Laura Crump Anderson is an Equestrian Fitness Specialist at InForm Fitness Leesburg. She is certified as a personal trainer by the American College of Sports Medicine and specializes in working with riders of all ages and disciplines. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Kinesiology with a concentration in Exercise Science, is a Certified Personal Trainer with the American College of Sports Medicine, and has evented through Training level. Read more of her EN fitness columns here.
I strongly considered not writing about New Year’s resolutions because, well, for one thing I hate them. Not to be a hater, and generally I am not; however, creating change in your life does not lie on a day of the calendar. It rides on a shift in your mindset. The good news is that can happen 365 days a year, but requires the 364 other days each year to keep working. One of my favorite diagrams is this…
Photo by Laura Crump Anderson.
I would be missing an incredible opportunity to cheer people on if I was to ignore January. Motivation is high in January; the first two weeks it is as if every day is #motivationmonday. The key now is to harness that motivation create discipline, and this is where the struggle begins.
Photo by Laura Crump Anderson.
Motivation is important. Motivation is a spark, it is getting the shiny idea, it is chasing the dream.
Discipline is not exciting; it is not sexy and attention grabbing. Discipline is hard. Discipline in boring. Discipline is taking the extra 10 minutes to make sure something is done correctly and not just sufficiently. Discipline is doing the hard things when they do not matter, so that you can do them when they matter most. Discipline is found in the everyday and the mundane — it is what you do when no one is looking.
Today my discipline is writing this article. Your discipline in this moment is reading to the second to the last paragraph of this article. You did it and can transfer this success into another success. Try applying this discipline into a plank to true failure, for instance — working to momentary muscle failure requires a lot of discipline.
Photo by Laura Crump Anderson.
So, when the shine of motivation wears off and you are feeling like you cannot continue, make sure you have cultivated discipline within you.
Even though we’re over a week out from New Year’s Day, does anyone else still feel a slight holiday hangover? The last two weeks of December are equally fun and exhausting, and the photo on the right is an accurate representation of me trying to get my house in order and pack away my Christmas decorations. Thankfully, we’re T-4 days until the 2019 season starts!
Today’s your last chance to enter Grand Oaks Horse Trials! They waved their late fee, so last-minute entry in for the first event of the year held this coming weekend in Eventing Sunny Florida. The competition will run all phases in one day. [Grand Oaks Omnibus]
Voting is open for 2018 Eventing Nation Horse of the Year! The EN staff nominated four horses that had standout seasons in 2018: Frankie Thieriot Stutes’s mount Chatwin, Caroline Martin’s mount Islandwood Captain Jack, Boyd Martin’s mount Long Island T, and Phillip Dutton’s mount Z. Be sure to cast your vote before the polls close on Wednesday. [Vote for 2018 Eventing Nation Horse of the Year!]
Believe it or not, if you told a member of the general public that you simply “ride,” horses might not be the first thing they think of. After all, snowboarders and mountain bikers are riders too. So it turns out there is actually more than one way to ride a cross country course.
In a new promotional video for Lindores Farm in Fife, Scotland, YouTube mountain biking star Danny MacAskill and his Santa Cruz 5010 mountain bike go head-to-head against Advanced level rider Louisa Milne Home and her 7-year-old, 17-hand gelding Future Plans who has competed through Intermediate. Danny and Louisa face off over stone walls, roll-tops, banks and a keyhole, and while I bet you think Louisa and her horse are shoe-ins to win the race, you may be surprised by the speed and agility of Danny and his bike!
Autumn changes to winter; the snows come and go. And annually, the infamous “52 free Thoroughbreds” posts emerge from their slumber and start to make the rounds of the internet once again.
We’re not really sure about the mechanics of how exactly this works — every year, it’s a brand-new post, dated just a few days prior, but with the same old copy:
FREE HORSES!!!! 52 thoroughbred horses need homes. Will go to Sugarcreek this Sat. for slaughter. Gentleman died and his son wants nothing to do with them. Most broodmares are broke and some are in foal weanling, yearlings, 2 yrs. and 3 yrs. old most are gelded. FREE and papered. Friend of the deceased is trying to find homes. 440-463-4288 Barnesville, OH. Please copy and paste this on your status I would hate to see all these horses put down. PLEASE someone help they are FREE and papered!!!!!!!!
