Classic Eventing Nation

‘Don’t You Know About the Bird?’ Bird is the Word Shines in Stable View’s Eventing Academy

By on Dec 12, 2023 9:30 am -

Bird is the Word is worth his weight in gold. Not because of his first career as a racehorse or because of his FEI record, but with his latest job title of “Teacher,” Bird is the Word has found a career in which he shines.

We often focus on the top professional riders with their high-dollar horses and expensive tack, when in reality, this sport thrives on the backs of adult amateurs and young riders. We dutifully pay our show fees and sign up for lessons with our trainers. We grind at work all day and get to the barn after the sun goes down. We do it all for the thrill of crossing that finish line at the one or two events a year we manage to get to.

The horses that allow us to live our adult amateur dreams are priceless. Bird is the Word, barn name “Goose”, is one such horse. Formerly owned and piloted by FEI rider and #supergroom Courtney Carson, Goose is now a part of the family for adult amateur Lauren Davis, Goose is more precious to her than any 5* winner. A dream five years in the making, the 2023 season marked Lauren and Goose’s first Training level completion and crowned them overall points champion for the Stable View Eventing Academy.

The Stable View Eventing Academy is designed to make eventing more accessible for riders of all ages and backgrounds. The event covers three days: the first day is open for riders to school the cross country course, the second day allows riders to practice their show jumping or dressage, and on the third day all three phases are judged in show format.

Bird is the Word and Courtney Carson. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

It’s been a long road to being crowned champion for this pair. Lauren bought Goose roughly five years ago with plans to make the move up to Training that season. Fate had other plans. Goose spent that first season bucking Lauren off and was diagnosed with kissing spine. After six months of rehab, Lauren and Goose were ready to get back to their plans… but then Goose developed anhidrosis. After another six months of trying to figure out how to manage his anhidrosis, Goose was back and going again — only to tear his hind suspensory six months after that. A full year of rehab later, Lauren and Goose were finally cleared to get back to their original goal.

“I had bought him five years ago with the intent of going Training that year, and it took five years for us to get to that goal,” Lauren said. “It almost makes it better, to be honest. I mean, the immediate win would have been great. But the four years of rehabbing just made it so much more rewarding.”

Goose takes his role as teacher seriously. Lauren can’t just sit there and allow him to carry her around. “He completely knows his job. He won’t give it to you unless you ask for it, so he’s a perfect teacher. There were many times where I ended up on the ground because I did something that he knew was incorrect. He’s not just gonna deal with you sitting up there and flopping around. But if you ask correctly, he’ll give you the right answer.”

Lauren and Goose started the season with the Beginner Novice Eventing Academy at Stable View and then moved up from there. In the course of three events, they went from Beginner Novice to Training. “Novice and Beginner Novice, he and I can go around just fine, but as he was coming back from the suspensory injury and he’s older, we were trying to be very cautious of what we’re asking of him. The Eventing Academy gave us a really, really good spot to kind of get him out there and test that leg and make sure that it was going to hold up without having to spend the extra money on the recognized show.”

“I think the Eventing Academy is just such a nice way to move up. It gives you the opportunity to do a little bit of practicing, get the nerves out, and then you know, keep on going,” Lauren said. “I also really like Stable View because they really do treat it as if it’s a recognized event. The jumps are usually technically appropriate and decorated and it’s got that environment of a recognized event. It’s just the perfect opportunity to have your trainer there with you. To me, it’s about as good as you can get.”

 

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While dressage isn’t either of Lauren’s or Goose’s favorite phases, they still had a good dressage ride and a great stadium round. But for this pair, the “pinch me” moment came on the cross country course. “He was just absolutely perfect to every fence. He came back to me when he was supposed to, galloped forward when he needed to. He just gave me that perfect round and it was definitely a pinch me moment at the end,” Lauren said. “I grew up riding but my parents were insistent that I was not going to own a horse. So I didn’t buy my first horse until I was 23/24 and had started eventing. And he’s only my second horse. So it’s one of those moments where you sit there and you’re like, ‘Man, I really did it.’”

Lauren is no stranger to magical moments at the Eventing Academy. Only an hour away from Stable View, Lauren has been coming here since the Eventing Academy first started in the early 2010s. All of her seasons of competing in the Eventing Academy have taught her a lot. “I think the thing that I learned the most was that taking the time and doing it the right way is really beneficial,” said Lauren. “I had tried to take my old horse around the training course and it was just a nightmare. We ended up getting stops left and right and then got excused. And that was the end of it.

