Become an Eventing Nation BloggerMany thanks to EN tipster Marina, for sending us the link to www.horselive.it and sharing the videos of the top finishers at Montelibretti.
For your enjoyment:
Karin Donckers and Charizard in dressage
Andrew Hoy and Rutherglen XC (beware: annoying music)
The victory gallop:
After a wonderfully generous weekend of reporting from Italy, Austin Ligon was kind enough to send us the results of Campo de Mayo CIC***, with some insightful commentary on how it plays into the individual Olympic race. Thanks, Mr. Ligon!
Ronald Zabala and Master Rose at Poplar, photo by Samantha Clark
From Austin Ligon:
It looks like Ronald, who rides in the US and just competed at the Poplar CIC*** took 1st on Master Rose and 5th on Che Kairo at Campo de Mayo CIC*** in Argentina, which should secure the South American Regional Reserve Slot for him and Ecuador.
Master Rose has now also picked up his minimum eligibility requirement (MER) for CIC, so just needs one for CCI to qualify. (A rider and each horse must have a MER at a CIC*** and CCI***.)
The issue with Argentina that some have talked about is they have NO current riders who are 3-star CCI qualified, even though they have earned the right to a 5 person team thru the Pan Am Games (2-star). They had 3 riders and 3 horses get their CIC*** MER this weekend at Campo de Mayo….and 5 who failed. So they still have a long way to go to get a group of 5-6 riders and even more horses qualified in time (June 14th). These are the spots that folks on the wait list are lusting after, should Argentina falter. I believe they have two more events, one CIC*** and one CCI*** scheduled in Buenos Aires this spring. “Watch this space,” as they say. There is some concern the Japanese may not make the full five, but they already have the first 3, which guarantees their team can compete…and their top 2 riders are very good, as the Aussies found to their chagrin when they fielded their “B, team at the Asian championship competition at Blenheim, and got their hineys spanked and sent to the individual list.
One final note…I also found the results from Vladikavkaz (Southe Ossetia, Russia) where the Russians and Belarus rode this weekend. None passed Michael Ryan (IRE) at spot #20, so the Irish get a team of at least 3 members, with 2 more slots possible from wait list. Andrei Korshunov (Russian) did the best, and moved up to the high wait list with 187 pts. And that’s it.
Now the folks on the wait list go thru the excruciating wait to see if spots open up (you can see why we wanted to avoid this fate), and the rest of us, along with the team organizations, go forward to focus on getting ready and keeping horses healthy.
Nina, by the way, has achieved the MER for all four horses…just in case.
Austin Ligon
EN would like to thank Austin Ligon for sharing his account of the CCI*** in Italy this weekend. Since I’m not even sure where Montelibretti is, and I struggled mightily trying to navigate the Italian corner of the internet searching for scores, this first-hand report is much appreciated! Thanks, Austin, and congratulations to Nina for accomplishing her goal of making the list to London! Click to read reports from Day 1 and Day 2.
Montelibretti CCI*** winner Karin Donckers and Charizard
So, here’s how it all came out at the Montelibretti CCI***:
The last day was a great reminder that when the pressure is REALLY on, show jumping, even on a seemingly “friendly” course, can become a gut-wrenching endeavor.
With 26 of the original 37 riders left in the field for showjumping, things got off to a pretty smooth start… from the bottom, the first 5 riders had 3 clear rounds, with two more of one rail each….and no time penalties all round. It looked like it would be a pretty easy, pro forma day of most folks holding score.
But as we got into the top half of the order, where many were in shooting distance of. “Make or Break” Olympic qualification, things got much tougher.
After Alex Hua Tian of China went clear in position 16, there were only 4 more clear rounds for the day. Two of them belonged to the tough and incredible Vittoria Panizzon, who went clear on Rock Model and almost stratospherically clear on Burrough Pennyz. After the dust had cleared from the carnage of the others, Vittoria had moved from her post-dressage positions of #18 and #21 to a final 3rd and 5th. This moved her from well down the Olympic “wait list” to a secure Olympic slot. Indeed, after adding 122 Olympic qualifying points on the final day, she ended up with a total of 243 points, which secures for her the Southern European “Reserve Spot”, and makes her the top scoring non-Australian among ALL the individual competitors. As the top-finishing Italian and a member of the Italian Air Force, she also received enthusiastic congratulations from all the many Generals on hand for the ceremony.
Final scores: http://www.fiselazio.com/
Italy’s own Vittoria Panizzon and Borough Pennyz finished 3rd
The other two clear rounds belonged to Karin Donckers and Merel Blom. Donckers on Charizard exploited a three-rail performance by Andrew Hoy to knock him in to second, and take the huge silver cup presented by an absolute bevy of Italian Generals….the Top Brass came out big-time on the final day (see picture).
Merel Blom’s clear round on Rumour Has It gained her 4th place overall, put her second on the Olympic individual “open 9” qualifying list and secured a team slot for the Dutch (3 person composite team) for the first time in decades.
As an aside, I asked Merel afterwards how she managed to make the critical November trip all the way from Holland to Temecula that gave her a big points boost. “It was simple….Galway was my only chance, I felt good about it, so I sold a horse to make the trip”….which, if you have seen Merel ride, reflects her gutsy approach to eventing generally.
Unfortunately, my favorite, Lukasz Kazmierczak took four rails, as did Denmark’s Peter Flarup, while Portugal’s Manuel Grave took three. This knocked all three of them out of Olympic slots and well down the wait list. And Italy’s Stefano Brecciaroli, riding his new acquisition Oplitas (from Andrew Nicholson), took four rails himself, slipping to 9th place, still enough to put him 5th on the “open 9” Olympic list.
Italy fell short of it’s goal to secure the three individual spots required to form a composite Olympic team. But Italy’s Marco Biasia, epitomizing the “Never Say Die” attitude, moved up from his 25th place start after dressage to take 10th, enough to put him reasonably high on the Olympic wait list with 178 points, and preserving the hope that a team might still materialize for the Italians.
Finally, Alex Hua Tian’s clear round left him just short of the point cut-off, moving up from 16th to 11th. So he also will join the wait list.
