Classic Eventing Nation

Katherine Coleman and Longwood Withdrawn, Five U.S. Pairs Clear Through Luhmühlen Jog

By on Jun 18, 2017 5:13 am -

Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

We’re bummed for Katherine Coleman and Longwood, who withdrew before the Luhmühlen CCI4* Sunday jog when the horse woke up a bit sore this morning. They’ll fight another day, though, and we couldn’t be happier for them after their terrific cross country run yesterday.

The rest of the U.S. contingent — Hannah Sue Burnett with RF Demeter in the CIC3* and Harbour Pilot in the CCI4*, Will Coleman with Obos O’Reilly, Marilyn Little with RF Scandalous, and Sharon White with Cooley On Show — sailed through the jog and look ready for today’s show jumping finale.

Glamour shots of our crew:

Will Coleman and Obos O’Reilly. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Sharon White and Cooley On Show. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

One CCI4* pair, Libby Seed (GBR) and What A Catch II, was held and spun upon re-presentation. Thirty-five CCI4* horses will show jump today, with CIC3* jumping is underway and the CCI4* set to begin at 1:45 p.m. local time (7:45 a.m. EST). Bettina Hoy is presently leading both divisions, but as we all know in eventing it’s never over until the last rail has been cleared, and we anticipate an exciting day of sport ahead.

Whose name will make its way into the Luhmühlen CCI4* history books? Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Luhmühlen Links: Website, Entries, Schedule, Show Jump Starting Order, Live Scores, FEI TV, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Sunday Links Presented by One K Helmets

By on Jun 18, 2017 12:01 am -

Finding your way to all the world’s four-stars. Photo via @turniergesellschaft_luhmuehlen on Instagram.

Wow! is all I can say about all five riders reppin’ the U.S. of A this weekend at Luhmühlen CCI4*. It’s thrilling to not only see our riders finish safely at this level, but successfully too. I will be cheering them on today as they take on the final phase of competition. Go USA!

Luhmühlen Links: Website, Entries, Schedule, SJ Starting Order, Live Scores, FEI TV, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

North American Weekend Action:

Little Bromont HT: [Live Scores]

Feather Creek Farm HT: [Website] [Ride Times & Live Scores]

Golden Spike HT: [Website] [Ride Times & Live Scores]

Come Again Farm Fathers Day HT: [Website] [Ride Times & Live Scores]

Bucks County Park HT: [Website] [Ride Times & Live Scores]

Silverwood Farm Spring HT: [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Seneca Valley Pony Club Spring HT: [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Full Gallop Farm June HT: [Website] [Ride Times]

Great Vista HT: [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

War Horse Event Series June HT: [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Sunday Links:

Horses Vs. Toddlers

Beyond Blazes: Horse Marks Seldom Seen

The Dressage Equation: Putting Together Training Knowledge, Rider Aids, and Equine Biomechanics 

Exploring Equine Seasonal Allergies

USEA Events A-Z: Aspen Ridge Horse Trials 

How Old Is Too Old for Colic Surgery?

Andalusian Gelding Acts as Nanny for Orphaned RSPCA Foal

ICYMI: Entries Now Open For 7th Annual EN Blogger Contest 

Sunday Video:

Summer is in full swing, which means horses and humans alike are eagerly searching for ways to stay cool. Some more creative than others:

 

 

Helmet Cam: Ride Around the Luhmühlen CIC3* with Ingrid Klimke

By on Jun 17, 2017 6:00 pm -

Ingrid Klimke is a part of the star-studded group of German riders vying for the selectors’ eyes this weekend with the European Championships coming up. She made good on her plan to do what she could to stamp a ticket to Strzgom, piloting Horseware Hale Bob home clear with two time today in the CIC3*.

She’s just uploaded her helmet cam which features statistics from SAP Equestrian Analytics, and as always it’s fascinating to take a ride with Ingrid. We wish her the best in tomorrow’s show jumping finale.

Bettina Hoy Holds Lead, Two Americans in Top 10 After Luhmühlen Cross Country

By on Jun 17, 2017 5:19 pm -

Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Our American four-star contingent got what they came for today at Luhmühlen.

Hannah Sue Burnett and RF Demeter kicked things off with their promising first outing at the three-star level together this morning, collecting just 4.8 time and looking dynamite all around. (Read our CIC3* report here.) Then all five of our CCI4* pairs went clear, with a combined total of 12 time penalties between the lot of them. Four of them were bouncing back from various incarnations of four-star cross country misfortune earlier this year, and the fifth, Marilyn Little with RF Scandalous, was looking to Luhmühlen for the mare’s four-star debut.

Hannah Sue is our top-placed American in the CCI4* with Harbour Pilot, heading into show jumping tomorrow on a score of 44.5. Not only did they put their bad day at Badminton in the rearview, they posted the fastest time in the four-star class.

“I’m so thrilled with team USA’s success today, and I couldn’t be happier with Ms. Jacqueline Mars’ RF Demeter and Harbour Pilot,” she says. “My horses were game and on point, and it feels great to be back on form with ‘William.'”

“I look forward to jumping good rounds tomorrow. Thanks to everyone for their support. Go USA!”

Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous, who were in third position after dressage, collected 6.8 time penalties, which bumped them to ninth on the crowded leaderboard. But it was the mare’s first four-star and, despite a mistaken flag penalty that momentarily rattled everyone’s nerves, they had a super go overall.

