Classic Eventing Nation

How to Follow The Road to the Horse Colt Starting Competition (and the Eventer Representing Us All!)

By on Mar 21, 2024 12:15 pm -

Tik Maynard. Photo credit to Madren Photography

We’re taking an adventure to the wild side (can we even say that, as eventers?) this weekend and following The Road to the Horse Colt-Starting Challenge in Lexington, KY as several well-respected horsemen and horsewomen tackle the task of starting a three-year-old Quarter Horse from scratch, in a matter of days.

Why are we so invested this year? Well, one from our own ranks was selected — just the second English-discipline rider ever to be selected for this competition — to compete this year: 4* rider and trainer Tik Maynard. We caught up with Tik ahead of the RTTH competition in an article here.

“In this competition, you’re teaching a kid on their first three days of school, like in kindergarten,” Tik described. “You’re trying to make it fun for them first, and within that fun, you’re trying to give them a chance to very, very gradually learn some things and very, very gradually set some boundaries for them. But the number one thing is that you’re just trying to make it fun first.”

“It’s really set up to celebrate the Western culture and the cowboy and the Quarter Horse,” he continued. “So it’s a big honor to be invited to be a part of that. Starting the horse on a timeline and getting to know Quarter Horses as opposed to Thoroughbreds and Warmbloods and starting the horse in a Western saddle and Western bridle, will be really challenging. I’m spending a lot of time here getting ready for it.”

There is a free live stream available for viewing, which can be accessed here.

Tik’s part of the competition, which begins with a Wild Card Challenge which will determine one individual to move forward to the finals with the previously-selected trainers, will start on Friday, March 22. After selecting his horse, round pens will be erected for each competitor and they’ll get to work building relationships with their partners around 2 pm ET. This will lead to a culmination round on Sunday to determine the final winner of the lion’s share of the $75,000 purse.

The full event schedule can be found here. You can also take a detailed look at the competition format and scheduling here.

To follow along with Tik, you can access his and Sinead Maynard’s Instagram page here. The Road to the Horse has its own page you can follow here. Our own Gillian Warner is helping crew for Tik this year, and she’ll be hosting an Instagram takeover on our page, @goeventing, on Saturday, so you won’t want to miss that! We’ll also catch up with Tik after the competition concludes for a full debrief.

Best of luck to Tik and his fellow competitors — do us proud!

Pan American Games to Return to Lima Peru in 2027

By on Mar 21, 2024 9:30 am -

Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg (USA). Photo by Shannon Brinkman. [/caption]

Earlier this month, Extraordinary General Assembly of Panam Sports held a virtual vote following presentations by the Presidents of the Olympic Committees of Peru and Paraguay, both of whom were in the final running for selection as the hosts of the 2027 Pan American Games. The vote awarded the Games to Lima, Peru, which will be a return to the city after it last hosted the Pan Ams in 2019.

“I want to highlight the transparency of the process and the brotherhood of both nations that competed healthily for the right to host the 2027 Pan American Games. I want to congratulate Lima, all of Peru and the President of the Peruvian Olympic Committee, Renzo Manyari, for this tremendous achievement. A few years ago, they shook an entire continent with excitement and today, with more experience and spectacular infrastructure, they want to repeat or improve the success achieved in 2019,” said the President of Panam Sports, Neven Ilic.

“I also take this opportunity to congratulate Paraguay and its NOC President Camilo Perez. They are doing a great job with Paraguayan sport and their athletes, so my call is for them to continue growing and developing. They have a tremendous challenge ahead of them with the Junior Pan American Games in 2025, where I am sure they will be a great host for the entire continent,” he concluded.

Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

For his part, the President of the Peruvian Olympic Committee, Renzo Manyari, was emphatic in pointing out that, “We are happy about this triumph. We will work to make everyone’s experience the best they have ever had, and they have the absolute devotion of more than 33 million Peruvians. Thanks for trusting us. Thanks also to President Dina Boluarte and her unrestricted support for this candidacy. “Together We Win!”

The 2019 Pan Ams saw Boyd Martin crowned individual gold medalist with the Turner family’s Tsetserleg, leading Team USA to a team gold as well. The team also consisted of eventual Kentucky 5* winners Tamie Smith and Mai Baum, Doug Payne and Starr Witness, and Lynn Symansky and RF Cool Play.

