Kim Severson and Cooley Cross Border. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Entries have been confirmed for Les Etoiles de Pau CCI4*, which will take place Oct. 24-28 in France. There are 65 total combinations entered, including four from the U.S. and one Aussie we claim as our own.
Here are the American pairs making the trip to France:
Hallie Coon and Celien, an 11-year-old KWPN mare (Tenerife VDL X R Quicksilver, by Hamlet) owned by Helen Coon
Phillip Dutton and I’m Sew Ready, a 14-year-old KWPN gelding (Lupicor X Jarda, Elcaro) owned by John and Kristine Norton
Boyd Martin and Steady Eddie, a 15-year-old New Zealand Thoroughbred gelding (Jetball X Tudnela) owned by George and Gretchen Wintersteen and Denise Lahey and Pierre Colin
Kim Severson and Cooley Cross Border, an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Diamond Roller X Whos Diaz, by the Cross Syndicate) owned by The Cross Syndicate
Our honorary American, Ryan Wood, actually represents Australia but has been based in the States since 2008. He will ride Woodstock Bennett, an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Shannondale Sarco X Ponail Belle, by Beau Royale) owned by Curran Simpson, in the horse’s CCI4* debut.
The entry list is one of the strongest we have seen from Pau in recent years and includes a formidable British contingent led by World Champion Ros Canter with Zenshera. Past Pau winner William Fox-Pitt will also compete with CCI4* debutant Little Fire.
Click here to view the Pau CCI4* entry list. Go Eventing.
Who else is #fairhillready? This guy is. That is the look of the eagles right there. Or at least the look of an eagle who just woke up from a nap and he can’t quite remember where he is or what is going on, but is definitely ready for SOMETHING. Especially if it’s a snack. Or a snuggle. Best of luck in the CCI2*, Meg and Anakin! US Equestrian posted a neat feature on Meg, Nicole Aden and Andi Lawrence, three current or former eventing grooms who have found their own success in national and FEI eventing competitions, yesterday — be sure to check it out here.
The Fair Hill action kicks off today starting with the CCI first horse inspection at 1 p.m. EST. Dressage will start at 8 a.m. EST on both Thursday and Friday. Click here to view the full event schedule. Keep an eye on EN for all the latest action from Fair Hill v. 30.0!
National Holiday:National Pasta Day (Did you know that there are over 600 known pasta shapes?)
You need Fair Hill facts, and you need ’em fast! The USEA is here for you. A good one: “No rider who has won the CCI3* in the last six years is entered this year – on any horse. You have to go back to 2011 when Boyd Martin won aboard Yin Yang Yo to find a chance for a repeat winner. Martin has two entries in the CCI3* this year: Long Island T and Ray Price.” The field is wide open … who will we see crowned champion this year? [Fast Facts: 2018 Fair Hill International]
This year’s USEA Annual Meeting & Convention will focus on officials, but the schedule is split up into three different tracks: “Eventers,” Events,” and “USEA.” We got a preview of the “Eventers” track yesterday, which features presentations and open forums on topics ranging from conditioning and first aid certification to volunteers and amateur riders.This year’s meeting, featuring the USEA’s Eventing Hall of Fame, takes place at the Sheraton New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisiana, Dec. 6-9. [2018 USEA Convention Track Preview: Eventers]
Do you hack out on roads? It’s not quite as common a practice here in the States as it is in the UK, but for those who do, Horse & Hound offers a timely reminder to make yourself visible to drivers. With days shortening and daylight savings just around the corner, stay safe out there on the mean streets! [‘You must be seen’: picture of dark riders sparks road safety warning]
Irish eventer Jonty Evans’ recovery continues, slowly but surely. “It’s biting off bite-sized chunks out of a big pie,” Jonty says. “All the therapists say I’m doing remarkably well; they’re incredibly impressed with my improvement but they say it’s very definitely one step at a time.” [‘One step at a time’ for injured eventer Jonty Evans]
Attwood Wisdom of the Week: safety | performance | innovation
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Fair Hill International has been a staple on the calendars of U.S. riders for three decades — that’s right, the iconic Maryland event is celebrating it’s 30th Anniversary this week. Above you can see every single winner from this prestigious event.
This event has been there through major changes of our sport — from roads and tracks to the shortened format as we know it. This blast from the past is brought to you by RNS Video who helped produced this hour long piece for cable television in 1993, the year David O’Connor and Wilton Fair won (Their ride starts at 3:40). Enjoy, and find more on RNS Video’s YouTube Page.
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2018 AEC Jr. Beginner Novice champions Ella Robinson and Fernhill Fearless des Terdrix. Photo by Leslie Wylie.
