Libby Head and SRF Western Territory. Photo via Libby’s Facebook Page.
It was a soggy day at the final event of the year at Sporting Days. Libby Head was one rider who took advantage of this late season competition with her rising star SRF Western Territory. It was the 4-year-old’s very first event, and they took home blue. Congratulations to them, and all who had a good day at Sporting Days!
Okay, Horse Nation hive mind: we have a burning question that we can’t figure out through massive amounts of research*.
*Googling a lot.
First, some background: bell boots (sometimes also called overreach boots) are used to protect a horse’s feet, from the pastern and coronary band down to the heel. Good for horses who overreach with the hind feet (hence the name “overreach boots”), the boot will protect the sensitive heel bulbs from getting clipped, as well as a front shoe getting caught with a hind toe and pulled right off. (Bonus points to horses like mine who manage to interfere with the other front foot as they learn how to horse.)
Some horse owners, especially those with certain shoeing regimens, may prefer to have their horse wear bell boots all the time; others will use bell boots just for turnout and riding; yet others may apply bell boots only for training and riding. They’re also often recommended on all four feet for shipping, when a horse may step on himself while balancing in the trailer.
There are numerous styles of bell boots and overreach boots, from the classic pull-on gum or rubber varieties to velcro-open bell boots to various neoprene or nylon iterations for specific purposes. For the sake of today’s discussion, we’re chatting the classic bell-shaped bell boot, either in pull-on or velcro-tab.
The classic pull-on bell boot, KL Select Italian. SmartPak
The other night, a friend of mine sent me a casual message, asking what the difference was between ribbed and smooth bell boots. (For all of us with a good equestrian friend, we know this is just a normal conversation.)
I thought about it. I Googled. I thought about it some more. And now I can’t stop wondering. All of my clicking around on the internet revealed that no one else really seems to know either. It’s worth mentioning, perhaps (I don’t really know), that you can only apparently get pull-ons in ribbed; smooth only seem to come in Velcro.
What is the difference? When would you use one versus the other? Why are there options?
Please, Horse Nation, weigh in and help soothe my troubled mind.
Sydney Conley Elliott and Cisko A. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Great Meadow International is rolling out major changes in 2019. As they assume their new date, August 22-25, 2019, Great Meadow will no longer be included as a part of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ Series, but they have also opened up competition to even more levels.
Great Meadow will continue to run its premier CCI4*-S division (Formerly a CIC3*, now named under the FEI’s new Definition of Categories), but now also welcomes CCI3*-S (CIC2*) and CCI2*-S (CIC*) competitors.
After three years of hosting, a Nations Cup will not return to the U.S. in 2019. Event organizers cited the burden of transporting International horses to the states, but stressed that national competitors of many levels will now benefit from the world-class upgrades.
Great Meadow was introduced in The Plains, Va. by a shared effort between the Great Meadow Foundation and Five Rings Eventing, but going forward, Five Rings Eventing, which was founded by Darrin Mollett and David O’Connor, will organize independently.
“Hosting a leg of the FEI Nations Cup of Eventing at GMI definitely increased the bar for this level of competition in the mid-Atlantic region,” David O’Connor said.
“This new date puts the Great Meadow International at the start of the autumn season, making it a launching point for FEI competitors preparing for the CCI-L season. Also for 2019, competitors will see the results of significant investments made in the footing that began in the summer of 2018.”
The new event will have more than just horses: Five Rings Eventing plans to introduce even more activities for the whole family.
“We want to bring the community a fun fall festival with dog agility competitions, polo exhibitions, live entertainment, and a beer garden. There will just happen to be a high-performance eventing competition happening at the same time,” Darrin Mollett said.
Astier Nicolas and Vinci de la Vigne (FRA). Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.
With the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on the horizon, we will see two equine powerhouses competing under a new flag in 2019. Australian Hazel Shannon has gotten the ride on Cooley SRS, and Vinci de la Vigne will join Kazuma Tomoto’s string.
Oliver Townend announced yesterday that his European gold medalist Cooley SRS has been sold to Australian Terry Snow, who is giving the ride to two-time Adelaide winner Hazel Shannon.
Cooley SRS and Oliver Townend at Badminton. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.
Formerly owned by Angela Hislop, the 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse (Ramiro B x Ballynattin Pride, by Kiltealy Spring) competed successfully through CCI4* level with Oliver, finishing second at Badminton this spring. The pair were also were part of the European gold medal winning team at Strzegom in 2017.