Thursday News & Notes

By on Mar 21, 2024 12:01 am -

It’s almost go time for this year’s 5*s! We’re just four weeks out from Adelaide Equestrian Festival with Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event kicking off the following week. Meanwhile, entries for MARS Badminton Horse Trials close today and we can’t wait to see which horses and riders will be trotting up at the First Horse Inspection on May 8th. We’re in for a treat this time around as we’ll get to see even more of the top of our sport, with those competitors lucky enough to have three 5* horses in their barn not having to decide who to leave behind, due to entries having been extended to three horses rather than the usual two.

Things are hotting up at Badminton HQ as preparations get underway for the 75th anniversary celebrations with lots for eventing fans to look forward to. If you’re chomping at the bit for some Badminton action, you can relive some of the greatest Badminton moments on Badminton TV (subscription required), where you’ll find videos from the archives as far back as the wonderful (and hilarious – see video above) Lucinda Green’s 1984 win. After yet another wet start to the eventing season in Britain with a number of events canceled and abandoned, we’re calling on all ENers to cross their fingers for some drier weather over the next few weeks so we can try and avoid a repeat of the wet and wild Badminton we saw last year.

Talking of the weather and events not going ahead, check out Badminton and Burghley specialist Alfies Clover’s beautiful braids that he didn’t get to show off at Lincolnshire Horse Trials. All dressed up, no place to go, but for sure the smartest boy in the village.

Think sunny thoughts, and go eventing!

U.S. Weekend Preview

Full Gallop Farm March II H.T. (Aiken, SC) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]

March Horse Trials at Majestic Oaks (Reddick, FL) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Texas Rose Horse Park H.T. (Tyler, TX)[Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Other Events

Kronenburg International (Netherlands): [Timing, Startlists, Scoring]

Road to the Horse (Lexington, Kentucky) March 21-24 [Website] [Schedule] [Competition Format] [Live Stream]

Thursday News and Reading

First up for today’s News and Reading is a very cool offering from the one and only, total legend, Lucinda Green. ‘Have you ever galloped down to a fence and thought, “Oh crap!”?’ Lucinda asks. Erm, yes Lucinda, yes we have. If you’re one of us, make sure you check out The Lucinda Green Academy’s 28 day See-a-Stride Challenge. Designed to train any horse and rider to find the sweet spot in front of the fence, regardless of the level you ride at, Lucinda’s not only being generous with her wealth of experience and expertise – there are cash prizes for the biggest transformation, because Lucinda knows just how spendy our sport can be. All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning a share of $10,000 is to have someone video you jumping a simple fence, complete the 28 day challenge, then record yourself jumping the same fence. The entries will be reviewed by world-class eventing big-hitters the likes of Boyd Martin, Tim Price, Yasmin Ingham, William Fox-Pitt and Pippa Funnell, amongst others. Body protectors on, phones at the ready, go eventing, and good luck!

Bedroom rodeo makes a comeback for this summer’s Olympic Games. Whilst the last Games took place under Covid restrictions and social distancing, that will very much not be the case in Paris. The rules regarding athletes getting together for a little under-cover extra-curricular fitness and flexibility training in their down-time have been lifted and bow-chick-a-wow-wow is being welcomed back with a bang. In the interests of health and safety, the Village is being stocked with 300,000 condoms, with the Olympic Village Director clarifying, “It is very important that the conviviality here is something big … we wanted to create some places where the athletes would feel very enthusiastic and comfortable”. That’s a lot of conviviality right there.

Antibiotic resistance is everyone’s responsibility. These wonder drugs can be the difference between life and death when it comes to fighting infection in horses, but if we don’t use them correctly, there’s a chance they won’t work when we really need them to. How many of us are guilty of not finishing off the course of antibiotics prescribed by the vet? The clinical signs of infection are gone and your horse has honed the skills of a sniffer dog to such an extent there’s just no way you’re going to mix that feed sufficiently for him to not take offense to it. Much easier to just forgo the last few days of treatment. Right? Well, yes, it would be easier, but this is just one way that horse owners (all animal owners, really) are unwittingly contributing to what could become one of medicine’s greatest challenges. Find out more about what you can do to help minimize the risk of antibiotic resistance.

I’m not sure any animal lends itself to poetry with quite the same grace as the horse. In celebration of World Poetry Day, here’s a selection of horsey poems for your perusal.

