Classic Eventing Nation

Sport Horse Nation Spotlight: 5 Horses for Sale for $8,000 or Less

By on Aug 13, 2017 9:00 am -

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.

They say there is no such thing as a free horse. Indeed, they may quickly surpass their original asking price in hay, feed, vet and farrier bills, etc. etc.

To lessen the blow, this week we’re featuring five horses that are for sale for $8,000 or less. Their age and level of experience varies widely, so you may find just what you’re looking for!

Want to see more horses in your budget? Visit Sport Horse Nation and search by price.

Welsh Quarter Horse. Photo via Sport Horse Nation.

Welsh Quarterhorse 4yr- Ready for you to finish: jump, event, dressage

Amateur Friendly gelding! Bred to be a great kids or petite ladies horse! 15hh and not too round! Was started well as a yearling and correctly under saddle for the last 8 months. The Dam was Oso Artful QA mare by 5 time world champion Artful Investment. The Sire was Holyoake Copper-Field LOM which is an imported Section B Welsh stallion who is a consistent winner.

Doing small courses, schooling XC (ditch, bank, water ok!), and in the dressage ring. Correct to the leg aids and connection. Willing work ethic and easy to train. Trail ride alone or in a group. Free jumped up to 3’3″.

Travels well to shows; trailering and settling in no problem. Gets along well with other horses. Easy keeper. Vacc’s, teeth, shoeing all up to date.

Great ground manners and cuddly personality. Stands well for tacking, vet or farrier. No vices or baggage. Ridden almost daily. Lunges politely at home or show; does well in the Pessoa.

Good feet, great brain, brave and kind heart. Ridden in front of a pressure washer and bucket loader! Solid citizen but still green so not appropriate for a beginner. Would do great for an intermediate in a lesson program. Six more months and he could be a cross rail lesson horse! Located in Nevada.

Willoughby. Photo via Sport Horse Nation.

HANDSOME LOW LEVEL EVENTER

Willoughby is a handsome 2001 OTTB bay gelding who loves to jump. He has evented intro, BN, and novice and schooled training level. Also has shown and done well in hunters. Willoughby has been under instruction with a USDF certified instructor. Trained in Aiken, SC winter 2013.

Very good stable manners, stands quietly for farrier/vet. Loads easily. Lunges, rides and jumps quietly and consistently. Great on trails. Rides in a snaffle. Same at home as he is at shows. He would be perfect school horse or low level dressage/event horse. Sound and clean radiographs available. Looking for a perfect home as his owner is off at college. Located in New York.

Roisin. Photo via Sport Horse Nation.

Reputed Testamony-Diamond Lad 2015 Eventer Prospect

2015 Irish Draught Sport Horse X TB Filly
*** Eventer/Hunter Derby Prospect ***
Currently 16.1 hh, projected to mature to 17.2 hh
Sire: Denny Emerson’s “Reputed Testamony” (TB)
Dam: Viveka (IDHSNA), an Irish Draught Sport Horse out of Menlough Countess-Diamond Lad-King of Diamonds.

ROISIN is a stunning looking filly with great presence, a strong slanted shoulder, and growing big sturdy legs! She has a very smart intelligent head on her, which will be sure to keep you and her safe out on any eventing course.
She has had thirty days training under saddle, thirty days of groundwork, and has now been turned back out to grow and mature.

Roisin has three beautiful gaits, a very nice jump, and responds very nicely to voice commands on the lunge line. Her TB breeding has given her amazing athleticism and speed… her Irish Draught will stand to her in stamina and bone! AND she shares the same sire as Daniel Clasing’s famous “Houston”! The perfect eventing package! This girl has the ability to take you to the top. Located in Idaho.

Magic Memory. Photo via Sport Horse Nation.

Gentle and kind event gelding

Magic Memory is a 16.1 hand 8 year old registered Thoroughbred brown gelding. Magic has evented through the beginner novice level at rated events. He is easy to put together for the dressage and fun to jump. He wears a snaffle for all phases and has a lead change. He is excellent to hack and good to school on cross country. He is a people-loving, friendly horse and a general good egg. He also has a glass smooth canter!