I think in my head, I was still thinking this is going to be hard. This is going to feel hard. We’re really going to have to work for it. And the day of the show was not hard at all. We finished the cross country course and I was like, ‘that didn’t feel big at all.’ And it’s just because we took the time to do it right.There was absolutely no doubt in my mind that the two of us could roll around the course without any issues versus the first time– which was like ‘hold your breath and maybe you’ll finish.’ So I think that to me, the biggest lesson I’ve learned from the Eventing Academy is that preparation is so critical,” Lauren said.

This year, Lauren and Goose were crowned end of year overall points champion across all divisions with a total of 21 points. The award is particularly cherished as their memorable 2023 season was five years in the making. Lauren says that she’ll be back next year to contest the award again. “We’re headed back there to run the training course again, and this time, the hope is to not practice on Saturday and to really treat it as a true show.”

Happy riding and a big congratulations to Lauren Davis and Bird is the Word for truly demonstrating what eventing is about at all levels: resilience, grit, and pure joy for the sport.

Go eventing.

This article was sponsored by Stable View, host of the Eventing Academy. The Eventing Academy is part of Stable View’s initiative to make eventing inclusive to all, financially and otherwise. If you’d like to add the Eventing Academy to your 2024 season, check out the calendar.

Tuesday News & Notes from Kentucky Performance Products

By on Dec 12, 2023 9:02 am -

I can already feel myself inching towards that post-holiday period of absolutely ZERO motivation, which is why I, to steal a phrase from my colleague Abby’s mouth, am high-key excited about this new course offering from our pals at Equestly. A chance to improve my existing skills and add new ones will maximizing the warmth of being indoors? Sign. Me. Up. This might actually encourage me to make the most of dreary January — especially because they’re beginning with a course on self-care rituals for exhausted horse girls. I know we all fit that bill.

Events Opening Today: Full Gallop Farm January H.T, Rocking Horse Winter I H.T.

News & Notes from Around the World:

There are plenty of ways to learn and improve as a rider. One of those, that’s still pretty new to all of us, is the utilisation of wearable tech — and a group of trainers at a college in Scotland have been leaning into the potential of this addition to their teaching programmes. Here’s an insight into what they’re using — and how you could implement it into your own training, too.

Researchers reckon they’ve found the oldest saddle ever yet discovered. The Mongolian saddle was found in a tomb (no confirmation either way whether they released a curse and/or the spirit of a Mongolian warlord in the process, but watch this space) and dates back to the 5th century. Now, everyone’s nerding out in a big way over the construction of the saddle and stirrup rig.

A whole bunch of great people were recognised at the USEA Convention last week. Here’s a handy rundown of who they all are, what they’ve contributed to the sport, and how USEA’s doing, generally speaking.

Grooms are the essential workers without whom eventing couldn’t function. We’ve partnered with Achieve Equine this year to spotlight the incredible efforts of supergrooms across the industry — and now, we want to know who you think is the greatest of them all. Drop your nominations here by December 27 and your favorite groom could win a tonne of great prizes plus bragging rights that’ll sustain them through the off-season.

 

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Sponsor Corner: Are you team round bale or small bale? Kentucky Performance Products is debating the pros and cons of round bales in their latest blog. Decide for yourself at this link.

Watch This:

More from Geneva today — and this time, it’s combined driving, the most indecipherable and bonkers sport going.

 

 

Monday Video: Flatwork with the Duttons

By on Dec 11, 2023 3:30 pm -

Phillip Dutton’s stunning sterling mount, Azure, is coming back into work after the Maryland 5 Star and look who’s in the irons! Daughter Olivia was lucky enough to land a lesson with dad aboard the Moran family’s 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare (Omar – Cavalier Roselier, by Cavalier Royale) and we can learn a thing or two from this snippit of their flatwork lesson.

Bred and produced by Irish eventer Elizabeth Power, Azure is relatively new ride for Phillip having been brought Stateside at the start of the 2022 season. Phillip has said the mare is uber-keen and forward across the country and his goal as they progress their partnership is to channel that eagerness into their dressage. Watch as he coaches Olivia on how to start off on the right foot for a flat ride!

Weekend Winners: USEA Year-End Awards & Full Gallop Farm

By on Dec 11, 2023 12:00 pm -

Nothing says end of the year like the USEA Annual Meeting and Convention AND a Jingle Bells H.T. running at Full Gallop Farm.

