Last year’s winners Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class are returned to defend their title. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.
It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for — the entry list for the 2019 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by MARS Equestrian, has officially gone live! Entries closed on Tuesday, March 26, and all combinations that entered are not currently reflected on this list, but we still have a solid first look.
Last year’s winners, Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class, will return to defend their title. Piggy French and Quarrycrest Echo, 2018 World Equestrian Games team gold medalists for Great Britain, will also cross the pond.
Last year’s Burghley winner, Tim Price, will look to keep his Rolex Grand Slam hopes alive with Xavier Faer. Two-time Adelaide CCI5*-L winners Hazel Shannon and Willingapark Clifford will lead the charge for Australia. Brazil’s Marcelo Tosi and Glenfly round out the international contingent thus far.
We also have five five-star first-timers entered in Dom Schramm and Bolytair B, Frankie Thieriot Stutes and Chatwin, Ariel Grald and Leamore Master Plan, Matt Flynn and Wizzerd, and Chris Talley and Unmarked Bills.
Phillip Dutton, the last American rider to win Kentucky in 2008, will return with his 2018 U.S. WEG team mount, Z. Boyd Martin will also ride his 2018 U.S. WEG team mount, Tsetserleg, along with Long Island T and Ray Price.
Caroline Martinhas three horses entered in Danger Mouse, The Apprentice and Islandwood Captain Jack. Lauren Kieffer also has three entries in her 2018 WEG individual partner, Vermiculus; Landmark’s Monte Carlo; and Paramount Importance.
Buck Davidson has four horses entered but will have to choose three from Carlevo, Copper Beach, Jak My Style and Park Trader.
Click here to view the current entry list. Please note this is not the full entry list, so keep checking back to EN for updates.
We love shining the spotlight on eventing’s hardworking adult amateurs! Have a rider who deserves some attention? Email us at [email protected].
Earlier this year a video landed in the EN inbox of a very sleepy horse named Legend of Toro. Watching the video, I know we can all relate. Been there, buddy.
Fast forward to earlier this week, when I noticed while compiling weekend competition results that Legend of Toro must have finally woken up from his slumber because he’d won his Introductory Combined Test at MDHT March Starter Trials at Loch Moy. I was inspired. Maybe — just maybe — if the world’s most shamelessly nap-loving event horse could rally for a blue ribbon, perhaps the rest of us could make it through another workweek afternoon.
I needed to meet this horse. Who was he? What was his secret? I reached out to Legend of Toro’s owner, Chelsea Spear.
“Toro is known for his naps,” Chelsea laughs. “If I go to get him out of the field when he’s laying down and put his halter on, he lays flat to protest. He groans and is so dramatic about it, but always gets right up if you really ask him to.”
As it turns out, MDHT was Chelsea and Toro’s very first combined test together! He has a sweet story, and his owner’s story is inspiring, too.
Chelsea grew up a horse crazy kid, dabbling in everything from saddle seat (“Yes, gasp, saddle seat!” she says) to team penning and fox hunting, then pleasure rode as an adult.
“Then after having two kids I needed something for me, to find myself again, as I felt like I was losing myself in the sleep deprivation exhausting but amazing thing called motherhood,” she says. Chelsea also owns her own company, Caprika Realty, with her husband. “Sales can be stressful, so horses are my sanity! You can’t think about other things when riding.”
She splurged on a 17.3-hand draft cross chestnut mare named Daisy and decided to try a new endeavor: eventing. Learning to event at age 31 was no easy task, Chelsea says. “You are more aware of your mortality, and it’s daunting!” But she couldn’t resist the sport. “It was love. Fun and challenging, and the community is just amazing.”
Chelsea and Daisy. Photo courtesy of Chelsea Spear.
Daisy wasn’t so much into the dressage — “And if you’ve ever owned a 17.3-hand half draft chestnut mare, you would know that you can’t MAKE them do anything haha” — so she found a new home as a fox hunting and Chelsea began the search for a new partner.
She was determined to take her time and try as many horses as possible, but as fate would have it the first horse she tried was The One. Toro was a 4-year-old OTTB chestnut gelding, sourced by Natalie Hollis of Destination Eventing. “They raved about his brain and correct jumping, etc., and he looked adorable. We went and tried him and it was love. I never even tried another horse!”
