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 Instagram for inclusion in future editions!
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Go Eventing.
A fitting farewell: Astier Nicolas officially retires Piaf de B’Neville in a moving ceremony at Pau. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
In an emotional retirement ceremony on the final day of Pau, France’s Astier Nicolas said a fond farewell to Piaf de B’Neville, the fifteen-year-old Selle Français with whom he recorded his first four-star win and considerable success at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Piaf de B’Neville (Cap de B’Neville x Homelie III, by Reve d’Elle) was unofficially retired in May of this year, with the intention of a ceremonial retirement at the French four-star, which he won in 2015. He was last seen in international competition in 2017, when he finished fifteenth at Badminton.
Astier produced ‘Ben’ through the levels himself, debuting him internationally at Aldon CCI1* in England in 2010. Ben would finish third, and less than a year later, he would jump around his first CIC3*, coming sixth. But, said Astier of the horse, who possesses only about 50% blood breeding, “he shouldn’t be doing this — but he does!” In fact, unlike so many of the world’s top eventers, Ben had never been intended for the upper echelons of the sport — instead, he was spotted by Astier at a Toulouse branch of the Pony Club, where he was being ridden by his young owner.
“He’s such a hard worker, and so trainable that you can be optimistic that he’ll soon be much better,” said Astier in a 2013 interview with EN. “You couldn’t have a much easier horse than Ben. He’s very good to work with, and he always tries hard for you; he’s very laid-back for the most part.”
Photo by Tilly Berendt.
In 2012, Astier and Ben had their first major win together when they took the prestigious under-25 CCI3* at Bramham. Suddenly, both the young French rider, fresh from his studies at Hartpury, and his exceptional horse were thrust into the spotlight.
In 2013, buoyed by the previous summer’s success, they entered their first Badminton. This was the horse’s first effort at the level, though it wasn’t Astier’s — by that point, he’d clocked up three four-star completions with Jhakti du Janlie, though just one of those had been a clear, and he’d never yet graced the hallowed grounds of the Gloucestershire estate.
Astier Nicolas and Piaf de b’Neville at the final horse inspection at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Not many can claim the considerable accolade of finishing on their dressage score at their first — or indeed, any — Badminton, but that’s just what Astier and Ben did on that fateful debut. They added nothing to their dressage score of 32.8, allowing them to finish 9th in the illustrious company of La Biosthetique Sam FBW, Nereo, Opgun Louvo, Avebury, and Clifton Promise. His turn in the spotlight justified, he had entered the major leagues of the French eventing stratosphere.
Ben’s first team call-up would follow, and he and Astier headed to the European Championships at Malmö later that summer. There, they would deliver another impeccable clear round inside the time across the country, and although an uncharacteristic three rails down on the final day would preclude a top 20 placing individually, their efforts would help the French team to a bronze medal finish.
In 2014, Ben would make a follow-up appearance for the French team, and this time, he cracked the top ten himself, jumping a quick clear at Aachen’s CICO3*. Once again, the team took bronze and proved the country’s formidability in the sport — a particularly pertinent point when you consider that the ‘A’ team was occupied with that year’s World Equestrian Games, for which Ben was initially selected. Unfortunately, a minor injury led to his withdrawal before the competition.
Astier Nicolas and Piaf De B’Neville at Pau in 2015. Photo by Leslie Wylie.
But the lows of the sport — and there are always lows, even for the superstars — weren’t to last. An incredible 2015 season, in which Ben finished in the top ten of all four of his international competitions, culminated in the highlight of his career: he and Astier would win their home CCI4* at Pau that autumn in front of an enormously appreciative crowd of fans.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time,” he said afterward. “Even when I was young I dreamed about this victory.”
Astier Nicolas and Piaf de b’Neville at Badminton 2017. Photo by Jenni Autry.
2016 was Ben’s final full season of eventing, and he made it one to remember. He took the inaugural leg of the then-brand new Event Rider Master series, making light work of the tough terrain and tight time at Chatsworth. That summer, he would finally enjoy his most important call-up yet: Ben was heading to the Rio Olympics.