The 2019-2020 American Eventing Championships are coming to the Kentucky Horse Park … raise your hand (and tell us in the comments) if you’re going to be there!
In the President’s Letter of the latest issue of Eventing USA magazine, USEA prez Carol Kozlowski says that she has a bet going with CEO Rob Burk and Director of Programs/Marketing Kate Lokey that “we’re going to break all AEC entry records in 2019. I’m counting on everyone’s support here as I’ve got dinner riding on this wager as my last AEC president… Get going, get qualified and get there! It’s going to be a blow out, and I’m going to do everything I can to be riding there myself!”
Love ya Rob and Kate, but I’ve got to come down on the side of Carol on this one. Come next fall you guys are going to be buying that lady dinner, and I hope she orders the porterhouse. The AEC at Tryon International Equestrian Center was huge, but I think Kentucky is going to be even bigger. It’s the Horse Park! It’s hallowed ground. For those of us who aren’t four-star riders (*cough* most of us), this is our chance for a moment of glory in Rolex Stadium.
The 2019 USEA American Eventing Championships will take place Aug. 27 – Sept. 1, 2019. First things first: You’ve gotta qualify. The qualifying period is May 28, 2018 – August 19, 2019. There are a few qualification updates for this year, which you can check out here. View the full qualifications for here; for additional explanation of the rules in Appendix 3, click here.
One of my favorite things when I’m watching a TV show or movie, reading a book, or listening to music is the sometimes random occurrence of a horse. Now, I’m not talking about Mr. Ed, War Horse, The Saddle Club TV show, or one of numerous equine-focused book series. I’m talking about the random pop-up of equines in otherwise-unrelated pop culture.
Usually these instances of random equine stories are a romantic horse and carriage ride and/or a horse poop joke. Yet, there are some pieces of pop culture that feature our favorite animal in utterly odd ways.
Bojack Horseman
Bojack Horseman is a Netflix, animated, dark comedy about an aging sitcom star, who is an anthropomorphized horse. His hit show in the ’90s was Horsin’ Around, a Full House-esque show about a horseman who adopts three orphans … shenanigans ensue. As this review of Horsin’ Around illustrates, there’s nothing this show likes better than puns.
Photo credit: Netflix.
“Not to be a neigh-sayer but this family sitcom is so saddled with lame horse-themed puns it might have to be put out to pasture. Ratings remain stable despite the unbridled mediocrity of the acting and hackneyed, half-assed writing. The syrupy plots should be sent straight to the glue factory. If wishes were horses, beggars would beg to watch a different show. Frankly the pony gags tend to yield diminishing returns and the mane attraction of this rodeo is the talented young actress Sarah Lynn, who performance might shine if she were given better material. Skip this season and change the channel to a horse of a different color.”
In a recent season 5 episode, “Bojack the Feminist,” Bojack is going along with a PR strategy for his new show that includes being a ‘male feminist’ wearing a shirt with the slogan “Feminism is Bay” [here’s a primer on the bae meme, for anyone who is behind the internet times].
Photo credit: Netflix.
For being a show that’s literally about a horse, his equine nature doesn’t come up very often. However, there is a whole subplot about him being cast as the eponymous role in the Secretariat biopic.
Chestnut (2 Broke Girls)
Photo credit: Cliff Lipson/CBS.
Bringing up another bay that should be a chestnut … there is a horse character in the CBS sitcom 2 Broke Girls. The premise of the show is obvious in the title. One of the broke girls used to be a rich Manhattan socialite, so obviously she had a horse: a champion jumper named Chestnut (yes, even though he’s bay).
Photo credit: Cliff Lipson/CBS.
Chestnut lives in the middle of Brooklyn, in an apartment courtyard, no matter the weather. The plausibility of the storyline aside (Where does all the manure go? Who is their hay provider? Does he need wormer in the city?), the broke girls love Chestnut and end up finding a more responsible living situation for him later in the series.
Full House finale episode: “Michelle Rides Again”
Over the years there were a few equine stories on Full House, but who could forget the finale episode. For those who weren’t children in the ’90s. the Full House finale featured the youngest Tanner, Michelle (played alternately by the Olsen twins), falling off her pony in the woods instead of competing in the hunter show with her friend.
Michelle ends up having amnesia from the concussion (don’t worry, in true Full House fashion, she regains her memories and everyone is happy).
It’s a bit of a stretch as far as horse storylines go, however, the episode does portray some of the pressure of a horse show well.
