Classic Eventing Nation

Monday Video: Take a Peek at the Paris Equestrian Venue Progress

By on Apr 8, 2024 1:00 pm -

It seems like the venue for this summer’s Olympics and Paralympics in Paris, France is one of the most hotly anticipated given its location at the iconic Palace of Versailles. Everyone is waiting with bated breath to see how the facilities, which will host all Equestrian disciplines and the Modern Pentathlon, will intertwine with the iconic grounds.

About that construction — it’s well and truly underway! This video from the Associated Press gives us a peek at the current progress of the main arena and grandstands, which will ultimately be able to seat 16,000 spectators, and offers a few soundbites from the Versailles Venue Director for the Paris 2024 organizing committee, Anne Murac, along with Christophe Leribault, the President of the Palace of Versailles Estate.

The top equine athletes around the world aren’t the only horses getting ready for the Olympics. Did you notice in the video above how shiny horses and humans of the Fountain of Apollo are now? They were looking a little brown before, but ahead of the Olympics have undergone a two-year restoration process to polish up the gilded lead statues as well as shore up the plumbing underneath. You can check out a video of the restoration process and a few additional glimpses here.

Can you imagine cross country day when there will be horses galloping across the canal in the background? Quel rêve!

Weekend Winners: Stable View, CDCTA, Pine Hill, & Rocking Horse

By on Apr 8, 2024 11:35 am -

We all certainly kept our eye on the action at Stable View’s 4* this past weekend, but what else did we see Eventers up to? From Stable View to CDCTA to Pine Hill to Rocking Horse, there was plenty of action – catch up with it all here!

Congrats to all of our Weekend Winners! We’re giving them all a well-earned shout out, with a special shout out to the winner of our Unofficial Low Score Award, Jackie Ericksen and Devon Ridge Indira, who scored a 20.7 in the Starter Open A at Pine Hill!

Stable View Spring 2/3/4* and H.T. (Aiken, SC) [Website][Scoring]

CCI 4*S: Boyd Martin and Commando 3 (32.5)
CCI 3*S: Alexandra Baugh and Hubert Des 3 Arbres (29.3)
CCI 2*S: Boyd Martin and Fetiche Des Rouges (26.0)
Advanced: Lindsay Traisnel and Bacyrouge (34.8)
Open Intermediate: Ariel Grald and Adagios Nobility (23.7)
Open Preliminary: Ariel Grald and Obalix (32.4)
Preliminary Rider: Summer Covar and Mona Lisa (37.1)
Modified Rider: Jacqueline Cameron and Penny Lane (31.6)
Open Modified: Mandolin Whitten and Bossanova (26.5)
Open Training A: Jennie Brannigan and Revolt (27.8)
Open Training B: Sydney Shinn and Sunshine and Whiskey (27.1)
Training Rider A: Lisa Edinger and Quinto Quest (25.2)
Training Rider B: Abigail Bennett and SM Ravin’s Treasure (35.3)

CDCTA Spring H.T. (Ruckersville, VA) [Website][Scoring]

Open Modified: Stephanie Sills and Mille Neuf Cent (31.5)
Open Training 1: Jessica Nelson and Betterthanexpected (37.4)
Open Training 2: Abigail McGowan and Mystic Serenade (42.1)
Open Novice 1: Christine Ehlers and Cloudy Times (34.2)
Open Novice 2: James Meister and Going Tribal (33.3)
Open Beginner Novice 1: Martin Douzant and Delta Dawn PVF (30.9)
Open Beginner Novice 2: Martin Douzant and Galactic Frame Z (34.7)
Introductory 1: Addy Sheplee and Kinsale (32.0)
Introductory 2: Sara Moezie and Chastain’s Morning Mocha (30.3)

Pine Hill Spring H.T. (Bellville, TX) [Website][Scoring]

Preliminary-Open: Sierra Fishell and Galiamo (39.0)
Training-Open: Lida McAllister and Tullibards Chance Taken (30.8)
Novice-Open A: Kyli Sadler and Phantom Trip (32.2)
Novice-Open B: Kaetlyn Perkins and Urneypark Shutterfly (31.8)
Novice-Open C: Megan Correia-Bittner and Quadrillo (26.9)
Beginner Novice-Open A: Amanda Rhodes and Flagmounts Zelda (29.1)
Beginner Novice-Open B: Shelby Owen and GTB Felix Felicis (32.7)
Starter-Open A: Jackie Ericksen and Devon Ridge Indira (20.7)
Starter-Open B: Emarie Graham and Chorizo (33.0)

Rocking Horse Spring H.T. (Altoona, FL) [Website][Scoring]

