Classic Eventing Nation

Alliston’s Busy Weekend, Braitling’s Return with 5* Mount, and Kalkman’s Advanced Victory Highlight Twin Rivers Summer H.T.

By on Jul 1, 2024 9:30 am -

James Alliston and Addyson. Photo by Ride On Photo.

As he was finishing tacking up his horse in preparation to navigate the cross country course at the 2024 Twin Rivers Summer Horse Trials, James Alliston expressed concern about navigating the 101 Freeway. That’s because as soon as he crossed the finish line aboard Intermediate level winner Addyson (Ampere x Nickerbocker) at 10:38 a.m. on Saturday—his fifth cross-country round of the morning with three at Preliminary and two at Intermediate—the West Coast-based CCI5* rider had to drive 185 miles on the 101 Freeway from Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, CA, to San Francisco International Airport to catch a 4:35 p.m. flight to Frankfurt, Germany.

“One thing at a time,” Alliston said.

In Germany, Alliston is scheduled to reunite with Karma (Escudo II x Travita), with whom he won the U.S. Olympic Team’s mandatory outing at the Stable View Summer H.T. in South Carolina one week prior, to be part of the Defender U.S. Eventing Team at the CHIO Aachen CCIO4*-S to be held from July 1-7.

“It’s exciting, and I’m really looking forward to it,” Alliston said. “I’ve not done that show, but everyone says it’s an incredible show. Cross country is very hard, I think, but the mandatory outing was a nice preparation.”

It’s certainly a robust time for Alliston, and the team at Twin Rivers ensured that it could be a productive event for him to ride five of his up-and-comers during a quick return to his home state before going back on the road.

“We created this weekend’s schedule to allow James to compete his five horses before flying to Germany,” Twin Rivers secretary Christina Gray of Gray Area Events said. “As a rider that is always so supportive of this venue, it was important for us to support him in keeping his horses and business going while chasing his team goals. We wish him the best of luck in Aachen.”

James Alliston and Addyson. Photo by Ride On Photo.

The Intermediate level won by Alliston and Addyson, a 13-year-old bay Oldenburg mare, with the quickest cross country round at the level was a who’s who of the best West Coast eventers. In second place were Twin Rivers-based Australian international rider Bec Braitling aboard Caravaggio II (Vangelis-S x Courtesan) in their first event since completing their first 5* together and Braitling’s first five-star in more than two decades at the 2024 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event.

“I thought that would be nice for him after Kentucky,” Braitling said about the first Intermediate that she and “Ernie” have done since 2022. “And at home, he’s always relaxed running here, so I thought that would be kind of fun. He felt just as fun as ever. After how nervous you get at the big ones, then this just felt so relaxed. I was like, ‘Don’t be too relaxed. You still got to ride around, you know.’ So, that was a good reminder. It was a great gallop. The ground was great. The course was really
educational. So, it was actually a really good run.”

Braitling said that she and Arnell Sporthorses’13-year-old black British Sport Horse gelding will next compete in the CCI4*-S at The Event at Rebecca Farm in Montana and aim for the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill in October.

Bec Braitling and Caravaggio II. Photo by Ride On Photo.

“So, this was a good ‘welcome back from Kentucky’ but also ‘get ready for Rebecca,’” Braitling said.

Finishing third at Intermediate was 2023 Kentucky 5* winner Tamie Smith aboard Sumas Tina Turner (Quantino x Sumas Fanny Brice). Smith took over the mount on “Tina” this year after Julianne Guariglia’s 8-year-old chestnut Irish Sport Horse mare was previously campaigned at the two- and three-star levels in Europe by Australian riders Isabel English and Kevin McNab.

“It takes a good solid 12 months to get a really good partnership with them,” said Smith, who also rode Pierre’s Farceur du Bochard (Con Air x Ariane du Bochard) at Intermediate as part of their first year competing together. “The horses I feel like gain confidence when they have a partnership with the rider, and it just takes time. Tina had done quite a bit in her early stage, Pierre not so much, and so I’ve just decided to keep them both at the level. I feel like I’ll be at that level for a bit until I have the partnership with them where they’re not asking questions so much.”

The highest level offered at the Twin Rivers Summer H.T. was Advanced, and Renee Kalkman, who came to Paso Robles from British Columbia, Canada, won with her 13-year-old chestnut Thoroughbred gelding Flame Eternal (Flammabull x Silmarillion).

Renee Kalkman and Flame Eternal. Photo by Ride On Photo.

Kalkman started eventing with “Charlie” after he finished a six-race career with one win in British Columbia, Canada, in 2015.

“Honestly, I kind of bought him sight unseen,” she said. “I had purchased his half-brother, and when I went to pick up his half-brother, I noticed Charlie taking a nap in the stall next to him. I just took a liking to him. I liked his personality and said, ‘If you ever decide to sell this horse, I’ll come back and I’d like to buy him.’ Then, I got notified that he was for sale because, honestly, none of the jockeys could ride him. They told me he wanted to buck and play more on the track than run.”
They quickly progressed to compete in their first FEI event in 2018 and moved up to three-star in 2019. They stepped away from competition when Covid hit until returning in 2023.

“He’s been amazing,” Kalkman said. “He’s never had a cross-country jump fault his whole career. That’s totally his game. He participates. He looks for the flags. It’s his game all day long. He loves it. He’s easy to go quick on because he keeps his balance all the way around the course.”

Renee Kalkman and Flame Eternal. Photo by Ride On Photo.

