How to show your YEH. (No handlers were harmed in the making of this photo) Photo via Ronald Zabala Goetschel.
This picture, ladies and gentleman, is pretty much my deepest fear when it comes to jogging horses, and young horses in particular. I’m pretty sure this little filly gawked and maybe threw a hoof in front of her unknowing handler, as babies are wont to do, and here he is taking a graceful swan dive into the dirt. If it makes you feel better, the next two frames were of him with a broad smile being dragged along on his bum, in all possible hilarity at the situation. Also, horse person pro tip example: NEVER let go of the horse no matter what, so well done sir!
The USEA has established two educational scholarships in memory of the late Roger Haller. Designed to provide financial assistance to those licensed officials who are working towards promotion to the “R” license, the “S” license or the FEI licenses. The Roger Haller Scholarship may be used to offset the costs involved in attending the necessary seminars and obtaining the practical experience required to attain promotion to the next level of licensing. The USEA will award scholarships of $5,000 each to two individuals in 2016. [Roger Haller Scholarship]
You could win the chance to hunt Burghley winner and double Olympian Lenamore. After retiring sound in 2013, the twenty-three year old 15.3 hand gelding has taken up fox hunting with his owner Lexi Jackson with the Warwickshire Hunt. Apparently despite his feisty nature in Eventing, he adores hunting and thinks it’s a great retirement plan. A day of hunting on him is part of the hunt’s auction of promises. There will be some caveats to the prize, including rider weight and level of skill. [Win A Ride on Lenamore]
Looking for a better way to organize your horse’s stuff outside the stall? We just got one of these Burlingham Sports Grooming Box numbers where I work, and I have to say that I really love it. It comes in all kinds of colors for you to customize, and is very roomy to contain all your grooming supplies, some medicine if needed, and some odds and ends. This way, all your stuff is handily right outside the stall and you can keep it all tidy and clean in the plastic wall hanging box. [SmartPak Product of the Day]
Doug Payne on Lysander in his first Advanced at Stable View:
Kylie Lyman and Lup the Loop. Photo by Leslie Wylie.
Imagine being at a raging bar at 2 a.m. and you’re the only sober person there. That, I imagine, is what it feels like to compete in the Military Boekelo CCI3*.
Certainly, it is an apt description for what it has been like to work all day in Boekelo’s press center, with its (all-day) open bar, rosé-pushing media hostess (bless her), loud dance music (so. much. disco. why?!) and throngs of people loitering about with drinks in hand whom I’m quite certain are not journalists (get a room, people, I’m trying to transcribe this interview).
Having said that, thank God for the open bar without which I’m pretty sure I would be losing my mind.
There’s one in every bar/press room.
Correspondingly, the Boekelo dressage ring is an electric funhouse of flapping banners, sponsor signage, superfluous cross country obstacles and in-your-face jumbotron. While the bulk of today’s spectators seemed content to seek refuge from the chilly, grey weather inside the lounges lining the main arena, the ring was still encircled by a muffled soundtrack of wind, music, laughter and voices — a recipe either for enhanced performance or eminent disaster, depending on your horse.
The two Americans who rode their dressage tests today, Kylie Lyman and Tamie Smith, were mounted on young horses relatively new to the level. Both have been based in the UK for the past couple-ish months and competed in the CIC3* 8/9-year-old division at Blenheim in September — Kylie and Lup the Loop finished 19th, and Tamie and Dempsey finished 23rd — and Boekelo marks each of the horses’ second CCI3* attempt.
That’s where the similarities end, though, as each horse responded to today’s party atmosphere in a markedly different way.
Kylie’s ride “Loopy,” an 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse, may have been born in Ireland but he is a California dude at heart. He’s not the fanciest horse in the world, but today’s competition lit a fire under his tail for the better.
Kylie Lyman and Lup the Loop. Photo by Leslie Wylie.
“I wasn’t too worried going in there,” Kylie said, explaining that she would have been surprised if Loopy lost his cool. “He took it all in and got bigger and knew it was more important instead of getting worried and put off by it.”
Kylie said of cantering around the ring before their test, “I felt like I had a horse I could ride. He was ready for his test.”
The pair scored a 50.7, good for 16th place after 47 competitors with 47 still to go on Friday.