“I should have gone a little faster in the beginning but it’s her first four-star, and I knew I wanted to have some horse left at that last combination,” she said. “I couldn’t make it up coming home, but it wasn’t her fault and she was brilliant. I’m so excited for her.”

Any cross country go wherein the horse crosses the finish flags a more educated athlete than they left the startbox is a success, and Marilyn says “Kitty” was a student of Mike Etherington Smith’s course.

“She was trying to do everything I asked her to do,” Marilyn says. At the first water complex, for instance, Marilyn says the mare didn’t quite understand the rail jumping in — it looked like the gymnastics they jump at home. But she sorted it and jumped into the second water feeling like a made horse, ready to think things through and take care of business. After their round Marilyn picked apart her striding through the complex, but in the end a motivating boot and slipped reins was all it took for a picture-perfect jump at the skinny out — see photo above.

“She covered it and totally smiled for the camera. She was a great girl there,” Marilyn says.

Will Coleman and Obos O’Reilly. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Will Coleman and Obos O’Reilly sit 12th heading into show jumping tomorrow. After a bum cross country day at Rolex, due to a wind problem Oboe’s vets have since cleared up, the horse was due some redemption, and Will says he picked back up where he left off today.

“He hadn’t run since Kentucky so he had to come here a little cold turkey, but he’s a real fighter and I couldn’t be prouder of him,” Will says.

Oboe is a powerful horse, perhaps better suited to a big, galloping course than Luhmühlen’s tight, twisty track. Landing off the final combination, I heard Will gave the horse a word of encouragement in the tone you’d use to coax a running buddy through the homestretch of a race.

“I had to work a little bit for him,” Will says. “It took it out of him a bit, so I had to pick him up at the end and say, ‘Come on boy, let’s get to the finish.’ But he was really with me the whole way and I was just super pumped. He was great. I was thrilled.”

U.S. EN readers and talented photographers Ginny Nayden and Sydney Giddings have been at Luhmühlen this week, as in true horse-nut fashion they built a vacation around the event. They’ve been so generous as to share their beautiful photos with EN, including Ginny’s sequence of Will and Oboe coming through the first water:

Sharon White and Cooley On Show. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Sharon White couldn’t have been prouder of her newly minted four-star horse, Cooley On Show, after a clear round with 2.8 time.

“He was super,” she says. “He just finds it all very easy. He does exactly what I tell him to do, so be careful what you tell him to do! He’s a fabulous horse.”

She gave armloads of credit to veteran German team rider Dirk Schrade, who has been helping the pair for the past couple weeks, “just giving him a kick in the butt and actually making him work a little bit.”

If Sharon was slightly too passive at Rolex, she made up for it here at Luhmühlen. They galloped out of the box with their pants on fire and never looked back. Who knows, perhaps we’ll see a five-star event for freak-of-nature event horses on the calendar at some point in the future?

“I’m just grateful to sit on this horse,” she says. “He’s just really fun to sit on and he loves it, he absolutely loves it.”

More from Ginny Nayden:

Katherine Coleman and Longwood. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Though based in the UK, we’ll never not claim Katherine Coleman as our own, and she and Longwood made us proud with their first four-star completion today.

“He was jumping massive over everything,” Katherine says. Her partner is a classic Irish cross country machine, and he showed his get-to-the-other-side scrappiness in the tough Meßmer water complex today. “I felt like he lost his back hind leg up the step, and so that got very hairy, but bless him he’s just so honest he put his head through the flags and scrambled over it.”

The pair came home clear with 2.4 time. “I was ahead of my minute markers the whole way around and then I slowed way down, and I think I slowed down a little bit too much and couldn’t really catch the time back up because you’ve got that big hill at the end. But he was just on it, he was making it, he was really, really good.”

Bettina Hoy and Designer 10. Photo by Thomas Ix.

Germany’s Bettina Hoy and Designer 10 maintained their overnight lead, adding nothing to their impressive dressage score of 26.0. Bettina had a couple hairy, which-stride-should-we-go-for? moments, but righted the ship with her remembrance of former German team co-coach Chris Bartle’s “oh $h!t” position advice.

“Designer gave me a fantastic round,” says Bettina, who is also leading the CIC3* with Seigneur Medicott. “I guess I just forgot that I have to ride him differently to Mickey, who I rode this morning, but I soon remembered! Unfortunately my watch stopped working around the seven-minute mark, which left me a little unsure about the time, but I know he is a really fast horse, so I knew I would be able to just go for it. Hasi is simply cool!”

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

Another German, Julia Krajewski and Samourai du Thot, sit second on a 37.1. “Sam gave me a brilliant feeling all the way round the course,” Julia says. “He was fit and forward throughout. I could not be happier! It was our first four-star event after Rio, so I really wanted things to go well. But I knew he was in top form, so I was optimistic it would.

“The course rode as I had hoped and only once Sam added an extra stride going up hill, which made it that little bit harder, because he is only small. But he was amazing and whatever happens tomorrow, I am very proud of his performance.”

Britain’s Nicola Wilson and Bulana moved from fourth to third on a double-clear round. “I am delighted with this little mare,” she says. “She is feisty and strong in cross country and I have spent many hours practicing during the winter to bring her nose a little more forward. It was her first four-star competition and I could not be happier. She is a super mare.”

Mike Etherington Smith’s cross country course was plenty proper but also horse-legible, and 37 out of 47 CCI4* starters went clear or clear with time. There were five 20-faulters, three Rs, and two Es.