And finally, this kid’s rockin’ the rodeo. Well, not actually a kid, but Kid Rock, whose love of all things Western has led to the creation of Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo, a $1million team-formatted rodeo which has drawn partnership from PBR and will make its debut at the PBR World Finals Championship in Fort Worth, Texas in May. Described as a “heart-and soul endeavor, a labor of love”, his intention is to “provide opportunities to athletes he respects while entertaining people he admires”. The long-term plan is to extend the offering to further cities. Rock on and rodeo.

Video Break

I’ve been spending a fair bit of time hanging out with my new horse in his stable, getting to know him and cluing him into the idea that I’m in this for the long haul. As well as grooming, singing (I read horses like it – he’s apparently got quite the taste for country music), and chatting ****, I’ve also been trying out some simple bodywork and massage. There’s nothing quite like the look on his face as he sighs and relaxes under my touch. If you fancy giving it a go yourself, @equinebodyworkonline has some great tips.

Behind the Performance: Riders from Bruce Duchossois’ Alma Mater Perform at 2024 Grand-Prix Eventing Showcase

By on Mar 20, 2024 12:30 pm -

There was so much to see at the $100,000 Conceal #GPE2024 at #BrucesField presented by @taylorharrisinsurance 🎉❤️🇺🇸 We…

Posted by Conceal Grand-Prix Eventing Showcase at Bruce's Field on Monday, March 11, 2024

The Culver Academies Lancers Platoon & Equestriennes has been in existence since 1897, taking up the honor of performing at each U.S. presidential inauguration parade since 1957. These groups are some of the honors organizations within the equestrian program at Culver Academies. One of the group’s alumni and longtime eventing supporter, Bruce Duchossois, purchased what is now known as Bruce’s Field in Aiken, SC.

Bruce was inducted into the Culver Academies Horsemanship Hall of Fame in 2004 and leaves a legacy throughout the equine world. Everything came full circle when the Lancers Platoon & Equestriennes appeared at Bruce’s Field for the first time ever to do their mounted display at the 2024 Conceal Grand-Prix Eventing Showcase earlier this month.

Craig (Bruce’s brother) and Janet Duchossois funded the team’s trip to perform at the venue named after Bruce.

Skip Nicholls, the group’s captain, says that he came from an eventing background himself, but wasn’t sure how the students would react to watching a three-day event for the first time. He says that they were somewhat interested in dressage and show jumping, but when it came to watching cross country, they were amazed.

“The inspiration of the power, the control, the planning. And then to see top level event riders -– gold medalists out there, Olympians out there -– and it can still go wrong, that was a great leveling moment for the kids to go ‘Yeah, even the top’s still have incidents and fall off.’”

The group choreographed a new routine for the showcase and students were able to design the music for this specific routine.

“We sort of stood away from that for the first time and let them do it, so for them it provided good leadership models,” Skip says.

The original stables at the Culver Academy can be seen in the background of this photo from 1897. Photo courtesy of Culver Academies.

The team trained twice a week for six weeks before Christmas break and twice a week six weeks after break, leading up to the event. In the weeks leading up to break, they practiced the mounted display with only bridles and neck straps.

“I did it initially for a joke, just to help deepen their seat; we did it without saddles. I just wanted to work on their riding positions, just deepen their seat, get their leg a little bit longer,” Skip says.

One session turned into around 12 sessions bareback, and after around 12 more sessions (with saddles this time!) leading up to the Showcase, the team was ready.

“It’s just a great experience for the kids to go and show off their equitation skills, practice for it, that dedication, preparation, and then the execution of the plan itself when you go out to the event. It all comes together, the hard work all becomes justified.”

Some students are part of other athletic teams at Culver and some are involved in the other horsemanship disciplines that are offered such as quadrille riding, polo, and show jumping.

Skip has been the captain for two years and moved from England to the U.S. for the position. He continues to lead the team because of his love for the horse.

“It’s a pure equitation piece as well as blended with the learning because it’s a college preparation school.” He says that being able to ride while getting an education teaches empathy, problem solving, and communication.

“And then it’s that little break. We put so much pressure on kids when they go through school, sometimes it gives them that mental break,” Skip says.

The Lancers Platoon & Equestriennes gave the eventing community the chance to watch some remarkable horsemanship skills in action. Likewise, the students were able to watch horsemanship skills of a different kind throughout the weekend as well.

“Horse is a universal language that transcends all around– whatever religion, creed, background you come from. To see something new and something different can inspire people in different ways as to why horses are so unique and so crucial to our life and how much influence they’ve had in shaping the world that we now live in,” Skip says.