Since all the Hubbub in February was caused by the race for individual points, I should tell you how I think it came out, although it won’t be official until the FEI announcement on March 1. Here’s my unofficial count of who gets the 20 individual slots:
REGIONAL RESERVED SLOTS-
A) North America: Samantha Albert, Jamaica
B) South America: Ronald Zabala G., Ecuador leads (final result depends on Campo de Mayo)
C) Northern Europe: Raf Kooremans, Netherlands
D) Southern Europe: Vittoria Pannizon, Italy
E) Eastern Europe, Alena Tseliapushkina, Belorussia
F) Africa/Middle East: Mandy Mason, South Africa
G) Asia/Oceania: Clayton Fredericks, Australia
INDIVIDUAL SLOTS:
Michael Ryan’s spot at number 20 is dependent on the outcome of Vladikavkaz CIC*** in Russia on Sunday, where, Alexandr Faminou of Belarus may pass him up.
About 10 more riders are on the “wait list,” spread between 155 and 201 points; they will get spots only of other riders drop out, or teams (such as Argentina) fail to qualify a full team.
Best,
Austin Ligon
Pine Top hasn’t quite finished yet — Training cross-country scores aren’t final– but we’ll catch you up on the intermediate and preliminary results. [Full Results List]
OI-1
1. Boyd Martin — Remington XXV 29.2
2. Will Coleman — Zipp 31.0
3. Becky Holder — Frodo of the Shire 36.8
OI-2
1. Phillip Dutton — Ben 26.8 *Remember, for wins this year, Phillip is making a donation to the MDA* Go Phillip!
2. Will Faudree — Pawlow 27.6
3. Phillip Dutton — Young Man 33.6
OI-3
1. Jessica Schultz — Lock N’ Load 40.0
2. Lizzie Snow — Coal Creek 44.0
3. Donna Miller — Artceltic Art 44.8
JYOP
1. Erin Nolan — Balmoral Avenue 32.3
2. Hallie Coon — Namaste’ 36.5
3. Andi Lawrence — Armani IV 43.1
OP-1
1. Carol Kozlowski — Good Earth Bit O’ Honey 28.1
2. Jessica Phoeniz — A Little Romance 31.6
3. Phillip Dutton — Atlas 32.9
OP-2
1. Phillip Dutton — Fun Maker 27.0
2. Alison Wilaby — Memphis II 29.6
3. Will Faudree — Riesling De Buissy 30.4
Prelim Horse
1. Becky Holder — Prospero 31.9
2. Mary Bess Sigman — Foster’s Bold Favorite 33.6
3. Elizabeth Ricklefs — On The Rocks 33.9
Prelim Rider
1. Chelsey Sawtell — Maiden France 47.2
2. Megan Harris — Sparrow’s Owen 51.3
3. Sarah Finkel — Deep Sea 54.9
Montelibretti CCI*** results:
1. Karin Donckers — Charizard
2. Andrew Hoy — Rutherford
3. Vittoria Panizzon — Borough Pennyz
And now, for a few Pine Top videos, courtesy of Mary Macklin:
Stephen Bradley and Leyland
Courtney Sendak and Will Ya Love Me
Many thanks to Patricia Ryan for forwarding this to us! Enjoy the video of Michael Ryan and Ballylynch Adventure as they tackle the CIC*** course at Ballindenisk. Mike and Ballylynch Adventure finished in 8th place.
Ballindenisk CCI*** final scores:
1. Oliver Townend — Arctic Mouse (43.6)
2. Elizabeth Power — September Bliss (50.6)
3. Tina Cook — Miners Frolic (54.5)
4. Geoff Curran — The Jump Jet (55.4)
5. Rodney Powell — Zinzan II (67.1)
1. Camilla Speirs — Portersize Just A Jiff (44.1)
2. Michael Ryan — Old Road (51.5)
3. Julian Stiller – Chapel Amble (54.0)
4. Sarah Ennis — Sugar Brown Babe (57.4)
5. Jayne Doherty — Ravenstar (61.4)
Lukasz Kazmierczak on Hromy
From Austin Ligon:
The big news for me, of course, is, NINA IS IN….FOR SURE! I won’t go into the math of it all or the specifics, but between the events of the day at Montelibretti and Ballindenisk, she can no longer be pushed off the list, and has one of the nine “true open” spots for London 2012 (20 total, but I exclude the 7 reserved regional spots –Asia goes to Clayton Fredericks) and the 4 mathematically-guaranteed Aussie spots at the top of the list…more on that some other day. 🙂 But to all of those who have provided support in this fantastic year, whether direct, moral, or just saying “go girl” on occasion….we all THANK YOU.
Vittoria Panizzon rode fast, well, and clear, and was rewarded for it: she moved up from 18th and 21st all the way to. I’m not exactly known as an expert when it comes to Eventing (my girls are gigling), but she was a real pleasure to watch. She rides in uniform, and it is clear even with my little Italian that the male Italian military are big admirers of her courage!
Vittoria Panizzon and Rock Model
Andrew Hoy and Rutherford
Austin Ligon
Michael Pollard and Icarus III (Samantha Clark photo)
Adv-1
1. Michael Pollard — Icarus III (30.3)
2. Michael Pollard — Shoensgreen Hanni (34.6)
3. Selena O’Hanlon– Columbo (35.0)
Michael Pollard had quite a good day. Icarus finished on his dressage score to win the division; Hanni added 5.2 time penalties on cross-country to drop to second. And if that wasn’t enough, Michael finished fourth with Jos Calfun. Selenda O’Hanlon and Columbo jumped into third with double clear jumping rounds, moving up from 10th after dressage. Jan Bynny and Sid Kent also had a good weekend, adding just one time fault in show jumping to their dressage score to finish fifth.
Adv-2
1. Michael Pollard — Jude’s Law (26.8)
2. Becky Holder — Can’t Fire Me (33.4)
3. Heather Morris– Slate River (35.7)
Michael Pollard and Jude’s Law added just 2.4 time penalties to their dressage score. Becky and Can’t Fire Me also had an excellent weekend, with just 1.2 time penalties on cross-country. Heather Morris and Slate River finished third with 6 time penalties on xc. Danielle Ditching and Tops, featured in an article by Samantha at Poplar this year, went double clear on cross-country to finish fourth. EN guest blogger Holly Hudspeth and Stewie made a nice comeback in fifth place, moving up from 13th after dressage.
