Classic Eventing Nation

Beall Spring Shamrock Wins Overall FEH East Coast Championship

By on Oct 8, 2016 2:30 pm -
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FEH East Coast Overall Champion Beall Spring Shamrock. Photo by Miranda Akins.

Loch Moy Farm in Adamstown, MD was buzzing with excitement on Thursday for the USEA Future Event Horse East Coast Championship, presented by Priefert. Handlers, owners and grooms were up before the sun making sure every inch of their horse was spotless and ready to be presented before the judges. Braids were fixed, legs were scrubbed and bridles were cleaned until they shined.

A rather cold and brisk morning led to some entertaining antics from the young horses, but none the less they all strutted their stuff under the careful eye of the judges. The three year olds were judged by Robin Walker and Phyllis Dawson while the yearlings and two year olds were judged by Samantha Allan and Susan Graham White. The competition was definitely impressive, showcasing flawless trots and incredible builds on these future stars.

Stephanie Ormston’s Beall Spring Shamrock, an extremely impressive Swedish Warmblood colt by Shakespeare RSF and out of Sahara, swept the overall 3-year-old class by a huge margin, with a combined score of 86.988. Handled expertly by Martin Douzant he dominated in hand, scoring 83.175 and then went on to get an incredible score of 90.8 free jumping. This young horse (bred originally for dressage!) is most definitely one to watch as he climbs the ladder to stardom.

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FEH East Coast Overall Reserve Champion Slim and Trim. Photo by Miranda Akins.

Taking second overall for the three year olds and topping the 3-year-old fillies division was Slim and Trim, owned and handled by Sabrina Morris. Slim and Trim, a beautiful Thoroughbred filly by Jump Start and out of Buff Girl, gave a beautiful performance with an overall score of 83.79. In an event filled with Warmbloods and sport horses this was a very exciting result for Sabrina and the world of Thoroughbreds. Slim and Trim had an 81.25 in hand and an 86.33 in the jump chute.

Third overall for the the three year olds was Modern Art, a Connemara Filly (ArdCeltic Art, My Little Khieba) owned by Justine Ix. Modern Art had a final score of 82.791. This wonderful filly scored a 76.375 in hand and an incredible 89.208 over fences, the second highest jump score of the day.

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Second place filly and third place overall, Modern Art. Photo by Miranda Akins.

To follow, Lambrecht ASH was the fourth placed 3-year-old with a score of 81.043, and Frame Gandalf finished fifth among the three year olds. Click here to view full FEH 3-year-old scores.

Wise Master Rubelk was the 2-year-old Overall Champion on an 80.6. This is an Irish Sport Horse by Shamelk, out of Master Ruby and owned by Ronald Zabala-Goetschel. Ronald had a total of 15 horses in the championship, six of which competed in the the 2-year-old classes and placed competitively.

Overall 2-year-old Reserve Champion was Wise Gem Twistess, a Thoroughbred cross filly by Gemini, out of Contessa Z. She is also owned by Ronald and earned a score of 77.725.

Third overall in the two year olds was Wise Bolero Du Rouet, an Argentine Sport Horse colt by Balou Du Rouet and out of Baral Obera. He finished with a 80.6. Way to go Ronald and Wise Horse Farm for a spectacular show of horses and a great turnout for the Future Event Horse series!

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Overall Yearling and Yearling Colt Champion, Lanthan Lights C. Photo by Miranda Akins.

In the yearling classes, the overall Champion was Lanthan Lights C, a Hanovarian colt (Lanthan, Winter Morning) owned by Laurie Cameron. Lanthan Lights won with a 78.705 and is a very impressive prospect. Laurie has been a longtime supporter of the USEA Future Event Horse Series with several of her horses currently competing at the upper levels, and we think it very likely that this colt has an incredible future ahead of him.

The Yearling Reserve Champion was Karmas The Best, a Dutch Warmblood filly by Farrington, out of Dolly D and owned by Jason Racey. Karmas The Best had a score of 77.3.

Third overall yearling was Wise Master Rubbaldik, a Thoroughbred Cross colt by Royaldik/Master Bonnie, another great horse owned by Ronald Zabala-Goetschel. Wise Master Rubbaldik had a score of 77.025.

A huge thanks to Loch Moy Farm for a spectacular event! Always an incredible venue and great staff to keep everything running smoothly. And of course events like this wouldn’t be possible without the great volunteers and sponsors that support eventing and our future event horses.

Great job to all handlers, owners, grooms and breeders for showing us the future champions of our sport. I know on behalf of myself and the rest of the eventing community we are so excited to see them grow and develop in the following years. Best of luck!

Wizards with Chainsaws: Skyline Eventing Debuts Prelim Level One Year After Opening their Doors

By on Oct 8, 2016 11:00 am -
1 - St. Jude Log. Photo by Lorraine Jackson

1 – St. Jude Log. Photo by Lorraine Jackson.

Skyline Eventing Park organizers and course designer James Atkinson are pleased as punch to be debuting a Preliminary division cross country course this weekend at their burgeoning facility–one which only opened its doors for the first time exactly one year ago. This course will be Utah’s second Preliminary division and cuts down the distance between two Prelim event facilities from eight hours apart to three hours apart. The organizers have put in the hours to make it happen, but nonetheless seem a little surprised to have pulled it off.

In 2014, the City of Mt. Pleasant, Utah approached local equine vet and eventer Summer Peterson about an idea. The city had built a major regional rodeo facility on 100 acres and still had 65 acres left. Might she and her fellow athletes be interested in building a cross country course out there?

In the two years since, the raw, rugged land speckled in sage brush and yellow sandstone boulders has been transformed into a premiere recognized event in Area IX. When they decided to add a Preliminary course for the next fall event, among their highest priorities was building a division that perfectly complimented the existing levels of Intro through Training.

“The thing that’s cool about our course is we have mini versions of everything, so the ditch wall on the Intro course is built the same way we built the ditch wall on Prelim,” said Carrie Matteson, co-organizer and show secretary. “The quality of building, the design and the strength are the same for every fence, and that’s something that was really important to us in this area.”

