Classic Eventing Nation

Friday News & Notes from Stable View

By on Jul 19, 2024 12:01 am -

 

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It doesn’t seem like four years since the last Olympics (oh no wait, that’s because it’s only been three, my mistake) and yet here we are, on the cusp of the next ones. This time next week, the Games will be officially open, Paris will be full of sporting superstars and most importantly, the eventing competition will already have commenced, with the first jog taking place exactly a week today (9:30 a.m. local time / 3:30 a.m. ET/8:30 a.m BST). As excited as I am about all of the action we have ahead (and also weirdly nervous for everyone involved, but what can I say, I’m an empath), I also loved seeing all of the posts from years gone by, in celebration of Olympic Day earlier this month. Amongst them was this glorious shot of the Australian Team winning the Gold Medal at their home Olympics in Sydney. 24 years down the line and you still get all of the feels from the elation on their faces and the view from the jam packed stands.

I don’t know about you, but it makes the hairs on the back of my arms stand up, not just in response to this moment, but in anticipation of all of those we have yet to witness, whether it be in person or through various streaming services. The Olympics truly are one of the greatest competitions there are, and I simply cannot wait to get stuck in. Will the French do what the Ozzies did back in Sydney, and take the Gold? It would be a surprise for sure, but not out of the question, and we all know the power that a home crowd can have!

Whatever the outcome, it is going to be a glorious weekend of eventing, and we will bringing you all of the content you could ever possibly want or need, thanks to our superstars on the ground, Tilly Berendt and Sally Spickard, as well as the amazing team working away behind the scenes at home. We hope you’re as excited as we all are to watch events unfold; EN will be chock-a-block full every day leading up to the Games, during the Games, and probably for some time after the Games too, so make sure you keep hitting refresh, and make sure you don’t miss a thing. Now, don your berets and prepare to Go Eventing, Olympic style!

U.S. Weekend Preview

Applewood Farm YEH & Mini Event (Califon, NJ) [Website] [Ride Times]

Course Brook Farm Summer H.T. (Sherborn, MA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Full Gallop Farm July H.T. (Aiken, SC) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]

Horse Park of New Jersey Horse Trials II (Allentown, NJ) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Silverwood Farm Summer H.T. (Trevor, WI) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]

The Event at Rebecca Farm (Kalispell, MT) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Friday News and Reading

Fancy winning yourself an EPIC prize bundle, including a $200 shopping spree and VIP tickets to Maryland 5*, amongst other, amazing prizes?! The be sure to enter EN’s Summer Sweepstake, our biggest giveaway yet! But be quick – the entries close July 24, with the winner notified the following week, July 29. An Olympic hangover cure, if you will. It’s super simple to enter too, simply fill in the entry form and you’re in with a shout. Good luck!

All eyes will be trained on the riders and horses in Paris next weekend. But they would be the first ones to acknowledge that none of it would be possible without the the guys and girls behind the scenes who take care on the equine superstars’ every need, making sure that they – and their riders, too, in some cases – arrive at the Games in the best possible condition. Now is your chance to get to know a couple of them a little better, courtesy of the latest ESNZ Path to Paris podcast which features Kerryn Edmans and Rosie Thomas, two central figures helping to keep Team Price on the straight and narrow. Marcus Bean is groom for another member of the Kiwi team, Clarke Johnstone, and you can learn more about him here. Three cheers for the unsung heroes behind the scenes – none of it would be possible without you, you’re all #supergrooms in our eyes!

It’s no secret around here that I have a deep seated love (obsession?) for all things New Zealand, so #sorrynotsorry for yet more Kiwi content. This time, it is from the Queen of the Kiwis herself, Mrs Jonelle Price. Multiple 5* winner, 4 time Olympian (if you include Paris, that is) and of course, one half of Team Price, this offers a fascinating look back at her previous Olympic experiences, as well as a glimpse into her expectations for Paris, too.

If, like me, you can’t get enough of Olympic memories from years gone by, then make sure you check out the EquiRatings Eventing Olympic Specials. They released the Story of Atlanta 1996 back in 2021, prior to the Tokyo Olympics, and this year they are spoiling us even more! So far, there has been the Olympics Special: Sydney Part 1 & 2, last week they dropped the Olympics Special: Athens Part 1 & 2 and now this week they have given us Olympic Special: London Part 1 & 2. They all feature incredible special guests, from the riders to the course designers to the technical delegates and many more besides. These are truly fantastic podcasts, giving an incredibly special look behind the scenes at all of these great events from the people who witnessed it first hand. Oh and when you’ve caught up with all of that, I have an inkling that you won’t have to wait long before the Paris Preview drops. Music to my ears, I am sure you will agree!

Not got your ticket to the actual Olympics but still fancy a jaunt to Paris to soak up the atmosphere anyway? Well, I have some excellent news. The awesome Tilly Berendt is not just our resident eventing encyclopaedia, she has now launched her own travel guide-esque website, the half passport. Except that clunky little description doesn’t really do it justice: as you would expect from Tilly, this is a slick, cool site, full of all sorts of nuggets of information. At the moment, the content is mainly tailored to Paris, because I mean, where else even matters right now? But there is much more to come, beyond Paris, so add it to your favourites tab (alongside EN of course) For now though, check out this post, on all of the best places to watch the Games in Paris, that don’t require a ticket. Honestly, if I could afford it, I’d be hopping on the next Eurostar, thanks to this guide.

