Classic Eventing Nation

Thursday News & Notes from SmartPak

By on Feb 16, 2017 12:03 am -
Kate Chadderton killing that reflection game. Photo courtesy of Kate.

Kate Chadderton killing that reflection game. Photo courtesy of Kate.

Note to self: never, ever assume that a horse you’ve owned for almost 12 years who is going on his 16th year of life has “grown up” and decided to start “acting trained”. This applies especially to those early gallop sets coming out of winter doldrums. Yesterday, it was warm and only marginally windy, and the ground was good, so I hacked over to a turf track down the road and over a river, to have a little fitness day. It’s a good thing nobody was there to witness the atrocities that followed, because the ping-pong zip-line spastic behavior was just second to next. Spook at: clump of grass, spot of weird dirt, open gate in fence line, stump over there, shadow over here, bolt going this direction, balk going that direction. I give up.

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Rocking Horse Winter II H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Paradise Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Fresno County Horse Park CIC & H.T. [Website] [Ride Times/Live Scores]

News From Around the Globe:

A British rider has petitioned to allow bitless bridles to be allowed in recognized dressage competitions. Tam Russell has called for British Dressage to change their rules about requiring bits for dressage in competition. Unfortunately for her, BD responded thus: “This decision is based on one of the fundamental principles of dressage being built on the acceptance of the bit (while much of the terminology of this relates to acceptance of the bridle, it is widely understood that this is the acceptance of the bit).“To change this principle would have far-reaching consequences, not least that we have to have a competition structure that progresses in to international sport. For this reason alone, we have to align closely with the FEI.” [BD Responds to Request for Bitless Bridles]

Great news for fans of Fresno County Horse Park and Aspen Farms, as Southern California Equestrian Sports has added $2,000 in prize money to the events this year. SCES will be handing out prize money in the CIC* and CIC2* divisions at both Fresno County Horse Park this weekend, as well as the CIC* and CIC2* divisions at Aspen Farms in the second week of June. SCES is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping riders and organizations raise funds to compete in and support their national and international competitions in the US. [SCES Adds Big Prize Money]

The Thoroughbred Incentive Program Youth Ambassador of the Month for February is Morgan Kastner! Morgan is from Minnesota, and at 18 years old, she competes two thoroughbreds in both English and Western disciplines. She is incredibly passionate about the thoroughbred breed, and believes thoroughly in their ability to do any kind of job you could possibly want. [Horse Nation Spotlight]

Laughing at British People Laughing at Us: American Horsey Jargon That Leaves Us Baffled

Best of Blogs: 20 Best Tumblr Posts About Living With Horses 

 

Welly World from Elisa Wallace:

 

Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: Foggy Ocala Helmet Cam

By on Feb 15, 2017 4:30 pm -

A thick blanket of morning fog covered the cross country course at the Florida Horse Park during the Ocala Winter II Horse Trials this past weekend, making for dramatic viewing in this helmet cam!

Mimi Richards, who rides for the Elevate Event Team sponsored by Kentucky Performance Products, competed in the Training Rider-B division aboard Whitfield. A 7-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, Whitfield (Private Vow X Seda Fina, by Known Fact) raced five times before beginning his eventing career in 2014 with Jennie Brannigan.

Mimi and Whitfield finished on their dressage score of 37.7 to place sixth in the Training Rider-B division.

Remember to send your helmet cams to [email protected] so we can share them! Go Eventing.

[Ocala Winter 2 HT Presented by Brian Cox Farm Team Final Scores]

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Product Review: Professional’s Choice VenTECH Leather Girths

By on Feb 15, 2017 2:20 pm -
Nyls modeling the Sex VenTECH Leather Monoflap Girth. Photo by Kate Samuels

Nyls modeling the brown VenTECH Leather Monoflap Girth. Photo by Kate Samuels

Professional’s Choice is offering some really exciting products this season in their equine accessories lines, and these VenTECH leather girths are no different. I got the chance to try out both the dressage girth and the jumping monoflap girth, both of which are extremely stylish, and best of all, highly functional and super comfortable for your horse.