Intermediate Rider: Jesse Reagin and RCA Society Law (38.6)
Open Intermediate: Jennie Jarnstrom-Dennis and Flower Girl (28.2)
Intermediate/Preliminary: Arielle Aharoni and Cooley Baltic Sea (33.6)
Open Preliminary: William Ward and Phantom of theOpera (32.9)
Preliminary Horse: Lexi Scovil and Undertaker 7 (25.3)
Preliminary Rider: Nicolette Adams and Total Access (33.5)
Modified Rider: Casey Locklear and FLS Major Bounce (35.4)
Open Modified A: Sherry Pound and Dassett Choice (33.0)
Open Modified B: Sylvia Byars and CSF Dassett Decoy (27.8)
Open Training A: Audrey Ogan and Cooley Classified (25.3)
Open Training B: Lauren Nicholson and Sir Prize (27.7)
Training Horse: Lynn Symansky and Caramba (26.4)
Training Rider: Valli Corbin and Napoleon Z (29.4)
Novice Horse: Jonathan Holling and Capstone (27.5)
Novice Rider A: Darci Burton and VS Correlli Surprise (28.1)
Novice Rider B: Gina Teresi and Match Right (30.8)
Open Novice A: Liz Lund and Hillside Diamond Lad CF (26.9)
Open Novice B: Robin Walker and DHI Milan (25.6)
Beginner Novice Rider: Jack Brennan and Paladin (23.2)
Open Beginner Novice A: Kelsey Seidel and Water Mill Smooth (26.5)
Open Beginner Novice B: Paige Montague and Doograne Master (25.3)
Starter: Sarah Finkel and Pink Gin (30.1)

Monday News & Notes from FutureTrack

By on Apr 8, 2024 5:42 am -

Strzegom in Poland was the weekend’s major European eventing fixture, and what a competition it was: twisty, technical courses from 1* to CCI4*-S put horses and riders to the test, and that four-star was, as is always the case at Strzegom, packed with names you need to know. The eventual winner was Belgium’s Tine Magnus and Dia Van Het Lichterveld Z, a horse I’ve been obsessed with since her young horse class years, and who climbed from first-phase eleventh place with a super-speedy 2.4 time penalties across the country. Belgium’s exceptional 2023 season looks set to be continuing in much the same way in 2024.

Second in this class was a pair who US audiences, particularly, will want to take note of – Germany’s Christoph Wahler and D’Accord 70, who’ll be heading stateside in a couple of weeks to tackle their first Kentucky. Prepare to fall in love with the incredibly leggy tall glass of water that is D’Accord. Also, let’s be real, you’re going to fancy Christoph. In ninth place, too, we saw another high-flying German duo who are aiming for Kentucky – that was Calvin Böckmann, once dubbed ‘the young Jung’ by EquiRatings, and The Phantom of the Opera, who’ll be making their 5* debut this month. And, finally, in fifteenth place after a great run, we see Nicolai Aldinger and Timmo, who’ll be rounding out that trio of German-lads-we’ll-all-be-talking-about in Lexington soon.

And, of course, we actually saw the Stars and Stripes represented in Strzegom, thanks to Alexa Gartenberg and Cooley Kildare! They finished 36th after an educational early-season run, and we can’t wait to see how they develop as 2024 unfolds.

National Holiday: It’s National Empanada Day. I still dream daily of the surprisingly excellent Mexican food that can be picked up at dodgy-looking gas stations in Ocala, so if you’re on that side of the pond, have one for me today.

US Weekend Action: 

Stable View Spring 2/3/4* and H.T. (Aiken, SC) [Website] [Results]

CDCTA Spring H.T. (Ruckersville, VA) [Website] [Results]

Pine Hill Spring H.T. (Bellville, TX) [Website] [Results]

Rocking Horse Spring H.T. (Altoona, FL) [Website] [Results]

UK Weekend Results:

Larkill (Larkhill, Wilts.): [Results]

Norton Disney (1) (Norton Disney, Lincs.): [Results]

Major International Events:

Strzegom Spring Open 1 (Poland): [Website] [Results]

Your Monday Reading List:

There are few things that strike fear into the hearts of horse owners quite like the idea of soft-tissue injuries. That’s because these tricky, nuanced lamenesses can be a real bugger to get right – each has a very specific rehabilitation plan and timeline associated with it, and setbacks aren’t particularly uncommon on the road to recovery. But while that might sound pretty doom and gloom (can you tell I’ve had to deal with an ongoing and particularly tricky one?!), there is light at the end of the tunnel, and with careful management, lots of horses who’ve ‘done a leg’ can return to their peak performance. This article offers an interesting insight and overview into each part of the process.

It turns out I really needed an essay on half-halts as a metaphor for life this morning. After a long, achingly tough weekend, I can relate all too well to Camilla Mortensen’s beautifully penned blog about finding a way to momentarily regroup before powering forward into the unknown with a clearer head, better balance, and a touch more confidence. Read her words, which are much better than my summary of them, here, and I hope, if you’re in need of galvanising this morning, that they do that for you, too.

Another thing I needed this morning? This very good advice on when and why to clip. My mare didn’t get a clip this winter, and now she’s in peak shedding season, and believe you me, I am desperate to take the blades to her and skip the next few weeks of accidentally flossing my teeth with grimy belly hair. But Cat Hill of World Class Grooming is here to put a stop to my crazy, once and for all. Maybe.

Struggling with muddy pastures and bottomless gateways? I feel you. Here in England, all we have is mud, mud, mud, and some more mud, and very occasionally, an event that manages to run despite the mud which kind of, somehow, distracts us from the mud. It’s not fun, and it’s not ideal for our horses’ legs, either. But what can you do about it at home? A few things, actually – and this short piece from Equus has tips for things you can try right now, like laying material in gateways, and plans you can put in place ahead of next mud-season.

Morning Viewing:

Join British eventer Ashley Harrison and her 4* horse, Zebedee, as they head to Munstead for a combined training outing in something that actually appears to resemble sunshine, unusually.

