Classic Eventing Nation

What’s in Your Arena? Presented by Attwood: The ’42’ of Jumping Exercises with Laura Szeremi

By on Dec 3, 2017 12:00 pm -

What’s in Your Arena? is an EN series sponsored by Attwood Equestrian Surfaces in which riders share their favorite jumping exercises. It’s easy to get stuck in a training rut, and we hope this will inspire you with fresh ideas that you can take home and incorporate into your own programs. Have an exercise to share? Email it to [email protected]! 

What is the meaning of life, the universe and everything? The answer, if you subscribe to truths put forth by Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, is “42.” An effortlessly basic answer to a mind-twist of a question that has baffled thinking human beings for centuries. A two-digit number, which took a supercomputer purpose-designed to answer the question seven-and-a-half million years to deduce. Simply: 42.

In her most recent Bad Eventer blog post, two-star rider and noted eventing philosopher Laura Szeremi lights the fuse on this stick of cerebral dynamite:

Which is more important: having the right canter, or being able to see the distance? 

A question that is basically the jumping equivalent of “What is the meaning of life, etc.” And when it comes to answering it, things can get pretty heated. We’ll let Laura take it from here (for the illustrated version, check out her original blog post):

“Without fail every single person I have ever lessoned with (and there have been quite a few in my *cough* four decades in this sport) has had a strong opinion on this subject.

“It’s just not a lukewarm area like … lettuce. Most people don’t get overly passionate about lettuce. They’ll eat it in a taco, or on a sandwich. But they won’t get their blood pressure up over loving or hating lettuce.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons/CC.

“But this canter vs distance concept? Holy cow — I’ve seen otherwise calm trainers cross over into frothing-at-the-mouth-zealots when discussing this topic.

“For many years I’ve had my own opinion on the subject, which is a complex equation relating rider skill to the size of the fence as compared to the scope of the horse.

Diagram by Laura Szeremi.

“But recently I had one of those I’m-an-idiot epiphanies and thought I might not be alone.

“Here’s the rub:

“What the hell is “the right canter”? And how on earth do you know when you have it?

“I had a jump school where things didn’t go quite perfectly.

“And while I was thinking about bits and lines and sensitive horses and all the things that seemed to be going wrong, the fearless leader steps in and says something like, ‘Your canter sucks, you were just hammering down to everything being Bad Eventer.’

“Wow.

“He hadn’t called me out on ‘being Bad Eventer’ in a LONG time.

“A quick perusal of articles on ‘the right canter’ gives me a lot of hocus pocus answers saying things like it’s ‘in the flat work,’ ‘it’s about an uphill balance,’ etc. Not that any of that is wrong, but it still doesn’t tell you how you know when you have that magical canter.

“That’s when I figured out that calling it ‘the right canter’ leads you down the wrong path.

“It has more to do with rhythm and adjustability than the canter itself. You can have a beautiful uphill canter on a 12′ stride and it’s still not the right canter if you ask the horse to move up or slow down and nothing happens.

“The other piece of the puzzle I only discovered when I changed horses … and this secret of the universe is that the canter can’t change unless you want it to.

“I was cantering around a tight turn to a fence, and for the first time in my life I saw that I was going to meet the fence perfectly before I had even made the turn.

Photo courtesy of Laura Szeremi.

“That had never happened before.

“It turns out that the WonderPony, as amazing as he was, never gave me the same stride to anything. He bombed around cross country like the epic XC machine he is.

Photo courtesy of Laura Szeremi.

“But our stadium demons were real.

Photo courtesy of Laura Szeremi.

“And now I know a big piece of that puzzle was that we never had a consistent stride.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons/CC.

“Sooooooo. Part of the elusive ‘right canter’ is one that doesn’t change unless you ask it to, and that changes immediately, when you ask it to.

“This exercise turned out to be more of the answer than I knew.”

 

Canter pole Olympics! Turned a 5 stride line into a 10 & a 3! #Boom #Zebrasaurus #BadEventer

Posted by BadEventer on Friday, January 27, 2017

“Canter pole Olympics! Turned a five-stride line into a 10 and a three!”

And there you have it, folks. Two canter poles, set 72′ apart. A galaxy of possibility. How many strides can you fit in or take away, while keeping the step length perfectly even? Do try this at home!

Go Eventing.