As a silly observation, it appears to be a good day to have a gray horse… the top four in Adv-1 and 2 are all beautiful grays. My yellowed, muddy gray mare at home is jealous.
Adv-3
1. Michele Mueller — Amistad (41.3)
2. Rachel Jurgens — Ziggy (47.3)
3. Devon Brown — Dynamic Image (48.0)
Advanced division 3 was overshadowed by the tragic loss of Megan Moore’s Grasshopper. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Megan, Howard and the rest of Team CEO.
Most of the Adv-3 riders seemed to do pretty well around the course, with only two incurring jump penalties on cross-country. Time penalties played a big part in the final placings, but dressage leaders Michele and Amistad finished with the win. Rachel Jurgens and Ziggy added only 0.4 time penalties, to move up to second from 11th after show jumping. Devon Brown and Dynamic Image finished third, Erin Sylvester and No Boundaries fourth, both adding a little over 8 time penalties on cross-country. Danielle Ditching was fourth on The Graduate, with 13.2 time penalties moving her down from first after show jumping.
Intermediate
The intermediate show jumping appears to be riding quite well, with just an occasional rail down in Int-1 and Int-2. Division 3 has a few more rails among the competitors, but still a number of clear rounds.
Intermediate leaders going into cross-country:
Int-1
1. Boyd Martin — Remington XXV (29.2)
2. Will Coleman — Zipp (26.0)
3. Becky Holder — Frodo of the Shire (36.8)
Int-2
1. Phillip Dutton — Ben (26.8)
2. Will Faudree — Pawlow (27.6)
3. Will Coleman — Twizzel (28.4)
Int-3
1. Jessica Schultz — Lock N’ Load (29.6)
2. Erin Renfroe — Glacier Bay (33.6)
3. Donna Miller — Ardceltic Art (36.8)
[Complete Pine Top scores, including the Prelim and Training divisions]
Jacky Green is kind enough to keep us up to date on Ballindenisk, and we are most grateful for her reports from across the pond. Jacky works for Team New Zealand and also runs her Maizey Manor Farm in the UK and she is a regular Eventing Nation contributor. Thanks for writing this Jacky and thank you for reading.
This is the corner at 16ab. The short route is straight across the point; long way requires two drops into water. (Photo by Kate Harrington)
Jacky Green
Ballindenisk CIC***/CCI***
Cross country day
It would seem that anyone heading to Ballindenisk for a soft three star early season run would have been much mistaken…..the riders that said the track was up to height and bold and galloping were proved right today as just 13 completed the CCI*** and only 7 of those with zero jump penalties and just Esib Power and September Bliss made time. Even speed demon Mark Kyle and Step in Time picked up 1.2 time which elevated them to 7th despite being hampered by a dressage score of 74.8, just 0.2 inside the qualifying criteria!
At the end of an action-packed day Ollie Townend leads the 3-star with Artic Mouse, a full 7 penalties ahead of Esib Power and September Bliss, with a delighted Tina Cook in 3rd on Miners Frolic which is a great achievement considering “Henry” has not competed since the dressage at Badminton 2011 and fought for his life after that. A small field it might be but still top class, Geoff Curran is in 4th with The Jump Jet but might not be looking forward to the showjumping tomorrow, Blyth Tait is firmly on the comeback trail putting a miserable Burghley behind him with the NZ TB Santos to lie 5th, and Rodney Powell thrilled that Zinzan jumped clear for 6th. Zinzan won Boekelo CCI*** as a nine year old, jumped double clear round his first Badminton the following Spring and then was electrocuted in a freak accident at Martinvaast that summer and has showed disappointing form ever since. Rodney has hunted him all winter with draghounds, the Beaufort, the VWH and it would seem that the old Zinzan is back again, quite the comeback story. Esib Power should also be proud, her Irish team stalwart Kilpatrick River was lying 6th after cross country at Burghley last Autumn and had to be withdrawn following a career ending injury but she took her only other advanced horse to Boekelo after a 2-year absence from 3-days, finished in the top 10 and has put herself right up the list today with the only round inside the time. September Bliss raced in Ireland under trainer Jessie Harrington whose stable jockey is Grand National winner Robert Power……who is Esib’s brother!
Jules Stiller described the CCI*** as “carnage” and was happy she made the right decision to leave Enjoy Me in his stable. Axel Rose was going brilliantly until fence 16, a 90 degree corner with water underneath it which she said he totally misread and ran off so she retired him, she was delighted however with Chapel Ambel who finished 3rd in the CIC*** behind Portersize Just a Jiff (Camilla Spiers) and the veteran Old Road for Michael Ryan. Jules is pretty sure she has her Badminton qualification and said the weekend had been quite an experience with a car crossing her path cross country which nearly took her and her horse out amongst other things and is thrilled with her partnership with the smart mare Chapel Ambel.
Camilla Spiers and the hugely popular Portersize Just a Jiff more than made up for being barely 15 hands with a pillar to post victory in the CIC***. The duo have been hugely influential in gaining much needed points for Ireland with good runs at the Europeans, Boekelo, and now Ballindenisk. Old Road must have been round Ballindenisk countless times with Michael Ryan and he showed all his experience today with a classy 2nd and Jayne Doherty finished 5th with Ravenstar whilst her European ride The Only One had an uncharacteristic off day with 60 jumping penalties.
Whilst the CIC*** is over the jog and the showjumping remain for the CCI*** tomorrow. In true Irish fashion a group of riders went off to the local river at the end of the day, riding bareback to make the most of the water cooling properties! Now that is something you don’t see at most European 3-days!
[Results]
Dear Eventing Nation,
Since I was in Berlin and London for fun and a little business anyway, I decided to attend one of the final Olympic qualifying competitions this weekend so I could observe and report live to Nina and Pan on how things look for her as we get down to the wire (being a semi-retired travel bum has it’s compensations). 🙂
[Scores]
Jacky Green has once again sent us a great report from across the pond, this time from Ballindensik, for which we are eternally grateful. Jacky works for Team New Zealand and also runs her Maizey Manor Farm in the UK and she is a regular Eventing Nation contributor. Thanks for writing this Jacky and thank you for reading.