Oliver’s statement pointed to ‘mixed emotions’ on the sale. “Since ‘Aero’ came to us as a 4-year-old he has not only proven to be an astounding athlete, but also a very dear friend to myself, Angela (Hislop, his owner) and our whole team.”
“It’s very sad to see a top class horse, particularly one that finished runner up in his first 4* at Badminton this year, leave the yard and Britain – but, at the same time, his sale enables Angela to invest in another future star.”
Hazel recently became the second rider to win The Australian International Three-Day Event twice with Willingapark Clifford, who is also owned by Terry.
“I’m extremely happy to see him go to a lovely home with Terry Snow, who is a huge supporter of equestrianism,” Oliver said. “I hope that Cooley SRS will bring as much pleasure to Terry and his new rider, Hazel Shannon, as he has done to both myself and Angela, and I wish them every success.”
Astier Nicolas and Vinci de la Vigne (FRA). Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.
Laurent Bousquet with Francecomplet.fr reported this week that Vinci de la Vigne has been acquired by the Japanese Federation with Kazuma Tomoto picking up the ride.
The 9-year-old Selle Francais has competed successfully through the CCI3* level with Frenchman Astier Nicholas, most recently finishing 7th at the World Equestrian Games. Esterel des Bois SF x Korrigane de Vigne SF, by Duc du Hutrel).
Ahead of the 2018 season, Astier explained to Grand Prix Replay that he and the shared owners Philippe and Marie-José Gerard planned to aim for WEG and sell the gelding afterwards.
Kazuma, who is based with William Fox-Pitt, now further strengthens the increasingly impressive Japanese team, who finished fourth at WEG, ahead of their hosting the Olympic Games.
Ingrid Klimke and Parmenides. Photo by Rebecca Brimark via Sweden International Horse Show.
Ingrid Klimke and Parmenides led Team Germany to victory on Thursday at the Sweden International Horse Show Indoor Derby. After winning the class here in 2015 and finishing second in 2017, we knew they were the ones to beat and they delivered, turning in a lightning-fast round.
Ingrid Klimke, fälttävtävlanslegenden är här på Friends för femte gången! Missa inte hennes runda!#sihs2018 #onlythebest #helafamiljensevememang #fälttävlan
“He’s my most fun horse,” Ingrid says of Parmenides, a 14-year-old Trakehner gelding (Sir Chamberlain x Praedestina, by Habicht) owned by his breeders Marion and Eric Gottschalk. “He loves to go against the clock and go fast. But he can also go out and do a good dressage competition.”
The pair is on a hot streak, having won the indoor derby at Stuttgart German Masters just two weeks ago. The prize for winning at Sweden International was a tractor, which she won last time as well but never got to enjoy. “We sold the last tractor and saved the money to find a young promising horse,” she says.
She praised the competition’s atmosphere. “It’s great to ride here,” she says. “I would love to come back again.”
Team Germany for the win. Photo by Rebecca Brimark via Sweden International Horse Show.
Finishing second individually was Great Britain’s Ros Canter and her own Las Vegas, a 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Glock’s Lightning x Chamonix). The one-two Ingrid/Ros punch was a repeat of their placements at Stuttgart earlier this month — it’s been fun to see the two women trading out the top positions all fall, with Ros of course barely nudging Ingrid out of gold medal contention at the WEG in Tryon. Rounding out the top three was another German, Peter Thomsen, with Horseware Nobleman, a 9-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Nekton x Candillo) owned by the rider and Tabitha and Christian Gläsel.
Team Results
Germany (Ingrid Klimke, Andreas Ostholt, Peter Thomsen, Jan Matthias)
Sweden (Niklas Lindbäck, Anna Freskgård, Malin Josefsson, Hanna Berg)
Great Britain (Ros Canter, Fiona Kashel, Alice Pearson, Georgie Strang)
New Zealand/Australia (Lissa Green, Bill Levett, Lucy Jackson, Jesse Campbell)
Will Coleman and Off The Record, winners of the 2018 Brook Ledge Great Meadow International CICO3*. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Changes. They are a-coming. Among them, of course, are the new FEI categorizations for levels and we’re going to have to start getting used to them ASAP. Great Meadow International actually just announced that, in addition to a date change from early July to late August, they are adding some additional levels so this is a perfect time to practice using the new designations!
