Classic Eventing Nation

Area I Virtual Team Challenge Promotes Community and Volunteering

By on Dec 29, 2016 12:00 pm -
Area I ARP member and VTC participant Kate Rakowski at Groton House Farm HT 2016. Photo by Abby Powell. Area I ARP member and VTC participant Kate Rakowski at Groton House Farm HT 2016. Photo by Abby Powell.

This past season, members of Area I’s Adult Riders Program (ARP) enjoyed a new way to get competitive and stay active in the eventing community regardless of whether they actually rode in an event. It all started when Suzanne Adams, Area I’s ARP Coordinator, organized the inaugural Virtual Team Challenge (VTC).

The Virtual Team Challenge allowed ARP members to earn points for their team by entering, placing and volunteering at USEA sanctioned horse trials. Non-competing ARP members who were active volunteers became just as much of an asset to their teams as members who placed at the top of the leaderboard at an event.

Suzanne got the idea for the VTC from other USEA Areas, including IV and VI, both of which have hosted similar competitions in the past. Her main goal was to find a way to include all ARP members regardless of how often they competed or even if they competed at all.

VTC participant Beth Libby volunteers at Millbrook. Photo courtesy of Beth Libby.

VTC participant Beth Libby volunteers at Millbrook. Photo courtesy of Beth Libby.

“The VTC program was added because we had active ARP members who, at some point during the year, had to stop competing. I kept kicking ideas around to all who would listen. How do you have a program that included everyone: riders, folks who weren’t competing for whatever reason and parents of Young Riders who wanted ways to be involved?” Suzanne said.

“I loved the idea of a virtual competition and wanted to expand it to involve non-rider competitors, which added the whole concept of volunteerism.”

Participants were randomly split into teams of seven prior to the first Area I event of the season, and Suzanne introduced the teams to each other via email and laid out the rules. Entering and completing an event secured 20 points for a team and placing in a division added between five and 40 additional points from eighth through first place, respectively.

A maximum amount of 60 points for first place could be earned through competing. Similarly, volunteering for a half day earned 30 points, while a full day earned 60 points. Competing in an event outside of Area I earned half the point value of an event within the area.

VTC participants who volunteered posted selfies to the Facebook group in order to earn points for their teams. Photo courtesy of Paula Colt.

VTC participants who volunteered posted selfies to the Facebook group in order to earn points for their teams. Photo courtesy of Paula Colt.

“The points were designed to treat a day of volunteering equally with winning first place,” Suzanne said. “I saw VTCers whose horses were out for the season step up and really push themselves for those volunteer points.”

One such participant was Jennifer Bagley, a member of the winning team, who had to retire her mare from eventing last year. Jennifer has been a USEA member for two decades and was glad to be able to have a way to still participate in her sport even while currently being sidelined from competing.

“It really helped me stay connected to the sport and feel like I was contributing to a team during a season when I wasn’t able to show,” Jennifer said.

At the beginning of the season, Suzanne set up a private Facebook group for participants that she used to announce which teams had members competing or volunteering prior to every event. After each event she posted the results and the current standings. The Facebook group turned out to be an amazing tool for keeping the participants engaged throughout the entirety of the season.

“Teams cheered each other on, posted pictures and video, and even trash-talked in good humor,” Suzanne said. “Each time a list of competitors and proposed volunteers was posted for each event, some folks actually arranged to meet up with each other.”

VTC participants posted fun pictures and stayed engaged throughout the competition via the Facebook group. Photo courtesy of Amy Wolfe.

VTC participants posted fun pictures and stayed engaged throughout the competition via the Facebook group. Photo courtesy of Amy Wolfe.

“Suzanne did a fantastic job with the scoring system and keeping tabs on what everyone was doing,” Jennifer said. “It was always fun to see who was competing and volunteering each weekend and to see results afterward. We all cheered each other on and commiserated with those who had a tough show. It created a really fun and supportive community with some sassy talk and a lot of laughs!”

The mutual support, sense of community and good-natured heckling within the VTC generated an extra layer of fun and friendship throughout the season. Top placing teams will be receiving prizes at the upcoming Area I Annual Meeting in January, as well as some additional ribbons to add to their collection accumulated throughout the season.

