Classic Eventing Nation

Tuesday News & Notes from Cavalor

By on Jun 28, 2016 12:01 am -
Kurt Martin and Delux Z. Photo by Sally Spickard. Kurt Martin and Delux Z. Photo by Sally Spickard.

As July nears, it’s almost time for my favorite event of the season: Rebecca Farm. If you’ve never been to Rebecca Farm in beautiful Kalispell, Montana, trust me, it is worth the trip. And if you ever plan to compete there, be sure to get your entry in the minute it opens, as entries are full for most (if not all) divisions now!

Sad as I am to be missing Rebecca Farm this year, I know I’ll be living vicariously through both EN as well as friends who will be in attendance. Get pumped, people!

Events Opening This Week:

Area VII Young Rider Benefit H.T. (WA, A-7) Fair Hill International H.T. (MD, A-2) Otter Creek Summer H.T. (WI, A-4) Colorado Horse Park H.T. (CO, A-9) Erie Hunt and Saddle Club H.T. (PA, A-2) Stanton Farms H.T. (ID, A-7) The Summer Event at Woodside (CA, A-6) WindRidge Farm Summer Horse Trials (NC, A-2) GMHA Festival of Eventing August Horse Trials (VT, A-1)

Events Closing Today:

Champagne Run at the Park H.T. (KY, A-8) Aspen Ridge H.T. (CO, A-9) The Maryland H.T. at Loch Moy Farm II (MD, A-2) Genesee Valley Hunt H.T. (NY, A-1) Riga Meadow H.T. (CT, A-1) Western Underground, Inc Coconino Summer HT & T/N3D Event (AZ, A-10)

News & Notes:

Do you want a chance to ride with William Fox-Pitt? You’re in luck! Benefiting the Area 8 Young Rider Program, Team EnGaged is raffling off a clinic spot with William Fox-Pitt, to be held in November. The raffle will be drawn on July 17 and only 200 tickets are available. Cost of tickets is $50, and you’ll have the opportunity to ride with William at the lovely Great Meadow facility in Virginia. To enter or for more questions, email Kelly Gage.

In preparation for the first U.S. leg of the Nations Cup of Eventing at Great Meadow next month, organizers are pulling out all the stops to help horses and people beat the heat. Great Meadow and the Equi Cool Down Team have partnered to bring emergency cooling stations at the event for horses, riders and spectators. The Emergency Cooling Stations will be set up in both the stabling and marketplace areas. To learn more about Equi Cool Down®Instant Cooling Wraps, visit their website and follow them on Facebook for updates about the show and event.

The USEA needs your feedback! As we look ahead to the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention, as well as future conventions, they want to know what types of seminars you would like to see and attend. [USEA Member Poll]

Weekly Business Tip from Mythic Landing Enterprises:

If you own a business, and you have personal social media pages, always be sure to use your privacy settings. People will Google you before they meet you, and you want to make a professional impression; they don’t need to see you dancing on the bar on a Friday night. Make sure your personal social media page is set to private. There are countless articles about social media privacy settings, so take an hour out of your day to do your homework.

Tuesday Video:

Team USA Eventers Meet Mainstream Media, Unintentional Hilarity Ensues

By on Jun 27, 2016 7:30 pm -

Over the past couple weeks the FEI has been cultivating quite the build-up for a live Facebook event to “formally introduce the U.S. Olympic Eventing Team.” To whom were we introducing them — the media? The general public? The details seemed a bit hazy but we figured we probably ought to watch.

The mystery event took place today at a stable in New York City’s Bronx borough, which while perhaps not a major horsey hub is at least accessible to the country’s largest per-capita journalism population. It featured all four members of the squad plus chef d’équipe David O’Connor and was attended by a small number of non-horsey journalists trying to wrap their heads around this thing we call “eventing.”

Screenshot via the FEI Facebook page.

Screenshot via the FEI Facebook page.

Embedding is disabled for the video replay but you can check it out on the FEI Facebook page here.

