Galway, Sporting Days, and Three Lakes are bringing us into February. We saw Eventers in the South and the West getting out and about.
Congrats to all on successful weekends! We love celebrating these Weekend Winners with through recaps and socials. We’re also giving a special shout out to the winner of our Unofficial Low Score Award, Galway Downs’ Open Novice winner Katherine Robinson and Percival ICF, who scored an impressive 16.1!
Advanced CT: Katherine Robinson and Teki to the Limit (41.6)
Open Intermediate: Emilee Libby and Toska (43.9)
Open Preliminary: Leah Forquer and Ixxe Hedoniste (30.0)
Open Modified: Olivia Baca and MB MaiStein (31.3)
Open Training: Whitney Tucker Billeter and Balou Print (20.8)
Training Rider: Emma Pistone and Paulank Pepper Pot (29.7)
Novice Rider A: Bari Boersma and Reverie GWF (16.7)
Novice Rider B: Jennifer Miller and Bon Bon (28.1)
Open Novice: Katherine Robinson and Percival ICF (16.1)
Open Beginner Novice A: Katherine Schlatter and Adios Nonino (22.7)
Open Beginner Novice B: Chloe Smyth and SR Myconos (25.2)
Starter: Sophia Guttentag and Into the Cosmos (25.3)
Open Preliminary: Lillian Heard Wood and Cooley Gentleman (33.3)
Preliminary Rider: Brooke Kahl and Nata Montada SCF (32.9)
Open Training: Lillian Heard Wood and Bellines Quality Lady (26.7)
Preliminary/Training: Heidi Grimm Powell and Finntastic! (38.0)
Training Rider: Avery Cascarino and San Suki (28.8)
Novice Rider: Nancy Read and Classic Chrome PCH (23.9)
Open Novice A: Sarah Cousins and American Ride (29.4)
Open Novice B: Alexander Conrad and Ad Lib (23.1)
Beginner Novice Rider: Julie Wotring and Our Golden Chance (27.8)
Open Beginner Novice: Michael Pendleton and Cornmill manny (30.3)
Introductory: Libby Head and Demelza (26.0)
Open Preliminary: Lexi Scovil and Curlieu Zephyros (28.4)
Preliminary Rider: Luciana Hackett and As Good As Cash (55.8)
Modified Rider: Sarah Newman and Hang Time (34.8)
Open Modified: Elizabeth Swire and Magnifique K (27.3)
Open Training A: Meghan O’Donoghue and Uvera Z (26.7)
Open Training B: Gabby Dickerson and Sophia Tharseo (32.0)
Training Rider: Jaclyn McElhaney and Strongest (28.6)
Novice Rider: Rachael Whiteley and Title of Honor (23.9)
Open Novice A: Jane Musselman and Corleone Tops (22.5)
Open Novice B: Bernard Morauw and VC QUESTERA (29.6)
Open Novice C: Madeline Backus and Apollo (23.6)
Beginner Novice Rider: Kirsty McLeod and Celtic Sapphire (24.7)
Open Beginner Novice A: Fanny Lee and Hitchcock’s Doppelganger (27.7)
Open Beginner Novice B: Margaret Stocker and Smilla’s Sense of Snow (22.1)
Open Starter: Priscilla Pignatelli and Dittos Gold En Fury (32.3)
With less than 6 months until the 2024 Olympic Games, we’re all waiting in anticipation to cheer on our favorite athletes and Team as they’re competing in Paris.
So, what could be even better than to have the opportunity to cheer them on in person?
The equestrian sports at Paris 2024 will take place at the Palace of Versailles.
There will be a limited number of tickets, so if you fancy a trip to Paris to see the best athletes in the world in some of the most iconic venues, make sure to keep an eye on the website, and be ready for February 8th!
Carolina’s Painted Ponies are back! This colourful, creative, truly horse-bonkers tradition is one of my favourite fundraisers, and I’d truly love to do the walk myself one day to see all of them (also, not going to lie, kind of want to paint a pony myself!). If you’re in the area, or planning a trip, you can check this guide to plan your route around Southern Pines and spot them all. They’ll be on display until April, and then they’ll be auctioned off for charity. I reckon one of these guys would make an amazing arena decoration.