He is sound and healthy, wears only plain front shoes and needs no special maintenance. Magic would be a great Pony Club horse or horse for an adult amateur to have fun with in the lower levels of eventing. Perfect ground manners, super easy to have around, no vices. Located in West Virginia.

Twenty to Life. Photo via Sport Horse Nation.

Twenty to Life

Taking on more at work has led me to the decision of selling my handsome, fancy 9 year old OTTB “Twenty to Life” aka Trooper. Standing at 16.1 he is solidly trained in dressage at training/1st level. He is currently still in dressage training and beginning to pick up 2nd level movements.

Although he is not currently being trained in jumping and still considered green o/f (I am focused more on Dressage), I believe he would be an excellent eventer. On 8/4 We took him out to school some XC jumps. He was quiet, steady, adjustable and jumped everything including down a bank without hesitation. All while in a loose ring snaffle. Trooper loves to work and thrives on learning and doing different things.

He is best suited for a young professional type, or confident rider as he is still gaining his own confidence. He is NOT suited for a beginner or lesson program as he is very much a one person horse. A very special guy that will only be sold to a wonderful show home. I cannot offer him the work load he loves. He is sound and a total blast to ride and deserves to be shown off! Located in North Carolina.

Listings included in this article are randomly selected and confirmed to be current and active before inclusion. Sport Horse Nation features user-generated content and therefore cannot verify or make any warranty as to the validity or reliability of information.

Sunday Links Presented by One K Helmets

By on Aug 13, 2017 12:01 am -

Photo via @MichaelJungOfficialNews on Instagram.

You are looking future champions. Michael Jung shared this photo of the youngest portion of his up-and-coming squad. He says show jumpers, but there may be a future four-star champion in the midst. Keep your eyes out for this crew in a few years!

#WylieWatch: Track Leslie Wylie in the Mongol Derby!

National Holiday: National Prosecco Day, National Filet Mignon Day #TreatYoSelf

U.S. Weekend Action:

GMHA Festival of Eventing CIC & H.T. [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Fair Hill H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

WindRidge Farm Summer H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Otter Creek Summer H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

The Summer Event at Woodside H.T. [Website]  [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Area VII Young Rider Benefit H.T. [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Stanton Farms H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Colorado Horse Park 3DE & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Sunday Links: 

How to Write 500 Blogs

Ian Stark Undergoes Serious Pelvis Operation to Put In Four Plates and A Bone Graft

Coral Keen’s Eventing Blog: Personal Landmarks and Exciting Youngsters

How A Small Town in Western N.C. Is Prepping for the ‘Olympics For Horses’

Cluster of Potomac Horse Fever Cases Confirmed in Kentucky

Understanding Equine Insurance Policies

Make sure your horses are UTD on vaccinations!: Washington Confirms First Case of WNV in 2017 | California Equine WNV Case Count Rises to Five | Two More Michigan Horses Test Positive for WNV

Sunday Video: Noelle Floyd takes us behind the scenes with Phillip Dutton.

Boyd Sweeps Fair Hill Intermediate Divisions + Other Weekend Scores

By on Aug 12, 2017 7:02 pm -

Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

This weekend is action-packed with eight horse trials across the country. From Fair Hill to Woodside there are events literally from coast-to-coast. 

Fair Hill August H.T.

It was a good day in the office for Boyd Martin who took home first and second in both Intermediate divisions at the Fair Hill August H.T. in Fair Hill, Maryland. He won the Intermediate A division aboard Christine Turner’s On Cue. The 11-year-old Selle Francias earned a 29.4 on the flat. The pair had one pole in the show jumping, and a faultless cross country trip sealed the deal on their win.

Windurra USA’s Barry followed in second on a finishing result of 34.8. Boyd and the 8-year-old Thoroughbred added just one rail to their dressage score of 30.8.

Jennie Brannigan sits in third with her own and Elsbeth Battel’s Stella Artois. The 9-year-old Holsteiner/Thoroughbred posted a 31.9 on the flat, left all the rails up in show jumping and picked up just 4.8 time penalties across country for a finishing result of 36.7.

In the Intermediate B, Boyd took another win with Christine Turner’s Tsetserleg. The 10-year-old Trakehner earned a 32.5 in the first phase and added nothing to it over fences.