Best of JN: World Cup Veteran Karl Cook and Actress/Equestrian Kaley Cuoco Engaged

By on Dec 3, 2017 9:20 am -

Pull out the hay bales and hide the manure pit, y’all: we’ve got a barn wedding to put on! On the equestrian/actress’s 32nd birthday, her FEI-level boyfriend of two years Karl Cook popped the big question with a rock worth more than your truck and trailer, and she said yes!

The two can often be spotted together on the West Coast circuit shows, from HITS Coachella to Del Mar. They also share a stunning chandeliered barn in Southern California that we think would be ideally suited for some exchanging of vows if we do say so ourselves.

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Kaley Cuoco, best known for her role of Penny on CBS’s The Big Bang Theory, has been an equestrian longer than she’s been famous, and has always found ways to ride. At one point Cuoco and her two co-stars Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons were making $1 million per episode, but they reportedly took a voluntary paycut to even their salaries with newer cast members Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch.

Kaley has a handful of FEI performances to her name, including the Longines Masters in LA in 2016, and has had many successes in the high J/AO divisions with her talented string.

Karl Cook, who long before he was dating a Hollywood starlet had a reputation for audacious looks in the ring and exploding with personality on the circuit, has had an impressive career in his nearly 27 years. (Fun fact: if the FEI Database is to be believed, Karl’s birthday is Christmas Day!) In his youth he made three appearances at the NAJYRC and in his professional career, three appearances at the World Cup Final (One aboard his current mount Tembla and twice on Jonkheer Z). In his first NAJYRC performance, he won the individual AND team  show jumping final.

He’s also been on a handful of Nations Cup Teams, most recently the Nations Cup in Langley, British Columbia in 2016 where Team USA came in fourth.

In addition to sharing a passion for Show Jumping, both Kaley and Karl are also passionate advocates for animal adoptions and rescues. Kaley has been a spokesperson for The Humane Society and has flown around the world to bring awareness to a variety of animal plights, and Karl has taken up a more public banner on the topic since meeting her. Kaley’s many dogs are all rescues.

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Basically, despite being huge stars in their fields and absurd amounts of money, they seem to be some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet, and we wish both of them all the happiness and horse shows in the world.

Congratulations, and Go Jumping!

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Sunday Links Presented by One K Helmets

By on Dec 3, 2017 12:01 am -

Happy belated birthday to Doug Payne! His sister Holly shared a classic throwback in celebration of his birthday yesterday, and honestly it’s the best thing we saw all day. We already knew he was a talented event and show jump rider, but there’s some vaulting promise too!

National Holiday: National Roof Over Your Head Day

U.S. Weekend Action:

Sporting Days Farm H.T. [Website] [Live Scores]

Sunday Links:

You Put Can’t In Canter: Dressage Scribe Emojis

What to Pack for a Classic Three-Day

He Piaffes, He Jumps, He Gallops: Avatar’s Jazzman Does It All

‘He Was Phenomenal’: Owner Pays Tribute to Quirky Olympic Eventer

‘I Can’t Prove My Innocence’: Rider Accepts European Championship Doping Sanction

Nature Vs. Nurture: What Shapes A Foal’s Future?

Sunday Video: 

Saturday Video: Building Confidence on Cross Country

By on Dec 2, 2017 5:00 pm -

Leaving the comfort of home and traveling to an unfamiliar venue with a young horse can be pretty nerve wracking.  You never really know what kind of horse you’re going to have when you get out there. Will he be barn sour or overly eager? Will he insist there are trolls hiding in the ditches? Who knows! But hey, the unpredictability of baby horses is half the fun, right?

Elisa Wallace recently took several young horses to Full Gallop Farm‘s sprawling cross country course in Aiken, SC. The goal was to build their confidence, so she approached every new experience with an open mind and only two rules: no bolting and no bucking. Watch these young horses find the fun in cross country.

Julia Krajewski Accepts Administrative Sanction for Positive Drug Test

By on Dec 2, 2017 11:30 am -

Julia Krajewski and Samourai du Thot. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Last month we learned that Julia Krajewski’s horse Samourai du Thot tested positive for the controlled medication Firocoxib during the 2017 FEI European Championships at Strzegom, Poland, in August. When the B sample was also confirmed positive, Julia was disqualified from the European Championships resulting in Germany losing its team silver medal.

At the time Julia was unable to determine how Samourai du Thot had ingested the Firocoxib and maintained that neither herself nor her team was at fault.

Julia had 21 days (until November 30) to decide if she would pay a sanction to the FEI or appear before the FEI Tribunal to explain her case and has spent that time conducting an extensive internal investigation. Ultimately, she decided to accept the sanction due to insufficient evidence to prove her innocence.

