Classic Eventing Nation

Saturday Links from Tipperary

By on Jun 25, 2016 12:01 am -
How Sinead Halpin keeps the pony treats away on scoping day! Photo via Sinead on Facebook. How Sinead Halpin keeps the pony treats away on scoping day! Photo via Sinead on Facebook.

As we officially get into summer, I’ve become increasingly thankful for very early mornings. Here in the desert in California, it’s easy to be deceived in the morning hours when the air is still cool. Never fear, by 9 a.m. you’ll be glistening with sweat, and it’s pretty nasty. So, my alarm has been set at 4 a.m. for the past week and it’s been glorious to get the horses worked before the heat gets too bad. The things we do for our horses, right? I can’t think of many other reasons why I’d drag myself out of bed that early.

What other hot weather tips do you have? Share them in our newest series, #EventerSolutions!

Events This Weekend:

Groton House Farm H.T. [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Surefire H.T. [Website] [Ride Times]

Fox River Valley Pony Club H.T. [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Shepherd Ranch SYVPC H.T. [Website] [Ride Times/Live Scores]

Inavale Farm Spring H.T. [Website] [Ride Times/Live Scores]

Arrowhead H.T. [Website] [Ride Times/Live Scores]

Midsouth Pony Club H.T. [Website] [Ride Times/Live Scores]

Honey Run H.T. [Website] [Ride Times]

Abbe Ranch H.T. [Website] [Ride Times/Live Scores]

News & Notes:

Elysian Hills in Marshall, VA is hosting a cross country clinic with Sharon White! On both July 18 and July 26, riders of all levels will have the opportunity to sharpen their skills with Sharon, who is popular for her straightforward yet encouraging teaching approach. Email [email protected] for more information and/or to enter!

Speaking of clinics, Justine Dutton is teaching a clinic on July 27 at RG Equine in West Grove, PA. An up and coming rider who was just selected to represent Great Britain at the Great Meadow Nations Cup leg next month, Justine also has a great approach to teaching and enjoys seeing her students improve. [Justine Dutton Clinic]

Are electrolytes as important as we think for our horses? Most tend to say yes. This great article from Horse & Hound breaks down the benefits of using electrolytes for our equine athletes. [Electrolytes and Horses]

Saturday Video:

Preview fence 23 on the cross country course at Strzegom with none other than Michael Jung!

Friday Video from World Equestrian Brands: CNN Equestrian Counts Down to Rio

By on Jun 24, 2016 5:30 pm -

Every four years eventing gets an invaluable opportunity to show the world what it’s all about via the Olympic Games.

This Olympic preview by CNN Equestrian is a good example of us putting our best foot forward, offering an easy-to-digest explanation of the sport and highlighting two compelling yet very different narratives. Olympic gold medalist William Fox-Pitt talks about insights gained in the wake of his accident last year, while “one in a billion” Chinese eventer Alex Hua Tian discusses what it means to be his country’s first and only Olympic equestrian athlete.

Go Eventing.

15 Olympic Nominated Horses That, If Selected, Must Compete Under a Different Name

By on Jun 24, 2016 4:00 pm -
Michael Jung and the horse formerly known as La Biosthetique Sam FBW. Photo by Leslie Wylie. Michael Jung and the horse formerly known as La Biosthetique Sam FBW. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

It’s no secret that the IOC is a bit fussy when it comes to brand restrictions during the Olympic Games.

The reasoning is sound enough — they’re trying to protect sponsors who are ponying up the big bucks to partner up with the Games — but their enforcement efforts seem to get increasingly insane with each new go-round. At London in 2012, brand police actually went around to every bathroom in the Olympic venue to remove or tape over manufacturers’ logos on soap dispensers, sinks and toilets. Little bit micromanage-y, no?

The restrictions have implications for athletes as well, including Olympic equestrians most if not all of whom are sponsored riders. Athlete sponsors must follow a stringent set of guidelines as outlined in Rule 40 of the Olympic Charter, which essentially prevents them from using the athlete’s name or image in any advertising material during a blackout period around the games (July 27 – August 24).

See all the ads on Eventing Nation that feature photos of Team USA riders? Those all have to come down during the Games period. And, more annoyingly, there are social media restrictions as well that prevent sponsors from sharing team or individual rider posts during the Games, or even referencing their rider’s participation in the Games by way of congratulatory messaging. OK IOC, you want them all to yourself, we get it!