He followed in second place with Kyra, a 10-year-old Canadian Warmblood also owned by Christine Turner. She joined her stablemate in the double clear club, finishing on her dressage score of 34.

Third place went to Matt Flynn and Get Lucky. The 9-year-old Dutch Warmblood owned by Flynn Sport Horses and Merry Go Round Farm had the best dressage score (29.2), but two poles down in the show jumping and 10.8 time penalties in cross country settled these two in third place.

Boyd was the only rider in either division to come off the cross country with no time penalties. Of the 27 starters, 11 pairs pulled of double clear show jumping rounds.

Fair Hill H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

GMHA Festival of Eventing 

Daniel Clasing leads the way in the CIC* with his own Galileo WP. They were the only pair with a sub-40 score in the dressage phase, starting the weekend on 38.9. One rail came down in the show jumping, and they rest on a score of 42.9 going into tomorrow’s cross country. Buck Davidson and Harry are in second on a score of 45.4 and Sharon While sits in third with Fashionable Late on a score of 46.6.

In the Open Intermediate, Buck Davidson leads with Christine Turner’s Halimey thanks to a 26.9 on the flat and no penalties in the show jumping.

Hot off their silver medal at NAJYRC, Cornelia Dorr and Louis M dazzled in the sandbox again. They earned a 23.3, their best score to date at this level. One pole in the show jumped lowered them to second place behind Buck and Halimey, but they’re separated by less than a point. Watch their test below thanks to David Frechette:

GMHA Festival of Eventing CIC & H.T. [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

The Summer Event at Woodside

Meanwhile in California, James Alliston is in the top spot of the Open Intermediate division with Sunsprite Warmblood’s Sunsprite Madiera. They added 2.4 time penalties to their dressage score, carrying a two-phase result of 33.4 into tomorrow’s show jumping.

He is followed by Dana Chase and her own Aerolite. A 39.2 in dressage had them in sixth place, but after their cross country, which was the fastest trip of the day for this division, pushed them into second place.

Stay tuned for more tomorrow, EN!

Follow along with all the U.S. action this weekend: 

WindRidge Farm Summer H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Otter Creek Summer H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

The Summer Event at Woodside H.T. [Website]  [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Area VII Young Rider Benefit H.T. [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Stanton Farms H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Colorado Horse Park 3DE & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Wylie vs. Mongol Derby, Powered by SmartPak: Day 4 Takes A Village

By on Aug 12, 2017 12:58 pm -

In August 2017 writer/rider Leslie Wylie will be attempting her most fearsome feat of #YOLO yet: a 620-mile race across Mongolia. Riding 27 semi-wild native horses. Carrying only 11 pounds of gear. Relying on nomads for food, water and shelter. On a mission to help stop deforestation.

To be held Aug. 9-19, the Mongol Derby is widely regarded as the toughest horse race in the world. Inspired by the Genghis Khan’s original “pony express,” there’s no trail or set route, just 25 GPS checkpoints/horse exchange stations to hit over the course of 7-10 days. Keep it here for weekly updates from Leslie as she prepares to embark upon the ride of a lifetime! Click here to read previous stories in the series.

Leslie getting some makeshift stirrups … but only after riding 24 miles without! Photo via Mongol Derby.

Did you miss past updates? Catch up on Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3.

Somewhere in the flurry of endless email chains between the EN team, Jenni said something along the lines of “Wylie was a Viking warrior princess in another life.” The moniker stuck, and while the good folks at Derby HQ might be shaking their heads every time one of us retweets with #VikingWarriorPrincess tagged on, you have to admit that it’s a pretty fitting title.

Because, after all, what else do you call a lady who can do this, while smiling?

Oh yes, that was filmed during the now infamous #StirrupGate incident on Day 3. There goes our Leslie, cantering along without her stirrups, grinning from ear to ear, one hand casually holding the reins of her semi-wild Mongolian pony, for 24 miles no less.

Day 4 was perhaps not quite this smooth.

