Classic Eventing Nation

Friday Video from World Equestrian Brands: Ghurka Soldiers in Battle of Burghley

By on Aug 31, 2018 7:00 pm -

Happy Friday, chums, from a remote field in a jolly corner of rural Lincolnshire! (Nah, I’m kidding, I’m in a Holiday Inn Express in Peterborough, eating pizza and calculating dressage margins. Try to tell me the life of an equestrian journalist isn’t a glamorous one. Just TRY.) Today’s Friday video is, I’m afraid, sans entry information — mainly because I’ve got a course preview to wrap up for you all. You win some, you lose some, and Burghley madness is one helluva drug.

Speaking of Burghley, their official charity this year is the Gurkha Welfare Trust, which provides support to the British Army’s Nepalese soldiers and their families. To raise awareness of their mission — and to show off the enormous dimensions of this year’s course — four of these intrepid soldiers took to the track on foot for Horse&Hound. We rather think that press-ups in the Cottesmore Leap should be a mandatory condition of completion, frankly. Get stuck into the brilliant video and take your first look at the colossal course before tomorrow’s competition kicks off — it’s a big’un, but somehow this lot make it seem almost – dare we say it? – easy. Almost.

Burghley Dressage Wrap-Up: Quality Kiwis Hit the Mark

By on Aug 31, 2018 1:15 pm -

Mark Todd and Kiltubrid Rhapsody lead after the first phase. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

The final session of dressage was always set to be an exciting one, with some of the top combinations in the competition coming forward in front of the ground jury. Historically, we always tend to see slightly more favourable marking on Friday afternoon — but over two days of competition, we witnessed a grand majority fall in the mid-30s bracket, with arguably conservative scoring across the board, and very few riders earning coveted 9s in their tests.

The Townend stronghold was shaken up by a strong showing by the Kiwi contingent today. New Zealand riders have historically been enormously successful here — in fact, they can claim 13 of the last 30 victories at the event.

Mark Todd is one such Kiwi rider who is no stranger to the top of the leaderboard, with five victories to his name. Sixth at Badminton with a 23.4 dressage, his eleven-year-old Irish sport horse Kiltubrid Rhapsody has demonstrated a remarkable consistency and ability to perform in his 2018 season. Today, he didn’t fail to deliver, earning a 26.4 to storm into the lead, finally usurping Oliver Townend and MHS King Joules, who have led since the start of the competition.

Mark Todd and Kiltubrid Rhapsody. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

“He was very good — I’m very pleased with him,” said Mark, who also sits in 12th place with NZB Campino, despite two errors of course. “He just keeps getting better and better. He’s got a wonderful temperament; he can go out there and it just doesn’t bother him at all. He actually got a bit nervous in the collecting ring, as there was quite a lot of noise around, but you can’t really hear it when you get in the ring, and he settled back down.”

A minor blip in the extended trot prevented Mark and ‘Raps’ from matching their Badminton score: “He skipped a bit there, which he never does, but for his level of training I don’t think he could have gone much better. Bless him — he just loves showing off in there.”

This will be Kiltubrid Rhapsody’s first trip around the Burghley course, and the second consecutive year that Mark finds himself in the lead after this phase. Last year, he and Leonidas II led the way, but their competition came to an unfortunate early end when the horse stumbled upon landing from a fence, ejecting Mark out of the front door and leaving them with a long walk home. This year, he intends to avoid a similar disappointment.

Mark Todd is all smiles on the hunt for a record-equalling sixth win at Burghley. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to have a few wins, and of course, you’re always looking to win another one — and I probably won’t have too many more chances. I wouldn’t say Burghley is his ideal track, but he’s a real trier and just keeps galloping and jumping, so we’ll see. There’s a long way to go yet. He’s fitter than he was at Badminton, and a bit harder now, but this is a different kind of track with a lot of hills.”

Tim Price and the ‘quirky’ Ringwood Sky Boy. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Mark’s fellow countryman Tim Price set an early precedent for the week to come, producing a 26.9 with Ringwood Sky Boy. Tim, who won Luhmühlen CCI4* in 2014, has had several good results here with ‘Oz’, including a fifth-place finish last year, fourth in 2016, and second in 2015.

“I had high hopes for him — we’ve been here a few times, but it hasn’t necessarily always been an upward curve in terms of improvement,” he said. “It’s been slightly snakes and ladders with him, but not today — maybe now that he’s fifteen, he’s maturing and we’ve figured him out. I’m mostly pleased that we stood still three times! He went sideways at Rio and has done it here, and if you can’t stand still, you can fall down the scoreboard pretty dramatically. He just tends to get a bit excited and can’t contain himself, but he went in their and stood quietly.”

Oz wasn’t always an obvious upper-level contender for Tim, who bought the horse as an ‘unruly’ six-year-old, with a proclivity for rearing and bolting, and for the princely sum of £3,000.

“I tried to sell him for a few years — in fact, I tried to sell him to the Brazilians that Mark was working with — but no one wanted him. But now, I wouldn’t be without him. He’s a part of the furniture at the farm.”

Oliver Townend and MHS King Joules remain in third place — the best of Oliver’s three rides. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Oliver Townend‘s long-term leader MHS King Joules sits in third place going into cross country, the highest-placed of his three-pronged attack here. His reigning champion Ballaghmor Class was the last horse to enter the ring today, and while we didn’t see quite the quality of work that led to his remarkable 20.8 at Badminton, he delivered a respectable score of 27.9 to sit fifth overnight. Oliver also holds seventh place with his Badminton runner-up Cooley SRS, putting him into an enviable — if highly-pressured — position going into tomorrow.

“Ballaghmor Class’ test didn’t quite come off how I was hoping it would come off, but we’ve won big competitions from worse positions, and we’re only a couple of seconds from the top,” he said. “For him to be that cool and walk so nicely is a real testament to the horse — I have no complaints at all, I’m delighted with him.”

Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class make their way into the top ten. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Oliver may have his hands full, trying to analyse and plan his way around Captain Mark Phillips’ tough track with three very different horses in mind, but he’s no stranger to piloting an impressive number around a top-level track. Nor does he register the external pressure to deliver a result in the wake of his exclusion from the World Equestrian Games team, a hot topic on everyone’s lips this week.

“I love coming to Burghley, and I don’t really think I need to prove any points. I’m here to enjoy it, and to enjoy my horses. Burghley is very special in my heart, and to come with three horses who I love riding is a special and unique position to be in. I’m unbelievably happy with all three of them, and all credit has to go to the team behind the scenes — having three horses looking great, feeling great, and performing well at Burghley is a tough job. Now, if all three can stay on the same scores, I’ll be doing somersaults!”

Australia’s Bill Levett made a late entry into the top ten riding Improvise, who was 6th here in 2014.