For a long time, we’ve been stuck with the choice of a fancy leather show girth or perhaps an old girth that you use at home to school in. Now, thanks to combining tradition and technology, you can have both. These girths will look right at home in a show environment, but are are also useable and functional at home.

The VenTECH technology is the highlight of this product, as it is extremely comfortable, breathable, washable and offers the advantage of being non-slip. One of the advantages of using these girths is that they stay put so well, you don’t have to crank your girth as tight as you would with others. The non-slip neoprene conforms to your horse, allows heat and moisture to escape, and holds on tight. I’ve also used this product on several horses that are extremely sensitive and prone to rubs, and I can say that the grip is excellent, and does not rub or pinch in any way.

A close-up of the VenTECH technology on the underside of the girth. Photo by Kate Samuels.

A close-up of the VenTECH technology on the underside of the girth. Photo by Kate Samuels.

You can also remove the neoprene liner from the leather portion of the girth, so that you can easily hand wash the inside of the girth, keeping it free of dirt and grit. This ensures that your horse’s skin stays comfortable, and when you’re using this girth a lot, you can stay sane! Just pull it off the velcro, squirt it down and hang it up to dry. Easy as that!

The SMx VenTECH Leather Monoflap Girth has both a Carabineer clip and a built-in D-ring, so that you can use both a breast plate and a training aid at the same time. The SMx VenTECH Leather Dressage Girth only features the D-ring in the center.

One of my favorite features of these girths is the sturdy construction of the buckles and the placement holders for the billets. The buckles are stainless steel rollers, which makes life just that much easier when you’re leaning down to fix your girth, and are very sturdy for longterm use. I love that each billet gets its own slot to go through, and they are very secure. The amount of times I have ripped a limp billet holder is infuriating, and I can tell you these will not fall to the same fate.

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Stainless steel roller buckles and triple elastic on both ends make for easy adjustability. Photo by Kate Samuels.

While you don’t need to tighten your girth as much with the neoprene non-slip aspect, both girths feature elastic on both ends, for increased comfort and adjustability. One of my horses is always quite crabby about having his girth tightened, and so elastic is essential to make him happy. Durable elastic is essential to make me happy, as there’s nothing worse than a girth that slowly bags out and stretches two sizes. I can also attest to the longevity of the elastic on these girths, as I’ve been using their longer leather jump girth for years now with no visible change.

The SMx VenTECH Leather Girths are also ergonomically designed, so they sit in an excellent place on your horse. The wide base and the cutback of the ends allows for a greater pressure distribution along your horse’s sternum, which can be a really big issue with discomfort and lack of mobility. Nobody likes a really tight and thin belt, just like no horse likes a lot of pressure right behind their front legs.

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The VenTECH Leather Monoflap Girth is stylish as all get out, but also incredibly functional for both show and home. Photo by Kate Samuels.

You can find both of these girths online for purchase through Professional’s Choice, each priced at $257.95.

Go Professional’s Choice. Go Eventing.

What’s in Your Ring? Presented by Attwood: Angle It with Buck Davidson

By on Feb 15, 2017 11:40 am -

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

Hawley Bennett-Awad and Bikini Martini DF demonstrate a tricky angle with Buck Davidson. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Hawley Bennett-Awad and Bikini Martini DF demonstrate a tricky angle with Buck Davidson. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Buck Davidson visited Southern California in January for a much anticipated two-day clinic at the beautiful Copper Meadows Eventing facility in Ramona. The weather has been soggy here on the West coast of late, so much so that it made preparation for the clinic nearly impossible.

Thankfully, the Copper Meadows crew was hard at work preparing the footing for Buck, and riders were able to enjoy a brief reprieve from the rain on perfect footing. It was a great way to get a tune up for the upcoming season, and Buck was definitely up to the task.