After a year or so of treating Toro’s moderate-severe ulcers, putting weight on him, dealing with a few injuring and moving barns, the pair was in business. Chelsea credits her trainers Jennifer Clover and Samantha Allen, of Allen and Clover Sport Horses, for helping build her confidence and the skills to bring a young OTTB along.
Riding Toro has been a mental challenge, Chelsea says: “The main thing was battling fear from going to a much more forward horse, and baby antics.” One thing she says really helped was talking lessons on a more experienced horse, wherein she could focus on her own position.
Chelsea and Toro. Photo courtesy of Chelsea Spear.
Jennifer Clover says, “Chelsea and Toro are a super pair. Toro is not always an easy horse, and Chelsea is putting in the work and stepping out of her comfort zone on a regular basis. We’ve gone back and worked and worked on the basics and are creating a solid foundation for fun and success. This is the beginning of a happy, confident pair getting ready to get out there and go!”
Chris Talley has also lent a helping hand, putting a few rides on Toro and helping Chelsea at clinics. “I think it’s really fun to see when people are willing to invest of off-the-track Thoroughbreds,” Chris says. “Chelsea has done a wonderful job bringing Toro along, who himself is a wonderfully talented OTTB. It’s been fun to be a small part of their development and the exciting journey that lies ahead.”
Chris Talley schooling Toro. Photo by Christina Dale.
“They have helped me incredibly,” she says. “When I got to holiday Toro was only a month or two off stall rest and I was scared to canter him. And this last weekend we did our very first combined test (though Intro level with hardly anyone else in our division!). Dressage was meh, but stadium, for the first time on him, was FUN. Like, that was our first show jumping at a show together and it was amazing.”
Some of those big cheers at the end are from Toro’s connections at Destination Eventing, who stayed after their rides to support Chelsea and Toro in their first show. “They are like extended family,” Chelsea says.
Next up for the pair is a trip to Aiken to visit with friends, train and compete at the Stable View Starter H.T. on April 14: “We are FINALLY on track, and are excited for 2019.”
“He makes me a better rider every day and challenges me and makes me rise to his level of athleticism,” Chelsea says. “He is loving and sweet and an amazing horse.”
For 673 accepted trainers, the journey to the Retired Racehorse Project‘s 2019 RPP Thoroughbred Makeover has begun! Over the next eight months, four of those trainers will blog their journeys, including their triumphs and their heartbreaks, successes and failures, for Eventing Nation readers. Read more from EN’s 2019 Thoroughbred Makeover Bloggers: Lindsey Burns, Hillary McMichael, Clare Mansmann, Jennifer Reisenbichler.
A client and fellow Thoroughbred Makeover contestant recently mentioned how much she enjoyed seeing veteran Makeover trainers’ “Year Two” posts, and that while she was enjoying the early process with Hank (OK I just outed her), she was really looking forward to Year Two. And boy do I understand. Year Two is super fun. All the little things that seem so difficult now, like turning, seem to disappear and suddenly you’re not having to think as hard about canter leads and circles. It’s fun, but to get to Year Two, you have to get through (duh duh duuuuuh!) Ride One.
Ah, Year Two. Magic. Buff Dude and Clare. Photo by innocent bystander.
First rides off the track are really fun for weirdos like us. Much of the time, we don’t know a tremendous amount about the horses that come to us. This is not because they come from unknown sources, but because outside the basic questions of soundness and the absence or evidence of testicles (as well as the correct number — don’t ask), we like to go in without too many preconceived notions.
I want to know what the horse tells me, more than the human. I can’t tell you how many horses come in for training with excellent results, only to have the owner later clue us in to the bucking, wheeling, biting, XYZ poor behavior, and, safety concerns aside, it is always good to go in with an open mind because most horses have fewer issues than we do.
We have had the pleasure of working with over half a dozen Thoroughbred Makeover eligible horses in just the past couple of months. Some, if not sold prior, will be taken to the Makeover by us, some are actively for sale and just happen to be eligible, and several are horses that we have been transitioning for their owners. They, perhaps with a higher intelligence than our own, would prefer assistance in this endeavor, and maybe a crash test dummy. And yes, my parents are proud.
But Ride One is full of discovery and romance and that’s kind of my shtick, and so we have spent not a small amount of time developing and re-developing our methods for this early stage of re-careering. Sometimes horses come straight from their last race, and those are often easier, but sometimes you have a 3- or 4-year-old who’s been off for a year and I don’t care how great their early training was, you still have a 3- or 4-year-old who’s been off for a year.