Day 4 Recap

The sun set on Day 3 with riders spread across the map; many overnighted at Urtuus (the official checkpoints with shelter and food) while some camped with local herders or out on the open steppe. Impressively, most of the hobbled horses were still where they ought to have been when the sun came back up, and the majority of the field got off to a fresh, quick start despite working through some aches, pains and minor injuries.

Leslie spent the night in Urtuu 9, and the start of her Day 4 was delayed ever so slightly as the crew helped her work through some issues with her tack. Most notably, the infamous camel stirrups that were donated to her yesterday.

Unfortunately, the camel stirrups didn’t hold up to the rigors of the Derby trail, but the delivery of a spare set of horse stirrups looked like a game-changer for her. However, Leslie’s first horse of the day had other ideas.

Fortunately our tough cookie was soon back on the trail, though still without her kit, which is still being held hostage by a wayward pony.

At the front of the pack, Jakkie Mellet continues to lead thanks to a masterful bit of horsemanship to navigate his semi-feral mount beneath a railway bridge. Marie Palzer and Ed Fernon continue in hot pursuit, and all three are overnighting at Urtuu 16. Barry Armitage is not far behind, camped between Urtuus 15 and 16.

The rest of the field is scattered between Urtuus 11 and 15, with the biggest pack of 17 by far lodged in Urtuu 11. Many riders will be serving penalty time here, including Leslie, as she earned a one-hour penalty after she required assistance to catch her loose horse.

Unfortunately, Leslie also left her raincoat behind at Urtuu 10. Fingers crossed for good weather. So far the forecast looks promising: a high of 25C/77F, followed by a very chilly evening.

Current field with less than 200 km separating leaders from trailing pack at U11. Leslie highlighted in red.

Injury and Accident Assessment

The field grows smaller as more riders retire, and we send our best wishes for a speedy recovery to Clare Salmon, who is being treated for an ankle injury. She and her husband Neil Goldie-Scott retired at Urtuu 7 this morning.

Julia Fisher and Jane Boxhall, both of whom retired earlier in the week, are back on the Derby trail so to speak, riding with Hustler Erik in the bloodwagon.

We always say “it takes a village” in eventing. Behind every horse and rider combination, a slew of individuals come together to keep all the wheels turning in support, from coaches and grooms to family and friends.

And it truly takes a village in Mongolia as well. From our viewpoint here at home, safely ensconced on the couch or in the office watching our little red LW dot eke her way across the steppe, it’s impossible to know what’s truly happening on the ground.

But reports of fellow riders helping each other, waiting for each other at Urtuus so they can ride together as they agreed, and of course the generosity and ingenuity of the local herdsmen are warming our hearts and making us feel like perhaps the steppe isn’t such a lonely place after all.

A big shout-out to Rachel Land, who is looking after our Leslie tonight:

It’s definitely been a challenging day for the Mongol Derby contestants. Here’s to a good night’s rest and another cracking day on the steppe tomorrow.

 

 

We’ll continue to bring you daily updates from the Mongol trail. You can also follow along via Mongol Derby Twitter (Leslie’s call sign is LW) for live updates. Track the riders via GPS here. Go Wylie!

Best of HN: Horses in Sunday’s ‘Game of Thrones’ vs. My Horses

By on Aug 12, 2017 11:30 am -

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Sunday’s episode was full of highs and lows if you’re a horse person. As is fairly typical for Game of Thrones, a show notorious for refusing to sugar-coat most of its death scenes for human and animal alike, it was not a good night to be a horse.

Tragically a lot of horses ran into spears, got limbs chopped off by scimitars and were roasted alive by dragon breath. But prior to their mercifully CGI-designed demises, they did a lot of total badass things as well, because Game of Thrones. (What’s even cooler is that a lot of those horse stunts are in fact done with real horses and real riders — more on that later.)

Yes, I know it’s fictional TV. But that doesn’t stop me from being simultaneously impressed with these horses and totally exasperated by my own.

The Dothraki horde can unleash that raise-the-hair-on-the-back-of-your-neck war cry as they charge into battle.

Okay, obviously GIFs are silent but if you saw this episode you know 100% what I’m talking about.

My horse gets anxious if people raise their voices.

These baller horses are totally cool with a DRAGON flying overhead.