“He was good, but they didn’t love him — I was hoping for a 27 or a 28, but that’s the way it is! Like many horses, he anticipated walking on the final centreline, but we so rarely have tests where they have to transition from canter to trot there. We’ve been working with [Australian dressage rider] Gareth Hughes once or twice a month, which just keeps us improving and aware of what we’re doing. Frankly, the more you walk the cross country course, the less upset you get about dressage!”

Andrew Nicholson and Swallow Springs sit in the top 20 overnight. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Another Kiwi looked to be in contention for a top placing, though the mark didn’t quite reflect the work he felt he’d produced. Andrew Nicholson‘s four-star debutante Swallow Springs earned a 32.1 from the judges, putting him in equal 16th.

“I was very pleased with him — I thought he was smart, classy, and active throughout, but I guess I’m out of favour with the ground jury,” he remarked. “He felt very cool in his brain. He’s come on mentally, and he’s a lot stronger in his body, but the scores didn’t match what I felt, and they didn’t match what I’ve seen in some other tests this week. But we’ll just have to get the other phases right.”

Buck Davidson and Park Trader choose the perfect moment to lay down a personal best. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Buck Davidson and Park Trader finished the day as our best-placed North American combination, finishing equal 16th on a personal best of 32.1.

“I was very happy with him, he worked really well,” he enthused. “He got a bit wound up when he first came up, but then he settled. I brought him to Millstreet [Nations Cup in Ireland] last week to school him, so he’s been over here for a couple of weeks now and is well settled. I’m excited to have him here this weekend — I think he’s the right horse for the job. His attention isn’t always there, but he’s an out-and-out galloper and jumper, and I’d like to do it better than I have before.”

Tomorrow’s cross country test is chock-full of tests and stamina-sapping efforts, and we’ve spoken to the riders about their initial impressions and battle-plans for tackling Captain Mark Phillips‘ tricky track. Stay tuned as we bring you the inside intel, and an unpacking of the course, before the competition recommences tomorrow at 11.00am BST/6.00am EST. Go Kiwis, and Go Eventing!

The top ten at the conclusion of dressage at Burghley.

Burghley Links: Website, Entries, Timetable, Start Times & Live Scoring, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram, Form Guide

Kross Kountry Will Make You Jump Jump: AEC Cross Country Course Preview

By on Aug 31, 2018 12:59 pm -

I woke up this morning to Tilly Berendt’s dressage headline from Burghley, “Guess Who’s Back, Back Again – Townend’s Back, to Defend,” and while I don’t even know how to compete with that, I see it and raise her this 1992 Kriss Kross lyric reference. Your move, Tillz.

Indeed, kross kountry cross country kicks off here today at the American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena, with Training level underway to be followed by Prelim, Intermediate and Advanced this afternoon.

We had a stroll around the courses, all designed by Tremaine Cooper with assistance from builder Travers Schick. The first thing that jumps off the page is the terrain, which is quite rolling and thus a significant change from the last two years at Tryon. Upper and lower level horses alike will need to be fit, as even the Festival Introductory division horses must negotiate legit hills.

The event crew has been working day and night on the footing, and their effort has paid off. Tamie Smith, who leads Adequan USEA Gold Cup Advanced dressage with Mai Baum and is 3rd with Fleeceworks Royal, remarked yesterday, “I just got done from walking the course and they’ve aerated it and gone over it again and now they’re watering it and it feels great. The track is very good. It’s not overly technical, but technical enough, and it’s big. I think Tremaine Cooper did a super job. The design and the fences are beautiful.”

Each division gets off to a galloping start before encountering their first combinations, which arrive at #4 for Prelim through Advanced, #5 for Beginner Novice through Training, and the Adequan Water is about halfway around each course. There’s plenty to do out there but it looks horse-friendly and the wide open track is prime real estate for kicking on.

The coolest jump award goes to fence #18A on the Prelim course, which is followed by a drop on a bending line to a rolltop C element. We’ll let Training Amateur competitor Marina Bynum model it:

A set of real live antlers were spotted on course by Prelim Amateur competitor Jeanine Allred:

Thirsty critter #aec2018 #eventingnation

A post shared by Jeanine Allred (@jeanineallred) on

Nature! Pretty cool.

You can take a virtual course walk of all the AEC courses at CrossCountryCourse App here, or check ’em out below!

Advanced

Intermediate

Preliminary

Training

Novice

Beginner Novice

Get on out there and jump, jump! Go Eventing.

AEC: Website, Schedule, Ride Times, Live Scores, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Foshay International CCI* Cross Country Course Walk

By on Aug 31, 2018 9:57 am -

The water complex at Foshay International. Photo by Joan Davis/Flatlandsfoto.

It’s a busy week for eventing around the world, with the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials running in Stamford, England, the USEA American Eventing Championships running in Parker, Colorado, and the inaugural Foshay International CCI running in New Brunswick, Canada.

Rob Stevenson and the entire team at Foshay have done a fabulous job in bringing a new FEI event to Canada, and rave reviews are pouring in about the venue and Jay Hambly’s cross country course. The track is beautifully presented — shoutout to course decorator extraordinaire Megan Murfey!

The CCI* course spans 3,760 meters with 30 total jumping efforts, and an optimum time of 7 minutes, 14 seconds. Joan Davis of Flatlandsfoto kindly sent photos of the CCI* track, so scroll through the gallery to take a virtual course walk. The action at Foshay starts today with dressage. Good luck to all! Go Eventing.

Foshay International Links: Website, Ride Times, Live Scores

Friday at Burghley: Guess Who’s Back, Back Again – Townend’s Back, to Defend

By on Aug 31, 2018 8:51 am -

Oliver Townend did not come to play. Photo by Peter Nixon.

There’s just no stopping Oliver Townend, apparently. As the morning session of Friday’s dressage drew to a close, he remained well-situated at the top of the leader board with pathfinder MHS King Joules on a score of 27.2. Second place, too, was unchanged — Sarah Bullimore and the bad-boy-come-good Reve du Rouet maintain their stronghold just a tenth of a penalty behind the leaders on 27.3.

Andreas Dibowski and FRH Butts Avedon produce the highest score of the Friday morning session. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

But there were some new entries into the top ten further down the line. German team stalwart Andrea Dibowski might not be one of the usual faces in the crowd here at Burghley, but he made the most of a rare trip to the feature event, delivering a solid score of 28.5 and moving into third with the experienced four-star campaigner FRH Butts Avedon. Andreas is Germany’s sole representative this week, fitting in a sojourn to the UK before he’s whisked away to Tryon with his teammates. It’s these reliable championship duties that ordinarily prevent him from contesting this event, but this year, with two horses at the top of their game, he was able to make an entry.