Photo via Wikipedia Commons
Jacky Green
Gossip from Ballindenisk CCI***/CIC***
Word is that Ballindenisk is being run as the fastest three star in the West…..competitors were thrilled to discover that far from taking Tuesday to Sunday out of their training schedules they could arrive on Friday morning, trot up, do a test, and that was phase one and two done and dusted! CIC *** then showjumped after their test and are all done and free to go home tomorrow afternoon after cross country whilst CCI*** go cross country tomorrow and then showjump on Sunday.
Jules Stiller is the busiest rider there with three horses: Enjoy Me and Chapel Amble in the CIC*** and Axel Rose in the CCI***. Chapel Amble lies 5th in the CIC*** whilst the gorgeous Enjoy Me posted a cracking 44 in the same division but has been WD before showjumping and Axel Rose lies 18th in the CCI***. Jules said that Axel Rose was just damn naughty in his test displaying acrobatics that are not unusual for a fresh horse at the start of the season whilst Enjoy Me tried his best but was struggling with the going so she decided to save him or another day. Jules said that the event was super rider friendly and trying to help in every way but the stabling being 30mins away is quite a dilemma, word is Irish gateways are not as generous a UK and more than one rider has dented his truck…..
Sam Watson who led the dressage in the CIC*** with Horseware Bushman on an incredible 37 has also withdrew before showjumping but it appears that was always the plan… back to Badminton for “George”….
Esib Power told me that the going in the dressage arena for the CCI*** was “challenging” and she tried to avoid the outside track where possible as it was tacky and holding and would not suit a big moving horse which would lose its balance….Rodney Powell confirmed this saying that his normally high scoring Zinzan struggled to keep his balance in the mud. He also said that the cross country track walks better going than the dressage but it will be interesting to see how it stands up tomorrow. He said that it was big and bold, a galloping track that was more technical towards the end which will certainly not make it a dressage competition.
All the competitors have noted that the course walks long but that could be an indication of the fact they have spent all winter walking from the barn to the arena to see if it is rideable……
Ollie Townend leads with Artic Mouse in the CCI***, it is not a lead he will give up easily, for all these combinations it brings back memories of the foot and mouth season when we headed straight to a three day with no prep runs…not the easiest to do and good luck to all of the starters for aiming high in 2012 for their first run!
[Results]
A very dreary Pine Top, courtesy of Doug Payne
It’s been a busy week on EN, and more to come this weekend. We’ve enjoyed a lovely week here in Kentucky– it was 70 yesterday!– but today winter has returned with hail and sleet. However, it sounds like the weather has been much worse (albeit warmer) down in Thomson, GA at Pine Top. Despite the storms, it appears the intermediate dressage was completed and hopefully everyone can have a safe jumping day tomorrow.
A view from my car: volunteer jump judge at Pine Top, just before XC was cancelled for the day
Speaking of Pine Top, here are your overnight leaders in the Advanced and Intermediate divisions:
Adv-1
1. Michael Pollard (Schoensgreen Hanni) 29.4
2T. Michael Pollard (Icarus III) 30.3
2T. Becky Holder (Courageous Comet) 30.3
Adv-2
1. Michael Pollard (Jude’s Law) 24.4
2T. Michael Pollard (DV8) 29.7
2T. Heather Morris (Slate River) 29.7
Adv-3
1. Michele Mueller (Amistad) 33.1
2. Danielle Dichting (The Graduate) 35.3
3. Devon Brown (Dynamic Image) 37.2
Int-1
1. Will Coleman (Zipp) 26.0
2. Boyd Martin (Remington XXV) 29.2
3. Will Coleman (Nevada Bay) 30.4
Int-2
1. Phillip Dutton (Ben) 26.8
2. Will Faudree (Pawlow) 27.6
3. Doug Payne (Running Order) 28.0
Int-3
1. Jessica Shultz (Lock N’ Load) 25.6
2. Alexandra Tatham (Astaire to the Future) 32.4
3. Lizzie Snow (Coal Creek) 33.6
As mentioned this morning, it is “Last Chance Olympic Qualifying Weekend,” featuring Ballindenisk CCI3* in Ireland and Montelibretti CCI3* in Italy.
Ballindenisk CCI3* leaders: (courtesy of UK Eventing Blog’s twitter)
1. Oliver Townend (Arctic Mouse) 41.2
2. Tina Cook (Miner’s Frolic) 46.5
3. Geoff Curan (The Jump Jet) 50.2
[Full scores]
Montelibretti CCI3* leaders:
1. Andrew HOY – Rutherglen – pt 39.20
2. karin DONCKERS – Lamicell Charizard – pt 41.00
3. Karin DONCKERS – Lamicell Unique – pt 44.80
[Full dressage scores – PDF]
Looking back on the week, we had a lot of quality content here on EN. Here’s a brief recap of the good stuff in case you missed it:
Go Eventing.
The Longwood Moose, photo by Meghan
2-22-12
Thought I would drop a quick line. Busier than ever here in Ocala. Today was a combined test at Longwood – they had divisions from BN through Advanced. Some heavy hitters were out today getting in a little ring time with their top horses. Karl Slezak started the advanced division with his very shiny VDL Ulando. Other big time ponies included Taterball, and a whole slew of Canadians including Riddle Master and Exponential. (complete list can be found here http://www.longwoodfarmsouth.
The new dressage ring is great – Peter Gray was judging. The advanced and intermediate horses seemed to be scoring quite well. Show jumping is always a good challenge at Longwood. Their grass ring is full of quality bright well decorated fences, and complete with one giant and ever so random moose. And Longwood, as usual, was very accommodating to those with scheduling conflicts and multiple rides.
The rain thankfully held out until we got back and had to ride the other 11 horses, and has since been thundering and monsooning. As you can tell, my tone is flat…like my hair.
This weekend is Pine Top, which we will not be going to – but good luck to everyone participating!!
Goodnight.
