One of my favorite eventergirls, Mary Hollis Baird, snapped this photo of Lenamore’s retirement ceremony at Badminton. She sent it with the note, “Lenamore is not ready to be retired! He was confused why there’s no jumping in the main arena.” Certainly, he appears to be expressing his opinion about something! Congratulations, Lenamore, on your retirement–it’s well deserved. (Eventing Nation paid tribute to this great gray event horse earlier this spring here.) Lenamore is flanked by Badminton/Burghley/Rolex winner Headley Brittania and Badminton winner Inonothing, who were also retired at the event.

Events This Weekend:

King Oak Farm Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Start Times]

Jersey Fresh International Three-day Event [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

Plantation Field H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

WindRidge Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Mill Creek Pony Club H.T. at Longview [Website] [Entry Status & Times]

Galway Downs Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status & Times]

NWEC May Classic [Website] [Entry Status & Times]

Winona H.T. [Website] [Entry Status & Times]

News:

Attn. Young Riders: Sinead Halpin Equestrian has announced plans to launch a new rider development program. The new program, which will be headed by assistant trainer Sarah Rupert, will focus on developing riders from a young age with the goal of progressing them to the sport’s top level. Sinead explains, “We here at S.H.E. see the need for younger riders to get into a program sooner. Our goal is to create an umbrella system at our farm, where kids can start riding with Sarah and as they progress through the levels, smoothly transition into a more advanced program under my direction.” [S.H.E.]

Go Buck: The USET Foundation has announced that this year’s Pinnacle Cup Trophy goes to Buck Davidson for being the highest placed American rider at Rolex 2013–he and Ballynoe Castle RM finished in fourth. This marks the third year that Davison has earned the coveted award, having taken home the Cup in 2009 and 2003. [USET]

Luck of the Irish: Horse Talk NZ pointed out that Irish horses dominate the U.S.’s team for the Aachen three-star. Ringwood Magister is an Irish Sport Horse, and Pawlow and Ballynoe Castle RM are Irish Thoroughbreds. The only non-Irish horse on the team is Clark Montgomery’s Universe, a Dutch Warmblood. [Horse Talk NZ]

On Course: Horse & Hound editor Lucy Higginson catches up with Ian Stark in advance of this weekend’s Chatsworth Horse Trials, as he designed the cross-country course. [H&H]

Best of the Blogs: Bad Eventer is counting down her top 10 moments from Rolex. Eventing Nation’s tailgate party gets a shout-out! [Bad Eventer] Runner up: Behind the Bit is a fan of Rolex competitors Beth Perkins and Sal Dali. [Behind the Bit]

Video: The only thing more exciting than watching horses leaping over huge obstacles in real time is watching them do it in slow motion. Check out this incredible high-speed camera footage from Centaur Biomechanics at Badminton 2013. [Centaur Biomechanics]

Rolex mystery knickers

The only lingering question I have about Rolex 2013 is this: Who left their sparkly blue panties beside the Head of the Lake? Surely I am not the only one who noticed them. Was a spectator trying to throw them at their favorite rider, rock star groupie-style? I guess we’ll never know (unless someone wants to own up to it in the comments section below, which would be AWESOME).

Keep it classy, Eventing Nation. Or not.

Events Opening Today: Midsouth Pony Club H.T. (Kentucky, A-8), Great Vista H.T. (New York, A-1), Fox River Valley Pony Club H.T. CIC1* and CCI1* (Illinois, A-4), Encore H.T. (Michigan, A-8),  Abbe Ranch H.T. (Colorado, A-9), Seneca Valley PC HT (Virginia, A-2), Shepherd Ranch SYVPC H.T. I (California, A-6)

Events Closing Today: Hitching Post Farm Horse Trials (Vermont, A-1), Kent School May Horse Trials (Connecticut, A-1), Kelly’s Ford Horse Trials (Virginia, A-2), Fair Hill International H.T. (Maryland, A-2), CHC International at Chattahoochee Hills (Georgia, A-3), Otter Creek Spring H.T. (Wisconsin, A-4),Greater Dayton H.T. (Ohio, A-8), CCC Spring Gulch H.T. (Colorado, A-9)

RIP Supreme Rock: The horse that Pippa Funnell rode to a legendary Rolex Grand Slam in 2003 has been put down at age 25. Supreme Rock won back-to-back Badmintons in 2002 and 2003 and consecutive European titles in 1999 and 2001, as well as a team silver medal at the Sydney Olympics in 2002. He was happily retired to the hunt field in 2005. [Horse & Hound]

Rolex Recap: Several local and national news outlets reported on the results of the event, including the Lexington Herald Reader, Louisville Courier-Journal, New Zealand Herald, WUKY, and Radio New Zealand.

More Rolex Honors: Buck Davidson was the top U.S. rider to complete the cross-country course closest to optimum time, winning the “Land Rover Best Ride of the Day” and a 2013 Range Rover Evoque lease. [USET] Meghan O’Donoghue won the HSBC Training Bursary, worth $1,000, for her brilliant CCI4* debut. [Horse Talk]

Best of the Blogs: Talking Horse crowns the three kings of eventing, discusses the prospect of a Grand Slam, and notes that at Badminton, anything can happen. “This year’s Badminton is unprecedented, and we will probably never see another Grand Slam double header in our lifetime. The entire line up includes almost all of the full cream our sport has to offer. It is the mother of all eventing competitions – a field of dreams.” [TalkingHorse.net] More on the Grand Slam here. [British Eventing]

Found on Facebook: Rolex hangover edition.

">">">Video: In addition to Rolex, the FEI World Cup Finals for dressage and show jumping took place in Gothenburg, Sweden over the weekend. America’s big winner was Beezie Madden aboard Simon, who won the show jumping title after a heart-pounding jump-off against London Olympic gold medalist Steve Guerdat on Nino des Buissonnets (Switzerland). Steve’s pedal-to-the-metal, turn-and-burn round resulted in two costly rails; Beezie took a more conservative approach and kept all the rails up for the win. [Results]

A great big cheers to everyone who stopped by Eventing Nation’s tailgate party!!! Fun was had by all. Many, many thanks to co-hosts Leah Omeara, Ashley Jamison and Brooke Waldron for the amazing setup and first-class hospitality.

Friends new and old checked in throughout the day to snack, sip and try their hand at Rolex Trivia. We also had some celebrity guests, like competitor Daniel Clasing, who surely deserved a cold one after his double-clear cross-country round! Way to go, Daniel. Even John emerged from the media center ether long enough to say hello and discover that the cookie cake he’d been looking forward to eating all week had been reduced to leftover crumbs. Sorry John! Maybe next year.

At the end of the day, it was heartily agreed upon that tailgating at Rolex must be a new Eventing Nation tradition. Go Eventing!

Red on right, white on left, Insanity the Inflatable Horse in the middle.

Breakfast of champion eventing party people.

It was beautiful while it lasted.

Trivia time: I thought I might be able to stump these EN readers with tough questions about Rolex history, but they were way too smart!

Bad Eventer dropped by to party down with us. Check out her website, badeventer.blogspot.com!