We talk a lot about the French eventing team and how, for all their peaks and troughs, they can never for a moment be underestimated. Never was this more true than at Rio, where they earned the gold medal — just their second ever in eventing. For Astier, it would be a day of double celebrations — he and Ben dug deep after their hard work on the previous day’s cross-country and earned the individual silver medal for their efforts.
From left: Karim Florent Laghouag, Mathieu Lemoine, Astier Nicolas and Thibaut Vallette. Photo by Jenni Autry.
“It’s been a very long wait to bring the French flag back to the top, and we were really patient. We’ve had a French win already when they were Olympic champions in Athens, and we’ve been waiting a lot, and it’s such a good relief today. Also we have a team of good friends — the victory has a sweet taste today,” Astier said.
Astier Nicolas and Piaf de b’Neville. Photo by Arnd Bronkhorst/FEI.
Just one international appearance would follow for Ben, who picked up fifteenth place at Badminton in 2017. Thereafter, niggling health concerns would keep him out of international competition, and in May of this year, Astier announced that the horse would no longer compete.
Astier Nicolas, Piaf de B’Neville, and Julie LeMarinel at Ben’s retirement. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
It was only fitting that the horse’s fans — and, in fact, Astier himself — should get the chance to say goodbye at the site of the horse’s biggest victory, and there was hardly a dry eye to be seen as his impressive career history was read out. The ceremony was conducted in the traditional manner: Astier rode his long-time partner into the arena, and Ben was then untacked, rugged up — much to his chagrin — and led on a final tour of the main arena. His partner in this lap of honour was Julie LeMarinel, who was his groom at the Rio Olympics. He’ll spend his retirement at Julie’s dairy farm in Cherbourg, near his place of birth, and act as a companion to the cows and a conveyance around the farm.
“He’s the horse of my life, so far — whatever happens, he will always be a horse of a lifetime,” says Astier. “Where I am now, that is all thanks to him, so that’s a big thing. He’s a very happy horse, and he’s retired in a good state, happy and healthy, and now he goes back to his native land with Julie, who’s a very good friend of mine and was there from the beginning, when we were first starting at the upper levels. So there’s a lot of good vibes!”
All of us at EN wish Ben a long and happy retirement, and implore Astier and Julie to send us some photos of him hanging out with his cow friends.
Just playing some hide and seek. Photo by Andrea Leatherman Davidson.
This photo of Aubrey Davidson made me smile so so much, and just die a little inside with that ridiculously cute fluffy pony following her around the cross country course. This is absolutely the best way to be as a kid, and the best way to learn about horses and riding. I myself was basically let loose at a very young age with a variety of ponies, crawling around on them and falling off and climbing back on and hoping nobody noticed. Honestly not much has changed.
National Holiday: National Cappuccino Day
U.S. Weekend Preview:
Full Moon Farms H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
River Glen Fall H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]
Poplar Place Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Texas Rose Horse Park H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
News From Around the Globe:
FEI president Ingmar de Ros has cast doubts on the future of the World Equestrian Games. The WEG is under inspection after it has been acknowledged that it is becoming harder and harder to find organizers who are capable and willing to host such a massive event, as well as how challenging it is for many countries to send riders every four years. As WEG venues find it financially more difficult to justify, there is a possibility of change in the format for the future. [WEG Changes on the Horizon?]