He remarked at day’s end, “It takes a couple of years to get to know a course, and I already have some good ideas for next year. But I am really happy to have seen so many positive rounds, motivated and confident horses and smiling riders. The weather was perfect and the footing could not have been better. Though David Evans, Carl Fletcher and their team prepared the footing for anything. They have done an amazing job! The work they have put into building this course is fantastic.”

Julia Otto, Luhmühlen’s event director, thanked her team and made the happy announcement that David Evans, Carl Fletcher and their team have been selected to be the Eventing Course Builder for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Job well done to all. Go eventing!

Luhmühlen Links: Website, Entries, Schedule, XC Starting Order, Live Scores, FEI TV, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

 

 

Best of HN: The One-Eyed $500 TB Carries Rider to USDF Gold Medal

By on Jun 17, 2017 2:00 pm -

Photo by PicsOfYou.com

In September of 2014, we first introduced Horse Nation readers to Bugsy, a one-eyed Thoroughbred that set adult amateur Elizabeth O’Connor back all of $500. At the time of purchase, he was just two years old, underweight, gangly, awkward and unbroke — and of course, only had one eye. The pair accomplished what many would have thought impossible, with O’Connor achieving her USDF Bronze and Silver Rider Medals, all with Bugsy. We were thrilled to learn of the partnership’s latest accomplishment after a roller coaster year. Elizabeth O’Connor tells the story in her own words.

I have discovered that we often limit both ourselves and our horses. When you believe in your horse, your horse will believe in you. In September of 2014, my one-eyed Thoroughbred that I paid $500 for as a two year old went down the centerline at I-1. Besides his first thirty days under saddle, where they did walk trot only, I had done all of his training all the way through the I-1 .

We had already earned our USDF Bronze medal in 2011 and our Silver in 2014. No one thought that he would ever make it that far. I had decided that he didn’t owe me anything but that we would keep going until he said he wasn’t in the game anymore. By October we had earned our first score toward our Gold medal. By May of 2015 we were halfway to our Gold!! Let me tell you, horses will keep you humble, Grand Prix will have you questioning if you need to take up golf. I decided we didn’t have anything to lose and there was no point in showing at I-1 or I-2 since we had our two scores that are required for the Gold medal. So we jumped in, feet first. Our scores were beyond humbling, but my trainer, Marija Trieschman reminded me that it was an accomplishment simply to be at Grand Prix.

Life is unpredictable: we lost a beloved dog to osteosarcoma in less than four months; we trained and regrouped, gave Grand Prix another go and received some respectable scores for a one-eyed $500 Thoroughbred. I rode and trained despite injuring my knee, which would require surgery; in September we rode a 61+ test! But our last show before my surgery in November, Bugsy was was horrible: everyone told me he had heard that I was going to retire him from showing after this show, whether or not we had gotten our last score and he wasn’t ready to retire. It was a horrible way to end the show season. Then I realized that I had been chasing a score, that it wasn’t fun anymore, that all I could see was that last score. It would’ve almost been better if I hadn’t gotten a score at Grand Prix, because it was so close, but so far away.

Life threw another curve ball — but a good one. Right before Christmas, my husband and I discovered that we finally had a little one on the way. Now what?! Bugsy was 18 and would be 19 in March. How many more seasons would we have at the top of the sport? How fair would it be to expect him to go much longer at this level? We had been trying to have a baby for several years.

Photo by PicsOfYou.com

I decided I would play it by ear. I continued riding through morning sickness and a rapidly changing body. I had told my husband that for Christmas I wanted horse show expenses (one away show and two one day shows). We went to Williamston, NC for a two day away show. I went left instead of right, and there went 2% off the score (FEI First Error: 2% off the total score, Second Error: Elimination). Bugsy was tense and behind my leg. Oh well — I was riding 19 weeks pregnant at Grand Prix. We went back out the next day and still not a 60. That was a LONG ride home to Maryland.

We gave it another go the second weekend in April. I realized that at this point that two days of showing back to back (I drive back and forth to save on stabling, hotel and food cost) was too much. I scratched one of the rides. I decide to have the ride videotaped. It was a good test for Bugsy; he tried. However, we fell short of the 60% — way short — so short that we hadn’t been that short since we had first tried Grand Prix in 2015.

Almost panicked, I decided to enter several more shows. I scratched one after feeling unwell (the little one was more important); the next, Bugsy felt like he had no energy at all and our score fell short. We had just two more shows left.

The morning of the next show, I had the whole “why do I do this again?” thought, but got up and drove the hour up to the barn, hooked up and drove the other hour and a half to the showgrounds. (My trainer, as well as my friend and her husband were already up there, so I wasn’t going alone per se.) Bugs was a bit full of himself when I had gotten to the barn, and when I gave him a bath, and when I loaded him up on the trailer, so I didn’t know what my 19 year old Grand Prix horse was going to do when I tacked him up.

I got on and he was jigging and tossing his head nervously. I had him passage the entire lap around the arena. After that I walked him on a loose rein, but I could tell he was amped. I decided to drop the curb chain to two and decided that he was either going to bulldoze through my pregnant butt or it would work to calm him down (like a typical Thoroughbred, sometimes less is more). My trainer went right in front of me with her I-2 horse and she went early, so I decided it’s now or never: we can’t fix this in the warm up.

We went early. Halfway through the test I thought to myself: “Man, you’re owning this test and you’re in your third trimester tomorrow and not even out of breath!” I looked to my trainer, standing on the rail and she smiled and gave me a thumbs up as I came around the corner. I smiled back: this is still my best memory from the test. I KNEW this was our best Grand Prix test EVER! I walked out of the ring patting my dance partner of 17 years with a big smile on my face.