On the first day of the clinic, Buck set up an intriguing series of angled lines criss-crossing the middle of the jump arena. As we scurried about to get the course set the night before, most of us were scratching our heads wondering exactly what Buck had up his sleeve.

“Surely he doesn’t intend to make us all jump those angles?” we wondered aloud. Well, that was definitely his intent, even for the lower level horses and riders.

Graphic via Canva.

The distance should be walked as one stride middle to middle at an angle.

Buck’s angled lines consisted of a four-fence question spaced at three, one and two strides. On the opposite diagonal, the angles were set at three strides. Buck varied the obstacles with verticals and square oxers so that the line could be jumped from either direction.

To begin, Buck put the fences down to crossrails, even for the upper-level horses, so as to introduce the exercise in a non-threatening manner. Buck pointed out that he’d rather have the horses make mistakes when it was easy to correct, so he had riders just trot through the lines, letting their horses peek if they needed to.

From there, Buck raised fences incrementally as the horses progressed. Because of the varying distances between each fence, the riders needed to focus on both accuracy and impulsion in order to make the striding work. If a horse came off of the line or lost impulsion coming in, the entire line was sacrificed or the rider was left to try to over correct.

The really interesting thing about these angles, as tough as they looked at first glance, was that the horses that were going Beginner Novice and the horses who were Advanced horses all got something out of it. I didn’t see any horses or riders who were overfaced, even with the technicality of the exercise.

Instead, Buck broke it down so that it was doable right from the beginning and was patient if anyone had trouble. He is a big believer in setting both horse and rider up for success, and it showed in his patient and encouraging teaching.

The idea of positioning your horse exactly where he needs to be to simplify what you’re asking of him was paramount throughout the clinic. Being aware of your aids — not telling your horse to go in a crooked line and then pulling them off of that line in an attempt to achieve straightness, for example — can help you more effectively communicate with your horse.

In all, the clinic was very educational and it was a privilege to see Buck in his teaching element. I think I can speak for all of the auditors and riders when I say that we all learned a lot and were lucky to have the opportunity to learn from one of the best in the sport. The fun thing about the angles is that they may look intimidating but they are totally doable, so definitely try it at home!

Eric Dierks Recovering from Burns Sustained in Water Heater Explosion

By on Feb 15, 2017 10:00 am -
Eric and Trayce. Photo courtesy of Renovatio Farm.

Eric and Trayce. Photo courtesy of ErikOlsenPictures.

The eventing family is rallying around Eric Dierks and Trayce Doubek-Dierks after Eric sustained second- and third-degree burns to his face and right hand on Monday morning, Feb. 13, when a water heater he was repairing exploded at their Renovatio Farm in Tryon, North Carolina.

Eric was airlifted to Doctors Hospital of Augusta in Augusta, Georgia, and he successfully underwent skin graft surgery yesterday morning. He is now recovering at Doctors Hospital in the Joseph M. Still Burn Center, the largest burn center in America.

Trayce recently underwent back surgery and still has three weeks left in her recovery before she can start riding again. With Eric also sidelined and facing a substantial recovery period, they are seeking help from the local community to keep their business afloat.

“We have the absolute best staff, but I know this will wear thin on them so the immediate help needed is weekend help, specifically stall cleaning,” Trayce said on her Facebook page, adding that they will also need help with late-night checks at 7 p.m. each evening.

For those in the Tryon area who are available to help with cleaning stalls and other barn chores, please contact Michelle Drum or Rebecca Drumgool.

Eric and Trayce are also seeking trainers and riders to help keep their horses in work. “With both of us out riding it’s going to be tough, specifically as I just had a significant surgery and now Eric’s medical expenses will be tenfold,” she said.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help offset the cost of Eric’s medical expenses. Click here to donate.

Let’s show once again that eventers take care of our own! Please join the EN team in sending healing thoughts and prayers to Eric, and please consider donating if you are able. Go Eventing.