Twin Rivers’ first USEA Young Event Horse qualifier of the year took place with Brackenspa Valens (Renkum Valentino x Roxsette) and Braitling topping the 5-year-old division. The reigning 5-year-old West Coast champion, Camelot PJ (Colman x Hauptstutbuch Evita), and Andrea Baxter were fifth in the Open Preliminary division won by Get Wild (Plot-Blue x Cantana) and Gabriella Ringer, the winners of the CCI2*-L at this year’s Twin Rivers Spring International.

“This was a pretty serious Prelim course, and they handled it like they’ve done it a million times,” said Baxter, who also rode youngsters The Big Easy (Mr Lincoln B x PLS Hippo Q) and Adventure (Avos Jordan Z x Rockmount Lillie) to top-10 finishes out of 19 in the Open Preliminary division.

Twin Rivers Ranch will next host the Twin Rivers Fall International from September 19-22. Then, the Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse West Coast Championships will take place on October 25-26.

Twin Rivers Summer H.T. (Paso Robles, CA): [Website] [Results]

Monday News & Notes from FutureTrack

By on Jul 1, 2024 5:50 am -

It’s the first of July today, and that means that now, we can officially say we’re heading to the Paris Olympics this month. OH, BOY. That fills me with both an absolutely ridiculous amount of kid-before-Christmas overexcitement, but also, it sort of gives me the fear: in the space of the next few weeks there’s a tonne of paperwork to get done, content plans to create, form guides to finalise, numbers to crunch, client contracts to tie up, projects to start, projects to finish, and road-trip playlists to plan (the most important job, I think). But who am I kidding? None of this stuff bothers me even a little bit. Every time I have to fill out some really tedious form on the Paris media hub it thrills me. You want me to submit my car’s license plate to the Paris Transport committee? You spoil me! I’ll be grabbing at every last morsel of joy over the next six weeks or so and spreading them as far and as wide as I can. I hope you’re ready!

In the pursuit of all that Paris excitement, we’re going to do a bit of an Olympic themed News & Notes today, with some updates from across the disciplines and a peek into how it’s all coming together. All together now: AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

National Holiday: It’s Canada Day! Good tidings to our friends north of the border.

U.S. Weekend Action:

Bouckaert Equestrian H.T. and Area III Eventing Championships (Chattahoochee Hills, GA): [Website] [Results]

Full Moon Farm HT (Finksburg, MD): [Website] [Results]

Inavale Farm HT (Philomath, OR): [Website] [Results]

Larkin Hill H.T. (North Chatham, NY): [Website] [Results]

Summer Coconino H.T. I (Flagstaff, AZ): [Website] [Results]

Twin Rivers Summer H.T. (Paso Robles, CA): [Website] [Results]

European International Events:

SemaLease Kilguilkey House International 1 (Ireland): [Website] [Results]

Your Monday Reading List:

Following his exceptional start in Tokyo, Snoop Dogg is putting his sports journo hat back on in Paris. He’ll be the Special Correspondent for NBC, and yes, I will absolutely be trying to meet him the whole time I’m out there. In the meantime, he’ll be trying to meet Suppenkasper, Steffen Peter’s dressage superstar, who went down in viral history as the ‘crip-walking horse’ in Tokyo, thanks to our favourite hip-hop dynamo. “I’m definitely trying to meet him. Hopefully he’s in the Olympics so I can say, ‘What’s happening?’ to him. Bring him a couple of carrots, some apples or somethin’, know what I’m saying?” says Snoop. Check out the full interview here.

Speaking of dressage-land, Charlotte Dujardin is a woman on a mission. The British equestrian is aiming to become her country’s most decorated female Olympian of all time. With six medals to her name already, she’s sharing top spot on the list with cyclist Dame Laura Kenny, so all she needs is one medal, of any colour, to make it happen and truly cement herself in the lore of her country. Here’s the full story.

Actually, let’s stay with dressage for a moment longer. It’s all kind of kicking off in Canada, where a successful appeal has been lodged by a reserve rider on the grounds of a conflict of interest of a selector. It all played out like this.

Here’s a great missive on women’s winning streaks in Olympic equestrian sport. Every day, I feel so grateful to be part of a world in which we actually have something like gender parity – and rightly so.

Need a great listen to start your day off right? This episode of the Olympic podcast is it. It focuses on the Olympic Refugee Team, which will have 36 members representing in Paris. If you’re not familiar with the team, prepare yourself to find your new favourite athletes while tuning in to the pod — because each and every one of these extraordinary competitors has also completed the Herculean task of getting themselves to safety from home countries that have become inhospitable. If anything encapsulates the intended spirit of the Olympics, it’s this. Listen here.

Morning Viewing:

The Champs-Elysee is closed to cars for the first time in – well, we can’t remember how long! The Place de la Concorde has been reshaped as the home of breaking. The Seine’s waters are clearer every day. There’s a tonne of change underway à Paris – here’s a look at how it’s all coming along.

Stable View’s First Adult Team Challenge Features Camaraderie and Team Spirit

By on Jun 30, 2024 9:30 am -

Three members of Team Amateur Hour posing in front of their jump.

The Summer Horse Trials was host to the first Stable View Adult Team Challenge. After much success at the USEA Intercollegiate and Interscholastic Championships and Stable View Alumni Cup in May, the Adult Team Challenge was born. The Aiken Opener, the April CCI4*, the Summer Horse Trials, and Oktoberfest will all host these challenges. Ribbons and prizes are given to teams placing first through third. In addition, Diane Bird decorates the cross-country jumps. For this show she decorated one fence for each team.