Sponsor Corner
As we get closer to the Paris Olympics, get in the Olympic spirit by watching these interviews from Team USA’s last outing at Stable View in the end of June.

Weekend Watching

Ah, so that’s how Ros Canter gets her flying changes so damn perfect. Practising on her old 5* campaigner, Zenshera. We all have that one friend who brings out the best in us, I guess!

My lovely 20 year old Alfie helping me to nail my flying changes ahead of Paris. How lucky am I to have a horse that still loves his work and can help me out like this with a smile on his face.

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Agria Equine Insurance
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Charles Owen
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Posted by Ros Canter Eventing on Monday, July 15, 2024

Burghley’s Olympic History with Carl Hester and Andrew Hoy

By on Jul 18, 2024 2:00 pm -

Burghley's Olympic History with Carl Hester & Andrew Hoy

Burghley Horse Trials and Burghley House have many Olympic connections, but one that is especially significant this year.

Exactly a century ago, David, Lord Burghley — who founded Burghley Horse Trials in 1961 — competed as a 19-year-old undergraduate in the 1924 Paris Olympics. He went on to win individual gold in the hurdles at the following Games in Amsterdam four years later, and silver in the team relay in 1932.

With these links in mind we invited two of the greatest Olympians ever — Burghley Ambassador and twice Burghley champion Andrew Hoy, and Defender Ambassador and dressage legend Carl Hester, who also gives a Main Arena Masterclass on the Friday of the horse trials — here for a very special meeting.

After learning about Burghley's own Olympic history from Miranda Rock, Burghley President and granddaughter of Lord Burghley, they headed out on course in a Defender to compare notes about their own Olympic triumphs, disappointments and other memories, and to chat about how Olympic success compares with becoming Burghley champion.

Enjoy their wonderful meeting here — and find the full programme on Burghley TV: https://burghley-horse.co.uk/burghley-tv

#DBHT #Burghley #OlympicHistory

Posted by Defender Burghley Horse Trials on Monday, July 15, 2024

You may or may not have already been aware, but the historic site of the Burghley Horse Trials, the UK’s fall CCI5* event, has much tie-in to the Olympic Games. Recently, Burghley ambassadors, dressage Olympian Carl Hester and multi-Olympian in eventing, Andrew Hoy, stopped by for a special visit to the hallowed grounds. You won’t want to miss the video above to help you get even more excited for next week’s Olympic action.

Tickets for Defender Burghley are on sale now! Snag them here.

USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships Return to Stable View on May 3-4, 2025

By on Jul 18, 2024 12:30 pm -

Photo by Annan Hepner / USEA.

After record-breaking participation at this year’s event, the United States Eventing Association, Inc. (USEA) is proud to remind program members that the second annual USEA Intercollegiate and Interscholastic Eventing Championships will take place at Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina, in 2025. The Stable View Local Charities H.T. on May 3-4 will serve as the host event for both championships, yet again offering a year-end goal for students to strive towards that fosters a pipeline for participation in the sport from grade school through college and beyond.

“Stable View is looking forward to next year’s USEA Intercollegiate and Interscholastic Eventing Championships,” said Barry Olliff, owner of Stable View. “In the knowledge that while this year’s championships were good, we have many plans to make next year’s significantly better. Over the next few months, we’ll be working on ideas for the Spirit Award contests, as well as improvements to Graze and Gaze. As and when decisions are made, the WhatsApp group will be updated.”

In its first edition as a joint championship, the USEA Intercollegiate and Interscholastic Eventing Championships boasted incredible participation with a total of 192 entries across both programs, making up almost half of the entries for the event as a whole. For the collegiate program, 150 entries were divided into 39 teams representing 18 college and university affiliates of the USEA, while 42 entries were divided into 12 teams representing 8 IEL Clubs in the inaugural Interscholastic Eventing Championship. While on site, the collegiate and grade school competitors proved time and time again that mingling between programs was a benefit to all involved.

College participants were given the opportunity to spread the word about their programs to boost recruitment for future years, while acting as mentors for their younger counterparts by sharing decorating tips or dropping off small goodies to the IEL Clubs throughout the week. While the middle and high school students were experiencing the championship atmosphere for the first time, that didn’t stop them from bringing their A game, too! The IEL members took the collegiate competitors’ lead, showing up full of spirit and excitement to make the most of this team-oriented event.

In 2025, the USEA and its organizing partners at Stable View hope to incorporate more opportunities for program members to mix and mingle. The extremely popular hobby horse competition is sure to be returning, and other ice breaker activities are being explored to get interscholastic and collegiate members working together as a team. If you haven’t already, sign up to join the Stable View WhatsApp group for updates throughout the year. Click here or scan the QR code to the right to join the group.

Both championships will host divisions at the Starter through Intermediate levels, and Spirit Awards will be offered separately for each program. There will be no qualifications necessary to enter the Intercollegiate Eventing Championship or the IEL Championship, however, all schools and teams represented must be registered affiliates of the USEA. Don’t forget to submit your Collegiate Team Applications or IEL Application Forms, along with official rosters, to Jennifer Hardwick, USEA Senior Director of Membership Services, at [email protected] by Feb. 15, 2025.