Straight from the Vet’s Mouth: Reducing Risk with Better Farm Management

By on Apr 7, 2024 9:30 am -

I’ve always said that you could put a horse in a sterile padded room and they’d still come out half-blind with three broken legs and some sort of skin fungus. Meanwhile, the horse that lives in that junkyard you pass every day on your way to work will live happily to the ripe old age of 44 years old and look great doing it. I don’t sound bitter, do I?

Determined to discover whether we should all invest in a junkyard for our horses, I turned to Grand Prix Dressage rider, veterinarian, and FEI delegate Dr. Courtney Varney . She has been a veterinarian for 14 years, and has served as veterinary delegate for international dressage and jumping shows for nine years.

Alongside her husband and Ocala Horse Properties co-owner Matt Varney, Courtney has lived on her 22-acre Ocala farm for about ten years now. As a sports medicine vet and partner of her practice, Ocala Equine Hospital, she says, “I love coming to a barn and getting to know the horses not just for their medical problems, but how they perform, and what their strengths and weaknesses are in the arena. When they win, it almost feels like you won. You’re just so excited knowing what the rider and horse have both been through and that you’ve been there to help them get back in the ring.”

An unfortunate side-effect of being a veterinarian is dealing with our favorite fragile animals in the worst situations. Courtney has seen her fair share of injuries that could have been prevented with better farm management. Still, Courtney says you can’t prevent every single cut and scrape. “Horses will be horses and they’ll get themselves into trouble now matter what you do to prevent it.”

But, if you’re looking to make your farm safer, Courtney has a few pieces of advice.

Photo by Matt Varney

#1: Choose Concrete Over Wood
Courtney has a total of seven stalls on the property, five of which are in a concrete shed row barn, and two in a small wooden shedrow barn. She was very specific on her choice of concrete over wood.

“I think you could build a very high quality, sturdy, safe wood barn and I’ve been in plenty at my job every day. As long as you have a good contractor and build it up to code and have the electricity put in the right way, you can actually have a fantastic wooden barn. I just personally prefer a concrete barn. I think they’re a little easier to clean,” Courtney said. “Every month, we’ll take some cleaning solution and power wash the inside of the stalls. I can get the concrete really clean and you can disinfect a little easier.”

#2: Stalls Should Be Level and Ditch-Free
The majority of the residents at her farm are show horses who spend some portion of the day inside, so one of her biggest priorities was to create a comfortable barn. That includes big comfortable stalls with appropriate mats and good drainage. Courtney prefers to use crushed concrete under her stalls, as it doesn’t deform over time and still drains well. Lumpy stalls can cause a horse to misstep and injure themselves, while poor drainage contributes to bad air quality.

Photo by Matt Varney

#3: When it Comes to Turnout, Quantity & Quality Matter
Courtney and Matt have a total of nine acres of turnout on their farm. “We’ve got it laid out well to keep the horses having plenty of time outside,” Courtney said.

But size and access to pasture isn’t all that matters, drainage, fencing, and maintenance matter nearly as much. Dry pastures with good drainage prevent thrush, abscesses and other hoof conditions. “They will get thrush and this is a fairly simple thing to treat, but it can become chronic and cause lameness. They can get abscesses, which can lead to other problems,” Courtney said. “We can’t do anything about nature, but if you happen to have paddocks where there’s a lot of standing water, it’s a good idea for them to come in for a portion of the day or night just so they can have the chance to dry out their feet.”

Courtney sees a fair amount of horses with skin disease from being out in tall wet grass. “Keep up on your mowing. Especially in the summertime, if you have tall grass and it’s dewey every morning or it’s raining, the horses will get recurrent skin disease. They can get cellulitis and become extremely lame and painful. And then they have to go through various treatments including antibiotic therapy and NSAIDs and possibly steroids.”

Be prepared to spend good money on your fencing and check it often. Even though Courtney checks her pastures once a week, she’s still occasionally surprised by what she finds.

“If there are sharp edges or old nails sticking out or broken boards, the horses will hurt themselves,” Courtney said. “I’ve been surprised. I think my fencing looks good and then I’ll drive around the perimeter and realize this board’s been down for a while, or I didn’t realize that there’s a bunch of nails sticking out or there’s holes from little gophers or other critters that can get into the paddock. Those holes could be deadly should the horse step into it the wrong way.”

#4: Design Your Barn to Cool Your Horse Off Efficiently
In an effort to beat the Florida heat, Courtney has an efficient cooling system for her horses. Her wash rack includes shade and fans. “In the summertime here it gets so hot. It’s important when I’m done riding that I get a fan on them right away because sometimes it is really hard to get them cooled off,” Courtney said. “You need to be able to untack, hose them off, and get them nice and cool in a timely manner.”

Courtney Varney riding in her arena. Photo by Matt Varney

#5: Poor Footing is an Injury Waiting to Happen
Courtney designed her outdoor dressage arena with safety and convenience in mind. ”I decided I wanted all weather footing so I had Joe Watkins from Longwood farm come out. The footing is fantastic. It’s impossible for a puddle to form in that ring. That’s really nice for me because there are times when I don’t get to ride because I’m busy with work. And then if I get time to ride and my arena’s flooded, that’s no good. It is super important to me, not only for my horse’s safety to have good footing, but for my own lifestyle as well.”