National Holiday: It’s the most wonderful time of the year — it’s Freelance Writers Appreciation Week, a thing I didn’t know existed until about five minutes ago. Did you know that EN is made up of freelancers around the world? We might not have much security and stability as we roam the globe in search of stories for our clients, but we sure do have fun.
Sporting Days Farm February Trials H.T. II (Aiken, SC) [Website][Results]
Three Lakes Winter I H.T. at Caudle Ranch (Groveland, FL) [Website][Results]
Your Monday Reading List:
In honour of our own Ema Klugman’s Bendigo, COTH is heading down memory lane. Back, specifically, to the dynamic duo’s first five-star at Kentucky, when Ema was just 23 and Ben was 19. And that? Well, it was just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what made them such a remarkable partnership. Relive their preparations here.
Kiwi Monica Spencer is going all in for the next two Olympics. She relocated to the US last season with her top horse, World Championships mount Artist, and now, after a bit of time back at home, she’s moving a string of up-and-comers over, too, to her new base in Ocala. She’ll be there with her family, chipping away at her dreams, through the LA Olympics. You can’t hold that intrepid Kiwi spirit back!
Are you a young rider with big goals? Then don’t miss your chance to apply for the 2024 Emerging Athlete U21 program, which opened its application window today and will close again on the 15th of March. It’s dead simple to apply: you just have to be active in your regional Young Rider program, have 4 MERs at Training level or above, and be ready to reflect on your riding experiences so far and what it means to give back to the sport. Give this link a click for more information, the application portal, and tips to make your application stand out.
Are there enough medical personnel on the ground at Canadian horse shows? That’s the question on the table in this piece, which points out that the US has much more stringent requirements to keep its riders and handlers safe. There’s some really interesting insights in there from a bunch of folks in the industry, and frankly, the answer seems pretty clear-cut to me – let’s get more medics on site.
Morning Viewing:
If your idea of unwinding is looking at videos of horseboxes that are nicer, more expensive, and arguably larger than your own house (…guilty), this’ll zen you right out. I’ll have Jessica von Bredow-Werndl whispering “abnormale!” in my brain all day long.
I was lucky to be there, in the car that day with my mom, when at just two years old I saw someone riding a horse and begged her to turn around. I needed to see it, to ask where they got it. My mom told me, “Sarah, it doesn’t matter where they got it; we aren’t getting one.” But I never dropped the matter and was gifted my first riding lesson for my fourth birthday.
I was lucky to be there, not at the hunter barn close to my house, but at the much further away and highly recommended Fairfield Farm, a place with strong ties to eventing, the origin place of the Stones River Pony Club, the place where kids like me were turned loose to just be wild, horse-loving children. The place where there was no fancy equipment, but everyone made do with what was available, and what was available was plenty of cute but stubborn ponies, helmets that were ‘items of apparel’ only, standing martingales made of old stirrup leathers, and miles of trails. What was available was nothing short of some of the most important life lessons that I carry with me to this day.
I was lucky to be there, in my teens, riding care-leased, half-broke horses that I somehow found the tenacity to compete through training level. On the borrowed pony I took to my C-3 rating in Pony Club, where the examiners pulled my parents aside, after we passed the certification, and hesitantly told them they needed to consider getting me a bigger horse. When the same instructor who generously opened her home to all of us angsty teenagers who needed a safe place to talk and be ourselves, took me on my one and only international trip, back home to see her family in England. When she picked me up off the ground after a fall and carried me, unable to walk, off the cross country course.
I was lucky to be there, in my early twenties, riding a Tennessee Walking Horse at a hunter show, trying to get this talented gelding some jumping experience, when I met a fellow eventer in the warmup. We saw each other and had a moment of mutual recognition, a fish-out-of-water moment, and instantly became life-long friends. When I found a young warmblood for sale cheap in the local newspaper classified ads, bought him with a loan from a family member, and took him to my B rating in Pony Club about a year and a half later.