Fifteen minutes later, my head was buried on my trainer’s shoulder and we were both crying: 61.3%! The fairytale was complete! From gangly underweight unbroken one eyed $500.00 two-year-old to every single score earned for USDF Bronze, Silver and Gold.

So for all of you out there who don’t have a lot of money, or a fancy dressage horse: hard work means more than talent. Aim for the moon, for if you miss, you will still be among the stars.

Go riding.

Photo by PicsOfYou.com

Entries Now Open for the 7th Annual EN Blogger Contest

By on Jun 17, 2017 11:00 am -

I have to admit, Blogger Contest time is easily one of my favorite times of year, right up there along with The-Event-Formerly-Known-As-Rolex and whatever the next event is in which Michael Jung is competing. So you could say it’s a pretty big deal. Perhaps it’s because I am one of the brainwashed lucky ones who successfully made it through a Blogger Contest to go on to work for EN. And I always need more friends, so this is the perfect way to find new ones, right?

Ok, here’s the deal:

This is a paid position. You should want to write part-time for EN — at least two to three posts per week. We value commitment and work ethic above all else, so make sure that you have the time to dedicate to this position.

Everyone is eligible to enter (including previous contestants), and no prior journalism experience is necessary. Personal style is a must. We want to be entertained! Chinch wants to spit out his beer mid-read because he’s laughing! We want to be intrigued. Let us see what really sets you apart as a writer.

Your first round entries should include a short bio (name, age, background, character-defining qualities, embarrassing tidbits, etc.) and a 300- to 600-word sample of your best eventing-related work.

The EN team will judge by the same standards as the past five years (interesting, funny, informative, creative) and factor public opinion into our final decision. Keep in mind that you’re writing for a large audience of 1.2 million readers, and we’ll be selecting finalists based on the quality of entries.

Entries are due on Friday, June 23. Email your entry to [email protected] with the subject “EN Blogger Contest Entry.” Good luck! Go Eventing.

Germans Weigh in on Luhmühlen CCI4* Cross Country Course

By on Jun 17, 2017 7:10 am -

Photo by Ginny Nayden.

We’re all excited to see if Michael Etherington Smith’s Luhmühlen CCI4* course rides as beautifully as it looks! Check out our course preview here. In advance of the cross country start, the German contingent weighs with a few thoughts on the course:

Bettina Hoy, 1st place with Designer 10:

“The course is nice, but then I really like Mike’s courses. He always asks clear questions, which makes riding so much more pleasurable for horse and rider. I think it was a good move to have the change. I am sure we will all enjoy tomorrow’s cross- country, but time could be an issue. The many loops will make it hard to stay within the optimum time.”

Julia Krajewski, 2nd place with Samourai du Thot:

“I think the cross-country looks very different this year. With a lot of technical challenges, horse and rider need to concentrate all the way round. There are quite a few drops, which might break up the rhythm. The water jumps are challenging as ever. Time might be a problem, but there are quite few stretches, where you can make up time.”

Andreas Dibowski, 7th place with FRH Butts Avedon:

“The four-star-course is nicely built with many straightforward tasks for horses and riders. I think the middle part will make staying within the optimum time tricky, as there are quite a few loops, which are time consuming. Further, I think there are a few too many drops on this course, which could have been avoided.”

Chris Bartle, former German Eventing Team co-coach and Performance Coach of the British Eventing Team:

“The course is impressive, very beautifully presented. It starts of flowing nicely to give the horses the chance to get going. Then there are some good technical questions, but always with clear lines. The course is not as challenging as some of the other four-star courses we know, but is a great track to get used to riding at four-star level. The Meßmer water complex is a challenge not to be underestimated; it’ll be interesting to see who will choose the direct route.”

Dirk Schrade, German team veteran who finished 8th in Luhmühlen CCI4* in 2015 and 6th in 2011: 

“The new course looks beautiful with lots to jump. Concentration is needed to solve the questions being asked. The technical aspects of the track should not be underestimated, but everything looks fair.”

The CCI4* begins at 1:20 p.m. local time (7:20 a.m. EST). Sally is up early bringing us the live updates, and Wylie is our boots on the ground. Watch live on FEI TV and of course keep it locked on EN for all the latest from Luhmühlen 2017. Go USA! Go Eventing!

U.S. cross country ride times:

Sharon White and Cooley On Show: 1:41 p.m. local (7:41 a.m. EST)

Katherine Coleman and Longwood: 2:29 p.m. local (8:29 a.m. EST)

Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous: 2:53 p.m. local (8:53 a.m. EST)

Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot: 3:29 p.m. local (9:29 a.m. EST)

Will Coleman and Obos O’Reilly: 3:57 p.m. local (9:57 a.m. EST)

Will Coleman and Obos O’Reilly: 4:08 p.m. local (10:08 a.m. EST)

Luhmühlen Links: Website, Entries, Schedule, XC Starting Order, Live Scores, FEI TV, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

 

 

Luhmühlen CCI4* Cross Country Live Updates: Bettina Hoy Leads, Hannah Sue 8th

By on Jun 17, 2017 6:45 am -

We’re just about set to kick off CCI4* cross country at Luhmühlen, and Mike Etherington-Smith certainly has plenty up his sleeve to test the riders today.