The Summer Horse Trials saw ten teams compete. Victory Hill won on a final team score of 96.52. With only three team members they did not have a drop score; really putting the pressure on each rider. Every rider finished on their dressage score. Elizabeth Moore rode her own Obi 1 in the Novice. She shared, “I am always happy to come to Stable View even though we are “commuting” from the Raleigh area because I know it will be very well run and the footing will be excellent. This time was no exception, even though it was very hot and dry, they rolled the course and watered it in certain places as well as the arenas. Additionally, our course, which was designed by Mogie Bearden Muller, was very inviting and confidence-building for our horses. The show jumping warm-up was also nice in both the location and the similarity to the competition arena. We are super grateful for the organizers committing to have a team challenge and happy to have been fortunate to win it on this occasion! Thank you to everyone who made this happen!”

Claire Nestor rode a French Connexion in the Novice Rider Division. She said, “The team challenge was a lot of fun, it was nice to see as a barn we were all able to have consistent rides through each phase. This was my first time at Stable View and it did not disappoint. Between the volunteers being so kind, the beautiful facility, and having the opportunity to watch the Olympic team it made for a very memorable event. Winning the adult challenge was the icing on the cake, along with completing my AEC requirements!”

Alison Eyth and Bella Chloe also competed in the Novice Rider division. She shared, “It was a very well-run event and a lot of fun! We didn’t expect to see a jump named after our team – thank you for that surprise. The course was well-designed and it was a lot of fun to jump in the same arena that the Olympic team jumped in!”

Amateur Hour placed second in the challenge and finished on a 98.09. Andrea McAllister rode Call Me Commander in the Modified and finished on their dressage score. She shared, “We fully embraced our amateur status this weekend by (over) celebrating our successes and laughing together at our hiccups. In the end our incredible horses had our back and made us look pretty good! Team Amateur Hour really lived up to its name this weekend! The team consisted of four friends that met in North Carolina while training with Holly Hepp Hudspeth year ago, they have stayed in touch over the years, always trying to coordinate to go to the same shows. They all work full-time jobs and really bond about the sacrifices and coordination required to manage it all. When the team challenge came out, they jumped at the opportunity, even after a famous quote of the weekend, ‘You already stress yourselves enough, why do you want to add even more pressure?’

“I’m glad there was a drop score.” – after a team member had an unplanned swim at the water.

“I’m glad I chose the right team horse.” – after a team member got TE for jumping the wrong SJ on her other horse.

Allie Keresman and Will Power also finished on their dressage score in the Modified. Allie said, “Our team was made up of all adult amateurs which is where our team name “Amateur Hour” came from. We were all very excited to have a jump combination named after us on the cross-country course also. It was fun to compete as a team and cheer each other on all weekend. I love that more shows are doing Adult team challenges. As adult amateurs, we do this sport for fun after all!” Amanda Curtis and Theforgottenone also finished on their dressage score in the Modified. Jaime Daly and Anglico rode in the Training Division.

Team Thunder took the third-place honors. Brian Kilgo-Kelly and Caspian finished on their dressage score of 31.1 in the Training. Lauren Lindsay and FGF Nothing for Free also competed in the Training and only added one rail to their score. Darci Phelps and Sandro Street completed the Modified and Melissa Nice and Smokin Meers competed in the Intermediate. Darci shared, “It was really fun to cheer each other on.”

Start organizing your adult team challenge teams now for Oktoberfest, September 27th-29th.

Sunday Links from EcoVet

By on Jun 30, 2024 12:01 am -

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jj Sillman (@skipperdoodlefritz)

My last three days have been spent in the forests of Flagstaff, Arizona, where we’ve just tackled the first of two weekends at the Coconino Horse Trials. Galloping through some shady trees has been quite the welcome change of pace after the disgustingly terrible heat wave we’ve all been experiencing the last two weeks. The folks here at Coconino put on a great event, and it’s been a lot of laughs and shenanigans between the infamous Flagstaff thunderstorms.

Having two recognized events and two mini/combined test events all within the span of ten days is monumental benefit to us mountain range folks, especially us Utahns who only see three recognized events each year (unless we want to brave an eight-plus-hour road trip). As such, we’ve brought our entire barn along to take advantage of the opportunity to cram in some experience in a new environment, and so I write this from the comfort of an air mattress in the horse stall of a trailer, my luxurious accommodations for the next week (it’s got solar, so it’s a relatively-cushy setup, to be fair).

My next week will consist of helping to round up info on the top riders in the world as more Olympic names are announced (check in here to see the current named teams and individuals) and attempting to stay on my brand new pony while we get crushed by some twelve-year-olds in Barbie pink here in the woods. Check back in next week as I dive into the intricacies of imposter syndrome, and send some extra air vest canisters.