Celebrate the end of the year, with these Weekend Winners as we recap on a great year of sport, horsemanship, and all that’s to come next! Congrats to all on the year and a great weekend, with a special shout out to this weekend’s winner of our Unofficial Low Score Award, Sarah Forster and Caillou, who scored a 26.9 in the Novice at Full Gallop.

USEA Annual Meeting and Convention (St. Louis, MO): [Information Hub] [Awards]

Andrew McConnon and Wakita 54. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

The Rebecca Broussard International Developing Rider Grant: Andrew McConnon (The Rebecca Broussard International Developing Rider Grant awards $50,000 for the educational development of an international quality rider based on competition in eventing on the global stage).

Steve Teichman in Rio at the 2016 Olympic Games.

Wofford Cup: Steve Teichman (When selecting the Wofford Cup recipient, the selectors identify those who have given so much to the sport that they rise to the very top. They dedicate their life to the betterment of eventing. The 2023 recipient was not only someone who fit that description, but defines that description. For almost five decades, a love of art and a passion for innovation made Teichman one of the most sought-after farriers in the business, becoming the farrier to the U.S. Eventing Team).

Boyd Martin and Commando 3. Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography.

The USET Connaught Grant: Boyd Martin and Commando 3

The Wilton Fair Fund: Jenny Caras and Cosby Green

The Haller Scholarships for the Education of Eventing Officials: Rumsey Keefe and Katherine Cooper

The Essex Horse Trials Grant: Cosby Green

The Seema Sonnad Junior Rider Grant: Carlin Keefe

The Mike Huber Award: Rebecca Brown from Area 5

The Packy Prize Grant: Max Corcoran

The Richard Picken Memorial Grants: Olivia Dutton and Caitlin O’Roark

Kim Meier “Kick On” Memorial Grant: Dr. Kimberly Keeton

USEA Eventing Coaches Program Certification Grant: Lauren Sumner from Area II, Alicia Swinton from Area VI, Dani Sussman from Area IX, Sarah Lawrence from Area III, and Natalia Neneman from Area III

Eventing Officials “r” Training Program Grant: Rebecca Barber Tyler from Area III, Sarah Sullivan from Area VII, and Emma Hinke from Area II

Immersion Program with Sharon White: Jenny Powers from Area IX

Rebecca Broussard National Developing Rider Grant: Ashley Adams

What an amazing end to the year at the #USEAConvention ! I was so unbelievably honored to receive the Rebecca “Little…

Posted by Ashley Adams Eventing on Sunday, December 10, 2023

2023 USEF Owner Awards: Erik Markell, Chris Desino, Rob Desino, Debby Palmer, Sharon White, and Ava Chase

The USEF Julep Cup Recipients: Gloria Callan, Eric Markell, Chris Desino, Rob Desino, Evie Dutton, and Ava Chase

Above & Beyond Event Personnel Award: Scott Weide, Dave Emmons, Christel and Cyra Carlson, John Wells, and Madison Packard

Amateur Impact Award: Dan Kreitl

The As You Like It Owner’s Award: Christa Schmidt

The Liz Cochran Memorial Groom’s Award: Christina Curiale

Full Gallop Farm Jingle Bells H.T (Aiken, SC) [Website][Scoring]

I can't explain how proud I am of Sandro Street aka Sagan today. He put in a respectable dressage test AND had NO rails in in prelim Stadium round!!!! Went double clear on xc to finish 1st in his PT division today!!! Huge thank you to all my supporters and sponsors! Hygain US Full Gallop Farm Purvida Healthy Horse Kelly Wathey – Arion Horse Sport Tack

Posted by Phelps Eventing on Sunday, December 10, 2023

Starter: Margaret Schneck and Gun Point (31.3)
Beginner Novice: Maddy Hall and FGF Redemption Song (29.1)
Novice: Sarah Forster and Caillou (26.9)
Training/Novice: Jessica Schultz and Rocky Top City (28.1)
Training: Lauren Lindsay and FGF Nothing For Free (29.2)
Preliminary/Training: Darci Phelps and Sandro Street (34.8)
Preliminary: Elizabeth Harrington and Vanity’s Revenge (70.0)

LAST CALL to Vote in the 2023 EquiRatings Horse of the Year Semi-Finals

By on Dec 11, 2023 10:00 am -

We’ve made it through the quarter finals for the 2023 EquiRatings Horse of the Year, and are onto the semi-finals. Now’s your chance to vote before the semi-final closes TODAY, December 11th at 5pm GMT (noon EST)!

