Classic Eventing Nation

Get On Track at The 2017 USEA Convention

By on Nov 26, 2017 11:00 am -

It’s that time of year again as we gear up for the 2017 USEA Annual Meeting and Convention! Convention is the meeting ground of educated professionals, top riders and passionate eventing supporters, and this year it will be held December 6-10 in Long Beach, California at the Westin Long Beach Hotel.

The USEA Convention has a lot to offer. So much, that it can be a little overwhelming when you first check out the schedule. There are countless open forums, informative presentations and educational opportunities If you want to get your opinion heard, Convention is the place to do it!

Fortunately, our friends at the USEA have made your life a little easier this year by dividing the schedule into three distinct tracks based on your interests: Eventer, Events and Equine. Here are a few highlights for each tack: 

Eventer

The eventers track is for, you guessed it, eventers!

Introduction to EquiRatings in America with Jenni Autry, Diarm Byrne and Robert Winter
Friday, December 8, 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

USEF Eventing High Performance Riders with New Eventing Performance Director Erik Duvander
Thursday, December 7, 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

2018 Dressage Test Preview with Marilyn Payne, Gretchen Butts and Matt Brown
Friday, December 8, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Events

The events track has been designed for anyone who consistently is involved at competitions. Think organizers, competitors and volunteers.

Plans for the Fair Hill CCI4* with Fair Hill Competitions Manager Ann Haller
Friday, December 8, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Get FREE Tax Money for your Event! with USEA CEO Rob Burk
Thursday, December 7, 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Amateur & Adult Rider Open Forum with Dawn Robbins & Donna Bottner
Saturday, December 9, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Equine

The equine track will cover a variety of topics related to equine care and health.

USEA Funded Equine Health Research with Katherine Cooper and Dr. Mike Van Noy
Friday, December 8, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Making Good Decisions with Max Corcoran
Thursday, December 7, 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Form to Function for the Event Horse: Hoof Care & Anatomy with Bill Merfy
Friday, December 8, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

USEA Convention Links: Website, Schedule, EN’s Coverage, Instagram, Twitter

3 Reasons You Should Listen to Horse Radio Network’s Radiothon on Monday

By on Nov 26, 2017 9:00 am -

Our friends at the Horse Radio Network are gearing up for another Radiothon – a 12-hour live podcast marathon on Monday, November 27 kicking off at 9 AM and wrapping up at 9 PM. We’ve compiled a few reasons you’ll want to tune in throughout the day:

1. $4,000 — that’s FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS — of prizes to be given out during the day.

Thanks to sponsors, the Horse Radio Network is giving away $4,000 in prizes throughout the day, including (just to name a few) Cavallo hoof boots, a Kentucky Performance Products package, Total Saddle Fit Shoulder Relief Girth, six months’ supply of Stud Muffins, HorseLoverZ.com gift certificates, books, and the grand prizes of a $500 Weatherbeeta package and winner’s choice of Wintec saddle.

How do you enter to win these prizes? Call in live during the day to share your message of holiday cheer, and answer this year’s theme question: what was your best horsey Christmas gift, past present or future. Call in at 435-272-1997.

2. Awesome guests will be featured throughout the day.

If you’re a fan of Stacy and Jesse Westfall, Jared Rogerson, Felix Francis, Darley Newman, Christine Traurig, Janelle Roads, Frank M. Calo, Yvonne Barteau, Wendie Malick, Nic Roldan, Boyd Martin, Shellie Hensley, Susanne Ott, Carter Bass, Lisa Preston, Carly Kade or Leslie Wylie’s husband Tommy, you’ll want to make sure you’re listening to Radiothon. Check out the full schedule to see when your favorite guests are featured!

3. It’s a Horse Nation/Nation Media takeover in the final hour.

Leslie Wylie and Kristen Kovatch are taking over the airwaves at 8 PM to host the Horse Nation Hour and close out Radiothon with a bang. Past Nation Media Radiothon takeover highlights have included reminiscent tales of pony-coveting childhood years, Dom Schramm’s Christmas morning pajamas gaffe and an “I am Spartacus!” international listener drink-off. What’s in store this year? You’ll just have to listen live and find out…

Tune in to Radiothon on Monday in your browser at www.holidayradiothon.com – no download required.