Things started off innocuously enough, with David making an opening statement and the riders introducing themselves and their horses. Then they started fielding questions from the media present as well as questions submitted via Facebook.

“How long does it take to train a horse?” the press asked intrepidly. “Do they have roads and tracks in the Olympics or is that gone?”

The riders soldiered on like the great ambassadors for our sport that they are, never skipping a beat.

If you could be a spectator of a different Olympic sport, what would it be?

Lauren, without a second’s hesitation: “men’s water polo.”

If you could go on a trail ride with any three people, living or dead, who would it be?

Boyd, bless him: “Donald Trump, Hilary Clinton and Kramer from Seinfield.”

Finally, 41 minutes and 54 bizarre seconds later, it was over. Time to move on to the eventing demos!

First, we were treated to this “exclusive demo of eventing dressage.” Pretty sure that is NOT an event horse, but if it is, maybe it’s not too late to stick it on the team?

Following our Q&A, we saw an exclusive demo of eventing #Dressage. #TwoHearts

Posted by Fédération Equestre Internationale on Monday, June 27, 2016

 

And then it was on to some jumping:

Thanks for joining live! Take a look at our Jumping demonstration now.

Posted by Fédération Equestre Internationale on Monday, June 27, 2016

The best, however, was yet to come. Later in the day TIME magazine posted a video of the event, demonstrations and interviews with the squad, narrated by a very intrepid, extremely awkward journalist named Sean.

"Are you afraid? How do you get over the seeming dangers of this sport?" Screenshot via the TIME Facebook page.

“Are you afraid? How do you get over the seeming dangers of this sport?” says the helmet wearing journalist. “These horses are trained, right? They’re used to having humans on their back?” Screenshot via the TIME Facebook page.

Screen Shot 2016-06-27 at 7.20.27 PM

“This may be a stupid question but do the horses get medals, too?” Screenshot via TIME Magazine.

The video, which can be viewed on the TIME Facebook page here, also clocks in at a lengthy 50+ minutes but, man, if there was a Pulitzer Prize for unintentionally hilarious sports journalism it would a shoo-in. If you’re short on time, we recommend skipping to the final 10 minutes in which Boyd gives the journalist a “riding lesson,” even popping him over a cross country jump or two by the end.

"Just hold on, mate. Just stay there, you'll be alright!" Screenshot via the TIME Facebook page.

“Just hold on, mate. Just stay there, you’ll be alright!” Screenshot via the TIME Facebook page.

Screenshot via TIME's Facebook page.

“The man’s a natural!” Screenshot via the TIME Facebook page.

The grand finale is when Boyd, who can’t stop laughing by this point, jokes to the reporter that he’s going to freeze his semen before Rio as a precaution against the Zika virus… and the reporter actually believes him.

Drop what you’re doing, go watch, and Go Eventing!

Monday Video from Tredstep Ireland: Meet the Team USA Olympic Dressage Squad

By on Jun 27, 2016 3:00 pm -

The USEF has announced the dressage squad for the 2016 Olympics in Rio! The following athlete-and-horse combinations will comprise Team USA:

Allison Brock (Loxahatchee, Fla.) with Claudine and Fritz Kundrun’s Rosevelt, a 2002 Hanoverian stallion

Laura Graves (Geneva, Fla.) and her own Verdades, a 2002 KWPN gelding

Kasey Perry-Glass (Orangevale, Calif.) with Diane Perry’s Dublet, a 2003 Danish Warmblood gelding

Steffen Peters (San Diego, Calif.) with Four Winds Farm’s Legolas 92, a 2002 Westphalian gelding
Direct Reserve
Four Winds Farm’s Rosamunde, a 2007 Rheinlander mare

The following combination has been named as the traveling reserve: Shelly Francis (Loxahatchee, Fla.) with Patricia Stempel’s Doktor, a 2003 Oldenburg gelding

The Olympic dressage competition takes place Aug. 8-15.

Congratulations to Team USA — we’ll be cheering you on!