18ab - Pallisade to Bank. Photo by Lorraine Jackson.

18ab – Pallisade to Bank. Photo by Lorraine Jackson.

Skyline is co-organized by five women, including Dr. Peterson, who are avid eventers and were eager to fill a desperate need in the region. They almost immediately contracted course designer James Atkinson to build a course from scratch that could simultaneously test and advance riders and trainers in the area but also be an open invitation to lower level riders to catch the eventing bug.

“He’s a wizard with a chainsaw,” Carrie says of James. “You go from a raw log we pulled off the mountain last year and in 45 minutes he’s transformed it into a trakehner, entirely free-hand. Seeing the vision in his mind transformed into this beautiful jump is something that’s so cool to be a part of.”

Organizers share that it’s been a bit of a sociology study watching eventers, ranchers and the local rodeo community come together in a single venue and respect each other’s crafts and spaces. Sometimes the eventers stash overflowing horses in stalls in the cattle pens, and the cowboys sometimes wander out on their horses to take a gander at the cross country course.

The connection deepened this summer following the death of longtime local English instructor and fellow eventer Ellen Walker. Both the eventing and local community were reeling from the loss, and the ConToy arena which houses both the rodeo complex and Skyline Eventing became a gathering place for all who missed her. Skyline Eventing named the fall event after her, and among the new Preliminary fences is a “book jump” built in Ellen’s honor (she was an avid reader), and organizers hope it will be a space where both equestrians and non-equestrians in the community can have a place to come and remember their friend.

3 - Ellen Walker's Book Jump. Photo by Lorraine Jackson

3 – Ellen Walker’s Book Jump. Photo by Lorraine Jackson.

Throughout the week since the jump was placed, riders and locals have been seen lingering at the fence, and you’ll often catch sight of someone touching the pages of the book where Ellen’s poetry verses have been added, or staring at it from a distance.

The event has a strong spirit and a powerful momentum, and the organizers signed a deal earlier this year with Area IX to host the Area championships in 2017.

“Not even two years ago we had zero dollars, and today we’re going to run our first Prelim division with no debt, and that’s a testament to the eventing community, the sponsors, the city officials and the local community who embraced us and our sport here,” Carrie said. “The stars aligned for this, for sure.”

The Event at Skyline: [Website] [Live Scores]

Skyline Cross Country Course Preview:

 

Boekelo CCIO3* XC Live Updates: Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett Sit 2nd Heading into SJ

By on Oct 8, 2016 4:10 am -
Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook's Scarlett. Photo by Leslie Wylie. Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook's Scarlett. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

While the party-goers at Boekelo are gearing up for a bit of cross country and day drinking, here we are (or is it just me? is anyone out there at 4 a.m. on a Saturday?) Stateside with a sleepy eye on the live stream. Give yourself a pat on the back, friend, you are a seriously dedicated fan! With any sense, we would all stay in bed with the live stream running and simply set the alarm clock to the following times to at least be awake to watch USA’s girl squad on course. You can always check back here later to get all the action-packed details.

If you missed it, click here to hear our riders and Coach David O’Connor thoughts on today’s challenge and for virtual a tour around the course with commentary from designer Sue Benson.

#MBE16: Website, Schedule,Entries, Dressage Ride Times,Leaderboard, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, @eventingnation, Instagram

Whew! What a morning, and what a way to finish with Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett’s lovely lovely round. Two extra seconds over the time puts them second place behind Stephanie Bohe and Haytom for Germany, but the scores are extremely close and they are absolutely still in the game. Elinor MacPhail and RF Eloquence are 22nd after their clear round, and Tamra Smith and Dempsey made a huge leap up the standings from 69th to 36th. Leslie Wylie will be along with a full report and photos from Boekelo in a bit. Go Eventing.

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4:00 a.m EST: Goedemorgen! Boekelo is underway in the Netherlands. Thanks for joining us this early morning to cheer on these riders. Our first American rider doesn’t start on course until 6:20 EST, but we have a couple hours of great cross country action to enjoy mean time.

4:00 a.m. EST: Oliver Townend (GBR) and Cooley SRS are the first on course and they’re having no trouble so far with only a handful of fences to go. They are ninth after dressage.

4:11 a.m. EST: There were some withdrawals before cross country, so we have a total of 94 horses to see today.

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4:20 a.m. EST: Tom Van Den Broeck and F F Welldone for Belgium were clear with 33.6 time penalties while Oli had only 2.4 penalties.

4:23 a.m. EST: Paul Tapner parted ways with Bonanza King of Rouges at 9C. The horse took off too long and couldn’t quite make the step out. Bonanza took off and Paul was quickly on his feet. Huge bummer as they were third overnight.

4:34 a.m. EST: Matthieu Vanlandeghem (FRA) and Safran du Chanois ENE HN picked up 20 at the third skinny wedge at fence seven but had a clear round otherwise with 22.4 time faults.

4:35 a.m. EST: New Zealand’s Daniel Jocelyn gives us our first clear inside the time with Beaucatcher, that will send them into show jumping on their dressage score of 57.2.

4:37 a.m. EST: Tegan White (IRL) and Texan Style are really going for it. They were another to have a problem at the wedges at 7, the B element for them, but they’ve rallied and this Irish skewbald is putting in a cracking round. I do love his style!

4:43 a.m. EST: Alice Naber-Lozeman (NED) is elated with Coral Estate Harry Belafonte as they finish clear and inside the time! 53.9 will be their overnight score.

4:50 a.m. EST: Hedvig Wik had a refusal with Chippieh at the skinny table at 11C plus 18.4 time faults for an overnight score of 87.4. They’re sending the horses out at around 8-minute intervals and the live stream has been going in and out just a bit, hence the pauses between updates.

4:54 a.m. EST: Germany’s Anna Siemer has a fall with Chloe 21 at 17B, a brush corner. I didn’t see it happen but will get back to you with any updates on the pair.

5:00 a.m. EST: Susanna Bordone brings home a clear round with 22.8 time for Italy riding Portphillip Jones.