Cross country has concluded for the CIC3*, where we saw Hannah Sue Burnett and Ms. Jacqueline Mars’ RF Demeter go into 24th place with 4.8 time added across the country. You can read Wylie’s full report on the CIC3* here.

Our U.S. contingent is currently vying for competitive spots on the leaderboard and we’re looking forward to cheering them on this morning. Refresh this page for the latest, and you can also tune in to watch live on FEI TV. You can also take a look at EN’s cross country course preview here. Optimum time for the CCI4* today is 11:11 — make a wish, everyone!

U.S. cross country ride times:

Sharon White and Cooley On Show: CLEAR with 2.8 time

Katherine Coleman and Longwood: CLEAR with 2.4 time

Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous: CLEAR with 6.4 time

Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot: CLEAR inside the time

Will Coleman and Obos O’Reilly: CLEAR inside the time

11:15 a.m.: Update! Marilyn Little’s 50 penalties for missing a flag have been removed, which puts her on a score of 44.8 and into ninth place overnight behind Hannah Sue Burnett. That means that the U.S. went 6 for 6 in clear rounds today, including Hannah Sue Burnett’s ride on RF Demeter in the CIC3*.

10:45 a.m.:

10:37 a.m.: Here is your top five following cross country. Hannah Sue Burnett is the top placed American in 8th place, followed by Will Coleman and OBOS O’Reilly in 11th, Sharon White and Cooley On Show in 20th, Katherine Coleman and Longwood in 26th and Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous in 39th. We will keep our eyes out for the 50 penalties being taken away, but as of now they are still standing. Stay tuned for Wylie’s full report!

10:36 a.m.: He didn’t quite catch Hannah Sue but Andreas Dibowski holds onto sixth place with a sub-11 minute time today.

10:34 a.m.: Andreas Dibowski is giving Hannah Sue a run for her money, coming through the arena just over 8 minutes on the clock.

10:32 a.m.:

#luhmühlen #vielseitigkeit #crosscountry #eventing #sonne #sommer #horse #jumping #geländetag

A post shared by Denise (@denisesey) on

10:31 a.m.: Our final pair is on course, Caroline Powell and Sinatra Frank Baby. Love that name.

10:30 a.m.:

10:26 a.m.: Looking to defend their 6th place position following dressage, Andreas Dibowski and FRH Butts Avedon are away.

10:25 a.m.: Andrew Nicholson pilots Teseo home in 10:59, the second rider besides Hannah Sue to come home under 11 minutes. This will be one to watch for Andrew!

10:21 a.m.: Frankie hangs a leg with Peter Flarup at 7 — this is the second time we’ve seen this, at least in the shots we have seen at this fence — and Peter pulls on his sticky britches and makes the save for the B element.

10:19 a.m.: Flora Harris gives Bayano some verbal encouragement at the final water. This horse has been a pleasure to watch on course today.

10:16 a.m. As of right now, Marilyn Little’s 50 penalties for missing the flag are still showing.

10:14 a.m.: We’re getting towards the end of cross country for the day and now we will see Andrew Nicholson and Teseo, an 11-year-old Spanish gelding contesting his first CCI4*.

10:13 a.m.: Bettina Hoy will maintain her lead with a clear round inside the time aboard Designer 10. Just as a reminder, Bettina is also leading the CIC3* with Seigneur Medicott. It will be quite the finale tomorrow!

10:09 a.m.: And that’s another clear inside the time, this time for Will and Oboe! Well done, gentlemen and what a banner day for our U.S. riders. Meanwhile, Bettina Hoy is still riding her guts out to chase that clock on Designer 10. They’re clear through the arena and the following arrowhead brush at 24.

10:08 a.m.: Coming to the final at 10 minutes on the clock are Will and OBOS O’Reilly who still look full of run.

10:07 a.m.:

10:07 a.m.: Will is clear and just three from home!

10:05 a.m.: We just caught a shot of Will and OBOS O’Reilly through the water at 18/19 looking keen! Go boys go!

10:04 a.m.: Whew! Designer 10 hangs a leg at 9A, pitching Bettina up the neck but she hangs on and makes it work for the B. Stickability!

10:03 a.m.: Biarritz goes to his knees in the arena and Camilla Kruger pulls him up. He looked sound walking off, a good decision to save her horse for the next go round. Will is clear through the water at 18/19.

10:02 a.m.: Will is clear through 12. And our leaders are now on course! Bettina Hoy and Designer 10 need to go quick to maintain their lead.

10:00 a.m.: ICYMI, Will received the Land Rover Ride of the Day at Rolex in 2015, so we know that both horse and rider are more than capable of putting in a clear round inside the time.

9:58 a.m.: Away and over the first three are Will Coleman and OBOS O’Reilly! This pair earned a 48.1 in the dressage.

9:56 a.m.: Zimbabwe Olympian Camilla Kruger is clear through the first water aboard Biarritz.

9:53 a.m.: Will Coleman and OBOS O’Reilly will be the next out of the box. Overnight leaders Bettina Hoy and Designer 10 will follow Will.

9:53 a.m.:

9:52 a.m.:

9:52 a.m. Maxime Livio and Opium de Verrieres are on course and clear through the first two combinations.

9:51 a.m.:

#luhmühlen #luhmuehlen #reitturnier

A post shared by Ali Kurt (@kurtimages) on

9:50 a.m.:

9:50 a.m.: Karen O’Connor is now joining the commentary party!

9:48 a.m.: Damn! Astier Nicolas becomes the first fall of the day, parting ways from Molakai at the water at 19. Molokai slammed on the brakes at the brush at the final element, pitching Astier out the front door and depositing him onto the brush. Bummer.