All collegiate participants must be enrolled as undergraduate students, or with their school’s approval, be no more than 6 months past the completion of their undergraduate education, allowing December graduates to compete in the May championship. Collegiate participants are also required to hold an active USEA Membership.

All students listed on the Intercollegiate Roster for their respective college or university will be eligible for the USEA Collegiate Membership discounted rate if the roster is submitted on or before February 15. If you attend an accredited university or college that isn’t currently listed on the Intercollegiate Eventing Program List, consider starting a new team by reviewing the program information here and submitting a Collegiate Team Application.

All IEL participants must be enrolled in 5th through 12th grade at a public school, private school, online school or homeschool program. Unlike the Intercollegiate Eventing Program, IEL Clubs can be made up of any group of junior riders who share a common bond – like riding at the same barn, competing with the same trainer, attending the same school or being a part of the same Pony Club. For a list of the current Interscholastic Eventing Clubs, please click here. If you are interested in starting a new IEL Club, click here to learn more about the program and submit an IEL Application Form today.

Any questions regarding the Intercollegiate Eventing Program or Interscholastic Eventing League and the upcoming 2025 Championships can be directed to USEA Staff Liaison, Kaleigh Collett, at [email protected].

How is Eventing Scored in the Olympics?

By on Jul 18, 2024 9:30 am -

Phillip Dutton and Z. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

The Olympics provides a competitive opportunity unlike any other in the eventing space, due to some differences both in format as well as how medals are determined at the end of competition. We did the legwork unpacking the rules to make them easier to understand (maybe) – let’s dive in.

What makes the Olympics unique?

While the Olympics (currently, at least) follow the same three-day schedule as a traditional event — dressage, followed by cross country, followed by show jumping — there are a few key differences to note.

  1. Starting in 2020 (or, 2021 when the postponed Olympics in Tokyo actually happened), the four-person-team format, which saw the highest score dropped in each phase, was done away with. It was replaced with a three-member team – and no dropped score. Instead, teams have three opportunities to make a substitution before and during competition, at the cost of 20 penalties added to the score of the team. This was put in place in an effort to open the sport up to more qualified nations, and the substitute allowance gives a team a shot at completing the Olympics, though with the penalties imposed that team could be rendered out of medal contention.
  2. The dressage test for the Olympics is unique and was specifically written for the Games. It is not used in any other competition worldwide.
  3. The show jumping is held over two rounds. First, all remaining members of teams as well as the individuals remaining will jump in the first round to determine team medals. From there, the top 25 individuals (based on their individual score to date) will move forward to a final round of show jumping over a slightly modified course. This determines the final individual placings, with any penalties accrued added to their overall score to calculate the finishing score. Why? Because the International Olympic Committee cannot give out more than one medal (team and individual medals, for example) via one competition. To avoid having to do the whole shebang over again, the second round of show jumping ticks this box.
  4. While CCI5* is the loftiest level of the sport, the Olympics are not run as a 5*. The dressage test is a 5* test, though it’s been shortened compared to its counterparts to take 4 minutes or less. Cross country is set at CCI4* specifications, with a speed of approximately 570 meters per minute, which is the same speed as 4*. The cross country at the Olympics will be set at approximately 8 minutes’ optimum time with a maximum of 42 jumping efforts, which falls in between 4* and 5* regulation but is the maximum number of efforts set out for World Championships and Olympics by the FEI. For show jumping, the team round will be held over a maximum height of 1.25m (4* height), while the individual round can see fences up to 1.30m (5* height). 11-13 jumps, with a maximum of 16 jumping efforts, will be found in the team show jumping round, and 9 fences with a maximum of 12 efforts will be put into the individual round. An “effort”, remember, can be a related combination, so a jump number 5ABC would count as 1 jump, but 3 efforts.

Substitutions

Photo by Sally Spickard.

Before the start of dressage, a pre-competition change may be made at no penalty. For this reason, the Traveling Reserve pairs will participate in the First Horse Inspection. The deadline for this type of change is two hours before the start of dressage competition.

Once competition begins, a substitution may only be made for reason of injury or illness on the part of either the rider or the horse. You cannot, therefore, substitute a pair because they are “stronger” in one phase or another — there must be a confirmed illness or injury made by the veterinarians or team doctor to determine eligibility for this. A team may substitute one horse/rider per competition. For eventing, there are two windows in which a substitution can be made: after dressage and up to two hours before cross country, and after cross country up to two hours before team show jumping. Reserve horses will also trot up in the Second Horse Inspection to maintain their eligibility to slot in for this phase.

Substitutions carry 20 penalties, which are added to the team’s overall score if used. Remember, a team may only make one substitution throughout the entire competition. Pairs that are called in as substitutes are not eligible for individual medal contention.

There’s another important layer to this substitution concept. Unlike other FEI competitions, pairs that encounter elimination in a phase can, in some scenarios, go on to complete the competition, albeit with heftier penalties. For dressage and show jumping, this penalty is 100 points per rider. For cross country, it’s an additional 200 per rider.