“It was the proverbial horse race to the finish,” Suzanne said, “and it was such a rich year of building community, friendly rivalry and promoting volunteerism amongst teams.”

10 Eventers Who Inspired Us in 2016

By on Dec 29, 2016 9:30 am -

Eventers are skilled, tough, determined and passionate, and it’s qualities like these that inspire journalists like us every day. The EN team is honored to follow the journeys of eventers around the world, and we’re excited to bring you our annual list of eventers who inspired us this year. It is by no means a complete list, but here are 10 of our favorite standout stories from 2016.

Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Phillip Dutton

Phillip Dutton and HND Group’s Mighty Nice bringing home an Olympic medal for the U.S. stands out as one of the highlights of the year for our team. Big Phil and “Happy” performed brilliantly in all three phases, but we still aren’t over their epic save at that corner combination on cross country.

Eventing fans went wild when they won the bronze medal, and their success has been celebrated at events and functions all throughout the fall, inspiring riders of all ages and giving U.S. eventing a confidence boost. Rio was Phillip’s sixth Olympic Games but his first individual medal. We’re still so thrilled for him.

Lauren's best friend, Amy, cheers hard on cross country. Photo courtesy of FEI.

Photo courtesy of Lauren Billys

Lauren Billys

Lauren Billys represented Puerto Rico at her first Olympic Games this summer riding the Purdy Syndicate’s Castle Larchfield Purdy. Qualifying for the Olympics as an individual is different than qualifying on a team. The qualification process is based on cumulative points earned during a specific time span, and these points determine who will fill the limited individual spots for non-team countries.

“I’m not going to lie, it was hard, and there was sacrifice,” Lauren said after receiving the news of her qualification. During the Olympics, her determination and positive attitude continued to shine through, and she and Purdy got around the most difficult Olympic cross country course in the modern era. It was a long road to Rio for Lauren but she made the most of it.

Katie Rupple with Philippa's family at Richland Horse Trials. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Katie Ruppel with Philippa’s family at Richland Park Horse Trials. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Friends of Philippa Humphreys

The sorrow felt after the sudden and tragic death of Philippa Humphreys at the Jersey Fresh International Horse Trials this May will not soon fade, but it was incredibly touching how the eventing family came together to support Philippa’s family and each other through an incredibly sad time.

A YouCaring fund was immediately set up for Philippa’s infant daughter Millie, and more than $100,000 has been raised for her college education. Philippa’s friend Meghan O’Donoghue took Philippa’s horse Rich ‘N Famous into her barn and has continued to compete him in eventing, a job the gelding clearly loves.

Another friend of Philippa’s, Katie Ruppel, won the Philippa Humphreys Advanced division at the Richland Park Horse Trials in August. EN’s Leslie Wylie was on site covering Richland, and she said this was her favorite eventing moment of the whole year: “Katie was a good friend of Philippa’s, as both are Michigan girls, and I thought she showed a lot of grace and courage in that situation.”

Ann Haller and Carol Kozlowski present the first Roger Haller Educational Fund scholarships for event officials during the USEA Convention. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Ann Haller and Carol Kozlowski present the first Roger Haller Educational Fund scholarships for event officials during the USEA Convention. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Ann Haller

Roger and Ann Haller were a dynamic duo that we were accustomed to seeing together working at events around the world. Roger sadly passed away from cancer last March, and Ann has carried on his legacy through the USEA Roger Haller Education Fund and her continued active participation in the sport as a volunteer, official and shining presence in general.

Ann is a dear friend to EN, and we don’t know what we would do without her happy greetings in the media tent at major events like Rolex, Plantation Field and Fair Hill. This past year Ann has exhibited remarkable strength through a sad time and shown a deep passion for the sport that we are proud to witness.

Hannah Francis at Tattersalls 2016. Photo courtesy of Jack Lyons Media.

Hannah Francis at Tattersalls 2016. Photo courtesy of Jack Lyons Media.

Hannah Francis

The late Hannah Francis was included on our list of inspiring eventers in 2015, but we simply cannot exclude her this year. This summer, Hannah lost her long and difficult battle with bone cancer, a painful struggle through which she showed immeasurable hope and determination. Despite her failing health, she pushed herself to the limit to raise money for bone cancer research and grabbed every opportunity to get time in the saddle, including performing test rides at Tattersalls.