U.S. Weekend Action

Bouckaert Equestrian H.T. and Area III Eventing Championships (Chattahoochee Hills, GA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]

Full Moon Farm HT (Finksburg, MD) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Inavale Farm HT (Philomath, OR) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer][Scoring]

Larkin Hill H.T. (North Chatham, NY) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Summer Coconino H.T. I (Flagstaff, AZ) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Twin Rivers Summer H.T. (Paso Robles, CA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

European International Events

SemaLease Kilguilkey House International 1 (Ireland) [Website] [Entries] [Scoring]

Links to Start Your Sunday:

Husband and wife duo aiming to break NZ equestrian medal drought

Germany Announces Show Jumping Team For Paris Olympic Games

This or That: Adjustability Over Fences on Day 2 of the USEA EA21 East I Clinic

Charlie Ballenger & Little Bits are selling friendship bracelets for clinic funds

Stay tuned tomorrow! To celebrate the launch of Canter Culture’s first riding top, the Alice Sun Shirt, Canter Culture is giving away an entire outfit! For your chance to win an Alice Sun Shirt, one pair of Athletic Breeches, Boot Socks, and a Double Circle Belt, all you have to do is sign up for our newsletter and fill out the form in the 7/1 ICYMI Newsletter! Winner will select color options & sizing. Canter Culture seamlessly blends style & sport, so all that’s left to do is enjoy the ride. Stay tuned — we’ll announce the winner in our weekly newsletter on 7/1! Sign up for our newsletter here.

Sponsor Corner: Ecovet is on sale now!! Get 30% off Ecovet during their Fourth of July Sale! All you have to do is use code ECO4THSPECIAL on [their website].

Morning Viewing: When you groom for Boyd Martin, you have to be hardcore — and Steph Simpson is one of the best #Supergrooms out there. Get a peek at her daily grind in this Day In The Life Of episode (featuring some Olympic lister ponies) to watch who’s really keeping Boyd in line.


Sweden Announces Paris Eventing Team

By on Jun 29, 2024 12:53 pm -

Frida Andersen and Box Leo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Sweden has named the riders it will be sending to Paris, including a team of event riders, show jumpers to defend the team gold won in 2021 (Tokyo), and dressage riders. The Traveling Reserve will be designated out of the below group of four riders.

The event riders selected for Paris representing Sweden are:

Frida Andersén
Box Leo (born 2010, by Jaguar Mail u. Box Qutie, ue. Quite Easy, bred and owned by: Therese Örup)
Previous Olympics: 2016 Rio

Louise Romeike
Caspian 15 (born: 2014, by LB Crumble, u. O-Heraldika, ue. Heraldik, bred by: Hans Beil, owned by: Hinrich Romeike, Madeleine Brugman & the rider)
Previous Olympics: 2021 Tokyo

Sofia Sjoborg and Bryjamolga van het Marienshof Z. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Sofia Sjöborg
Bryjamolga van het Marienshof Z (born 2011, e. Bamako de Muze, u. Halifax, u. Cryloga M, bred: Marienshof Stal owner: Juliet, Mattias and Sofia Sjöborg)

British-based Swede Malin Josefsson navigates Golden Midnight to overnight 30th. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Malin Asai
Golden Midnight (born 2008, e. Goldmine, u. Duva, u. Maraton, sire: Gert Hermansson, owner: Karin Berglund)

View more of EN’s coverage of the Paris Olympics here. We are pleased to bring you our Olympic coverage with support from Kentucky Performance Products.

Galloping On to the Paris Olympic Games

By on Jun 29, 2024 9:30 am -

We are in the final countdown to the start of the equestrian events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the excitement is mounting with every moment.

The three Olympic disciplines of Dressage, Eventing and Jumping will take centre stage in the beautiful gardens of the Palace of Versailles from July 26 to August 6, so here are some things you might like to know when marking your calendar and making your plan to follow it from start to finish, whether you are traveling to the French capital or watching the action from afar.

The Venue

Initially built as a simple hunting lodge, the magnificent Château de Versailles was home to the court of Louis XIV in 1682 and became the epicentre of French royalty. In 1883 it became a national museum open to the public and it was the first French site to be awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 1979.

The Paris 2024 equestrian events will play out over its 2,000 acres of parkland, and a temporary outdoor arena, flanked by several stands, has been created on the Etoile Royale esplanade to the west of the Grand Canal at the heart of the palace’s gardens. The Eventing cross-country course will take competitors across the Canal and along both sides of it, with the Château providing the most stunning backdrop.

Despite challenging weather conditions works on site are well up to speed with all major infrastructure in place including field of play, warm-up, training arenas and stable tents. Right now internal fit-out is underway including stable boxes, the veterinary clinic, the media centre and the judge’s tower. The main cross-country obstacle features such as water jumps, banks and ditches have been completed for some time, and other obstacles will be brought in as pre-constructed portable jumps and positioned by the course designer in the coming weeks.

It won’t be long until all the facilities are buzzing with even more activity when the horses begin to arrive on 24 July.

Eventing

Eventing will stand alone in that the entire competition will run, without interruption, on consecutive days between 26 and 29 of July.

It will begin with the First Horse Inspection on Friday 26 July at 09.30, and the following day 65 horse-and-rider combinations will line out in the Dressage phase, also starting at 09.30 local time.

Cross country is bound to attract a massive audience on Sunday, July 28 as the sound of galloping hooves will thunder out across the royal turf beginning at 10.30 in the morning and running right through to 15.00.

And on Monday July 29, following the Second Horse Inspection at 08.00, both the Team and Individual medals will be awarded following the final Jumping phase back in the arena. The Team medals will be decided in the round that begins at 11.00, and at 15.00 the top-25 will battle it out for the Individual title.

The Dressage Test for Eventing will be the 2024 Olympic Games 5* test (short), the cross country course will be a maximum of 5,800 metres long with a maximum time of 10 minutes. And the height of fences in the final Jumping phase will be 1.25m for the Team competition and 1.30m for the Individuals.