Here we go: In addition to their existing four-star (I know, that sounds super weird doesn’t it?), a CCI4*-S (formerly CIC3*), Great Meadow is adding a CCI3*-S (formerly CIC2*) and CCI2*-S (formerly CIC1*). The change to the later date in August will make it a good prep event for the fall CCI-L (formerly just CCI) season.
Hang in there guys. We’ll make it through this and get used to the new norm together.
Sometimes, I find the best sort of activity for a Friday night is a recreational cry. You know the kind — you put on an almost flamboyantly sad film (see: Atonement, or literally anything with a dog as a primary character), pour yourself a problematic amount of Riesling, and get stuck into a jolly good weep. You can keep your laxative teas, Kardashians — my favourite form of detox is a slightly tipsy emotional purge, and I won’t be shamed for it. Nor will I soil myself in public. I hope.
This week’s Friday video certainly falls within the realms of the recreational weep, though only if your style in crying doesn’t err towards the pedantic — star of the show Peyo is, as the eagle-eyed among you will notice, lacking a certain pair of wibbly-wobbly dingly-danglies, and thus, undeserving of the term ‘stallion.’
Otherwise, though, this lovely little video shows us a few things we all already know: horses really are the world’s best healers, and these big, slobbery, expensive goons really can communicate an awful lot with just a look and a breath. Peyo does a seriously special job, delivering his own brand of bedside care and support to his hospitalised friends with the help of his owner, Hassen Bouchakour. Together, they understand that sometimes, words aren’t enough — to be on equal terms with an animal who looks you in the eye and doesn’t shy away from your illness can be so much more powerful. This is your final warning: remove mascara, press play, and let loose.
To learn more about Hassen and Peyo and the brilliant work they do in their home country of France, check out their Facebook page, Les Sabots du Coeur, which translates as ‘the Hooves of the Heart’. This week, Peyo will be honoured at the Salon du Cheval in Paris, so if you’re popping along to catch some of the showjumping action, you can meet him for yourself!
Unlike EN, which is held together with scotch tape and has undergone exactly one (1) redesign since baby John built it in his mom’s basement a decade ago, some websites actually try to keep up with the times. (To John’s credit some readers still inexplicably prefer the Classic EN format, which remains available because folks got real cranky when we tried to take it away. It also looks terrible and is impossible to navigate, but alas.)
One such modern-age internet trailblazer is the USEA, which launched a new and improved website today. Click on over to useventing.com and check it out — we love what they’ve done with the place. It’s streamlined and simplified with all the stuff you use the most, like the horse/rider search and the calendar, front and center on the home page. It also does a great job of drawing members’ attention to important reminders and highlighting USEA’s engaging content, which is updated daily.
The website also looks to have mobile-optimized design, meaning it’s functional and looks good on your phone. That’s always handy when you need to look something up in a hurry, like your dressage test when you’re next on deck and your mind suddenly draws a blank about whether that canter transition is at A or at K. (For the record: Events + Competition < Resources < Dressage Tests.)
Just goes to show what is possible when your tech guy isn’t Blake.
Eventingnation.com during Kentucky this year.
“Hello you’ve reached Blake and the team at CyberCatz Inc. We’re busy helping another customer at the moment, but if you leave a message we’ll call you back … JK LOL.”
Thanks, USEA! Have questions about the new site? They’ve outlined a few helpful hints for navigating it here.
EN #ProTip: While you’re over there, be sure to renew your membership if you haven’t already because your 2018 membership expires today. To do so, go to the USEA’s Online Services by clicking “Login” in the top right-hand corner of the website.
If you have an eventer on your shopping list this year, you’ve come to the right place. I am here to share a few facts about our unique equestrian species — and the perfect gifts to compliment them!
We are color coordinated.
We are obsessive compulsive about our cross country color schemes, and they have a funny way of creeping into every aspect of our lives. Help fuel the fire with a matchy-matchy gift. Let’s just say, for instance, your eventer’s colors are red and blue:
Our sport is predicated on galloping at high-speed toward solid obstacles — and things don’t always go according to plan. As a result, we tend to accumulate more bumps and dings than the average bear. Pamper your eventer with the gift of a massage gift certificate or therapeutic product.
Like three times the normal amount that any normal equestrian should own. Keeping up with three phases is hard work, but these gifts can help your eventer organized.
Here are a few of the most beloved horsey gifts I’ve received over the past year or two, inspired by my 14-hand event pony Princess, with a tribute to my 29-year-old unicorn Mishka and my deeply missed heart horse Esprit. (Confession: The pom-pom helmet cover was a gift to myself, and to the world, really. Who can resist a chuckle seeing a full-grown woman on a little pony gallop past with THAT on her head?)