5:02 a.m. EST: Those wedges at 7 will be the bugbear of the day. Kai Ruder and Ben Hobday both pick up a refusal at the B element.

Kai Ruder and Coin Toss (GER) re-tackling the troublesome three of skinnies at #7. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Kai Ruder and Coin Toss (GER) re-tackling the troublesome three of skinnies at #7. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

5:07 a.m. EST: Ben Hobday and Ciletto H pick up another refusal at the skinny table at 17B. Meanwhile Great Britain’s Nicole Rooke and Foreign Encounter finish clear with 25.2 time penalties.

5:10 a.m. EST: Charlotte Bacon and Last Touch have a stop at 7B. Let’s take a look at this serious accuracy question. There are three wedges like the image below (the A element is slightly wider) on nearly a full S turn. It’s early on the course, it’s the second combination, and a huge crowd has gathered in the area. Most are having to swing wide to change a lead or slow down significantly to make the turns. Then you better fly straight and true!

Photo via Cross Country App.

Photo via Cross Country App.

5:19 a.m. EST: Marie Caroline Barbier and Picasso d’Oreal of France are the first to have a problem at the bounce brushes at the water at 9. It looked like the 13-year-old just pecked on landing and fell.

5:21 a.m. EST: The leader after dressage is on course now. Isabella Innes Ker and Carolyn have to go double clear to stay ahead of USA’s Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett in second place.

5:23 a.m. EST: Fiona Breach and Drumhowan Black Magic are double clear with a masterfully timed ride. Isabella is clear through 17 so far.

5:23 a.m. EST: Isabella Innes Ker and Carolyn finish clear but with 14.4 time penalties, that means Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett will head out on course in the lead!

5:42 a.m. EST: Switzerland’s Jasmin Gambirasio and That’s It are eliminated after three refusals on course. Great Britain’s Flora Harris and Bayano, 12th after dressage, part ways at 5B resulting in elimination.

5:52 a.m. EST: Gwendolen Fer and Traumprinz for France are another pair to have problems at 7B.

5:57 a.m. EST: Sam Griffiths (AUS) and Beaurepaire Nemo have a cracking clear round with 8.4 time penalties. Sam says in the post-ride interview that he took all the direct routes but took his time with the horse. They move down the leaderboard only slightly with a two-phase score of 52.0.

6:02 a.m. EST: The frustrating wedges at 7 continue to catch horses out. Blyth Tait (NZL) and Xanthus III have a stop at the first element. Norwegian team rider Heidi Bratlie Larsen has a stop at C with Euforian and opts to retire there.

6:12 a.m. EST: A masterful ride from Dutchman Tim Lips and the very experienced Keyflow. At 19 years old this horse still looks brilliant out there! Twelve time penalties and an overnight score of 65.7.

6:17 a.m. EST: Padraig McCarty and Bernadette Utopia are home clear with only 3.2 time penalties for Ireland!

6:21 a.m. EST: The first American of the day, Kylie Lyman, is on course now with Lup the Loop!

Kylie Lyman and Lup the Loop. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Kylie Lyman and Lup the Loop. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

6:22 a.m. EST: Of course the live stream is freezing up while Kylie is on course. You guys all woke up just in time to watch her, didn’t you?

6:24 a.m. EST: Rats! Kylie and Lup the Loop drive by the C element at 7.

6:26 a.m. EST: Lup the Loop jumps in huge at the water at 11, trips on landing but manages to recover but has no ability to reorganize for the bounce brushes out at B and C. That will be another 20 penalties and Kylie opts to retire. What a bummer.

6:40 a.m. EST: The live scores are now showing Kylie Lyman as having been eliminated after their problems at the water. Not sure why but we will keep you posted.

6:41 a.m. EST: Great Britain’s Georgie Strang loses his balance over the second wedge at 7. He nearly hangs on but ultimately pops off of Cooley Earl which unfortunately means elimination.

6:52 a.m. EST: Alice Naber-Lozeman gets her second clear of the day, this time with ACSI Zamzam. They cross the finish only 2 seconds over the time for a two-phase score of 57.9.

6:53 a.m. EST: India’s Fouaad Mirza and Touchingwood are eliminated on refusals at the wedges at 7. And Tamie Smith is on course with Dempsey!

6:55 a.m. EST: Tamie is very careful with the young Dempsey through the wedges at 7 and are clear so far!

Tamie Smith and Dempsey. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Tamie Smith and Dempsey. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

7:02 a.m. EST: Jordy Wilken (NED) had a fall from Burry Spirit at fence 20, the “Tankwagen” and there is a hold on course. Tamie and Dempsey were clear through fence 19 before being held.

7:10 a.m. EST: We are back underway and will keep you posted on Jordy Wilken and Burry Spirit as soon as we have any information to share. Tamie Smith and Dempsey are clear now through 23. They take the direct route there and are four fences from home.

7:12 a.m. EST: Tamie and Dempsey have finished CLEAR. We’re just waiting on their time.

7:15 a.m. EST: Raphael Cochet and Sherazad de Louviere for France were held also after Jordy’s fall. Interestingly, he kept his horse trotting and cantering during the hold. They got back underway with fervor but drove by the corner after the bank at 23. They took the option B but incurred 20 penalties there.

7:18 a.m. EST: 16.4 time penalties for Tamie Smith and Dempsey. An awesome result for this young horse over today’s tough course!

Padraig McCarthy and Bernadette Utopia. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Padraig McCarthy and Bernadette Utopia. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

7:21 a.m. EST: Oliver Townend is on course for the second time today, this time with Ballaghmor Class. They pick up 20 at the wedge at 7b. The 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse left out a stride at the bank out of water at 9, tripped up the step and then crawled over the final element. Remarkably, they were clear!

7:24 a.m. EST: Great Britain’s Beanie Sturgiss is just having all sorts of trouble at the water with The Corn Crake. The 9-year-old gives a resounding “no” at both the direct and long routes into water. The live scores show they were ultimately eliminated for three refusals.

7:28 a.m. EST: Boekelo has tweeted that Jordy Wilken’s horse Burry Spirit is no worse for wear after their fall, but Jordy has been taken to the hospital to get checked out.