Sunday Links Presented by One K Helmets

By on Nov 26, 2017 12:01 am -

https://www.instagram.com/p/BbXJnebldDy/?taken-by=willcolemanequestrian

Now that we’ve passed Thanksgiving that means it’s finally socially acceptable to decorate your home (and your horse) for Christmas! My own poor horse has seen his fair share of hats, garland and even lights. Are you dressing your guys up? If so, please send me a pic or tag EN online so I can celebrate with you [email protected].

National Holiday: National Cake Day & National Cookie Day

U.S. Weekend Action:

Pine Top Thanksgiving H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Sunday Links:

The Gift of Community

Leading Eventer to Donate All 2018 Winnings to Charity

Hannah’s Willberry Wonder Charity Raises £1million

Costs of Managing Horse Manure Akin to Feed Costs, Swedish Study Finds

Winter Is Coming: Are Your Horses and Farm Ready?

Lighting Up The Night: Southern Lights Turns Kentucky Horse Park Into Christmas Wonderland

Best of Blogs: Five Tips for Perfect Clips

Sunday Video: Elisa Wallace Ocala Jockey Club Vlog

William Fox-Pitt Clinic Takeaway: Be Affirmative!

By on Nov 25, 2017 3:00 pm -

William Fox-Pitt came stateside recently and taught a series of clinics, leaving a number of American riders and auditors more educated in his wake! Lynne Kaye sent us this account of a lightbulb moment she experienced while auditing a clinic in Virginia.

William Fox-Pitt teaching a clinic at Great Meadow. Photo by Jenni Autry.

I audited one of the William Fox-Pitt clinics over the weekend, and I want to say “thank you” to a rider who had stops at several fences for being willing to learn in a public setting. I have problems with my horse stopping at fences, too. I learned a tremendous amount by watching you! Most importantly, I learned that sending an affirmative message to our horses is critical to jumping success, and that the message “please don’t stop” gets very different results than the message “please go.”

William repeatedly stated that American riders are too “nicey, nicey” with our horses. He believes we would benefit from telling our horses to “just get on with it” and go forward. He thinks we work too hard at being perfect. In fact, as he believes cross-country riding is about being messy and still getting the job done.

At the clinic, he put his thoughts into action, by asking riders to take their horses through a twisty course of low fences so that the horses had to think on their feet, could make mistakes and would have a chance to start developing “a fifth leg.” William believes it is important to give horses the experience of making mistakes and bailing themselves out when they are young and the fences are low, so they will be able to bail us out when we need them to when the going gets messy on upper level cross-country courses.

So what on earth does saying “please don’t stop” to our horses have to do with have to do with being too “nicey, nicey” and teaching them to develop a fifth leg?

As many people in many different forums have told me, the human brain has trouble processing the word “don’t.” In other words, if someone says to you “walk into that room and have a seat. Oh, and by the way, there is a gleaming white unicorn sitting in the middle of the room. Please don’t look at the unicorn.” What is the first thing you are going to do? Sneak a peek at that unicorn, of course! The human brain latches onto “look” and “unicorn.”

The clinic was a perfect illustration of how affirmative statements relate to jumping a fence. Telling a horse “please don’t stop at the fence”, sends the message “stop” and “fence” to the rider’s body which, in turn says “stop” and “fence” to the horse. The next thing you know, the horse stops. The “please don’t stop” approach is, in Williams words, too “nicey, nicey” because the horse receives the message that it does not need to jump.

Throughout the clinic, William kept urging the riders to send their horses forward, giving them an affirmative message “go forward, go forward and jump, it’s OK to make a mistake.” Telling the horse “please go,” sends the message “go” to the rider’s body, and in turn, to the horse. The affirmative message eliminates “nicey, nicey” and reduces stopping at fences because the rider knows they sent a positive message to the horse and knows that if the horse stops, the horse, not the rider, should be corrected. The riders did a wonderful job negotiating a twisty, turny course under William’s tutelage.