* * * * * *
2-23-12
Photoshoot for Olympic Credentials –
And so the rain continues here in Ocala. After about 146 hours of sleep last night, I am feeling a bit more like my bubbly self. Seeing as how our tack would rather not take another soaking this morning, we have decided to delay riding until mid-morning and get ahead on our paperwork. First and foremost – completing the USOC registration. A lot of normal data input…whats your birthday, whats your shoe size, what are your hobbies…(who has time for hobbies?? I mean I guess I like to read and drink wine…) Whose your daddy and where was he born – that kind of information. But the most entertaining and awkward part of the process: PHOTO SUBMISSION. Here are a few from our SHE photoshoot this morning in our half bath.
And yes, I have toothpaste on my shirt.
Don’t frown. Terrorists frown.
Did you just get caught stalking the US Men’s Swim Team again?
Get out of the US Swim Teams Locker room.
USA Dance Party!
I wonder which picture will make the final cut.
Anyways – that’s all for now – we are planning an adventure to Wellington on Sunday to get our show jump on with Lauren Hough and try out our skills in the big bad WEF arenas. Next weekend is Rocking Horse III where yours truly will be dusting off her tall boots and eventing for the first time in a longgggg time.
Other exciting news, The Fork opened this week. Make sure you get your completed entries in early – there will be lots of people competing for limited spots. The Fork is truly my favorite domestic event. And no, I don’t feel this way just because I work for Sinead. (People think we have pull at the Fork – especially the coffee lady that thinks I have any say whatsoever on which vendors are allowed. I will allow her to continue thinking this as I sip my free iced lattes.)
Off to get some soggy britches and prepare for my beginner novice domination next week. TA TA.
-Meg
Photo courtesy of Bronwyn
Reports are in that Pine Top is experiencing severe weather and the event is on hold right now. Rain is pouring, severe storms and lightning are in the area, and there is a tornado warning.
Hope everyone stays safe.
Update: Cross-country has been cancelled for today and moved to tomorrow. Dressage resumes at 1:30pm. Hopefully the weather improves!
The Advanced dressage has finished so far, with some exceptional scores. Michael Pollard swept both A-1 and A-2, with Hanni and Icarus, and Jude’s Law and DV8. Four horses, first and tied for second-placed in both divisions, and each under 30 points except Icarus (30.3). Michael’s “worst” placing is 5th with Jos Calfun on 31.6. Very impressive. Both A-1 and A-2 are filled with competitive scores– either the judges were in a very good mood or there was some really fantastic riding today. I’m guessing the latter!
The preparations for Bigger Things continue this weekend, with Pine Top in Georgia, Ballindenisk CCI*** in Ireland, and Montelibretti CCI*** in Italy. All I could find on Montelibretti is [here], which may or may not translate the Italian for you. Any info for this event would be appreciated in the comments section! Update: Many thanks to Pippa Roome (of H&H) for her link to scores [translated to English, I hope].
Ballindenisk CCI*** is a last-minute Olympic qualifying opportunity, and will host quite a few entries with London in mind. The CIC*** has 22 entries, two of which are ridden by British-based American Julian Stiller. The CCI*** has 25 entries, including Oli Townend (Arctic Mouse), Tina Cook (Miners Frolic), Julian Stiller (Axel Rose), Blyth Tait (Santos), and Ian Stark (Looks Similar). [Entries and ride times] [Read more about it in the Irish Times]
Walk the CIC*** course with the Donegan Ryan Event Team:
Pine Top doesn’t carry any FEI divisions, but still has an important role in US riders’ preparations. Three advanced divisions and three intermediate divisions showcase some impressive depth at the top of the American eventing pyramid. Pine Top Spring Advanced HT also offers several preliminary and training divisions. [Live Scores]
Notable riders in Advanced-1: Phillip with Mystery Whisper and William Penn; Jan Byyny with Syd Kent; Becky and Comet; Colleen and Shiraz; Michael Pollard with three horses; and Allison Springer with Arthur. Talk about some competition! [Adv-1 entries, Scores]
Advanced-2 is star-packed, too: EN guest blogger Stephen Bradley and Leyland; Jan and Why Not; Phillip with Mighty Nice and Fernhill Eagle; Becky and Can’t Fire Me; Michael Pollard with two more (!!); and EN guest blogger Holly Hudspeth with Last Monarch… to name a few! [Adv-2 entries, Scores]
Advanced division 3 seems to be the “non-High Performance List,” with many quality horses and riders who perhaps aren’t on track for London, but looking for solid Advanced experience. There are some familiar names to keep an eye on, but I bet most of them are thankful to be split off competitively from Division 1 and 2. [Scores for A-3]
A few big names are starting their season a bit easier with an intermediate run. Will Coleman and Twizzel, Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch, Phillip and Ben, Boyd and Otis, Will Faudree and Pawlow are all found in Division 2… along with many PanAm medallists. [Int-2 entries]
View all Pine Top Entries list
It’s shaping up to be a big weekend, starting off with dressage on Friday. Stay tuned to EN and check out the live scores throughout the weekend. Good luck to all competitors!
I received an email from the USEF, about a substance I’d never heard of, but is now apparently banned. Calming products aren’t very commonplace in eventing (face it, we like fire-breathing dragons on cross-country), but other equine sports use them more often.
Edited from the press release:
USEF Equine Drugs and Medications Program has recently been aware of the use of “Carolina Gold.” The product contains gama aminobutyric acid (GABA), an inhibitory neurotransmitter.
While initially not considered a forbidden substance, the use of GABA as a “calming supplement” violates the spirit and intent of the Equine Drugs and Medications Rule. During recent research and administration trials involving “Carolina Gold,” many adverse reactions were documented. The nature of these reactions has prompted immediate action from the USEF Equine Drugs and Medications Program.
Effective immediately, “Carolina Gold” or any other product containing GABA is considered a forbidden substance under USEF rules. Since there are no recognized medical uses for this substance, the use of a Medication Report Form to report its administration is not applicable.
Dr. Alex Emerson, of Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, has an interesting perspective on the product and the USEF decision. As a vet specializing in sport horses (and hunter jumpers in particular) he approves of the ban. Apparently Carolina Gold can have some dangerous unintended side effects, and while it could “help keep horses off the lunge line,” it does not seem to be in the horse’s best interest. Dr. Emerson asserts that perhaps changing the expectations of show hunters would be better, and move away from the “dead” look that wins so many ribbons. Read more here.
