Classic Eventing Nation

Friday News & Notes from FLAIR Nasal Strips

By on Apr 1, 2016 12:03 am -
Be careful out there today folks.

Be careful out there today folks.

I’m a pretty skeptical person anyway, but on today of all days, I’m suspicious of everything. You could tell me that the sky is blue and the horses need poop cleaned from their stalls and I might squint an eye at you and raise an eyebrow anyway. However, I have several VERY gullible friends, and I fully enjoy taking advantage of them today in various devious ways. And no, I didn’t just blow my cover, because they’re that gullible. Mwuahaha!

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Morven Park Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Rocking Horse Spring H.T. [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Full Gallop Farm April H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Texas Rose Horse Park H.T. [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

Galway Downs CIC & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]

News From Around The Globe:

The biggest news of the day comes from the ever intriguing Andrew Nicholson, who has announced his intentions to ride for Australia in the coming years. Following his highly publicized tiff with Eventing NZ and subsequent self-removal from any team activities, Australia seems like the only natural choice. The Aussies are delighted with his decision, and are hoping to fight ageism within the Olympic sport by fielding the oldest team for Rio, including Andrew, Stuart Tinney, Andrew Hoy, and Bill Levitt. [Andrew Nicholson Swaps Countries]

The great and notorious Calvin Borel has decided to retire from horse racing after 33 years. A Hall of Fame and triple Kentucky Derby winning jockey, Calvin retires with 5,146 career victories – 27th-highest total in North American history – and purse earnings of $127,087,376. He rode his first winner in 1983. [Goodbye Bo-Rail]

Admit it, you’ve asked yourself if you have a telepathic horse before. How is it that sometimes you have a horse that just seems to KNOW what you’re thinking and see into your soul? No, your horse isn’t a fortune teller or a telepath, but horses are incredibly adept at reading minute body language and intentions through muscular tension (or lack thereof). They can sense rhythm changes in your breathing, and have a keen sense of touch, especially with quiet riders. [Can My Horse Read My Mind?]

Fleeceworks Fernhill is having a baby, and we want you to guess the due date! We’re teaming up with Fleeceworks to give away a brand new Bamboo Contour Cross Country Pad to the winner of this contest. Entries close on April 5, and you can find more information here. 

How much do you know about Badminton? With the entry list released and the excitement building, its time to take this week’s Horse & Hound Eventing Quiz. (I got 8/10!) [The Ultimate Badminton Brain Buster]

No need to wonder if this is April Fools, it’s just Craigslist. [Believe It Or Not]

Oh no. The Flies are here. Just this week they appeared in Virginia and Nyls is already pissed. He’s standing at the gate in the morning as soon as the sun comes up shaking his head like he’s being tortured by the two flies that got up early enough to annoy him. Time to break out the fly masks. This Crusader Fly Mask is by far the best, with the ears protected and a durable design that lasts for even the toughest candidates. You can get it customized with a name if you want to feel real fancy, or get fun colors in pony sizes. [SmartPak Product of the Day]

Teamwork makes the dream work:

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Thursday Video from Nupafeed: Poplar Place Pocket Rocket Helmet Cam

By on Mar 31, 2016 5:00 pm -

John Crowell has brought Little Hail through the levels since the Thoroughbred gelding’s first Beginner Novice horse trials in 2014. At Poplar Place Farm’s most recent event, Little Hail completed his second Preliminary, finishing seventh in the Preliminary Rider division with two clear jumping rounds.

Little Hail, a 7-year-old owned by Bennett Williams, Dorothy Crowell and John, stormed around the course with only a handful of time penalties to add. Standing at 15.1 hands Little Hail is a pocket rocket to be sure, skimming easily over the wet turf, and his tidy knees make an appearance in the frame on more than one occasion. John’s enthusiasm only grows as the course continues and you can’t help but smile with every “Woo-hoo!”

The View Between the Ears in the Irish Countryside

By on Mar 31, 2016 3:00 pm -

We love Between the Ears photos here at EN, so when we stumbled on Irish event rider Alex Calder's @betweentwoears account on Instagram, we asked her to share some of her favorite photos. Her account received international acclaim last year when Instagram featured her photos on their blog. Many thanks to Alex for sharing the view from between the ears!