[USEF Names U.S. Olympic Dressage Team for Rio 2016 Olympic Games]

 

#TeamWool vs. #TeamFoam: The Ever-Elusive Search for Perfect Saddle Fit

By on Jun 27, 2016 1:00 pm -

I’ve always been #teamfoam because of my experience with various saddles over the years, and the fact that I’ve always ridden lots of different horses throughout my life.

Since I was 21 and just graduating college, until now at 39 years old, the number of horses I’ve owned at a time has ranged somewhere between two and nine (and yes, I know I have a problem). With that many different horses, I just couldn’t afford a different saddle for every horse. Foam panels offered what I needed — something that fit all of my horses relatively well as they ranged from hard-to-fit OTTBs, to short and stocky Quarter Horses, to a variety of warmbloods and cross breeds.

Or so I thought.

It all started fresh out of college when I got my second horse, a high-withered OTTB that was nothing like my childhood Quarter Horse. There was no way they’d fit in the same saddle. Not even close.

After faxing many back tracings and calling saddle companies all over the world (this was 1998 kids, when the Internet was just a newborn), I opted for the best saddle in my budget that would work for both horses: an air-filled panel saddle with a changeable gullet system. I felt so high-tech and on the cutting edge of saddle technology. You could change the gullet, and air panels meant it never conformed to one horse — how cool!

CJMillar82 and her horse Bobby

He was a full hand taller at the withers than his back. If that’s not a hard to fit back, I don’t know what is.

Then over the years, the more we did, the more I realized the air panels really weren’t doing my horses justice and the metal gullet plates were causing more soreness than I had thought. Soon enough, it was time to start adulting and save up for the big purchase: a custom French saddle.

I was excited, nervous and mostly thrilled (I’d never purchased a saddle that cost more than $1,500 before). When I test-rode in the saddles, I found something that not only worked for my horses at the time (the herd had grown to five at this point), but also was able to fit my very awkward leg.

You see, I have an incredibly long femur and very short calf and I’m all of 5’3”, which means I need a short forward flap and child’s leathers. Finding that in an off-the-rack saddle was impossible. As I had also started hunter pacing and riding with the local fox hunt from time to time, I quickly learned that a standard flap was doing me (and my poor horse’s back) no favors as I could barely clear the saddle if I wanted my leg to stay on the flap.

Saddle fit - flap length and fit

The fit of the flap and my overall balance in the saddle made a huge difference in my riding (new saddle at left, old saddle on right).

So I placed the order and waited … and the day finally arrived, the saddle was here! My main and very picky horse immediately bucked me off in it, and then decided it was acceptable. It fit my leg like a glove. And for the next few years it was a total dream. I even wrote an article about why I was #teamfoam vs. #teamwool that was published in the Plaid Horse, and I swore I’d never change teams.

Until now. Almost four years later, my former FEI international show jumper/eventer is finally back to work after a two-year struggle with Lyme disease. We’ve been through rounds of antibiotics and finally tested negative, adjusted his supplements to find just the right mix, and voilá! He’s back to moving like the horse he used to be — he even jumped a 4’ fence to get to the grass on the other side.

So back to work we went, only no matter what I did I couldn’t get the same movement out of him under saddle as I could on the lunge. Then it hit me. Oh no. Bareback was better.

Pulled out the old air panel saddle and he was better still, offering a flying change over a 2’ raised cavaletti just because. Shoot. And when I felt the two saddles side by side, the foam had definitely hardened and the air-filled panels had more flexibility and give. Back to the drawing board…

Tyler show jumper

Tyler back in his prime show days with former owner, Shannon McGrath South of Broad Show Jumpers and Sales.

And so the research on saddle panels began, yet again. I read that foam can lose its give and harden. I learned that it can retain heat. I learned that redoing the panels on a foam saddle can be $500 — or more — and take several weeks until my saddle was returned (ouch!). I started reading more about wool as I knew that air had too much bounce, especially for fox hunting and jumping.