(Update: It has since been brought to our attention that, thanks to a new set of guidelines approved by the IOC last year, sponsors can continue partnering with Olympic athletes during the Games if they go through an formal notice and application process as longs as the ads do not create “the  impression of a commercial connection” between the sponsor and the Olympics.)

 

Of course in our sport riders aren’t the only sponsored athletes. From farm names like Kyle Carter’s Five Ring Stable (“FR’s Trust Fund”) to commercial prefixes (“Horseware Lukeswell”), it’s all gotta go during the Games.

Here are 15 horses on the FEI’s Olympic eventing nominated entries list that will be competing under an abridged name if selected the Games — the list has parts of their name crossed out already as noted below. Disclaimer: there may be more to come, as one astute reader pointed out that “Fernhill” got the cut as well for London.

The biggest loser: La Biosthetique Sam FBW, who’ll be shedding 17 out of 20 characters of his name.

Karin Donckers and Lamicell Unique (Belgium)

Kyle Carter and FR’s Trust Fund (Canada)

Karim Florent Laghouag and Entebbe de Hus (France)

Michael Jung and fischerTakinou, fischerRocana FST and La Biosthetique Sam FBW (Germany)

Ingrid Klimke and Horseware Hale-Bob OLD (Germany)

Sam Watson and Horseware Lukeswell (Ireland)

Merel Blom and Rumour has It N.O.P. (Netherlands)

Andrew Hefferman and Boleybawn Ace N.O.P. (Netherlands)

Tim Lips and Bayro N.O.P. (Netherlands)

Alice Naber-Lozeman and ACSI Peter Parker (Netherlands)

Albert Hermoso Farras and Hito CP, Nereo CP and Junco CP (Spain)

Matt Brown and Super Socks BCF (United States)

Oh, and p.s. it’s not the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team anymore — just U.S. Eventing Team, capisce?

Ah well, a gold medal by any other name tastes just as sweet. Go Eventing!

fischerTakinou and fischerRocana Face Off in Strzegom CICO3*, Sit 1-2 After Dressage

By on Jun 24, 2016 2:00 pm -
fischerTakinou

Michael Jung and fischerTakinou after winning last year’s Strzegom CCI3*, the horse’s first three-star event. Photo via Michael Jung’s Facebook page.

Everybody knows that Michael Jung’s favorite horse is the one-and-only La Biosthetique Sam FBW, but his other horses sure have made a sport out of duking it out for the #2 spot. The latest showdown is between fischerTakinou and fischerRocana FST is taking place as we speak at the FEI Nations Cup Strzegom CICO3* in Poland. 

Earlier today fischerTakinou pocketed a dressage score of 34.2 to handily steal the lead from Rocana, who posted a 38.3. While Sam isn’t competing this weekend, Michael is on the German Olympic team list with all three horses and we’re all curious to see who will end up getting on the plane — unless the IOC decides to let him field his own team which, seeing as there are exactly three steps on the podium, would be bad news for the rest of us!

Takinou got shorted on the video front, but here is Michaels’s Strzegom test on Rocana as well as a post-ride interview:

Even in Sam and Rocana’s shadow, fischerTakinou has wasted no time in establishing himself as quite a precocious talent. At the Longines FEI European Eventing Championships at Blair Castle last September, the 8-year-old French-bred Anglo Arab cross gelding was the youngest horse in the field and had only one CCI3* on his resume — Strzegom 2015, which he won. Yet he and Michael (who, lest we forget, was riding with a broken leg) still won by nearly 10 points.

Michael Jung and fischerTakinou on cross country at Blair. Photo by Jon Stroud/FEI.

Michael Jung and fischerTakinou on cross country at Blair. Photo by Jon Stroud/FEI.

Michael tends to have good “luck” at Strzegom: he placed first and second in the CCI3* last year on Takinou and Halunke FBW respectively, and won the CICO3*-NC on Sam and the CIC2* on Takinou in 2014. So we sure wouldn’t bet against him this weekend. 

And if you’re wondering how many other fischer namesakes are floating around Michael’s yard, the answer is three more: fischerChelsea, fischerDaily Impressed and fischerIncantas, who finished fourth in the Strzegom CIC2*, which wrapped up today.

Can’t wait to see that one in another year or two!