“It was the best test we’ve done,” Kylie said. “He has an incredible brain and he went in there and did his job and picked up that little bit more. That makes everything so much easier, when you know you can count on him. I felt like he loved the atmosphere rather than getting nervous about it. The fact the fact that he’s just 8 is, I think, amazing. “
Since their European arrival in mid-July — Kylie’s husband is Irish and they’ve been based at his yard since mid-July — they’ve been soaking up the overseas experience. Prior to Blenheim they finished 7th in the Millstreet CIC3* and are excited to tackle their second CCI3* here at Boekelo.
Ashley Adams produced Lup the Loop to the one-star level and then Kylie took over the ride for Geoff and Joanie Nichols.
“This year has been such a big step up for both of us,” Kylie said. ” Looking ahead to the winter knowing there’s still so much to improve upon — that’s the most exciting part. He’s such a worker it’s so easy for him, but he can get stronger and I’m just getting that little bit more confident with the level and the work that’s required. I’m trying to keep realistic expectations but I still want to be competitive and do the best that the two of us can, and I feel like we did that today.”
Kylie explained that being based here this summer also worked to their advantage: “It’s still a big deal, but I think if I had just gotten off the plane and arrived here I would have felt more pressure.”
Kylie has also enjoyed the “vacation” experience of having just one upper-level horse to focus on. “I’ve had more time to think and focus instead of just getting on one horse and onto the next. That’s been a different perspective I didn’t have at home, and won’t have on Monday when I get back!”
Tamie Smith and Dempsey. Photo by Leslie Wylie.
Tamie Smith and the two horses she is competing this weekend, Dempsey and Twizted Syster, have also been based in Europe since late summer. Dempsey did his test today to a score of 59.1, good for 34th overnight.
Dempsey, an 8-year-old Dutch horse owned by the West Coast Dempsey Syndicate, IS the fanciest horse in the world: a bright, shiny ball of talent and expression. The challenge is keeping all that bounce and brilliance in check.
Today at Boekelo Dempsey got a little tightly wound in his trot work and had a mistake in the reinback, resulting in a score of 59.1 — harsh, I thought, as the pair put in an accurate test and had some gorgeous moments especially at the canter.
Tamie Smith and Dempsey. Photo by Leslie Wylie.
“This ring is more electric than anything we’ve ever seen,” Tamie said after her test. “Ultimately he was tense, and they really marked him down for that, but the test was accurate and had some of the best trot movement he has ever had — he can get sort of up and down and carriage-like — and his walk was great, and his canter was good. I was super pleased with him. Other than the reinback he was very obedient, but he’s young and this is the first time he’s been in this sort of atmosphere.”
They had a two-point error deducted for entering the ring late, as Tamie felt Dempsey would benefit from taking an extra breath before cantering up the center line.
“The holding ring is really electric,” she said. “He was nearly going to lose it in there but as soon as I went in the ring he sort of let go.”
Dressage scoring is subjective, of course; Tamie says her CIC3* test at Blenheim was “not even half as good” and scored a 48. But her horses will leave their jaunt in European having gained invaluable experience — “You get in the thick of it with the best people,” Tamie says — and there’s no question they will be better for it in the future.
Great Britain’s Isabella Innes Ker and Carolyn, a 12-year-old Hannoverian mare owned by the Duchess of Roxburghe, lead day one Boekelo dressage on a score of 42.0, with just as many horses still to go tomorrow.
Boekelo top 20 after day one dressage:
Dressage resumes tomorrow at 9 a.m. local time. Ride times for our American contingent:
12:02 p.m. local time (6:02 a.m. EST) – Ellie MacPhail and RF Eloquence
12:09 p.m. local time (6:09 a.m. EST) – Tamie Smith and Twizted Syster
4:32 p.m. local time (10:32 EST) – Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett
Best of luck to all! We’ll leave you with this except from tonight’s Boekelo afterparty. Because … it just seems to fit the mood of this place. They’re taking requests, though, and I am this close to dialing in some Dolly Parton just to see what happens.
The gap between Training and Prelim is regarded by many as the largest in the sport. In the past some horse trials have offered Prelim/Training divisions, featuring Prelim dressage/show jumping and Training cross country, to buffer the transition, but up until now a true hybrid of the two levels has not been available.