The most recent iteration was created on January 2. With a recent date stamp, to the unaware but well-meaning, this looks like an urgent, brand-new post with horses in need of homes RIGHT NOW. Likely, this has already been shared to you several times in the past 24 hours. It’s a bizarre phenomenon that this particular (fake) post, every year, goes truly viral … especially when there are horses in need of homes every single day.
The truth of the matter is that all 52 of these Thoroughbreds found homes… eight years ago. The original post is from January 2011.
On January 27, 2011, Daniel C. Stearns, DVM passed away, leaving his Thoroughbred breeding and racing operation in the hands of his son Dan Stearns to dismantle. Prior to his death, the senior Stearns made provisions with his son to place certain horses with certain people, with the rest to be placed in reputable homes preferably in the Thoroughbred industry. Stearns made it clear that none of the horses were to go to kill buyers or first-time owners who might put the horses in a bad situation.
A friend of the Stearns, Lynn Boggs, posted the first urgent message on Facebookto help network homes for the remaining 52 horses — and within hours, had reached an international audience. She fielded calls and messages from all over the world, and within four days, all of the horses had found new, safe homes, mostly right within the Ohio area.
Boggs’ original post did not include any language about the horses going to slaughter — but shares and copies of the post mentioned the possibility that the horses would ship to slaughter if homes were not found. That was never Stearns’ intention, though the newfound urgency with that changed language did help the post gain even more early traction.
The original story is a reminder of the positive power of social media — but the re-emergence of this post and its subsequent annual viral urgency reminds us equally of a darker side. For whatever reason, this particular post grabs the public’s attention in a gripping way that drives everyone to share it like crazy, while real horses right now in 2019 in need of good, reputable, safe homes linger at rescues and placement agencies waiting for new owners as their social marketing gathers dust.
Just now, while writing this story down at our family farm stand, my sister-in-law got a phone call from a family friend to tell her about a post she had seen on Facebook about 52 free Thoroughbreds and asking if there was anything we could do for them. Imagine if we could grab the public intrigue about horses in need right now and enjoy the same kind of viral marketing and quick networking that placed all 52 horses back in 2011!
So let’s use this viral post as a soapbox, horse lovers — when your friends and family share it to your wall or your messages with pleas for help, encourage them to make a small donation to your favorite horse-related charity to help horses in need of help RIGHT NOW. The more people we educate, hopefully the fewer will share this post next year — and the more will be encouraged to help animals in need today.
Oh, and quit sharing those stupid Johnny Depp memes. Those are almost as bad as the original post.
The ninth annual Robert Dover Horsemastership Clinic Week wrapped up yesterday at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, Florida, and luckily for us all the sessions are now available to watch on demand on USEF Network.
The clinic week is designed to identify and develop the next generation of talent for the U.S. Dressage Team. More than 20 young riders received four days of intense instruction from Robert Dover, Debbie McDonald, Jan Ebeling, Adrienne Lyle and Olivia LaGoy-Weltz.
All of the participants rode dressage tests in front of judges yesterday, and the videos of each individual test with commentary from the judges are also available to watch on USEF Network — such a fantastic learning opportunity!
You can watch a few video snippets below, then click here to access all of the Robert Dover Horsemastership Clinic Week videos on USEF Network.
Our friends at The Chronicle of the Horse and NoelleFloyd.com also published super coverage, so be sure to check out the links below.
Comeback stories of rescue horses finding happy, healthy homes and success in new careers are among our favorites to follow. Now, a new incentive program has been announced to further celebrate these special equines: the Rescue Recognition Program (R.R.P.), presented by the Equis Save Foundation. The program awards high-point ribbons to rescue horses competing at sanctioned USEA and USDF shows, as well as year end awards.
Eventing awards will be provided for Intro through Preliminary levels. Dressage awards will consist of an award for the high point average in the categories of junior, adult amateur and professional. The awards are self-reported by the rescue horse’s owner or rider, based on competition participation.
Here are the details!