I started @betweentwoears on Instagram in summer 2014 as a place to keep and share all the photos I was taking while out hacking.

There’s a painting I’ve always loved called The Finest View in Europe by an English painter called Snaffles; it’s of the view from the saddle across the fields to where the hunt are, with the neck and ears of the painter’s horse in the foreground. Every time I took one of these ‘ears shots’ I thought of that. I felt I had this deep knowledge of this 5 mile square, very historic corner of Wicklow and wanted to share it, and Instagram is the perfect place to do that.

When you’re out riding you have a really unusual perspective and when you’ve been hacking around the same area for years, particular places begin to have their own peculiar significance — like the place where there are good blackberries, or the place where there are dogs are that will always bark, or where a certain donkey lives that the horses always want to talk to.

I just have one horse, Ben, a Thoroughbred. He’s 11 now and we’ve spent the last six years having fun working up the grades in eventing here in Ireland. Ben is a really fun horse; he’s fast and he’s brave and we share a love of cross-country — the galloping, the jumping, the adrenaline.

That translates into how he behaves out hacking — really alert, which makes for great photos, as he’ll stick his head up and prick his ears at almost anything. There’s a fine line between when he’s happy to stand and stare and when he decides to take fright, but luckily I know him well enough to sense it and to shove my phone in my pocket and gather up my reins quickly.

It never even occurred to me that Instagram might find the account and take an interest in it. But they got in touch in December 2015 and posted one of my photos on their Instagram profile and their blog. The photo got 1 million likes, and my account gained thousands of new followers.

This is one of my all-time favourites, it’s so reminiscent of that rare thing, high-summer in Ireland. I love how the foxgloves are blowing in the same direction as Ben’s head is turned. And the view from that particular spot is amazing — all the way down the coast to Wicklow Head. It reminds me a bit of the painting I mentioned that inspired me — Snaffle’s Finest View in Europe. Definitely one of me and Ben’s favourite views.

This is hilarious. It’s so Ben. He loves apples but it really bad at eating them — he has to take dainty little bites, where most horses would just munch it down in one go.

GIMMIE ALL THE APPLES.

A photo posted by Between Two Ears (@betweentwoears) on

I do a lot more riding on days that look like this than days that are sunny and bright, but it’s much harder to capture that, so there are fewer of them on my page. I love this one because it was what we call in Ireland a ‘soft day,’ the type of day where you go out thinking it’s not really raining that much, but when you’re out you find that it is, it’s just that it’s really gentle, yet persistent, and you’re sodden by the end.

I took this one before I started Between Two Ears, but it was the one that got me thinking about doing a profile dedicated to Ben. It was at the very start of Tattersalls International Horse Trials in May 2014. Not many other people were there yet and we were exercising out in the warm-up field when this huge storm started to roll in. Naturally, we trotted back to the stables quickly, but not before getting this shot.

This tree fell at my parent’s house last winter. It was about 200 years old, and 70-foot tall, and apparently some relation of the Giant Redwood (which we don’t have in Ireland.) It was so vast, and it was awe-inspring to see it on the ground like this. It also narrowly missed my father when it fell!

Tangled wreckage. A photo posted by Between Two Ears (@betweentwoears) on

Riding on the beach is the best. My sister and I took two of her youngsters for their first trip to the beach over the winter. They were very good and happily went into the sea, but every so often, they would leap sideways as waves came towards them. There were some other people on the beach on horses who were very quiet and we realised we were those crazy people on leaping horses, laughing hysterically.

This is the local church. It’s tiny and ancient, at 800 years old and counting. It’s rumoured that there’s a tunnel that leads from it to the ruined castle that sits opposite, but no one has ever found it.

Every winter I go to a music festival in the picturesque Co. Kerry town of Dingle, and we always try to go pony trekking when there, although the weather is usually abominable, as you can see in this photo of a sodden, windblown Connemara pony on the side of a mountain.