My horse shied at a turkey coming out of a treetop once.

The GoT horses literally run through fire.

My horse doesn’t like it when the ground changes color.

THIS MANEUVER.

I call it a good day if I can canter across the field on the same lead I actually asked for.

Jamie Lannister’s ill-fated yet tragically beautiful suicide charge across this shallow lake on his trusty white steed who would do anything for him.

One of my draft horses leapt a stream once… taking the cart he was hitched to along for the flight.

Oh, look guys — they DID include my horses. It’s those three, running away with their lead ropes still attached.

“Yeah, we’re just gonna go… okay bye.”

In all seriousness though — I give major kudos to the horse wrangler team and stunt coordinators of Game of Thrones, who time and again raise the bar for what we can expect to see from equine stunts on the screen. Check out this behind the scenes video — fast forward to the 8:30 neighborhood for the horse segment. A lot of those stunts are in fact real, and I’m impressed with the equine actors, stunt riders and the whole production team for putting this many-layered epic scene together.

Go riding.

Victoria Leabeater Earns Invaluable Team Experience at European Championships

By on Aug 12, 2017 9:00 am -

The CIC2* Senior European Championships for amateur riders took place in Tongeren, Belgium last month July 27-30. The contest offers amateur eventers the chance to earn their ‘flag’ and represent their country, and for many, is a great riding education ahead of Nations Cup events, or other international competitions. For Victoria Leabeater, it offered invaluable team experience.

Team GB in their sponsor’s rugs from the Mark Todd Collection. Team GB was also sponsored by Owl Financial. Photo by Peter Buist.

Victoria was part of Great Britain’s silver medal-winning team with her own Dolces E. She rode alongside compatriots Simon Ashworth, Jack Pinkey, Nicky Hill, Steve Garrod, Sharon Polding, Lauren Mclusky and Indiana Limpus, who earned individual bronze. Chef d’Equipe Peter Buist said he was very proud of Victoria and the other British riders, especially how they conducted themselves on their first international duties.

“Cross country day was just amazing – the course was challenging and we knew the time would be tight. Only three riders managed the time, and they were all Brits. Our performance on the cross country pulled us up to second place in the team classification, and we held onto that in the show jumping,” he said.

Victoria Leabeater was Team GB’s youngest rider at the CIC2* European Championships with Dolces E. Photo by Hartpury College.

Team dressage

The Championships are unique as they include a tricky ‘team dressage’ test, where all six team members complete a dressage test simultaneously in the arena, before each undertaking an individual test. This is then followed by the cross country and final show jumping phase.

Great Britain’s team dressage at the 2017 European Championships. 

“The team dressage is a little confusing!” acknowledged Victoria Leabeater. “You’re essentially following each other around the arena. In the UK at least, many of us did something similar as children in our riding lessons, called musical rides – it is much like this. You line up for the halts, although we did lateral work, medium trot, canter and rein back all together. For the diagonal movements, the judge sees one at a time – there’s lots of concentration required, and it is marked as a collective.”

Like in a traditional horse trial, dressage is then followed by the cross country and show jumping phases. Victoria and “Dolces” were going great-guns in the early part of the cross country, but the two met disaster at the trakhaner fence, around a third of the way around.

“She was jumping so well – up until this fence, it was a class round – the mare is a great jumper and jumps for fun,” Victoria rued. “It was all feeling good, and although the time was tight, thought I thought we’d make it. Dolces took off, then put her feet over into the ditch – it was such a shame, as she’d been good all week,” remembers 20-year-old Victoria.

“She went to take off, but she was confused as the ground was the same color in the ditch as the take off point. We were lucky really, as she just needed some stitches in front, from a stud injury. I was completely devastated at the time as we had to retire, but we did place in silver position as a team, and I am thrilled that my contribution in the dressage stood us in such good stead for a medal. I would have loved to have been on my horse for the presentations, but that’s life,” she muses.

Victoria Leabeater riding her own Dolces E at the UK’s Houghton CCI Young Rider Two-star. Photo courtesy of V. Leabeater.

Eventing aspirations

Victoria is currently a student, studying for a Bachelor of Science degree in Equestrian Sports Science at Hartpury College. 14-year-old Dolces, who Victoria has owned for three years, stays at the campus.