[Eric and Trayce Dierks GoFundMe]

Wednesday News & Notes from FLAIR Nasal Strips

By on Feb 14, 2017 11:45 pm -
Aubrey Davidson enters her first leadline class at HITS. Photo via Andrea Davidson Eventing FB page. Aubrey Davidson enters her first leadline class at HITS. Photo via Andrea Davidson Eventing FB page.

Watch out Buck, the third generation of Davidsons is ready to take her spot at the top! Well….maybe there’s a few more years to go if the size of that helmet is any indication. Keep a close eye on this one, she’ll likely have every bit of her line’s guts and courage, which will be formidable indeed. #whoruntheworld

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Rocking Horse Winter II H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Paradise Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Live Scores]

Fresno County Horse Park CIC & H.T. [Website] [Ride Times/Live Scores]

Your Wednesday News & Notes:

Florida’s version of RRP is coming to a facility near you! If you are in Florida through March, anyways. The Florida Thoroughbred Transformation Expo will be held March 24-26th at the Florida Horse Park, showcasing the OTTB. Jockey Club-registered Thoroughbreds are eligible as long as the horse raced or worked after March 1, 2013, with no restrictions on when training began. Disciplines vary from the traditional Olympic disciplines to hunter, polo, barrels, and working pony/race pony, all with $36k in prize money up for grabs. [Florida Thoroughbred Transformation Expo]

Lissa Green is very quickly rising out of her mother’s shadow. Despite her mother Lucinda winning Badminton six times, Lissa never had her own horse until she hit the age of 20. As she’s about to tackle her own first Badminton this spring with Malin Head Clover, Lissa tells us a few things we may not know about her. [A Fascination with Criminal Psychology]

As if Rolex didn’t have enough options for food and drink, the organizers are now throwing a beer garden into the mix. Marla & Oscar’s Beer Garden will be located in a prime position, across the road from the Head of the Lake. Named for the famous office dogs of EEI, the beer garden will be serving food alongside beer from three local microbreweries. [Marla & Oscar’s Beer Garden]

SmartPak Product of the Day: One of my favorite, and necessary, items of tack, the ThinLine Sheepskin halfpad has been a life saver as my young horse has gained muscle along his topline in the past year. With the ability to shim (with yet MORE ThinLine material!), my saddle has been able to contend with 17.1 hands of gangly squid throughout his growth. [SmartPak]

Tuesday Video from SpectraVET: Winter at Marbach

By on Feb 14, 2017 5:26 pm -

Julien Guntz produces beautiful visual and auditory journeys for horse lovers to experience unique locations all over the world, and his latest masterpiece is one of our favorites yet. We visit the German state stud of Marbach, steeped in 500 years of history and making winter look absolutely exquisite.

While eventers best know Marbach as the host site to one of Germany’s key spring CIC3* events, the stud is hugely influential from a breeding standpoint. Throughout its history, Marbach bred the finest horses to help influence local stock, depending on need: heavy breeds were introduced to bolster working horses, followed by general-purpose breeds suitable to both farming and carriage work as well as riding, to post-war sport horses.

The farm is now recognized as the establishing base for the Baden-Württemberger (which is the breed of the one and only La Biosthetique Sam FBW), as well as host to a herd of fine Arabians and the Black Forest draught, all of which appear in the video.

Marbach hosts breed inspections and offers boarding opportunities; another farm campus at St. Johann offers retirement for aged equines. Marbach has become synonymous in Europe with fine breeding as well as education for both the rider and the breeder; the farm also welcomes thousands of tourists each year.

We’re big fans of the work of Julien Guntz and we think you’ll agree that his stunning videos provide an up-close-and-personal look at some of the biggest and best places our horse world has to offer. You can view a full list of his works by clicking here.

Why SpectraVET?

Reliable. Effective. Affordable.