Officials for Eventing will include:

Technical Delegate – Marcin Konarski (POL)
Ground Jury President – Christina Klingspor (SWE)
Ground Jury Member – Xavier Le Sauce (FRA)
Ground Jury Member – Robert Stevenson (USA)
Assistant Technical Delegate – Gaston Bileitczuk (FRA)
Course Designer – Pierre le Goupil (FRA)

A total of 16 Teams and 48 athletes will compete for the Team medals including the hosts from France along with Germany, New Zealand, Great Britain, USA, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Japan and Italy. Team athletes also compete for the Individual medals.

An additional 17 Individual quota places are allocated through the FEI Olympic Groups and the overall FEI Olympic ranking. The regional distribution covers North Western Europe, South Western Europe, Central & Eastern Europe, Central Asia, North America, Central & South America, Africa and the Middle East, South East Asia and Oceania.

Dressage

The first Horse Inspection for Dressage will be held on Sunday July 28 at 08.00, and at 11.00 on Tuesday morning July 20, the first 30 horse-and-rider combinations will compete in the Grand Prix while the remaining 30 will do their tests on Wednesday the 31.

The top ten ranked Teams in the Grand Prix, including those tied for tenth place, will qualify for the FEI Grand Prix Special which will begin at 10.00 on August 3 and will decide the Team medals.

The second Dressage Horse Inspection will take place at 08.00 on August 4 and will be followed at 10.00 by the Grand Prix Freestyle. This is the Individual Final Competition which is open to 18 combinations qualified from the FEI Grand Prix. The Individual medal ceremony is scheduled for 13.30 on Sunday afternoon.

There will be a total of 15 Teams and 45 athletes along with 15 Individual competitors. The qualified Teams are France, Denmark, Great Britain, Germany, Sweden, Netherlands, USA, Austria, Belgium, Spain, Poland, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Finland.

Another 15 countries will be represented by Individuals. Places are allocated through FEI Olympic Groups, qualification events and the FEI Olympic Ranking list.

Jumping

The Jumping horses arrive on July 30 and their First Horse Inspection takes place the next day, followed by an evening Training session from 17.15 to 20.00.

The Team Qualifier on Thursday August 1 begins at 11.00 and is open to 20 teams consisting of three athletes per team with all three scores counting.

The Team Final, which kicks off on Friday August 2 at 14.00, is open to the ten best placed teams in Thursday’s competition including those tied for tenth place. Teams that withdraw before the start on Friday will not be replaced, and all teams taking part in the Team Final re-start with zero penalties.

The contest for the Individual medals will take place over two days beginning on Monday August 5 with 75 starters from which the top-30 will go through to the Individual Final on Tuesday August 6, running in reverse order of classification and all starting again on a zero scoreline.

The Final competition, which will begin at 10.00, will be conducted under Jumping Rules Art. 238.2.2, with one round against the clock with a jump-off in case of a tie on penalties for first place and will bring the equestrian events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games to a close.

The 20 qualified Teams are France, Sweden, Netherlands, Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Spain, Switzerland, Israel, Poland, USA, Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Japan and Brazil.

Another 15 countries will be represented by Individuals and again places are allocated through FEI Olympic Groups, qualification events and the FEI Olympic Ranking list.

Monday, July 8 is the deadline for Definite Entries. By then we will have the full list of horses and athletes in all disciplines, including those on the reserve lists.

The full Paris 2024 timetable for equestrian sports can be found here.

Saturday Links from World Equestrian Brands

By on Jun 29, 2024 12:01 am -

I’ve been enjoying watching U.S. Olympic Trials for various disciplines (gymnastics is on this weekend!) including track & field earlier this week where I’ve had two revelations. #1 There’s a human steeplechase, which to me is super silly looking (they have a water fence!) though incredibly testing, I’m sure, so no disrespect. And #2 I actually really enjoy Snoop Dog’s commentary. He joined the NBC broadcast team out at Hayward Field and in fact, here he is commentating on the men’s steeplechase.

Of course, dressage had a viral moment last Olympics (in case you need a refresher, just watch the video above) when Snoop dubbed Steffen Peters’ Suppenkasper as ‘Rave Horse’. Snoop has recently said he hopes to meet the Rave Horse in person this year and lucky for him Steffan and “Moxie” have indeed been selected for their second consecutive Olympics, so we’d love to see that happen!

U.S. Weekend Action

Bouckaert Equestrian H.T. and Area III Eventing Championships (Chattahoochee Hills, GA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]

Full Moon Farm HT (Finksburg, MD) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Inavale Farm HT (Philomath, OR) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer][Scoring]

Larkin Hill H.T. (North Chatham, NY) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Summer Coconino H.T. I (Flagstaff, AZ) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Twin Rivers Summer H.T. (Paso Robles, CA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

European International Events

SemaLease Kilguilkey House International 1 (Ireland) [Website] [Entries] [Scoring]

Links to Start Your Weekend:

François Lucas calls for an increase to 100,000 spectators for the cross-country Olympics (Google translate needed!)

Connemara Sport Horse No May Moon Fulfills Winter’s Dream of International Eventing Success

Part 2: Where Have All The Eventing Volunteers Gone?