Everyone wants a horse that can handle its surroundings. Whether it’s the hustle and bustle of the sales grounds, the energy-charged environment on race day, the controlled chaos of a horse show or simply hacking out in unfamiliar territory, a horse that doesn’t lose its marbles and resort to “flight mode” when the unfamiliar or unexpected arises is one that will be easier to handle and more apt to find success in whatever is asked of them. [Desensitizing Horses for Racing and Life]
Unfortunately Grand Oaks Horse Trials has been cancelled. Due to lack of entries that are possibly due to the holiday weekend, Grand Oaks organizers announced the cancellation yesterday. Graciously, they are refunding all entries in full and offering a cross country schooling that weekend for all that did enter. [Grand Oaks HT Cancelled]
Girl power is alive and well in 2018, as we saw at the Breeder’s Cup Turf last week. We can’t get over Enable’s performance last weekend winning the prestigious race, only weeks after winning Europe’s most important turf race at the Prix de l’Arc Triomphe. Beating all the odds. Beating all the colts. Blowing us away. Watch it again! [Enable Wins Breeder’s Cup Turf]
Hot on Horse Nation: Curing the Horse Show Hangover
People think I’m crazy when I tell them I foxhunt my event horse, but it’s been the very best thing for him as he grows into himself and learns where his feet are. Hunting has made him braver, sharper, more focused. Plus, if a horse can foxhunt first flight, they have no excuse to be afraid of anything they encounter on a manicured cross country course.
Don’t take my word for it. Following the Virginia Horse Trials last weekend, Boyd Martin said he was looking forward to spending some time riding with the Cheshire Foxhounds near his home base in Pennsylvania this winter.
“The warmblood-y ones that are foreign to the cross country go out. I usually go out on the quieter days [during the week] and stick in the back ,” Boyd said. “It’s tough because the event horses are worth so much money now and it’s terrifying riding them for hours in knee deep mud, but they still have to have this toughness and ruggedness and will to fight through adversity. The hunting teaches them that.”
Obviously, you have to pick the right horse for the job. Not all event horses are appropriate to hunt, or even enjoy it. But some truly DO. But listen. Not all hunts have you galloping headlong over massive hedges and sketchy ditches a la Wylie’s Ledbury experience. Many hunts across the U.S. maintain a slower pace, with optional small coop fences, thrilling yet relatively tame gallops through the countryside, and lots of long breaks (aka checks, aka snack/hip flask time).
Exhibit A: Massbach Hounds in Illinois. This hunt looked to have had a beautiful, sunny day fox chasing in the above video. Nothing too crazy, but with enough of a challenge to keep everyone interested. Almost right away they’re negotiating water crossings and fitness-testing terrain, and you get an up-close-and-personal look at the hounds as they work. Not to mention the stunning views! What a wonderful way to spend a day on a horse!
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“When the days get long and grey us Vermonters go to work!” says Kathleen Carrara of Arbrook Farm’s 4th annual Halloween clinic, led by fearless and dedicated Area I trainer “King” John Bourgoin.
“Day 1 was awesome grid work. Day 2 was rhythm, turns, coursework and costumes!” Kathleen says. “This clinic gives us our homework for the winter and gives us a great excuse to have more fun with our horses.”
Situated in the Champlain Valley of Vermont and New York State, owned by John and Alice Bourgoin, Arbrook Farm has been host to the Charlotte Pony Club for many years. We’re glad to see adult amateur eventers keeping it fun as well!
Here are a few photos from the clinic, courtesy of Arbrook Farm’s Facebook page.
“King” John Bourgoin.
“Wonder Woman” — Ginny Kate & Flicka
“The headless horseman” — Lauren Singer Waite & Phoebe
“Work Crew” — Karen Miller Vesosky & Skeeter
“The Cheshire Cat” — Sofie Van Olmen & Benny
“Race car driver” — Rachel Hoar & Salt
“Pumpkin Pie” — Kate Nolfi & Pi
“Harry Potter” — Lily Pecor & Harry
“The Indian princess and her pony” — Kathleen Ivey Carrara & Hazen
“The Queen of Hearts” — Kira Kemp & Charlie
“Knight in shining armor” — Alex Kavouksorian & Topper
“Loofah & bar of soap” — Eliza Merrill & Oakley
“Pirates” – Rachel Hoar & Henry
“Maid Marian & Robin Hood” — Alyssa Lambert & Timmy
“Blue’s Clues” — Skylar Langford & Enzo
“The burglar and his getaway car” — Lisa Divoll Painter & Finn
“The tin man and Dorothy” – Nina Matt & Piper
“Flapper” — Andrea Bull Brainard & Beijing
Let’s see them in action!