Our first batch of Rolex Trivia winners, plus EN writer Lauren Nethery (the gal with the laptop) who was live-blogging from the party throughout the morning.

These people are SUPER excited about winning EN shirts.

Jenni Autry's awesome friends/barnmates! From L to R: Sarah Buhite, Kelly Myers, Kristen Vigliano, Carrie Pugh, and Melissa Raffensperger. I grilled them about Jenni's existence in general: "Is she for real? How does she DO it?" In the end, we all agreed that she was, in fact, no ordinary equestrian journalist but "a unicorn who poops rainbows."

Is that an EN go-cup? Why yes, yes it is. And it's got your name on it.

Eventing Nation has the best readers in the land, and because nothing says “thank you” like free beer and snacks, we’re throwing Eventing Nation’s first annual Rolex Reader Appreciation Tailgate Party!

Consider this your official invite.

What: Free beer (21 and up), beverages and snacks, PLUS fun games and EN swag!!!

When: Saturday, April 27, during cross-country (10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.)

Where: The infield at the Kentucky Horse Park. We’ll be in tailgating space 17–look for the red and white cross-country flags.

Why: Because you’re awesome.

Go Eventing!

Photo taken at RK3DE 2012

Some people believe there are spiritual vortexes scattered around the world, energetic super-centers so powerful that you can practically feel the stuff circulating in the air. Mystics and metaphysicists flock to them–Stonehenge, the Giza pyramids, ancient Inca ruins–hoping to catch a whiff of the divine.

I don’t know how much I buy into that crystal visions claptrap, but I do think there’s something to the idea of a place retaining its history in mysterious ways. The Kentucky Horse Park, in particular, is a plot of earth that I’ve always sensed had more going on than meets the eye. There’s a magic to it, and it’s more than just the pastoral combination of majestic oak trees, plush bluegrass and pristine rural air. Rather, it’s layers upon layers of emotion, saturating the soil and rustling through the leaves.

The poetry of a flawlessly executed dressage test, the cheer of a crowd gathered round the Head of the Lake, the thunder of a victory gallop–that energy lingers in the air long after everyone has packed up and gone home. But the source of the Park’s magic is more multidimensional than that.

On Jimmy Wofford’s cross-country walk at WEG in 2010, he told the crowd that there was a dandelion on the course for every heart broken at the Park. I remember looking down, seeing a patch of the weed’s sharply scalloped leaves, and wondering in earnest whose tears had fertilized them.

I’m sure I’ve got a few dandelions out there myself, not from Rolex, but from other Horse Park events that felt equivalently serious at the time. When you’re 13 and you’ve saved your $4-an-hour stall-mucking wages all summer to compete at some event, only to have your pony jump out of the dressage ring… dandelion. When you’re 17 and your horse hangs a leg in the water complex at Pony Club championships and you feel like you’ve let down your entire team… dandelion. When you’re 29 and you pull up halfway around the course with the sinking realization that you’re simply not prepared… dandelion. I could go on and on, and I’m sure some of you could, too. Certainly these moments weren’t the end of the world, but perspective is a function of the mind, not the heart.

This weekend at Rolex, there are going to be riders who don’t make it around the course. They’ll make the same long walk back to the barn that so many have before them, replaying a split-second over and over again in their minds, trying to figure out what went wrong. Some of them will get a leg up on their next ride, or have the opportunity try again next year. Others might not get a second chance.

If you’re at Rolex this weekend, take a quiet moment at some point to look around you. Acknowledge the dandelions, and the horses and riders who planted them there. Remember that it’s all connected. Without attempt, and the risk of failure that goes with it, there can be no glory. The hit and the miss both begin with a leap.

Go eventing.

No one was enjoying the crisp spring air more than Carmac in the cross-country warmup at River Glen Spring Horse Trials Sunday morning. The horse bucked and cut up, his copper coat ablaze in the sunlight, as rider Bill Hoos grudgingly attempted to channel his exuberance into something productive. Leaving the start box, though, he seemed all business, tackling each obstacle with ease to clinch the win in Open Intermediate.

“He’s so capable,” Hoos says, “he’s just a little silly at times. It’s never malicious.”

Hoos has been guiding the horse up the ranks of eventing since his first Beginner Novice horse trial in 2009. Owned by Morgan Shaw, the thoroughbred is a grandson of A.P. Indy and showed talent early on. Hoos rode him in a Young Event Horse competition as a 5-year-old in 2010, and while they didn’t win, the judges commented that if there was one horse in the group they’d expect to see in a four-star someday, it was Carmac.

“We just took things one step at a time–maybe he’ll do this, maybe he’ll do that,” Hoos recalls. “He kept stepping up.”

Now with a handful of two- and three-stars under his belt, it seems possible that the 8-year-old may fulfill the judges’ prophesy after all. Hoos is aiming Carmac for the CIC*** at Chattahoochee Hills in May, then Fair Hill in the fall, and then, lord willing and the creek don’t rise, Rolex next spring.

WNC Photography.">Bill Hoos and Carmac at River Glen. Photo used with permission from WNC Photography.

Bill and the Hoos family are standard fixtures at River Glen–this weekend he and daughter Becca were competing four horses apiece and coaching students in between rides. Based out of Wil-lo Blue Farm in Franklin, TN, they’ve been making seasonal treks to River Glen for many years and are big supporters of the event.

“For one, it’s a stunningly beautiful venue,” Hoos explains. “The river and the fog and the bagpipes, it’s just spectacular in the mornings.”

River Glen is, truly, one-of-a-kind. It has a homegrown, Appalachian feel, tucked neatly into a bend in the Holston River at the foot of dramatic hills. This weekend seemed to be spring at its peak–all bright green grass and bursts of redbud and sapphire blue skies.

Another thing that continually draws Wil-lo Blue to River Glen is the people. In particular, Hoos describes the graciousness of River Glen owner Bill Graves.

“He’s so accommodating,” Hoos says. “He’s always talking to the riders, asking them what he can do to make the event better.”

River Glen is a family affair as well. Graves’ girlfriend Tracey Bise designs the stadium courses, his sister Cathy works in the office, son Jamie builds jumps and works around the farm, and another son Wesley drives down from Chicago to help at the shows. Tracey’s daughters Jesse and Molly were jump judges, and Jesse placed third in Open Training.

Graves says River Glen is committed to remaining a viable horse trial even as Area III has become saturated with an increasing number of high-quality events. This weekend’s cross-country course debuted 14 new jumps, and Graves hopes that it is just the beginning.

“We’re taking an aggressive attitude toward the evolution of the track,” he says. He mentions a number of improvements that he hopes to make with the assistance of Canadian course designer Steve Buckman, including rebuilding the main water complex. River Glen currently hosts three horse trials a year, but there’s some talk about adding a fourth in June 2014.

“We’re on a roll and I  want to keep it going,” Graves says.

Full River Glen results can be viewed here.

Some readers may vaguely recall that I used to write a column for EN called “Ask the Expert.” Not because I’m an expert at anything, but because I’m highly skilled at deluding people into believing that I know what I’m talking about. This letter from reader Brittany arrived in the mailbag earlier this week and Visionaire sent it my way.