Oldest Team GB member Carl Hester ready for Paris 2024

Feeding the Senior Horse With Dental Problems

To celebrate the launch of Canter Culture’s first riding top, the Alice Sun Shirt, Canter Culture is giving away an entire outfit! For your chance to win an Alice Sun Shirt, one pair of Athletic Breeches, Boot Socks, and a Double Circle Belt, all you have to do is sign up for our newsletter and fill out the form in the 7/1 ICYMI Newsletter! Winner will select color options & sizing. Canter Culture seamlessly blends style & sport, so all that’s left to do is enjoy the ride. Stay tuned — we’ll announce the winner in our weekly newsletter on 7/1! Sign up for our newsletter here.

Sponsor Corner: Feeling the heat? So is your horse! The Equilibrium Quick Chill Rug is perfect for those hot summer days. Simply wet the rug, wring out excess water, and place it on the horse like normal. As the water evaporates, the rug creates a cooling effect. More information here.

Morning Viewing: Get ready for the Olympics with Off The Record.

Diego Farje & EQ Scorpio: Building a Solid Equine Citizen

By on Jun 28, 2024 1:00 pm -

This series is supported by Equestly.

Older horses who are solid equine citizens are the equivalent of a middle-aged 9 to 5-er. In terms of the human world, these are the horses who pay their taxes on time, they work when they’re supposed to, are home for dinner, and take the kids to soccer practice.

A young horse is more like a rebellious teenager combined with a toddler going through the terrible twos. Sometimes there’s more dinner on the walls than in their stomachs, there are random tantrums in the supermarket aisle for reasons unknown to the rest of us, and they may say, “God, mom, whatever” more than we’d all like.

Unfortunately for Diego Farje, at only four years-old, his horse EQ Scorpio, owned by Equestly, is still working on learning how to become a solid citizen. Diego hoofed it down to Wellington, Florida for the off-season to fill in the holes in Scorpio’s foundation and give the young horse a little more life experience.

EQ Scorpio and Diego Farje. Photo credit to Carlos Hernandez

His hope was that by filling the holes in Scorpio’s foundation, a lot of the reactivity the young Argentinian Warmblood feels at shows will be reduced before the 2024 season kicks off. “We train a lot and sometimes we do so well at home but then we go to a competition and it looks like we haven’t ridden in two years, you know? At shows, we’re dealing with more pressure, we get more tense, it’s a new environment. So the goal is that you’re riding at the show just as good as you are at home because the horse thinks that it’s just another training session.”

Diego decided to build Scorpio’s foundation by breaking down the sport of eventing completely. As a matter of fact, he didn’t do any horse trials this winter, but instead focused on show jumping and dressage as individual pieces of the puzzle. “I’m separating the disciplines right now so I can look into them a little bit deeper,” Diego said. “It’s good for a young horse to get a taste of the different disciplines and deal with different situations, different environments.”

Scorpio is not only learning how to be a good eventer under saddle, but he’s learning how to be a solid citizen on the ground, too. “We had a Canadian cowboy that came to teach us ground work, which was really helpful for me. There’s a lot of stuff that I need to deal with with Scorpio, as he’s so sensitive.”

Most notably, Scorpio was deeply prejudiced against trailers after his long trip from Argentina to the States. He was notoriously difficult to handle on the ground for barn staff, and was originally hard to catch in the pasture. While Diego has been hard at work on these issues, learning a new perspective on groundwork from this Canadian cowboy really sealed the deal for this pair. “Within a week or so, I was standing in the middle of a circle and Scorpio was lunging around me. All I had to do was move the lunge line to follow his motion.”

EQ Scorpio and Diego Farje. Photo credit to Carlos Hernandez

Not only did the groundwork improve Scorpio’s obedience and sense of feel, it also improved his mindset about discovering new things. “The groundwork exercises we did were really nice because they helped build Scorpio’s curiosity about new things,” said Diego. “Instead of, “Oh my god, what is THAT?!” Now it’s more, “Oh that’s interesting, what is that?”

Developing Scorpio’s sense of curiosity has paid off in dividends when it came to loading into the trailer. “He’s started loading by himself. I’m standing outside and he’s inside, looking around, so calm. He goes into trailers super easy now.”

Still, teaching Scorpio to be a solid equine citizen isn’t all sunshine and roses. Diego’s winter base was only a 20-minute hack from Wellington International, which is under construction. Diego was able to hack to the show and just flat around, simply to desensitize Scorpio to new and busy environments, which has come with its challenges. “It’s 10 times the number of horses we’re used to in a 10 times smaller place. At one point we were walking by a ring and someone crashed into a jump and Scorpio reacted as though the world was falling down, so we had to work through that,” Diego said.

Getting to the show was a trial in and of itself, as our highway rider hits the roads once again. Diego has to hack the reactive and sensitive Scorpio through construction to get to the show. Diego says the key to getting through the tough area of their hack is to stay calm and try to keep Scorpio’s focus.

EQ Scorpio and Diego Farje. Photo credit to Carlos Hernandez

“I try to move him around and try to pretend that we’re doing a groundwork exercise. A little bit of moving the shoulders, not making him face the construction and not kicking or anything, but just using enough pressure for him to know I’m here. I’m here with him. And ask him to try to focus on me,” Diego said. “Even if he gives me just 40 percent of his focus, then we can try to deal with what’s happening around us. But at least he’s not 100 percent focused on the construction.”

“Once he gives me a good feeling and tells me that he’s relaxed and thinking, ‘Okay, I know something is happening over there, but nothing is gonna happen to me.’ That’s where I can release, and move on like nothing is happening.”