Be sure to follow @betweentwoears on Instagram and share your own Between the Ears photos in the comments below. Go Eventing.

Libby Head Ready to Make a Splash at Badminton

By on Mar 31, 2016 1:31 pm -
Libby Head and Sir Rockstar at The Fork 2015. Photo by Jenni Autry. Libby Head and Sir Rockstar at The Fork 2015. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Libby Head and her 18-year-old off-track Thoroughbred gelding, Sir Rockstar, made waves in their first CCI4* start at Rolex in 2014, picking up a top-20 finish in their debut. Now, Libby has her sights set on Badminton this spring as she makes her first trip overseas to compete.

Libby originally received the $10,000 Essex Grant from the USEA in 2014 and earmarked the funds to compete at Luhmühlen last year. Fate wouldn’t have it, though, as Libby broke her wrist shortly before the competition and had to withdraw. Since then, she’s worked hard to prepare for her next shot at going overseas, and she’s been accepted onto the entry list for this year’s field at Badminton.

“(Sir Rockstar) is getting older, and my big goal has always been to take him overseas,” Libby said. “I wanted to do it earlier rather than later. He’s showed no signs of slowing down — he’s very fit and sound — and Badminton was the first opportunity we had this year.”

This spring, Libby and “Rocky” have been working hard at their selected schedule to best prepare themselves for their trip. They began their season at Rocking Horse with an Intermediate run in January, followed by the Advanced at Pine Top and, most recently, the CIC3* at Carolina International.

Libby’s work is paying off with Rocky, especially on the flat as they achieved their first ever score in the 50s at the three-star level. “He got into the 50s for the first time, and while our show jumping wasn’t great it really showed me what we need to work on,” Libby said. “He was awesome on cross country.”

Libby Head and Sir Rockstar on their way to their first CIC3* score in the 50s at Carolina International. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Libby Head and Sir Rockstar on their way to their first CIC3* score in the 50s at Carolina International. Photo by Jenni Autry.

The pair will next head to The Fork next weekend, where they’ll run in the CIC3* as their final prep before leaving for UK. Libby plans to fly out of Miami instead of New York since she is currently based in Ocala. Her good friend and fellow eventer, Devon Brown, will be traveling with Rocky as his official groom. Her coach, Kyle Carter, is also trying to make the trip with her.

Libby has a whole list of things she is excited for surrounding this trip, but her excitement is mixed with nerves as well. “There’s so much to look forward to,” she said. “I’ve only been overseas to spectate at Luhmühlen, and (Badminton) is just such a big event. It’s going to be really cool to see how everything happens over there.”

As for her goals for the event, Libby won’t be holding back. “I want to go home feeling like I did my absolute best,” she said. “I’d love to get into the 50s again, but I’ll be focused on keeping him under control in that big atmosphere. I want to ride the best I know how. I know he is more than capable of it, so it’s going to be about keeping my cool and giving him a good ride. I’ll be happy if I feel like I didn’t leave anything on the table.”

Libby hasn’t set any long term goals past Badminton, bearing in mind Rocky’s well-being as an 18-year-old campaigner. She would, however, love to take some time to stay in Europe after the event to work for an event rider. “I haven’t quite found the right opportunity yet, but I just graduated (from college) and this would be the perfect time to have an experience like that.”

We’ll be cheering Libby and the rest of the North American contingent on this year at Badminton. Be sure to stay tuned for much more from across the pond!

In Memory of Roger Haller: A Tireless Servant of Eventing

By on Mar 31, 2016 10:30 am -
Roger Haller at the 2012 USEA Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Photo by USEA/Leslie Threlkeld. Roger Haller at the 2012 USEA Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Photo by USEA/Leslie Threlkeld.

The sport of eventing lost a giant yesterday, as Roger Haller, 70, passed away peacefully at home in Oxford, Georgia, with his wife Ann by his side following a battle with cancer. An FEI 3*/4* technical delegate, an Olympic and World Championship course designer, a renowned judge and a stalwart volunteer who committed his life to the sport, Roger’s impact on eventing is truly immeasurable.