Through lots of posts on social media, and thanks to the urging of a few upper level rider friends (I’m looking at you, Laine Ashker and Bunnie Sexton), I scheduled a fitting with my local County Saddlery rep to revisit the concept of #teamwool. The fitting is tomorrow, and we’ll see what that brings. It will be a lot to take in, as we have five horses to work through, and a lot of saddles to compare. Stay tuned for more in the saddle fitting saga….

‘I Bet I Could Jump That’: San Diego Zoo Edition

By on Jun 27, 2016 11:00 am -
Just as legit as the statue at the Horse Park, right? Photo by Sally Spickard. Just as legit as the statue at the Horse Park, right? Photo by Sally Spickard.

We’ve all been there. Walking around a park, driving down the road, everywhere we go, there are potential obstacles just screaming to be jumped on horseback. We get it. It’s a whole, deluded thought process that perhaps gives more legitimacy to the concept of “insanity.”

So when my fellow working students and I took a trip to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park this weekend, what else would happen than an all-out quest to find the hidden cross country gems just hiding in plain sight?

It started innocently enough. A few comments made along the lines of, “Guys, this is basically just a big cross country course,” or “That would totally be a one-stride.” But one thing led to another, and before we knew it we were dodging zoo employees who surely would have questioned our rights as zoo patrons.

But the possibilities were just endless! It was too much to resist. Practice makes perfect, right?

You can never practice your downhill position enough, as Megan Beyer demonstrates:

Downhill #skillz #eventersofinstagram #eventerstakeSD @eventing.paco

A video posted by Sally (@sallyrsen) on

And don’t forget about uphill positioning too. Some questions really test your straightness and forward motion:

Testing the uphill abilities. #eventerstakeSD #eventersofinstagram @eventing.paco

A video posted by Sally (@sallyrsen) on

And once you’re feeling confident, you can string a few fences together to try to put all of the pieces together in working order:

A more technical question of accuracy and turning #eventerstakeSD #eventersofinstagram @eventing.paco

A video posted by Sally (@sallyrsen) on

We even found our very own version of the Burghley Leaf Pit — though we feel this particular horse wasn’t exactly ready for the challenge.

And finally, no cross country course is complete without a bench-like jump that makes you question why you don’t take up normal hobbies, such as sitting on benches and making fun of idiots who like horses:

Many thanks to the San Diego Zoo for providing such a vast environment for us to practice our cross country skills. Trust us, we need as much practice as we can get! #EventerProblems, indeed.

Go Eventing!

New Zealand Announces Team for 2016 Rio Olympics

By on Jun 27, 2016 7:00 am -
Mark Todd and NZB Campino (photo by Leslie Threlkeld); Jonelle Price and Faerie Dianimo (photo by Jenni Autry); Jock Paget and Clifton Lush (photo by Leslie Wylie); and Clark Johnstone with Balmoral Sensation (photo by Leslie Wylie). Mark Todd and NZB Campino (photo by Leslie Threlkeld); Jonelle Price and Faerie Dianimo (photo by Jenni Autry); Jock Paget and Clifton Lush (photo by Leslie Wylie); and Clark Johnstone with Balmoral Sensation (photo by Leslie Wylie).

Equestrian Sports New Zealand has announced that the following four riders will comprise its team for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro:

  • Mark Todd with NZB Campino or Leonidas II
  • Jonelle Price with Classic Moet or Faerie Dianimo
  • Jock Paget with Clifton Lush
  • Clark Johnstone with Balmoral Sensation

The traveling reserve is Tim Price with Bango or Ringwood Skyboy.

Mark, Jonelle and Jock were on the squad that won team bronze at the 2012 Olympics in London. Clark’s horse was injured in the lead-up to the last Games but he has team experience as well, having contributed to a team bronze at the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games.

New Zealand Olympic Committee CEO Kereyn Smith, speaking from Auckland, remarked on the experience and depth of the team. “To have athletes selected who can draw on multiple Olympic medal-winning experiences from previous campaigns is a powerful thing. Not only for these athletes, but for the entire 2016 Olympic Games Team.