“The Headless Horseman” – 2018 Halloween Jumping Clinic
Posted by Arbrook Farm on Monday, November 5, 2018
Go Eventing!
Sophie Click and Hot Wheels. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Imagine competing at the top level with multiple horses, traveling from coast to coast, and managing a business and a team of horses, all while keeping up a demanding college schedule. Sound tough? Well, that is exactly what 19-year-old two-star rider Sophie Click does and more as she strives to not only represent the U.S. on an international stage but also earn that all-important college degree.
As the season for college applications and SATs is in full swing, Sophie wants to prove to all high school seniors that riding at the upper levels and going to college can be done. Her secret? It’s no secret, really — more a product of dedication, both to her studies and her horses, as well as a high level of time management to fit everything into her busy schedule.
Everyone’s path to a college degree is different. Sophie obtained many of her college credits during high school and took some college courses online, making her classes slightly easier to allow her to focus more on her riding. She will transition next semester, though, as she picks up and moves to attend Washington State University for her first full-time semester of college.
Sophie Click and Fernhill Rising at Fair Hill. Photo by Shelby Allen.
While moving away from her usual training barn and family will be tough, Sophie is welcoming the change and looking forward to the new opportunities it will bring. She has already begun to plan her winter and spring schedules with school in mind and has found that it is easier than she thought.
“I wasn’t necessarily worried that I would have to put my riding on hold, but you never know how much you can compete until you sign up for your first semester and see what your schedule really looks like. Take it from me — balancing a full-time college schedule and riding is hard but with the right schedule and dedication you can get everything done with time to spare,” Sophie says. “I am looking forward to continuing to compete at the upper levels with my partner, QuidProQuo, AKA ‘Rocky,’ no matter what it takes or how much time I have to spend on the road.”
Getting a college degree is important. Professionals throughout all equestrian sports are being quoted now more than ever, in saying that obtaining a college degree is key, even if you strive to pride professionally. Sophie explains, “My parents were always so supportive and kind of let me find my own path back to school. They never forced me to go to college so I was lucky enough to take some time to focus on my riding in between high school and college, but I quickly realized that getting my degree is something that I not only needed to do, but wanted to do.”
Sophie Click and Hot Wheels. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Sophie is proving it can be done and she wants to share a few tips for young riders like herself, who want to get that vital degree but think they can’t have it all. One tip that immediately comes to mind for Sophie is that you need an incredibly strong work ethic to be able to balance it all and the ability to adapt to change. Sophie is the perfect example of this. “It will be a big change from mainly just riding to transiting to being a full-time student, but I am ready for the challenge,” she says.
She also wants to make it clear that there is no right or wrong path to take to earning your degree. The result is the same no matter how you accomplish it, and everyone’s situation is different. For Sophie, completing college courses online was a good option; however, it is not for everyone. She also encourages everyone to find a training program that is suitable for both themselves and their horse, and a suitable class schedule.
For example, in January not only is Sophie going to be upping her class load, but she will also be switching up her training program to match. When she starts at WSU in January, she will have a five-class schedule. She knows keeping up with these classes and riding will be challenging but she intends to be successful in school, compete at her usual events, and ride every day. Next year she will most likely take one semester where she does online classes and travels east to compete, most likely in the fall. This is just one of the many ways and many paths to the top and to a degree.
Sophie Click and Hot Wheels. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Apart from finding a schedule you feel comfortable in while you attend college, Sophie also recommends utilizing your support system and all of your resources. That may mean reaching out for help at school, or to different trainers outside of your normal circle. She has found that especially at college, everyone just wants to help you succeed and there is no shame in taking advantage of everything that you can. Oh, and leave some time for fun, too!