Born March 13, 1946, to Elliot Haller and Jean Haller Reid, Roger grew up on a small farm in West Field, New Jersey, taking his first riding lessons at the Union County Park Commission’s Watchung Stables at age 9. He began competing in local equitation classes, and at age 11 he joined the Junior Essex Troop, a junior mounted organization, quickly moving from a private to cadet major.

Roger first experienced the thrill of eventing at 13 when he rode in a two-week clinic with the Green Mounted Horse Association in Vermont. The clinic concluded with a three-day event for the more advanced students, and he was hooked from the first moment he rode out on a cross country course.

When his family moved to Far Hills, New Jersey, Roger joined the Somerset Hills Pony Club and quickly progressed through the levels, gaining notoriety as an accomplished rider and horseman along the way. At 17 he was invited by Stefan Von Visy to train at the United States Equestrian Team Headquarters in Gladstone, New Jersey. He achieved his A Pony Club rating at the age of 18.

Roger then went to college in New Jersey, but he remained extremely active in the eventing community. His longtime mentor Jack Fritz, who had been one of Roger’s instructors in the Junior Essex Troop, asked him to sit on the Rules Committee for the United States Combined Training Association, which started his longtime service to the organization that later became the USEA.

Roger Haller (left) with Mike Tucker, accepting the honor of induction into the USEA Hall of Fame. Photo by USEA/Leslie Threlkeld.

Roger Haller (left) with Mike Tucker, accepting the honor of induction into the USEA Hall of Fame. Photo by USEA/Leslie Threlkeld.

It was another mentor, Donald Thackeray, who encouraged Roger to become a judge and technical delegate. Roger received his licenses in 1968 and started organizing events, including at his family’s Hoopstick Farm in Bedminster, New Jersey, which became the first home of the iconic Essex Horse Trials.

Roger was the first organizer, designer and course builder at Essex, and he also served as the director and course designer in 1969 for the Woodstock Three-Day Event, all while pursuing his college education. Roger served on the boards of both the United States Combined Training Association and the United States Pony Club and sat on the Events Committee of the American Horse Show Association at 21.

After graduating from college, Roger traveled to Great Britain in 1969 to find a horse to continue pursuing his competitive goals, which is when he met Golden Griffin. Roger became an integral part of the golden period of U.S. eventing in the 1970s, joining Mike Plumb, Denny Emerson, Bruce Davidson and Jimmy Wofford as a top contender for teams.

Roger and Golden Griffin made their mark in U.S. eventing history, placing third in the 1973 North American Championships and winning the USET Gladstone Trophy in 1974. They were also shortlisted for the 1974 World Championships team at Burghley.

In 1975, Roger and Golden Griffin made the trip to England to compete in the Badminton Horse Trials, which were canceled after dressage due to severe weather. Roger later sold Golden Griffin, who went on to become a top mount for Bruce Davidson. Bruce and Golden Griffin won the individual and team silver medal at the 1975 Pan American Games in Mexico City, as well as won Ledyard that same year.

Roger Haller at the 2012 USEA Hall of Fame Induction ceremony. Photo by USEA/Leslie Threlkeld.

Roger Haller at the 2012 USEA Hall of Fame Induction ceremony. Photo by USEA/Leslie Threlkeld.

Roger continued officiating at countless events, expanding his reach to international competitions as an FEI judge, technical delegate and course designer. He officiated at events in nearly every state in the U.S., as well as 14 foreign countries. He also judged at most major U.S. events, including Rolex, and officiated at 12 CCI4* competitions in all, including Badminton, Burghley and Adelaide, as well as two Pan American Games.

His work as a course designer also left a lasting impact on the sport. In addition to designing courses all throughout the U.S., he designed the 1978 World Championships course in Lexington, as well as the course at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics Games, becoming one of just a handful of course designers in the world to have designed both an Olympic and World Championships track.

When Neil Ayer became president of the USET in 1980, he encouraged Roger to serve as co-vice president of the USCTA with Denny Emerson, which he did for 12 years. He also sat on the USEF Technical Committee, including serving as chairman for two years, and was a member of the USEF Eventing High Performance Committee since 1987. He also served as Area II chairman for the USCTA and editor of USCTA News.