Performance award year: Jan. 1 – Dec. 31
Rescue horse eligibility: For the purpose of eligibility for R.R.P. awards, a “rescue” is defined as any horse that was slaughter bound, saved from a kill pen, adopted from a horse rescue or saved from severe neglect. Thoroughbreds adopted off the track are not considered rescues unless they meet the aforementioned criteria.
To participate in the R.R.P., owners/riders must obtain a R.R.P. number (register here). Registration is free and should be provided to participating horse shows as proof of eligibility. Awards are given by horse R.R.P. number. Multiple riders can compete the horse; however, the points are award to the Rescue Horse and will be reported under the horse’s number.
Shows included in the Performance Awards: Horses accumulate awards at all USEA and USEF sanctioned horse trials/shows. Horse shows/trials do not have to offer R.R.P. awards to be included in performance awards.
Award calculations: The Performance Awards recognize the Rescue Horse accumulating the most points in each of the award categories and divisions.
Verification of results: Results reported by owners and riders must be supported by horse show results and be verified by R.R.P. Only verified points will be counted towards the Performance Awards. It is the submitting owner/rider’s responsibility to provide verification, in the form of a permanent website link; hard copy of official results, placing and the number of horses; handwritten results with show secretary’s signature for verification; or copies of your bill showing class, placing and the number of horses. Keep records for the results throughout the year.
Submission: All forms and supporting documentation must by submitted/postmarked by Jan. 31 of the year following the competition year.
Equis Save Foundation is a non-profit horse rescue organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and adoption of horses. Learn more about the R.P.P. program here.
Might we see this little guy in the start box soon? Love it!
Through Ula’s ears on the Big Island of Hawaii. Photo by Andrea Jones.
Between the ears Hawaii style! Nancy Jones, organizer of Seneca Valley Pony Club Horse Trials in Maryland, went to visit her daughter and graduate Pony Clubber, Andrea Jones, and they couldn’t resist taking a sunset trail ride. Andrea is serving in Hawaii with AmeriCorps for a year, and Nancy went to Hawaii to visit her for the holidays. Nancy said it best: “A far cry from the weather in Area 2!” TRUTH!
National Holiday: National Thank God It’s Monday Day (only because I had to Ocala on Saturday!)
U.S. Weekend Results … so soon!
The first U.S. horse trials will kick off on Saturday, Jan. 12 at Majestic Oaks Horse Trials in Ocala, Florida. Let the countdown to the 2019 season officially begin!
Your Monday News & Notes:
Grand Oaks Horse Trials in Weirsdale, Florida has waived the late fee for entries, so you still have until tomorrow, Jan. 8 to enter. Due to rider request, the organizers scheduled the show to run in a one-day format and reduced the ship-in fee to $25 per day. This is a fabulous event and one I’m looking forward to competing at again this year. [Grand Oaks Omnibus]
Voting is open for 2018 Eventing Nation Horse of the Year! The EN staff nominated four horses that had standout seasons in 2018: Frankie Thieriot Stutes’s mount Chatwin, Caroline Martin’s mount Islandwood Captain Jack, Boyd Martin’s mount Long Island T, and Phillip Dutton’s mount Z. Be sure to cast your vote before the polls close on Wednesday. [Vote for 2018 Eventing Nation Horse of the Year!]
Phillip Dutton has acquired the ride on an exciting young horse in 6-year-old French champion California d’Horset. The mare also finished 5th in the 6-year-old FEI World Breeding Championships at Le Lion d’Angers with Yannick Dirou. [California d’Horset Sold to America as New Mount for Phillip Dutton]
Let’s get to know Krista Wilson, winner of the 2019 USEA Worth the Trust Sports Psychology Scholarship. These scholarships are awarded to help amateur riders strengthen their mental game, and Krista, a school teacher in Florida, plans to use her scholarship to banish her dressage demons for good. Best of luck, Krista! [2019 Worth the Trust Sports Psychology Scholarship Winner: Krista Wilson]
The 6-year-old French champion California d’Horset has been sold to America as a new mount for Phillip Dutton. The Selle Francais mare (Soliman X Palm Beach d’Horset, by Trophee du Rozel) won the 6-year-old French Championships at Pompadour with Yannick Dirou before going on to place fifth in the 6-year-old World Breeding Championships at Le Lion d’Angers.