And it’s not just drainage Courtney worried about, she was very specific about the concussion of the footing as well. “Harder footing is harder on joints, even though it might be better for soft tissues. But over time, those horses may need more maintenance or are more prone to having arthritis develop at a faster rate because of the harder footing,” Courtney said. “But honestly, I prefer hard footing to soft footing. Footing that’s too deep and too soft makes you much more prone to a soft tissue injury, which from a treatment standpoint, can be heartbreaking.”

“I think it’s good to vary your footing. I always tell people, ‘go outside the ring, go train on the grass, go have a gallop. Go ride on uneven footing.’ That’s good for them,” Courtney said. “It increases their proprioception and it gives them a little more strength in their distal limbs.”

#6: If There’s a Chance Your Horse Can Get a Leg Stuck, They Will
Look at your stalls from the perspective of a curious toddler. Is there anything your horse can get stuck in? Some of Courtney’s emergency calls with the least optimistic outcomes are those where a horse is hanging by a limb.

“I’m really picky about what kind of separation you have between stalls. If you have boards with more than five or six inches between them, sometimes horses will get upset and try to kick and will get their legs stuck. That’s a potentially fatal mistake. I’ll have people change the slots between the boards so the gaps are much smaller, maybe even only an inch or two. That still gives you good air circulation, but prevents horses from getting their legs stuck.”

The same cautionary tale also applies to slow feeders and hay nets. “Some people really like the slow feed hay bags or buckets, but you have to be very careful about the type you get, as some are safer than others. Sometimes you get babies that are curious and investigate them and get their legs stuck in them,” Courtney said. “It’s the same thing with hay nets. I try to put them up high enough, as I’ve had horses paw and catch the edge of their shoe on the net. They can get upset and fall down only to be hung up by the edge of their shoe.”

Photo by Matt Varney

#7: Gates Are Your Best Friend
Accidents involving a loose horse and a car are quite possibly Courtney’s most dreaded emergency call. She suggests, “Make sure that your gate is always closed or that you have an automatic gate. Sometimes you’re handling a horse and they spook and get away from you. If your farm is completely enclosed, a loose horse getting out onto the road is one less worry. Horses getting out into the road is an absolute disaster and a nightmare in every way that it could be. It’s obviously deadly to them and deadly to drivers.”

At the end of the day, all we can do as barn owners and horse owners is try our best. “I have clients that go above and beyond and put their heart and soul into trying to keep their horses safe, and they still have things go wrong,” Courtney said. “We can only do the best we can.”

This article was sponsored by Ocala Horse Properties. Courtney says Ocala has become her home. “I chose Ocala because I love the space. It’s such a diverse area where you can go out and be away from it all and really feel like you’ve got that isolated farm feeling or you could be close to the show grounds and feel like you can pop out to the restaurants and get to the grocery store fast. I just think Ocala offers equestrians anything they want. You can have a busy show barn or you can have complete peace and quiet.”

If you fell in love with Ocala like Courtney did, check out their website to find your dream farm & home.

Sunday Links from EcoVet

By on Apr 7, 2024 12:01 am -

We’re just a couple of weeks away from the #BestWeekendAllYear: the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event. Ahead of this year’s event, there’s plenty of preview content hitting the airwaves. In particular, we’re excited to see what Athletux has been working on with this year’s Behind the Barn video series. Check out the preview:

You can watch previous episodes of Behind the Barn here.

U.S. Weekend Action

Stable View Spring 2/3/4* and H.T. (Aiken, SC) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

CDCTA Spring H.T. (Ruckersville, VA) [Website] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Pine Hill Spring H.T. (Bellville, TX) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Rocking Horse Spring H.T. (Altoona, FL) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Links to Start Your Sunday:

Badminton waitlist all accepted – and Harry Meade set to make history

New USEF rule: ‘Night Should Be Dark’

Chronicle of the Horse’s 2024 Readers’ Choice Survey

Athletux is hiring for intern positions

Please take a moment to complete this Sport Horse Nation survey!

Sponsor Corner: Today is the last day to take advantage of EcoVet’s Spring sale! 🐇🌷 Get 25% off your purchase with code ECO2024. Start fly season off right– with the industry’s only fatty-acid fly repellent that also improves insect-related skin sensitivity. [Shop now.]

Morning Viewing: Look at what else has been going on around Stable View this week!

Boyd Martin and Commando 3 Take the Title in Stable View CCI4*-S

By on Apr 6, 2024 5:38 pm -

Boyd Martin and Commando 3. Photo by Cora Williamson for Liz Crawley Photography.

Boyd Martin and Yankee Creek Ranch LLC’s Commando 3 (Connor 48 x R-Adelgunde, Amigo XX) claimed their third FEI win together today, leading the CCI4*-S at Stable View (Aiken, SC) from start to finish and ending on a score of 32.5.

It was a refreshed course awaiting the headlining division today, put together by Great Britain’s Helen West, who tested out some different tracks and worked with some newly-added questions. The result was a track that exerted a fair bit of influence; while time is always a factor in these short format events for multiple reasons, we also saw several questions elicit runouts or refusals throughout the field.