“Burghley, for me, is the highest level,” said Andreas after his test. “It’s mostly too close to championship events, so I don’t get to do it often. But this year, after the horse did well at Sopot and Aachen, and after having done Pau, Luhmühlen, and Badminton in the past, I felt that it was time for him to do Burghley.”

The crowd expected an impressive test, and the longtime partnership delivered, with fluid, correct, and impressive work. In the warm-up, too, they looked a fearsome combination, schooling canter pirouettes and higher-level work in preparation for their test.

Andreas Dibowski and FRH Butts Avedon. Photo by Peter Nixon.

“The preparation for today was perfect — I only worked him for about ten minutes, and he was really calm so I could prepare him well. His canter is sometimes a little bit flat, so a working pirouette really helps me to take him under the gravity and work him up under my seat. I’m very, very happy with him today; the atmosphere is not so easy to ride in, and he was really crazy and a little bit nervous in the first horse inspection.”

FRH Butts Avedon benefits from the heavily Thoroughbred influence that tends to aid in a successful trip around the Burghley course, and Andreas hopes that this will push them to one or two better after tomorrow’s big test.

“I had the feeling when I walked the course that it was uphill, uphill, uphill — I was waiting all the time for the downhill to come! It’ll really test the condition of the horses, but he’s my most experienced horse and he’s a good galloper, and much easier to ride in a long-format CCI. I’m not the fastest rider in a CIC; I need the time to find my lines, so we can make up that time in a long-format like this.”

Oliver Townend delivers again, this time with Cooley SRS. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Oliver Townend‘s second ride of three, Badminton runner-up Cooley SRS, came forward for his second outing at the level, delivering a score of 29.4 to sit in fourth. Though the test didn’t quite rival his Badminton effort — he scored 25.9 on his debut at the level — a consistent stream of 7s and 7.5s mitigated the damage inflicted by a sprinkling of 4s and 5s in the rein-back and changes.

“This is his second time at the level, and that’s often the trickiest one for them, as they start to feel that they’re very good at what they do and they start to enjoy the crowd. They’ve been to prizegivings, and you think, ‘okay, you’re a superstar, but it’s time to calm it down’,” said Oliver. “He’s as fit as I’ve ever had him, and a bit on the fresh side, but he’s a lot more strengthened in his body, too. He’s a natural backwards and weak horse, but we’re pleased with his progress — he’s always improving, and it’s exciting to feel that there’s still more to come.”

Fifth through eighth place saw familiar faces in familiar places; yesterday’s third-placed Harry Meade and Away Cruising ringlead this group of remainers, followed by Piggy French and Vanir Kamira, Georgie Spence and Wii Limbo, and Mark Todd and NZB Campino. To read more about their tests, check out yesterday’s morning and lunchtime reports.

Emilie Chandler and Coopers Law impress again on their return to Burghley. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

A new face moved into the top ten, tying for ninth place. Emilie Chandler and Coopers Law might not yet be household names, but they finished 14th at Pau last year and 20th at Badminton this spring, as well as 21st at Burghley in 2015. Excitingly, they haven’t had an international cross country jumping penalty since 2014, and would be a strong pick for a dark horse top-ten finish, if they can minimise their rails on Sunday.

Today, though, is just about the first phase — and they delivered a good score of 31 to feature among the big boys after a solid test. This doesn’t rival their Badminton first-phase mark of 27.9, but with just eighteen combinations left to present before the ground jury, it’s certainly a strong position to be in.

“I’m very pleased with him — he was very relaxed and managed to contain himself in the walk,” said Emilie. “Three years ago he went very well here, and then sadly had a niggle of an injury and some time out. It’s nice to come back with a bit of experience — although I don’t think it’ll make it any easier!”

Coopers Law’s history with Burghley goes back further than just that 2015 result — he contested the four- and five-year-old classes, finishing in the top ten in his five-year-old year, but delivering a rather less dazzling result as a four-year-old: “it poured with rain, and I think he managed to kick out six showjumps — they were only 90 centimetres!”

Alex Bragg and Zagreb round out the top ten at the lunch break. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Fan favourites Alex Bragg and Zagreb also produced a 31 test to tie with Emilie and Coopers Law. Their score represents the first time since Belton at the start of the season that they’ve scored in the 30s — normally, we expect a mid-to-high 20s score from this pair.

“I’m a little bit disappointed,” said Alex after his test. “The beginning was great, and then I just got a bit cautious in the canter and allowed him to slip a bit behind my leg. Then we were a bit up and down and short behind in the changes. I just needed to be a bit more positive to get in the 20s, which is where I’d hoped to be.”

Alex and Zagreb produced their best test to date at Jardy’s ERM in July, where they won on their dressage score of 23.6.

“As a rider, you’re always trying to supersede your personal best, which does put the pressure on. It’s hard to do a test on grass with a bigger horse, too — you can just lose the impulsion as you try to balance them. Perhaps I should have gone less deep into the corners and kept the forward motion going, but I’ll analyse it and try to work out how to ride this test better for next time.”

Alex Bragg and Zagreb. Photo by Peter Nixon.

The rangy Zagreb isn’t one of the most blood horses in the field, but Alex points out that no course is perfect for any horse: “the style [of the course] suits him down to the ground but the long hill up Winners’ Avenue doesn’t — but then, you have strengths and weaknesses with all horses. He’s got a big heart and all the attributes you need to get around a course like this.”

Reflecting on the last few seasons, which have seen him rise stratospherically into the public eye, Alex  notes that riding at a competition like Burghley has changed for him.

“Sometimes, when you’re naive and it’s your first time, you have this belief that you’ll succeed, no matter what. Now, I have more knowledge and experience — so I hope I go out with more than just grit and determination. This time, I’ve got a decent plan and some experience behind me.”

Lillian Heard and LCC Barnaby set sail for a second Burghley. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

We saw our second North American representative in the ring this morning. Lillian Heard and LCC Barnaby rode their sophomore test at Burghley, returning after an early end to last year’s effort. They scored 36.4 and sit in provisional 34th position.

“He was really good in there — last year, he got really excited, but this time he was very relaxed, for him,” said Lillian. “The trot felt good, and I felt like I could ride him forward. He got a little nervous in the canter and thought that it could go either way, but then he relaxed again. I travelled him as late as possible, hoping that it would tire him out a bit — it didn’t work at all! Couldn’t they have ridden him around the airport or something?!”

Lillian trains with Boyd Martin, who was due to compete with Steady Eddie, but made a last minute withdrawal. Because of his team commitments, he wasn’t able to make the trip over as a coach, forcing Lillian to make a quick change of plans.

“Boyd dropped out, and the whole time I’d assumed he’d come, so for a day or two I was completely beside myself! But then I pulled myself together and thought, ‘this is ridiculous — what would Boyd have done anyway?’ So I asked Buck [Davidson] if he would help, and he said he’d give me as much or as little help as I wanted. I was like, ‘I want as much as possible!'”