9:44 a.m.:

#luhmühlen #familytime #horses #daslebenistschön

A post shared by Tina Schlüter (@sunshinefieni) on

9:43 a.m.: Hannah Sue and Harbour Pilot’s time of 10:45 is by far the quickest turn of foot we’ve seen all day. And deservedly so, Hannah meant business on the back side of every fence. Gritty cross country riding at its finest.

9:42 a.m.

9:40 a.m.: “She could stop and have a picnic and still make the time,” says John Kyle as Hannah Sue comes to the last. She is inside the time and adds nothing to her dressage score of 44.5! Hannah will be positively over the moon with both of her rides today (she also went clear on RF Demeter in the CIC3*).

9:39 a.m. Hannah Sue Burnett is clocking one of the quicker paces of the day as she carefully negotiates the final water.

9:37 a.m.: Julia finishes easily under the time, meaning Bettina has just 2 seconds of time in hand. Hannah Sue is riding positively and clear through 24.

9:36 a.m.: Hannah Sue Burnett is all clear through the water at 18/19.

9:35 a.m.: Samourai du Thot is jumping superb at the final water for Julia Krajewski. This pair was second after dressage and will look to put the pressure on Bettina Hoy for the lead.

9:34 a.m.: Clear through 13 for Hannah Sue, who looks strong, landing and kicking on, on the shots we’ve seen so far.

9:32 a.m. Clear through the first combination at 8 for Hannah Sue and Harbour Pilot.

9:30 a.m.: Hannah Sue is away and over the first three rhythm fences.

9:29 a.m.: Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot should be away!

9:29 a.m.:

9:28 a.m.:

9:20 a.m.:

9:18 a.m.: Just two away from our penultimate American pair, Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot.

9:17 a.m.:

9:12 a.m.: To catch up, Jim Newsam retired Magennis after two refusals at the first water. Harry Meade and Away Cruising are the third pair to make it home on the optimum of 11:11. That makes nine double clears so far.

9:11 a.m.: Now THAT is dedication!

9:09 a.m.: Live feed is frozen again.

9:04 a.m.: 50 penalties has popped up for the arrowhead flag for Marilyn. It was not clear on the replay, and I would venture a guess that she will be appealing this decision. She is home clear otherwise with a time of 11:28 and 6.8 for a total current of 94.8.

9:02 a.m.: RF Scandalous climbs through the arrowhead coming out the arena and takes the flag. Hard to tell exactly how inside the flag on the left side she was on the replay but she’s carrying on.

9:00 a.m.: RF Scandalous stands a bit off of the final brush element in the water at 18/19. Marilyn does a great job giving the mare the reins and letting her find the line.

8:59 a.m.: Clear through 17 for Marilyn Little.

8:57 a.m.: Marilyn seems to be giving Kitty lots of opportunities to gallop and cover the ground, they’re clear through 12.

8:56 a.m.:

8:56 a.m.: Marilyn and “Kitty” are clear through the first combination at 8.

8:51 a.m: Fernhill Now or Never gets a bit close to the brush jumps at the 18/19 water for Kate Honey. This horse really has springs for feet, really cool to see over the fly fences. Marilyn Little is away!

8:51 a.m. Shane Rose and Virgil are our newest starters, meaning our third USA pair, Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous will be the next out.

8:49 a.m.: Andrew Heffernan now joins John Kyle in the commentary booth. “I came a little too fast,” he says of his one tough spot on the course earlier.

8:48 a.m.:

8:48 a.m.:

8:41 a.m.: Another strong finish for team USA as Katherine Coleman stops the clock at 11:16 for 2.4 time penalties and a two day score of 59.9!

@katherine_coleman_eventing at the final water #luhmuehlen @turniergesellschaft_luhmuehlen

A post shared by Sally (@sallyrsen) on

8:38 a.m.: Clear through 24 for Katherine and Longwood, who we have not seen since the first fence.

8:36 a.m.: Nicola Wilson and Bulana are on their way like bats out of hell. This horse looks to be a very cool jumper. Katherine is clear through the tricky water at 18/19.

8:35 a.m.:

8:34 a.m.: The live stream is just a tad behind real time, so I can tell you that Katherine is clear through 13.

8:33 a.m.: And Katherine and Longwood are underway!

8:31 a.m.: We’re about to see our next American, Katherine Longwood, out of the box with Longwood.

8:28 a.m.: We’re back underway with the live stream. Ros Canter becomes the second rider to finish exactly on the optimum time with Zenshera. Now we’ll see Alex Bragg (who was one of our favorites to watch at Badminton last month) and Redpath Ransom.

8:26 a.m.: The FEI TV live stream is currently frozen, so if you’re watching it’s not just you!

8:22 a.m.: Oliver does five strides where most have put in six in the main arena from a big table to double corners. Oliver knows how to hustle the clock and he’s doing just that with Black Tie.

8:20 a.m.: A big jump into the first water at 7 for Ros Canter and Zenshera. We’ve seen a few horses take a peek here followed by a big leap as they see the water on the landing side of the big brush in.

8:18 a.m.: Quite a few taking the indirect route at fence 9, which sets the horse up with a bit more time to see the brush corner on the way out. Oliver Townend takes this option with Black Tie, who looks totally game.

8:17 a.m.: Never looking hurried, Pascal Leroy stops the clock bang on the optimum time of 11:11 with Minos de Petra. They win our vote for Ride of the Day so far!