The most influential issue came for Liz Halliday and Cooley Quicksilver (owned by The Monster Partnership/Ocala Horse Properties), who were third following two phases and unfortunately parted ways at the severely-angled Stable View brushes at fence 10. Both she and “Monster” were unhurt; Liz later returned to pilot Shanroe Cooley to a clear round.

Boyd and Commando 3 (“Connor”) have been together for just on a year now, and he’s said all along that he knows the best is still yet to come with the 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding. The horse had competed through this level with his previous rider, Swedish Olympian Louise Romeike, and it can take time to form a partnership with a horse at this stage of education. The two gelled together quite quickly, amassing multiple competitive results in their first few events together, and to know that Boyd is confident he’s yet to hit the top of the horse’s potential is an exciting prospect — especially just a few months before the Olympics.

“Commando’s feeling in fantastic condition as we do our final prep toward Kentucky and gave me a great performance,” Boyd said. “Full credit to Helen [West], I feel like she’s really done her homework on the type of fences we’re going to be faced with at Kentucky and she had all the questions there. I feel like it was a great prep event. I think she put a lot of thought into it; there was plenty of galloping, it nice flow to it and there were also some pretty tough combinations and accuracy fences and all the looks we’re going to see coming into Kentucky.”

Boyd is well-poised for a selection to the Olympic squad — though he’s got a couple competitions still to tick off on his prep tour — with not just Commando, but also stablemate Fedarman B (owned by the Annie Goodwin Syndicate), who also delivered a clear round today to finish in fifth.

“Bruno, he’s turning into one of the best cross country horses I’ve ever sat on,” he said. “He’s ultra fast, huge stride, and really could’ve jumped around with his eyes shut. I feel like with both Bruno and [Commando 3], we’ve still got plenty of work to get the dressage a bit better, but they’re jumping great and safe and reliable and have such immense quality. It’s crazy to think of how good they could be once I really have them trained.”

He’s also got his veteran campaigner, Tsetserleg, and Maryland 5 Star winner On Cue, as two additional prospects for the team. Commando 3 and Fedarman B will next compete in the Lexington CCI4*-S, while Tsetserleg and On Cue will aim at either the Kentucky 5* or Badminton (they’re each entered in both for now and could even potentially re-route if they start Kentucky and happen to have an early issue, with an extra week on the books this year between Kentucky and Badminton).

“I feel like I’m a bit of a veteran now; I’ve been through this every two years for the last couple of decades, even before I left Australia,” Boyd said on the topic of the impending team selection. “I think the biggest thing is timing, that you’ve got your horses peaking well. It is a first time for me ever that I’m not doing them all in a spring five-star, so that’s a bit unusual and that’s sort of why I wanted to give Bruno and Connor a strong run at the four-star level to prove that they’re on their A game. I feel like I’m blessed with the strongest group of horses that I’ve ever had, a wonderful team and fantastic owners. I feel like I’m seasoned now and all we can do is try to come into the big events not feeling like you have to do something extra and keep trying to improve by that one percent every time.”

Will Coleman and Chin Tonic HS. Photo by Amy Griffith for Liz Crawley Photography.

Also retaining his position after two phases is Will Coleman, who piloted Hyperion Stud’s Chin Tonic HS (Chin Champ x Wildera, Quinar Z) to a clear round with some time added to end the weekend on a score of 34.1. Will had been candidly accepting of the mistakes and bobbles that led to his assessment of yesterday being sub-par, but he was pleased with how the 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding performed on cross country.

“He was good,” Will said. “You know, it’s a very different course here this year, quite twisty. I actually thought Mark had really a beautiful track set out last year. This was very different in some ways, some good new wrinkles and it’s always good to have new stuff but it was a bit on the jerky side for me. It was also good for Chin, wouldn’t necessarily be his type of course but he answered the questions well well. He handled all the questions really well. Ground was sub par, so I think I just responsible and tried to set him up for Kentucky.

Will also rode the Off the Record Syndicate’s Off the Record (Arkansas VDL – Drumagoland Bay by Ard Ohio) to a clear round, finishing in fourth overall on a score of 35.6. “Timmy” joins Chin Tonic as Will’s top prospects for team selections; both horses are entered in the Lexington CCI4*-S at Kentucky, which should be their last run before team announcements are made. Will withdrew The Diabolo Group’s Diabolo after show jumping yesterday, which was his plan for the weekend as the 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding preps for his 5* debut at Luhmühlen (Germany) in June.

I asked Will how he was managing his own expectations with something like a championship team announcement. A spot on the Olympic squad would be his second such selection (London 2012 was his first), and his third championship team selection. The experience would be enough to leave one craving another, and surely at least some part of him is but at the same time, he says he’s faring well.

“Honestly I’m really trying not to put much thought into it,” he elaborated. “Really I’m looking at Kentucky as an event I’d like to go do well at, just like any year. I think you do what you do and how it all shakes out is sort of beyond your control; I can only control my preparation and what I do on the day. I was young then and you’re so hungry just to make a team, and now I’m in a much different place. I’ve got an amazing family and we have a great life, and maybe in a weird way there’s less pressure on yourself because you are in that different place. When you’re young and hungry it might matter to you too much; I’m guilty of being a bit of a perfectionist and sometimes trying too hard to ride just for an outcome and I just think I’ve tried to get better at that.”

Doug Payne and Quantum Leap. Photo by Austin Ross for Liz Crawley Photography.