While Roger faithfully served the U.S. eventing community, his titanic impact on the sport was also felt around the world. He served a four-year term on the FEI Eventing Committee, spending two years as vice chairman. In 1990 he played a critical role in revising the FEI Eventing Rulebook, implementing the star-rating system for events that is still used in the sport more than 25 years later.

Throughout his career, Roger’s wife Ann supported him immensely as the other half of their dynamic duo of a partnership. Roger thanked Ann, as well his mother, during his 2012 induction speech into the USEA Hall of Fame (video here). Now it is our turn to thank Roger, a tireless servant of the sport whose dedication and commitment to excellence will long be remembered.

Please join us in sending condolences to Ann, Roger’s sister Barbara Pace, and step-siblings Sidney Funston and Richard Reid. A celebration of Roger’s life will be held Wednesday, April 6, at The Old Church, 1011 Wesley St., Oxford, GA 30054. The time for the service will be announced shortly.

[In Memoriam: Roger Haller]

By the Numbers: Galway Downs CIC3*

By on Mar 31, 2016 9:00 am -
Jordan Linstedt and Revitavet Capato. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Jordan Linstedt and Revitavet Capato at Rolex 2015. Photo by Jenni Autry.

While the East Coast takes a deep breath this weekend in between big spring events, the West Coast holds one of its most important spring CIC3* competitions at Galway Downs. Situated four weeks out from Rolex, many of the West Coast riders will use this as final prep run before making the long trip out to Kentucky.

For the CIC3*, the dressage test will be 2015 FEI 3*-B. Ian Stark is the cross country course designer, and Michael Jay Curtis will be designing the show jumping

TOP THREE

1. Jordan Linstedt and Revitavet Capato: Revitavet Capato is returning to the level for the first time since undergoing colic surgery in August. This pair led the dressage at Rebecca Farm last summer and are one of the top combinations on the West Coast. They are also entered to compete at Rolex.

Revitavet Capato averages a 48.8 on this particular test, which should put them near the lead after the first phase. Although this will be the first time they have jumped a Michael Roy Curtis course, an average of two rails and a time penalty may bump them down a bit. They will make it up over Ian Stark’s course, as they average only 7.6 time penalties when he is the course designer. Jordan and Revitavet Capato should return to the scene with a bang, winning on a score in the mid-60s.

2. Barb Crabo and Eveready: Barb and her stalwart partner Eveready are gearing up for the trip to Rolex, making this their final prep event. Eveready has excelled at this venue over the years, including a big win in the 2014 CCI3*.

This horse averages a 55.6 on this particular test, which isn’t quite as good as their overall average. Eveready has yet to see a Michael Roy Curtis course, but averages one rail and one time penalty overall. A quick round with an average of 8 time penalties over Ian’s courses will bump them up to second, finishing on a score in the mid-to-high 60s.

Bunnie Sexton and Rise Against. Photo courtesy of Rare Air Photography.

Bunnie Sexton and Rise Against. Photo courtesy of Rare Air Photography.

3. Bunnie Sexton and Rise Against: Rise Against is another long-time campaigner who will also be showing up in Kentucky in a month’s time. This horse’s major strength is his jumping prowess, which will put him in good stead this weekend.

Rise Against averages a 67.3 on this test, so will end up chasing the leaderboard. He’ll make up a lot of ground in the stadium; these two jumped a double clear over Michael’s course at Copper Meadows, which is par for the course with them. An average of 11.6 time penalties over Ian Stark’s courses will bump them further up. Bunnie and Rise Against should finish in third place, with a score in the 70s.

Mackenna Shea and Landioso. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Mackenna Shea and Landioso at Galway Downs. Photo by Jenni Autry.

THE SPOILER

Mackenna Shea and Landioso: Another pair headed for Rolex this spring, Mackenna and Landioso usually find themselves near the top of the leaderboard at the end of the weekend. Stellar in the dressage phase and often a tidy jumper, Mackenna and Landioso also tends to put in clear cross country rounds. However, Ian Stark courses have caught them out in the past. If Mackenna and Landi can come home with a clear round this weekend, look for them at the top of the leaderboard.