SpectraVET is committed to providing only the highest-quality products and services to our customers, and to educating the world in the science and art of laser therapy.

We design and manufacture the broadest range of clinically-proven veterinary therapeutic laser products, which are represented and supported worldwide by our network of specialist distributors and authorized service centers.

Elegance On the Edge of Wilderness

By on Feb 14, 2017 3:25 pm -

What horse person doesn’t dream of ‘dashing through the snow’ in an open sleigh, snuggled up next to a loved one, laughing all the way?

Dashing through the snow. Photo courtesy of the Omni Mount Washington.

Jingle bells and all. Photo courtesy of the Omni Mount Washington.

My beloved, Cortney, and I booked a stay at the historic Omni Mount Washington Hotel in New Hampshire to celebrate our anniversary last month. Our intention was to spend most of each day skiing at Bretton Woods across the street, but the hotel and surrounding area has a plethora of other activities to entertain visitors as well: snowshoeing, canopy tours, ice skating, snowmobiling, the spa and, you guessed it, sleigh rides.

If we did anything else besides ski, eat and drink for three days, we were going to go for a sleigh ride.

A truly grand hotel. Photo courtesy of the Omni Mount Washington.

Photo courtesy of the Omni Mount Washington.

The Gilded Age of the Grand Hotel

The completion of the Cog Railway through Crawford Notch in 1875 effectively ushered in the age of the grand hotel. Until then, a carriage road provided the only access to the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It was a wild and wonderful place which became a hub for social connection and whimsical art.

“This kind of ground obviously lends itself to getting out there and enjoying nature,” said Craig Clemmer, a director at the Mount Washington. “That kind of inspiration, whether you’re seated on a horse or hiking, it’s elegance on the edge of wilderness.”

The Mount Washington was the ambitious enterprise of coal and railroad tycoon Joseph Stickney. Construction began in 1900, on the back side of the Gilded Age. Two years later, Thomas Edison turned on the lights and the doors were opened to the public.

Designed by architect Charles Alling Gifford, the Mount Washington was one of the most innovative and luxurious hotels of the time. Whereas other area grand hotels earned their status with intermittent expansions, the Mount Washington was conceived as a 200-room masterpiece on a 10,000-acre estate. Today, it is one of the last remaining grand hotels still in operation.

Sadly, Mr. Stickney died just a year after the hotel opened, leaving everything to his young wife Carolyn Foster who was, for all intents and purposes, a horse person. She disliked motor cars so much she would not allow them to pull up to the front of the hotel. Only horses and carriages were allowed to use the front door, while automobile passengers were forced to use an alternative entrance which today serves as the valet lot. A pair of matching white carriage horses were her own preferred method of travel.

Despite her distaste for cars, she cared about the assets of her guests, so Carolyn built a 100+ stall car barn. That building was eventually dismantled, but Craig explained that the wooden beams were repurposed in the construction of the Latitude 44 restaurant and Hobbit Ski Center at Bretton Woods.

Horses are still an integral part of the Mount Washington experience, now as a family-friendly activity rather than a transportation necessity. While there are one and two-horse drawn sleigh rides in the winter, the resort offers trail rides in the summer plus a year-round barn buddies program that introduces children to the magic of horses.

This was the view from our room! Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

This was the view from our room! Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Making Spirits Bright

Having served as the livery for several grand hotels in the area, the Bretton Woods Stables actually predate the hotel and today’s equine inhabitants still reside in the original barn.

Luke Thorn is the resort’s stablemaster now in his fourteenth year on the job. He not only drives the sleigh, but he is in charge of every aspect of the horses’ care, right down to the horse shoes he makes on the forge. Luke owns the horses himself, sourcing them from around the country to be safe, friendly additions to the resort stables. The steady steed for our evening sleigh ride was Ralph, a 23-year-old Belgium whom Luke affectionately called the “little guy” of the barn.