My “Dear Santa” lists as a kid were always headlined by items like “Vial of Adequan” or “Gallon of ShowSheen.” My parents would be like, “Are you sure? Don’t you want something for yourself?” What they didn’t understand: A gift to my horse IS a gift to myself — there’s no better gift in the world than a happy, healthy horse.
If your horse could write Santa, what would he or she ask for? Here’s an excerpt from Princess’ dream “Dear Santa” list. Notice the thinly veiled food/backrub/warm blankie theme — although I did edit her original snack preferences, which entailed straight-up bags of sugar cubes, to low-sugar and low-carb choices. Sorry, Princess! “Santa” knows best.
Video: “Breaking of the Ice” or, “54 Seconds of Your Life You’ll Never Get Back.”
Disclaimer: I did not grow up on a farm. My mother bought one after her divorce and years of boarding horses.
In my family, every winter on the farm, we have what we call the Winter Olympics. Unlike the namesake, this event occurs every year without fail. Sometimes the events change, but none are for the faint of heart or shallow in humor. In fact, horses in general are not recommend for the weak. Especially ponies … they smell weakness.
In the early days, the Hot Water Run incorporated getting warm water to the barn for the horses. Yes, it started hot and was tepid by arrival. The gold medal was always awarded to the competitor most drenched. Silver would likely have been the one who slipped in the snow or mud on the long trudge from the house to the barn. Water heaters are for quitters, coach used to say. This event was phased out when electric hot water buckets made the discipline obsolete.
Another fan favorite includes the Breaking of the Ice in the pasture troughs. Broken tools and limbs is the secret to securing the highest honor here. This phase varies year to year as the ice may be thicker than a corgi, or as thin as a last nerve. Every few years this segment of competition may be discarded due in part to mild winter conditions. But don’t worry, usually a frozen hose will keep you occupied in the meantime at some point throughout the season. Rest assured, at some point something will not work as it is designed to, whether frozen or not.
Of course summery green pastures don’t last all year round, but Haying does. Round bales are like the coffee klatch or water cooler. Sometimes the bales aren’t immediately available and flakes must be thrown. A little knowledge in Field Feng Shui will help the hay not get as wasted. Hay makes for excellent Pas de deux-doo footing. Equestrian math means four horses need at least five piles, but better make it 15 to be sure. Don’t expect “Thank You” or even acknowledgement. That nicker wasn’t for you.
For the really cold meals, a hot bran mash helps keep the pipes serviceable. Much like the ol’ Hot Water Run, you can expect to wear more than you feed. This event is for the softie—the one who likes to sneak the barn dog the dinner scraps. Happy warm munching on a cold dark night will stir the heart of even the coldest harden barnminion. In the beginning, we had the same number of horses as stalls. Gradually the number grew. On the cold, cold nights, even the aisle became one large stall. More horses=more poop. The muck bucket still needs to go out into the dark, cold, wet night for the Dumping. Headlamps are recommended.
The most grueling, riskiest venture of the season competition comes in the Rugging and Unrugging event. Blankets are what stalled horses wear. Rugs are what jousting war dragons that fly around the pasture shed, I mean, occasionally wear. Occasionally. When they deem it acceptable. But don’t worry, they are perfectly capable of removing said rugs themselves if needed desired. There are no winners in this event. Only survivors, with remaining limbs.
Of course, the Feeding of the Hounds can’t be forgotten. This isn’t an Olympic sport, merely a daily ritual, but it takes the heart of a champion day in and day out. Do you remember that scene in “A Christmas Story” wherein the Bumpus hounds run through house and storyline, demolishing all that stands in the packs way, turkey dinner included? Imagine that every day, every minute of your life and you’re a bit closer to having barn dogs.
“Oh, you have horses?” your coworkers dreamily ask. “I LOVE horses. That sounds so-o-o nice.” You smile, guessing they missed you prying the hay out of your bra 10 seconds prior, and that your dry shampoo fragrance covers the eau de farmette that’s seeped into your hair and clothes, never to be rinsed out again. You woke up hours before in the dark, feeding all the hungry mouths, ranging from cats to dogs to horses and unwittingly to the damn possum family lurking in the woods. They don’t make a coffee that comes in barn strength. There is no makeup that covers the bags under your eyes. You drive at least an extra 45 minutes more into work than every other person. But you smile-grimace and exhaustedly nod. Yup, horses are worth it.