My life has taken me to some interesting places, mostly due to horses. But the thing that horses have brought me, the thing that I feel luckiest to have found, is family. The coach who carried me when I was injured is not only my mentor, but a precious friend and confidant. The person who owned the Tennessee Walking Horse I was jumping is the wonderfully generous friend I stay with each time I visit Lexington, KY. The other fish-out-of-water at the hunter show is now my coach who not only teaches me but also matched me with the horse I currently ride- a perfect fit for my goals, my abilities, and my personality. These people are my “horse family.” They are as true to me as the ground beneath my feet.
As an adult, I have spent too much time out of the saddle, pursuing other goals. In May of 2021, my father was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, and over the months, as his health declined, I knew I needed horses back in my life. I started taking lessons in the spring of 2022, riding yet another borrowed horse (generously provided to me by the same friend who continues to match me with great horses) and set a goal of attending the Barnstaple Educational Three Day Event in November 2022.
After a lameness issue caused me to swap horses, I qualified for the three day at starter level. However, my dad entered hospice care at the same time I would have been hauling down to Florida, and my coach ended up riding in my place. I was home with my dad, helping tend to his final needs. I was laying next to him when he died, and I was lucky to be there.
The year since my dad passed has been one of the most difficult years of my life. My barn family has been indispensable during this time. Finding the words to describe all the ways in which they have helped me get through this grief is impossible, but I have leaned on each one of them. I have ridden more consistently during this time than I have in many years, and this has been therapeutic for my body and my mind.
My usual lesson group is half middle schoolers and half 40 (ish) year olds. Our lessons are the perfect mix of serious riding and playful laughing. We support each other at home and at shows, we loan and borrow horses, we groom and tack up for each other, we hug, we cheer, we cry, and we never do it alone. These are my people, the horse girls and barn rats, and I am so lucky to be here.
Disappointing to Silva as it may be, a little Leo + Emma victory gallop is exactly what we all needed today. As Leo Mic’d Up Part 2.5, it looks like Mini Martin is learning only the most important equestrian skills. It’s a real stretch to try to discern where on earth he could have gotten this fist pump move from…
Boyd Martin and Fedarman B. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Sponsor Corner: How can Etalon Equine Genetics inform the purchase of your next horse? They recently released the new “Build-a-Horse” app that takes into account a horse’s temperament, speed, performance & abilities, health & disease risks, and more.
Morning Viewing: Tune in for an excellent (and vital) presentation given by Chief of Sport David O’Connor at the 2024 US Equestrian Annual Meeting, titled “Working Together for our Future: Our Collective Responsibility for Ensuring the Future of Equine Activities”.
It’s true right? My pony started shedding last week and while I admit, it’s a little exciting at first thinking of spring coming soon and all that, the sheer volume of hair on my beloved equine is a reminder that we still have a ways to go, unfortunately. I’ll be scraping that hair off my jacket and my saddlepads for a while yet. Only when it’s all nearly gone is spring truly here and equestrians everywhere can rejoice.
What began as a bucket list tick evolved into a full-fledged adventure for Elisa Wallace. It was a friend, fellow mustang trainer and eventer Rebecca Brown, who first encouraged Elisa to sign up for the annual Mustang Magic competition. For Elisa, it was an opportunity for a new challenge: if she could train a mustang, surely it would solidify her prowess as a horse trainer and perhaps give her the opportunity to become an ambassador for the once-wild horse.
Fast forward to today, over a decade later, and now about 10 mustangs are in residence at Elisa’s Ocala, FL base. She’s taken multiple mustangs out eventing, including the famous Fledge and Rune as well as the gray mare Hwin. Elisa gains much fulfillment from promoting the mustang as an excellent horse for any discipline, and now spends some of her time (when she isn’t also producing and competing event horses) training and re-homing mustangs to other riders.
