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].
David O’Connor and Custom Made. Photo courtesy of US Equestrian.
Legendary eventing horse and Olympic gold medalist Custom Made will be posthumously inducted into the Kentucky Horse Park’s Hall of Champions. The 17.1-hand Irish Sport Horse known to many as “Tailor” will be buried in the Memorial Walk of Champions, the final resting place for some of the most famous equine athletes.
“The sport of eventing is an integral part of the Kentucky Horse Park story, and this should be recognized in our Hall of Champions,” said President Lee Carter. “Custom Made is arguably the most decorated horse to compete at the Park, having won the Kentucky Three-Day Event [1995], Badminton Horse Trials [1997] and Olympic gold [2000]. While Custom Made is no longer with us, we are thankful to David O’Connor for allowing future generations the chance to learn the history of this amazing horse.”
Tailor (Bassompierre x Purple Heather) was foaled in Ireland in 1985. In 1998 he was imported to the United States by owner Joseph Zada of Xandarius, LCC to be a mount for O’Connor. The two captured the hearts of Americans in their first year of partnership by winning the 1995 Kentucky Three-Day Event at the Kentucky Horse Park.
The following year, Tailor and O’Connor finished third in the Badminton Horse Trials (England) and placed fifth individually in the Atlanta Olympic Games. They returned to Badminton in 1997 to secure the win, making Tailor the second American horse ever to win the prestigious competition.
The remarkable duo achieved their crowning moment at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, winning the eventing individual gold medal. This was the first eventing gold medal for the U.S. in 25 years. They continued a successful career together including the win of the gelding’s final competition at the 2002 Fair Hill International Three-Day CCI4*-L (Elkton, Maryland). He was formally retired at the 2004 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event and was inducted into the United States Eventing Association Hall of Fame in 2009.
Tailor lived out the rest of his life at Jacqueline Mars’ Stonehall Farm in The Plains, Virginia. He died in October 2019 at the age of 34 with O’Connor by his side, ending a celebrated chapter in U.S. eventing history. “Tailor was the horse of a lifetime,” said O’Connor. “The most powerful horse I have ever sat on and a true gentleman of every sort. He was a great combination of athlete, legend, and friend.”
A public ceremony will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park on April 23 at 5:30 p.m.
It’s day one at the Stable View spring 2*/3*/4* and H.T., happening in Aiken, SC! A stacked roster of competitors awaits (you can view Stable View’s preview of the event here), and we’ll be keeping keen eyes on the 4*-S division in particular as Kentucky/Badminton and Olympic selection looms. We kick off this morning with dressage, presided over in the 4* division by Peter Gray and Jo Young. Show jumping will follow this afternoon beginning at 3:24 p.m. for the 4*. You can view the full schedule and ride times here.
There is no live stream this weekend (though stay tuned, as Stable View will have a live stream for several other events this year, including USEA Intercollegiate Championships and their Oktoberfest 4*-S in the fall!), but we’ll be bringing you nightly reports on the 4*-S division here on EN. In the meantime, you can keep up with live scoring here. You can also sneak a peek at this year’s cross country, designed by Helen West — who is assisted this year by outgoing designer Capt. Mark Phillips and will be taking over designing the top levels at Stable View going forward — here.
Unless you have been living under a rock, you will see that Kentucky entries have been released, and it is a very exciting line up indeed! Heading back to the States for another crack at the 5* are the 2022 runners up, Yasmin Ingham and Banzai de Loir – also the current World Champions. So enjoy this insight into what drives Yaz, and what it takes to get to the top. The first in a new series from Le Mieux, keep your eyes peeled for the next episode with another top rider from the sport.
Speaking of Kentucky, the guys over at EquiRatings have kindly provided another ‘reaction show,’ similar to the one they released after the Badminton line up was revealed. I personally just LOVE the insight that they offer, and the extra dimension that the stats add to the podium predictions. Spring 5* season is such an exciting time, and the perfect antidote to the seemingly endless winter that we are currently ‘enjoying’ here in the UK.