Skip and the Culver Academies riders reminded everyone at Bruce’s Field that our love of horses runs deep.

“It reminds us that it doesn’t matter whether you’re a professional or an aspiring professional, or an amateur, or a leisure rider, we all get the same joy and frustrations from horses in whatever discipline we do. We can all sit and have a conversation about the horse irrelevant, whether you’re an Olympic rider or you’re a weekend hacker.”

Blair Castle to Sign off as Host of International Horse Trials After 35 years

By on Mar 20, 2024 9:15 am -

Photo courtesy of Blair Castle International Horse Trials.

The Blair Castle International Horse Trials will take place at Blair Castle for the last time in 2024.

The event has been hosted at Blair for 35 years and will go ahead this year as planned in a farewell celebration. Alec Lochore, Event Director, Blair International Horse Trials, said: “This event became a phenomenal international success and has had unstinting support from the Blair Castle team.

“Of course, it is the end of an era for everyone involved – sponsors, competitors, volunteers, spectators and many more – and we are determined to sign off with a tremendous celebration at this year’s event in August.

“At this stage it is too early to say what the future holds. There are a significant number of equestrian bodies involved and discussions to explore options will have to take place. The equestrian community is extremely grateful to the Blair Castle team for its outstanding commitment over so many years.”

Chuffy Clarke and Second Supreme in Event Rider Masters competition at Blair Castle (2018). Photo by Ben Clark.

The farmland on which the trials are held is increasing its involvement in regenerative agriculture and in future the land will require to be managed all year round in a way that is in accordance with its environmental aims.

Bertie Troughton, Resident Trustee of Blair Castle, said: “It has been a great pleasure and privilege being at the centre of Scottish equestrianism for so many years. We are bowing out after this year with huge gratitude to everyone who made the event so special. We are looking forward to hosting a fantastic event later this year which will be a fitting tribute to hosting the event for 35 years.”

All arrangements for entries and competitors for the Defender Blair Castle International Horse Trials 2024 between August 22 and 25 are unchanged. Full details are available on the horse trials website: www.blairhorsetrials.co.uk

Wednesday News & Notes from Ocala Horse Properties

By on Mar 20, 2024 8:00 am -

In just five weeks time, eventing eyes will be firmly locked onto Lexington as the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event kicks off. Before that though, Kentucky Horse Park will host an altogether different kind of competition – Road to the Horse – which begins tomorrow (Thursday). This elite colt starting contest champions unity and trust between horse and handler, and competitors are judged on the effectiveness of their horsemanship methodology. First up on the agenda is the Wild Card Challenge, the winner of which will join the World Championship Competition, which starts on Friday.

What’s most exciting is that one of our very own will be cowboying up with the best in the world. A man of very many talents – including having been a full-time Modern Pentathlon athlete, two-time winner and judge at the Thoroughbred Makeover, and currently an instructor, author, horse trainer and three-day eventer – Tik Maynard will represent Canada in this year’s RTTH. He’s so good that’s he’s already won the first challenge: hauling two kiddos more than 11 hours by car, and was named winner of the best RTTH road trip video for his efforts – click here to watch. Those colts will be no trouble after that.

EN’s Veronica Green-Gott caught up with Tik as he prepared for his foray into the Western world – here’s what he had to say.

You can cheer Tik on – and watch all the action from Road to the Horse – for free via Pluto TV in the US; international viewers can watch on Western Horseman. For more info on the live streams, click here.

Make sure you’re following @roadtothehorse, @copperline_equestrian and @tikmaynardcompany as we get ready to witness horsemanship on another level.

Chaps on and go eventing!

Road to the Horse (Lexington, Kentucky) March 21-24 [Website] [Schedule] [Competition Format] [Live Stream]

International Holiday: Today is International Day of Happiness which I’m pretty sure means it’s totally legal to take the day off work and spend it in your happy place with your horse.

U.S. Weekend Preview

Full Gallop Farm March II H.T. (Aiken, SC) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]

March Horse Trials at Majestic Oaks (Reddick, FL) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Texas Rose Horse Park H.T. (Tyler, TX)[Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Wednesday News and Reading

You may not be be on the entry list for Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, but you can still be in it to win it with this awesome VIP Insiders Package Sweepstake. Here’s how to make your trip to the Best Weekend All Year a VIP one. Simply fill out this form to be in with a shot at winning four VIP Hospitality Passes, a VIP course walk, a tailgate space plus six general admission tickets for cross country day, and a whole bunch of cool swag from Defender and USEF. Good luck!