While her schedule is tight with studies, Victoria focuses her riding on Dolces, while her other horse, Vincent, stays with a friend where a dressage rider trains him in her absence. “He’s 16, and has done a two-star, but he was never going to be a team event horse – he’s brilliant though and a very sweet boy,” Victoria said of the 15-year-old New Zealand Warmblood.

Victoria and Dolces have enjoyed some promising results in 2017, including fourth at Nunney International in the Open Intermediate, fifth in the Intermediate at Aston-Le-Walls, and second in the Intermediate at Tweseldown. When the pair first stepped up to two-star, Victoria says the fence height was not a problem. “The challenge when you move up a level is really about the technicality, at least it was for us. For example, the speed of reading the fences for both horse and rider. With Vincent, I am super-confident in his ability to read fences. He’s very talented, but does not have the natural scope of Dolces. With the mare, it is getting enough experience under your belt to be able to tackle the level of technicality at two-star,” she says.

Victoria is currently studying for a Bachelor of Science degree in Equestrian Sports Science. Photo by Hartpury College.

Victoria hopes to contest a CIC3* in 2018, and, depending on Dolces’ recovery, some Intermediates or Advanced events for the remainder of the eventing season in the UK. She also has eyes for more team experience. “I came up through youth eventing programmes and we have a great structure here to take people up the levels,” she explains. The British eventing teams are supported by the British Equestrian Federation’s World Class Programme, funded by ‘UK Sport’ through the National Lottery; the Nations Cup team is funded and supported by World Class. “The Nations Cups programme in the UK gives more people a chance to ride and experience the team environment,” she adds.

Victoria Leabeater is a member of the Hartpury Equine Academy, an elite student club that offers coaching and support. Photo by Hartpury College.

Of her experience in Belgium, Victoria says she’s gained a lot, and very much enjoyed being part of the British team. “There have been so many great people that have helped me to get there, such as Lizzel Winter, Hartpury’s Equine Academy Director, and trainer Corrine Bracken. I earned my [national] flag there, and took part in the dressage phase, which contributed to the overall marks – it was great fun, and a lovely experience,” she concludes.

We wish her all the best; and for Dolces, a speedy recovery!

Click here to see final scores.

[Brilliant Bronze and Sought-After Silver for the Owl Financial CIC2* Squad]

Saturday Links from Tipperary

By on Aug 12, 2017 12:01 am -

Photo by Tricia Jones.

In honor of their Three-Day Event this weekend, The Colorado Horse Park shared some fun #TBT photos this week on their Facebook page. They show riders from their CCN**/ CCN* and Horse Trials. Who can recognize this rider presenting at the first horse inspection?

#WylieWatch: Track Leslie Wylie in the Mongol Derby!

National Holiday: National Middle Child Day, National Garage Sale Day

U.S. Weekend Action:

GMHA Festival of Eventing CIC & H.T. [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Fair Hill H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

WindRidge Farm Summer H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Otter Creek Summer H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

The Summer Event at Woodside H.T. [Website]  [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Area VII Young Rider Benefit H.T. [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]

Stanton Farms H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Colorado Horse Park 3DE & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Saturday Links: 

Ringside Chat: Fairy Godmothers Help Tiana Coudray Add A Four-Star Veteran to Her String

Cobblestone Farms Riders Receive Charles Owen Technical Merit Awards

Training Toddy for ‘Surprise’ Burghley Entry

Kisses, Hugs and Knees to Noses: Photos from the USEF Pony Finals

Dehydration in Horses Can Be Deadly – Here’s What You Need to Know

Tryon, N.C. Horse Euthanized for Rabies

Genetic Basis for the Athleticism of Horses Explored by Researchers

Saturday Video: The story of Bea de Lavalette will inspire you.

Friday Video from World Equestrian Brands: Will Jung Make History Again?

By on Aug 11, 2017 5:50 pm -

Michael Jung has won the last three European Championships in a row: 2015 with fischerTakinou, 2013 with Halunke FBW and 2011 with La Biosthetique Sam FBW. He heads to Strzegom with fischerRocana FST next week, where he will look to win a fourth consecutive Europeans title.