“I am grateful to have been offered support and advice by two experienced experts from UK, one a specialist solicitor, and the other a toxicologist. We have reconstructed the complete routine around Sam from August, 3rd to August, 20th, to get a total review of training, feed and nutritional additions, his whereabouts and the persons present or in charge of him at any time,” Julia said in a statement on November 30.

“We had all feed in question tested for Firocoxib, with negative results. The course of events in my team and in the stable during the Championship have been investigated, the blood samples we could get hold of further analyzed, without revealing any helpful insights. I questioned our hosts at the training camp and the FEI steward in charge of the stables at Strzegom.

“To rule out mistakes of our team, the vet bills of all my horses during previous years have been checked. Equioxx or Previcox, the only medicaments which contain Firocoxib, have never been prescribed or obtained. A contamination through urine (of man or dog) can meanwhile be out ruled.”

Based on their investigation, Julia and her team determined that the controlled substance could “only have been absorbed through the pharmaceuticals Previcox or Equioxx at any one time between the dressage and cross country test at the European Championships.

“The results of these extensive investigations allow me to rule out with certainty a mistake in my own stable management. Neither me nor any person from my team or surroundings have, knowingly or unintentionally, administered one of these medicaments to Sam.”

However, because Julia was unable to explain the exact circumstances surrounding the ingestion of the controlled substance, she has accepted the FEI sanction and subsequent fine.

“According to FEI regulations, I had two options: I could accept an ‘administrative sanction’, which means paying a substantial fine and ending up with a ‘record’ in the FEI register. Or I could demand a hearing before the FEI Tribunal, which would either acquit me, or convict me to a competition ban of maximum six months (which not only applies to starts as rider, but also as a coach).

“The rider is the person who is considered responsible for the horse in every way, thus the verdict will be ‘guilty’, unless I can prove how exactly the substance Firocoxib has gotten into my horse. Being innocent myself, is not sufficient to avoid a verdict including a ban.

“I must regrettably admit that the goal ‘acquittal’ is not attainable. The evidences which we were able to collect are not sufficient to advocate an application to the FEI Tribunal. Consequently, I will accept the administrative sanction.”

Julia lamented that while the case is closed in the eyes of the FEI, she remains unsatisfied.

“I will have to ponder the consequences this incident implicates for my future. Not to know what really happened to Sam will remain a constant worry to me. The wellbeing of my horses is always my first priority, and I will take every possible measure to make sure that something like that can never happen again. I will make use of the next months to design the best possible security for my horses both at home and at competitions.”

Read Julia’s full statement here.

[Germany’s Europeans Medal in Jeopardy After Positive Drug Test]

[Germany Loses Silver Medal Following Drug Test at European Championships]

Trainer Applications Now Open for 2018 $100K Thoroughbred Makeover

By on Dec 2, 2017 9:00 am -

“The Allisons” (Allison Thompson and Alison Wilaby), who finished 1st and 2nd in the Thoroughbred Makeover Eventing division in 2017; Alison Wilaby also won Dressage. Photo by Stephanie Griffiths.

Thinking about throwing your hat in the ring of this year’s Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover? Do it! The trainer application process opened yesterday, Dec. 1, and runs through Jan. 15, 2018, with trainer approvals to be announced on Feb. 1.

For roundabout the cost of a regular horse trial, you could not only jump-start the career of an off-track horse but also be part of the biggest OTTB lovefest of the year. The 2018 Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium takes place October 4-7 at the Kentucky Horse Park and will feature competition in 10 disciplines ranging from eventing to barrel racing and polo.

Horses and their trainers will compete for $100,000 in prize money and the title of America’s Most Wanted Thoroughbred. The event includes seminars, demonstrations, a sponsor fair, and a livestreamed finale featuring the top five horses in each discipline. Many of the horses are offered for sale, so it’s one-stop Thoroughbred shopping at its finest.

Detailed information is available at the RRP website’s 2018 Thoroughbred Makeover page but here’s a fast and dirty eventer’s guide:

How do I apply to be a Makeover trainer?

The Makeover is open to all members of RPP so if you aren’t already you’ll need to join. Membership is $45 a year and has several perks including a one-year subscription to Off-Track Thoroughbred Magazine, a copy of Retired Racehorse Resource Directory, a free ticket to the Thoroughbred Makeover, discounts from sponsors and other benefits. Professionals, amateurs and juniors are all welcome to apply.