Hannah made every moment count and continued fighting until the very end. She was nominated for the FEI Against All Odds Award after receiving “by far the most nominations across all categories.” Hannah’s legacy lives on through the Willberry Wonder Pony Charity, and the eventing family will never forget her.

Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

The indomitable Michael Jung. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Michael Jung

Sure, Michael Jung wins everything and has done for the last several years, but we witnessed history this year not once but twice. First he won the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing, which has only been achieved once before. Then, he won a second consecutive Olympic gold medal in Rio riding La Biosthetique Sam FBW.

This is the third time in eventing history that an event rider has won back-to-back gold medals at the Olympics, but Michael’s achievement is made all the more impressive by having earned both medals on the same horse and finishing on his dressage score on both occasions. We’re running out of clever ways to say “Jung won again” in our headlines, but he is without a doubt one of the greatest competitors our sport has ever seen.

William Fox-Pitt and Chilli Morning. Photo by Jenni Autry.

William Fox-Pitt and Chilli Morning. Photo by Jenni Autry.

William Fox-Pitt

The eventing world closely followed the recovery of William Fox-Pitt after a fall at Le Lion d’Angers in 2015 left him in a coma with a severe head injury. He made a miraculous comeback, getting back in the tack by Christmas. By this spring he had been cleared to compete and, in a truly remarkable display of tenacity, continued working towards competing in the Rio Olympic Games.

William was ultimately selected to represent Great Britain with Chilli Morning, putting him back at a major championship less than one year after his accident. During his keynote speech at the USEA Annual Meeting and Convention this month, we learned just how dire the circumstances were after the accident and the lengths he went to regain his mental and physical strength with the help of his family and the horses themselves.

William was incredibly honest and candid in his speech but also humble and gracious. “I’m lucky to be here,” he said. “We’re all involved in this amazing sport, and I’m now part of a happy story and a good ending.”

Ryan Wood won the USEA Adequan Gold Cup Championship with Powell AND won the Reserve Championship with Woodstock Bennett. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Ryan Wood won the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Championship with Powell AND won the Reserve Championship with Woodstock Bennett. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Ryan Wood

Up-and-coming riders feeling like maybe they don’t have all the resources and horsepower to make it in the eventing world should take a good hard look at Ryan Wood and what he has accomplished. Ryan bought many of his current string of upper-level horses as youngsters and brought them along patiently and carefully. (He negotiated the purchase of a 5-year-old Frankie for $500 and a couple of jump lessons not long after moving to America from Australia.)

Now he is enjoying the fruits of his labor. It really all came together for Ryan this year when he won the Jersey Fresh CCI3* with Powell, the Bromont CCI3* and CIC3* with Woodstock Bennett and Frankie, and the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Championship with Powell. And those are just his wins; he had many additional top finishes at major events on multiple horses.

Ryan and Powell were included on the FEI Nominated Entry List to represent Australia for the Rio Olympics. They weren’t selected to compete, but Ryan has proven he’s a force to be reckoned with, and we know we will see him on the world stage soon. Ryan has diligently put in the hard work to make it to where he is today and is an inspiration to any rider with big dreams.

Cindy Deporter and Ana D take a victory lap at AEC. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Cindy Deporter and Ana D take a victory lap at the 2016 American Eventing Championships. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Cindy Deporter

It’s not been an easy year for Cindy Deporter. She endured multiple hospital stays and suffered the sudden loss of family members. Through it all she kept up her responsibilities as a social worker and USEA event organizer, committee member and competition official.

She set a goal to ride at the American Eventing Championships and fought tooth and nail to qualify with her mare Ana D. All the hard work and perseverance paid off when she clinched the win in the Novice Master Amateur Championship this September.

“It has been a long trail to get here but it was a goal I had for this horse because she’s so nice,” Cindy said through tears after her emotional win. “I’m just proud to be here … I’m so fortunate. I have to thank the good Lord and the people around me that supported me.”

Cindy is not only an inspiration for the adult amateur rider but she is a prime example of what you can achieve if you hold your chin up and just keep swimming.