Phillip confirmed to EN that the mare has arrived safely in the U.S. He hasn’t made any plans for her spring season yet aside from getting to know her and starting what he hopes will be a very successful partnership.
“She’s a fantastic athlete and ideal type for an event horse. She’s still very green having only competed at the one-star level, but I’m really looking forward to bringing her along and forging a great partnership with her,” Phillip said. “I haven’t had a really good mare in my career, so it will be fun to see how far we can go together.”
Phillip thanked the mare’s new owners, Caroline Moran, David Garrett, and Steve and Renea Willham, for their support in acquiring this exciting young horse.
Phillip is starting the 2019 season with an extended stay in Wellington, Florida, and arrived last week with five horses. He brought his 2018 World Equestrian Games mount Z, I’m Sew Ready, Fernhill Revelation, Fernhill Singapore and Sea of Clouds for an intensive two-months of training and competing in pure dressage and jumper shows. His daughter, Olivia, will also be campaigning Fernhill Finders Keepers.
You can follow along with Phillip’s winter training on Facebook and Instagram.
Where there are #EventerProblems there are #EventerSolutions, as we horsefolks tend to be a pretty crafty, resourceful and frugal (read: broke) bunch. In this spinoff series we spotlight some of your most inventive problem-solving masterpieces. Be sure to tag your photos with the hashtag #EventerSolutions on social for inclusion in future editions!
Anyone who is currently facing the frustrating winter woe of frozen water troughs will want to pay close attention to this clever #EventerSolution courtesy of EN reader Alice VanBokkelen.
Which horse will win the coveted Golden Chinchilla?
It’s time to kick off the voting for 2018 Eventing Nation Horse of the Year! Now in its sixth year, ENHOTY gives us the opportunity to recognize the achievements of standout horses in North America during the prior season.
This year we evaluated all horses who completed a spring and fall long format event at the CCI4*-L (formerly CCI3*) or CCI5*-L (formerly CCI4*) levels. (Note that the FEI’s new star system came into effect on Jan. 1, 2019. All levels have now shifted up. Click here for a detailed breakdown of the new star system.)
There were four horses that clear stood out to us. Three of them finished in the top two at two CCI4*-L events (formerly CCI3*), while one was the only horse in the U.S. to deliver clear cross country and show jumping rounds at two CCI5*-L (formerly CCI4*) level competitions during the 2018 season.
Before we unveil the nominees for 2018 EN Horse of the Year, please join us in saluting the past recipients of the Golden Chinchilla:
Without further ado, read on to peruse the season highlights for our four nominees, listed in alphabetical order. Scroll down to the bottom of the post to cast your vote for 2018 ENHOTY. The polls will close at 10 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Jan. 9. We will honor the winning horse on Thursday, Jan. 10.
Good luck to all! Go Eventing.
2018 EN HORSE OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
Frankie Thieriot Stutes and Chatwin. Photo by Shelby Allen.
CHATWIN
10-year-old Oldenburg gelding
(Contendro I X Oktav, by Oldtimer)
Owned by The Chatwin Group
Chatwin was the only horse in the world to win two events at the CCI4*-L (formerly CCI3*) level or higher during the 2018 season — an impressive statistic that saw him face off against reigning World Champion Allstar B as the wildcard for 2018 EquiRatings Horse of the Year. Adding in the fact that Frankie Thieriot Stutes is an amateur rider who balances motherhood and a full-time career makes Chatwin’s stellar season all the more impressive.
In his eight completed runs at international and national level in 2018, Chatwin won five times and never finished outside of the top five. His dressage score of 22.7 at Twin Rivers was the lowest score posted at any Advanced horse trials in the country in 2018.
Chatwin won his last four events in a row, starting with the Rebecca Farm CCI4*-L (formerly CCI3*) and concluding with the Dutta Corp Fair Hill International CCI4*-L (formerly CCI3*). Frankie and Chatwin led Fair Hill wire-to-wire and finished on their dressage score to become the USEF National Champions. Their finishing score of 27.3 was also the lowest at a CCI4*-L (formerly CCI3*) in North America in 2018.