The last piece of wisdom Sophie had to offer is mainly an assurance that it can be done. She wants everyone to know how important she has found a college degree to be, and how important it has been for her to have that school/horses balance. Sophie never doubts her decision to go to college full-time this spring and is excited to see what the next few years bring! There have been many people whom she has turned to for advice in preparing for the transition, and she says would be happy to do the same for others. If you are struggling with your college decision, feel free to reach out to Sophie via email or social media for advice. Go Sophie, go to college, and go eventing.
Tom Crisp and the exceptional Liberty and Glory make easy work of a tough and influential Pau course. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Great Britain’s Tom Crisp has earned himself an interesting and impressive statistic this season: he’s the only rider to complete all four of the European four-stars in 2018. Two of those were on his top horse, the seasoned Burghley campaigner Coolys Luxury — he added a fifth trip around the Lincolnshire fixture to his copybook, just months after giving Tom his first Badminton completion — while the other two were on his Pau mount, Liberty and Glory. Owned by Tom’s wife Sophie and father-in-law Robin Balfour, the homebred eleven-year-old mare pulled off a remarkable sixth-place finish at Pau earlier this month, giving Tom his best-ever result at a four-star. In doing so, the pair made the biggest climb of the week, leaping 48 places up the leaderboard after their first phase standing of 54th (37.8).
Liberty and Glory, so named because she was born on the fourth of July, had rather more mixed fortunes at Luhmühlen, her four-star debut — an honest, green mistake meant that she missed a flag and then clocked up a 20 when she wasn’t quite sure what she was meant to jump next. But, nonetheless, she completed the competition and evidently learned an enormous amount in doing so, which allowed her to come to Pau at peak fitness and with the competitive maturity of a much older horse. For Tom, whose trip to Pau marked his twentieth four-star start, their top ten finish was the culmination of a long-held aim and an incredible amount of hard work.
“It’s always been a bit of a childhood dream to come in the top ten at a four-star against the best in the world,” he says. “She’s been unlucky with some of these little whoopsies so far this year, but I’ve felt so close to a big result with her, and it luckily all came together this weekend, which is nice for everyone.”
Armed with this considerable experience, Tom is in the best possible position to compare and contrast these four unique events, and so we decided to pick his brains about Pau and its continental compatriots. Someone get the man to Kentucky and Adelaide, so we can get the Crisp analysis of all six events!
“This year’s Pau course wasn’t as twisty as previous years — I thought it had a nice flow to it,” reflected Tom in EN’s analysis of the course. “As a course builder, Pierre questions the horse by using open striding. Is that a good thing? Is that a bad thing? It just is what it is, really, and you have to go to Pau prepared for it. When in France, ride like a Frenchman; be open and attack the distances. Oddly enough it did work; there were certainly places where you’d walk it and think it wouldn’t, but it worked for me and it worked for most of the people who rode it positively.”
Tom Crisp and Liberty and Glory. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
“Pau’s course was set in such a way that people would get round if they wanted to,” he says. “Luhmühlen was a little bit the opposite — you either jumped clear, or you walked home. There weren’t any particularly friendly options if you did have problems; you either had to choose a difficult alternative or jump the same fence again, and for whatever reason, it was never easy to get to the option you chose. It was the toughest course I jumped this year, just a serious challenge from beginning to end, and no options if you just wanted to complete rather than compete. You tend to see that, though — one year, a competition will be nice and easy, and the next, they beef it right up. Then it’ll quieten down a bit again. Each of the course designers have their own ideas, their own flavour.”
As if four CCI4* completions in a season wasn’t quite enough to be getting on with, Tom and his family saw their season punctuated by a catastrophic fire, which destroyed part of their East Sussex yard while they were at Luhmühlen. The cause of the fire was never confirmed, and fortunately, the barn’s residents were turned out at the time, but the ongoing rebuild has added an extra dimension to Tom’s busy schedule. Alongside eventing full-time and ensuring sons Harry and Hugo have plenty of opportunities to compete their own ponies, Tom works as a retained firefighter, too, and is busy building his own house. Despite all of this, he and his team regrouped and headed into their late-summer three-days without missing a beat.