7:36 a.m. EST: Just one second over the time and a beautiful clear round for Great Britain’s Sarah Bullimore and Lilly Corinne. They sit on a 50.9 after the first two phases.

7:42 a.m. EST: Umberto Riva (ITA) and Phoenix d’Amigny are clear and at the moment the scores say they finished in 9:15, which is well over a minute faster than optimum. I would be surprised if that was not a mistake.

7:47 a.m. EST: Felicity Ward and The Illusionist (IRL) retire after a stop at the drop at 23. Maxime Livio and Pica d’Or have a fall at fence 5 and are unfortunately eliminated.

7:49 a.m. EST: Megan Heath (NZL) and Camelot finish clear with 35.6 time penalties.

7:58 a.m. EST: Chloe Raty (BEL) parted ways from Axel Z at the water at 9 and takes an unfortunate bath but they are both up and fine. Samantha Birch and Hunter Valley II have a fall at the wedges at 7. They are up and okay but that unfortunately drops Australia out of the Nations Cup team competition. Laura Collett (GBR) and Mr Bass are home clear with 3.6 time.

8:16 a.m. EST: Jesse Campbell (NZL) and Amsterdam 21 had two refusals on course before a fall at fence 21. Both are on their feet and walking off course.

8:26 a.m. EST: Norway’s Ellen Kristina Hynne and Dutchman Theo Van de Vendel are both home clear with time. Anna Freskard has also crossed the finish clear. You may remember this Swedish rider for her daughter Edwina, a future eventing star and her trusty pony.

8:30 a.m. EST: Ellie MacPhail and RF Eloquence are on course!

8:33 a.m. EST: Ellie is clear through those difficult wedges and has a beautiful ride through the first water!

8:35 a.m. EST: Ellie and RF Eloquence have successfully negotiated the three skinnies at 11, the other bogey combination on course. Tamie Smith is on course now too with Twizted Syster. Go girls, go!

8:36 a.m. EST: Tamie just can’t quite get Twizted Syster straight after the turn to the second wedge at 7 and they pick up a frustrating runout. Clear on the second attempt. Ellie MacPhail is having a great ride, clear through 19!

Tamie Smith and Twizted Syster. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Tamie Smith and Twizted Syster. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

8:38 a.m. EST: Twizted Syster a little awkward through the brush bounce at 11 but they are clear. Ellie takes the long route at the final combination at 23. They are just a few from home and so far clear!

8:40 a.m. EST: Ellie MacPhail and RF Eloquence finish CLEAR. What a classy round! Just waiting on their time now. Tamie and Twizted Syster are clear through 17.

Ellie MacPhail and RF Eloquence. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Ellie MacPhail and RF Eloquence. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

8:42 a.m. EST: Tamie Smith and Twizted Syster have a fall at the rail in the water at 18. Twizted Syster just stumbles on landing and submarines into the water. Both are on their feet and walking off but that is a really unfortunate end to Team USA’s Nations Cup outing.

8:44 a.m. EST: Ellie ended up with 17.2 time penalties. Andreas Dibowski produced the first double-clear we’ve seen in a while this morning, crossing the finish one second under time after a cracking round with FRH Butts Avedon.

8:59 a.m. EST: Tim Lips falls with Brent at 23A, the final combination on course. Germany’s Kai Ruder finishes clear with over 30 time penalties on Travenort’s Lucio. Alice Naber-Lozeman is on course with her third ride of the day, Coral Estate Curacao. She’s put up two clears so far, can she get another?

9:05 a.m. EST: Coral Estate Curacao takes a peek at the first drop into water but he’s very honest to pick up and carry on with encouragement from Alice. This 9-year-old is tackling his first CCI3*! They have another sticky moment at the trakehner line at 15ABC, but once again he tries really hard for his mom, who is convinced he CAN do it.. and he does!

9:09 a.m. EST: Flora Harris is not having the best day. She fell earlier from Bayano and has picked up two refusals now at the wedge combination with Cooley Lord Lux.

9:11 a.m. EST: Coral Estate Curacao takes out the flag at 23B but he keeps his shoulder inside to remain clear. Alice had to really work for it, but she’s just thrilled with this young horse as they cross the finish without any jumping penalties and only 7.6 time penalties. She’s been pumping the air all day and with good reason! Alice Naber-Lozeman has had three out of three clear rounds, one double clear, another with  0.8 time and now the third with 7.6.

9:14 a.m. EST: Flora Harris is eliminated after a third refusal on course. Oliver Townend raises his hand and retires MHS King Joules after a hard stop at the drop into the first water. The 11-year-old just never seemed to find his rhythm despite the expert guidance from Oli.

9:19 a.m. EST: We are approaching the final ten horse and rider combinations to tackle this course, including Lauren Kieffer and her Pan Am team gold medal mount Meadowbrook’s Scarlett at 10:04 EST.

9:25 a.m. EST: Irishman Padraig McCarthy was having a super round with Dromgurrihy Blue and fell off at 17. The horse managed to stay on his feet for the most part while Padraig went over his head. He’s holding a tissue to his nose but is on his feet and seems otherwise fine.

9:31 a.m. EST: Izzy Taylor (GBR) and Trevidden are double clerar with the second fastest round of the day (Umberto Riva’s 9:15 is still standing on the live scores) at 10:33. That moves them well up the leaderboard from 22nd to a likely top 10 before show jumping and gives Great Britain the lead in the Nations Cup!

9:33 a.m. EST: Vincent Martens (BEL) retired Zeta after problems at the skinny fences at 11ABC.

9:39 a.m. EST: Sir Mark Todd and Kiltubrid Rhapsody, fourth overnight, are on course and could really put the pressure on Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett as there is only a 0.2 penalty difference between the two pairs.

9:47 a.m. EST: Mark Todd finishes clear, 11 seconds over the time for a two-phase score of 46.7. They will finish the day no lower than 4th.

9:52 a.m. EST: Mark Todd says in the post-ride interview that Kiltubrid Rhapsody is a new ride for him and being a long course and the horse not a Thoroughbred, he was unsure how he would cope, but said the Irish Sport Horse jumped well and galloped to the finish.