8:15 a.m.: Oliver Townend and his 2014 WEG mount, Black Tie, are now on course. Pascal Leroy is giving us a master class in “How to Ride a Hunter on a Cross Country Course.”

8:14 a.m.:

#luhmühlen #cci #vielseitigkeit #crosscountry #military #horse #power

A post shared by Nicole ✌🏻 (@cptcupra) on

8:12 a.m.: Minos de Petra makes the water at 18/19 look like it’s part of a hunter course. So much love for this horse.

8:09 a.m.: Nicholas Lucey and Proud Courage have a hairy moment up the bank at the island at 18, quickly re-route to the alternate and have an unfortunate stop.

8:06 a.m.: A very experienced pair (example: they’ve completed Badminton five times), Pascal Leroy and Minos de Petra are our latest starters.

8:04 a.m.: Not to keep harping on course design, but I’m really appreciating how forward Mike is encouraging the riders to go. You don’t see any of the landing followed by a hair pin turn to make the next element, rather you see riders boldly encouraging their horses to keep a rhythm and the distances just come up out of stride, even in the combinations.

8:02 a.m.: Aside from the early trouble for the first two riders, Mike E-S’ course has been riding really well overall with just a few issues scattered throughout. It’s very telling to see how the horses are handling the last couple of combinations, and thus far no one has looked all that tired coming home.

7:57 a.m.:

A post shared by Gerdes Pferde (@quatermoon) on

7:55 a.m.:

7:54 a.m.: Sorry, evidently Andrew did not retire at the water, he’s still on course!

7:53 a.m.: HOME full of gallop with just 7 seconds of time for Sharon White! This puts this pair on 52.6 over two days. What a great trailblazing round for the Americans!

7:52 a.m.: Andrew Heffernan has retired Millthyme Corolla at the water at 18 after the mare tripped up the bank and could not make the brush work.

7:51 a.m.: Cooley On Show has his ears pricked and carefully makes his way through the final water at 27. He’s looked very confident in the shots we’ve seen of him.

7:50 a.m.: Sharon and Cooley on Show are clear through 25, having disappeared from the live stream again. Almost there!

7:48 a.m.: Hey, there’s Sharon! We catch a glimpse as they easily clear 16. Time looks great at the midway point! They look dynamite as they take the direct route through the water at 18.

7:46 a.m.: We’ve sadly seen very little of Sharon White on the live feed, but she is clear through 14 according to the live scores.

7:45 a.m.: Our first British horse on course, Pennlands Douglas, shows off his pre-cross country dance moves:

A post shared by Max Eberhard (@eberhard_max) on

7:44 a.m.: Sharon and Cooley On Show are clear through 8. Kirsty Short and Cossan Lad were having a cracking round but have a drive by at the brush on the island at fence 18. She’s re-routed to the alternate route and is back on her way.

7:42 a.m.: Victoria Scott stops the clock at 11:05, our first clear and under time. And now on course: Cooley On Show and Team USA’s trailblazer, Sharon White!

7:40 a.m.: Denis and Oregon de la Vigne live dangerously at the water at 14 but use their combined experience to get the job done. According to the scores, Harry Dzenis and Xam activated a pin at fence 8A.

7:40 a.m.:

7:39 a.m.: French rider Denis Mesples and Oregon de la Vigne are our newest starters. They’re clear through fence 13 and are currently nature galloping through the woods. This course is nothing if not beautiful.

7:37 a.m.: Just caught a glimpse of Sharon White’s signature orange as she gets ready to head out soon!

7:36 a.m.: A tiny peek at the last element of the water at 18, but positive riding from Victoria gets the job done. Harry Dzenis and Xam are currently carrying 11 penalties for activating a pin — unsure where at this moment.

7:35 a.m.:

7:33 a.m.: Harry Dzenis takes the first direct route through the water at 18 with Xam, who looks super keen and positive at this just over midway point of the course. Alan Nolan is having a rocking round with Bronze Flight, and he gives his horse big pats at the last combination at the penultimate fence.

7:31 a.m: Our next starter is South African rider Victoria Scott and Song du Magay.

7:29 a.m.: Alan John Nolan takes the conservative route at the water at 18.

7:27 a.m.: British rider Harry Dzenis and Xam are our latest starters. Alan John Nolan is clear through 14.

7:26 a.m.: I have to apologize for the lack of GIFs in today’s live updates; my touchy GIF software has decided it didn’t want to play today. Sad face.

7:23 a.m.: And, sadly Emma has been eliminated for three refusals at fence 9B. Ireland’s Alan John Nolan and Bronze Flight are on course seeking to become our first completion. He takes the alternate route at 9, which gives you a much better line to the brush corner out, where Emma came to grief.

7:30 a.m. Strong and no issues through the first water, which caught our first pair out.

7:18 a.m. Pennlands Douglas is quite keen in the start box and they’re underway with an encouraging “Come on, lad!” from Emma.

7:14 a.m.: A bit of an early lull here as we have just a couple of minutes until our next rider, Great Britain’s Emma Hyslop-Webb and Pennlands Douglas. This is the second CCI4* start for this pair, who came 21st at Pau in 2015.

7:10 a.m: And we’re underway with our trailblazers Caroline Powell and Spice Sensation. Unfortunately they’ve called it a day early after a peek and a stop at the first water.