———-

Dear EN,

I love your site — thank you so much for all you do!

My non-horsey husband surprised me with a trip to Rolex this year — I cannot wait.

I was wondering if you guys could do a post on first-timer tips to a great time at Rolex. Like best ways to view cross country, any course walks available, etc. Especially if there are also tips to keeping the husband happy and interested (he loves the jumping but dressage will be tough :-D)!

Thanks in advance. I cannot wait!

Sincerely,
Brittany

———-

Dear Brittany,

Your husband surprised you with tickets to Rolex? Score.

My first piece of advice: NOW is the time to go heavy on the positive reinforcement in order to plant the seeds for future “surprises” (think romantic getaway to Normandy in 2014 or Rio in 2016). Training a husband is just like training a horse: When he exhibits good behavior — helping with barn chores, acting interested when you rehash the details of your dressage lesson, etc. — be sure to reward him generously, if you know what I mean. Most men are super-fast learners. A few months into an effective training program, even the least horse-savvy significant other will be asking questions about shoulder-in and volunteering to rearrange the hay loft.

The training program has a 99% success rate, but occasionally you'll run into an exception. This is a photo of my ex-boyfriend Clint on cross-country morning circa Rolex 2009. We were supposed to drive up together for the weekend, but instead I couldn't get him out of bed and had to go alone. I snapped this photo for a visual reminder that I needed to break up with him when I got home.

On to your upcoming Rolex adventure. So much fun awaits! Keep it locked on EN between now and then for all the latest announcements: We’ll keep you posted on course walks, contests, events and … drumroll … Eventing Nation’s First Annual Reader Appreciation Tailgate Party, featuring FREE BEER! And EN SWAG!! And JOHN IN A DUNKING BOOTH!!!! (I’m still ironing out the details on that last part, but the swag and free beer are definitely happening.) Anyway, lots more on that coming later.

As for keeping your husband “interested and happy,” that’s a slightly trickier issue. Dressage day is the toughest for sure–watching lady eventers bounce around at the sitting trot is mildly entertaining from a male perspective for a while but eventually the appeal will wear off. At which point you are going to casually introduce some nice, stiff alcoholic beverages. Rolex always offers an amazing assortment of fancy signature drinks and let me tell you, it’s never too early to get started — every hour is Happy Hour at Rolex.

Ewww! There's a bug in my Bloody Mary! It's a Rolex disaster!!! Just kidding, I'm still gonna drink it. Photo by Jackson Schrickel at RK3DE 2012.

Another exciting activity for un-horsey boyfriends and spouses at Rolex is the Land Rover test drive obstacle course. There, an assortment of teeter-totter bridges, narrow tunnels and off-road paths to navigate will satisfy his manly urges, and it tends to be a popular hang-out spot for other un-horsey dudes who have been abandoned by their wives/girlfriends/daughters. Shooting the breeze with fellow bros while watching four-wheel-drive vehicles go round and round will buy you some time for other activities, like maxing out his credit card at the trade fair.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3i86y88zyU

EN Tip: Let your husband drink, or let your husband test-drive Land Rovers, but don’t let your husband drink THEN test-drive Land Rovers.

Good luck, Brittany! You’re going to have a blast. Don’t forget to stop by the tailgating party and say hi!

Have a question for the “expert”? Email it to [email protected]. 
—-
Editor’s Update: Reader Cheryl sent us a quick note that our friends at COTH have addressed this all-important topic, apparently in their latest print edition, and the article from Molly Sorge is also available online here.  Happy reading!

I don’t think I emphasized this enough in my wrap-up of FENCE Horse Trials yesterday, so I’ll state it outright here: The real star of the show was 10-year-old Emma Hay, who finished in 8th place on her dressage score in a large, competitive Open Novice division.

Emma and her intrepid mount, a 24-year-old Connemara gelding named St. Patrick, delighted spectators throughout the weekend with their grit and style. She even narrowly edged out her talented sister Katie, age 13, who was also in Open Novice A–mom Anne Baskett took fourth in Open Novice B.

I caught up with Emma after showjumping to see how she thought her weekend went and she was all smiles. “Patrick is such a good jumper,” she said, petting her pony’s nose. We chatted a bit about her goals, at which point Emma declared, “I would go Advanced if I was old enough!”

We see big things in your future, Emma–be patient and keep up the good work!

Events Opening Today:

Poplar Place Farm June H.T. (Georgia, A-3), GMHA June Horse Trials (Vermont, A-1), Genesee Valley Riding & Driving Club Spring Horse (New York, A-1), IEA Horse Trials, Classic Training & Novice 3-Day (Indiana, A-8), The Colorado Horse Park CCI1*, T3D & Horse Trials (Colorado, A-9), Waredaca H.T. (Maryland, A-2),  Queeny Park H.T. (Missouri, A-4)

Events Closing Today:

Riga Meadow Combined Test (Connecticut, A-1), MCTA H.T., Inc  (Maryland, A-2), Heart of the Carolinas 3-Day Event (South Carolina, A-3), Poplar Place Farm May H.T. (Georgia, A-3), CIC2*/CIC1* Weatherford and Greenwood Farm, Inc. H.T. (Texas, A-5), Penny Oaks H.T. (Indiana, A-8)

Speaking of Future Superstars: Twelve-year-old Mallory Hogan of Tiburon, California, took home top honors in the SmartPak USEA Classic Series Novice Three-Day at Twin Rivers over the weekend. Congrats, Mallory! Whitney Tucker and Chavez Ravine won the Training Three-Day, Katy Groesbeck and Oz Poof of Purchase won the one-star, and Jolie Wentworth and Governess won the two-star. [USEA]

Countdown to Badminton: Eventing Worldwide gives a guided tour of the Hugh Thomas-designed cross-country course, with insight into the challenges presented by each obstacle. [Eventing Worldwide]

Rolex Equestrian Championships… Presented by Land Rover: Land Rover has stepped up its sponsorship of the 2013 Rolex event by becoming a presenting sponsor. In its new role, it will honor the top U.S. rider who comes closest to the optimum time on the cross country course with no jumping penalties by awarding a 24-month lease of a 2013 Range Rover Evoque to the winner of the “Land Rover Best Ride of the Day.” [USEF]

A Good Weekend: Italian eventer Vittoria Panizzon dominated the Grantham Cup CIC3* at the Belton International Horse Trials, taking first aboard her London Olympic mount Borough Pennyz, and sweeping third and eight places as well. [Horse Talk NZ]

Best of the Blogs: Jennie Brannigan might have Rolex on the brain, but she hasn’t succumbed to tunnel vision. In her latest Chronicle blog entry she writes, “In the end, it isn’t just about enjoying riding the ‘big’ horses at the upper levels—it’s about enjoying the sport, the up-and-comers, and the journey that it takes to get each one there.” [COTH] Meanwhile, on the other side of the pond, Lucy Jackson blogs about preparing for Badminton with her two horses, Matinee Du Madon and Animator II. [Horse & Hound]

SmartPak Product of the Day: Do you wear your love for SmartPak on your sleeve? You can do so literally with a SmartPak Long Sleeve Wicking Shirt, perfect for warding off that dreaded farmer’s tan while keeping you cool and dry. [SmartPak]

Video: It’s time to get excited.