Fans have narrowed it down to four impressive horses. Make sure to head over to the ERHOTY page to cast your vote to cheer on your favorite!

Semi Final 1: Ballaghmor Class v. Vendredi Biats

BALLAGHMOR CLASS:

Ballaghmor Class tallied his third five-star win this year at Burghley, making him one of only 12 horses in the history of the sport to win three or more. The win came six years after Ballaghmor Class’s first five-star victory. That is one of the longest five-star-winning careers in eventing history (second only to La Biosthetique Sam’s seven-year span between first and last five-star title).

Ballaghmor Class is arguably the most consistent five-star horse of all time, having produced ten top-five placings at the five-star level, including a second-place finish at Badminton this year. His true-to-form consistency this season has given Ballaghmor Class the highest Elo of his career as he climbed with every single 2023 result. After his Burghley win, the 16-YO passed fischerChipmunk to top the Elo table for a while. Ballaghmor Class is, simply put, a five-star warrior and absolute workman.

VENDREDI BIATS:

At the Europeans this year, in the face of tough cross country conditions and after disappointment in similar conditions just three months before (Badminton), Vendredi Biats dug in and rose to the occasion to lay down a cross country performance that was key to earning the European individual silver medal. His XC run as the team pathfinder, over tough ground, on a tough day was also critical to Team GB’s gold. A selection to any British team is hard-won but Vendredi Biats proved his mettle and punctuated his place on the team.

The Euros performance boosted Vendredi Biats’ Elo by an impressive 25 points in one fell swoop, such was the quality of the competition he bested. That makes him one of only seven horses in the world right now to have an 800+ Elo rating (802). The silver-medal performance also registered a High Performance Rating (HPR) of 106, making it one of best 4*-L/5* performances of the year.

It was Vendredi Biats’ second major podium of the year, after placing second at Luhmühlen in June. Two major placings and delivering for Team GB make it a standout year for Vendredi Biats.

Semi Final 2: Lordships Graffalo v. Colorado Blue

LORDSHIPS GRAFFALO:

Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Lordships Graffalo won Badminton by 15.0 points, the largest 5* winning margin in the modern era of the sport. He then went on to win the European individual gold by 6.7 points and that was against international competition with renowned low-scoring ability and, indeed, against one of the strongest fields on record according to the Elo Field Strength rating (second only to Pratoni 2022).

Registering a High Performance Rating (HPR) of 113, Lordships Graffalo’s European gold set the new standard for 4*/5* performances, the best HPR ever (rating starts in 2008).

We’ve seen this horse coming (it’s not even his first ERHOTY rodeo): Lordships Graffalo was the highest Elo-rated horse for his age as both a 9-YO and 10-YO and is now the highest-rated 11-YO ever (rating starts in 2008). It’s a table-topping Elo trend that mimics La Biosthetique Sam-FBW’s record. Plus, Lordships Graffalo was only the third combination since 2008 to win Badminton from the front as did a certain La Biosthetique Sam in 2016.

Lordships Graffalo is, on many metrics, one of the best we’ve ever seen. For this point in his career, he is going toe-for-toe with La Biosthetique Sam who is arguably the greatest horse of all time…for now…

COLORADO BLUE:

Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue. Photo by Sally Spickard.

This year at Badminton, we saw Colorado Blue go head-to-head with Lordships Graffalo in the cross country phase. It was Colorado Blue who was the fastest on the day in those notoriously testing conditions; 10.8 time penalties for him, 11.6 for Lordships Graffalo, and everyone else?: Twenty-one-plus time penalties. The result was a deserved climb up the leaderboard and the first Badminton podium from an Irish combination in 40 years.

Colorado Blue is in fact one of the top-rated cross country horses in the sport. His five-star XC jumping reliability puts him in the top 0.1% of horses worldwide and his five-star speed is among the top 0.05%.

Five months after Badminton, Colorado Blue went on and did it. At Maryland, he jumped double clear (XC and SJ) to produce the first five-star win for Ireland in 58 years. He had added just 1.2 XC time penalties on a day when only one horse was under the time and he was the only double-clear SJ round on the final day.