Have an up-and-coming equestrian brand and looking for a step up? The Plaid Horse have put a call-out for submissions from businesses, disciplines and horse people from the US and Canada for their 2024 Brand Competition. With a grand prize worth over $50,000 in advertising – plus ten Champion prizes and ten Reserve Champion prizes – this is an opportunity you don’t want to miss.

The results are in from the 2023 National Equine Economic Impact Study – and it’s good news. Described by the president of the American Horse Council as “the most effective tool in our advocacy quiver”, the results of the survey confirm the significant impact the horse industry has on the economy, both through the diversity of sectors positively impacted and the substantial employment areas created by the industry. The numbers prove that the equine industry is an important contributor on a number of levels.

Britain’s Gemma Stevens is not only a top eventer, but she’s pretty handy in the show jumping ring too. Lucky for us, then, that she’s shared these three training exercises which focus on your riding in order to help your horse develop a good rhythm whilst jumping.

Some salient thoughts from a hunter, jumper and equitation coach and judge about the move away from thoroughbreds to warmbloods. Dana Hart Callanan considers whether the change in type has been good or bad for the sport from her three wheelhouses: as trainer, judge and mom. She discusses talent and brain over breeding, how you really learn to ride when you’re sitting on a thoroughbred, caring about the whole picture – and not caring if it’s a zebra if it jumps great and is soft and relaxed – and picking the best option for her kids to learn on.

And finally, a horse sculpture has won out and will be displayed atop the fourth plinth of London Trafalgar Square. The home of a rolling program of temporary artworks, the fourth plinth was originally intended to have an equestrian theme, however the planned statue was never installed due to lack of funds. The winning sculpture, a green resin horse and rider – titled ‘Untitled’ – will go on show in 2028 and is said to “hover at the edge of visibility … Is it yet to be uncovered? Or is it an already canceled public monument – a ghost of history, a parody of itself?”. That’s some deep horsing around, that’s for sure.

Sponsor Corner

He’s done it again! Owned by Ocala Horse Properties and Deborah Palmer, Miks Master C has pulled off his fourth lifetime CCI4* win at the Carolina International 4*-S. Read all about it here.

Video Break

If you just can’t wait to see what Road to the Horse is all about, get your fix now with the final of last year’s event.

Amelia Newcomb’s 5 Tips for Nailing Your Dressage Test

By on Mar 19, 2024 2:30 pm -

Getting ready to head to a show soon? In this video, I have five tips to help you get a new personal best dressage score at your next event! I know, I know, jumping is way more fun…but the dressage portion of the event is just as important as your show jumping and cross-country phases. Oftentimes, the judges will determine the winner of the whole event by the rider’s dressage score. Plus, practicing your flatwork and dressage principles will help you do better in your other jumping events as well.

Though I am mainly a dressage rider, I do have students who are eventers, and so I have compiled these top five tips specifically based on the common themes that I observe. Here are my top five tips to help you improve your eventing dressage scores:

Steady Tempo

One common thing that I see eventers doing is rushing through their tests and riding over tempo or with an inconsistent tempo. However, rushing your horse can cause them to be tense, inconsistent in the contact, and run on the forehand. In your test, remember that you can relax and take your time. Practice counting your horse’s stride. Breathe, relax, and go for a steady and consistent tempo as you ride through your test.

Ride Accurately

Riding letter to letter is super important. Judges like to see that you have correct geometry and are riding accurately throughout your test, as this indicates that your horse is on your aids. Remember to use your corners, and ride each figure letter to letter.

Practice Your Walk

Most of the time, the walk is a coefficient in your dressage test, which means that your score in the walk will count for double points. Practicing your walk and getting a nice, relaxed, and active walk can really help improve your test scores. Plus, practicing your walk is a great way to give your horse a break, and help them relax. Focus on getting a consistent rhythm, with your horse over-striding and stretching down into the contact.

Centerlines and Halts

Your centerline and halt in your test is your first and last impression to the judge. Therefore, it is a great thing to practice! It is super common for horses to get tense and nervous during this movement because they feel restrained, so I recommend first getting your trot-walk transitions down, and then practicing a few walk-halt transitions. Try practicing your walk-halt transitions along the rail first, and really focus on getting your horse to halt through your seat; this will help them halt square and round.