Rocketing up from 20th after dressage are Doug Payne and Quantum Leap (Quite Capitol – Report to Sloopy xx, by Corporate Report xx), also making a strong case for the team with two impeccable jumping phases that brought Doug up to the podium, finishing third on a 35.1. Doug describes “Quantum” as one of the most genuine horses he’s ever had — “Vandiver 2.0” — and he’s also been one of the most consistent jumpers in the field.

He was also quick on the clock, the fastest of the day, accumulating just two seconds of time over the optimum of 6:23. Doug credits this to the 13-year-old gelding’s rideability: “you waste no time setting him up because he sets himself up, and he’s very maneuverable so you can be quite tight on the approach and quite tight on the back side.”

Of all phases this weekend, though, Doug was most pleased with the improvement he felt on the flat. It’s a confirmed fact that Quantum is likely to finish on whatever score he earns on the first day, so chipping away at his mid-30s average to give himself a better starting point has been a key focus. Doug says he’s been testing out new strategies on flat, recently focusing on achieving a greater amount of forward flow throughout the test.

“I want it to be a more actively forward ride, and that’s definitely been the right answer as he’s gone a couple points better every time out,” Doug explained. “The moment he’s started to get a bit apprehensive or tense, I’ve been trying to let him flow forward as much as possible where before I would worry more about getting him more supple, which would sometimes cause him to get tense and anxious.” Additionally, in working with Aiken-based show jumper Andrea King recently, Doug noted that she’d pointed out a tendency of his to “ride like I’m on a motorcycle”. This led him to concentrate on achieving a better balance in his turns in the dressage ring, too, which has paid off as well. “The horses would fall in and get a bit quick when I’d do that, and with this they are able to stay in better balance.”

Quantum Leap will do the CCI5* at Kentucky at the end of the month, which will be his seventh 5* start.

Other notables from today’s cross country include a clear and quick round from Julie Wolfert and Team Pivot’s SSH Playboy, who moved up to sixth after starting the weekend in 28th. Jenny Caras and Jerry Hollis’ Sommersby also moved well up the board, finishing in seventh after starting in 26th. Phillip Dutton completes the top 10 with three rides: Denim (owned by Ann Lapides, Ann Jones, Caroline Moran, and Neill Sites) in eighth on a 42.7, Possante (owned by The Possante Group) in ninth on a 42.9, and Jewelent (owned by The Jewelent Group) in 10th on a 44.9.

A couple of questions caused the most difficulty today: the newly-added Defender Columbia Coffin at 14 caused issues for four pairs, including a dropped frangible pin at the A for Liz Halliday and Cooley Nutcracker, and the new water complex at 9 also caught out eight pairs. You can view photos of the fences in our preview here.

Riders certainly noticed the difference in tracks between this year and previous years; Will Coleman noted that the beginning felt a bit more open, but that it was somewhat difficult to establish a good rhythm thereafter. Helen also focused on technicality, inviting open doors with skinny questions and angles, and also found ways to use the rolling terrain to further test the pairs. “She’s not afraid to land the horses on an awkward camber and make you take a lot of responsibility for their balance,” Will observed.

You can view the full scores from Stable View here.

Stable View Spring 2/3/4* and H.T. (Aiken, SC) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Welcoming Helen West: Preview the Stable View CCI4*-S Cross Country Track

By on Apr 6, 2024 9:30 am -

The new Defender Columbia Coffin Complex at Stable View. Photo courtesy of CrossCountryApp.

We’re pleased to welcome Great Britain’s Helen West as the new course designer at Stable View, taking over for Capt. Mark Phillips as his retirement nears. While Capt. Mark consulted and advised on the design of the track he’s handled since the venue’s opening, the bulk of the design strategy and execution fell to Helen, who has also designed at events such as Bicton and has also served as the CEO of British Eventing.

The result is a CCI4*-S course that looks quite different from its most recent counterparts, running in the opposite direction as the last few years and incorporating some previously unused areas of Stable View’s acreage. There are also new or relocated complexes scattered about, giving the track a fresh feel that also should serve as a proper set-up for the upcoming CCI5* and CCI4*-L events most of the pairs competing this weekend are preparing for.

“Helen West built a real course similar to what we’re going to experience at Kentucky with lots of coffins and a big brush and big jumps into the water and she’s done a top job,” Boyd Martin, current leader of the 4*-S with Yankee Creek Ranch LLC’s Commando 3, said. “But she’s made a pretty good test. So my goal [today] would be to give the horses a good run. Make sure they jump all the fences well, and they’re nice and confident coming into Kentucky.”

Click the image to view the interactive map on CrossCountryApp.

You can see on the map above that the course takes a new direction, going away from the start box toward the main part of the property early on and finishing on the same end of the property as the start. Riders will have a handful of single fences and some related combinations to contend with before they hit the meaty portion of the course, which comes after a steep climb up the back hill of the property.

Cheeky little bugger. Photo courtesy of CrossCountryApp.

Here, we find a handful of reimagined questions, including a cheeky Brush Surprise at fence 10 that, at least in photos, looks like it could sneak in a 20 or two, which follows the new CVETS Water Complex at 9ABC.

Fence 9ABC also features the iconic Stable View angled hedges, relocated to the upper back corner of the property for 2024, as seen below.