“In training them you just get addicted,” Elisa explained. “Each one kind of teaches you something new, and you just want to keep doing it. I think they’re great horses for people to have, too. They can fit that little niche, so that’s my goal. I train one and try to fulfill that with someone.”
Elisa Wallace and Fledge. Photo by Sally Spickard.
Elisa’s latest mustang project was a return to the Mustang Magic competition. This competition, held in Texas, during the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, gives approximately 25 trainers the opportunity to bond with a train a mustang over the course of a 100 days. The event then culminates with a Trainer’s Challenge consisting of a handling and conditioning class, a maneuvers class, a trail class, and a freestyle for finalists. The prize pot of $50,000 sweetens the deal, and the mustangs are then auctioned to the public following the competition.
Initially, Mustang Magic was not in Elisa’s plans for the year. She laughed when I asked what changed her mind. “You’re going to laugh at me, but,” she began. “I had a dream. [Four-time Mustang Makeover champion and respected horseman] Bobby Kerr was in it. In this dream I was a working student for Bobby. He asked me if I was going to do the Magic and I said ‘no’ and he goes ‘well you should’. And so I woke up and said ‘well I guess I’m going to do Magic this year!’ So that was my reasoning for it.”
Dior’s glow-up. Photo courtesy of Elisa Wallace.
In September, Elisa traveled to Texas to make her selection from a group of recently rounded-up mustangs. The 26 trainers drew numbers to make their selections; naturally, having an early pick is beneficial, but you must be prepared with a list of alternates. Elisa, luckily, had a few on her list as she drew #20.
“It was tough because you’re going through strategy-wise of who to pick,” Elisa said. “I analyzed for hours and when it came down to it, I had Dior on my list. She was the boss mare of her pen, I just went ‘screw it Elisa, go for color!’ She was already on the list, but it was just one of those things.”
“Dior”, as she came to be known, is a beautiful palomino color. Elisa, for this competition, knew she would be giving the horse up for auction/adoption following the competition, so she was looking for a horse that would be a suitable all-arounder, perhaps one that could also do some Western riding. The mare seemed to tick the right boxes.
“I tell you – that mare cracks me up,” she laughed. “She was like ‘finally!’ [upon getting into the barn]. The first night mustangs are in a stall they normally don’t sleep. That mare slept — she was covered head to toe in shavings. The name Dior kind of fit. She’s kind of ‘bougie’ and Dior also means ‘gold’.”
Elisa chronicled her training process with Dior in a full playlist of videos on YouTube — I’ll drop the playlist below for you to watch at leisure:
“She was a very fun mare to train,” Elisa said. “She was very confident in some ways and I’m still super busy because I also had a three-day in November, so I was glad that she was special. It takes a special horse for the makeover. I didn’t have any of the flashy tricks on her, but she was very good about very practical things, which I thought was very handy. I was able to go and work her on cows and I took a roping lesson off of her. One thing I really love about doing the mustang stuff is it kind of pushed out of my comfort zone. I get to learn so much more, I feel like, and break things up. She did a little starter event at [Florida Horse Park] and it was basically underwater; her first time in a dressage ring and she scored a 34. Won her little starter division. She loved going out on cross country. She was just a little star.”
The competition yielded a strong result for Elisa, who made the finals and finished in sixth overall, out of the 26 original trainers. Elisa was impressed with how Dior handled the intense atmosphere, even staying calm when a prop got stuck in her girth during their final freestyle performance.
The bittersweet part came at the end, when Dior would be auctioned and meet her new owner.
Dior meets her new owner, Sierra Gowen. Photo courtesy of Elisa Wallace.
“Dior was one of the last to go and the girl that ended up getting her wants to do eventing,” Elisa said. “Her name is Sierra and she’s also a bodyworker and Dior is going to be her first mustang. And it just so happens she lives back where I used to live in Canton [Georgia], so she has a lot of connections to a lot of my old students who are her trainers. So it worked out. I was happy with the outcome with it and I think Dior is where she needs to be. I was happy and pleased with myself that I produced a good horse. I cried, I had poor Sierra crying, but that’s just so I can train another one. I try to train one and just do the same thing.”