If you need more eventing chatter in your ears, then EquiRatings have also just released an episode with the absolute boss that is Liz Halliday . Host Nicole Brown chats to Liz about her plans for this season, as well as her thoughts on the season so far. It is of no surprise that Liz has her eyes firmly on the prize, be it Kentucky 5* or Olympic Team Selection. I’d put my money on another cracking season for Liz and her team of unicorns, and I would also bet on her making that team, too.
Kentucky Horse Park’s Hall of Champions will welcome a new member this month. David O’Connor’s legendary partner Custom Made is to be posthumously inducted , and buried in the Memorial Walk of Champions. Together, David and ‘Tailor’ won Kentucky, Badminton and Olympic Gold, bringing home the first US eventing medal in 25 years. The ceremony will be held later this month, when I am sure there will be many a happy memory shared.
Badminton Horse Trials celebrates their 75th Anniversary this year. As such, there are a number of ‘added’ extras in the pipeline, including a special ’75 Years of Badminton’ documentary. Featuring insight from riders past and present, course designers, organisers and many more, it will be released on April 12th, so make sure you sign up to Badminton TV.A minuscule investment for the hours of coverage that you will find there, including this brilliant looking documentary!
At Sport Horse Nation we want to help every horse find the perfect home and every rider find their unicorn. We value your input to guide us in this journey. Please take a moment to complete this survey.
Stable View always runs a well-organized event — case in point, this guide to everything you need to know if you’re competing this weekend!
Weekend Watching
Recognise this old guy? Yep, that right there is Ringwood Skyboy. With his long term buddy Tim Price, Ozzie has 18 5* starts under his belt, including 5 top 20 Badminton finishes, and now, at the grand old age of 21, he has turned his hand to dressage, with his new jockey Emma Duffy. I think we can all agree he looks bloody brilliant, and happy as ever. Just the kind of thing we like to see!
Extreme weather has taken a toll on several farms in both Kentucky and Florida this week, with multiple facilities affected by damaging tornadoes.
Hidden Rose Farm in Lexington, KY was one such facility that took devastating damage from the storm. While no horses or humans were injured in the storm, the damage is extensive and a GoFundMe has been started to support owner Chelsea Sherman as she regroups. The farm is also in need of volunteer hands as the clean-up and rebuilding process begins.
We are so grateful to have such amazing members who went out this morning to help Chelsea Sherman at Hidden Rose Farm…
Editor’s Note: An EN reader brought to our attention that there were some horse injuries sustained at Hidden Rose Farm: “Kokoro, a well loved pony, had to have surgery, and is still working his way through recovery. There were minor injuries as well, but the wonderful Tonya Hatfield Park of Park Equine Hospital donated all the care and treatment for the horses injured, including Kokoro.”
In Ocala, Charlotte Collier’s farm was hit by another tornado, sustaining heavy damage but sparing all horses and humans on the property.
Decided to do some re-modeling today & wanted to take the opportunity to give everyone a farm tour! 🥲 We had a few…
We’ll continue to update this post with additional ways to help, etc. If we’ve missed any ways to help or farms in need of help, please tip us by emailing [email protected].
Attention, amateurs! We’ve had quite a few amateur-friendly financial grant opportunities pop up on our radar this year, and the latest comes out of the Maryland International Equestrian Foundation with the support of Dale Clabaugh, State Farm Agent (Walkersville, MD). The Menfelt Adult Amateur Eventing Scholarship is now open for applications.
“Menfelt was located at Woodvale Farm which offered horse trials in the 1990’s to 2003,” the program description notes. “This scholarship honors the history of horse trials and volunteerism at Menfelt and by assisting an adult amateur rider further develop and achieve their eventing skills and goals.”
The Menfelt Adult Amateur Eventing Scholarship will offer $1,000 in credit towards Highland Series Horse Trials, recognized horse trials and clinics at Loch Moy Farm over the next year.
The application criteria is as follows:
Adult amateur riders over 18 years of age and as defined by USEF and USEA rulebooks (USEF rule GR 1306). Applicants do not need to be members of USEF or USEA, but must meet any membership requirement for competitions they wish to enter.
Competing from Starter to Modified levels.
Must be local to Loch Moy Farm and able to travel to the venue. Scholarship funds can also be applied towards stabling.
