final team members on July 2.

http://www.barburyhorsetrials.co.uk/

Follow the Land Rover U.S. Eventing team at

http://www.usefnetwork.com/featured/2012Eventing/

Thanks to our friends at the Horse & Hound, you now have a delightful way to pass the time on your computer today.  H&H teamed up with Superflex for their “Raise The Bar” Jumping Challenge.  The game mimics a six-bar competition, in which horse and rider must clear a number of obstacles in combination.  Like all good online games, it’s free, fun, and slightly addicting.

Hint: DO NOT WATCH THE HORSE.  If you try to “see your distance” by watching the horse’s stride, you will inevitably jump (or not jump) at the wrong time.  Instead, watch the gauge bar at the lower portion of the screen; when the moving cursor gets within the “sweet spot” (center of the gauge bar) click your mouse.  The closer the cursor stops to the center, the more points you win.  If the cursor stops outside of the “sweet spot” your horse will knock the rail.  If you fail to stop the cursor within the gauge arrows, your horse will refuse and you’re eliminated.

My high score is 8300, but so far I can’t make it beyond round 4…the last jump keeps tripping me up.  As the jumps get higher, the size of the “sweet spot” declines, so you must be very accurate…just as you would on a real horse!  (If only it was as easy as point & click!)

At EN, we are happy to promote events…without the tireless work of organizers, secretaries, and volunteers behind the scenes, this great sport would not exist. We are delighted to share the preparations and excitement for the upcoming Southern Eighths/Nikon Three-Day Event.  Read an earlier introduction to So8ths here. Thanks to Diana De Rosa for sending this article to us.

So8ths/Nikon Three-Day Event  Are Pumped and Ready to Rock & Roll

Story & Photos By Diana DeRosa

 

It’s amazing how time whizzes by. It feels like last year’s So8ths/Nikon Three-Day Event in the “Heart of the Carolinas” just ended and here we are getting close to the second annual event May 3-6 at Southern 8ths Farm in Chesterfield, SC. Preparations continue and the staff and supporters are psyched.

 

While I was handling the still photography in 2011, Jason Watson and his team from nFocus Pictures was working on videotaping the event.  They were new to Eventing but came away with a greater appreciation.

 

“As videographers, we get a chance to see behind the scenes as well as the view of the event from the eyes of staff and riders,” commented Jason. “Our team was blown away by the attention to detail and dedication to this event by owner of Southern 8ths Farm, Brad Turley, his staff and volunteers. This course is absolutely gorgeous. The treatment of riders, horses, staff members and spectators is well above any recent competitions we have covered. So8ths makes this event special for everyone involved and it clearly shows. As a media team, we spoke with many people over our 3 day tenure at the farm. All had nothing but great things to say about the whole experience. Perhaps one of the most noticeable attributes about this sport at So8ths was the atmosphere. Everyone smiled, laughed, talked and shared stories the whole time between events. There was a great feeling of camaraderie about the whole place. The environment Brad and his team have created is truly something we look forward to being a part of. He goes above and beyond with Class A competition, lessons and treatment of all during the event. We can’t wait to see what this year holds.”

 

Becky Brown and EZ 

Becky Brown was last year’s overall winner riding EZ and the recipient of Nikon’s D3100 Camera Kit. I asked Becky what she does beyond the horses. At the event we see most of these people as just riders, while in fact their life beyond horses gives you a better insight into how they manage to juggle their lives in order to fit in the riding.  Here’s what Becky had to say of her life beyond horses.

 

“I am a pediatric physical therapist and have practiced for 34 years this summer.  I have my own company and treat infants and young children in their homes in the Greenville, Laurens, Greenwood counties.  I live in southern Greenville County on a 50 acre farm with my mother where we raise and train the horses.

 

“I am so fortunate that I love what I do for a living, can work for myself, and can schedule my days to allow time for riding and competition.  My job is rather intense at times working with the parents and infants especially at the beginning of treatment and when things may be getting rough medically.  It is so beneficial to have a release physically and mentally with the horses.

 

“The children, the parents, and the horses all keep me on my toes to learn better and different ways to deal with the challenges that arise.  I really have a great life!’

 

Becky spoke for a moment about her plans for the So8ths/Nikon Three-Day Event noting, “I’m really looking forward to coming back to Southern 8ths this year.  I’ll be bringing a novice horse that will be competing in his first Three Day. I had so much fun at the Training level last year and expect the Novice will be just as challenging. My horse had the overall low score and won the Nikon camera. They say lightning doesn’t strike twice but I’m going to give it my best effort.  He won the best conditioned horse also. My novice horse is harder to condition because he’s not full TB.  He complains more during the interval training but we are persevering. I hope it will help to give him a good foundation to be able to advance up the levels and reach his potential as an event horse.”