Cavalor will be hosting a lot of fun events this year at Rolex including a course walk with Will Coleman Friday afternoon and a Sip N’ Sign Saturday afternoon with all their sponsored riders attending Rolex! Follow them on Facebook or updates and times to go get an Olympian’s perspective on the cross-country course and then sip some champagne or sweet tea while meeting some of your favorite riders!

Unlike straight dressage, with its uniformly metered ring, or showjumping variations-on-a-theme, cross-country has a dynamic x-factor that is unique to each event: the physical landscape into which the course is carved.

There are as many permutations as are there are horse trials on the eventing calendar. One of the more idiosyncratic landscapes belongs to FENCE Horse Trials, held each spring at Foothills Equestrian Nature Center in Landrum, SC.

The cross-country course is positioned on a long, sloping incline–the kind that leaves you huffing and puffing halfway through your course walk. In years past, the track has taken competitors from the bottom to the top of the hill, followed by a relatively flat breather, then back down with a handful of obstacles to tackle along the way. It was a true test of equine fitness and riders’ ability to keep their horses balanced on variable terrain.

FENCE is one of the longest running events in Area III, but with more and more events being added to the calendar each year, dwindling entries at recent FENCE horse trials seemed to indicate that riders were passing up the course in favor of those with less demanding terrain.

“It’s a challenging piece of ground for a cross-country course compared to what they’re competing against these days,” admits Jon Wells, who began designing the course in 1991.

Jon credits local event trainer Beth Perkins with reimagining the course in a way that eliminated the need to gallop back down the hill. Beth and another trainer, Amy Barrington, experimented with ideas for a new track under Jon’s guidance. “They brought a lot of energy to the course,” Jon says. The end result was a course that, despite some twists and turns that were necessary to make up for lost distance, rode quite well.

Other improvements included the purchase of an Aera Vator, which resulted in fantastic galloping, and new jumps.

Morris the Horse was a new addition to the Novice course, courtesy of the Tryon Riding & Hunt Club.

“Everybody seemed to like the changes,” says Pat Salomon of FENCE’s Equestrian Advisory Committee. She notes that the event was oversubscribed, a positive shift from dwindling entries in years past. “I think people were starting to the feel the buzz.”

Amy Barrington imparts some last minute cross-country advice to 10-year-old Emma Hay, who finished on her dressage score in Open Novice A aboard St. Patrick, age 24.

Sarah Kuhn, who finished first in Open Prelim B aboard her New Zealand-bred Clifton Zander, is a first-time FENCE competitor. She says she was surprised by the terrain but thankfully not unprepared: “I was glad I had my horses pretty fit because you’re pretty much running up a hill for five minutes.”

She says showjumping is Zander’s weakness–“I’ve actually never had a clear round on this horse before this weekend”–but thought that going showjumping on Sunday may have worked to their advantage. “He has a long stride that can be hard to contain in the showjumping,” she says. “He was maybe a little more tired having run cross-country so I could control him a little more!”

Sarah also competed Atlanta B, who was first after dressage and gathered a bit of time cross-country to finish in fourth. It was the mare’s first prelim, and Sarah was thrilled with her performance. “It was a good weekend,” she says.

Sarah and Zander, winners of Open Prelim B.

Christina Kearse also went home smiling, having won Open Training B on Hope For Moor.

“We won here the last time we competed here too,” Christina says, “so I think FENCE is our lucky place!”

Christina and Hope for Moor, winners of Open Training B.

Christina is the treasurer of the Clemson Intercollegiate Eventing Team, which showed up in full force to compete in the event’s Collegiate Team Challenge.

Over 30 riders from three universities–Clemson, Univerty of Georgia and University of Kentucky–participated in the Challenge. A whole section of barns, dubbed “College Town,” was dedicated to the students, who decked out their aisles with team banners and decor.

Leigh Casaceli, a Clemson rider, helped create the Intercollegiate Eventing League. (EN published a post by another co-founder of the League, Amelia Clyatt of UC Davis, earlier this year–click here to read.

Leigh explains that the League is an attempt to address the “no man’s land” that exists between being a Young Rider and being thrust into the adult amateur world. Entering college, many event riders lose the support system–parents, trainers, riding peer group–that they enjoyed growing up, and they risk falling out of the sport as a result. Leah writes a great blog on the subject called “The Unreal World of a College Eventer.”

“You don’t have to stop competing when you go to college,” Leigh says. “You can go to school and get a degree and compete. The League gives you a new support group–we don’t necessarily all ride with the same trainer but we come together for clinics and shows and cross-country schooling, and it’s really fun.”

Right now it’s set up as a West Coast League and an East Coast League, but Leigh says that if the concept catches fire anything is possible: a Midwest League, area championships, affordable collegiate clinics, and even a national championship similar to NAJYRC. The League appreciates the encouragement and advice it has received from USEA president Brian Sabo and intends to pitch the idea formally to the USEA in the near future.

“We want to get it started running first and prove to them that it works and that it can be successful,” Leigh says. “We’re really excited.”

Winner of the FENCE Collegiate Team Challenge: the UGA Alumni Team. Photo used with permission from Pat Salomon.

Click here for complete FENCE Horse Trials results.

Go Eventing!

Today’s post is in loving memory of dressage judge Lucy Eddins, who passed away over the weekend. Lucy touched many lives over the years in the sports of dressage, eventing and beyond. As one COTH commenter wrote, “She was such a wonderful judge. Even if she was giving a competitor a lousy score, she would take a few minutes to motivate and inspire them with things to work on, and give them the confidence that they could do much better. Everyone always rode off smiling.” Lucy, we forever salute you.

Events Opening Today: Virginia Horse CIC2*, CCI1* & Horse Trials (Virginia, A-2),  The Event at Galisteo (New Mexico, A-10), Mystic Valley Hunt Club H.T. (Connecticut, A-1),  Corona del Sol Spring H.T. (Texas, A-5),  Paradise Farm H.T. (South Carolina, A-3),  The Spring Event at Woodside (California, A-6),  May-Daze at the Park H.T. (Kentucky, A-8),  Flora Lea Spring H.T. (New Jersey, A-2)

Events Closing Today: University of New Hampshire Spring H.T. (New Hampshire, A-1), Loudoun Hunt Pony Club Spring H.T. (Virginia, A-2), Fresno County Horse Park H.T. (California, A-4)

USEA Happenings: The USEA welcomes Rob Burk as the newest member of its professional staff working at the organization’s headquarters in Leesburg, Virginia. Rob joins the USEA in the newly created position of Senior Director of Programs. And, US Eventing TV wraps up its coverage of the Adequan USEA Gold Cup and PRO Tour Series CIC3* at The Fork with a video of cross-country highlights. [US Eventing]

Olympic Qualification Procedures: The FEI’s proposed changes to terms of Olympic qualification could mean only a single nation from the two continents of North and South America go to the 2016 Olympics except for host Brazil, which gets an automatic reservation. [Dressage-News]