Here are some visual representations of the information I just shared, in case your brain is feeling as mushy as mine is (am I 1000% confident I’ve interpreted the rules correctly? No. Am I 1000% confident someone on the internet will let me know if I’m wrong? Yes.). Thanks to our resident data wizard Allie Heninger for slapping these babies together:

We’ll lay this out in a series of scenarios, using cross country as the primary example:

Scenario 1: All competitors on a team complete cross country, but in the Second Horse Inspection a horse is not accepted or is withdrawn due to lameness. At this point, the team can opt to use a substitute if they have not already, incurring a total of 20 additional penalties. The substitute pair is not eligible for individual medal contention. The team does not incur the additional penalties of 100 or 200 marks because the eliminated or withdrawn horse completed the previous phase.

Scenario 2: One pair is eliminated on cross country for refusals, by technical elimination, missing a flag, or for fall of rider. That pair can actually still continue on to the team show jumping round, but this will incur a larger penalty. For cross country, this is 200 penalties (per rider). Pairs disqualified for a Horse Fall or lameness are not eligible to continue the competition in the next phase, but a team may then choose to substitute a reserve pair without the original rule of the substitution needing to be only for injury or illness. Any other substitution scenario must still qualify with an illness or injury to horse or rider, unless otherwise stated in the rules.

[Editor’s Note] The way the rule for substitution is written is wholly unclear, to be honest. I checked with several colleagues and a Technical Delegate to help myself clarify the sub rule, which does indicate that if a pair is eliminated for something like refusals on cross country, another pair can in fact be substituted at that point if the team chooses. Doing so, however, does not negate the incurrence of 200 additional penalties for failure to complete the phase.

Scenario 3: A team has one rider complete cross country, but its other two team riders are eliminated on refusals. Those two eliminated riders can continue on to show jumping (provided, of course, there is no injury and the horses pass the Second Horse Inspection) with a total of 400 penalties added (200 per rider). Yes, the team could choose to substitute (again, in the event of illness or injury only), but doing so would not negate the additional 200 penalties for each pair that did not complete.

Scenario 4: A pair is eliminated for Abuse of Horse or Dangerous Riding. At this point, the team is not eligible to submit a substitution, nor is that rider eligible to proceed in competition.

Scenario 5: All but one pair in a team completes the team qualification show jumping round. The team incurs 100 additional penalties for failure to complete a phase. At this time, the team would not be eligible for a substitute, as this must be done no less than 2 hours before the start of the team show jumping round.

Who goes first?

Doug Payne and Vandiver in Tokyo. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

While we know which horses and riders have been selected, what we don’t yet know is the order in which we’ll see the competitors. This can be influential, particularly on cross country day! To determine the order of nations, a draw will be held prior to the First Horse Inspection. After the trot-up, there will be an official Chef d’Equipe meeting during which the heads of each team will declare their starters and the order in which they will compete. The resulting order will be used for dressage and cross country.

For show jumping, the individual riders will be the first to jump in the team/qualifying round, in reverse order of standing. The team riders will follow, competing in turn and also in reverse order of standing by team and individual scores. For the individual medal round, the top 25 individuals, regardless of nation, will return and jump in reverse order of standing.

What if there’s a tie?

Laura Collett and London 52. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

It’s fairly unlikely, but if there is a tie between two or more athletes for individual medals, the first tiebreaker used will be the cross country score, including faults at obstacles and time penalties. Basically, the pair that had the fewest time penalties will win the tiebreaker. If there’s still a tie, the breaker will then go to the highest dressage score. Five additional tiebreaker steps are also in place and can be viewed here.

In the event of a team tie, the first tiebreaker will be using the top three-ranked individual scores, with priority given to teams that have not used a substitute. If there is a tie between teams that have used a substitute, the tie will be won by the team with the highest placed individuals who completed all three phases. Additional tiebreakers can be found here.

Make sense? No? Cool, we’re on the same page then. I hope this has been somewhat informative for you as it truly is a rather complicated array of rules. Personally, I’d rather see the return of a four-member team with a dropped score and none of this substitution and continuing after elimination nonsense, though I also see how this can be useful for helping teams complete which was the IOC’s intention in encouraging the format changes.

Coming next, we’ll be bringing you a breakdown of each phase in the Olympics, including expert commentary on what to expect. In the meantime, if you want to dive into the Olympic rules yourself, don’t let us stop you! Click here to view them. 

Thursday News & Notes

By on Jul 18, 2024 12:01 am -

 

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It’s happening. Grooms are packing, teams are putting their finishing touches to their preparations, and everyone’s gearing up for the big one – which, for us eventers, is NEXT WEEK.

Chinchilla-ing has become my verb of choice when I describe what’s going on behind the scenes here at EN, I’ve got a number of documents on the go in my ‘Paris, Baby!!!’ folder, and if our Olympic fever gets any higher we’re likely to explode like the fireworks over the Seine at next Friday’s Opening Ceremony.

ICYMI, we’ve done the math and crunched the numbers to work out the time zones for all you eventing nerds out there who we know won’t want to miss a thing. Here’s what you need to know.