May own or lease a horse or be involved in an active eventing lesson program.
Express their interest in the Menfelt Adult Amateur Scholarship and how it will assist and benefit the applicant in developing and achieving their eventing goals.
Be able to further their eventing experience by volunteering eight (8) hours at any Maryland Horse Trials or Loch Moy event. The volunteer hours may be split up.
Scholarship recipients will be subject to the rules and requirements of the events they enter.
Not eventing but a great event all the same, the Gay Polo League‘s Lexus International Gay Polo Tournament begins tomorrow (Friday) with ‘Wigstock’ in support of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, where revelry, dancing, an open bar and fancy hors’ d’oeuvres will set the mood to true Gay Polo League style before the serious business of polo gets underway on Saturday, when four teams will chukka it out in a display of sport, solidarity and celebration. You can keep up with all the joie-de-vivre of the league by following @gaypololeague.
Whether you’re on the polo pitch or the cross country course this weekend, go eventing!
International Day of Note (particularly if you’re a horse, or a rabbit): Today is International Carrot Day, which, as far as I can deduce, means it’s the law to give your horse an extra carrot or two. My equine buddy says three (bags).
Got big B eventing dreams on your ultimate wishlist but want to start with something a little less, well, big? The Voltaire Design Grassroots Championships at Badminton may be more in your wheelhouse. I’m eternally envious of anyone who has the experience and steed for such a cool event – if you’re one of the lucky ones you’ll be interested to know that entries are now open.
A supportive network is one of the wonderful things about equestrian life. You know, those people who pick you up, cheer you on and celebrate all the good times. But there’s a fine line between being grateful for having so many supporters and feeling the weight of letting them down. If your worries are affecting your performance, here’s some help with taking the pressure off.
Rider position is really important if we want to communicate the aids clearly to our horses. Whatever discipline you ride, it’s always handy to check-in with yourself once in a while to ensure that you’re sitting pretty. Give yourself a tune-up with these tips.
And finally, this horsegirl is serious about multi-tasking. If, say, you wanted to be a professional roper competing on the rodeo circuit, volleyball coach, rancher and full-time science teacher, how would you go about extending the number of hours in the day to at least one hundred sixty-five? Here’s a woman who’s doing all of that – and yes, she’s got the same 24-hour days we do.
Evil ponies beware, the Ecogold Pony Saddle Pad Collection is here 😈 These pads have the same non-slip technology and high quality materials found in Ecogold’s performance saddle pads, so your saddle stays secure no matter what your pony throws your way. Shop here.
Video Break
Coming soon to the show jumping ring? We’ve seen bull riding at the rodeo but this guy’s taking things to the next level. Free jumping can be a fun activity in the school for horses, all the more so when you get to do it with your pals, as this somewhat unlikely duo demonstrate:
After suffering an injury at Pau last year and retiring from the highest levels of competition, Phillip Dutton sent his Tokyo Olympic mount, Z, to Furlong’s Soundness Center to begin his treatment and rehabilitation. Z has resided there for the past three months or so and has been a model patient. Now it’s time for him to come home!
Phillip and Evie Dutton recently took a trip up to Oldwick, New Jersey to pick up their boy and bring him back to their farm in Pennsylvania for the next stage of his rehab. Before loading him up, Dr. Brendan Furlong and Dr. Aja Harvey gave them a tour of the facilities and showed them what Z had been up to.
After such a heart wrenching injury, it’s wonderful to see Z looking happy and healthy and exciting to hear that he’s been doing so well — it sounds like Phillip is hopeful that he’ll be able to eventually have a lower-level career and I envy the young rider who may eventually get to pilot his around a course! Here’s wishing Z continued health and happiness in the next stage of his rehab!
Doug Payne and Camarillo compete at the 2024 Grand-Prix Eventing Showcase (Aiken, SC). Photo by Sally Spickard.
Doug Payne isn’t a rider you often see hitting the deck, but when the now-10-year-old Camarillo (Chicardo – Rehobeth, by Riverman) was a developing youngster, this became somewhat of a daily occurrence. As the U.S.-bred DSP gelding, a product of longtime eventing supporter Elizabeth Callahan’s successful breeding program (this program also produced Doug’s current top event horse, Quantum Leap), learned the skills he would need to turn into an eventer, he certainly was not short on opinions.