Alarming and Clare. He looks sufficiently alarmed, right?? Photo by selfie.
The preparation for the First Ride is very important to us, and while different horses move at different paces through these stages, we are certain to move through our process with any horse that crosses our threshold. The preparation is where we learn the most about how the horse reacts to different pressures (physical and mental), and so we know quite a bit about what will happen when we swing a leg over. This preparation gives us (and the horse) the confidence to put a loop in the reins, canter around, and pop a jump on Ride One. We can take the saddle off on Ride Two, and lead a trail ride on Ride Three. Ride Six can be at a show or an expo, and Ride Ten could be teaching a lesson.
And so we work on the ground and we work with the pony horse and by the time we actually sit on the horse, it has already done everything we plan to ask under saddle, without a saddle (or at least a rider). Things you will see in our Ride Ones are: plenty of forward, plenty of sitting, plenty of standing around, plenty of circles, plenty of poles, plenty of Tookie, and PLENTY of loops in the reins.
In no way will you see us worrying one lick about where the horse’s head is for quite some time, because we hold true to our classical dressage backgrounds, that the horse moves from behind, that we never want the horse’s head set in a frame, and that connection comes from the butt, not the bit. As our horses are learning a new way of balancing, we take great caution to give their front ends room and allow them carry themselves and hold the pace we ask for. They need to learn to walk, trot, canter, and jump a small course on a loopy rein so they learn to take care of themselves, and not rely on the fallible human. They need to go forward with freedom to make mistakes, in order to learn the parameters.
Walk Away Slow on his Ride One with Tom and Tookie. Photo by Clare Mansmann.
And this is why first rides are so full of stumbles and hiccups, giggles and “good boys” (girls too), wrong leads and steering mishaps, pulled shoes and slipped reins. Because bumpy roads lead to smoother paths, and those smoother paths take you right into Year Two.
Dante, the once and always king. Photo courtesy of Maggie Deatrick.
Today we honor the life and legend of Divine Comedy, known to his friends as Dante, the once and always king. Our very own Maggie Deatrick unexpectedly lost her horse of a lifetime, her unicorn, her true love this week, and I think I speak for everyone in the eventing community when I say I’m sending her all my love and holding her in the light for the days and weeks to come. It’s so incredibly hard when we lose our beloved horses, and especially the ones that we’ve had for years and adventured around the country aboard. RIP Dante, you were so unbelievably beloved, and we love you Maggie.
Have weekend plans? Consider volunteering at an event! In addition to being a valuable educational experience and great way to give back to the sport, each event offers perks ranging from entry/schooling fees to gear and more. Sign up to volunteer this weekend via EventingVolunteers.com. [Galway Downs] [Morven Park] [Texas Rose] [Full Gallop]
The USEA has announced the renewed corporate partnership with longtime sponsor Adequan, this year with an added prize bonus! In efforts to grow the Advanced division of the AECs, the USEA will host the new $60,000 Adequan USEAAdvanced Final at the 2019 AEC, sending the Adequan Champion home with a whopping $30,000 personalized check. The other $30,000 will be distributed as purse money through at least 8th place in the Advanced championships. [Adequan Signs Up for AEC 2019]
Six weeks ago, eventer Ginny Grey woke up with a headache that turned out to be a brain tumor the size of a golf ball. She had the tumor removed, and now that she’s recuperating at home, she’s decided to aim for the 2020 Paralympics. She decided on this future goal even before her surgery, and has already gained twelve local corporate sponsorships for the endeavor, and set up a Facebook page to chronicle her journey. What an inspiration! [From Brain Tumor to Paralympics]
Thinking about importing a horse this year? Don’t want to worry about the time between purchase and when it lands in your barn? Taylor Harris Insurance Services can help you write a custom policy to suit your needs while your horse is overseas, traveling, and right into their new residency in the US or Canada. [THIS Protects Your Horse]
Why watch one helmet cam from Carolina International when you can watch three? Take a ride around all three of Ian Stark’s international cross country courses with Doug Payne and Vandiver in the CCI4*-S, Doug Payne and Cascor in the CCI3*-S, and Elisa Wallace and Sharp Decision in the CCI2*-S. Enjoy!