WEG Preparations: With 500 days to go until the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2014 in Normandy, France, a campaign to recruit 3,000 volunteers for the Games and test events in 2013 begins on Wednesday. [HorseTalk NZ]

Best of the Blogs: Molly Rosin is home to Pennsylvania after wintering in Aiken, and happy to be there! “You don’t realize how good you have it until you miss it,” she writes. [Havarah Equestrian] Rick Wallace had a disappointing weekend at the Fork but it’s onward-and-upward from here. He writes, “The old phrase in the south always resounds in my head: GET’ ER DONE. And we will.” [Wallace Eventing]

SmartPak Product of the Day: We put all this time and energy and expense into finding the perfect saddle, and then we’re OK with just strapping it on with… whatever? That’s like putting on a fancy dress and curling your hair and having your makeup done and then walking out of the house in a pair of Crocs because you forgot to think about shoes. Check out my glowing review of the SmartPak Air+ Neoprene Girth. [SmartPak]

Video: Irish Olympic event rider Joseph Murphy presented an eventing demonstration day in aid of the Jack & Jill Foundation, a charitable organization that provides support for families with very sick children. The event took place over the weekend in Kildare and included presentations by Olympic team showjumping coach Ian Fearon, international coach William Micklem and top racing jockey Johnny Murtagh.

That’s the headline from an article in Boston Magazine– “paradise” being Wellington, and “trouble” being an appallingly narcissistic feud that has turned this upscale Florida equestrian village upside down.

A brief synopsis (the article itself rings in at a lengthy 7,144 words and, unlike some of the people quoted in the story, we know you probably have a job and stuff):

THE PLAYERS

Jeremy Jacobs, owner of the Boston Bruins, whose family has owned land and competed horses in Wellington for over 30 years

vs.

Mark Bellisimo, a Boston entrepreneur and major player in the growth and development of Wellington and its crown jewel, the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, over the past decade

[activerain.com]

THE DRAMA

Under Bellisimo’s guidance, Wellington has blossomed and events at the International Equestrian Center have gotten bigger, more spectator-friendly and more economically viable. All good things, right? Jacobs and other upper-crust “Wellingtonites” don’t think so.

Brace yourself:

“With the circus atmosphere that’s being promoted, I think we’ve lost a certain amount of high-class dignity,” said Michael Whitlow, a board member of the Wellington Equestrian Preservation Alliance, a group set up by the Jacobs family to support their interests. “I would like to see Wellington be the elite of the elites. The absolutely crème de la crème, the top of the top, as opposed to something for everybody.”

Facepalm.

We JUST went over this.

But wait, it gets even more pretentious. The best quote of the article is in response to an incident in which the grounds were contracted out to host a hip-hop concert in the off-season:

“That didn’t go over too well,” said Mason Phelps, a former equestrian who today serves as a Jacobs family spokesman in Wellington [also proprietor of equestrian PR firm Phelps Media]. “Nor did we want to attract the kind of people the Akon concert would attract to this community…. The people that go and listen to and like Akon are not Wellingtonites. It’s just a different crowd of people. I don’t mean to sound like a snob, but this is a fairly upscale community, and we don’t need to bring the low- and middle-income hooligans into town and have them all of a sudden say, Wow, good pickins’ out here.”

Don’t worry, Mason, you don’t sound like a snob. You sound like a racist.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. As you can imagine, the rest of the story is a cesspool of vicious politicking, sabotaged development projects, ridiculous-sounding lawsuits and dollar signs with multiple digits trailing behind.

Check out the full Boston Magazine story here. For further reading, SB Nation posted a pretty hilarious commentary here.

—-
Originally published on our sister site, Horse Nation

Via Sinead’s Twitter

Hey, Tate, no worries. Congrats on coming “out of the stall.”

Eventing Nation’s, uh, riveting piece of social journalism regarding the FEI’s recognition of gay horses made waves throughout the equestrian community and beyond yesterday. Readers spread it all over Facebook and Twitter, hot-topic discussions raged on Horses in the Morning and Chris Stafford Radio, and the news even wedged its way into a story on The Frisky.

Eventing Nation: We bring it to you first.

Events Opening Today: CCC Spring Gulch H.T. (Colorado, A-9),  Kelly’s Ford Horse Trials (Virginia, A-2) Greater Dayton H.T., (Ohio, A-8)  Chattahoochee Hills H.T. (Georgia, A-3), Kent School May Horse Trials (Connecticut, A-1), Fair Hill International H.T. (Maryland, A-2), Hitching Post Farm Horse Trials (Vermont, A-1),  Otter Creek Spring H.T. (Wisconsin, A-4)

Events Closing Today: Fair Hill International H.T. (Maryland, A-2), Redland Hunt PC H.T. (Maryland, A-2), Longleaf Pine H.T. (North Carolina, A-2), River Glen Spring H.T. (Tennessee, A-3), Holly Hill Spring H.T. (Louisiana, A-5)

April Fool’s Remix: EN wasn’t the only one up to horsey shenanigans yesterday. Check out Riders 4 Helmets’ report, “Queen Trades In Hermes Scarf For Helmet.” [Riders 4 Helmets]

Forbidden Substance Disclaimer: The USEF wants you to know that if give your horse a supplement and it turns out to contain a forbidden substance, even if it’s a result of some ingredient glitch due to unregulated manufacturing, you’re accountable. [USEA]

Rider Licensing: Horse & Hound finds mixed responses to the FEI’s amendment to its controversial new qualification rules that left several top event riders ineligible to compete at the higher level. [H&H]

Kim’s New Digs: Katie Murphy of Murphy Eventing interviewed Kim Severson regarding her recent purchase of a farm in Charlottesville, Virginia. [Luxequestrian.com]

The Latest from Tipperary: The new Eventer Pro 3015 is both ASTM and SEI certified, with features including improved anatomical fit-mobility, increased impact protection and a cut that allows the vest to expand and contract with movement. Look for its launch at Rolex later this month. [Tipperary]

Video: The Fork is this week, which can only mean one thing: Creepy Dance Party 2013. The people are counting on you, Meg. No pressure. [Entry Status]

Photo by Eric Swinebroad.

After decades of equine sexual orientation being a hush-hush topic, the international governing body of horse sport has repealed its “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

From the press release:

The announcement comes as a relief to gay sporthorses around the world, many of whom have kept closeted their sexual orientation for fear of being perceived as “different.”

Openly gay horses and horse alliances are rejoicing today as well. Says Ernie, founder of the Facebook group Support Gay Horses, “This is a canter stride forward for horsekind.”

National organizations including the USEF have already pledged their support of the new policy.

But for some, the announcement comes just a little too late.

“The official storyline is that we didn’t make the London Olympic squad because of a veterinary issue,” says Sinead Halpin, rider of four-star horse Manoir de Carneville. “Well, there’s more to the story.”

Manoir de Carneville, or “Tate” as he’s known around the barn, is originally from France, well-known for its sexually progressive culture.

“Tate is gay — always has been, always will be,” Halpin explains. “Making the transition from France to the States has been difficult. He doesn’t understand that you just can’t go prancing around, being gay all the time.”

Halpin and "Tate." Photo by Samantha Clark.