Take a look at the early days of “Carl”:
“It was pretty much an every day thing,” Doug chuckles. I’m sure it’s much funnier now. “Every time you went into the canter, it would happen. Then he would do it when he first started jumping, he’d land off the first fence halted and you’d just go right over top.”
I asked Doug if he consulted his own Riding Horse Repair Manual book, and also if, in the thick of the toughest days, he questioned whether or not it was worth carrying on with a horse that had clearly demonstrated himself to be, well, “quirky”.
“Definitely it’s mostly patience,” he said, going on to describe the gray gelding as perhaps a bit misunderstood. And half of the battle when it comes to training horses is understanding them. “I think [the behavior] could have come off a little like he was angry or being belligerent, but that really wasn’t it. I’ve learned that he’s somewhat of an internalizer, and when he doesn’t quite understand something or he’s nervous, he becomes like a kid having an outburst at school.”
A staunch believer in the value of developing one’s own pipeline, Doug has learned to see potential in the prospects that come into his program, even if that involves working through some growing pains along the way. He and his wife and fellow 5* rider Jessica Payne have been vocal proponents of developing horses from a young age, making the decision to invest in babies with promise and developing them into professional rides across both eventing and show jumping. It was a decision borne of necessity — buying “going” horses is costly, and they wanted a string — but also out of a desire to retain a large share of ownership in their horses and have a hand in their development from day one. When they show potential for top sport, Doug and Jessica work to bring in part owners; Carl is co-owned with Darin and Patrice Jennings-Rado.
So the “baby horse” antics (well, as Doug tells it, Carl didn’t really begin to let go of his feral tendencies until about a year ago) are a part of the program at the Paynes, and anyway, everyone needs a bit of humbling now and then, don’t they?
Camarillo as a foal. Photo courtesy of Doug Payne.
“He certainly keeps us honest,” Doug laughs. “The biggest challenge was really learning how to stay on him, because if he learned he could dump you that creates a whole new set of challenges. And it was never about ‘getting after him’, it was just get back on, try again, set boundaries. But that is sort of what you can potentially come across when you’re developing a talented horse: the good ones are almost always weird and quirky. Fighting with them doesn’t get you anywhere.”
Fortunately for Doug, Camarillo has developed into a competitive eventing partner, aiming at his CCI5* debut at Defender Kentucky in just a few weeks’ time. Doug says it’s typical to be able to see a horse’s potential by the time they’re in their 5-year-old year, even more so once they’ve hit the CCI3* level. Carl ticked all the boxes, feral-ness forgiven.
He’s now got two solid seasons at the Advanced and 4* level in preparation for this next step up. Doug believes in the system he’s set up to produce eventers, opting to target “tougher” 4* options (“generally you’re going to get the best education, conditions, and organization when you target those bigger events. The horses learn much more when they’re presented with challenging, quality questions, and a green horse can always do the option on cross country.”) as a part of their education and preparation. His results tend to speak for themselves: he’s a rider you can generally count on for a clear round, and oftentimes one that’s up on the clock.
Doug also credits the time he splits in the show jumping arena with helping Carl mature and slow things down. “We took him to Wellington with our jumping horses this winter, and I would flat him in every arena I could when I had the chance,” he explained. “It was really good for a horse like him to be in a more ‘chaotic’ environment. I think it worked really well for him.”
Doug Payne and Camarillo. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
In terms of goal-setting for a first-time horse at a 5*, Doug says a mid-to-low 30s dressage mark, a handful of time on cross country, and at max one or two rails down would make for a great debut in his eyes. This first attempt is less about competitiveness and more about education to set a horse up for a long term career. “I would say I’m going to go as fast as I can feel comfortable [on cross country], that he is comprehending everything fully. With Quantum, now he’s done six five-stars, you can go flying into everything and he reads everything – for Carl, the most important thing is approaching a new complex that he feels he has an infinite amount of time to understand what’s being asked. So if he feels like he’s getting buzzy, I’ll slow down and give him more time.”