Click here to catch up on all of EN’s coverage of Carolina International. Go Eventing.
Fat is considered a “cool” feedstuff because it does not cause the hormone spikes that lead to excitability. Adding Equi-Jewel rice bran to your horse’s diet allows you to decrease the amount of starchy concentrates (grains) you feed, reducing the risk of colic and laminitis resulting from grain overload. Equi-Jewel is an excellent source of calories for horses on low-sugar and low-starch diets.
The horse that matters to you matters to us®.
Not sure which horse supplement best meets your horse’s needs? Kentucky Performance Products, LLC is here to help. Call 859-873-2974 or visit KPPusa.com.
March Madness is upon us! We’re through to the Round of 16, as posted earlier this week. Here are few key match-ups to keep an eye on, with some outta-left-field Nicolas Cage-inspired commentary from eventer/pop culture pundit Mary Hollis Baird. Sweet 16 voting is open through midnight on Sunday, March 31, with the Elite 8 to be announced the following day. Cast your ballot today!
2019 EN March Madness: Sweet 16!
This game is almost not fun anymore because all these horses are so wonderful, they all deserve as many treats and cross country jumps as they want.
National Treasures
Photos by EN.
Foxwood High and Islandwood Captain Jack were both upsets from the first round. These two horses have huge fanbases and thanks to their adoring public were elevated to the Sweet 16.Like Nicolas Cage in National Treasure, these guys might not be the conventional choices, but they are brilliant in their own right.
Woody and Jack are just two North Americans trying their best to do what’s right for the authority figures in their life; coincidentally these two guys are just like Cage’s character, Benjamin Gates, in National Treasure 1 and 2 (it is a travesty that they have not completed this trilogy, but that’s a different article for another time).
Both Caroline Martin and Selena O’Hanlon have developed these horses beautifully and as a spectator, you get the impression that they would jump off the edge of the world for their riders. These two horses make you believe that, just like Cage, they would lay down their lives to save the world from evil freemasons, just like in National Treasure.
The Face-Off
Photos by EN.
This match-up reminds me of watching the movie Face/Off for the first time. Here’s the Google synopsis if you need a refresher on the brilliant work of Nicolas Cage and John Travolta.
Allstar B (Travolta, obviously) is the hardworking FBI Agent out there being the best at his job. Allstar B, also very good at his job, can put in three consistent phases that will usually have him at least in the top 10 at the end of the weekend. Ros Canter has had the ride on him since 2012 and they have built a partnership that has yielded utterly brilliant results including a Team and Individual World Championship.
Meanwhile Mr Chunky is the Irish Nic Cage. The horse was bought as an unbroken 4-year-old and by the time Padraig and Lucy came to look at him, he was slightly less green and so hairy. When they bought him the Mr Chunky moniker was bestowed upon him.Similar to Cage’s insane look, audiences love his performance energy and enables him to make stellar movies like Face/Off and Con Air.
Mr. Chunky is adored by his fans and is apparently a joy around the barn. Padraig has said that anyone in the yard can hack him out and he’s a perfect gentleman. However, in competition, just like Nic Cage, Mr. Chunky will pull out all his charisma and leave it in the ring, impressing anyone watching. Dressage judges want to give him good marks because you can see how hard he is trying to do what’s right.
Who will win this face-off, Travolta or Cage? Only you can decide!
Price & Price
Photos by EN.
Classic Moet and Cekatinka are two sides of the same coin. Both of these mares are brilliant jumpers, have the ability to be very competitive on the flat, and love love love to compete. There’s nothing I like better than ambitious, bad-ass, independent women.
Cekatinka is described by Jonelle as “ticking all the boxes for an eventer.” She is happy doing her job and seems up for anything. She’s the ultimate calm and collected professional competitor.
Meanwhile, here is the description of Classic Moet on the Prices’ website:
“Molly would, if she were a person, come from Swindon ( Or West Auckland for our NZ followers), be a couple of stone overweight, have several tattoos, wear a too tight leather jacket over skintight leopardskin pants and have a boyfriend with an IQ of 10 who is a club bouncer and 4 children by 4 different fathers. There is simply nothing diva like about Trisha Rickards ‘fastest girl in the world’ and she is as happy at a World Championships as she is at a one day… providing she can go flat out which is her preferred speed to do everything, hacking, flat work, dressage included. Molly is a legend but a kind of rock and roll one like Mick Jagger as opposed to the Princess type!”