Thank you to everyone involved with bringing William to the States and hosting him while he was here, to the riders in the clinic for allowing the auditors to learn from your successes and, especially from the areas you worked to improve, and, last but not least, to William for taking time out of your busy schedule to share your knowledge with us!

On an affirmative note: Go Eventing!

Best of HN: Coming Soon, Equestrians Against Normalcy

By on Nov 25, 2017 1:00 pm -

All photos courtesy of Equestrians Against Normalcy.

First there was Apples to Apples.

The premise of the game is simple: a group card game, everyone holds a hand of “thing” cards — objects, concepts, proper nouns, etc. The active player in each round draws a “description” card — say, “delicate” or “furry” — and players play the “thing” card in their hand that they feel best (or most hilariously) matches the description. The active player chooses their favorite, and the player who played the winning selection gets a point. This was THE game for many years at gathering and parties.

Then there was Cards Against Humanity: the party game for horrible people.

Same concept, but with a much darker, more cynical, twisted and sometimes downright cringe-y feel. I was coaching a college riding team when CAH first became popular, so needless to say the now-iconic black and white decks made an appearance at basically every away horse show or long-distance competition. Cards Against Humanity launched a hundred spoofs, including a couple of much-loved iterations right here on Horse Nation: check out our first collection and our second collection.

Now, horse-loving ladies and gentlemen, the time has come: introducing Equestrians Against Normalcy, a card game created by an equestrian for equestrians. Viral posts have been circulating early this week featuring Equestrians Against Normalcy, which is in the final stages of development with hopes to be available on the market just in time for the holiday season.

We caught up with game creator Victoria Morrow, a full-time professional horsewoman, to learn more about the game. She’s exactly the kind of sharp, witty individual that you’d expect to find at the helm of a game celebrating the weirder things about horse life — she walks the walk of the equestrian world, finding time to sit down and answer our questions between teaching lessons and thawing frozen water buckets. In short, she’s our kind of girl.

HN: Naturally, we have to ask: how did you come up with the idea for Equestrians Against Normalcy?

VM: Playing card games and board games with regular friends and horse friends has always been a pastime for me — especially when we have been gone to longer horse shows. One of the easiest games to travel with have been card games where you play one card to go with another; over the years quite a few have come and gone. Two of the more popular ones right now are Apples to Apples and Cards Against Humanity. It was the mechanics of those games that made me think it would be a blast if there was one that was geared towards horse people, and adult horse people especially.

There are some horse-themed games out there, but they are all geared towards kids. This all started to come about last winter while I was laid up from the latest in surgeries from a riding accident years ago. I had a lot of spare time on my hands and can’t stand to sit idle. So I decided that I wanted to make something that would be fun for adult riders to be able to play with each other. At the same time there is nothing in it that is offensive, so it is something that the teen riders could also play.

HN: Who are the masterminds behind the game? Who makes up your team?

VM: Team? That would be great, but it’s just me. I run a stable and offer boarding, training, and lessons.

Horses have been part of my life as long as I can remember. My father grew up on the race track riding horses for his father who was a flat race trainer and was a steeplechase jockey. He started me riding and showing when I was three and later got me into eventing which lead to me being able to compete in the US and Canada and eventually start my own business. I have been very fortunate to have him there for me.

My husband Steve has been kind enough to get the website up and running, and the email working. Luckily he is good with computers as the only thing I use them for is shopping for horses and tack!

HN: There’s certainly a parallel between this game and Cards Against Humanity — did you need to do any special licensing to imitate the original?

VM: I love playing CAH with my friends. And while Equestrians Against Normalcy and CAH have the same game play mechanics of using one card to finish another as do many others, that is pretty much it. EAN was designed specifically for the adult equestrian. All of the cards are equestrian themed and can be safely played in public so that you can play at the shows and stables — trainers can play with their clients.I love CAH but definitely would not play it with my clients or at shows.

Game mechanics are not something that you need special licensing to use — in fact it is one of the things that anyone can use, which is why there are so many games out there using the same ones. EAN definitely is its own stand alone game and we wouldn’t want anyone to confuse it with any other games. We tried to make sure our packaging was not the same as others down to the font.

HN: What is the process like for developing and producing a game?