While some equine disciplines, most notably dressage, have always boasted large and demonstrative gay equine populations, others such as eventing have been slower to evolve. Halpin claims her horse was left off the team because “he let his rainbow show during training camp.”

“Tate was being extra fabulous, and it started raising some eyebrows,” Halpin says, fighting back tears. “But you know what? I’m so proud of him; he didn’t let it get him down. We might have lost one battle, but if it helped pave the way for this? It’s worth it.”

For more information on this issue, click here. Go Equality, and Go Eventing!

Eventing Nation supports the LGBTQ community and embraces equality and civil liberties for all. Red on right, white on left, humanity in the middle.

 

Soraya V Juarbe-Diaz‘s FB page via Jimmy Wofford">From Soraya V Juarbe-Diaz‘s FB page via Jimmy Wofford. Disclaimer from EN’s Chinchilla Legal Team: Eventing Nation does not condone drinking and riding. (Drinking and course-walking so that everything looks a wee bit smaller, of course, is a different matter.)

Good morning, Eventing Nation! Hope you’re staying warm out there. What’s that saying about March coming in like a lion and out like a lamb? LIES.

Events Opening Today: King Oak Farm Spring H.T. (A-1, MA), Jersey Fresh International Three-day Event (A-2, NJ), Plantation Field H.T. (A-2, PA), WindRidge Farm Horse Trials  (A-3, NC), Mill Creek Pony Club H.T. at Longview (A-4, MO), Galway Downs Spring H.T. (A-6, CA), NWEC May Classic (A-7, WA), Winona Horse Trials  (A-8, OH)

Events Closing Today: CDCTA Spring Horse Trials & C.T. (A-2, VA), Plantation Field H.T. (A-2, PA), Ocala Horse Properties International 3-Day Event (A-3, FL), FENCE H.T. (A-3, SC), Pine Hill Spring H.T. (A-5, TX), Twin Rivers Spring Three-day Event & H.T. (A-6, CA), Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event (A-8, KY), St. Johns H.T. (A-10, AZ)

German World Domination Tour Cont.: German eventing kicked off its 2013 season with a bang, scoring its first victory in the FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing series at Fontainebleau over the weekend. The winning quartet included Michael Jung on his second string Leopin FST, Olympic team gold medallists Dirk Schrade and King Artus, Andreas Dibowski on Butts Leon, and 2011 European bronze medalists Frank Ostholt and Little Paint. Host country France finished second and Italy third. The next World Cup event is Houghton Hall in Great Britain May 23-25. [USEA]

Help Wanted: Bodgie Read has put out an “extra-wide” call for volunteers for the upcoming Fair Hill April Horse Trials (April 21-23). With the One, Two and Three Star CIC Divisions taking place, the event will be running several phases at the same time on all three days. Available volunteer positions include scribes for dressage and show jumping, dressage ring stewards, show-jumping timer and cross-country fence judges. All volunteers receive a free cross-country schooling. Contact Bodgie at [email protected]. [Fair Hill]

Ride With Buck: The Midsouth Eventing and Dressage Association is hosting a clinic with Buck Davidson at Lands End Farm (gymnastics/show jumping) and Flying Cross Farm (cross-country) in Goshen, KY May 25-26. Beginner Novice thru Advanced levels welcome. Free auditing for MSEDA members! [MSEDA]

In Passing: British eventing coach, Pony Club steward and former international competitor William Miflin passed away over the weekend following a long battle with cancer. Our condolences to William’s family and friends in the eventing community. [British Eventing]

SmartPak Product of the Day: The only blanket my horse Esprit has managed NOT to destroy this year is his SmartPak Ultimate Ballistic Nylon Turnout Blanket. Backed by a 10-Year Indestructible Guarantee, it’s made from a special ultra-durable weave of nylon that was originally developed for flak jackets worn by soldiers in WWII to protect them from flying debris. Esprit, I think you’ve finally met your match. [SmartPak]

Video: Advanced riders tackle the second water complex on course at Southern Pines II over the weekend, from RNS Video Media.

Welcome to paradise, suckers! Snowbirds hoping to escape the winter chill found no relief at Sporting Days Horse Trials, held March 2-3 in Aiken. Random bursts of blustery rain on Saturday and freezing temps on Sunday left competitors shivering and their equine counterparts feeling extra-fresh.

Competitors warm up under ominous skies on Saturday.

Sarah Morton bundles up in a quarter sheet to watch a student’s dressage test on Sunday morning

Nonetheless, eventers turned out in droves for the popular event. With a laid-back atmosphere and friendly cross-country courses, Sporting Days is always much-appreciated by riders looking to give their horses a confidence-building first run of the season or positive move-up experience. Tadpole through IP horse trial divisions and combined tests at all levels provided options for green and experienced horses alike. This weekend’s event ran over two days but maintained a one-day format, with the upper levels running on Saturday and the lower levels on Sunday.

The Intermediate-Prelim division was won by Ian Roberts of Port Perry, Ontario, aboard his handsome Irish Sport Horse two-star mount Faolin. They added 4.8 time penalties x-c to an dressage score of 24.8 to best the division, which included second-place finisher Boyd Martin on Master Frisky, whom Boyd rode in the High Performance Training Sessions earlier in the week. Riders in the IP division found themselves in the unusual position of having to do stadium after cross-country due to scheduling, prompting riders to go conservatively around the course in an effort to preserve their horses’ legs.

There were lots of pleasing results in other divisions as well, with some impressive dressage scores and a generous percentage of clear cross-country rounds over Greg Schlappi’s inviting track. The stadium course, designed by Janine McClain, was open and galloping but caught out riders who let their horses get a bit strung out, with an oxer-vertical-vertical triple combination and a snug two-stride just one fence from home.

Lynn Symansky of Middleburg, Va., took home more blue ribbons than anyone over the weekend, winning Open Prelim A on Zoe and Open Training A on Pogi, as well as the Prelim CT on Osborne 9. The lowest dressage score of the weekend belonged to Matt Flynn aboard White Knuckles, who added no jumping faults to a 20.9 to win Open Novice C. View the full results here.

Nicole Parkin and Ubiquitous splash through the water on their way to a double-clear cross-country round in the Novice Horse division.

Kevin Keane and the promising Fernhill Foster finished sixth on a 29.6 in the competitive Open Novice A division.

With 437 horses running across 35 divisions over the course of two days, Sporting Days H.T. is a scheduling nightmare–particularly because the entry list is thickly populated with professionals riding multiple horses. Boyd Martin, for instance, had nine horses running–every time I saw him, he was getting off one horse and being handed another.

I managed to briefly pull show secretary extraordinaire Mary Coldren aside to ask, “How do you do it?!?”

“Bourbon!” Mary responded–only half-jokingly, I think! In actuality, Mary is a professional chaos-manager. She’s the wizard behind the curtain of several events with 400-plus entries including Maryland, Fair Hill and Plantation Field.

Mary is based out of Pennsylvania, and she explained that being familiar with the riders is extremely helpful: “Honestly, I do this every weekend at home with Boyd and Ryan and those guys on seven or eight horses, so to me it’s not unusual.”