Beginning in 2017 a new Modified level will be making its debut at USEA recognized events, offering a true stepping stone experience for horses and riders looking for an intermediary between the two levels.
Modified level specs via the USEA:
The Modified level is open to horses 4-years-old and older. Riders must achieve two NQRs at Training level to compete at Modified. Max height of both cross-country and show jumping fences is 3’5” Cross-country course distance will be: 2200m-3000m with 22-28 jumping efforts The speed of cross-country will be 490mpm The speed of show jumping will be 325 mpm with 10-13 jumping efforts Flags will be numbered with an orange number on a blue background The fourth refusal on cross-country results in elimination The third refusal on show jumping results in elimination An ‘r’ course-designer is required for cross-country Cross-country courses can include: angled lines, corners, varied terrain and combinations with water or narrow fences. The show jumping course will include two doubles, or a double and a triple combination. The dressage test will be held in a small ring and will include leg yield, medium gaits and changes of lead through the trot. Full rules for the Modified division are available in the 2017 USEF Rules For Eventing
The only two events that have signed on to host the level thus far are Heart of the Carolinas and Coconino, but as interest in the division increases we expect to see it added to other competitions. If the Modified level is something you would support, be sure to share your interest with event organizers!
The stage is set for Military Boekelo CCI3* dressage. Photo by Leslie Wylie.
Boekelo CCI3* dressage is underway! We know it’s early, you haven’t had your coffee yet and the struggle of decoding info from a Dutch website is real, so we’ve embedded the live stream player and converted ride times for you.
There’s a six hour time difference between EST and Netherlandia, and if you’re watching the livestream it’s still way too early to do math, so here’s a handy time zone converter:
And because even clicking a mouse seems hard before your body has been properly caffeinated, here are the Americans’ dressage rides in Dutch/EST time. They kindly put us in the afternoon, making watching from home seem like a much less sleep-depriving proposition:
Thursday
2:47 p.m. local time (8:47 a.m. EST) – Kylie Lyman and Lup the Loop
4:11 p.m. local time (10:11 a.m. EST) – Tamie Smith and Dempsey
Friday
12:02 p.m. local time (6:02 a.m. EST) – Ellie MacPhail and RF Eloquence
12:09 p.m. local time (6:09 a.m. EST) – Tamie Smith and Twizted Syster
4:32 p.m. local time (10:32 EST) – Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett
Phillip Dutton & Fernhill Revelation. Photo via Phillip Dutton Eventing.
Phillip is celebrating his winning weekend at Stable View by welcoming a new upper level horse to the barn! Fernhill Revelation “Warren” is a 10-year-old ISH gelding that was produced to the CCI3* level by Fraser Duffy and is now owned by the Revelation Group, which is comprised of Caroline Moran, David Garrett, Dave and Patricia Vos, Tom Tierney and Carol Gee. Warren will run the CIC2* in just a few weeks at the Virginia Horse Trials and then step back up to the 3* level next spring after Phillip gets to know him better.
The Virginia Horse Center will be welcoming any horses that need to be evacuated due to Hurricane Matthew. The hurricane is expected to make landfall on the eastern coast of the U.S. on Thursday morning and effect Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina over the weekend. With 745 stalls available, this is an incredible resource for those attempting to evacuate before the hurricane. There will be no charge for stabling evacuated hoses. A $20 stall cleaning deposit will be taken when horses arrive on the property. Feed, shavings and hay are available for purchase and camp sites are available at $40 + tax per night. [VAHC Offers Refuge to Horses]
Reed Kessler announced via Facebook yesterday that she has sold her Olympic partner, Cylana. The mare will be flying back to the states soon to be partnered with 20-year-old amateur rider Cloe Hymowitz, who purchased her for $3 million dollars and will be continuing her education under the tutelage of Brianne Goutal. The Hymowitz family has also promised to return Cylana to Reed when it becomes her time to retire, so that she can enjoy a field of luscious grass at the Kessler farm. [Reed Kessler Sells Cylana]
Willow Draw in Weatherford Texas has two very exciting additions to their horse trials for 2016 and 2017. The November 5th Charity Show will be benefitting St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital’s “Saddle Up For St. Jude” fundraising event, specifically aimed at funding research to defeat life-threatening childhood diseases. In addition to that, they have been approved to host a CCI* and a CIC* for the fall of 2017, adding two much needed FEI divisions to the Area V schedule. [Saddle Up for St Jude]
This week’s KER ClockIt™ Sport session demonstrates the effectiveness of using hills to improve a horse’s fitness. Looking at the graph below, you will see a horse doing two canter sets up Nelson’s hill in Pennsylvania. The blue line is altitude, the purple line is heart rate, and the orange line is speed.