9:53 a.m. EST: Hans Bauer for Norway and Præstegårdens Leopold are clear and five seconds under the optimum, giving us our sixth double clear of the day. They move well up the leaderboard from their 40th place after dressage.

Emma Dougall and Fernhill Tabasco (AUS). Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Emma Dougall and Fernhill Tabasco (AUS). Photo by Leslie Wylie.

9:56 a.m. EST: Sweden’s William Nilsson Fryer and La Liga have a fall at the second jump on course. Italy’s Pietro Sandei also has an early fall on course when Rubis de Prere pecked on landing at number 3, unseating his rider.

10:00 a.m. EST: There is going to be a hold on course while officials check on Pietro.

10:10 a.m. EST: We are back under way.

10:12 a.m. EST: Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett are on course! they are currently leading with a few points worth of time penalties breathing room over Andreas Dibowski. COME ON LAUREN!

10:16 a.m. EST: Lauren and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett absolutely beautifully through the wedges at 7, maybe the best we’ve seen all day.

10:17 a.m. EST: Absolutely foot-perfect through the first water.

10:19 a.m. EST: Germany’s Stephanie Bohe and Haytom are double-clear and move ahead of Andreas. Lauren and Scarlett look excellent through the trakehner combination at 15 and the combination at 17.

Stephanie Böhe (GER) and Haytom. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Stephanie Böhe (GER) and Haytom. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

10:22 a.m. EST: Lauren is clear through the final combination on course! She is four from home!

10:23 a.m. EST: Lauren is over the last! She’s clear! She crosses the finish six seconds over the time which will drop her back to second behind Stephanie Bohe, but what a cracking round! It was so smooth and they made it look easy! The O’Connors and the amazing Team USA are there at the finish to congratulate them and help tend to Scarlett.

Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook's Scarlett. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Watch the Boekelo CCI3* Cross Country Live Stream Right Here

By on Oct 8, 2016 3:00 am -
Rise and shine, little buddy, Boekelo cross country is on! We know it's hard to get out of bed but how comfortable is sleeping in a wooden shoe really, anyway? Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Rise and shine, little buddy, Boekelo cross country is on! We know it’s hard to get out of bed but how comfortable is sleeping in a wooden shoe really, anyway? Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Sleep when you’re dead, Eventing Nation — the Boekelo live stream is on! We understand how hard it is to click a mouse more than once before you’ve had your coffee, so we went ahead and embedded it for you right here. Click the lower right hand corner to expand to full screen. Because we here at EN strive to be your #1 source for 4 a.m. cross country viewing parties, Leslie Threlkeld is running live updates too, so keep an eye on those at this link.

Here’s a link to cross country ride times and the leaderboard, and be sure to check out our cross country preview here with commentary from Coach David O’Connor and course designer Sue Benson. There’s a six hour time difference between EST and the Netherlands, and if you’re watching the livestream it’s still way too early to do math, so here’s a handy time zone converter:

Cross country gets underway at 10 a.m. local time (4 a.m. EST) with 9th placed Oliver Townend and Cooley SRS leading off — check out our feature on Oliver from earlier today here.

U.S. Cross Country Ride Times

12:20 p.m. local time/6:20 a.m. EST: Kylie Lyman and Lup the Loop (32nd place after dressage)
12:51 p.m. local time/6:51 a.m. EST: Tamie Smith and Dempsey (69th place after dressage)
2:28 p.m. local time/8:28 a.m. EST: Ellie MacPhail and RF Eloquence (21st place after dressage)
2:32 p.m. local time/8:32 a.m. EST: Tamie Smith and Twizted Syster (49th place after dressage)
4:04 p.m. local time/10:04 a.m. EST: Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett (2nd place after dressage)

Go Eventing.

#MBE16: Website, Schedule,Entries, XC Ride Times & Leaderboard, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, @eventingnation, Instagram

Saturday Links from Tipperary

By on Oct 8, 2016 12:01 am -
0.1 off the lead! Go Lauren Go! 0.1 off the lead! Go Lauren Go!

It’s cross country day at Boekelo! When it comes to events around the world, Boekelo is certainly one of my favorites, just because it’s SUCH a fun word to say. Best wishes for a clear, safe and fantastic ride to Lauren Kieffer who is heading in to cross country day just a breath off the lead. She is literally just 0.1 off the lead. If anyone can pull it off it’s most certainly Lauren.

Boekelo – #MBE16: Website, Schedule, Entries, Dressage Ride Times, Leaderboard, Live Stream,  EN’s Coverage, @eventingnation, Instagram

Events This Weekend:

The Maryland HT at Loch Moy Farm: [Website] [Entry Status][Live Scores]

Spokane Sport Horse Farm Fall HT: [Website] [Live Scores]

Heritage Park HT: [Website] [Live Scores]

The Event at Skyline: [Website] [Live Scores]

Feather Creek HT: [Website] [Live Scores]

Woodside International HT: [Website] [Live Scores]

Middle Tennessee Pony Club HT: [Website][Live Scores]

Course Brook Farm Fall HT: [Website]

WindRidge Farm Fall HT: [Website][Live Scores]

Radnor Hunt HT: [Website] [Entry Status][Live Scores]

Las Cruces HT: [Website] [Live Scores]

Kent School Fall HT: [Website][Live Scores]

Saturday Links: 

Eventing super league gets underway

Young Brit leads at Boekelo

Arrow wound kills Vermont horse

Top BEF Futurity eventing scorers include twins born by embryo transfer

Willow Draw adds CIC*and CCI* to Area V Calendar for 2017

Woodford Reserve and Swingtown Named 2016 West Coast Young Event Horse Champions

Saturday Video: 

Friday Video from World Equestrian Brands: Happy Boekelo Birthday, Tim Lips!

By on Oct 7, 2016 4:30 pm -
Photo by Leslie Wylie. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Dutch Olympian and 2016 Boekelo competitor Tim Lips had no intention of making a big fuss over the fact that today is his 31st birthday — even his teammates were in the dark.