VM: A lot of work! I couldn’t even tell you the hours that went into just what went on each card. Coming up with unique things for over 500 cards was more work than you would think!

I did have to beg the assistance of a friend of my husband’s for the help type setting the cards. It turns out no matter how much you yell at the computer and computer program it doesn’t help. I also now have a new appreciation of graphic designers and their ability to use Illustrator. It took awhile but I did manage to design the boxes and get the prototypes made.

But before we even had the prototype cards made up we made a basic one at home to play with different horse groups to see if it was as much fun as we hoped it would be, and it was. After the prototypes were printed, that was when we started to send them out to other people to play. Since this is a side business that we are doing, it is taking longer to get to production for sale than it would have if I wasn’t trying to do it between working horses, teaching and running a stable.

HN: There aren’t a lot of games that exist specifically for “horse people” — there are games for horse-loving kids, but I can’t think of any equestrian-specific games off the top of my head. What are your thoughts on this niche market?

VM: I think people definitely have a desire to have a game geared towards the adult rider. Especially after seeing the reaction to our Facebook page! There are so many things out there geared towards riders and their horses, but not things for them to have fun together with. We spend so much money on making sure our horses are happy and have fun in their stalls and paddocks. It is about time we got something too.

HN: What’s next? Where will people be able to purchase a copy?

VM: The biggest thing is getting EAN ready for sale to the public. We are trying really hard to have EAN available for purchase online at the very start of December so that people can have it for the holidays. As soon as it is available we will be posting links to the online purchasing area on our Facebook page Equestrians Against Normalcy and on our website http://equestriansagainstnormalcy.com.

Since it is such a small company — just me with the assistance of my husband — we’re partnering with a company that specializes in card games. Since the decks will be printed on demand, there’s no fear they’ll run out. And their turnaround time for producing and shipping has been fantastic. Plus they ship worldwide so anyone can order!

If the game does well we would love to be able to provide tack stores with them as they have inquired about the game, and to develop different decks for different riding disciplines and breeds. We definitely will keep everyone posted via the Facebook page and website about the game’s availability!

Update 11/14: Equestrians Against Normalcy is now available for purchase! Visit https://www.thegamecrafter.com/designers/equestrians-against-normalcy to order a copy.

We’ll have a sneak peek and game review of Equestrians Against Normalcy coming soon! Keep it locked on Horse Nation and the EAN Facebook page/website for updates about the game. Go riding!

Safety, Philosophy & The Sport: A Chat with Badminton Course Designer Eric Winter

By on Nov 25, 2017 9:00 am -

Eric Winter Photo by Samantha Clark

Eric Winter has designed some of the biggest, baddest courses in the world. He lead the charge at Blenheim Palace CCI3* for a decade before taking the reins over at the formidable Badminton Horse Trials CCI4* earlier this year. West coast riders became much more accustomed with his work this fall as he made his stateside debut at Galway Downs CCI3* earlier this month. We sat down with Eric for a chat about these venues, his philosophies and safety in the sport.

Eric on taking over at Badminton…

Eric Winter: “It was always going to be difficult for a first year, but I thought we got some things really right, and some things I felt really settled in how I want to take Badminton forward. It’s a different site to anywhere else.”

On this year’s cross country result (The course had a 37% clear rate)…

Eric: “I think it was a bit over the top, but I almost wanted to start with that, being quite big. I want to get it so that people think that they bring cross country horses to badminton with mileage. They stop bringing 8-year-old horses that have average form hoping that it’s going to be a light year. I want them to think that Badminton is going to be consistently fairly up there. That they’re going to have to jump the Vicarage Vee or the footbridge which will be iconic fences that will stay in every year.”

The Vicarage Vee. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

On his course design philosophy… 

Eric: “Throughout all levels I want them to be able to handle terrain and be able to balance and organize. The riders should work as one with the horse. For me as a designer, I’m always very conscious in that move between three-star and four-star When I do a three-star track, I’m always looking at four-star and saying, ‘how does this develop horses to do that?’ Badminton is more of an exam of that as opposed to an educational process of that.”

On what his courses test…

Eric: “Balance and ability to ride off a feel as opposed to riding of a set pattern. I’m not a big fan of walking a distance and saying that’s a level 6 stride distance. I like them to say ‘My aim is to go on six, but actually if I get in a bit big I might go on this.’ So they develop for a feel for the way their horse goes.”