Luke and Ralph picked us up after sunset where we were waiting inside a heated outbuilding. Having been deprived of the smell of horses for a few days I had a snuggle session with Ralph before climbing into the open sleigh and settling down under the thick blankets provided.

Our escorts, Luke and Ralph. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Our escorts, Luke and Ralph. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Off we went, jingling up the drive, passed the historic Bretton Woods Inn (we ate a celebratory dinner there the following night, and it was easily the best meal we had on the whole trip). Beyond the Inn we passed by what looked like the front of a mansion but was in fact the entrance to the barn.

We soon escaped the wind as we entered the shelter of the woods. Gliding along the quiet trail I marveled at how un-phased Ralph was by the darkness and night sounds, but Luke assured us he’s an experienced old chap who knows his job. For the next half hour, Ralph sure-footedly dragged us through the snow while the three of us chatted.

Not long into the ride Cortney dug into his backpack and came up with a bottle of wine and two glasses (how thoughtful!). Clinking our cups together in ceremony, I thought what a perfect opportunity this would be for a couple in love to make a lifelong promise to each other.

“Do you get a lot of proposals during sleigh rides?” I asked Luke.

He laughed and confirmed, “All the time. Especially on Valentine’s Day and we’ve had nine already this month. We even did a horse drawn wedding once.”

Emerging from the woods, we packed up our wine, thanked Luke and Ralph and boarded the shuttle to go to dinner. While we didn’t exactly go dashing through the snow in the dark, I can check a romantic sleigh ride off my bucket list.

The front entrance to the barn. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

It looks like a house, but that’s the front entrance to the barn. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

But the trip to the Omni Mount Washington will be one I remember forever for a different reason.

There would have been a tenth proposal that month, had I only stopped talking about horses long enough for Cortney to pop the question! Not to mention I slammed shut the window of opportunity by asking about proposals in the first place.

“It had potential,” Cortney laughed, explaining it all to me later.

I may have botched his first attempt, but good humored as Cortney is he brushed it off and tried again the next day. He surprised me at the top of the mountain, with the whole world beneath our feet and the sun glittering off the surface of the snow.

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A Horse of a Different Color: Repeat the Beat

By on Feb 14, 2017 1:20 pm -

"A Horse of a Different Color" features horses and ponies that have been successful in the sport of eventing while representing a unique breed. Do you have a horse that you think would be a great feature subject? If so, email [email protected].

Ashley Jones and Pete at FENCE Horse Trials. Photo by Liz Crawley Photography. Ashley Jones and Pete at FENCE Horse Trials. Photo by Liz Crawley Photography.

When Lisa Murray acquired Repeat the Beat, a double-registered Tennessee Walking Horse and Spotted Saddle Horse, from a breeder in Michigan, she was at a loss about what to do with the hot-headed 2-year-old gelding. But as often happens, life rolled out a very unique plan for the pair, and “Pete” found his calling in a place you don’t find many Tennessee Walking Horses: the eventing and hunter/jumper arenas.

Now, at the ripe age of 17, Pete has broken down breed barriers and changed lives along the way — so much so that he is receiving one of the equestrian industry’s greatest honors. Pete, along with select other horses, will be celebrated at Breyerfest 2017 at the Kentucky Horse Park in July and will line the shelves of tack stores as a Breyer model.

Pete has broken the mold associated with the Tennessee Walking Horse, and Lisa aims to continue doing what makes him happy as long as his heart desires: jump.

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Lisa Murray and Pete. Photo by Lauren Duffy.

Different from Day One

Lisa grew up riding in field trials and competing in the show horse industry and has always loved the Tennessee Walking Horse. She heard about Pete through mutual friends, Dr. Harv and Brenda Carlon who bred him (by Pushers Repeat out of My Sophisticated Lady) with the intentions of having a winner in the breed show performance classes. However, the Carlons’ trainer informed them that the horse just wasn’t cut out it.