 

Yet another competitor from last year was Briana Timmerman, who commented, “Henry and I have been training hard.  We’re doing a jump lesson and a dressage lesson a week, plus 1 conditioning ride and riding twice more working on whatever needs working on. For conditioning, we’ve been following a Jimmy Wofford plan of (3) 5 min trot sets with 2 min breaks in between to warm up. Then canter sets.  The goal is to be able to do (3) 4 min canter sets by the week before the event.  We’re running at Full Gallop in two weeks, then the Lucinda Green clinic April 21-22.   We’re pumped and ready to rock and roll!”

 

Briana Timmerman 

Briana isn’t the only one that’s pumped and ready to rock and roll. I think everyone behind the scenes and all those who will be competing again or for the first time are excited. Since this will be the first BN and N recognized at the three-day level it brings another dimension to the event. We’re just weeks away from the event but we’ll continue to keep you posted.

 

Sarah Morton is British but now splits her time between Massachusetts and Aiken, SC.  Sarah came to the U.S. originally to groom for an event rider.  Now Sarah has horses sent to her to train for both Fox Hunting and lower level Eventing.  Sarah was among those who competed in the 2011 So8ths/Nikon Three-Day Event at the Training level.  Sarah commented, “I loved the footing and the great Cross-Country.  I am hoping to bring two students and one for myself this time around so we are in the midst of fitness doing canter sets every four days.  We managed to get out and school the training three day test in front of a judge, which was really helpful. Hope to be there again fingers crossed of course.”

 

I wanted to end this blog with a few words from Brad Turley, the owner of Southern 8ths Farm and the man who has made all of this happen, from the building of an Amateur rider’s paradise on 300 acres to the USEA recognizing Beginner Novice and Novice at the Three-Day level and everything in between.

Brad recently finished his letter for the program and here is a sneak preview of some of his comments:

“After working closely with the USEA this past year we are proud to say “We did it!”  The 2012 Heart of the Carolinas, sponsored by Nikon, is the first ever long format where BN, N and T level riders test their mettle and get to experience the exhilarating traditional long format for year-end recognition.

 

“There is nothing that equals the shared accomplishment that your horse and you get from the long format – the complete range of emotions.  It is the ride of a lifetime from the anxiousness of presenting your horse multiple times to the solitude of roads & tracks punctuated by the adrenaline of galloping the chase to the anxiety of the 10-minute hold to the sheer exhilaration of riding a maxed out cross-country and the sense of accomplishment and pride you get after the final rail in show jumping. Your horse and you working as a team, that’s what it’s all about.”

 

We are now just weeks away from the second annual So8ths/Nikon Three-Day Event. We are expecting a full house, from the competitors, to the support staff, to the officials, volunteers and family and friends. So, join us May 3-6 for this fun-filled event.

 

If you’d like to get a sense of what last year’s event was all about, go to So8ths YouTube page and take a video tour: http://www.youtube.com/user/So8ths or check out the wide selection of photos showing every facet of the event here: www.tinyurl.com/presslink-so8ths. And make sure to visit the recently revealed new web site: www.so8ths.com and ”like” us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/so8ths.

EN has it on good authority that The Fork Stables’ Pig has been spotted wandering at will.  It appears as if Pig has escaped captivity and is cavorting around New Jersey. Sinead Halpin Eventing has obviously not noticed and is hereby being issued a summons for “pig negligence.” Authorities will be contacting them shortly. An ransom may be in order.

Representatives from The Fork could not yet be reached for comment.  We expect a statement from the head spokesperson of SHE soon, hopefully clarifying the details of this story.

UPDATE from MEG KEP of Sinead Halpin Eventing:

“Rumors are flying that Bow Brickhill Stables are planning a pig roast on may 18th.  Additionally, the pig went missing today and has been sighted at Bow Brickhill. Coincidence? Or plain just animal cruelty.
You be the judge.

I’m suited up in all black and headin in stealth style. Going dark…”

OK, the title is a bit misleading.  As far as I know, Buck’s “appearance” on the TODAY show was limited to a brief split-second shot of him walking off the Team USA double-decker bus.  Seen in the clip below.  Once again, eventing took a back stage to swimming, running (I admit, hurdling looks difficult), and women’s featherweight boxing.

100 days until opening ceremonies.  Go Eventing.  Go Olympics!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Something a bit more interesting: photo of My Boy Bobby in Times Square, posted on Twitter by Joanie Morris.