“I would like to congratulate Sir Mark Todd on continuing to raise the bar a head of his eighth Olympic Games appearance and wish everyone of the athletes selected today all the very best in Rio,” she said.

Toddy, who has five Olympic medals to his name, responded to the news. “I am very happy with my horses at the moment and the strong team that has been named. I am looking forward to the competition,” he said.

Clark commented, “To go to Rio and try to win a medal for New Zealand has been my number one focus for the last four years, so to be one step closer again is really,really exciting. I can’t wait.”

In addition to its eventing squad New Zealand will also sending one dressage representative to Rio, Julie Brougham with Vom Feinstein. Julie will be New Zealand’s third dressage Olympian, ahead of Kallista Field (2000 Games in Sydney) and Louisa Hill (2004 Games in Athens and 2012 Games in London).

“It has been an incredibly difficult process for selectors for both dressage and eventing,” said ESNZ High Performance Director Sarah Dalziell-Clout. “But when selection is difficult, it’s a positive sign for New Zealand’s equestrian sport for the future. There were a lot of solid performances at the highest level from our eventers over the past 18 months, with the majority of riders having successful performances on multiple horses.”

Blyth Tait and Jesse Campbell were also on the FEI Olympic nominated entry list. Six-time Olympic Andrew Nicholson, whose relationship with the ESNZ has been troubled since the 2014 WEG, was reportedly left off the list due to not having completed prerequisite paperwork. Traveling reserve Tim Price ran into bad luck earlier this year when his likely Rio horse, Wesko, was injured before Rolex.

ESNZ’s Olympic nomination criteria can be viewed here.

New Zealand is the fourth country to have confirmed a four-person Olympic eventing team, joining the U.S., Ireland and Germany.

[Sir Mark Todd set for eighth Olympic Games as Equestrian Team confirmed for Rio]

Monday News and Notes from SmartPak

By on Jun 27, 2016 12:15 am -
Amy Sager and Bacu at University of Findlay Eventing Camp. Photo by Anne Risser Lee. Amy Sager and Bacu at University of Findlay Eventing Camp. Photo by Anne Risser Lee.

Last week, the University of Findlay in Findlay, Ohio, held its third annual eventing camp with more than 70 campers across English and Western disciplines. Campers came from all over the U.S., including California, New York and Massachusetts. Their eventing program, under the direction of Sue King, is in its third year and growing, with 14 eventers out on cross country this year. Click here to read more about what makes summer camp so “cool” at UF.

U.S. Weekend Action:

Groton House Farm H.T. [Results]

Surefire H.T. [Results]

Fox River Valley Pony Club H.T. [Results]

Shepherd Ranch SYVPC H.T. [Results]

Inavale Farm Spring H.T. [Results]

Arrowhead H.T. [Results]

Midsouth Pony Club H.T. [Results]

Honey Run H.T. [Website] [Ride Times]

Abbe Ranch H.T. [Results]

Monday News and Notes:

International eventer and USEF Three-Day Eventing Selection Committee member Marcia Kulak has joined the Brooke USA Board of Directors, an organization whose values she says align with her own: “to help improve the quality of life and sustainability of equids who won’t win trophies, ribbons or Olympic medals.” [Eventer and Rio selector joins board of equine charity]

The FEI is hosting a live Facebook Q&A session for those interested in learning more about the Olympic disciplines of eventing, jumping and dressage as we look ahead to Rio. David O’Connor will give an update on Team USA. Tune in on the FEI Facebook page TODAY between 12-1 p.m. EST. [Submit your questions here]

The Dutch came out on top in the fourth leg of the FEI Nations Cup™ Dressage 2016 series in Rotterdam. America’s own stallwarts Laura Graves and Verdades were individual winners in the Grand Prix Special, which along with Steffen Peters and Legolas’ impressive Grand Prix Freestyle performance, Team USA clinched second in the team competition. [Dutch Deliver on Home Turf]