Burghley has historically been a happy hunting ground for Tom, whose best four-star result prior to Pau was eleventh at the Stamford estate in 2014, aboard Coolys Luxury. With its long, stamina-sapping gallop stretches, its intense natural terrain, and its dimensionally massive fences, it’s a far cry from Michelet’s tight and technical course. This year, the final third of the Burghley course featured exclusively single fences — a new tactic by Mark Phillips that tempted complacency.
“We all thought that the finish at Burghley walked very friendly this year, without anything too testing, but the horses made hard work of the last few fences. I don’t think you can ever underestimate how much that track takes out of them, though, particularly the long gallop up Winners’ Avenue towards the Cottesmore Leap. Even if there’s nothing technical, it’s always relentlessly big. At Pau, there was the big white table at 16, probably a couple of single fences that were up to four-star height, but every single fence at Burghley, even the let-up fences, are at the maximum dimensions. Whereas at Pau you can canter around the racetrack and think the fences don’t seem too big, at Burghley they’re eye-poppingly massive and physically demanding.”
Tom Crisp wins the Laurence Rook trophy for the best British rider completing Badminton for the first time. Photo by Kit Houghton/Mitsubishi Motors.
Badminton, too, offered a sufficient challenge — though for Tom, much of it was mental.
“Badminton was one of my best results this year, even if, at 19th, it wasn’t one of my best placings, just because it was my fourth attempt and me and Coolys Luxury actually completed. It had become a real nemesis for me,” he explains. “I really thought, ‘it’s just never going to happen for me.’ Last year I said, ‘I’m not even going to try again; I’m not going to put the horse through it; I can’t get him right and ready in the spring.’ And you listen to what people say, too, about your record with an event. It’s so easy to give up and to give in, but if you quit, it lasts forever. Pain is temporary. Trials, tribulations, all the hardships of eventing, they’re temporary, but giving up is permanent. You’ve got to push on, and push on, and there are times you feel like you don’t even want to do it anymore, you can’t do it anymore, why are you even doing this? But these are normal feelings, and we all have them, and it makes it all the more special when you keep digging and you find something positive at the bottom of the pile, and it all comes good. And that’s really what Badminton was.”
Tom Crisp and Coolys Luxury at Badminton. Photo by Kit Houghton/Mitsubishi Motors.
It’s easy to forget, when we’re not the ones in the irons, that much of what makes the eventing game such a tumultuous one is the mental battle that must be fought, often before an event is even entered, and then over and over again on the way to triumph or disaster. It can make it rather hard to quantify what makes a course fair, or tough enough, or readable enough, but it can also turn statistics topsy-turvy, too.
“Lori goes into next season with a combination of Pau and Luhmühlen to take forward — it’s all experience, and it’s all progression. Luhmühlen didn’t look good on paper, but it prepared her for Pau more than anything else. It was a good round for her, and we learned that she can dig deep, and if things go wrong she doesn’t take it badly — she just keeps thinking forward. I thought then, ‘this horse is going to get some really good results; I know this horse is capable,’ and I felt so excited and positive about it. But in eventing, and especially at the four-star level, it’s all narrow margins — you don’t have to do a lot wrong to have a 20 slap you in the face; sometimes it comes down to not doing enough right.”
Robin Balfour, Harry Crisp, and head girl Amy Akehurst with Liberty and Glory at Pau. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
This is a particularly familiar concept for anyone who’s trained or competed a quirky horse. Tom’s wife Sophie initially produced Lori to the BE100 level, and Tom took the reins in 2015 to make the move up to Novice and one-star. By the end of the next year, she was an established Advanced competitor. Often, the road to the top is punctuated with a variety of potholes; for Lori, these manifested themselves in her formative years.