Elisa always emphasizes that each horse teaches her something new. I asked what she had learned during her time with Dior. “Really utilizing the horse’s strengths,” she said, after a moment of thought. “Try not to focus too much on their weaknesses; it’s more minimizing their weaknesses and maximizing their strengths. When I ignored some of the weaker things that I didn’t necessarily like, that would just kind of go away if I just focused on the more positive things. And really the lesson for me, which oftentimes can get lost, is that horses are supposed to be fun and we’re supposed to enjoy our time with our horses. The training process gets frustrating, we all get frustrated, but you want to have fun and that’s kind of what we lose.”
Photo courtesy of Elisa Wallace.
Here, she compares the level of trust and bond that’s required to compete in an event like Mustang Magic to that required to go out on cross country with an event horse.
“These horses that are previously wild, because of the bond you’ve built, they trust you. It’s what we want to attain with any of our horses. The mustangs and Thoroughbred stuff — it’s why I like to do it. Your event horses aren’t going to push for you if they don’t trust you. It’s the same thing when you get the trust of the mustang. Those horses try for you and at the end of the day, that is all you can ask for.”
Wow, this horse thang can be tricky! I’m now two months in and the journey ahead looms enormous – overwhelming and daunting much of the time. For the first time in my life I’ve been forced to be open to admitting I’m feeling vulnerable – hella scared, even – and to ask for help. But I’m hanging onto the moments that feel full of promise and excitement. When it’s all about the journey. It’s so easy to be impatient: to long for the end result, the relationship to be built already, the trust in place, for things to be going right. But none of that will come without embracing the journey. So I’m going all in. I’m ponying up and stepping up. Because it’s a privilege to be in this position. Just having my horse is the culmination of two decades’ worth of dreaming, of getting stuck in to earn the money required, of being brave enough to go for it. And I’m constantly reminding myself to cherish every second.
For those of us in need of a break from the uphill climb, live vicariously through Laura Collett and London 52 (above) with this smooth ride on the gallops, and don’t forget to go eventing!
PS: Today is, I kid you not, National Working Naked Day (yes, really). I won’t divulge whether I’m typing this au naturel, but I do believe this initiative would perhaps be better supported if it fell at a more conducive time of year for stripping off the layers, but we all know eventers are made of tough stuff. If you’re planning on taking part, please don’t tag us in your shares, but definitely do wear a helmet.
Some sage advice for riding cross country safely and successfully with Karen O’Connor. Day 2 at the USEA Eventing Coaches Program Symposium was cross country day, and US Olympian and all-around eventing legend Karen O’Connor was on course bestowing the benefit of her experience and expertise on the participants. From bridging the reins and where your foot should rest in the stirrup to taking a green horse cross country, as well a detailed description of the four positions riders need to adopt during a round and what they communicate to your horse, there’s lots here for us all to be working on.
Farewell to Fair Expression who has sadly passed away aged 26. Found as a “starving” two-year-old, the lovely gelding known affectionately as ‘Percy’ went on to become an eventer for long-time owner of 22 years Sue Ringrose, who competed him up to Intermediate level before Ros Canter took up the ride in 2006, progressing to 3*. Sue’s daughter had her turn with Percy doing Pony Club and Juniors, and then he went on to become a schoolmaster for other aspiring eventers. He was a family horse who will be much missed by all those who knew him.
You may or may not have noticed the negativity on social media recently regarding the Amsterdam leg of the FEI Dressage World Cup. Whilst it’s obviously A-OK to have a voice and use it, these situations do make me worry about the future of equestrian sports. Eternal horsegirl, international dressage rider and trainer, and no stranger to the eventing dressage commentary box, Pammy Hutton weighs in with her opinion on whether such public outrage is contributing to dressage’s downfall.
Just when you thought you couldn’t love Tamie Smith any more… Behold the generosity, tenacity, and downright awesomeness of the Kentucky champ as she shares her ‘Lexus’ story.