“Eventing, more than any other sport, is about the relationship between the horse and the rider and that’s what I want to try to develop in the education through all the levels I do. To develop that relationship, so when they get to Kentucky [CCI4*], they’re on it. They know what their horses are going to do they know how they’re going to react. They have that relationship with their horse that’s kind of symbiotic.”

On his safety objective as a course designer… 

Eric: “Right fence, right place always. I think you can have some fences that work really well at the tail end of the course, or at the beginning of the course that don’t work so well if you put them somewhere else. I think the right fence in the right place is always the start point to me of safety.”

“I’m quite big into the deformable technology – I use a lot of mims and a lot of clips – but in my ideal world we don’t break to many of those. If I’ve got the right fence in the right place then hopefully we’re not breaking lots of those.”

James Alliston and Happenstance taking on Eric’s CCI3* course at Galway Downs. Photo by Shelby Allen.

On rider responsibility… 

Eric: “It’s accepting that not all horses and not all riders are four-star or even three-star quality. I love the riders that say, ‘Actually, that’s my level I’m comfortable there. I don’t want to go above two-star.’ Because that’s a rider that recognizes their own limitation. It’s no good saying, ‘I want you to look after me. I’m going to ride at four-star, and I want to ride really badly, but I’ve got to be able to stand up.’ Because that puts your sport at a really untenable position. You cannot win from that point.”

“It’s like me saying, ‘Actually I don’t want to learn to drive, so I’m not going to learn to drive, but I do want to drive on the highway.’ When you drive on the highway, but you don’t learn to drive you put everyone at risk. It’s exactly the same thing in riding. When you aren’t good enough, and that’s not to say you’re not going to be good enough, when you go up too quickly and you don’t have the necessary skills to ride at four-star level, you put your sport at risk. I think people should be more honest with themselves of what they are and are not capable of. Everybody has bad days, and some times things go wrong, but as a rule of thumb, your rider should have the necessary armory of talent and skill to be able to cope with those levels.”

On his career as a designer… 

Eric: “I show jumped for my initial years when I left school I worked for Caroline Bradley and the show jumping course design fascinated me and, then I went into eventing and now the cross country even more so. It has that bit of terrain and the use of ground and the appropriate questions at those places. The whole things is a package and I really enjoy it. It’s the coolest job in the world.”

On advice to up and coming course designers… 

Eric: “Be passionate. Life is too short to go through doing something you don’t like. You’ve got to love it. Nobody travels to an event for the dressage and the show jumping. They’re important, but these guys haven’t driven three days because the dressage arenas were fantastic or the show jumping was brilliant – they came to go cross country. Your cross country courses should excite people, they should excite you. If they don’t excite you as a course designer, they’re never going to excite anyone else.”

On advice to riders taking on his courses… 

Eric: My advice to all riders is to keep the horse between you and the ground. (After this he laughed… a lot – kick on y’all!) 

Thanks to Eric for his candid responses. We are all looking forward to Badminton 2018!

 

 

 

 

Saturday Links from Tipperary

By on Nov 25, 2017 12:01 am -

All of us, every day. Not just after Black Friday.

I am very proud to say that I have never set foot inside a mall on Black Friday – it’s just not my cup of tea. I will readily admit to having taken advantage of online Black Friday sales, however, particularly from my favorite equestrian retailers!

While I may not be into participating in Black Friday in the flesh, I fully embrace Small Business Saturday! Today I’m planning on getting a little bit crossed off my Christmas shopping list and hitting up some of my favorite local retailers (and yes, the local tack shop is one such place). I don’t limit my small business shopping to brick and mortar locations though – Etsy is also a favorite of mine and you can find lots of equestrian good there as well; from handmade halters, to jewlery, to browbands, and more!

National Holiday: Small Business Saturday!

U.S. Weekend Action:

Pine Top Thanksgiving H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Saturday Links:

The Horses on Standing Rock Get a Checkup

PODCAST: Meet the 2017 Young Event Horse Championship Winners

‘I just loved riding him’: talented event horse loses battle with foot condition

Winter is Coming: Are Your Horses and Farm Ready?