Ashley Russell and Philharmonic at the AECs. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Ashley Russell and Philharmonic at the 2014 American Eventing Championships. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Ashley Russell

We’ve been publishing an annual roundup of inspirational eventers for three years now and it’s about time Ashley Russell was on it. Ashley is legally blind, having lost her central vision at age 20 due to a rare genetic disorder called Stargardt disease. Nevertheless, she competes successfully at Training level with her horse Philharmonic. Her vision limitations force her to walk and plan her cross country and jumping rounds differently than most, mapping out landmarks and thinking more like a horse.

Ashley and Philharmonic finished 13th in the Beginner Novice Horse division at 2014 American Eventing Championships. This year they returned to the AEC at the Novice level and then completed the long format Novice Three-Day at Waredaca, finishing on their dressage score. That’s a seriously impressive accomplishment and testament to the bond between this horse and rider.

Who inspired you in 2016, EN? Let us know in the comments!

Thursday News & Notes from SmartPak

By on Dec 29, 2016 12:01 am -
When the baby horse gives the trainer the gift of being a pig pen for Christmas. Photo by Bryn Byer. When the baby horse gives the trainer the gift of being a pig pen for Christmas. Photo by Bryn Byer.

Sometimes the warmer temperatures around this time of year feel like a relief after the first cold snaps of the season…and sometimes those warm fronts bring their frustrations in the form of mud. Everywhere. Thinking about clipping because the days are warmer? Too bad, you’ll spend the entire day rinsing off horse hooves and blankets instead of giving anything a proper bath and clip. Thinking about tacking up quickly? Forget it, you’ll spend 20 minutes trying to brush mud out of the hair between your horse’s ears. They’ll end up with mud in places you never believed could have mud. Aiken cannot come quickly enough!

News From Around the Globe:

It takes a really special horse to go from a winner at Royal Ascot to a high level para dressage mount. With Julie Frizell, a Grade IV British para rider in the irons, Namibian has done just that, qualifying for the championship twice in two years. The 17.2 hand son of Cape Cross won the classic Queen’s Vase at the Royal Ascot in 2011 before becoming part of Godolphin’s rehoming program. [From Royal Ascot winner]

Have you ever sat on a horse and just clicked with them? Blogger Paige Cade recently went to Frankfurt on a whim, part vacation and part wishful shopping. Knowing she couldn’t really fund the horse she was about to try, she tried to talk herself out of it the entire drive to the stables. She tried to find any fault with him to find a reason to walk away. After wistfully posting the video of him on social media, a couple of generous clients offered to become investors, and a dream became reality. [Unicorn Found]

A foundation in honor of Olivia Inglis has been established in New Zealand. Olivia tragically died earlier this year in a cross country accident, and Equestrian NSW created a scholarship fund to further the training end education of  young eventers. The fund raised over $167,000 and so a foundation was formed to manage the trust, with the added goal of investing in high-impact safety initiatives. [Olivia Inglis Foundation Established]

 

 

Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: ‘Fairytale of New York’ Equestrian Parody

By on Dec 28, 2016 4:30 pm -

A parody of The Pogues’ Fairytale of New York (my absolute favorite Christmas song) was created to raise funds for Brooke, an international equine welfare charity. The video, created by the team at Castle Leslie Estate in Ireland, takes us on the journey of 30-year-old Dream Warrior’s long life, the sweet partnership he has with his owner Sammy Leslie and the friends he’s made during retirement on the farm.

Not all horses, donkeys and mules are so lucky to live like royalty at Castle Leslie Estate, and Brooke strives to improve the lives of working equines around the world. Click here to support their mission.

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FEI Softens Stance on $1,000 Name Change Fee for Passports

By on Dec 28, 2016 1:45 pm -
Photo via the FEI Photo via the FEI

The FEI has softened a controversial name change policy implemented earlier this year, which charged a $1,000 fee for changing the name of a horse to anything other than the breed registered name and adding a commercial prefix or suffix.