Beyoncé
A rule I live by is that any pop-culture list must include Beyoncé. She is the ruling queen of American media and must be treated as such. My personal favorite equine-and-Beyoncé moment is the money shot in her “Who Run the World (Girls)” music video…
A gorgeous, rearing, black Friesian … I mean, what little horse-obsessed kid can’t relate to this image of empowerment.
Honorable mention: Science also named a horsefly after Beyonce because of its “spectacular gold color.” Now I know horseflies are not friends of our actual horses, but they are extremely important pollinators for the environment!
Honorable Honorable mention: Bojack Horseman featured a Beyonce and Jay-Zebra pun
BEYONCE AND JAY-ZEBRA IN BOJACK HORSEMAN. I REPEAT: BEYONCE AND JAY-ZEBRA IN BOJACK HORSEMAN pic.twitter.com/iqhqnEud5H
No equine pop culture list would be complete without a mention of Li’l Sebastian. Anyone who has watched the tv show Parks and Recreation will appreciate the grand importance of this miniature horse to the residents of Pawnee, Indiana.
Most of the shows Li’l Sebastian related humor is how everyone absolutely loves him except for the town transplant, Ben Wyatt (played by Adam Scott).
Li’l Sebastian also gets a song written about him by Andy (played by everyone’s favorite dinosaur wrangler, Chris Pratt).
While this is not a comprehensive list, it’s a few of my favorites. Let me know what random equine occurrences I missed and that you love!
Go Eventing.
Fall seems to be the season most often associated with change. Perhaps it’s the turning leaves that provides such a brilliant visual reminder of transition and makes us ruminate upon the fluidity of life this time of year in particular. Our Weekly OTTB Wishlist presented by Cosequin routinely highlights three Thoroughbreds who are going through a season of change in their own lives as they look to begin their transition to new careers; this installment is no exception.
Okay, that’s definitely enough introspection for one day, let’s get to the horses. Here are this week’s three picks, all from CANTER USA:
It’s easy to look past the rough sorrel coat of this mare to see how nicely she’s put together and what a lovely sporthorse she might make. Congaree’s Key has been running in Maiden Claiming races for years clearly without much success at all, but that doesn’t mean a different sport isn’t right up her alley. Even though she never won any races, she still appears to have a bottomless fuel tank and some serious athletic potential. To boot, she’s a sweet and personable mare in the barn, wanting attention and to make friends with everyone who passes by her stall.
This little bay gelding’s names is Peaches and he’s cute as a button! At two-years-old, he’s made two starts and has absolutely zero interest in racing. That’s OK, the better to take him home and stick him in your barn! While he’s not keen on racing, his trainer says he should be able to easily transition to a new career. Right now he’s a little guy, but he should still grow a bit more given some time. He is said to be sound and has no bad habits, so if you’re in the market for a young prospect to restart, Baytown Peaches could be just the one!
This one is for the soccer fans out there! Named for Lionel Messi, the Argentinian superstar who captains FC Barcelona, perhaps this Messi could be your next superstar? This is another young horse with exactly two starts and zero interest in racing, but maybe he’s destined for greatness in a different career? This tall, dark and handsome sweetie looks ready to make some magic happen for you if you train him up right.
Lauren Kieffer and Landmark’s Monte Carlo. Photo by Libby Law Photography.
The drawn order has been posted for the Dutta Corp Fair Hill International, which starts tomorrow with the first horse inspection in Elkton, Maryland. A total of 66 horses in the CCI2* and 44 horses in the CCI3* will be presented to the ground juries.
Allie Knowles is the only rider in the CCI2* with three horses entered and will serve as pathfinder with Ms. Poppins, as well as the final rider in the division with Morswood.
Five riders have two entries in the CCI3*, and Lauren Kieffer has the honor of going first and last for the division. Landmark’s Monte Carlo will serve as pathfinder for the CCI3*, while Vermiculus will be the last horse on Derek di Grazia’s course on Saturday.
Click here to view the full drawn order for both the CCI2* and CCI3*.
Fair Hill also serves as the USEA Young Event Horse East Coast Championships, with 14 horses entered in the 4-year-old Championships and 42 horses entered in the 5-year-old Championships. View the drawn order for the YEH Championships here.
The action kicks off tomorrow at Fair Hill starting with the CCI first horse inspection at 1 p.m. EST. Dressage will start at 8 a.m. EST on both Thursday and Friday. Click here to view the full event schedule.
USEF Network will be broadcasting the CCI3* this year, with dressage and show jumping recorded live and available to watch online later in the day. CCI3* cross country will stream live on Saturday.
Keep it locked on EN for everything you need to know from Fair Hill. Go Eventing.
Erin Jarboe and Sir Rockstar. Photo by Shelby Allen.