Lillian and LCC Barnaby’s Burghley ended at the Leaf Pit last year, where they took a tumble. The horse became wedged against the fence, but after the ministrations of the ground crew, both horse and rider walked away in one piece. The incident propelled Lillian to reshape her training plan in preparation for a second attempt.

“I walked the course and saw that they’ve put the same combination at the Leaf Pit, but it’s harder this year — they must have put it there for me,” she joked. “Last year, I got around with bold force rather than skills, but I’ve been working hard — I’ve probably cross-country schooled more than anyone in the world!”

This afternoon’s dressage session re-commences at 2.00pm BST/9.00am EST. We’ve got some heavy-hitters in the final session, as well as our final US representative — Buck Davidson takes to the arena at 2.24pm BST/9.24am EST with Park Trader. We’ll also have our eyes on the following:

  • 3.04pm BST/10.04am EST: Mark Todd and Kiltubrid Rhapsody
  • 3.59pm BST/10.59am EST: Tim Price and Ringwood Sky Boy
  • 4.15pm BST/11.15am EST: Andrew Nicholson and Swallow Springs
  • 4.31pm BST/11.31am EST: Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class

As always, we’ll be bringing you everything you need to know, as soon as you need to know it — so stay tuned and, as always, Go Eventing!

The top ten at the lunch break on day two of Burghley’s dressage.

Burghley Links: Website, Entries, Timetable, Start Times & Live Scoring, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram, Form Guide

Friday News & Notes from Kentucky Equine Research

By on Aug 31, 2018 12:03 am -

Fence 10 on the CCI* course at Foshay International. Photo by Waylon Roberts.

Woah, check out this tiny Kentucky look-alike log at Foshay International! I was just perusing some photos of the courses up there for the inaugural event, and they look simply smashing! There is almost nothing better than rolling up at an event and being totally blown away at the effort and craftsmanship put in to the cross country course, it makes you feel like a celebrity. Even if you’re not competing at the four-star level, you can still feel like it, and Foshay has it fo sho.

National Holiday: National Trail Mix Day

Major Events This Week:

American Eventing Championships [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Burghley CCI4* [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Foshay [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Chattahoochee Hills CIC & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Silverwood Farm H.T. [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Woodland Stallion Station H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Park Equine KY Classique H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

Don’t forget to complete your USEF Safe Sport online training before next year. Effective January 1, 2019, all US Equestrian (USEF) adult members with a Competing Membership must complete USEF’s Safe Sport Training in order to be eligible to participate in USEF activities.  Members can immediately access the free Safe Sport Training directly through their member dashboard. Members are encouraged to complete the training as soon as possible. [USEF Safe Sport Training]

My horse gets tense in a dressage test, what do I do? Ah, the age old question for eventers everywhere. This week on H&H advice from four-star rider Coral Keen gives one rider tips for helping their horse improve on relaxation during the first phase. This is some advice we can probably all use at some point! [How To Help a Tense Horse]

Hot on Horse Nation: On Suitability: Realizing It’s OK To Say Goodbye

It’s time to vote for the Smarty Awards! The what awards? I’m talking about SmartPak’s best of the best for twelve categories. You and I both know that we’re always on SmartPak all the dang time, and you probably have some input. We are all secret product reviewers. [2019 Smarty Awards]

KER WEG Feeds Update:

Kentucky Equine Research is the Official Equine Nutritionist of the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018 (WEG). They coordinate the ordering, shipping, testing, storage, delivery, and overall logistics of getting familiar feeds from around to world to the horses competing in Tryon. Ever wonder how top riders ensure their equine partners can stay on their proven diet throughout travel and competition? The last thing anyone wants is to make a drastic change right before the biggest show of their career!

For most competitors, the feed process started before final team selections were made. Kentucky Equine Research contacted national federations in June to start the ordering process. For the teams shipping feeds from Europe, it was a bit of guessing game to predict which horses are most likely to come. Teams placed orders through a website and had the option to either select an all-inclusive package at a set rate per horse, or to purchase from a menu of pre-selected feeds available a la carte on the venue.

The goal is to have the correct feeds on the venue, fresh, secure, and ready to quickly deliver to the stables when the horses arrive. Fortunately, Kentucky Equine Research has done this a few times. To stay up-to-date with the latest on with the WEG feeds and forages crew, visit https://ker.com/equinews/news/weg/.

Tamie Smith & Maui Baum Lead AEC Advanced Dressage + Thursday Leader Quotes

By on Aug 30, 2018 11:24 pm -

Training through Advanced divisions were our trailblazers today here at the 2018 USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena, with 10 championship divisions taking their turns in the rectangle. It’s a lot to take in, but with the help of our hardworking friends at USEA and the Colorado Horse Park here’s a rather massive roundup of the day’s action!

Advanced

Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

All eyes were on the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Advanced Final, the last division of the day to start, and we were all cheering for the very last pair up the centerline: Tamie Smith and the striking black Mai Baum.

We haven’t seen much of Alexandra and Ellen Ahearn and Eric Markell’s 12-year-old German Sport Horse gelding (Loredano x Ramira) since his memorable Fair Hill International CCI3* win in 2015, with a run of injury and bad luck to blame. After recovering from a mild strain sustained at Fair Hill, his return to competition was further delayed when he contracted an infection in his gut and then, on his way home from an event, fell and injured a leg, which necessitated more time off.

Now officially back in action, he entered the AEC with just three outings under his belt since Fair Hill: two in 2017 and one Intermediate this summer at Twin Rivers. Not much rust there to scrape off so far as we can tell! After putting on quite a show in the warm-up (“Just lemme at it already, mum!”) Mai Baum channeled his energy into an expressive, buyant test. Their score of 26.4 gives them the early Advanced lead — Tamie brings us up to speed on their comeback.

On bringing Mai Baum back: “Dr. Rantanen and Dr. Martinelli at California Equine Orthopedics have this high-powered laser, there are only a handful in the world, and we decided that since he was going to have time off that we would do the laser on the leg he strained at Fair Hill, and that gave us even more time. We’ve been bringing him back slowly. He had that time off, so it’s taken quite a while to get him fit and strong, but he feels fit and strong now.”

On today’s exuberant dressage: “He was completely wild today. (‘Well, he likes to run and jump!’ chimes in Eric Markell.) He smiles when he runs cross country. I wasn’t sure what he was going to do in the ring and he was strong, not listening to my half-halts and flinging his legs. I think he was very happy to be on a stage like that. I picked up the canter and went around the ring and I couldn’t help but smile. He’s so special and he’s such a showman, it’s really fun.”

Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

On that saucy lead change: “It’s hilarious when he’s naughty because it’s not often that he’s naughty. In my test I was doing my half-pass and then I went to go forward to do my change and he leapt in the air, kicked my right foot, and then bolted. And right after that came my stretchy circle so I didn’t even start it until it was too late. It was fun, but he was wild.” Markell adds, “When I was leaving I heard one man say to another, ‘That horse comes in the ring and takes it over with his personality.’”

On the cross country course: “They’ve done a tremendous job on the footing. They’ve been working all night and my hat goes off to the officials who have been very diligent about getting a plan. I just got done from walking the course and they’ve aerated it and gone over it again and now they’re watering it and it feels great. The track is very good. It’s not overly technical, but technical enough, and it’s big. I think Tremaine Cooper did a super job. The design and the fences are beautiful.”

On her strategy for tomorrow: “Phillip [Dutton] told me once that the challenge when you go out of the start box is to look slow but be fast. That’s my plan, just be efficient in the lines and be smooth and feel what the ground feels like and if it feels good then kick on and if it doesn’t just stay steady.”

Jordan Linstedt and Revitavet Capato, Barbara and Gary Linstedt’s 15-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Contendro x Annabelle), sit in 2nd on a score of 27.5.

Jordan Linstedt and Revitavet Capato. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Tamie is also 3rd place with Fleeceworks Royal, Judith McSwain’s 9-year-old Holsteiner mare (Riverman x Marisol), on a score of 30.8.

Tamie Smith and Fleeceworks Royal. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

 

 Top 5 after dressage:

Intermediate

Heather Morris and Charlie Tango. Photo by Leslie Wylie.Californians have a stronghold on the top of the Intermediate dressage scoreboard. We catch up with the dressage leader.

Leader: Heather Morris and The Team Express Group LLC’s Charlie Tango, a 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Shannondale Sarco St. Ghyvan x Our Queen Bee), on a score of 25.8.

On Charlie Tango’s career: “I actually imported ‘Chuck’ from Ireland when he was four so I’ve really had him since the beginning. He’s done some Advanced, we did drop him back down for AEC and for the remaining shows this year he’ll just do the CCI 2* level, then we’ll move him back up next year.”

On goals for the future: “He’s a pretty reliable horse. He’s quite good in the ring, quite accurate. I think I would like for it to be more expressive, so that’s what we’ll work toward in the shows this fall and focusing on just making it a little more rideable.”

On being in Colorado: “Being from the West Coast now, having the AEC here makes everything so much easier. I’m happy that this was out here because I love coming here. It’s great!”

On their heels: Erin Kellerhouse and her own Woodford Reserve, a 7-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Tinarana’s Inspector x Laharns Laughton), sit 2nd on a 28.0. Bella Mowbray and Ruth Bley’s En Vogue, a 13-year-old Hanoverian mare (Earl x Laurena), round out the top three on a 30.5.

Top 5 after dressage:

Preliminary Amateur

Cara Lavigna and Carrick Diamond Duke Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Leader: Cara Lavigna and her own Carrick Diamond Duke, an 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Carrick Diamond Lad x Uskerty Barnaby), on a score of 31.1.

On her history with Carrick Diamond Duke: “I’ve had ‘Duke’ for three years. I got him as a five-year-old. He’s always been a fancy mover. He jumps really big and tries really hard. As he’s become older and more mature, watching his progression has been really fun and creating a bond has been cool. He really enjoys his cross country. We are currently learning how to put the pieces together because now that things are getting harder. We are developing our partnership. When he goes into the ring for show jumping and dressage, he knows his job, he perks up, he really likes to show off and that’s fun for both of us.”

On coming to Colorado: “Having the AEC here in Colorado is lovely,” she commented. “To only have to take one week off from work (she’s a school teacher), as opposed to more, that was nice. I’ve never been to the AEC, I’ve never been to a show in Colorado, so I was excited that it was so much closer!”

On their heels: Lauren Hoover and Atlanta, a 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Vancouver x Philadelphia GHR), are 2nd on a 31.8. Ruth Bley and Rodrigue Du Granit, a 13-year-old Selle Francais gelding (Robin II Z x Delight Gree), are 3rd on a 31.9.

Top 5 after dressage:

Preliminary Horse

Jordan Linstedt and Staccato. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Leader: Jordan Linstedt and Staccato, Janine Jaro’s 9-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Stakkato x Certosa), on a score of 27.6.

On their test: “I didn’t feel like today was our very best but I was really happy with him. I was excited to see the leaderboard stay consistent throughout the morning. I was first in the ring, and I’m never normally in that position. You never know how the judging is going to be, and how that’ll carry on.”

On Staccato’s development: “He’s really been quite strong in all three phases recently,” Linstedt noted.”When I first got him, he was a challenging young horse, a bit of a late developer. He has really blossomed this past year so he’s been really fun to work with and produce. He’s stunning on the flat, very elegant, and puts in a good test.”

On their heels: Tamara Smith and Judith McSwain’s Fleeceworks Ghost, a 6-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare (Dhannondale Sarco x Riverlon Mist), sit 2nd on 29.0 penalties. In 3rd is Jennifer Wooten-Macouzet with R. Lawrence Sawyer’s BSP Tuxedo, a 9-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Apokalipsis x Stutbuch 1), on a score of 29.1.

Top 5 after dressage:

Preliminary Rider

Mike Huber and Calliope. Photo by USEA.

Leader: Mike Huber and Calliope, an 11-year-old Oldenburg mare (Consul x Clintina) owned by Ann Adams, on a score of 25.7.

On his connection with the horse: “The horse is one that I ride for a client of mine,” stated Huber, “Ann Adams normally rides the horse and I don’t ride her that frequently. Ann is getting ready to move up to Preliminary and she’s been riding Calliope in Training level, so I’ve taken her out a few times at this level this year and obviously qualified for the AEC; so we are competing here this weekend.”

On the benefits of having the AEC in the Midwest: “It’s always hard to find an AEC location that is good for everyone and you’re not going to, because it’s such a big event and we live in a big country. We’re kind of lucky. We’re from Texas so we are right in the middle, so it’s usually pretty doable! I think it’s great to have it out here, so the people who may not be able to go all the way to the East Coast finally get a chance to participate.”

On their heels: Whitney Tucker Billeter and her own Karvaleo, an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Kanna x Finod Cavalier), sit 2nd on a 29.1. Travis Atkinson and his own Don Darco, a 9-year-old Zweibrucker gelding (Damarco x Gong Lee), is in 3rd on a score of 31.1.

Top 4 after dressage:

Jr./Y.R. Preliminary

Charlotte Babbitt and 2 A.M. Photo by USEA.

Leader: Charlotte Babbitt and her own 2 A.M., a 6-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Sheraton x Regina K), on a score of 23.3.

On their test: “He was very good today. He put in a very nice test. We’ve been working really hard recently. He’s had a bit of a rough go since [Rebecca Farm], so we’ve only had a couple of flat schools, but he’s trained and he really just wants to go in the arena and try really hard. That’s what he did. He knows his job and he went in and did his job. I’m super happy with him.”