So if we are going by Nicolas Cage tropes, Cekatinka would be Nicolas Cage in The Family Man, a light dramedy where his character is a nice guy who wrestles with choosing between love and career.Classic Moet would be Cameron Poe from Con Air, the newly-freed convict who is just trying to return to his wife and daughter after he accidentally killed a man who was trying to assault Poe’s pregnant wife.
I don’t envy the voting public on this round, I don’t know how you choose!
I know we said size doesn’t matter a couple weeks ago, and that’s still true, but some folks definitely have a preference and that’s just fine too. Whether you prefer something that takes up a little more leg or you like for a horse to make the jumps down there look smaller, here are three horses who, at over 17.0-hands, that fit that bill:
If you really want a tall one, you’ll want to check out this absolute behemoth. At 17.2-hands tall, this 7-year-old could probably just step over most of the fences early on in his retraining. He may tower over you, but A Smile for Ellie is a real sweetheart with a great disposition. He’s also a homebred and his trainer has had him his entire life and can give his adopter lots of background and details on him. At 49 career starts and close to $90,000 in earnings, A Smile for Ellie nearly earned war horse status and clearly has the athleticism to do well in a second career.
If “all legs” isn’t the perfect descriptor for this horse, then I don’t know what is. Guyanese won a single race, but never finished better than fifth in any of his other 16 starts so he is retiring fairly lightly raced with no known soundness issues or vices. Thankfully he’s a gentle giant and his trainer, who is pictured in the photo, said she’s never had a problem handling him. With some groceries and some more time to mature, Guyanese could blossom into into a really stunning sport horse.
Photos don’t do this lovely girl justice — you’ll need to go check out her jog video on her CANTER page. Tintinnabulation has great bone and a balanced build. She’s also a sweetheart in her stall and her trainer says she’s a lady to work with. Over the years and between her 24 career starts, Tintinnabulation has spent some time turned out at her owner’s farm and has seemed to enjoy the farm life. She has some desired sire lines for sport horses, with A.P. Indy and Rubiano as great-grandsires.
For 673 accepted trainers, the journey to the Retired Racehorse Project‘s 2019 Thoroughbred Makeover has begun! Over the next eight months, four of those trainers will blog their journeys, including their triumphs and their heartbreaks, successes and failures, for Eventing Nation readers. Today, meet blogger Jennifer Reisenbichler.
Hi Eventing Nation! My name is Jen, and I’m a Thoroughbred addict. When I was 5 years old, I told my mom that Kentucky Derby Day was better than Christmas, and that’s never changed. I grew up with one goal: to be a jockey. I practiced on my poor mutt pony until she was in good enough shape to run around Prelim (she never jumped over 2’, but that’s irrelevant). However, there were other plans for my life as I am 5’7” and love to eat!
I bought my first Thoroughbred at 15 years old, from ReRun Kentucky, then after a break for college, bought my first event horse off the track. I had NO clue what I was doing, but he put up with me and we ended up successfully competing at Training level through 2011, with the highlight of our career being a top five placing at the 2011 Indiana Eventing Association Training Three-Day.
Before I dive too far into horses, let me get the boring part out of the way, introducing y’all to yours truly. I’m an adult amateur in my 30s with five-star dreams, but is still aiming for that first FEI event after several years of successfully competing at the Preliminary level.
I work a full-time job with a large team of financial advisors in Lexington, Kentucky, and last summer was blessed beyond words to have the opportunity to buy a 20-acre farm with an eight-stall barn about 45 minutes from the Kentucky Horse Park. My husband quickly converted four of the stalls into a shop; he knows me too well. We also own and operate a maple syrup farm in Indiana — believe it or not, the survival skills of “horsing” translate well to “farming.” Balancing horse goals with life goals is a consistent juggling act.
I owe a huge part of my success with horses to a little mare named Callie. She was the only horse I’ve ever evented who was not a full Thoroughbred. She was a tiny Holsteiner-Thoroughbred cross who stood 15.1 with her shoes on, if I was in complete denial about what the measuring stick actually said. But we jumped the green numbers and I owe her so much. Sadly, we lost her early last year to kidney failure, but I know she still jumps every jump with me.
Callie running Preliminary at Champagne Run in 2016. Photo by JJ Sillman.