Breathe, Smile, and Have Fun!

Something that I think we all can forget when we are at a show is to just breathe, smile, and have fun with our horses. At the end of the day, we love our horses and we went to the show to have fun and enjoy them! Don’t forget to pet them, reward them, and say “Good job!”!

I hope that these five tips help you at your next show. You can also use the video above, where I go into more detail and demonstrate each tip. Let me know in the comments below what your favorite tip was! A big thank you to Eventing Nation for collaborating with me to help make this video possible.

Happy Riding!
Amelia

P.S. Want more help with your canter? Check out my FREE Canter PDF mini-course to help! Download the course here.

Amelia Newcomb is a USDF Gold medalist, a member of the prestigious USEF Dressage Development Program, and recipient of the Carol Lavell Prize from the Dressage Foundation. Based in Somis, California, she incorporates complete dressage training from starting the young horse through the FEI levels.

Amelia works to develop a trusting and confident relationship between horse and rider. Her approach incorporates all aspects of horsemanship from basic groundwork to advanced dressage movements. The emphasis is always on the foundation with the basic trust, understanding, and relaxation for both horse and rider to create a harmonious partnership.

Amelia’s mantra has always been “Dressage for All,” which is evident in both her in person and online coaching. With a successful YouTube video library of hundreds of free educational videos, over 135,000 subscribers (and counting!), and thousands of students enrolled in her online USDF accredited courses, it is clear that Amelia has a passion for teaching and dressage! “I have been blessed with many great teachers in my career and I hope to help each and every one of my students develop a connection and solid relationship with their horses.”

Learn more about Amelia on her website or discover her free educational videos on her YouTube channel “Amelia Newcomb Dressage.”

Read more tips from Amelia on EN here.

Double the Fun for the Spirit Award Contests at the 2024 USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships

By on Mar 19, 2024 12:30 pm -

The 2023 Spirit Award Champions at the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championship: University of Kentucky. USEA/Shelby Allen photo

The coveted Spirit Award, which originated from the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championship and quickly became as important as the competition itself, will be returning this year with double the excitement at the 2024 USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships! With the two program championships merging for the first time, the organizing team at Stable View is committed to making the weekend an unforgettable experience for these middle school, high school, and undergraduate students.

Separate Spirit Contests will be offered for each program, and Stable View has generously donated perpetual trophies for the two contest champions. The 2024 USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Championships will be held at the Stable View Local Charities H.T. on May 4-5, 2024 in Aiken, South Carolina. Click here to learn more and prepare to enter on opening day tomorrow, Tuesday, March 19!

As per tradition, the Spirit Award contests will be assessed by Affiliate, meaning each college or university in the Intercollegiate Eventing Program, or each club in the IEL program, will be competing as one, rather than each Championship team of 3-4 riders being assessed alone. For example, all of the members of the University of Kentucky team won the Spirit Award at the 2023 Championship.

For each program, Stable View will determine 1st through 3rd place winners based on the cumulative results of the following spirit activities and attributes: Barn Decorations, Hobby Horse Contest, Mechanical Bull Riding Contest, Pavilion Window Decorations, and Overall Spirit, Sportsmanship, and Camaraderie.

Photo by Shelby Allen.

Barn Decorating Contest

The barn decorating contest has traditionally been a staple of the Intercollegiate Eventing Championships, and it gives the teams a chance to flex their creativity while promoting their group to the rest of the competitors.

Whether it be life-size cutouts of each horse’s head gracing the outside of their stalls, fast facts on each horse and rider combo scattered through the barn, streamers and balloons in the team’s signature colors, or more, the barn decorating contest is an opportunity to scream “team pride” to everyone on-site. Competitors have until Saturday, May 4 at 2:00 p.m. ET to perfect their decorations before the judges take their walk-through. The winners will be announced at Saturday evening’s Graze and Gaze party.

Hobby Horse Contest

A fun twist on last year’s Bouncy Horse Championship, Stable View will be hosting a Hobby Horse jumping contest on Saturday evening during the Graze and Gaze party. Each school or club will elect one member to represent them in the official competition, and scores will be determined by time and their ability to complete the correct course while keeping the poles up. Once each group’s representative has laid down their round, anyone else interested in participating can take their turn around their course.