“The professionals come with so much help, I know that if they have 30 minutes between their dressage rides, I don’t even have to call them and ask, ‘Hey, will this work for you,'” she said. “But if I have someone else that I don’t know, who only has three horses and they have 30 minutes between rides, I’ll call them and make sure that’s OK, because they might be planning on coming alone.”

A big thanks to Mary, organizer Joannah Glass, and all of the officials and volunteers who made the March Sporting Days H.T. a great success. As for the weather, no thanks to you!

Erin Sylvester and No Boundaries get the David treatment on Day 2 of the USEF Eventing High Performance Training Sessions.

How do you build an eventing program that’s competitive on the world stage? From the ground up–which seemed Coach David’s point precisely during the two days of High Performance Training Sessions that took place in Aiken this week. In each session, it wasn’t about performing the dressage tricks or getting over the jumps. It was about building better athletes.

The theme held strong into Day 2. (If you haven’t already, check out Samantha and Kate’s intensive Day 1 write-ups here and here respectively.) I caught the morning sessions, which included Doug Payne/Crown Talisman and Erin Sylvester/No Boundaries on the flat and Will Faudree/Andromaque, Susan Beebee/Wolf and Emily Beshear/Here’s To You over fences.

Spectators took advantage of the opportunity to observe our High Performance program in action.

Stable View Farm is a pretty nice venue? This is the main barn.">Did we mention that Stable View Farm is a pretty nice venue? This is the main barn.

He encouraged versatility within the gaits (“We don’t just work in a show frame all the time–we use lots of different frames”) to improve physicality. Developing rideability within a range, he explained, directly impacts the horse’s ability to be successful over fences.

Doug & Crown Talisman: “Strength training” was a major theme in Doug’s session, with lots of encouragement to resist the urge to carry his horse around. “Let go,” David said. “Keep putting the responsibility back on him.” They also worked quite a bit on counter-canter as Tali tended to lose his rhythm. Leg-yielding off the rail in counter-canter “so you can keep riding the inside of him” was an exercise David applied to several riders yesterday and sufficed to greatly improve the quality of Tali’s counter-canter as well. Straightness in the changes was also addressed, as was finessing Doug’s aids: “Use lower leg in the step before the change to activate the hind legs, then the seat becomes the change.”

Erin & No Boundaries: David started off Erin’s session by hopping on No Boundaries himself to help work through some straightness issues. It’s always nice to see a coach put their money where their mouth is, so to speak, and David delivered–the horse was straight, through, and sitting on its haunches by the time he dismounted. Back on her horse, David had Erin do lots of transitions with the gait–“Don’t get stuck in that collected trot–it’s just a place to half halt to”–finishing the session with some work on lead changes.

David’s emphasis on developing athleticism and the skill set to be successful continued on into the jumping. “It’s your job to give him the footwork to handle whatever puzzle is in front of him,” he explained. “Quicker in the feet, not faster” became a familiar refrain.

After warming up over a liverpool vertical and square oxer, the riders tried their hand through a gymnastic exercise that put their horses’ adjustability to the test: a wide oxer, two strides to a tall vertical, one stride to a normal square oxer. The distances between the fences were tight (31 feet for the two-stride and 22 feet for the one-stride), making imperative the ability to compress immediately after lengthening.

The first oxer in the combination was quite wide with a spread of 4 1/2 to 5 feet. A rail placed across the top ensured that the horses didn’t mistake it for a bounce.

It was a fair challenge for the horses, all of which improved with each successive try. Susan’s Wolf stood out as an especially spectacular jumping talent, wowing spectators and the coach alike. “Have you got your breastplate?” David asked Susan teasingly. “I’d hold on.”

Here’s video of the three horses jumping through the exercise:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1m6FEfLYgc

I walked away from the Training Sessions feeling optimistic about the potential of our High Performance horses-rider combinations and excited about David’s direction. He’s clearly not a “put a band-aid on it” type of coach, and his emphasis on developing the pairs in a more fundamental way encourages our prospects of having real, solid, fully-developed team members in the future.

Go Eventing.

USEF Eventing High Performance Facebook page. ">Pierre Colin, George Wintersteen, Will Coleman and Boyd Martin looking chipper at Palmetto Country Club. From the USEF Eventing High Performance Facebook page. 

Despite yesterday’s cold, blustery, drizzly conditions, participants in the High Performance Owners Day sucked it up like champs for a day of golfing in Aiken. The weather is not looking much more promising for today’s training sessions (100% chance of rain), but the venue at Stable View Farm is blessedly a lovely covered arena. Once again, auditors are welcome; click here for detailed driving directions (do NOT follow your GPS). The day’s schedule is as follows:

Tuesday, Feb. 26 – Dressage
8:00 AM: Allison Springer/Copycat Chloe
8:45 AM: Phillip Dutton/Mighty Nice
9:30 AM: Phillip Dutton/Fernhill Eagle
10:15 AM: Jennie Brannigan/Cambalda
11:00 AM: Boyd Martin/Master Frisky
11:45 AM: Boyd Martin/Trading Aces
12:30 PM: Lunch Break
1:00 PM: Doug Payne/Crown Talisman
1:45 PM: Emily Beshear/Here’s To You
2:30 PM: Erin Sylvester/No Boundaries
3:15 PM: Holly Payne/Santino
4:00 PM: Will Faudree/Andromaque
4:45 PM: Susan Beebee/Wolf

Events Opening Today: Plantation Field H.T. (A-2, PA), Ocala Horse Properties International 3-Day Event (A-3, FL), FENCE H.T. (A-3, SC), Pine Hill Spring H.T. (A-5, TX), Twin Rivers Spring Three-day Event & H.T. (A-6, CA), St. Johns H.T. (A-10, AZ)

Events Closing Today: Pine Top Spring H.T. (A-3, GA), Feather Creek Farm H.T. (A-5, OK), Copper Meadows H.T. (A-6, CA)

Under Construction: Texas Rose Horse Park’s cross-country course has been undergoing a facelift in preparation for its new role as host of American Eventing Championships for 2013-2015. Course designers Mark Phillips and Carsten Meyer have been working with Dan Starck and his team to construct an Advanced course as well as build new fences for every level. The new jumps will debut at the spring event to be held March 30-31, featuring Beginner Novice through Advanced divisions. [USEA]

Florida EHV-1 Update: No new cases of EHV-1 have been detected at HITS Ocala after the discovery of an infected horse last week. That horse continues to do well at the University of Florida vet hospital in Gainesville. One tent at HITS remains under quarantine and exhibitors are urged to take bio-security measures, including a daily temperature-check schedule. There are no restrictions on horses coming or going from the show grounds or over Florida state borders. [HITS] Horse owners are invited to a free evening seminar on EHV hosted by UF veterinarians and representatives from the Florida Division of Animal Industry, to be held in Ocala’s Marion County Extension Auditorium this eventing at 6 p.m. [UF]

Horse Show Cliff Notes: We look forward to Molly Sorge’s weekend roundups each Monday in the Chronicle, featuring synopses of all the major competitions that took place over the weekend. Yesterday’s edition included results from HITS Ocala and Desert Circuit, WEF, the Mid-Winter Dressage Fair CDI in California, and Pine Top. [COTH]

Mystery Meatballs: IKEA is pulling meatballs from its shelves in Sweden after Czech authorities detected horsemeat in frozen meatballs that were labeled as beef and pork. [CBS]

Get Well Soon: 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra continues to improve after undergoing abdominal surgery following foaling complications. She was taken off IV fluids and nutrition over the weekend and her vets at Rood & Riddle sound positive about her progress. [Horse Talk NZ]

Best of the Blogs: Check out Kristen Schmolze’s recap of her weekend Pine Top, which included a 4th place finish in the Advanced-3 division on Ballylaffin Bracken. [Kristen Schmolze Eventing]

Win a FREE iPad from Cavalor! How? To enter the contest simply “Like & Share” this post from Cavalor North America’s Facebook Page. This awesome contest is to announce the release of MyCavalor.com, which is a new, simple way to personalize your horse’s diet online, on your SmartPhone, or get this, from your iPad (or tablet).