A classic sporting story – highs (Badminton and Maryland) and lows (Burghley) and when it ended with that big win, we could practically hear the whole eventing world cheer.

Click here to view the full voting on EquiRatings, and to cast your votes TODAY (December 11)!

Monday News & Notes from FutureTrack

By on Dec 11, 2023 8:47 am -

We all hope we’ll never need to rely on entities such as the British Eventing Support Trust, but that’s the thing about eventing: no matter how much you plan ahead, don the highest-rated safety kit, and invest in lessons to keep you secure in the saddle, shit happens — as it did to Britain’s under-25 champ and 5* competitor Bubby Upton, who’s recently got back in the saddle after major spinal surgery and rehab. She was helped throughout by the BEST, and we reckon a donation in someone’s name might make quite a nice functional Christmas pressie this season, if that sort of thing is what you’re into. Find out more about their work here.

National Holiday: It’s International Mountain Day. It’s okay if the closest you’ll be getting to a mountain is pushing your wheelbarrow up the frozen muck heap ramp. Solidarity, my friend.

US Weekend Action:

USEA Annual Meeting and Convention (St. Louis, MO): [Information Hub] [Schedule] [Fast Facts]

Full Gallop Farm Jingle Bells H.T (Aiken, SC) [Website] [Results]

Your Monday Reading List:

At this time of year, I get much more into things like jump-off lines. And so what a treat it was to follow the Rolex Grand Prix at Geneva in Switzerland, where Richard Vogel and United Touch S gave a masterclass in turns and tight lines to ace the jump off by 2.5 seconds. Scroll down to check out the video, and click here to find out more about how they did it. Interesting, if not necessarily relevant, is this stallion’s breeding: he’s got the same grandmother on both sides, and while this level of inbreeding has obviously worked for him, I sort of hope they don’t plan to breed him. Or at least, I hope they avoid any cousins.

I began reading this story about Bob Giles because of proximity: he grew up in the foster care system in tiny, rural Lubec, Maine, just two towns over from the poverty-riddled area I lived in from the age of 12 to 19, too. But I found so much more in it than just a fellow horse-lover who managed to rise above that rough, tough place. Bob’s a man who’s built to survive, and with a smile on his face — and his incredible story also saw him push through a botched spinal surgery and subsequent paralysis to get himself back to his beloved horses. Imbibe a bit of inspiration to start your day right.

Strangles is something that every horse owner fears. But what happens when your barn is actually hit by it? Ontario’s Tessa Laughton, who runs a busy show, sales, and livery barn, first discovered signs of the disease on September 5, and has since been on lockdown with her team, aggressively tackling the outbreak. She shares the story of how they did it here.

Need a morning muck-out listen? Get to know Maddie Temkin, who’s part of the 2024 Emerging Athletes program, in this episode of the Major League Eventing podcast.

Morning Viewing: 

Check out Richard Vogel’s incredible jump-off round at Geneva with United Touch S.

Sunday Video Break: A Galway Downs Vlog

By on Dec 10, 2023 2:00 pm -

Want to see what it’s like to compete at Galway Downs (Temecula, CA) for a weekend? You’re in luck, as vlogger Shayna Chapman has shared a vlog on her Shay’s Way YouTube channel to take us along for the ride. Shayna lives in southern California, competing with her 13-year-old Connemara gelding, Lookout Volvic Rocket. See how Shay’s weekend shook out as she competed in the Beginner Novice Rider division at Galway in the video above!

Boyd Martin and Commando 3 Receive the USET Foundation’s Connaught Grant

By on Dec 10, 2023 10:30 am -

Boyd Martin and Commando 3. Photo by Sally Spickard.

The United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation has named three-time eventing Olympian Boyd Martin of Cochranville, Pennsylvania, and his mount, Commando 3, a 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Connor 48 x R-Adelgunde) owned by Yankee Creek Ranch, the recipients of the 2024 Connaught Grant.

Each year, the USET Foundation administers up to $25,000 to a developing horse that is seen as a potential candidate to represent the United States eventing team at the international level. The grant was established and is funded by Caroline Moran in memory of her dear friend, the late R. Bruce Duchossois, who was dedicated to encouraging the development of eventing horses in the U.S., and is named after Connaught, a horse that was owned by Duchossois and ridden by Phillip Dutton at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games and 2008 Beijing Olympics.