The next step is filling out an online trainer application, which asks for competition highlights, references, and videos of your riding skills. The application window is Dec. 1, 2017 through Jan. 15, 2018.

There’s a $200 entry fee; if not accepted the fee will be returned minus a $25 processing fee.

Is my OTTB eligible?

The Makeover is open to Jockey Club registered horses that raced or had a published work after July 1, 2016. They must not have begun training for a second career before Dec. 1, 2017 other than a maximum of 15 allowable rides or training sessions that introduce skills specific to non-racing careers. Some trainers will already have horses identified and others will begin a search after they are approved. Trainers can contract with owners or acquire the horse themselves.

What does it cost? 

There’s a $200 entry fee; if not accepted the fee will be returned minus a $25 processing fee. Other expenses, such as stabling at the competition, are outlined here.

What if I need to withdraw my OTTB?

Trainers may withdraw a horse from the Makeover at any time using the online Makeover Horse Withdrawal Form. Trainers may replace a scratched horse with any eligible horse as late as August 1, 2018. Replacement horses must be registered with the online Makeover Horse Registration Form.

What does the Makeover competition for eventing entail? 

Format for dressage: All horses will perform USEF 2018 Beginner Novice Eventing Test A in a small arena (20m x 40m).

Format for Show Jumping: All horses will be judged over a course set at dimensions for United States Eventing Association (USEA) Beginner Novice (2’7” maximum), Novice (2’11” maximum), or Training (3’3” maximum). Trainers will select their level with their final entry form in August.

Format for Cross Country: All horses will be judged over a cross country course of approximately 12 obstacles. Each obstacle will have at least two options, one at Beginner Novice dimensions (2’7”) and the other at Novice (2’11”). Optional fences may be offered for riders to demonstrate a higher level of training as well. Riders should jump the obstacle choice that best demonstrates the quality and level of their horse’s training. They need not jump all fences at the same level.

Finale: The top three scoring horses will compete for additional points in the finale, demonstrating basic work on the flat and jumping a course that includes show jumps and cross country portables in the covered arena.

Attire and equipment should adhere to that described in USEF Rules for Eventing. Horses can earn a maximum of 100 points per each of the three phases. Overall scores will be the sum of the scores from each of the three phases. Ties will be broken by the cross country score, then show jumping, then dressage. Final placing for the top five finishers will be based on the sum of their three scores plus a fourth score awarded during the finale.

What happens after the Makeover is over?

Owners can choose to keep their horses at the end of the process or offer them for sale. The Makeover Horse Sale is not an auction but an opportunity for buyers and sellers to do business in a setting that allows trial rides, pre-purchase exams and observation of horses in competition.

For much more information, visit the RRP website’s 2018 Thoroughbred Makeover page.

Go OTTBs. Go Eventing.

Saturday Links from Tipperary

By on Dec 2, 2017 12:01 am -

Photo by Elisabeth Pundt.

You know you’re going to have your work cut out for you when your barn-mate texts you a picture of your pony with the caption, “I want to be a brown horse!” Truly, I had to put some solid time in with the metal curry comb and a hard brush before I could even think about putting a saddle on that mess. My pony sure has enjoyed her post-season vacation and, true to form, she’s not about to make it easy for me as we get back to work!

National Holiday: National Mutt Day

U.S. Weekend Action:

Sporting Days Farm H.T. [Website] [Live Scores]

Saturday Links:

He Piaffes, He Jumps, He Gallops: Avatar’s Jazzman Does It All

Your Obese Horse or Pony is Costing You Money

Colleen Rutledge Eventing Seeks Working Student

Chris Bartle’s top tips to perfect your cross-country position

Emily King’s Groom Becca Nicholson Talks Ground Manners, Smarter Feeding & Sunscreen

A Window Into Your Horse’s Sole

Back to the gym: How gymnastic stretches can engage your horse’s back

Saturday Video: Why do you need a deeper distance to an oxer? Or to add a stride in a line? This neat SciFi-equse video shows you why!

https://www.facebook.com/EurosportFR/videos/1982959731955451/

Friday Thrills and Spills from World Equestrian Brands: The History of the Water Complex

By on Dec 1, 2017 4:30 pm -

There are many ways to tackle a water complex. Louise Harwood and Mr Potts demonstrate one of the more unusual choices. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

The humble water jump: omnipresent on cross country courses around the world, it lies in wait, ready to scare the living daylights out of those who tackle it.