But when word got out in the press room, someone devised a plan to rope Tim inside after his dressage test, whereupon he was bombarded with a Dutch rendition of “Happy Birthday” and double-cheek smooched within an inch of his life by every woman in the room.

The song is called “Lang Zal Hij Leven” (translation: “Long Shall He Live”) and ends with a charming triple cheer of “hip, hip, hip, hurrah!” I caught the tail end of it on camera.

Tim is competing two horses this week, Keyflow and Brent.

Tim Lips and Brent. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Tim Lips and Brent. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

From all of us here at Eventing Nation: Happy Boekelo Birthday, Tim, and best of luck cross country tomorrow!

It’s (Almost) Partytime: Boekelo CCI3* Cross Country Preview

By on Oct 7, 2016 3:00 pm -
Photo via Cross Country App. Photo via Cross Country App.

You won’t see any carved wooden animals or fake turquoise water complexes at Boekelo. This is straight-up cross-country — no frills, no cutesy distractions, nothing except you and your horse and 28 questions you’re going to need to answer in timed-quiz fashion.

(Oh, and also 60,000 spectators partying it up on the sidelines. But if you’re doing it right, they’ll just be a blur as you gallop past. And you’ll definitely be a blur to many of them.)

It’s a twisty, at-times claustrophobic track with lots of dips in and out of the woods, which will make time a big factor. Last year there were only four double-clear rounds out of 85 starters. Riders looking to beat the clock will need to keep their foot on the gas throughout.

Tree! Photo courtesy of Cross Country App.

Tree! Photo courtesy of Cross Country App.

There are also plenty of surprises along the way. Several jumps come up suddenly off turns, and the horses won’t have much time to get their eye on the fence before willing their feet to leave the ground. Mercifully there are a number of happy-go-lucky galloping fences tucked in there as well to give everybody a quick mental breather and confidence booster in between the more technical questions.

The carnival atmosphere is another consideration. Last year I had a hard time just walking from jump to jump, the crowd was packed so tightly in places. Boekelo is a party event and cross country day is the fever pitch of festivity — there are makeshift bars set up beside the galloping lanes throughout the course. (The joke is that riders who don’t make it around can stop for a drink during their long walk back to the barn.)

Military Boekelo – Enschede 2016 komt alweer héél dichtbij.

Dit jaar kun je met het ** Military VIP Plaza & Walking…

Posted by Military Boekelo – Enschede on Saturday, October 10, 2015

The soirée gets rowdier as the day wears on, and all of our riders go in the afternoon, with second-placed Lauren Kieffer being the very last to leave the box.

I’m not worried about Lauren, though — in 2015 she neatly found the finish flags on two horses, including Landmark Monte Carlo who made a massive leap up the scoreboard from 46th after dressage into the top 10 thanks to a swift, efficient cross country round that accrued only 1.2 time. She’s got a 44-place lead on herself over last year, and I don’t expect a little atmosphere to distract this seasoned partnership.

Lauren Kieffer and Landmark’s Monte Carlo on their way to a near double-clear finish at Boekelo 2015. Can we all just take a moment to appreciate the fact that there was a bounce house full of squealing kids just a few meters before this fence? Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Lauren Kieffer and Landmark’s Monte Carlo on their way to a near double-clear finish at Boekelo 2015. Can we all just take a moment to appreciate the fact that there was a bounce house full of squealing kids just a few meters before this fence? Photo by Leslie Wylie.

And, to turn lemons into spiked lemonade: Every U.S. horse who competes at Boekelo this weekend will come away with the invaluable experience of competing in an atmosphere that will serve them well in future international competition.

Some thoughts from Coach David O’Connor and our U.S. contingent:

Ellie MacPhail: “I think it looks good. It think it will really suit [RF Eloquence] because it has a bunch of galloping tables at the beginning, which really helps him — when the questions come really fast in the beginning I have a hard time getting him settled in. He’s definitely easier at CCIs because he has time to kind of get his energy out at the beginning when there’s more galloping. There are a lot of accuracy questions on the course that will keep him thinking.”

Tamie Smith: “It’s very twisty — there aren’t many straight gallops — and the crowds here are very large and you don’t really know what to expect when you haven’t had a horse here before or a horse that has been in large crowds. My horses are typically very bold and brave so I know they want to jump the jumps — if they can see the jumps then they’ll be good.

“You just take one combination at a time and try to go for it as much as you can and have a good go and see what you get. I don’t think it walks really tough but knowing all the elements involved I think it is, actually, very tough, so I think there will be problems all throughout the course.”

Here’s a course preview from our friends at Cross Country App, with photos from all angles and insights from course designer Sue Benson. Many thanks to Willy Leysen for the recording!

Cross country gets underway Saturday morning at 10 a.m. local time (4 a.m. EST) with 9th placed Oliver Townend and Cooley SRS leading off — check out our feature on Oliver from earlier today here.

U.S. Cross Country Ride Times

12:20 p.m. local time/6:20 a.m. EST: Kylie Lyman and Lup the Loop (32nd place after dressage)

12:51 p.m. local time/6:51 a.m. EST: Tamie Smith and Dempsey (69th place after dressage)

2:28 p.m. local time/8:28 a.m. EST: Ellie MacPhail and RF Eloquence (21st place after dressage)

2:32 p.m. local time/8:32 a.m. EST: Tamie Smith and Twizted Syster (49th place after dressage)

4:04 p.m. local time/10:04 a.m. EST: Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett (2nd place after dressage)

Let’s get this party started! Go Eventing.

Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett Stalk Boekelo CCI3* Lead by 0.1 Point

By on Oct 7, 2016 12:00 pm -
Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook's Scarlett. Photo by Leslie Wylie. Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook's Scarlett. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Gefeliciteerd/congrats to Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett, who swept into second place at the 11th hour of Military Boekelo CCI3* dressage. They were the very last of 94 entries but closed out the day with a fierce challenge to leader Isabella Innes Ker, who set the bar at 42.0 Thursday morning.