After the construction, Scorpio and Diego faced a triple threat of crossing a road, a brightly dressed crossing guard waving his arms to stop traffic, and several tractors covered with a flapping tarp. “Everyone’s waiting for you to cross and then the horse gets a little bit upset. I try to be patient and stay really connected and just keep going,” Diego said.

EQ Scorpio and Diego Farje. Photo credit to Carlos Hernandez

Nothing brings my heart rate up more than struggling with a young horse in front of a crowd. Diego says it’s important to remember that you’re dealing with a young horse when you find yourself in tough situations like this. “A young horse needs to follow you, they need to focus on you. But it’s harder for them than it is for an older horse, because everything is still so new. They don’t know how to react to situations like an older horse does. With a young horse, you need to always make sure that you are there for them.”

When I asked Diego how he expects all of his hard work to translate to returning to his home base in Pennsylvania, he said he thinks the young horse will do well. After all of their training on how to handle new and busy environments, Scorpio is “way calmer than he was before.”

For more stories about Diego as he teaches his young Argentinian Warmblood to be an eventer, check out our Equestly Stories Column.

The Debrief: Seven CCI5* Completions for Emily Hamel and Corvett

By on Jun 28, 2024 10:30 am -

Welcome to The Debrief, where we’ll recap the experience of a rider or equestrian following a big result or otherwise memorable competition or achievement. Click here to read more editions of The Debrief.

Corvett is Emily Hamel’s horse of a lifetime, and they have gone up the levels together over the years. After finishing in the top 20 at Luhmühlen this year, Emily and “Barry” have completed seven CCI5*-L competitions, and is two more away from completing all seven 5* events in the world (she’s just missing Pau and Adelaide – let’s get her there!). We caught up with her to learn about her journey up to this point, what she’s learned in her career so far, and where she’ll go from here.

Emily Hamel and Corvett at Luhmühlen. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

How does it feel to have completed seven CCI5*-L competitions with Corvett (aka Barry)?

It feels a bit surreal! It was such a big goal of mine to just complete one, so now having done seven with the same horse– it’s pretty special. I never really had a set number of 5*s that I wanted to do, but Barry is so special and I want to do as much as I can with him. It’s been great that I’ve been able to do seven at this point and I hope to continue to do more with him.

What made you want to compete Barry at the top level of the sport?

I’ve always known he was a very talented and athletic horse and I’ve always thought he was really quite something. It’s nice to get him to the top level so that other people can see just how cool he is! One of the coolest things to me is his fanbase– I would say he’s almost more popular than I am at this point! Everyone is always saying “Oh, you’re the one who rides Corvett.” I love that everyone else appreciates how talented he is and I think having him at this level gives him an opportunity to show off his talent to the world. That’s pretty important to me because I want other people to know how truly amazing he is.

Emily Hamel and Corvett. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Besides what people know from social media, what is Barry like in the barn everyday?

He’s a really funny horse; I think he’s hilarious. He can be a little annoying because he’s definitely a mama’s boy. So, he can be difficult for others in the barn about certain things– he’s a very particular horse. He likes things done a certain way and he’s not afraid to tell you what he thinks.

Tell us about your support system.

I have a great team in general and there’s been people who have joined along the way, but my parents have been there from the beginning. I convinced them to buy Barry as an investment horse to eventually sell in a few years. I fell in love with him and luckily they let me keep him. They are the original Team Barry. As we’ve evolved throughout the years, I’ve had lots of trainers help me along the way. My core group right now would still be my parents; as well as my boyfriend, Dave Repko; my business partner and traveling groom, Jeanna Epping (she was awesome flying back and forth to Europe around three times while I was over there for different competitions); and then the girls at the barn: Rachel Russell, Edina Ban, and Jillian Treu– they keep things going on a daily basis so that I can focus on Barry. My vets and farriers are also huge supporters which makes it easier for me to be successful.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Hippo Foto Media (@hippofotomedia)

What was it like completing your first 5*?

Completing my first 5* at Kentucky in 2021 was really a dream come true. It was what I wanted to do since I was 10 years old. I was familiar with the horse park just from going as a spectator over the years, so the first time competing there was unforgettable. I was also relieved to have done it well since it was the first one. You never really know how it’s going to go and you hope for the best. It was a proud moment having worked hard and having it pay off.

How does that compare finishing your first 5* to now, finishing your most recent one?

Going into our first 5*, there was so much that was unknown because you don’t know if you have a 5* horse until you’ve done it. Now that we’ve completed our seventh 5* I feel very confident going in because of our skill set we’ve built along the way. There is always a sense of the unknown because there are so many factors involved and things that are out of your control, but at this point, I feel very confident in our abilities as a team. I know that we can handle whatever is thrown at us… like the dog chasing us into the water at Luhmühlen. All of our experience together has led to a complete trust in our partnership which is what it’s really about.

Emily Hamel and Corvette. Photo by Shelby Allen.

What is the biggest thing you’ve learned so far in your career?

I have learned that being flexible and open to different opportunities is really important. More specifically, when it comes to timelines and your horses, things rarely go according to plan or on your desired timeline. Being open to new plans and trusting that if you work hard and put the time in, eventually you’ll get to the destination.

Tell us about being named to the 2024 US Equestrian Developing Riders List.

It was a really special moment for me because that was my first time being named to any sort of list or program. It was a culmination of all the years I’ve put in and finally getting recognized. I think so highly of my horse and I love that he’s recognized. Along with that, just being part of the program has been really helpful in my development as a rider. Working with Leslie has been great and we got so many opportunities to learn how things are done overseas during the European Tour. I’m really grateful to the USEF for the opportunity to be in the program because it did allow me to compete at Luhmuhlen this year and get that seventh 5* competition.