I spent my Sunday with the Eventing Team at UGA for a show jumping clinic with Maya Black. It was fun to see what the team has been up to and meet the new members, and you can always learn something auditing a clinic. Another highlight was getting to see the infamous Sir Rockstar in his new career with team rider Erin Jarboe. Look at that sweet grumpy face! He’s still as game as ever at age 20.
National Holiday: National Feral Cat Day (Which equestrians might call Barn Cat Day)
Spectators at Olympia are in for a special treat! Charlotte Dujardin will debut her and Mount St John Freestyle’s WEG freestyle test that they were unable to perform, due to the cancellation of that final dressage competition. [Charlotte Dujardin to debut unseen WEG freestyle at Olympia]
We’re all accustomed to being a bit grimy and dirty at the barn, but that shouldn’t prevent you from frequent hand washing. The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) is urging riders to wash their hands to prevent the spread of diseases, and its role cannot be “underestimated.” [Keep it clean: How hand-washing helps horse health]
That’s one happy kiddo! Photo via Colleen Rutledge Eventing on Facebook.
Tamie Smith isn’t the only rider with a top 10 finish to be proud of this weekend. Meanwhile on this side of the pond, riders around the nation were out in full force enjoying the fall event season. Among them: Colleen and Brian Rutledge’s daughter Ciana, who competed in The Maryland H.T.’s Beginner Novice Three-Day Event at Loch Moy Farm this weekend and finished in 10th place.
Ciana has been working hard all year to get herself and her pony Daybreak, a 17-year-old Welsh Pony gelding owned by her four-star veteran mother, qualified for the BN3DE at the end of the season. Ten-year-old Ciana has had a fantastic first year of recognized competition starting with her first sanctioned event in June and having just come off a second place finish in the Area II Junior Beginner Novice Championships last weekend. Here they are beasting around that course:
So I post Colleen’s slow motion jumping every once in while figure I would try it on her daughter Ciana. Brian
Michael Jung and Lennox 364 at Strzegom. Photo by Mariusz Chmieliński.
It may have seemed like a quiet start to the fall season for Germany’s Michael Jung, who missed out on the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games due to an injury to fischerRocana FST — though he still made the trip to Tryon to coach Pawel Spizak.
But the reality is Michael has been just as busy as ever. This past weekend in Poland, he took the win in the Strzegom CCI3* with Lennox 364 — Michael’s first major win since Kentucky CCI4* last year and his first CCI3* win since the Blair European Championships in 2015.
Lennox 364, a 10-year-old Hanoverian (Sunlight xx X Heather’s Pride, by Heraldik xx) owned by the Jung family and Erich Single, has been making a comeback from an injury and primarily campaigned this season at CIC* and CIC2* level with Michael’s student Isabel English.
Michael took the ride back in the Nations Cup at Waregem last month in preparation for Strzegom, which was Lennox’s first time back at CCI3* level since finishing fifth at Saumur last year. Lennox led Strzegom after dressage on 25.6 and slipped to second after cross country with 4.0 time penalties added. He then jumped one of five clear show jumping rounds yesterday to clinch the win on 30.0.
“Lennox did a very nice dressage test; he’s a super mover,” Michael said. “I had a great feeling about our ride in the cross country. He’s in a super condition; he jumped everything very easily. The show jumping is not his best specialty, but it went really well. He was really strong and gave me a great feeling. I’m very happy that he’s back after his injury.”
Michael also finished second in the CCI3* with Maria Stein’s Corazon, an 8-year-old Hanoverian (Casillas 2 X Skyline, by Sir Donnerhall) who made her debut at the level. The mare added just 4.8 cross country time penalties to her dressage score to complete on 31.3.
Gemma Tattersall led the CCI3* after cross country with Chris Stone’s Chilli Knight, an 8-year-old British-bred gelding (Chilli Morning X Kings Gem, by Rock King) who also made his debut at the level. Knocking the final fence in show jumping saw “Alfie” finish third on 32.1.
“I’m so proud of little Alfie. At 8-years-old he jumped his socks off around a tough show jumping track with a very tight time to have the very last fence down,” Gemma said. “Obviously I’m personally gutted not to have won, but I’m so pleased with this lovely young horse who couldn’t have tried harder for me all week.”
Strzegom’s October Festival is always a banner weekend in Poland, and this year saw a record 420 horses compete with riders representing 22 different countries. Michael also won the CCI* B section on 28.0 with Go For S, a 6-year-old Hanoverian mare (Grey Top X Landana, by Colon xx) owned by Faye Füllgraebe.
Click here to view full results from Strzegom. Go Eventing.