Mechanical Bull Riding Contest

In addition to the Hobby Horse Contest, there will also be a Mechanical Bull Riding competition. Again, each school or club will elect one member to represent them in the official contest. Do you have someone on your team who is known for being notoriously “sticky” in the tack? Elect them to represent your group! The results will be determined in order of longest ride times. Once the team representatives have competed, anyone will be welcome to try their hand at the bull!

Pavilion Window Decorating Contest

Finally, in addition to the barn decorating, each affiliate will get a section of the window upstairs in Stable View’s Pavilion, which overlooks the main arena, to decorate with their colors and mascots. All window decorating must be completed by Sunday, May 5 at 10:00 a.m. EST for the judges to make their assessments by midday. The winners of this competition will be announced just before the final Spirit Award Champions are crowned at the Awards Ceremony at the end of the competition.

Auburn University. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Overall Spirit, Sportsmanship, and Camaraderie

How does your team interact with fellow competitors from different schools or clubs? How do you treat the volunteers on-site helping with the Championships? How would you react if an opposing competitor asked for help? All of these concepts come into play in the assessment of groups’ overall spirit, sportsmanship, and camaraderie at the event. The way competitors act towards each other and their opponents, as well as to the organizers, officials, volunteers, and staff, will be heavily considered in the final placings, as kindness and good-hearted competition are at the heart of the true spirit of the Intercollegiate and Interscholastic Eventing Championships!

In the end, the scores from all four activities and the assessment of each group’s overall spirit, sportsmanship, and camaraderie will be tallied up to determine the Spirit Award Champions for each program. Each Spirit Champion will be the first recipient of the new perpetual trophies and will receive Stable View saddle pads for every member of their team during the Awards Ceremony at the end of the competition.

For the Intercollegiate Spirit Award, past winners from 2016 to present will already be recognized on the cup, while this year’s champion in the IEL Spirit Contest will be the first to add their names to said trophy. Reserve champions of the contest will receive stable view hats, and third-place winners will receive Stable View mugs.

University of Kentucky. Photo by Shelby Allen.

Entries for the Championships open Tuesday, March 19, and will close on Tuesday, April 16. The USEA anticipates significant interest in participating in the Championships and entries are limited to a maximum of 400 competitors, so early entry is highly recommended to ensure your spot. All Collegiate Teams and IEL Affiliates are welcome and encouraged to enter to compete at the 2024 Championships.

There are no qualifications necessary to enter, but teams represented must be registered Affiliates of the USEA. Don’t forget to submit your Collegiate Team Applications or IEL Application Form, along with your official rosters, to Jennifer Hardwick, USEA Senior Director of Membership Services, at [email protected] as soon as possible to ensure your members are eligible to compete.

Tentative team rosters for the Championships are due no later than the closing date on April 16, and definite team rosters must be provided by 12:00 p.m. EST on Monday, April 29. For the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championship, please submit your team rosters to Leslie Threlkeld, Chair of the Intercollegiate Eventing Committee, at [email protected]. For the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League Championship, please submit your team rosters to Chris Donovan, IEL Task Force member, at [email protected]. Alumni Cup rosters are due to Emma Young, Stable View Team Member, at [email protected], by April 16.

Please be sure to include your stabling requests with your entry. Separate stabling blocks will be allotted for each program, and each affiliate will receive one complimentary tack stall upon entry. Alumni can request to be stabled with fellow Alumni Cup participants in close proximity to the College Town stabling, but they will not be able to be included in stabling with the Intercollegiate Eventing Championship participants.

If you plan to compete in the 2024 Intercollegiate and IEL Championships, don’t forget to sign up to join the Stable View WhatsApp group for the Championships. Click here or scan the QR code to the right to join the group. The team at Stable View will post regular updates and share news related to the championships in this group chat, so members will be first to know about all the exciting updates as the event takes shape.

Any questions regarding the Intercollegiate Eventing Program or Interscholastic Eventing League and the upcoming 2024 Championships can be directed to USEA Staff Liaison, Kaleigh Collett, at [email protected].

About the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Program

The USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Program was established in 2014 to provide a framework within which eventing teams and individual competitors could flourish at universities and colleges across the country. The USEA offers a discount of $25 on annual USEA memberships for current students at universities and colleges registered as Affiliates with the USEA. Many events across the country offer Intercollegiate Team Challenges where collegiate eventers can compete individually or on teams with their fellow students. In Intercollegiate Team Challenges, each rider’s score is multiplied by a coefficient appropriate for their level to account for differences in level difficulty, and then the individual scores are added together to determine the team score. The USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championship is a capstone event for the program, which is held annually in the spring. The 2024 USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championship will be held at Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina, on May 4-5. Click here to learn more about the Intercollegiate Eventing Program.