Besides potentially winning a ridiculously awesome piece of technology, try MyCavalor.com today to create a personalized feeding program for your horse. So simple, you can do it while having your morning coffee, shopping online, procrastinating at work or during a five minute break.

Did y’all see this flyer? Coach David and a few brave eventers are teeing off to promote the event horse ownership experience. You’ve got to salute their courage–I know the only thing my golf skills would promote is the fact that I should be banned from all golf courses everywhere forever. On the ownership front, if you haven’t already checked out Experience Eventing website, you should. It makes a pretty solid case for the importance of syndication in our changing sport, and perusing the various available syndicates is fun in an “imagine yourself owning a piece of Manoir de Carneville” sort of way. Download the High Performance Owners’ Day flyer here.

Today’s news:

Events Opening Today: The Fork CIC3*/CIC2* & HT (NC, A-2), CDCTA Spring Horse Trials & C.T.(VA, A-2), Chattahoochee Hills H.T. (GA, A-3),  Sporting Days Farm Horse Trials (SC, A-3), Spring Bay H.T. (KY, A-8)

Events Closing Today: Southern Pines H.T. I  (NC, A-2), Red Hills International Horse Trials & Trade Fair (FL, A-3), Full Gallop Farm March H.T. (SC, A-3)

Using Their Heads: Riders4Helmets announced the winners of its 2012 Craig Ferrell M.D. Equestrian Safety Awards, aimed at recognizing individuals who were exceptional role models for helmet wearing or equestrian safety. Award winners included event riders Allison Springer, Elisa Wallace, Laura Backus and Lucinda Green. [Riders4Helmets] The USEF has approved a new rule that mandates protective headgear for all riders competing at or riding on the grounds of a nationally recognized show. (FEI class competitors may still wear top hats if they so desire.) [Horse Channel]

Cross-border Travel: As participation in equestrian competition reaches a record high, the FEI and the World Animal Health Organization have teamed up to announce a three-year plan to help improve international movement of top-level sport horses. [FEI.org]

Horsemeat Scandal: A total of 13 countries are now embroiled in the horsemeat scandal, with tens of millions of processed beef products having been removed from supermarket freezers and public institutions across Europe since the scandal began last month. Suspicions of international conspiracy have been voiced by government officials. [Horse Talk]

U.S. vs. Canada Voltaire Eventing Jumping Challenge: $5,000 in prize money? That’s not something you hear in the same sentence as “eventing” very often. To be held on March 5 at 2 p.m. at Southern Cross Equestrian in Reddick, Fla., competitors vie off over two rounds (1st round at 1.25m, 2nd at 1.30m). Anyone can enter as an individual and/or a four-person team (best three scores to count). A prelim/int. schooling show will be held earlier in the day. [Flyer PDF]

Help Wanted: The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation is kicking off its 5th annual Haydrive campaign, aimed at funding hay costs for its 95 retired racehorses. Donations of either hay or money are greatly appreciated. [COTH]

Found on Facebook: My Virtual Eventing Coach is constantly posting stuff that’s fun to think about and discuss, like this:

A little air-vest humor to kick-start your Tuesday morning from Morgane Schmidt, equine illustrator extraordinaire. Morgane posts a brand new comic each Wednesday on Horse Nation, and you can view her entire collection on website The Idea of Order.

And now for your news:

Events Opening Today

Morven Park Spring H.T. (VA, A-2), Full Gallop Farm H.T. (SC, A-3), Rocking Horse Spring H.T. (FL, A-3), Texas Rose Horse Park H.T. (TX, A-5), Galway Downs International Horse Trials (CA, A-6)

Events Closing Today

Rocking Horse Winter III H.T. (FL, A-3), Sporting Days Farm Horse Trials (SC, A-3), MeadowCreek Park – The Spring Social Event (TX, A-5), Twin Rivers Winter H.T. (CA, A-6)

Training Sessions: The High Performance Training Sessions get underway today at Stable View Farm in Aiken. Here are the times for today’s flatwork sessions:

8:00 Jennie Brannigan/Cambalda
8:45 Boyd Martin/Trading Aces
9:30 Boyd Martin/Crackerjack/Master Frisky or Neville Bardos
10:15 Boyd Martin/Crackerjack/Master Frisky or Neville Bardos
11:00 Phillip Dutton/Mighty Nice
11:45 Phillip Dutton/Fernhill Eagle
12:30 Lunch
1:00 Allison Springer/Copycat Chloe
1:45 Susan Beebee/Wolf
2:30 Emily Beshear/Here’s To You
3:15 Doug Payne/Crown Talisman
4:00 Holly Payne/Santino
4:45 Erin Sylvester/No Boundaries

Please visit www.stableviewfarm.com for information about the facility. Auditors are welcome but encouraged to be respectful of the lessons and mindful of the facility rules. Guests are required to sign a waiver of liability for the facility upon arrival.

[USEF Eventing High Performance Facebook page]

Canada’s Horse of the Year: The 2012 honor was recently bestowed upon Northern Dancer, the influential Canadian-bred thoroughbred sire. Born in 1961, Northern Dancer died over 20 years ago but his legacy is still felt today–his descendents took home nine out of 11 flat-racing trophies at this year’s Eclipse Awards, and his great-grandson Frankel was widely regarded as the best racehorse in the world in 2012. [Horse Talk NZ]

USDA Animal Disease Traceability Program: Starting March 11, a health certificate will be required to travel over state lines. Horse owners can procure an Equine Interstate Event Permit (eastern United States) or Equine Certificate of Veterinary Inspection and Interstate Movement Permit (western United States), which is valid for six months. [COTH]

Down South: British showjumper and Olympic gold medalist Ben Maher is showing ’em how it’s done at WEF, having just won his second grand prix class. [Horse & Hound] Meanwhile, the Palm Beach Dressage Derby, to be held Feb. 28-Mar. 3, is gearing up to celebrate its 30th anniversary as the oldest event in South Florida. [Dressage-News]

Best of the Blogs: Boyd Martin recaps his weekend at Pine Top here; Doug Payne recaps his here.

Video: The good folks at Schramm Eventing demonstrate proper technique for jumping up and down banks on this week’s episode of Evention.