We first welcomed Lesley Grant Law (not to be confused with Leslie) to our guest blogger stable a few weeks ago, when she told us all about the creatures of Ocala. Today, she checks in with a story of determination, rehab, and perspective during a traumatic injury, told as only Lesley can. Thanks for writing, Lesley, and thanks for reading!
From Lesley:
I read a lot about Riders having confidence issues especially after falls. So when EN asked me to write something else I thought perhaps I would share my story of my worst injury as it may be of comfort to some and amusement to others.
Sometime in February of 2009 I found out I was pregnant. We had been ‘trying’ for about six months which I found hysterical as when you are a kid your parents scare the life out of you convincing you that if you get within two acres of a sperm you will without question become pregnant. Anyhoo, I was a very sick pregnant lady. Morning were a disaster and I had to line up saltines by my bedside every night as that was the only way I would make it out of bed without barfing. Horse shows were particularly trying as you have to often wake up very early and move fast and that was not so easy. No one but Leslie knew I was pregnant and we had decided as I had two lovely young prelim horses at the time I would do the one star at Ocala in April and then call it a day with the eventing until after the baby was born. For those that know my analness, you can imagine I had read every journal on pregnancy and I felt fine about eventing up till then as all the docs said that the baby was safe as long as it was behind the hip bones and I never showed until about six and a half months so I figured I was golden. I ran around on my first horse no problem with just a few time faults and then jumped on my second who was the easier of the two and had a good dressage mark so I was quite excited at the prospect of doing well. We ran around fine until the second to last fence when I discovered my right foot had become firmly lodged into my stirrup and I couldn’t get it out despite all the wriggling and moving about I did. What the heck, I thought, I had one jump left and then I could sort it out. To be critical I got a bit close to the last fence which was a table, and my horse jumped up pretty hard and on landing I heard quite a good ‘pop.’ Apparently your ankle/leg takes up quite a bit of shock absorption I guess as my upper bones went down into my wedged lower leg and snapped the tops off of both tibia and fibula and hammered the bottoms down. Of course I didn’t know the details at that time but the funny thing is I clearly remember thinking to myself, ‘just hold on and the finish is about ten strides away and you are doing great’ and then straight away thinking ‘you idiot, did you not hear that pop? Your leg is broken you are not jumping tomorrow!’ That was all I remember until I opened my eyes to find Roger Haller staring down at me and a flurry of busy bodies moving equipment and getting out screens around me and I remember thinking “I’m not dead yet!” like the poor lady in the Monty Python film.
Leslie still had stuff to do so I was stuffed into one of our wonderful clients Susan Millar’s car and taken off to the Ocala hospital. By that point I had insane pain in my leg and a very large lump coming out of the side of it. I pretty much knew I was in trouble but was still holding on to some hope that I would get sent home with a cute cast that I could have my friends sign and put funny phrases on. We naturally sat in a waiting room forever, me lying on the bed trying my very hardest to be witty instead of bawling my eyes out which was my preferred option at the time, and Ms. Millar sitting in a chair across from me looking kind of worried about the whole thing. After what felt like forever a nurse came into the room and naturally the first thing out of her mouth was, “Are you pregnant or taking any drugs?” My stomach just about fell out of me. I looked at Ms. Millar and said, “yep, I’m pregnant.. surprise!”. I love Ms. Millar but you know I kinda had it in my head that my mom might be the first to know. However, such is life I guess. Poor Ms. Millar just about fell out of her chair, she was having much more of a day than she had bargained for. I got sent off to x-ray and then another hour or so later finally had a doctor arrive that looked about 18 years old and I’m not sure but I feel fairly confident that he may have gotten his degree on line. He looked up to me for one second, looked down at the rads and said, “Ms. Grant I have looked at your x-rays and I cannot help you. I will refer you to a specialist to go to on Tuesday in Gainesville.” At that point it is fair to say that I lost my witty demeanor. Keep in mind this is Saturday and this boy-genius wants to send me home with my leg in pieces to wait until Tuesday. So that is exactly what happened.
Leslie came and got me from the hospital relieving the poor over-informed Millar of her post. I, true to my form, held myself together as much as I could until I got into the car and fell to pieces and then called my mom to tell her I had good news and bad news. That is how my mom got to find out about her first grandchild; probably not so much the way she had imagined either.
We got home with my mangled leg and then started the most interesting days of my life. I had to stay in bed with my leg straight all of the time. If I moved or let my leg hang the bones shifted and created a pain that would make you rip a phone book in half. For the first time in my life I was totally dependent on other people and for the first time in Leslie’s life he had someone that was completely dependent on him. My entire life I have been seriously private about all bathroom activity and Leslie knew never to come near the bathroom when I was in it no matter what. Now I couldn’t go to the bathroom without Leslie holding my leg out straight in front of me whenever I moved. So basically I would hop on one leg while he held the other leg out straight in front of me and this is how I would get to the bathroom and back. It was horrific. We tried a shower once but if you can imagine it was like a Cirque de Solei performance trying to get me into the shower stall with my leg sticking out of it Leslie holding it out straight. That mixed with the anxiety of being afraid of falling was enough to throw me off the edge so I pretty much forgot about showering after day one. Leslie does try to be an outstanding husband but I think on some occasions the experience was almost as hard on him as it was on me. For one thing, Leslie doesn’t cook. So the first night he went to the grocery store with all the best intentions of cooking me a chicken dinner with mash, gravy and all. He got home and although I was in the bedroom, from the sound effects I believe what went on was something along the lines of the gravy bubbling over and the mash may have gotten thrown against the wall in frustration and there were certainly more than a few curse words. Bless him; I only really wanted soup anyways. We got through a few days of this and then Tuesday came along. I was sure I was saved that I would go to the place in Gainesville and everything would be put right again.
Click below to continue reading the story! (more…)
Our friends at www.goodhorse.org sent us this video, explaining their plans to create an OTTB dvd series. It sounds like a great project!
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EN would like to thank the fabulous Kate Erickson of Grey Brook Eventing for her report of the California Training Sessions. Kate is no stranger to this site, having written a guest blog or two in the past, and was featured in an EN interview last summer. In addition to her excellent writing and photography skills, Kate plans to perform the test ride at Galway CIC*** with her retired-eventer-turned DQ horse. Thanks for writing, Kate, and thanks for reading!