Before I go back to obsessively scrolling through social media and getting tearful over videos of teams walking through train stations, I just want to take a moment to talk shoes. Because who wouldn’t want special shoes for a trip to Paris? Ireland’s Sarah Ennis’ mare Action Lady M has gone all out with a bespoke set for her Parisian jaunt, which I’ve totally got all the feels for:

One last aside before I return to said scrolling/filling my Paris, Baby!!! folder: after the intimacy ban in Tokyo for obvious Covid-related reasons, the organizers at this Olympic edition are taking no chances with sexual hygiene and have stocked up big time in anticipation of a whole bunch of athletes descending on the city of love. This interesting article shouts out the fact that they’ve been diverse in the types of protection they’re providing, but also that the campaign isn’t solely about safety, but also focuses on pleasure and consent. Because there are many ways to celebrate winning a medal.

Go Paris! And go eventing!

U.S. Weekend Preview

Applewood Farm YEH & Mini Event (Califon, NJ) [Website] [Ride Times]

Course Brook Farm Summer H.T. (Sherborn, MA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Full Gallop Farm July H.T. (Aiken, SC) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]

Horse Park of New Jersey Horse Trials II (Allentown, NJ) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Silverwood Farm Summer H.T. (Trevor, WI) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]

The Event at Rebecca Farm (Kalispell, MT) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Thursday News and Reading

Ireland’s Austin O’Connor and his game gray horse ‘Salty’ captured a million hearts when they won Maryland last year. And now they’re off to the Games. EquiRatings’ Nicole Brown caught up with Austin to discuss what’s going down in the O’Connor barn as they prepare for Paris, how it compares to their last Olympic outing in Tokyo, and the role his family play in his eventing journey. Pop the kettle on and settle in for a grand ol’ chat.

A fractured arm and wrist aren’t ideal two weeks out from your first Olympics. Britain’s show jumping talent Harry Charles unfortunately finds himself off games after a fall at Aachen, but he’s hoping he’s not out of the running to try and replicate his dad’s team gold medal from London 2012. The show jumping’s due to start on August 1st, so fingers crossed he’s healed up and gets to make his Olympic debut as planned.

Hot on Horse Nation – Why the US should be training our own Olympic horses.

You may or may not be familiar with Hovis, Horse & Hound’s horse about town. Famed for his Friday Diaries, he’s landed his biggest gig yet – as British Eventing’s supporter mascot to the team. Hovis’ link to eventing has the provenance of having gone eventing with none other than British eventing royalty, Mary King, so he’s well-placed for the role and says he’ll be available for advice on how to tackle the cross country course, how to keep the poles in the cups in the show jumping, and leading the pity party over the fact they have to do stressage. On a serious note, Hovis will be heading up the Here to Help scheme, “which aims to break down barriers and ensure anyone who wants to event is aware they can do so”. You can follow Hovis’ exploits à Paris via the hashtag #HovisInParis.

And finally, a heartwarmer to wrap things up. We love to hear what top eventers get up to in their later years, and this story about Phillip Dutton’s Fernhill Cubalawn is just the sweetest. He’s a big, powerful guy who’ll drag you all over the yard for a bite of grass if he knows you can take it, but put a teeny 4-year-old in charge and he’ll let her glitter his hooves and will follow her along as though he’s a puppy dog. Seriously, this sweeter-than-a-box-of-cupcakes relationship really is something else – take a look.

Video Break

#Supergrooms alert! Meet the team behind the Team GB horses as they prepare to defend their Tokyo team gold.

Win Big! Enter EN’s Summer Sweepstakes for Your Shot at $4000+ in Prizes

By on Jul 17, 2024 1:28 pm -

Congratulations to our giveaway winner, Sarah Mottalini! A big thank you to our stable of sponsors who made this giveaway possible and to everyone who entered. 

Today’s the day! We’re launching our biggest giveaway yet, with prizes on offer valued at over $4,000 USD to one lucky winner.

Included in the prize pack:

The Fine Print: By submitting your information, you agree to subscribe to EN’s *free* weekly email newsletter, In Case You Missed It. Already subscribed? No problem, but we still need your entry! You will also be subscribed to marketing and promotional updates from the sponsors of this giveaway. You are not obligated to stay subscribed and may unsubscribe at any point in time, and your information will not be sold or shared to any additional third parties, including future promotions from EN. Our apologies, but at this time only residents of the U.S. and Canada are eligible to win this prize. Contest is open from July 17 – 24, 2024, with one (1) winner drawn and notified via email during the week of July 29.

Horse & Country Partners with USEA to Broadcast Extensive Free Live Coverage of 2024 American Eventing Championships

By on Jul 17, 2024 9:30 am -

Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

The United States Eventing Association (USEA) is pleased to announce the extension of its partnership with Horse & Country (H&C), the leading international sports network, to provide exclusive streaming and video coverage of the 2024 USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds. H&C will also be joining forces with the USEA as a Platinum Level Sponsor of the AEC.

The AEC is the only national eventing championship of this size in all of North America and this year’s event will take place at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, from Aug. 27- Sept. 1.

This year’s coverage will be better than ever, with some exciting enhancements for 2024 prompted by member feedback. Along with improved live streaming experience, riders will be able to purchase cross-country videos that include every fence on course, through a partnership with Equireel.

The AEC serves as the pinnacle annual championship for eventing, encompassing every level from Starter to the prestigious $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final. Building on last year’s success, H&C will globally broadcast live coverage of all three phases of the $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final, alongside selected coverage from all other divisions throughout the duration of the event.