On their year-and-a-half old partnership:“It was interesting, when I got him he wasn’t really my ride but he’s young so it was a very good experience for me, developing him into the horse I wanted him to be. It’s pretty cool now — he’s my exact ride. I love him to death and I couldn’t imagine having any other horse. It’s been a struggle, but with the help of my trainers Andrea [Pfeiffer] and Amber [Levine] I’ve been able to work with him. He’s pretty easy to work with. He’s a super nice horse and he just wants to learn and do well so it’s been really fun developing a partnership.”

On their plan for the rest of the season: “The plan right now is to do the CIC 1* at Woodside and the CCI 1* at Galway,” she said. “That’s our plan and we’ll take it day by day until then and see how it goes.”

On NAYC 2019: “We’ll see. I’ll definitely put my name in and we’ll see how his season starts next year and see how it goes.”

On their heels: Nicole Hatley and Flagmount’s Rebel, a nine-year-old Irish Sport Horse/Thoroughbred gelding (Flagmount’s Freedom x Devious Princess) owned by Clarissa Bliss, are in second place on a 27.8. Kaitlin Vosseller and her own Clear Approval, a 12-year-old Warmblood gelding out of All Best Wishes is third with a score of 29.2.

Top 5 after dressage:

Training Amateur

Linda Quist and Belle Gambe. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Leader: Linda Quist and Belle Gambe, her own 14-year-old Iberian Warmblood (Temerario VII x Mojave), on a score of 27.3.

On their performance: “With today’s test, I think I rode it well, I think she rode it well. There were a few spots where I kept thinking ‘oh my gosh, we need to do better!’ Apparently, we did good enough though, as we have the leading score for today! I’m definitely excited about that, this has been a dream.”

On their partnership: “My horse is amazing. I’ve had her since she was born, so we have an incredible partnership. She’s my friend, she’s another mare and we connect like a pair of girlfriends. Sometimes we argue, sometimes things go great, sometimes they go not-so-great. She has her opinions, I have mine.”

On their Heels: Nikki Lloyd and Mighty Smart, a nine-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Mighty Magic x Ravenna) owned by Ruth Bley, are 2nd on a 28.2. Leslie LaBraque and Falkonet, her own 17-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, are 3rd on a 28.4.

Top 5 after dressage:

Training Horse

McKenzie Rollins and Excel Star Lord. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Leader: McKenzie Rollins and Excel Star Lord, her own six-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Non-Stop x Korea B), on a score of 28.5.

On their test: “He was great, but I was very nervous. He does very well in atmosphere and that helps calm me down. It’s surprising, because he just turned six in June, but he has never really given me any trouble. He shines in the dressage ring and he loves to get in there. He was a little bit fresh, so he got a little heavy in some places but he’s just so lovely and it’s really fun to ride him.”

On moving from Massachusetts to Los Angeles a few years ago: “I did a Google search barns outside of Los Angeles and I ended up at Mill Creek where I met Jennifer Johnson and she’s helped me all along since I brought Frankie in.”

On her partnership with “Frankie,” whom she imported from Ireland with the help of Courtney Cooper: “He came in as a four-year-old and we did a number of Novice [level events] and then moved up to Training. I think we’ll be ready to move up to Preliminary after this. I’ve really been wanting to take my time with him and make sure I’m not pushing him or rushing him. He’s so lovely. I didn’t want to put any pressure on him.”

On their heels: Tied for 2nd are Sam Kelly and Robinstown Ballivor, Copeland Farms’ nine-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Watermill Swatch x Coevers Dock), and Attila Rajnai and her own and Sara Mittleider’s Maximus de la Tombe, a six-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Esperanto van Paemel x Fidji de la Tombe), who both sit on 33.1.

Top 5 after dressage:

Training Rider

Kelsey Horn and Swingtown. Photo by the USEA.

Leader: Kelsey Horn and Swingtown, Swingtown Partners’ 6-year-old Oldenburg mare (Sagnol x Dynamica), on a 24.2.

On coming to Colorado from Oregon: “When we heard that the AEC was going to be in Colorado, we knew we had to aim for that. We wanted to participate, so having it at CHP made a huge impact on our ability to get here.”

On young horses and developing a string: “They’re just so fun to work with. Initially, I had a few clients purchase me a younger horse for Pinnacle Syndicate and then I just kind of collected some others that were younger. As they’ve gotten older I have this great string of horses coming up the line.”

Of her partnership with Swingtown: “I’ve been riding her since I broke her as a 3-year-old. She won the 4-Year-Old West Coast Event Championship in 2016, and then in 2017 she had a year off due to an injury. This season we are back at it and we did a couple of Novice events at the beginning of the season, bumped up to Training, and we will see where the rest of the year takes us!”

On their heels: Tracy Alves and her own Romulus, a 20-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Contango x Divottii), are 2nd on a 26.8. Rebecca Mortensen and Seattle Freckles, her own 10-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, round out the top three with a 28.8.

Top 5 after dressage:

Jr. Training

Eva Jacroux and Rubel. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Leader: Eva Jacroux and her own Rubel, a 12-year-old Zweibrucker gelding (Radikal x When the Worlds Unite), on a score of 31.4.

On their relationship: “I got ‘Ru’ about two years ago and this is my second season on him. It did start off a bit rocky. He was way too much horse for me and I was a little worried whether or not I’d be able to ride him. I came from a push button ride, but I decided that I was going to try my hardest to make it work. I started doing a lot of ground work. I started going back to the basic and it seems to have really worked because he’s come into his own.”

On their test: “I really didn’t think this test went very well. Ru was a little tense and I was worried about whether or not I was going to be able to handle him, but it ended up being just fine. He was such a good boy, he paid attention to me and listened to what we’ve been working on.”

On cross country: “Dressage is probably his strongest phase, but he does seem to also love cross country. I’ve already walked the course and I think it’s going to be really fun!”

On their heels: Madison Santley and Excellence, her own 9-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Vaillant x Wolinda), sit 2nd with a 31.7. Rosie Smith and her own Seamus, a 15-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding by Corrcullen, RID, round out the top three on a 33.8.

Top 5 after dressage:

Phew. Much, much more to come. Go Eventing!

[2018 USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena® Feeds Commence at The Colorado Horse Park]

AEC: Website, Schedule, Ride Times, Live Scores, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

#AEC2018 Thursday Instagram Roundup: Dressage So Hard

By on Aug 30, 2018 7:02 pm -

The American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds is off and running here in Parker, Colorado. Well, hopefully not actually “running,” as that speed doesn’t score too terribly well with dressage judges.