As you can see, the horse’s heart rate increases significantly each time the horse goes up a hill. By using a hill, riders can easily raise their horse’s heart rate into a higher conditioning zone without the need for extreme speed.
Multiple KER treadmill studies have shown that exercising horses on an incline greatly increases work intensity as measured by oxygen consumption, heart rate, and lactate production. These studies have shown that at a canter speed, a 1% increase in grade increases a horse’s heart rate 6 bpm—the same effect on heart rate as increasing speed 35m/min on a level treadmill. Therefore, equal heart rates can be obtained by cantering horses on a 6% grade at 490 m/min as from galloping on the flat at 700 m/min.
To see a detailed report like the one above, go to the KER ClockIt website and log in to your account. Once you are signed in, you can view your detailed sessions under the “Sessions” tab.
Don’t forget to share your ClockIt sessions for a chance to win the KER and Eventing Nation Show Us Your Sessions Sweepstakes. Between now and October 28, use the GPS on your KER ClockIt Sport app to draw or write something fun and submit your sessions for chances to win.
“I could do that Leaf Pit… with a ladder,” said videographer Buzzterbrown of one of Morven Park’s signature cross country fences last weekend.
“I was so excited to see the return of the Leaf Pit and Coffin to Morven Park’s CIC3* and Advanced Horse Trials after last year’s cancellation due to terrible weather,” he said. “Rain on the days leading up to today left the ground too soft for most and more than half scratched; indeed nobody finished the Advanced class.”
Pretty depressing.
The Leaf Pit has been on Morven’s cross country course, in one form or another, since the beginning. With its roller-coaster terrain and natural ditch, it feels like a real throwback fence and has cost many a rider a good night’s sleep over the years — including but not limited to the jump’s creator, Tremaine Cooper.
“The night before the first time I did it I don’t think I slept a wink,” Tremaine told EN during an interview back in 2011.
Check out EN’s Morven Park coverage here and view complete Morven results here. Go Eventing!
Equi-Jewel’s high-fat, low-starch formula safely increases the calories needed to fuel optimal performance. Research shows that when fat is utilized as an energy source, performance horses have more stamina and recover faster from intense exercise.
America’s five-horse strong, lady-powered Boekelo CCI3* contingent made short work of the first inspection catwalk today.
From Ellie MacPhail’s Vogue-ready presence …
Ellie MacPhail and RF Eloquence. Photo by Leslie Wylie.
… to Lauren Kieffer’s windswept, hair commercial calibur locks …
Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett. Photo by Leslie Wylie.
… to arm candy Tamie Smith and her handsome equine ménage à trois …
Tamie Smith and Twizted Syster. Photo by Leslie Wylie.
Tamie Smith and Dempsey. Photo by Leslie Wylie.
… to Kylie Lyman, who simply owned those leggings …
Kylie Lyman and Lup the Loop. Photo by Leslie Wylie.
… our girls brought it out there today in the Dutch countryside, bigtime.
Of course, eventing is no beauty contest, and make no mistake: these women could just as easily break your arm as enchant your camera. We’re looking forward to seeing them all tackle the tough tests that lie ahead.
All horses presented at today’s inspection passed. The 2016 entry list is a stocked pond of heavy hitters: Sam Griffiths, Paul Tapner, Maxime Livio, Izzy Taylor, Sarah Bullimore, Oliver Townend, Flora Harris, Laura Collett, Ben Hobday, Andreas Dibowski, Dirk Schrade, Jonelle Price, Mark Todd, Ludwig Svennerstal … the list goes on, and there’s no telling how the leaderboard will shake out.
Dressage begins on Thursday at 9 a.m. local time and the competition will be live streamed at this link.