The livestream will be available for free to all USEA members and fans, via a 7-day free trial to Horse & Country’s streaming service, H&C+. Viewers can also enjoy on-demand access to all the action through H&C+ memberships or pay-per-view passes, with clips available for purchase. H&C+ Gold members can enjoy unlimited clip streaming and download as part of their subscription. For a detailed streaming schedule, visit www.horseandcountry.tv.

“The opportunity to provide full coverage of the cross-country phase at every level of the AEC is extremely exciting,” said H&C Director of Content Jonathan Rippon. “The AEC is a premier event on H&C’s U.S. Eventing Channel and can be enjoyed by our entire worldwide audience. Offering the clipping service for every round and every competitor through our partnership with Equireel is an incredible added value as well.”

What to Expect for 2024

One of the most exciting advancements for the livestream for the 2024 AEC is that it will be available at no charge during the week of the event via a 7-day free trial of H&C+ for all viewers. On-demand coverage will be accessible post-event through the H&C website and app and a 15% discount will be available for all USEA AEC competitors.

The livestream schedule for 2024 will be as follows:

Tuesday, Aug. 27: All dressage from one ring (Ring TBD)
Wednesday, Aug. 28: Advanced Dressage and all cross-country
Thursday, Aug. 29: All cross-country and all show jumping
Friday, Aug. 30: All cross-country and all show jumping
Saturday, Aug. 31: All cross-country and all show jumping
Sunday, Sept. 1: All show jumping

In addition, H&C has partnered with Equireel to offer complete fence-by-fence coverage of every cross-country round across each division. These videos will be made available for purchase to competitors same-day and pricing is as follows:

Cross-Country full round: $169
Show jumping full round: $25
Dressage full round: $25
Complete package of all three phases: $199

There will be approximately 35 cameras placed on course by Equireel for competitor video purchasing, so that riders may have videos of their full courses this year. The livestream coverage will be slightly different, and will feature about five cameras strategically placed to cover as much of each cross-country course as possible for the live viewership. The live stream will also utilize picture-in-picture coverage to represent more than one rider at a time.

“We are genuinely excited to see improvements in the livestream, and personal competition videos made available to our members and followers this year,” said SEA CEO Rob Burk. “H&C is a leader in the market, and we continue to value them as a partner.”

As a part of their Platinum level sponsorship, H&C has elected to sponsor both Starter divisions in their inaugural year at the AEC. These divisions will be named the Horse & Country USEA Open Starter Division and the Horse & Country Junior Starter Division.

Stay tuned for further updates on how to access the livestream for the 2024 USEA AEC. For more information on membership and streaming options, visit horseandcountry.tv/select-plan.

Wednesday News & Notes

By on Jul 17, 2024 12:01 am -

In a brief aside from the Olympic fever that has well and truly taken hold at EN (seriously, we are chinchilla-ing away behind the scenes getting ready to bring you all the Paris content you can possibly handle), today we’d like to bring your attention to a cool schooling opportunity in Area II.

Entries are open for the Windchase Derby, which is happening on August 24th. It’s a fun, informal kind of day where you get to to gallop (or trot) over the gorgeous rolling hills of Loudoun County, at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains. What’s more, you can bring a friend to compete with as a pair, or if you prefer to go it alone, enter as an individual. And yes, there are prizes!

Find out more – and enter – here.

Go eventing!

U.S. Weekend Preview

Applewood Farm YEH & Mini Event (Califon, NJ) [Website] [Ride Times]

Course Brook Farm Summer H.T. (Sherborn, MA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Full Gallop Farm July H.T. (Aiken, SC) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]

Horse Park of New Jersey Horse Trials II (Allentown, NJ) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Silverwood Farm Summer H.T. (Trevor, WI) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring]

The Event at Rebecca Farm (Kalispell, MT) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Wednesday News and Reading

Our very own boss lady, Sally Spickard, caught up with Paris-bound Boyd Martin to talk about the sad circumstances that saw him take the ride on his Olympic mount, Fedarman B. Boyd’s no stranger to Olympic teams and knows a thing or two about prepping horses to peak at the right time. He’s taken a bit of a different approach this time around, with both ‘Bruno’ and his reserve horse Commando 3. It’s not always been plain sailing with Bruno, a ride he acquired after his owner was sadly fatally injured in a fall. But the pair have got it together and booked their flight to France, and Boyd will be riding Bruno in Versailles with Annie Goodwin in his heart. Read more about their journey, from a devastating start and some sticky moments along the way, to getting it together in time for the biggest ride of Bruno’s career.

Call out to artists from the Work to Ride initiative. Submissions are open for art work in a range of mediums to be considered for the 2024 Philadelphia Polo Classic official poster. Entries close on August 1st and the winner will be announced on the 15th. Find out more.

BreyerFest took over Kentucky Horse Park last weekend and to celebrate this year’s event, they made some special additions to their collection. Enter Alan, the jumping mule, who’s been instrumental in the rule changes allowing mules to compete in the hunter ring, and who has been immortalized by Breyer for his efforts. In other Breyer news, submissions are open for the ‘Why My Favorite Horse Would Love to Be a Breyer Model” essay competition, and, you guessed it, the prize is your very own Breyer horse. Entries close on July 31st, so get scribbling.