The sandboxes were a flurry of activity today with more to come tomorrow, plus the start of cross country! Here are a few of your snapshots from the day:

Getting ready to start competing at #AEC #goteamtrinity

A post shared by Hartenburg Equestrian LLC (@hartenburgequestrian) on

Bacon studying for tomorrow. #aec18 #nofilter #colorfulcolorado #areaiveventing

A post shared by Leslie Greer (@lesliekgreer) on

Prepping @kelsholmes and Squid! 💪🏻🤩

A post shared by Carly Taylor-Smith (@carlytaylorsmith) on

Oh Frankfurt 😍 #AEC2018

A post shared by Bella Mowbray (@mowbray_sporthorses) on

Go Eventing.

AEC: Website, Schedule, Ride Times, Live Scores, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Thursday Video from Nupafeed: An Irish Ditty for WEG

By on Aug 30, 2018 5:00 pm -

World Equestrian Games 2018

Huge thanks to Mick Konstantin for our World Equestrian Games Eventing song. I especially like the fact that I got my own verse. What a super star horse am I? Rioghan Rua,the gang and I are heading off to England early this week for a bit of last minute training to fine tune everything and then off to the World Equestrian Games. I cant wait!!! Roll on Tryon2018.Team Ireland Equestrian and Eventing Ireland we'll do our best to do you proud. Rocket 🚀 Ps…. Huge thanks to all mams sponsors for helping us on our way. Tredstep IrelandAntarès Custom Saddles (Sellerie De France)HorsewareHorseware Factory Shop Dundalk.Horse-First WinnersPegus Horse FeedMajyk Equipe#flexon #davidefocardi

Posted by Horseware Stellor Rebound on Sunday, August 26, 2018

Alright everyone, you’ve got to watch this one with the sound on! Mick Konstantin, singer/songwriter from Kildare, Ireland, has put together a theme song for the Irish WEG squad. Mick has made a bit of a name for himself with a couple viral YouTube music video celebrating UFC fighter Conor McGregor and the Irish soccer (ahem, football) team’s trip to the 2016 UEFA European Championship, so eventing is in good company!

Give it a listen and get to know the Irish riders who’ll be taking over to Tryon! I guarantee you’ll be nodding your head or tapping your foot along to this chorus no less than halfway through the song:

Well, here we are up and over they go

Off to Tryon for WEG and who’s to know.

The World Equestrian Games in full flight 

The Irish Team, there be no better sight

And as the winner pulls away, the roar yo will hear

The hustle and the atmosphere of

North Carolina in the magical realm 

for the best of the Irish eventers around

You’re welcome for the ear worm!

Thursday at Burghley: A Bad Boy Comes Good, Townend Maintains Lead

By on Aug 30, 2018 4:00 pm -

Sarah Bullimore and Reve du Rouet live up to their potential, narrowly missing out on the lead. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Missed the morning report? You can find it here! As the first day of dressage recommenced after the lunch break, it was set to be an afternoon chock-full of change at the top — but for all that, nobody could catch this morning’s leaders, Oliver Townend and MHS King Joules. It’s a pretty exceptional result when the first rider in the ring manages to set such an impressive precedent — what should make his fellow competitors quake in their boots is the fact that his two best horses are yet to come.

One combination did come achingly close — fellow British rider Sarah Bullimore delivered a stunning 27.3 test with the Jekyll and Hyde Reve du Rouet, besting their personal best of 28.5, posted at Pau last year, where they finished second. Reve du Rouet has been an emotional rollercoaster personified, flitting wildly between offering Sarah the chance at top-flight results and practically removing her, at force, from the arena.

“It’s a genuine fear of the crowds and it all does get a bit too much for him, and then every little noise or movement becomes an excuse to react,” she explained, reflecting on the horse’s unfortunate tendency to bolt in the dressage ring. “He can bolt, or he can drop you, and then you ask him to go and there’s nothing there – he holds his breath, and it’s like kicking a balloon. But it’s been a while since we had a bolting incident, and I hope we’re past that now.”

Sarah Bullimore and the “unbelievably talented” Reve du Rouet. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Today’s supple, fluid-looking test didn’t come by chance — instead, it was the result of many years spent playing the long game and tailoring the horse’s training to work with his tempestuous temperament.

“He’s incredibly difficult to train. The more you ask him not to do something, the more likely he is to do it, and so we’ve had to be very sneaky about it, and make it so that he doesn’t realise he’s being trained.”

For Sarah, this includes plenty of creative hacking — she half-passes across bridleways, practices her flying changes while cantering across fields, and melds fitness with finesse.

“I needed him to believe he was still in a field when we went into the arena today,” she joked. It obviously worked: the Reve du Rouet we saw today looked a different horse from the one we’ve seen in years past, and if Pau is any indicator, this could be the start of a very exciting week for the Bullimore Eventing team.

“I’m over the moon with him. He was on side and he delivered, even when the crowd clapped at the end. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to relax on him, because he can change in a second, but he’s unbelievably talented. It’s great to be in this position — you can look at it as added pressure, but I think you can go off the boil if you’re not in contention.”

Harry Meade and Away Cruising use their dance moves for good, finishing the first day of competition in third place. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

After Away Cruising‘s antics in the first horse inspection, the assembled crowd watched with bated breath to see if he’d be able to keep a lid on his excitement in his test. He did, and in fine style — he and rider Harry Meade produced a personal best of 29.5 to move into third position overnight.

“I was delighted with him — I’ve felt all season that he’s been on the path to a really good test,” said Harry. “My focus with all of my horses is to produce them through their careers with the big four-stars in mind, and I’ve had this one since he was a four-year-old, so he really demonstrates that progression. He’s changed a lot in the past few years — he’s gone from a flat, long mover to being much rounder. We had to spend a lot of time analysing his biomechanics and figuring out how to train him. He’s got a slightly weak, diesel engine, and so I’ve had to make him into a snappy pony type, within the limits of his conformation.”

Harry was a vocal fan of last year’s course design, but even though we’re seeing an almost entirely new-look course this year, he’s looking forward to tackling it on Saturday.

“I’m amazed at how different it is from last year, which was brilliant. Usually when they create a brilliant course, they’ll stick with it for a few years, but this year, Captain Mark Phillips has built a whole new brilliant course. One of the wonderful things about eventing is that you’re not really competing against one another — you’re all cumulatively competing against the course and the conditions.”

He paused, then flashed an enormous grin: “The hairs stand up on the back of my neck when I drive through the gates. I love this place.”

Piggy French and Vanir Kamira: last year’s bridesmaids, looking to become this year’s brides. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

One of the hot favourites to post a competitive test were last year’s runners-up Piggy French and Vanir Kamira, and they did exactly that, delivering a 29.9. While not their best result at this level, it was enough to put them into fourth place overnight.