Click here for ride times, orders of go and live scoring from Strzegom, and be sure to check out the free cross country live stream on FEI TV here — if you get up really early or stay up really late, the CCI2* begins at 3 a.m. EST (click here) while the CCI3* begins at a much more reasonable 9 a.m. EST (click here) after the conclusion of the CICO3*. 

Strzegom CICO3* dressage top 10:

Screen Shot 2016-06-24 at 1.12.54 PM

FEI Nations Cup team rankings: 

Screen Shot 2016-06-24 at 1.48.12 PM

#EventerSolutions: The Genius Continues

By on Jun 24, 2016 11:00 am -

Where there are #EventerProblems there are #EventerSolutions, as we horsefolks tend to be a pretty crafty, resourceful and frugal (read: broke) bunch. In this spinoff series we spotlight some of your most inventive problem-solving masterpieces. Be sure to tag your photos with the hashtag #EventerSolutions on social for inclusion in future editions!

You can always count on eventers to get the job done! Here are a few more strokes of #EventerSolutions genius ‘grammed by EN readers.

What do you use your backpack for? #cwd #eventerproblems #clockworkfarms @cwd_official @cwd_colorado @goeventing

A photo posted by Clockwork (@clockworkfarms) on

Forgot my tall socks #vetwrapforthewin #eventerproblems #eventersolutions

A photo posted by megmurfey (@megmurfey) on

A bird got stuck in the rafters…#eventersolutions to the rescue! #momwouldntapprove

A photo posted by @rebeccabrianne3 on

Go Eventing.

Area III Young Riders Go to Camp

By on Jun 24, 2016 9:00 am -
Carter McInnis, Magdalena Valenti, Hayden Jones and Emma Reid with Hilda Donahue at Area III Young Riders Camp. Photo courtesy of Hilda Donahue. Carter McInnis, Magdalena Valenti, Hayden Jones and Emma Reid with Hilda Donahue at Area III Young Riders Camp. Photo courtesy of Hilda Donahue.

North America’s Young Riders have been gearing up for what is often called the “Junior Olympics” at the Adequan/FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships, presented by Gotham North.

These Championship will take place at the Colorado Horse Park this July 26-31 and feature the three Olympic disciplines of dressage, jumping, eventing, the Para-Olympic discipline of para-dressage and two of the World Equestrian Games disciplines with reining and endurance.

Area III Young Riders Coach Kyle Carter with the sport's future stars! Photo via USEA Area III Young Riders Facebook page.

Area III Young Riders Coach Kyle Carter with the sport’s future stars! Photo via USEA Area III Young Riders Facebook page.

Many of today’s eventing greats came up through the Young Rider ranks–it is a program that gives us a glimpse of the future of the sport–and competing at “Young Riders” is a major goal for many young equestrians.

Since the 2016 season began, and indeed for several seasons, eligible Juniors and Young Riders (ages 14-21) have been working hard to qualify and get themselves and their horses ready to achieve a dream.

Hilda and one-star riders Carson Richards, Aki Joy Maruyama, Emma Keller and Haley Curry. Photo courtesy of Hilda Donahue.

Hilda and one-star riders Carson Richards, Aki Joy Maruyama, Emma Keller and Haley Curry. Photo courtesy of Hilda Donahue.

Besides qualifying for the level, competitors interested in competing at Young Riders go through a detailed application and selection process, much like those High Performance combinations bound for major international championships like the Olympics or World Equestrian Games.

Each Area has liberty to identify selection trials or tryout events for their NAJYRC hopefuls. This week the Area III Young Riders are having a selection trials in conjunction with the summer Young Rider camp at Chattahoochee Hills in Fairburn, Ga.

Thursday's packed schedule. Photo courtesy of Hilda Donahue.

Thursday’s packed lesson schedule. Photo courtesy of Hilda Donahue.

They’re training hard but having tons of fun, too. They’re coach is a seriously good sport!

Best Young Rider Camp ever! Kyle in the Dunk Tank #yrcamp2k16

Posted by USEA Area III Young Riders on Wednesday, June 22, 2016

The camp, organized by Catharine Clayton and Laurie Leavitt, has more than 70 campers taking daily lessons from Team Coach Kyle Carter and selectors Hilda Donahue, Leslie Law and Tiffani Loudon-Meetze.

The eight individuals who are hoping to be placed on a team for NAJYRC are required to assist trainers and camp volunteers throughout the week as well as teach an educational horsemanship session to the other campers.

Area 3 BN riders !