It’s hard to be unbiased, but California winters really are wonderful: after hot, brown, and crispy summers, the rains finally come and everything bursts out in green and bloom. It was especially lovely this past weekend at Red Fox Farm, site of the 2012 West Coast Training Sessions, where the mild weather was complimented by cherry blossoms and wildflowers in full force. The flat sessions were held in Red Fox Farm’s spacious covered arena, where a decent crowd of about twenty spectators gathered to watch the best and brightest of the west coast learn from Captain Mark Phillips.
Overall, the flat sessions were refreshing in their emphasis on absolutely correct, straight, basics, backed up by intelligent and dynamic riding. The 20 meter circle quickly became the central unit of each lesson, as riders needed to demonstrate true straightness and evenness in both reins there before being allowed to move on to more complex movements. Captain Phillips had a lovely teaching style, clear and demanding but also quick to praise when a rider improved and gave him what he was looking for. Each and every rider improved drastically over the forty five minutes they had with him.
First of the morning was Shannon Lilley and Forgotten Emblem, or “Michael,” a horse she successfully competed at CCI** level last year. The theme of the lesson quickly became straightness, especially at the canter where Michael tended to carry his haunches ever so slightly to the inside, by using shoulder fore and counter canter. The transformation when he straightened and started using himself fully was huge: he went from being somewhat short-strided and tight in the back to showing really lovely gaits, especially at the trot.
Next up was Max McManamy, on her adorable and eye-catching pinto Project Runway. Max and “Devon” were on the short list for the Pan American Games last summer and are coming off a successful season at the CCI** level. The focus of her lesson was improving the length and straightness of the neck by insisting that he fill the outside rein and not depend on the inside rein on the 20 meter circle. Again, the difference from start to finish of the ride was impressive.
Shannon then returned with her Pan Am mount from last autumn, Ballingowan Pizazz, or “Mango.” Mango is a beautiful horse with lovely gaits and tons of presence. They warmed up without much comment from Captain Phillips, but then were asked to start pushing their work to the next level. At the canter, especially, Captain Phillips felt that the canter was pleasant but could have more. He stressed the idea of always being able to “feel the extension in the connection” of the canter, meaning having a canter impulsive and active enough that the extension is always there, bubbling under the surface. He then gave one of the best maxims of the day, remarking that “A good rider is happy with what they have, while a great rider keeps trying to see what more they can eek out.” It was then exciting to watch Shannon respond by pressing Mango into an even bigger, lovelier, and more uphill canter, finishing with some good work on flying changes.
I unfortunately had to leave just as Mackenna Shea and Landioso were warming up, which is a shame as Landioso is undoubtedly one of the most stunning horses in eventing at the moment. After I left, the riders went on to jump later in the day and then have another session on Sunday. Overall, it looked to be an exciting start to the eventing season in California.
The Aiken Training sessions seem to be extremely popular among spectators, and we expect several reports to follow. Here is the first one to whet your appetite. EN would like to thank Megan Moore of Team CEO Eventing for sharing this report of the Monday morning session. It sounds like it was fun to watch! Thanks for writing, Megan, and thanks for reading!
Boyd and Neville, photo by Lee Lee Jones
From Megan Moore:
The Aiken training sessions today played host to Lauren Hough coaching, with the added bonus of input from Captain Phillips. There was a huge turnout of spectators, and despite the breeze and chill in the air, everyone was consistently murmuring approval and enjoyment at watching these great horses jump.
The theme of the day included courses with one skinny on the short side, and an outside line of 4 strides of verticals that also incorporated very big cross poles balanced on the standards. The centerline had a bending line of oxers, and the other outside line featured a triple to an oxer. Fascinatingly in the triple, all poles were square except one which was round but wrapped in bubble wrap.
Boyd and Otis, photo by Lee Lee Jones
First up, Boyd jumped Otis and Phillip on his first horse. (I’m afraid I can’t tell the difference between Mighty Nice and Ben–he rode them 1st and 2nd, but I’m not sure in which order). Lauren helped Boyd with his already excellent position, because he is so tall she had him focus on being incredibly quiet with his body. At first the correction was to avoid being ever so slightly too far forward, then slightly too far back, and finally perfectly in the middle. It is such an incredibly subtle concept, but since he is so tall he has to be so impressively perfect with his upper body, and he definitely succeeded. For Phillip, once his horse had a few hard rubs, she encouraged him to ride down the triple and loop his rein on each takeoff, referencing what she did with this horse the last time she rode him. She encouraged Phillip to let the horse learn, and he responded by jumping beautifully and absolutely exploding off the ground with overwhelming power.
In the second group, Boyd rode Ying Yang Yo and Phillip had his second horse of the day. Ying Yang Yo is a surprisingly unorthodox jumper. Lauren used a placing pole, first before the fence and later 18′ after the fence, as she commented that he works too hard before takeoff and after landing. Phillip’s horse was given guide poles on the ground to focus on straightness.
In the third group, Boyd and Phillip brought out their big guns, with Neville and Mystery Whisper, respectively. Both horses enjoyed the brisk air while warming up, spooking and playing. Phillip used flying changes down the long side and counter canter to help his horse focus in warm-up. The crowd really enjoyed watching these two jump, and collective giggles could be heard in Neville’s warm-up as he played in mid-air, stretching out like superman a couple of times over small oxers to play. Everyone enjoyed his enthusiasm. Lauren repeatedly mentioned, “Because you know each other so well…” Neville was jumping his heart out and barely touching a thing, and I think that the session ended with both coach and rider very pleased with the day’s work. Phillip and MW are obviously a new combination, and MW has an incredible front end with absolutely classic form. Lauren helped Phillip to focus on the idea of riding this horse leg to hand, as well as riding him more fluidly. They improved notably by the end of the ride, and Lauren commented that she was pleased with the day’s improvement. Boyd notably patted each horse he rode today, and had a bit of a conversation with Neville while riding, including telling him “easy fella” down the triple, to a bit of a giggle from the audience.