“It was okay, and I’m pretty pleased with it on the whole,” said Piggy of her test. “It definitely wasn’t a personal best, but I haven’t felt as though I’ve really had her all week. She’s a very sensitive, blood mare, and she wouldn’t be a natural in this phase — there’s a fine line to tread with her; she can be hot and bubbly. But it’s not a dressage competition, and to be competitive and in the twenties is enough.”

Piggy’s outlook is always to keep moving forward, and despite feeling as though they could have earned more today, she’s doing just that.

“Now, we forget about the dressage and move onto thinking about the cross country. The course is exactly what you expect from Burghley — the time will be hard, so we just have to try to stay between the flags and keep kicking on.”

Georgie Spence and Wii Limbo. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Georgie Spence and Wii Limbo rounded out the British top five on 30.4, but were another of the combinations to fall victim to an error of course. Frustratingly, they would have been third without the mistake, which saw them bypass the much-maligned stretchy canter circle. Without this error, they would also have beaten their personal best — a 28.9, posted at Badminton earlier this year.

“He was awesome; I just forgot the bloody circle,” laughed an exasperated Georgie. “The stupid thing is we’ve practiced that movement so much, because he’s a horse who doesn’t really like to stretch.”

Despite this, Georgie was thrilled with her long-time partner’s performance between the boards.

“He’s a super special horse, and it’s taken me twelve years to learn to ride him. On cross country he’s a complete machine, and the only person who can let the side down is me. Hopefully we’ll stay in the top ten or fifteen after the dressage — although we all know the marks tend to be better on Friday afternoon, so I’ll have to hope the judges stick to their guns.”

Polly Stockton and Mister Maccondy. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Polly Stockton made a positive impression in her first Burghley in six years, cruising to a 31.9 and seventh place with the former Ruth Edge ride Mister Maccondy. Polly, who finished second here to Oliver Townend in 2009, was thrilled to return to her happy hunting ground of old.

“I’m chuffed to bits. He can blow up easily, and all those flying changes can really muddle him up. We didn’t quite get the last two, but we survived!”

Mister Maccondy hasn’t been aimed at a CCI since Ballindenisk last spring, but Polly has been using the time to solidify his performance around CIC tracks.

“We’ve tried not to overrun him this year in the lead-up to Burghley. We won’t know if he’s a four-star horse until Saturday — he’s a bold horse, but he can be a bit greedy with his distances. I must say, I’m pleasantly surprised by seeing the course in person. I watched the video preview and scared myself stupid!”

Andrea Baxter and Indy 500 fly the stars and stripes for 25th place. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Andrea Baxter and Indy 500 were the first of our three North American combinations to take to the dressage arena, scoring 36.6 to sit in 25th overnight. This is a four-star personal best for the pair, who scored 37.9 here last year.

“That was pretty good; I’m happy with it, although the test wasn’t as good as the warm-up or the work we’ve done in lessons,” said Andrea. “But I’ve been able to produce a lot of what we’ve been working on. She’s a funny Thoroughbred — she’s almost too relaxed now that she’s older. It’s like she saves her energy for later on.”

Andrea and Indy 500’s Burghley debut ended early last year, when they took a tumble at an innocuous fence early on in the course.

“I think I was a bit overwhelmed by the whole thing — we’d done Kentucky, but if that’s a four-star, then Burghley is a six-star! It’s just so much bigger. She was amazing last year, and then we fell over this stupid, small log in the corner — so this year, I’m here to finish what I started.”

The new-look course appeals to Andrea: “my horse’s weakness is right corners, and there were about seven of them last year, so I wasn’t impressed! This year looks much better. It’ll definitely be a fitness challenge — she comes from California, so we don’t have many hills, but we’re building on a good Thoroughbred base.”

Andrea and Indy 500 have been partnered with Oliver Townend and his reigning champion Ballaghmor Class in the Peden Bloodstock pairs challenge, which teams up the top fifteen British riders with the top fifteen ‘rest of the world’ riders, offering an additional cash prize depending on their combined results. Not a bad partner to have, all things considered.

President of the Ground Jury Angela Tucker. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

The evening’s press conference featured guest appearances by president of the ground jury Angela Tucker, as well as Team GB performance manager Dickie Waygood, who appeared on behalf of Oliver Townend, busy doing arena familiarisation with his two rides yet to come.

Of the overall standard of dressage, Angela had plenty of positive observations.

“They were mostly really good; there are always some first-timers, or horses who find that phase more difficult, but on the whole, you see riders working very hard to get it right. Harry [Meade]’s horse is a perfect example of that. Some of the riders don’t like the stretching circle in the new test, but I like it — it’s what you would do in training.”

When queried about the plethora of navigational errors in tests across the board today, Angela admitted that she nearly made an error of her own early in the day: “I was so busy judging Mark Todd’s changes that it took me a while to realise he’d missed the circle, so I rang the bell rather late. Then, as he was heading up the final centreline, I was so busy thinking about how I’d apologise for ringing the bell late, that I was late to spot that he’d halted in the wrong place!”

Dickie Waygood praised the quality of today’s judging, pointing out that, perusing the scores, you could see synchronicity and unity across the board, with very few of the wide discrepancies we’ve seen elsewhere.

“The ground jury have a massive task, and they put their heads on the chopping block for criticism,” he said. “But today the judging has been fantastic. The scores are very, very close.”

Inevitably, with a chef d’equipe on the panel for questioning, someone was going to ask about Oliver Townend’s exclusion from the WEG team. But Dickie remained tight-lipped, instead praising the rider’s performance that morning.

“He did an amazing job — he’s so cool and professional under pressure. It looked so much more elastic than it has done, and Oliver was over the moon — you could tell he wanted to give the horse a hug as he finished the test,” he said. “I’m not a selector, and the selection process is confidential, but I know that Oliver is very disappointed but will be supporting the team.”

The second day of dressage begins tomorrow at 9.30am BST/4.30am EST, and you can follow along with all the action on Burghley’s livestream, which can be accessed through the event’s website or Facebook page. Sneaking in a viewing session at work? Here are the tests you won’t want to miss:

  • 9.54am BST/4.54am EST: Oliver Townend and Cooley SRS
  • 10.02am BST/5.02am EST: Tina Cook and Star Witness
  • 11.02am BST/6.02am EST: Alex Bragg and Zagreb
  • 11.34am BST/6.34am EST: Andreas Dibowski and FRH Butts Avedon
  • 3.04pm BST/10.04am EST: Mark Todd and Kiltubrid Rhapsody
  • 3.59pm BST/10.59am EST: Tim Price and Ringwood Sky Boy
  • 4.15pm BST/11.15am EST: Andrew Nicholson and Swallow Springs
  • 4.31pm BST/11.31am EST: Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class

The top ten after day one of dressage at Burghley. Those stars denote errors of course – and believe us when we say there were more than just those in the top ten!

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