Ireland’s Bertram Allen and his brilliant 12-year-old grey mare Molly Malone V took the Prix Massimo Dutti trophy after a thirteen rider jump-off had the Monaco crowds on the edge of the seat during the fast paced round. [Jumper Nation]

William Whitaker is the third man in his family to have won the famous Hickstead Derby. He and his mount Glenavadra Brilliant were third in competition in 2014, second last year and claimed the win this year as the only horse and rider combination to finish without jumping penalties. [Whitaker Wins the Hickstead Derby]

Sunday Videos: Groton House Farm HT Brought to You By Thehorsepesterer

By on Jun 26, 2016 6:00 pm -

Thehorsepesterer is at Groton House Farm in Hamilton, Mass. this weekend. Enjoy these videos of some of the top placed competitors and check out David Frechette’s YouTube channel for the rest of the ever growing playlist of videos from Groton House.

Anna Loschiavo and Prince Renan – 1st in Intermediate/Preliminary

Hallie Coon and Lansdownne – 1st in Preliminary/Training

Anna Loschiavo  and Ace of Hearts – 1st in Senior Open Training A (Anna also won Senior Open Training B with Fernhill Swatch!)

Mikki Kuchta and Corona – 3rd in Senior Open Novice B

Groton House Farm H.T. [Website] [Ride Times] [Results]

Great Meadow, Aachen & Olympic Team Horses Stretch Their Legs at Surefire

By on Jun 26, 2016 4:00 pm -

Surefire Farm in Purcellville, Va., home to four-star eventer Jan Byyny, is a popular summer stop for riders of all levels. The competition this weekend hosted Beginner Novice through Open Intermediate as well as USEA YEH 4- and 5-year-old divisions.

This year’s event plays a particularly vital role as a final prep trial before the Great Meadow CICO3* and we saw a number of Great Meadow entries, including U.S. Olympic Team combinations, as well as Aachen CICO3* entries competing.

Rio-bound Lauren Kieffer and Team Rebecca LLC’s Veronica took a quiet stroll around the Preliminary at Surefire, showing top form in dressage with a 25.0 and adding a few time penalties for an overall fourth place finish. Placing immediately behind his stablemate in fifth was Jacqueline Mars’ Landmark’s Monte Carlo, who is bound for the Aachen CICO3* in Germany July 14-16.

Lauren picked up a win with Landmark’s Ginger Rogers, also owned by Jacqueline Mars, in the Open Preliminary-B, finishing on their dressage score of 21.6. She was also busy with a number of horses competing in the USEA Young Event Horse divisions.

We’ve had a really good couple days at Surefire! Friday L Apollo and L Mochachino were 3rd and 5th in the YEH-5, in the…

Posted by Lauren Kieffer Eventing on Saturday, June 25, 2016

Other members of the Aachen Nations Cup team were in attendance at Surefire including Phillip Dutton with David Garrett’s Indian Mill, who finished 14th in Intermediate on a 39.1, and Hannah Sue Burnett and Jacqueline Mars’ Harbour Pilot, who finished sixth in the same division, adding only a handful of time penalties to their initial score of 25.2.

Marilyn Little and Jacqueline Mars and Raylyn Farm Inc.’s RF Demeter are entered at Great Meadow and made their first eventing appearance (Demi got in some practice show jumping 1.2m rounds at the Upperville Colt and Horse Show) since an unfortunate fall at Rolex Kentucky at April. They tied with Lauren Kieffer and Landmark’s Monaco through the first two phases, holding a score of 21.9. Lauren and Landmark’s Monaco, also owned by Jacqueline Mars, finished just one second over the time, while Marilyn and Demi finished finished exactly on the optimum of 6:09 to take the win.

The Olympic Team’s traveling alternate Maya Black and her petite powerhouse Doesn’t Play Fair, owned by Dawn and Jonathan Dofelmier, competed in the Open Intermediate division, scoring a 23.2 and adding a rail and some time to finish 18th in a division of 39 starters.