We only stayed for the morning session as we had our own horses to ride, but it was a great morning to watch some great horses, who hopefully have big things to come in 2012!
Let’s end the week on a good note, shall we? While stumbling around on YouTube earlier today, I came across a video of Lizzy Traband, a young girl born without her left hand. She’s quite the equestrian phenom, and I can’t believe I hadn’t heard of her until now–I must be under a rock, as she frequently performs at Expos and even has her own Breyer model horse. Lizzy’s horsemanship and attitude is inspiring, and a good lesson for us all.
Enjoy.
Here’s another one, unable to embed but worth clicking on the link: Horsemanship- YES I have 1 hand, I am 11 & I RIDE!!! bareback, bridleless, jumps LIZZY STYLE
Denis, center, presents a donation for TPF fire relief on behalf of Plantation Field
EN would like to welcome the great Denis Glaccum to the worldwide web blogosphere. A pillar of the sport of Eventing, Denis has a pretty good perspective on most aspects, from competitor to course designer to organizer. His first blog entry is a great read, and this site is definitely one to bookmark! http://plantationfieldhorsetrials.blogspot.com/
An excerpt:
The reality of our society is that we all want instant gratification. If we buy a Preliminary horse to go Training level we want to compete “now.” Horses require daily care and exercise. But young people today are involved in many activities. Soccer on Monday, piano on Tuesday, something else on Wednesday. How will eventing at the lower levels evolve within the reality of our culture?
Eventing in 2012 at the upper levels and especially internationally, has considerable other pressures. If eventing at the lower levels is a recreational consumer activity, eventing at the international level is a results-oriented, serious athletic endeavor. In 2000 the United States was a top eventing nation. Unfortunately, our results during the last four years show that we have a long way to go to get back to being competitive.
EN’s British correspondent lec took the time to tell us about her viewing of War Horse, and other matters relating to the emotional power of equine cinema. Thank you for writing, lec, and thanks for reading!
Equine Films
I have a secret confession. I never cry. Nothing will break the wall of steely self control that I have over my emotions. Except for one thing, brave horses.
I mentioned this to my work colleagues, one laughed knowing it was probably true and the other was slightly incredulous and asked me if a horse putting out a fire would qualify. I told the students at work and they thought it was fantastic especially with War Horse being out. They were looking forward to the opportunity to watch me break down into a sobbing weeping mess that they could take the mickey out of for at least the next 6 months and possibly even the entire length of their time at college, pass onto Facebook and younger siblings.
There is something that stirs my emotions watching horses being brave. They are such noble creatures and ones who give so much heart in what they do as they trust the human on top to give their maximum effort. They have to be beautiful athletic horses – sorry but a fat coloured cob would not do it for me. The Grand National gets me especially the build up, also The Gold Cup. I am not sure why but flat racing does not stir my emotions as much as steeplechasing. Maybe it’s because I feel I ‘know’ these noble campaigners better from over the years of watching and following. The year Denman battled up the Cheltenham hill had me very emotional, Kauto Star’s recent win in the Betfair Chase. I still struggle to watch Desert Orchid win the Gold Cup in 1989! All of them had the right ingredients of bravery, wonderful horse and drama that makes me emotional.
Film wise I am pretty good but I struggle to watch the film Champions opening credits. It’s a combination of the music and watching the beautiful scenery of Aldaniti on the gallops. In fact I can feel myself wibbling just thinking about it. Everything about Aldaniti and Bob Champion ticks the box for the brave horse criteria. When I was a child I was even lucky enough to meet Aldaniti but he spat out the mint I offered him.
International Velvet also ‘gets’ me. Great music, brave horse and I guess there is always that secret yearning that you could be the one riding Arizona Pie, riding your homebred to success and getting away with being a spoilt brat. They say in all these NLP courses I have attended that if you are positive enough in your brain things will happen how you envisage. Well I spent hours and hours on my rocking horse Sam winning the greatest events in the world and I have still yet to go above Prelim level eventing.
Secretariat, wow what a horse on the track. When I want to see a magnificent horse I will still go and watch his Belmont winning race in 1973 on YouTube. He destroyed the field but unfortunately Disney destroyed the film. I quite happily sat through the whole film without a sob or even the feeling of damp cheeks.
Seabiscuit on the other hand did ‘get’ me. I cannot decide what it was – maybe it was that he was a little runt, maybe it was the jockey’s story tied in, the depression, better fashion or that it was just a better told story.
This brings me up to present day and War Horse. I had avoided it for a while as I was worried. My mother sobbed through the whole of the theatre production (though she is getting worse in her old age). My students reported back that they had sobbed and my work colleague informed me that she had to leave the cinema. EEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKK.
I asked a student about my predicament with brave horses and crying. Her suggestion – pretend you are blind and wear sunglasses into the cinema. I pointed out the error with this in that if I was blind why would I go to watch in the cinema?
I then decided I would man up and accompany 30 students to the cinema as we often go out for activities in my line of work. My feeling was that the thought of crying in front of 30 students would prevent the emotions from coming out.
I sat worried through the whole film. The ploughing scene nearly got me; I gulped a couple of times and survived. The galloping into machine guns I viewed through my hands, and the galloping through barbed wire. The final bit that nearly made me go was where the horse recognises Albert but a couple of gulps and phew I had survived. Reputation intact and able to take the mickey out of students who had not fared so well. I particularly enjoyed that one of my students who is a great big tough rugby player and agriculture student admitted to having a little tear (what this really means is he babbled like a baby!!)
–lec
Fire up the Live Scores, it’s going to be a busy weekend in Altoona, FL at Rocking Horse Winter 2 HT. Samantha has been active on the Twitter machine (follow @samanthalclark) giving frequent updates as she spectates.
Many top performers will be in action, including:
Advanced – A
Critical Decision (provisional dressage score 31.5)
Schoensgreen Hanni (33.8)
Manoir de Carneville (dressage score: 35.9)
The Apprentice (ridden by Bruce, Sr with score of 35.9)
HJ Hampton (aka Henny, 39.1)
Advanced – B
Mr. Medicott
Riddle Master (CAN)
Rafferty’s Rules (the Boston Creme afficionado)
RF Demeter
RF Rovano Rex