As the recipient of the Connaught Grant, Martin, who is an athlete on the US Equestrian (USEF) Eventing Elite Program List with Commando 3 and Luke 140, will use the funds to support further competition and training with Commando 3 with the aim of riding for the U.S. at the highest levels on the international stage.

Boyd Martin and Commando 3. Photo by Sally Spickard.

“It’s a huge honor and privilege to receive the Connaught Grant with Commando 3,” stated Martin. “In the last year, Commando 3 has burst onto the U.S. equestrian scene. We’ve worked very hard at building a partnership. I really feel like he is developing into one of the top horses in the nation.

“When I first arrived in the U.S., I got a job as a rider for Philip Dutton and was lucky enough to get to know Bruce Duchossois and Connaught,” continued Martin. “From the bottom of my heart, receiving this grant is a touching moment because I witnessed how much Bruce [Duchossois] changed his career and helped U.S. equestrian sport. I was also there to see Connaught in his finest moments, winning five-star events, and representing America. To be put in a category with a champion bloke like Bruce and a horse like Connaught is a huge accomplishment.”

Throughout 2023, Martin and Commando 3 have competed at the four-star level. Most recently, in October, the pair won the CCI4*-L at the Morven Park International, in Leesburg, Virginia. This win came on the heels of several top-five finishes in four-star competition, including winning the CCI4*-S in September at The Fork at Tryon International and placing third in the horse’s first CCI4*-L in May at the Tryon International Three-Day Event, both in Mill Spring, North Carolina.

Boyd Martin and Commando 3. Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography.

Martin credits Commando 3’s character and is also quick to recognize the horse’s owners for their support.

“He’s an interesting character,” Martin said of Commando 3. “He’s a very good-looking horse and, sadly, he knows it. He struts around like a wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles. He has an amazing presence, and even when I watch him walking in the field, he has a championship look. I feel like we have an exciting future on the horizon with him.

“I’m really grateful for Yankee Creek Ranch getting behind me and owning Commando 3,” he continued. “We’ve developed a great friendship and partnership and it’s a fantastic feeling to ride a horse for people that have the same beliefs, goals, and aspirations.”

Next year, Martin has his eyes on the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, with Commando 3 and other horses in his string. Whether or not Commando 3 is selected for the Games, Martin plans to enter the gelding in five-star competition.

Boyd Martin and Commando 3. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

While Martin will leverage the grant in a way that will help Commando 3 gain the experience necessary for him to be successful on the world stage, he also hopes that up-and-coming athletes will continue their hard work and look for opportunities for the USET Foundation and USEF to support their journeys up the ranks.

“The USET Foundation and USEF do an incredible job identifying and supporting the great horse-and-rider talent we have in America,” Martin concluded. “To anyone that wants a shot at greatness, my advice would be to put your head down and work as hard as you can. Strive for the pinnacle of the sport. I promise there will be many ups and downs, but if you can hang in there and you keep chipping away, this sport will eventually reward you.”

Previous Connaught Grant Recipients

2023 Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake

2022 Will Coleman and Chin Tonic

2021 Will Faudree and Mama’s Magic Way

2020 Liz Halliday and Cooley Moonshine

2019 Alexander O’Neal and Fury H

2018 Matt Brown and Big Berry

2017 Emilee Libby and Jakobi

2016 Jennie Brannigan and Stella Artois

2015 Heather Morris and Charlie Tango

Sunday Links from Etalon Equine Genetics

By on Dec 10, 2023 12:01 am -
The Board of Governors meet during the 2023 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention. Photo by USEA/Lindsay Berreth. The Board of Governors meet during the 2023 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention. Photo by USEA/Lindsay Berreth.

The 2023 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention comes to a close today, and we have all been watching and waiting patiently to hear news on the many proposed rule changes, USEA Board nominees, and end-of-year award recipients.

Yesterday’s schedule featured several highlight meetings, including the open forum regarding proposed rule changes and the keynote presentation by prolific animal welfare activist and animal science professor Dr. Temple Grandin.

Here are some numbers and statistics on and from this year-end convention!