The current FEI Horse Name Change Guidelines, which were updated on Aug. 1, 2016, now allow the use of a “National Sport Name.”  The following criteria define the National Sport Name of a horse:

  • The horse is not yet entered in the FEI Database.
  • The National Sport Name differs from the birth name.
  • Horses 7 years and older must have competed with the National Sport Name at national level horse trials for at least 12 months. Horses 6 years and younger are exempt from this requirement.

Under these conditions, the use of a National Sport Name will not incur the $1,000 name change fee.

Any complete change of name to a horse already in the FEI database will incur the fee, as will any commercial name. Commercial names include a company or brand, a stable, a group of people or an association, or a person. For examples, read the FEI Horse Name Change Guidelines.

Shortening a name will incur a $200 fee, as will adding breed association initials, non-profit association and non-commercial initials, and the breeding farm name or initials to a birth name.

Note that not all national federations have updated their passport applications to reflect this change yet, but the most current version of the guidelines are currently in effect.

[FEI Horse Name Change Guidelines]

#EventerSolutions: DIY Nation

By on Dec 28, 2016 11:30 am -

Where there are #EventerProblems there are #EventerSolutions, as we horsefolks tend to be a pretty crafty, resourceful and frugal (read: broke) bunch.

In this spinoff series we spotlight some of your most inventive problem-solving masterpieces and determined DIY efforts. Be sure to tag your photos with the hashtag #EventerSolutions on social for inclusion in future editions!

My new stirrup covers!! #wriskyranch #sirnewton #eventerproblems #horsecrafting

A photo posted by Rochelle Wrisky (@wriskyhorse) on

When you work 8-5 and want to keep red mare in shape… one day we will have an arena with lights #eventerproblems #farmlife

A photo posted by Sarah Vogler Jenkins (@rara_jenks) on

Go Eventing.

USEF Names 2017 Eventing High Performance Training Lists

By on Dec 28, 2016 10:00 am -
Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot finished 11th Individually at the Aachen CICO3*. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot at Aachen. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Hot off the presses, EN! The USEF Eventing High Performance Committee has announced the horses and riders on the High Performance Spring Training Lists for 2017. As we discussed in our coverage of the USEA Convention, the format of the lists is changing for 2017. Here’s a detailed explanation from the USEF:

“As the programs continue to evolve following the post Rio Olympic Games review, the USEF is working to develop more detailed criteria that allows athletes, owners, and trainers to better understand what is required to be named to these lists.

“Selectors evaluated several factors to determine athletes and horses for each set of lists: current form, consistent and quality results in past competitions, potential to make a valuable contribution in a team setting, as well as suitability and age of the horse for the identified championship (where applicable).

“The athletes will work with Technical Advisor David O’Connor to set goals and determine schedules for the horses on which they were named. Athletes will receive a specified amount of funding per horse to be designated directly towards coach and/or performance support as agreed to by O’Connor and the athlete.”

This current training list is split into an Elite List and Developing List. The USEF is defining the categories as follows:

  • The Elite List is designated as athlete/horse combinations with the potential to compete at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games based on current form.
  • The Developing List is designated as athlete/horse combinations or athletes with perceived championship potential in the next four years or beyond.

The USEF also clarified that horses and riders do not need to be on a training list in order to be considered for selection for a Games or Championships. The training lists will be reviewed in June 2017.

Without further ado, congratulations to the following horses and riders!

ELITE LIST

Hannah Sue Burnett (The Plains, Va.) with Jacqueline Mars’ Harbour Pilot, a 2003 Irish Sport Horse gelding

Phillip Dutton (West Grove, Pa.) with Caroline Moran, Simon Roosevelt, and Thomas Tierney’s Fernhill Cubalawn, a 2004 Holsteiner gelding, and the HND Group’s Mighty Nice, a 2004 Irish Sport Horse gelding

Lauren Kieffer (Middleburg, Va.) with Team Rebecca, LLC’s Veronica, a 2005 Dutch Warmblood mare, and Marie Le Menestrel’s Meadowbrook’s Scarlett, a 2007 Thoroughbred Cross mare

Boyd Martin (Cochranville, Pa.) with the Blackfoot Mystery Syndicate’s Blackfoot Mystery, a 2004 Thoroughbred gelding, and Gloria Callen’s Welcome Shadow, a 2005 Thoroughbred Cross mare