No one could quite catch the 22-year-old Brit, who is making her CCI3* debut with the Duchess of Roxburghe’s 12-year-old Hannoverian mare Carolyn, but Lauren and Scarlett came the closest with their impressive 42.1.

Scarlett, a 9-year-old Thoroughbred/Holsteiner mare owned and bred in the U.S. by Marie le Menestrel, was basically perfect, as usual. If they left a sliver of a point on the table somewhere I certainly didn’t see it, as their test was a study in accuracy, obedience and elegance.

You can tell from Scarlett’s eye what a sweetheart she is, and that she’s a straight-A student who wants nothing more than to please her rider.

Listed as a reserve with Lauren for the U.S. Olympic Team this year, we look forward to seeing Scarlett shake her bridesmaid status this weekend. You’d be a fool to bet against this pair tomorrow — in 45 career starts, including seven three-star events, Scarlett has never had a cross country jump penalty — and she’s a none or maybe one rail show jumper.

Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook's Scarlett. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Here’s some bad iPhone video of the homestretch of their test:

Ellie MacPhail and RF Eloquence were the first of three American pairs in the dressage ring today. This is Ellie’s first overseas event but if the 26-year-old was troubled by any nerves she certainly wasn’t showing it. The pair scored a 48.2, good for 21st place heading into cross country.

“I was really happy with our test,” Ellie said. “When we went to Plantation he was really up in the atmosphere, and to come here and have his mind in the ring and him be really good, I was really happy with him.”

The 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding (alias: “Ricky Bobby”), owned by Sally Crane, cuts quite a striking figure in the ring — you couldn’t take a bad photo of him if you tried, see below. And Ellie is a fitting match; I complimented her after her ride on her poise in the tack, “You sit up there like a princess!”

This is a return trip to Europe for Ricky Bobby, who was bred in Germany and competed through the CIC* level with Dirk Schrade. Boekelo is more or less on the Netherlands/Germany border so we’re going to call this a homecoming trip, and he certainly seems happy to be here thus far. Here’s wishing them the best of luck tomorrow — they turned in a confident performance at Plantation and completed their first four-star at Rolex before that. Shake and bake!

Ellie MacPhail and RF Eloquence. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Ellie MacPhail and RF Eloquence. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Ellie MacPhail and RF Eloquence. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Ellie MacPhail and RF Eloquence. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Tamie Smith has two horses here: Dempsey, who went yesterday (see our Thursday dressage report here), and Twizted Syster, who scored a 53.9 this afternoon to sit in 49th position.

Tamie reflected on her test with the 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare owned by the Twizted Systers, LLC: “Her trot work was lovely. She got a little but strong at the canter but at Blenheim she felt a little bit tired, so I tried to do less today than I did at Blenheim, and she was just a little bit tense.”

The judges here at Boekelo seem to be really marking horses down for any tension, and “Chloe” jigged at the walk, which likely had a ripple effect into her collective marks for submission. “But it is what it is, and that’s what it is today,” Tamie said.

Chloe’s Blenheim outing was followed up by a fourth-placed finish in the CIC2* at Gatcombe Park in mid-September and we’re looking forward to watching this confirmed partnership make short work of tomorrow’s course. It is so much fun to see Tamie on this side of the pond, in the mix with a huge international field, with these two talented horses. She certainly has earned her place and we wish her the best of luck!

Tamie Smith and Twizted Syster. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Tamie Smith and Twizted Syster. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Tamie Smith and Twizted Syster. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Tamie Smith and Twizted Syster. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Boekelo CCI3* top 20 after dressage:

screen-shot-2016-10-07-at-6-07-50-pm

Cross country gets underway tomorrow at 10 a.m. local time (4 a.m. EST) with 9th placed Oliver Townend and Cooley SRS leading off — check out our feature on Oliver from earlier today here.

U.S. Cross Country Ride Times

12:20 p.m. local time/6:20 a.m. EST: Kylie Lyman and Lup the Loop (32nd place after dressage)

12:51 p.m. local time/6:51 a.m. EST: Tamie Smith and Dempsey (69th place after dressage)

2:28 p.m. local time/8:28 a.m. EST: Ellie MacPhail and RF Eloquence (21st place after dressage)

2:32 p.m. local time/8:32 a.m. EST: Tamie Smith and Twizted Syster (49th place after dressage)

4:04 p.m. local time/10:04 a.m. EST: Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett (2nd place after dressage)

Go Eventing.

 

 

 

Catching Up with Oliver Townend, Who Has Two Inside Dressage Top 10 at Boekelo

By on Oct 7, 2016 11:00 am -
Oliver Townend and MHS King Joules. Photo by Leslie Wylie. Oliver Townend and MHS King Joules. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Oliver Townend is on a roll. The Shropshire-based eventer is currently the highest-ranked British eventer in the world, having enjoyed wins and excellent results over the past two months at Blair Castle, Burghley, Blenheim and Ballindenisk.

His second place finish in the final leg of the Event Riders Masters at Blenheim, riding Cillnabradden Evo, sealed his well-deserved victory in the whole ERM series and now he’s off and running in the Boekelo CCI3* as well. The two horses he is competing, MHS King Joules and Cooley SRS, are very well positioned after the dressage phase, sitting eighth and ninth respectively heading into tomorrow’s cross country competition — an impressive accomplishment considering the massive 97-horse field.

With so much momentum already behind him, it’s no wonder Oliver has high hopes for his extensive string of horses in 2017.

EN caught up with Oliver for a chat after a busy weekend at the UK’s Bishop Burton H.T., where he took five young horses to contest the 100cm and Novice classes.

Oliver Townend and Cooley SRS. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Oliver Townend and Cooley SRS. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

On Cillnabradden Evo

 We congratulated Oliver on winning the influential ERM Series, and asked him what makes his ERM ride Cillnabradden Evo so special?

“Gary is built for the job — he is very good at dressage, although he is not an overly flash mover. The horse has a good brain to train, which means I can ride him accurately. He is on the warmblood side, both in terms of his pedigree and his mentality, and has plenty of speed,” Oliver tells us proudly, having won a reported $95k in the series. “Gary is very reliable in the dressage, in fact he has no weak phase. He’s a very good show jumper.”