Leading eventer to donate all 2018 winnings to charity

Turkey Coma? Here Are Five, Trainer-Approved Ways to Get Back On Your Fitness Routine

Saturday Video:

I have no words (mostly because I don’t speak French) but I will say, SQUEE!!!

Bon ils ne sont pas encore prêt à aller en Iran mais ils bossent.

Posted by Benedicte Vieillard Opoix on Thursday, November 23, 2017

 

Friday Video from World Equestrian Brands: In Celebration of Big Phil

By on Nov 24, 2017 5:52 pm -

Phillip Dutton and Z. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Last week’s Ocala Jockey Club International was special for a whole variety of reasons: it was a showcase of girlpower at its finest, it offered generous prize money – always an enormous boost in a sport too often plagued by poor winnings, and hey, it was sunny! (Look, I’m British, every conversation comes back to the weather eventually. Fight me.)

But there was one thing that was extra-special about Ocala: it saw the return of Phillip Dutton. Now, I lived and evented in the States for long enough to know that if there are thirty horses in any given division at any given event, P. Dutty will be riding approximately 28 of them, so his absence is felt keenly when he’s not around – which isn’t often, because I’m not sure the man knows what a holiday is and, for the most part, he’s pretty indestructible.

True to form, he well and truly Dutton-ed Ocala, entering what appeared to be every single horse in his barn, and doing rather well on them, too. So to that, let’s raise a glass: to the continuing domination of Phillip Dutton. What. A. Legend.

Dutton verb To claim dominance over something through sheer force of will and hard work. Alternately, to enter a competition so many times that, statistically, you’re destined to do quite well. (If said statistics also take into account superhuman talent.)

In honour of the man of the hour, here’s a little throwback to the lead-up to Rio, featuring some wise words and behind-the-scenes glimpses into what, exactly, makes a champion.

 

Sport Horse Nation Spotlight: Black Friday Edition

By on Nov 24, 2017 1:00 pm -

In the market for a new four-legged partner? You may find your unicorn on our sister site, Sport Horse Nation. To help with the search, we’re going to feature a selection of current listings here on EN each week. We include the ad copy provided; click the links for videos, pricing and contact information.

In honor of the wild and crazy excuse for a shopping spree that is Black Friday, we’re featuring horses listed for sale on Sport Horse Nation that are black, mostly black, or dark bay. Happy shopping!

Ollie. Photo via Sport Horse Nation.

* Fancy Black 7yr old IMPORTED ISH Ready for Prelim! *

Ollie is a 17.1 (7 yr old) Imported Black ISH w/Stripe finishing on dressage scores at Training level! Just completed a P/T with dressage score of 36 & clear stadium!

Big Black Fancy Boy w/Stripe & 3 stockings by Big Sink Hope. In your pocket pony personality & wants to be your best friend. Striking looking boy who really enjoys his job! Completed 4 Trainings on his super incredible dressage scores with no jump penalties and ready to go on now.

Very easy, safe. AR/YR/Junior mount. Very brave & Flashy! Same at shows as he is at home. Price will increase after he goes Prelim later this year. Great opportunity to get a quality young “trained” horse with very low miles. This horse is the real deal & not to be missed!

Show Record: ☆ 2nd place on dressage of 30.3! ☆ 4th place on dressage of 30! ☆ 6th place on dressage of 28.8!☆ 2nd Place at 1st P/T Schooling show w/Dressage of 36!

Price will continue to increase with show miles. Genuine upper level potential but kind, straightforward & easy enough for an amateur. He is fit & can be tried in Ocala. More pics & videos available upon request. 5* home a must! Located in Florida.

Bling. Photo via Sport Horse Nation.

Bling~Lovely BN Eventer

Bling is a 2007 16.2h Pinto Warmblood mare. She has placed 3rd on her dressage score in both of her recognized BN HT and is talented enough to do at least Training level. She is quiet, forgiving of mistakes, brave, uncomplicated, and a good mover. Go to dressage shows, do the jumpers, and event. She is an easy and safe partner for Jr/Yr/AA. Located in South Carolina.