Posted by Hilda Donahue on Friday, June 24, 2016

Area III has been a force to be reckoned with in the last several years, sweeping team and individual gold medals at both the two-star and one-star level in 2013, winning team gold in the two-star in 2014 and bringing home the individual two-star gold in 2015.

We’ll be seeing NAJYRC teams named in the coming weeks as the deadline for submitting nominated entries to the FEI is fast approaching.

To learn more about the USEA Young Riders Program, click here! Between this and the budding Intercollegiate Eventing Programs around the country, it’s remarkable the opportunities and support systems that are out there now for young people in the sport.

What’s going on in your Area Young Riders Program this summer? Let us know in the comments!

When you work this hard you have to eat well too. Lunch at camp is being provided by Robin and Lillibet Barnett, Karyn Owen and Cari Johnson. Photo courtesy of Hilda Donahue.

When you work this hard you have to eat well, too. Lunch at camp is being provided by Robin and Lillibet Barnett, Karyn Owen and Cari Johnson. Photo courtesy of Hilda Donahue.

Friday News & Notes from FLAIR Nasal Strips

By on Jun 24, 2016 12:03 am -
Dear lord this #tbt wins everything. Photo courtesy of Sara Kozumplik Murphy.

Dear lord this #tbt wins everything. Photo courtesy of Sara Kozumplik Murphy.

Good God there is nothing better than a TBT from a professional upper level rider to let you know that we all came from the same barrel of horse crazy kids. This one comes from Sara Kozumplik Murphy, who kindly posted it to her Facebook wall with this note: “TBT to me torturing my pony, Mr. Marshall Mallow. God knows what this costume was supposed to be? My favorite bit is possibly the head collar with hearts on it that I thought was amazeballs. Brian says he can tell I had a lot of friends in school…… Of course? I mean look at me. ‪#‎winning‬“.

U.S. Weekend Preview:

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

Surefire H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Fox River Valley Pony Club H.T. [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Shepherd Ranch SYVPC H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]

Inavale Farm Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]

Arrowhead H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]

Midsouth Pony Club H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]

Honey Run H.T. [Website] [Ride Times]

Abbe Ranch H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]

News From Around the Globe:

Considering a mini vacay to Florida in December? Make sure you get to the USEA Convention in Fort Lauderdale on December 7-11th. The USEA strives to continue to organize a Convention that will be the best experience for our members. The educational opportunities in the week are limitless and have ranged from lectures with Cat Hill, co-author of the very popular, World Class Grooming for Horses, art lessons with Julie Lawther, breaking down Equine Behavior with Tik Maynard, to more hands on discussion like cross-country course building and frangible design implementation. The Association organizes these seminars each year to benefit our members, so we want to know: What topics do YOU want to learn at Convention? Who would YOU like to hear from?  They want to hear your suggestions! Please comment on the Facebook page with suggestions on topics, speakers or seminars that you would like to hear at Convention – or you can email [email protected] with your suggestions as well. [USEA Convention]

Working donkeys in Ethiopia are on their way to having their thirst satisfied as funds have been raised for the first of five permanent water troughs.The trough is part of Brooke USA’s “Buy a Donkey a Drink” fundraising campaign to provide access to water for 13,500 equines in the Shala Woreda district of Ethiopia. These 50-foot-long concrete troughs will be located in busy market areas where thousands of animals regularly gather. The troughs will allow as many as 340 horses, donkeys, and mules to quench their thirst with each filling, and will allow other livestock such as cattle and camels to drink as well. With a goal of $98,000, Brooke USA is looking to the next milestone of $50,000 by July 15. [No More Thirsty Donkeys]

COTH staff writer Lisa Slade recently scheduled herself a riding lesson on Dante Maximus, the equine simulator. Dante is a master at Grand Prix Dressage, Advanced Eventing, and Grand Prix Show Jumping. He tells you when you’re using too much leg, not enough left leg, too much right rein, and simulates the sizes of the fences appropriately so you get tossed up his neck when you get a bit over ambitious with the fence height. Read more about Lisa’s learning experience in her blog. [Bring Your Helmet]