Ginny Leng is the only other three-time winner of the Europeans, and she also took her titles in consecutive years: 1985 with Priceless, 1987 with Night Cap and 1989 with Master Craftsman. If Michael wins at Strzegom, he will take the record for most European titles ever won in history.

He talks about the challenge ahead in this video from the FEI, which also features footage from his past victories at the Europeans. Remember that Michael won at Blair Castle in 2015 with a broken leg, which gives the footage of him storming around in the rain a whole new context.

Can anyone stop Michael Jung’s quest to become the only four-time Europeans winner in history? Keep it locked on EN to find out! Go Eventing.

Weekly OTTB Wishlist from Cosequin: CANTER Pennsylvania Edition

By on Aug 11, 2017 2:40 pm -

Plantation Field International, Pennsylvania’s premier horse trials, will kick off in just a few weeks on Sept. 14-17, and this year the event is partnering with Retired Racehorse Project to showcase the American Thoroughbred. In honor of the Best. Event. Ever. we’re showcasing three Thoroughbreds from CANTER Pennsylvania this week, all ready to start their new careers as event horses!

Shar’s Dancer. Photo courtesy of CANTER PA.

Shar’s Dancer (Dance With Ravens – Shar’s Smile, by Peaks and Valleys) 2013 16.2-hand gelding bred in Pennsylvania

Sports car model! Bred for upper-level competition, Shars Dancer boasts some favorite lines in his pedigree, including Dance With Ravens, Danzig, Mt. Livermore and Cox’s Ridge. Retiring with no known issues or vices, this guy’s future looks bright. Checking all the boxes, here’s the type of horse people are constantly requesting — he has the looks, the build and the personality to be a lovely project. We are anxious to see how far this one goes!

View Shar’s Dancer on CANTER PA.

Eurostory. Photo courtesy of CANTER PA

Eurostory (Eurosilver – Bedside Story, by Tale of the Cat) 2012 15.3-hand gelding bred in Pennsylvania

This guy is super cool and screams eventer! He has a lofty gate with large bone and an elegant neck. His breeding also has plenty for buyers to love. He is by Eurosilver, a son of Unbridled’s Song. Both are known for throwing outstanding movers with great brains. His dam is by Tale of the Cat, known for good bone and durability. The trainer states he has no vices or issues and that he has great feet. He trains off the farm and does well in turnout with others. He is ready to go to work today! $3,500.

Located in Erie. View Eurostory’s listing on CANTER PA.

Hanky Doodle. Photo courtesy of CANTER PA.

Hanky Doodle (Cherokee’s Boy – Slow and Steady, by Malibu Moon) 2010 16.1-hand gelding bred in Maryland

Quite the character! “Doodle” is a funny guy and a barn favorite. Not just pretty to look at, this boy is sweet and gentle with the trainer’s young kids. A lovely sport type with a nice style of movement, this one should be a great choice for eventing. No known issues or vices, Doodle is a clean slate, ready to go right to work for you. A real ham, this guy was begging for grass time during his listing and clearly is  well-loved by his connections. Come take a look!

View Hanky Doodle’s Listing on CANTER PA.

Wylie vs. Mongol Derby, Powered by SmartPak: No Stirrups on Day 3

By on Aug 11, 2017 1:43 pm -

In August 2017 writer/rider Leslie Wylie will be attempting her most fearsome feat of #YOLO yet: a 620-mile race across Mongolia. Riding 27 semi-wild native horses. Carrying only 11 pounds of gear. Relying on nomads for food, water and shelter. On a mission to help stop deforestation.

To be held Aug. 9-19, the Mongol Derby is widely regarded as the toughest horse race in the world. Inspired by the Genghis Khan’s original “pony express,” there’s no trail or set route, just 25 GPS checkpoints/horse exchange stations to hit over the course of 7-10 days. Keep it here for weekly updates from Leslie as she prepares to embark upon the ride of a lifetime! Click here to read previous stories in the series.

LW on Day 1. Julian Herbert/Mongol Derby

Did you miss past updates? Catch up on Day 1 and Day 2.