Dressage ride times for the American combinations:
Thursday
2:47 p.m. local time (8:47 a.m. EST) – Kylie Lyman and Lup the Loop
4:11 p.m. local time (10:11 a.m. EST) – Tamie Smith and Dempsey
Friday
12:02 p.m. local time (6:02 a.m. EST) – Ellie MacPhail and RF Eloquence
12:09 p.m. local time (6:09 a.m. EST) – Tamie Smith and Twizted Syster
4:32 p.m. local time (10:32 EST) – Lauren Kieffer and Meadowbrook’s Scarlett
All systems are go for an action-packed week of international eventing and (judging from the minor-planet sized disco ball I spotted in a nearby pavilion) raucous partying, and EN is on the scene bringing it to you live.
How many sponsor logos can you spot on Michael and Sam? Photo by Leslie Wylie.
One of the most pressing concerns for any event rider is the need to enhance their profile, engage with potential owners and sponsors, and create a buzz about themselves. We all know of certain riders who always seem to be in the marketing mix. But how do they do it? And how do you go about seeking a sponsor to help enhance your brand, asks Kathy Carter?
The first step to gaining sponsorship is to see yourself as a brand. Not necessarily a person with a first name and a surname — but a professional ‘Kate Smith Eventing’ type brand, with a website and a raft of social media accounts.
There are professional consultants around who will act as your representative, secure media interviews with you and make introductions with potential sponsors; however they will charge a fee, which you may not be able to afford currently. If so, it is up to you to present yourself as a great package to potential sponsors and owners.
A good example of proactivity is British eventer Brier Leahy, of Brier Leahy Eventing, a 20-year-old Intermediate-level eventer from North Wales aiming to gain a place on the British team eventually. She has her own self-titled blog produced on the free platform Weebly, and has Facebook, YouTube and Twitter accounts, and sponsors including Fine Fettle Products, whose supplementary products she uses, and whose social media accounts she contributes to. Brier has also been featured on the regional British news website, Wales Online.
Brier Leahy is social media savvy. Photo by Brier Leahy.
Here are some ideas to increase your profile:
1. If you don’t have a website yet, get one created — they are very cost-effective these days. Ensure you have a blog page and links to social media accounts. A professionally-designed website will look great, and will have more options for search engine optimisation if it is ‘third party hosted,’ but you can just as easily create a free website using WordPress or Weebly to get you started. Choose a template design with simple, obvious social media ‘tabs’ if possible.
2. Create social media accounts. Facebook, Linked-In, YouTube and Twitter are good ones to start with, and can easily be linked to your website. Make an introductory video of yourself — you can film it at the yard and introduce your horses. (You don’t need any special equipment — a smartphone is sufficient. You can edit the films if required with free software like Movie Maker; however, no one will mind homemade looking footage.) Upload to YouTube with lots of eventing-related tags and keywords. Get friends and family to film you at events, so these can be uploaded too. Document your activities with photos, as any sponsor will be glad to have them for marketing purposes.
3. Create a blog page, ideally on your website, and add to it regularly. Potential sponsors want to see that you can write well and are proactive.
4. If you like and use certain horsey products, write about them — review them and honestly explain why you rate them.
5. Write letters to local or national equestrian magazines, maybe thanking event organisers or flagging up a great venue — anything to get your name and brand out there.
6. Get saddle cloths and branded clothing made up with your logo, name or website on it. Consider getting long sleeved tops printed with your name and website down the sleeve so it is visible under a body protector. When you show potential sponsors your pictures, be sure to explain that their branding could be used in this way!
7. Contact your regional newspapers and equestrian magazine titles. If you have a training or coaching qualification, all the better — as a recognised ‘expert,’ you are more likely to gain opportunities to contribute to the title. (‘Kate Smith of Kate Smith Eventing shows readers how to tackle ditches.’) Maybe they’d be interested in interviewing you about a recent win at a horse trials event, your ‘triumph over tragedy’ story, or about a charitable project you’re undertaking?
You can do the same with local radio stations, ideally obtaining a clip of any broadcast coverage to add to your website and social media pages. (Top tip: if you’re being interviewed over the phone, hold your smartphone to the receiver and record your responses — if you can’t obtain the actual broadcast content, you can edit these clips on your smartphone to use.)