“She’s always been a little bit funny; the first time she went cross-country schooling, she just laid down and wouldn’t go anywhere. It took her an hour to get in the water the first time. Sophie really struggled with her — she used to refuse to leave the start box. At the beginning I said ‘look, let’s just get rid of it,’ but she’s always been a textbook jumper and a flashy mover, she just wouldn’t apply herself. So I just took all the pressure off her, never used my legs or spurs, and then we just clicked from there. We get along well, although she’s still a funny thing — she doesn’t let just anyone into her stable, and she can’t be tied. She even fractured her skull once while she was being plaited because she didn’t like that she was tied up.”
Strip away the pressure, work with your horse’s natural tendencies, and take it on the chin if it doesn’t go to plan: Tom Crisp has developed an formidable battle plan – and a good sense of humour – over his years in the industry. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Removing the pressure and nurturing that innate spark has created an impressive competitor: Lori attacked the Pau course with aplomb, opening her stride to find those famously French forward distances. Earlier in the week, Tom had half-joked that the diminutive mare was his FiscerRocana — on Saturday, it was easy to see why. Now, he has a result in hand that proves that his faith in the horse was well placed. Sometimes, he stresses, it can take all too long to get to that point.
“You can be confident in knowing that your horse is capable, and you’re capable, and on a good day, everything will come together and the results will follow. It’s all a bit of a mind game — you know you can do it, and you know your horse can do it, but if you let the occasion get to you, or the placings get to you, or people’s expectations, or anything, really, it allows that bit of tension to creep in and that’s enough to block the communication between you and your horse. You’ve got to relax and do what you know you can do but that’s sport, that’s the beauty of sport, that’s what we love about it. The occasion, the expectations — it’ll always mean something.”
Tom and Lori at Pau. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Though outwardly cool and calm under pressure, Tom recognises that those moments — and those good days — are worth celebrating, though he’s not immune to that age-old sportsman’s curse: he’s already hard at work and looking ahead, trying to set himself up for an even better 2019.
“I don’t think it’s sunk in yet, to be honest — you sort of think, ‘my god, a week’s gone by already,’ and that’s that; it’s already history,” muses Tom on his incredible end-of-season result. “I’m never satisfied; that’s my mindset — I’ve got a good placing, and no one can take that from me, butI’m already thinking about next year: what I can do, the horses I’ve got coming through the ranks, how I can improve. But that’s kind of a self-destructive way of thinking, isn’t it? Never being satisfied with what you’ve done — that’s such a familiar trait for sportsmen.”
Tom Crisp and Liberty and Glory at Pau’s final horse inspection. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
One of the most impressive things about Tom, other than that endless tenacity, is the self-awareness with which he tackles his role in the sport. While the impetus behind his drive to succeed might be the horses themselves, he takes some of his inspiration — and those moments of calm contemplation — from an unlikely source.
“I really love watching golf, and I think there are some comparisons that can be made between the two sports,” he explains. “Winning the Masters in golf is so rare; you see some players who have been out there for 30, 35 years, and they’ve always been in the top twenty or so, but they’ve never won a Masters. Then, all of a sudden, they come out and they win it, and it’s so lovely to watch. There’s a few stories like that, and you can always see just how much it means to them. They must have thought they’d never achieve it. But you’ve got to have goals, no matter how impossible they might seem, or what are you working for?”
For Tom, with twenty four-stars under his belt and so many years already spent chasing his goals, it looks as though the very best is yet to come. Go Eventing, and go Team Crisp!
You can keep up with Tom and his team on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, or check out his website for information on forthcoming clinics, training opportunities, horses for sale, and much more.
Help Laine’s mother pick out her next jog outfit! Photo via Valerie Ashker’s FB Page.
Halloween is over, the elections are done, and while turkey is on the horizon, the marketing machine has decided that it is time to celebrate Christmas already. The Ashkers take this very seriously when picking out jog outfits for Laine’s upcoming CCI1* at the Ocala Jockey Club next. Will we see her as a gingerbread lady or a merry holiday elf?