Mr. Magic Man. Photo via Sport Horse Nation.

Mr. Magic Man- 2011 16.3 Irish Sport Horse G

Merlin is a 2011 16.3 dark bay Irish Sport Horse gelding (Lancelot – Clover Mill). This impressive young horse has been brought along in a professional program by a young rider. He has show jumped through 1.15 and evented training level successfully.

Three good gaits and a soft, correct jumping style. Merlin is brave to the fences, kind, and very trainable. Suitable for a junior, young rider, or professional to develop. Located in Florida.

Quite an American. Photo via Sport Horse Nation.

Lovely Young Novice Gelding

Quite An American is a 16.3H, TB, G, 2012 model who has been competing at Novice this season. Last two horse trials (Jumpstart and Chatt Hills) he has finished 2nd and 3rd. Dressage scores in upper 20s/low 30s (24.7 at Chatt Hills), clean XC, and easy enough SJ- loose ring snaffle all 3 phases.

He has a great mind and hacks around on the buckle at new venues, ties, loads, clips, blankets. Good for farrier and vet- sound and full set of xrays from this year available. Would be suitable for ambitious adult amateur or teen to move up the levels or he would be happy to run lower levels as well with his amazing attitude. Located in Kentucky.

Mr. Congrats. Photo via Sport Horse Nation.

He s Got Real Jump

4yr 16h TB C…Mr. Congrats 12 lifetime starts ..RRP eligable last start 11/2016. Had PPE And xrays n wind scope when purchased at track. Has had almost year of let down and turn out a handful, of rides Pessoa Lunge and loose school. Well mannered non coltish behavior very easy to live with. JC papers in hand. Super YEH Prospect, Jumper or eventer. Nice Sports Horse Stallion Prospect. Huge jump scope. Located in Maryland.

Winning Vowcher. Photo via Sport Horse Nation.

Winning Vowcher

Talented and scopey gelding destined for upper levels. 16.2, 2009 OTTB gelding. Vinnie has all the makings of a higher level event horse for an ambitious rider.

Simple, single jointed snaffle for all 3 phases, schooling 1.15m-1.20m stadium at home, confirmed flat work including leg yield, shoulder in, haunches in, lead changes and counter canter. Bold, respectful and brave cross country.

Limited show miles due to owner time constraints but Vinnie has been in professional training and is fit and ready to compete now, take him to FL for the winter and clean up in 2018!

Easy to keep, good feet and thick boned. Full PPE with clean X-rays performed in 2016. Lives in or out, no vices. Located in Kentucky.

Odie. Photo via Sport Horse Nation.

Super talented winning 5 yr old with upper level potential

“Odie” is a 5 yr old, 16.3h unraced Thoroughbred gelding with serious talent and loads of scope with upper level potential. This gelding was bred, raised, and started by us, no injuries, and a soft mouth. He has exceptional uphill gates, a correct jump, excellent conformation, and has a ton of scope.

Odie has won the YEH last year @ Galway and and most recently finished on his dressage score at Galway’s International Event! In full training with a professional and priced to sell as owner can no longer afford him through difficult circumstances. Don’t miss out on this opportunity, he checks all the boxes!! Located in California.

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Mirror Mirror on the Wall, Who Is the Sexiest Black Event Horse of Them All?

By on Nov 24, 2017 11:00 am -

Andreas Dibowski and FRH Butts Avedon at Lumühlen 2015. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Maybe it’s emotional residue from one too many The Black Stallion viewings as a kid, but there’s just something about seeing an event horse the color of polished onyx that makes my heart skip a beat. And when their performance matches their tall, dark and handsome good looks … swoon.

Since it’s Black Friday, I put together a list of black (or, in some cases, technically dark brown, but for all practical purposes they look black) three- and four-star horses from the past five or so years. Who is the sexiest of them all? Let’s put it to a vote!

Before you slaughter me in the comments for leaving out your favorite black horse, keep in mind that the list is meant to be recent (sorry, Charisma!) and not all-inclusive — I’m just working off the top of my head, and said head is still running a bit slow from the all-day booze cruise that was Thanksgiving Day. But do feel free to write-in vote for other horses!