DEVELOPING LIST

Matt Brown (Cochranville, Pa.) with Blossom Creek Foundation’s Super Socks BCF, a 2006 Irish Sport Horse gelding

Will Coleman (Charlottesville, Va.) with The Conair Syndicate’s Soupcon de Brunet, a 2006 Anglo-Arabian gelding, and Tight Lines, a 2007 French Thoroughbred gelding

Phillip Dutton with Thomas Tierney, Simon Roosevelt, Suzanne Lacy, Ann Jones, and Caroline Moran’s Z, a 2008 Zangersheide gelding

Lillian Heard (Hamilton, Va.) with her own LCC Barnaby, a 2006 Irish Sport Horse gelding

Lauren Kieffer with Debbie Adams and Jacqueline Mars’ D.A. Duras, a 2008 Dutch Warmblood gelding

Marilyn Little (Frederick, Md.) with Jacqueline Mars, Robin Parsky, and Phoebe and Michael Manders’ RF Scandalous, a 2005 Oldenburg mare

Meghan O’Donoghue (Carbondale, Ill.) with Chase and Darcie Shipka’s Palm Crescent, a 2006 Thoroughbred gelding

Doug Payne (Aiken, S.C.) with his own and Debi Crowley and Jessica Payne’s Vandiver, a 2004 Trakehner gelding

Tamie Smith (Temecula, Calif.) with Alexandra and Ellen Ahearn and Eric Markell’s Mai Baum, a 2006 German Sport Horse gelding

Lynn Symansky (Middleburg, Va.) with The Donner Syndicate, LLC’s Donner, a 2003 Thoroughbred gelding

[Eventing High Performance Training Lists Named for 2017]

Wednesday News & Notes from Attwood Equestrian Services

By on Dec 28, 2016 12:03 am -
A little hunting in the virginia mud! Photo by Kate Samuels.

A little hunting in the virginia mud! Photo by Kate Samuels.

Yesterday I finally got to go hunting again, as every time I try to schedule a day to take my giant red dinosaur out, it rains/ices/gets cancelled for weather related reasons. This has proved very frustrating. So, I went despite the ankle deep mud, and for a horse who was absolutely petrified of mud a few years ago, he did honorably. After that, I went and bought duck legs from the local butcher to make duck confit for some friends tonight, and then proceeded to ride and bathe all of my other horses, as they had rolled every body part in the mud during a 60 degree day. Now everyone is clean! Until they roll again today.

News From Around the Globe:

 The USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Program was created in 2014, and has since taken off with over forty schools affiliated and more than 100 members registered as collegiate riders. One of the biggest milestones of the program was the introduction of the Intercollegiate Leaderboard in 2016. This let college riders earn points at competitions around the country which reflected in their year-end status on the leaderboard. At the convention this fall, they finally introduced the leaders at Preliminary through Beginner Novice. [Meet Inaugural Intercollegiate Winners]

Uh oh, the gauntlet has been thrown down. Time to take the ultimate Eventing 2016 quiz and see how much of an eventing nerd you really are. [Ultimate Eventing Quiz]

Horse & Hound knows how to celebrate the end of 2016, by giving us a top ten list of the most heart warming and popular articles published during the year. [H&H Top Ten]

Also celebrating the holiday seasons are the twelve ponies of Christmas, featuring twelve ponies that were neglected or abused and then brought back to life with help from the World Horse Welfare Organization. Angharad is a yearling pony filly who has now been handled and gentled, and is looking for a home for a year or two before she can return to WHW for potential backing and training. [12 Ponies of Christmas]

Best of Blogs: No Kicking of Cans

After years of making my own crazy winter hair concoctions, I finally broke down and bought some legit stuff. This Healthy HairCare Hair Moisturizer is the bomb dot com, and I’m not exaggerating. It conditions the hair and makes it silky soft, but not slippery like show sheen. It also smells amazing, and makes your muddy pony look a lot cleaner than he/she might actually be. Diluted with water, it’s one of my new favorite grooming hacks. [SmartPak Product of the Day]

 

Wednesday Video: Why do top professionals choose footing from Attwood Equestrian Surfaces?

Good Footing – Attwood Equestrian Surfaces from Bold Horse Media on Vimeo.