Pete’s final show ring performance was at the Spotted Saddle Horse World Championships late in the fall where he was crowned Two-Year-Old World Champion. Weeks later, he was on his way to a new life, leased to Lisa Murray and her daughter Jeren, who had plans to trail ride him.

Pete quickly gained the nickname of “Unpredictable Pete” at Lisa’s home. He hated being alone on the trail and was extremely tense. Though he trotted when at liberty, he paced when under saddle.

While some friends from Germany were visiting Lisa they decided to take a trail ride on her 20-acre property. Lisa stayed home to tidy up and when her friends returned a while later, she was happy to see they were all smiles and giggling.

“Pete, we like him! He jumps so nice,” one of her friends told her. Lisa was stunned and questioned which horse they were on, but they kept saying it was “the gray horse, Pete.” She was sure they mistook Pete for her gray Arabian in the field, who had been a former jumper, but they were insistent that it was Pete the Tennessee Walking Horse.

To prove to her their point, they set up a little course in her field and took Pete through in English tack and a plain snaffle bit (Pete had always been ridden in a curb bit). As soon as she saw how happy and relaxed he was going through the course, she knew what she needed to do.

Victoria Bennett-Gomez on Pete at Hunters Court. Photo by FlowingMane Photography.

Victoria Bennett-Gomez on Pete at Hunters Court. Photo by FlowingMane Photography.

Breaking Barriers

Lisa started calling barn after barn after barn, but each time as soon as she told the trainers that she had a Tennessee Walking Horse that she wanted to start jumping, they shut her down. No one wanted to help her.

One day, while driving around, she came across a barn called Runaway Stables and thought to herself, “if anyone could help me, it had to be a barn with a name like this.” To her surprise, the barn owner told her of a young rider by the name of Sarah Mack Clark who “would ride anything” and could probably be of help to her.

Lisa and Sarah became quick friends as Pete progressed in his training. It was decided that Pete would venture into the jumper ring and begin a whole new training regime. Once the Carlons realized Pete had found his place and a lifetime home, they gifted the horse to Lisa.

Pete quickly became popular among young riders, and Lisa had several catch riders on a growing list to would help her show him. While at a horse show in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, a young rider by the name of Mawghan McCabe decided to show him in the hunters, just for fun.

To everyone’s surprise, he won.

Lisa and Mawghan were ecstatic, until the judge made an announcement requesting Mawghan come to the judge’s stand. He requested that Mawghan demonstrate a running walk for the spectators to prove the versatility of the Tennessee Walking Horse breed.

It was at that show that Lisa met Heidi Rockhold and her daughter Victoria Bennett (now Gomez). Heidi had also previously shown performance Tennessee Walking horses and wanted to compliment Lisa on Pete, while Victoria requested the opportunity to ride him.

Victoria had great success with Pete in both the hunter and jumper rings. They won the Hunter’s Court Circuit Grand Champion title and were consistent winners in the 3’3” Adult/Junior Equitation division. Pete and Victoria were also winners over fences and on a whim, Victoria decided to go back in for the flat class. Once again, the pair won.

As the team grew, so did Pete’s winnings. Lydia Whitlow Fisher showed Pete in 2005 at the Tennessee Walking Horse Versatility World Championships and won the Hunter Over Fences World Championship title.

In 2006, simultaneous to the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration taking place in Shelbyville, Pete was being ridden by Rebecca “Becca” Hoos at a show at Brownland Farm. It was decided that Becca would enter the jumpers so all she would have to do was walk and canter to avoid any pacing.

Lisa recalled that the course was quite difficult for a .85-meter class and that several eventers were there to school the show jumping in preparation for an upcoming competition. As Pete went into the arena, Lisa overhead a conversation from a few women on the rail who were not aware that she was his owner.

“One woman said, ‘I don’t know what that horse is,’ and the other responded kind of catty, ‘I heard it was a Tennessee Walker,’” Lisa recalled with a sigh.