#96. Heather Morris and Charlie Tango. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Heather Morris and Charlie Tango. Photo by Sally Spickard.

ADVANCED

Number of Horses: 8

Pairs to Watch:

  • Heather Morris and Charlie Tango
  • Sara Sellmer and TF Kreisler
  • Tamie Smith and Wembley

Thursday News & Notes from Kentucky Equine Research

By on Mar 31, 2016 12:06 am -
My view on my little champion.

My view on my little champion.

Phew! I am just now recovered from a wild weekend at Carolina International. I’m telling you, I don’t know how riders go back to back to back weekends! I have to go to sleep at 8pm for a few days straight just to recover from my four days in a row of 4am wakeups. Sometimes, I think I might be 80 years old. Good thing old Nyls agrees to still cart my ancient body around and sometimes takes my suggestions about things.

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Morven Park Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Rocking Horse Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

Full Gallop Farm April H.T. [Website] [Entry Status]

Texas Rose Horse Park H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]

Galway Downs CIC & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]

News From Around The Globe:

The Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) has released the list of nations who are qualified for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Countries sending teams include: Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland and United States. Individuals hail from Belarus, Belgium, Chile, China, Ecuador, Finland, Japan, Puerto Rico, Spain and Zimbabwe. [Road to Rio]

Celebrating the expansion of their Kentucky retraining facility, New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program will host an Open Barn and Barbecue at their new location on Mereworth Farm in Lexington. Just 7 miles from the Kentucky Horse Park, the event will be held on Friday, April 29, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., and will toast the opening of Phase One, which includes the Whirlwind Poppy Barn and the John A. Hettinger Arena. A Southern-style buffet dinner will be available, and attendees will be able to listen to live music while touring the barn, meeting the horses and mingling with acclaimed jockeys. Touring the facility is free; tickets for dinner and drinks are $20. [RSVP Here]

Secretariat’s annual birthday celebration kicks off this weekend at The Meadow where he was born. Penny Chenery will be in attendance, as well as Secretariat’s great-great-grandaughter, Groundshaker, who is the last horse bred and raced by Mrs. Chenery and will be beginning her retirement this weekend. [Secretariat’s B-Day Party]

Team USA asks, who were the first women to win gold medals in each sport in the Olympics? For equestrian disciplines, it was eventer Mary Ann Tauskey, who won team gold in the 1976 Olympics aboard Marcus Aurelius. Check out this throw back Thursday! [Women in Sport]

 

KER Product of the Week – KER•Flex® for Joint Health

KER•Flex®, a palatable powdered joint supplement developed by Kentucky Equine Research (KER), contains high-quality glucosamine HCl and chondroitin sulfate to help with joint maintenance and minimizes wear and tear.

KER-sponsored eventer Lisa Barry uses KER•Flex to support joint health in her upper-level horses. “Between putting in the miles for conditioning and variable terrain and footing, eventing can be hard on a horse’s joints. I rely on KER•Flex to support joint health and performance. There are lots of joint products out there, but nothing compares to KER•Flex,” Lisa explains. “Because it’s backed by Kentucky Equine Research, I know it’s the best joint supplement for my high-performance horses.”

The results of research trials conducted at KER’s research farm, as well as advancements in equine nutrition from institutions around the world, are applied in KER-affiliated products and feeds. KER also performs routine in vivo quality control studies to ensure that all KER-affiliated feeds, ingredients, and supplements are free from prohibited substances. KER is certified by FAMI-QS, an international quality and safety certification system for the animal feed industry, as well as other governing agencies. See KER products.

This is everything:

 

 

 

 

Wednesday Video from Kentucky Performance Products: Michael & Sam at Fontainebleau

By on Mar 30, 2016 5:00 pm -

Michael Jung and La Biosthetique Sam FBW have come out of the 2016 gate swinging, winning the first FEI Nations Cup of the year this past weekend at Fontainebleau in France.