From one eventing superstar to another – Ros Canter chats to Nicole Brown about her World Champion Allstar B.Listen in as Ros talks about her relationship with this very special horse, right from the first time they met, through the high highs at the very top of the sport, to the very low lows. Albie truly was a ‘horse of a lifetime’.
And finally, some thoughts on horsey parenting. It’s a tough spot to be in, there’s no doubt. Being the parent of an aspiring equestrian takes guts. It’s a physical, mental and emotional job over and above the physical, mental and emotional job that parenting a non-horsey child already is. Trainer Rob Jacobs has some sound advice for how best to support your kids’ equestrian journey.
From the gallops to the forest – if you’re in need of another trip with a top horse, here you go. Ride along with dressage superstars Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and TSF Dalera BB in today’s Video Break.
Sierra Lesny rides cross country in front of William Fox-Pitt. Photo by Lisa Madren.
Last month, we announced a contest to give away an entry to William Fox-Pitt’s February clinic in Ocala, FL. The clinic will be hosted February 27 and 28 at Overlook Farm South (show jumping) and Barnstaple South (cross country). We asked you to submit an entry detailing the story of why you love eventing, what got you into the sport, or anything else pertaining to the love of the sport — and you delivered!
We received almost 50 entries to this contest, making the final decision that much more difficult. But after much deliberation amongst our team, we’ve landed on our winner, who will receive a complimentary spot in the clinic on both days at their chosen level.
Photo courtesy of Sarah Clark.
Please join us in congratulating Sarah Clark! Sarah’s essay, “I Was Lucky to Be There” on how she got into eventing is a story we’ll be sharing in the coming days here on EN, and it’s one that shows us just how much eventing and horses can bring us together, heal wounds, and make us believe we are capable.
Thanks to the generosity of the clinic organizers, we’ll be offering free auditing passes to the other five finalists who were chosen from the initial pool of applicants. You’ll receive an email from EN this week if this applies to you!
Thank you to all who took the time to enter and share their stories with us. We’ll be on site for the first day of the clinic at Overlook Farm South and will bring you much more from on location.
There has come to be no better way to open the eventing season in what feels like an unofficial, official way than the annual Grand-Prix Eventing Festival at Bruce’s Field (Aiken, SC), happening March 1 and 2.
Designed to be a spectator-friendly pipe-opener for horses that are on the handier side (or, practice for those who could use some more of this!), Grand-Prix Eventing is a condensed event run over two days and consisting of a dressage, show jumping, cross country format. Cross country, designed by Capt. Mark Phillips, is an arenacross-type course, much removed from its long format predecessor but nonetheless an exciting “taster” of the thrill of the sport. In my opinion, this format is a natural way to invite newcomers to the sport of eventing — the fact that it takes place literally in the center of Aiken at Bruce’s Field is the icing on the “welcome to eventing” cake.
This year, the prize pot grows from an initial $50,000 to now be a $100,000 purse — in eventing, you don’t often see prize money like this outside of CCI5* events — thanks to the incoming title sponsor, Conceal. Taylor Harris Insurance Services also returns as presenting sponsor.
We won’t have a final roster of entries for a few weeks yet, but a few have begun to sprinkle in to the entry status here. The crew at Grand-Prix Eventing also tells me there will be some exciting visitors from overseas.
As of publication, the confirmed entries for this year’s GPE are:
Will Faudree and Mama’s Magic Way + Pfun
Ariel Grald and Leamore Master Plan
Lillian Heard and Dassett Olympus + LCC Barnaby
Liz Halliday-Sharp celebrates the taste of sweet, sweet victory in 2023. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Other tentatively committed riders include previous winners Boyd Martin and Liz Halliday, Sharon White, Emily Hamel, Doug Payne, Caroline Pamukcu, Jennie Brannigan, and more. We’ll be sure to keep you up to date with the latest entry confirmations, so stay tuned for more. Riders will also be riding for the benefit of local charities (to be named for 2024).
Tickets are still available for this not-to-be-missed event, so come on down March 1 and 2. You can purchase yours starting at just $30 for two-day admission by clicking here.