The USEA would like to thank Bates Saddles, Horse & Country, Kerrits, U.S. Equestrian, WeRideTogether, and World Equestrian Brands for sponsoring the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Program.

About the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL)

In August 2020, the USEA Board of Governors approved the creation of the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL) as an official program of the USEA. The mission of IEL is to unite junior riders who are in the 5th—12th grades and provide a supportive community through which students can continue to pursue their riding interests. A group of junior members in the 5th—12th grade who share a common bond, such as the same barn, school, Pony Club, or other connection, can register with the USEA as an IEL Affiliate. The USEA Board of Governors recently approved an inaugural IEL Championship to kick off in 2024 at Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina, which will be held in conjunction with the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championships on May 4-5, 2024. Click here to learn more about the Interscholastic Eventing League.

The USEA would like to thank Kerrits and Horse & Country for sponsoring the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League.

Happening Today: Conversations with Team Canada – How I Got Here

By on Mar 19, 2024 9:30 am -

EC’s Eventing High Performance Advisory Group is thrilled to extend the invitation for the fourth ‘Conversations with Team Canada’ webinar. Join us for a unique inside perspective as four of our Canadian eventing athletes share their personal athlete journey to high performance. This promises to be an inspiring and insightful session for all enthusiasts of our sport!

Conversations with Team Canada – How I Got Here
Date: March 19, 2024 (Tuesday)
Time: 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM EST

Highlights:
• Personal narrative from High Performance athletes.
• Insights into their training and preparation.
• Q&A session for you to engage directly with the athletes.

This webinar series is in support of the team’s “Pathway to Paris” campaign, where we delve into the world of Canadian Eventing High Performance. Be part of this exciting journey and witness the dedication, skill, and camaraderie that define Team Canada. Guests include Dana Cooke, Jamie Kellock, Selena O’Hanlon, and Waylon Roberts.

We look forward to having you join us for what promises to be an empowering evening of passion, dedication, and inspiration.

Save your spot now by registering and secure your exclusive access to this incredible conversation with our high performance athletes.

Registration is available here.

Tuesday News & Notes from Kentucky Performance Products

By on Mar 19, 2024 9:09 am -

It’s always fun to see a new horsey podcast hit the airwaves, and even better when we get the chance to hear one made by a professional rider — because those fly-on-the-wall chats are so interesting to sit in on. British-based Italian eventer Dan Bizzarro is the latest name to hit podcastland, and I enjoyed tuning in for his chat with the incredible Ros Canter. Check out all the episodes of Our Equestrian Life here.

Events Opening Today: Waredaca H.T., Texas Rose Horse Park H.T., Stable View Local Charities H.T.

Events Closing Today: CDCTA Spring H.T., Pine Hill Spring H.T., Rocking Horse Spring H.T., Stable View Spring 2/3/4* and H.T.

Tuesday News & Notes from Around the World:

The best part of the Interscholastic and Intercollegiate Championships is back: the Spirit Awards! Entries for the 2024 championships, which will be held May 4-5 in Aiken, open today — and USEA has shared all the details about the brilliant and bonkers Spirit competitions here. Sign me up for that mechanical bull competition.

Today in personal essays: the invaluable importance of a good boarding barn. Writer Jamie Sindell has a barn at home, but even despite the financial challenges it presents, she opts to board her teenage daughter’s horse at a busy hunter-jumper facility. Why? Well, the all-in environment is a great way for her kiddo to learn social skills and teamwork, as she explains in this piece for COTH.

Over on our sister site, Horse Nation, they’re mad keen on a good myth busting session. And you know what? Good for them! There’s an awful lot of misinformation out there that somehow gets cemented into ‘fact’ through repetition. Anyway, this week, they’re looking into EHV and whether you can actually vaccinate against the rare neurological form. Here’s what they uncovered.

Sponsor Corner: To maintain his horses’ digestive tracts, International Grand Prix Rider Jaime Irwin feeds Neigh-Lox® Advanced. This blend of ingredients, including probiotics, prebiotics, and yeast, works to maintain long-term gut health for the horses we love.

Watch This:

We’re all systems go for the 2024 Paris Olympics — but before the countdown really gets underway, take a look back at the sport 40 years ago at the 1984 Games in this, the first part of an eight-part series.