The pair scored a 35.9 in the dressage (see video above), adding 3.2 time penalties cross-country and 1 time penalty in show jumping to finish on a final score of 40.10. Jenni posted a full report on Monday here.

Click here to view final results from Fontainebleau. Go Michael and Sam. Go Eventing!

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#EventerProblems, Vol 64: Horses Gonna Horse

By on Mar 30, 2016 3:00 pm -

Haters gonna hate, and horses gonna horse. Thankfully most event horse owners possess an unreasonably high tolerance for equine antics.

From throwing their shoes in the air like they just don’t care to beating up pasture mates, random acts of self-harm, under-saddle shenanigans, poor personal hygiene and a compulsion to put EVERYTHING in their mouths, horses will be horses — and we love them even more for it.

Here’s your latest batch of #EventerProblems:

No. My phone is not a peppermint, or a graham cracker.

A photo posted by Abby Reinhardt (@southern_happy_simple) on

the “I knocked that jump over on purpose” face. oh Pi… #theswampmonsterisdead #eventerproblems

A photo posted by Kate Drake (@katedrakevt) on

Well, at least they will make good eventers? #seahorses #eventerproblems

A video posted by Carlie Buth (@diamondsporthorses) on

#dutchlove #eventinglife #eventerproblems #ridebeforework #horsesofinstagram #horseslovecoffeetoo @dutchbrosauburn

A photo posted by Caitlin Lighthouse Peterson (@caitlinlighthouse) on

They’re my drinking buddies, and I wear tight blue jeans #sharingiscaring #eventerproblems

A video posted by Sarah Audrey (@sarahagilms) on

Horse balloon … the story of Vinnys rehab #eventerproblems #wildpony

A photo posted by Caroline Teich (@teicheventing) on

Untitled

If you missed them: Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63.

Got #EventerProblems? Tag them on social for inclusion in a future edition!

Go Eventing.

Why Did Kyle Carter Wear This Pink Helmet Cover at Carolina?

By on Mar 30, 2016 1:00 pm -
"This is how I feel about losing a bet to Buck!" — Kyle Carter. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Losing a bet can come with tough consequences in the horse world. Kyle Carter now knows this all too well, as a recent bet with Buck Davidson during an episode of The Sort of OK Show About Horses resulted in Kyle sporting a bright pink helmet cover on cross country this past weekend at Carolina International.

“One of the things we do (on the show) is pick a team of horses for each event to make a team of four horses,” Kyle explained. “We were originally going to switch horses as the bet, but we were having trouble fulfilling the requirements, so we decided that the loser would have to wear some sort of helmet cover on cross country.”

Ridiculous is the only way to describe the helmet cover of choice this weekend. Designed by hand, the helmet cover is bright pink with a large flower and diamond completing the accents. Kyle makes a good point though — “That helmet cover is lucky! It just jumped around a three-star course!”

Luckily for Kyle, he won the next bet, as his “team” won at Red Hills, meaning Buck will be the next one to sport a helmet cover of Kyle’s choice. We won’t see its debut at The Fork next weekend though, as Buck typically rides in his grandmother’s colors that weekend in honor of her birthday.

We definitely can’t wait to see what Kyle has up his sleeve for Buck to wear, though. “We’re definitely going to bedazzle some stuff — he’s going to look like a rhinestone cowboy out there,” Kyle said.

Kyle and Buck have ultimately decided to turn the bet into a good cause. “The idea is that we’ll sign the helmet cover and auction it off to benefit a charity,” Kyle said. “We still need to work out the details, but it’s a good way to raise awareness for both the sport as well as charity organizations. We’re trying to put a bit of a fun angle on it to bring more people into the sport.”

We certainly appreciate Kyle and Buck’s efforts to bring even more fun to the table this season, and we think this is a great way to bring attention to good causes. “It’s a team effort,” Kyle said. “We just want to find ways to grow the sport and this seemed like a fun way to do it.”

Buck and Kyle will continue their team challenge for the foreseeable future and have also agreed to tie this in with EN’s upcoming Rolex Fantasy League presented by Dubarry — stay tuned for more details on that.

As for that pink helmet cover, we think you rocked it, Kyle.