Short girths for mono flap saddles are one of those things that seem to have gotten too expensive for their size. Luckily, SmartPak knows you need a reasonable solution for your everyday girth. I just ordered their SmartPak brand Dri-Lex Fleece Dressage Girth for my big guys for the summer, because I know that’s prime time for super-sweaty-chafing to happen, and I also hate cleaning a leather girth when it’s just soaked through with sweat. The fleece offers no more chafing, it’s quick drying, and I can just throw it in the wash and have it ready for the next day if I want. Also, it comes in at around $34 with my SmartPak VIP discount, so that’s pretty hard to beat. [SmartPak Product of the Day]

Bit by Bit with Richard Spooner:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday Video from Nupafeed: Seneca Valley Rewind

By on Jun 23, 2016 5:00 pm -

You know Jamie Rees as a talented videographer and drone pilot who brought us gems like this Fair Hill remix, and now he’s back with super footage from this past weekend at Seneca Valley Pony Club Horse Trials in Poolesville, Maryland.

Proceeds from SVPC’s horse trials go toward improving the grounds at Bittersweet Field and also funding lessons for the Pony Clubbers. It’s a fantastic event and always a staple in Area II. Thank you, SVPC, for all you doing for the evening community!

[Seneca Valley Pony Club H.T. Final Scores]

 

USEF Announces Land Rover Grants for Rebecca Farm

By on Jun 23, 2016 2:25 pm -
Caroline Martin and Effervescent. Photo by Jenni Autry. Caroline Martin and Effervescent. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Hot off the presses! The USEF just announced the recipients of Land Rover/USEF Eventing Competition Grants for The Event at Rebecca Farm CCI3*, which will be held July 21-24 in Kalispell, Montana.

Congratulations to:

Hannah Sue Burnett (Reddick, Fla.) and Cooley Dream LLC’s Cooley Dream, a 2008 Irish Sport Horse gelding

Amber Levine (Rohnert Park, Calif.) and her own Carry On, a 2007 KWPN gelding

Caroline Martin (Miami Beach, Fla.) and her own and Sherrie Martin’s Effervescent, a 2006 Irish Sport Horse gelding

The CCI3* is shaping up to be an exciting division. Buck Davidson has both Copper Beach and Approved Power entered, joining a number of other talented horse and rider combinations. Click here to see the current entry list.

[USEF Announces Land Rover/USEF Eventing Competition Grant Recipients for The Event at Rebecca Farm]

Great Britain Announces Nations Cup Team for Great Meadow

By on Jun 23, 2016 12:55 pm -
Jodie Amos and Wise Crack. Photo by Samantha Clark. Jodie Amos and Wise Crack. Photo by Samantha Clark.

British Eventing just announced the team that will travel to Great Meadow next month for the first Nations Cup leg ever held outside Europe. Three members of the squad will be traveling from England, and U.S.-based Brit Justine Dutton will also compete on the team.

Congrats to the British Nations Cup team:

Jodie Amos, 32 from Warwickshire, with Miss Nicola Coates and her own Wise Crack

Rosalind Canter, 30 from Lincolnshire, and her own Zenshera

Justine Dutton, 35 based in Pennsylvania, USA, on Patricia Weiser and her own Huck Finn or Kathleen Cuca and her own Jak My Style

Ben Way, 27 from Warwickshire, with Posy Kopanski and Peter Finer’s Willows Tipster

“We are very grateful to the Organising Committee at The Plains for supporting the FEI Nations Cup Eventing and to offer this fantastic opportunity,” Philip Surl, Chef d’Equipe for the GBR Nations Cup squad, said. “We as a team are looking forward to contesting the first leg outside Europe.”

Team GBR currently sits in second place in the FEI Nations Cup Standings on 225 points, with France leading on 250.

Current team standings after three events:

1st France 250
2nd Great Britain 225
3rd Germany 200
4th Ireland 170
5th Australia 160
6th Netherlands 100
=7th Sweden 60
=7th New Zealand 60
=9th Italy 50
=9th USA 50
11th Belgium 40

2016 FEI Nations Cup Series Dates:

Fontainebleau (FRA) 23 – 25 March 2016
Ballindenisk (IRL) 22 – 24 April 2016
Houghton Hall (GBR) 26 – 29 May 2016
Strzegom (POL) 24 – 26 June 2016
The Plains (USA) 08 – 10 July 2016
Aachen (GER) 14 – 17 July 2016
Vairano (ITA) 16 – 18 September 2016
Waregem (BEL) 22 – 25 September 2016
Boekelo (NED) 06 – 09 October 2016

[GBR Eventing squad prepare for first FEI Nations Cup competition outside Europe]