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There are two distinct types of Water Jump Fear. Type one is the classic “my horse is absolutely not going to go in this and if there’s a drop into it then I’m going to be the solo spoon in the cereal bowl” fear. Type two is a slightly rarer, but no less valid fear, held by those lucky owners of one of a select group of horses known as ‘waterbabies’. The puddle-jumping types have dolphin somewhere within five generations on their pedigree, and for their riders, the niggling terror is that the bloody thing won’t LEAVE the water jump. Worst-case scenario? The gleeful stop, drop, and roll. Why do we do this sport, again?

Silly question. We do it because of the madness, not in spite of it. Those who paved the way for us to enjoy it in its modern iterations did it for precisely the same reason, and often with many more bumps, bruises, and great pub anecdotes to show for it.

Your Friday video this week looks at the evolution of the water complex, from its horse-swallowing beginnings to today’s much more sympathetic designing. Fortunately, our collective knowledge and expertise has grown throughout the decades to create a much more rewarding experience for both horse and rider, as these seriously tolerant waterbabies demonstrate. No points to the rider who decides to just let his horse be the feral swamp crocodile he obviously aspires to be.

#hairymermaidsforthewin

 

 

 

Welcome Stable View to the Eventing Nation Family!

By on Dec 1, 2017 2:00 pm -

Stable View Farm Main Barn. Courtesy of Stable View.

When an advertiser comes on board with any of Nation Media’s clusters of internet insanity, we try to prepare them for what’s about to go down. They’re going to come face-to-face with the most rabidly obsessed, educated, hilarious, industrious collection of humanity in all of Equestriandom. Our readers are people who work all day and then will literally duct-tape a flashlight to their helmet in order to get a ride in at night during the winter. They scrimp and save on luxuries for themselves to give their horses the best of everything. And they can smell fear.

Which is why we only partner with companies who get that, who are part of that, and who want to help you spend your hard-earned dollars on quality products, nutritious feeds, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

For all of the above reasons, we’re thrilled to welcome the iconic Stable View Farm of Aiken, South Carolina to the EN family! Since Barry and Cyndy Olliff purchased Stable View in 2010, they’ve been putting their hearts and souls into making Stable View “A Gathering Place” for riders who are local, those who are flying south for the winter, those who are committed to the lower levels of the sport, and those who exemplify Eventing High Performance.

An aerial view of the covered barn and surrounding landscape. Photo courtesy of Stable View.

The absolutely stunning facility boasts five beautiful barns, multiple cottages and apartments for boarding of the human variety, acres upon acres of lush Carolina turnout, a state-of-the-art covered arena with Attwood footing (another of our awesome sponsors!), numerous outdoor arenas and derby fields, and obviously, their cross country course which runs Beginner Novice through Advanced across their 1,000 acres of turf, hills, and forests.

Eric Bull and Captain Mark Phillips have designed a marvelous track for all levels that focuses on giving all riders a test but with as many safety features in place as possible, including multiple fences with MIM Clips.

A water complex on course. Photo courtesy of Stable View.

One of many MIM Clip fences on course. Photo courtesy of Stable View.

 

If you need a little piece of heavenly Stable View Farm in your life, there’s a number of ways to make the magic happen:

1 – Spectate. Tomorrow, for example, you can go observe the Stable View Fourth Annual Southeast Hunter Trials, which includes gallivanting around cross country in Foxhunt attire as individuals and in teams/pairs. It’s going to be partly cloudy and 61 degrees. Just saying.

2 – Compete. Stable View hosts a DIZZYING number of events this winter, including Jumper Nights, schooling and recognized Dressage shows, an Eventing Academy, and three horse trials between January and March alone.

3- Board There. With darling cottages and plush apartments as well as the numerous barn options, you and your whole team can fly south (or east, or north or heck, even ditch the European indoor eventing business and hop the pond, won’t you?) for the winter and set up camp. Obviously, space is limited, so contact Stable View soon if you’re itching for a long term roadtrip.

4- Volunteer. Can’t bring your trusty steed with you? Consider being a volunteer for one of their many events and get the warm fuzzies of bettering yourself and your sport while enjoying the South Carolina sunshine. No. Brainer.

We’re beyond glad to have Stable View Farm not only on Eventing Nation, but as part of the eventing community. We’re a better sport for having them in the mix, and we can’t wait to see what else is in store for the future!

 

 

You Survived #NoStirrupNovember 2017

By on Dec 1, 2017 11:00 am -

You did it! You made it to December 1st. #NoStirrupNovember 2017 is in the bag. Let’s see how you did.

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