“She’s a great female jockey, but the way I see it, she’s a great jockey, period.” Emma-Jayne Wilson has become the highest-earning female jockey, surpassing the $90,126,584 record previously set by Julie Krone. Wilson acknowledged Krone after the win that bumped her into first place: “This is to show how well the industry has come since she started to show what equality and sportsmanship is and what it means”.

In non-horsey Olympic news (although dressage and show jumping do get a brief mention), Paris is on a mission to deliver the greenest Olympics yet – here’s how they’re doing it. And ICYMI, here’s a look at how things are shaping up in Versailles as they get ready for all the equestrian action. Eek!

Video Break

It can’t be easy wrangling Boyd Martin but Steph Simpson is a woman on a mission, getting not one but two horses ready for their trip to Paris. In a #packwithme offering, here’s how to do it like an Olympic #Supergroom:

Your Guide to The Event at Rebecca Farm

By on Jul 16, 2024 12:30 pm -

Liz Halliday and Cooley Moonshine. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Before we dive into all things Paris, we first have one of the summer’s hottest destination events on the docket this weekend: The Event at Rebecca Farm in Kalispell, MT.

This event is well-deserving of a spot on your eventing bucket list, whether it’s to compete or simply to spectate or volunteer and take in the spectacular views and all that nearby Glacier National Park has to offer.

We’re looking at a strong field of entries for this year’s Rebecca Farm, which more often than not elicits a wait list in the majority of its divisions ranging from Beginner Novice up through CCI4*-L. Competitors also look forward to a robust USEA Classic Series offering, with long format Novice and Training Three-Day divisions also available and heartily supported.

How to Follow

This year’s event will be offered on live stream via Ride On Video as well as free of charge on H&C (no membership or one-time pass required). Competitors can also sign up to purchase videos of their rounds in each phase from Ride On Video here. Your official show photographer is Shannon Brinkman Photography.

The live stream schedule, which is subject to change, is below:

You can also keep an eye on the Rebecca Farm Facebook and Instagram pages. While EN does not have a dedicated reporter on site this year, Allie Heninger will be checking in periodically on our Instagram throughout the weekend.

Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

The Schedule

The full schedule of events can be found here.

Happenings

If you’re a Young Rider, there are a couple of great opportunities on the books for you!

FEI Team Challenge: The Young Rider Coordinators have put together an FEI Team Challenge for all Young Riders competing at FEI Levels. If you are a Young Rider is competing at an FEI Level at Rebecca Farm, use this link to sign up and you will be placed on a Team. This is a great way to meet new young riders from other areas and gain valuable team competition experience.

Young Rider Pizza Party + Q&A: Area VI’S Young Rider program will be hosting a pizza party and a Q&A session with Olympic short-listed rider and Rebecca Farm champion Jennie Brannigan on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. This event will be hosted on site in a tent on Spectator Hill.

Competitor Dinner: Join the Rebecca Farm team and your fellow competitors with the always-hopping competitor party, happening on Saturday at the Pavilion starting at 7 p.m.

Trade Fair: Get your shopping fix with the Trade Fair vendors. The Trade Fair will be open from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Sunday.

Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Entry Preview

We’ll see several pairs in the CCI4*-L and CCI3*-L from different parts of the country, many making the trek to Montana with the financial support of a Broussard Family Charitable Organization/USEA Foundation Rebecca Farm Travel Grant. Click here to view the riders who were given grants this year after submitting applications and sitting for an interview with a panel of selection board members.

While James Alliston and Karma, who were most recently members of the silver medal-winning Team USA at CHIO Aachen earlier this month, will not be returning to defend their CCI4*-L, the pathway this pair has taken en route to a berth on the Olympic short list is demonstrative of the influence a strong result at Rebecca Farm can play in a horse’s trajectory. Ian Stark has designed the FEI cross country at Rebecca Farm since 2011 and is currently in the midst of his final year as an active designer. His courses, which will be sorely missed after the 2024 season, have earned a reputation as strong but understandable and readable tracks that truly test the bravery and preparation of both horse and rider. Most of the riders you’ll see in the 4*-L and 4*-S divisions this weekend will be making their preparations for a step up to the 5* level or, potentially, overseas competition.

In the CCI4*-L we will also see last year’s CCI3*-L winners, Jennie Brannigan and Pascal, return for a go at the headlining title. Originally piloted by Alexa Lapp before Jennie took over the ride, Pascal is a real one to watch as a future 5* horse in the making. This is his first season at Advanced and will be his first 4*-L.

We also see several other travelers on the 4*-L list, including Julie Wolfert and SSH Playboy, who are ticking closer and closer to a 5* move-up as are Dani Sussman and Jos Bravio, Ashley Adams and Charly, and Karen O’Neal and Clooney 14. For their part, Pacific Northwest-based Karen O’Neal and Clooney 14 are coming off a strong win in the 4*-S at Aspen Farms and will be making their first 4*-L start together this weekend.