Super woman Jan Byyny, not just a 4* rider, but a coach, farm owner, show organizer and jump crew

Posted by Tylir Penton on Saturday, June 25, 2016

Australian Olympic hopeful Ryan Wood and Powell were fifth after dressage in 23.5. A rail and time penalties on cross country resulted in a 21st place finish. Ryan Wood and Powell, owned by  Summit Sporthorses Ltd Inc, are entered at Great Meadow and have been giving the Australian selectors a number of reasons to consider them for the Rio team, including a start to finish win at the Jersey Fresh CCI3* in May, and Ryan is in top form having picked up a CIC3* and CCI3* wins at Bromont earlier this month.

Other horses prepping for Great Meadow at Surefire is Buck Davidson and Copper Beech (19th Intermediate), Justine Dutton with Huck Finn (10th Intermediate) and Jak My Style (20th Intermediate) and Lynn Symansky and Cascani (17th Intermediate). Hannah Sue competed Cooley Dream (12th Intermediate), but it is yet to be determined whether she will competed him, Harbour Pilot or Under Suspection at next week’s CICO3*.

There were quite a few low final scores across the event’s 20+ divisions, but the best finishing score was earned by Lynn Symansky and the 2015 USEA Young Event Horse 5yo East Coast Champion SpectraVet’s Cohiba, who picked up a win in the Open-Training B with a staggering 18.3!

Surefire H.T. [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Screen Shot 2016-06-26 at 3.24.39 PM

Ludwig Svennerstål Wins Strzegom CICO3*, Great Britain Widens Lead in FEI Nations Cup Series

By on Jun 26, 2016 1:30 pm -

Ludwig Svennerstål (SWE) and Håkan Svennerstål’s 17-year-old King Bob jumped clear under pressure today to win the Strzegom CICO3* in Poland. According to our friends at Equiratings, Ludwig and King Bob’s finishing score of 40.5 annihilates their previous personal best by 12 points in the 25-year-old rider’s first international win at the level.

It’s got to feel pretty good, too, to beat Michael Jung and two of his potential Rio rides.

Strzegom was Sweden’s final Olympic selection trials and the team is expected to be named very soon. Ludwig is nominated on King Bob as well as Aspe, an 8-year-old Holsteiner mare.

Michael Jung (GER) and reigning European Champion fischerTakinou, owned by the Jung family and Fischer, Klaus and Sabine, were also clear to finish second on a 40.6. Likewise Brigitte and Joachim Jung’s fischerRocana FST kept all the poles up for a fourth place finish overall.

Third went to Rosalind Canter and Caroline Moore’s Allstar B, whose final score of 46.2 contributed to Great Britain’s win in the FEI Nations Cup team competition. Rosalind, along with Izzy Taylor, Holly Woodhead and Laura Collett, added only four penalties to the final team score, giving them a commanding victory over second place Italy.

Great Britain is leading the 2016 FEI Nations Cup Eventing Series after the first four events. Germany, who finished fourth as a team at Strzegom, is second in the series with France close behind them. (Click here to view the Nations Cup Series leaderboard.)

The next event in the Series is of course Great Meadow in The Plains, Va., the first Nations Cup Eventing competition to take place outside of Europe. We’re excited that Great Britain, the 2015 Series Champions, will be fielding a team Stateside.

Italy’s Stefano Brecciaroli was the winner in the CCI3* at Strzegom with Roulette B; the 13-year-old mare is one of Stefano’s three Rio hopefuls. The pair moved up from third with only one time penalty to add in the final phase. Denmark’s Irene Mia Hastrup and Constantin M finished second, and William Nilsson Fryer of Sweden rounds out the top three with Quireboy.

Click here for final results from Strzegom and check out their YouTube channel to watch key rider rounds and post ride interviews.

Strzegom CIC3* Final Top 10:

Screen Shot 2016-06-26 at 12.24.39 PM

FEI Nations Cup Top 3 at Strzegom:

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