“Slow down and give him more time” was the mindset that got Doug to this point with this young rising star. When he posted the video of Carl dumping him on social media, he was flooded with questions: “How did you fix this?”
“Persistence is key,” he wrote back to one commenter. “Kept hopping back on. Got ready as best I could! Unfortunately no real tricks.”
It’s a demonstration in sticking with it (literally), and while certainly the biggest test still looms, Doug’s feeling confident that the “feral to five-star” journey is nearly complete. “With a horse that’s sensitive like that, the number one thing is that they have to want to fight for you and you have to understand where they’re coming from. It’s our job to show it to them in a way that they can comprehend.”
World No. 3 Boyd Martin will be many an eventing fan’s idol, but Boyd came across an idol of his own at Morven Park Spring Horse Trials last weekend – the legendary USEA Hall of Famer Bruce Davidson Sr. who was going eventing aboard homebred Chesterland’s Sunswick. The septuagenarian admitted to being held together by some hardware from surgery a few weeks ago, but he managed to jump double clear to finish on his dressage in 5th place in his division. He certainly puts forty-something-year-old me hobbling off my horse after every ride to shame. Seriously though, what a cool sport we’re involved in for athletes to have such longevity in their careers. Go eventing!
Whilst we’re on the topic of upcoming 5*s, the first top-level offering of the year on British soil draws ever closer. Despite the incessant rain here in Britain, the team at Badminton have pulled on their rubber boots, slid into their slickers, and headed out to gear up for the 75th anniversary celebrations of the great event. Entries are in, the Main Arena grandstands are up, and there’s a new-look cross country course on the way. Read all about the preparations in this month’s Director’s Blog.
Keen to get in on the OTTB thing? If you’ve got an eye for what you’re looking for, checking out the horses in their current career is one way to find the potential *add chosen second career here* of your dreams. But where to start, and what do you do when you’ve locked on to your chosen prospect? This Retired Racehorse Project article guides you through the process from admirer to OTTB owner.
Create a better connect with your horse simply by breathing better. For something as important as breathing, it’s kinda weird that so many of us put so little effort into doing it right. We train our bodies for riding, and in many cases our minds too, but it seems we neglect to give our breath the attention it deserves. From improving posture and balance, to helping us sync up with our horses, as well as being an aid in its own right, the breath is full of potential. If you’re keen to tap into this, here’s how to get started.
And finally, if you could go back and impart some sage advice on your rookie self, what would it be? Horse trainer and Gaucho Derby competitor Warwick Schiller lets us in on what he thinks are the big lessons he’s learned during his time working with horses. Some of the ideas here are potentially a bit ‘out there’ (Warwick says’ hokey’), but we’re all showing up from different places, so take what’s for you and skip what’s not, regardless, we can all get a little (or a lot of) good from this.
Move into your very own modern French chateau in Golden Ocala 🥇 This 10,600+ square foot residence is across the street from the World Equestrian Center and features a wine cellar, beautifully designed pool, and stunning kitchen. Plus, it sits next to both a lake and a golf course. Tour your dream home — mansion — here.
Video Break
If you’re 5* dreamin’ and can’t wait for 2024’s top level events to get underway, here’s something to tide you over – highlights from last year’s edition of Adelaide Equestrian Festival.
Derek di Grazia needs little introduction as the longstanding designer-in-residence for the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event. He’s also designed an Olympic Games and recently also took up designing for the Defender Burghley Horse Trials (UK) at the tail end of the summer.
Kentucky holds a special place for Derek, who won the event itself in 1985 aboard Sasquatch (who was a Thoroughbred/Appaloosa cross, if you can believe it!) before eventually turning his primary attention to course design. You can read more about Derek’s career in this US Equestrian profile from 2017.
Ahead of the 2024 Defender Kentucky 5*, the team on the ground in Kentucky caught up with Derek as his visions for the track — the 14th he has designed here — begin to take shape. This video is just a short teaser of much more content yet to come, but it’s certainly got us hankering for more! Click here if the embedded video above does not display in your browser.