I did my first Makeover in 2015, with a friend’s gelding. He wasn’t the easiest horse in the world, and I didn’t completely grasp the Makeover concept at the time (they ran it on Team Challenge weekend that year, talk about tired!), but the journey with Digger was so rewarding. We didn’t place too well, but it didn’t matter. I took a year off in 2016, then bought a gelding from Amy Paulus for the 2017 Makeover. Liam (my FEI hopeful!) took me on the Makeover journey of a lifetime, where we placed 12th and 15th respectively in the Show Jumping and Eventing. He is the big guy on campus now, as we are currently prepping for a move up to Training level early this season, if I can stop falling off.
Liam’s first Novice at Flying Cross in 2018. Photo by Vic’s Pics.
I bought my 2018 Makeover horse before the 2017 Makeover, oops. I’ll try to keep a long story short. In 2011, Nic (hubby) and I won the Bet or No Bet contest at Churchill Downs and were given $1,000 to bet to win on a horse. We bet it on a horse named Thankfulness, who went off at 5-1, and won. They counted out the hundreds and we put a down payment on a diesel truck.
Fast forward to 2017, Nic and I were betting on Charlestown on our phones on a random Saturday night in September. Yea, we might have a small problem, don’t judge. Nic asks how often the Jockey Club recycles names — Thankfulness was running in a $5k claimer at 45-1. I found his trainer on OTTB Connect and gave her a standing offer, no questions asked. She ran him one more time, then put him on a trailer to me.
I had no idea what to expect — I paid for the horse via Western Union. I was half prepared to put him down. Hank stepped off the trailer looking like a million bucks, and we had an amazing journey in 2018. We ended up entering Ranch Work and Field Hunters, where we placed 10th. He has a lifetime home with me, and will be competing this year with several young riders.
Hank on course in the Field Hunters at the 2018 RRP Thoroughbred Makeover. Photo courtesy of Iroquois Hunt.
I once again found my 2019 hopeful before the 2018 Makeover … sensing a trend here? I met Natasia Linnd when looking for a house sitter — she worked at the time for Jim and Susan Hill, who were retiring one of their successful race horses. He had won nearly $500k on the track, racing on the flat for several years, then racing over fences. They offered him to me, and I jumped at the chance.
After some soul searching, I realized that in order to keep doing the Makeover, I had to start selling my graduates. So “George” will be my first sale entrant. He is 10 and stands a shade under 16 hands. I know he might not be the big, young sale prospect everyone looks for, but he is special. I am so excited for another Makeover season, and the journey that gets us to October!
George’s first cross country school — I’m in love! Photo by Natasia Linnd.
To wrap this up, I’ll leave you with several hints I’ve learned over the past three Makeovers.
Don’t panic if you haven’t done much with your horse by March, or April, or May. I haven’t even put 15 rides on George yet. Both Liam and Hank got their start in mid-March and they were TIRED by October. Don’t fret and don’t push, you’ll get there.
Have the saddle fitter out early and get their teeth looked at. Their backs will change so much, having a fitter’s expert eye on your horse will save you from a lot of trouble over the summer as they develop. Hank had some teeth issues that I didn’t get on top of fast enough, it will make everyone’s life easier if their mouth is comfortable from day 1.
When in doubt, feed more hay.
Try something new. Even if you’re not an Eventer who ends up in Ranch Work, you and your horse will have fun learning something new together.
And last but not least, remember to have fun. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll have highs and lows, but you’ll have the journey of a lifetime!
Full-time vet, part-time unicorn: Dr. Kim Keeton at Pine Top Advanced. Photo by Cindy Deporter.
This sport is full of unicorns, of both the four-legged and two-legged varieties. As we dive ever deeper into the heart of competition season, it’s easy to get caught up in scoreboards and stats, but be sure to take a moment here and there to appreciate eventing’s less quantifiable elements as well. The poetry of dressage horses warming up in early morning fog, that feeling in your chest when you’re being counted down in the start box, a word of encouragement from a volunteer or fellow competitor when you need it the most, a quiet moment back at the barn. The magic is all around us.