Number of committee meetings that took place: 41
Number of educational seminars, sessions, and forums that took place: 40

Incoming Area Chairs:

  • Area I | Judith Rossi
  • Area III | Cynthia Caufman
  • Area V | Stephanie Reimers
  • Area VII | Katie Bystrom
  • Area VIII | Debbie Snyder

    • New Board of Governors:

  • Area I | Melanie Loschiavo (2024-2026)
  • Area III | Shelley Howerton Page (2024-2026)
  • At Large | Jacob Fletcher (2024-2026)
  • Area V | Siobhan O’Brien (reappointed: 2024-2026)
  • Area VIII | Wayne Quarles (reappointed: 2024-2026)
  • At Large | Lauren Nicholson (reappointed: 2024-2026)

    • Current number of USEA members to date: 477,055
    Number of active competing USEA members: 80,623
    Number of USEF-licensed competitions in 2023: 2,128

    USEA Governors’ Cup recipients: John Bourgoin, Rebecca Brown, Loris Henry, Kathy Kerns, Mark Andreason
    Andrew H. Popiel Memorial Trophy recipients: Lena and Mark Warner
    USEA President’s Lifetime Achievement Award: Sharon Gallagher

    Find all awards recipients here, as well as the USEA CEO’s Report.

    U.S. Weekend Action

    USEA Annual Meeting and Convention (St. Louis, MO): [Information Hub] [Schedule] [Fast Facts]

    Full Gallop Farm Jingle Bells H.T (Aiken, SC) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

    Links to Start Your Sunday:

    EquiRatings Horse of the Year voting is on to the semi-finals! Vote here for one of the final four.

    While you’re at it, don’t forget to send in a nomination for The One #Supergroom to Rule Them All!

    ‘Test the Best Without Hurting the Rest’: Barnard and Donovan Lead Show Jumping Seminar at USEA Annual Meeting & Convention

    Horse Community Controversy: The Future of Wellington

    Meet Cascada: a smart auto-waterer that sends alerts to your phone

    Just in time for the holidays: Hallmark Channel to release “A Blacksmith for Christmas” movie

    Sponsor Corner: What are equine performance genetics? Etalon Equine Genetics can identify your horse’s strengths and weaknesses in the competition ring according to their DNA.

    Morning Viewing: Everyone has their own ASMR genres — don’t deny it, I saw you watching those satisfying farrier videos. While my “in-the-background” choices lately may have included some very cool leatherworking close-ups (it’s also a ploy to get my husband to think it’s cool; homemade halters may be in my future), Horse Grooming ASMR might just be added into my playlists. All the satisfaction of watching a horse meticulously cleaned and none of the impending arthritis flares from doing it yourself? This may just bring balance to my life.

    And yes, I’m that girl at the barn who uses two different stiff brushes and three soft brushes before every ride. I like shiny ponies, sue me.

    “A Difficult Decision”: Great Meadow International To Sit Out 2024

    By on Dec 9, 2023 4:32 pm -

    Lillian Heard Wood and Dassett Olympus. Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography.

    We’re sad to share the news that David O’Connor and Darrin Mollett, co-organizers of Great Meadow International, have announced that the August FEI fixture in The Plains, Virginia will not run in 2024 due to issues with the extant late-summer date and ground conditions.

    “As GMI organisers for the past eight years, we have made the difficult decision not to run the August event at the Great Meadow Foundation in 2024,” said O’Connor and Mollett in a statement released on social media today (December 9). “The last two years have been a struggle with the date in late August. Although we originally were able to control the footing on our tracks, recent events have made that impossible. Although we attempted to move our date, this date change was not granted for 2024. We have also attempted to work with the landowner on improvements to the facility to allow irrigation of the course, but those will not be possible for 2024.”

    This year’s Great Meadow International was plagued by withdrawals due to hard ground conditions: just seven of the 22 entrants in the CCI4*-S feature class opted to go cross-country, while 31 of 50 in the CCI3*-S left the startbox – and this was a major driving force behind GMI’s team’s commitment to change at the venue, whether through ground management or a shift in the calendar.

    “In fairness to our competitors, our sponsors, our all-volunteer organizing committee, our dedicated volunteers, our local community, and all stake holders in this sport, we wanted to let you know as soon as we did that we will not run at Great Meadow in 2024.”

    It’s not all bad news, though, for the GMI team, who ordinarily host classes from Preliminary through to CCI4*-S in August, and have previously been the US host of the FEI Nations Cup, too: they’ve been granted a CCI1*, to run August 24–25, 2024.

    “We are working on alternative venues for this date and hope to have an announcement soon,” continued the statement. “In the meantime, we would like to thank everyone for their commitment to this event.”

    We hope to see GMI return to the calendar in 2025, and will be bringing you more information and updates as they happen.