After navigating those challenges, riders will tackle the newly-constructed Defender Columbia Coffin Complex as they head back toward the starting end of the course. This coffin promises to test horses prepping for 5* and every horse’s ability to hold a line:

The work won’t stop there; riders will still need to navigate a final water complex before a final uphill pull to the final few fences. The course carries an optimum time of 6 minutes, 23 seconds with a total of 22 numbered questions and 35 jumping efforts.

There is no live stream this weekend, but you can follow along with live scores here. Cross country begins for the 4*-S division at 1:15 p.m. EST. You can view the rest of the schedule for Stable View here. I’ll be along later with a final recap from the day, so stay tuned and Go Eventing!

Stable View Spring 2/3/4* and H.T. (Aiken, SC) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Saturday Links from World Equestrian Brands

By on Apr 6, 2024 12:01 am -

Eleven months ago at Kentucky she made a real splash in her first five-star and this year Boyd Martin’s former mount, the super mare Contessa, has a new jockey in the irons! Tori Miller of Paragon Eventing welcomed the mare to her string a few months ago thanks to new owner Tom Aronson. Tori and Contessa made their debut together in the Open Training at Morven Park last weekend. Here’s wishing them all the best as they develop their new partnership!

U.S. Weekend Action

Stable View Spring 2/3/4* and H.T. (Aiken, SC) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

CDCTA Spring H.T. (Ruckersville, VA) [Website] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Pine Hill Spring H.T. (Bellville, TX) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Rocking Horse Spring H.T. (Altoona, FL) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Links to Start Your Weekend:

Will Coleman: Father, Eventer, Olympian

Andrew Nicholson: ‘Everyone is upping their game ahead of the Olympics’

Thrown off Course: Social Media’s Influence on the Equestrian World

Gretchen Butts and Waredaca Celebrate 20 Years of the Classic Three-Day

Horse Farms and Climate Change: Reducing Your Carbon Footprint

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Sponsor Corner: Big news from World Equestrian Brands! The Equilibrium boots are back and better than ever. These boots are everything your horse needs to succeed on cross country–

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Morning Viewing: Jon Holling and Rick Wallace talk to Tik Maynard and Sinead Halpin about their recent Road to the Horse win and pans for the rest of the year.

Commando Wore His Dancing Pants to Stable View CCI4*-S

By on Apr 5, 2024 7:33 pm -

Boyd Martin and Commando 3. Photo by Liz Crawley Photography.

An earthquake may have rocked the East Coast today, but everything was sunny in Aiken, South Carolina for the first day of competition in the Stable View $60,000 CCI4*-S. As many riders use the event as a precursor to the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, the schedule was stacked with big names, including Boyd Martin, Liz Halliday, and Will Coleman.

As you might have predicted, the end of day one resulted in “The Big Three” battling it out for the top slots. Amazingly enough, Yankee Creek Ranch’s Commando 3 (Connor 48 x R-Adelgunde, Amigo XX) and Boyd Martin beat the silky smooth Chin Tonic for first place after dressage with a score of 25.7. Will Coleman and Hyperion Stud’s Chin Tonic (Chin Champ x Wildera, Quinar Z) left the ring tied with Liz Halliday and The Monster Partnership’s and Ocala Horse Properties’ Cooley Quicksilver (Womanizer x Kylemore Crystal, Creggan Diamond) with a score of 26.5.

Commando 3’s dressage performance proved his best dressage test yet at the 4* level narrowly trumping his performance at the 2023 Carolina International by a tenth of a point. Boyd took the ride on Commando just last year, taking over from Sweden’s Louise Romeike.

Boyd Martin and Commando 3. Photo by Liz Crawley Photography.

“I’ve really been working hard with Silva on the dressage and I came out and performed a wonderful test today and I still really feel like there’s more improvements to be made, but he’s such an amazingly gifted horse. It’s pretty exciting to think of where he’s going to be in a year or two.”

As for Chin Tonic’s record, you could be excused for thinking you were looking at computer code, based on the number of 1s and 0s. Out of a total of 20 competitions, the talented 12-year-old Holsteiner has won eight. The dressage phase is usually his best phase, regularly scoring in the low 20s/high teens. Only the growth-minded Will Coleman could ever call a dressage test scoring 26.5 and earning a second place tie “one to flush down the toilet,” but you don’t become one of the best riders in the U.S. by accepting what you know wasn’t your greatest performance.

Will Coleman and Chin Tonic HS. Photo by Liz Crawley Photography.

“Well, we had a lot of mistakes. We just had a lot of errors, you know, just silly things. It’s just that kind of a test. Just to have an off day, you know that that can happen. Now he’s been so good recently, maybe we were kind of due for a little bit of a swing and a miss,” Will said. “I think the horse is in a good place. I’m just gonna flush this one down the toilet and look ahead to the next one. He feels great, but it is what it is sometimes. Sometimes you just don’t have your stuff when you get in the ring.”

Liz has already had a busy season with her large string of 4* and 5* horses, five in total. She has three out of the five competing in the Stable View 4* this weekend, Shanroe Cooley, Cooley Nutcracker, and Cooley Quicksilver. This weekend was Cooley Quicksilver’s time to shine ahead of his brothers, putting in a good dressage performance for the 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse, resulting in a score of 26.5, and a tie with Coleman.