“I just looked at her and as calmly as I could I said, ‘Yes, he is a Tennessee Walker. I’m not here to prove anything; I just want to know that he can do this. I want him to be happy. There are horses at the National Celebration right now doing a high-stepping gait and I promised this horse that he would never have to live that life again.’”

The woman at the rail actually teared up and replied, “I never thought of it that way.” As if to prove Lisa’s point, Pete came in second place in his jumper class that day out of a hefty division of competitors.

Rachel Norton and Pete during his time with the UK Eventing Team, Photo provided by Rachel Norton.

Rachel Norton and Pete during his time with the UK Eventing Team. Photo provided by Rachel Norton.

It’s All About the Horse

Pete is also a familiar face in the Kentucky eventing scene, and Ashley Jones and Rachel Norton have both competed him for the University of Kentucky eventing team. He has competed regularly at both FENCE Horse Trials and Chattahoochee Hills and can often be spotted at local hunter paces.

In all his years of showing, Pete has gone clean at every licensed eventing or jumping competition he has entered. Despite original concerns that Pete wouldn’t be able to hold his own in eventing due to the gait requirements of the dressage tests, he makes it work — and makes up for what he lacks in cross country and stadium jumping.

“Just look at what these horses are capable of,” Lisa says, pride in her voice. “They don’t have to be padded. They don’t have to wear chains. They can do so much more. Everyone thinks they can’t, but they can.”

In Lisa’s estimation, jumping made Pete confident and erased his unpredictable behavior. Nothing phases him now, and he tries his heart out. When the the trailer pulls up to a trail, he is calm and peaceful, but the moment he sees jumps in the distance he is alert and pawing at the ground, ready to go.

“I have told everyone who has ridden him, ‘Don’t ride him if you’re ashamed of him,’” Lisa said. “They ride him because they love him and because he loves his job. My granddaughters both ride him and he is great for them. And then you can take him into the ring and he can perform.

“In his younger years, this horse was jumping up to 4 feet. He was doing everything he wasn’t supposed to do. And now in addition to jumping, I can take him into a Cowboy Challenge and walk across teeter totters and drag Christmas trees.”

The combination of Pete’s success and his unconventional breed for his chosen disciplines had several of his top supporters encouraging Lisa to reach out to Breyer about him. On a whim, she wrote to the company and told Pete’s story. Her expectations weren’t high, knowing countless deserving horses apply every year, but when she got the phone call that he was to be considered she was ecstatic.

Pete's Breyer model. Photo courtesy of Breyer.

Pete’s Breyer model. Photo courtesy of Breyer.

She contacted all of Pete’s former riders to let them know, and three of his former riders — Chelsea Kolman, Victoria Gomez and Ashley Jones — will be performing demonstrations on him during the 2017 Breyerfest. All of his former riders but one will be able to attend to support the horse that gave them so much and celebrate this monumental honor.

“If we can just change one person’s mind about this breed, we made a difference,” Lisa said. She always wanted to do whatever made Pete happy — the special recognition of the breed just came with the package.

It has been an exciting and life-changing ride with Pete, and Lisa wouldn’t want it any other way. From thinking, “can this horse actually do this?” to watching him bring home ribbon after ribbon, Lisa has always been Pete’s number-one fan. Congratulations to Lisa and Pete on this most deserved honor!

This story originally appeared on EN’s sister site, Horse Nation.

#EventerProblems Vol. 105: Smile! You’re on Eventing Nation

By on Feb 14, 2017 11:58 am -

At the end of the day I think we can all agree that horses are a big bunch of hairy weirdos. (Although, I guess the same thing could be said of their riders — although hopefully with significantly less hair.) And sometimes we are able to capture that weirdness in a photo and share it on social media for all the world to see.

Exhibit A: your latest batch of #EventerProblems …

#photobombed by hay. #eventerproblems #horsefail #perfecttiming

A photo posted by Amie (@fonderofdublin) on

Go Eventing.