Caroline Martin and Islandwood Captain Jack. Photo by Jenni Autry.
ISLANDWOOD CAPTAIN JACK
9-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding
Jack of Diamonds X Suir Touch, by Touchdown
Owned by Caroline Martin and Sherrie Martin
The youngest of our ENHOTY nominees delivered six clear show jumping rounds at the Advanced and four-star (formerly three-star) levels during the 2018 season — more than any other horse in North America. When you consider that 2018 was also Islandwood Captain Jack’s first season at the Advanced level, it’s clear Caroline Martin has a serious horse for the future.
In his five runs at international level in 2018, “James” finished outside the top 10 only once. He finished second in his CCI4*-L (formerly CCI3*) debut at Jersey Fresh, adding only cross country time penalties to his dressage score. His cross country pace increased in speed in each of his last four consecutive outings, resulting in a sixth-place finish in the FEI Nations Cup at Great Meadow CICO4*-S (formerly CICO3*) with one of the fastest rounds of the day.
James was the only horse to finish on his dressage score in the Rebecca Farm CCI4*-L (formerly CCI3*) to place second on 35.3. By far the greenest horse of the ENHOTY nominees, James held his own amongst more experienced horses in his inaugural season at Advanced level and is a horse to watch in the 2019 season and beyond.
Boyd Martin and Long Island T. Photo by Jenni Autry.
LONG ISLAND T
12-year-old Oldenburg/Thoroughbred gelding
Ludwig von Bayern x Haupstsbuch Highlight, by Heraldik xx
Owned by the Long Island T Syndicate
As 2018 USEA Horse of the Year, Long Island T has already claimed a top honor in what proved to be a strong season that saw him rack up more top-five finishes at the Advanced and four-star (formerly three-star) levels than any other horse in the U.S. “Ludwig” battled the elements to win his CCI4*-L (formerly CCI3*) debut at Jersey Fresh on a record-setting weekend for Boyd Martin.
He delivered a personal best dressage score at Millbrook of 22.9, the second best Advanced score in the country during the 2018 season. Ludwig also delivered clear show jumping rounds in his final three international runs of the season, starting with a strong third-place finish at the Bromont CIC4*-S (formerly CIC3*) in an all-star field full of horses heading to the 2018 World Equestrian Games.
Ludwig increased his cross country speed at each consecutive international run in 2018, culminating in adding only 4.0 time penalties to his dressage score at the Dutta Corp Fair Hill International CCI4*-L (formerly CCI3). He finished in second place at Fair Hill to take the USEF National Reserve Championship.
Phillip Dutton and Z. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Z
10-year-old Zangersheide gelding
Asca X Bellabouche, by Babouche VH Gehucht Z
Owned by The Z Partnership
Z was one of 12 horses in the world nominated for EquiRatings Horse of the Year thanks to one of the strongest seasons we saw from a 10-year-old in 2018. He won the World Equestrian Games Test Event at The Fork CIC4*-S (formerly CIC3*) after adding just 0.4 cross country time penalties to his dressage score. Z then went on to finish on his dressage score at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event for a fifth-place result in his CCI5*-L (formerly CCI4*) debut.
After being named as Phillip Dutton’s mount for the U.S. WEG team, Z delivered a personal best dressage score of 27.1 at Bromont in the squad’s final outing, where he finished sixth. He then finished 13th in his championship debut at WEG as the highest-placed U.S. horse, adding only cross country time penalties to his dressage score and delivering the only clear show jumping round for the team.
Z didn’t have a single show jumping penalty all season at Advanced, four-star or five-star level, accumulating five clear rounds in all. That achievement is the second best in the U.S. behind Islandwood Captain Jack’s six clears, though two of Z’s rounds came over CCI5*-L (formerly CCI4*) level courses at Kentucky and Tryon. His season culminated in being named the #1 event horse on the 2018 World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH) Rankings.
Many thanks to EN’s data analyst Maggie Deatrick for contributing statistics for this article.