A great step for eventing

Australian eventer Paul Tapner, the ERM’s new Digital and Technical Manager, recently told EN that the team is hoping to expand the ERM concept into Europe and possibly increase the number of legs. Oliver agrees this would be a great step for the sport.

“The ERM series is the biggest development that our sport has seen in recent years,” he explains of the series that saw riders from Australia, Britain and France in the top five placings. “It would be great for even more people to see their favourite riders and horses in the different European legs over a short format, so they can come and support them.”

Oliver Townend and MHS King Joules. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Oliver Townend and MHS King Joules. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

The lure of the Emerald Isle

Oliver also has reason to celebrate, having won the recent CIC3* at Ballendenisk H.T. with Fenya’s Elegance as well as the CCI1* with Ececheira. So are Irish events important calendar fixtures for Team Townend?

“Absolutely,” Oliver says. “Irish events are very important for us on the calendar — we are 90 minutes from Holyhead ferry port in Wales, so it’s quicker to head to Ireland from our base in the West Midlands than to head to some of the events elsewhere in England. Plus there’s often better prize money in Ireland.”

One horse to look out for in 2017 is Cooley SRS, the 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding with whom Oliver placed fifth in the 8-9 year old CIC3* class at the Blenheim. So what’s next for the nine year old ‘Aero’?

“It’s Boekelo CCIO3* next in the Netherlands,” says Oliver. “Aero won the three star last year at Ballendenisk as an eight year old, so is still young — I have high hopes for him, as he has a good brain and is easy to ride.”

The lifeblood of eventing

Oliver has a loyal team of owners supporting him, and offers sole, partnership and corporate ownership schemes.

“Owners are our lifeblood, and we aim to give them the best attention possible,” he says. “Eventing is my business, but it should also be fun, and we like to consider our owners as our friends too. It is important to foster the owner-rider relationship; as a yard, we may not be the best in terms of entertainment and quaffing champagne at events, but all of our owners are with us to be competitive and get results. We are a horse oriented place, so we like working with owners that want to enjoy watching lots of horses competing at the highest levels at an event, and feeling part of the team.”

Oliver Townend and MHS King Joules. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Oliver Townend and MHS King Joules. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Onwards and upwards

To conclude, we asked the famously straight-talking Yorkshireman whether we’d sent the right British horses to the Rio Olympics, as some observers, despite Britain’s credible fifth team placing, have proposed that we sent a ‘three star’ equine team without enough four star horses.

But the formerly outspoken Oliver won’t be drawn to speak contentiously. “Hindsight’s a wonderful thing,” he muses. “I can say that it didn’t work for Britain. But there are imminent management changes, and exciting times ahead.”

“It’s time to regroup and look onwards and upwards,” he concludes.

A full Boekelo dressage report is on its way — check back! Go Eventing.

#MBE16: Website, Schedule,Entries, Dressage Ride Times,Leaderboard, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, @eventingnation,Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

Southeast Equestrians Brace for Hurricane Matthew

By on Oct 7, 2016 9:00 am -
Graphic via weather.com. Graphic via weather.com.

Hurricane Matthew, a Category 4 storm, is bearing down on Florida and is expected to make landfall by Thursday night into Friday morning.

Meteorologists are calling Hurricane Matthew likely one of the strongest storms to hit the Florida coast in recent decades; the storm has already wreaked havoc on parts of the Caribbean including widespread and devastating damage in Haiti. Current hurricane warnings stretch up much of Florida’s east coast up to South Carolina with hurricane watches posted north of Charleston. This Category 4 storm is predicted to include heavy rainfall, dangerously high winds and storm surge, with the reach of the storm felt inland as well as on the coast.

Residents in areas predicted to be worst affected by Matthew have been strongly urged to evacuate; other residents further inland are preparing for widespread loss of power and property damages.

Horsemen are among those both evacuating and sheltering in place, with equestrian facilities both large and small, public and private opening their doors further inland and further north to shelter displaced horses: the Virginia Horse Center and Western Carolina State Fair are a few such examples.

The Virginia Horse Center is happy to welcome any horses evacuated due to Hurricane Matthew. No charge for stabling,…

Posted by Virginia Horse Center Foundation on Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Meet Rudy and Lucy our guests from Hilton Head Island. Team Skinkykiss has set up a temporary animal shelter for…

Posted by Western Carolina State Fair Foundation on Thursday, October 6, 2016

Horse shows and events in Florida have been canceled, most notably the Equestrian Sport Productions October Show at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (as reported by our sister Jumper Nation). Events as far inland as Ocala have been put on standby as Matthew inches closer to Florida and the reach of the storm can be better determined. Our friends at the Horse Radio Network, based in Ocala, have canceled Friday’s broadcast anticipating poor conditions.

Horse owners are preparing for the worst and making sure their barns are well-stocked with fresh water and feed, as well as taking steps to make sure their horses can be identified:

found it it, this is the OP of the pic I posted earlier – such a great idea, could make it work for pups and kitties – a…

Posted by G.g. Deaton on Thursday, October 6, 2016

The methods illustrated in the above post are highly recommended for safe identification of loose horses:

  • Dog or luggage tag braided into the mane with horse’s name and owner’s information
  • Owner’s phone number written in permanent marker on hooves
  • Owner’s phone number written in permanent marker or paint directly on the horse

If you have not yet evacuated but plan to do so:

  • Plan your evacuation route and destination ahead of time, and plan alternate routes as well
  • Stock trailer, ideally with 72 hours’ worth of fresh water and feed and an equine first aid kit, as well as extra gas and your human first aid kit/roadside emergency kit
  • Leave as early as possible!

Established evacuation centers and databases:

If you are in an area predicted to be affected by Matthew, we encourage you to take all the necessary precautions to ensure your safety and the safety of your animals. Our thoughts are with all those in Matthew’s path.

Want more resources on preparing for natural disasters? Click here for our recommendations on how best to prepare, as well as more links to further articles and preparation guides.

Stay safe out there, Eventing Nation.