One of the running themes of the Mongol Derby is the unpredictable nature of the horses. As Leslie Wylie detailed earlier this spring, the semi-feral Mongolian horses can range from poky plodders to near-suicidal bolters and everything in between. Mounting and dismounting in particular can be dangerous, as the native horses are prone to taking advantage of that vulnerable moment and can thunder right off to parts unknown without their riders.

Leslie’s pony ditched her today when she dismounted to adjust her tack, galloping away with her kit and vanishing over the horizon, but her spirit remains resilient. She covered about 80 kilometers today, half of that without stirrups, as her original pair are still strapped to the wayward pony, who continues to play cat and mouse with the Mongolian herders.

Day 3 Recap

The day started with decent weather (in comparison to yesterday’s icy, hurricane-like rain) and a noted lack of drama. But just after 1 p.m. local time:

There’s no penalty assessed if a pony gets away from a rider, though obviously the rider loses time in attempting to locate the pony. As the local herders were dispatched to search for Leslie’s pony, she hiked back to Urtuu 8 on foot, and in true gritty Leslie Wylie form took right off on another horse.

Since the Mongol Derby is a BYOS (Bring Your Own Stirrups) event, and her stirrups were still careening around the steppe evading capture, LW rode the next 40 kilometer leg without stirrups. That’s about 24 miles. According to vet Cozy at Urtuu 9, Leslie came in “f—king beaming.” That’s our girl!

Unfortunately, Leslie’s horse has not yet been found. Until he’s located, her kit is gone. She’ll be riding without any of her additional protective layers, sleeping bag and other gear she had stored in her saddle bags. All she has with her is the gear in her backpack. We hope that includes her electrolytes!

Fortunately, Leslie’s tenacity, overall horsemanship and ridiculously good attitude did not go unrewarded.

Rebecca Pumphrey, another lauded horsewomen from Day 2 who traveled briefly with Leslie, also faced an escaped horse in a similar incident when she dismounted for a tack adjustment. In the ensuing chaos, Rebecca also lost her bridle. However, a local family managed to recapture her horse, and she purchased a bridle from them to carry on in the race. That’s some true derby ingenuity.

South African Jakkie Mellet, 41, has taken over the lead, aided in part by early leaders Ed Fernon and Marie Palzer serving penalty time at Urduu 11 for heart-rate violations. Organizers report that Jakkie displayed “cool as a cucumber” horsemanship at his Urtuu changeover and is clearly riding to win. All three are currently camped with herders in gers between Urtuus 11 and 12 with only five kilometers separating the top trio.

Jakkie Mellet. Julian Herbert/Mongol Derby 2017.

Three riders — Barry Armitage, Warren Sutton and Will Comiskey — are staying in Urtuu 11 tonight, though all three will serve time penalties before being allowed to leave in the morning. Another three riders — Ceri Putnam, Sally Toye and Roberta MacLeod — have opted to hobble their horses and camp on the open steppe between Urtuus 9 and 10. Stay tuned to see if the hobbled horses are in fact still in anywhere in sight when the sun rises.

Injury and Accident Assessment

Unfortunately, Day 3 saw two riders retire from the Derby. American Rick Helson, 58, retired at Urtuu 3 and was treated for dehydration and hypothermia; he is now back in Ulaanbaatar after being discharged and is reportedly feeling well. Jane Boxhall, 51 and originally from the UK, retired at Urtuu 4 after a hard fall; fortunately, she too has been discharged and is doing fine. We send these riders our best wishes!

At the moment, the weather forecast for tomorrow looks relatively warm — around 70 degrees Fahrenheit — but also wet. (Naturally, this is all subject to change according to the whims of Mother Mongolia.) Keep your fingers crossed that Leslie’s missing kit turns up so she can enjoy the luxuries of additional layers, sleeping bag and other essentials she’ll need in the coming days.

Keep watching those dots and sending your good thoughts for a safe trip for all, including race crew and organizers, who have done a masterful job so far.

We’ll continue to bring you daily updates from the Mongol trail. You can also follow along via Mongol Derby Twitter (Leslie’s call sign is LW) for live updates. Track the riders via GPS here. Go Wylie!

Jenni Autry contributed to this report.