Have weekend plans? Consider volunteering at an event! In addition to being a valuable educational experience and great way to give back to the sport, each event offers perks ranging from entry/schooling fees to gear and more. Sign up to volunteer this weekend via EventingVolunteers.com. [Galway Downs] [Morven Park] [Texas Rose] [Full Gallop]
After a 10-year hiatus, Apple Knoll Farm H.T. is running a USEA recognized event on Sept. 21, 2019. The event will offer Beginner Novice, Novice and Training levels. In 2020, the Millis, Massachusetts, venue plans to offer both a spring and a fall event. [Apple Knoll Farm Returns to the USEA Event Calendar]
A total of of 22 total Intercollegiate Team Challenges are scheduled to take place in 2019, with three already having been done and dusted. The USEA shares the latest team results from Ocala Winter I H.T., Southern Pines H.T., and Poplar Place Farm March H.T. [RMC, UF, and Auburn Top the 2019 Winter Intercollegiate Team Challenges]
Weatherbeeta USA has issued a recall that includes 16 models of Collegiate riding saddles. The recalled saddles were manufactured with screws that were too short, causing the girth of the saddle to detach from the tree of the saddle, posing a fall hazard to the rider. About 1,600 units were affected. No injuries/incidents have been reported, but best to be safe and contact the firm for a free repair. [Weatherbeeta USA Recalls Riding Saddles Due to Fall Hazard]
A horse-centric music festival … whaaa?! Keeneland has released the lineup for its new Railbird Festival, to take place on the historic racetrack grounds Aug. 10-11, and it looks pretty great: The Raconteurs, Mavis Staples, Lucinda Williams and Fruit Bats are my picks of the litter. Ticket add-ons include equine excursions such as morning workout viewings and tours at Keeneland as well as the Godolphin facilities at Jonabell Farm and Winstar. [Railbird Festival]
#tiptuesday
A consistent training surface is your horse’s best friend to achieving tip top fitness. Elite riders Caitlin Silliman and Rafter Y South Equestrian working their horses at Will Faudree Eventing’s training track. #tobethebest #trainonthebest
Great Britain’s team gold at the 2018 World Equestrian Games heads up an enviable list of successes the country has had on the world stage in David Holmes’ tenure. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.
British Eventing’s CEO David Holmes announced his resignation today after four years in the role.
The news comes just months after October’s Extraordinary General Meeting, at which a vote of no confidence in both Holmes and chairman Paul Hodgson was put to attendees. Though a marginal majority voted to keep both men instated, concern was expressed at the primary causes of the vote of no confidence — that is, an ongoing and over-budget IT project, which saw the new British Eventing website launch only semi-successfully last month, and accumulated expenses of around £11,000, related to the new showcase event at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. Concerns have since arisen regarding the future of the fixtures list, with the popular Brightling Park International one of the first major victims.
The new British Eventing season began on the second of March, and Holmes has made appearances at several of its fixtures, ostensibly to allow members a chance to voice their concerns and ask questions about the running of the organisation. However, many members feel that these appearances haven’t been sufficiently well-advertised.
British Eventing released a statement this afternoon, which reads:
“The Board of British Eventing thank David for his hard work and dedication, and wish him all the best for the future.”
Holmes, who intends to move to Italy later this year, and will continue in his post until the end of this month, says, “I have very much enjoyed my time working as CEO of British Eventing. I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone with whom I have worked over the last four years — the team of staff in the office and regionally, volunteers, organisers, officials, owners and sponsors; a key part of what has motivated me to drive forward great change in our sport is working with such a committed, hardworking and inspiring group of people.”
British Eventing has not yet confirmed a replacement for Holmes, though an update on the BE website by board chairman Fiona O’Hara confirmed that arrangements are in place to facilitate the transition. She also addressed some of the concerns that led to last autumn’s vote of no confidence.
“2019 has seen the much-anticipated website launch and with each week this is becoming increasingly stable as fixes and updates are made. I would also like particularly to thank the team in the office, who have continued to demonstrate their huge commitment and been unfailingly helpful to members who have contacted them.
“Looking ahead, we will continue to invest in IT and we will shortly announce the results of the fixtures review for 2020. I know there will be some disappointment, however this review was driven by the international and championship calendar and was also needed to ensure we have a geographically balanced and financially viable fixture list that will ensure the long term future of the sport.
“At HQ we will be simplifying some of the committee and team structures with the aim of improving efficiency and we are also strengthening our relationship with the BEOA [British Event Owners’ Association], EHOA [Event Horse Owners’ Association] and ERA [Event Riders Association] through the appointment of Non Exec Directors to work with them directly.”