8. Approach companies that you’d like to be sponsored by. All reputable equestrian companies receive such enquiries every day, but the good news is that most of them are hopelessly futile. Examples of how NOT to approach a company include: a brief message on Facebook; a brief message on Facebook that’s obviously been duplicated many times and is not personalised; and an introduction detailing your successes, and why the company should sponsor you, as you are so brilliant and deserving.
Why SHOULDN’T you do the latter? Because there are many hundreds of eventers doing well, producing and competing horses that are deserving of commercial support via products or money. But the point to your letter or phone call is what YOU can do for the company, not the other way around!
Think of how you can enhance sales for them. Could you carry lorry advertising? Show them a picture of your lorry — you can even ‘mock up’ their branding on the side! Show them your blog, and detail how many followers you have. Offer examples of how you could include their products or services subtly into your blog. If you teach or coach, offer your teaching services as a competition prize to a regional magazine or media outlet: ‘Win a lesson with Kate Smith, plus six months’ worth of Fred’s Fabulous Horse Feed.’
Compile a physical promotional brochure about yourself: detail your horses, recent wins, goals, media coverage gained, and post it with a dynamic covering letter to a named person at the company you’re interested in.
9. When approaching companies, don’t feel too limited to equestrian companies. There will be some great local companies that you could forge links with — think laterally! If you’re targeting horsey brands, don’t go too big if you’re starting out; contact small to medium sized enterprises. Look at their existing roster of sponsored riders or ambassadors — they probably won’t be interested if they have someone similar to you.
10. Once you have all of this preparatory work in place, you will also be in a position to approach potential owners in the same way, or to showcase yourself in the local media, in order to seek syndicated owners.
Just as the East Coast CIC3* season is winding to an end — aside from the new Ocala Jockey Club event in November — the West Coast too is winding down. Woodside marks the final CIC3* for the Pacific shore competitors for 2016 and is generally used as a platform to prepare for the Galway Downs CCI3* in November.
The dressage test will be 2015 FEI 3*-B. Ian Stark has designed the cross country, giving these horses a taste of what they might see for Galway Downs. Marc Donovan has taken over the show jumping at this event. Click here for Woodside entry status and ride times.
TOP THREE
1. James Alliston and Parker: As one of the most experienced pairs in the field, James and Parker have been a fixture at this level since 2010. With nothing left to prove, Parker continues to dominate the cross country over and over, proving his dominance by finishing inside the optimum time almost every time out.
Parker’s strength isn’t generally on the flat, but he’s shown a propensity for liking this test; his average of only 55.2 is nearly seven points better than his overall average. Although he has jumped double clear over the only Marc Donovan course he’s attempted, he generally averages one rail and 1 time penalty in show jumping. He tends to run double clear over all cross country courses, whether Ian is the designer or not. His cross country prowess should put this pair into first with a score just over 60.
Barb Crabo and Eveready. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.
2. Barb Crabo and Eveready: Another pair who has been in these divisions for a very long time, Barb and her longtime partner Eveready are always a threat in the west. A solid performer in all three phases, Eveready’s consistency has netted him top wins in the past.
Barb and Eveready are fairly consistent with their overall average on this test, tending to score around 54.5. In general, Eveready tends to have one rail over Marc Donovan’s courses, consistent with his overall average. A consistent pace that average 6 time penalties over Ian Stark’s courses would solidify second place for Barb and Eveready with a score in the mid-to-low 60s.
3. Mary Burke and Prince William: These two have now won two consecutive Adequan Gold Cup legs at Aspen Farms, one of which was their first attempt at Advanced. After taking the spring season off, Prince William returned this fall with a bang and will be looking to carry forward the momentum.
Prince William averages a 54.4 overall on the flat. This horse is a little slower in the stadium phase, averaging 6 time penalties along with a rail over Marc Donovan’s courses. His real strength is cross country, where he averages only 2.4 time penalties across Ian Stark’s courses. A final score in the mid-60s would help this pair round out the top three.
Frankie Thieriot Stutes and Chatwin. Photo by Jenni Autry.
THE SPOILER
Frankie Theriot-Stutes and Chatwin: Chatwin is lightly competed at this level thus far with two starts under his belt. Despite that, he’s proven he could be a force to be reckoned with, laying down low 40s dressage scores for both of his competitions at the level. With that sort of head start, he could be tough to beat if he has no problems across the country.