National Holiday: Diwali
U.S. Weekend Preview:
Full Moon Farms H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
River Glen Fall H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]
Poplar Place Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Texas Rose Horse Park H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Your Wednesday News & Notes
He did it! In what has been called an “upset” and “surprise victory,” Retired Racehorse Project founder Steuart Pittman has succeeded in his challenge to unseat Maryland’s Anne Arundel County Executive incumbent Steve Schuh. The position of County Executive is a powerful one, as it oversees the executive branch of county government and all its departments, and we are glad he is a position to be an advocate for his community as he has been an advocate for Thoroughbreds in the equestrian community. Many thanks to all the Anne Arundel County eventers who supported him with their votes — his win came as no surprise to use! [Democratic Challenger Steuart Pittman Wins Anne Arundel County Executive]
Indy 500 came from humble beginnings but has now traveled to Europe multiple times. Andrea Baxter has been with Indy from day one, backing the mare and breeding her as a youngster. Now a mother (who wants nothing to do with her son Laguna Seca), she loves only her best friend Enfinity. [Behind the Stall Door]
Not all horses develop at the same right. Lauren Sprieser has two of the same age who are taking very different paths in their path to the top. As an owner of one horse who was running Prelim by the end of his sixth year and another who is taking his sweet time making the move up next year at nine, I was encouraged by her dose of reality. [Same Age Different Stages]
The Eventing Riders Association of North America (ERA of NA) is now accepting nominations for the 2018 ERA of NA Year End Awards. Individuals who have had an outstanding and profound effect on the sport of eventing will be recognized at the ERA of NA Awards Reception during the USEA Convention Friday, December 7, 2018. The nomination period for the Liz Cochran Memorial Groom’s Award, As You Like It Owner’s Award, Seema Sonnad Above & Beyond Event Personnel Award and Amateur Impact Award will run through November 10, 2018. [Nominations for ERA of NA Awards]
If your horse could talk, what would his/her New Year’s Resolution be for 2019? Submit your answer to win over $4,000 in prizes in this year’s Horse Radio Network Holiday Radiothon including grand prizes of your choice of any Wintec saddle and a Weatherbeeta $500 prize pack. Entries must be submitted by Nov 19th. [Horse Radio Network Radiothon]
Attwood Wisdom of the Week: On the Edge of Innovation
Want to know more about the most advanced footing solutions on the market today? Please call Attwood Equestrian Surfaces at 888-461-7788.
Splish splash! RNS Video Media takes us to the picturesque Virginia CCI/CIC & Horse Trials to check out the CCI2* riders as they took on one of the water complexes of Andy Bowles’s cross country course. Let us know who you think rode it best.
If you missed any of the coverage of VAHT this weekend, you can catch up here. And be sure to check out the Virginia Horse Trial’s Facebook page for some beautiful photos by Leslie Threlkeld.
Virginia CCI, CIC, & H.T.: Website, Entry Status, Ride Times, Live Scores
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Probably not YOUR go-to clip, but a cool one nonetheless: a clip given to Laura Szeremi’s two-star horse Quatar Z (nickname “Zebrasaurus”) last year by groom/artiste Tegan Henderson. Photos courtesy of Laura Szeremi and Tegan Henderson.
It’s that time of the year, folks. Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
I’d love to say that I have the patience and artistic inclination to pull off a clip like these by Tegan Henderson — check out EN’s interview with Tegan from last year. That girl creates some straight-up masterpieces. But I do not, which is why my own go-to clip is the Irish Clip. So simple! So quick! So hard to screw up (even after you’re a couple beers into the six pack you brought to the barn because you hate clipping so much)!
So elegant. Photos courtesy of Laura Szeremi and Tegan Henderson.
Today’s “Let’s Discuss” question: What’s your go-to body clip?
And, bonus question …
If you feel so inclined, post a pic in the comments — we’d love to see your work!