The CCI4*-S division also has several pairs to watch, including Australia’s Bec Braitling and Caravaggio II, who delivered a strong 5* debut at Kentucky this spring and are now aiming for the Maryland 5 Star this fall. Alexa Thompson has made the trek from Kentucky, with Just To Be Clear hitching a ride with Jennie Brannigan’s Pascal to Montana for a go in the Short division. Renee Kalkman and her Twin Rivers Advanced winner, Flame Eternal, will also contest this division. Additionally, Woodside Advanced winners this spring, Taren Hoffos and Master Class, are entered in their third 4*-S start.

You can view the full entry list for Rebecca Farm here.

Volunteer Opportunities

There are still plenty of spots available to lend a hand for a few hours as a volunteer! Score running, warm-up stewarding, cross country jump judging, and many more fun jobs are currently available.

View all volunteer openings here

Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Halt Canter at X

The Event’s impact goes beyond the horse world with Halt Cancer at X. The charitable initiative was launched in 2012 by the Event’s organizer Sarah Broussard in honor of her late mother, Rebecca Broussard, who founded the competition in 2002.

Through Halt Cancer at X, Montana Equestrian Events has so far provided more than $1 million in grant funds to innovative breast cancer research projects and to local non-profits that offer financial and wellness services to breast cancer patients. Those interested in making donations can do so here.

The Event at Rebecca Farm: [Website] [Entries] [Competitor Information] [Volunteer] [Halt Cancer at X] [Ride On Video Live Stream] [H&C Live Stream] [Live Stream Schedule] [Spectator Information]

How to Watch Eventing at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris

By on Jul 16, 2024 9:30 am -

It’s very nearly go time for the 2024 Summer Olympics, hosted this year in Paris, France. Of course, we’re highly focused on the eventing competition, which will run from July 27-29, but our sister site, Horse Nation, will be providing additional resources for following the schedule of dressage and show jumping.

For now, we’ve gathered as much information as is available currently regarding watching the action live, no matter what sport you want to tune in for. You can also save the graphics embedded below for an easy reference on the eventing timetable in different time zones around the world. Failing that, the easiest way to tell exactly when you’ll need to tune in is to check this page, which will automatically convert the times into your local time zone. WorldTimeBuddy is another free resource that allows you to easily calculate time differences — click here to use it.

The Schedule

Eventing will begin with the First Horse Inspection at 9:30 a.m. local time / 3:30 a.m. ET on Friday, July 26. The Second Horse Inspection will take place on July 29 at 7:30 a.m. local time / 1:30 a.m. ET on Monday, July 29. The trot-ups will not be live streamed, but we will be keeping you up to date on both jogs using Threads (follow EN here).

Dressage: 9:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. local time / 3:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 27
Cross Country: 10:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. local time / 4:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, July 28
Show Jumping – Team Round: 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. local time / 5:00 a.m. – 7:00 a.m. ET on Monday, July 29
Show Jumping – Individual Round (Top 20 Individuals): 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. local time / 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. ET on Monday, July 29

The full equestrian timetable can also be found here.

Timetable Guides

Live Streaming and On Demand Options

The full list of Media Broadcast Rights Holders, or networks on which you can find Olympic coverage in your country, can be found here. Some worldwide content will be available on the Olympic channel here.

Please note: The list below is a collection of information we have found based on the document linked above provided by Paris. We cannot guarantee the availability of all sports and/or on-demand access — you’ll want to check the specifications for your home platform for the most up to date information! If we have missed any information, please email [email protected].

Below are links to the various platforms you can tune in to for the countries the majority of EN readers hail from:

USA

Peacock is your best bet in the U.S. to access all events from Paris. Some coverage will also be shown live on NBC’s family of platforms, but we recommend getting a Peacock subscription so as not to miss a moment and also to have access to on demand replays. We are not sure how quickly events will be available for replay but will update this article with more information as we find it.

Olympics on Peacock

Canada

CBC is the sole broadcast rights holder in Canada. The streaming schedule for CBC can be found here. Be sure to select “Equestrian – Eventing” AND “Equestrian – Dressage” to view the schedule for all phases – thanks to EN reader Denya for the tip as we initially thought there would not be a live stream of eventing dressage!

United Kingdom and Europe

Warner Brothers Discovery is the rights holder in the UK and Europe, but for the UK audience BBC has licensed these rights to allow it to also provide streaming coverage of the Games. You can stream the BBC’s coverage via its iPlayer platform here. Eurosport will also carry some broadcasts, which will be found here. Discovery+ is another option for accessing Olympic robust coverage. In European countries, check your local listings as there may also be additional sub-licensing that was granted from Warner Brothers.

[Update] Additionally, Warner Brothers Discovery has rolled out Max, which together with Discovery+ has been touted as the primary source for Olympic coverage in the UK and Europe. You can view more information on this platform here, and check your local Max platform for more details if you’re in Europe.

Australia

Nine is the provider of Olympic broadcast for Australia, the Christmas Islands, and the Cocos Islands. You can view their Olympic channel here.

New Zealand

Sky Sport is the host broadcaster for New Zealand. Click here to view their platform and options for watching.

Asia

CMG is the Olympic broadcast host in China. Japan Consortium is the provider in Japan. SBS is the provider in Korea. To view all carriers in Asia and beyond, click here.

We know the eventing globe spans many more regions than what we have listed above! Click here to see where you can view Olympic coverage in your country. Additional information may also be found here during the Games.