The stadium course was designed by well-known designer Chris Barnard. Time allowed for the course was capped at 81 seconds. By the end of the phase 86 percent of the field was able to cross the timer within the time allowed. The triple combination at fence 10 proved to be particularly tricky, racking up a total of nine rails and two refusals.

However, it wasn’t an issue for any of our top three. Boyd and Commando 3 “flew” around the course. “He’s unbelievable. Just super careful and got a big scope to him. And he took up the course in great fashion and we’re very, very pleased.”

The 11-year-old Holsteiner is relatively new to Boyd, with 2024 being only their second competition season together. “We’re really starting to click and gel now. It’s really taken a year to get a partnership going, but now we’re definitely on the same page and we’re rockin’ and rollin.’ But he’s a horse of unbelievable quality. And I feel like we’re really in sync now.”

Show jumping was par for the course for Chin Tonic HS and Will. “He jumped well, it wasn’t overly impressive, but he did his job. He left the rails up and I think he’s in a fine place. All good.”

Liz Halliday and Cooley Quicksilver. Photo by Liz Crawley Photography.

Stable View is a popular event to prepare for the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event. Will and Chin Tonic are entered in the 4*-S at the Defender Kentucky Three Day Event, as is Liz with Shanroe Cooley (owned by Ocala Horse Properties), Cooley Quicksilver (owned by The Monster Partnership and Ocala Horse Properties), and Deborah Palmer and Ocala Horse Properties’ Miks Master C. Boyd also has Commando 3 entered in the 4*, alongside Bonnie Stedt’s Miss Lulu Herself and the Annie Goodwin Syndicate’s Fedarman B.

Not only is this event one of the last runs before Kentucky, it’s also the first time the 4* cross country course has been designed by Helen West, after Captain Mark Phillips’ announcement of retirement (though he’s still got a few courses left on his roster for this season). While the Captain is acting as advisor to Helen this year, the course is mostly her creation. Optimum time for cross country is 6 minutes and 23 seconds. According to the Omnibus, riders should aim to maintain 570 meters per minute to conquer the 3500 meter course close to the optimum time.

According to Boyd, Helen didn’t pull her punches for her first 4* course at Stable View. “Helen West built a real course similar to what we’re going to experience at Kentucky with lots of coffins and a big brush and big jumps into the water and she’s done a top job. But she’s made a pretty good test. So my goal tomorrow would be to give the horses a good run. Make sure they jump all the fences well, and they’re nice and confident coming into Kentucky.”

While Helen was in charge of the 4*, Advanced, CCI2*, and Preliminary courses, Mogie Bearden-Muller designed the CCI3*, Intermediate, Modified, and Training courses. You can view the CCI4*-S track on CrossCountryApp here. The other course maps at Stable View can be viewed here.

Fun fact: We have four 4* pairs who managed to stay tied to the same person through both phases:

Will Coleman / Chin Tonic HS vs Liz Halliday / Cooley Quicksilver
Sydney Elliott / QC Diamantaire vs Colleen Loach / Vermont
Philip Dutton / Denim vs Will Coleman / Off the Record
Doug Payne / Camarillo vs Lucienne Bellissimo / Tremanton

Meanwhile, the Advanced division also got underway today, following the same schedule as the 4*. Allison Springer and Nancy Winter’s Connemara Sport Horse No May Moon (Catherston Dazzler x Ebony Moon, Mystic Replica) are leading the way on a score of 29.1, followed by Lindsay Traisnel and Patricia Pearce’s Bacyrouge (My Lord Carthago*HN x Lelia, Clyde de la Combe). In third place, we have Buck Davidson and Erroll Gobey (Cassini II x Ulla II, Contender) owned by Natalie Sandler, Cassie Segal, and Lisa Darden.

Tomorrow, some of the National and all the FEI divisions will tackle cross country. The Training, Modified, Intermediate, and Preliminary divisions will kick off their competition with dressage followed by show jumping, and will leave the start box on Sunday morning. Saturday and Sunday competition will be followed by a Gaze and Graze at the Pavilion from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Stable View Spring 2/3/4* and H.T. (Aiken, SC) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Fancy a Career in Equestrian Broadcasting? Learn from John Kyle at Kentucky!

By on Apr 5, 2024 12:30 pm -

John Kyle works on site at Kentucky Horse Park.

Riders and eventing enthusiasts alike: if you’ve ever thought about a gig in broadcasting, here’s your chance to glean some tips from one of the best in the business.

John Kyle is the voice you hear on most major equestrian live streams these days; he’s commentated on multiple Olympic Games and World Championships across disciplines and also frequents 5* events such as Kentucky each year. John travels the world to voice the broadcasts of major competitions, bringing an encyclopedia of information and stories along with him.

The best seat in the house!

Commentating and broadcasting are skills to be acquired and honed, and in order to help others who may aspire to step into these roles in the future, John is offering two half-day educational sessions during the week of and after Kentucky (Tuesday, April 23 and Monday, April 29).

The April 23 session is aimed at riders/professionals who are interested in serving as analysts on broadcast. The April 29 session is for those interested in broadcast and commentary.

You can view the details of the programs here. The cost of each session is $275, and electronic payment options are just being finalized now. In the meantime if you’d like to sign up to hold your spot (the April 29 session is over half full already!), email [email protected].