7:08 a.m.:

Luhmühlen CIC3* Cross Country: Bettina Hoy Holds Lead, Hannah Sue Burnett 24th

By on Jun 17, 2017 6:21 am -

Bettina Hoy and Seigneur Medicott. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Bettina Hoy and Seigneur Medicott stole the Luhmühlen CIC3* lead by a cushy five-point margin yesterday, scoring an impressive 26.3 in the dressage. They gave nothing away on the cross country course today, turning in a double-clear trip that shut the door on any opportunity for others to overtake her on the leaderboard.

The first seven spots are occupied by a who’s who of Germany’s eventing elite and their first-string mounts:

As we mentioned earlier in the week, the CIC3* is the place to be for those looking to show German team selectors that they’re in top form for the Europeans at Strzegom in August, hence the high density of top riders. A list will likely be released after this weekend of pairs in contention, with Aachen being the next opportunity for them to make their case for a spot on the squad.

“Mickey was fantastic!” Bettina said after her ride. “It was so much fun! The crowd was really supportive, thank you so much. The Europeans are of course my dream, especially with this wonderful horse, but the decision lies with the German team trainers.”

Ingrid Klimke and Weisse Düne. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Ingrid, who sits second and third, remarked on her two time faults with Horseware Hale Bob OLD, which resulted in a switching of places between her two horses: “It is a little annoying about my time faults with Bobby, as the optimum time had been adjusted without my knowledge, which is why I thought I was well within the time. I should have double checked this morning.

“Apart from that, the course rode beautifully. The footing was excellent, every jump was thoughtfully built. It wasn’t too easy and concentration was needed throughout. Every question was followed by an easier fence for horses to take a breather. This worked particularly well for the younger horses, which gave them a motivating round.”

Ingrid Klimke and Horseware Hale Bob OLD. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Luhmühlen was the first three-star effort for Star Connection, piloted by Michael Jung. “The gelding was brilliant, I really enjoyed my round with this fairly inexperienced horse,” Michael says. “He answered all the questions really well, he has a lot of potential. I am very happy.”

Michael Jung and Star Connection. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Julia Krajewki rounded out the top five with Chipmunk FRH.

Julia Krajewski and Chipmunk FRH. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Our sole U.S. representative in the CIC3* is Hannah Sue Burnett with RF Demeter, who went clear with 4.8 time to move from 18th to 24th position on the tightknit leaderboard. This is the pair’s first three-star as a team and they looked dynamite out there; I watched them come clocking around the arena, where they sailed over a couple big tables and made short work of the double of skinny brush wedges.

I look forward to catching up with Hannah Sue after her CCI4* ride on Harbour Pilot and will update this post with her comments on Demi’s round later.

Hannah Sue Burnett and RF Demeter. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

The CCI4* begins at 1:20 p.m. local time (7:20 a.m. EST), and Sally is up early bringing us the live updates. It’s a beautiful, challenging course — check out our course preview here. Watch live on FEI TV and of course keep it locked on EN for all the latest from Luhmühlen 2017. Go USA! Go Eventing!

U.S. cross country ride times:

Sharon White and Cooley On Show: 1:41 p.m. local (7:41 a.m. EST)

Katherine Coleman and Longwood: 2:29 p.m. local (8:29 a.m. EST)

Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous: 2:53 p.m. local (8:53 a.m. EST)

Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot: 3:29 p.m. local (9:29 a.m. EST)

Will Coleman and Obos O’Reilly: 3:57 p.m. local (9:57 a.m. EST)
Luhmühlen Links: Website, Entries, Schedule, XC Starting Order, Live Scores, FEI TV, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

 

 

Saturday Links from Tipperary

By on Jun 17, 2017 12:01 am -

A summer evening well spent. Photo via @bri.eventing on Instagram

Well I was probably a little overdue to take a digger, frankly. I don’t actually remember when the last time I fell off was, but I forgot how stiff I’d be the next day. No worries though, I am otherwise no worse for the wear and at least I gave my trainer a good laugh! I gave my pony a little pop with the crop as we were going over a little 2’3″ barrel and I’m not sure if I surprised her or offended her, but she blasted off over that jump and launched me right over her neck. Can’t say the pony doesn’t have some springs!

Luhmühlen Links: Website, Entries, Schedule, XC Starting Order, Live Scores, FEI TV, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

U.S. Weekend Action:

Feather Creek Farm HT: [Website] [Ride Times & Live Scores]

Golden Spike HT: [Website] [Ride Times & Live Scores]

Come Again Farm Fathers Day HT: [Website] [Ride Times & Live Scores]

Bucks County Park HT: [Website] [Ride Times & Live Scores]

Silverwood Farm Spring HT: [Website] [Ride Times]

Seneca Valley Pony Club Spring HT: [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Full Gallop Farm June HT: [Website] [Ride Times]

Great Vista HT: [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

War Horse Event Series June HT: [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Saturday Links:

Angela Bowles: Let’s All Work As A Team To Make Our Sport Of Eventing Better

Announcing 2017 USEA Young Event Horse Championships Details

William Micklem: Unshrouding Misunderstood Dressage Terms (H&H VIP and worth the subscription!)

Riders react to Mike Etherington-Smith’s first Luhmühlen cross-country course: ‘Not the most testing, but you can still trip up’

An Open Letter to My Horse Dad

Addressing Unwanted Behavior in Performance Mares

Heat Advisory for Horses

Saturday Video:

Holy. Cuteness.

#crosscountrymachines #BarbieandLuciaTakeSpringRun ❤️#eventingnation #horsenation #ponypower

A post shared by Amanda Conti (@mbhorsejumper) on