Emily Hamel and Corvett at Burghley. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

What are your plans going forward?

I would love to do Pau at some point, whether it’s this year or next year. Then, I would have done all the 5*s except for Adelaide. While I would love to compete at Adelaide, logistically, going to Pau would be more realistic. If I don’t do Pau, I’ll look forward to doing Maryland. Other than that, we’ll see what next year brings! Again, I want to make the most out of my time with Barry because I think it’ll be a while before I find another horse like him.

We’re wishing both Emily and Barry the best of luck and can’t wait to continue following their journey.

Friday News & Notes from Stable View

By on Jun 28, 2024 1:47 am -

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Tom McEwen (@tommceweneventing)

It’s been a busy few weeks over at Tom McEwen’s yard. It was announced yesterday that Tom would be part of the British contingent heading to Paris to defend their Olympic title, a decision that was no doubt aided by his recent CCI4*-S podium finish out in Luhmühlen with JL Dublin, fresh off the back of another podium finish in the 5* in Kentucky earlier this Spring (and last, for that matter).

It was a pretty successful trip to Germany for Tom and his horses – he also finished 2nd in the 5* with CHF Cooliser (“Eliza”), compensation for her eleventh hour withdrawal from Badminton in May. On top of all of this, Tom and his team welcomed an exciting new addition to the stable: Eliza’s first foal, born via embryo transfer. A lovely looking little boy, by top eventing stallion Diarado, who also happens to be the daddy of his Olympic ride, JL Dublin.

If this little dude manages to achieve even half of what his big bro has, Tom will be very happy indeed….and could well feature on a few more Olympic teams. Welcome to the world little one, and congratulations again to Tom on his Olympic selection. We hope you’ve had time to pop at least one cork in celebration of all that success!

U.S. Weekend Preview

Bouckaert Equestrian H.T. and Area III Eventing Championships (Chattahoochee Hills, GA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]

Full Moon Farm HT (Finksburg, MD) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Inavale Farm HT (Philomath, OR) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer][Scoring]

Larkin Hill H.T. (North Chatham, NY) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Summer Coconino H.T. I (Flagstaff, AZ) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Twin Rivers Summer H.T. (Paso Robles, CA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

European International Events

SemaLease Kilguilkey House International 1 (Ireland) [Website] [Entries] [Scoring]

Friday News and Reading

Time for another giveaway my friends! To celebrate the launch of Canter Culture’s first riding top, the Alice Sun Shirt, Canter Culture is giving away an entire outfit! For your chance to win an Alice Sun Shirt, one pair of Athletic Breeches, Boot Socks, and a Double Circle Belt, all you have to do is sign up for our newsletter and fill out the form in the 7/1 ICYMI Newsletter! Winner will select color options & sizing. Canter Culture seamlessly blends style & sport, so all that’s left to do is enjoy the ride. Stay tuned– we’ll announce the winner in our weekly newsletter on 7/1! Sign up for our newsletter here.

Can you help Austin O’Connor out? He and Colorado Blue have secured their place on the plane to Paris, but he is now on the look out for an extra ticket for the Games. So if you have one going spare (a long shot, I know), or know someone else who could help out, then get in touch with Austin. If nothing else you can claim you helped with his Olympic prep. I mean, it wouldn’t be a complete lie….

This week may have seen a whole load more Olympic Teams being announced for Paris – Great Britain, Italy and Poland to name but a few, but Team NZ has yet to be revealed. However, it would not be foolish to place a bet on Kiwi power couple Tim and Jonelle Price being selected to represent their country (again). A third games for Tim, and a fourth for Jonelle, surely team selection would make them the most indomitable couples in the sport, nay the world?!

I don’t know about you, but I love a good online quiz – the most useful procrastination tool, wouldn’t you agree?! This one is even better than normal – rather than telling you which Friends character you’d be, this one identifies what kind of Cross Country rider you are. Even better, you can then find out to develop your cross country riding skills, according to your results. Enjoy!

This is me appealing to your charitable nature now. You’ll get something lovely back too – as well as good karma points! Can you help Charlotte and her pony Bits to further their training and competitive pursuits? This tiny rising star has come up with a creative way to raise funds for her equestrian lifestyle, with a jewellery side hustle. If you can spare the cash, why not buy a bracelet or two? Go on, you know you want to!

Last one from me, and then you can go and enjoy your weekend – and hopefully Go Eventing! It’s a good one to end on though…Applications are now open for the Annie Godwin Ring Star Grant. Check out this post for how to apply!

Sponsor Corner

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Eventing Nation (@goeventing)

And that’s a wrap on Team USA’s last mandatory outing! The team took to Stable View’s Summer Horse Trials to tackle the challenging Advanced cross country course. Read the final report here.

Weekend Watching

The Olympics are just a few weeks away, and here at Eventing Nation, the excitement is through the roof. Yesterday saw the group chat descend into utter chaos as we all (im)patiently waited for the British Team to be announced – and it seems we weren’t the only ones slightly giddy with it all.

Nicole and Diarm of the EquiRatings Eventing Podcast went one step further, and shared their live reactions with the wider world, so enjoy their opinions on it all, and their thoughts on the upcoming games. Be warned, if you have managed to calm yourself down after yesterday’s flurry of Team Announcements, this might send you back over the edge….