 

 

Tuesday Video from SpectraVET: Grab Fistfuls of Pony Mane for This Finnish Helmet Cam

By on Dec 27, 2016 3:00 pm -
That is some serious mane. Photo via YouTube screenshot. That is some serious mane. Photo via YouTube screenshot.

Meet 14-year-old Sandra Sunde Lian of Oslo, Norway, and her superpony Oscar The Boxer. Earlier this year the precious duo tackled the Nordic Baltic Eventing Championship in Finland, and we can’t get enough of this helmet cam Sandra recently posted of their cross country trip.

The view of these big jumps between pricked pony ears alone would be enough to make it a worthwhile virtual ride, but the skewbald Irish Cob’s thick, billowing mane just sends it over the edge.

Well-done, Sandra and Oscar. Go Eventing!

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What’s in Your Ring? Mixing It up with Katie Murphy

By on Dec 27, 2016 1:00 pm -

What’s in Your Ring? is an EN series 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. This week’s edition comes courtesy of EN blogger Katie Murphy, an accomplished eventer who has found success on horses she developed herself through the levels. Find out more about her teaching/training business, Murphy Eventing, based out of Autumn Hill Farm in Epping, New Hampshire, by visiting murphyeventing.com.

Photo by Katie Murphy.

Photo by Katie Murphy.

The theme of my ring is “variation.” I normally always have a gymnastic line, two sets of cavaletti exercises, and a jump course. My jump course lines are often off turns, with many options to tie fences together through roll backs, slices, or related distances that reinforce the importance of adjustability. I have horses of all levels routinely working in my ring — from ground poles to Intermediate — so it is important that my exercises be diverse and appropriate for all levels.

Diagram by Katie Murphy.

Diagram by Katie Murphy.

The gymnastic line: This grid is far trickier then it looks, and height is not important to get the most from this exercise. Verticals are the first and final fences, with a vertical placed as a middle element and rails set 9’ between them. Oxers are then set at 30’ (may need to be adjusted depending on stride and arch of the line) from the center of the grid. For the more experienced horse, I will raise these ground rails to encourage concentrated work through their top line.

It may be jumped from either direction, and linked together through a rollback oxer to oxer and back through the grid. The oxers are set 35’ from one another, angled middle to middle. The oxers may then be sliced for upper level horses, as an angled 2 stride, and used as individual fences within a course.

Cavaletti: I fell in love with cavaletti work while riding for Ingrid Klimke at the NEDA Fall Symposium. They are fantastic for improving engagement, strengthening (especially stifles), joint articulation, and suppleness. These two exercises are set on an arch –- one exercise is shorter in distance to encourage to shorter step, more elevation and collection. The longer distance encourages more forward movement from the shoulder and push from the hind.

The beauty of cavaletti is in the application — work off the outside line for more space or a bigger stride, use the middle or inside lines for more collection. At the center of each cavaletti: for walk work they are set at .85 meters, for trot they are set at 1.2 meters. If setting these purely for canter work, the inside cavaletti are set at 2 meters, and the exterior are set at 3 meters.

I always begin horses over cavaletti in a straight line at the lowest height before raising them or working on a circle. Higher is not better: I work over the middle height most often, and the highest height is only reserved for canter work with experienced horses.

Photo by Katie Murphy.

Photo by Katie Murphy.

Course work: I like “quick thinking” questions to keep my focus and make me work through mistakes in the moment — not several strides later. I always have a distance set for practicing an adjustable stride between jumps. Two skinnies are positioned within the ring for straight approaches, angles and slicing related distances to other fences. Additionally, I include a vertical with a crossed rail on either side to encourage straightness and a tight front end, and at least one oxer with a rail crossed over the top to encourage an expressive effort. I often have two fences positioned with a narrow path between them.

Horses of all levels are asked to work on the flat between the fences as well as over them for greater focus, straightness and working off the aids. This also tests the rider in how they prepare and communicate with their horse.

If working a horse for the first time or a green horse, all fences and cavaletti are lowered well beneath the horse’s experience, and then gradually increased in size and complexity.

Many thanks to Katie for sharing. Do you have an exercise to share or is there an eventer you would like to nominate for the series? Email [email protected].